4268. How they are also brought back into order
Souls and spirits in the other life are constantly being brought back into order, so that there is not the tiniest moment of time in which changes and reorderings are not taking place. For every human being has many, many states in particular and in general - why not, then, so many, or myriads of souls that there have been since the first creation, and are today, drifting up?
[2] Therefore, the process of bringing back into order is a continuous one, the means of reducing them into order being countless beyond number, one of them being that certain evil spirits are admitted among upright ones, who at once have an aura with them. The auras are such as to affect all who are of the same character, as when they are lewd, all who are lewd in the same way are aroused. Hence it is found out how much of that quality each one has, more or less, and then they are sorted out according to those states of mind, thus also according to other states, even until the spirit's prevailing state of life can be bent toward some use. 1749, 11 May. 1
Footnotes:
1. Astrological symbol of Jupiter, meaning Thursday.
4268. HOW SPIRITS ARE REDUCED TO ORDER.
Souls and spirits in the other life are continually being reduced to order, so that there is not the smallest moment of time in which changes and reductions to order are not taking place, for there are multifarious states of every man, both in particular and in general. What then shall be said of so many souls or myriads of souls as have existed since the creation, and as are daily flocking [into the spiritual world]? Wherefore there is a continual reduction to order. The means of effecting it are countless in number; one is, that certain evil spirits are admitted among the upright, who bring with them a peculiar sphere; these spheres are such that they affect all who are of a quality similar to them, as when they are lascivious, all the lasciviously inclined are excited by them in a similar manner, whence it is known how much everyone is inclined that way, whether more or less, and thus they are separated as to their states; and so also as to others, yet so that their ruling state of life may be bent to some use. - 1749, May 11.
4268. Quomodo etiam in redigantur
Continue animae et spiritus in altera vita in ordinem rediguntur, sic ut non sit minutulum temporis, quo non vicissitudines, et reductiones in ordinem, sunt enim multiplices status cujuscunque hominis, in particulari et communi: quid non, tot animarum, seu myriadum quae a prima creatione fuerunt, et quotidie alluunt? quare continua est reductio in ordinem; media reducendi in ordinem sunt numero indefinita, unum etiam est, quod quidam spiritus mali admittantur inter probos, qui illico sphaeram secum habent, sphaerae sunt tales, ut afficiant omnes qui similes sunt, ut cum lasciviae, tunc omnes qui lascivi simili modo excitantur, inde noscitur quantum quisque, magis vel minus, et sic separantur, quoad eos status, ita quoque quoad caeteros, usque ut ejus status vitae regnans flecti possit ad quendam usum. 1749, 11 Maj.