4348. About hypocrites, that it is the gnashing of teeth
About spirits who seem to think well, yet are still evil
Inward restraints
There were spirits with me who poured in a toothache on the right side of my jaw and into the flesh of the teeth there, and the bones even to the right ear; I supposed that they were grossly earthly and bodily spirits, but I noticed that they very subtly penetrated my thoughts, picking up on the very least details more than others. I also noticed that from their thinking, which has an outward quality, they spoke well, so that judging from the their speech of thought one could not know otherwise than that they were good. Everything that one of them thought and said in this way was rational, but still it was noticeable that he was not inwardly good, so that by this kind of thought he was conjoined with inward evil spirits. Those of this character in the life of the body likewise speak, and think, well, but still are inwardly evil, for they have themselves and the world as their end. These restraints are not outer, but inward restraints, in which some are very strong, but not bonds of conscience, and when they are let loose, the spirit rushes to achieve his own ends.
Now because communication of thoughts exists in the other life, this disagreement is manifestly noticed. 1749, 10 Aug. So that I might learn what they were like, inward evil spirits were taken away, and replaced by better ones. He then said that he does not know what he was saying, and that he is therefore deprived of life, for his inward life consisted in that [inflow].
[2] Their inflow is into the periostea of the teeth, and then into the pericranium around the right ear, on which they effect a quite bad and severe pain, a sign that they are evil. The ones who do not inflict pain are good, and conscious of all things that are being thought - which sensitivity is seated in the periostea. They said that such spirits contribute to cancer, which shows that motives conceal themselves very deeply, and pertain to life. 1Such spirits were present while I was reading the passages written and published at press concerning the Word, and were taking away all delight, and bringing on contempt, without realizing it, because in the life of the body they had been enraptured by a kind of sweetness of worldly life, which they considered to be heaven, thus holding in contempt everything of heaven. These are hypocrites, who speak well, but think evilly. They caused me to feel a gnashing of teeth and severe pain in their roots for several days, and I have very often been instructed by actual experience that this is caused by such a spirit. When he was taken away, and to the degree that he was taken away, it ceased. He also passed into other periostea, those of the head, according to the diversities of his state.
Footnotes:
1. At this point in the margin are the words "They are hypocrites."
4348. CONCERNING HYPOCRITES; WHAT GNASHING OF TEETH IS. CONCERNING SPIRITS WHO SEEM TO THINK WELL, BUT YET ARE EVIL; INTERNAL BONDS.
Spirits have been with me who caused a pain of the teeth in the right side of the jaw and the gum and in the bones as far as to the right ear. I suppose that they were spirits of a grossly natural and corporeal class, but I observed that they penetrated my thoughts with great subtlety, and were more acute than others in perceiving their minute particulars, as also that from the thought which is exterior they spoke so well that judging from the speech of such thought alone, nothing else could be inferred respecting them than that they were good. All that was thus thought and spoken by a certain one of this class, was rational, but it was still observed that inwardly it was not so, inasmuch as by means of this kind of thought he was conjoined with interior evil spirits. Those of this quality think and speak in like manner in the life of the body, but still they are interiorly evil, having self and the world for their end. The bonds of action with such are not external but interior, which in some are exceedingly strong, still they are not bonds of conscience, which being relaxed they rush into their ends; and because there is even a communication of thoughts in the other life this disagreement is manifestly perceived. - 1749, August 10. With a view to afford me further information respecting the nature of the case, the interior evil spirits were removed, and better ones substituted in their place, when he said that he knew not what he spoke, and that thus he was deprived of life, for his interior life consisted in what was taken away. The influx is into the periostea of the teeth, and then into the pericranium about the right ear, in which they create a pain sharp and severe; a sign of their evil quality; those that cause no pain are good and sensible of all that is thought; of which sensibility the periostea is the seat. It was said that such contribute to the formation of cancers. Hence it appears that ends conceal themselves deeply within, as they are of the life. When such were present at my reading what was written and published respecting the Word, they took away all pleasantness of sensation, and induced contempt greater than they were aware of; for as in the life of the body they were mainly wrought upon by a certain sweetness of worldly life, in which they placed their heaven, so they held in contempt the things which were really of heaven. Thus are hypocrites who speak well, but think ill. Hence for several days a gnashing of teeth and some pain in their roots was felt, and I was often taught by lively experience that it was from this source. When the cause was removed and, according to the degree in which it was removed, the pain ceased; it also passed into the periostea of the head according to the diversities of its states.
4348. De hypocritis quod sit stridor dentium
De spiritibus qui cogitare videntur bene, sed usque sunt mali
Vincula interiora
Fuerunt spiritus apud me, qui dolorem dentium a dextra parte maxillae, et ibi carni dentium, et ossibus usque ad aurem dextram, infuderunt, putavi quod essent crasse naturales, et corporei, sed animadverti quod subtilius penetrarent cogitata mea, et animadverterent singula [plus] quam alii, tum quod ex cogitatione, quae est exterior, loquerentur bene, ita ut ex hujus cogitationis loquela nihil aliud sciri queat, [quam] quod boni, rationale erat omne quod ita cogitavit et loquutus [quidam], sed usque animadvertebatur intus quod non tale, sic ut cum hac cogitatione conjunctus esset spiritibus malis interioribus, tales in vita corporis similiter loquuntur, tum cogitant, sed usque interius mali sunt, nam pro fine habent se et mundum; haec sunt vincula non externa, sed interiora, quibus aliqui pollent, sed vincula conscientiae non, quibus relaxatis ruit in fines suos: et quia communicatio datur cogitationum in altera vita, hic dissensus appercipitur manifeste. 1749, 10 Aug. Ut scirem quomodo essent, interiores spiritus mali adimebantur, et loco eorum meliores, dicebat tunc quod non sciat quid loquebatur, et quod sic vitam non habeat, nam vita ejus interior constabat in eo. Influxus est in periostea dentium, tum in pericranium circum dextram aurem, cui dolorem creant satis malum et gravem, indicium quod mali, qui non dolorem, sunt boni et sensibiles omnium quae cogitantur, ea sensibilitate est periostea: dicebant quod tales ad cancrum contribuant. Exinde constat, quod fines etiam altius se recondant, fines sunt vitae. Tales aderant cum legerem illa quae scripta de Verbo, et typis impressa, adimebant omnem jucunditatem, et inducebant contemtum, praeter quod scirent, quia in vita corporis capti sunt dulcedine quadam vitae mundanae, in qua posuerunt coelum, ita contemtu habuerunt, illa quae coeli sunt. Sunt hi hypocritae, qui loquuntur bene, cogitant male: dentium stridor et dolor in radicibus et in periosteis gravis per aliquot dies inde sentitus, et experientia viva saepius instructus, quod a tali, cum removebaturcessabat, et quantum removebatur, etiam in alia periostea capitis transibat, secundum status ejus diversitates.