4437. About the state of souls after death, from a dream
What the state of souls is like, how they see, feel, enjoy the use of the other senses, with their feelings, was shown to me by means of a dream, into which I was let, for then bodily qualities are put to sleep, as if they were dead, even more so in my case, because the spirit in me acts more separately from the body than in another. In the dream I saw a city, with buildings, an open market with all manner of articles for little boy children, and I wandered thus for a long time through the city hither and thither amongst a large crowd, as the place abounded with people.
All these things stood out so clearly to my sight that they could not have stood out more to the eyes of my body. I imagined that I was entirely awake, and I thought how I had come to this city, whether by a miracle, and now and then that they had, of course, been put before me to see with the sight of my spirit, not of my body, but still that they were such that there was no possibility of denying their reality - so vividly did all of them appear. It took an hour to see them. On awakening, I was surprised that it had been a dream, and decided that if some other reason had not drawn me away, I would have liked to remain in that state. I spoke with the spirits who introduced [the dream], later on.
4437. CONCERNING THE STATE OF SOULS AFTER DEATH, FROM A DREAM
What is the state of souls after death, how they see, feel, and enjoy the other senses together with the affections, was shown to me by a dream into which I was sent; for in dreams corporeal things are laid asleep, and are, as it were, dead, [and] this holds more remarkably with me than with others, because in my case the spirit act more separately from the body than with others. In that state I saw a city with buildings, and a fair where there were utensils of every kind for infant children, all which I observed for a long time, wandering hither and thither in the city in the midst of a large crowd, as the place abounded with people. All these things I saw so evidently, that they could not possibly have been seen more manifest to the eyes of the body. I supposed myself to be altogether awake, and thought how I came into the city, whether by a miracle or not; all the while [it was in my mind] that these things were presented to me to be seen by the sight of the spirit, not of the body, but that still they were such that there was no possibility of denying them to be real - so much to the life did all things appear. I continued for an hour beholding these things [at least]. When I awoke, I wondered that it was a dream, and could have wished, if other reasons had not drawn me away, to remain in that state [permanently]. I afterwards spoke with the spirits who introduced the dream.
4437. De statu animarum post mortem ex somnio
Qualis status animarum post mortem sit, quomodo vident, sentiunt, et fruuntur caeteris sensibus, cum affectionibus, ostensum mihi est per somnium, in quod missus, tunc enim corporea sopita sunt, quasi mortua, magis apud me, quia spiritus apud me separatius a corpore agit quam apud alium, et vidi urbem, cum aedificiis, nundinas cum omnis generis utensilibus pro infantibus pueris, et haec diu, vagando per urbem huc illuc inter multum populum, homines in abundantia erant, quae omnia vidi tam exstanter, ut nusquam oculis corporis exstantius spectari possint; putabam me prorsus vigilem, et cogitavi quomodo in urbem hanc veni, num per miraculum, et passim quod quidem oblata mihi illa videre, visu spiritus non corporis, sed usque quod talia essent, ut nusquam negari potuisset quin sint, tam vive apparuerunt omnia, perstabant haec per horam illa videndo; evigilatus miratus quod esset somnium, et optavi, nisi alia causa retraxisset, quod vellem in illo statu esse, loquutus cum spiritibus, qui introducebant, postea.