453.有些喜欢受指责、惩罚和折磨的灵魂从肉体释放出来进入来世。也有些灵魂具有和其他灵魂，或欧洲人相反的性情。我听说他们来自非洲。这些灵魂一进入来世，就喜欢受到惩罚，甚至苦待，希望由此得到好处；他们若未受到惩罚，就会不高兴。还有一些人苦待他们，被他们称为魔鬼，其中一个被指给我看。他全身肮脏发黄，扭曲变形。他们所经受的苦待多种多样。我看到这样一种：一只老鹰落在他们的头上，抓走了他们的大脑，这一切照着他们的幻觉而痛苦地完成，因为他们产生了这些可怕的幻觉。他们还被一种严厉的惩罚所折磨；他们喜欢这种惩罚。然而，由于痛苦的感觉，他们最终开始厌恶、回避他们，同时也厌恶、回避折磨他们的灵人，他们称其为魔鬼。他们就这样摆脱幻想，相信自己正被引入天堂；如他们现在所说的，若不通过惩罚和折磨，没有人能进入天堂。这些人相信这一点，并将其深深地存于他们的良心，他们也因此受到相应的对待，并由此获得了回报，即：他们进入了他们称之为天堂的喜乐状态。他们还看见乐园和许多美好事物。后来，他们恨恶折磨他们的那帮人。他们和我谈了很长一段时间。他们说话伴随着一种咔嚓声，就像破布摩擦的声音，以此可认出他们。从这些和我以前听说的事明显可知，从非洲引入天堂的人比从地球上其它地方引入的要多；因为他们在这些事上的良心多少在真理的道路上。（1748年1月7日）
453a.他们想让我写他们完全在真理的道路上，因为他们从周围天堂般的环境知道这一点。他们说，他们不仅爱自己的种族，还爱所有人，无论他们谁在天堂；因此，他们对所有人都有一种扎根在他们里面的普遍之爱。他们厌恶身体的黑色，因为他们知道自己的灵魂是闪亮的白色，而他们的身体却是黑色的，这是他们所憎恶的。后来，他们就没有了这种咔嚓的说话声，而他们的思维就像天使一样，他们如现在那样在头上。
453. There are souls released from the body coming into the other life who love to be chastised, punished and tortured
There are also souls who are of a character opposite to that of the rest, or of Europeans - I was told they were from Africa - who, upon entering into the other life, love to be chastised, even treated harshly, hoping that good will result from it; and if not punished, they are displeased.
There are likewise some who treat them harshly, whom they call devils, one of whom was shown to me. His body was dirty or yellowish, and gnarled. The bad treatments they undergo are of different kinds. The kind shown to me was one in which an eagle had alighted on their head and taken away their brain, which was done with a pain matching the fantasies - for these produce dreadful ones. Another is by different kinds of sharp punishments, which they love. Yet because of the painful sensations, they finally begin to shun these, and at the same time the spirits who are tormenting them, whom they call devils.
Thus they shed the fantasies, and believe that they are being brought into heaven, which, as they now say, no one can enter but by punishments and afflictions. This is what that people believes and stores deeply in its conscience, for which reason they are treated accordingly, and thereby obtain the reward of coming into joyful states, which they call Paradisal. And they see pleasure gardens, and very many lovely things, after coming to hate the gang tormenting them.
For a long time they spoke with me, and their speaking was accompanied with a kind of clicking sound, like that of a rag [being shaken], by which they can be recognized.
These and the things previously told to me [lead to the conclusion] that a greater proportion [of people] from Africa, than from other regions of the earth, are introduced into heaven; for their conscience in these matters is somewhat in the way of truth. 1748, the 7th day of January.
They wish me to write that they are entirely in the way of truth, because they know this from their paradisal [states].
mThey say that they do not love their own race only, but all however many there are in heaven, so that they have an ingrained universal love. They detest blackness of the body, for they know that their souls are shining white, but their bodies black, which they loathe. Later, they do not have that clicking speech, but a thinking like angelic thought, and they are overhead, as they now are.n
453. THAT THERE ARE SOULS RELEASED FROM THE BODY, COMING INTO THE OTHER LIFE, WHO LOVE TO BE CHASTISED, PUNISHED AND TORMENTED
There are also souls of a disposition contrary to that of the rest, that is, of the European. I was told that they were from Africa. These, when they enter the other life, love to be chastised, even harshly treated, hoping for good thereby, and if they are not punished they are indignant. There are also some whom they call devils who treat them harshly. One of them was shown me. He was in a filthy, or yellow, gnarled body. Their evil treatments are of various kinds. This kind was shown me: An eagle alighted upon their head, and snatched away the brain, which was done with pain according to their phantasies, for they furnish those severe phantasies. [They are tortured] also by a species of acute punishments; this they love, but still from the painful sensations they at length begin to be averse to them, and at the same time, to those who torment them, whom they call devils. Thus they put off their phantasies and believe that they are introduced into heaven, into which, as they now say, no one can enter except by punishments and afflictions. These people believe this, and store it up deeply in their conscience, which is the reason that they are also treated in like manner, and thence obtain the reward that they come into more gladsome things which they call paradisal. They also see paradises and very many pleasant things. Afterwards they hold the crowd of those tormenting them in hatred. They spoke with me for some time. Their speech is conjoined with a kind of colliding, like that of cloth [rubbed together] by which they can be distinguished. From this, and from the things told me before, [it is evident] that more are introduced into heaven from Africa than from other parts of the earth: for in these things their conscience is in a certain way of truth. 1748, Jan. 7.
[453a.] They desired me to write that they are altogether in the way of truth because they know this from the paradisal [surroundings]. They say that they love not only their own race, but all, whoever they are in heaven, thus they have a general love [for all] inseated in them. They detest the blackness of their body, for they know their souls are white, but their bodies black, which they abominate. Afterwards they have not such a clashing speech, but their thought is, as it were, angelic, and they are above the head, as now. 1
Footnotes:
1. This paragraph, unnumbered in the MS., was begun at the foot of the page and continued in the margin.
453. Quod sint animae solutae a corpore in alteram vitam venientes, quae castigari, puniri, ac torqueri amant
Sunt quoque animae, quae contraria indole sunt, quam caeterae, seu Europeanae, dictum mihi est, quod essent ex Africa, ii dum in alteram vitam intrant, amant castigari, imo duriter tractari, inde bonum sperantes, et absque punitione indignantur, sunt quidam etiam qui duriter eos tractant, quos vocant diabolos, unus eorum mihi ostensus est, erat turpi seu flavo nodosoque corpore, eorum tractationes malae sunt diversimodi 1
, id genus mihi monstratum est, quod aquila sederit super caput eorum, et abstulerit cerebrum, quod factum cum dolore secundum phantasias, nam duras eas praebent; tum per species punitionum acutarum, hoc amant, sed usque ex dolorificis sensationibus, tandem incipiunt ea aversari, et simul eos, qui eos cruciant, quos diabolos vocant, sic phantasias exuunt, ac in coelum introduci se credunt, in quod, ut nunc dicunt, nemo intrare potest nisi per punitiones et afflictiones, hoc populus ille credit, et alte recondit in sua conscientia, quare etiam similiter tractantur, ac inde obtinent praemium, quod in laetiora veniant, quae vocant Paradisiaca, ac vident paradisos, et perplures amaenitates, postquam odio habeant turbam eos cruciantem; diu mecum loquuti sunt, sermo eorum est conjunctus cum quodam collisu, quasi panni, ex quo dignosci possunt; ex quibus, et iis quae mihi prius dicta sunt, ex Africa major pars quam ex aliis partibus terrae, introducuntur in coelum; nam conscientia eorum, in iis, in quadam via veritatis est. 1748, die 7 Jan.
Desiderant ut scribam, quod prorsus in via veritatis sint, quia id ex paradisiacis sciunt.
(m)Dicunt, quod non suam gentem solum ament, sed quod omnes quotcunque in coelo sunt, sic amorem communem insitum habent: nigredinem corporis detestantur, nam sciunt quod animae eorum candidae sint, corpora autem nigra, quae abominantur. Postea non iis est loquela talis collisa, sed cogitatio sicut angelica, et sunt super caput ut nunc.(n)
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has divesimodi