4564. About those who do nothing from their own power, but from others
There was a certain one known to me in his bodily life (Silverstrom) with whom I spoke once more the day his body was buried. Through my eyes he saw his bier and coffin; he saw the funeral procession and those in it; he saw his wife and relatives. And when he first came into the other life, it was thought that he was an upright man, as is the case with all at first when they come there. He was surprised that he was immediately like spirits who have been in the other life a long time, namely, that he thought he knew absolutely everything that I knew.
[2] And when he noticed evil spirits in a particular hell whom he had known in the life of the body, he took himself to them and was delighted with their company and had precisely the same intentions they did, their evil machinations and villainy. I spoke with angels then about such people, noting that they are attached to both the evil and the good, and are held by the former and the latter in similar thought, because they had thought nothing definite in the life of the body, but had weighed both sides, tilting to the side of popularity and authority and where there was gain and hope of honor. And it was said that they cannot be among the good because as soon as they are tempted, or something flows in from the evil spirits, they then break away from the good and take themselves to the side of the evil, and all the more because the evil know numerous tricks for alluring others to evils and falsities which the good do not care for.
4564. CONCERNING THOSE WHO DO NOTHING FROM THEMSELVES BUT [ONLY] FROM OTHERS.
There was a certain one, known to me in the life of the body (Silfwerstrom), with whom, also, I spoke on the day when his body was buried. He saw, through my eyes, the bier and coffin; he beheld the funeral obsequies, and those there; he saw his wife and relatives. When, also, he first came into the other life, it was supposed that he was upright, as [is supposed] with all, in the beginning, when they come thither. He was surprised that he was immediately like spirits who have been long in the other life; for, indeed, he supposed that he knew quite as much as I did. But when he noticed evil ones, whom he had known in the life of the body, in a special hell, he betook himself thither, and delighted in their company, and thought altogether like them - thus their evils and knaveries. I then spoke with angels concerning such, [saying] that they are of such a character that they may be applied both to the evil and the good, and may be held by the former and the latter in a similar thought, and this because, in the life of the body, they had thought nothing steadfastly, but weighed both sides, and inclined to the side of popular opinion and authority, and where lay the prospect of gain and hope of honor. It was also said that they cannot be among the good, because, as soon as they are tempted, or anything inflows from the evil, they are then separated from the good, and betake themselves to the quarters of the evil - and this the more readily because the evil know manifold arts for enticing others to evils and falses, which the good do not trouble about.
4564. De illis [qui] nihil faciunt ex se sed ex aliis
Fuit quidam mihi notus in vita corporis (Silfwerstr�m) cum quo etiam loquutus die cum sepeliretur corpus, videbat per meos oculos lecticam et loculum, videbat exequias, et illos ibi, videbat suam uxorem, et affines; et cum primum in alteram vitam venit, putabatur quod probus esset, sicut omnes principio cum illuc veniunt; miratus quod statim esset sicut spiritus qui diu in altera vita sunt, nempe quod putaret prorsus scire quod ego sciebam; sed cum animadvertit malos in peculiari inferno quos notos habuit in vita corporis, illuc se contulit, et delectabatur in eorum consortio, et prorsus simile cogitabat cum illis, ita mala et latrocinia eorum, tunc loquutus sum cum angelis de talibus, quod sint tales ut applicentur tam malis quam bonis, et ab illis et his in simili cogitatione teneantur, et hoc quia nihil rme cogitaverunt in vita corporis, sed pependerunt utrinque, et inclinaverunt illuc ubi favor et autoritas, et ubi lucrum et spes honoris; et dictum quod inter bonos non esse possint, quia ut primum illi tentantur seu aliquid influit a malis, tunc dissocientur a bonis, et se conferant ad partes malorum, et eo magis quia mali sciunt multiplices artes pelliciendi alios ad mala et falsa, quod boni non curant.