4573. About the hells of the Sirens
What sirens are like has been described several times before [see the index]. These women are extremely malicious and have learned in the world how to simulate those who are good, as if they were angels. For the purpose of doing this they radiate good affections and thus slip in among simple spirits that relate to a person's outward qualities of thought or earthly characteristics. In this way they keep themselves in the world of spirits and can be forced out only with difficulty, for such things elevate evil spirits from hell for quite a long time and through such things they enter into people's thoughts and lead them entirely. Consequently, because they are of an inward nature, they are the very worst of spirits who take possession of a person's mind, from whom a person can never be defended except by the Lord. They act very stubbornly and fear nothing, trust in their own arts, and know how to slip in by labyrinthine gyres. They speak from these, sometimes in such a way that they are heard elsewhere than where are they really are, so that they are sought in vain. It has granted me to learn this by many actual experiences.
[2] They are of two kinds. Certain ones have the goal of ruling over others and over every society to which they can gain access, doing so by possessing and leading their thoughts. These women are the most annoying. The second kind does likewise but does not have such a wild obsession with ruling. They take freedom entirely away from those who want to have good thoughts and give freedom to those who want to have evil thoughts. These are very obscene women; they are sorceresses and are against everything good and true. Where this gang comes from has been explained before [cf. 3205 ff]. Their hell was in front at some distance toward the left there; the men who want to rule, a little toward the right, in various caverns. But I saw that their hells had been changed and moved to the back toward the left, rather deep down, from which they can never again break out and attack spirits and people on earth. They are there under a thick cloud which their tricks can in no way get through. They were forced in there in crowds of between fifty and a hundred sirens. This went on for many hours.
Above the hell, there is something like a maw with jaws that open. And the moment they arrived, it opened the maw, twisting and bending it like labyrinths into which they put themselves, and it swallowed them up and then thrust them deep under the disreputable earth there, from which they cannot emerge, this appeared to me in 1752, Aug. 5, 6., for they form snakelike connections, in which they fix themselves and then cannot be moved by others except by means of similar connections. Such it is in the other life.
4573. CONCERNING THE HELLS OF THE SIRENS.
Of what nature sirens are has been described several times already. They are exceedingly malicious, and have acquired, in the world, the art of simulating goods, as though [they were] angels; wherefore, in externals, they emit from themselves affections of good, and thence insinuate themselves among simple spirits, who are related to the exteriors of man's thoughts, or his natural things. Thus, they keep themselves in the world of spirits, and can with difficulty be driven out thence; for such things elevate evil spirits from hell for quite a long time, and they thereby enter into men's thoughts, and wholly lead them, so that, because they are internal, they are the worst of those who beset [man], and men cannot at all be defended from them, save by the Lord. They act most persistently, and do not fear anything; they rely on their arts; they also know how to insinuate themselves by labyrinthine gyres, from whence they speak, sometimes in such a manner, that they are heard elsewhere than where they are, 1and so are sought after in vain. This was given me to know from many living experiences. They belong to two genera. Some have for an end to rule over man, and every society whatever to which they can come, by thus besieging and leading the thoughts. These are the most harassing kind. The other genus is similar, but has not such a frenzy for ruling: they take away all freedom from those who wish to think well, and grant freedom [to those] who will wickedly; for these are the ones who exercise thought there. They are most obscene; they are sorceresses; they are against everything good and true. Whence such a crew comes has been already said. Their hells were in front, at a distance towards the left: they who wish to rule are somewhat to the right there, in different caverns. But I saw that their hells were changed, and transferred to the back on the left, very deep down, from whence they can by no means burst forth any more, and infest spirits and men. They are there under a dense cloud, through which their artifices cannot penetrate. They entered there in crowds of fifty and a hundred each, more or less. This continued for many hours. On the upper side, the hell there is like a maw with gullets which are extendible. As soon as they arrived, it [the hell] stretched the maw by bending and forming it in labyrinths, whereinto they let themselves go, and it engulfed them, and thus thrust them deep under the disreputable earth there, from whence they are unable to come forth. This appeared to me on the 5th and 6th of August, 1752. They likewise form, as it were, serpentine coils, wherein they place themselves; and then they cannot be removed by others, except by means of similar coils. Such is the case in the other life.
Footnotes:
1. This description will suggest to the reader the trick called Ventriloquism.
4573. De infernis Sirenum
Quales sirenes prius aliquoties descriptum [vide indicem], sunt malitiosissimae, et hauserunt in mundo simulare bonos quasi angelos, quapropter in externis spargunt a se affectiones boni, et inde insinuant se spiritibus simplicibus, qui exteriora cogitationum hominis seu naturalia ejus referunt, ita tenent se in mundo spirituum, et aegre possunt inde detrudi, talia enim elevant spiritus malos ab inferno satis longo tempore, et per talia intrant in hominum cogitationes, et prorsus ducunt, sic ut sint pessimae obsessores, quia internae, a quibus homo nequaquam possunt defendi, nisi a Domino, contumacissime agunt, nec timent aliquid, fidunt suis artibus, sciunt etiam per labyrintheos gyros se insinuare, unde loquuntur, quandoque ita, ut audiantur alibi quam sunt, ita frustra quaeruntur, hoc vivis experientiis multis scire datum. Sunt duorum generum, quidam pro fine habent imperare homini, et cuicunque societati, ad quam venire possunt, ita obsidendo cogitationes, et ducendo, sunt molestissimae, alterum genus simile, sed non tali imperandi oestro, omne liberum tollunt eis qui bene cogitare volunt, et liberum dant [eis] qui male volunt, sunt enim illae quae ibi cogitant, sunt obscoenissimae, sunt magae, sunt contra omne bonum et verum; unde talis turba prius dictum est [cf. 3205 ff.] . Inferna earum fuerunt antrorsum ad distantiam versus sinistrum, qui imperare volunt paulo dextrorsum ibi, in cavernis diversis; sed vidi quod inferna illarum mutata fuerint, et translata ad tergum sinistrorsum admodum profunde, unde nequaquam amplius erumpere possunt, et infestare spiritus et homines, sunt ibi sub densa nube, per quam eorum artificia penetrare nequeunt, ingestae ibi sunt turmatim, quinquagenae, centenae, pauciores aut plures, hoc perstabat per plures horas; infernum ibi est supra sicut ingluvies cum faucibus, quae exporrigibilis fuit, ac ut statim venerunt, exporrigebat ingluviem ectendo et formando illam secundum labyrinthos, quibus se immiserant, et ingurgitavit illos, et detrusit sic profunde sub terra infami ii, unde exire nequeunt. Hoc apparuit mihi 1752, 5 et 6 Aug: nam formant sicut serpentinos nexus, in quibus se ponunt, et tunc non moveri possunt ab aliis nisi per similes nexus, tale est in altera vita.