5108. About the purging of those who are sent down into hell, and about the elevation of the good into heaven
When evil people come into the other life, that is, those in whom the inward man serves and the outer or earthly man commands, who are those who had been absorbed in self-love and love of the world as their motivating purpose, especially those who want to command others for the sake of themselves, that is to say, for the sake of reputation, some also for the sake of profit, those of them who bring with them such things as are good and true through which they communicate with morally upright spirits who are in the lowest heaven, and through them with more inward heavens, (for there is an interconnection of all the heavens), those are therefore purged, which is done by closing their inward elements. This does not happen in a moment, it is a gradual process. They are carried around to wherever the aura of their concepts of what is true and good extends itself,
[2] and then their nature is pointed out to them, namely, that they are evil, which is why those who are upright turn away, and so communication is closed. This happens over several cycles, wherever it does being dependent on this aura's extension. Eventually communication with the heavens is taken away, and the inner self is closed off, and then only as much light of the general inflow is left as enables them to think and speak, but then they are not speaking and thinking except from their earthly or outward self, which separated from the inner, thinks nothing but what is false and wills nothing but what is evil, thus what arises from a love of oneself and the world. They also then turn away from the Lord and cannot look there since they deny Him and harbor hatred. This is how the purging of the evil takes place, which I have often seen.
5108. CONCERNING THE VASTATION OF THOSE WHO ARE LET DOWN INTO HELL, AND CONCERNING THE ELEVATION OF THE GOOD INTO HEAVEN.
When the evil enter the other life, that is, those in whom the internal man serves, and the external or natural rules; who are those who have been in the love of self and the world as an end, especially those who wish to rule over others for the sake of self or for the sake of eminence; some, also, for the sake of profit - those of them, who bring with them such things as are of truth and good, by means of which they communicate with upright spirits who are in the lowest heaven and by means of them with the interior heavens (for there is a connection of all the heavens), are, therefore, vastated; which occurs by the closing of their interiors. This does not happen in a moment, but gradually. There is a progression. They go about wherever the sphere of the knowledges of good and truth extends, and then their quality is exhibited, that, namely, they are evil. Wherefore, the upright turn themselves away, and thus the communication is closed. This takes place, through several circuits, everywhere according to the extension of that sphere [of the knowledges of good and truth]. At length, communication with the heavens is taken away, and the closure as regards the internal man is effected; and, then, there remains to them only sufficient light, from general influx, to enable them to think and speak; but they then speak and think only from the natural or external man, which, when separated from the internal, thinks nothing but falsity, and wills nothing but evil, consequently, what is of the love of self and of the world. Then, also, they turn themselves away from the Lord, nor are they able to look towards Him, since they deny Him and hold Him in hatred. Thus takes place the vastation of the wicked, as I have often seen.
5108. De vastatione illorum qui demittuntur in infernum, et de elevatione bonorum in coelum
Cum mali in alteram vitam veniunt, hoc est illi, apud quos internus homo servit, et externus seu naturalis imperat, qui sunt qui in amore sui et mundi fuerunt, ut fine, imprimis qui imperare volunt aliis propter se seu propter eminentiam, quidam etiam propter lucrum - illi qui secum ferunt talia quae veri et boni per quae communicant cum probis spiritibus, qui in infimo coelo sunt, et per illos cum coelis interioribus, nam omnium coelorum est nexus - ideo vastantur, quod fit per occlusionem interiorum; hoc non fit momento, sed per gradus, processus est, circumferuntur ubicunque sphaera cognitionum veri et boni se extendit, et tunc monstratur illis quales sunt, quod nempe mali, quapropter avertunt se probi, et sic occluditur communicatio; hoc fit per aliquot gyros, ubicunque secundum sphaerae illius extensionem; tandem communicatio cum coelis adimitur, et fit occlusio quoad internum hominem; et tunc modo tantum lucis e communi influxu relinquitur, ut cogitare et loqui possunt, sed tunc non loquuntur et cogitant nisi ex naturali seu externo homine, qui separatus ab interno non cogitat nisi falsum, et vult nisi malum, ita quod est amoris sui et mundi; tunc quoque se avertunt a Domnio, nec illuc spectare possunt, quoniam Ipsum negant, et odio habent: ita fit vastatio malorum, quod saepe vidi.