5509. It is very common for evil spirits to be allowed to do evil, which, however, the Lord turns into what is good. There are temptations for the good and purgings for the evil, and they are allowed for the sake of separations, that is to say, purifications, for purifications are continually going on, for example, the purification of the blood in the body and of the evil qualities in a person being regenerated. Consequently these evil spirits join themselves to the evil ones roundabout them everywhere in the rocks and in the mountains, and associate themselves with such spirits particularly with those who seek control, for these are those such as gather followers. After they have developed relationships and gathered together, then all with whom they have developed relationships are as it were present with them and in them, because they form as it were a single body with them in this way. After this they are all seen in this single body as a representative of them all, and then, wherever they are, they are thrown out of the societies [that are being purged], to other corresponding places, and to hells.
[2] When, then, all those with whom he has been tied have been separated and thrown out in this manner, he has then been purged, for he does not have those who support him, so he falls into his own hell and is totally immersed in evil, and from this in falsity. I saw a certain one who had been so purged, from whom associations with evil spirits had been taken away, and he had been as it were stripped bare from the head down through the body and arms to the heel. I saw another spirit, who had been stripped inwardly in this way, who approached those of a more inward nature. He said that he would carry them [going] on his knees, which lie between what is natural and what is spiritual. This one, who thought inwardly, had been able to gather sharp thinkers, right up to the level of demons. They were all thrown out, and the mountains were cleansed of spirits like this. This last process went on for 3 days.
5509. It is a most usual thing that evil spirits are allowed to do evil, which yet the Lord turns to good. These are the temptations of the good and the vastations of the evil; and they are for the sake of separations and cleansings; for cleansings, like those of the blood in the body, and of the evils in a man about to be regenerated, are continually going on. Those evil ones thus join themselves with the evil everywhere round about, in the rocks and in the mountains, and to such, particularly to those who seek dominion, attach themselves; for such are those who gather others together. After they have been consociated and collected, then, there are, as it were, with them, and in that place, all with whom they have been joined; for they thus make, as it were, one body with them. They then all appear in him [undergoing the vastation] as in a subject; and, then, they are everywhere cast out of the societies to other places which correspond, and to hells. When all with whom he was thus bound have been separated and cast out, then his vastation is accomplished; for he no longer has those who support him. Thus he falls into his hell, and is wholly in evil and its resulting falsity. I saw a certain one thus vastated, from whom the consociations of the evil were plucked away, and as it were stripped off from the head all over the body, from the arms to the heel. I saw another who was thus interiorly despoiled, who approached interior [ones]. He said that he would carry them upon his knees, - which are between the natural and the spiritual. That one, who has thought interiorly, was able to gather together still subtler ones, even to genii, who were all cast out; and the mountains purged of them. This last continued throughout three days.
5509. Communissimum est, quod mali spiritus permittantur malum facere, quae tamen Dominus vertit in bonum, sunt tentationes bonis, et vastationes malis, ac sunt propter separationes seu purgationes, nam purgationes perstant continuo, sicut sanguinis in corpore, et malorum in homine regenerando, mali illi consociant sic se cum malis circumcirca ubivis in petris et in montibus, et associant se talibus, praesertim illis qui dominatum quaerunt, nam tales sunt qui colligunt: postquam consociati sunt et collecti, tunc quasi apud illos et in illis sunt omnes cum quibus consociati sunt, faciunt enim sic quasi unum corpus cum illis, tunc in illo ut subjecto apparent omnes, et tunc illi ubicunque sunt e societatibus ejiciuntur, ad alia loca quae correspondent, et ad inferna; cum sic omnes cum quibus ligatus est, sic separati et ejecti sunt, tunc ille devastatus est, nam non habet qui sustineant, ita labitur in infernum suum, estque totus in malo et inde falso. Vidi quendam ita devastatum, e quo consociationes malorum desumebantur et quasi exuebantur a capite per corpus [et] brachia ad calcem. Vidi alium, qui interius ita exutus est, qui aggressus est interiores, dicebat quod portaret eos super genubus, quae sunt inter naturale et spirituale: ille qui interius cogitavit potuit colligere subtiliores usque ad genios, qui omnes ejecti, et ex talibus repurgati montes; perstabat ultimum hoc per 3 dies.