5568. The former, who are almost in the middle of the western region but situated also to the north, secretly come to the backs of people on earth and spirits. And they come either themselves or through thoughts or through emissaries, and come there with the conviction that Christ is present there. Recounting this they can convincingly simulate the presence of the Lord there, based on such a belief in the world. Then all who have an inflow into the back parts of a spirit turn away, and thus they lead wherever they want to, just as the Lord would lead. Those who come to the back parts of people under the occiput, control a person's thoughts. If any upright simple spirits are present, they immediately draw them to their side, for this is the nature of conviction. And if they are discovered to be spirits, they say that they have been sent by the Lord or that He flows in through them since the Lord is omnipresent in this manner. When these simple spirits have become captivated, they do whatever they desire with the person or spirit.
[2] They are present with a person for the most part in temptations, in the midst of misfortunes and in times of despair, and when the mind vacillates about the Divine and His providence and hesitates in doubt. They then lead the person on to wicked thoughts; and if the spirit does not totally give himself and whatever he has over to them, they plunge his thoughts into hell, which happens as a result of the denial of what is Divine. They act in most intensely against the more innocent. They are more inwardly steeped in self-love than all others, and are more inwardly devils. Such have often been with me, and in concealment, so that I did not at all know that they were there. It was only from a change in my state of mind that they were finally discovered and then seen, and I spoke with them and learned from experience that they were bitter enemies of the Lord, persecuting all those who worshiped the Lord if they did not give them their all, as to soul and as to wealth. For them the worship of the Lord is a means to such wickedness. I saw that the gang of them, an enormous number, had been thrown into the hell in front of their mountain, where there is what is inwardly flammable, and the hellish inner fire grows day after day; and all, as soon as they come there, for their meeting place is there, are thrown down into this hell.
5568. The former ones, who are at the western quarter almost in the midst, in another place verging also towards the north, these come clandestinely to the hinder parts of men and spirits, either themselves, or through thoughts, or by messengers: and there are in the persuasion that Christ was there present. Those who try to do this, are able to feign, and to induce a persuasion just as if the Lord was there, from [having] such a faith in the world. Then, all who have influx into the hinder parts of spirits turn away, and thus lead them whithersoever they wish, just as if the Lord were leading. They who come to the hinder parts of man, beneath the back-head, rule the man's thoughts. If any simple-upright spirits approach, they attract them to their side immediately; for persuasion so acts; and if they are detected as being spirits, they say that they have been sent by the Lord, or that He inflows through them, inasmuch as the Lord is thus omnipresent. Those simple-upright spirits having been entrapped, do to the man and spirit whatsoever the others wish. These are, for the most part, present when man is in temptations, when in misfortunes, in states of despair, and when the mind wavers about the Lord and His Providence and sticks fast in doubt. They then lead man to wicked thoughts. And if a spirit does not give himself, and whatever he has, entirely to them, they plunge his thoughts into hell, which happens through denial of the Divine. They act chiefly against the more innocent. They are inwardly in the love of self beyond all others, and are interior devils. Such have frequently been with me and in concealment, so that I was wholly unaware of the fact, save for the change of state as to the disposition. At length they were exposed, and then seen. I spoke with them also; and it was proved that they were most inveterate enemies against the Lord, and persecute all those who worship the Lord if they do not give them all they have, as to their souls, and as to their possessions. To them, the worship of the Lord is for a means to such abominations. I saw that that crew, which was very numerous, was cast down into a hell in front of their mountain, where the sulfur within, and the infernal fire within, is fearfully increased. Now, also, as soon as they come there - for there is their assembly - they are cast down into that hell
5568. Priores qui in occidentali plaga media fere, tamen vergente etiam ad septentrionem, illi ad hominum et spirituum posteriora clam veniunt, vel ipsi vel per cogitationes, vel per emissarios, et ibi in persuasione quod Christus ibi praesens esset, hoc tradentes possunt mentiri ac persuadere sicut Dominus ibi foret, ex fide tali in mundo, tunc avertunt omnes qui influxum habent in posteriora spiritus, et sic ducunt quocunque volunt, sicut Dominus duceret, qui ad posteriora hominis veniunt sub occipitio, illi regunt hominis cogitationes, si aliqui spiritus simplices probi adsunt, illos in suas partes trahunt illico, nam talis persuasio est, et si deteguntur quod sint spiritus, dicunt quod missi a Domino sint, vel quod influat per eos, quoniam Dominus sic omnipraesens est, illis captatis agunt cum homine et spiritu quicquid volunt: adsunt plerumque cum homo in tentationibus est, cum in infortuniis, in desperationibus, et cum animus vacillat de Divino, ac Ipsius providentia, ac in ambiguo haeret, tunc hominem ducunt ad nefandas cogitationes, et spiritus si is se non det totum illis, et quicquid habet, praecipitant ejus cogitationes in infernum, quod fit per negationem Divini, maxime agunt contra innocentiores; sunt intus in amore sui prae omnibus aliis, ac interiores diaboli; tales saepius apud me fuerunt, et in abscondito, ut prorsus nescirem quod essent, solum ex mutatione status quoad animum, tandem detecti, et tunc visi, et cum illis loquutus sum, et expertus quod illi infensissimi hostes essent contra Dominum, ac omnes illos persequerentur qui adorant Dominum, si non dent illis omnia sua quoad animas et quoad opes, cultus Domini est illis pro medio ad talia nefanda: vidi quod turba illorum, quae permulta, dejecta fuerit in infernum ante montem suum, ubi interius sulphur, et interior ignis infernalis augetur quotidie, et omnes ut primum illuc veniunt, nam ibi est conventus illorum, in infernum illud dejiciuntur.