5778. About the malice of evil spirits, and about influx
About heaven and hell
The evil spirits who are with people search in many ways for how they can seduce them, and from experience I have been enabled to know what the case is. Those who are near flow into and influence a person variously depending on their location in relation to the person's body: those who are near the occiput flow mostly into the thought, both those who are below and those who are above, and in fact into the person's more inward thought; those, however, who are at the sides, at the temples, also in front and above, flow also into the thought but into the person's sense-oriented thought on the level of the body and the world. It must be known that when spirits speak among themselves about a thing delightful to a person, that is to say, that agrees with the person's loves, the person is cheerful, glad, in a state of delight; and when they speak of things such as oppose the person's loves, the state is one of undelight and sadness, this is the source of melancholia. For instance, when they are with avaricious individuals and those who are afraid about the future, and are speaking to each other about the loss of wealth and such things as relate to its loss, and about the future situation, the person becomes anxious. These appear around the stomach, the abdominal region. This is the source of anxiety. So it is with all the rest [of a person's feelings]. In the case of those who think thoughts against the best interests of the neighbor, moved by a crafty deceitfulness, they have demons near the occiput who in an instant pervert all their thoughts even about doing good for the neighbor and about God, particularly about the Lord. In my case all these things were observed, because I knew that I did not think from myself but from others, and when I thought in an evil way that it came from evil spirits, who also were then immediately detected.
[2] At an earlier time they hit upon the wily trick of speaking with me about various things and noting the things that affected my state of mind and in what way, what made me indignant, what took away this or that affection, or desire, and I noted that some things could, some not. It was made possible for me to speak with them as often as I wished, to reprove them and to drive them off. When they had been driven off, my thinking changed.
[3] I was given observe that when spirits and demons spoke among themselves in their own language, I heard nothing of what they said, only when they spoke with me, but that I was merely conscious of their inflow into me through affection, and from there into my thought. But spirits and demons operate in this way only into the outward part of a person, but the Lord and heaven into the inward; and I was given to observe that heaven flows into the inward person in like manner, and that the way the angels [with a person] speak among themselves affects the person similarly. Angels do not speak other than what has to do with wisdom, faith, and love, and so of happiness; these inwardly affect the person who has these. From this it is clear that so far as the outward part of a person acts together with the inward, so far can the person be led by the Lord, for through the inward they dispel the vexations and evils brought on by evil spirits, they are removed as hell is by heaven. It is otherwise if the outward and inward parts of a person are not united. In addition, it is unavoidable that the inward person be closed in the case of those who are engaged in doing evil or take delight in evil, because they can receive nothing of joy and delight from heaven, for there is nothing that is receiving [them]. For, so far as the angels are active, so far the person is conscious of sadness and distress, because these [heavenly joys and delights] are contrary to the loves of oneself and the world. From this it was evident to me how the Lord reduces the outer person to a position subordinate to the inner so that they act as one, and that this is happening through man's entire life, so that this is how man's regeneration takes place; and it was evident that this happens in countless ways. I noticed also that in the degree we act from our ego, that is, without the living faith that all good is from the Lord, to the same degree what is from the Lord cannot flow in and nothing whatever can be arranged in [proper] order in the outer person. What is our own is opposed to God; it even appears as a black something incapable of receiving anything from heaven.
5778. THE SPITE OF EVIL SPIRITS: ALSO INFLUX. HEAVEN AND HELL.
The evil spirits who are with man seek by many methods how they may seduce him; and it has been given me to know from experience how this matter is circumstanced. Those who are near by, inflow variously with man, according to their situation in relation to his body. Those who are at the occiput, both those above and those beneath, chiefly inflow into the thought, and indeed into his interior thought; but those at the sides, or temples, both in front and above, inflow into the thought likewise, but into the sensual and external of it. It must also be known, that, when spirits speak to each other about a matter delightful to the man, or which favors his loves, the man is joyful, glad, and in a state of delight; likewise, that when they speak of such things as are adverse to his loves, he is in undelightfulness and sadness: hence comes melancholy. For instance, when they are with the avaricious and those who are fearful for the future, and speak to each other about the loss of wealth and of such things as relate to its loss, and about the state in the future, the man becomes anxious. These appeared about the stomach in the abdominal region. Anxiety is from this source. So with all other matters. With those who think much against the neighbor, from deceit and cunning, there are genii at the occiput; who, also, in an instant pervert all their thoughts of doing good to the neighbor and of God, especially of the Lord. With me, all these were observed; for I knew that I did not think from myself but from others, and, when wickedly, that it was from evil spirits, who, also, were then instantly detected. At one time, they devised this artifice: while associated with me they spoke about various things, and noted those which affected my mind and in what manner they did so; also what carried me away into indignation, what into this or that affection, or desire; and I observed that they could discover some, but not others. It was allowed me to speak with them as often as I wished, and to refute them and drive them away. When they were driven away, the thought was changed. It was permitted me to notice, that, when spirits and genii spoke to each other in their own tongue, I heard nothing of what they said, but only when they spoke with me; but that I perceived the influx only through an affection in myself, and thought therefrom. Those spirits and genii, however, operate in this manner only into the external man, but the Lord and heaven into the internal. I also observed, that heaven inflows into the internal in a similar way, and that as the angels speak to each other, so the man is affected. Angels do not speak anything else than those things which are of wisdom, faith and love, and of happiness therefrom: these interiorly affect the man who is in them. It is hence manifest, that, so far as the external man acts as one with the internal, so far the man can be led by the Lord; for through the internal, the infesting things and evils which are introduced by evil spirits are dispersed - removed as hell is by heaven: it is otherwise if the external and internal man are not conjoined. I also observed that it is inevitable that the internal man should be closed with those who are in evil or in the delight of evil, because nothing of joy and of delight can be received out of heaven, for there is not any reception: in fact, so far as the angels operate, so far is such a one sensible of sadness and distress; for [angels] operate such things as are contrary to the loves of self and of the world. Hence it was also evident to me how the Lord reduces the external man to subordination to the internal, so that they act as one, and that this takes place through the whole life of man: consequently, how the regeneration of man occurs, and that it happens in countless ways. It was also observed, that, so far as man acts from proprium, that is, without the living faith that all good is from the Lord, what is from the Lord is not able to flow in, nor anything be arranged into order in the external man. Proprium is that which is contrary to the Divine: it appears also as black, not receptible of anything out of heaven.
5778. De malitia spirituum malorum, et de influxu
De coelo et inferno
Spiritus mali apud hominem multis modis inquirunt, quomodo illum seducant, et ab experientia scire datum est quomodo se habet; illi qui prope sunt, influunt apud hominem varie secundum situm illorum ad corpus ejus, qui ab occipitio sunt, maxime influunt in cogitationem, tam qui infra quam supra, et quidem in cogitationem ejus interiorem, qui autem ad latera, tempora, etiam ante et supra, influunt quoque in cogitationem, sed in sensualem et externam ejus; sciendum, quod cum spiritus inter se loquuntur de re homini jucunda, seu quae favet amoribus ejus, quod homo hilaris, laetus fiat et in jucunditate sit; et cum de talibus loquuntur quae contra amores ejus sunt, quod in injucunditate et tristitia; inde melancholia; ut cum apud avaros et illos qui timent futura, loquuntur inter se de jactura opum, et talibus quae jacturae illarum sunt, et de statu futuro, tunc anxius fit homo, hi apparuerunt circa ventriculum, regione abdominali; inde anxietas, ita cum omnibus rebus reliquis; apud illos qui multum cogitant contra proximum, ex dolo et ex astu, habent genios ad occipitium, qui etiam pervertunt in instanti omnia eorum cogitata de benefaciendo proximo, et de Deo, imprimis de Domino: apud me omnes illi observati sunt, nam scivi quod non cogitarem ex me, sed ex aliis, et cum male quod a spiritibus malis, qui etiam tunc statim detecti. Quondam invenerunt eam astutiam, quod apud me loquerentur de variis rebus, et observarent quae animum meum afficerent et qualiter, et quid me in indignationem, quid in hanc aut illam affectionem seu cupidinem auferret, et observavi quod aliqua possent, aliqua non, datum est quoties volebam loqui cum illis, redarguere illos, et abigere, quibus abactis mutata est cogitatio. Observare datum, quod cum spiritus et genii loquerentur inter se sua lingua, nihil audirem quid dicerent, sed solum cum loquuti sunt mecum, sed quod modo perciperem influxum per affectionem in me, et inde cogitationem: sed spiritus illi et genii operantur sic solum in externum hominem, at Dominus et coelum in internu, et quod coelum similiter influat in internum, et quod sicut angeli loquuntur inter se, ita afficiatur homo; angeli non aliud loquuntur quam quae sapientiae sunt, fidei et amoris, et inde felicitatis, haec afficiunt hominem interius qui in illis est; inde patuit, [quod] quantum externus homo unum agit cum interno, tantum duci possit homo a Domino, nam per internum discutiunt infesta et mala quae a malis spiritibus inferuntur, removentur sicut infernum a coelo, aliter si externus et internus homo non conjuncti sunt; tum quod necesse sit ut internus homo claudatur apud illos qui in malo sunt seu in jucundo mali, quia nihil gaudii et jucunditatis recipere potest e coelo, nam nulla receptio; nam quantum angeli operantur, tantum tristitiae et doloris sentit, sunt enim quae contra amores sui et mundi. Inde etiam mihi constabat, quomodo Dominus redigit externum hominem ad subordinationem cum interno, ut unum agant, quod hoc fiat per totam vitam hominis, ita quomodo fit regeneratio hominis, et quod fiat innumerabilibus modis. Observatum etiam est quod quantum homo ex proprio agit, hoc est absque fide viva quod omne bonum a Domino, non influere quid a Domino possit, ac disponi quicquam in ordinem in externo homine; proprium est quod contra Divinum, apparet etiam ut nigrum nullius rei receptibile e coelo.