5786. About those cast down from the heavens, Babylon
About the prior heaven
For a long time the process of casting down from heaven went on, and it went on to the tens of thousands. All those were cast down who were driven by self-love. They were examined as follows: they were directed toward lower regions, then they wanted to lead all whom they saw; for in the other life it happens in a different way than in the world, for thoughts are communicated there, and one [spirit] leads another by means of thoughts in a marvelous way. They can deprive him of his own thoughts and bring in their own, and in this way put themselves in him and in this way make him go wherever they desire. They can also bring in various things and compel him to think such things and will such things as are entirely alien to him. All those who are driven by self-love want nothing else than to climb up to higher places and look down on those they encounter, and thus attack them. They never make themselves subjects of the Lord. They believe they do everything of themselves and nothing from the Divine. When they contemplate anyone who worships the Lord, they become virtually insane and try to annihilate him more than others. They cannot bear his aura. All such who have been turned to me have become like this, and they hate everything.
[5786] 1.2. that has been written about the Lord. Eventually also those were cast down who did not acknowledge the Lord as God, but acknowledged the Father. Their aura with me was noticeable. All those who do not worship any God, who are from the Christian world and do not care about living properly but only for their reputation, do not know what it is to be led by the Lord, because they have no mental picture of God the Father;
[5786] 1.3. those also were cast down. They sometimes stop moving and act among themselves. Some from cunning know many things about how to injure others in this way: they cast them into swamps, out of carriages, they bring on darkness and through fantasies lead them in byways and streets and so forth, so that they go astray, in order that at the end they may come into some cavern or hell, and so on. I have seen some take the breath out of another, and as a result he lay as if dead. They also inflict pains, anxieties, and fears, in this way exercising control over others. To do this they go up on mountains and rocks so that they may have a wide view of those below and so attack them. Their cities are for the most part at the sides of the mountains or rocks. From there those who are gathered into a society go out and do as said. These actions are their pleasures, because controlling and harming others is their inmost joy since those who have a love of themselves do not love but hate the neighbor. This appears clearly in the other life because there they act in accord with their inner feelings. Some who are like this speak with the evil below and know how to tie the minds of others to themselves so that they cannot be loosed. As a result there were partnerships of those like this with the hells, on which account they were cast down. There were those like this in the cities who were in league with evil [spirits]. But the ones like this are for the most part recognized then, because the evil have them in league with themselves, which is manifest to others. ##
5786. THOSE WHO ARE CAST DOWN OUT OF THE HEAVENS: BABYLON. THE FORMER HEAVEN.
The casting down out of the heavens lasted a long while; and those cast down reached to myriads. All those were cast down who were in the love of self. They were explored by being turned to lower places, because they then wanted to lead all whom they saw; for this takes place in the other life in another way than in the world, for thoughts are connected there, and one leads another, by means of thoughts, in a wonderful manner. They are able to deprive him of his thoughts and to introduce their own, and thus to place themselves in him, and in this way to drive him whithersoever they will. They are likewise able to introduce various things, and compel him to think such things and to will such things as are altogether foreign to him. All those who are in the love of self, want nothing else than to mount to the higher places, and look down into those within reach, and thus infest them. These never submit themselves to the Lord; they believe that they do all things from themselves and not at all from the Divine. When they look upon anyone who worships the Lord, they become as it were mad, and endeavor to destroy him more assiduously than any others: they cannot bear his sphere. All such ones, on being turned towards me, became such, and held in hatred all things which have been written about the Lord.
5786a. At length, those also were cast down who did not acknowledge the Lord as God, but only the Father. Their sphere was felt with me. All these, also, who are from the Christian world, do not worship any God, neither do they care for the life, only for reputation. They do not know what it is to be led by the Divine; for they have not any idea about God the Father. These, too, were cast down.
5786b. They sometimes stand and operate into each other. Some know, from art, many ways in which they may thus injure others, cast them into the marshes beyond the boundary, bringing them into darkness, and through phantasies lead them into ways and streets and many other places, in order that [the victim] may lose his way, so that he may finally come to some cavern, or to the infernals; and how to do many more things thus. I saw that some in this way deprived another of life; so that he lay as it were like one dead. They also inflict pains, anxieties, fears, and thus rule over others; wherefore, they go upon mountains and rocks, in order that they may see the lower places far and wide, and thus infest. Most of the cities, there, are on the slopes of a mountain or rock. Those who are congregated in society, go forth thence and act thus. These are their pleasures: in fact, to rule and hurt others is their inmost joy, for those who are in the love of self do not love the neighbor, but hold him in hatred. This appears manifestly in the other life, because there they act according to their interiors. Some who are of such a character speak with the evil below; and they know how to bind the minds of these to themselves so that they cannot be released. Hence there were consociations of such ones with the hells; wherefore, they were cast down. There were such ones in the cities, and they were bound by the evil; but such are easily known afterwards, for the evil have them bound to them; - which fact betrays itself to others 11. 1
Footnotes:
1. The asterisks clearly indicate that no. 5789 is to be read consecutively with the conclusion of 5786b. It is, therefore, placed accordingly. -TR.
5786. De illis qui dejecti e coelis, Babylone
De priori coelo
Diu perstiterat dejectio ex coelis et hoc usque ad myriades, omnes illi dejecti sunt, qui in amore sui fuerunt, explorati sunt per id, quod verterentur ad inferiora, quod tunc vellent ducere omnes quos viderunt, nam id fit in altera vita alio modo quam in mundo, nam ibi communicantur cogitationes, et unus ducit alterum per cogitationes mirabiliter, possunt deprivare illum a suis cogitationibus, et inferre suas, et sic se sistere in illo, et sic agere illum quocunque volunt; possunt etiam inferre varia, et illum cogere ad cogitare talia et velle talia, quae prorsus aliena sunt ab illo; illi omnes qui in amore sui sunt, non volunt aliter quam scandere in editiora et despicere in obvios, et sic infestare illos, illi nusquam se submittunt Domino, agere ex se omnia et nihil a Divino credunt; cum inspiciunt in aliquem qui colit Dominum, fiunt sicut vesani, et eum prae aliis perdere conantur, non sustinent sphaeram ejus, omnes tales ad me versi tales facti sunt, et odio habuerunt omnia
[5[786] 1/2. quae de Domino scripta sunt. - Tandem etiam dejecti sunt, qui non Dominum pro Deo sed Patrem agnoverunt, sphaera illorum sentita est apud me; omnes illi non colunt aliquem Deum, qui e Christiano orbe sunt, nec curant vitam, modo pro fama, duci a Divino nesciunt, quia de Deo Patre nullam ideam ha-
[5[786] 1/3. bent; illi quoque dejecti sunt. Stant quandoque operantur in se invicem, quidam ex arte sciunt plura quomodo sic noceant aliis, conjiciunt illos in paludes, extra currus, inducunt tenebras per phantasias inducunt vias plateas plura ut erret, tandem ut aliquam cavernam aut infernales veniat sic plura; vidi quod quidam sic exanimarunt alium quasi jaceret sic mortuus; dolores etiam incutiunt, anxietates, timores, ita dominantur super alios, quare supra montes petras eunt ut videant late inferiores sic infestent. Urbes pleraeque ibi sunt latera montis aut petrae, exeunt inde qui in societate congregati sic faciunt, haec sunt oblectamenta eorum, nam dominari nocere aliis est eorum intimum gaudium, nam non amant proximum qui in amore sui sunt, sed odio habent; hoc in altera vita apparet manifeste quia ibi secundum interiora sua agunt; quidam qui tales sunt cum malis loquuntur infra illi sciunt ligare animos eorum secum, ut non possint religari, inde consociationes talium cum infernis, quare dejecti sunt, fuerunt in urbibus tales, qui ligati malis, sed tales utplurimum dignoscuntur dein, nam mali habent illos sibi ligatos, quod se prodit aliis. ##