5789. 1# It ought to be known that all spirits in whom self-love is firmly lodged believe heaven stands on high. They do not know that it is in the inward realm and that what is inward is high. For this reason they climb up into mountains, higher and higher, and believe that by so doing they are in heaven, and the more so because then they are experiencing their love's delight, because from there they can look around in all directions and using their thoughts can influence and control whomever they see below. The range of their vision is wide, extending all the way [to those on] the mountains round about at a great distance, with whom they speak and to whom they send out mediums through whom they are joined together and form pacts and ally themselves, so that by doing this they may become more powerful. When this has been accomplished they then begin to exercise control on all who are round about, jointly, and make them subject to themselves, and some they take over by open force; and they do this through punishments and various methods known in the other life.
[2] I saw certain societies like this in lofty places where I actually thought angels of heaven were, and who were exercising control on all who were beneath them, whom I clearly saw were there. The range of their vision there is just as in the world, the higher the broader. There was one who knew better than others how to order these societies in an orderly fashion, so that scarcely anything was wrong. He arranged them in this way so that scarcely anyone in them could do anything from him- or herself but from them. Their ordering was into a form opposite to the form of heaven. Consequently all the things that were below were thrown into disorder. However they were restored by the Lord. But all spirits like this were cast down, even from the lofty regions, which amazed me at first because I thought angels were there, when in fact those were spirits like this. Self-love is such that when those who have it are experiencing their fantasy, they seem too themselves to be on high.
[5789] 1.2. I saw certain ones as high as you would say the stars of heaven are, although they were not there bodily. It must be known that all in the other life, wherever they appear, still are in the place where their ruling love is; and that those who are in high places are still in hells, as has frequently been shown to me, that in a moment they were in hell, even though appearing in a high place and even though they appear to be in the heights. This was made evident to me when I wanted to know where they came from because they were attacking. From this it is clear that a place is ready for everyone when he comes into the other life. All those were cast down. First they were examined by their being turned toward lower things. Those then who from their ingrained nature wanted to flow into others, lead them, exercise control over them, do them harm, were cast down. And this went on for a long time, to [the number] of many thousands.
Footnotes:
1. No. 5787 is on page 468; 5788 is missing in the ms. Following the author's instructions 5787 is inserted between 5792 and 5793.
5789. It must be known that all spirits with whom the love of self is inrooted, believe that heaven stands on high. They do not know that it is in the interior, and that the internal is the high; wherefore, they mount upon the rocks higher and higher and believe that thus they are in heaven; and the more so since they are then in the delight of self-love, for thence they are able to look round on all sides, and, by means of the thoughts, to flow into and rule over whomsoever they see below. The scope of their sight is very wide, even to the surrounding mountains to a great distance. They speak with those there, and send forth subjects 2to them, through whom they are conjoined and form alliances; they also conjoin themselves [with them] that they may thus prove more powerful. When this is done, they then begin unitedly to lord it over all who are roundabout, and to subject them to themselves; some also they attack openly; and they effect this through punishments and various methods well-known in the other life. I saw some such societies in the highest places, where I, also, supposed the angels of heaven to be; and they ruled all roundabout, and all who were below themselves, whom they see there clearly. The extension of the sight is circumstanced there as in the world, in the respect that the higher the standpoint, the wider it is. There was one who knew better than others how to arrange those societies according to order, so that one could do scarcely anything: he arranged them thus, so that scarcely anyone within [view] was able to do anything from himself, but only from them. Their arrangement was into a form opposite to the form of heaven. Hence all things which were below were disturbed; but they were restored by the Lord. All such ones, however, were cast down, even from the highest [places]; I wondered at this at first, because I supposed that those there were angels, when, yet, they were such ones. The love of self is of such a nature that those who are in it, seem to themselves to be on high, when they are in [the enjoyment of] their phantasy.
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.
5789. ## 1
Sciendum est, quod omnes spiritus, quibus insidet amor sui, credunt coelum consistere in alto, non sciunt quod sit in interiori, et quod internum sit altum, quare scandunt in montes, editius et editius, et credunt quod sic in coelo sint, et eo magis quia tunc in sui amoris jucundo sint, inde enim circumspicere possunt undequaque, et per cogitationes influere et regere quoscunque infra vident: visus eorum extensio ibi est ampla usque in montes circumcirca ad multam distantiam, cum quibus loquuntur, et ad quos emittunt subjecta, per quae conjunguntur, et ligant foedera, et se conjungunt, ut sic potentiores evadant; cum ita factum, tunc incipiunt dominari in omnes qui circumcirca sunt, conjunctim, et sibi subjicere illos, et quosdam invadunt vi aperta; et hoc per poenas et varios modos in altera vita cognitos.
[2] Vidi quasdam tales societates in editissimis, ubi etiam ego putabam esse angelos coeli, et qui dominabantur circumcirca et in omnes qui sub se, quos clare ibi vident; extensio visus se habet ibi sicut in mundo, quod eo latius quo altius. Erat unus qui sciebat prae aliis ordinare societates illas secundum ordinem, ut vix aliquid falleret, ille disponebat illas ita, ut vix aliquis intra posset aliquid facere ex se, sed ex illis, ordinatio illarum erat in formam oppositam formae coeli, inde omnia quae infra turbata erant, sed restituta a Domino: sed omnes tales dejecti sunt, etiam ab editissimis, quod primum miratus, quia putabam ibi esse angelos, cum tamen essent tales; amor sui talis est, ut illi qui in eo, quando in phantasia sua sunt, videantur sibi esse in alto, vidi quosdam tam alte ut dixeris
[5[789] 1/2. stellas coeli, cum tamen non ibi essent corpore; sciendum est, quod unusquisque in altera vita, ubicunque apparet, usque in illo loco sit ubi ejus amor regnans quod qui in editis usque in infernis sint, quod saepius mihi visum, quod momento in inferno essent, tametsi in edito apparuere; testatum hoc mihi est, quando volebam scire undenam essent, infestabant enim, inde patet, quod cuivis locus paratus sit qui in alteram vitam venit; omnes illi dejecti sunt, explorati primum per in quod verterentur inferiora, qui tunc ex insito suo volebant influere in alios, ducere illos, dominari super illos malefacere illis, dejecti sunt hoc diu plures myriades.
Footnotes:
1. 5789-[5792] 1/4 conformiter auctoris indiciis huc transposuimus