5835. About sensual persons, that they appear learned and intelligent even in the other life
I spoke with certain ones about a certain one who appeared intelligent to them because he could reason from memory, actually from the inward natural memory. Consequently what he said appeared as if it came from intelligence when nevertheless nothing at all came from any kind of intelligence but from some memory or other. His intelligence inwardly resembled a kind of ebony around which these things flowed in the sequence of speaking of them in the world, and yet it derived nothing from intelligence because it was of such a nature (it was Peter Ribbing 1). It was said that he appears to others as if he were intelligent because those who are intelligent draw out these things in their intelligence and thus believe that it issues in the same manner from his too, when however nothing is less true. Thus they can mislead others, even the intelligent, and can gain a reputation for being intelligent, especially in the natural world. But those who have inward perception in the spiritual world, can perceive that no life lies beneath, but that they are tinkling sounds moving the ear, even of those who inwardly accept them in intelligence. They [who are sensual] do not know what intelligence is. They believe intelligence is to be able to speak and reason in this way. All are like this who have a love for themselves and their own intelligence and have been elevated by this fire to speak like those who are intelligent do.
Footnotes:
1. See footnoted information on him in passage 5100.
5835. SENSUAL MEN: THEY APPEAR LEARNED AND INTELLIGENT, EVEN IN THE OTHER LIFE.
I spoke with some about a certain one who appeared to them intelligent because he was able to reason from the memory, and from a somewhat interior natural memory: hence, his discourse appeared as if it proceeded from intelligence, when yet there was nothing at all from any intelligence, but only from such memory. His intelligence inwardly resembled as it were some ebony thing, round which those things flowed according to the order of speaking in the world; and yet it derived nothing from intelligence, because it was of such a character. (It was Peter Ribbing.) They were told that it appeared to others like intelligence, because the intelligent imbibe these things in their intelligence, and so they believe that it also proceeds from these in like manner, when yet nothing is farther from the fact. Thus they [i.e. sensual men] are able to deceive others, even the intelligent, and to snatch a name for being intelligent, especially in the natural world; but those in the spiritual world who have interior perception, are able to perceive that nothing of life underlies it, but that they are tinkling sounds affecting the ear: [they are able] also [to deceive] those who interiorly receive those things in intelligence. The former [i.e. the sensual] do not know what intelligence is: they believe it is intelligence to be able to speak and reason in that way. Such are all who are in the love of self and self-intelligence; and they are inspired by that fire to speak according to the manner of the intelligent.
5835. De sensualibus quod appareant eruditi et intelligentes etiam in altera vita
Loquutus sum quibusdam de quodam qui apparuit illis intelligens quia ratiocinari potuit ex memoria, etiam quadam interiore naturali memoria, inde loquela apparebat sicut prodiret ex intelligentia, cum tamen prorsus nihil ex quadam intelligentia, sed ex tali memoria, assimilabatur intelligentia ejus intus sicut quoddam ebenum, circum quod fluebant illa secundum ordinem loquendi in mundo, et tamen nihil desumsit ex intelligentia, quia ea erat talis (erat Peter Ribbing), dictum illis quod appareat aliis sicut intelligentia, quia intelligentes hauriunt illa in sua intelligentia, et sic credunt quod etiam prodeat similiter ex ejus, cum tamen nihil minus, ita seducere possunt alios etiam intelligentes et captare famam quod intelligentes sint, maxime in mundo naturali, at qui interiorem perceptionem habent in mundo spirituali, illi possunt percipere quod nihil vitae subsit, sed quod sint voces tinnulae afficientes aurem, etiam illorum qui interius in intelligentia illa recipiunt. Illi non sciunt quid intelligentia, credunt intelligentiam esse ita posse loqui et ratiocinari. Tales sunt omnes qui in amore sui et suae intelligentiae sunt, et per ignem illum elevati sunt, ad loquendum secundum intelligentium modum.