5941. About those who are in the heavenly Kingdom and about demons
These come from the kind who do not think about anything in particular, but sometimes go on just as if they are not thinking, and if they do not reflect on it, they believe that they are thinking nothing. Then without their awareness, the affections produced by love vary, which is seen even in their mood changes, and at times in their faces; consequently they believe they aren't thinking about anything. With those who have a love for spiritual truth, which is seen by the delight they have in hearing sermons and other things about the truths of the Word and of heaven and the Church, their good feelings are varied by the Lord through heaven when they are thinking, and they are perfected daily without their knowing. They also live according to these [truths]. However, in the case of those who have a love for themselves and the world, it is evil feelings that vary, many of which are hostile to the neighbor; those become demons. נThe former and the latter find pleasure in sitting and almost not thinking. This is their time of refreshing tranquility. Besides this, they can also think from their understanding if they are looking at something, but only at the time they are seeing it and also from the recollection of such things as had caught their eye, but not about things pertaining to faith.
[2] When they are among themselves they speak little, and when they do want to say something they show it first. For example, wherever they are going, first they go to a place that looks toward it and show it; then they tell about it. They show many things by representations. For example, when they encounter someone spiritual, they present the image of a ship together with such things as correspond. If that spiritual person is cunning and evil, they surround the ship with serpents. This is done in a thousand ways.
5941[a]. Those who acknowledge only the Father and pass by the Lord are focused on the body and the world
All in the other life, whoever they are, are focused on their own loves, thus on either the loves of heaven or the loves of hell. Those who acknowledge only the Father and not the Lord cannot be directed to Him by the Lord because they cannot conceive the Father in any shape; consequently they would be searching around in every direction, which is contrary to order. On this account they cannot be turned otherwise than to bodily and worldly loves. In their bodily life they were also turned that way, on which account they did not have any religion in their spirit. נCertain ones see vertically above them, at the zenith, someone like a human being, whom they say is the Father, but these too are similarly directionless. For this reason those who have lived well are turned little by little to the Lord as the Sun or as the Moon; those who have lived evilly are banished. Directions as regards loves are all in respect to the way one is facing.
Those who are turned to the Lord are at times let back into the mental image of God above the head, and then they do not have understanding but a certain stupidity. For the most part they then have the imagery of natural thought.
5941. THOSE WHO ARE IN THE CELESTIAL KINGDOM, AND THE GENII.
Those become of that sort who do not reflect upon any subject, but sometimes remain as if they do not think, and suppose that, if they do not reflect upon the matter, they do not think at all. At such a time, the affections which are of their love are varied without their perceiving it; which also appears in the changes of their minds, and sometimes in their faces. In consequence of this, they believe that they do not think at all. With those who are in the spiritual love of truth, which is perceived by delight in listening to preachings and other [disquisitions] upon the truths of Word, of Heaven, and of the Church, - when these think, good affections from the Lord through heaven are varied, and perfected daily, they being ignorant of the fact and according to these they live. But with those who are in the love of self and of the world, evil affections, which are numerous and antagonistic to the neighbor, are varied; these become genii. The first and last named perceive a delight in sitting as it were without thought; this is their repose and refreshment. They are also able to think from the understanding if they see anything, but not with penetration; also from the memory of such things as have met their sight, but not about matters of faith.
When they are together they also speak but little; and when they wish to say anything, they first exhibit it in dumb show: for instance, if they are going anywhere, they first go to a place which looks thither, and point, and afterwards say. They show many things by representatives: as, for example, when they meet with anyone spiritual, they represent a ship with such things as correspond: if that spiritual person is crafty and evil, they surround the ship with serpents. So in a thousand ways.
5941a. THOSE WHO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FATHER ONLY, AND PASS BY THE LORD, ARE TURNED TO THE LOVES OF THE BODY AND OF THE WORLD.
All persons whatsoever, in the other life, are fixedly turned to their loves, thus either to the loves of heaven, or to the loves of hell. Those who acknowledge the Father only and not the Lord, inasmuch as these cannot think about the Father under any form, are unable to be turned by the Lord to Himself. Hence there was with them a looking around on every side, which is contrary to order. Wherefore, they can only be turned to the loves of the body and the world. They were likewise turned thus, in the life of their body and, for that reason, they have not any religion in their spirit. Some look above them, in the sky overhead, or the zenith, at one, as it were a man, whom they say is the Father; but these also are in like manner without determination [of loves]; wherefore, they who have lived well are turned by little and little to the Lord, as a sun, or as a moon, but those who have lived ill are rejected. Determinations to loves are all in the face.
Sometimes those who are turned to the Lord are remitted into the idea of a God overhead; and then they are not in intelligence, but in a sort of stupidity. The greatest part are at such times in ideas of natural thought.
5941. De illis qui in coelesti Regno et de geniis
Illi fiunt ex illa sorte, qui non cogitant de aliqua re, sed manent quandoque sicut non cogitent, et si non reflectunt super id, credunt quod nihil cogitent, tunc affectiones quae amoris illorum, illis non percipientibus, variantur, quod etiam apparet in mutationibus eorum animorum, et quandoque in faciebus, credunt inde quod nihil cogitent. Apud illos qui in amore veri spiritualis sunt, quod percipitur per jucundum audiendi praedicationes, et alios de veris Verbi et coeli et Ecclesiae, cum cogitant, variantur affectiones bonae a Domino per coelum, et perficiuntur indies, illis nescientibus, secundum illas etiam vivunt: apud illos autem qui in amore sui et mundi sunt, variantur affectiones malae, quae sunt contra proximum plures, illi fiunt genii. - Illi et hi jucundum percipiunt in sedendo quasi absque cogitatione, hoc eorum tranquillum est et refocillatio; possunt etiam cogitare ex intellectu, si aliquid vident, sed una cum visu, et quoque ex memoria talium quae obvenerunt visui, sed non de rebus fidei.
[2] Cum inter se sunt, etiam parum loquuntur, cumque volunt dicere aliquid prius ostendunt id, sicut ubinam eundum, eunt primo ad locum qui illuc spectat, et ostendunt, dein dicunt; plura per repraesentativa ostendunt, ut dum conveniunt aliquem spiritualem, repraesentant navem cum talibus rebus quae correspondent, si astutus et malus ille spiritualis, circumdant navem serpentibus, sic mille modis.
5941 [a]. Quod qui solum Patrem agnoscunt, et praetereunt Dominum, quod determinentur ad amores corporis ac mundi
Omnes quicunque in altera vita sunt determinantur ad suos amores, ita vel ad amores coeli vel ad amores inferni, illi qui solum Patrem agnoscunt, et non Dominum, illi quia de Patre non possunt cogitare sub aliqua specie, non possunt determinari a Domino ad Se, inde illis foret circumspectio undequaque, quod est contra ordinem, quapropter non aliter possunt quam verti ad amores corporis ac mundi, in vita corporis eorum ita quoque versi sunt, quapropter nec in suo spiritu aliquam religionem habent. - Quidam spectant aliquem supra se in vertice, seu zenith, sicut hominem, quem dicunt Patrem esse, sed hi quoque similiter absque determinatione sunt, quare qui bene egerunt vertuntur paullatim ad Dominum ut Solem vel ut Lunam, qui male egerunt, rejiciuntur. Determinationes ad amores, sunt omnes ad faciem.
Qui vertuntur ad Dominum, quandoque remittuntur in ideam de Deo supra caput, et tunc non in intelligentia sunt, sed in quadam stupiditate, maxima pars sunt tunc in ideis cogitationis naturalis.