692. In addition, I was allowed to tell them what kind of a life awaits them, namely, that they are first taken into the company of good spirits, who warmly welcome recently arrived souls; but that when they are unable to harmonize with these spirits because of their distorted beliefs, they are then separated from them as if spontaneously.
Now they are received into the company of other spirits; and when they do not harmonize, they are also rejected by them. Next they are associated with spirits who are not good, and when rejected by these, they are also penalized and punished. Finally they are left all alone, and so wander from door to door, seeking where they might find welcome and, at the last, begging to be given food, and warmth.
When they are taken in, and then desire, as they did in life, to stand out above others, and to be more esteemed, and if besides that they are eager to steal what belongs to the others, which they cannot help doing - while such people are punished in bodily life, here they are severely punished and driven away. After this they wander alone in tattered clothes, begging. This goes on until their arrogance and sense of superiority over others is wiped out, or the desire to take what belongs to others ceases.
So they are finally chastened and can be let into the company of such spirits as harmonize, and this sometimes takes very many years, a few hundred they say - even a few thousand; for the purging of some takes a long time. 1748, 9 February.
692. It was given me to tell them farther, what kind of life awaited them, namely, that they are first received into the company of good spirits who willingly receive recent souls; but when they are unable to agree with them on account of the inverted order of their faith, they are then separated from them, as of their own accord. They are again received into the company of other spirits by whom also, when they are not in accord, they are rejected. Afterwards they are associated with spirits who are not good; when they are rejected by these, it is with penalties and punishment. Then they are left alone, so they walk from door to door and seek where they can be received, at length begging that they may be supplied with food and warmth. When they are thus received, and desire as in the life of the body to be eminent and more esteemed than others, then, if they desire their possessions, they cannot do otherwise than carry them off. Since such are punished in the life of the body, they are now punished [still more] severely and driven away. Afterwards they wander about alone in torn garments, begging, and this continues even until their pride or [love of] pre-eminence over others is abolished, or the desire of taking away the goods of others ceases. In this way they are at length devastated, and can be admitted into the company of such spirits as are in accord. This sometimes takes very many years - they say some hundreds, even some thousands of years - for the vastation of some lasts a long time. 1748, Feb. 9.
692. Praeterea mihi datum erat iis dicere, qualis vita eos mansura sit, nempe quod primum recipiantur in consortium spirituum bonorum, qui libenter recipiunt animas recentes, sed quum concordare cum iis nequeunt, ob inversum eorum fidei ordinem, tunc inde sicut sponte separantur, rursus recipiuntur in consortium aliorum spirituum, cum quibus dum non concordant, etiam ab iis rejiciuntur, associantur dein spiritibus non bonis, ab iis dum rejiciuntur, fit cum mulcta et punitione; tandem soli relinquuntur, sic ostiatim ambulant, quaeruntque ubi recipi queant, supplicantes tandem, ut iis victus subministretur, et calor; dum sic recipiuntur, et cupiunt, sicut in vita, caeteris eminere, et lus aestimari, tum si eorum possessiones 1
cupiunt auferre 2
, quod non aliter possunt, quam facere: dum tales in vita corporis puniuntur, tunc 3
severe puniuntur, et abiguntur, dein soli ambulant laceris vestibus mendicantes, et id eo usque dum fastus eorum seu praeeminentia prae aliis aboletur, seu cupido aliena auferendi cessat, ita demum devastati sunt, et admitti possunt in talium spirituum consortium, qui concordant, et hoc quandoque per annos perplures, dicunt aliquot centum, imo aliquot mille, nam vastatio quorundam diu perdurat. 1748, 9 Febr.
Footnotes:
1. in J.F.I. Tafel's edition possessionem
2. The Manuscript has auferunt
3. hoc est nunc