718. About those who desire to be the highest in heaven
In regard to those who desire to be the highest in heaven, I observed that during their bodily life, other, similar inclinations had become attached to them, to want to surpass others, either in worldly glory or in other respects. And therefore they ambition more or less the same thing in the other life, even though this is opposed to the love of the neighbor.
Such people in the other life are deprived of all rationality, and become as though they were not humans; for not knowing what they are doing, they go about everything from instinct, and as if in sleep, as said before [372, 696]. And because they had thought there was something good in such ambition, they are allowed to follow their instinct most zealously in whatever they do. So, trying to copy all [good qualities], they appear as good.
When these are permitted, they seem to themselves to fashion wings, and so to fly aloft. And then out of sheer fantasy, they fly so high that they believe it hardly possible to be any higher, as has also been shown to me. So far does their ambition uplift them. 1748, 10 February.
718. CONCERNING THOSE WHO DESIRE TO BE SUPREME IN HEAVEN
It was observed that those who desire to be supreme in heaven have adjoined to them in the life of the body other similar desires, as that they wish to excel others, either in worldly glory or in other things, and so are ambitious. They are the same in the other life, which is, however, opposed to the love of the neighbor. Such are deprived of all rationality in the other life, and become as though they were no longer men, for they know not what they do. They do everything from instinct and as if in sleep, as was said before; and because they suppose that there is something good in such ambition, it is granted them to act according to their instinct with the utmost earnestness in whatever they do; so they want to imitate all things, and appear good. When they are permitted, they seem to themselves to be able to fabricate wings, and so to fly on high; and they then fly so high from phantasy alone, that they suppose it is scarcely possible for anyone to be higher than themselves, as was also shown me. To such a height does their ambition raise them. 1748, Feb. 10.
718. De iis, qui supremi esse cupiunt in coelo
Observatum est, quod ii qui cupiunt supremi esse coelo, iis adjuncta sint in vita corporis alia seu similia, quod aliis 1
praeexcellere velint sive in gloria mundana, sive aliis, et sic ambiunt quoddam 2
idem in altera vita, quod tamen amori proximi repugnat, tales in altera vita, privantur omni rationalitate 3
, et fiunt sicut non essent homines, nam nesciunt quid faciunt, exercent 4
omne ex instinctu, et sicut in somno, ut prius dictum [372] quia putarunt bonum quid inesse tali ambitioni, iis conceditur agere secundum instinctum cum summo studio quicquid agunt, ita imitari volunt omnia apparent boni. Quando talibus permittitur 5
videntur sibi alas 6
fabricare posse, et sic volare in altum, et tunc volant tam alte ex sola phantasia, ut vix altius dari sibi putent 7
, quod quoque ostensum mihi est, eo eorum ambitio evehit eos. 1748, 10 Febr.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has alii
2. The Manuscript has quodam
3. The Manuscript has rationalite
4. The Manuscript has exsercent; in J.F.I. Tafel's edition faciunt
5. The Manuscript has permittuntur
6. This is how it appears in J.F.I. Tafel's edition; the Manuscript has alias
7. imperfectum in the Manuscript