Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 5189

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5189. There came some spirits in front; and before their coming I noticed a sphere from evil spirits, from which I supposed that evil spirits were approaching; but they were their enemies, as I learned from the aggressive and hostile feeling which they inspired against them. When they arrived they placed themselves above my head, and spoke with me, saying that they were men. I answered that they were not men endowed with a body such as men in the world have, who are wont to call themselves men from the form of the body; but that nevertheless they are men, because the spirit of the man is truly the man. To this I perceived no dissent, for they confirmed it. They said further that they were men who are unlike; and because it seemed impossible to me that there could be a society in the other life of those who are unlike, I talked with them about it, and said that if a common cause impelled them to unity, they nevertheless could be associated, because they would thus all have one end. They said that their quality was such that each one speaks differently from the others, and yet they all think alike. This they also illustrated by examples, whereby it appeared that the perception of all was one, but that their speech was diverse. [2] They then applied themselves to my left ear and said that they were good spirits, and it was their custom so to speak. It was said of them that they come in a body, and that no one knows where they come from. I perceived the sphere of evil spirits to be exceedingly hostile to them; for evil spirits are the subjects whom they agitate. Their society, which is a wandering one, was represented by a man and a woman in a chamber, clothed with a garment that was turned into a robe of an azure color. [3] It was perceived that they have reference to the Isthmus in the brain, which is between the cerebrum and the cerebellum, through which fibers pass, and thence spread in various directions, and in every direction operate diversely in the outward things; also that they have reference to the Ganglia in the body, into which a nerve flows, and from there is divided into a number of fibers, some of which run one way and some another, their action being dissimilar in ultimates, and yet is from one beginning; thus being in ultimates dissimilar in appearance, yet similar in end. Moreover, it is known that one force acting in the extremities can have a manifold variation, and this according to the form there. Ends also are represented by the beginnings, such as they are in the brain, from which are the fibers; the thoughts from these ends are represented by the fibers from those beginnings; and the actions thence resulting by the nerves which are composed of fibers.


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