6012. NEW HEAVENS* WHICH PERISH. It was told me that such heavens, in which the interiors are evil, although those there are good, are formed even after the last judgment, but in a diminished form but yet they are in their turn destroyed, and afterwards destroyed of themselves, through the proximity of good angels; for, when the angelic heavens are near at hand, there then no longer exists a connection with them, as previously; but they collapse of themselves. This is how it occurs hereafter. They said, that those who are in those heavens, or societies, are gradually lessened in number; and for many days go away. It was granted me to see one such heaven formed by Catholics, in the western quarter towards the south in a middle distance, which was dissolved. They were composed of about 800 to 1000. There was a certain one of them with me; namely, one who was at Rome from Upsal: he had embraced the Catholic religion.** I spoke with him, and indeed quite agreeably. But still he communicated those things to the Catholics, and afterwards went to that society; by which means communication was effected with the society in which I am; and hence [they] were exceedingly disturbed, so that they ran about, hither and thither, saying that now their judgment, or dispersion, is come, and thereupon also began to go forth from every part of their society, which was a city, from every direction. The monks told them to remain; but they replied that they wished to remain but could not, and that some force from the interior, which they could not resist, impels them and also that the same force separates them, and drives some hither, and some thither, thus, everyone to his place. Whence that force came they did not know but it is manifest that it is from the interior; that, namely, it was from exterior delight that they wished to remain, but were driven from interior, which was now opened to them, and which the exterior delight was not able to resist; and when they went somewhat away, then also came the delight of going away, this being according to diminution of the [former] exterior [delight]. It was stated that they were not of the common people, but of such as, in the world, did nothing but go into society and chat, and so spent the time, even whole days, in pleasures and amusements. They also said, that there they did nothing else than seek company in order to chat there. They ate they also played on instruments; some times they danced; so that they spent their whole life in pleasures. They said that the monks persuaded them to do so, because they also lived such a life, saying that they are now in heaven, and that it is allowed them on that account; but the better ones of their number said that if they live such a life, they must shortly be dispersed, and that they ought to be engaged in work, doing something useful at home. But they replied that they have attempted this, but cannot do it; because to them it is unpleasing and depressing. But, of those who were engaged in any work, a part remained in straits, and part were sent into good societies. I afterwards saw similar dissolutions of commenced societies occur in many other places, so that this is constantly going on. It was hence manifest that they all go away to places suited to their dispositions, according to their externals, but that they are afterwards let into their interiors; and in this way their societies are constantly being dissolved. They also said, that they observed that they had influx from lower spirits, when they were together in that society and that, if they received any from higher ones, their delights were disturbed. * These are evidently fictitious heavens," of the same character with the which, under the name of "former heavens," are declared in Rev. 21:1, to have "passed away," respecting which see AR 877, and, still more in detail, AR 885. ** In the margin: "It was Larman."