5141. That he had interpreted good. That this signifies what would happen, is evident from the signification of “interpreting,” as being what it had in it, or what there was therein (of which above, n. 5093, 5105, 5107, 5121); thus also what would happen. That good would happen, is the perception from the sensuous, which perception is comparatively obscure. There actually do exist perception from the sensuous or exterior natural, perception from the interior natural, and perception from the rational; for when a man is in interior thought from affection, and withdraws his mind from sensuous things and from the body, he is in rational perception; for then the things which are beneath, or which belong to the external man, are quiescent, and the man is almost in his spirit. But when man is in exterior thought, from causes which exist in the world, then his perception is from the interior natural, and the rational indeed flows in, but not with any life of affection. But when man is in pleasures, and in the delights of the love of the world and also of the love of self, the perception is from the sensuous; for his life is then in externals or in the body, and admits no more from the interiors than may serve to moderate his outbursts into what is dishonorable and unbecoming. But the more external the perception is, the more obscure it is, because exterior things are comparatively general, for innumerable interior things appear as one in the exterior.