544. And unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.- That this signifies their persuasive [power], and its effect and potency is evident from the signification of a scorpion, which denotes the infatuating and suffocating persuasive [power] of which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of power, which denotes potency and effect, in this case, the potency of the sensual man from the persuasive [power] and its effect, because it infatuates and suffocates. What this persuasive [power], signified by the scorpion, is, and its nature, scarcely any one in the world yet knows, because the persuasive [power] of the spirit of the sensual man is that in which he is when he becomes a spirit, but not while he lives as a man in the world. The reason is, that a man in the world rarely utters what his spirit thinks and intimately loves, for he has been taught from infancy to converse about such things as pertain to civil and moral life, and even such as pertain to spiritual life, although his spirit, which thinks and wills inwardly, is differently inclined. While man's spirit dwells in the body, it makes a show of such things before the world, because otherwise he cannot secure favour, so as to attain the ends which his spirit aims at, and which are principally honours and gains, and a name and reputation on account of them. This is the reason why the nature and quality of the infatuating and suffocating persuasive [power], signified by the scorpion, are not known in the world. Such, however, is its nature with the spirits in whom it is operative, that it infuses itself into the exterior mind (animus) and interior mind (mens) of another, and lulls asleep, and almost extinguishes his Rational and Intellectual, so that he cannot know otherwise than that which he speaks is true even if it be most false. Those who are under such persuasive influence do not speak from any kind of reason, but from a blind faith without reason, because from the ultimate Sensual, for in this no reason exists, but only a persuasive faith inflated by the fire of the love of self, and grounded in such things as proceed from the body, and flow in from the world. It is this fire which inflates, draws out and infuses itself into another; wherefore those are more especially in this persuasive [power], who have filled themselves with falsities from the love of self, and have believed themselves to be wiser than others. This persuasive [influence] is called infatuating, because it stupefies the understanding; and it is called suffocating, because it takes away from another the power of free respiration; for every one's respiration synchronizes with the thought of his mind. But because such a persuasive [influence] is most hurtful and pernicious, because it brings on swooning, as it were, in the mind of another, so that he can see nothing rationally, therefore spirits are severely prohibited from using it, and those who do use it are separated from others, and are either punished or sent down into hell. For in the spiritual world every one is allowed to confirm the opinions of his mind, whether true or false, by things rational and intellectual, but not by any persuasive fascination. But more concerning this persuasive [power], may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia; as, that those affected by it are inwardly bound (n. 5096); that those who make use of it shut up the Rational of others, and, as it were, suffocate them (n. 3895, 5128). That the Nephilim, Anakim, and Rephaim, mentioned in the Word, were, above all others, in direful persuasions of falsity (n. 581, 1268, 1270, 1271, 1673, 7686). That before the coming of the Lord, they infested all in the other life by their direful persuasions, and almost extinguished their spiritual life (n. 7686). That they were cast into hell by the Lord, when He was in the world, and that that hell still appears as under a misty rock, and those who approach near to it fall into a swoon (n. 311, 581, 1268, 1270, 7686). Concerning my own experience of some of the devils from that hell, who were permitted to assault me with their influence, seen, n. 1268, 1271. Concerning the mischief arising from the persuasion of falsity (n. 794, 806). That there are many kinds of persuasions of falsity (n. 1673, 1675). Such a deadly persuasive [power] is signified by the scorpion, because the scorpion, when it stings a man, induces a similar mental swooning, and thence death, if a remedy be not applied.

[2] Destructive persuasions are also signified by scorpions, in the following passages:

Thus in Luke:

Jesus said to the seventy whom He had sent out, "I beheld Satan as lightning falling from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, so that nothing shall by any means hurt you" (10:18, 19).

That serpents and scorpions do not here mean serpents and scorpions, is evident, for the Lord says, that He saw Satan as lightning falling from heaven, and that He gives them power (potestas) over all the potency (potentia) of the enemy. Serpents and scorpions therefore, in the internal sense, signify the crew of Satan, who had been in the subtle and direful persuasions of falsity, by which men would be spiritually destroyed after death, unless defended by the Lord. The antediluvians, who were called Nephilim, were in such persuasive [power] above others, and, unless the Lord, when in the world, had subdued them and cast them into hell, and closed it, no mortal could have been saved; for they infested, and almost destroyed, whomsoever they met in the spiritual world. That the Lord freed the spiritual world from these and similar spirits, is meant by His seeing Satan falling from heaven, and by His giving to those who are in truths from good derived from Him the power of treading upon serpents and scorpions.

[3] This direful persuasive [power] is also signified by scorpions, in the following passage of Ezekiel:

"Son of man, be not afraid of them, and of their words, for they are refractory and thorny with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions; be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their faces." For they are "hard in their faces, and obdurate in heart" (2:6, 7).

By dwelling among scorpions is meant, among those who have persuaded themselves, and strongly persuade others, to admit falsities, and who do not admit any truth; therefore they are called refractory and thorny, likewise hard in faces, and obdurate in heart. In the case of those who are strongly persuaded of falsity, the interiors of the rational mind are closed, and therefore they think and speak only from the ultimate Sensual, which is hard and stubborn, and also hardens and renders stubborn the interiors of others to whom it addresses itself when it is enkindled by the fire of the love of self. For, in the spiritual world, there is a communication of minds, that is, of thoughts and affections, and from those who are in such persuasive [power], there is infusion; hence result the effects above mentioned.

[4] So in Moses:

Jehovah God, "who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness of the serpent, the fiery flying serpent and the scorpion" (Deuteronomy 8:15).

The journeyings and wanderings of the children of Israel in the wilderness for forty years, represented and signified the temptations of the faithful, and as these are caused by the injections and persuasions of falsities from evil spirits, it is said, that they were led through a terrible wilderness of the serpent, the fiery flying serpent and the scorpion. Moreover, serpents in general signify the ultimate Sensual of man, and the various species of serpents signify various states of that Sensual as to evils and falsities. For sensual men are, above all others, crafty and malicious, and themselves believe, and induce others to believe, that they excel in ability, understanding, and judgment; but I can affirm, that they have neither understanding nor judgment, but are as stupid, in regard to the essentials of faith and life, as they are ingenious in contriving evils and persuading falsities. And wickedness, as is well known, is not wisdom, for wisdom is of truth from good, but wickedness is of falsity from evil, and falsity from evil destroys truth from good, because they are opposites, and what is opposite destroys.

4622. CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE GRAND MAN - continued

IN THIS SECTION THE CORRESPONDENCE OF SMELL AND OF THE NOSTRILS WITH THAT GRAND MAN

The dwelling-places of the blessed in the next life are many and varying. They are built so elegantly that they are so to speak the embodiments of architectural art itself or the direct products of that art. Concerning the dwelling-places of the blessed, see what has been described already from experience, in 1119, 1626-1630. The blessed are aware of these dwelling-places not only through the sense of sight but also through that of touch; for everything in that life is suited to the sensory powers which spirits and angels possess. Consequently their dwelling-places are not of the same nature as the objects perceived by man with his physical senses, but as the objects perceived by the senses which those in the next life possess. I realize that many cannot believe this, and the reason they cannot do so lies in their lack of belief in anything which they cannot see with their bodily eyes or touch with their physical hands. As a consequence man today, the interiors of whose being are closed, has no knowledge of the things which come into being in the spiritual world or in heaven. He does, it is true, say - because the Word and doctrine so teach it - that there is a heaven, where angels live in joy and glory; but beyond that he knows nothing. He would indeed like to know what it is like there, but when he is told this he still fails to believe it, because in his heart he denies the very existence of heaven. The reason he would like to know stems from no more than curiosity aroused by what is taught in doctrine; it does not stem from any delight to know because of any real belief. Those who do not have any real belief in heaven also deny its existence in their hearts, whereas those who do have such belief acquire to themselves ideas about heaven, its joy and glory, from various sources. Each individual does so from whatever knowledge or understanding he has gained, or in the case of the simple from what they discern by means of their bodily senses.

[2] Even so, the majority of people do not grasp the idea that spirits and angels have sensory powers that are far keener than men's in the world; that is to say, they have the powers of sight, hearing, smell, something analogous to taste, and touch, and above all else delights belonging to affections. If people did but believe that the inner essence of their being is spirit and that the body, and the senses and members of this, are suited solely to uses that are served in the world, whereas the spirit, and the senses and organs of this, are suited to uses that are served in the next life, they would arrive unaided and almost spontaneously at ideas about the state of their spirit after death. For in that case they would think of a person's spirit as his true self which thinks, has longings, has desires, and feels emotions, and after that they would think of each sensory power manifested in the body as that which belongs to the spirit, and to the body only through influx from this. These thoughts they would subsequently confirm for themselves from many other pieces of evidence, and so at length they would take more delight in the powers of their spirit than in those of their body.

[3] There is something further to be said on this matter, namely that it is not the body which sees, hears, smells, and feels through touch, but a person's spirit. That being so, when the spirit sheds its body it retains the sensory powers it possessed when within the body; indeed these are now far keener. For that which belongs to the body, being gross compared with that belonging to the spirit, has blunted those sensory powers; and these have been made even blunter because of the person's immersion of them in earthly and worldly interests. I can say this quite definitely, that a spirit has far keener eyesight than man has in the body, as well as far keener hearing. A spirit also has - and this fact will astonish people - the sense of smell, and especially the sense of touch. For spirits can see one another, hear one another, and touch one another. Anyone who believes in a life after death would also deduce this from the fact that no life is possible without the senses, and that the exact nature of that life is determined by that of the senses. Indeed he would deduce that the power of understanding is nothing else than a keener sensory awareness of interior things, a more superior power of understanding being a sensory awareness of spiritual realities. This also explains why the powers of the understanding and their perception of things are called the internal senses.

[4] So far as a person's sensory powers immediately after death are concerned, the position is this: As soon as he dies and the parts of the body grow cold, he is raised up into life, into a state which involves each of his sensory powers. At first he is scarcely aware that he is not still in the body, for the experience of his senses leads him to think he is still in it. But when he notices that his sensory powers are keener than before, and especially when he starts to speak to other spirits, he realizes that he is in the next life and that the death of his body has been a continuation of the life of his spirit. I have spoken to two of my acquaintances on the very day they were to be buried, and to one who through my eyes beheld his own coffin and bier. Since he still possessed each of the senses he had in the world, he spoke to me about his burial service even as I was taking part in the funeral procession. Regarding his body he said that they were putting this away because he was alive.

[5] But it should be recognized that those in the next life cannot see anything whatever of what is in the world through the eyes of anyone in the world. The reason they have been able to do so through my eyes is that in my spirit I am present with them at the same time as I am present in my body with those who are in the world; see also 1880. In addition to this it should be recognized that I have not used the eyes of my body to see those I have spoken to in the next life, but the eyes of my spirit. I have seen them as clearly, and sometimes more clearly, than with my bodily eyes, for in the Lord's Divine mercy the sensory powers of my spirit have been opened.

[6] But I realize that what has been stated up to now is not going to be believed by people who are concerned solely with bodily, earthly, and worldly interests, that is, by those of them who have these interests as their end in view. For such people have no conception of anything apart from that which is dissipated by death. I also realize that what has been stated up to now is not going to be believed by those who have thought a lot about the soul and have asked many questions about it, without at the same time grasping the point that man's soul is his spirit and that his spirit is his real self living within the body. For these people have been unable to conceive of the soul as anything else than something like thought, or flame, or what is ethereal, which operates solely within the organic forms of the body, not within purer forms belonging to his spirit within the body, and so is the kind of thing that is dissipated along with the body. This applies especially to those who have convinced themselves of ideas like these because the picture they have of themselves has been magnified out of all proportion by the false notion that they are wiser than others.