354. "Come and see," signifies attention and perception. This is evident from the signification of "coming" when anything is presented to be seen, as being to give attention; for in a spiritual sense, "to come" means to draw near with the sight, thus to give attention; all attention also is a presence of the sight in the object. It is evident also from the signification of "to see," as being perception, for "to see" in the Word signifies to understand (See above, n. 11, 260); here it signifies to perceive, because this was out of the inmost heaven, since what comes out of the inmost heaven is perceived, but what comes out of the middle heaven is understood, for the reason that the inmost heaven is in the good of love, but the middle heaven is in the truths therefrom, and all perception is from good, and all understanding is from truths. (On this see above, n. 307; what perception is, see in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 140.)

6621. As for those who when they read the Word during their lifetime concentrated on employing the art of criticism, having little concern for the real meaning, their thoughts have been represented as threads that were entwined and incapable of being undone, and as fabric made from them. When some spirits like this have been present with me, everything I thought and wrote down became confused. My thought was so to speak detained in prison, for it was limited to words by the withdrawal of my mind from meaning, so much so that those spirits thoroughly wore me out. Yet they thought they were wiser than others.