934. Swords and sharp points appear whenever souls are speaking differently than they are thinking

When souls speak differently than they think, as, for instance, if one says something good for the reason that it seems the right thing to say, then a sword appears, [or] as told before [929], sword points [appear] overhead, which look as if they would fall on the head of the one speaking. And even when we are not deceitful, but it just somehow seems to us that we should say so because we realize it is true - while yet our feeling does not agree with it, but dissents - then a sword appears behind the back, indicating danger. Thus do swords or their points threaten in various ways, depending on what kind of discrepancies there are between thought and speech. 1748, 22 February.