1383. GENESIS – TWAALFDE HOOFDSTUK

De innerlijke gewaarwording van geesten en engelen, en de sferen in het andere leven. Onder de wonderen in het andere leven behoren de innerlijke gewaarwordingen; hiervan bestaan twee soorten: de ene, die de engelen eigen is, bestaat hierin, dat zij innerlijk gewaarworden, wat waar en goed is, en wat van de Heer komt, wat van henzelf, en verder, wanneer dat wat zij denken, spreken en doen, van henzelf komt, vanwaar het is en van welke aard. De andere soort, die allen met elkaar gemeen hebben, en welke de engelen in de hoogste volmaaktheid bezitten en de geesten overeenkomstig hun hoedanigheid, bestaat hierin, dat zij bij de eerste nadering van de ander weten, van welke aard hij is

4626. When any spirit is approaching, even though still a long way off and out of sight, his presence is detected, as often as the Lord allows it to be, from a certain kind of spiritual sphere. From that sphere one recognizes what his life is like, what his affection is like, and what his faith is like. Angelic spirits with keener perception know from his sphere countless things about the state of his life and faith, as has been demonstrated to me many times. When it pleases the Lord these spheres are also converted into odours; one smells quite distinctly an actual odour. The reason those spheres are converted into odours is that odour corresponds to perception and that perception is so to speak spiritual odour, from which also [natural] odour descends. But see what has been brought forward already on these matters - regarding spheres, in 1048, 1053, 1316, 1504-1519, 1695, 2401, 2489, 4464; perception, in 483, 495, 503, 521, 536, 1383, 1384, 1388, 1391, 1397, 1398, 1504, 1640; and odours produced by these, in 1514, 1517-1519, 1631, 3577.

1640. I have been allowed not only to perceive clearly the things which spirits have said to me but also to perceive where these were at the time of speaking - whether they were overhead, or down below, to the right or to the left, near to the ear or somewhere else, close to or inside the body, and how near or far away they were. For they have spoken to me from the various places or positions in which they were, according to their position in the Grand Man, that is, according to their state.

[2] I have also been allowed to perceive when they were coming and when they were going away; in which direction they were going and how far; whether they were many or few; and other things besides these. I have at the same time perceived from their speech what kind of spirits they were, for from their speech, as likewise from the sphere emanating from them, it is quite evident what their character and disposition is, and what their real beliefs and affections are. For example, if they are deceivers, even though at the time they are expressing no deceit, the general and specific nature of their deceitfulness is nevertheless perceptible from their every word and idea. It is the same with all other forms of wickedness and evil desires, so much so that there is no need to scrutinize them closely, for the image of every spirit exists in his every word and idea.

[3] One is also able to perceive whether an idea belonging to their speech is closed or open, and to perceive as well what derives from themselves, what comes from others, and what springs from the Lord. It is very much like the expressions on the human face, for from a person's face, without his saying anything, one usually tells whether there is pretence, or deceitfulness, or gladness, or natural or else forced cheerfulness, or real friendliness, or bashfulness, or even insanity. Sometimes these things are also apparent from the person's tone of voice. Why then should the same not be so in the next life where perception is far superior to any discernment such as this? Indeed even before a spirit speaks one knows from his thought alone what he intends to say, since thought flows in more swiftly and sooner than speech does.