8343. 'The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea' means that as a result simply of His presence falsities in faith and evils in life cast themselves into hell. This is clear from the meaning of 'horse and rider' as falsities arising from evil, dealt with in 8146, 8148; and from the meaning of 'throwing into the sea' as into hell, dealt with in 8099, 8137, 8138. As regards its happening as a result simply of the Lord's presence, see 8137 (end), 8265. The reason for saying that the falsities and evils cast themselves into hell is that falsities and evils themselves are what are cast into hell, and these drag down with them the people to whom they cling. For through evil in life a person becomes a form of the falsity that arises from evil; consequently when evils themselves accompanied by falsities are thrown down, forms to which they cling are dragged down together with them. Falsities and evils are emanations from the hells, flowing in among those who through evils in life have made their inner selves into forms that receive those emanations, since everything composing thought and will flows in, what is good from heaven, but what is bad from hell, see 2886-2888, 4151, 4249, 5846, 6189, 6191, 6193, 6203, 6206, 6213, 6324, 6325, 7147, 7343. These then are the reasons for saying that the falsities in faith and evils in life cast themselves into hell. On account of this when angels think and talk about the hells they think and talk about falsities and evils completely separate from the inhabitants there; for angels always banish ideas that focus on persons and confine themselves to those that focus on things, 5225, 5287, 5434.

6191. Experience enabling me to know that the Lord governs a person by means of angels and spirits has been so conclusive that I have been left with not the slightest shadow of doubt. For many years now all my thoughts and all my affections, down to the last detail, have flowed in by means of spirits and angels. This I have been allowed to perceive so plainly that nothing could be plainer; for I have perceived, seen, and heard who exactly the spirits or angels were, what they were like, and where they came from. And whenever anything inimical has come into my thought or will I have spoken to and rebuked those who were responsible. I have also noticed that their power to introduce any such thing was curbed by the angels, observed how this was done, and also seen that they were often driven away by the angels. When they had been driven away, I noticed that in their place new spirits were present, from whom influx again took place. I was also allowed to discern where those spirits were from, that is, of which communities they were emissaries.

[2] Besides this I have often been given the opportunity to talk to those actual communities. Although every one of my thoughts and affections, down to the last detail, was flowing in through spirits or angels, my thinking was nevertheless as it had been before, and my desires as they had been before. I mixed with other people as I had done before, without anyone noticing any difference in my life from what it had been before. I realize that scarcely anyone will believe what I am saying; but all the same it is the absolute truth.