Note (return) — THE EARTH OR PLANET MARS, AND ITS SPIRITS AND INHABITANTS.

95. The bird of stone also represented inhabitants of that earth, who by a strange method transmute the life of their thoughts and affections into almost no life, on which subject I have learned the following particulars. There was a certain spirit above my head who spoke with me, and from the tone of his voice he was apperceived to be as it were in a state of sleep. In this state he spoke many things, and with a sagacity (prudentia) that he could not have surpassed when awake. It was given me to perceive that he was a subject through whom angels spoke, and that in that state he apperceived [their speech] and produced itll; for he spoke nothing but what was true; if anything inflowed from any other source, he indeed admitted it, but did not produce it. I questioned him respecting his state. He said that to him that state was a peaceful one, and was free from all solicitude respecting the future; and that at the same time he was performing uses by which he had communication with heaven. I was told that such, in the Grand Man, have relation to the longitudinal sinus, which lies in the brain between its two hemispheres, and is there in a tranquil state, no matter how disturbed the brain may be on either side. While I was in conversation with this spirit, some spirits introduced themselves towards the anterior part of the head where he was, and pressed upon him; wherefore he retired to one side, and gave place to them. The spirit strangers spoke with each other; but neither the spirits about me, nor I myself, understood what they said. I was informed by the angels that they were spirits from the earth Mars, who have the skill to speak with each other in such a way that the spirits present could not understand or perceive anything. I wondered that there could possibly be speech of this kind, since for all spirits there is one speech, which flows from thought, and consists of ideas which are heard as vocal expressions in the spiritual world. I was told that those spirits have a certain method of forming ideas, expressed by the lips and face, unintelligible to others, and that they at the same instant skilfully withdraw their thoughts, guarding particularly lest anything of the affection should manifest itself, because if anything of the affection were perceived, the thought would appear, for the thought flows from the affection, and as it were in it. I was further informed that such speech was contrived by those inhabitants of Mars,—though not by all,—who make heavenly life to consist in knowledges alone, and not in the life of love; and that when they become spirits they retain it. These are they who were specially signified by the bird of stone; for to produce a speech by alterations of the face and motions of the lips, with a removal of the affections and a withdrawal of the thoughts from others, is to deprive speech of life and make it like an image, and by degrees to produce the same effect on themselves. But although they imagine that what they speak among themselves is not understood by others, angelic spirits nevertheless perceive each and all of the things they say, the reason being that no thought can be withdrawn from them. This was also shown them by actual experience. I was thinking of the fact that the evil spirits of our Earth are not affected with shame when they infest others. This [thought] inflowed with me from some angelic spirits who perceived their speech. Those spirits of Mars then acknowledged that this was the subject they were speaking of among themselves, and they were astonished. Besides this, more things, both of their conversation and thought, were disclosed by an angelic spirit, notwithstanding all their endeavours to hide away their thoughts from him. Afterwards those spirits inflowed from above into my face. The influx was felt like fine striated rain, which was a sign that they were not in the affection of truth and of good, for this is represented by what is striated. They then spoke plainly with me, saying, that the inhabitants of their earth speak in the same way among themselves. They were then told that this is evil, as by so doing they block up the internals, and recede from them to the externals, which also they deprive of their life; and especially because it is not sincere to speak in this manner. For they who are sincere do not wish to speak or even to think anything but what others, yea, what all, even the whole heaven, might know. But those who are unwilling that others should know what they say, pass judgment on others, and think ill of others and well of themselves, and at length are led by habit so far as to think and speak ill of the church, and of heaven, yea, of the Lord Himself. I have been told that those who love knowledges, and not so much a life according to them, have relation, in the Grand Man, to the inner membrane of the skull; but that those who accustom themselves to speak without affection, and to draw the thought to themselves and withdraw it from others, have relation to that membrane, when it has become ossified, because, from having some spiritual life, they come at length to have none.