Note (return) — THE EARTH OR PLANET MERCURY, AND ITS SPIRIT AND INHABITANTS

33. I afterwards represented to them birds both large and small, such as exist on our Earth; for in the other life such things can be represented to the life. On seeing those birds represented, they at first wanted to change them, but they afterwards were delighted with them, and became quiet; the reason was, that birds signify the knowledges of things, and the perception of this fact then flowed ino; they therefore abstained from transmuting them, and so from turning away the ideas of their memory. Afterwards it was permitted me to represent before them a very pleasant garden full of lamps and lights; they then paused and their attention was fixed, because lamps with lights signify truths (veritates) which shine from goodp. From this it was evident that they could be detained in the consideration of material things, provided only that the signification of those things in the spiritual sense were insinuated at the same time; for the things which belong to the spiritual sense are not abstracted from material things to the same extent, inasmuch as they are representative of these.