every one thought and spake from others. This experience excited the utmost indignation in the spirits, for every one of them is willing to think and speak from himself; but inasmuch as they were hence instructed how the case is, it was said to them, that the all of thought and also of will flows-in, because there is but one only life from which those faculties of life are derived, and that that life flows-in from the Lord through a wonderful form, which is the heavenly form, not only generally into all, but also particularly into each; and that it is varied everywhere according as the form of each subject agrees or disagrees with the heavenly form. From these considerations it may also appear evident how the case is with man, of whom more will be said in the sequel, when we come to treat of influx.

5987. The greater the number of those who concentrate their view into one subject, the stronger is the subject's power of thinking and of speaking, for his power is increased according to the plurality of concordant views; this was also shown me by withdrawing some who flowed-in, whereby the subject's power of thinking and of speaking was diminished.

5988. There were subjects attendant on me near the head, who discoursed as if they were in sleep, but still they discoursed well, like those who are not in a state of sleep. It was observed that evil spirits flowed-in to those subjects with malignant deceits, but that the influx in them was instantly dissipated; and as they knew that those had formerly been their subjects, they complained that they were so no longer. The reason was because good spirits could now act into them when they were in sleep, and thus, by their influx, the malignant influences of the evil spirits were dispersed. Nevertheless, the evil spirits were compelled to flow-in to those subjects, and not into others. Hence it is evident that there are subjects of different kinds and natures, and that the variations are according to the Lord's arrangement.

5989. The most deceitful, who are over the head, once took to themselves subjects, and sent them forth to me, that they might flow-in with their deceits, but they were much disappointed. One, when he was made a subject, retorted himself

and became closed, and folded himself as in a fold, that he might reject their influx; thus he extricated himself from them. They next took another, but neither could they reduce him to speak, as he was more deceitful than they, which he manifested by rolling himself, as it were, into the form of a spiral; thus they were disappointed. Moreover, evil spirits do not always send forth subjects from their own society, but observe what spirits are attendant on others, and also in what place the simple and obedient are, and these they make subjects for themselves. This is effected by directing their thoughts into the subject spirit, and infusing into him their own affections and persuasions, in consequence whereof he is no longer his own master, but serves them for a subject; of this he is sometimes ignorant.

5990. There are very many spirits at this day who desire to flow in, not only into man's thoughts and affections, but also into his speech and actions, thus even into his corporeal principles; when yet the corporeal principles are exempt from the particular influx of spirits and angels, and are ruled by general influx; in other words, when thought is determined into speech, and will into actions, the determination and transition into the body are according to order, and are not ruled by any spirits in particular; for to flow-in to man's bodily principles is to obsess him. The spirits who will and intend this, are such as in the life of the body had been adulterers, that is, who had perceived delight in adulteries, and had persuaded themselves that they were lawful; also such as had been cruel. The reason is, because both the former and the latter are corporeal and sensual above all others, and have rejected all thought concerning heaven, by attributing all things to nature, and nothing to the Divine [being or principle]. Thus they have closed up their interiors, and have opened their exteriors; and as in the world they had been principled only in the love of the latter, therefore in the other life they are in the desire of returning into those things through man, by obsessing him. But it is provided by the Lord, that they do not come into the world of spirits, and therefore they are kept shut up closely in their hells; hence there are no external obsessions at this

day. Nevertheless, there are internal obsessions, even by the infernal and diabolical crew, for evil men think such things as are filthy; and cruelties towards others, and likewise hostile thoughts and malignant ideas against Divine things; unless these were checked by fear of the loss of honour, gain, and reputation, of punishment enacted by law, and of life, they would burst forth openly, and thereby such men would rush forward, more than the obsessed, to destroy others, and blaspheme against the things of faith; but those external restraints cause them not to seem obsessed, when yet they are so, as to interiors, but not as to exteriors. This is manifest from such in the other life, where external restraints are taken away; in that life they are devils, continually in the life and desire of ruining others, and of destroying whatsoever is of faith.

5991. I saw spirits, who may be called corporeal spirits. They arose from a depth at the side of the sole of the right foot, and appeared to the sight of my spirit as in a gross body; when I asked who they were that are of such a quality, it was said that they are those who in the world had been distinguished by their talents and proficiency in the sciences, whereby they had confirmed themselves entirely against the Divine [being or principle], and thus against the things of the Church; and, inasmuch, as they had absolutely persuaded themselves that all things were to be attributed to nature, they had, more than other men, closed their interiors, and thus the things which belong to the spirit; hence they appear grossly corporeal.

Amongst them was one whom I had known during his life in the world, and who at that time was eminent for his genius and erudition; but these gifts, which are the means of thinking well concerning Divine things, were to him the means of thinking against them, and of persuading himself that they are nothing; for the powers of genius and learning multiply the means of such persuasion and confirmation; hence, interiorly, he was obsessed, but in the external form he appeared as a man of civility and good morals.

5992. The angels by whom the Lord leads and protects man are near the head; their office is to inspire charity and

faith, to observe the direction of the man's delights, and to moderate and bend them to good, so far as the man's free will permits. They are forbidden to act violently, and thereby to break man's lusts and principles, but are enjoined to act with gentleness. Their office is also to rule the evil spirits who are from hell, which is effected by innumerable methods, of which it is allowed to mention only the following:-When the evil spirits infuse evils and falses, the angels insinuate truths and goods, which, if not received, are yet the means of moderating; the infernal spirits are continually assaulting, and the angels affording protection; such is the order. The angels principally moderate the affections, for these constitute the life and freedom of man. The angels also observe whether any hells be open which were not open previously, and extend their influx to man, as is the case when man brings himself into new evil. These hells, so far as man permits, the angels close, and remove any spirits attempting to emerge from them; the angels also disperse foreign and new influxes, which might be productive of evil effects; and they especially call forth the goods and truths in man, and oppose them to the evils and falses which the evil spirits excite; hence man is in the midst, nor does he perceive the evil or the good, and because he is in the midst, he is free to turn himself either to the one or to the other. By such offices the angels from the Lord lead and protect man, and this every moment, and every moment of a moment; for if the angels were to intermit their offices only a single instant man would be plunged into evil, from which he could never afterwards be extricated. These offices the angels perform from the love which they derive from the Lord, for they perceive nothing more delightful and more happy than to remove evils from man, and to lead him to heaven. That they have joy therein may be seen Luke xv. 7. The Lord has such care for man, and this continually, from the first moment of his life to the last, and afterwards throughout eternity.

5993. From these considerations it may now be manifest that for man to have communication with the spiritual world, two spirits must be adjoined to him from hell, and two angels

from heaven, and that without them he would not have any life whatsoever; for man cannot live at all from general influx, like animals void of reason (concerning which see No. 5850), because his life is contrary to order; so that in this state, if he was to be acted upon only by general influx, he must needs be acted upon only by the hells, but not from the heavens; and if not from the heavens he would have no interior life, thus no life of thought and will such as man has, and not even such as a brute animal has, for man is born without any use of reason, into which he can only be initiated by influx from the heavens. From what has been adduced, it is also manifest that man cannot live without a communication with the hells by means of spirits from thence, inasmuch as the all of his life, which he derives from his parents by inheritance, and that which he himself superadds from his own (proprium), is of self-love and the love of the world, but not of the love of his neighbour, and still less of the love of God. And whereas the all of man's life grounded in the proprium is of such a nature, it is a life of contempt of others in comparison with himself, and of hatred and revenge against all who do not favour himself. Hence also it is a life of cruelty, for he who hates is desirous of murdering, on which account he is most highly delighted with the destruction of others. Unless spirits of a like quality, which can only be from hell, were applied to those evils, and unless man was led by them according to the delights of his life, it would be impossible for him to be bent towards heaven. In the beginning he is bent by his delights; by these he is also placed in freedom, and thus at length in choice.

ON INFLUX, AND THE COMMERCE OF THE SOUL WITH THE BODY.

6053. It is impossible that anything should be known, or even thought, respecting influx and the commerce of the soul with the body, unless it be known what the soul is, and also somewhat concerning its quality. If the soul be a thing unknown, nothing can be said concerning its influx and com