Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 4951

Previous Number Next Number Next Translation See Latin 

4951. Beneath the heel and somewhat behind it a hell, at a great depth is situated, with the intervening space seemingly empty. The inhabitants of that hell are most malevolent, for secretly they discover people's inclinations with the intention to do harm, and secretly lie in wait so as to destroy them. This has been the delight of their life. I have watched them quite a number of times. They pour out their malevolent poison on those who are in the world of spirits, and use various tricks to arouse those there. These are interiorly malevolent ones. They appear there in what look like cloaks, or occasionally in some other clothing. Often they are punished, when they are taken down to an even greater depth where something like a cloud is spread over them, this being the sphere of malevolence that emanates from them. From that very deep place an uproar, like that of murders taking place, is sometimes heard. Those spirits are able to bring others to tears, and also to strike fear into them. They acquired this ability during their lifetime, when they attended sick or simple people whom, to gain possession of their wealth, they drove to tears, thereby moving them to pity. But if they did not obtain such people's wealth in this way, those spirits then struck fear into them. The majority of them are the kind who used these methods to plunder many houses for the benefit of monasteries. Some could also be seen only half the distance away; these seemed to themselves to be sitting in a room in consultation with one another. These too are malevolent, but not in the same degree.


This page is part of the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg

© 2000-2001 The Academy of the New Church