5387. But the actual ones who correspond to urine are those in the hells, for urine, as stated above, is outside the body because it has already been separated from the blood and essentially is nothing else than unclean used fluid that has been cast away. Let the following details be given regarding such spirits. I once felt a certain spirit to be initially inside my body so to speak; but soon after he was outside it on my right where, once he had established himself, he could not be seen. For he had the ability to make himself unseen. When asked something he made no reply whatsoever. Others told me that during his lifetime he had engaged in piracy, for in the next life one can detect plainly from the sphere emanating from the life of a person's affections and thoughts who and what kind of person he has been. This is possible because everyone's life remains with him.
[2] This spirit varied his position, appearing at one point on the right, at another on the left. I perceived that he did this because of a fear that people would know who he was and that he would be compelled to make some kind of confession. Other spirits told me that those like this one are utterly afraid if there is the slightest danger; but when no danger at all exists they are full of courage. They also told me that such spirits are opposed to those to whom the function of expelling urine corresponds. They strive in whatever way they can to impair that function; and to remove any doubts I may have had, this was demonstrated to me by experience. When those who corresponded to the function of expelling urine departed only a little way off and that pirate was still present, the passing of urine was brought to a complete halt and was also filled with danger. But once they were called back the passing of urine was resumed, directed by their presence.
[3] After this that spirit did confess that he had been a pirate. He said he had the ability to conceal himself skillfully, and by being cunning and painstaking to mislead his pursuers. Now, he added, he loved foul urinous places, much more than clean waters, and that the disgusting stench of urine gave him the greatest pleasure, so much so that he wanted a dwelling-place among pools, even among casks of stinking urine. I was also shown the kind of face he had. Really he had no face at all, but instead of a face something black and bearded.
[4] After this some other pirates who were less painstaking than this one were summoned. These too hardly said a word, but - which was amazing - were gnashing their teeth. They likewise said they liked urine more than any other fluids, and foul waters more than any other kind. These however did not have for a face something bearded, like the first pirate, but a dreadful array of teeth, looking like a crate. For the beard and the teeth mean the lowest natural things. The absence of a face means that no rational life at all is present, for when no face is visible this is a sign that no correspondence exists of interior things with the Grand Man. In the next life correspondence determines what anyone looks like in the light of heaven, and therefore those in hell have horribly ugly appearances.
This page is part of 
© 2000-2001 The Academy of the New Church