8847. A certain spirit from another planet was once present with me. (He belonged to the planet Jupiter.) He asked me earnestly to intercede on his behalf to enable him to enter heaven. He said he was not aware of having done what was evil, only of having reprimanded inhabitants of that planet. He added that after he reprimanded people he instructed them. He placed himself on my left side below my elbow; and as he spoke his voice seemed to crack. He also had the ability to arouse feelings of pity. The only answer I could give him however was that I was unable to help him in any way. Entrance into heaven, I told him, rested with the Lord alone. Nor could I intercede, since I did not know whether it would be useful or not; but if he was worthy he could entertain the hope of gaining it. At that point he was sent back to be among upright spirits who belonged to his own planet; but those spirits said that he could not remain in their company because he was not like them. Nevertheless because his intense desire made him demand that he should be let into heaven, he was sent to a community of upright spirits belonging to our own planet. But these too told him that he could not remain with them. In addition to this his colour seen in the light of heaven was black, though he himself said it was not black but a ruddy brown.
[2] I was told that this is what people of this sort are like initially, before they are received among those who constitute the province of the seminal vesicles. For in these vesicles sperm (semen) is gathered together, where it is clothed with a suitable substance which is just right to preserve it from being dissipated and which can be shed at the cervix, so that the sperm stored inside may serve to bring about conception, that is, impregnation of the ovum. Therefore also that seminal substance holds within it the endeavour and so to speak burning desire to shed itself and leave the sperm to fulfill its purpose. Something similar was seen to happen to that spirit. He returned to me, but now he was dressed in humble clothing. He again said he had a burning desire to enter heaven and now recognized that he was in a fit state to remain there. But I was led to say to him that this was perhaps a sign that he would be received there shortly. At this point angels told him to cast aside his clothing, which in his desire to do so he cast aside so quickly that hardly anything could have been done more quickly. This represented the nature of the desires of those in the province to which the seminal vesicles correspond.
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