4281. CONCERNING SOULS THAT ARE VASTATED TO SUCH A DEGREE THAT THEY HAVE VERY LITTLE OF LIFE REMAINING, THE Sphincter Ani. I was brought into a place whither, as I was informed few come; there were a great many souls flitting about which had lived from ancient times, say two, three, and four thousand years, and were being vastated. They were among those who from being of the Church had become idolaters, as was the case with many of the daughters of the Church, who had lapsed into idolatry. Their speech was that of those who had very little life remaining, as it uttered through a pipe of one tone, or as if mere organs through which others spoke, and then they seemed to themselves to have something of life. They spoke with me and said that they were now remaining there; their state I cannot farther describe; it is extremely sad; they can still serve some use, as for instance that of the anus, to act as the sphincter ani, or the parts thereabouts.