4348. CONCERNING HYPOCRITES; WHAT GNASHING OF TEETH IS. CONCERNING SPIRITS WHO SEEM TO THINK WELL, BUT YET ARE EVIL; INTERNAL BONDS. Spirits have been with me who caused a pain of the teeth in the right side of the jaw and the gum and in the bones as far as to the right ear. I suppose that they were spirits of a grossly natural and corporeal class, but I observed that they penetrated my thoughts with great subtlety, and were more acute than others in perceiving their minute particulars, as also that from the thought which is exterior they spoke so well that judging from the speech of such thought alone, nothing else could be inferred respecting them than that they were good. All that was thus thought and spoken by a certain one of this class, was rational, but it was still observed that inwardly it was not so, inasmuch as by means of this kind of thought he was conjoined with interior evil spirits. Those of this quality think and speak in like manner in the life of the body, but still they are interiorly evil, having self and the world for their end. The bonds of action with such are not external but interior, which in some are exceedingly strong, still they are not bonds of conscience, which being relaxed they rush into their ends; and because there is even a communication of thoughts in the other life this disagreement is manifestly perceived. - 1749, August 10. With a view to afford me further information respecting the nature of the case, the interior evil spirits were removed, and better ones substituted in their place, when he said that he knew not what he spoke, and that thus he was deprived of life, for his interior life consisted in what was taken away. The influx is into the periostea of the teeth, and then into the pericranium about the right ear, in which they create a pain sharp and severe; a sign of their evil quality; those that cause no pain are good and sensible of all that is thought; of which sensibility the periostea is the seat. It was said that such contribute to the formation of cancers. Hence it appears that ends conceal themselves deeply within, as they are of the life. When such were present at my reading what was written and published respecting the Word, they took away all pleasantness of sensation, and induced contempt greater than they were aware of; for as in the life of the body they were mainly wrought upon by a certain sweetness of worldly life, in which they placed their heaven, so they held in contempt the things which were really of heaven. Thus are hypocrites who speak well, but think ill. Hence for several days a gnashing of teeth and some pain in their roots was felt, and I was often taught by lively experience that it was from this source. When the cause was removed and, according to the degree in which it was removed, the pain ceased; it also passed into the periostea of the head according to the diversities of its states.