4437. CONCERNING THE STATE OF SOULS AFTER DEATH, FROM A DREAM What is the state of souls after death, how they see, feel, and enjoy the other senses together with the affections, was shown to me by a dream into which I was sent; for in dreams corporeal things are laid asleep, and are, as it were, dead, [and] this holds more remarkably with me than with others, because in my case the spirit act more separately from the body than with others. In that state I saw a city with buildings, and a fair where there were utensils of every kind for infant children, all which I observed for a long time, wandering hither and thither in the city in the midst of a large crowd, as the place abounded with people. All these things I saw so evidently, that they could not possibly have been seen more manifest to the eyes of the body. I supposed myself to be altogether awake, and thought how I came into the city, whether by a miracle or not; all the while [it was in my mind] that these things were presented to me to be seen by the sight of the spirit, not of the body, but that still they were such that there was no possibility of denying them to be real - so much to the life did all things appear. I continued for an hour beholding these things [at least]. When I awoke, I wondered that it was a dream, and could have wished, if other reasons had not drawn me away, to remain in that state [permanently]. I afterwards spoke with the spirits who introduced the dream.