3579. CONCERNING SPIRITS WHO SAY THAT THEY ARE NOTHING, AND YET WISH TO BE EVERYTHING; OR CONCERNING THE ANTEDILUVIANS. There are spirits who appear at a great depth behind, whose life is like that of a wintry light, and who strenuously affirmed that they were nothing, but it was perceived from their speech that this was not their real sentiment. It was also said to me by others that they declare this of themselves, when yet they would fain be everything; wherefore, in order that they may emerge and mingle with others, and thus destroy them, they say they are nothing. When I mentioned "love," they could not admit the word, because [it conveyed to them the idea of something] so gross that it did not appear to be anything. Thus they are devoid of love and are of a wintry quality. They were the antediluvians, of whom I have spoken before. - 1748, October 15.