were from the earth nearest to the sun, which on our Earth is called
the planet Mercury. Immediately on their coming they sifted out of my
memory the things that I knew. This, spirits can do most skilfully,
for when they come to a man they see in his memory all the particulars
it contains[j]. While passing in review the various things, and, among
others, the cities and places where I had been, I observed that they
had no wish to know the temples, palaces, houses, and streets, but
only the things I knew to have been done in them, also the things that
related to the government there, and to the genius and manners of the
inhabitants, and other similar things; for such matters are closely
associated with the places in a man's memory, so that when the places
are called to mind, these matters also suggest themselves. I was
surprised to find them of such a character, and therefore inquired
why they disregarded the magnificent objects of the places, and only
inquired into the facts and transactions connected with them. They
said that they had no delight in regarding material, corporeal, and
terrestrial things, but only things that are real. Hence it was proved
that the spirits of that earth, in the Grand Man, have relation to the
memory of things abstracted from material and terrestrial things.

[Footnote j: Spirits enter into all things of man's memory, and do
not [insinuate anything] from their own [memory] into the man's, nos.
2488, 5863, 6192, 6193, 6198, 6199, 6214. The angels enter into
the affections and ends, from which and for the sake of which a man
thinks, wills, and acts in such or such a manner in preference to
every other, nos. 1317, 1645, 5844.]

12. I was told that the life of the inhabitants of that earth is such,
namely, that they do not concern themselves about terrestrial and
corporeal things, but only about the statutes, laws, and governments