spirits on their approach, especially by those who, during their life
in the world, had been robbers. In order that I might know how
these spirits act when they come to a man of their own earth, it was
permitted that such a spirit should approach me. When he was near,
horror accompanied by fear manifestly seized hold of me; yet it was
not inwardly that I shuddered, but outwardly, because I knew it was a
spirit of such a character. He also came in sight, and he appeared as
a dark cloud, in which were wandering stars; wandering stars signify
falsities, but fixed stars signify truths. He applied himself to my
left side towards the back; and he also began to reprove me for deeds
and thoughts which he drew out of my memory, and on which he put
a wrong construction; but he was checked by the angels. When he
apperceived that he was with one who was not a man of his own earth,
he began to speak to me, saying, that when he comes to a man, he
knows all things in general and particular that the man has done and
thought, and that he severely reproves him, and also chastises him
with various pains. At yet another time such a chastising spirit came
to me, and applied himself to my left side below the middle of the
body, as the former spirit had done; he also wanted to punish me;
but he, too, was restrained by the angels. He showed me, however, the
kinds of punishments which they are permitted to inflict on the men
of their earth, if they do evil, or harbour the intention of doing
it. These were, besides the pain of the joints, a painful contraction
about the middle of the belly, which is felt like compression by a
tight belt; a deprivation of respiration at times even to suffocation;
also a prohibition to eat anything but bread for a time; and, lastly,
the threat of death, if they do not discontinue doing such things,
with the deprivation, at the same time, of conjugial, parental, and
social joy; grief on this account is then also insinuated.