Arcana Coelestia volume 7 - Swedenborg Foundation

ARCANA COELESTIA 3924comes chiefly from their being of such a nature that they keep theirthoughts fixed on one subject, and do not dispel anxious feelings byvariety. The reason why they belong to this province is that in thisway they keep another’s lower mind fixed on certain thoughts, theresult being that such things arise and show themselves as cohere ina series, and as are to be drawn away, or from which the man is tobe purified. In this way also interior things lie in plainer view to theangels; for when such things as obscure and turn away the thoughtsare removed, there results a clearer insight and influx.5392. Who they are that constitute the province of the intestinesin the grand man, may be seen to some extent from those whorelate to the stomach; for the intestines are continued from thestomach, and the functions of the stomach become there morevigorous and harsh down to the last intestines, which are the colonand rectum; for which reason they who are in these are near thehells which are called excremental. In the region of the stomachand intestines are they who are in the earth of lower things, who,because they have brought with them from the world uncleanthings that cling to their thoughts and affections, are kept there forsome time, until such things have been wiped away, that is, cast tothe sides; after this is done, they can be taken up into heaven. Theywho are there are not as yet in the grand man; for they are like foodtaken into the stomach, which is not admitted into the blood, andthus into the body, until it has been cleared of dregs. They whohave been defiled with more earthly dregs are under these in theregion of the intestines; but the excrements themselves that aredischarged correspond to the hells called the excremental hells.5393. It is well known that the colon intestine spreads out wide,and so do those who are in this province. They spread out in fronttoward the left in a curved line, leading to a hell. In that hell arethey who have been merciless, and who without conscience havedesired to destroy mankind, namely, to kill and to plunder themwithout respect or distinction of persons, whether they resist ornot, and whether they are men or women. Of such a ferociousdisposition are a great part of the soldiery and their officers, who,not in battle but after it, rage ferociously against the conquered and