Arcana Coelestia volume 7 - Swedenborg Foundation

ARCANA COELESTIA 40055557. There are also spirits through whom others speak, and whohardly understand what they say. This they confessed, but stilltalked much. They become so who in the life of the body onlyprated, without thinking at all about what they said, and loved totalk about everything. I was told that they are in companies, andthat some of these relate to the membranes which cover the visceraof the body, and some to the cuticles which have but littlesensitiveness; for they are only passive powers, and do nothing fromthemselves, but from others.5558. There are spirits who when they wish to know anything,say that it is so, one after another in the society; and when they sayit, they observe whether it flows freely without any spiritualresistance; for when it is not so, they usually perceive a resistancefrom within; and if they perceive no resistance they think that it isso, and do not know it in any other way. Such are they whoconstitute the little glands of the skin. But there are two kinds ofthem, one which affirms because there appears a free flow, as wassaid, from which they surmise that as there is no resistance it is inagreement with the heavenly form, consequently with the truth,and thereby that it is affirmed; and another kind which boldlyaffirms that it is so, although they do not know it.5559. The conformation of the interweavings of the skins hasbeen shown to me representatively. The conformation with thosein whom these outermost things corresponded to the interiors, orin whom the material things there were obedient to spiritual things,was a beautiful weaving of spirals wonderfully intertwined in a kindof lace work which it is impossible to describe. They were of a bluecolor. Afterward were represented forms still more elaborate, moredelicate, and more beautifully interwoven. Of such a structureappear the skins of a regenerate man. But with those who have beendeceitful, these outermost things appear like knottings together ofmere serpents; and with those who have used magical arts, like foulintestines.5560. The societies of spirits to which the cartilages and bonescorrespond are very many; but they are such as have little spiritual