By means of a spiritual mental image I was given to see that as soon as one tries to imitate that which is spiritual and heavenly and from one's own power to make something that is called artifice, or artificial, as the magicians did with their magical tricks, then at once the inward way is closed, and there is only something dead in the outer or outermost qualities, which the craftsman or magician, however, does not realize, nor do others who are not acquainted with inward qualities, or who are not in them. Then an outward likeness is made, as when a person just sees outer things with the eye, such as pictures that he or she prizes, sometimes preferring them to the actual subjects, which are inwardly more beautiful, and more beautiful the more deeply they are seen. 1748, 7 July. So when they are looked at by those who have inward qualities, they appear no differently than when they look through a microscope at pictures, or at the plasterwork of a house. Then things having a nice appearance are only filth. It is different when animals and vegetables are so examined.