692. In addition, I was allowed to tell them what kind of a life awaits them, namely, that they are first taken into the company of good spirits, who warmly welcome recently arrived souls; but that when they are unable to harmonize with these spirits because of their distorted beliefs, they are then separated from them as if spontaneously. Now they are received into the company of other spirits; and when they do not harmonize, they are also rejected by them. Next they are associated with spirits who are not good, and when rejected by these, they are also penalized and punished. Finally they are left all alone, and so wander from door to door, seeking where they might find welcome and, at the last, begging to be given food, and warmth. When they are taken in, and then desire, as they did in life, to stand out above others, and to be more esteemed, and if besides that they are eager to steal what belongs to the others, which they cannot help doing - while such people are punished in bodily life, here they are severely punished and driven away. After this they wander alone in tattered clothes, begging. This goes on until their arrogance and sense of superiority over others is wiped out, or the desire to take what belongs to others ceases. So they are finally chastened and can be let into the company of such spirits as harmonize, and this sometimes takes very many years, a few hundred they say - even a few thousand; for the purging of some takes a long time. 1748, 9 February.