Spiritual Experiences (Odhner) n. 991

Previous Number Next Number Next Translation See Latin 

991. Afterwards, the spirits who constitute the province of the kidneys [367, 959-66, 968-72] wanted to explore and examine him, beginning in their usual way to suspect those spirits of evils. But he remained unruffled, saying that he did nothing of himself, but from others. Thus he did not seem to have provoked or attacked them in any way, so that even I rebuked them; but they still kept on. Then he began to swell up and to become so large, like a giant Atlas, that his body almost reached to heaven. In his hand was a spear, but he did no harm with it. Moreover, he had a bearing such as to strike one with terror, as the arms do [that were shown to me, see 881-2]. At this, those spirits, very frightened, took flight, admitting their fear and terror, because they had never seen anyone so big. This is caused by such people becoming swollen with their own knowledge and magnifying themselves before others.


This page is part of the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg

© 2000-2001 The Academy of the New Church