223. By much experience in the spiritual world it has been granted me to know that man possesses in himself the faculty of understanding the inner truths (arcana) of wisdom like the angels themselves. For I have seen fiery devils who, while they were listening to inner truths of wisdom, not only understood them but also spoke of them from their own rationality. But as soon as they returned to their own diabolical love they ceased to understand them, and in place of them they uttered things contrary to them. These things were examples of spiritual insanity, and this they called wisdom. It has been granted me to hear them laughing at their own insanity when in a state of wisdom, and at wisdom when in a state of insanity. [2] A man who has been of this character in the world, when after death he becomes a spirit, is usually admitted into alternate states of wisdom and insanity that he may distinguish the one from the other. But although such men from wisdom see that they are insane, yet when the choice is given them, as is done in the case of everyone, they introduce themselves into the state of insanity and love it; and then they regard with hatred the state of wisdom. This is because their internal has been diabolical and their external as if it were Divine. Such are meant by devils who pretend to be angels of light; and also by him who at the wedding was not clothed in a wedding garment and was cast into outer darkness (Matt. xxii. 11-13).