379. THAT AN EXTERNAL JOY, AS IT WERE HEAVENLY, CAN BE INDUCED UPON MAN, WHICH NEVERTHELESS IS FILTHY, ALTHOUGH SOULS SUPPOSED THAT IT WAS IN THE HIGHEST DEGREE HEAVENLY Today, in first wakefulness, I was encompassed by very many spirits of a diverse nature. Some of them from deceit wanted to induce [upon me] their heavenly joy, which is effected by the transference of one's own joy or delight into another, from whatever cause that delight exists. This is what the evil spirits or that diabolic crew which was under the feet did from the phantasy of cruelty, and thus they breathed that phantasy [into me], which was manifestly perceived. Hence I felt a certain delight which seized the whole body, even the viscera, and indeed in such a manner that I supposed that I was in heavenly joy amongst the blessed, for I was wholly dissolved into delightful allurements, like those of agreeable warm baths. The causes of the delights were not felt in me as being actuated from any cruelty, nor that they were from deceit; but they were delights in which such things were not felt, because delights are according to the objects, and the state of the subject; just as when a man is in a pacific state, he regards all things peacefully, even those which are not peaceful, whilst with one who is in a state of irritation all things excite him to anger, even the playing of little children making him indignant, etc., etc. Besides these corporeal, external delights, interior delights were also infused, and this by other spirits who wanted to make delights for me, on account of a kind of veneration. I was not able to recognize the rest of the spirits, nor could I explore their intentions from whence the delights came. Still I lay for some time in the sweetness of concurrent delights, and spoke about that sweetness by responses to those who wanted to seduce me, and to persuade me that it was heavenly joy. I do not remember their replies, but because I perceived no deceit, I supposed that it was indeed a heavenly delight, but that it was external, thus flowing forth from external causes, so that it could not last; and I wanted to remove myself therefrom and so to reject those delights because they did not flow from inmosts. Inmost things are such that these external delights were so perceived, that they might serve them as a body, which is immediately laid aside and even despised, as soon as the delight from inmost things is felt. But I have heard that this body of delights was something filthy, which I could not feel. 1747, Dec. 22. mIt is now said that such delight was given to Abraham,* but he says that from its continuation it is diminished, and he doubts whether it can last any longer, since he knows that there is a more interior or heavenly delight.n * The Abraham here referred to was doubtless some spirit who acted the part. See n. 281; WE 5593; CL 6.