Spiritual Experiences (Buss) n. 3881

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3881. From the angels, through spirits, I was instructed that they were the inhabitants of Mars, who so spoke with each other, that no spirit could understand them. They informed me that they have such a speech among themselves that no spirit can understand it, wherefore when they are unwilling that others should perceive what they say, they then discourse together in this manner, and others, when they do not perceive its meaning withdraw. But I wondered that such a speech should be given, for every kind of speech involves ideas, without which I had not supposed that any speech was given. They replied that in that speech ideas were formed in a certain manner, which [however] were unintelligible to others; wherefore they then take care that there shall be nothing of affection [in it]; if there is anything of affection, others would thence immediately perceive its meaning. They spoke therefore from ideas thus formed without affection (:I now perceive that this is a habit which is not good, for to speak without affection is also the bird of pearl; as when there is no affection, there is no life, although there seems to be life, and thus the bird can even fly, for a bird signifies thought, and a bird of pearl thought without affection. I perceive also that the inhabitants of Mars have induced such a speech upon themselves, because they are in thoughts and have receded from affection, in which they were at first, so that they speak alike, that is, from thought, not from affection, which is the bird of pearl:)


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