453. THAT THERE ARE SOULS RELEASED FROM THE BODY, COMING INTO THE OTHER LIFE, WHO LOVE TO BE CHASTISED, PUNISHED AND TORMENTED There are also souls of a disposition contrary to that of the rest, that is, of the European. I was told that they were from Africa. These, when they enter the other life, love to be chastised, even harshly treated, hoping for good thereby, and if they are not punished they are indignant. There are also some whom they call devils who treat them harshly. One of them was shown me. He was in a filthy, or yellow, gnarled body. Their evil treatments are of various kinds. This kind was shown me: An eagle alighted upon their head, and snatched away the brain, which was done with pain according to their phantasies, for they furnish those severe phantasies. [They are tortured] also by a species of acute punishments; this they love, but still from the painful sensations they at length begin to be averse to them, and at the same time, to those who torment them, whom they call devils. Thus they put off their phantasies and believe that they are introduced into heaven, into which, as they now say, no one can enter except by punishments and afflictions. These people believe this, and store it up deeply in their conscience, which is the reason that they are also treated in like manner, and thence obtain the reward that they come into more gladsome things which they call paradisal. They also see paradises and very many pleasant things. Afterwards they hold the crowd of those tormenting them in hatred. They spoke with me for some time. Their speech is conjoined with a kind of colliding, like that of cloth [rubbed together] by which they can be distinguished. From this, and from the things told me before, [it is evident] that more are introduced into heaven from Africa than from other parts of the earth: for in these things their conscience is in a certain way of truth. 1748, Jan. 7.