5073. There is a great gulf at the left side. Into it are cast those whose interiors, because, owing to the loves of self and the world, they have imbibed nothing but earthly, corporeal and worldly things, are completely shut up; for the reason that they cannot be led from heaven, but only from hell. They are, therefore, cast into that gulf, that they may not infest the world of spirits. A vast multitude walks there. They are exceedingly stupid, and are held in check, there, by a fixed government, and are also shut off, as far as possible, from influx from the hells. I saw there some, who, in the world, have appeared as learned, when, nevertheless, they have possessed nothing but externals: from these they spoke, and thus only from other men. Those, however, who were able to think from themselves, and thus who were able to reason from themselves, are, if evil, cast down into hell; for they are in opposition to those who are in heaven. But those who are in that gulf are not of such a character; but, when externals are taken away from them, they rush blindly into all crimes. I also saw another dispersion of those who are on the mountains. They were dispersed in a moment; and, then, everyone of them was cast into his own place in the hells. Thus was the mountain emptied of the evil, some of the upright remaining.