5127. When I was near there, I heard some of the species of sirens, namely, those who were able to feign good affections for the sake of selfish and worldly ends, whence their affections are; and some of them were, in external form, similar to the affections which belong to the good, but, in the internal, merely worldly, corporeal and terrestrial; thus, altogether the reverse. They said that they came thither for the purpose of occupying that mountain, because they knew that there were angels there, but that, since they were come, they see no one, no matter how much they search; and that now and then, one or another was seen, but that they did speak not; that they only acted, went, returned, and the like. Afterwards, those there who were of the celestial genius also spoke with me, saying, that they see that crew, and that they are invisible to them so that they are not seen; also, that their arrival caused them to be in that dejected state; thus, in a state changed from their former one. It was, then, granted me to tell them, that this happens for the reason that those strangers of the siren sort are such as call forth their sensuals (which, otherwise, with them, would be dormant, to such a degree that they would not know that they have them); and that thus, they call forth their terrestrial, corporeal and worldly things, therein. Wherefore, when their interior affections, which are good, fall into that [sensual] state, as regards those affections which are opened by the arrival of the sirens, they experience dejection, shame and evil. [I said, further], that this may be known from the fact that their beard, in this state, appears of such a character, that is, bunched or furrowed; for hence [i.e. from their sensuals] it is that they have a beard. It is different when their sensuals are closed. They fully acknowledged this; and hence it was granted them to perceive the perverted state which was in them. It was furthermore given me to say to them, that this experience was permitted in order that they may be amended and reformed as to the sensual, which is the outermost; for this is the plane in which interiors close: also, that this state is their evening, and they may expect the dawn and morning. They said, that they are in hopes of returning to their former state, and that they know there are such changes; but that, in that dejected state, they do not think much about it. I thought to myself that it is so, likewise, with others, when they are in the state of evening.