683. When I was representing these things to the spirits around me by a spiritual representation, that is, by forming ideas as forms of forces which consisted or were composed of myriads of things not seen, and every one of these again of myriads of myriads of things still more interior, it then came to pass that the souls and spirits, because they are susceptible to such representations, at once became as though insane. One of them who was with me confessed this, not knowing otherwise than that they would perish by insanity, for thus nothing of life would remain, and although [those forces] were within, still they would have no inflowing spiritual life. Such life, when living spiritual influx is taken away from it, is therefore likened to the life of vegetables, in which indeed there is life, but it is that life which is called vegetative. Wherefore all things in the vegetable kingdom represent the Lord's Kingdom, each thing in its own way, indeed they represent man, with his lungs, etc., as is known. Hence the Divine is in the vegetable kingdom, but without animal life. 1748, Feb. 8.