910. Almost above me on the left side, I heard a kind of heavy murmur like that of a great mill, but I did not know what it was. Soon afterwards one lay down near me, on the left side in about the same region, and as if in sleep said nothing else than, "I am nothing; I am no one; I am no one; I am nothing."* I supposed that this was a species of vastation, thus of desperation before they are carried off from the lower earth. There was another form of expression signifying that pity may be shown him. When he sensed my presence I began to speak with him, and was then given to know that he was one of that crew who amass riches and keep their "animus" intent on them. From this they derive their inmost delights, especially if there is silver and gold in their coffers, in addition to what they have acquired by some deceit or by unlawful means. Moreover, I perceived that such spirits speak in this way from a certain anxiety, and this because in the vicinity are those who yearn after what belongs to others, and want to acquire it for themselves deceitfully or by some trickery which they may be able to defend by various pretexts, and thereby render themselves safe, having no fear on account of eternal life. Because these spirits in their vicinity infest them they thus throw themselves as it were upon their coffers or wealth, and consider whether any such spirits are present; for they are very often infested by them. Hence they cry out among themselves so loudly in order that any such robber hearing that they are nothing, that they are wretched, may refrain from despoiling them. Such are the miserable lives of those who derive their inmost joy from silver, gold and wealth. The mill or the sound as of someone grinding was the murmur with its variety of many such spirits, who feared lest their riches should be seized.** * In the MS. in Latin and Swedish, nihil sum, nullus sum, jag ar ingenting. ** This sentence was inserted later in the space between the paragraphs, probably when Swedenborg was making the Index.