with this spirit, some
spirits introduced themselves towards the anterior part of the head
where he was, and pressed upon him; wherefore he retired to one side,
and gave place to them. The spirit strangers spoke with each other;
but neither the spirits about me, nor I myself, understood what they
said. I was informed by the angels that they were spirits from the
earth Mars, who have the skill to speak with each other in such a way
that the spirits present could not understand or perceive anything. I
wondered that there could possibly be speech of this kind, since
for all spirits there is one speech, which flows from thought,
and consists of ideas which are heard as vocal expressions in the
spiritual world. I was told that those spirits have a certain method
of forming ideas, expressed by the lips and face, unintelligible to
others, and that they at the same instant skilfully withdraw their
thoughts, guarding particularly lest anything of the affection should
manifest itself, because if anything of the affection were perceived,
the thought would appear, for the thought flows from the affection,
and as it were in it. I was further informed that such speech was
contrived by those inhabitants of Mars,--though not by all,--who make
heavenly life to consist in knowledges alone, and not in the life of
love; and that when they become spirits they retain it. These are they
who were specially signified by the bird of stone; for to produce
a speech by alterations of the face and motions of the lips, with
a removal of the affections and a withdrawal of the thoughts from
others, is to deprive speech of life and make it like an image, and
by degrees to produce the same effect on themselves. But although they
imagine that what they speak among themselves is not understood by
others, angelic spirits nevertheless perceive each and all of the
things they say, the reason being that no thought can be withdrawn
from them. This was also shown them by actual experience. I was
thinking of the fact that the evil spirits of our Earth are not
affected with shame when they infest others. This [thought] inflowed
with me from some angelic spirits who perceived their speech. Those
spirits of Mars then acknowledged that this was the subject they were
speaking of among themselves, and they were astonished. Besides this,
more things, both of their conversation and thought, were disclosed by
an angelic spirit, notwithstanding all their endeavours to hide