Page:The Other Life.djvu/221

 is affected at heart, and is filled with delight; for lust and the delight of it are one, since whatever a man lusts after is delightful to him. The spirit, therefore, turns himself toward the hell whence the sphere proceeds, and from delight of heart longs to go thither. As yet he knows nothing of the torments which exist there; and, if he did know, he would still desire to go; for in the spiritual world no one can resist his own lust, for it belongs to his nature, and every one there acts according to his nature."

"When, therefore, a spirit of his own accord or from his own freedom, directs his course to his own hell and enters it, he is at first received in a friendly manner, and is thus led to believe that he is among friends. This, however, continues only for a few hours. In the mean time he is examined with a view to discover the degree of his cunning, and thence of his power. When this is ascertained they begin to infest him; and this they do in various ways, and with gradually-increasing violence and severity. This is done by introducing him more interiorly and deeply into hell; for the spirits are more malignant in proportion as the hell they inhabit is more interior and deep."

"After the first infestations they begin to torture