evils of that love. All the hells are such societies,
and in consequence everyone there bears hatred in his heart against
others, and from hatred bursts forth into cruelty so far as he has
power. These cruelties and their torments are also meant by infernal
fire, since they are the effects of lusts.

574. It has been shown above (n. 548) that an evil spirit casts
himself into hell of his own accord. It shall now be told in a few
words how this comes about, when yet there are in hell such torments.
From every hell there exhales a sphere of the lusts of those who are
in it. Whenever this sphere is perceived by one who is in a like lust
he is affected at heart and filled with delight, for lust and its
delight make one, since whatever one lusts after is delightful to
him; and because of this a spirit turns himself hellwards, and from
delight of heart lusts to go thither, since he does not yet know that
such torments exist there, although he who knows it still lusts to go
there. For no one in the spiritual world can resist his lust, because
his lust belongs to his love, and his love belongs to his will, and
his will belongs to his nature, and everyone there acts from his
nature. [2] When, therefore, a spirit of his own accord and from his
freedom drifts towards his hell and enters it, he is received at
first in a friendly manner, which makes him believe that he has come
among friends. But this continues for a few hours only. In the
meanwhile he is explored in respect to his astuteness and consequent
ability; and when this has been done they begin to infest him, and
this by various methods, and with gradually greater severity and
vehemence. This is accomplished by introducing him more interiorly
and deeply into hell; for the more interior and deeper the hell the
more malignant are the spirits. After these infestations they begin
to treat him cruelly by punishments, and this goes on until he is
reduced to the condition of a slave. [3] But rebellious movements are
continually springing up there, since everyone wishes to be greatest,
and burns with hatred against the others; and in consequence new
uprisings occur, and thus one scene is changed into another, and
those who are made slaves are delivered that they may assist some new
devil to subjugate others; and again those who refuse to submit and
render implicit obedience are tormented in various ways; and so on
continually. Such torments are the torments of hell, which are c