urce perceive still less. But those who have used
the sciences as means of invalidating and annihilating the things
that belong to the church and to faith, have entirely destroyed their
Intellectual, and see in the dark like owls, seeing falsity for truth
and evil for good. The spirits of Jupiter, from intercourse with such
persons, concluded that the sciences occasion shade and blindness; it
was told them, however, that on this Earth the sciences are means of
opening the intellectual sight, which is in the light of heaven; but
because of the dominion of such things as belong to merely natural
and sensual life, the sciences, to those [who are such], are means of
becoming insane, that is to say, of confirming themselves in favour of
Nature against the Divine, and in favour of the world against heaven.
The sciences, they were further informed, are in themselves spiritual
riches, and those who possess them are like those who possess worldly
riches, which likewise are means of performing uses to oneself, one's
neighbour, and one's country, and are also means of doing evil
to them. They are, moreover, like dress, which serves for use and
adornment and also for gratifying pride, as with those who would
be held in honour for that alone. The spirits of the earth Jupiter
understood this perfectly; but they were surprised that, being men,
they should stand still in the means, and prefer to wisdom itself such
things as only lead to it; and that they did not see, that to immerse
the mind in these, and not raise it above them, is to becloud and
blind it.

63. A certain spirit ascending from the lower earth came to me, and
said that he had heard the things that I had spoken to the other
spirits, but did not understand anything of what had been said about
spiritual life and its light. Being asked whether he desired to be
instructed on the subject, he answered that he had not come with that
intention, from which I could conclude that such subjects did not come
within his comprehension. He was exceedingly stupid. It was stated by
the angels that, when he lived a man in the world, he had been among
the most celebrated for his learning. He was cold, as was sensibly
felt from his breath; which was a sign that he had no spiritual, but
merely natural light (_lumen_); consequently that by means of the
sciences he had not opened but closed up for himself the way to the
light (_lux_) of heaven.

64. As the inhabitants of the earth Jupiter acq