4573. CONCERNING THE HELLS OF THE SIRENS. Of what nature sirens are has been described several times already. They are exceedingly malicious, and have acquired, in the world, the art of simulating goods, as though [they were] angels; wherefore, in externals, they emit from themselves affections of good, and thence insinuate themselves among simple spirits, who are related to the exteriors of man's thoughts, or his natural things. Thus, they keep themselves in the world of spirits, and can with difficulty be driven out thence; for such things elevate evil spirits from hell for quite a long time, and they thereby enter into men's thoughts, and wholly lead them, so that, because they are internal, they are the worst of those who beset [man], and men cannot at all be defended from them, save by the Lord. They act most persistently, and do not fear anything; they rely on their arts; they also know how to insinuate themselves by labyrinthine gyres, from whence they speak, sometimes in such a manner, that they are heard elsewhere than where they are,* and so are sought after in vain. This was given me to know from many living experiences. They belong to two genera. Some have for an end to rule over man, and every society whatever to which they can come, by thus besieging and leading the thoughts. These are the most harassing kind. The other genus is similar, but has not such a frenzy for ruling: they take away all freedom from those who wish to think well, and grant freedom [to those] who will wickedly; for these are the ones who exercise thought there. They are most obscene; they are sorceresses; they are against everything good and true. Whence such a crew comes has been already said. Their hells were in front, at a distance towards the left: they who wish to rule are somewhat to the right there, in different caverns. But I saw that their hells were changed, and transferred to the back on the left, very deep down, from whence they can by no means burst forth any more, and infest spirits and men. They are there under a dense cloud, through which their artifices cannot penetrate. They entered there in crowds of fifty and a hundred each, more or less. This continued for many hours. On the upper side, the hell there is like a maw with gullets which are extendible. As soon as they arrived, it [the hell] stretched the maw by bending and forming it in labyrinths, whereinto they let themselves go, and it engulfed them, and thus thrust them deep under the disreputable earth there, from whence they are unable to come forth. This appeared to me on the 5th and 6th of August, 1752. They likewise form, as it were, serpentine coils, wherein they place themselves; and then they cannot be removed by others, except by means of similar coils. Such is the case in the other life. * This description will suggest to the reader the trick called Ventriloquism.