3348、来自另一个星球的灵人曾和我在一起很长一段时间；在此期间，我向他们描述了我们地球的智慧，并告诉他们，给予地球人学术声誉的科学研究，就包括对心智及其思考如何工作的调查和分析，他们将这些研究称为形而上学和逻辑学。但我说，他们几乎没取得什么进展，只会使用术语和一些通用却又可变的规则。他们会争论这些术语，如何谓形式、物质，何谓心智、灵魂；还利用这些可变的通用规则激烈争论真理。听到这一切，那些来自另一个星球的灵人发现，当人们紧盯着诸如术语之类的东西，并通过精心构建的规则来思想这些东西时，它们就会夺走对一个事物或主题的一切感觉和理解。
他们说，这类术语和规则只是一些小小的乌云，它们挡住了心智的眼睛，并把理解力拖入尘埃。他们补充说，在他们当中不是这样；相反，他们不了解什么分析学，完全不知道这类术语和规则，反而对事物拥有更清晰的概念。我还被允许看到他们何等智慧。他们以一种神奇的方式将人类心智表现为一种天堂的形式，将它的情感表现为与该形式一致的活动气场。他们如此巧妙地完成了这个代表，以至于得到天使的称赞。他们还利用代表来说明主如何将那些本身并不令人愉快的情感弯过来，并把它们变成令人愉快的情感。
我们地球上的一些学者就在旁边，但他们一点也看不懂这些代表，尽管活在肉身时，他们曾针对这类主题进行了大量哲学讨论。当这些灵人感知到他们的思维，以及他们如何紧盯着纯粹的术语，并倾向于争论每一个细节的真实性时，他们将这类努力或活动称为充满渣滓的泡沫。
Potts(1905-1910) 3348
3348. Spirits from another earth were with me for a considerable time; and I described to them the wisdom of our globe, and told them that among the sciences pursued by the learned is that of analytics, with which they busy themselves in exploring what is of the mind and its thoughts, calling it metaphysics and logic. But I said that men have advanced little beyond terms, and certain shifting rules; and that they argue concerning these terms-as what form is; what substance; what the mind; and what the soul; and that by means of these general shifting rules they vehemently dispute about truths. I then perceived from these spirits that when men inhere in such things as terms, and think concerning these matters by artificial rules, they take away all sense and understanding of a subject. [2] They said that such things are merely little black clouds interposed before the intellectual sight; and that they drag down the understanding into the dust. They added that with them it is not so, but that they have clearer ideas of things in consequence of being unacquainted with such analytics. I was also permitted to see how wise they are. They represented the human mind in a marvelous manner as a heavenly form; and its affections as spheres of activity in agreement with it; and this so skillfully that they were commended by the angels. They represented also in what manner the Lord bends those affections which in themselves are not delightful, into such as are delightful. [3] Learned men of our earth were present, and could not in the least comprehend these things, although in the life of the body they had discoursed much on such subjects in a philosophical way; and when the spirits just referred to in turn perceived their thoughts, in that they inhered in mere terms, and were inclined to dispute on every point as to whether it is so, they called such things feculent froth.
Elliott(1983-1999) 3348
3348. Spirits from another planet were once present with me for quite a long while, during which time I told them about the wisdom of our world I described to them how included among the branches of knowledge in which the reputation for being learned rests is that of analytics, by means of which men strive to examine closely the things that comprise the mind and its thoughts, and how they call this branch of knowledge metaphysics and logic, and yet they do not get very far beyond the use of terms or of a few general, yet variable, rules. I went on to describe how they argue over terms, asking for example, What is meant by a form, or by substance, or by the mind, or by the soul? And how by means of those variable general rules they engaged in acrimonious disputes over truths. Hearing all this those spirits from another planet perceived that such things remove all sense and understanding of a thing when people stick to terms and think about such by means of carefully constructed rules. They said that such terms and rules were merely little black clouds which blocked one's mental vision and lowered the understanding so to speak down into the dust. They added that it was not so among them, but that they had clearer ideas of things through having no knowledge at all of such terms and rules. I was also allowed to see how wise they were. They represented the human mind in a wonderful way as a heavenly form, and its affections as spheres of activity in keeping with that form. They effected this representation so deftly that the angels praised them for it. They also represented how the Lord bends those affections which are not in themselves delightful into those that are. Learned ones from our earth were present but they were unable to understand these representations in the slightest even though during their lifetime they had engaged in much philosophical discussion. When those from another planet perceived their thoughts and how they stuck solely to terms and were inclined to dispute the truth of every single thing they called such endeavours a froth full of dregs.
Latin(1748-1756) 3348
3348. Erant spiritus ex alia tellure apud me satis diu, quibus cum narrarem sapientiam nostri orbis, quod inter scientias ex quibus eruditi audiunt, etiam sint analytica per quae explorare satagunt illa quae mentis sunt et ejus cogitationum, et quod vocent illa metaphysica et logica, sed quod parum ultra terminos, et aliquot regulas communes versatiles, progressum fecerint; et quod de terminis litigent, ut quid forma, quid substantia, quid mens, quid anima, et quod per regulas illas communes versatiles acriter disputent de veris: {1}tunc ab illis perceptum quod talia abstrahant omnem rei sensum et intellectum, quando illis ut terminis inhaerent, ac de illis per artificiosas regulas cogitant; dicebant talia esse modo nigras nubeculas, quae objiciuntur visui intellectuali, et quod detrahant intellectum in pulverem; addebant quod apud illos non ita sit, sed quod rerum ideas clariores habeant per id quod nihil de talibus sciant: videre etiam datum quam sapientes essent; repraesentabant mirabiliter mentem humanum ut formam caelestem, et ejus affectiones ut activitatis sphaeras (c)illi convenientes, et hoc tam dextre ut collaudati sint ab angelis; repraesentabant etiam quomodo Dominus affectiones illas quae in se injucundae sunt, flectat in jucundas; docti nostrae telluris aderant, nec hilum potuerunt comprehendere, tametsi de talibus philosophice multum in vita corporis locuti sunt; illi cum iterum perciperent {2}eorum cogitationes, quod modo inhaererent terminis, ac inclinarent ad disputandum de singulis num ita sit, vocabant talia spumas faeculentas. @1 sed$ @2 A d eorum, i horum$