Swedenborg Works Vol. 11

...for then they undergo a different arrangement. It is this spiritual reorganization original: "commotion" which is meant here and is signified by the brothers being in consternation. The commotion that then occurs shows itself as an anxiety arising from the change of the former state—specifically, from a loss original: "privation" of the enjoyment that had existed in that state. This commotion also shows itself through anxiety concerning one's past life—the realization that internal goodness and the spiritual self had been pushed down to the lowest place. This anxiety is discussed in the sections that follow.

5882. And Joseph said to his brothers. This signifies the perception of the new natural mind. This is evident from the meaning of "saying" as perception (as seen above in section 5877) and from the representation of the sons of Jacob as truths in the natural mind (also seen in section 5877). Here, they represent the natural mind itself. This is because those who represent truths in the natural mind also represent the natural mind itself—just as Pharaoh, who represents factual knowledge in general because he was the king of Egypt, also represents the natural mind itself in general (sections 5160, 5799). Truths in the natural mind and the natural mind itself (the "natural man") act as one; the truths are the contents and the natural mind is the container original: "containant". Therefore, in the internal spiritual sense, sometimes the container is signified and sometimes the content, depending on the context.

The sons of Jacob here represent the new natural mind because the internal sense is describing the act of joining original: "conjunction". This follows the general explanation: when the internal joins with the external (or goodness joins with truth), a person first receives the ability to perceive that they are being affected by truth and, through that, by goodness. A commotion or internal shaking is then felt. Next, an internal communication is established through spiritual influence original: "influx", and so on. From this, it is clear that the natural mind represented by the sons of Jacob is the new natural mind, for its former state has been changed (section 5881).

5883. Please come near to me. This signifies...