EARTHS IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM

WHICH ARE CALLED PLANETS

AND

EARTHS IN THE STARRY HEAVEN

THEIR INHABITANTS, AND THE SPIRITS AND ANGELS THERE

FROM THINGS HEARD AND SEEN

_FROM THE LATIN_

OF

EMANUEL SWEDENBORG

SWEDENBORG SOCIETY (Incorporated) 20-21 BLOOMSBURY WAY, LONDON, W. C. 11962

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_The issues of this volume in a demy 8vo edition by the SwedenborgSociety have been:--_

 _First Edition_ 1860 _Second Edition_ 1875 _Third Edition_ 1894 _Reprinted_ 1909 " 1931 " 1940 " 1962

_For other editions, see "A Bibliography of the Works of EmanuelSwedenborg"_ (JAMES HYDE). 

_Printed in Great Britain by Morrison & Gibb Ltd. , London andEdinburgh_

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TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

 NOS. 

 EARTHS IN THE UNIVERSE, 1-8

 THE PLANET MERCURY, 9-45

 THE PLANET JUPITER, 46-84

 THE PLANET MARS, 85-96

 THE PLANET SATURN, 97-104

 THE PLANET VENUS, 105-110

 THE MOON, 111, 112

 REASONS WHY THE LORD WILLED TO BE BORN ON OUR EARTH, AND NOT ON ANY OTHER, 113-122

 EARTHS IN THE STARRY HEAVEN, 123-126

 THE FIRST EARTH IN THE STARRY HEAVEN, 127-137

 THE SECOND EARTH IN THE STARRY HEAVEN, 138-147

 THE THIRD EARTH IN THE STARRY HEAVEN, 148-156

 THE FOURTH EARTH IN THE STARRY HEAVEN, 157-167

 THE FIFTH EARTH IN THE STARRY HEAVEN, 168-178

 PAGE

 INDEX OF SUBJECTS, 101

 INDEX OF SCRIPTURE REFERENCES, 106

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EARTHS IN THE UNIVERSE. 

1. Inasmuch as, by the Divine mercy of the Lord, the interiors whichare of my spirit have been opened in me, and it has thereby been givenme to speak with spirits and angels, not only with those who are nearour Earth, but also with those who are near other earths; and since Ihad an ardent desire to know whether there were other earths, and toknow their character and the character of their inhabitants; it hasbeen granted me by the Lord to speak and have intercourse with spiritsand angels who are from other earths, with some for a day, withsome for a week, with some for months; and to be instructed by themrespecting the earths from and near which they were, and concerningthe life, customs, and worship of their inhabitants, besides variousother things there that are worthy of note. And since it has beengiven me to become acquainted with these matters in this way, it ispermitted me to describe them from the things which I have heard andseen. It is necessary that it be known that all spirits and angels arefrom the human race[a], and that they are near their own earths[b], and are acquainted with what is upon them; and that a man may beinstructed by them, if his interiors are so far opened as to enablehim to speak and be in company with them: for man in his essence isa spirit[c], and is in company with spirits as to his interiors[d];wherefore he whose interiors are opened by the Lord, is able to speakwith them, as man with man[e]. It has now been granted me to enjoythis privilege daily for twelve years. 

[Footnote: _From the_ ARCANA COELESTIA: _in which work these andsubsequent articles, which are inserted below the line, are explainedand shown. _]

[Footnote a: There are no spirits and angels who are not from thehuman race, no. 1880. ]

[Footnote b: The spirits of every earth are near their own earth, because they are of its inhabitants, and of a similar genius; and theyare meant to be of service to them, no. 9968. ]

[Footnote c: The soul, which lives after death, is the spirit of man, which in a man is the man himself, and also appears in the other lifein a perfect human form, nos. 322, 1880, 1881, 3633, 4622, 4735, 6054, 6605, 6626, 7021, 10594. ]

[Footnote d: Man, even during his abode in the world, is, as to hisinteriors, consequently as to his spirit or soul, in the midst ofspirits and angels who are of such a character as he himself is, nos. 2379, 3645, 4067, 4073, 4077. ]

[Footnote e: Man is capable of speaking with spirits and angels, andthe ancients on our Earth frequently spoke with them, nos. 67, 68, 69, 784, 1634, 1636, 7802. But at the present day it is dangerous for manto speak with them, unless he be in a true faith, and be led by theLord, nos. 784, 9438, 10751. ]

2. That there are many earths, and men upon them, and spirits andangels from them, is very well known in the other life; for in thatlife, every one who from a love of the truth and consequent usedesires it, is allowed to speak with the spirits of other earths, soas to be convinced that there is a plurality of worlds, and informedthat the human race is not from one earth only, but from numberlessearths; and so as to be informed, besides, of what genius and lifethey are, and of what character their Divine worship is. 

3. I have sometimes spoken on this subject with the spirits of ourEarth, and it was said that a man of sound understanding may conclude, from many things which he knows, that there are more earths than one, and that there are human beings upon them. For it is an inference ofreason, that such huge bodies as the planets are, some of which exceedthis Earth in magnitude, are not empty bodies, created only to becarried and to rotate around the sun, and to shine with their scantylight (_lumen_) for the benefit of one earth only; but that they mustneeds have a nobler use than this. He who believes, as every one oughtto believe, that the Divine created the universe for no other endthan the existence of the human race, and of a heaven from it (forthe human race is the seminary of heaven), cannot but believe thatwherever there is an earth, there are human beings. That the planets, which are visible to our eyes, being within the boundaries of thissolar system, are earths, may be clearly seen from the followingconsiderations. They are bodies of earthy matter, because they reflectthe sun's light (_lumen_), and, when seen through the telescope, appear, not as stars shining from their flame, but as earths(_terrae_) variegated with dark spots. Like our Earth, they arecarried round the sun and advance progressively through the path ofthe zodiac, which motion causes years, and seasons of the year, whichare spring, summer, autumn, and winter. They likewise rotate upontheir own axis, just as our Earth does, and this rotation causes days, and times of the day, that is, morning, mid-day, evening, andnight. And moreover, some of them also have moons, which are calledsatellites, which perform their revolutions around their globes instated times, as the moon does around ours. The planet Saturn, becauseit is so very far distant from the sun, has also a great luminousring, which supplies that earth with much, although reflected, light. How is it possible for any one who is acquainted with these facts, andthinks from reason, to assert that such bodies are uninhabited?

4. I have, moreover, spoken with spirits [to the effect] that men maybe led to believe that there are more earths in the universe than one, by considering the immensity of the starry heaven with its innumerablestars, each of which, in its own place, that is, in its own system, isa sun, and like our sun, but differs in magnitude. Any one who rightlyweighs these facts must conclude that so immense a whole cannot but bethe means to an end which is the final end of creation, and that thisend is a heavenly kingdom, in which the Divine may dwell with angelsand men. For the visible universe, that is, the heaven resplendentwith such an innumerable multitude of stars, which are so many suns, is merely a means for the existence of earths, and of human beingsupon them, from whom a heavenly kingdom [may be formed]. From theseconsiderations a rational man cannot but think that a means so immenseto an end so great was not provided for a human race, and a heavenfrom them, from one earth only. What would this be to the Divine, who is infinite, and to whom thousands, yea, myriads, of earths, all filled with inhabitants, would be but a little thing and almostnothing!

5. Besides, the angelic heaven is so immense that it corresponds toeach single part in man, myriads [of angels corresponding] to eachmember, and organ, and viscus, and to each affection of them; andit has been given me to know that this heaven, as to all itscorrespondences, cannot possibly exist except from the inhabitants ofvery many earths[f]. 

[Footnote f: Heaven corresponds to the Lord, and man, as to all thingsin general and particular, corresponds to heaven; and hence heaven, before the Lord, is a Man in a large effigy, and may be called theGrand or Greatest Man, nos. 2996, 2998, 3624-3649, 3741-3746, 4625. Concerning the correspondence of man, and of all things pertaining tohim, with the Grand Man, which is heaven, in general, from experience, nos. 3021, 3624-3649, 3741-3751, 3883-3896, 4039-4055, 4218-4218-4228, 4318-4331, 4403-4421, 4523-4533, 4622-4633, 4652-4660, 4791-4805, 4931-4953, 5050-5061, 5171-5189, 5377-5396, 5552-5573, 5711-5727, 10030. ]

6. There are spirits whose sole study is the acquisition of knowledgesfinding in them their only delight. These spirits are thereforepermitted to wander about, and even to pass beyond this solar systeminto others, and procure knowledges. They have stated that there areearths in immense numbers, inhabited by human beings, not only in thissolar system, but in the starry heaven beyond it. These spirits arefrom the planet Mercury. 

7. With regard, in general, to the Divine worship of the inhabitantsof other earths: all there, who are not idolaters, acknowledge theLord to be the One only God; for they adore the Divine, not as aninvisible Divine, but as visible, for this reason, besides others, that when the Divine appears to them it is in the Human Form, as Heformerly did to Abraham and others on this Earth [g]; and all whoadore the Divine under the Human Form are accepted by the Lord [h]. They also say that no one can worship God rightly, and still less beconjoined with Him, unless he comprehends Him by some idea, and thatGod cannot be comprehended except in the Human Form; and that if Hebe not thus comprehended, the interior sight, which is that of thethought, concerning God, is dissipated, as is the sight of the eye, when looking into the universe with nothing to limit the view; andthat then the thought cannot but fall into nature, and worship itinstead of God. 

[Footnote g: The inhabitants of all the earths adore the Divine Beingunder the Human Form, consequently the Lord, nos. 8541-8547, 10159, 10736, 10737, 10738. And they rejoice when they hear that God actuallybecame Man, no. 9361. It is impossible to think of God except in theHuman Form, nos. 8705, 9359, 9972. Man is able to worship and lovethat of which he has some idea, but not that of which he has no idea, nos. 4733, 5110, 5663, 7211, 9167, 10067. ]

[Footnote h: The Lord receives all who are in good, and who adore theDivine under the Human Form, nos. 9359, 7178. ]

8. When they were told that the Lord assumed the Human on our Earth, they pondered for awhile, and then said that it was done for thesalvation of the human race. 

THE EARTH OR PLANET MERCURY, AND ITS SPIRIT AND INHABITANTS

9. That the entire heaven resembles one man, who is therefore calledthe Grand or Greatest Man (_Maximus Homo_), and that all things ingeneral and particular in man, both his exteriors and interiors, correspond to that man or to heaven, is an arcanum as yet unknown inthe world; but that it is so has been shown in many passages[i]. But to constitute that Grand Man, those who come from our Earth intoheaven are insufficient, being comparatively few; they must come frommany other earths: and it is provided by the Lord that as soon asthere is in any part a deficiency in the quality or quantity of thecorrespondence, those who may supply it shall be immediately summonedfrom another earth, in order that the proportion may be preserved, andheaven by this means maintain its consistence. 

[Footnote i: See note f. ]

10. It has also been disclosed to me from heaven, what the spiritsfrom the planet Mercury have relation to in the Grand Man, namely, that they have relation to the memory, but to the memory of thingsabstracted from earthly and merely material things. As, however, ithas been given me to speak with them, and this for many weeks, and tolearn of what character they are, and to examine how the inhabitantsof that earth are circumstanced, I wish to adduce the experiencesthemselves. 

11. Some spirits came to me, and it was stated from heaven that theywere from the earth nearest to the sun, which on our Earth is calledthe planet Mercury. Immediately on their coming they sifted out of mymemory the things that I knew. This, spirits can do most skilfully, for when they come to a man they see in his memory all the particularsit contains[j]. While passing in review the various things, and, amongothers, the cities and places where I had been, I observed that theyhad no wish to know the temples, palaces, houses, and streets, butonly the things I knew to have been done in them, also the things thatrelated to the government there, and to the genius and manners of theinhabitants, and other similar things; for such matters are closelyassociated with the places in a man's memory, so that when the placesare called to mind, these matters also suggest themselves. I wassurprised to find them of such a character, and therefore inquiredwhy they disregarded the magnificent objects of the places, and onlyinquired into the facts and transactions connected with them. Theysaid that they had no delight in regarding material, corporeal, andterrestrial things, but only things that are real. Hence it was provedthat the spirits of that earth, in the Grand Man, have relation to thememory of things abstracted from material and terrestrial things. 

[Footnote j: Spirits enter into all things of man's memory, and donot [insinuate anything] from their own [memory] into the man's, nos. 2488, 5863, 6192, 6193, 6198, 6199, 6214. The angels enter intothe affections and ends, from which and for the sake of which a manthinks, wills, and acts in such or such a manner in preference toevery other, nos. 1317, 1645, 5844. ]

12. I was told that the life of the inhabitants of that earth is such, namely, that they do not concern themselves about terrestrial andcorporeal things, but only about the statutes, laws, and governmentsof the nations there; and also about the things of heaven, which areinnumerable. I was further informed, that many of the men (_homines_)of that earth converse with spirits, and that thence they haveknowledges respecting spiritual things and the states of life afterdeath, and that thence also they have a contempt for corporeal andterrestrial things; for those who know for a certainty, and believe, that there is a life after death, are concerned about heavenly things, as being eternal and blessed, but not about worldly things, except sofar as the necessities of life require. Such being the character ofits inhabitants, such also is that of the spirits who are from it[k]. 

[Footnote k: The spirits who are with man are in possession of allthings of his memory, nos. 5853, 5857, 5859, 5860. ]

13. How eagerly they search for and imbibe the knowledges of suchthings as pertain to the memory raised above the sensual things ofthe body, was made manifest to me from the circumstance that when theylooked into the things which I knew respecting heavenly subjects, theyran over them all, and kept on stating the nature of each. For whenspirits come to a man, they enter into the whole of his memory, andcall forth from it what suits themselves; nay, what I have oftenobserved, they read its contents as from a book[k]. These spirits didthis more skilfully and quickly, because they did not linger over suchmatters as are heavy and sluggish, and confine and consequently impedethe internal sight, as is the nature of all terrestrial and corporealthings, when regarded as ends, that is, when alone loved; but theydevoted their attention to things themselves; for those matters towhich terrestrial things do not cling, carry the mind (_animus_)upwards, and so introduce it into a wide field [of view], whereasmerely material things drag the mind (_animus_) downwards, and thuslimit and imprison it. Their eagerness to acquire knowledgesand enrich the memory was further evident from the followingcircumstances: Once, when I was writing something concerning thingsto come, and they were at a distance, so that they could not look intothose things from my memory; because I was unwilling to read them intheir presence, they were very indignant, and, contrary to their usualdemeanour, they were disposed to inveigh against me, saying that Iwas the worst of men, and other like things; and, to show theirresentment, they caused a kind of contraction, attended with pain, onthe right side of my head as far as the ear; but such treatment did meno harm. As, however, they had done evil, they removed themselves toa still greater distance, yet kept stopping, being desirous of knowingwhat I had written. Such is their eager desire for knowledges. 

14. The spirits of Mercury, more than other spirits, possess theknowledges of things, both of those which are within this solarsystem, and those which are beyond it in the starry heaven; andwhatever things they have once acquired they retain, and recollectthem as often as similar ones occur. From this also it may manifestlyappear that spirits have memory, and that it is much more perfect thanthat of men; and further, that spirits retain what they hear, see, andapperceive, and especially such matters as they are delighted with, asthese spirits are with the knowledges of things; for things that arematters of delight and love flow in as it were spontaneously, andremain; other things do not enter, but only touch the surface and passby. 

15. When the spirits of Mercury come to other societies, they tryto discover from them what they know, and when they have ascertainedthis, they depart. There is also such a communication among spirits, and especially among angels, that when they are in a society, if theyare accepted and loved, they communicate or share all they know. [l]

[Footnote l: In the heavens there is a communication of all goods, inasmuch as heavenly love communicates all its possessions to others;and hence the angels derive wisdom and happiness, nos. 549, 550, 1390, 1391, 1399, 10130, 10723. ]

16. The spirits of Mercury, on account of their knowledges, are moreconceited than others; wherefore they were told that, although theyknow innumerable things, there is yet an infinity of things which theydo not know; and that even were the knowledges with them to increaseto eternity, they would still be unable to attain to so much as anacquaintance with the generals of all things. They were told that theywere conceited and elated of disposition, and that this characteris unbecoming; but they replied, that it is not conceit, but only aglorying on account of the capacity of their memory. Thus they havethe art of excusing their faults. 

17. They are averse to verbal speech, because it is material;wherefore, when I conversed with them without intermediate spirits, Icould only do so by a kind of active thought. Their memory, because itis a memory of things, not of purely material images, brings nearerto the thought its proper objects; for the thought, which is above theimagination, requires for its objects things abstracted from thoseof matter. But notwithstanding that this is the case, the spiritsof Mercury excel but little in the faculty of judgment. They take nodelight in the things which pertain to judgment and to conclusionsfrom knowledges; for their delight is in the bare knowledges. 

18. It was suggested to them, whether they did not wish to make anyuse of their knowledges; for it is not enough to be delighted withknowledges, because knowledges have respect to uses, and uses oughtto be their ends; that from knowledges alone no use results tothemselves, but to others with whom they are willing to share orcommunicate them; and that it is not at all meet for a man who wantsto become wise to stand still in knowledges alone, inasmuch asthese are only instrumental causes, meant to be serviceable for theinvestigation of matters which ought to belong to the life. But theyreplied that they were delighted with knowledges, and that to themknowledges were uses. 

19. Some of them, also, wish to appear, not as men, like the spiritsof other earths, but as crystalline globes. Their wanting to appearso, although they do not, arises from the circumstance that theknowledges of immaterial things are in the other life represented bycrystals. 

20. The spirits of Mercury differ entirely from those of our Earth, for the spirits of our Earth concern themselves not so much about[immaterial] things as about worldly, corporeal, and terrestrialthings, which are material. For this reason the spirits of Mercurycannot be together with the spirits of our Earth, and thereforewherever they meet them they flee away, for the spiritual spheres thatare exhaled from both are almost contrary. The spirits of Mercury havea common saying, that they do not want to look at the sheath, but atthings stripped of their sheath, thus at interior things. 

21. There appeared a flame of considerable brightness, which blazedcheerfully, and this for about an hour. That flame signified theadvent of some spirits of Mercury who, for penetration, thought, andspeech, were prompter than those who preceded them. When they werecome, they instantly ran over the things that were in my memory, but, owing to their promptness, I was unable to apperceive what theyobserved. Immediately afterwards, I heard them say that the matterwas thus and thus. With regard to the things which I had seen in theheavens and in the world of spirits, they said that they knew thembefore. I perceived that a multitude of spirits who were consociatedwith them, was behind, a little to the left, in the plane of theocciput. 

22. At another time I saw a multitude of such spirits, but at somelittle distance from me, in front a little to the right, and theyspoke with me from thence, but through intermediate spirits; for theirspeech is as quick as thought, which does not fall into human speech, except by means of other spirits; and what surprised me, they spokein a body, and yet as promptly and rapidly as possible. Their speech, being of many together, was apperceived as undulatory, and, what wasremarkable, it glided towards my left eye, although they were to theright. The reason was, that the left eye corresponds to the knowledgesof things abstracted from material things, thus to such as belong tointelligence, while the right eye corresponds to such as belongto wisdom[m]. With the same promptness with which they spoke, theyperceived the things that they heard, and formed their judgment uponthem, saying of one thing that it was so, and of another that it wasnot so, their judgment being as it were instantaneous. 

[Footnote m: The eye corresponds to the understanding, becausethe understanding is the internal sight, and the sight of thingsimmaterial, nos. 2701, 4410, 4526, 9051, 10569. The sight of the lefteye corresponds to truths, consequently to intelligence; and the sightof the right eye corresponds to the goods of truth, consequently towisdom, no. 4410. ]

23. There was a spirit from another earth, who was well qualified toconverse with them, being a prompt and rapid speaker, but who affectedelegance in his discourse. They instantly formed their judgmentconcerning whatever he spoke, saying of one thing that it was tooelegantly, of another that it was too learnedly expressed; so that theonly thing they attended to was, whether they heard from him anythingwhich was not known to them before, rejecting thereby such things asobscured the subject, which are chiefly affectations of elegance inexpression and of erudition; for these hide the things themselves andin their place substitute expressions, which are the material formsof things; on these the speaker keeps his mind (_animus_) fixed, andwants to draw attention to his expressions rather than their meaning, by which the ears of his auditors are more affected than their minds(_mens_). 

24. The spirits of the earth Mercury do not tarry in one place, oramong assemblies of the spirits of one system, but wander throughthe universe. The reason is that they have reference to the memoryof things, which requires to be continually enriched; therefore it isgranted them to wander about, and everywhere acquire knowledges. If, while travelling in this manner, they meet with spirits who lovematerial, that is, corporeal and terrestrial things, they shun them, and betake themselves to where they do not hear such things. From thisit may appear that their mind (_animus_) is elevated above sensualthings, and thus that they are in interior light (_lumen_). This itwas also given me actually to perceive when they were near me and werespeaking with me. I observed then that I was withdrawn from sensualthings to such a degree, that the light (_lumen_) of my eyes began togrow dull and dim. 

25. The spirits of that earth go about by companies and phalanxes, andwhen assembled together they form as it were a globe. They are joinedtogether in this manner by the Lord in order that they may act as aone, and that the knowledges of each may be communicated to all, andthe knowledges of all to each, as is the case in heaven[l]. That theywander through the universe in quest of the knowledges of things, wasmade manifest to me also from this fact, that once, when they appearedvery remote from me, they spoke with me from thence, and said thatthey were then gathered together, and were going beyond the sphere ofthis system into the starry heaven, where they knew there were suchas had no concern about terrestrial and corporeal things, but aboutthings elevated above them, with whom they desired to be. It wasstated that they themselves do not know whither they are going, butthat under the Divine auspices they are conveyed to where they maybe instructed concerning such things as they had previously beenunacquainted with, and which are in agreement with the knowledges theyalready possess. It was also stated that they do not know how theymeet with the companions with whom they are conjoined, and that thisalso is effected under the Divine auspices. 

26. As they journey through the universe in this manner, and are thusenabled to know more than others about the systems and earths beyondthe sphere of our solar system, I have spoken with them on thissubject also. They said that in the universe there are very manyearths, with human beings upon them; and that they wonder at its beingsupposed by some, whom they called men of little judgment, that theheaven of the Omnipotent God consists only of the spirits and angelswho come from one earth, when these are so few that, relatively to theOmnipotence of God, they are scarcely anything, and this would be thecase even if there were myriads of systems with myriads of earths. They said, moreover, that they knew of the existence of earths in theuniverse exceeding in number some hundreds of thousands; and yet whatis this to the Divine, who is Infinite!

27. The spirits of Mercury, when they were with me while I was writingand explaining the Word as to its internal sense, and who perceivedwhat I was writing, said that the things which I wrote were verygross, and that almost all the expressions appeared as material. Butit was given to reply, that the men of our Earth nevertheless lookupon the things that have been written, as subtle and elevated, andthat many things they do not understand. I added, that very many onthis Earth do not know that it is the internal man that acts on theexternal, and causes it to live, and that from the fallacies of thesenses they persuade themselves that the body has a life of its own, and that in consequence the evil and unbelieving are in doubt as to alife after death. Also, that that in man which is to live after deaththey do not call the spirit but the soul; and that they dispute aboutwhat the soul is and where its abode is, and believe that the materialbody, although dispersed to all the winds, must be again conjoined toit, in order that man may live as a man; besides many other things ofthe same kind. When the spirits of Mercury heard these things, theyasked whether such men could become angels. To this it was given toanswer that those who have lived in the good of faith and charitybecome angels, and that then they are no longer in external andmaterial things, but in internal and spiritual things; and that whenthey come into this state, they are in a light superior to that inwhich the spirits from Mercury are. In order that they might know thatthis was so, an angel who had come into heaven from our Earth, and whohad been such while he lived in the world, was allowed to speak withthem; which circumstance will be detailed below [at no. 37]. 

28. Afterwards there was sent me by the spirits of Mercury a longpaper of an irregular shape, consisting of several papers stucktogether, which appeared as if printed with types such as are used onthis Earth. I asked whether they had such among them; but they saidthey had not, but that they knew that there were such printed paperson our Earth. They were not willing to say more; but I perceived thatthey thought that the knowledges on our Earth were on papers, and notso much within the man himself, thus derisively insinuating that thepapers, so to speak, knew more than the man. But they were instructedas to the real state of the case. After some time they returned, andsent me another paper, which also appeared printed with types likeunto the former one; not, however, like it, stuck together and untidy, but symmetrically shaped and neat: they said they had been furtherinformed that on this Earth there were such papers, and books made ofthem. 

29. From the facts that have now been stated, it clearly appears, thatspirits retain in the memory the things that they see and hear in theother life, and that they are equally capable of being instructed aswhen they were men in the world, consequently, of being instructed inthose things that are of faith, and thereby of being perfected. Themore interior spirits and angels are, the more promptly and fully dothey imbibe, and the more perfectly do they retain [what they hear], and as this [capacity remains] for ever, it is evident that wisdomis continually growing with them. With the spirits of Mercury, thescience of things is continually growing, yet not therefore wisdom, because they love knowledges, which are means, but not uses, which areends. 

30. Furthermore, the character of the genius of the spirits who arefrom the planet Mercury may still further appear from the followingfacts. It must be known that all spirits and angels without exceptionwere once men, for the human race is the seminary of heaven; and thatspirits are altogether such as to their affections and inclinationsas they had been when they lived as men in the world, for every one'slife follows him[n]. This being the case, the genius of the men ofevery earth may be known from the genius of the spirits who are fromit. 

[Footnote n: Every one's life remains with him and follows him afterdeath, nos. 4227, 7440. The externals of life are kept closed afterdeath, and the internals of life are opened, nos. 4314, 5128, 6495. All things in general and particular of thought are then mademanifest, nos. 4633, 5128. ]

31. Since the spirits of Mercury in the Grand Man have relation to thememory of things abstracted from material things, therefore whenany one speaks to them of terrestrial, corporeal, and merely worldlythings, they are absolutely unwilling to hear; and if they are forcedto hear of those things, they transmute them into others, and for themost part into contrary things, so as to avoid them. 

32. In order that I might know for certain that such was their genius, it was allowed to represent to them meadows, fallow-lands, gardens, woods, and streams. To represent such things is to exhibit beforeanother in imagination those things which, in the other life, appearto the life. But they instantly transmuted them; they darkened themeadows and fallow-lands, and by representations filled them withsnakes; the streams they turned black, so that the water no longerappeared limpid. When I asked why they did so, they said they didnot want to think of such things, but of realities, which are theknowledges of things abstracted from terrestrial things, especially ofsuch as exist in the heavens. 

33. I afterwards represented to them birds both large and small, such as exist on our Earth; for in the other life such things can berepresented to the life. On seeing those birds represented, they atfirst wanted to change them, but they afterwards were delightedwith them, and became quiet; the reason was, that birds signify theknowledges of things, and the perception of this fact then flowedin[o]; they therefore abstained from transmuting them, and so fromturning away the ideas of their memory. Afterwards it was permittedme to represent before them a very pleasant garden full of lamps andlights; they then paused and their attention was fixed, because lampswith lights signify truths (_veritates_) which shine from good[p]. From this it was evident that they could be detained in theconsideration of material things, provided only that the significationof those things in the spiritual sense were insinuated at the sametime; for the things which belong to the spiritual sense are notabstracted from material things to the same extent, inasmuch as theyare representative of these. 

[Footnote o: Birds signify rational things, intellectual things, thoughts, ideas, and knowledges, nos. 40, 745, 776, 778, 866, 988, 993, 5149, 7441. And this with variety according to the genera andspecies of the birds, no. 3219. ]

[Footnote p: Lamps with lights signify truths (_veritates_) whichshine from good, nos. 4638, 9548, 9783. ]

34. Moreover, I spoke with them about sheep and lambs, but they werenot willing to hear of such things, because they were perceivedby them as terrestrial things; the reason was, that they didnot understand what innocence is, which lambs signify; this wasapperceived from the circumstance that, on my saying that lambs, whenrepresented in heaven, signify innocence[q], they said that they didnot know what innocence was, but only knew it by name: the reason is, that they are affected with knowledges only, but not with uses, whichare the ends of knowledges, consequently they are unable to know, frominternal perception, what innocence is. 

[Footnote q: Lambs in heaven, and in the Word, signify innocence, nos. 3994, 7840, 10132. ]

35. Some of the spirits of the earth Mercury came to me, being sent byothers, in order that they might hear what was going on near me. Thesewere told by one of the spirits of our Earth, to tell their [friends]not to speak anything but what was true, and not, as they were wont, to present opposite things to their questioners; for that if any ofthe spirits of our Earth were to do so, he would be punished. Butimmediately the company from which those spirits had been sentforth, and which was at a distance, made answer, that if they must bepunished on that account, they must all be punished, inasmuch as, fromcontinual practice, they could not do otherwise. They said that whenthey speak with the men of their own earth, they also do likewise, not, however, with any intention to deceive, but to inspire the desireof knowing; for when they present opposite things, and conceal thingsin a certain manner, the desire of knowing is excited, and thus fromthe zeal of exploring those things, the memory is perfected. I also, on another occasion, spoke with them on the same subject, and, asI knew that they spoke with the men of their earth, I asked in whatmanner they instructed their inhabitants. They said that they do notinstruct them fully as to how a matter is, but keep insinuating someapperception of it, in order that from this the desire of exploringand of acquiring knowledge may be nourished and grow; for if they wereto answer all their questions, the desire would perish. They added, that they suggest opposites for this reason also, that the truth(_veritas_) may afterwards appear the better; for all truth appearsfrom relation to its opposites. 

36. It is their custom not to tell another what they know, but stillthey want to learn from all others what is known to them. With theirown society, however, they communicate everything, insomuch thatwhat one knows all know, and what all know each one in the societyknows[l]. 

37. Inasmuch as the spirits of Mercury abound in knowledges, they arein a certain kind of conceit; hence they imagine that they know somuch that it is almost impossible to know more. But it was told themby the spirits of our Earth, that they do not know much but little, and that the things which they do not know are comparatively infinite;and that the things which they do not know, are, relatively to thosethey do know, as the waters of the largest ocean to those of a verysmall fountain; and further, that the first step towards wisdomconsists in knowing, acknowledging, and perceiving that what oneknows, is, compared with what one does not know, so little as hardlyto be anything. In order that they might know that it is so, it wasgranted that a certain angelic spirit should speak with them, and tellthem generally what they knew and what they did not know, and thatthere were infinite things which they did not know, and that eternitywould not suffice for their acquiring even a general knowledge ofthings. He spoke by means of angelic ideas much more readily than theydid, and as he disclosed to them what they knew and what they did notknow, they were struck with amazement. Afterwards I saw another angelspeaking with them, who appeared at some height towards the right; hewas from our Earth. He recounted very many things which they did notknow; and afterwards he spoke with them by means of changes of state, which they said they did not understand. He then told them that everychange of state, and also every smallest part of such change, containsinfinite things. When they heard this, as they had been conceited onaccount of their knowledges, they began to humble themselves. Theirhumiliation was represented by the sinking downwards of the compactbody (_volumen_) which they formed (for that company appeared at thetime as a compact body, in front towards the left, at a distance, in the plane of the region below the navel); but the compact bodyappeared as it were hollowed in the middle, and raised at the sides;an alternating motion was also observed therein. They were also toldwhat that signified, that is, what they thought in their humiliation, and that those who appeared elevated at the sides were not as yet inany humiliation; and I saw that the compact body was separated, andthat those who were not in humiliation were sent back towards theirearth, the rest remaining. 

38. There once came some spirits of Mercury to a certain spirit fromour Earth, who, during his life in the world, had been most celebratedfor his learning, --he was Christian Wolf--desiring to receiveinformation from him on various subjects. But when they perceived thatwhat he said was not elevated above the sensual things of the naturalman, because in speaking he thought of honour, and wanted, as in theworld (for in the other life every one is like his former self), to connect various things into series, and from these again andcontinually to deduce others, and so form several chains of such, which they did not see or acknowledge to be true, and which thereforethey declared to be chains which neither cohered in themselves norwith the conclusions, and called them the obscurity of authority, theyceased to question him, inquiring only _what this was called and whatthat_. And because he answered these questions also by material ideas, and not by any that were spiritual, they departed from him. For in theother life every one speaks spiritually, or by spiritual ideas, so faras in the world he had believed in God; and materially, so far as hehad not believed. As an opportunity here offers, I may relate how thecase is, in the other life, with the learned who acquire intelligenceby their own meditation kindled by the love of knowing truths forthe sake of truths, thus for the sake of uses apart from worldlyconsiderations; and how the case is with those who acquireintelligence from others without any meditation of their own, as isthe practice of those who desire to know truths merely for the purposeof acquiring a reputation for learning, and of thereby attaininghonour or gain in the world, and consequently not for the sake ofuses apart from worldly considerations. I may here relate a certainexperience concerning men of this character. There was apperceived acertain sound penetrating from beneath near the left side as far asthe left ear: I observed that there were spirits who were attemptingto force their way there, but I could not ascertain of what characterthey were. When they had forced their way, however, they spoke withme, saying that they were logicians and metaphysicians, and that theyhad immersed their thoughts in such [sciences] without any otherend than that of acquiring a reputation for learning, and thus ofattaining to honours and wealth: they lamented that they now led amiserable life, because they had studied these sciences for no otherend, and thus had not cultivated their Rational by means of them. Their speech was slow and muffled. In the meantime there were twoconversing above my head, and when I asked who they were, I was toldthat one of them was of the highest distinction in the learned world, and it was given me to believe that he was Aristotle. Who the otherwas, was not stated. He was then let into the state in which he hadbeen when he lived in the world, for every one can easily be let intothe state of life which he had had in the world, since every stateof his life remains with him. I was surprised to find that he appliedhimself to the right ear, and he spoke there, hoarsely, indeed, butstill sensibly. From the purport of what he said I apperceived that hewas of quite a different genius from those Schoolmen who first arose, namely, that he hatched what he wrote from his own thought, and fromthe same source produced his philosophical system, so that the termswhich he invented, and applied to subjects of thought, were forms ofexpression by which he described interior things; also that he wasexcited to such pursuits by a delight of the affection, and by adesire of knowing the things that belonged to the thought and theunderstanding; and that he followed obediently whatever his spirithad dictated. This was the reason he applied himself to the right ear, differently from his followers, who are called Schoolmen, and who donot proceed from thought to terms, but from terms to thoughts, thus bya contrary way; and many of them do not even proceed to thoughts, butstick fast entirely in terms, their application of which, when theymake any, being to confirm whatever they want to, and to investfalsities with an appearance of truth, according to their eagernessto persuade. Consequently for them philosophy is rather a means ofbecoming foolish than a means of becoming wise; and therefore theyhave darkness instead of light. Afterwards, I conversed with himon analytical science, saying that a little child, in half an hour, speaks more philosophically, analytically, and logically, than hecould describe in a volume, because all things of human thought andconsequently of human speech are analytical, and the laws thereof arefrom the spiritual world; and that he who wants to think artificiallyfrom terms is not unlike a dancer who wants to learn to dance froma knowledge of the motory fibres and muscles; if he were to keephis mind (_animus_) fixed on that knowledge whilst dancing, he wouldhardly be able to move a foot, and yet, without that knowledge, hesets in action all the motory fibres that are scattered throughout thewhole of his body, and, in due measure, the lungs, diaphragm, sides, arms, neck, and all the other parts, to describe all which volumeswould not suffice; and that the case is just like this with those whowant to think from terms. He approved of these observations, andsaid, that if one learns to think in that way one proceeds in invertedorder: adding, that if any one wants to be foolish, he has only toproceed in that way; and that one should constantly think of use, andfrom what is interior. He next showed me what idea he had had of theSupreme Deity. He had represented Him to himself as having a humanface, and encompassed about the head with a radiant circle; but he nowknew that the Lord is Himself that Man, and that the radiant circle isthe Divine [proceeding] from Him, which inflows not only into heavenbut also into the universe, disposing and ruling both. He added, thatHe who disposes and rules heaven, disposes and rules the universealso, because the one cannot be separated from the other. He alsosaid, that he believed in only one God, whose attributes and qualitiesmen distinguished by names as numerous as the gods they worshipped. A woman appeared to me who stretched out her hand, desiring to strokehis cheek. When I expressed my surprise at this, he said, that whilehe was in the world such a woman had often appeared to him, and as itwere stroked his cheek, and that her hand was beautiful. The angelicspirits said that such women sometimes appeared to the ancients, andthat they called them Pallases; and that the one who appeared to himwas from spirits who, when they lived as men in the ancient times, were delighted with ideas and indulged in thoughts, but withoutphilosophy; and as such spirits were with him, and were delighted withhim because he thought from what is interior, they representativelyexhibited such a woman to his view. Lastly, he told me what idea hehad had concerning the soul or spirit of man, which he called Pneuma, namely, that it was an invisible vital [principle], like somethingof the ether. He said that he knew his spirit would live after death, since it was his interior essence, which cannot die, because it canthink; and moreover that he could not think clearly concerning it, but only obscurely, because he had not possessed any knowledge on thesubject except from himself, with a little also from the Ancients. Aristotle, it may be remarked, is among sane spirits in the otherlife, but many of his followers are among the foolish. 

39. I once saw that some spirits of our Earth were with some spiritsof Mercury, and I heard them conversing with one another; and on thisoccasion the spirits of our Earth asked them, among other things, inwhom they believed. They replied that they believed in God. But whenthey inquired further concerning the God in whom they believed, theywould not say, since it is their custom not to give direct answersto questions. Then the spirits from the earth Mercury, in their turn, asked the spirits from our Earth in whom they believed. They said thatthey believed in the Lord God. The spirits of Mercury then said theyperceived that they believed in no God, and that they had contracteda habit of professing belief with the mouth when yet they do notbelieve. (The spirits of Mercury have an exquisite perception, inconsequence of their continually exploring, by means of perception, what others know. ) The spirits of our Earth were of the number ofthose who in the world had made profession of faith according to thedoctrine of the church, but still had not lived the life of faith;and those who do not live the life of faith, in the other life haveno faith, because it is not in the man[r]. On hearing this they weresilent, because, by an apperception then given them, they acknowledgedthat the case was so. 

[Footnote r: They who make profession of faith from doctrine, anddo not live the life of faith, have no faith, nos. 3865, 7766, 7778, 7790, 7950, 8094. And their interiors are contrary to the truths offaith, although in the world they do not know this, nos. 7790, 7950. ]

40. Certain spirits knew from heaven that a promise had once been madeto the spirits of the earth Mercury, that they should see the Lord;they were, therefore, asked by the spirits about me whether theyrecollected that promise. They said that they did recollect it; butthat they did not know whether the promise had been made in such amanner as to preclude all doubt respecting it. While they were thustalking together, the Sun of heaven appeared to them. (The Sun ofheaven, which is the Lord, is seen only by those who are in the inmostor third heaven; others see the light which proceeds from it. ) Onseeing the Sun, they said that this was not the Lord God, because theysaw no face. Meanwhile the spirits were conversing with each other, but I did not hear what they said. Suddenly, however, the Sun againappeared, and in the midst of it the Lord, encompassed with a solarcircle: at this sight the spirits of Mercury humbled themselvesprofoundly, and bowed down. At that time also, the Lord appeared outof that Sun to certain spirits of our Earth, who, when they were men, had seen Him in the world; and they, one after another, and thus manyin succession, confessed that it was the Lord Himself; and they madethis confession before the whole assembly. At the same time also theLord appeared out of the Sun to the spirits of the planet Jupiter, whodeclared with a clear voice, that it was He Himself whom they had seenon their earth when the God of the universe appeared to them[s]. 

[Footnote s: The Lord is the Sun of heaven, from which proceeds allthe light there, nos. 1053, 3636, 4060. And the Lord thus appears tothose who are in His celestial kingdom, where love to Him reigns, nos. 1521, 1529-1531, 1837, 4696. He appears at a middle height above theplane of the right eye, nos. 4321, 7078. Therefore in the Word the sunsignifies the Lord as to the Divine Love, nos. 2495, 4060, 7083. Thesun of the world does not appear to spirits and angels, but in itsplace as it were a dark something behind, opposite to the Sun ofheaven or to the Lord, no. 9755. ]

41. After the Lord had appeared, some were led towards the front partsto the right, and as they advanced, they said that they saw a lightmuch clearer and purer than they had ever seen before, and that agreater light could not possibly be seen: and it was then the time ofevening here. Those who said this were many[t]. 

[Footnote t: In the heavens there is great light, which exceeds, bymany degrees, the noon-day light on earth, nos. 1117, 1521, 1533, 1619-1632, 4527, 5400, 8644. All light in the heavens is from the Lordas the Sun there, nos. 1053, 1521, 3195, 3341, 3636, 3643, 4415, 9548, 9684, 10809. The Divine Truth proceeding from the Divine Good of theLord's Divine Love appears in the heavens as light and constitutes allthe light there, nos. 3195, 3222, 5400, 8644, 9399, 9548, 9684. Thelight of heaven illuminates both the sight and the understanding ofthe angels, nos. 2776, 3138. Heaven being said to be in light andheat, signifies in wisdom and in love, nos. 3643, 9399, 9401. ]

42. It should be known that the sun of the world does not appear atall to any spirit, nor does anything of the light from it. The lightof this sun is, to spirits and angels, like thick darkness. This sunremains in the perception with spirits only from their having seen itwhen they were in the world, and it is exhibited to them in idea asan exceedingly dark something, and situated behind at a considerabledistance, at a little height above the plane of the head. The planetswhich are within the system of this sun appear according to a fixedsituation in respect to the sun: Mercury appears behind, a littletowards the right; the planet Venus to the left, a little backwards;the planet Mars to the left in front; the planet Jupiter likewiseto the left in front, but at a greater distance; the planet Saturndirectly in front, at a considerable distance; the Moon to theleft, at a moderate height: the satellites also appear to the leftrelatively to their own planets. Such is the situation of theseplanets in the ideas of spirits and angels. Spirits also appear neartheir own planet, but apart from it. With regard to the spirits ofMercury in particular, they do not appear in any particular quarter, or at any particular distance, but they appear sometimes in front, sometimes to the left, sometimes a little to the back; the reason is, that they are allowed to wander through the universe for the purposeof procuring knowledges. 

43. Some spirits of Mercury once appeared to the left in a globe, andafterwards in a compact body (_volumen_) extending itself lengthwise. I wondered whither they were bent, whether to this or to some otherearth, and I soon observed that they turned towards the right, and, rolling along, approached the earth or planet Venus towards thequarter in front. But when they reached it, they said that they wouldnot remain there, because the inhabitants were evil; wherefore theyturned round to the back part of that earth, and then said they wouldremain there, because the inhabitants of that part were good. Whilethis was taking place I was sensible of a remarkable change in thebrain, and of a powerful operation from it. From this it was given meto conclude that the spirits of Venus who are from that part of theplanet, were in concord with the spirits of Mercury, and that they hadrelation to the memory of material things which is in concord withthe memory of immaterial things, to which the spirits of Mercury haverelation; hence a more powerful operation was felt from them when theywere there. 

44. I was desirous of knowing what kind of face and body the men(_homines_) on the earth Mercury have, and whether they are like themen (_homines_) on our Earth. There was then exhibited before my eyesa woman exactly resembling those who are on that earth. Her face wasbeautiful, but smaller than that of the women of our Earth; she wasalso more slender in body, but of equal height: her head was coveredwith some linen stuff, arranged without art but still in a becomingmanner. A man (_vir_) also was exhibited. He, too, was more slender inbody than the men (_viri_) of our Earth; he was clothed in agarment of dark blue fitting closely to his body, without folds orprotuberances anywhere. Such, I was told, were the personal form andclothing of the men (_homines_) of that earth. Afterwards there wereexhibited some kinds of their oxen and cows, which did not, indeed, differ much from those on our Earth, except that they were smaller, and approximated in some measure to the stag and hind species. 

45. They were also questioned about the sun of the system, how itappears from their earth. They said that it appeared large, and largerthere than from other earths; they said that they knew this from theideas of other spirits respecting the sun. They said further that theyenjoyed a middle temperature, neither too hot nor too cold. It wasthen given me to tell them, that it has been so provided for them bythe Lord, in order that they might not be exposed to excessive heatfrom the circumstance of their earth being in greater proximity to thesun than the other earths, since heat does not arise from nearness tothe sun, but from the height and density of the aerial atmosphere, asis evident from the cold on high mountains even in hot climates; also, that heat is varied according to the direct or oblique incidence ofthe sun's rays, as is evident from the seasons of winter and summer inevery region. These are the particulars which it has been given me toknow respecting the spirits and inhabitants of the earth Mercury. 

THE EARTH OR PLANET JUPITER, AND ITS SPIRITS AND INHABITANTS. 

46. It has been given me to have longer intercourse with the spiritsand angels of the planet Jupiter than with the spirits and angelsfrom the other planets; and I can therefore relate more particularsrespecting their state of life and respecting that of the inhabitantsof that planet. That those spirits were from that planet, was evidentfrom many circumstances, and was also declared from heaven. 

47. The earth or planet Jupiter itself does not indeed appear tospirits and angels: for in the spiritual world no earth is evervisible to any one, but only the spirits and angels who are from it. Those who are from the planet Jupiter appear in front to the left, atsome little distance, and this constantly (see above, no. 42): therealso the planet is. The spirits of every earth are near their ownearth, because they are from its inhabitants (for every man afterdeath becomes a spirit), and because they are thus of a similargenius, and can be with the inhabitants and be of service to them. 

48. They related that in the region of their earth where they hadlived when in the world, the multitude of human beings was as greatas the earth could support; that it was fertile, and abounded in allthings; that the inhabitants desired no more than sufficed for thenecessities of life, and that what was not necessary they did notregard as useful; and that therefore the multitude of human beingswas so great. They said that their principal care was the education oftheir children, and that they loved them most tenderly. 

49. They further related that on their earth they are distinguishedinto clans, families, and households, and that all live together withtheir own, separate from the others, and that therefore their habitualintercourse is confined to their kindred: also that no one everdesires another's goods; nor does it ever enter the mind (_animus_) ofany one to covet any of the goods of another, much less to obtain themby any artifice, and still less to attack and plunder them; this theyconsider a crime contrary to human nature, and horrible. When I wantedto tell them that on this Earth there were wars, depredations, andmurders, they turned away, and refused to hear. It has been told me bythe angels that the Most Ancient inhabitants of our Earth dwelt in thesame manner, that is to say, distinguished into clans, families, andhouseholds, and that all in those times were content with their owngoods; and that it was an entirely unknown thing for one to enrichhimself with the goods of others, or to assume dominion from the loveof self; and that on this account the Ancient, and especially the MostAncient times, were more acceptable to the Lord than those which havesucceeded them; and that, as their state was such, innocence thenreigned, and, together with innocence, wisdom; that every one then didwhat was good for the sake of good, and what was just for the sake ofjustice; that they did not know what it was to do what was good andjust with a view to their own honour, or for the sake of gain; andthat in those times they spoke nothing but what was true, and this notso much from truth as from good, that is, not from the Intellectualseparate [from the Voluntary], but from the Voluntary conjoined withthe Intellectual. Such were the Ancient times. Angels then couldtherefore have habitual intercourse with men, and carry their minds, almost separated from corporeal things, into heaven, and could evenlead them about there, and show them the magnificent and goodlythings there, and also communicate to them their own happinesses anddelights. These times were also known to ancient writers, who calledthem the Golden, and likewise the Saturnian times. The reason whythese times were such was, as has been stated, that men then liveddistinguished into clans, clans into families, and families intohouseholds, and every household dwelt by itself; and that it thennever entered into any one's mind (_mens_) to seize upon another'sinheritance, and thus acquire for himself opulence and dominion: thelove of self and the love of the world were then far away; every onerejoiced in his own, and not less in another's good. But in the courseof time this scene was changed and totally reversed, when the lustof exercising dominion and of possessing many things invaded themind (_animus_). Then the human race, for the sake of self-defence, gathered themselves into kingdoms and empires; and because the lawsof charity and conscience, which had been inscribed upon the heart, ceased to operate, it became necessary, in order to restrain deeds ofviolence, to enact [external] laws, of which the rewards were honoursand gain, and the punishments were the deprivation thereof. When thestate was thus changed, heaven itself became removed from man, andthis more and more even to the present ages, when the very existenceof heaven and hell is unknown, yea, is even denied by some. Thesestatements have been made in order to show clearly by the parallel, what is the state of those who are on the earth Jupiter, and whencethey have their goodness of disposition and also their wisdom, ofwhich more will be said in the following pages. 

50. By long-continued intercourse with the spirits of the earthJupiter, it became manifest to me that they were better disposed thanthe spirits of many other earths. Their approach when they came to me, their stay with me, and their influx at the time, were so gentle andsweet as to be inexpressible. In the other life the quality of everyspirit manifests itself by an influx, which is the communication ofhis affection. Goodness of disposition manifests itself by gentlenessand sweetness; by gentleness, because it is afraid to hurt, and bysweetness, because it loves to do good. I could distinguish veryclearly between the gentleness and sweetness of the influx proceedingfrom the good spirits of our Earth, and the gentleness and sweetnessof the influx from the spirits of Jupiter. They said that when anyslight disagreement arises among them, there appears as it were a thindazzling white ray of light, like that of ordinary lightning or likethe little swath which encompasses glittering and wandering stars; butthe disagreement among them is soon adjusted. Glittering stars, whichare at the same time wandering signify what is false; but glitteringand fixed stars signify what is true; thus the former signifydisagreement. [u]

[Footnote u: Stars in the Word signify the knowledges of good andtruth, consequently truths, nos. 2495, 2849, 4697. And in the otherlife truths are represented by fixed stars, but falsities by wanderingstars, no. 1128. ]

51. I could distinguish the presence of the spirits of Jupiter, notonly by the gentleness and sweetness of their approach and influx, but also by this circumstance, that their influx was for the mostpart into the face, which they rendered cheerful and smiling, and thiscontinually as long as they were present. They said that they in thesame way dispose the faces of the inhabitants of their earth, when they come to them, being desirous thus to inspire them withtranquillity and delightsomeness of heart. The tranquillity anddelightsomeness with which they inspired me, sensibly filled my breastand heart: at the same time the longings and anxieties about thefuture, which cause disquiet and wretchedness, and agitate the mindwith various passions, were removed. From this it could be madeapparent to me what was the character of the life of the inhabitantsof the earth Jupiter; for the inborn disposition of the inhabitants isknown from the spirits, since every one carries his own life with himfrom the world, and lives it when he becomes a spirit. It was observedthat they had a state of still more interior blessedness or happiness. This was observed by its being perceived that their interiors were notclosed, but open to heaven; for the more open to heaven the interiorsare, the more capable are they of receiving Divine good, and with itblessedness and interior happiness. It is quite otherwise with thosewho do not live in the order of heaven; with them the interiors areclosed, and the exteriors are open to the world. 

52. It was also shown me what kind of faces the inhabitants of theearth Jupiter have; not that I saw the inhabitants themselves butspirits with faces similar to those they had when they dwelt on theirearth. But before this was shown me, one of their angels appearedbehind a bright white cloud, and gave permission. Two faces were thenshown. They were like the faces of the men of our Earth, fair andbeautiful; sincerity and modesty shone forth from them. When thespirits of Jupiter were with me, the faces of the men of our Earthappeared smaller than usual: this was owing to the circumstance thatthere inflowed from those spirits the idea they had that their ownfaces were larger. For when they live as men on their earth theybelieve that after their decease their faces will be larger, and roundin form; and this idea, being impressed upon them, remains; and whenthey become spirits, they appear to themselves to have larger faces. The reason why they believe that their faces will be larger is thatthey say the face is not the body, because they see, hear, speak, and manifest their thoughts by means of it, and because the mind thusshines through it; hence they have an idea of the face as the mind inform. And as they know that they will become wiser after their life inthe world, they believe that the form of the mind, that is, the face, will become larger. They also believe that after their decease theyshall perceive a fire which will communicate warmth to their faces. This belief arises from a knowledge possessed by the wiser amongstthem that fire, in the spiritual sense, signifies love, that love isthe fire of life, and that from that fire the angels have life[x]. Such of them as have lived in heavenly love also have their wishgratified, and feel their face grow warm, and then the interiors oftheir minds are kindled with love. For this reason the inhabitants ofthat earth frequently wash and clean their face, and also carefullyprotect it from the sun's heat. They have a covering made of the inneror outer bark of a tree, which is of a bluish colour, and with thisthey encircle the head, and thus protect the face. With respect to thefaces of the men of our Earth, which they saw through my eyes[y], theysaid that they were not beautiful, and that such beauty as they hadconsisted in the outward skin, but not in the fibres from within. Theywere surprised to see that the faces of some were covered with wartsand pustules, or otherwise disfigured, and said that no such facesare ever to be seen among them. Yet there were some faces that pleasedthem, such, namely, as were cheerful and smiling, and such as wereslightly prominent about the lips. 

[Footnote x: Fire in the Word signifies love in both senses, nos. 934, 4906, 5215. Sacred and heavenly fire is Divine love and everyaffection which is of that love, nos. 934, 6314, 6832. Infernalfire is the love of self and of the world, and every concupiscencebelonging to those loves, nos. 934, 1861, 5071, 6314, 6832, 7575, 10747. Love is the fire of life, and life itself is actually derivedfrom that fire, nos. 4906, 5071, 6832. ]

[Footnote y: Spirits and angels do not see the things that are in thissolar world but they saw through my eyes, no. 1881. ]

53. The reason they were pleased with the faces that were prominentabout the lips was, that their speech is effected mostly by means ofthe face, especially by the part about the lips, and also because theynever counterfeit, that is, never speak otherwise than they think, sothat they do not constrain their face, but give it free play. It isotherwise with those who from childhood have learned to counterfeit:with these the face is, in consequence, constrained from within, lestanything of the thought should shine forth from it; nor has it freeplay from without, but is kept in readiness to relax or constrainitself, as cunning may dictate. The truth (_veritas_) of this mayappear from an examination of the fibres of the lips and surroundingparts, for the series of the fibres there are manifold, complicated, and interwoven, having been created, not only for masticationand verbal speech, but also for expressing the ideas of the mind(_animus_). 

54. It was also shown me how the thoughts are expressed by means ofthe face. The affections which belong to the love are manifested bymeans of the countenance and its changes, and the thoughts therein byvariations as to the forms of the interiors there: it is impossible todescribe them further. The inhabitants of the earth Jupiter have alsoverbal speech, but not so loud as with us. The one speech aids theother, and life is insinuated into the verbal speech by the speechof the face. I have been informed by the angels that the very firstspeech in every earth was speech by the face, and from two originsthere, the lips and the eyes. The reason this kind of speech was thefirst is, that the face was formed to effigy forth whatever a manthinks and wills; in consequence of which the face is also called theeffigy and index of the mind (_animus_). Another reason is, that inthe Most Ancient or primeval times sincerity prevailed, and no onecherished or wanted to cherish a thought which he was not willingshould shine forth out of his face. In this way, also, the affectionsof the mind (_animus_), and the thoughts from them, could be exhibitedto the life and in fulness; thus also they even appeared to the eyeas very many things together in a form. This speech was therefore assuperior to the speech of words as sight is to hearing, that is, asthe sight of a landscape surpasses hearing about it and forming anidea of it from the verbal description. They added, that such speechwas in agreement with the speech of the angels, with whom men in thosetimes also had communication; also, that when the face speaks, thatis, the mind through the face, angelic speech is with the man in itsultimate natural form, which is not the case when the mouth speaks bywords. Every one can also comprehend that verbal speech could not havebeen used by the Most Ancient people, since the words of a languageare not imparted immediately, but have to be invented and applied toobjects; which it requires a course of time to effect[z]. So long assincerity and rectitude prevailed among men, such speech continued;but as soon as the mind began to think one thing and speak another, which was the case when man began to love himself and not theneighbour, verbal speech began to increase, the face being eithersilent or deceitful. Hence the internal form of the face was changed, became contracted, and hardened, and began to become almost devoidof life; while the external form, inflamed by the fire of the love ofself, appeared before the eyes of men as if alive; for this absence oflife, which is underneath, does not appear before the eyes of men, but it appears before the eyes of the angels, since the angels seeinterior things. Such are the faces of those who think one thing andspeak another; for simulation, hypocrisy, cunning, and deceit, whichconstitute modern prudence, produce such effects. But the case isdifferent in the other life: there, no one is allowed to speak one wayand think another. There, also, the variance is clearly perceived ineach single expression, and when it is perceived, the spirit in whomthere is such variance is expelled from society, and punished. He isafterwards by various methods brought to speak as he thinks, and tothink as he wills, until his mind is one, and not divided. If he isgood, he is brought to will good, and to think and speak the truthfrom good; and if he is evil, he is brought to will evil, and to thinkand speak falsity from evil. Until this is effected, a good spirit isnot raised into heaven, nor an evil one cast into hell: and the objectof this is, that in hell there may be nothing but evil and the falsityof evil, and in heaven nothing but good and the truth of good. 

[Footnote z: The Most Ancient people on this Earth spoke by the faceand lips by means of internal respiration, nos. 607, 1118, 7361. Theinhabitants of some other earths have a similar speech, nos. 4799, 7359, 8248, 10587. Concerning the perfection and excellence of thatspeech, nos. 7360, 10587, 10708. ]

55. The spirits who were from that earth informed me about variousother particulars relating to its inhabitants, as, about their gait, their food, and their dwellings. With respect to their gait, they donot walk erect like the inhabitants of this and of many other earths, nor do they creep like animals, but as they advance they assistthemselves with their hands, and alternately half raise themselveson their feet, and at every third step they face about sideways andbehind them, and at the same time also bend the body a little, whichis done quickly; for among them it is [considered] unbecoming to belooked at by others except in the face. While walking in this mannerthey always keep the face raised as we do, so that they may look atthe heaven as well as at the earth. They do not hold it down so as tolook at the earth; this they call accursed. The basest among themdo so; but if they do not get accustomed to raise the face, they areexpelled from their society. When, however, they sit, they appear, like the men of our Earth, erect as to the upper part of the body, butthey sit with the feet crossed. They are extremely cautious, not onlywhen they walk, but also when they sit, not to be seen behind, butin the face. They also gladly desire that their face should be seen, because their mind appears from it, for they never show a face atvariance with the mind, nor have they the power to do so. Those whoare present, therefore, see clearly what is their disposition towardsthem--which indeed they do not conceal--especially whether theirapparent friendliness is sincere or forced. These facts were madeknown to me by their spirits, and confirmed by their angels. For theabove reason also, their spirits are seen, not like others, to walkerect; but almost like swimmers, to assist their progress with theirhands, and by turns to look around. 

56. Those who live in their hot climates go naked, except for acovering about the loins; nor are they ashamed of their nakedness fortheir minds are chaste, and they love their own consorts only, andabhor adulteries. They were greatly surprised that the spirits of ourEarth, on hearing of their manner of walking and of their being naked, should deride and think lasciviously, without in the least attendingto their heavenly life, but only to such details. They said that thiswas a sign that they cared more for bodily and earthly things than forheavenly things, and that indecent thoughts occupied their minds. Theywere told that nakedness is no occasion either of shame or scandal tothose who live in chastity, and in a state of innocence, but that itis to those who live in lasciviousness and immodesty. 

57. When the inhabitants of that earth lie in bed, they turn theirfaces forwards or into the chamber, but not backwards or towards thewall. This was told me by their spirits, who said that the cause wasthat they believe that they thus turn their face to the Lord, but thatif they turn it backwards they turn it away from Him. The like hassometimes happened to myself when in bed, but I had not previouslybeen aware of its origin. 

58. They take pleasure in prolonging their repasts, not so much fromdelight in feeding as from delight in conversing then. When they sitat table, they do not sit on chairs or benches, nor on raised seats ofturf, nor on the grass, but on the leaves of a particular tree. Theywere not willing to say of what tree the leaves were; but when Iguessed at several, they at last assented when I named the fig tree. They informed me besides, that they do not prepare their food toplease the palate, but chiefly for the sake of use; they added that tothem the food which is wholesome is savoury. A conversation took placeon this subject among the spirits, and it was urged that it would bewell for man to observe this rule, for thus he would ensure having asound mind in a sound body. It is otherwise with those with whom thetaste rules: the body hence becomes diseased, at least it becomesinwardly feeble, consequently so does the mind; for the mind comportsitself according to the interior state of the recipient parts of thebody, as sight and hearing do according to the state of the eye andear; hence the folly of placing all the delight of life in luxuryand pleasure; from this too comes dulness in such things as belong tothought and judgment, and acuteness in such as belong to the body andthe world. By this man acquires the likeness of a brute animal, withwhich indeed such persons not inappropriately compare themselves. 

59. Their dwellings were also shown me. They are lowly dwellingsconstructed of wood; but within they are lined with bark or cork of apale blue colour, and the walls and ceiling are spotted as with stars, to represent the heaven; for they are fond of picturing the visibleheaven with its constellations in the interiors of their houses, thereason being that they believe the constellations to be the abodesof the angels. They have tents also, which are rounded off aboveand extended in length, spotted likewise within with stars on a blueground. They retire into these in the day-time, to prevent theirfaces suffering from the heat of the sun. They bestow much care onthe fashioning of these tents of theirs, and on keeping them clean. Inthem they also take their repasts. 

60. The horses of our Earth, when seen by the spirits of Jupiter, appeared to me smaller than usual, although they were pretty robustand tall; which appearance arose from the idea those spirits hadconcerning the horses on that earth. They informed me that among themthere are also horses like ours, though much larger, but that theyare wild or in the woods, and that when they come in sight they striketerror into them, although they are quite harmless; they added thattheir fear of them is innate or natural. This gave me occasion tothink of the cause of that fear. For in the spiritual sense, a horsesignifies the Intellectual formed from scientifics[aa]; and as theyare afraid of cultivating the Intellectual by worldly sciences, fromthis comes an influx of fear. That they do not care for scientifics, which are of human erudition, will be seen in the following pages. 

[Footnote aa: The horse signifies the Intellectual, nos. 2760-2762, 3217, 5321, 6125, 6400, 6534, 7024, 8146, 8148. And the "White Horse"in the Apocalypse denotes the understanding of the Word, no. 2760. ]

61. The spirits of that earth are not inclined to associate with thespirits of our Earth, because they differ in disposition and manners. They say that the spirits of our Earth are cunning, and are quickand clever in the contrivance of evils, and that they know and thinklittle about what is good. Moreover, the spirits of the earth Jupiterare much wiser than the spirits of our Earth; they also say of oursthat they talk much and think little, and that therefore they cannotinteriorly perceive many things, and that they cannot even perceivewhat good is. They conclude from this that the men of our Earth areexternal men. It was also once permitted the evil spirits of our Earthto act by their wicked arts, and to infest the spirits of Jupiter whowere with me. The latter endured them for a very long time, butat length confessed that they could do so no longer, and thatthey believed that there could not be worse spirits, since they soperverted their imagination, and also their thought, that they seemedto themselves as it were bound, and incapable of being extricated fromthis bondage, and set at liberty, except by Divine aid. While I readfrom the Word some passages on the subject of our Saviour's Passion, some European spirits uttered dreadful scandals, with the intentionof seducing the spirits of Jupiter. Inquiry being made as to whothey were, and what their profession in the world had been, it wasascertained that some of them had been preachers, and many of themwere of those who call themselves Members of the Society of the Lord, or Jesuits. I remarked that these, during their life in the world, bytheir preachings on the subject of the Lord's Passion, had been ableto move the common people to tears. I also added the cause, that inthe world they had thought one way and spoken another, thus that theyhad entertained one sentiment in their hearts and professed anotherwith their lips; but that now they are not allowed to speak thusdeceitfully, for, on becoming spirits, they are compelled to speakexactly as they think. The spirits of Jupiter were exceedinglyastonished that there could be such a variance between the interiorsand exteriors belonging to a man, that is to say, that it should bepossible to speak one way and think quite another way, which wouldbe impossible for them. They were surprised to hear that many whoare from our Earth even become angels, and that they are of quite adifferent heart. They had supposed that all on our Earth were likethose [evil ones who were then present], but they were told that manyare not of this character, and that there are also some who think fromgood, and not, like these, from evil, and that those who think fromgood become angels. In order that they might know that this was thecase, there came from the heaven of angels from our Earth choirs, oneafter another, who glorified the Lord together with one voice, andwith harmony[bb]. These choirs affected the spirits of Jupiterwho were with me, with such intense delight, that they seemed tothemselves as it were caught up into heaven. This glorification by thechoirs lasted about one hour. The delights which they experienced fromthis were communicated to me, and I was enabled to feel them sensibly. They said they would relate this occurrence to those of them who wereelsewhere. 

[Footnote bb: It is called a choir when many spirits speak at onceand unanimously, concerning which see nos. 2595, 2596, 3350. In theirspeech there is harmony, concerning which see nos. 1648, 1649. Bymeans of choirs in the other life an inauguration into unanimity iseffected, no. 5182. ]

62. The inhabitants of the earth Jupiter place wisdom in thinking welland justly on all things that occur in life. This wisdom they imbibefrom their parents from childhood, and it is successively transmittedto posterity, and goes on increasing from the love they have for itas existing with their parents. Of the sciences, such as exist on ourEarth, they know nothing whatever, nor have they any desire to know. They call them shades, and compare them to clouds which come between[the earth and] the sun. They were led into this idea concerningthe sciences by the conduct of some who had come from our Earth, who boasted in their presence that they were wise by reason of thesciences. The spirits from our Earth, who thus boasted, were such asplaced wisdom in such things as are matters of the memory only, as inlanguages, especially the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, in the noteworthypublications of the learned world, in criticism, in bare experimentalfacts, and in terms, especially philosophical ones, and other similarthings, not using them as means for becoming wise, but making wisdomto consist in those very things. Such persons, in consequence of nothaving cultivated their rational faculty by the sciences as means, inthe other life have little perception, for they see only in terms andfrom terms, and, for those who see in this way, those things are aslittle formless masses, and as clouds before the intellectual sight(see above, no. 38); and those who have been conceited of theirlearning from this source perceive still less. But those who have usedthe sciences as means of invalidating and annihilating the thingsthat belong to the church and to faith, have entirely destroyed theirIntellectual, and see in the dark like owls, seeing falsity for truthand evil for good. The spirits of Jupiter, from intercourse with suchpersons, concluded that the sciences occasion shade and blindness; itwas told them, however, that on this Earth the sciences are means ofopening the intellectual sight, which is in the light of heaven; butbecause of the dominion of such things as belong to merely naturaland sensual life, the sciences, to those [who are such], are means ofbecoming insane, that is to say, of confirming themselves in favour ofNature against the Divine, and in favour of the world against heaven. The sciences, they were further informed, are in themselves spiritualriches, and those who possess them are like those who possess worldlyriches, which likewise are means of performing uses to oneself, one'sneighbour, and one's country, and are also means of doing evilto them. They are, moreover, like dress, which serves for use andadornment and also for gratifying pride, as with those who wouldbe held in honour for that alone. The spirits of the earth Jupiterunderstood this perfectly; but they were surprised that, being men, they should stand still in the means, and prefer to wisdom itself suchthings as only lead to it; and that they did not see, that to immersethe mind in these, and not raise it above them, is to becloud andblind it. 

63. A certain spirit ascending from the lower earth came to me, andsaid that he had heard the things that I had spoken to the otherspirits, but did not understand anything of what had been said aboutspiritual life and its light. Being asked whether he desired to beinstructed on the subject, he answered that he had not come with thatintention, from which I could conclude that such subjects did not comewithin his comprehension. He was exceedingly stupid. It was stated bythe angels that, when he lived a man in the world, he had been amongthe most celebrated for his learning. He was cold, as was sensiblyfelt from his breath; which was a sign that he had no spiritual, butmerely natural light (_lumen_); consequently that by means of thesciences he had not opened but closed up for himself the way to thelight (_lux_) of heaven. 

64. As the inhabitants of the earth Jupiter acquire intelligencefor themselves by a different way from that followed by those of ourEarth, and as, besides, they are of a different natural dispositionin consequence of their life, they cannot be together long, but eithershun them or remove them. There are spheres, which are to be calledspiritual spheres, which continually emanate, nay, pour forth, fromevery spirit; they flow from the activity of the affections andthe consequent thoughts, consequently from the very life[cc]. Allconsociations in the other life take place according to the spheres;things that are in agreement are conjoined according to the agreement, and things that disagree are removed according to the disagreement. The spirits and angels who are from the earth Jupiter have relation, in the Grand Man, to the IMAGINATIVE [PART] OF THOUGHT, and thus toan active state of the interior parts; while the spirits of our Earthhave relation to the various functions of the exterior parts ofthe body, and when these desire to have the dominion, the active orimaginative [part] of thought from the interior cannot flow in. Hencethe oppositions between the spheres of the life of the two. 

[Footnote cc: A spiritual sphere, which is the sphere of the life, flows forth and pours forth from every man, spirit, and angel, andencompasses them about, nos. 4464, 5179, 7454. It flows forth from thelife of their affection and consequent thought, nos. 2489, 4464, 6206. In the other life consociations are effected according to the spheres, and so also are dissociations, nos. 6206, 9606, 9607, 10312. ]

65. With respect to their Divine worship, its principal feature isthat they acknowledge our Lord as the Supreme Being who governsheaven and earth. Him they call the One only Lord; and because theyacknowledge and worship Him during their life in the body, they seekHim after death, and find Him: He is the same with our Lord. Beingquestioned whether they knew that the One only Lord is Man, theyreplied that they all know that He is Man, because in their earth Hehas been seen by many as a Man; and that He instructs them concerningthe truth (_veritas_), preserves them, and gives eternal life to thosewho worship Him from good. They said further, that it is revealed tothem by Him how they ought to live, and how they ought to believe; andthat what is revealed is handed on by the parents to the children, andthus the doctrine spreads to all the families, and thus to the wholeclan that is descended from one father. They added, that it seems tothem as if they had the doctrine written on their minds; which theyconclude from the circumstance, that they instantly perceive andacknowledge as of themselves, whether what others say concerning thelife of heaven with man is true or not. They do not know that theirOne only Lord was born a man on our Earth; they said that it does notconcern them to know this, but only to know that He is Very Man, andgoverns the universe. When I said that on our Earth He is named theChrist Jesus, and that the Christ signifies the anointed or the king, and Jesus, the Saviour, they said that they do not worship Him asa king, because kingship savours of what is worldly, but that theyworship Him as the Saviour. The spirits of our Earth having injecteda doubt whether their One only Lord was the same with our Lord, theyremoved it by recollecting that they had seen Him in the sun, and hadacknowledged that it was He Himself whom they had seen on their earth(see above, no. 40). Once also there inflowed with the spirits ofJupiter who were with me, a momentary doubt whether their One onlyLord was the same as our Lord; but this doubt, which inflowed in amoment, was also dispelled in a moment; (it had inflowed from somespirits from our Earth;) and then, what surprised me, they so blushedwith shame for having doubted on this point, though but for a moment, that they told me not to make it public, lest on account of it theyshould be charged with any incredulity, when yet they now knew it morethan others. These spirits were greatly affected and rejoiced whenthey heard it declared that the One only Lord is the only Man, andthat all derive from Him what entitles them to be called men, and, indeed, that they are only so far men as they are images of Him, thatis, so far as they love Him and the neighbour, consequently so faras they are in good; for the good of love and of faith is the Lord'simage. 

66. There were some spirits of the earth Jupiter with me while I wasreading the seventeenth chapter of John, relating to the Lord's loveand His glorification. On hearing the things that are written there, a holy influence filled them, and they acknowledged that all thingstherein were Divine. But then some spirits of our Earth, who wereinfidels, kept insinuating scandals, saying that the Lord was born aninfant, lived a man, appeared like another man, and was crucifiedand other like things: but the spirits of the earth Jupiter paid noattention to those things. They said that such are their devils, whom they abhor; adding, that in their minds there abides absolutelynothing that is heavenly, but only what is earthly, which they calleddross. They said that they had also ascertained this to be the casefrom the fact, that when they heard that on that earth they go naked, obscenity instantly occupied their thoughts, and that they gave nothought at all to their heavenly life, of which they also heard at thesame time. 

67. In how clear a perception on spiritual subjects the spirits ofJupiter are, was made evident to me from their representation of howthe Lord converts depraved affections into good ones. They representedthe intellectual mind as a beautiful form, and imparted to it theactivity of a form fit for the life of affection. This they did in amanner which cannot be described in words, and so skilfully that theywere highly commended by the angels. There were present at the timesome of the learned from our Earth, who had immersed the Intellectualin terms belonging to scientifics, and had written and thought muchabout form, substance, the material and the immaterial, and the like, without applying them to any use; these could not even comprehend thatrepresentation. 

68. On their earth the greatest care is taken to prevent any onefalling into wrong opinions respecting the One only Lord; and if theyobserve that any begin to think wrongly respecting Him, theyfirst admonish them, then deter them by threats, and at length bypunishments. They said they had observed, that any family, into whichany such thing had crept, is removed from amongst them, not by thepunishment of death inflicted by their fellow-men, but by spiritsdepriving them of respiration and consequently of life, after firstthreatening them with death. For in that earth spirits speak with theinhabitants and chastise them if they have done evil, and also if theyhave intended to do evil; of which more will be said in subsequentpages. Therefore, if they think ill concerning the One only Lord, anddo not repent, they are threatened with death. In this way the worshipof the Lord, who to them is the Supreme Divine, is preserved on thatearth. 

69. They stated that they have no holy days, but that every morning atsunrise, and every evening at sunset, they perform holy worship to theOne only Lord in their tents; and that they also, after their manner, sing sacred songs. 

70. I was further informed that in that earth there are some who callthemselves Saints, and who, under penalty of punishment in case ofdisobedience, command their servants, of whom they have great numbers, to address them as lords. They also forbid them to adore the Lord ofthe universe, saying that they themselves are mediatory lords, andthat they will convey their supplications to the Lord of the universe. The Lord of the universe, who is our Lord, they do not call the Oneonly Lord, as all the others do, but the Supreme Lord, for the reasonthat they call themselves lords. They call the sun of the world theface of the Supreme Lord, and believe that He has His abode there;wherefore they also adore the sun. The other inhabitants hold themin aversion, and are unwilling to have intercourse with them, bothbecause they adore the sun, and because they call themselves lords, and are worshipped by their servants as mediatory gods. Theirhead-dress was shown me by spirits: it was a high crowned hat of adark colour. In the other life such appear to the left at some height, where they sit like idols, and at first are worshipped by the servantswho had formerly been with them; but these, too, afterwards hold themin derision. What surprised me, their faces there shine as from fire:this arises from their having believed themselves to be saints; yet, notwithstanding this fiery appearance of their faces, they are cold, and intensely desire to become warm. From this it is evident that thefire from which they shine is the fire of the love of self, and an_ignis fatuus_. In order to acquire warmth they seem to themselvesto cut wood, and while cutting, under the wood appears something of aman, whom at the same time they try to strike. This arises from theirattributing merit and holiness to themselves: those who do this inthe world, in the other life seem to themselves to cut wood, as waslikewise the case with some from our Earth, who have been spoken ofelsewhere. To illustrate this subject, I may here adduce my experienceconcerning these:[A] "In the lower earth, under the soles of the feet, are also those who have placed merit in good acts and works. Many ofthem appear to themselves to cut wood. The place where they are isvery cold, and they seem to themselves to acquire warmth by theirlabour. With these also I have spoken, and it was given me to ask themwhether they had any desire to get out of that place: to this theyreplied, that they had not as yet merited it by their labour. But whenthis state has been accomplished they are taken out from thence. These [spirits] are natural, because wishing to merit salvation is notspiritual, for it comes from the proprium and not from the Lord; andbesides, they prefer themselves to others, and some of them despiseothers; and if they do not receive more joy than others in the otherlife, they are indignant against the Lord; wherefore when they arecutting wood, it appears as if something of the Lord were under thewood. This arises from their indignation. "[dd]

[Footnote A: _Arcana_, no. 4943. See also nos. 1110, 8740. --TR. ]

[Footnote dd: Merit and righteousness belong to the Lord alone, nos. 9715, 9975, 9979, 9981, 9982. Those who place merit in works, or wantto merit heaven by the good deeds which they do, in the other lifewant to be served, and are never contented, no. 6393. They despisetheir neighbour, and are angry with the Lord Himself if they do notreceive reward, no. 9976. What their lot in the other life is, nos. 942, 1774, 1877, 2027. They are of those who in the lower earth appearto cut wood, nos. 1110, 4943. ]

71. It is common on that earth for spirits to speak with theinhabitants, and to instruct them, and also to chastise them if theyhave done evil. As many particulars on this subject have been relatedto me by their angels, I will recount them in their order. The reasonthat spirits there speak with men is, that they think much aboutheaven and the life after death, and are comparatively littlesolicitous about the life of the world; for they know that they shalllive after their decease, and in a happy state according to the stateof their internal man that has been formed in the world. Speaking withspirits and angels was common on our Earth also in ancient times, andfor the same reason, namely, that they thought [much] of heaven andlittle of the world. But in course of time that living communicationwith heaven was closed, in proportion as man, from being internal, became external, or, what is the same, as he began to think much aboutthe world and little about heaven, and especially when he ceased tobelieve in the existence of heaven and hell, or in the existence inhimself of a spirit-man that lives after death. For at this day itis believed that the body lives from itself and not from its spirit;wherefore unless man now cherished the belief that he is to rise againwith his body, he would have no belief in the resurrection. 

72. With reference specially to the presence of spirits with theinhabitants of the earth Jupiter, there are spirits who chastise, spirits who instruct, and spirits who govern them. The spirits whochastise apply themselves to the left side, and incline themselvestowards the back; and when there, they draw out of the man's memoryall the things that he has done or thought: this is easy for spiritsto do, for when they come to a man they enter into all his memory[j]. If they find he has done evil, or has thought evil, they reprove him, and also chastise him with pain in the joints of his feet or hands, or with pain about the region of the belly; this, too, spirits can doskilfully when it is permitted. When such spirits come to a man, theyinspire him with a horror accompanied by fear, by which the man ismade aware of their coming. Fear may be excited in any person by evilspirits on their approach, especially by those who, during their lifein the world, had been robbers. In order that I might know howthese spirits act when they come to a man of their own earth, it waspermitted that such a spirit should approach me. When he was near, horror accompanied by fear manifestly seized hold of me; yet it wasnot inwardly that I shuddered, but outwardly, because I knew it was aspirit of such a character. He also came in sight, and he appeared asa dark cloud, in which were wandering stars; wandering stars signifyfalsities, but fixed stars signify truths. He applied himself to myleft side towards the back; and he also began to reprove me for deedsand thoughts which he drew out of my memory, and on which he puta wrong construction; but he was checked by the angels. When heapperceived that he was with one who was not a man of his own earth, he began to speak to me, saying, that when he comes to a man, heknows all things in general and particular that the man has done andthought, and that he severely reproves him, and also chastises himwith various pains. At yet another time such a chastising spirit cameto me, and applied himself to my left side below the middle of thebody, as the former spirit had done; he also wanted to punish me;but he, too, was restrained by the angels. He showed me, however, thekinds of punishments which they are permitted to inflict on the menof their earth, if they do evil, or harbour the intention of doingit. These were, besides the pain of the joints, a painful contractionabout the middle of the belly, which is felt like compression by atight belt; a deprivation of respiration at times even to suffocation;also a prohibition to eat anything but bread for a time; and, lastly, the threat of death, if they do not discontinue doing such things, with the deprivation, at the same time, of conjugial, parental, andsocial joy; grief on this account is then also insinuated. 

73. The spirits who instruct also apply themselves to their left side, but more in front. They, too, reprove, but mildly, and then teachthem how they ought to live. They also appear dark, yet not, like theformer, as clouds, but as if clothed with sackcloth. These arecalled Instructors, but the former, Chastisers When these spirits arepresent, angelic spirits are also present, sitting at the head, whichthey fill in a peculiar manner: their presence there is also perceivedas a gentle breathing, for they fear lest their approach and influxshould cause man to perceive the least pain or anxiety. They governboth the chastising and the instructing spirits; the chastisers, lestthey treat the man more hardly than is permitted by the Lord, andthe instructors, that they may teach the truth. While the chastisingspirit was with me, angelic spirits were also present, and kept myface continually cheerful and smiling, the region about the lipsprominent, and my mouth slightly open. This the angels easily effectby means of influx, when the Lord permits. They said that they inducesuch a countenance on the inhabitants of their earth, when they arepresent with them. 

74. If a man, after chastisement and instruction, again does evil, orthinks to do evil, and does not restrain himself in accordancewith the precepts of truth, he is more severely punished when thechastising spirit returns; but the angelic spirits moderate thepunishment according to the intention in the deeds, and the will inthe thoughts. From these facts it may appear, that their angels whosit at the head have a kind of judicial power over man, since theypermit, moderate, restrain, and influence. It was said, however, thatit is not they who judge, but that the Lord alone is Judge, and thatall things which they enjoin on the chastising and instructing spiritsinflow into them from Him, and that it appears as if it were fromthem. 

75. Spirits there speak with man, but man in his turn does not speakwith the spirits, except the words, when instructed, _that he willdo so no more_. Nor is he allowed to tell any one that a spirit hasspoken to him; if he does so, he is punished afterwards. Those spiritsof Jupiter, when they were with me, at first supposed that they werewith a man of their own earth; but when I in my turn spoke with them, and also when I thought of publishing what passed between us, and sorelating it to others, then, because they were not allowed to chastiseor instruct me, they discovered that they were with a stranger. 

76. There are two signs which appear to those spirits when they arewith man (_homo_). They see an old man (_vir_) with a white face; thisis a sign to speak only what is true, and to do only what is just. They also see a face in a window; this is a sign to them to depart. This old man has also appeared to me; and a face has also appeared ina window, on seeing which those spirits immediately departed from me. 

77. Besides the spirits who have already been mentioned, there arespirits who urge contrary things. They consist of those who, duringtheir life in the world, had been banished from the society of othersbecause they were evil. When they approach there appears as it werea flying fire, which descends near the face. They place themselvesbeneath at the posterior parts of the man, and from thence they speaktowards the higher parts. They say things that are contrary to whatthe instructor-spirit teaches from the angels, namely, that menshould not live according to instruction, but according to their owninclination, and in licentiousness, with other similar things. Theygenerally come after the other spirits have departed; but the peoplethere know who and what those spirits are, and therefore pay noattention to them. Still, they learn in this way what evil is, andthereby what good is; for by means of evil one learns what good is, inasmuch as the quality of good is known from its opposite. Everyperception of a thing is according to reflection relative to itsdifferences from things that are contrary in various ways and degrees. 

78. The chastising and instructing spirits do not come to those whocall themselves saints and mediatory lords, and who have been treatedof above (at no. 70), as they do to others on that earth, becausethey do not suffer themselves to be instructed and are not amendedby discipline; they are inflexible, because they act from the love ofself. Spirits say they know such by their coldness, and that when theyapperceive the cold they depart from them. 

79. Among the spirits of Jupiter there are also some whom they callchimney-sweepers, because they appear in garments like those ofchimney-sweepers, and with the face smeared with soot; who and of whatcharacter they are I am also permitted to describe. One such spiritcame to me, and anxiously entreated me to intercede for him, that hemight come into heaven. He said he did not know that he had done evil, only that he had rebuked the inhabitants of the earth: he added that, after rebuking, he had instructed them. He applied himself to my leftside under the elbow, and spoke as if with a double voice; he couldalso excite pity. But I could only say in reply that I could notrender him any assistance, and that this was possible for the Lordalone; nor could I intercede for him, because I did not know whetherit would be of any use; but that if he were worthy he might have hope. He was then sent amongst some well-disposed spirits who were fromhis own earth; but they said that he could not be in their company, because he was not of the same character. But as he still importunedwith intense desire to be let into heaven, he was sent into a societyof well-disposed spirits of this Earth; but they, too, said that hecould not be with them. In the light of heaven he was also of a blackcolour, but he said that he was not of a black, but of a murrhinecolour. I was told that of such a character at first are the spiritswho afterwards are received amongst those who constitute the provinceof the SEMINAL VESICLES in the Grand Man or Heaven; for in thosevesicles the semen is collected, and is enclosed in a covering ofsuitable matter fit to preserve the prolific quality of the seed frombeing dissipated but which may be put off in the neck of the uterus, so that what is reserved within may be serviceable for conception, orthe impregnation of the ovulum. Hence, also, that seminal matter hasan endeavour, and as it were a burning desire, to put itself off, andleave the semen to perform its use. Something similar to this appearedwith that spirit. He again came to me in mean raiment, and againsaid that he had an ardent desire to enter heaven, and that he nowapperceived that he was such that he could go there. It was then givenme to tell him that perhaps this was a sign that he would soon bereceived. The angels then told him to cast off his raiment, which, from the ardency of his desire, he did with a quickness that couldscarcely be surpassed. By this was represented the character of thedesires of those who are in the province to which the seminal vesiclescorrespond. It was said that such spirits, when prepared for heaven, are stripped of their own garments, and clothed with new shininggarments, and become angels. They were likened to caterpillars, which, having passed through their vile state, are changed into chrysalidesand then into butterflies, when they are given other clothing, andalso wings of a blue or yellow, a silver or golden colour. Then, too, they are given the freedom to fly in the open air as in their heaven, to celebrate their marriages, and lay their eggs, and so provide forthe propagation of their kind; then also there are given to them sweetand pleasant food which they suck from the juices and odours of thevarious flowers. 

80. In what precedes nothing has been said as to the character of theangels who are from that earth; for those already mentioned (no. 73), who come to the men of their earth, and sit at the head, are notangels in their interior heaven, but are angelic spirits or angelsin their exterior heaven. And as it has been disclosed to me what thecharacter of those [interior] angels is, it is permitted me to relatewhat it has been given me to know concerning them. A certain one ofthose spirits of Jupiter, who inspire fear, approached my left sidebeneath the elbow, and spoke to me from thence. His speech was harsh, and his expressions were not very distinct and separate from eachother, so that I had to consider a long time before I could gatherthe sense; and while he was speaking he inspired some degree of fear, admonishing me in this way to receive the angels well when they came. But it was given me to reply that this did not depend on me, but thatwith me all were received according to what they themselves were. Soon after this the angels of that earth came, and it was given me toperceive from their speech with me that they differed entirely fromthe angels of our Earth; for their speech was not effected by meansof words, but by means of ideas which diffused themselves through myinteriors from all sides: and for this reason also they had aninflux into the face, so that the face accorded with each particular, beginning at the lips, and proceeding towards the circumference inevery direction. The ideas, which were in place of verbal expressionswere discrete from each other, but in a very small degree. Afterwardsthey spoke with me by means of ideas still less discrete, so thathardly any interval was perceived: in my perception it was like themeaning of words with those who attend only to the sense abstractedlyfrom the expressions. This speech was more intelligible to me than theformer, and it was also fuller. Like the other, it inflowed into theface, but the influx was more continuous according to the character ofthe speech; it did not, however, like the former, begin at thelips, but at the eyes. Afterwards they spoke in a manner still morecontinuous and full; and now the face could not accord by a suitablemotion; but it was felt that the influx was into the brain, and thatthis was acted upon in like manner. Lastly, they spoke in such amanner that the speech fell only into the interior understanding; itsfluency was like that of rarefied air. I was sensible of the influxitself, but not distinctly of the particulars. These several kinds ofspeech were circumstanced like different fluids--the first kind waslike flowing water; the second like water of less density; the thirdlike the atmosphere respectively; and the fourth like rarefied air. The spirit already mentioned, who was on the left side, sometimesinterposed, chiefly admonishing me to behave modestly towards hisangels; for there were spirits present from our Earth who suggestedsuch things as gave displeasure. He said that he did not [at first]understand what the angels were speaking about, but that he afterwardsdid, when he had moved to my left ear. Then also his speech was notharsh as before, but like that of other spirits. 

81. I afterwards spoke with the angels respecting some of theremarkable things on our Earth, especially the art of printing, theWord, and the various doctrinals of the church from the Word; andI stated that the Word and the doctrinals [of the church] werepublished, and were thus learnt. They wondered exceedingly that suchthings could be made public by writing and printing. 

82. It was given me to see how the spirits of that earth, after havingbeen prepared, are taken up into heaven, and become angels. On suchoccasions there appear chariots and shining horses as of fire, bywhich they are carried away like Elijah. The reason why chariotsand shining horses as of fire appear, is that in this way there isrepresented that they are instructed and prepared to enter heaven; forchariots signify the doctrinals of the church, and shining horses, anenlightened understanding[ee]. 

[Footnote ee: Chariots signify the doctrinals of the Church, nos. 2760, 5321, 8215. Horses signify the Intellectual, nos. 2760, 2761, 2762, 3217, 5321, 6125, 6400, 6534, 7024, 8146, 8148, 8381. The WhiteHorse in the Apocalypse signifies the understanding of the Word, no. 2760. By Elijah in the representative sense is meant the Word, nos. 2762, 5247. And since all the doctrine of the church and theunderstanding thereof are from the Word, Elijah is called "thechariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof, " no. 2762. On thisaccount he was taken up by a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, nos. 2762, 8029. ]

83. The heaven into which they are carried away appears on the righttowards their earth, consequently separated from the heaven of theangels of our Earth. The angels who are in that heaven appear clothedin resplendent blue, spotted with little stars of gold, and thisbecause they were fond of that colour in the world, and also believedit to be the most heavenly colour, especially because they are in thatvariety of good of love to which this colour corresponds[ff]. 

[Footnote ff: Blue originating in red or flame corresponds to the goodof celestial love; and blue originating in white or light (_lucidum_)corresponds to the good of spiritual love, no. 9868. ]

84. There appeared to me a bald head, but only the topmost part of it, which was bony. I was told that such a bald head is seen by those whoare to die within a year, and that they then prepare themselves. Theydo not fear death there, except on account of leaving their conjugialconsorts, their children, or their parents, for they know that theyshall live after death, and that they do not quit life because theygo to heaven; wherefore, they do not call death dying, but beingheaven-made. Those on that earth who have lived in truly conjugiallove, and have taken such care of their children as becomes parents, do not die of disease, but tranquilly as in sleep, and so pass fromthe world into heaven. The age of man there is generally thirty years, according to the years of our Earth. It is of the Lord's Providencethat they die within such a short space of time, lest the number ofmen should increase beyond what that earth can support. And as, whenthey have completed those years, they do not suffer themselves to beled by spirits and angels, like those who have not yet completed them, spirits and angels seldom attend those who have passed that age. Theyalso come to maturity sooner than on our Earth. They also contractmarriages in the first flower of early manhood, and then theirdelights consist in loving their conjugial partners and taking careof their children. Other delights they indeed call delights, butrelatively external ones. 

THE EARTH OR PLANET MARS, AND ITS SPIRITS AND INHABITANTS. 

85. Of all the spirits who come from the earths of this solar system, those of Mars are the best, being for the most part celestial men, notunlike those who were of the Most Ancient Church on this Earth[gg]. When they are represented as to their quality, they are representedwith the face in heaven and the body in the world of spirits; andthose of them who are angels are represented with the face towards theLord and the body in heaven. 

[Footnote gg: The first and Most Ancient Church on this earth was acelestial church, which was the chief of all, concerning which, seenos. 607, 895, 920, 1121, 1122, 1123, 1124, 2896, 4493, 8891, 9942, 10545. A church is called celestial wherein love to the Lord is theprincipal thing, but spiritual wherein the principal thing is charitytowards the neighbour, and faith, nos. 3691, 6435, 9468, 9680, 9683, 9780. ]

86. In the idea of spirits and angels, the planet Mars, like theplanets elsewhere, appears constantly in its own place, which is tothe left in front, at some distance, in the plane of the breast, andthus outside of the sphere where the spirits of our Earth are. Thespirits of one earth are separated from those of another, because thespirits of each earth have relation to some particular province in theGrand Man[f]; and are, therefore, in other and different states;and this diversity of state causes them to appear separate from eachother, either to the right or to the left, at a greater or lesserdistance[hh]. 

[Footnote hh: Distances in the other life are real appearances, whichare exhibited to the sight by the Lord, according to the states of theinteriors of angels and spirits, nos. 5604, 9104, 9440, 10146. ]

87. Spirits from thence came to me, and applied themselves to myleft temple, where they breathed their speech upon me, but I did notunderstand it. As to its flow it was very soft: I had never beforeperceived any softer; it was like a very gentle breeze. It breathedfirst upon the left temple, and upon the upper part of the left ear;the breathing proceeded thence to the left eye, and by degrees to theright, and flowed down afterwards, especially from the left eye, to the lips; and when at the lips it entered through the mouth, andthrough a way within the mouth, and, indeed, through the Eustachiantube, into the brain. When the breathing arrived there, I understoodtheir speech, and was enabled to speak with them. When they spoke withme, I observed that my lips were moved, and my tongue also slightly, which was owing to the correspondence of interior with exteriorspeech. Exterior speech is that of articulate sound which impingesupon the external membrane of the ear, and it is conveyed from thence, by means of the small organs, membranes, and fibres, which are withinthe ear, to the brain. From these facts it was given me to know thatthe speech of the inhabitants of Mars was different from that ofthe inhabitants of our Earth, in that it is not sonorous, but almosttacit, insinuating itself into the interior hearing and sight by ashorter way; and that, being such, it was more perfect, and fuller ofthe ideas of thought, thus approaching nearer to the speech of spiritsand angels. Among them the very affection of the speech is alsorepresented in the face, and its thought in the eyes; for with themthought and speech, and affection and the face, act in unity. Theyaccount it infamous to think one thing and speak another, and to willone thing and show another in the face. They know not what hypocrisyis, nor fraudulent simulation and deceit. The same kind of speechprevailed amongst the Most Ancient inhabitants of our Earth, as it hasbeen given me to learn by conversation with some of them in the otherlife; and to elucidate this subject I may relate what I have heardrespecting it, as follows: "It was shown me by an influx which Icannot describe, what was the character of the speech which prevailedamongst those who were of the Most Ancient Church[gg]. It was notarticulate, like the vocal speech of our time, but tacit, beingeffected, not by external, but by internal respiration, consequentlyit was a cogitative speech. It was given me also to apperceive thecharacter of their internal respiration. It proceeded from the naveltowards the heart, and so through the lips without sound when theyspoke. It did not enter the ear of another by an external way, andstrike upon what is called the drum of the ear, but by a certaininternal way, and indeed by what at this day is called the Eustachiantube. It was shown me, that by such speech they could express thefeelings of the mind (_animus_), and the ideas of thought, muchmore fully than can possibly be done by articulate sounds or audibleexpressions, which speech is likewise directed by respiration, butexternal; for there is not a vocal sound, yea, there is nothing in avocal sound, which is not directed by applications of the respiration. But with them this was done much more perfectly, because by theinternal respiration, which, because more interior, is also moreperfect, and more applicable and conformable to the very ideas ofthought; besides, [it is done] also by slight motions of the lips, andcorresponding changes of the face; for, as they were celestial men, whatever they thought shone forth from their face and eyes, which wereconformably varied, the face as to form according to the life of theaffection, and the eyes as to light. It was quite impossible forthem to present a countenance which was not in agreement with theirthoughts. As their speech was effected by internal respiration, whichis that of the human spirit itself, they could have communion withangels, and speak with them. " The respiration of the spirits ofMars was also communicated to me[ii], and it was perceived that itproceeded from the region of the chest towards the navel, and thenceflowed upwards through the breast, with an imperceptible breathing(_halitus_) towards the mouth. From these facts, and also from otherexperiential proofs, it was made evident to me that they were of acelestial genius, consequently, that they were not unlike those whobelonged to the Most Ancient Church on this earth. 

[Footnote ii: Spirits and angels have respiration, nos. 3884, 3885, 3891, 3893. ]

88. I was informed that the spirits of Mars in the Grand Man haverelation to the medium between the Intellectual and the Voluntary, consequently to THOUGHT FROM AFFECTION, and the best of them to THEAFFECTION OF THOUGHT; hence it is that their face acts in unitywith their thought, and that they cannot simulate in the presence ofanyone. And as this is their relation in the Grand Man, themiddle province, which is between the cerebrum and the cerebellum, corresponds to them; for with those in whom the cerebrum and thecerebellum are conjoined as to spiritual operations, the face actsin unity with the thought, so that the very affection of the thoughtshines forth from the face, and the general [character] of the thoughtfrom the affection, and also from certain signs that show themselvesin the eyes. Wherefore, while they were with me, I sensiblyapperceived a drawing back of the anterior part of the head towardsthe hinder part, thus of the cerebrum towards the cerebellum[kk]. 

[Footnote kk: Human faces on our Earth in ancient times receivedinflux from the cerebellum, and then the face acted in unity with theinterior affections of the man; but afterwards they received influxfrom the cerebrum when man began to simulate and counterfeit by theface affections not his own. Concerning the changes thereby occasionedto the face in course of time, see nos. 4325-4328. ]

89. On one occasion when spirits of Mars were with me, and occupiedthe sphere of my mind, spirits from our Earth came and desired tointrude themselves also into that sphere; but the spirits of ourEarth became as if insane: this was caused by their being quite out ofharmony; for the spirits of our Earth in the Grand Man have relationto the external sense, and consequently these spirits were in ideaturned towards the world and towards self, while the spirits of Marswere in idea turned from self to heaven and the neighbour; hence thecontrariety. But some angelic spirits of Mars then approached, and ontheir coming the communication was taken away, and so the spirits ofour Earth departed. 

90. The angelic spirits spoke with me concerning the life of theinhabitants on their earth; [saying] that they are not under forms ofgovernment, but are distinguished into greater and lesser societies, in which they associate themselves with such as agree in disposition, which they know at once by the face and speech, and in this they areseldom mistaken; they are then instantly friends. They also said theirconsociations are delightful, and that they converse with each otheron what passes in their societies, and especially in heaven, for manyof them have open communication with the angels of heaven. Those intheir societies who begin to think wrongly, and consequently towill what is evil, are dissociated and left to themselves alone, in consequence of which they drag on a most wretched life, out ofsociety, among rocks or other places, for the rest no longer troubleabout them. Some societies try by various methods to compel suchpersons to repent; but when this is to no purpose they dissociatethemselves from them. Thus they take precautions lest the lust ofdominion and the lust of gain should creep in, that is, lest from thelust of dominion any should subject some society to themselves, andafterwards many others; and lest from the lust of gain any shoulddeprive others of their goods. Every one there lives content with hisown goods, and every one with his own honour, that of being reputedjust and a lover of the neighbour. This delightful and tranquil stateof mind (_animus_) would perish, unless those who think and willevil were cast out, and a prudent but severe check given to the firstbeginnings of the love of self and the love of the world. For theseare the loves which first led to the establishment of empires andkingdoms, within which there are few who do not desire to acquiredominion, and to possess the goods of others, for there are few who dowhat is just and fair from a love of justice and fairness, still lesswho do good from charity itself, but most from fear of the law, theloss of life, of gain, of honour, and of reputation for the sake ofthese. 

91. Concerning the Divine worship of those who dwell on that earth, they said that they acknowledge and adore our Lord, saying that He isthe only God, and that He governs both heaven and the universe; thatall good is from Him, and that He leads them; also that He very oftenappears on their earth amongst them. It was then given me to tell themthat on our Earth Christians also know that the Lord governs heavenand earth, according to His own words in Matthew, "_All power is givenunto Me in heaven and on earth_" (xxviii. 18), but that they do notbelieve it as those who belong to the earth Mars do. They said alsothat there they believe that with themselves there is nothing but whatis filthy and infernal, and that all good is of the Lord; nay, theyadded that of themselves they are devils, and that the Lord draws themout of hell, and continually withholds them from it. On one occasion, when the Lord was named, I saw that those spirits humbled themselvesmore inwardly and profoundly than can be described: for in theirhumiliation there was the thought that of themselves they were inhell, and that thus they were utterly unworthy to look to the Lord, who is the Holy itself. So profoundly were they in this thought fromfaith, that they were, as it were, outside of themselves, and in thatthought they remained on their knees till the Lord raised them, andthen drew them as it were out of hell. When they thus emerge fromhumiliation, they are filled with good and love, and consequently withjoy of heart. When they humble themselves in this manner, they do notturn their face to the Lord, for this they dare not do then, but avertit. The spirits who were about me said that never had they seen suchhumiliation. 

92. Some spirits who were from that earth were surprised that so manyspirits from hell were about me, and that they also spoke to me; butit was given me to reply that this was permitted them for the purposeof enabling me to know their characters, and why they are in hell, andthat this is according to their life. It was also given me to statethat there were several among them whom I had known when they lived inthe world, and that some of them had then occupied stations of greatdignity, and that then they had nothing at heart but the world; butthat no evil spirit, even the most infernal, could possibly do me anyinjury, because I was continually protected by the Lord. 

93. An inhabitant of that earth was exhibited before me. He was notindeed an inhabitant, but was like one. His face resembled the facesof the inhabitants of our Earth, but the lower part of the face wasblack, not owing to a beard, which he had not, but to blackness in itsplace. This blackness extended to underneath the ears on bothsides. The upper part of the face was ruddy, like the faces of theinhabitants of our Earth who are not quite fair. They said furtherthat on their earth they subsist on the fruits of trees, especiallyon a certain kind of round fruit which grows out of their earth; andlikewise on pulse. They are clothed with garments which they make ofthe fibres of the inner bark of certain trees, which fibres have sucha consistence that they can be woven, and also cemented together by akind of gum they have among them. They related further that they knowhow to make fluid fires, from which they have light during evening andnight. 

94. I saw a certain flaming object, exceedingly beautiful; it was ofvarious colours, crimson, and also a glowing ruby hue, and from theflame the colours also glowed beautifully. I also saw a hand, to whichthis flaming object adhered, at first on the back of it, afterwardson the palm or hollow, and from thence it played round about the hand. This continued for some time. Afterwards this hand with the flamingobject was removed to a distance and where it rested there was abright light (_lucidum_). In that bright light the hand disappeared;and the flaming object was then changed into a bird, whose colourswere at first similar to those of the flaming object, and gleamed inthe same manner; but these colours gradually changed, and with themthe vigour of life in the bird. It flew about, at first about my head, then forwards into a kind of narrow chamber, which appeared like asanctuary, and as it flew onwards its life departed, and at length itbecame stony; it was then at first of a pearly, afterwards of a duskycolour; but although without life, it kept on flying. While this birdwas flying about my head, and still in the vigour of life, a spiritwas seen rising up from below, through the region of the loins to thatof the breast, and from there he wished to take that bird; but becauseit was so beautiful, the spirits who were about me prevented his doingso, for the eyes of all were fixed upon it. But this spirit who hadrisen up from below used all his power to persuade them that theLord was with him, and consequently that he was acting from the Lord. Although the most of them did not believe this, they nevertheless nolonger hindered him from taking the bird; but as at that moment heaveninflowed he was unable to retain it, but immediately, opening hishand, set it free. When this had taken place, the spirits who werearound me, and who had intently watched the bird and its successivechanges, began talking with each other about it, and they continuedtalking for a considerable time. They perceived that such a sightcould not but signify something heavenly; they knew that what isflaming signifies celestial love and its affections; that a hand, towhich the flaming object adhered, signifies life and its power; thatchanges of the colours signify the varieties of life as to wisdomand intelligence; that a bird has the same signification with thisdifference, however, that what is flaming signifies celestial loveand the things that belong to celestial love, while a bird signifiesspiritual love and the things that belong to that love; (celestiallove is love to the Lord, and spiritual love is charity towards theneighbour, [note gg]); and that the changes of the colours and at thesame time of the life in the bird, till it became stony, signify thesuccessive changes of spiritual life as to intelligence. They alsoknew that the spirits who ascend from below, through the region of theloins to that of the breast, are in a strong persuasion that theyare in the Lord, and consequently believe that whatever they do, eventhough it be evil, they do of the Lord's will. But nevertheless thisdid not enable them to know who were meant by that sight. At lengththey were instructed from heaven, that the inhabitants of Mars weremeant; that their celestial love, in which many of them still are, wassignified by the flaming object that adhered to the hand; and that thebird in the beginning, while it was in the beauty of its colours andthe vigour of its life, signified their spiritual love: but that thebird when it had become as it were stony and devoid of life, and atlength of a dusky colour, signified those inhabitants who have removedthemselves from the good of love, and are in evil, and still believe, nevertheless, that they are in the Lord. The same thing was signifiedby the spirit who rose up and wished to take away the bird. 

95. The bird of stone also represented inhabitants of that earth, who by a strange method transmute the life of their thoughts andaffections into almost no life, on which subject I have learned thefollowing particulars. There was a certain spirit above my head whospoke with me, and from the tone of his voice he was apperceived tobe as it were in a state of sleep. In this state he spoke many things, and with a sagacity (_prudentia_) that he could not have surpassedwhen awake. It was given me to perceive that he was a subject throughwhom angels spoke, and that in that state he apperceived [theirspeech] and produced it[ll]; for he spoke nothing but what was true;if anything inflowed from any other source, he indeed admitted it, but did not produce it. I questioned him respecting his state. Hesaid that to him that state was a peaceful one, and was free from allsolicitude respecting the future; and that at the same time he wasperforming uses by which he had communication with heaven. I wastold that such, in the Grand Man, have relation to the _longitudinalsinus_, which lies in the brain between its two hemispheres, and isthere in a tranquil state, no matter how disturbed the brain may beon either side. While I was in conversation with this spirit, somespirits introduced themselves towards the anterior part of the headwhere he was, and pressed upon him; wherefore he retired to one side, and gave place to them. The spirit strangers spoke with each other;but neither the spirits about me, nor I myself, understood what theysaid. I was informed by the angels that they were spirits from theearth Mars, who have the skill to speak with each other in such a waythat the spirits present could not understand or perceive anything. Iwondered that there could possibly be speech of this kind, sincefor all spirits there is one speech, which flows from thought, and consists of ideas which are heard as vocal expressions in thespiritual world. I was told that those spirits have a certain methodof forming ideas, expressed by the lips and face, unintelligible toothers, and that they at the same instant skilfully withdraw theirthoughts, guarding particularly lest anything of the affection shouldmanifest itself, because if anything of the affection were perceived, the thought would appear, for the thought flows from the affection, and as it were in it. I was further informed that such speech wascontrived by those inhabitants of Mars, --though not by all, --who makeheavenly life to consist in knowledges alone, and not in the life oflove; and that when they become spirits they retain it. These are theywho were specially signified by the bird of stone; for to producea speech by alterations of the face and motions of the lips, witha removal of the affections and a withdrawal of the thoughts fromothers, is to deprive speech of life and make it like an image, andby degrees to produce the same effect on themselves. But although theyimagine that what they speak among themselves is not understood byothers, angelic spirits nevertheless perceive each and all of thethings they say, the reason being that no thought can be withdrawnfrom them. This was also shown them by actual experience. I wasthinking of the fact that the evil spirits of our Earth are notaffected with shame when they infest others. This [thought] inflowedwith me from some angelic spirits who perceived their speech. Thosespirits of Mars then acknowledged that this was the subject they werespeaking of among themselves, and they were astonished. Besides this, more things, both of their conversation and thought, were disclosed byan angelic spirit, notwithstanding all their endeavours to hide awaytheir thoughts from him. Afterwards those spirits inflowed from aboveinto my face. The influx was felt like fine striated rain, which wasa sign that they were not in the affection of truth and of good, forthis is represented by what is striated. They then spoke plainly withme, saying, that the inhabitants of their earth speak in the sameway among themselves. They were then told that this is evil, as byso doing they block up the internals, and recede from them to theexternals, which also they deprive of their life; and especiallybecause it is not sincere to speak in this manner. For they whoare sincere do not wish to speak or even to think anything but whatothers, yea, what all, even the whole heaven, might know. But thosewho are unwilling that others should know what they say, pass judgmenton others, and think ill of others and well of themselves, and atlength are led by habit so far as to think and speak ill of thechurch, and of heaven, yea, of the Lord Himself. I have been told thatthose who love knowledges, and not so much a life according to them, have relation, in the Grand Man, to the inner membrane of the skull;but that those who accustom themselves to speak without affection, andto draw the thought to themselves and withdraw it from others, haverelation to that membrane, when it has become ossified, because, fromhaving some spiritual life, they come at length to have none. 

[Footnote ll: Communications are effected by means of spirits sentforth from societies of spirits and angels to other societies, andthese emissary spirits are called Subjects, nos. 4403, 5856, 5983, 5985-5989. ]

96. As the bird of stone represented those also who are in knowledgesalone, and in no life of love, and as these consequently have nospiritual life, therefore, by way of appendix, I may here show thatthose only have spiritual life who are in heavenly love, and thencein knowledges; and that a love contains in itself all the power ofknowing (_cognitinum_) which belongs to that love. Take for examplethe animals of the earth, and also the living creatures of the heaven, that is, the birds. These have the knowledge (_scientia_) of allthings that belong to their love. Their loves are, to nourishthemselves, to dwell safely, to propagate their kind, to take careof their young, and, with some, to provide for the winter. They have, therefore, all the requisite knowledge, for this is inherent in thoseloves, and inflows into them as into its own receptacles; and thisknowledge in some animals is such that man cannot but be amazed at it. Their knowledge is connate and is called instinct; but it belongs tothe natural love in which they are. If man were in his own love, whichis love to God and towards the neighbour, (this love is man's peculiarlove, by which he is distinguished from beasts, and it is heavenlylove, ) he would not only be in all requisite knowledge, but likewisein all intelligence and wisdom; for these [qualities] would inflowinto those loves from heaven, that is, from the Divine throughheaven. As, however, man is not born into those loves, but into theircontraries, that is to say, into the loves of self and of the world, therefore he cannot but be born in complete ignorance and wantof knowledge But by Divine means he is brought to something ofintelligence and wisdom, yet not actually into any, unless the lovesof self and of the world are removed, and a way is thus opened forlove to God and towards the neighbour. That love to God and lovetowards the neighbour have in them all intelligence and wisdom, mayappear from those who have been in those loves in the world. These, when, after death, they come into heaven, know and are wise in thingsof which they previously knew nothing; yea, they there think andspeak, like the rest of the angels, such things as the ear has notheard, nor the mind known, which are ineffable. The reason is, thatthose loves have the faculty of receiving such things into themselves. 

THE EARTH OR PLANET SATURN, AND ITS SPIRITS AND INHABITANTS. 

97. The spirits from that earth appear in front at a considerabledistance, below, in the plane of the knees, where that earth itselfis; and when the eye is opened thither, a multitude of spirits comeinto view, who are all from that earth. They are seen on this side ofthat earth, and to the right of it. It has been given me to speak withthem also, and thereby to know of what character they are relativelyto others. They are well-disposed, and they are modest; and as theyesteem themselves little, therefore also in the other life they appearsmall. 

98. They are extremely humble in worship, for in worship they esteemthemselves as nothing. They worship our Lord, and acknowledge Him asthe only God. The Lord also appears to them at times under an angelicform, and thus as a Man, and at such times the Divine shines forthfrom His face, and affects the mind (_animus_). The inhabitants also, when they come of age, speak with spirits, by whom they are instructedconcerning the Lord, and how He ought to be worshipped, and also howthey ought to live. When any desire to lead astray the spirits who arefrom that earth, and to draw them away from faith in the Lord, or fromhumiliation towards Him, and from uprightness of life, they say theywish to die. On these occasions there appear in their hands smallknives, with which they seem to desire to strike their breasts. Onbeing questioned why they do so, they say that they would rather diethan be drawn away from the Lord. The spirits of our Earth sometimesmock at them on this account, and assail them with reproaches foracting so; but their reply is, that they are well aware that they donot kill themselves, but that this is only an appearance flowing forthfrom the will of their mind (_animus_) rather to die than be drawnaway from the worship of the Lord. 

99. They said that sometimes spirits from our Earth come to them andask them what God they worship, their answer to whom is, that they areinsane, and that there can be no greater insanity than to ask whatGod any one worships, when yet there is but one God for all in theuniverse; and that still more insane are they in not saying that theLord is that One only God, and that He governs the whole heaven, andconsequently the whole world, since He who governs heaven must alsogovern the world, because the world is governed by means of heaven. 

100. They said that on their earth there are some who call thenocturnal light (_lumen_), which is great, the Lord, but that theseare separated from the rest, and are not tolerated by them. Thatnocturnal light (_lumen_) comes from the great ring which encirclesthat earth at a distance, and from the moons which are called thesatellites of Saturn. 

101. They related that another kind of spirits, who go in troops, frequently come to them, desiring to learn how things are with them, and that by various methods they elicit from them whatever they know. They said of these spirits, that they are not insane, except in thisparticular, that they desire to know so much for no other use thanthat simply of knowing. They were afterwards instructed that thesespirits are from the planet Mercury, that is, from the earth nearestthe sun, and that they are delighted with knowledges alone, and not somuch with the uses from them. 

102. The inhabitants and spirits of the planet Saturn have relation, in the Grand Man, to the MIDDLE SENSE BETWEEN THE SPIRITUAL AND THENATURAL MAN, but to that which recedes from the natural and accedesto the spiritual. Hence it is that those spirits appear to be carriedaway or caught up into heaven, and soon afterwards let down again; forwhatever belongs to spiritual sense is in heaven, but whatever belongsto natural sense is beneath heaven. Inasmuch as the spirits of ourEarth, in the Grand Man, have relation to natural and corporealsense, it has been given me to know from manifest experience how thespiritual and the natural man, when the latter is not in faith andcharity, fight and contend with each other. Some spirits of the earthSaturn came into view from afar, and then a living communicationwas opened between them and spirits of our Earth who were of thischaracter. These latter, on thus perceiving the spirits of Saturn, became as if insane, and began to infest them, infusing unworthyideas concerning faith, and also concerning the Lord. While utteringinvective and abuse, they also cast themselves into the midst of them, and, from the insanity in which they were, endeavoured to do theminjury. The spirits of Saturn, however, were not at all afraid, because they were secure and in tranquillity; but those spirits of ourEarth, when in the midst of them, began to be tortured, and to breathewith difficulty, and so rushed out, one in this direction, another inthat, and disappeared. Those who were present apperceived from thiswhat is the character of the natural man, separate from the spiritual, when he comes into a spiritual sphere, namely, that he is insane;for the natural man separate from the spiritual is wise only from theworld, and not at all from heaven; and he who is wise only from theworld, believes nothing but what the senses apprehend, and what hebelieves he believes from the fallacies of the senses, which, unlessthey are removed by the influx from the spiritual world, producefalsities. Hence it is that spiritual things are nothing to him, insomuch that he can hardly bear to hear the word spiritual mentioned;wherefore such become insane when they are kept in a spiritual sphere. It is different while they live in the world; then they either thinknaturally about spiritual things, or avert their ears, that is, hearand do not attend. It was also manifest from this experience, thatthe natural man cannot introduce himself into the spiritual, that is, ascend; but that, when man is in faith, and thus in spiritual life, the spiritual man inflows into the natural, and thinks therein; forthere is spiritual influx, that is, influx from the spiritual worldinto the natural, but not contrariwise[mm]. 

[Footnote mm: There is spiritual influx, and not physical or naturalinflux, consequently influx is from the spiritual world into thenatural, and not from the natural into the spiritual, nos. 3219, 5119, 5259, 5427, 5428, 5477, 6322. It appears as if influx were fromexternals into man's internals, but this is a fallacy, no. 3721. ]

103. Furthermore, the spirits of that earth gave me informationconcerning the inhabitants, the nature of their consociations andother particulars. They said that they live divided into families, every family apart from the others; thus, a man (_vir_) and wifewith their children; and that these, when they unite in marriage, are separated from the house of the parents, and have no further careabout it; wherefore the spirits from that earth appear in pairs. Thatthey are little solicitous about food and raiment; that they live onthe fruits and pulse which their earth produces; and that they arelightly clothed, being girt with a coarse skin or coat, which keepsout the cold. Further, that all on that earth know that they shalllive after death; and that on this account they have no care for theirbody, except so far as is necessary for the sake of the life whichthey say is to endure and to serve the Lord; that for this reason alsothey do not bury the bodies of the dead, but cast them away, and coverthem with branches of trees from the forest. 

104. Being questioned concerning that great belt which appears fromour Earth to rise above the horizon of that planet, and to vary itspositions, they said, that it does not appear to them as a belt, butonly as a snowy something in the sky in various directions. 

THE EARTH OR PLANET VENUS, AND ITS SPIRITS AND INHABITANTS. 

105. The planet Venus, in the idea of spirits and angels, appears tothe left a little behind, at some distance from our Earth. It is said, in the idea of spirits, because to no spirit does the sun of thissystem, or any planet, appear; but spirits have only an idea that theyexist. In consequence of this bare idea, the sun of this system isexhibited behind as a very dark something, and the planets not movingas in the system, but remaining constantly in their places (see above, no. 42). 

106. In the planet Venus there are two kinds of men, of contrarydispositions; the first mild and humane, the second savage and almostbrutal. Those who are mild and humane appear on the other side of theearth, those who are savage and almost brutal appear on the side ofit looking this way. But it should be known that they appearthus according to the states of their life, for the state of lifedetermines every appearance of space and of distance there. 

107. Some of those who appear on the other side of the planet, andwho are mild and humane, came to me, and were presented to my sightoverhead, and I spoke with them on various subjects. Amongst otherthings, they said that while they were in the world they acknowledged, and now still more acknowledge, our Lord as their One only God. Theyadded that on their earth they had seen Him, and they also representedhow they had seen Him. These spirits, in the Grand Man, have relationto _the memory of material things, agreeing with the memory ofimmaterial things_, to which the spirits of Mercury have relation:wherefore the spirits of Mercury have the fullest agreement with thesespirits of Venus; therefore, when they were together, I was sensiblefrom their influx of a remarkable change, and a powerful operation inmy brain (see above, no. 43). 

108. I did not, however, speak with those spirits who are on the sidethat looks this way, and who are savage and almost brutal; but theangels informed me of their character, and the origin of their sobrutal nature: it is this; they are greatly delighted with robbery, and more especially with eating the prey. The delight they havein thinking about eating the prey was communicated to me, and wasapperceived to be exceedingly great. That there have also beeninhabitants of a like brutal nature, on our Earth, appears from thehistories of various nations; also from the inhabitants of the land ofCanaan (1 Sam. Xxx. 16); and likewise from the Jewish and Israelitishnation even in the time of David, in that they made yearly excursions, and plundered the nations, and rejoiced in feasting on the booty. Iwas informed, further, that the greater part of those inhabitants aregiants, and that the men of our Earth reach only to their navel; also, that they are stupid, not seeking to know anything about heaven oreternal life, their only care being about their land and their cattle. 

109. As they are of this character, even when they come into the otherlife, they are greatly infested there by evils and falsities. Theirhells appear near the earth, and do not communicate with the hellsof the evil of our Earth, because they are of an entirely differentgenius and disposition; hence also their evils and falsities are of anentirely different kind. 

110. But those of them who are such that they can be saved, are inplaces of vastation, and are there reduced to the last degree ofdespair; for evils and falsities of this kind cannot otherwise besubdued and removed. When they are in the state of despair, they cryout that they are beasts, that they are abominations, that they arehatreds, and thus that they are damned. Some of them, when in such astate, even cry out against heaven; but for this they are forgiven, because it proceeds from despair. The Lord restrains them fromindulging in vituperation beyond fixed limits. When they have passedthrough extreme suffering, the corporeal [principles] with them beingthen as it were dead, they are finally saved. It was also said of themthat, during their life on their earth, they had believed in a certainsupreme Creator without a Mediator; but when they are saved, they arealso instructed that the Lord is the only God, Saviour, and Mediator. I have seen some of them, after they had passed through extremesuffering, taken up into heaven; and when they were received there, Ihave apperceived such a tenderness of joy from them as drew tears frommy eyes. 

THE SPIRITS AND INHABITANTS OF THE MOON. 

111. Some spirits appeared overhead, and voices like thunders wereheard thence; for their voices thundered forth just as thunders dofrom the clouds after lightnings. I supposed that there was an immensemultitude of spirits, who had acquired the art of uttering theirvoices with such a sound. The more simple spirits who were with melaughed at them, at which I greatly marvelled. The cause of theirlaughter was soon disclosed, and it was, that the spirits whothundered were not many, but few, and were also small as children, andthat on former occasions they had terrified them by such sounds, andyet were quite unable to do them the least harm. In order that I mightknow their character, some of them let themselves down from on high, where they were thundering; and, strange to say, one carried anotheron his back, and the two thus approached me. Their faces appeared notunhandsome, but longer than those of other spirits. In stature theywere like boys of seven years old, but of more robust frame; so thatthey were dwarfs. I was told by the angels that they were from theMoon. The one who had been carried by the other came to me, applyinghimself to my left side under the elbow, and from thence he spoke, saying, that when they utter their voice they thunder in this manner;and that by so doing they strike with terror the spirits who woulddo them harm, and put some to flight, so that they go safely whereverthey please. In order that I might know for certain that the soundthey make was of this kind, he retired from me to some others, but notquite out of sight, and thundered in like manner. They showed to me, moreover, that their voice, being sent forth from the abdomen afterthe manner of an eructation, thus resounded like thunder. It wasperceived that this arose from the circumstance, that the inhabitantsof the Moon do not, like the inhabitants of other earths, speak fromthe lungs, but from the abdomen, and thus from some collection of airtherein; the reason of which is, that the Moon is not surrounded withan atmosphere of the same kind as that of other earths. I was informedthat the spirits of the Moon, in the Grand Man, have relation to theensiform or xiphoid cartilage to which the ribs are attached infront, and from which descends the _linea alba_, which is the point ofattachment of the abdominal muscle. 

112. It is known to spirits and angels, that there are inhabitantseven in the Moon, and likewise in the moons or satellites which areabout the earth Jupiter and the earth Saturn. Even those who have notseen spirits who are from them, and spoken with them, entertainno doubt that there are human beings upon them, for they, too, areearths, and where there is an earth, there is man; for man is the endfor the sake of which an earth exists, and nothing has been made bythe Supreme Creator without an end. It may be evident to anyone whothinks from reason in any degree enlightened that the end of creationis the human race, in order that there may exist a heaven from it. 

THE REASONS WHY THE LORD WILLED TO BE BORN ON OUR EARTH, AND NOT ONANY OTHER

113. There are several reasons, about which I have receivedinformation from heaven, why it pleased the Lord to be born, and toassume the Human, on our Earth, and not on any other. THE PRINCIPALREASON _was for the sake of the Word, that it might be written on ourEarth; and when written might afterwards be published throughout thewhole Earth; and that, once published, it might be preserved for allposterity; and that thus it might be made manifest, even to all in theother life, that God did become Man_. 

114. _That the principal reason was for the sake of the Word_, isbecause the Word is the Divine Truth itself, which teaches man thatthere is a God, that there is a heaven and a hell, that there is alife after death; and which teaches, besides, how man ought to liveand believe in order that he may come into heaven, and thus maybe happy to eternity. Without revelation, and thus, on this Earth, without the Word, all these things would have been entirely unknown;and yet man has been so created, that as to his interiors he cannotdie[nn]. 

[Footnote nn: By natural light (_lumen_) alone, nothing can be knownconcerning the Lord, heaven and hell, the life of man after death, and the Divine truths, by means of which man has spiritual and eternallife, nos. 8944, 10318-10320. This may appear from the considerationthat many, and amongst them the learned, do not believe thesethings, although they are born where the Word is, and where there isinstruction by means of the Word concerning them, no. 10319. Thereforeit was necessary that there should be a revelation from heaven, because man was born for heaven, no. 1775. ]

115. _That the Word might be written on our Earth_, is because theart of writing has existed here from the most ancient time, firston tablets, next on parchment, afterwards on paper, and lastlypublication by printing. This was provided by the Lord for the sake ofthe Word. 

116. _That the Word might afterwards be published throughout thewhole of this Earth_, is because here there is an intercourse of allnations, not only by journeys on land, but also by navigation to allparts of the entire globe; hence the Word, after it had once beenwritten, could be conveyed from one nation to another, and be taughteverywhere. 

117. _That the Word, after it had once been written, might bepreserved for all posterity_, consequently for thousands and thousandsof years, and that it has also been so preserved, is known. 

118. _That thus it might he made manifest that God has become man_;for this is the first and most essential purpose for which the Wordwas given; since no one can believe in a God, and love a God, whom hecannot comprehend under some form; wherefore, they who acknowledge aninvisible and thus incomprehensible [principle], sink in thought intonature, and consequently believe in no God. Wherefore, it pleased theLord to be born on this Earth, and to make this manifest throughthe Word, so that it might not only be made known on this globe, but_might also by this means be made manifest to spirits and angels fromother earths, and likewise to the gentiles from our own[oo]_. 

[Footnote oo: The gentiles in the other life are instructed by angels, and they who have lived well according to their religionism receivethe truths of faith and acknowledge the Lord, nos. 2049, 2595, 2598, 2600-2603, 2861, 2863, 3263. ]

119. It should be known that the Word on our Earth, which was givenby the Lord through heaven, effects the union of heaven and the world, for which end there is a correspondence of all things in the letterof the Word with the Divine things in heaven; and that the Word inits supreme and inmost sense treats of the Lord, of His kingdom in theheavens and on earth, and of love and faith from Him and towards Him, consequently of life from Him and in Him. Such things are exhibitedto the angels in heaven when the Word of our Earth is read andpreached[pp]. 

[Footnote pp: The Word is understood by the angels in the heavens ina different manner from what it is understood by men on Earth, andthe internal or spiritual sense is for the angels, but the external ornatural sense for men, nos. 1769-1772, 1887, 2143, 2333, 2395, 2540, 2541, 2545, 2551. The Word is what unites heaven and earth, nos. 2310, 2495, 9212, 9216, 9357, 10375. The Word, therefore, was written bystrict correspondences, nos. 1404, 1408, 1409, 1540, 1619, 1659, 1709, 1783, 8615, 10687. In the inmost sense of the Word the Lord alone andHis kingdom are treated of, nos. 1873, 2249, 2523, 7014, 9357. ]

120. In every other earth, Divine Truth is manifested by word of mouththrough spirits and angels, as was stated in the foregoing pages, intreating of the inhabitants of the earths in this solar system. Butthis takes place within families; for in most earths the human racedwell distinct according to families; wherefore, Divine Truth thusrevealed through spirits and angels is not conveyed far beyond thefamilies, and unless a new revelation constantly succeeds, it iseither perverted, or perishes. It is otherwise on our Earth, where theDivine Truth, which is the Word, remains in its integrity for ever. 

121. It should be known that the Lord acknowledges and receives all, from whatever earth they may be, who acknowledge and worship God underthe Human Form, since God under the Human Form is the Lord: and asthe Lord appears to the inhabitants in the earths in an angelic form, which is the Human Form, therefore, when the spirits and angels fromthese earths hear from the spirits and angels of our Earth that God isactually Man, they receive that Word, acknowledge it, and rejoice thatit is so. 

122. To the reasons that have been adduced above, may be added, thatthe inhabitants and spirits of our Earth, in the Grand Man, haverelation to natural and external sense; and natural and external senseis the ultimate in which the interiors of life close, and on whichthey rest, as on their common [basis]. The case is the same with theDivine Truth in the letter, which is called the Word, and which forthis reason also was given on this Earth, and not on any other[qq]. And as the Lord is the Word, and the First and Last of it, therefore, in order that all things might exist according to order. He alsowilled to be born on this Earth, and to become the Word, according tothese words in John, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word waswith God, and God was the Word. The same was in the beginning withGod. All things were made through It, and without It was not anythingmade that was made. .. . _And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt amongus, and we saw Its glory the glory as of the Only-begotten of theFather_. .. . No one hath seen God at any time; the Only-begotten Son, Who is in the bosom of the Father, Himself hath manifested Him"(i. 1-3, 14, 18). The Word denotes the Lord as to the Divine Truth, consequently the Divine Truth from the Lord[rr]. But this is anarcanum which enters into the understanding of only a few. 

[Footnote qq: The Word in the sense of the letter is natural, no. 8783; by reason that what is natural is the ultimate, in whichspiritual and celestial things close, and on which they subsist as ontheir foundation, and that otherwise the internal or spiritual senseof the Word without an external or natural sense would be as a housewithout a foundation, nos. 9430, 9433, 9824, 10044, 10436. ]

[Footnote rr: The Word is the Lord as to the Divine Truth, consequently the Divine Truth from the Lord, nos. 2859, 4692, 5075, 9987. Through the Divine Truth all things were created and made, nos. 2803, 2894, 5272, 7835. ]

EARTHS IN THE STARRY HEAVEN. 

123. Those who are in heaven are able to speak and converse not onlywith those angels and spirits who are from the earths in our solarsystem, but also with those who are from other earths in the universebeyond this system; and not only with the spirits and angels there, but also with the inhabitants themselves, only, however, with thosewhose interiors have been opened, so that they are able to hear thosewho speak from heaven. The same thing is possible for a man to whomit has been given by the Lord to speak with spirits and angels, duringhis life in the world; for a man as to his interiors is a spirit, thebody which he carries about in the world being serviceable to him onlyfor performing functions in this natural or terrestrial sphere, whichis the ultimate or last sphere. But to no one is it given to speakas a spirit with angels and spirits, unless he be of such a characterthat he can be consociated with angels as to faith and love. Neithercan he be consociated with them, unless his faith and love aredirected to the Lord; for man is conjoined to the Lord by means offaith in Him and love to Him, that is, by means of truths of doctrineand goods of life from Him; and when he has been conjoined [with theLord], he is secure from the assaults of evil spirits from hell. Withothers the interiors cannot be opened to such an extent, since theyare not in the Lord. This is the reason why there are few at thisday to whom it is given to speak and converse with angels; a manifestproof of which is, that at the present day it is scarcely believedthat spirits and angels exist, and still less that they are presentwith every man, and that through them man has connection with heaven, and, through heaven, with the Lord; and that it is still less believedthat a man, when he dies as to the body, lives a spirit, and in thehuman form as before. 

124. Since, with many in the church at the present day, there is nofaith in a life after death, and scarcely any faith concerningheaven, nor concerning the Lord as being the God of heaven and earth, therefore the interiors that are of my spirit have been opened by theLord, so that, while I am in the body, I might at the same time bewith angels in heaven, and not only speak with them, but see thestupendous things there, and describe the same, lest possibly it mighthereafter be said, Who has come to us from heaven, and told us of itsexistence, and of the things that are there? But I know that thosewho hitherto have at heart denied heaven and hell, and the life afterdeath, will still persist in confirming themselves against them, andin denying them; for it is easier to make a raven white than to makethose believe who have once at heart rejected faith; the reason is, that they always think about such matters from a negative, and notfrom an affirmative, standpoint. Nevertheless, let those facts thathave already been stated, and that yet remain to be stated, concerningangels and spirits, be for those few who are in faith. In order thatothers also may be led to some degree of acknowledgment, it has beengranted me to relate such things as delight and allure the man who isdesirous of acquiring knowledge: of this character are the things thatshall now be related concerning the earths in the starry heaven. 

125. He who is not acquainted with the arcana of heaven, cannotbelieve that a man can see earths that are so far distant, and giveany account of them from sensuous experience. But let him know thatthe spaces and distances, and therefore the progressions, which existin the natural world, in their origin and first cause are changesof the state of the interiors, and that with angels and spirits theyappear according to these changes[ss]; and that through changes ofstate they may be apparently translated from one place to another, andfrom one earth to another, even to earths which are at the end ofthe universe: so likewise may man as to his spirit, his body stillremaining in its own place. This has been the case with me, since, bythe Lord's Divine mercy, it has been given to me to speak with spiritsas a spirit, and at the same time with men as a man. That a man, as tohis spirit, can be translated in this manner, is inconceivable tothe sensual man, since he is in space and in time, and measures hisprogressions according to them. 

[Footnote ss: Motions, progressions, and changes of place, in theother life, are changes of the state of the interiors of life, andnevertheless it really appears to spirits and angels as if theyactually existed, nos. 1273-1277, 1377, 3356, 5606, 10734. ]

126. That there are many systems, may appear to every one from thefact that so many stars appear in the universe; and it is known in thelearned world that every star is like a sun in its own place, for itremains fixed as the sun of our Earth does in its place; and that itis the distance that makes it appear in so small a form as a star;consequently, that, like the sun of our system, each star has planetsaround it, which are earths; and that the reason why these do notappear before our eyes is on account of their immense distance, andbecause only the light from their own star reaches us, which lightcannot be again reflected from the planets so far as to reach us. Towhat other purpose could so great a heaven with so many constellationsbe intended? For the end of the creation of the universe is man, thatfrom man there may be an angelic heaven; but what would a humanrace, and from it an angelic heaven, from one single earth, be foran Infinite Creator, for whom a thousand, yea tens of thousands ofearths, would not suffice? It has been calculated that, supposingthere were in the universe a million earths, and on every earth threehundred million men, and two hundred generations within six thousandyears, and that to every man or spirit there were to be allotted aspace of three cubic ells, the sum of that great number of men orspirits would not occupy a space equal to a thousandth part of thisEarth, consequently hardly the space occupied by one of the satellitesof the planet Jupiter or Saturn: which would be a space in theuniverse so small as to be scarcely discernible; for a satellite [ofJupiter or Saturn] is scarcely visible to the naked eye. What wouldthis be for the Creator of the universe, for whom the whole universe, even if it were completely filled, would not be enough, for He isInfinite. In conversing with the angels on this subject, they havetold me that they have a similar idea of the fewness of the human racerelatively to the infinity of the Creator; but that, nevertheless, they do not think from spaces, but from states, and that accordingto their idea, earths numbering as many myriads as could ever beconceived in thought would still be as absolutely nothing to the Lord. The earths in the starry heaven, however, shall now be treated of inwhat follows from real experience; from which it will likewise be mademanifest how the translations to these earths were effected as to myspirit, whilst my body remained in its own place. 

THE FIRST EARTH IN THE STARRY HEAVEN, AND ITS SPIRITS AND INHABITANTS:FROM THINGS HEARD AND SEEN. 

127. I was led by the Lord by means of angels to a certain earthin the starry heaven, where it was given me to gaze upon the earthitself, yet not to speak with the inhabitants of it, but with spiritswho had come from it. All the inhabitants or men of every earth, onthe termination of their life in the world, become spirits, and remainnear their own earth. From them, however, information is obtainedconcerning their earth and the state of its inhabitants; for men, when they quit the body, carry with them all their former life and alltheir memory[tt]. Being led to earths in the universe does not meanbeing led and translated thither as to the body, but as to the spirit;and the spirit is led through variations of the state of theinner life, which appear to it as progressions through spaces[ss]. Approaches, also, are effected according to the agreements orlikenesses of the states of life; for agreement or likeness of lifeconjoins, and disagreement and unlikeness disjoin. From this it mayappear how translation as to the spirit is effected, and how it ismade to approach distant regions, while the man, nevertheless, remainsin his own place. But to lead a spirit outside of his own globethrough variations of the state of his interiors, and to cause thevariations to proceed successively until a state is reached whichagrees or coincides with the state of those to whom he is being led, is in the power of the Lord alone; for there is needed a continualdirection and foresight from first to last, both on the journeythither, and on the return journey, especially when this is to beeffected with a man who is still as to the body in the world ofnature, and thereby in space. That this has actually been effected, those who are in corporeal sensual things, and who think from them, cannot be induced to believe. The reason is that the corporeal sensual[faculties] cannot conceive of progressions apart from spaces. But, nevertheless, those who think from the Sensual of their spirit, thathas in some degree been removed or withdrawn from the Sensual of thebody, thus, who think interiorly in themselves, may be induced tobelieve and comprehend it, since in the idea of interior thought thereis neither space nor time, but instead of them there are those thingsfrom which spaces and times proceed. Those things, therefore, thatfollow, concerning the earths in the starry heaven, are for the useof the latter, and not for the former, unless they are of such acharacter as to suffer themselves to be instructed. 

[Footnote tt: Man after death has with him the memory of all hisconcerns in the world, nos. 2476-2486. ]

128. In a state of wakefulness, I was led as to the spirit by the Lordthrough angels to a certain earth in the universe, accompanied by somespirits from this globe. The progression took place towards the right, and lasted for two hours. Near the boundary of our solar system, thereappeared first a whitish but dense cloud, and after it a fiery smokeascending from a great gulf: this was an immense chasm, separating oursolar system on that side from certain systems of the starry heaven. The fiery smoke appeared over a considerable distance. I was conveyedacross the midst of it, and then there appeared beneath in that gulfor chasm very many men, who were spirits (for all spirits appear inthe human form, and are actually men). I also heard them talking witheach other; but whence they were, or of what character, it was notgiven me to know. One of them, however, told me that they were guardsto prevent spirits passing without permission from this into any othersystem in the universe. That this was the case, was also confirmed;for when some spirits who were in the company, and who had notreceived permission to pass, came to that great interstice, they beganto cry out wildly that they were perishing, for they were like personsstruggling in the agony of death; wherefore they stopped on this sideof the chasm, and could not be conveyed any further; for the fierysmoke which exhaled from the chasm attacked them, and tortured them inthis manner. 

129. After I had been translated across that great chasm, I at lengthreached a place where I stopped; and then some spirits appeared to meabove, and it was given me to speak with them. From their speech, andfrom their peculiar manner of apperceiving things and explainingthem, I discerned clearly that they were from another earth; for theydiffered altogether from the spirits of our solar system. They alsoapperceived from my speech that I had come from a great distance. 

130. After we had conversed for awhile on various subjects, I askedthem what God they worshipped. They said they worshipped some angel, who appears to them as a Divine man, for he is resplendent with light;and that he instructs them and enables them to apperceive what theyought to do. They said further that they knew that the Most High Godis in the sun of the angelic heaven, and that He appears to theirangel and not to themselves; and that He is too great for them to dareto adore Him. The angel whom they worshipped was an angelic society, to which it has been given by the Lord to preside over them, and toteach them the way of what is just and right; therefore they havelight from a certain flame, which appears like a little torch, somewhat fiery and yellow. The reason of this originates in their notadoring the Lord; therefore they do not receive light from the sunof the angelic heaven, but from the angelic society; for an angelicsociety, when permitted by the Lord, can exhibit such a light tospirits who are in a lower region. I also saw that angelic society, which was high above them; and I also saw the flame there whence theyhad light. 

131. In other respects they were modest, rather simple, but stillthey thought well enough. The quality of their Intellectual could beinferred from the light which prevailed among them; for the intellectis according to the reception of the light which is in the heavens;since it is the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord as a sun, thatshines there, and enables the angels not only to see but also tounderstand[uu]. 

[Footnote uu: There is much light in the heavens, nos. 1117, 1521, 1522, 1533, 1619-1632, 4527, 5400, 8644. All light in the heavens isfrom the Lord as the Sun there, nos. 1053, 1521, 3195, 3341, 3636, 4415, 9548, 9684, 10809. The Divine Truth proceeding from the Lordappears in the heavens as light, nos. 3195, 3222, 5400, 8644, 9399, 9548, 9684. That light illuminates both the sight and theunderstanding of angels and spirits, nos. 2776, 3138. The light ofheaven also illuminates the understanding of man, nos. 1524, 3138, 3167, 4408, 6608, 8707, 9128, 9399, 10569. ]

132. I was informed that the inhabitants and spirits of that earth, inthe Grand Man, have relation to something in the SPLEEN: and in thisI was confirmed by an influx into the spleen while they were speakingwith me. 

133. When asked about the sun of their system, which illuminates theirearth, they said that it appeared flaming. When I represented the sizeof the sun of our Earth, they said that their sun was smaller; forbefore our eyes their sun appears as a star; and I was told by theangels that it was one of the lesser stars. They also said that thestarry heaven is also seen from their earth; and that a star largerthan the rest appears to them towards the west; it was said fromheaven that this is our sun. 

134. My sight was afterwards opened, so that I could in some measuregaze upon that earth itself; and there appeared many meadows andforests with trees covered with leaves; likewise fleecy sheep. Afterwards I saw some of the inhabitants, who belonged to the lowerclass, clothed nearly like the country folk in Europe. I also saw aman (_vir_) with his wife (_mulier_). She appeared of handsome statureand of graceful mien; so did the man; but, what surprised me, hewalked about pompously, with as it were a haughty gait, while thewoman's gait, on the contrary, was humble. The angels told me thatsuch is the custom on that earth, and that notwithstanding thispeculiarity, the men are loved, because they are good. I was furthertold that they are not allowed to have more than one wife, because itis contrary to the laws. The woman I saw had an ample garment beforeher breast, behind which she could conceal herself, and which was somade that she could put her arms in it, and wrap herself in it, and inthis wise go away: the lower portion of it could be gathered up, and, when gathered up and folded about the body, it looked likea stomacher, such as is worn by the women of our Earth. The samegarment, however, also served the man for an article of clothing. Hewas seen to take it from the woman and throw it over his own back, andloosening the lower part, which thus flowed down to his feet like arobe, he walked about clad in this manner. What I saw on that earthwas not seen with the eyes of my body, but with the eyes of my spirit, and a spirit can see the objects that are on an earth, when it ispermitted by the Lord. 

135. As I know that many will doubt the possibility of a man's beingable, with the eyes of his spirit, to see anything on an earth sodistant, I may state how the matter is. Distances in the other lifeare not as distances on the Earth. In the other life distances arealtogether according to the states of the interiors of each one. Theywho are in a similar state are together in one society and in oneplace. All presence there results from likeness of state, and alldistance results from unlikeness of state. Hence it was that I wasnear to that earth when I was brought by the Lord into a state similarto that of its spirits and inhabitants, and that being then present Iconversed with them. Hence it is evident that earths in the spiritualworld are not distant as in the natural world, but only apparently soaccording to the states of life of their inhabitants and spirits. Thestate of life is the state of the affections as to love and faith. In regard to a spirit, or, what is the same, a man as to his spirit, being able to see the things that are on an earth, I may also explainhow the case therein is. Neither spirits nor angels are able, by theirown sight, to see anything that is in the world; for to them the lightof the world, that is, solar light, is as thick darkness: just as manby his bodily sight cannot see anything that is in the other life;for to him the light of heaven is as thick darkness. But neverthelessspirits and angels, when it pleases the Lord, can see the things inthe natural world through the eyes of a man; but this is not grantedby the Lord with any except those whom He permits to speak withspirits and angels, and to be together with them. It has beenpermitted them to see through my eyes the things in this world, and asplainly as I myself did; and even to hear men speaking with me. It hassometimes happened that through me some have seen their friends, with whom they had been intimate in the life of the body, altogetherpresent as before, and they have been amazed thereat. Wives also haveseen in this manner their husbands and children, and have wanted me totell them that they were present and saw them, and to inform themof their state in the other life. But it was forbidden me to say andreveal to them that they had been seen in this way, for the furtherreason that they would have called me insane, or have thought myinformation ravings of the mind (_animus_), for I was well aware that, although they affirmed with their mouth, they yet did not at heartbelieve in the existence of spirits, the resurrection of the dead andtheir living among spirits, and these being able to see and hear bymeans of a man. When my interior sight was first opened, and whenthose who are in the other life saw through my eyes the world and thethings therein, they were so amazed that they called it the miracle ofmiracles, and were affected with new joy that there was thus granted acommunication of the Earth with heaven, and of heaven with the Earth. This joy continued for months; but afterwards it became familiar, andnow the wonder has ceased. I have been informed that the spirits andangels with other men do not in the least see the things in the world, but only perceive the thoughts and affections of those with whom theyare. From all this it may appear, that man was so created that, whileliving amongst men in the world, he might at the same time live inheaven amongst angels, and contrariwise, so that heaven and the worldmight be together with man, and act as a one, and that men might knowwhat passes in heaven, and angels what passes in the world; andthat when men depart this life, they might pass thus from the Lord'skingdom on earth into His kingdom in the heavens, not as into another, but as into the same kingdom, in which they had been during their lifein the body. But as man has become so corporeal, he has closed heavenagainst himself. 

136. Lastly, I conversed with spirits who were from that earthconcerning various things on our Earth, especially concerning the factthat sciences are cultivated here, which are not cultivated elsewhere, such as astronomy, geometry, mechanics, physics, chemistry, medicine, optics, and natural philosophy; and likewise arts, which are unknownelsewhere, as the arts of ship-building, of smelting metals, ofwriting on paper, and likewise of publishing by printing, and thus ofcommunicating with others on the Earth, and thus also of preservingwhat is communicated for the use of posterity for thousands of years;and that this has been done also with the Word which is from theLord, and that on this account revelation is for ever permanent on ourEarth. 

137. At last I was shown the hell of those who are from that earth. Those who appeared from there inspired great terror. I dare notdescribe their monstrous faces. Sorceresses also appeared there, whopractise nefarious arts. They appeared clad in green, and struck mewith horror. 

THE SECOND EARTH IN THE STARRY HEAVEN, AND ITS SPIRITS ANDINHABITANTS. 

138. I was afterwards led by the Lord to an earth in the universewhich was at a much greater distance from our Earth than the first onethat has just been treated of. That it was at a much greater distance, was plain from this circumstance, that I was two days in being ledthither as to my spirit. This earth was to the left, whereas theformer was to the right. As remoteness in the spiritual world doesnot, as already observed, arise from distance of place, but fromdifference of state, the long-continuance of my progression thither, which lasted two days, enabled me to conclude that the state ofthe interiors which prevailed with them, which is the state of theaffections and of the consequent thoughts, differed proportionatelyfrom the state of the interiors which prevails with the spirits fromour Earth. As I was conveyed thither as to the spirit by means ofchanges of the state of the interiors, I was enabled to observe thesuccessive changes themselves before I arrived there. This took placewhile I was awake. 

139. When I arrived there, I did not see the earth, but only thespirits who were from that earth; for, as has already been stated, thespirits of every earth appear about their own earth, because they areof a similar genius with the inhabitants, for they are of them, andare serviceable to them. Those spirits appeared at a considerableheight over my head, and from thence they saw me coming. It must beborne in mind that they who stand on high in the other life can beholdthose who are below them, and the higher they stand the wider is theextent of their vision; and that not only can they behold them, butalso speak with them. They observed from there that I was not fromtheir earth, but from some other at a distance; wherefore, addressingme from thence, they questioned me on various subjects, and to thesequestions it was also permitted me to reply. Among other things, Itold them from what earth I came, and what kind of earth it was; andafterwards I told them about the earths in our solar system; andthen also about the spirits of the earth or planet Mercury, thatthey wander about to many earths for the purpose of procuring forthemselves knowledges about various things. On hearing this, they saidthat they had also seen those spirits among themselves. 

140. I was told by the angels from our Earth that the inhabitants andspirits of that earth, in the Grand Man, have relation to KEENNESS OFVISION, and that therefore they appear on high; and that they havea most penetrating keenness of sight. In consequence of their havingthis relation, and of their seeing clearly the things that were below, in the course of our conversation I compared them to eagles, which flyaloft, and enjoy a piercing and extensive view of surrounding things. At this they became indignant, supposing that I considered them likeeagles as to their rapacity, and consequently that I thought themevil; but I replied, that I did not liken them to eagles as torapacity, but as to keenness of vision. 

141. Being questioned concerning the God whom they worshipped, theyreplied that they worshipped a God visible and invisible; a Godvisible under the Human Form, and an invisible God, under no form atall; and I learned from their discourse, and likewise from the ideasof their thoughts which were communicated to me, that the visible Godwas our Lord Himself, and they also called Him Lord. To this it wasgiven me to reply, that on our Earth also, an invisible and a visibleGod is worshipped; and that the invisible God is called the Father, and the visible, the Lord; but that both are One, as He Himselftaught, saying, that no one had ever seen the form of the Father, thatthe Father and He are One, that whoso seeth Him seeth the Father, andthat the Father is in Him and He in the Father; consequently, thatboth Divine [Essences] are in One Person. That these are the words ofthe Lord Himself, see John v. 37; x. 30; xiv. 7, 9-11. 

142. Afterwards I saw other spirits from the same earth, who appearedin a place beneath the former: with these also I conversed; but theywere idolaters, for they worshipped an idol of stone, like a man, butan unhandsome one. It is to be observed, that all who come intothe other life, in the beginning have a worship which is like theirworship in the world, but that by degrees they are removed from it. The reason why this takes place is, that all worship remains implantedin man's interior life, from which it cannot be removed and eradicatedexcept by degrees. On seeing this, it was given me to tell them thatthey ought not to worship what is dead, but what is living; to whichthey replied, that they knew that God lives, and that a stone doesnot, but that they thought of the living God while looking on a stoneresembling a man, and that otherwise the ideas of their thought couldnot be fixed upon and determined to the invisible God. It was thengiven me to tell them that the ideas of thought can be fixed uponand determined to the invisible God, when they are fixed upon anddetermined to the Lord, who is God visible in thought under the HumanForm; and thus that man can be conjoined with the invisible God inthought and affection, consequently in faith and love, when he isconjoined with the Lord, but not otherwise. 

143. The spirits who were seen on high were questioned whether ontheir earth they live under the rule of princes or kings. To this theyreplied, that they do not know what governments are, and that theylive under themselves, distinguished into clans, families, andhouseholds. They were questioned whether they were thus in security. They said they were secure, since one family never envies another, nordesires to deprive another of anything. They were indignant at beingasked such questions, as if they had been charged with being atenmity, or with needing protection against robbers. What, said they, does anyone need but food and raiment, and thus to live content andquiet under one's own management?

144. Being further questioned concerning their earth, they said thatthey have meadows, flower-gardens, orchards full of fruit-trees, andalso lakes containing fish; and that they have birds of a bluecolour, with golden feathers; and large and small animals. Amongst thesmaller, they mentioned one sort which had the back raised like thecamels on our Earth; nevertheless, they do not feed on their flesh, but only on the flesh of fishes, and besides on the fruits of trees, and on the leguminous plants of the earth. They said, moreover, thatthey do not live in artificial houses, but in groves, amongst theleafy boughs of which they make roofs to shelter them from rain andthe heat of the sun. 

145. Being questioned respecting their sun, which appears as a starfrom our Earth, they said that it has a fiery appearance, and that itis not larger to the sight than a man's head. I was told by the angelsthat the star which is their sun is one of the smaller stars, not fardistant from the equator. 

146. There were seen some spirits who were like what they had beenduring their abode as men on their earth. They had faces not unlikethe faces of the men of our Earth, except that their eyes and nosewere small. As this appeared to me something of a deformity, they saidthat with them small eyes and a small nose are considered a beauty. A female was seen, clothed in a gown ornamented with roses of variouscolours. I asked whence they procured for themselves materials forclothing on that earth. They answered that they gather from certainplants substances which they spin into thread; and that they then atonce lay the threads in double and triple rows, moistening them witha glutinous water to give them consistence. Afterwards they colourthe cloth, thus prepared, with the juices of herbaceous plants. Itwas also shown me how they prepare the thread. The women sit down ona seat, with their backs bent, and twist the threads with their toes;and when twisted they draw the threads towards them, and work themwith their hands. 

147. They said also, that on that earth a husband has only one wife, and no more; and that they beget from ten to fifteen children. Theyadded, that there are likewise found harlots on that earth; but thatthese, after the life of the body, when they become spirits, aresorceresses, and are cast into hell. 

THE THIRD EARTH IN THE STARRY HEAVEN, AND ITS SPIRITS AND INHABITANTS. 

148. There appeared some spirits at a distance, who were unwillingto approach. The reason was, that they could not be together with thespirits of our Earth who were then about me. From this I apperceivedthat they were from another earth; and I was told afterwards that theywere from a certain earth in the universe; but where that earth is, was not made known to me. These spirits, unlike the spirits from ourEarth, were absolutely unwilling to think about their body, or evenabout anything corporeal and material; hence it was that they wereunwilling to approach; yet, after the removal of some of the spiritsof our Earth, they drew nearer, and spoke with me. But then therewas a sense of anxiety arising from the collision of the spheres; forspiritual spheres surround all spirits and societies of spirits[cc];and since they emanate from the life of the affections and theconsequent thoughts, therefore where the affections are contrarycollision takes place, and hence arises anxiety. The spirits of ourEarth related, that they dare not even approach them; since, on theirapproach, they are not only seized with anxiety, but also appear tothemselves as if they were bound hand and foot with serpents, fromwhich they cannot be freed till they have departed. This appearancetakes its origin from correspondence; for the spirits of our Earth, in the Grand Man, have relation to external sense, consequently to thecorporeal Sensual, and this Sensual is represented in the other lifeby serpents[xx]. 

[Footnote xx: The external Sensual of man in the spiritual world isrepresented by serpents, because it is in the lowest [parts], andrelatively to the more interior things in man, lies on the ground, andas it were creeps; and on this ground they were called serpents whoreasoned from that Sensual, nos. 195-197, 6398, 6949. ]

149. As the spirits of that earth are such, they appear in the eyesof other spirits, not in a distinct human form, as others do, but asclouds, in most cases like a dusky cloud, with the fair human colourinterspersed; but they said, that within they are fair, and that whenthey become angels, this duskiness is changed into a beautiful blue;which was also shown me. I asked whether, during their life as men inthe world, they had entertained such an idea respecting their bodies. They replied that the men of their earth make no account of theirbodies, but only of the spirit in the body, because they know that thespirit will live for ever, but that the body must perish. They saidalso, that many on their earth believe that the spirit of the body hasexisted from eternity, and that it was infused into the body when theywere conceived; but they added, that now they know that it is not so, and that they repent of having ever been in so false an opinion. 

150. When I asked them whether they would like to see any objects onour Earth, informing them that it was possible to do so through myeyes (see above, no. 135), they answered first, that they could not, and afterwards, that they would not, because the things that theywould see would be only earthly and material things, from which theyremove their thoughts as much as possible. But nevertheless, therewere represented before them magnificent palaces, resembling thoseon our Earth possessed by kings and princes; for such things canbe represented before spirits, and, when they are represented, theyappear exactly as if they existed. But the spirits from that earthesteemed them as nothing, calling them marble images; and then theyrelated that they have more magnificent things belonging to them, which are their sacred temples, built not of stone but of wood. Whenit was objected that these were still earthly objects, they repliedthat they were not earthly, but heavenly, because when they gaze uponthem they have not an earthly but a heavenly idea; believing thatafter death they should also see like objects in heaven. 

151. They then represented their sacred temples before the spiritsof our Earth, who declared that they had not seen anything moremagnificent; and as they were also seen by me, I can thereforedescribe them. They are constructed of trees not cut down, but growingin the place where they first took root. They said that on that earththere are trees of a wonderful size and height; these they set in rowsfrom the first, so that they may form porticos and colonnades; and bycutting and pruning, they fit and prepare the tender shoots, so thatas they grow they may interlace and join together so as to form thegroundwork and floor of the temple to be constructed, and to rise atthe sides to form the walls, and above to bend into arches to formthe roof. In this manner they construct the temple with admirable art, raised high above the ground. They also prepare an ascent into it bysuccessive branches of the trees, extended from the trunk and firmlyconnected together. Moreover, they adorn the temple without and withinin various ways, by disposing the foliage into forms: thus they buildentire groves. But it was not permitted me to see the character ofthese temples within: I was only told that the light of their sun islet in by apertures amongst the branches, and is transmitted hereand there through crystals, by which means the light falling upon thewalls is varied in colours like those of the rainbow, especially blueand orange, of which they are fondest. Such are their architecturalworks, which they prefer to the most magnificent palaces of our Earth. 

152. They said further, that the inhabitants do not dwell in highplaces, but on the earth in lowly cottages, for the reason that highplaces are for the Lord who is in heaven, and lowly places for menwho are on earth. Their cottages were also shown me. They were oblong, having within along the walls a continuous couch, on which they lieone behind another. On the side opposite to the door is a roundedalcove, before which is a table, and behind the table a fire-place, bywhich the whole chamber is lighted. In this fire-place, there is nota burning fire, but a luminous wood, which gives out as much light asthe flame of a common fire does. They said that in the evening theselogs of wood appeared as if they had in them the fire of live coals. 

153. They said that they do not live as societies, but as householdsby themselves; and that they are societies when they meet for worship;that on these occasions those who teach walk within the temple, andthe rest in the porches at the sides; and that at their meetings theyexperience interior joys, arising from the sight of the temple, andfrom the worship celebrated therein. 

154. In respect to Divine worship, they said that they acknowledgea God under the Human Form, consequently our Lord; for all whoacknowledge the God of the universe under the Human Form are acceptedand led by our Lord: the rest cannot be led, because they think apartfrom a form. They added, that the inhabitants of their earthare instructed about the things of heaven by a certain immediateintercourse with angels and spirits, into which they may be brought bythe Lord more easily than others, because they reject corporealthings from their thought and affection. I asked what becomes of thoseamongst them who are evil. They told me that on their earth no wickedperson is allowed to exist; but if any one thinks and does evil, heis reprimanded by a certain spirit, who threatens him with death if hepersists in doing so; and if he persists, he dies by a swoon; and thatby this means the men of that earth are preserved from the contagionof evils. A certain spirit of this character was also sent to me:he spoke with me as if with those [evil ones]: he moreover inflictedsomething of pain in the region of my abdomen, saying that this iswhat he does to those who think and do evil, and that he threatensthem with death if they persist. I was also told that they who profaneholy things are grievously punished; and that before the punishingspirit comes, there appears to them in vision the gaping mouth ofa lion, of a livid colour, which seems as if it would swallow theirhead, and tear it asunder from the body, whence they are seized withhorror. They call the punishing spirit the devil. 

155. As they were desirous to know how the case is on our Earth inregard to revelation, I told them that it is effected by means ofwriting and preaching from the Word, and not by immediate intercoursewith spirits and angels; and that what is written can be published byprinting, and thus be read and comprehended by whole societies, andthat thus the life can be amended. They were exceedingly surprisedthat such an art, utterly unknown elsewhere, could exist on ourEarth; but they comprehended that on this Earth, where corporealand terrestrial things are so much loved, Divine things could nototherwise inflow from heaven and be received; and that it would bedangerous for such beings to converse with angels. 

156. The spirits of that earth appear above, in the plane of the head, towards the right. All spirits are distinguished by their situationrelatively to the human body; and this is a consequence of theuniversal heaven corresponding with all things of man[f]. Thesespirits keep themselves in that plane, and at that distance, because their correspondence is not with the externals, but with theinteriors, belonging to man. Their action is upon the left knee, aboveand a little below, with a certain vibration very sensibly felt. Thisis a sign that they correspond with _the conjunction of natural thingsand heavenly things_. 

THE FOURTH EARTH IN THE STARRY HEAVEN, AND ITS SPIRITS ANDINHABITANTS. 

157. I was conducted to yet another earth which is in the universebeyond our solar system, which was effected by changes of the stateof my mind, consequently as to the spirit; for, as has already beenrepeatedly observed, a spirit is conducted from place to place nootherwise than by changes of the state of his interiors, which changesappear to him in all respects as advancements from place to place, oras journeyings. These changes lasted continuously for about ten hoursbefore I came from the state of my life to the state of their life, thus before I arrived there as to my spirit. I was conveyed towardsthe east, to the left, and seemed to be gradually elevated froma horizontal plane. I was also permitted to observe clearly theprogression and advance from my former place, till at length thosefrom whom I had departed no longer appeared; and in the meantime Ispoke on various subjects with the spirits who were with me. A certainspirit was also with us who, during his life in the world, had beena prelate and a preacher, as well as a very pathetic writer. Frommy idea concerning him, my spirit-companions supposed he was morea Christian at heart than the rest; for in the world an idea isconceived and a judgment formed from the preaching and writing, and not from the life, if this is not manifest; and if anythinginconsistent appears in the life, it is nevertheless excused; for theidea or thought and perception concerning any one draws everything toits side. 

158. After this I observed that I was, as to my spirit, in the starryheaven, far beyond our solar system; for this can be observed from thechanges of state and the consequent apparent continued progression, which had lasted nearly ten hours. At length I heard spiritsconversing near some earth, which also I afterwards saw. When I hadcome near them, after some conversation they said that strangerssometimes come to them from other places, who converse with themconcerning God, and confuse the ideas of their thought. They alsopointed out the way by which they came, from which it was perceivedthat they were of the spirits of our Earth. On being questioned thenas to the confusion caused in their ideas, they said it arose fromthose spirits saying that they ought to believe in a Divine Beingdistinguished into three persons, whom they nevertheless call oneGod; and on examining the idea of their thoughts, it is exhibited asa trine, not continuous hut discrete, with some as three personsconversing with each other, and with some as two seated together, onenear the other, and a third listening to them and going from them;and although they call each person God, and have a different ideaconcerning each, they still say there is but one God. They complainedexceedingly, that they had thrown them into a confusion of ideas, bythinking of three and speaking of one, when nevertheless one ought tothink as one speaks, and speak as one thinks. The spirit who in theworld had been a prelate and a preacher, and who was also with me, was then examined as to the character of the idea he entertainedrespecting one God and three persons: [and it was found that] herepresented to himself three gods, which, however, made one bycontinuity. He, however, exhibited this Three in One as invisiblebecause it was Divine; and while he was exhibiting this, it wasperceived that he was then thinking only of the Father, and not of theLord, and that his idea concerning the invisible God was no other butas of nature in its first principles, from which idea it resulted thatthe inmost of nature was his Divine, so that he might easily be ledfrom this to acknowledge nature as God. It is to be borne in mind, that the idea which any person entertains on any subject is, inthe other life, exhibited to the life, and through it every one isexamined as to the character of his thought and perception on mattersof faith; and that the idea of the thought concerning God is the chiefof all, for through it, if genuine, conjunction is effected with theDivine, and consequently with heaven. They were afterwards questionedconcerning the nature of their idea respecting God. They replied thatthey did not conceive of an invisible God, but of a God visible underthe Human Form; and that they knew this not only from an interiorperception, but also from the fact, that He has appeared to them as aMan. They added that if, according to the idea of some strangers, theywere to conceive of God as invisible, consequently without form andquality, they would not be able to think about God at all, inasmuch assuch an invisible [being] does not fall into any idea of thought. Onhearing this, it was given me to tell them that they do well to thinkof God under the Human Form, and that many on our Earth think in likemanner, especially when they think of the Lord; and that the ancientsthought in no other way. I then told them about Abraham, Lot, Gideon, Manoah and his wife, and what is related of them in our Word, namely, that they saw God under the Human Form, and acknowledged Him, thusseen, to be the Creator of the universe, and called Him Jehovah, andthis also from an interior perception; but that at the present daythat interior perception is lost in the Christian world, and onlyremains with the simple who are in faith. 

159. Previous to this conversation, they had believed that our companyalso consisted of those who want to confuse them by the idea of threein relation to God; wherefore, on hearing what was said, they wereaffected with joy, and said that God, whom they then called the Lord, had also sent some to teach them concerning Him; and that they areunwilling to admit strangers who disturb them, especially with theidea of three persons in the Divinity, knowing as they do that Godis One, consequently that the Divine is One, and does not consist ofthree in unanimity, unless they are disposed to think of God as of anangel, in whom there is an Inmost of life which is invisible, and fromwhich he thinks and is wise; an External of life, which is visibleunder a human form, from which he sees and acts; and a Proceedingof life, which is the sphere of love and of faith from him; for fromevery spirit and angel there proceeds a sphere of life by which he isknown at a distance[cc]; and as to the Lord, that that Proceeding oflife from Him is the Divine itself which fills and constitutes theheavens, because it proceeds from the very Esse of the life of loveand of faith. They said that in this and in no other manner can theyperceive a trinity and unity together. On hearing this, it was givenme to say that such an idea of a trinity and unity together agreeswith the angelic idea concerning the Lord, and that it is from theLord's own doctrine concerning Himself. For He teaches that the Fatherand Himself are One; that the Father is in Him and He in the Father;that he who seeth Him seeth the Father; and he who believeth inHim believeth in the Father and knoweth the Father; also that theComforter, whom He calls the Spirit of Truth, and likewise the HolySpirit, proceeds from Him, and does not speak from Himself but fromHim, by which Comforter is meant the Divine proceeding. I was furtherpermitted to tell them that their idea concerning a trinity and unitytogether agrees with the Esse and Existere of the Lord's life when Hewas in the world. The Esse of His life was the Divine Itself, for Hewas conceived of Jehovah, and the Esse of every one's life is thatof which he is conceived; the Existere of life from that Esse is theHuman in a form. The esse of the life of every man, which he hasfrom his father, is called the soul, and the existere of life thencederived is called the body. Soul and body constitute one man. Thelikeness between them resembles the likeness between that which isin endeavour and that which is in the resulting act, for an act isendeavour acting, and thus the two are one. Endeavour in man is calledthe will, and endeavour acting is called action; the body is theinstrumental, by means of which the will, which is the principal, acts, and in acting the instrumental and principal are a one. Such isthe case with soul and body. And such is the idea which the angels inheaven have concerning soul and body: hence they know that the Lordmade His Human Divine from the Divine in Himself, which to Him wasthe Soul from the Father. Neither is the faith which is receivedthroughout the Christian world in opposition to this idea, for itteaches, that "_Although Christ is God and Man, yet He is not two, butone Christ;. .. Yea, He is altogether One by unity of Person; for asbody and soul are one man, so also God and man are one Christ_"[yy]. As there was such a union or such a oneness in the Lord, therefore Herose again, not only as to the Soul, but also as to the Body, which Heglorified in the world, which is not the case with any man; on whichsubject He also instructed His disciples, saying, "_Feel Me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see Me have_" [(Lukexxiv. 39)][zz]. This was clearly understood by those spirits, forsuch truths fall into the understanding of angelic spirits. They thenadded, that the Lord alone has power in the heavens, and that theheavens are His; to which it was given me to answer, that this alsois known to the Church on our Earth from the mouth of the Lord Himselfbefore He ascended into heaven; for He then said, "_All power is givenunto Me in heaven and on earth_" [(Matt, xxviii. 18)]. 

[Footnote yy: From the Creed of Athanasius. ]

[Footnote zz: Immediately after death, man rises again as to hisspirit; and he is in the human form, and he is a man as to all thingsin general and particular, nos. 4527, 5006, 5078, 8939, 8991, 10594, 10597, 10758. Man rises again only as to the spirit, and not as tothe body, nos. 10593, 10594. The Lord alone rose again as to the bodyalso, nos. 1729, 2083, 5078, 10825. ]

160. I afterwards conversed with those spirits concerning their earth;for all spirits can do this when their natural or external memory isopened by the Lord; for this they carry with them from the world, butit is not opened except at the Lord's good pleasure. Respecting theirearth, from which they had come, the spirits then said that when leaveis given them, they appear to the inhabitants, and converse withthem, as men; and that this is effected by their being let into theirnatural or external memory, and consequently into such a thoughtas they had been in when they lived in the world; and that on suchoccasions the inhabitants have their interior sight or the sight oftheir spirit opened, by which they see the spirits. They added, thatthe inhabitants know no otherwise than that they are men of theirearth, and only apperceive they are not when they are suddenly removedfrom their sight, I told them that the same thing also happened on ourEarth in ancient times, as, for instance, to Abraham, Sarah, Lot, theinhabitants of Sodom, Manoah and his wife, Joshua, Mary, Elizabeth, and the prophets generally; and that the Lord appeared in like manner, and they who saw Him knew no otherwise than that He was a man of theearth, till He revealed Himself. But that at the present day thisrarely happens; the reason is, lest men by such things should becompelled to believe; for compelled faith, such as is the faithwhich enters by means of miracles, does not inhere, and would also behurtful to those with whom faith may be implanted by means of the Wordin a state without compulsion. 

161. The spirit, who had been a prelate and a preacher in the world, entirely disbelieved that any other earths existed besides our own, because he had thought in the world that the Lord was born on thisEarth alone, and that without the Lord none could be saved; whereforehe was reduced into a state similar to that into which spirits arereduced when they appear on their own earth as men (which state hasbeen treated of just above); and thus he was let into that earth, so that he not only saw it, but also conversed with the inhabitantsthere. This done, a communication was by this means granted me also, so that I likewise saw the inhabitants, and also some objects on thatearth (see above, no. 135). There appeared then four kinds of men, butone after the other in succession; the first I saw were clothed; thesecond were naked, of a human flesh colour; the next were naked, butwith flame-coloured bodies; and the last were black. 

162. While the spirit who had been a prelate and a preacher was withthose who were clothed, a woman with a very pretty face appeared. Shewas simply attired; her robe hung gracefully behind her, and was alsodrawn over her arms, and she wore a beautiful head-dress, in the formof a chaplet of flowers. That spirit was greatly delighted at thesight of this virgin; he spoke to her, and also took her by the hand;but, apperceiving that he was a spirit, and not of that earth, shehurried hastily away from him. Afterwards there appeared to him on theright several other women, who had the care of sheep and lambs, whichthey were then leading to a watering-trough, into which water was ledby means of a trench from some lake. They were similarly clothed, andhad shepherds' crooks in their hands, by which they led the sheep andlambs to drink; they said the sheep went whichever way they pointedwith their crooks: the sheep which we saw were large, with woollytails, broad and long. The faces of the women, when seen nearer, werefull and beautiful. Some men were also seen; their faces were of ahuman flesh colour, like that of the men of our Earth, but with thisdifference, that the lower part of the face, instead of being bearded, was black, and the nose more of a snowy-white than of a flesh colour. Afterwards the spirit who, as already mentioned, had been a preacherin the world, was led further on, but reluctantly, because he wasstill thinking about that woman with whom he had been delighted, aswas evident from the circumstance that there still appeared somethingof his shadow in the former place. He then came to those who werenaked. They were seen walking together by twos, husband and wife, girtwith a girdle about the loins, and some sort of covering around thehead. That spirit, when he was with them, was led into the state inwhich he had been in the world when he was disposed to preach, andthen he said he would preach before them the Lord crucified; but theysaid they would not hear such a thing, because they did not know whatit was, but that they knew that the Lord lives. He then said he wouldpreach the Lord living; but this too they refused, saying that theyapperceived in his speech something not heavenly, because it had muchrespect to himself, and his own fame and honour; and that they couldhear from the tone of voice whether what was said came from the heartor not; and that, as he was of such a character, he was unable toteach them; wherefore he was silent. During his life in the world hehad been extremely pathetic, so that he could deeply move his hearersto holiness; but this pathetic manner had been acquired by art, thusfrom self and the world, and not from heaven. 

163. They said, moreover, that they have a perception whether theConjugial is with those of their clan who are naked; and it was shownthat they perceive this by virtue of a spiritual idea concerningmarriage, which idea being communicated to me was to the effect, thata likeness of the interiors was formed by the conjunction of good andtruth, consequently of love and faith, and that from that conjunctiondescending by influx into the body conjugial love comes intoexistence. For all things which belong to the mind (_animus_) areexhibited in some natural form in the body, consequently in the formof conjugial love, when the interiors of two mutually love each other, and from that love also desire to will and to think the one as theother, and thus to be together and be conjoined as to the interiorswhich are of the mind (_mens_). Hence the spiritual affection, whichis of the minds, becomes natural affection in the body, and clothesitself with the sense of conjugial love. The spiritual affectionwhich is of the minds is the affection of good and truth, and of theirconjunction; for all things of the mind, or of the thought and will, have relation to truth and good. They also said that it is quiteimpossible for the Conjugial to exist between one man and severalwives, since the marriage of good and truth, which pertains to theminds, can exist only between two. 

164. After this, the spirit already spoken of came to those who werenaked, but whose bodies were flame-coloured; and lastly, to those whowere black, some of whom were naked and some clothed; but the latterand the former dwelt in a different part of the same earth; for aspirit may be led in an instant to places far asunder on an earth, since he does not proceed and advance like man through spaces, butthrough changes of state (see above, nos. 125, 127)[ss]. 

165. I lastly conversed with the spirits of that earth concerningthe belief of the inhabitants of our Earth on the subject of theresurrection, in that they cannot conceive that men come into theother life immediately after death, and then appear as men as to theface, the body, the arms, the feet, and all the external and internalsenses; still less that they are then clothed in garments, and havemansions and dwelling-places; and that the sole reason of this is thatmost persons here think from the sensuals which belong to the body, and therefore believe in the existence of nothing but what they seeand touch; and that few of them can be withdrawn from external sensualthings to interior things, and thus be elevated into the light ofheaven, in which such things are perceived. Hence it is, that they canhave no idea of their soul or spirit as of a man, but as of wind, orair, or a breath without form, in which there is yet something vital. This is the reason why they do not believe they shall rise again tillthe end of the world, which they call the Last Judgment, when thebody, though mouldered into dust, and scattered by every wind, will bebrought together again and conjoined to its soul or spirit. I added, that it is permitted them to believe this, since those who, as wassaid, think from external sensual things, can conceive no otherwisethan that the soul or spirit cannot live as a man in a human form, unless it receive again that body which it carried about in the world;wherefore, unless it were asserted that the body will rise again, theywould reject from their heart as incomprehensible the doctrine ofthe resurrection and of eternal life. But nevertheless this thoughtconcerning the resurrection has this advantage with it, that it leadsthem to believe in a life after death, a consequence of which beliefis, that when they lie on a sick bed, and do not, as theretofore, think from worldly and corporeal things, thus not from sensualthings, they then believe that they shall live immediately after theirdecease; they then also speak of heaven, and of the hope of a lifethere immediately after death, quite apart from their doctrinalconcerning the Last Judgment. I related further, that sometimes it hadbeen matter of surprise to me, that when those who are in faith speakof a life after death, and of their friends and relatives who aredying or dead, and do not at the same time think about the LastJudgment, they believe that they will live or are living as menimmediately on their decease. But as soon as thought concerning theLast Judgment flows in, this idea is changed into the material ideaconcerning their earthly body, that it is again to be conjoined totheir soul; for they do not know that every man is a spirit as to hisinteriors, and that this it is which lives in the body and in each ofits parts, and not the body which lives of itself; and that it is thespirit of every one from which his body has its human form, and which, consequently, is principally the man, and in a similar form, butinvisible to the eyes of the body, yet visible to the eyes of spirits. Hence also, when the sight of a man's spirit is opened, which iseffected by the removal of the bodily sight, angels appear as men: inthis manner angels appeared to the ancients, as recorded in theWord. I have also sometimes spoken with spirits, with whom I had beenacquainted when they lived as men in the world, and I have askedthem whether they had any inclination to be clothed again with theirearthly bodies, as they used to think would be the case. But they fledfar away at the very idea of such a conjunction, being smitten withamazement that, while in the world, they should have thought inthis manner under the influence of so blind a belief, devoid of allunderstanding. 

166. Moreover, on that earth I saw the dwellings of the inhabitants:they were lowly houses, extended in length, with windows at the sides, according to the number of the rooms or chambers into which they weredivided. The roof was arched, and there was a door on each side atthe end. They told me that they were built of earth, and covered withturf; and that the windows were formed of filaments of grass woventogether in such a manner that the light shone through. I also sawlittle children; and the inhabitants told me that their neighbourscome to them, especially for the sake of the little children, thatthey may be in company with other children in the presence and underthe direction of their parents. There also appeared fields becomingwhite with standing crops that were at that time nearly ripe forharvest. The seeds or grains of that corn were shown me, and they werelike grains of Chinese wheat: I was also shown some bread made fromit, which was in small square loaves. There also appeared plainsof grass adorned with flowers; also trees laden with fruit likepomegranates; also shrubs, which were not vines, but still producedberries from which they prepare wine. 

167. The sun of that earth, which is to us a star, appears thereflaming, in size almost a fourth part of our sun. Their year is abouttwo hundred days, and each day fifteen hours, relatively to the lengthof days on our Earth. The earth itself is one of the least inthe starry heaven, being scarcely five hundred German miles incircumference. The angels stated these particulars from a comparisonmade with things of the like kind on our Earth, which they saw inme, or in my memory. Their conclusions were formed by angelic ideas, whereby are instantly known the measures of spaces and times, in ajust proportion relatively to spaces and times elsewhere. Angelicideas, which are spiritual, in such calculations immensely surpasshuman ideas, which are natural. 

THE FIFTH EARTH IN THE STARRY HEAVEN, AND ITS SPIRITS AND INHABITANTS. 

168. I was led to yet another earth in the universe beyond our solarsystem, and on this occasion also by changes of state continued fornearly twelve hours. In company with me were several spirits andangels from our Earth, with whom I conversed during this voyage orprogression. I was carried at times obliquely upwards and obliquelydownwards, continually towards the right, which in the other life istowards the south. In two places only did I see spirits, and in one Ispoke with them. During this journey or progression I was permittedto observe how immense was the Lord's heaven, which is designed forangels and spirits; for from the parts uninhabited I was enabledto conclude that it was so immense that, supposing there were manymyriads of earths, and on each earth as great a multitude of humanbeings as on our own, there would still be a place of abode for themto eternity, and it would never be filled. This I was enabled toconclude from a comparison made with the [inhabited] extent of theheaven which is about our Earth and designed for it, which extent wasso small relatively, as not to equal one ten-thousand-thousandth partof the extent uninhabited. 

169. When the angelic spirits who were from that earth came into view, they accosted us, asking who we were, and what we wanted. We told themthat we were travelling, that we had been transported thither, andthat they had nothing to fear from us. For they were afraid that wewere of those who disturb them concerning God, faith, and kindredsubjects, on account of whom they had betaken themselves to thatquarter of their earth, shunning them as much as possible. We askedthem by what they were disturbed. They replied, by the idea of Three, and by the idea of the Divine without the Human in God, when they yetknow and perceive that God is one, and that He is man. It was thenperceived that those who disturbed them, and whom they shunned, werefrom our Earth: this was manifest also from this consideration, thatthere are spirits from our Earth who thus wander about in the otherlife, in consequence of their fondness for and delight in travelling, which they have contracted in the world; for on other earths there isno such custom of travelling as on ours. It was afterwards discoveredthat they were monks, who had travelled on our globe from a desireto convert the gentiles. We therefore told them that they did well toshun them, because their intention was, not to teach, but to securegain and dominion; and that they strive by various means first tocaptivate men's minds (_animi_), and afterwards to subject them tothemselves as slaves: moreover, that they did well in not sufferingtheir idea concerning God to be disturbed by such spirits. They saidfurther, that these spirits also confuse them by asserting that theyought to have faith, and to believe what they say; but that theirreply to them is, that they do not know what faith or believing means, since they perceive in themselves whether a thing be so or not. Theywere of the Lord's celestial kingdom, where all know by interiorperception the truths which with us are called the truths of faith, for they are in enlightenment from the Lord; but it is otherwise withthose who are in the spiritual kingdom. That the angelic spirits ofthat earth were of the Lord's celestial kingdom, I could also see fromthe flame whence their ideas flowed; for in the celestial kingdom thelight is flaming, and in the spiritual kingdom it is bright white. They who are of the celestial kingdom, when the discourse is abouttruths, say no more than Yea, yea, or Nay, nay, and never reason aboutthem whether they be so or not. These are they of whom the Lord says, "_Let your discourse be Yea, yea, Nay, nay; what is beyond this is ofevil_" [(Matt. V. 37)]. Hence it was that those spirits said that theydid not know what it is to have faith or to believe. They considerthis to be like one saying to his companion, who with his own eyessees houses or trees, that he ought to have faith or to believe thatthey are houses and trees, when he sees clearly that they are so. Suchare they who are of the Lord's celestial kingdom, and such were theseangelic spirits[aaa]. We told them that few on our Earth have interiorperception, because in their youth they learn truths, and do notpractise them. For man has two faculties, which are called theunderstanding and the will; they who admit truths no further than intothe memory, and thence in some degree into the understanding, but notinto the life, that is, into the will, these, inasmuch as they cannotbe in any enlightenment or interior sight from the Lord, say thatthose truths ought to be believed, or that man ought to have faith inthem; and they also reason about them whether they be truths ornot; nay, they are not willing that they should be perceived by anyinterior sight, or by any enlightenment by the understanding. They saythis, because truths with them are without light from heaven, andto those who see without light from heaven, falsities may appear astruths, and truths as falsities. Hence so great blindness has fallenon many on our Earth, that although a man does not practise truths orlive according to them, they say nevertheless that he may be saved byfaith alone, as if a man were not man from the life and according toit, but from the knowledge of such things as belong to faith, apartfrom the life. We afterwards conversed with them concerning the Lord, concerning love to Him, love towards the neighbour, and regeneration;saying, that loving the Lord consists in loving the precepts which arefrom Him, that is, in living according to them from love[bbb]; thatlove towards the neighbour consists in willing good and thence doinggood to a fellow-citizen, to one's country, to the church, to theLord's kingdom, not for the selfish end of being seen or acquiringmerit, but from the affection of good[ccc]. Concerning regeneration, we observed that they who are being regenerated by the Lord, andwho commit truths immediately to the life, come into an interiorperception concerning them; but that those who receive truths first inthe memory, and afterwards will them and do them, are those who are infaith; for they act from faith, which is then called conscience. Thesethings, they said, they perceived to be so, and therefore perceivedalso what faith is. I conversed with them by means of spiritual ideas, by which such subjects may be exhibited and comprehended in light. 

[Footnote aaa: Heaven is distinguished into two kingdoms, one of whichis called the celestial kingdom, the other the spiritual kingdom, nos. 3887, 4138. The angels in the celestial kingdom have vastly moreknowledge and wisdom than the angels in the spiritual kingdom, no. 2718. The celestial angels do not think and speak from faith, like thespiritual angels, but from an internal perception that a thing is so, nos. 202, 597, 607, 784, 1121, 1387, 1398, 1442, 1919, 7680, 7877, 8780. The celestial angels say only concerning the truths of faith, Yea, yea, or Nay, nay, but the spiritual angels reason whether a thingbe so or not so, nos. 202, 337, 2715, 3246, 4448, 9166. ]

[Footnote bbb: Loving the Lord means living according to Hiscommandments, nos. 10143, 10153, 10310, 10578, 10645. ]

[Footnote ccc: Loving the neighbour consists in doing what is good, just, and right, in every work and in every function, from theaffection of what is good, just, and right, nos. 8120, 8121, 8123, 10310, 10336. A life of love towards the neighbour is a life accordingto the Lord's precepts, no. 3249. ]

170. The spirits with whom I had now spoken were from the northernpart of their earth. I was afterwards led to others who were on thewestern part. These also, wishing to examine who and what I was;immediately said that there was nothing in me but evil, thinking thatthus I might be deterred from approaching nearer. I apperceived thatthis was their manner of accosting all who come to them. But it wasgiven me to reply that I well knew it to be so, and that in themlikewise there was nothing but evil, by reason that every one is borninto evil, and therefore whatever comes from man, spirit, or angel, as from what is his own, or from his proprium, is nothing but evil;inasmuch as all the good that is in every one, is from the Lord. Hence they apperceived that I was in the truth, and I was admitted toconverse with them. They then showed me their idea concerning evil inman, and concerning good from the Lord, how they are separated fromeach other. They placed one near the other, almost contiguous, butstill distinct, yet as if bound in an inexpressible manner, so thatthe good led the evil, and restrained it, insomuch that it was notallowed to act at pleasure; and that thus the good bent the evil inwhatever direction it desired, without the evil knowing anything ofit. In this manner they exhibited the dominion of good over evil, and at the same time a state of freedom. They then asked how the Lordappeared amongst the angels from our Earth. I said that He appearedin the sun as a Man, encompassed therein with a fiery solar [sphere], from which the angels in the heavens derive all light; and that theheat which proceeds thence is the Divine Good, and that the lightwhich proceeds thence is the Divine Truth, both from the Divine Love, which is the fiery [sphere] appearing around the Lord in that sun;but that that sun only appears to the angels in heaven, and not tothe spirits who are beneath, since the latter are more remote fromthe reception of the good of love and of the truth of faith, than theangels who are in the heavens (see above, no. 40). It was given themthus to inquire concerning the Lord, and concerning His appearancebefore the angels from our Earth, because it pleased the Lord then tobecome present among them, and to reduce into order the things whichhad been disturbed there by the evil spirits of whom they complained. The reason also why I was led thither, was in order that I might be aneye-witness of these things. 

171. There was then seen a dark cloud towards the east descending fromon high, which in its descent appeared by degrees full of light andin the human form. At length this [human form] appeared in a flamingradiance, encompassed with small stars of the same colour. Thus theLord presented Himself before the spirits with whom I was conversing. At His presence all the spirits who were there were instantlygathered together from every side; and when they were come, they wereseparated, the good from the evil, the good to the right and the evilto the left, and this in an instant as of their own accord. Those onthe right were arranged in order according to the quality of the good, and those on the left according to the quality of the evil, withthem: they who were good remained to form among themselves a heavenlysociety; but the evil were cast into the hells. Afterwards I saw thatthat flaming radiance descended to the lower parts of the earth thereto a considerable depth, and then it appeared at one time in a flaming[lustre] verging to luminosity, at another time in a luminosityverging into obscurity, and at another in obscurity: and I was told bythe angels that that appearance is according to the reception of truthfrom good, and of falsity from evil, with those who inhabit the lowerparts of that earth, and that the flaming radiance itself was subjectto no such variations. They also said, that the lower parts of thatearth were inhabited both by the good and by the evil; but that theywere thoroughly separated, to the end that the evil might be ruledby the Lord through the good. They added, that the good are by turnselevated thence into heaven by the Lord, and that others succeed intheir place, and so on perpetually. In that descent, the good wereseparated from the evil in like manner, and all things were reducedto order; for the evil, by various arts and cunning contrivances, had intruded themselves into the dwellings of the good there, and hadinfested them; and this was the cause of the present visitation. Thatcloud, which in descending appeared by degrees full of light and inthe human form, and afterwards as a flaming radiance, was an angelicsociety, in whose midst the Lord was. From this it was given me toknow what is meant by the Lord's words in the Gospels, where, speakingof the Last Judgment, He says, "_That He would come with the angelsin the clouds of heaven, with glory and power_" [(Matt. Xxiv. 30; Markxiii. 26; Luke xxi. 27)]. 

172. After this were seen some monkish spirits, those, namely, who have already been spoken of as having been travelling monks ormissionaries in the world; and there was also seen a crowd of spiritswho were from that earth, most of them evil, whom they had drawn overto their side, and led astray. These were seen on the eastern quarterof that earth, from whence they had driven away the good, who betookthemselves to the northern side of the earth, and of whom we havespoken above. That crowd, together with their seducers, were collectedtogether to the number of some thousands, and were separated; the evilof that crowd were cast into the hells. It was also given me to speakwith one spirit who was a monk, and to ask him what he did there. He replied that he taught them concerning the Lord. I asked, whatbesides. He said, concerning heaven and hell. I asked, what further. He said, concerning faith in all that he should say. I asked again, if he taught anything else. He said, concerning the power of remittingsins, and of opening and shutting heaven. He was then examined as towhat he knew concerning the Lord, the truths of faith, the remissionof sins, man's salvation, and heaven and hell; and it was discoveredthat he knew scarcely anything, that he was in obscurity and falsityconcerning all and each of these subjects, and that he was possessedsolely by the lust of acquiring gain and dominion, which he hadcontracted in the world and brought with him from thence. He wastherefore told that as he had, prompted by that lust, travelledthus far, and as he was such in regard to doctrine, he could not butdeprive the spirits of that earth of heavenly light, and inflict onthem the darkness of hell, and thus cause hell, and not the Lord, tohave dominion with them. Moreover, he was cunning in seducing, butstupid as to the things relating to heaven. As he was of such acharacter, he was afterwards cast into hell. Thus the spirits of thatearth were freed of them. 

173. The spirits of that earth, amongst other things, also said thatthose strangers, who, as has been said, were monkish spirits, used alltheir endeavours to persuade them to live together in society, and notseparate and solitary. For spirits and angels dwell and live togetherjust as they had done in the world. Those who have dwelt togethercollectively in the world, also dwell collectively together in theother life; and those who have dwelt separated into households andfamilies, also dwell separated there. These spirits, whilst they hadlived as men on their earth, had dwelt separated, every household andfamily, and thus every clan, apart, and therefore knew not what it wasto dwell together in society. Wherefore, when it was told them thatthose strangers wanted to persuade them to this, in order that theymight reign and rule over them, and that they could not otherwisesubject them to themselves and make them slaves, they replied thatthey were totally ignorant what was meant by reigning and ruling. Thatthey flee away at the bare idea of rule and domination, was manifestto me from this circumstance, that one of them, who accompanied us onthe return journey, when I showed him the city in which I dwelt, atthe first sight of it fled away, and was seen no more. 

174. I then conversed with the angels who were with me, concerningdominion, that there are two kinds of dominion, one, of love towardsthe neighbour, and the other, of the love of self; and that thedominion of love towards the neighbour exists among those who dwellseparated into households, families, and clans: but the dominion ofthe love of self among those who dwell together in society. Amongthose who live separated into households, families, and clans, he whois the father of the clan bears rule, and under him the fathers offamilies, and under these the fathers of each household. He is calledthe father of the clan, from whom the families are derived, and thehouseholds of which the families are composed. But all these exercisedominion from love, like the love of a father towards his children, who teaches them how they ought to live, provides for their good, andas far as possible gives to them of what is his own. It never entersinto his mind to subject them to himself, as subjects or as servants, but he loves that they should obey him as sons obey their father. Andsince this love, as is known, increases in descending, therefore thefather of a clan acts from a more inward love than the father himselffrom whom the children are immediately descended. Such also is thedominion in the heavens, because such is the Lord's dominion; for Hisdominion is from Divine Love towards the whole human race. But thedominion of the love of self, which is opposite to the dominion oflove towards the neighbour, began when man alienated himself from theLord; for in proportion as a man does not love and worship theLord, in that proportion he loves and worships himself, and inthat proportion also he loves the world. Then it was that, from thenecessity for self-preservation, clans consisting of familiesand households gathered themselves into one body, and establishedgovernments under various forms. For in proportion as that loveincreased, in the same proportion evils of every kind, as, enmity, envy, hatred, revenge, cruelty and deceit, increased with it, beingdirected against all who opposed that love; for from the proprium, inwhich those are who are in the love of self, nothing but evil springs, inasmuch as man's proprium is nothing but evil, and, as the propriumis evil, it is not receptive of good from heaven: therefore the loveof self, when it is the reigning love, is the father of all suchevils[ddd]; and that love is also of such a nature, that in proportionas it is left without restraint, it rushes on until at length each onewho is of such a character wants to have dominion over all others inthe whole globe, and wishes to possess all the goods of the others;nay, it is not even content with this, but would have dominion overthe whole heaven; as may appear from the case of modern Babylon. Suchthen is the dominion of the love of self, from which the dominion oflove towards the neighbour differs as much as heaven does from hell. But notwithstanding that the dominion of the love of self is such insocieties, or in kingdoms and empires, there nevertheless exists evenin these a dominion of love towards the neighbour among those who arewise from faith in and love to God, for these love the neighbour. Thatin the heavens also these dwell distinguished into clans, families, and households, although in societies together, but according tospiritual affinities which have relation to the good of love and thetruth of faith, will, by the Lord's Divine mercy, be stated elsewhere. 

[Footnote ddd: Man's proprium, which he derives from his parents, isnothing but dense evil, nos. 210, 215, 731, 874, 876, 987, 1047, 2307, 2308, 3518, 3701, 3812, 8480, 8550, 10283, 10284, 10286, 10731. Man'sproprium consists in loving himself more than God, and the world morethan heaven, and in holding his neighbour of no account in respect tohimself, except it be for the sake of himself, consequently [in makingmuch of] himself; thus it consists of the love of self and of theworld, nos. 694, 731, 4317, 5660. All evils flow from the love of selfand of the world, when these predominate, nos. 1307, 1308, 1321, 1594, 1691, 3413, 7255, 7376, 7488, 8318, 9335, 9348, 10038, 10742. Theseevils are contempt of others, enmity, hatred, revenge, cruelty, deceit, nos. 6667, 7372-7374, 9348, 10038, 10742. And from these evilsall falsity flows, nos. 1047, 10283, 10284, 10286. ]

175. I afterwards questioned those spirits concerning various thingsin the earth from which they were; and first, concerning their Divineworship, and concerning revelation. Concerning the Divine worship, they said that clans, with their families, meet together everythirtieth day, in one place, and hear preaching; and that on theseoccasions the preacher, from a pulpit raised a little from theground, teaches them the Divine truths which lead to the good of life. Concerning revelation, they said that it is made early in the morningin a state midway between sleeping and wakefulness, when they are inan interior light not as yet interfered with by the bodily senses andworldly things; that on such occasions they hear the angels of heavenspeaking concerning Divine truths, and a life according to them; andthat when they are quite awake, an angel in a white garment appearsto them by the bed, and then suddenly disappears from their sight; andthat by this they know that what they have heard is from heaven. Thusa Divine vision is distinguished from a vision which is not Divine;for in a vision which is not Divine no angel appears. They added, that in such a manner revelations are made with their preachers, andsometimes also with others. 

176. On questioning them concerning their houses, they said that theyare lowly, built of wood, with a flat roof, having a cornice slopingdownwards; and that in front dwell the husband and wife, in the nextchamber the children, and the maid-servants and men-servants at theback. With regard to food, they said that they drink milk with water;and that they get the milk from cows, which are woolly like sheep. Concerning their [mode of] life, they said that they go naked, andthat to them nakedness is not a matter of shame; also that theirhabitual association is with those who are within their own families. 

177. Concerning the sun of that earth, they related that it appears tothe inhabitants of a flame-colour; that the time of their year is twohundred days, and that a day equals nine hours of our time, which theycould conclude from the length of the days of our Earth perceived inme; and further, that they have a perpetual spring and summer, andconsequently that the fields are ever blooming, and the trees are everbearing fruit: the reason why the case is thus is, that their yearis so short, being equal to the time of only seventy-five days of ouryear; and when the years are so short, the cold does not continue longin winter nor the heat in summer, and the ground in consequence is ina continual state of verdancy. 

178. Concerning betrothals and marriages on that earth, they relatedthat a daughter, when she approaches a marriageable age, is kept athome, nor is she allowed to go out till the day she is to be married;and that she is then conducted to a certain connubial house, whereseveral other marriageable young women are also brought; that they arethere placed behind a screen, which reaches as high as the middle ofthe body, so that they appear naked as to the breast and face; thaton such occasions the young men come there to choose for themselves awife; and that when a young man sees a young woman suitable for him, and to whom his mind (_animus_) draws him, he takes her by thehand. If she then follows him, he leads her to a house that hasbeen prepared, and she becomes his wife. For they see from the faceswhether they agree in disposition (_animus_), since on that earthevery one's face is an index of the disposition (_animus_), anddisguises and counterfeits nothing. In order that everything may bedone with decency and without lasciviousness, an old man is seatedbehind the young virgins, and an elderly woman at their side, towatch. There are many such places to which the young women areconducted; and there are also stated times for the young men to maketheir choice; for if they do not find a girl to suit them at oneplace, they go to another; and if not at one time, they return againat another. They said further, that a husband has only one wife, andnever more than one, because this is contrary to Divine order. 

INDEX OF SUBJECTS. 

_The numbers refer to the paragraph, not to the pages. The footnotesare referred to as part of the text. _

 ACT. See ENDEAVOUR. 

 ADORATION. See under WORSHIP. 

 AFFECTIONS, angels enter into man's, 11; manifested by the countenance, 54; how spiritual affection becomes natural affection, 163; affection of thought, 88. 

 AGREEMENT of life conjoins, 127[2]. 

 ANALYTICAL SCIENCE, 38[4]. 

 ANGEL. See under SPIRITS. Difference between celestial and spiritual angels, 169[2]. 

 ANIMALS, instinct of, 96; how man becomes like a brute animal, 58[2]. 

 ANIMUS. See MIND. 

 ANXIETY arises from collision of spheres, 148. 

 APPARITION of a flame, 21; of a face, 76; of an old man, 76; of a bald head, 84. 

 APPEARANCE of spirits and angels on our Earth, 160; why it no longer takes place, 160. 

 ARCHITECTURE, 151. 

 ARISTOTLE, 38[3]. 

 ATHANASIAN CREED quoted, 159[3]. 

 ATMOSPHERE of the Moon, 111. 

 BABYLON, modern, 174[2]. 

 BALD HEAD, apparition of, 84. 

 BETROTHALS, 178. 

 BIRDS, signification of, 33, 94[3]; instinct of, 96; bird of stone, 94-96. 

 BLUE, correspondence of, 83. 

 BODY (The) is only of use in this world, 123; soul and body, 159[3]. 

 BRUTE ANIMAL, how man becomes like, 58[2]. 

 BUTTERFLIES, 79[3]. 

 CATERPILLARS, 79[3]. 

 CELESTIAL and spiritual kingdom and angels, 169[2]. 

 CEREBRUM and cerebellum, 88. 

 CHANGES of colours, 94[3]; of state, 125, 157, 164. 

 CHARIOTS, signification of, 82. 

 CHASMS, 128, 129. 

 CHASTISING SPIRITS, 72-78. 

 CHIMNEY-SWEEPERS, 79. 

 CHOIRS, 61[3]. 

 CHURCH, difference between celestial and spiritual, 85. 

 CLOUDS, 149, 171. 

 COLD, 63, 78. 

 COLOURS, signification of, 94[3]. 

 COMFORTER, 159[2]. 

 COMMUNICATION, mutual, of all things in heaven, 15, 25, 36; of men with spirits, 71; with heaven, how and when closed, 71; with heaven, on Mars, 90; communications are effected by Subjects, 95[2]. 

 CONCEIT, of spirits of Mercury, 16, 37; impairs perception, 62[2]. 

 CONJUGIAL (The), 163. 

 CONJUNCTION with the Lord, how effected, 123, 142; of natural things and heavenly things, 156. 

 CONSOCIATIONS are effected according to spheres, 64; with angels, conditions of, 123. 

 CORRESPONDENCE of heaven and the Lord, and of man and heaven, 5, 156. 

 COUNTERFEITING, its effect on the face, 53. 

 CREATION, the end of, is man, 112, 126. 

 CRYSTALS, 19. 

 DANCER, 38[4]. 

 DANGER of intercourse with spirits, 1. 

 DEVIL, 154. 

 DISAGREEMENT of life disjoins, 127[2]. 

 DISSOCIATIONS are effected according to spheres, 64. 

 DISTANCES in their origin are changes of state, 125; in the other life are real appearances, 86; how circumstanced, 135, 138; distance results from unlikeness of state, 135. 

 DIVINE TRUTH appears in heaven as light, 41, 131; all things were created through the Divine Truth, 122. 

 DIVINE TRUTH proceeding from the Lord is the Word, 122. 

 DIVINE Worship. See under WORSHIP. 

 DOCTRINE, all, from the Word, 82. 

 DOMINION of good over evil, 170. The two kinds of dominion, 174. 

 DRESS, its use and abuse, 62[4]. 

 DWARFS, 111[2]. 

 EAGLES, 140. 

 EARTH (Our), ignorance on, 27, 169[3]; character of spirits of, 39, 61, 62, 66, 98, 99, 158, 169; the spirits of, in the Grand Man, relate to the various functions of the exterior parts of the body, 64; to the external sense, 89; to natural and corporeal sense, 102[2]; to natural and external sense, 122; to external sense, thus to the corporeal Sensual, 148; corporeal things loved on, 155. 

 EARTHS in the universe, 2, 3, 6, 26; not visible in the other life, 47; spirits are near their own earth, 1, 42, 47, 139; where there is an earth, there is man, 112; earths are only apparently distant in the other world, 135. See also PLANETS. 

 ELIJAH, 82. 

 EMISSARY spirits, 95[2]. 

 EMPIRES, origin of, 49[2], 90[2], 174[3]. 

 ENDEAVOUR and act, 159[3]. 

 ENSIFORM cartilage, 111[4]. 

 ESSE and existere, 159[3]. 

 EUROPEAN spirits, 61[2]. 

 EUSTACHIAN tube, 87. 

 EVIL shows up good, 77; every man born into evil, 170; evils all flow from the love of self, 174[2]. 

 EXTERNALS (The) of life are kept closed after death, and the internals of life are opened, 80. 

 EYE, its correspondence, 22. 

 FACES, on Jupiter, 52; effect of counterfeiting on the face, 53; how changed in course of time, 54[3], 88; apparition of a face, 76; when it acts in unity with the thought, 88; in ancient times the face received influx from the cerebellum, 88. 

 FAITH, no, with mere professors, 39; compelled faith does not inhere, 160. 

 FALSITY, all, flows from evil, 174[2]. See also TRUTHS. 

 FEAR can be excited in anyone by evil spirits, 72. 

 FIRE, its signification in the Word, 52[4]; infernal fire, 52[4]; the fiery [sphere] around the Lord in the spiritual Sun, 170[2]. 

 FLAME, apparition of a, 21; signification of, 94[3]; flaming object, 94; flaming radiance, 171. 

 FOOD should be prepared with a view to use, 58. 

 GENIUS of men, how known, 80. 

 GENTILES in the other life, 118. 

 GIANTS on Venus, 108. 

 GLORIFICATION by choirs, 61[3]. 

 GOD cannot be comprehended except under the Human Form, 7; uncomprehended, cannot be believed in, 118; under the Human Form is the Lord, 121. 

 GOLDEN Age, 49. 

 GOOD is known from evil, 77. 

 GOODNESS of disposition, how manifested, 50. 

 GOVERNING spirits of Jupiter, 72, 73. 

 GOVERNMENTS unknown on other earths, 143; origin of, 49[4], 90[2], 174[2]. 

 GRAND MAN, constitution of, 9. 

 GUARDS, 128. 

 GULFS, 128. 

 HAND, signification of, 94[3]. 

 HAPPINESS of the angels is from mutual communication of their goods, 15. 

 HARLOTS on other earths, 147. 

 HEAT signifies love, 41; does not arise from nearness to the sun, 45. The heat and light from the spiritual sun, 170[2]. 

 HEAVEN corresponds to the Lord, 5; before the Lord it is a Man in a large effigy, called the Grand Man, 5; its immensity, 5, 168; resembles one Man, 9; how it became removed from man, 49[4]; is the end of creation, 112, 126; is distinguished into two kingdoms, 169[2]. 

 HORSES, signification of, 60, 82. The "White Horse, " 60, 82. 

 HUMAN. How the Lord made His Human Divine, 159[3]. 

 HUMAN FORM (The) is the form of the Divine, 121, 159; of heaven, 5; of every angel and spirit, 1, 123. Adoration of God under the Human Form, 7. 

 HUMAN RACE (The) is from numberless earths, 2; is the seminary of heaven, 3, 30. 

 HUMILIATION of spirits of Mercury, 37; of spirits of Mars, 91[3]. 

 HYPOCRISY is not allowed in the other life, 54[3]. 

 IDEAS, material, 38; angelic, 167; spiritual, 169[4]; are open in the other life, 158[2]; importance of the idea concerning God, 158[2]. 

 IDOLATERS, 142. 

 IMAGINATIVE [part or faculty] of thought, 64. 

 IMMENSITY of heaven, 5, 168. 

 INFESTATION by spirits, 61[2]. 

 INFLUX manifests quality, 50; is spiritual, 102[5]. 

 INSTINCT, 96. 

 INSTRUCTING spirits of Jupiter, 72-78. 

 INSTRUMENTAL and principal, 159[3]. 

 INTELLECT (The) is according to the reception of light, 131. 

 INTERNALS. See under EXTERNALS. 

 JESUITS, 61[2]. 

 JUPITER (The planet), 46-84. Population and fertility, 48. Goodness and wisdom of the inhabitants, 49, 62; their care of their faces, 53, 54; their manner of walking, 55; their nakedness, 56; their position in bed, 57; their repasts, 58; their Divine Worship, 65-69; representation of spirits and angels in the Grand Man, 64; their perception, 67; intercourse between inhabitants and spirits, 70-78; chastising and instructing spirits, 72-78; angels of their interior heaven, and their different kinds of speech, 80; how their spirits become angels, 82, 88; how they die, 84; their age, 84[2]. 

 KEENNESS of vision, 140. 

 KINGDOMS, origin of, 49[4], 90[2], 174[2]; celestial and spiritual, 169[2]. 

 KNEE, 156. 

 KNOWLEDGES have respect to uses, 18; are only instrumental means, 18; their communication among spirits of Mercury, 25. 

 LAMBS, signification of, 33, 34. 

 LAMPS, signification of, 33. 

 LAST JUDGMENT, 165, 171[3]. 

 LEARNED in the other life, 38[2], 67, 114. 

 LIFE, the, follows every one after death, 30, 51; man can be let into former state of life, 38[3]; life itself is actually derived from love, 52[4]; those only have spiritual life who are in heavenly love, 96; state of life, 135. 

 LIGHT signifies wisdom, 41; in heaven, 41, 131; the light of this world is darkness to spirits, 135[2]; the light of heaven enlightens the understanding of angels, 41, but is darkness to man, 135[2]; light in the celestial and spiritual kingdoms, 169[2]; the light from the spiritual sun is the Divine Truth, 170. 

 LIKENESS of life conjoins, 127[2]. 

 LIPS, speech by the, 53, 54. 

 LOGICIANS, 38[2]. 

 LONGITUDINAL SINUS, 95[2]. 

 LORD (The) is the sun of heaven, 40, 170; is the only God, 98, 99; seen in the midst of the sun by spirits of Mercury, of our Earth, and of Jupiter, 40, 170; by spirits of Mars, 91; seen under an angelic form by spirits of Saturn, 98. 

 LOVE is the fire of life, 52[4]; a love contains in itself all power of knowing, 96; parental love grows in descending, 174; celestial and spiritual love, 94[3]; conjugial love, 163; love to God and towards the neighbour is man's peculiar love, 96[2]; what these loves consist in, 169[4]; love of self, its nature, 174[2]; love of self and love of the world necessitated the formation of governments, 90. 

 MAN as to his essence is a spirit, 1[2], 123. A man whose interiors are opened by the Lord, can speak with spirits, 1[2]; man as to his interiors is in the midst of spirits and angels, 1; cannot see anything in the other life, 135[2]; corresponds to Heaven, 5, 9; does not rise as to his body, 159[3]; man after death becomes a spirit, 47, 123, 160; after death is in the human form as before, 123; after death has the memory of all his concerns in the world, 127; how distinguished from beasts, 96[2]; is not born into his peculiar loves, 96[2]; is the end of creation, 112, 126; was born for heaven, 114; was created to live in both worlds, 135[4]; the natural and spiritual man, 102. 

 MARRIAGES, 178. 

 MARS (The planet). The spirits are the best of all, 85; speech and character, 87; representation in the Grand Man, 88; life, 90; Divine Worship, 91; humiliation, 91; body, clothing, and nourishment, 93. 

 MATERIAL things drag the mind downwards, 13. 

 MEDIUM between the Intellectual and the Voluntary, 88. 

 MEMBRANE, inner, of the skull, 95[6]. 

 MEMORY, of spirits of Mercury, 10, 17, 24, 31; of spirits of Venus, 107; spirits enter into man's, 11, 13; of spirits, 14, 29; is permanent after death, 127, 160. 

 MERCURY (The planet). Representation in the Grand Man, 11; desire for knowledges, 13; conceit, 16, 37; deficiency in judgment, 17; knowledges alone loved, apart from uses, 6, 18, 101, 139; instantaneous judgment 22; rapid speech, 22, 23; permitted to wander through the universe 6, 24, 25, 101, 139; perfection of memory, 35; instruction of inhabitants by spirits, 35; perception, 39; body and clothing, 44; apparent size of the sun, 45; temperature of the earth, 45. 

 MERIT belongs to the Lord alone, 70[5]. 

 METAPHYSICIANS, 38[2]. 

 MIDDLE SENSE between the spiritual and the natural man, 102. 

 MIND (_animus_). All things belonging to the mind are exhibited under some natural form in the body, 163. 

 MIND (The) (_mens_) comports itself according to the interior state of the body, 58[2]. 

 MIRACLE of miracles, 135[3]. 

 MONKS, 169, 172, 173. 

 MOONS, 3[2], 42, 112, 126. 

 MOST ANCIENT CHURCH was a celestial church, 85. 

 MOST ANCIENT PEOPLE, 49; spoke by the face and lips, 54[2], 87[3]. 

 MOST ANCIENT TIMES, 54[2]. 

 MOTIONS in the other life, 125. 

 NAKEDNESS is no shame to those who are chaste, 56, 176. 

 NATURAL LIGHT gives no information on spiritual subjects, 114. 

 NATURAL MAN, his character, 102[4, 5]. 

 NATURAL AND EXTERNAL SENSE is the ultimate, 122. 

 NAVIGATION, 116. 

 OLD MAN, apparition of, 76. 

 OPPOSITES, their use, 35. 

 PALLAS, 38[6]. 

 PAPERS, printed, 28. 

 PERCEPTION, of spirits of Mercury, 89; is impaired by conceit, 62[2]; perception of good from evil, 77; is lost in the Christian world, 158[3]; is rare on our Earth, 169[3]. 

 PHILOSOPHY, 38[3]. 

 PLANETS are inhabited, 3; their situation in the other life, 42, 86; do not appear to any spirit, 105. 

 PLURALITY of worlds, 2. 

 PREACHER, 157, 158, 161, 162. 

 PRESENCE in the other life results from likeness of state, 135. 

 PREY, delight of eating, 108. 

 PRINCIPAL and instrumental, 159[3]. 

 PRINTING, art of, 81; was for the sake of the Word, 113-122, 136, 155; unknown on other earths, 155; printed papers seen, 28. 

 PROCEEDING (Divine), 159. 

 PROGRESSIONS in the other life, 125, 127[2]. 

 PROPRIUM is nothing but evil, 170, 174[2]. 

 PUNISHING SPIRIT, 154. 

 PUNISHMENTS inflicted by spirits, 72, 154. 

 QUALITY of spirits manifested by influx, 50. 

 REGENERATION, 169[4]. 

 REPRESENTATION of objects in the other life, 32. 

 RESPIRATION, spirits and angels have, 87[4]; of spirits of Mars, 87[4]. 

 RESURRECTION of man, 159[3]; of the Lord, 159[3]; belief concerning, 165. 

 REVELATION on Jupiter, 65; on this Earth and on others, 113-122, 136, 155, 175. 

 RICHES, use and abuse of, 62[4]. 

 RIGHT (The) in the other life is towards the south, 168. 

 RIGHTEOUSNESS belongs to the Lord alone, 70[5]. 

 RING of Saturn, 3[2], 100, 104. 

 SAINTS on Jupiter, 70. 

 SATELLITES, 3[2], 42, 112, 126. 

 SATURN (The planet). Character of the spirits, 97; worship, 98; representation in the Grand Man, 102; manners and customs, 103; ring or belt, 3[2], 100, 104. 

 SCIENCES are not known on Jupiter, 62; are cultivated on our Earth only, 136; on our Earth are means of opening the intellectual sight, 62[3], and also of closing it, 68; are spiritual riches, 62[4]; analytical science, 38[4]. 

 SCHOOLMEN, 38[3], 62. 

 SEMINAL VESICLES, 79. 

 SENSE, natural and external, 122; the internal sense without an external would be like a house without a foundation, 122. 

 SENSUAL, 127[4], 148; represented by serpents, 148. 

 SEPARATE. See under SOCIETY. 

 SERPENTS, 148. 

 SIGHT, opening of spiritual, is effected by removal of bodily, 165[4]; keenness of sight, 140. 

 SINCERITY prevailed in the Most Ancient times, 54[2]. 

 SINUS, Longitudinal, 95. 

 SOCIETY, living in, and living separate, 49, 103, 173, 174; an angelic society, 171[3]. 

 SORCERESSES, 137, 147. 

 SOUL is the spirit of man, and is the man himself, and in the human form, 1; soul and body, 159[3]. 

 SPACES and distances, origin of, 125; space and time, 127[4]. 

 SPEECH, verbal, is material, 17, 54; of spirits, 22; by the lips, 53, 54; angelic, 54[2]; of Most Ancient people, 54, 87; of angels of Jupiter, 80; of spirits of Mars, 87, 95[3]. 

 SPHERES, 64, 148; collision of spheres produces anxiety, 148. 

 SPIRIT (The) of man is the man himself, and in the human form, 1. 

 SPIRITS and angels are all from the human race, 1, 30; the spirits with man possess all things of his memory, 13; spirits are near their own earth, 1, 42, 47, 139; spirits of one earth are separated from those of another, 86; their character determined by their previous life, 30; are distinguished by their situation relatively to the human body, 156; spirits and angels do not see the things in this world, 52[6], 135[2], but can see them through a man specially prepared, 135[2]; are all in the human form, 128; intercourse with, in ancient times, 158[3], 160; danger of intercourse with spirits at the present day, 1; spirits of our Earth, see under EARTH. 

 SPIRITUAL MAN inflows in to the natural, 102[5]. 

 SPIRITUAL SENSE, 33. 

 SPLEEN, 132. 

 SPRING, perpetual, 177. 

 STARS are suns, 4, 126; signification of, 50, 72[2]. 

 STATE, diversity of, causes separation, 86; the state of life, what, 135. 

 STRIATED, 95[5]. 

 SUBJECTS, 95[2]. 

 SUN (The) in the Word signifies the Lord as to the Divine Love, 40. 

 SUN OF HEAVEN (The) is the Lord, 40; only appears to the angels, 170[2]. 

 SUN OF THIS WORLD (The) is not seen in the other life, 40, 42, 105. 

 SWEDENBORG's peculiar state, 1, 124, 125, 126[3], 135, 165. 

 SYSTEMS, 4, 126. 

 TASTE (The). Consequence of its ruling in the body, 58[2]. 

 TEMPLES, 150, 151. 

 THOUGHT is made manifest after death, 30; how manifested in the face, 54; the thought flows from the affection, and as it were in it, 95; thought and speech ought to be one, 158; effects of thinking from the sensuals of the body, 165. 

 THUNDER, 111. 

 TIME and space, 127[4]. 

 TRANSLATION as to the spirit to distant places, 125, 127[2], 138, 157, 168. 

 TRAVELLING, 169. 

 TREES, Temples of, 151. 

 TRINITY, 158, 159. 

 TRUTH. See DIVINE TRUTH. 

 TRUTHS and falsities represented by stars, 50, 72[2]. 

 TYPES. See PRINTING. 

 UNBELIEF, modern, 124. 

 UNDERSTANDING (The) is the internal sight, 22. 

 UNDERSTANDING AND WILL, 169[3]. 

 UNIVERSE, Earths in, 2, 3, 6, 26. 

 UNLIKENESS of life disjoins, 127[2]. 

 USES ought to be the ends of knowledges, 18. 

 VENUS (The planet). Two kinds of men, 43, 106-109; representation of, in the Grand Man, 43, 107. 

 VESICLES, Seminal, 79. 

 VISIONS, 175. 

 WISDOM of the angels is from the mutual communication of their goods, 15; is always growing with angels, 29; the first step towards wisdom, 37; wisdom on Jupiter, 62. 

 WOLF, 38. 

 WORD on our Earth, why printed, 81, 113-122, 136. 

 WORSHIP, not possible without an idea, 7; remains implanted in man's interior life, 142; Divine worship on other earths, 7, 130, 141; on Jupiter, 65-69; on Mars, 91; on Saturn, 98; on Venus, 107; on the First earth, 130; on our Earth, 141, 142; on the Third earth, 153, 154; on the Fourth earth, 158; on the Fifth earth, 175; adoration of God under the Human Form, 7. 

 WRITING has existed on our Earth from the most ancient times, 115. 

 XIPHOID CARTILAGE, 111[4]. 

INDEX OF SCRIPTURE REFERENCES. 

 1 Samuel Nos. Xxx. 16, 108

 Matthew v. 37, 169[2] xxiv. 30, 171[3] xxviii. 18, 91, 159[3]

 Mark xiii. 26, 171[3]

 Luke xxi. 27, 171[3] xxiv. 39, 159[3]

 John i. 1-3, 14, 18, 122 v. 37, 141 x. 30, 141 xiv. 7, 9-11, 141