Man Does Not Die

Selection from Heaven and Hell ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

THE RESUSCITATION OF MAN FROM THE DEAD AND HIS ENTRANCE INTO ETERNAL LIFE

When the body is no longer able to perform its functions in the natural world corresponding to the thoughts and affections of his spirit which he has from the spiritual world, then man is said to die. This takes place when the respiration of the lungs and the beatings of the heart cease. But yet the man does not die; he is merely separated from the corporeal part that was of use to him in the world, for the man himself lives:

It is said that the man himself lives, since man is not a man because of his body but because of his spirit, for it is the spirit in man that thinks, and thought with affection makes man.

Hence it is clear that the man when he dies merely passes from one world into another. And this is why in the Word in its internal sense "death" signifies resurrection and continuation of life.

There is an inmost communication of the spirit with the breathing and with the beating of the heart, the spirit's thought communicating with the breathing, and its affection, which is of love, with the heart; consequently, when these two motions cease in the body there is at once a separation. These two motions, namely, the respiration of the lungs and the beating of the heart, are the very bonds on the sundering of which the spirit is left to itself; and the body, being then deprived of the life of its spirit, grows cold and begins to decay. This inmost communication of the spirit of man is with the respiration and with the heart, because on these all vital motions depend, not only in general but in every part.

After the separation, the spirit of man continues in the body for a short time, but only until the heart's action has wholly ceased, which happens variously in accord with the diseased condition from which a man dies, with some the motion of the heart continuing for some time, with others not so long. As soon as this motion ceases the man is resuscitated; but this is done by the Lord alone.

Resuscitation means the drawing forth of the spirit from the body, and its introduction into the spiritual world this is commonly called the resurrection.

The spirit is not separated from the body until the motion of the heart has ceased, for the reason that the heart corresponds to the affection that is of the love, which is the very life of man, for it is from love that everyone has vital heat; consequently, as long as this conjunction continues, there is a correspondence, and thereby the life of the spirit in the body.

How this resuscitation is effected has both been told to me and shown to me in living experience. The actual experience was granted to me that I might know fully how it happens.

As to the senses of the body I was brought into a state of insensibility, thus nearly into the state of the dying, but with the interior life and thought remaining unimpaired, in order that I might perceive and retain in the memory the things that happened to me, and that happen to those who are resuscitated from the dead. I perceived that the respiration of the body was almost wholly taken away; but the interior respiration of the spirit went on in connection with a slight and tacit respiration of the body. Then at first a communication of the pulse of the heart with the celestial kingdom was established, because that kingdom corresponds to the heart in man. Angels from that kingdom were seen, some at a distance, and two sitting near my head. Thus all my own affection was taken away although thought and perception continued.

I was in this state for some hours. Then the spirits who were around me withdrew, supposing that I was dead; and an aromatic odour like that of an embalmed body was perceived, for when the celestial angels are present everything pertaining to the corpse is perceived as aromatic, and when spirits perceive this they cannot approach; and in this way evil spirits are kept away from man's spirit when he is being introduced into eternal life. The angels seated at my head were silent, merely sharing their thoughts with mine; and when their thoughts are received, the angels know that the spirit of man is in a state in which it can be drawn forth from the body. This sharing of their thoughts was effected by looking into my face, for in this way in heaven thoughts are shared.

As thought and perception remained with me, that I might know and remember how resuscitation is effected, I perceived that the angels first tried to ascertain what my thought was, whether it was like the thought of those who are dying, which is usually about eternal life; also that they wished to keep my mind in that thought. Afterwards, I was told that the spirit of man is held in its last thought when the body expires, until it returns to the thoughts that are from its general or ruling affection in the world. Especially was I permitted to see and feel that there was a pulling and drawing forth, as it were, of the interiors of my mind, thus of my spirit, from the body; and I was told that this is from the Lord, and that the resurrection is thus effected.

The celestial angels who are with the one who is resuscitated do not withdraw from him, because they love everyone; but when the spirit is such that he can no longer be associated with celestial angels, he longs to get away from them. When this takes place, angels from the Lord's spiritual kingdom come, through whom is given the use of light; for before this he saw nothing, but merely thought. I was also shown how this happens. The angels appeared to roll off, as it were, a coat from the left eye towards the bridge of the nose, that the eye might be opened and be enabled to see. This is only an appearance, but to the spirit it seemed to be really done. When the coat thus seems to have been rolled off there is a slight sense of light, but very dim, like what is seen through the eyelids on first awakening from sleep. To me this dim light took on a heavenly hue, but I was told afterwards that the colour varies. Then something is felt to be gently rolled off from the face, and when this is done spiritual thought is induced. This rolling off from the face is also an appearance, which represents the spirit's passing from natural thought into spiritual thought. The angels are extremely careful that only such ideas as savour of love shall proceed from the one resuscitated. They now tell him that he is a spirit. When he has come into the enjoyment of light, the spiritual angels render to the new spirit every service he can possibly desire in that state, and teach him about the things of the other life so far as he can comprehend them. But if he has no wish to be taught, the spirit longs to get away from the company of the angels. Nevertheless, the angels do not withdraw from him, but he separates himself from them; for the angels love everyone, and desire nothing so much as to render service, to teach, and to lead into heaven; this constitutes their highest delight. When the spirit has thus withdrawn, he is received by good spirits, and as long as he continues in their company everything possible is done for him. But if he had lived such a life in the world as would prevent his enjoying the company of the good, he longs to get away from them, and this experience is repeated until he comes into association with such as are in entire harmony with his life in the world; and with such he finds his own life, and what is surprising, he then leads a life like that which he led in the world.

This opening state of man's life after death lasts only a few days. How he is afterwards led from one state to another, and finally either into heaven or into hell, (told in subsequent chapters). This, too, I have been permitted to know by much experience.

I have talked with some on the third day after their decease, when the things described above took place. I also spoke with three whom I had known in the world, to whom I mentioned that arrangements were now being made for burying their bodies; I said, "for burying them"; on hearing which they were smitten with a kind of surprise, saying that they were alive, and that the thing that had served them in the world was what was being buried. Afterwards they wondered greatly that they had not believed in such a life after death while they lived in the body, and especially that scarcely any within the Church so believed. Those who, in the world, have not believed in any life of the soul after the life of the body are greatly ashamed when they find themselves to be alive. But those who have confirmed themselves in that disbelief seek association with their like, and are separated from those who have had faith. Such are for the most part attached to some infernal society, because they have also denied the Divine and have despised the truths of the Church. For so far as anyone confirms himself against the eternal life of his soul he confirms himself also against whatever pertains to heaven and the Church.

(Heaven and Hell 445-452)

What is Man? (Part 3)

Selection from Heaven and Hell ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

THERE IS A CORRESPONDENCE OF ALL THINGS OF HEAVEN
WITH ALL THINGS OF MAN

At the present day it is not known what correspondence is. There are several reasons for this. The chief one is that man has withdrawn himself from heaven by the love of self and the world. For he who loves himself and the world above all things regards only worldly things because they are pleasing to the external senses and gratify his inclination, and he does not regard spiritual things because they are pleasing to the internal senses and gratify the mind. Therefore he casts these aside, saying that they are too high to think about.

The case was different with the ancient peoples. To them the knowledge of correspondences was the chief of all knowledges. By means of it they also derived intelligence and wisdom, and, by means of it, those who were of the Church had communication with heaven, for the knowledge of correspondence is an angelic knowledge. The most ancient people, who were celestial men, thought from correspondence itself, like the angels. So they also spoke with angels, and so the Lord was frequently seen by them and instructed them. But at the present day, that knowledge has been so completely lost that it is not known what correspondence is.

The knowledge of correspondences excels other knowledges; the knowledge of correspondences was the chief knowledge of the ancient people; but at the present day it is wholly forgotten. The knowledge of correspondences flourished among the Orientals and in Egypt.

Since, then, without a perception of what correspondence is, it is impossible for anything to be known clearly about the spiritual world, or of its influx into the natural world, or even of what the spiritual is in relation to the natural, or anything with clearness about the spirit of man which is called the soul and of its operation into the body, or yet of the state of man after death, it is necessary, therefore, to explain what correspondence is and what is its nature. So also is the way prepared for what is to follow.

WHAT CORRESPONDENCE IS

First, it will be stated what correspondence is. The whole natural world corresponds to the spiritual world, not only the natural world in general but also in every particular. Therefore, whatever in the natural world comes into existence from the spiritual world is said to be in correspondence with it. It must be known that the natural world comes into existence and continues in existence from the spiritual world, precisely like an effect from its effecting cause. By the natural world is meant everything in its whole extent that is under the sun, receiving heat and light from it; and all things that continue in existence therefrom belong to that world. But the spiritual world is heaven, and all things in the heavens belong to that world.

Since man is both a heaven and a world in least form after the image of the greatest, there is, therefore, with him both a spiritual and a natural world. Interior things which belong to his mind and relate to the understanding and the will, make his spiritual world, while exterior things which belong to his body and relate to its senses and actions make his natural world. Consequently, whatever in his natural world, that is, in his body and its senses and actions, comes into existence from his spiritual world, that is, from his mind and its understanding and will, is said to be a correspondence thereof.

What correspondence is, may be seen from the human face. In a face which has not been taught to dissemble, all the affections of the mind come to view in a natural form as in their image. This is why the face is said to be the index of the mind; that is, it is man's spiritual world presented in his natural world. In the same way, the things pertaining to the understanding present themselves in speech, and those pertaining to the will present themselves in the movements of the body. All things, therefore, that are done in the body, whether in the face, in speech or in bodily movements, are called correspondences.

From these observations may also be seen what the internal man is and what the external man. Namely, the internal is what is called the spiritual man, and the external, what is called the natural man; also that the one is distinct from the other as heaven is from the world; and further, that all things that take place and come into existence in the external or natural man, take place and come into existence from the internal or spiritual.

The foregoing has been said about the correspondence of man's internal or spiritual with his external or natural.

THE CORRESPONDENCE OF THE WHOLE HEAVEN WITH EVERY PART OF MAN

It has been shown that the entire heaven resembles one man, and that it is a man in image, and is therefore called the Grand Man. It has also been shown that the angelic societies of which heaven consists are accordingly arranged as are the members, organs and viscera in a man. That is, some are in the head, some in the breast, some in the arms, and some in each particular part of those. Consequently, the societies in any member there correspond to the same member in man, those in the head there corresponding to the head in man, those in the breast there to the breast in man, those in the arms there to the arms in man, and so on with all the rest. It is from this correspondence that man continues in existence, for he does so from no other source than heaven.

That heaven is distinguished into two kingdoms of which one is called the celestial, the other the spiritual kingdom, may be seen above in the relevant section. The celestial kingdom corresponds in general to the heart and to all things of the heart in the whole body, and the spiritual kingdom to the lungs and to all things of the lungs in the whole body. Likewise in man, heart and lungs form two kingdoms, the heart ruling there by means of arteries and veins, the lungs by means of the nerve and motor fibres, both together in every exertion and movement.

So again in any one man, in his spiritual world called his spiritual man, there are two kingdoms, one of the will and the other of the understanding. The will rules by means of affections of good, and the understanding by means of affections of truth. These kingdoms indeed correspond to the kingdoms of the heart and the lungs in the body. It is the same in the heavens. The celestial kingdom is the voluntary part of heaven, and the good of love rules there. The spiritual kingdom is the intellectual part of heaven and truth rules there, all this corresponding to the functions of the heart and lungs in man. It is on account of this correspondence that, in the Word, the heart signifies the will and also the good of love, and the breath of the lungs signifies the understanding and the truth of faith. For the same reason, affections are ascribed to the heart although they are neither in it nor derived from it.

THE CORRESPONDENCE OF THE HEART AND LUNGS
WITH THE GRAND MAN
WHICH IS HEAVEN, FROM EXPERIENCE

(See Arcana Coelestia 3883-3896)

The heart corresponds to those in the celestial kingdom, and the lungs to those in the spiritual kingdom (n. 3885-3887).

There is in heaven a pulse like that of the heart, and a respiration like that of the lungs but interior (n. 3884, 3885, 3887).

There the pulse of the heart varies in conformity with states of love, and the respiration in conformity with states of charity and faith (n. 3886, 3887, 3889).

In the Word the "heart" means the will, and "from the heart" means from the will (n. 2930, 7542, 8910, 9113, 10336).

In the Word the "heart" also signifies love, and "from the heart" means from love (n. 7542, 9050, 10336).

The correspondence of the two kingdoms of heaven with the heart and lungs is the general correspondence of heaven with man.

There is a less general correspondence with each one of his members, organs and viscera, the nature of which will also be noted.

In the Grand Man, which is heaven, those in the head excel others in every good, for they are in love, peace, innocence, wisdom, intelligence and the consequent joy and happiness. These inflow into the head and into those things belonging to the head with a man, and correspond to them. In the Grand Man, which is heaven, those who are in the breast are in the good of charity and faith, and they, in like manner, inflow into the breast of man and correspond to it. Those, however, who in the Grand Man, or heaven, are in the loins and the organs devoted to generation are in conjugial love. Those in the feet are in the lowest good of heaven which is called spiritual natural good. Those in the arms and hands are in the power of truth from good. Those in the eyes are in understanding, those in the ears are in attention and obedience, those in the nostrils are in perception, those in the mouth and tongue are in the ability to converse from understanding and perception. Those in the kidneys are in truth, searching, separating and correcting. Those in the liver, pancreas and spleen are in various purifications of good and truth; and so with the rest. Those inflow into the like things of man and correspond to them. The influx of heaven is into the functions and uses of the bodily members; and since the uses are from the spiritual world they take on a form by means of such things as are in the natural world, and thus present themselves in effect. From this is correspondence.

For the same reason these members, organs and viscera have a like significance in the Word, for everything there has a meaning in accordance with correspondences. Thus the "head" signifies intelligence and wisdom, the "breast" charity, the "loins" conjugial love, the "arms" and "hands" the power of truth, the "feet" what is natural, the "eyes" understanding, the "nostrils" perception, the "ears" obedience, the "kidneys" the examination of truth; and so on.# Hence also, in common speech, it is usual to say of one who is intelligent and wise that he has a head, of one who is in charity that he is a bosom friend, of one who has perception that he is keen-scented, of one who is in intelligence that he is sharp-sighted, of one who is powerful that he is long-handed, of one who wills from love, that it is done from the heart. These and many other sayings in man's speech are from correspondences. For such things are from the spiritual world although man does not know it.

In the Word the "breast" signifies charity (n. 3934, 10081, 10087).

The "loins" and organs of generation signify conjugial love (n. 3021, 4280, 4462, 5050-5052).

The "arms" and "hands" signify the power of truth (n. 878, 3095, 4931-4937, 6947, 7205, 10019).

The "feet" signify the natural (n. 2162, 3147, 3761, 3986, 4280, 4938-4952).

The "eye" signifies understanding (n. 2701, 4403-4421, 4523-4534, 6923, 9051, 10569).

The "nostrils" signify perception (n. 3577, 4624, 4625, 4748, 5621, 8286, 10054, 10292).

The "ears" signify obedience (n. 2542, 3869, 4523, 4653, 5017, 7216, 8361, 8990, 9311, 9397, 10061).

The "kidneys" signify the scrutiny and correction of truth (n. 5380-5386, 10032).

That there is such a correspondence of all things of heaven with all things of man has been shown to me by much experience - by so much as to convince me of it as of an evident fact admitting of no doubt. But it is not necessary here to bring forward all that experience, nor does its abundance permit of so doing.

It may be seen set forth in ARCANA COELESTIA where correspondences, representations, the influx of the spiritual world into the natural world, and the intercourse of the soul and the body are treated of.

• Concerning the correspondence of all the members of the body with the GRAND MAN, or heaven, generally and specifically, from experience (n. 3021, 3624-3649, 3741-3751, 3883-3896, 4039-4051, 4218-4228, 4318-4331, 4403-4421, 4527-4533, 4622-4633, 4652-4660, 4791-4805, 4931-4953, 5050-5061, 5171-5189, 5377-5396, 5552-5573, 5711-5727, 10030).
• Concerning the influx of the spiritual world into the natural world, or of heaven into the world; and concerning the influx of the soul into all things of the body, from experience (n. 6053-6058, 6189-6215, 6307-6327, 6466-6495, 6598-6626).
• Concerning the intercourse between the soul and body from experience (n.6053-6058, 6189-6215, 6307-6327, 6466-6495, 6598-6626).

Now although all bodily things of man correspond to all things of heaven, yet it is not in respect of his external form that man is an image of heaven but in respect of his internal form. For the interiors of man receive heaven and his exteriors receive the world. So far, therefore, as his interiors receive heaven, man is, in respect of them, a heaven in least form after the image of the greatest. But so far as his interiors do not receive heaven, he is not a heaven and an image of the greatest. Nevertheless, his exteriors which receive the world can be in a form in accordance with the order of the world and thus, variously beautiful. For outward beauty which pertains to the body is derived from parents and from formation in the womb, and is afterwards preserved by a general influx from the world. Hence it is that the form of one's natural man differs greatly from the form of his spiritual man. Several times I have been shown what was the form of man's spirit, and in some who were beautiful and charming in appearance the spirit was seen to be so deformed, black and monstrous that you would call it an image of hell, not of heaven; while in others not beautiful in outward form, there was a spirit beautifully formed, pure and angelic. Moreover, the spirit of man after death appears such as it was in the body when living in the world.

But correspondence extends far more widely than to man. For there is a correspondence of the heavens with one another. To the third or inmost heaven the second or middle heaven corresponds, and to the second or middle heaven the first or outermost heaven corresponds, and this corresponds to the bodily forms in man called his members, organs and viscera. Thus it is the bodily part of man in which heaven finally terminates, and upon which it stands firm upon its base. But this arcanum will be fully unfolded elsewhere.

A truth that must by all means be known is that all correspondence with heaven is with the Lord's Divine Human, because heaven is from Him and He is heaven, as has been shown in previous sections. For if the Divine Human did not inflow into all things of the world, there would be neither angel nor man. From this, again, it is evident why the Lord became Man, and clothed His Divine with a Human from first to last. It was because the Divine Human which was the source of heaven before the Lord's coming was no longer sufficient to sustain all things, for the reason that man, who is the foundation of the heavens, had weakened and destroyed order.

Angels are amazed when they hear that there are men who attribute all things to nature and nothing to the Divine, and who also believe that one's body, into which so many wonders of heaven are gathered, is a product of nature. Still more are they amazed that the rational part of man is believed to be from nature, when, if men will but raise their minds a little, they can see that such things are from the Divine and not from nature, and that nature has been created simply for clothing the spiritual and for presenting it in a corresponding form in the ultimate of order. Such men they liken to owls which see in darkness, but in light see nothing.

(from Heaven and Hell 87-102)

What is Man? (Part 2)

Selection from Heaven and Hell ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

IT IS FROM THE LORD'S DIVINE HUMAN THAT HEAVEN AS A WHOLE AND IN PART RESEMBLES A MAN

That it is from the Lord's Divine Human that heaven as a whole and in part resembles a man, follows as a conclusion from all that has been stated and shown in the preceding article, for was shown,

(1) That the Lord is the God of heaven.

(2) That it is the Divine of the Lord that makes heaven.

(3) That heaven consists of innumerable societies, and that any one society is a heaven in lesser form, and each angel in the least form.

(4) That the entire heaven, as one whole, resembles one man.

(5) That each society in the heavens also resembles one man.

(6) That therefore each angel is in a complete human form.

All this leads to the conclusion that the Divine because It makes heaven is Human in form.

That this is true has been proved to me by much experience, about which something will now be said.

All the angels who are in the heavens never perceive the Divine in any other than a human form, and what is wonderful, those in the higher heavens are unable to think of the Divine in any other way. The necessity of their thinking in this way comes from the Divine Itself which inflows, and also from the form of heaven in accordance with which their thoughts extend around. For, every thought that an angel has, is extended into heaven, and he has intelligence and wisdom in accordance with that extension. It is in consequence of this that all in heaven acknowledge the Lord, because there is no Divine Human except in Him. Not only have I been told all this by angels, but when elevated into the inner sphere of heaven, I have been enabled also to perceive it. From this it is evident that the wiser the angels are, the more clearly do they perceive this truth; and it is as a result of this that the Lord appears to them. For the Lord appears in a Divine angelic form which is Human to those who acknowledge and believe in a visible Divine, but not to those who believe in an invisible one. For the former can see their Divine, but the latter cannot see theirs.

Because the angels have no perception of an invisible Divine, which they call a Divine devoid of form, but perceive a visible Divine in Human form, they are accustomed to say that the Lord alone is Man, and that they are men from Him, each one being a man in the measure of his reception of the Lord. By receiving the Lord they mean receiving the good and truth which are from Him, since the Lord is in His good and in His truth. This they call wisdom and intelligence. Everyone knows, they say, that it is intelligence and wisdom that make a man, and not a face without these. The truth of this is evident from the appearance of the angels of the interior heavens, for they, being in good and truth from the Lord, and consequently in wisdom and intelligence, are in the most beautiful and perfect human form, while the angels of the lower heavens are in a human form of less perfection and beauty. In hell, the reverse is the case. Those who are there appear in the light of heaven hardly as men, but as monsters. For they are in evil and falsity and not in good and truth, and so are in the opposites of wisdom and intelligence. For this reason, their life is not called life, but spiritual death.

Because from the Divine Human of the Lord heaven as a whole and in part resembles a man, the angels therefore say that they are in the Lord, and some that they are in His body, meaning that they are in the good of His love. This the Lord Himself teaches, saying,

Abide in Me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine, so neither can ye, except ye abide in Me, . . . For without Me, ye can do nothing.. . . Continue ye in My love. If ye keep My Commandments ye shall abide in My love. John 15:4-10.

Such being the perception of the Divine in the heavens, there is implanted in every man who receives any influx from heaven the faculty to think of God in a human shape. The ancients thus thought of Him, and the people of today do so also, both within and outside the Church. The simple see Him in thought as the Ancient One in radiance. But this implanted faculty has been extinguished in all those who, by their self-intelligence and by a life of evil, have driven away the influx from heaven. Those who have extinguished this implanted faculty by self-intelligence desire an invisible God, while those who have extinguished it by a life of evil desire no God. Neither of these are aware that such an implanted faculty is given, because it does not operate with them. Yet it is the very heavenly Divine which primarily inflows from heaven into man, because man has been born for heaven, and no one comes into heaven without an idea of the Divine.

For this reason, he who has no idea of heaven, that is, no idea of the Divine from Whom heaven exists, cannot be raised to the first threshold of heaven. As soon as he comes to it, a resistance and a strong repulsion is perceived. This is because in his case the interiors which should have been receptive of heaven, have been closed on account of their not being in the form of heaven. Indeed, the nearer he comes to heaven, the more tightly are his interiors closed up. Such is the lot of those within the Church who deny the Lord, and of those who, like the Socinians, deny His Divinity. The lot of those, however, who have been born outside the Church and who are ignorant of the Lord because they do not have the Word.

That the ancient peoples had an idea of the Divine as Human is confirmed from the manifestations of the Divine to Abraham, Lot, Joshua, Gideon, Manoah and his wife, and others. They saw God as a Man, but yet adored Him as the God of the universe, calling Him the God of heaven and earth, and Jehovah. That it was the Lord Who was seen by Abraham, He Himself teaches in John 8:56, and that it was He Who was seen by the others is evident from the Lord's words:

No one hath seen the Father, nor His shape, and no one hath heard His voice. John 1:18; 5:37.

THOSE WHO JUDGE ALL THINGS FROM THE SENSE-EXPERIENCES

But, that God is Man can scarcely be comprehended by those who judge all things from the sense-experiences of the external man. For the sensual man can think of the Divine only from the world and the things that are therein, thus of a Divine and Spiritual Man in the same way as of a corporeal and natural man. From this he concludes that, if God were a man He would be as large as the universe, and if He ruled heaven and earth it would be done through many, after the manner of kings in the world. If told that in heaven there is no extension of space as in the world, he would not in the least comprehend. For he who thinks from nature and its light only, never thinks otherwise than from an extension such as there is before his eyes. But they are completely deceived when they think in this way about heaven. The extension there is not like extension in the world. In the world, extension is determinate and thus measurable, but in heaven it is not determinate and therefore not measurable. ... Besides, everyone knows how far the sight of the eye extends, namely, to the sun and stars which are so remote. Whoever thinks more deeply knows that the internal sight, which is that of thought, has a still wider extension and therefore that a still more interior sight must extend even more widely. What, then, must not the Divine sight be which is the inmost and highest of all? Because thoughts are capable of such extension, all things of heaven are communicated with everyone there, so too are all things of the Divine which makes heaven and fills it - as has been shown in the preceding sections.

Those in heaven were amazed that men believe themselves intelligent, who, in thinking of God, think of something invisible, that is, incomprehensible under any form, and that they call those who think differently, unintelligent and simple, when yet the reverse is the case. They say if those who thus believe themselves to be intelligent were to examine themselves, would they not see nature as God-some, nature as it is before their eyes, others, the invisible side of nature? And further, are they not so blind that they know not what God is, what an angel is, or a spirit, or their soul which is to live after death, what the life of heaven with man and many other things that are matters of intelligence? Yet, those they call simple know all these things in their way, having an idea of their God that He is the Divine in a Human form, of an angel that he is a heavenly man, of their soul that it is to live after death, that it is like an angel, and of the life of heaven with man that it is to live in accordance with the Divine precepts. These are the ones whom angels call intelligent and fitted for heaven, but the others, on the contrary, not intelligent.

(from Heaven and Hell 78-86)