It will first be stated what a spirit is and what an angel is. Every man after death comes first of all into the world of spirits, which is midway between heaven and hell, and there passes his times, that is, his states, and according to his life, is prepared either for heaven or for hell. So long as he remains in that world, he is called a spirit. He who has been raised up from that world into heaven, is called an angel, but he who has been cast down into hell is called a satan or a devil. While these are in the world of spirits, he who is being prepared for heaven is called an angelic spirit, but he who is being prepared for hell, an infernal spirit. In the meantime, the angelic spirit is conjoined with heaven, and the infernal spirit with hell. All spirits who are in the world of spirits are adjoined to men, because men as to the interiors of the mind are in like manner between heaven and hell, and through these spirits, communicate with heaven or with hell according to their life. It ought to be known that the world of spirits is one thing and the spiritual world another. The world of spirits is that which has just been spoken of; but the spiritual world includes that world as well as heaven and hell.