Heaven and Hell (Harley) n. 203

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203. So far as anyone is in the form of heaven, he is in heaven, and is in fact a heaven in least form (n. 51), consequently, he is to the same extent, in intelligence and wisdom. For, as has been said above, all the thought of his understanding and all the affection of his will, extend themselves on every side into heaven in accordance with its form, and wonderfully communicate with the societies there, and these in turn with him.# [2] There are some who believe that thoughts and affections do not really extend themselves round about them, but that they are within them, because whatever they think about they see within, in themselves and not as distant; but such are greatly mistaken. For, as the sight of the eye has extension towards remote objects, and is affected in accordance with the order of the things seen in that extension, so also the interior sight which is that of the understanding, has a like extension in the spiritual world, although not perceived by man, for the reason given above (n. 196). The difference is only that the sight of the eye is affected in a natural way, because affected by the things in the natural world, while the sight of the understanding is affected in a spiritual way, because affected by the things in the spiritual world, all of which have relation to good and truth. Man's ignorance of this is due to his not knowing that there is any light that enlightens the understanding. Yet, without the light that enlightens the understanding, man could not think at all (of which light, see above n. 126-132). [3] There was a certain spirit who even believed that he thought from himself, thus witbout any extension outside himself and communication thereby with societies beyond him. That he might know that he was in a false belief, his communication with neighbouring societies was cut off and in consequence, not only was he deprived of thought, but he even fell down as if lifeless, although tossing his arms about in the manner of a new-born infant After a while, communication was restored to him, and then, as it was gradually restored, he returned into the state of his thought. [4] When other spirits saw this, they then confessed that all thought and affection, and in consequence everything of life, flow in in accordance with communication, since everything of a man's life consists in his ability to think and to he moved by affection, or what is the same, his ability to understand and to will.## # Everyone in heaven has a communication of life into angelic societies round about, in accordance with the quantity and quality of his good and this may be called its extension (n. 8794, 8797). Thoughts and affections have such extension (n. 2470, 6598-6613). They are united and separated in accordance with the ruling affections (n. 4111). ## There is one Life only from which all, both in heaven and in the world, live (n. 1954, 2021, 2536, 2658, 2886-2889, 3001, 3484, 3742, 5847, 6467). That life is from the Lord alone (n. 2886-2889, 3344, 3484, 4319, 4320, 4524, 4882, 5986, 6325, 6468-6470, 9276, 10196). It flows into angels, spirits, and men, in a wonderful manner (n. 2886-2889, 3337, 3338, 3484, 3742). The Lord inflows from His Divine Love, which is such that it wills that what is its own should be another's (n. 3472, 4320). For this reason life appears to be in man, and not flowing in (n. 3742, 4320). Of the joy of angels, perceived and confirmed by what they told me, because of their not living from themselves but from the Lord (n. 6469). The evil are unwilling to be convinced that life flows in (n. 3743). Life from the Lord flows in also with the evil (n. 2706, 3743, 4417, 10196). But they turn good into evil, and truth into falsity; for such as man is such is his reception of life, illustrated (n. 4319, 4320, 4417).


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