697. At least two evil spirits and two angels are present with every man. Through the evil spirits a person is in communication with hell, and through the angels with heaven. Without communication in both directions no one can survive for the smallest fraction of time. Everybody is accordingly in contact with some community of those in hell, though he is not directly conscious of it. Their torments however cannot be transmitted to him because he is still in the process of being prepared for eternal life. That community to which he has been allied is sometimes shown to him in the next life, for he goes back to it and so to the life which he led in the world. And from this point he either makes his way towards hell or is raised up into heaven. So anyone who does not lead a life consisting of good that stems from charity and who does not allow himself to be led by the Lord is one of those who belong in hell, and after death he also becomes a devil.