12. [12.] The face of the earth in the spiritual world is similar to that in the natural world. One finds both urban and rural areas there. People who lived in cities in our world also live in cities there, and the like is the case with those who lived in rural areas. Cities in the spiritual world are also similar to cities in the natural world, but only as regards their streets and public squares, not as regards the buildings. Nor do good people and bad live intermingled there, but in the center of the city-where the land is also somewhat more elevated-dwell the best, who are the governors and magistrates. To the east of that dwell those who possess a clear goodness of love. To the west dwell those who possess a hazy goodness of love. To the south dwell those who possess a clear light of truth. And to the north dwell those who possess a hazy light of truth. The people's goodness of love and truth of faith decrease from the center out to the furthest peripheries. Since cities in the spiritual world are similar to cities in our world, one finds a London there, too, similar to the London here in its streets, but not similar as regards its houses, nor as regards its inhabitants and their dwellings in the various sections of the city. I was conveyed in spirit into the city, and I wandered through it and recognized it. I also spoke with some of the inhabitants there, saying that people in the world would be astonished and would scarcely believe that those who live in London see London again after death and, if they are good, dwell in their city again, even though that is the case. The inhabitants said that neither would they believe it if they were in the world, because such a concept does not fall within the realm of ideas drawn from the senses, but only within the realm of rational ideas enlightened by spiritual light. Neither did they know at the time, they said, that something spiritual appears to the spirit as something material does to a person, and that everything that exists in the spiritual world springs from a spiritual origin, as everything in the natural world springs from a material origin. "So it is with the houses of our city," they said, "which are not built as houses are in the world, but which rise up in moment, created by the Lord. So it is with everything else here." They were glad to be living now as before in England and its great city. They said there was also another London below, not much different as regards its streets, but dissimilar as regards its houses and inhabitants-namely, in that the evil dwell in the center, and the upright in the outmost peripheries. They said further that into that London come people from London in the world who were without any spiritual love and so without any spiritual faith, but indulged in pleasures of the body and lusts of the heart. Moreover, that city, they said, at the center where the evil dwell, sinks from time to time into a depth below, and the evil are thus cast into hell. The chasm is then closed up again, and again the evil are gathered to the center of the city, and again are swallowed up by hell. This is the case in the world of spirits. It is different in heaven, and different in hell.