Heaven and its Wonders and HellSwedenborg, Emanuel
Religion
Heaven and its Wonders and Hell
Swedenborg, Emanuel
Future life -- Christianity -- Early work to 1800; Heaven -- Christianity; Hell -- Christianity
492. In regard to the first state, which is the state of the
exteriors, it is that which man comes into immediately after death.
Every man, as regards his spirit, has exteriors and interiors. The
exteriors of the spirit are the means by which it adapts the man's
body in the world, especially the face, speech, and movements, to
fellowship with others; while the interiors of the spirit are what
belong to its own will and consequent thought; and these are rarely
manifested in face, speech, and movement. For man is accustomed from
childhood to maintain a semblance of friendship, benevolence, and
sincerity, and to conceal the thoughts of his own will, thereby
living from habit a moral and civil life in externals, whatever he
may be internally. As a result of this habit man scarcely knows what
his interiors are, and gives little thought to them.
493. The first state of man after death resembles his state in the
world, for he is then likewise in externals, having a like face, like
speech, and a like disposition, thus a like moral and civil life; and
in consequence he is made aware that he is not still in the world
only by giving attention to what he encounters, and from his having
been told by the angels when he was resuscitated that he had become a
spirit(n. 450). Thus is one life continued into the other, and death
is merely transition.
494. The state of man's spirit that immediately follows his life in
the world being such, he is then recognized by his friends and by
those he had known in the world; for this is something that spirits
perceive not only from one's face and speech but also from the sphere
of his life when they draw near. Whenever any one in the other life
thinks about another he brings his face before him in thought, and at
the same time many things of his life; and when he does this the
other becomes present, as if he had been sent for or called. This is
so in the spiritual world because thoughts there are shared, and
there is no such space there as in the natural world (see above,
n. 191-199). So all, as soon as they enter the other life, are
recognized by their friends, their relatives, and those in any way
known to them; and they talk with one another, and afterward
associate in accordance with their friendships in the world. I have
often heard that those that have come from the world were rejoiced at
seeing their friends again, and that their friends in turn were
rejoiced that they had come. Very commonly husband and wife come
together and congratulate each other, and continue together, and this
for a longer or shorter time according to their delight in living
together in the world. But if they had not been united by a true
marriage love, which is a conjunction of minds by heavenly love,
after remaining together for a while they separate. Or if their minds
had been discordant and were inwardly adverse, they break forth into
open enmity, and sometimes into combat; nevertheless they are not
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