Page:The Swedenborg Library Vol 2.djvu/25

Rh heaven; for the human mind is capable of wisdom as well as the angelic mind; but it does not become so wise in the world, because it is in an earthly body, and in that the spiritual mind thinks naturally. But it is otherwise when released from its connection with that body. Then it no longer thinks naturally, but spiritually; and when it thinks spiritually, it thinks things incomprehensible and ineffable to the natural man. Thus it becomes wise as an angel.

From these observations it may be seen that the internal of man, which is called his spirit is, in its essence, an angel; and when released from the earthly body it is in the human form the same as an angel. But when the internal of man is not open above but only beneath, then after its release from the body it is still in the human form, but hideous and diabolical; for it cannot look upward to heaven, but only downward to hell.