The Swedenborg Library Vol 1/Chapter 6

by Emanuel Swedenborg

VI.

THE SENSES OF THE SPIRIT.

HEN a man passes from the natural into the spiritual world, he takes with him all things belonging to him as a man except his terrestrial body, as has been proved to me by manifold experience. For when he enters the spiritual world, or the life after death, he is in a body as he was in the natural world; and to all appearance in the same body, since neither touch nor sight can detect any difference. But his body is spiritual, and therefore is separated or purified from things terrestrial. And when what is spiritual touches aud sees what is spiritual, it is just the same to sense as when what is natural touches and sees what is natural.

Therefore when a man first becomes a spirit, he is not aware that he has deceased; and he thinks that he is still in the body which he had when he was in the world. A human spirit also enjoys every external and internal sense which he possessed in the world. He sees as before; he hears and speaks as before; he smells and tastes as before; and when he is touched he feels as before. He also longs, desires, wishes, thinks, reflects, is affected, loves, and wills, as before. And he who is delighted with studies, reads and writes as before.

In a word, when man passes from one life into the other, or from one world into the other, it is just as if he passed from one place to another; and he carries with him all things which he possessed in himself as a man. So that it cannot be said that a man after death,—which is only the death of the terrestrial body,—has lost anything that belonged to himself. He carries with him his natural memory also; for he retains all things whatsoever which he has heard, seen, read, learned and thought in the world, from earliest infancy even to the end of life.

But because the natural objects which are in the memory cannot be re-produced in the spiritual world, they are quiescent, just as they are with a man in this world when he does not think of them: but still they are re-produced when the Lord pleases. But concerning this memory and its state after death, more will be said shortly.

The sensual man cannot possibly believe that such is the state of man after death, because he does not comprehend it; for the sensual man cannot think otherwise than naturally, even about spiritual things. Whatever therefore is not palpable to the bodily sense, that is, whatever he does not see with his eyes and touch with his hands, he affirms has no existence; as we read of Thomas, in John xx. 25, 27, 29.

Still, however, the difference between the life of man in the spiritual and his life in the natural world, is great, as well with respect to the external senses and their affections, as with respect to the internal senses and their affections. The senses of those in heaven are far more exquisite than they were in the world; that is, they see and hear more perfectly and also think more wisely; for they see by the light of heaven, which exceeds by many degrees the light of the world; and they hear by a spiritual atmosphere, which also surpasses by many degrees the atmosphere of the earth.

The difference between these external senses is like the difference between a clear sky and a dark mist, or between the light of noon-day and the shade of evening. For since the light of heaven is divine truth, it enables the sight of the angels to perceive and discriminate the minutest objects. Their external sight also corresponds to their internal sight, or their understanding; for with the angels one sight flows into the other, and they act as one. Hence their wonderful acuteness of vision.

In like manner also their hearing corresponds to their perception, which is both of the understanding and the will. Therefore in the tone and words of the speaker, they perceive the minutest particulars of his affection and thought,—in his tone, the things which belong to his affection, and in his words, the things which belong to his thought.

But the other senses with the angels are not so exquisite as the senses of sight and hearing, because these are conducive to their intelligence and wisdom, but not the rest. Were the other senses as exquisite as these, they would take away the light and delight of their wisdom, and introduce the delight of pleasures belonging to the various appetites and to the body, which obscure and debilitate the understanding in proportion as they predominate. This also is the case with men in the world, who become dull and stupid as to spiritual truths, in proportion as they indulge the sense of bodily taste, and yield to the blandishments of the touch. The state of those who are in hell is also widely different from their state in the world; for in the degree that the external and internal senses with the angels in heaven are excellent and perfect, in like degree are they imperfect with those in hell. But the state of these will be treated of hereafter.

MEMORY AFTER DEATH.

That man takes all his memory with him when he leaves the world, has been confirmed by many things worthy of mention which have been seen and heard, some of which I will relate in order.

There were those who denied their crimes and enormities which they had perpetrated in the world; therefore, lest they should be believed innocent, all their deeds were discovered, and recounted in order from their own memory, from their earliest age to the latest. They consisted chiefly of adulteries and whoredoms.

There were some who had deceived others by wicked arts, and who had stolen. Their tricks and thefts were also enumerated in order, although many of them were known to scarcely any one in the world except themselves alone. They also acknowledged them because they were made manifest as in the light, together with every thought, intention, delight and fear which passed through their minds at the time.

There were others who had accepted bribes and made gain of judgment. These were in like manner explored from their memory, and from it were recounted all their official misdeeds from first to last. Every particular was recalled,—the amount and nature of each bribe, the time when it was offered, their state of mind and intention in accepting it, were all at the same time brought to their recollection and visibly exhibited; and the number of their offences amounted to many hundreds. This was done in several cases; and, what is wonderful, even their memorandum-books themselves, wherein they had made a record of such transactions, were opened and read before them page by page.

There were others who had enticed virgins to acts of fornication, and who had violated chastity. These were called to a similar judgment, and every particular of their crimes was drawn forth and recited from their memory; the very faces of the virgins and women were also exhibited as if present, together with the places, conversation and purposes; and this as suddenly as when anything is presented to view. The manifestations sometimes continued for several hours.

There was one who had made light of the evil of backbiting. I heard his backbitings and defamations recounted in order, and in the very words he had used; the persons whom he had defamed, and those to whom he had defamed them, were also made known. All these things were produced, and at the same time exhibited to the life; and yet every particular had been studiously concealed by him when he lived in the world.

Another spirit who had deprived a relation of his inheritance by a fraudulent pretext, was convicted and judged in the same way; and, what was wonderful, the letters and papers which had passed between them were read in my hearing, and I was told that not a word was wanting. The same person also, shortly before his death, clandestinely destroyed a neighbor by poison, which crime was disclosed in this manner: he was seen to dig a hole in the ground, out of which when dug a man came forth as out of a grave, and cried out to him, What have you done to me? And then every particular was revealed; the friendly conversation of the poisoner with his victim; how he held out the cup to him; what he thought before, and what transpired afterward. When these disclosures were made, he was sentenced to hell.

In a word, all evils, villanies, robhbries, artifices, deceits, are made manifest to every evil spirit, and are drawn forth from his own memory; and his guilt is established beyond a doubt. Nor is there any room for denial, because all the circumstances appear together.

The memory of a certain spirit was seen and examined by angels, and I heard what his thoughts had been for a month together day after day; and all without the least mistake, the particulars being recalled just as they were in his mind on those days.

From these examples it is evident that man carries all his memory with him into the other world; and that there is nothing, however concealed here, which is not made manifest hereafter in the presence of many; according to the Lord's words: "There is nothing hidden which shall not be revealed, and nothing secret which shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and what ye have spoken into the ear shall be proclaimed upon the housetops," Luke xii. 2, 3.

When a man's actions are disclosed to him after death, the angels to whom is assigned the duty of making inquisition, look into his face and extend their examination through the whole body, beginning with the fingers of each hand, and so proceeding through the whole. I was surprised at this, and the reason of it was therefore explained to me, which was: that, as all the particulars of thought and will are inscribed on the brain,—for their beginnings are there,—so likewise are they inscribed on the whole body; since all the things of thought and will proceed thither from their beginnings, and there terminate as in their ultimates.

Hence it is, that whatever is inscribed is not only inscribed on the brain, but also on the whole man, and there exists in order according to the order of the parts of the body. By this it was made plain that the whole man is such as his will is, and his thought thence derived; so that a bad man is his own evil, and a good man his own good.

From these things it may also be clearly seen what is meant by the book of man's life, spoken of in the Word, namely this: that all things, as well those which he has done as those he has thought, are inscribed on the whole man, and appear as if read in a book when they are called forth from the memory, and as if seen in effigy when the spirit is viewed in the light of heaven.

To these things I will add a certain memorable circumstance concerning the permanence of memory after death, whereby I was confirmed in the truth, that not only things in general but also the most minute particulars which enter the memory, remain, and are never obliterated. I saw some books with writing in them just like those in the world; and I was informed that they were taken from the memory of their authors, and that not one word contained in the book written by the same person when in the world, was wanting there; and that thus the most minute circumstances may be called forth from the memory of another, even those which the man himself had forgotten in the world.

The reason was also disclosed to me, which was this: Man has an external memory and an internal memory; an external memory which belongs to his natural man, and an internal memory which belongs to his spiritual man; and that everything which a man has thought, willed, spoken, done, also which he has heard and seen, is inscribed on his internal or spiritual memory; and that whatever is recorded in that memory is never erased, since it is inscribed at the same time on the spirit itself, and on the members of its body, as was said above; and that the spirit is therefore formed according to the thoughts and acts of the will.

I am aware that these things will appear like paradoxes, and will scarcely be believed, but still they are true.

Let no man, therefore, imagine that anything which he has thought within himself, and which he has done in secret, remains hidden after death. But let him be assured that every thought and deed is then laid open as in the clear light of day.

 

THE NATURAL MEMORY QUIESCENT.

Although the external or natural memory is in man after death, still the merely natural things in that memory are not reproduced in the other life, but the spiritual things which are adjoined to them by correspondences; which things, nevertheless, when they are exhibited to the sight, appear in a form altogether similar to things in the natural world. For all things which appear in the heavens, appear in like manner as in the world, although in their essence they are not natural.

But the external or natural memory, so far as regards the ideas which are derived from materiality, time, space and all other things proper to nature, does not serve the spirit for the same use which it had served it in the world. For when man in the world thought from the external sensual, and not at the same time from the internal sensual, or the intellectual, he thought naturally and not spiritually. But in the other life, being a spirit in the spiritual world, he does not think naturally but spiritually. To think spiritually is to think intellectually or rationally.

Hence it is that the external or natural memory, as to all material ideas, is quiescent after death, and only those things come into use which man has imbibed in the world by means of the natural memory, and has made a part of his rational life.

The external memory is quiescent as to things material, because material ideas cannot be reproduced in the spiritual world; for spirits and angels speak from the affections and the thoughts thence proceeding, which belong to their minds; and therefore they cannot utter anything which does not agree with their affections and thoughts, as may appear from what was said concerning the speech of the angels in heaven, and concerning their speech with man.

Hence it is, that in proportion as man becomes rational in the world by means of languages and sciences, he is rational after death; and not at all in proportion to his skill in languages and sciences.

I have conversed with many who were reputed learned when in the world, because they were acquainted with the ancient languages, as the Hebrew, Greek and Latin, and who had not cultivated their rational faculty by means of the things written in those languages. Some of them seemed as simple as those who had known no language but their own, and some appeared stupid; but still they retained a conceited persuasion of their superior wisdom.

I have conversed with some who imagined, when in the world, that a man is wise in proportion to the extent of his memory, and who also had stored their memories with a great many things. And they conversed almost exclusively from those things, thus from others and not from themselves. Nor had they employed the stores of their memory to perfect their rational faculty. Some of them were stupid, others foolish, not at all comprehending any truth so as to see whether it be truth or not, and seizing with avidity upon all falsities which were put forth for truths by those who called themselves learned; for of themselves they are unable to discern the truth or falsehood of any proposition, and consequently can understand nothing rationally which they hear from others.

I have also conversed with some who had written much in the world, and indeed on scientific subjects of every kind, and who had thus acquired an extensive reputation for learning. Some of them, indeed, were able to reason about truths and to argue whether they were truths or not. Others, when they turned to those who were in the light of truth, could understand that they were truths; but still they did not wish to understand them. Therefore they denied them when they sunk into their own falsities, thus into themselves. Some were as destitute of wisdom as the unlearned vulgar.

Thus they differed, one from another, according to the degree in which they had cultivated their rational faculty by the scientific works which they had written or copied.

But they who were opposed to the truths of the church and had thought from scientifics and thereby had confirmed themselves in falsities, did not cultivate their rational faculty but only the faculty of arguing. This, indeed, the world calls rationality, but it is quite distinct from it; for it is merely the faculty of confirming whatever a man pleases. Such men, therefore, from pre-conceived principles and from fallacies, see falsities as truths, and are not able to discern truth itself; nor can they ever be induced to acknowledge truths, since truths cannot be seen from falsities, but falsities may be seen from truths.

The rational faculty of man is like a garden and flower-bed, and also like ground newly ploughed. The memory is the ground, scientific truths and knowledges are the seeds, and the light and warmth of heaven cause them to spring forth. And as there is no natural germination without the light and heat of the sun, so also there is no spiritual germination without the light and heat of heaven. The light of heaven is divine truth, and the heat of heaven is divine love. From these alone is the rational faculty.

The angels are very much grieved that so many of the learned ascribe all things to nature, and have thereby closed the interiors of their minds, so that they can see nothing of truth from the light of truth, which is the light of heaven. In the other life, therefore, they are deprived of the faculty of arguing, lest by their reasonings they should disseminate falsities among the simple good, and seduce them; and they are sent into desert places.

A certain spirit was indignant because he could not remember many things with which he was acquainted in the life of the body, grieving at the loss of a delight which had afforded him so much enjoyment. But he was told that he had lost nothing at all; that he still knew everything which he ever knew; but that in the world which he now inhabits no one is allowed to recall such things; that it was sufficient that he could think and speak much better and more perfectly than before, without immersing his rational faculty as he used to do, in gross, obscure, material and corporeal things which are of no use in the kingdom which he had just entered; that he now possessed everything conducive to the uses of eternal life, and that thus he might become blessed and happy, but not otherwise; that therefore it was the part of ignorance to believe, that, in the kingdom in which he now is, intelligence perishes with the removal and quiescence of material things in the memory; when yet the truth is, that in proportion as the mind is withdrawn from the sensuals which belong to the external man or to the body, it is elevated to things spiritual and celestial.

Men who are in love to the Lord and in charity toward the neighbor, have angelic intelligence and wisdom within them while they live in the world, but stored up in the inmosts of their interior memory, and not at all apparent to them until they put off corporeal things. The natural memory is then laid asleep, and they awake into the interior memory, and gradually thereafter into angelic memory itself.

How the rational faculty may be cultivated shall also be told in a few words. The genuine rational consists of truths, and not of falsities. What is formed from falsities is not the rational. Truths are of three kinds, civil, moral and spiritual. Civil truths relate to matters of civil law, and to whatever belongs to government in states; in general, to justice and equity there. Moral truths relate to such things as belong to every man's life in relation to society and his intercourse with others; in general, to sincerity and uprightness, and specifically to the virtues of every kind. But spiritual truths relate to those things which belong to heaven and the church; in general, to the good which is of love, and to the truth which is of faith.

There are three degrees of life with every man. The rational faculty is opened to the first degree by civil truths; to the second degree by moral truths; and to the third degree by spiritual truths. But it is to be observed that the rational faculty is not formed and opened by the mere knowledge of those truths, but by living according to them; and by living according to them is meant to love them from spiritual affection; and to love them from spiritual affection, is to love what is just and equitable because it is just and equitable, what is sincere and right because it is sincere and right, and what is good and true because it is good and true.

But to live according to civil, moral, and spiritual truths, and to love them from corporeal affection, is to love them for the sake of one's self, his reputation, honor or gain. Wherefore in proportion as man loves them from corporeal affection he is not rational, because he does not really love them, but himself whom the truths serve as servants a master. And when truths become servants, they do not enter into man and open any degree of his life, not even the first, but they reside only in the memory as scientifics under a material form, and there conjoin themselves with the love of self which is corporeal love.

From these considerations it may be seen how man becomes rational; namely, that he becomes rational to the third degree by the spiritual love of good and truth, which are the constituents of heaven and the church; to the second degree by the love of what is sincere and right; and to the first degree by the love of what is just and equitable. The two latter loves also become spiritual from the spiritual love of good and truth, because this flows into them, conjoins itself with them, and forms in them as it were its own likeness.

Spirits and angels have memory just the same as men; for whatever they hear, see, think, will and do, remains with them and is the means whereby their rational faculty is continually cultivated; and this forever. Hence it is that spirits and angels are perfected in intelligence and wisdom, the same as men, by means of the knowledges of truth and good.

That spirits and angels have memory, I have also learned from much experience; for I have seen that all things which they had thought and done, both in public and in private, were called forth from their memory when they were with other spirits; and also that they who were in any truth from simple good, were imbued with knowledges and thereby with intelligence, and were afterwards taken up into heaven.

But it is to be observed that none are imbued with knowledges and thereby with intelligence, beyond the degree of affection for good and truth in which they were when in the world; for the affection of every spirit and angel remains, both in quality and intensity, such as it had been in the world, although it is afterwards perfected by impletion, which also is continued through eternity. For there is nothing but what is capable of being filled up to eternity, since everything may be infinitely varied, thus enriched by various things, consequently multiplied and fructified. No end can be assigned to any good thing, because it springs from the Infinite. (H. H. 461-469.)