another thing about what one sees and hears. But this
becomes baseless when one reflects that the spiritual is not in space as
the natural is. Think of sun or moon, or of Rome or Constantinople: do
you not think of them apart from distance (provided the thought is not
joined to the experience gained by sight or hearing)? Why then persuade
yourself that because there is no appearance of distance in thought, that
good and truth, as also evil and falsity, are indwelling, and do not flow
in?

[3] Let me add to this an experience which is common in the spiritual
world. One spirit can infuse his thoughts and affections into another,
and the other not know that it is not his own thinking and affection.
This is called in that world thinking from and in another. I have
witnessed it a thousand times and also done it a hundred times; and it
seemed to occur at a considerable distance. As soon as the spirits
learned that another was introducing the thoughts and affections, they
were indignant and turned away, recognizing then, however, that to the
internal thought or sight no distance is apparent unless it is disclosed,
as it may be, to the external sight or the eye; as a result it is
believed that there is influx.

[4] I will add to this experience an everyday experience of mine. Evil
spirits have often put into my thoughts evils and falsities which seemed
to me to be in me and to originate from me, or seemed to be my own
thought. Knowing them to be evils and falsities, I searched out the
spirits who had introduced them, and they were detected and driven off.
They were at a great distance from me.

It may be manifest from these things that all evil with its falsity flows
in from hell and all good with its truth flows in from the Lord, and that
both appear to be in man.

313. The nature of men who are in prudence of their own, and the nature
of those in prudence not their own and hence in the divine providence, is
depicted in the Word by Adam and his wife Eve in the Garden of Eden where
were two trees, one of life and the other of the knowledge of good and
evil, and by their eating of the latter tree. It may be seen above (n.
241) that in the internal or spiritual sense of the Word by Adam and Eve,
his wife, the Most Ancient Church of the Lord on this earth is meant and
described, which was more noble and heavenly than subsequent churches.

[2] Following is what is signified by other particulars. The wisdom of
the men of that c