of that joy from an angel from the
sphere of his love, are filled with such delight that they come as it
were into a delicious trance. This sometimes happens with those who
desire to know what heavenly joy is.

410. When certain spirits wished to know what heavenly joy is they
were allowed to feel it to such a degree that they could no longer
bear it; and yet it was not angelic joy; it was scarcely in the least
degree angelic, as I was permitted to perceive by sharing it, but was
so slight as to be almost frigid; nevertheless they called it most
heavenly, because to them it was an inmost joy. From this it was
evident, not only that there are degrees of the joys of heaven, but
also that the inmost joy of one scarcely reaches to the outmost or
middle joy of another; also that when any one receives his own inmost
joy he is in his heavenly joy, and cannot endure what is still more
interior, for such a joy becomes painful to him.

411. Certain spirits, not evil, sinking into a quiescence like sleep,
were taken up into heaven in respect to the interiors of their minds;
for before their interiors are opened spirits can be taken up into
heaven and be taught about the happiness of those there. I saw them
in the quiescent state for about half an hour, and afterwards they
relapsed into their exteriors in which they were before, and also
into a recollection of what they had seen. They said that they had
been among the angels in heaven, and had there seen and perceived
amazing things, all of which were resplendent as if made of gold,
silver, and precious stones, in exquisite forms and in wonderful
variety; also that angels are not delighted with the outward things
themselves, but with the things they represented, which were Divine,
ineffable, and of infinite wisdom, and that these were their joy;
with innumerable other things that could not be described in human
language even as to a ten-thousandth part, or fall into ideas which
partake of any thing material.

412. Scarcely any who enter the other life know what heavenly
blessedness and happiness are, because they do not know what internal
joy is, deriving their perception of it solely from bodily and
worldly gladness and joy; and in consequence what they are ignorant
of they suppose to be nothing, when in fact bodily and worldly joys
are of no account in comparison. In order, therefore, that the well
disposed, who do not know what heavenly joy is, may know and realize
wh