ilarity of love;
for then similarity joins and dissimilarity disjoins (see above,
n. 41-50).

428. As the world of spirits is an intermediate state between heaven
and hell with man, so it is an intermediate place with the hells
below and the heavens above. All the hells are shut towards that
world, being open only through holes and clefts like those in rocks
and through wide openings that are so guarded that no one can come
out except by permission, which is granted in cases of urgent
necessity (of which hereafter). Heaven, too, is enclosed on all
sides; and there is no passage open to any heavenly society except by
a narrow way, the entrance to which is also guarded. These outlets
and entrances are what are called in the Word the gates and doors of
hell and of heaven.

429. The world of spirits appears like a valley between mountains and
rocks, with windings and elevations here and there. The gates and
doors of the heavenly societies are visible to those only who are
prepared for heaven; others cannot find them. There is one entrance
from the world of spirits to each heavenly society, opening through a
single path which branches out in its ascent into several. The gates
and doors of the hells also are visible only to those who are about
to enter, to whom they are then opened. When these are opened gloomy
and seemingly sooty caverns are seen tending obliquely downwards to
the abyss, where again there are many doors. Through these caverns
nauseous and fetid stenches exhale, which good spirits flee from
because they abominate them, but evil spirits seek for them because
they delight in them. For as everyone in the world has been delighted
with his own evil, so after death he is delighted with the stench to
which his evil corresponds. In this respect the evil may be likened
to rapacious birds and beasts, like ravens, wolves, and swine, which
fly or run to carrion or dunghills when they scent their stench. I
heard a certain spirit crying out loudly as if from inward torture
when struck by a breath flowing forth from heaven; but he became
tranquil and glad as soon as a breath flowing forth from hell reached
him.

430. With every man there are two gates; one that leads to hell and
that is open to evils and their falsities; while the other leads to
heaven and is open to goods and their truths. Those that are in evil
and its falsity have the gate to hell opened in them, and only
through chinks from above does somethi