ng of light from heaven flow
into them, and by that inflowing they are able to think, to reason,
and to speak; but the gate to heaven is opened in those that are in
good and its truth. For there are two ways that lead to the rational
mind of man; a higher or internal way through which good and truth
from the Lord enter, and a lower or external way through which evil
and falsity enter from hell. The rational mind itself is at the
middle point to which the ways tend. Consequently, so far as light
from heaven is admitted man is rational; but so far as it is not
admitted he is not rational, however rational he may seem to himself
to be. This has been said to make known the nature of the
correspondence of man with heaven and with hell. While man's rational
mind is being formed it corresponds to the world of spirits, what is
above it corresponding to heaven and what is below to hell. With
those preparing for heaven the regions above the rational mind are
opened, but those below are closed to the influx of evil and falsity;
while with those preparing for hell the parts below it are opened,
and the parts above it are closed to the influx of good and truth.
Thus the latter can look only to what is below themselves, that is,
to hell; while the former can look only to what is above themselves,
that is, to heaven. To look above themselves is to look to the Lord,
because He is the common center to which all things of heaven look;
while to look below themselves is to look backwards from the Lord to
the opposite center, to which all things of hell look and tend (see
above, n. 123, 124).

431. In the preceding pages whenever spirits are mentioned those that
are in the world of spirits are meant; but when angels are mentioned
those that are in heaven are meant.

432. XLV. IN RESPECT TO HIS INTERIORS EVERY MAN IS A SPIRIT.

Whoever duly considers the subject can see that as the body is
material it is not the body that thinks, but the soul, which is
spiritual. The soul of man, upon the immortality of which many have
written, is his spirit, for this as to everything belonging to it is
immortal. This also is what thinks in the body, for it is spiritual,
and what is spiritual receives what is spiritual and lives
spiritually, which is to think and to will. Therefore, all rational
life that appears in the body belongs to the soul, and nothing of it
to the body; for the body, as just said, is material, and the
material, which is the p