o differences of good of love; and
every spirit who is taken up into heaven and becomes an angel is
taken to the society where his love is; and when he arrives there he
is, as it were, at home, and in the house where he was born; this the
angel perceives, and is affiliated with those there that are like
himself. When he goes away to another place he feels constantly a
kind of resistance, and a longing to return to his like, thus to his
ruling love. Thus are affiliations brought about in heaven; and in a
like manner in hell, where all are affiliated in accordance with
loves that are the opposites of heavenly loves. It has been shown
above (n. 41-50 and 200-212) that both heaven and hell are composed
of societies, and that they are all distinguished according to
differences of love. [2] That man after death is his own love might
also be seen from the fact that whatever does not make one with his
ruling love is then separated and as it were taken away from him.
From one who is good everything discordant or inharmonious is
separated and as it were taken away, and he is thus let into his own
love. It is the same with an evil spirit, with the difference that
from the evil truths are taken away, and from the good falsities are
taken away, and this goes on until each becomes his own love. This is
effected when the man-spirit is brought into the third state, which
will be described hereafter. When this has been done he turns his
face constantly to his own love, and this he has continually before
his eyes, in whatever direction he turns (see above, n. 123, 124).
[3] All spirits, provided they are kept in their ruling love, can be
led wherever one pleases, and are incapable of resistance, however
clearly they may see that this is being done, and however much they
may think that they will resist. They have often been permitted to
try whether they could do anything contrary to their ruling love, but
in vain. Their love is like a bond or a rope tied around them, by
which they may be led and from which they cannot loose themselves. It
is the same with men in the world who are also led by their love, or
are led by others by means of their love; but this is more the case
when they have become spirits, because they are not then permitted to
make a display of any other love, or to counterfeit what is not their
own. [4] All interaction in the other life proves that the spirit of
man is his ruling love, for so far any one is acting or speaki