f himself in his good, and not an image of the Divine. That this is
so has also been proved to me by experience. There are evil spirits
whose dwelling places are in the middle quarter between the north and
the west, beneath the heavens, who are skilled in the art of leading
well-disposed spirits into their nature [proprium] and thus into
evils of various kinds. This they do by leading them into thoughts
about themselves, either openly by praises and honors, or secretly by
directing their affections to themselves; and so far as this is done
they turn the faces of the well-disposed spirits away from heaven,
and to the same extent they obscure their understanding and call
forth evils from what is their own.

{Footnote 1} Man's own, which he derives by inheritance from
his parents, is nothing but dense evil (n. 210, 215, 731, 876,
987, 1047, 2307, 2308, 3518, 3701, 3812, 8480, 8550, 10283,
10284, 10286, 10731). Man's own is loving self more than God,
and the world more than heaven, and making nothing of one's
neighbor in comparison with oneself, except for the sake of
self, that is one's own self; thus it consists in love of self
and of the world (n. 694, 731, 4317, 5660). All evils flow from
the love of self and the love of the world when these
predominate (n. 1307, 1308, 1321, 1594, 1691, 3413, 7255, 7376,
7488, 7489, 8318, 9335, 9348, 10038, 10742). These evils are
contempt of others, enmity, hatred, revenge, cruelty, deceit
(n. 6667, 7370, 7374, 9348, 10038, 10742). From these evils all
falsity flows (n. 1047, 10283, 10284, 10286).

558. [b.] That the love of self is the opposite of love to the
neighbor can be seen from the origin and essence of both. The love of
the neighbor of one who is in the love of self begins with oneself,
for he claims that everyone is neighbor to himself; and it goes forth
from him as its center to all who make one with him, diminishing in
accordance with the degree of their conjunction with him by love. All
outside of this circle are regarded as of no account; and those who
are opposed to those in the circle and to their evils are accounted
as enemies, whatever their character may be, however wise, upright,
honest, or just. But spiritual love to the neighbor begins with the
Lord, and goes forth from Him as its center to all who are conjoined
to Him by love and faith, going forth in accordance with the quality
of their love and faith.{1} Evidently, then, the love