d into
arterial blood of brilliant hue. These facts prove that the blood purifies
itself of heterogeneous things and nourishes itself with homogeneous
things. That the blood in the lungs purifies and nourishes itself
correspondently to the affections of the mind is as yet unknown; but in
the spiritual world it is very well known, for angels in the heavens find
delight only in the odors that correspond to the love of their wisdom,
while the spirits in hell find delight only in the odors that correspond
to a love opposed to wisdom; these are foul odors, but the former are
fragrant. It follows that men in the world impregnate their blood with
similar things according to correspondence with the affections of their
love; for what the spirit of a man loves, his blood according to
correspondence craves and by respiration attracts. From this
correspondence it results that man as regards his love is purified if he
loves wisdom, and is defiled if he does not love it. Moreover, all
purification of man is effected by means of the truths of wisdom, and all
pollution of man is effected by means of falsities that are opposite to
the truths of wisdom.

421. (17) Love or the will is defiled in the understanding and by it, if
they are not elevated together. This is because love, if not elevated,
remains impure (as stated above, n. 419, 420); and while it remains impure
it loves what is impure, such as revenges, hatreds, deceits, blasphemes,
adulteries, for these are then its affections that are called lusts, and
it rejects what belongs to charity, justice, sincerity, truth, and
chastity. Love is said to be defiled in the understanding, and by it; in
the understanding, when love is affected by these impure things; by the
understanding, when love makes the things of wisdom to become its servants,
and still more when it perverts, falsifies, and adulterates them. Of the
corresponding state of the heart, or of its blood in the lungs, there is
no need to say more than has been said above (n. 420), except that instead
of the purification of the blood its defilement takes place; and instead
of the nutrition of the blood by fragrant odors its nutrition is effected
by stenches, precisely as it is respectively in heaven and in hell.

422. (18) Love, when purified by wisdom in the understanding, becomes
spiritual and celestial. Man is born natural, but in the measure in which
his understanding is raised into the light of heaven, and his love
conjoi