From The Doctrines For Spiritual Christianity
The spaces and distances, and thence the progressions in the natural world, are, in their origin and first cause, changes of the state of the interiors, and with angels and spirits appear according to these changes; and that thus they can by these changes be apparently transferred from one place to another. (Earths in the Universe 125)
That the universe of the spiritual world resembles in an image the human being can be plainly seen from the fact that all the phenomena [present before them] vividly appear and take form around an angel and around angelic societies as effects seemingly produced or created by them – effects that remain around them and do not go away. Their being effects seemingly produced or created by them follows from the fact that when an angel leaves, or when a society transfers elsewhere, the phenomena no longer appear. Moreover, when other angels come in their stead, the appearance of all their surroundings changes. Parks change in respect to the trees and fruits they contain. Flower gardens change in respect to the kinds of roses and seeds found in them. Fields change as well in respect to their herbs and grasses, and the species of animals and birds change, too. These phenomena take form and change as described because they all exist in accordance with the affections and consequent thoughts of the angels. For they are correspondent forms. And because forms that correspond accord with that to which they correspond, therefore they are a representative image of it. This image is not apparent when any of these phenomena are viewed in terms of their forms, but it is seen when they are viewed in terms of their uses. I have been given to see that when angels have their eyes opened by the Lord and view these phenomena from the perspective of their corresponding uses, they recognize and see themselves in them. (Divine Love and Wisdom 322{1,2})
The merely natural person thinks in terms of ideas that he has acquired from objects visible to his sight, all of which exhibit in them a configuration possessing length, breadth and height and having a shape delimited by these, whether angular or curvilinear. These dimensions are clearly present in his mental conceptions of visible objects in the world, and they are also present in his mental conceptions of things not visible, as in his conceptions of civil and moral matters. He does not, indeed, see them, but still they are present as extended concepts. It is otherwise in the case of a spiritual person, especially in the case of an angel in heaven. His thinking is unrelated to configuration and form having anything do to with spatial length, breadth or height, but having to do with the state of a thing arising from the state of a person’s life. Consequently, instead of spatial length he pictures the goodness of a thing arising from the goodness of a person’s life, instead of spatial breadth the truth of a thing arising from the truth of a person’s life, and instead of height degrees of these. Thus he thinks in terms of correspondence, which is the relation of spiritual and natural things to each other. And it is because of this correspondence that length in the Word symbolizes the goodness of a thing, breadth the truth of a thing, and height degrees of these. It is apparent from this that when an angel in heaven reflects on the Divine omnipresence, it is utterly impossible for him to think otherwise than that the Divine fills all things independently of space. What an angel thinks is true, because the light that enlightens his intellect is Divine wisdom. (Divine Love and Wisdom 71{1,2})
“To see” signifies to understand because the sight of the eye corresponds to the sight of the mind, which is understanding. That correspondence is from this, that as the understanding sees spiritual things so the sight of the eye sees natural things. Spiritual things are truths from good, and natural things are objects in various forms. Truths from good, which are spiritual things, are seen in heaven as distinctly as objects before the eye, yet with much difference; for these truths are seen intellectually, that is, they are perceived; and the nature of this sight or perception cannot be described by human words; it can be apprehended only so far as this, that it has in it consent and confirmation from the inmost that so it is. There are, indeed, confirming reasons in very great abundance, which present themselves to the intellectual sight as a one, and this one is as it were a conclusion from many particulars. These confirming reasons are in the light of heaven, which is Divine truth or Divine wisdom proceeding from the Lord, and which operate in each angel according to his state of reception. This is the spiritual sight of the understanding. Since with angels this sight operates upon the sight of the eyes, and presents the truths of the understanding in correspondent forms that appear in heaven not unlike the forms in the natural world that are called objects, so “to see,” in the sense of the letter of the Word, signifies to understand. (Apocalypse Explained 260)
In the other life there is no space, but only the appearance of space according to the affinities of the thoughts and affections. (Arcana Coelestia 10146{3})
Key Points From The Video
Appearance of Space and Movement: Objects in the heavens resemble objects from the natural world, but angels do not actually occupy space, nor do they move in the natural sense. Their movements and positions are perceived as spatial appearances.
Representative Appearance: Angelic sensory experiences are representations of mental relationships, where distances signify the harmony between relationships of use.
Distances Represent States of Reception: In heaven, distances symbolise how Divine life is received. The natural mind, separates from spiritual causes, and thus cannot grasp how time and space are mental projections and lacks an understanding of the correspondence between mental states and external events.
Outward and Inward Perception: Externally, both natural and spiritual minds perceive space similarly, but their internal perceptions differ greatly. The natural mind views space and matter as both subjects and objects, while the spiritual mind treats them solely as objects.
Spiritual Thought and Intuition: Angelic consciousness sees every object as arising from internal causes and thinks “above” space. Natural thought, however, attributes sensations to external causes, leading to fallacious conclusions as it cannot perceive beyond the objects themselves.
Spiritual and Natural Perception: The spiritual mind understands the symbolic meanings of objects intuitively, like comprehending familiar language. Conversely, the natural mind perceives without grasping deeper meanings, like hearing an unfamiliar language without understanding.
Multiple Choice Questions
How do angels perceive space in heaven?
a) As an external, physical reality
b) As a representative appearance of relationships
c) As infinite and never-ending
d) As a limitation of Divine power
Answer: b)
What do distances in heaven represent?
a) Physical separation between objects
b) States of Divine reception
c) The size of an angel’s spiritual energy
d) The growth of celestial bodies
Answer: b)
What is the main difference between spiritual and natural perception?
a) Spiritual perception focuses on external objects
b) Natural perception understands the mental causes behind appearances
c) Spiritual perception focuses on internal causes, while natural perception focuses on external characteristics
d) Both spiritual and natural perception are exactly the same
Answer: c
How does the natural mind perceive space and time?
a) As projections of thought
b) As mental constructs that are constantly changing
c) As both subjects and objects of thought
d) As unnecessary illusions
Answer: c)
In what way is spiritual thought intuitive?
a) It automatically perceives the internal causes behind objects
b) It relies on scientific reasoning and logical deductions
c) It treats objects as inherently meaningless
d) It focuses only on the outer appearance of things
Answer: a)
Reflective Questions
1. How does the idea that space and distance are reflections of spiritual states change your understanding of physical distance in your life?
2. In what ways do you tend to focus on external appearances without considering the internal causes behind them?
3. How can you apply the spiritual perception of relationships and states of reception in your interactions with others?
Experiential Integration
Observing Internal Causes in Daily Life: Take a few minutes to reflect on your relationships and interactions with people around you. Instead of focusing solely on their external actions or the distance between you, try to perceive the internal causes and mental states influencing these dynamics. Ask yourself:
- What spiritual states might be reflected in this situation?
- How does my perception of this interaction change when I consider the underlying mental and emotional states?
Document your thoughts and note how this shift in focus alters your daily experiences.
Further Exploration
Moreover, the angelic societies in the heavens are at a distance from each other as their goods differ in general and in particular. For in the spiritual world the only ground of distance is difference in the state of interiors, thus in the heavens difference in the states of love, those who differ much being far apart, and those who differ but little being but little apart, and likeness causing them to be together. (Heaven and Hell 42)
Take also as an example the fact that in the other life it is according to order that states of affection and thought cause the idea of place and distance; and that the inhabitants appear distant from one another, so far as they are in a diverse state. This order is from the Divine, to the intent that all who are in the Grand Man may be distinct from one another. (Arcana Coelestia 7337{3})
It is a universal thing in the other life that all are conjoined according to the love of good and truth from the Lord; consequently the whole heaven is such conjunction…That “coming near” denotes conjunction and presence, is because in the other life the distances of one from another are altogether according to the dissimilitudes and diversities of the interior things that belong to the thought and affection (Arcana Coelestia 9378{2,3})
All approach in the spiritual world is effected by the determination of the thought. (Arcana Coelestia 7568)