Heaven and Hell/12
XII
There is a Correspondence of All Things Heaven with All Things of Man
87.What correspondence is is not known at the present day, for several
reasons, the chief of which is that man has withdrawn himself from
heaven by the love of self and love of the world. For he that loves
self and the world above all things gives heed only to worldly
things, since these appeal to the external senses and gratify the
natural longings; and he does not give heed to spiritual things,
since these appeal to the internal senses and gratify the mind,
therefore he casts them aside, saying that they are too high for his
comprehension. This was not so with the ancient people. To them the
knowledge of correspondences was the chief of knowledges. By means of
it they acquired intelligence and wisdom; and by means of it those
who were of the church had communication with heaven; for the
knowledge of correspondences is angelic knowledge. The most ancient
people, who were celestial men, thought from correspondence itself,
as the angels do. And therefore they talked with angels, and the Lord
frequently appeared to them, and they were taught by Him. But at this
day that knowledge has been so completely lost that no one knows what
correspondence is.[1]
88. Since, then, without a perception of what correspondence is there
can be no clear knowledge of the spiritual world or of its inflow
into the natural world, neither of what the spiritual is in its
relation to the natural, nor any clear knowledge of the spirit of
man, which is called the soul, and its operation into the body,
neither of man's state after death, it is necessary to explain what
correspondence is and the nature of it. This will prepare the way for
what is to follow.
89. First, what correspondence is. The whole natural world
corresponds to the spiritual world, and not merely the natural world
in general, but also every particular of it; and as a consequence
everything in the natural world that springs from the spiritual world
is called a correspondent. It must be understood that the natural
world springs from and has permanent existence from the spiritual
world, precisely like an effect from its effecting cause. All that is
spread out under the sun and that receives heat and light from the
sun is what is called the natural world; and all things that derive
their subsistence therefrom belong to that world. But the spiritual
world is heaven; and all things in the heavens belong to that world.
90. Since man is both a heaven and a world in least form after the
image of the greatest (see above, n. 57), there is in him both a
spiritual and a natural world. The interior things that belong to his
mind, and that have relation to understanding and will, constitute
his spiritual world; while the exterior things that belong to his
body, and that have relation to its senses and activities, constitute
his natural world. Consequently, everything in his natural world
(that is, in his body and its senses and activities), that has its
existence from his spiritual world (that is, from his mind and its
understanding and will) is called a correspondent.
91. From the human face it can be seen what correspondence is. In a
face that has not been taught to dissemble, all the affections of the
mind present themselves to view in a natural form, as in their type.
This is why the face is called the index of the mind; that is, it is
man's spiritual world presented in his natural world. So, too, what
pertains to the understanding is presented in speech, and what
pertains to the will is presented in the movements of the body. So
whatever effects are produced in the body, whether in the face, in
speech, or in bodily movements, are called correspondences.
92. All this shows also what the internal man is and what the
external, namely, that the internal is what is called the spiritual
man, and the external what is called the natural man; also that the
one is distinct from the other as heaven is from the world; also that
all things that take place and come forth in the external or natural
man take place and come forth from the internal or spiritual man.
93. This much has been said about the correspondence of man's
internal or spiritual with his external or natural; now the
correspondence of the whole heaven with everything pertaining to man
shall be treated of.
94. It has been shown that the entire heaven reflects a single man,
and that it is in image a man and is therefore called the Greatest
Man. It has also been shown that the angelic societies, of which
heaven consists, are therefore arranged as the members, organs, and
viscera are in man, that is, some are in the head, some in the
breast, some in the arms, and some in each of their particulars (see
above, n. 59-72); consequently the societies in any member there
correspond to the like member in man; those in the head corresponding
to the head in man, those in the breast to the breast in man, those
in the arms to the arms in man; and so with all the rest. It is from
this correspondence that man has permanent existence, for from heaven
alone does man have permanent existence.
95. That heaven is divided into two kingdoms, one called the
celestial kingdom and the other the spiritual kingdom, may be seen
above in its own chapter. The celestial kingdom corresponds in
general to the heart and all things of the heart in the whole body,
and the spiritual kingdom to the lungs and to all things of the lungs
in the whole body. Likewise in man heart and lungs form two kingdoms,
the heart ruling there through the arteries and veins, and the lungs
through the tendinous and motor fibers, both together in every
exertion and movement. So in every man, in his spiritual world, which
is called his spiritual man, there are two kingdoms, one of the will
and the other of the understanding, the will ruling through
affections for good, and the understanding through affections for
truth; and these kingdoms correspond to the kingdoms of the heart and
of the lungs in the body. It is the same in the heavens; the
celestial kingdom is the voluntary part of heaven, and in it good of
love reigns; the spiritual kingdom is the intellectual part of
heaven, and in it truth reigns. These are what correspond to the
functions of the heart and lungs in man. It is on account of this
correspondence that in the Word the "heart" signifies the will and
also good of love, and the "breath" of the lungs signifies the
understanding and the truth of faith. For the same reason affections
are ascribed to the heart, although they are neither in it nor from
it.[2]
96. The correspondence of the two kingdoms of heaven with the heart
and lungs is the general correspondence of heaven with man. There is
a less general correspondence with each one of his members, organs,
and viscera; and what this is shall also be explained. In the
Greatest Man, which is heaven, those that are in the head excel all
others in every good, being in love, peace, innocence, wisdom,
intelligence, and consequent joy and happiness. These flow into the
head of man and the things belonging to the head and corresponding
thereto. In the Greatest Man, or heaven, those that are in the breast
are in the good of charity and of faith, and these flow into the
breast of man and correspond to it. In the Greatest Man, or heaven,
those that are in the loins and the organs devoted to generation are
in marriage love. Those in the feet are in the lowest good of heaven,
which is called spiritual natural good. Those in the arms and hands
are in the power of truth from good. Those that are in the eyes are
in understanding; those in the ears are in attention and obedience;
those in the nostrils are in perception; those in the mouth and
tongue are in the ability to converse from understanding and
perception; those in the kidneys are in truths searching, separating,
and correcting; those in the liver, pancreas, and spleen are in
various purifications of good and truth; and so with the rest. All
these flow into the like things of man and correspond to them. This
inflow of heaven is into the functions and uses of the bodily
members; and the uses, since they are from the spiritual world, take
on a form by means of such things as are in the natural world, and
thus present themselves in effect. From this is the correspondence.
97. For the same reason these same members, organs, and viscera have
a like significance in the Word; for everything there has a meaning
in accordance with correspondence. Thus the "head" signifies
intelligence and wisdom; the "breast" charity; the "loins" marriage
love; the "arms and hands" power of truth; the "feet" what is
natural; the "eyes" understanding; the "nostrils" perception; the
"ears" obedience, the "kidneys" the scrutiny of truth, and so on.[3]
So, too, in the common speech of man it is said of one who is
intelligent and wise that he has a good head; of one who is
charitable that he is a bosom friend; of one who has clear perception
that he is keen scented; of one who is intelligent that he is sharp
sighted; of one who is powerful that he is long handed; of one who
exercises his will from love that it is done from the heart. These
and many other expressions in the speech of men are from
correspondence, for they are from the spiritual world, although man
is ignorant of it.
98. That there is such a correspondence of all things of heaven with
all things of man has been made clear to me by much experience, by so
much that I am as convinced of it as of any evident fact that admits
of no doubt. But it is not necessary to describe all this experience
here; nor would it be permissible on account of its abundance. It may
be seen set forth in the Arcana Coelestia, where correspondences,
representations, the influx of the spiritual world into the natural
world, and the interaction between soul and body, are treated of.[4]
99. But notwithstanding that all things of man's body correspond to
all things of heaven, it is not in respect to his external form that
man is an image of heaven, but in respect to his internal form; for
man's interiors are what receive heaven, while his exteriors receive
the world. So far, therefore, as his interiors receive heaven man is
in respect to them a heaven in least form, after the image of the
greatest. But so far as his interiors do not receive heaven he is not
a heaven and an image of the greatest, although his exteriors, which
receive the world, may be in a form in accordance with the order of
the world, and thus variously beautiful. For the source of outward
beauty which pertains to the body is in parents and formation in the
womb, and it is preserved afterwards by general influx from the
world. For this reason the form of one's natural man differs greatly
from the form of his spiritual man. What the form of a man's spirit
is I have been shown occasionally; and in some who were beautiful and
charming in appearance the spirit was seen to be so deformed, black
and monstrous that it might be called an image of hell, not of
heaven; while in others not beautiful there was a spirit beautifully
formed, pure, and angelic. Moreover, the spirit of man appears after
death such as it has been in the body while it lived therein in the
world.
100. But correspondence applies far more widely than to man; for
there is a correspondence of the heavens with one another. To the
third or inmost heaven the second or middle heaven corresponds, and
to the second or middle heaven the first or outmost heaven
corresponds, and this corresponds to the bodily forms in man called
his members, organs, and viscera. Thus it is the bodily part of man
in which heaven finally terminates, and upon which it stands as upon
its base. But this arcanum will be more fully unfolded elsewhere.
101. Especially it must be understood that all correspondence with
heaven is with the Lord's Divine Human, because heaven is from Him,
and He is heaven, as has been shown in previous chapters. For if the
Divine Human did not flow into all things of heaven, and in
accordance with correspondences into all things of the world, no
angel or man could exist. From this again it is evident why the Lord
became Man and clothed His Divine from first to last with a Human. It
was because the Divine Human, from which heaven existed before the
Lord's coming, was no longer sufficient to sustain all things, for
the reason that man, who is the foundation of the heavens, had
subverted and destroyed order. What the Divine Human was before the
Lord's coming, and what the condition of heaven was at that time may
be seen in the extracts appended to the preceding chapter.
102. Angels are amazed when they hear that there are men who
attribute all things to nature and nothing to the Divine, and who
also believe that their body, into which so many wonders of heaven
are gathered, is a product of nature. Still more are they amazed that
the rational part of man is believed to be from nature, when, if men
will but lift their minds a little, they can see that such effects
are not from nature but from the Divine; and that nature has been
created simply for clothing the spiritual and for presenting it in a
correspondent form in the outmost of order. Such men they liken to
owls, which see in darkness, but in light see nothing.
- ↑ How far the knowledge of correspondences excels other knowledges (n. 4280). The knowledge of correspondences was the chief knowledge of the ancient people; but at the present day it is wholly forgotten (n. 3021, 3419, 4280, 4749, 4844, 4964, 4966, 6004, 7729, 10252). The knowledge of correspondences flourished among the Eastern nations and in Egypt (5702, 6692, 7097, 7779, 9391, 10407).
- ↑ The correspondence of the heart and lungs with the Greatest Man, which is heaven, from experience (n. 3883-3896), The heart corresponds to those in the celestial kingdom, and the lungs to those in the spiritual kingdom (n. 3885-3887). There is in heaven a pulse like that of the heart, and a respiration like that of the lungs but interior (n. 3884, 3885, 3887). There the pulse of the heart varies in conformity to states of love, and the respiration in conformity to states of charity and faith (n. 3886, 3887, 3889). In the Word the "heart" means the will, and "from the heart" means from the will (n. 2930, 7542, 8910, 9113, 10336). In the Word the "heart" also signifies love, and "from the heart" means from love (7542, 9050, 10336).
- ↑ In the Word the "breast" signifies charity (n. 3934, 10081, 10087). The "loins" and organs of generation signify marriage love (n. 3021, 4280, 4462, 5050-5052). The "arms" and "hands" signify the power of truth (n. 878, 3091, 4931-4937, 6947, 7205, 10019). The "feet" signify the natural (n. 2162, 3147, 3761, 3986, 4280, 4938-4952). The "eye" signifies understanding (n. 2701, 4403-4421, 4523-4534, 6923, 9051, 10569). The "nostrils" signify perception (n. 3577, 4624, 4625, 4748, 5621, 8286, 10054, 10292). The "ears" signify obedience (n. 2542, 3869, 4523, 4653, 5017, 7216, 8361, 8990, 9311, 9397, 10061). The "kidneys" signify the scrutiny and correction of truth (n. 5380-5386, 10032).
- ↑ The correspondence of all the members of the body with the Greatest Man, or heaven, in general and in particular, from experience (n. 3021, 3624-3649, 3741-3750, 3883-3895, 4039-4054, 4218-4228, 4318-4331, 4403-4421, 4523-4533, 4622-4633, 4652-4660, 4791-4805, 4931-4953, 5050-5061, 5171-5189, 5377-5396, 5552-5573, 5711-5727, 10030). The influx of the spiritual world into the natural world or of heaven into the world, and the influx of the soul into all things of the body, from experience (n. 6053-6058, 6189-6215, 6307-6326, 6466-6495, 6598-6626). The interaction between soul and body, from experience (n. 6053-6058, 6189-6215, 6307-6327, 6466-6495, 6598-6626).