more, nor do they know anything about each other, unless they are of similar disposition from similar loves. They see each other in the world of spirits, and not in heaven nor in hell, because they who are in the world of spirits are brought into states similar to those which they had experienced in the life of the body, being led from one into another; but afterwards, all are brought into a permanent state similar to that of their ruling love; and in that state one knows another only from similitude of love; for similitude conjoins, and dissimilitude separates." —H. H. n. 427; see also A. R. 153.
In accordance with what is here taught is the following. Which tells us why those who have been closely related on earth, will ultimately be as strangers to each other in the world beyond, if there be no internal likeness—no spiritual relationship between them.
"When the spirit of man first enters the world of spirits, which takes place shortly after his resuscitation, he has a similar face and similar tone of voice to what he had in the world, because he is then in the state of his exteriors, and his interiors are not yet disclosed. This is the first state of man after death. But afterwards his face is changed and becomes entirely different, assuming the likeness of his ruling affection or love in which the interiors of his mind were in the world, and in which his spirit was in the body. . . . I have seen some spirits shortly after their arrival from the world, and knew them by their face and speech; but when I saw them afterwards, I did not know them. They who were principled in good affections appeared with beautiful faces, but they who were principled in evil affections, with faces deformed; for the spirit of man, viewed in itself, is nothing but his affection whereof the face is the external form. The reason also why the face is changed, is because in the other life no one is allowed to counterfeit
