Heaven and Hell - Swedenborg Foundation

HEAVEN AND HELL 150
203. So far as anyone is in the form of heaven he is in
heaven, and is, in fact, a heaven in the least form (n. 57);
consequently he is to the same extent in intelligence and
wisdom; for as has been said above, all the thought of his
understanding and all the affection of his will extend
themselves on every side into heaven in accord with its form,
and wonderfully communicate with the societies there, and
these in turn with him. 149
[2] There are some who do not believe that thoughts and
affections really extend themselves around about them, but
believe that they are within them, because whatever they think
they see within in themselves, and not as distant; but such are
greatly mistaken. For as the sight of the eye has extension to
remote objects, and is affected in accordance with the order of
the things seen in that extension, so the interior sight, which is
that of the understanding, has a like extension in the spiritual
world, although not perceived by man, for the reason given
above (n. 196). The only difference is that the sight of the eye
is affected in a natural way, because it is affected by the things
in the natural world, while the sight of the understanding is
All things of Divine order are gathered up in man and he is from
creation Divine order in form (n. 4219, 4220, 4222, 4223, 4523, 4524,
5114, 6013, 6057, 6605, 6626, 9706, 10156, 10472). Man is not born into
good and truth, but into evil and falsity, that is, into the opposite of Divine
order, and consequently into pure ignorance; and for this reason he must
needs be born anew, that is, be regenerated, which is effected by means of
Divine truths from the Lord, that he may be introduced into order (n. 1047,
2307, 2308, 3518, 3812, 8480, 8550, 10283, 10284, 10286, 10731). When
the Lord forms man anew, that is, regenerates him, He arranges all things in
him in accordance with order, which means, into the form of heaven (n.
5700, 6690, 9931, 10303).
149. Everyone in heaven has communication of life, which may be
called its extension into angelic societies round about, according to the
quantity and quality of his good (n. 8794, 8797).
Thoughts and affections have such extension (n. 2470, 6598–6613).
They are united and separated in accordance with the ruling affections
(n. 4111).