AC 3897. In accordance with the plan adopted it is now necessary to explain, as a preface to this chapter, what the Lord taught concerning the Last Judgment, or the last times of the church, in the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew. Before the preceding chapter of Genesis there was explained what is contained in this chapter of Matthew from the nineteenth to the twenty-second verse. Now follows what is contained in (Matthew 24:23-28). Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo here is the Christ, or there, believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall give great signs and wonders, to lead astray if possible even the elect. Behold I have told you before. If therefore they shall say unto you, Behold He is in the desert, go not out; Behold He is in the inner chambers, believe it not. For as the lightning cometh forth out of the east and appeareth even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

AC 3898. What these words involve no one can know except from the internal sense--as that false Christs shall arise who shall give signs and wonders; and that if men should say that Christ is in the desert, they should not go out; and that if they should say that He is in the inner chambers, they should not believe it; and that the coming of the Son of man shall be as the lightning which cometh forth from the east and appeareth even unto the west; and also that wheresoever the carcass is, there also will the eagles be gathered together. These things, like those which precede and that follow in this chapter, seem not to stand in any series as to the sense of the letter; but yet in the internal sense they are in a most beautiful series, which first becomes apparent when it is understood what is signified by "false Christs;" what by "signs and wonders;" what by the "desert" and the "inner chambers;" also what by the "coming of the Son of man;" and lastly what by the "carcass" and the "eagles."

[2] The reason why the Lord spoke in this manner was in order that the people might not understand the Word, lest they should profane it; for when the church has been vastated, as it then was with the Jews, if men understood it they would profane it; wherefore for the same reason the Lord also spoke by parables, as He Himself teaches in (Matthew 13:13-15; Mark 4:11, 12; Luke 8:10). For the Word cannot be profaned by those who do not know its mysteries; but by those who do (n. 301-303, 593, 1008, 1010, 1059, 1327, 1328, 2051, 3398, 3402) and more by those who appear to themselves learned than by those who seem to themselves unlearned.

[3] But the reason why the interiors of the Word are now being opened, is that the church at this day has been so far vastated (that is, is so devoid of faith and love) that although men know and understand, still they do not acknowledge, and much less believe (n. 3398, 3399), except a few who are in the life of good and are called the "elect," who can now be instructed, and with whom a New Church is to be instituted. But where these are, the Lord alone knows; there will be few within the church; it has been among the Gentiles that previous new churches have been set up (n. 2986).

AC 3899. In what precedes in this chapter of Matthew the successive vastation of the church has been treated of--that they should first begin no longer to know what good and truth are, but should dispute about them; next that they should despise them; thirdly that they should not acknowledge them; and fourthly that they should profane them (n. 3754). The subject now treated of is the state of the church in respect to its quality at that time as to doctrine in general, and with those specifically who are in holy external worship, but in profane internal worship; that is, who with the mouth profess the Lord with holy reverence, but at heart worship themselves and the world, so that with them the worship of the Lord is a means of gaining honors and wealth. In so far as these persons have acknowledged the Lord, and the heavenly life and faith, so far do they profane them when they become of such a character. This state of the church is now treated of, as may better appear from the internal sense of the Lord’s words quoted above, which is as follows.

AC 3900. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo here is the Christ, or there; believe it not; signifies an exhortation to beware of their doctrine. "The Christ" is the Lord as to Divine truth, and hence as to the Word and as to doctrine from the Word. That here the contrary is meant, namely, Divine truth falsified, or the doctrine of falsity is evident. "Jesus" is Divine good, and "Christ" Divine truth, (n. 3004, 3005, 3008, 3009).

[2] For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets; signifies the falsities of that doctrine. That false Christs" are doctrinal things from the Word falsified, or truths not Divine, is manifest from what has been said just above (n. 3010, 3732); and that "false prophets" are those who teach such falsities (n. 2534). In the Christian world they who teach falsities are especially those who have as their end their own pre-eminence, and the riches of the world; for they pervert the truths of the Word in their own favor; for when the love of self and of the world is the end, nothing else is thought of. These are "false Christs and false prophets."

[3] And they shall give great signs and wonders; signifies things that confirm and persuade from external appearances and fallacies, by which the simple suffer themselves to be led astray. That this is "giving signs and wonders," will of the Lord‘s Divine mercy be shown elsewhere.

[4] To lead astray if possible even the elect; signifies those who are in the life of good and truth, and are consequently with the Lord. These are they who in the Word are called the "elect." In the company of those who veil over profane worship with what is holy, such are rarely seen; or if seen, they are not known; for the Lord hides them, and thus protects them. For before they have been confirmed they suffer themselves to be easily led away by external sanctities; but after they have been confirmed they remain steadfast, being kept by the Lord in the company of angels, without knowing it; and it is then impossible for them to be led astray by that wicked crew.

[5] Behold, I have told you before; signifies an exhortation to prudence, that is, to beware for they are among false prophets, who appear in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves (Matt. 7:15). The "false prophets" are the sons of the age, who are more prudent in their generation (that is, more crafty) than the sons of light (Luke 16:8). For which reason the Lord exhorts them in the words "Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves; be ye therefore prudent as serpents and simple as doves" (Matt. 10:16).

[6] If therefore they shall say unto you, Behold He is in the desert, go not forth; Behold He is in the inner chambers, believe it not; signifies that what they say about truth, and what they say about good, as well as many other things, are not to be believed. That this is what is signified, no one can see except the man who is acquainted with the internal sense. That a mystery is contained in these words may be known from the fact that the Lord spoke them, and that without any other sense more interiorly hidden the words amount to nothing--namely, that if they should say that the Christ was in the desert they were not to go forth; and if they should say that He was in the inner chambers, they were not to believe it. But it is vastated truth that is signified by the "desert;" and vastated good by the "inner chambers," or secret recesses. The reason why vastated truth is signified by the "desert," is that when the church is vastated (that is, when there is no longer any Divine truth in it, because there is no longer any good, or love to the Lord and charity toward the neighbor), it is then said to be a "desert," or to be in a "desert;" for by a "desert" or "wilderness" is meant whatever is not cultivated or inhabited (n. 2708); also whatever has little life (n. 1927), as is then the case with truth in the church. This shows that the "desert" here is a church in which there is no truth.

[7] But the "inner chambers," or secret recesses, in the internal sense signify the church as to good, and also simply good. The church that is in good is called the "house of God." The "inner chambers," and the things within the house, are goods. The "house of God" is Divine good; and a "house" in general, the good of love and charity, (n. 2233, 2234, 2559, 3142, 3652, 3720). The reason why that which men say about truth, and what they say about good, is not to be believed, is that they call falsity truth, and evil good; for they who regard themselves and the world as their end, understand nothing else by truth and good than that they themselves are to be adored, and are to receive benefits; and if they breathe forth piety, it is that they may appear in sheep‘s clothing.

[8] Moreover as the Word spoken by the Lord contains innumerable things within it, and as "desert" or " wilderness" is a word of wide signification, for all that is called a "wilderness" which is not cultivated and inhabited, and all interior things are called "inner chambers," therefore by a "desert" is also signified the Word of the Old Testament, because this is regarded as abrogated; and by "inner chambers" the Word of the New Testament, because this teaches interior things, or those which concern the internal man. So also the whole Word is called a "desert," because it no longer serves for doctrinal things; and human institutions are called "inner chambers," which, because they depart from the precepts and institutes of the Word, make the Word to be a "desert." This is also known in the Christian world; for they who are in holy external and in profane internal worship, for the sake of innovations which look to their pre-eminence over all and their opulence above all as the ends in view, abrogate the Word, and this so far as not even to permit it to be read by others. And although they who are not in such profane worship hold the Word to be holy, and permit it to be among the people, they nevertheless bend and explain all things therein in favor of their doctrinal matters, which causes the rest of what is in the Word, and which is not in accordance with their doctrinal matters, to be a "desert." This may be sufficiently evident from the case of those who make salvation to consist in faith alone, and hold in contempt the works of charity. All that the Lord Himself has spoken in the New Testament, and so many times in the Old, concerning love and charity, they make as a "desert;" and all the things that belong to faith without works, they make as "inner chambers." It is manifest from this what is signified by the words, "If they say unto you, Behold He is in the desert, go not forth; Behold He is in the inner chambers, believe it not."

[9] For as the lightning cometh forth from the east, and appeareth even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be; signifies that it was with the internal worship of the Lord as with lightning, which is instantly dissipated. For by the "lightening" is signified that which is of heavenly light, and thus that which is preached about love and faith, because these are of heavenly light. In the supreme sense the "east" is the Lord; and in the internal sense, the good of love, of charity, and of faith from the Lord (n. 101, 1250, 3249). But the "west" in the internal sense is that which has gone down or has ceased to be; thus it signifies no acknowledgment of the Lord, nor of the good of love, charity, and faith; and so the lightning that cometh out of the east and appeareth even unto the west denotes dissipation. The coming of the Lord is not according to the letter, that He is to appear again in the world; but it is His presence in everyone; and this exists whenever the gospel is preached and what is holy is thought of.

[10] For wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together; signifies that confirmations of falsity by means of reasonings will be multiplied in the vastated church. When the church is without the good and consequently without the truth of faith (that is, when it has been vastated), it is said to be "dead," for its life is from good and truth; and hence when dead it is compared to a carcass." Reasonings concerning goods and truths that make these out to be nothing except in so far as they are apprehended, and confirmations of evil and falsity thereby, are the "eagles," as is evident from that which now follows. That the "carcass" here is the church devoid of the life of charity and faith, is manifest from the words of the Lord in Luke, where He speaks of the consummation of the age:--

"Body" here stands in place of "carcass," for it is a dead body that is meant, and it signifies the church for that the Judgment was to commence from the house of God or from the church, is evident from various passages in the Word. This is what is signified in the internal sense by the Lord’s words now adduced and unfolded. That they are in a most beautiful series, although this does not appear in the sense of the letter, must be evident to anyone who contemplates them in their connection according to the explication.

AC 3901. The reason why the last state of the church is compared to "eagles" gathered together to a "carcass," or to a "body," is that by "eagles" are signified man‘s rational things, which when predicated of the good, are true rational things; but when predicated of the evil, are false rational things or reasonings. "Birds" in general signify man’s thoughts, in both senses good and bad (n. 40, 745, 776, 866, 991, 3219); and every species has a special signification. As eagles fly high and are sharp-sighted, they signify rational things. That this is the case may be seen from many passages in the Word, of which in confirmation we may adduce the following. First, where they signify true rational things; in Moses:--

Instruction in the truths and goods of faith is what is here described, and is compared to the "eagle." The very process until man becomes rational and spiritual, is contained in the description and comparison. The comparisons in the Word are all made by means of significatives thus here by the "eagle," which is the rational.

[2] In the same: Jehovah said to Moses:--

denoting the same. In Isaiah:--

"to be renewed in strength" is to grow as to the willing of good; and "to mount up with strong wing as eagles" is to grow as to the understanding of truth, thus as to the rational. The subject is set forth here as elsewhere by two expressions, one of which involves the good which is of the will, and the other the truth which is of the understanding; and the case is the same with the expressions, "they shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint."

[3] In Ezekiel:--

The "eagle" first mentioned denotes the rational enlightened by the Divine; the "eagle" mentioned in the second place denotes the rational from what is man‘s own, afterwards become perverted through reasonings from sensuous things and memory-knowledges. "Egypt" denotes memory-knowledges, (n. 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462); "horses" the intellectual from them, (n. 2761, 2762, 3217).

[4] In Daniel:--

The first state of the church is what is here described by a "lion that had eagle’s wings;" and the "eagle‘s wings" here are rational things from what is man’s own, on the taking away of which they were given rational and voluntary things from the Divine, which are signified by its "being taken up from the earth, and made to stand upon its feet like a man, and having a man‘s heart given to it."

[5] In Ezekiel, in the description of the likeness of the faces of the four living creatures, or cherubs:--

In John:--

That the living creatures thus seen signify Divine arcana, is evident; and consequently so does the "likeness of their faces;" but what arcana in particular are signified cannot be known unless it is known what in the internal sense is a "lion," a "calf," a "man," and an "eagle." That the "face of an eagle" is circumspection and consequently Providence is manifest; for the cherubs represented by the living creatures in Ezekiel signify the Providence of the Lord lest man should enter into the mysteries of faith from himself and his own rational (n. 308). This shows that when it is predicated of man, the "eagle" is in the internal sense the rational; and this for the reason that the eagle flies high, and from above has a wide view of the things that are below.

[6] In Job:--

it is evident that the "eagle" here is reason, which is of intelligence. Such was the signification of the "eagle" in the Ancient Church; for the book of Job is a book of the Ancient Church (n. 3540). Almost all the books of that period were written by means of significatives; but in process of time the significatives have become so completely forgotten that it is not even known that "birds" in general denote thoughts, although they are so frequently mentioned in the Word and it appears quite plain that they have another meaning.

[7] That in the opposite sense an "eagle" signifies rational things that are not true, and thus false, is evident from the following passages. In Moses:--

In Jeremiah:--

In the same:--

In the same:--

In Micah:--

In Obadiah:--

In Habakkuk:--

[8] By "eagles" in these passages is signified falsity induced by reasonings, which is induced from the fallacies of the senses and external appearances. That by the "Chaldeans" in the Prophet last cited are signified those who are in a holy external, but interiorly in falsity, may be seen above (n. 1368); also that they who vastate the church are like Babylon (n. 1327); that the "breadths of the land" denote truths (n. 3433, 3434). Vastation is signified by "marching through the breadths of the land." Their "horses" are their intellectual things, which are similar (n. 2761, 2762, 3217). What the "eagle hastening to devour" signifies, is thus evident, namely, the desolation of man in respect to truths; for the desolation of the church is there treated of. Comparisons are here made with eagles; but as before said, the comparisons in the Word are made by means of significatives. From all this we can now see what is signified by the comparison with the "eagles that will be gathered together to the carcass."

AC 4039. The correspondence of the heart and lungs with the Grand Man, or heaven, was treated of at the end of the preceding chapter. Here the subject to be treated of is the correspondence of the cerebrum and the cerebellum, and of the medullas connected with them. But before entering upon this correspondence, some things must be premised concerning the form of the brain in general, whence it is, and what it represents.

AC 4040. When the brain is denuded of the skull and the integuments that encompass it, there are seen therein wonderful circumvolutions and foldings, within which are situated the substances called cortical. From these run out fibers which constitute the medulla of the brain. These fibers proceed thence through the nerves into the body, and there perform functions in accordance with the orders and determinations of the brain. All these things are in exact accordance with the heavenly form; for such a form is impressed by the Lord on the heavens, and thence on the things that exist in man, and especially on his cerebrum and cerebellum.

AC 4041. The heavenly form is amazing, and quite surpasses all human intelligence; for it is far above the ideas of the forms that a man can possibly conceive of from worldly things, even with the aid of analysis. All the heavenly societies are arranged in order in accordance with this form, and wonderful to say there is a gyration according to these forms, of which angels and spirits are not sensible. This is like the daily movement of the earth round its axis, and its annual movement round the sun, which its inhabitants do not perceive. It has been shown me of what nature is this heavenly form in the lowest sphere it was like the form of the circumvolutions seen in the human brains. This flow (that is, these gyrations) it was given me perceptibly to see, and this continuously for several days; and in this way I was assured that the brain is formed in accordance with the form of the flow of heaven. But the interior things therein, which do not appear to the eye, are in accordance with the interior forms of heaven, which are quite incomprehensible; and I was told by the angels that from this it can be seen that man has been created according to the forms of the three heavens and that in this way the image of heaven has been impressed upon him, so that man is a little heaven in the least form; and that this is the source of his correspondence with the heavens.

AC 4042. Hence then it is that through man alone is there a descent from the heavens into the world, and an ascent from the world into the heavens. It is the brain and its interiors through which the descent and ascent is effected; for there are the very beginnings, or the first and the last ends, from which each and all of the things of the body flow forth and are derived. There also is the source of the thoughts of the understanding, and of the affections of the will.

AC 4043. The reason why the still more interior forms, which are also more universal, are as before said not comprehensible, is that when forms are mentioned, they carry with them the idea of space and also of time; and yet in the interiors, where heaven is, nothing is perceived by spaces and times, because these belong to nature, but by states and their variations and changes. But as the variations and changes cannot as before said be conceived by man without the aid of such things as are of form, and without such things as are of space and time, when yet these do not exist in the heavens, it may be seen how incomprehensible these things are, and also how unutterable. And as all human words, by means of which these things must be uttered and comprehended, involve natural things, they are inadequate to express them. In the heavens such things are presented to view by means of variations of heavenly light and heavenly flame, which are from the Lord; and this in such and so great a fulness, that thousands and thousands of perceptions could scarcely fall into anything that is perceptible by man. And yet the things that are taking place in the heavens are represented in the world of spirits by means of forms to which the forms seen in the world bear some resemblance.

AC 4044. Representations are nothing but images of spiritual things in natural ones, and when the former are rightly represented in the latter, the two correspond. Yet the man who knows not what the spiritual is, but only the natural, is capable of thinking that such representations and derivative correspondences are impossible, for he might say to himself, How can the spiritual act upon the material? But if he will reflect upon the things taking place in himself every moment, he may be able to gain some idea of these matters; namely, how the will can act upon the muscles of the body, and effect real actions; also how thought can act upon the organs of speech, moving the lungs, trachea, throat, tongue, and lips, and thus produce speech; and also how the affections can act on the face, and there present images of themselves, so that another often thereby knows what is being thought and felt. These examples may give some idea of what representations and correspondences are. As such things are now presented in man, and as there is nothing that can subsist from itself, but only from some other, and this again from some other, and finally from the First, and this by a nexus of correspondences, they who enjoy some extension of judgment may draw the conclusion that there is a correspondence between man and heaven; and further, between heaven and the Lord who is the First.

AC 4045. As there is such a correspondence, and as heaven is distinguished into many lesser heavens, and these into still lesser ones, and everywhere into societies, there are heavens that bear relation to the cerebrum and cerebellum in general, and in these heavens there are those who relate to the parts or members in the brains those who relate to the dura mater, to the pia mater, to the sinuses, and also to the corpora and the cava there, as the corpus callosum, the corpora striata, the lesser glands, the ventricles, the infundibulum, and so forth; so that the quality of those who relate to the one part or the other has been disclosed to me, as may be seen from what follows.

AC 4046. There appeared a number of spirits at a middle distance above the head, who acted in common by a kind of beating of the heart; but it was as it were a reciprocal undulation downward and upward, with a kind of cold breathing on my forehead. From this I was able to conclude that they were of a middle sort, belonging both to the province of the heart and to that of the lungs, and also that they were not interior spirits. The same spirits afterwards presented a flaming light, gross but yet luminous, which first appeared under the left side of the chin, afterwards under the left eye, and then above the eye, but it was dim and yet flaming, not shining white. From these things I was enabled to know their quality, for lights indicate affections, also degrees of intelligence.

AC 4047. There appeared others also above the head, whose common action inflowing above the head flowed crosswise from the front backward. And there appeared also others, whose inflowing action was from each temple toward the middle of the brain. It was perceived that these were those who belong to the province of the pia mater, which is the second integument, more closely investing the cerebrum and cerebellum, and communicating with these by the emission of threads. The quality of these I was permitted to know from their speech, for they spoke with me. They were (as they had been in the world) such as did not trust much to their own thought, and therefore did not determine themselves to any fixed and certain thought respecting holy things, but depended on the belief of others, not canvassing whether it was true. That this was their quality was also shown me by the influx of their perception into the Lord’s prayer when I was reading it. For the quality of all spirits and angels whatever may be known from the Lord‘s prayer, and this by the influx of the ideas of their thought and of their affections into the contents of the prayer. From this was perceived the quality of these spirits, and furthermore that they could serve the angels as mediums; for there are intermediate spirits between the heavens through whom there is communication. For their ideas were not closed, but were readily. opened so that they suffered themselves to be acted upon, easily admitting and receiving influx. Moreover they were modest and peaceful, and said that they were in heaven.

AC 4048. There was one who spoke to me close to my head, and I perceived from the sound that he was in a state of tranquillity like that of a kind of peaceful sleep. He inquired about this and that, but with so much prudence that a waking person could not display more. I perceived that the interior angels spoke through him, and that he was in a state to perceive and bring forth what they said. I asked about that state, and told him that he was in such a state. He replied that he speaks nothing but what is good and true, and that he takes notice whether there is anything else, and that if anything else inflows he does not admit it or utter it. As regards his state, he said that it was peaceful, as was also given me to perceive by communication. I was told that such are they who relate to the sinuses, or larger bloodvessels in the brain and that those who were like him relate to the longitudinal sinus, which is between the two hemispheres of the brain, and is there in a quiet state, however much the brain may be in tumult on both sides of it.

AC 4049. There were some above the head a little toward the front, who spoke with me, speaking pleasantly and inflowing quite gently. They were distinguished from others by the circumstance that they had a constant desire and longing to come into heaven. It was said that such are they who relate to the ventricles or larger cavities of the brain, and who belong to that province. The reason was also added-that it is the nature of the better kind of lymph which is there to return into the brain, for which it has therefore such an endeavor. The brain is heaven, and this endeavor is that desire and longing. Such are the correspondences.

AC 4050. A certain face was first seen by me above an azure window, but presently withdrew itself within. I then saw a little star near the region of the left eye, and afterward a number of ruddy little stars that sparkled with white. Afterwards I saw the walls of a house, but no roof, the walls being only on the left side; and lastly I saw as it were the starry heaven. As these things were seen in a place where there were evil ones, I supposed that some hideous sight would be presented to me. but the wall soon disappeared, together with the starry heaven, and then there appeared a well, out of which came forth as it were a bright white cloud or vapor; and something also seemed to be pumped up out of the well.

[4] But those who have relation to the excrementitious lymphs, are they who drag down spiritual truths to earthly things, and there defile them - as for example, those who when they hear anything about conjugial love apply it to whoredoms and adulteries, and thus drag down the things of conjugial love to these; and the same with everything else. These appeared in front at some distance to the right. But those who are of the good sort are similar to those described just above in (n. 4049).

AC 4051. There are societies which relate to that region in the brain which is called the isthmus, and there are also spirits who relate to the little knots of fibers in the brain, of a glandular appearance, from which there flow forth fibers for various functions; which fibers act as a one in those beginnings or glandules, but diversely in their extremities. One society of spirits to whom such things correspond was brought before me, concerning which I may state that the spirits came in front, and addressed me, saying that they were men. But I was permitted to reply that they were not men endowed with bodies, but were spirits, and thus also men; because everything of the spirit conspires to that which is of man, even to a form like a man endowed with a body, for the spirit is the internal man; and also because men are men from intelligence and wisdom, and not from form; and therefore good spirits, and still more angels, are men more than those who are in the body, because they are more in the light of wisdom. After this reply they said that there were many in their society, and yet not one in it like another. But as it seemed to me impossible that in the other life there could be a society of those who were unlike, I conversed with them about it, and was at last instructed that, though they were unlike, they were nevertheless consociated in respect to their end, which to them was one. They said further that their nature was such that each one acted and spoke in a manner unlike that of any other, and yet they were alike in will and thought. This they also illustrated by an example: when anyone in the society says of an angel that he is the least in heaven, and another says that he is greatest, and a third that he is neither least nor greatest, and this with great variety, their thoughts nevertheless act as a one, because the one who desires to be least is the greatest, and is relatively the greatest for this reason; and yet there is neither least nor greatest, because they do not think of pre-eminence; and it is the same with everything else. Thus are they consociated in first principles, but act diversely in the extreme or outermost things. They applied themselves to my ear and said that they were good spirits, and that such was their manner of speaking. It was said of them that it is not known whence they come, and that they are of the wandering societies.

AC 4052. Moreover such is the correspondence of the brain with the Grand Man, that they who are in the first principles or beginnings of good have relation to those things in the brain which are the beginnings, and are called the glands or cortical substances; whereas they who are in the first principles of truth relate to those things in the brains that flow out from these beginnings, and are called fibers; and yet with this difference - that those who correspond to the right side of the brain are those who are in the will of good and thereby in the will of truth; whereas those who correspond to the left side of the brain are those who are in the understanding of good and truth and thereby in the affection of them. This is because those in heaven who are at the Lord’s right hand are those who are in good from the will; whereas those who are at His left hand are those who are in good from the understanding. The former are those who are called the celestial; and the latter those who are called the spiritual.

AC 4053. Hitherto no one has known that there are such correspondences, and I am well aware that men will marvel when they hear of them; and this because they do not know what the internal man is, and what the external, and that the internal man is in the spiritual world, and the external in the natural; and that it is the internal man that lives within the external, and that flows into it and directs it And yet from this fact, as well as from what has been adduced above in (n. 4044), it is possible to know that there is an influx, and that there is a correspondence. That such is the case is most fully known in the other life, and also that what is natural is nothing else than a representation of the spiritual things from which it comes forth and subsists; and that the representation by the natural is precisely in accordance with its correspondence.

AC 4054. The brain, like heaven, is in the sphere of ends which are uses; for whatever flows in from the Lord is an end looking to the salvation of the human race. This end is that which reigns in heaven, and thereby reigns likewise in the brain; for the brain, which is where the mind is, looks to ends in the body, in order that the body may subserve the soul, so that the soul may be happy to eternity. But there are societies that have no end or purpose of use, except to be among friends, male and female, and to have pleasures there, thus seeking their own gratification only, and making much of themselves exclusively, whether at home or publicly, it being all for the same end. Of such spirits there are at this day more societies than anyone could believe. As soon as they approach, their sphere begins to work, and extinguishes in others the affections of truth and good; and when these have been extinguished, then these spirits are in the pleasures of their friendship. These are the obstructions of the brain, and induce on it stupidity. Many societies of such spirits have been with me, and their presence was perceived by a dullness, sluggishness, and loss of affection; and I have sometimes spoken with them. They are pests and banes, although in the civic life of this world they had appeared good, delightful, witty, and also talented; for they know the proprieties of society, and how to insinuate themselves thereby, especially into friendships. What it is to be a friend to good, or what the friendship of good is, they neither know, nor desire to know. A sad lot awaits them; for at last they live in squalor, and in such stupidity that scarcely any human apprehension remains. For it is the end that makes the man, and such as is the end, such is the man; consequently such is his human after death.

AC 4055. The subject of the Grand Man, and of correspondence, will be continued at the end of the following chapter.