Angels talk with each other just as men do in the world, and on
various subjects, as on domestic matters, and on matters of the civil
state, and of moral, and spiritual life. And there is no difference
except that their talk is more intelligent than that of men, because
it is from more interior thought. I have been permitted to associate
with them frequently, and to talk with them as friend with friend,
and sometimes as stranger with stranger; and as I was then in a state
like theirs I knew no otherwise than that I was talking with men on
the earth.
235. Angelic speech, like human speech, is distinguished into words;
it is also audibly uttered and heard; for angels, like men, have
mouth, tongue, and ears, and an atmosphere in which the sound of
their speech is articulated, although it is a spiritual atmosphere
adapted to angels, who are spiritual. In their atmosphere angels
breathe and utter words by means of their breath, as men do In their
atmosphere.{1}
{Footnote 1} In the heavens there is respiration, but it is of
an interior kind (n. 3884, 3885) from experience (n. 3884,
3885, 3891, 3893). There are differing respirations there,
varying in accordance with their states (n. 1119, 3886, 3887,
3889, 3892, 3893). The evil are wholly unable to breathe in
heaven, and they are suffocated if they go there (n. 3894).
236. In the entire heaven all have the same language, and they all
understand one another, to whatever society, near or remote, they
belong. Language there is not learned but is instinctive with
everyone, for it flows from their very affection and thought, the
tones of their speech corresponding to their affections, and the
vocal articulations which are words corresponding to the ideas of
thought that spring from the affections; and because of this
correspondence the speech itself is spiritual, for it is affection
sounding and thought speaking. [2] Any one who gives any thought to
it can see that all thought is from affection which pertains to love,
and that the ideas of thought are the various forms into which the
general affection is distributed; for no thought or idea is possible
apart from affection-the soul and life of thought is from affection.
This enables angels to know, merely from another's speech, what he
is-from the tone what his affection is, and from the vocal
articulations or words what his mind is. The wiser angels know what
the ruling affection is from a single series of words, for that
affection is what they chiefly attend to. [3] It is known that each
individual has a variety of affections, one affection when in joy,
another when in grief, another when in sympathy and compassion,
another when in sincerity and truth, another when in love and
charity, another when in zeal or in anger, another when in simulation
and deceit, another when in quest of honor and glory, and so on. But
the ruling affection or love is in all of these; and for this reason
the wiser angels, because they perceive that love, know from the
speech the whole state of another. [4] This it has been granted me to
know from much experience. I have heard angels disclosing the
character of another's life merely from hearing him speak. They also
said that from any ideas of another's thought they could know all
things of his life, because from those ideas they know his ruling
love, in which are all things in their order. They know also that
man's book of life is nothing else.
237. Angelic language has nothing in common with human languages
except certain words that are the sounds of a specific affection; yet
this is true not of the words themselves but of their sounds; on
which subject something will be said in what follows That angelic
language has nothing in common with human languages is evident from
the fact that angels are unable to utter a single word of human
language. This was tried but they could not do it, because they can
utter nothing except what is in entire agreement with their
affections; whatever is not in agreement is repugnant to their very
life, for life belongs to affection, and their speech is from their
life. I have been told that the first language of men on our earth
coincided with angelic language because they had it from heaven; and
that the Hebrew language coincides with it in some respects.
238. As the speech of angels corresponds to their affection, and
their affection belongs to their love, and as the love of heaven is
love to the Lord and love towards the neighbor (see above, n. 13-19),
it is evident how choice and delightful their talk must be, affecting
not the ears only but also the interiors of the mind of those who
listen to it. There was a certain hard-hearted spirit with whom an
angel spoke. At length he was so affected by what was said that he
shed tears, saying that he had never wept before, but he could not
refrain, for it was love speaking.
239. The speech of angels is likewise full of wisdom because it
proceeds from their interior thoughts, and their interior thought is
wisdom, as their interior affection is love, and in their speech
their love and wisdom unite. For this reason their speech is so full
of wisdom that they can express in a single word what man cannot
express in a thousand words also the ideas of their thought include
things that are beyond man's comprehension, and still more his power
of expression. This is why the things that have been heard and seen
in heaven are said to be ineffable, and such as ear hath never heard
nor eye seen. [2] That this is true I have also been permitted to
learn by experience. At times I have entered into the state in which
angels are, and in that state have talked with them, and I then
understood everything. But when I was brought back into my former
state, and thus into the natural thought proper to man, and wished to
recall what I had heard I could not; for there were thousands of
things unadapted to the ideas of natural thought, and therefore
inexpressible except by variegations of heavenly light, and thus not
at all by human words. [3] Also the ideas of thought of the angels
from which their words spring are modifications of the light of
heaven, and the affections from which the tones of the words spring
are variations of the heat of heaven, the light of heaven being
Divine truth or wisdom, and the heat of heaven the Divine good or
love (see above, n. 126-140); and the angels have their affection
from the Divine love, and their thought from the Divine wisdom.{1}
{Footnote 1} The ideas of angels, from which they speak, are
expressed by wonderful variegations of the light of heaven (n.
1646, 3343, 3993).
240. Because the speech of angels proceeds directly from their
affection, and the ideas of their thought are the various forms into
which their general affection is distributed (see above, n. 236),
angels can express in a moment what a man cannot express in half an
hour; also they can set forth in a few words what has been expressed
in writing on many pages; and this, too, has been proved to me by
much experience.{1} Thus the angels' ideas of thought and the words
of their speech make one, like effecting cause and effect; for what
is in the ideas of thought as cause is presented in the words as
effect, and this is why every word comprehends in itself so many
things. Also all the particulars of angelic thought, and thus of
angelic speech, appear when presented to view like a thin wave or
circumfluent atmosphere, in which are innumerable things in their
order derived from angelic wisdom, and these enter another's thought
and affect him. The ideas of thought of everyone, both angel and man,
are presented to view in the light of heaven, whenever the Lord
pleases.{2}
{Footnote 1} Angels can express by their speech in a moment
more than a man can express by his in half an hour; and they
can also express things that do not fall into the expressions
of human speech (n. 1641-1643, 1645, 4609, 7089).
{Footnote 2} The innumerable things contained in one idea of
thought (n. 1008, 1869, 4946, 6613-6618). The ideas of man's
thought are opened in the other life, and what they are is
presented to view to the life (n. 1869, 3310, 5510). What their
appearance is (n. 6601, 8885). The ideas of angels of the
inmost heaven present an appearance of flamy light (n. 6615).
The ideas of angels of the outmost heaven present an appearance
of thin white clouds (n. 6614). An angelic idea seen, from
which there was a radiation towards the Lord (n. 6620). Ideas
of thought extend themselves widely into the societies of
angels round about (n. 6598-6613).
241. The speech of angels of the Lord's celestial kingdom resembles
the speech of the angels of His spiritual kingdom, but it is from
more interior thought. Celestial angels are in good of love to the
Lord, and therefore speak from wisdom; while spiritual angels are in
the good of charity towards the neighbor, which in its essence is
truth (n. 215), and therefore speak from intelligence, for wisdom is
from good, and intelligence is from truth. For this reason the speech
of celestial angels is like a gentle stream, soft, and as it were
continuous; but the speech of spiritual angels is slightly vibratory
and divided. The speech of celestial angels has much of the tones of
the vowels u and o; while the speech of spiritual angels has much of
the tones of e and i;{1} for the vowels stand for tone, and in the
tone there is affection, the tone of the speech of angels
corresponding to their affection, as has been said above (n. 236);
while the vocal articulations, which are words, correspond to the
ideas of thought which spring from affection. As the vowels are not
essential to a language, but serve by means of tones to elevate the
words to the various affections according to each one's state, so in
the Hebrew tongue the vowels are not expressed, and are also
variously pronounced. From this a man's quality in respect to his
affection and love is known to the angels. Also in the speech of
celestial angels there are no hard consonants, and it rarely passes
from one consonant to another without the interposition of a word
beginning with a vowel. This is why in the Word the particle "and" is
so often interposed, as can be seen by those who read the Word in the
Hebrew, in which this particle is soft, beginning and ending with a
vowel sound. Again, in the Word, in Hebrew, it can in some measure be
seen from the words used whether they belong to the celestial class
or the spiritual class, that is, whether they involve good or truth.
Those involving good partake largely of the sounds of u and o, and
also somewhat of a, while those involving truth partake of the sounds
of e and i. Because it is especially in tones that affections express
themselves, so in human speech, when great subjects are discussed,
such as heaven [caelum] and God [Deus], those words are preferred
that contain the vowels u and o; and musical tones, whenever such
themes are to be expressed, rise to the same fullness; but not when
less exalted themes are rendered. By such means musical art is able
to express affections of various kinds.
{Footnote 1} [As these vowels are pronounced in European
language. -- Tr.]
242. In angelic speech there is a kind of symphony that cannot be
described;{1} which comes from the pouring forth and diffusion of the
thoughts and affections from which speech flows, in accordance with
the form of heaven, and all affiliation and all communication in
heaven is in accordance with that form. That angels are affiliated in
accordance with the form of heaven, and that their thoughts and
affections flow in accordance with it may be seen above (n. 200-212).
{Footnote 1} In angelic speech there is a symphony with
harmonious cadence (n. 1648, 1649, 7191).
243. Speech like that in the spiritual world is inherent in every man
in his interior intellectual part; but man does not know this,
because this speech does not with man, as with angels, fall into
words analogous to affection; nevertheless this is what causes man,
when he enters the other life, to come into the same speech as
spirits and angels, and thus to know how to speak without
instruction.{1} But more on this subject hereafter.
{Footnote 1} There is spiritual or angelic speech belonging to
man, though he does not know it (n. 4104). The ideas of the
internal man are spiritual, but during his life in the world
man perceives them naturally, because he then thinks in what is
natural (n. 10236, 10237, 10551). Man comes after death into
his interior ideas (n. 3226, 3342, 3343, 10568, 10604). Those
ideas then form his speech (n. 2470-2479).
244. In heaven, as has been said above, all have one speech; but it
is varied in this respect, that the speech of the wise is more
interior and more full of variations of affections and ideas of
thought, while the speech of the less wise is more external and less
full; and the speech of the simple is still more external, consisting
of words from which the meaning is to be gathered in the same way as
when men are talking to one another. There is also speech by the
face, terminating in something sonorous modified by ideas. Again,
there is speech in which heavenly representatives are mingled with
the ideas, and go forth from ideas to sight. There is also speech by
gestures that correspond to affections, and represent things like
those expressed by their words. There is speech by means of the
generals of affections and the generals of thoughts. There is speech
like thunder; besides other kinds.
245. The speech of evil and infernal spirits is likewise natural to
them because it is from affections; but it is from evil affections
and consequent filthy ideas, to which angels are utterly averse. Thus
the modes of speaking in hell are opposite to those of heaven; and in
consequence evil spirits cannot endure angelic speech, and angels
cannot endure infernal speech. To the angels infernal speech is like
a bad odor striking the nostrils. The speech of hypocrites, who are
such as are able to feign themselves angels of light, resembles in
respect to words the speech of angels, but in respect to affections
and consequent ideas of thought it is the direct opposite.
Consequently, when the inner nature of their speech is perceived as
wise angels perceive it, it is heard as the gnashing of teeth, and
strikes with horror.