There are three states that man passes through after death before he
enters either heaven or hell. The first state is the state of his
exteriors, the second state the state of his interiors, and the third
his state of preparation. These states man passes through in the
world of spirits. There are some, however, that do not pass through
them; but immediately after death are either taken up into heaven or
cast into hell. Those that are immediately taken up into heaven are
those that have been regenerated in the world and thereby prepared
for heaven. Those that have been so regenerated and prepared that
they need simply to cast off natural impurities with the body are at
once taken up by the angels into heaven. I have seen them so taken up
soon after the hour of death. On the other hand, those that have been
inwardly wicked while maintaining an outward appearance of goodness,
and have thus filled up the measure of their wickedness by artifices,
using goodness as a means of deceiving-these are at once cast into
hell. I have seen some such cast into hell immediately after death,
one of the most deceitful with his head downward and feet upward, and
others in other ways. There are some that immediately after death are
cast into caverns and are thus separated from those that are in the
world of spirits, and are taken out from these and put back again by
turns. They are such as have dealt wickedly with the neighbor under
civil pretences. But all these are few in comparison with those that
are retained in the world of spirits, and are there prepared in
accordance with Divine order for heaven or for hell.
492. In regard to the first state, which is the state of the
exteriors, it is that which man comes into immediately after death.
Every man, as regards his spirit, has exteriors and interiors. The
exteriors of the spirit are the means by which it adapts the man's
body in the world, especially the face, speech, and movements, to
fellowship with others; while the interiors of the spirit are what
belong to its own will and consequent thought; and these are rarely
manifested in face, speech, and movement. For man is accustomed from
childhood to maintain a semblance of friendship, benevolence, and
sincerity, and to conceal the thoughts of his own will, thereby
living from habit a moral and civil life in externals, whatever he
may be internally. As a result of this habit man scarcely knows what
his interiors are, and gives little thought to them.
493. The first state of man after death resembles his state in the
world, for he is then likewise in externals, having a like face, like
speech, and a like disposition, thus a like moral and civil life; and
in consequence he is made aware that he is not still in the world
only by giving attention to what he encounters, and from his having
been told by the angels when he was resuscitated that he had become a
spirit(n. 450). Thus is one life continued into the other, and death
is merely transition.
494. The state of man's spirit that immediately follows his life in
the world being such, he is then recognized by his friends and by
those he had known in the world; for this is something that spirits
perceive not only from one's face and speech but also from the sphere
of his life when they draw near. Whenever any one in the other life
thinks about another he brings his face before him in thought, and at
the same time many things of his life; and when he does this the
other becomes present, as if he had been sent for or called. This is
so in the spiritual world because thoughts there are shared, and
there is no such space there as in the natural world (see above,
n. 191-199). So all, as soon as they enter the other life, are
recognized by their friends, their relatives, and those in any way
known to them; and they talk with one another, and afterward
associate in accordance with their friendships in the world. I have
often heard that those that have come from the world were rejoiced at
seeing their friends again, and that their friends in turn were
rejoiced that they had come. Very commonly husband and wife come
together and congratulate each other, and continue together, and this
for a longer or shorter time according to their delight in living
together in the world. But if they had not been united by a true
marriage love, which is a conjunction of minds by heavenly love,
after remaining together for a while they separate. Or if their minds
had been discordant and were inwardly adverse, they break forth into
open enmity, and sometimes into combat; nevertheless they are not
separated until they enter the second state, which will be treated of
presently.
495. As the life of spirits recently from the world is not unlike
their life in the natural world and as they know nothing about their
state of life after death and nothing about heaven and hell except
what they have learned from the sense of the letter of the Word and
preaching from it, they are at first surprised to find themselves in
a body and in every sense that they had in the world, and seeing like
things; and they become eager to know what heaven is, what hell is,
and where they are. Therefore their friends tell them about the
conditions of eternal life, and take them about to various places and
into various companies, and sometimes into cities, and into gardens
and parks, showing them chiefly such magnificent things as delight
the externals in which they are. They are then brought in turn into
those notions about the state of their soul after death, and about
heaven and hell, that they had entertained in the life of the body,
even until they feel indignant at their total ignorance of such
things, and at the ignorance of the church also. Nearly all are
anxious to know whether they will get to heaven. Most of them believe
that they will, because of their having lived in the world a moral
and civil life, never considering that the bad and the good live a
like life outwardly, alike doing good to others, attending public
worship, hearing sermons, and praying; and wholly ignorant that
external deeds and external acts of worship are of no avail, but only
the internals from which the externals proceed. There is hardly one
out of thousands who knows what internals are, and that it is in them
that man must find heaven and the church. Still less is it known that
outward acts are such as the intentions and thoughts are, and the
love and faith in these from which they spring. And even when taught
they fail to comprehend that thinking and willing are of any avail,
but only speaking and acting. Such for the most part are those that
go at this day from the Christian world into the other life.
496. Such, however, are explored by good spirits to discover what
they are, and this in various ways; since in this the first state the
evil equally with the good utter truths and do good acts, and for the
reason mentioned above, that like the good they have lived morally in
outward respects, since they have lived under governments, and
subject to laws, and have thereby acquired a reputation for justice
and honesty, and have gained favor, and thus been raised to honors,
and have acquired wealth. But evil spirits are distinguished from
good spirits chiefly by this, that the evil give eager attention to
whatever is said about external things, and but little attention to
what is said about internal things, which are the truths and goods of
the church and of heaven. These they listen to, but not with
attention and joy. The two classes are also distinguished by their
turning repeatedly in specific directions, and following, when left
to themselves, the paths that lead in those directions. From such
turning to certain quarters and going in certain ways it is known by
what love they are led.
497. All spirits that arrive from the world are connected with some
society in heaven or some society in hell, and yet only as regards
their interiors; and so long as they are in exteriors their interiors
are manifested to no one, for externals cover and conceal internals,
especially in the case of those who are in interior evil. But
afterwards, when they come into the second state, their evils become
manifest, because their interiors are then opened and their exteriors
laid asleep.
498. This first state of man after death continues with some for
days, with some for months, and with some for a year; but seldom with
any one beyond a year; for a shorter or longer time with each one
according to the agreement or disagreement of his interiors with his
exteriors. For with everyone the exteriors and interior must make one
and correspond. In the spiritual world no one is permitted to think
and will in one way and speak and act in another. Everyone there must
be an image of his own affection or his own love, and therefore such
as he is inwardly such he must be outwardly; and for this reason a
spirit's exteriors are first disclosed and reduced to order that they
may serve the interiors as a corresponding plane.