Of the INTERNAL and EXTERNAL MAN. 36. MAN was so created as to be, at one and the same time, in the spiritual world, and in the natural world. The spiritual world is that in which angels are, and the natural world is that in which men are: and because man was so created, therefore he is endowed with an internal and an external; an internal by which he may be in the spiritual world, and an external by which he may be in the natural world. His internal is what is called the internal man, and his external what is called the external man. 37. Every man hath an internal and an external; but in one manner with the good and in another manner with the evil. The internal with the good is in heaven, and its light, and the external in the world, and its light, which light with them is illuminated by the light of heaven, so that with them the internal and external act in unity, as the efficient cause and the effect, or as what is prior and what is posterior: but with the evil the internal is in the world and in its light, as is also the external; wherefore they see nothing from the light of heaven, but only from the light of the world, which light they call the light of nature; hence it is that the things of heaven are to them in darkness, whilst the things, of the world are in light. It is therefore manifest that the good have an internal man and an external man, but that the evil have no internal man, but only an external. G 38. The 38. The internal man is what is called the SPIRITUAL MAN, because it is in the light of heaven, which light is spiritual; and the external man is what is called the NATURAL MAN, because it is in the light of the world, which light is natural: the man whose internal is in the light of heaven, and his external in the light of the world, is a spiritual man as to each; but the man whose internal is not in the light of heaven, but only in the light of the world, in which is also his external, is a natural man as to each. The spiritual man is what is called in the Word ALIVE, but the natural man is what is called DEAD. 39. The man whose internal is in the light of heaven, and his external in the light of the world, thinks spiritually and also naturally, but when he thinks naturally his spiritual thought flows-in into the natural, and is there perceived; but the man whose internal, together with his external, is in the light of the world, does not think spiritually, but materially; for he thinks from such things as are in the nature of the world, all which are material. To think spiritually, is to think of things as they essentially are, to see truths from the light of truth, and to perceive goods from the love of good; also to see the qualities of things, and to perceive their affections abstractedly from matter: but to think materially, is to think, see, and perceive them together with matter, and in matter, thus in a erass and obscure manner respectively. 40. The internal spiritual man regarded in himself is an angel of heaven; and also, during his life in the body, notwithstanding his ignorance thereof, is in society with angels; and after his separation from the body he comes amongst them. But But the merely natural internal man regarded in himself, is a spirit, and not an angel; and also, during his life in the body, is in society with spirits, but with those who are in hell; amongst whom he also comes after his separation from the body. 41. The interiors which are of the mind with those who are spiritual men, are also actually elevated towards heaven, for that is what they primarily regard; but the interiors which are of the mind with them who are merely natural, are turned to the world, because that is what they primarily regard. The interiors which are of the mind [mens] are turned with every one to that which he loves above all things; and the exteriors which are of the mind [animus] are turned the same way as the interiors. 42. They who have only a common [or general] idea concerning the internal and external man, believe that the internal man is what thinks and wills, and that the external is what speaks and acts, because to think and to will is internal, and to speak and to act is external. But it is to be observed, that when man thinks intelligently, and wills wisely, he then thinks and wills from a spiritual internal; but when man does not think intelligently and will wisely, he thinks and wills from a natural internal: of consequence, when man thinks well concerning the Lord and concerning those things which are of the Lord, and well concerning his neighbour, and concerning those things which are of his neighbour, and wills well to them, he then thinks and wills from a spiritual internal, because he then thinks from the faith of truth and from the love of good, consequently from heaven; but when man thinks ill concerning them, and wills ill to them, he then thinks and wills from a natural internal, because he thinks and wills from the faith of what is false, and from the love of evil, consequently from hell. In short, so far as man is in love to the Lord, and in love towards his neighbour, so far he is in a spiritual internal, from which he thinks and wills, and from which also he speaks and acts: but so far as man is in the love of self, and in the love of the world, so far he is in a natural internal, from which he thinks and wills, and from which also he speaks and acts. 43. It is so provided and ordered by the Lord, that so far as man thinks and wills from heaven, so far his internal spiritual man is opened and formed; which opening is into heaven even to the Lord, and which formation is according to those things which are of heaven: but on the contrary, so far as man does not think and will from heaven, but from the world, so far his internal spiritual man is shut, and his external is opened; which opening is into the world, and its formation is according to those things which are of the world. 44. They with whom the internal spiritual man is opened into heaven to the Lord, are in the light of heaven, and in illumination from the Lord, and are thence in intelligence and wisdom; these see truth because it is truth, and perceive good, because it is good. But they with whom the internal spiritual man is shut, do not know that there is an internal man, and much less what the internal man is; neither do they believe that there is a Divine, nor that there is a life after death, consequently they do not believe the things which are of heaven and the church; and forasmuch as they are only in the light of the world and in illumination lumination thence, they believe in nature as the Divine, they see the false as truth, and they perceive evil as good. 45. He whose internal is so far external, that he believes nothing but what he can see with his eyes, and touch with his hands, is called a sensual man; this is the lowest natural man, and is in fallacies concerning all the things which are of faith and the church. 46. The internal and external which have been treated of, are the internal and external of the spirit of man; his body is only an additional external, within which they exist; for the body does nothing from itself, but from its spirit which is in it. It is to be observed that the spirit of a man, after its separation from the body, thinks and wills, speaks and acts, the same as before; to think and to will is its internal, and to speak and to act is its external; concerning which, see the Treatise on Heaven and Hell, n. 234 to 245; 265 to 275, 432 to 444, 453 to 484. EXTRACTS from the ARCANA CŒLESTIA. 47. 7.OF F the internal and external with man. That it is known in the Christian world, that man has an internal and an external, or an internal man and an external man; but that it is little known what is the quality of the one and of the other, n. 1889, 1940. That the internal man is spiritual, and the external is natural, n. 978, 1015, 4459, 6309, 9701, to 9708, That the internal man, which is spiritual, is formed after the image of heaven; and the ex ternal, which is natural, after the image of the world; in what manner; and that man was therefore called |