There is a Correspondence Between All Things of Heaven and All Things of Man (87~102)

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87. It is unknown at this day what correspondence is. This ignorance arises from many causes; but the chief cause is that man has separated himself from heaven by the love of self and of the world. For he who loves himself and the world above everything cares only for worldly things because they soothe the external senses and gratify his lower mind, and he cares nothing for spiritual things which pleases the internal senses and delight of soul; he therefore rejects these, saying they are too high for man’s comprehension. It was otherwise with the ancients, for with them the knowledge of correspondences was the chief of all knowledges. By means of it also they acquired intelligence and wisdom and those who were of the church had communications with heaven; for the knowledge of correspondences is an angelic knowledge. The most ancient people, who were celestial men, based their thought upon correspondence as the angels do. For this reason also they spoke with angels, and the Lord Himself often appeared to them and instructed them. But at this day that knowledge is so entirely lost that it is not known what correspondence is.

88. Without a knowledge of what correspondence is nothing can be clearly known about the spiritual world; nor about its influence upon the natural world; nor, indeed, can the relationship of the spiritual the natural be understood at all; nor can anything be clearly known about the spirit of man which is called the soul and its operation upon the body; nor about the state of man after death; and therefore it is necessary to explain the nature and quality of correspondence. By this means the way will be prepared for what is to follow.

89. First, then, it shall be stated what correspondence is. The whole natural world corresponds to the spiritual world, not only in general but also in particular. Whatever, therefore, in the natural world derives its existence from the spiritual, is said to be its correspondent. It is to be observed that the natural world exists and subsists from the spiritual world, just as an effect exists from its efficient cause. Whatever is under the sun and receives thence its heat and light is called the natural world, and all the things which thence subsist belong to that world. But heaven is the spiritual world and all heavenly things belong to that world.

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90. Since man is both a heaven and a world in miniature formed after the pattern of the entire heaven and earth (see above n. 57), he has therefore within him a spiritual world and a natural world. The inner regions of his mind which have relation to his understanding and will constitute his spiritual world; but the outer regions of his mind which have reference to his bodily senses and actions constitute his natural world. Whatever, therefore, in this natural world, that of his body with its senses and actions, derives its existence from its spiritual world, that of his mind with its understanding and will, is called its correspondent.

91. The nature of correspondence may be seen from the human face. In a face which has not been taught to dissemble all the affections of the mind display themselves visibly in a natural form, as in their true image, and therefore the face is said to be the index of the mind. Thus man’s spiritual world shows itself in his natural world; and in the same manner the ideas of his understanding reveal themselves in his speech, and the determinations of his will in the gestures of his body. All things, therefore, which take effect in the body, whether it be in the face, speech or gestures are called correspondents.

92. From these observations may be seen what the internal man is and what the external, for the internal is called spiritual man and the external is called the natural man; and the one is as distinct from the other as heaven is from the world. All things which take effect and exist in the external or natural man, so take effect and exist from the internal or spiritual man.

[p039-f4] 93. This much has been said about the correspondence of the internal or spiritual man with the external or natural man. We shall now treat of the correspondence of the whole of heaven with every part of man.

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94. It has been shown that the whole heaven is in the human form and likeness and is therefore called the Grand Man. It has also been shown that the angelic societies of which heaven consists are arranged like the members, organs and viscera in man; so that some are in the head, some in the breast, some in the arms and some in every particular part of those members (n. 59-72). The societies, therefore, which are in any member in heaven correspond to the same member in man; for instance, the societies which are in the head correspond to the head in man; those which are in breast correspond to the breast in man; those which are in the arms correspond to the arms in man and so in all other cases. It is from this correspondence that man continue to exist, for he derives his existence soley from heaven.

95. That heaven is divided into two kingdoms, one of which is called the celestial kingdom and the other the spiritual kingdom, has already been shown in a particular chapter. The celestial kingdom in general corresponds to the heart and to all things related to the heart in the whole body; and the spiritual kingdom corresponds to the lungs and to all things related to them in the whole body. The heart and the lungs, indeed, make two kingdoms in man. The heart rules in him by the arteries and veins, the lungs by the nerves and muscles, and both unite in every exertion and movement. In the spiritual world of every man, which is called his spiritual man, there are also two kingdoms; one that of the will and the other that of the understanding. The will rules through the affections for good, and the understanding through the affections for truth. These kingdoms also correspond to the kingdoms of the heart and the lungs in the body. The case is similar in the heaven. The celestial kingdom is the will-principle of heaven, and in it reigns the good of love; and the spiritual kingdom is the intellectual principle of heaven, and what reigns in that kingdom is truth. These are what correspond to the functions of the heart and lungs in man. It is from this correspondence that in the Word the heart signifies the will and also the good of love; and that the breath of the lungs signifies the understanding and the truth of faith. Hence also the affections are ascribed to the heart, although it is neither their seat nor their source.

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96. The correspondence between the two kingdoms of heaven and the heart and lungs is the general correspondence between heaven and man; but there is a more particular correspondence with each of his members, organs and internal parts, the nature of which we will now describe. Those who are in the head of the Grand Man or heaven excel all others in every good; for they live in love, peace, happiness; these influence the head of man, and the things pertaining to the head, for they correspond to them. Those who are in the breast of the Grand Man or heaven live in the good of charity and faith, and the breast of man to which they correspond is subject to their influence. Those who are in the loins and in the organs consecrated to generation in the Grand Man or heaven, are pre-eminently in marriage love; those who are in the feet are in the lowest good in heaven, which is called natural-spiritual good. Those who are in the arms and hands are gifted with the power of truth derived from good; those who are in the eyes are distinguished for understanding; those in the ears for attention and obedience; those in the nostrils for perception. Those who are in the mouth and tongue excel in wise and intellectual discourse. Those who are in the kidneys are in possession of truth which examines, separates and corrects. Those in the liver, pancreas and spleen are skilled in the purification of good and truth in various ways, and so on with the rest. All act upon the similar parts of man and correspond to them. The heavenly influence flows into the functions and uses of the members; and their uses, being from the spiritual world, invest themselves with a material form derived from the natural world and so display themselves in effects. Hence there is a correspondence between them.

97. It is on this account that by these same members, organs and internal parts, such things as have just been mentioned are signified in the Word, for all things in the Word have a signification according to correspondence. Thus by the head is signified intelligence and wisdom; by the breast, charity; by the loins, marriage love; by the arms and hands, the power of truth; by the feet, what is natural; by the eyes, understanding; by the nostrils, perception; by the ears, obedience; by the kidneys, the purification of truth; and so on. Hence also it is usual in familiar discourse to say of one who is intelligent and wise that he has a head; of one who loves another, that he is a bosom friend; of one who excels in perception that he is keen-scented; of one who is distinguished by intelligence that he is sharp-sighted; of a man of great powers that he has long arms; and of one who acts from love that he does in from the heart. These and many other sayings in the speech of man are derived from correspondence; for such expressions are from the spiritual world, although man does not know it.

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98. That there is such a correspondence between all things of heaven and all things of man has been shown me by much experience; by so much, indeed, as to convince me of it as of a thing self-evident and beyond all doubt. But to adduce all this experience here is not necessary, on account of its abundance would be inexpedient. It may be seen however in the Arcana Coelestia, in the chapters where Correspondences, Representations, the Influences of the Spiritual World upon the Natural and The Intercourses between the Soul and the Body are treated of.

99. But although all things of man’s body correspond to all things of heaven, still man is not a likeness of heaven as to his outward form but as to his inward form. For the inner mind of man is receptive of heaven, but his outer mind is receptive of the world. So far, therefore, as his inner mind receives heaven, man is a heaven in miniature, after the pattern of the whole heaven; but so far as his inner mind does not receives heaven, he is not such a heaven, nor such a likeness. Still his outward form, being in touch with the world and in harmony with its laws, may possess various degrees of beauty. For outward beauty, which is that of the body, is derived from parents and from formation in the womb, and is afterwards preserved by influences from the world at large. Hence it is that the form of the natural man differs greatly from the form of his spiritual man. The form of man’s spirit has occasionally been shown me; in some whose countenance was fair and beautiful the spirit was deformed, black and monstrous, so that you would call it a likeness of hell, not of heaven; but in some who were not outwardly handsome, the spirit was beautiful, fair and angelic. The spirit of a man, also, appears the same after death as it had been while he lived in the world, although then clothed with a body.

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100. But correspondence applies more widely that to man, for there is correspondence of the heavens with one another. The second or middle heaven corresponds to the third or inmost: and the first or lowest heaven corresponds to the second or middle. The first or lowest heaven corresponds also to the bodily forms in man, which are called his members, organs and viscera. Thus the bodily part of man is that in which heaven finally terminates and upon which it rests as on its base. But this truth will be more fully explained elsewhere.

101. It is nevertheless to be carefully noted that all correspondence with heaven is with the Lord’s Divine Humanity, because heaven is from Him, and He is heaven, as has been shown in the preceding chapters. For unless the Divine Humanity flowed into all things of heaven and by means of correspondences into all things of the world, there could be neither angel nor man. Hence again it is clear why the Lord was made Man and clothed His Divinity with the Humanity from first to last; for the Divine Humanity from which heaven subsisted before the Lord’s coming was no longer adequate to the support of all things, because man, the basis of the heavens, had subverted and destroyed order.

102. Angels are amazed when they hear that there are men who attribute all things to nature and nothing to the Divine Being and who believe that their bodies, in which are concentrated so many heavenly wonders, are fashioned by nature. Still more are they amazed that man’s reason also is attributed to the same source; for, if men will but elevate their minds a little they can see that such things are derived from the Divine Being and not from nature; and that nature has been created only to clothe what is spiritual and to present it in a corresponding form in the ultimate sphere of order. Such men they{=angels} liken to owls which see in darkness and not in light.