3628. Much experience has taught me about these matters. Indeed it has taught me that not only things of the human mind, namely those belonging to its thought and affection, correspond to spiritual and celestial things which heaven has from the Lord, but also that the whole of a person in general, and whatever exists in him in particular, corresponds, so much so that neither the smallest part, nor even the smallest fraction of a part, fails to correspond. Such experience has also taught me that it is from this correspondence that man comes into being, and is constantly kept in being; and also that but for such correspondence of the human being with heaven, and through heaven with the Lord - and so with what is prior to himself, and with what is First through things that are prior - he would not continue in being for one instant but would dissolve into nothingness.

[2] There are always two forces which, as stated above, serve to hold everything together in its own proper connection and proper form. That is to say, there is a force acting from without and a force acting from within, and in the midst of these is the object itself which is being held together by them. The same is also true of the human being as regards every individual part of him, even the tiniest part. It is well known that the surrounding atmospheres hold the whole body in a state of cohesion by their constant pressure or bearing down on it from without, and therefore by their acting as a force upon it. It is also well known that the atmosphere, entering as air into the lungs, keeps these in a state of cohesion, as it also does its own particular organ, the ear, together with its forms which are designed for the changes that take place in it. It is well known too that the subtler etherical atmosphere in a similar way holds interior things in connection, for it flows in freely through all the pores of the skin, and by means of an almost identical pressure, bearing down, and therefore force acting upon them, keeps intact each of the internal organs of the whole body. This finer atmosphere too has its own particular organ, the eye, together with its forms which are equipped for changes that take place in this atmosphere. Unless these had internal forces corresponding to them which reacted against those external forces and in so doing held together and placed in equilibrium those intermediate forms, the latter would not remain in being for a single moment. From this it is evident that two forces have to be at work if anything is to come into being and be kept in being.

[3] The forces flowing and acting from within originate in heaven, and in the Lord by way of heaven; and they have life within them. This is evident quite clearly from the organ of hearing. Except for interior changes, which are those of life, and to which exterior changes correspond, which are those of the air, hearing would never become a reality. It is likewise evident from the organ of sight. Except for interior light, which is that of life and to which exterior light, which is that of the sun, corresponds, sight would never become a reality. The same is so with all the other organs and limbs in the human body. There are forces at work outwardly, which are natural and in themselves do not possess any life, and forces at work inwardly which do in themselves have life. These forces hold everything together and cause them to have life, doing so in accordance with the nature of the form conferred on them for the purpose they serve.