457. When we first enter the world of spirits (which happens shortly after the reawakening just described), our spirit has a similar face and tone of voice as it did in the world. This is because at that point we are in the state of our external concerns, with our deeper concerns not yet uncovered. This is our initial state after decease. Later, though, our face changes and becomes quite different. It comes to look like the ruling affection in which the deeper reaches of our minds were engaged in the world, the kind of affection characteristic of the spirit within our body, because the face of our spirit is very different from the face of our body. We get our physical face from our parents and our spiritual face from our affection, which it images. Our spirit takes on this face after our physical life is over, when the outer coverings have been removed. This is our third state.

I have seen some newcomers from the world and have recognized them by their faces and voices; but when I saw them later, I did not recognize them. People who were engaged in good affections had lovely faces, while people who were engaged in evil affections had ugly ones. Seen in its own right, our spirit is nothing but our affections, whose outward form is our face.

The reason our faces change is that in the other life no one is allowed to pretend to affections they do not really have, so we cannot put on a face that is contrary to the love we are engaged in. We are all refined down to a state in which we say what we think and manifest in expression and act what we intend. This is why our faces all become forms and images of our affections; and this is why all the people who have known each other in the world still recognize each other in the world of spirits, but not in heaven or hell, as already noted (427). ¹

Notes de bas de page:

121. (Verse 10) Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer. That this signifies that they should not grieve on account of such persecution is evident from the signification of fear when said of those who are about to suffer persecutions, as being that they should not grieve in mind, for such fear is also grief; and from the signification of those things which thou shalt suffer from those who are in all kinds of falsity, as being that these are about to persecute. The persecution of those who are in the spiritual affection of truth, by those who are in falsities, is now treated of. This is particularly evident from those who are of such a character in the world of spirits (concerning which world see what is said in the work, Heaven and Hell 421-535); for there the quality of every one as to the interiors of his thought and intention is made evident, because every one there is in himself, because he is a spirit, and it is the spirit which thinks and intends. All spirits there are conjoined either with the hells or with the heavens.Those who are conjoined with the hells, as soon as they perceive any one who is in the spiritual affection of truth, begin to burn with hatred, and endeavour to destroy him; they cannot even endure the sight of him. When most of these perceive only slightly the delight of the spiritual affection of truth, which is the essential delight of heaven, they become insane, as it were, and nothing is then more delightful to them than to endeavour to extinguish it. It is evident from this, that all in the hells are in opposition, to the spiritual affection of truth, and all in the heavens are in that affection. It would be similar on earth among men, if they had the perception which spirits have; but because this is not the case, and hence they do not know those who are in spiritual affection, they remain quiet, and act amicably, according to the delights of the world.

This disposition, however, manifests itself in the churches, among those who study religious dogmas, and also among those who are in that spiritual affection, by this circumstance, that falsities break out in their thoughts, striving to extinguish their desire, and the delight thence derived. Such falsities are from hell; for everything that a man thinks is either from hell or heaven (as was said above, n. 120).

8250. As long as sincerity and uprightness existed with people, so also did that kind of speech remain in existence. But as soon as the mind began to think one thing and say another, which happened when a person loved self and not the neighbour, speech consisting of spoken words was used more and more. The face then remained still or else at the same time had expressions on it that were counterfeit. As a result the face's inward form was altered, in that it shrank, hardened, and started to become virtually devoid of life; but its outward form, heated by the fire of self-love, began to appear full of life. But being devoid of life, what lies beneath and inwardly serves as a groundwork is not visible to men's eyes, only to angels' eyes since they see interior things. This is what the faces of people who think one thing and say another are like; for presence, hypocrisy, trickery, and deceit, which constitute prudence at the present day, produce such effects.

[2] But the situation is different in the next life; no one is allowed there to speak in one way and think in another. That lack of agreement is also clearly perceived there in every word, and in every tone of the voice. And when it is perceived the spirit in whom such lack of agreement exists is forcibly removed from association with others and punished. After that he is compelled by various means to speak as he thinks, and to think as he wills, until his mind is single and not divided. This is done in order that, if he is a good spirit, he may will what is good and may be moved by good to think and speak what is true, or, if he is evil, he may will what is evil and may be moved by evil to think and speak what is false. Till then the good spirit cannot be raised to heaven or the evil one cast into hell. This is done to the end that in hell there may be nothing except evil, and that falsity there may be the falsity of evil, and that in heaven there may be nothing except good, and that truth there may be the truth of good.