3577. As the smell of a field. That this signifies as from good ground out of which comes truth, is evident from the signification of the “smell of a field,” as being the perception of truth from good, like the exhalation from the harvest in a field (that “field” denotes good ground may be seen above, n. 3500). The reason why “smell” signifies perception, is that the delights of good and the pleasant things of truth which are perceived in the other life, manifest themselves there by corresponding odors (see n. 1514, 1517-1519); and from this and also from the correspondences it is evident that smell is nothing else than the perceptive, but the natural perceptive that corresponds to the spiritual perceptive.

3500. And go out to the field. That this signifies where there is good ground, is evident from the signification of “field,” as being the good of the church, also the good of doctrine (see n. 2971, 3196, 3310, 3317), thus good ground.