176、灵界也有大气，和自然界一样，这一点可从这一事实看出来：天使和灵人同样会呼吸、说话、倾听，和自然界的世人一样，这都要借助被称为空气的最低级的大气才能实现。这一点也可从这一事实看出来：和自然界的世人一样，天使和灵人也有视觉，而视觉唯有借助比空气更纯的大气才有可能。这一点同样从这一事实可以看出来：和自然界的世人一样，天使和灵人同样会思考，有情感；而思维和情感若不借助还要更纯的大气，是不可能的。最后，这一点从这一事实可以看出来：天使和灵人的所有身体部位，无论内在还是外在，都通过大气被联结在一起，外在通过空气被联结，内在通过以太被联结。没有周围这些大气的压力和作用，身体的内在和外在形式显然会分崩离析并消散。由于天使是属灵的，其身体的一切事物都通过大气被联结在关联、形式和秩序中，故可推知，这些大气是属灵的；它们是属灵的，因为它们是由灵界太阳产生的，而灵界太阳是主的神性之爱和神性智慧的首先发出。
176. It stands to reason that there are atmospheres in the spiritual world just as there are in the physical world, given the fact that angels and spirits breathe and talk and hear just the way we do in this physical world. Breathing involves that lowest atmosphere that we call "air," as do speech and hearing. We may also cite the fact that angels and spirits see just as we do in this physical world, and sight would not be possible without a medium purer than air. Then there is the fact that angels and spirits think and are moved just as we are in this physical world, and thought and feeling would not be possible without the aid of still purer atmospheres. Finally, there is the fact that every part of angels' and spirits' bodies, both the inner and the outer parts, is held closely together, the outer parts by an airlike medium and the inner parts by ethereal ones. Clearly, if it were not for the active pressure of these atmospheres, the inner and outer forms of their bodies would disintegrate.
Since angels are spiritual beings, then, and since everything about their bodies is held together, given form, and organized by these atmospheres, it follows that the atmospheres are spiritual. They are spiritual too because they come from the spiritual sun that is the first emanation of the Lord's divine love and wisdom.
176. The existence of atmospheres in the spiritual world just as in the natural world can be seen from the fact that angels and spirits likewise breathe, and likewise speak and also hear, as people do in the natural world, and breathing requires as a means the presence of a lowest atmosphere which is called air, and so, too, do speech and hearing.
The same can also be seen from the fact that angels and spirits likewise see as people do in the natural world, and sight is not possible except by means of an atmosphere purer than air.
It can also be seen from the fact that angels and spirits likewise think and have affections as people do in the natural world, and thought and affection are not possible except by means of still purer atmospheres.
And finally it can be seen from the fact that all the constituents of angels' and spirits' bodies, both the external ones and the internal ones, are held in connection by atmospheres, the outward constituents by the atmosphere of air, and the internal ones by the atmospheres of the ether. It is plain that without the surrounding pressure and action of these atmospheres, the inner and outer forms of the body would fly apart and be dispersed.
Since angels are spiritual, and each and all of the constituents of their bodies are held in their connection, form and arrangement by atmospheres, it follows that those atmospheres are spiritual; and they are spiritual because they arise from the spiritual sun, which is the first emanation of the Lord's Divine love and wisdom.
176. That there are atmospheres in the spiritual world just as in the natural world can be established from this, that angels and spirits breathe, and also speak and hear just as men do in the natural world. And respiration is effected by means of the lowest atmosphere which is called air, just as speech and hearing are effected; it can also be seen from this, that angels and spirits see as do men in the natural world, and sight is only possible by means of an atmosphere purer than air. It can also be established from this, that angels and spirits think and have affection like men in the natural world, and thought and affection are only possible by means of still purer atmospheres; and finally from this that all things of the bodies of angels and spirits, external as well as internal, are held in connection, external things by the aerial atmosphere, and internal things by the ethereal atmospheres. It is obvious that, without the surrounding pressure and action of those atmospheres, the interior and exterior forms of the body would dissolve. Since angels are spiritual, and each and all things of their bodies are held together in connection, form and order by means of atmospheres, it fellows that those atmospheres are spiritual. Indeed they are spiritual because they arise from the spiritual Sun which is the first proceeding of the Lord's Divine Love and Wisdom.
176. That there are atmospheres in the spiritual, just as in the natural world, can be seen from this, that angels and spirits breathe, and also speak and hear - just as men do in the natural world; and respiration, speech, and hearing are all effected by means of a lowest atmosphere, which is called air; it can be seen also from this, that angels and spirits, like men in the natural world, have sight, and sight is possible only by means of an atmosphere purer than air; also from this, that angels and spirits, like men in the natural world, think and are moved by affection, and thought and affection are not possible except by means of still purer atmospheres; and finally from this, that all parts of the bodies of angels and spirits, external as well as internal, are held together in connection by atmospheres, the external by air and the internal by ethers. Without the surrounding pressure and action of these atmospheres the interior and exterior forms of the body would evidently dissolve away. Since angels are spiritual, and each and all things of their bodies are held together in connection, form, and order by means of atmospheres, it follows that these atmospheres are spiritual; they are spiritual, because they arise from the spiritual sun which is the first proceeding of the Lord's Divine Love and Divine Wisdom.
176. Quod Athmosphaerae sint in Mundo spirituali, aeque ac in Mundo naturali, 1 constare potest ex eo, quod Angeli et Spiritus aeque respirent, tum aeque loquantur, et quoque audiant, sicut homines in Mundo naturali, ac respiratio fit per athmosphaeram ultimam quae Aer vocatur, similiter loquela et auditus: tum ex eo, quod Angeli et Spiritus aeque videant, sicut homines in Mundo naturali, ac visus non datur nisi quam per athmosphaeram aere puriorem: tum ex eo, quod Angeli et Spiritus aeque cogitent et afficiantur sicut homines in Mundo naturali, ac cogitatio et affectio non dantur nisi mediis athmosphaeris adhuc purioribus: et tandem ex eo, quod omnia corporis angelorum et spirituum, tam externa quam interna, contineantur in nexu, externa ab athmosphaera aerea, ac interna ab athmosphaeris aethereis; 2 quod 3 absque illarum athmosphaerarum circumpressione et actione formae corporis interiores et exteriores diffluerent, patet. Quoniam Angeli sunt spirituales, ac omnia et singula corporis eorum continentur in nexu, forma et ordine per Athmosphaeras, sequitur quod Athmosphaerae illae sint spirituales; ac spirituales sunt, quia oriuntur a Sole spirituali, qui est primum procedens Divini Amoris et Divinae Sapientiae Domini.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: na- / rali,
2. Prima editio: ae hereis;
3. Prima editio: qnod