39、内在处于天堂之光，外在处于尘世之光的人，既以属灵的方式思考，也以属世的方式思考。然而，他的属灵思维流入他的属世思维，并在那里被察觉。但内在和外在都处于尘世之光的人不以属灵的方式思考，只以物质的方式思考；因为他的思维建立在那些存在于自然界中的事物的基础之上，而这些事物都是物质的。以属灵的方式思考就是按照事物本来的样子思考它们，通过真理之光看见真理，通过对良善的爱感知良善；也看到事物的性质，以一种抽象或非物质的方式来感知对它们的情感。而以物质的方式思考就是把它们连同物质一起，并以一种物质的形式，因而以一种相对粗糙和模糊的方式来进行思考、看见和感知。
39、内在位于天堂之光、外在位于人间光中的人，同时做属灵和物质地思考。然而他的属灵思维流入他的物质思维，并于后者中察觉到前者。但是，内在和外在都在物质之光中的人不能进行属灵思考，只能进行物质思考。因为他思考的事物是物质世界的事物，一切都是物质的。属灵地思考就是按照事物的本相来思考事物，在真理之光中看见真理，从良善之爱中察觉良善；也就是离开事物的物质属性来认识它们的特质和情感效用。但是，物质主义地思考是只看见物质并埋头于事物之中思考、领会和觉察那些事物，因而用的是相对粗俗和模糊的方式。
39. When our inner level is in heaven's light and our outer level is in this world's light, we think in ways that are both spiritual and earthly, but our spiritual thinking flows into our earthly thinking, and that is where we perceive it. However, when our inner level is caught up in this world's light along with our outer level, we think materialistically rather than spiritually. That is, we base our thinking on the kinds of things we find in this physical world, all of which are composed of matter.
To think spiritually is to think about actual things as they really are, seeing truths in the light of truth and perceiving what is good because we love it. It is seeing the qualities of things and perceiving their emotional impact apart from their material characteristics. In contrast, thinking materialistically is thinking, seeing, and perceiving things as inseparable from matter and as in matter, and therefore relatively crudely and dimly.
39. If our inner part is in heaven’s light and our outer part is in the world’s light, we think both spiritually and materially. Our spiritual thought flows into our material thought and is comprehended there. However, if our inner and outer parts are both in the world’s light, we think materially, but not spiritually. Our thinking comes from the things that exist in the material world, which are all on the material level.
Thinking spiritually is thinking about things as they are in essence. It is seeing what is true from truth’s own light, and recognizing what is good because we love goodness. It is also seeing what things are like and recognizing their tendencies, free from a materialistic bias.
Thinking materially is thinking, seeing, and recognizing goodness and truth as involving and being in material things, which makes this kind of thinking crude and dull compared to spiritual thought.
39. A person whose internal is in heaven's light, and whose external is in the world's light, thinks in both a spiritual and a natural fashion. But his spiritual thought then flows into his natural thought and is perceived there. However, a person whose internal together with his external is in the world's light thinks not in a spiritual but a material fashion; for his thought is based upon things present in Nature in the world, and these are all material. Thinking in a spiritual fashion is thinking about things as they really are, seeing truths by the light of truth, and perceiving what is good by the love for good; also seeing what things are like and perceiving affection for them in an abstract or immaterial fashion. But thinking in a material fashion is thinking, seeing and perceiving things together with matter, and in material form, so in a fashion which compared to the other is gross and obscure.
39. The man whose Internal is in the light of heaven, and his External in the light of the world, thinks both spiritually and naturally; but in the latter case his spiritual thought flows into his natural thought, and is there perceived. But the man, whose Internal, together with his External, is in the light it of the world, does not think spiritually, but materially; for he thinks from those things which are within the nature of the world, all of which are material. Thinking spiritually means thinking of things as they are in themselves, seeing truths from the light of truth, and perceiving goods from the love of good; also, seeing the qualities of things, and perceiving their affections, abstractly from matter: but thinking materially means thinking seeing, and perceiving those things, together with matter, and in matter, and thus in a way comparatively gross and obscure.
39. The man whose internal is in the light of heaven, and his external in the light of the world, thinks both spiritually and naturally; but then his spiritual thought flows into his natural thought, and is there perceived. But the man whose internal and external are in the light of the world, does not think spiritually, but materially; for he thinks from such things as are in the nature of the world, all which are material. To think spiritually is to think of things themselves as they are in themselves, to see truths in the light of truth, and to perceive goods from the love of good; also, to see the qualities of things, and to perceive their affections, abstractly from matter. But to think materially is to think, see, and perceive them together with matter, and in matter, thus in a gross and obscure manner respectively.
39. Homo cujus internum est in luce caeli, et externum in luce mundi, ille et spiritualiter et naturaliter cogitat; sed tunc spiritualis ejus cogitatio influit in naturalem, ac percipitur ibi: at homo cujus internum cum externo est in luce mundi, non spiritualiter sed materialiter cogitat; cogitat enim ex talibus quae in mundi natura sunt, quae omnia sunt materialia. Spiritualiter cogitare est cogitare ipsas res in se, videre vera ex luce veri, et percipere bona ex amore boni, tum videre qualitates rerum et percipere illarum affectiones abstracte a materia; at materialiter cogitare est cogitare, videre, et percipere illa una cum materia, et in materia, ita respective crasse et obscure.