1609. About the inward heaven
I was in the inward heaven, and with me at the time in their own world were certain spirits. And although I was in heaven, I was not in the embrace of some ecstatic mental imagery, but in my body. For the Kingdom of the Lord is within us, and if it pleases the Lord one can be brought into heaven anywhere, in whatever place one may be, yet not in any trance-like mental setting. I was then just as I am now, writing these words, but my inward part was in my outward part, with the result that there were also spirits present in whose company I was in their world. For our reasoning mind is in the world of spirits, as well as our desires, to which sensory functions in the body correspond.
1609. CONCERNING THE INTERIOR HEAVEN.
I was in the interior heaven, and certain spirits were at the same time with me in their own world; and although being in heaven, yet I was not in any peculiar ecstatic idea, but in the body, for the kingdom of the Lord is in man, and everywhere, or in every place, so that at the Lord's good pleasure a man may be conducted into heaven, and yet not be in an ecstatic idea I was then just as I am at this present writing, but my interior man was [developed] in the exterior, which was the reason of my being associated with spirits in their world, for our ratiocination and our cupidities are in the world of spirits; sensual things in the body correspond to them.
1609. De coelo interiori
Eram in coelo interiori, et mecum tunc in suo mundo erant quidam spiritus; et tametsi in coelo, non eram in quadam idea exstatica, sed in corpore, Regnum enim Domini est in homine, et ubivis seu quocunque loco, ita, beneplacente Domino, homo in coelum perduci potest, et tamen non in idea exstatica; talis eram, qualis nunc cum haec scribo, sed interior in exteriore, quae causa, quod etiam spiritus erant, [cum] quibus eram 1
in mundo eorum, nam in mundo spirituum est nostra ratiocinatio, et nostrae cupiditates, in corpore iis respondent sensualia.
Footnotes:
1. imperfectum in the Manuscript; in J.F.I. Tafel's edition cum