4618. As regards the soul, which is said to live after death, it is nothing other than the person's self that lives in the body, thus the person's purer part which is conjoined to the body, in order that through the body the person may perform his or her duties in the world. The body lives from it. After death it is called the spirit. It appears likewise then entirely in a human form. It has senses, namely touch, smell, sight, hearing, much sharper than in the world. It has loves, appetites, passions, desires, and feelings like those it had in the world, but in a purer state. It thinks then as in the world, but more purely; it speaks with others and has social contact. And because this is so, if it does not reflect upon the fact that it is in the other life, it does not know otherwise than that it is in the world, as I have heard several times.
This is the human soul, and because it is the inward person, for whose service the body was formed, which is thought to be and is called a person in the world. Therefore its inward qualities also reflect the person, as is evident from the angels who have inward qualities and likewise appear as persons, as is also very well known from the Word, when they appeared to people on earth. This at the least shows that the form of angels is the human form. The reason why souls appear in human form is because the whole of heaven unites in no other form. And because this is the case in heaven, the whole of heaven acts upon the individuals there, and the individuals upon the whole. Therefore it can never be otherwise than that everyone there, whether an angel or a spirit, has a human form.
[2] From these things it is now clear what the soul is, and because the soul considered as to its nature is an utterly unknown entity in human thought, it is preferable that the term soul should not be used, but in its place spirit, because this is the soul of the human being that lives after death, or, if you prefer, in place of spirit, let it be called the inward person, for this is the actual person who lives. That this is how it is, I ought to wholly know from eight to nine years of almost constant association with spirits and angels.
4618. As respects the soul, concerning which it is said that it lives after death, it is no other than the man himself, who lives in the body, thus the purer part of the man, which is conjoined with the body, so that, by means of the body, it may perform the functions it ought, in the world. From this the body lives. This, after death, is called a spirit. It likewise appears, then, entirely in a human form; it has the senses, to wit, touch, smell, sight, and hearing, much more exquisitely than in the world. It has appetites, cravings, desires, affections, loves, similar to those which [it had] in the world, but in a less coarse state. It then thinks, as in the world, but more clearly; speaks with others, and is in society; and, this being the case, if [the spirit] does not reflect upon the fact that he is in another life, he knows no otherwise than that he is in the world - as I have heard on several occasions. This is the soul of man; and, because that is the interior man, to whose service was formed the body, which, in the world, is supposed to be, and is called, the man, the interiors of this, also, relate to man, as may be evident from the angels. These are in interiors, and appear in like manner as men do, which is also known from the Word, when they appeared to men. Thence at least, it is evident, that the angelic form is the human form. The reason that souls appear in the human form, is, because the universal heaven does not conspire to another form, and because, in heaven, the case is such, that the universal heaven acts into the least particulars there, and the least particulars into the universal [heaven]; hence it can never be otherwise than that everyone there, whether angel or spirit, is in the form of a man. From these things it is now plain what the soul is; and, inasmuch as, respecting the quality of the soul, and what it is, man is entirely ignorant in his thought, it is preferable that it should not be named soul, but, instead thereof, spirit, since this is the soul of man which lives after death; or, if you prefer, instead of spirit, let it be called the interior man; for it is the man himself, which lives. That the matter is so circumstanced, I ought to know thoroughly, from an eight to nine years almost constant association with spirits and angels.)
4618. Quod animam attinet, de qua dicitur quod vivat post mortem, est illa non aliud quam ipse homo, qui vivit in corpore, ita purior hominis pars, quae cum corpore est conjuncta, ut per corpus agat munia debita in mundo, corpus ex illa vivit, haec post mortem vocatur spiritus, etiam apparet tunc prorsus in forma humana, habet sensus, nempe tactum, olfactum, visum, auditum, multo exquisitiorem quam in mundo, habet appetitus, cupiditates, desideria, affectiones, amores, similes quos in mundo, sed in puriori statu; cogitat tunc sicut in mundo, sed purius, loquitur cum aliis, est in consortiis, et quia ita, si non reflectit super id, quod in altera vita sit, non aliter sciat quam quod in mundo, quod aliquoties audivi; hoc est anima hominis, et quia illa est interior homo, ad cujus obsequium formatum est corpus, quod putatur esse, et dicitur homo in mundo, [ideo] interiora ejus etiam referunt hominem, ut constare potest ab angelis, hi in interioribus sunt, et similiter apparent ut homines, quod etiam notum est, ex Verbo, cum apparuerunt hominibus, inde ad minimum constat, quod forma angelica sit forma humana; causa quod appareant animae in forma humana, est quia universum coelum non in aliam formam conspirat, et quia in coelo ita se habet, quod universum coelum agat in singulos ibi, et singuli in universum, inde nusquam aliter esse potest, quam ut unicuique ibi, sive angelo sive spiritui, sit forma hominis. Ex his nunc patet quid anima, et quia de anima quoad quale suum, in cogitatione hominis ignotissimum quid est, praestat ut anima non nominetur, sed loco ejus spiritus, quia hic est anima hominis quae vivit post mortem, aut si mavis, pro spiritu dicatur interior homo, nam est ipse homo qui vivit. Quod ita se res habeat, ex octo ad novem annorum consortio paene continuo cum spiritibus et angelis, scire omnino debeo.