4746. The life after death is the life of the inner person; the nature of the love of self
Much experience has taught me that those become devils in the other life who as regards their outer life, from their actions, deeds, and speech appear to be well-behaved and Christian, but who nevertheless in their inner life think wickedly, namely constantly about themselves and about the world. And on the other hand, those who as regards their outer life appeared proud and contemptuous of their fellow man and nevertheless in their inner life had been blamelessly honest, in the other life come into heaven. For in the other life outer characteristics are gradually put off, the inner ones remaining. Because people's actual life, where their love, intention, and will are, is in the inner person.
4746. THAT THE LIFE AFTER DEATH IS THE LIFE OF THE INTERNAL MAN: AND WHAT THE QUALITY OF SELF-LOVE IS.
I have been instructed by much experience, that they who, as to external life, appear, from their acts, bearing and speech to be moral and Christian, and yet, as to internal life, think ill, namely, from self and the world, continually, become devils in the other life; and, on the other hand, the those who, as to external life, appeared proud and despisers of the neighbor, and yet, as to internal life, were righteous and blameless, come into heaven in the other life; for, in the other life, externals are, by degrees, put off, and internals remain; for the veriest life of man, where are his love, ends and will, is in the internal man.
4746. Vita post mortem quod sit vita interni hominis; et qualis amor sui
Per multam experientiam instructus sum, quod qui quoad vitam externam appareant ex actis, gestibus et loquela morati et Christiani, et tamen quoad vitam internam cogitant male, nempe de se et de mundo continue, in altera vita fiant diaboli; et vicissim qui quoad vitam externam apparuerunt superbi, et contemtores proximi, et tamen quoad vitam internam fuerint recti et insontes, quod in altera vita veniant in coelum, nam externa in altera vita per gradus exuuntur, et manent interna; ipsissima enim vita hominis, ubi ejus amor, finis, et voluntas, est in interno homine.