5102. About the language of spirits and of the angels in the heavens
There are three types of speech, heavenly, spiritual, and natural [i.e., earthly], and the one flows into the other and forms it. Natural speech is the speech of people on earth, and spiritual speech flows into it. An earthly person has this speech but is unaware of it, thus it is the speech that flows in through a person's inward regions in heaven. The lowest spirits are using this speech when present with a person talking with him- or herself.
[2] Spiritual speech is the kind belonging to spirits and angels in the second heaven, that is to say, in the spiritual Kingdom; this speech is like a person's inward thought, the nature of which the person is ignorant of; it does not have words of the speech of humans on earth, for a person thinks apart from these; consequently a person comprehends a thousand things in a moment. This thought becomes the speech a person has in the other life, and in fact that everyone has. It is because of this that all spirits can associate with each other as regards speech and that everyone has this speech. It is has sound and what are like words, but the words are what are called mental images in the understanding; it is thought speaking, like the more inward thought that arises from hearing when this is turned into a visual image. In addition it should be known that when spirits are using this speech they know nothing of natural [earthly] speech, and when they are using natural speech they know nothing of spiritual speech and scarcely know that it exists, because they cannot go from the one to the other at will, but it can be done when they are distant from a person. This speech can also be put in writing. I have seen pages written in this speech, and books, which I was able to read but could not understand in the least except when in spirit separate from the body; the letters are similar. This spiritual speech interacts with the respiration of the lungs because this speech passes from spirits from their affections, but from the spiritual affections that interact with respiration. And so it flows from itself spontaneously and is thus natural and universal. There are wonderful things that could be told about it.
[3] But the heavenly type of speech arises from love's affections and interacts with the heart's motions as the spiritual speech does with those of respiration. However this speech is incomprehensible, yet it is universal to all. Also, it is in a person's inmost regions when these are opened to the Lord by love. They perceive the meaning of all the least details of the Word, even down to its little horns 1, which was shown [to me], as well also to each and all of the affections in the Word, these are in its innermost meaning, which treats of the Lord. As regards people, they perceive all of their affections and loves, whether they are speaking, or sighing, or beating their breast, or weeping, or rejoicing; they perceive their hopes. For this reason they have mental images in their thought and speech not from understanding apart from willing, but from the conjunction of the two and as it were from the will itself. However, as has been said, their speech cannot be comprehended as regards the inward affections, although it can be understood as to the words proceeding from them, because the will speaks through the intellect, and the intellect affects those who are spiritual, however not their will in the same way.
Footnotes:
1. These are markings that are part of the Hebrew alphabet.
5102. CONCERNING THE SPEECH OF SPIRITS, AND OF THE ANGELS IN THE HEAVENS.
There are three kinds of speech, the celestial, the spiritual and the natural, and one inflows into another and forms it. The Natural is the speech of men, and into it inflows Spiritual speech - which is with man, but man is ignorant of it [so long as he is in the world]; thus, it inflows through the man's interiors, which are in heaven. In such speech are the lowest spirits, [who are] with man when he is communing with himself, and when man speaks with spirits, as happens to some. Spiritual speech is of the quality which belongs to spirits and the angels in the second heaven, or in the Spiritual Kingdom. It is such a speech as is man's interior thought - of the quality of which he himself is ignorant, [and which exists] independently of the words of human speech; for man thinks apart from words; - and from it he comprehends a thousand things in a moment. This thought becomes his speech in the other life, and indeed everybody's. Hence it is that all spirits can be associated, as regards speech, and that everyone has it. It is sonorous, and as it were verbal; but the words are what are called intellectual ideas. It is speaking thought, like the interior thought which is excited by the act of hearing, when it passes into the expression of the eye. It should be known, moreover, that, when spirits are in their speech, they do not know anything about natural speech, and when they are in natural speech they do not know anything about spiritual speech, and scarcely that there is such a thing; for they are not able to pass from the one to the other at pleasure, but it occurs by removal from man. This speech, also, can be written. I have seen papers and letters written in this language, which I was able to read, but not in the least to understand, unless I was in the spirit separate from the body. The letters were similar [to those of natural language]. This Spiritual speech corresponds to the respiration of the lungs. This speech passes, from spirits out of their affections, it is true; but they are spiritual [affections], which correspond to the respiration. Thus, it flows spontaneously, and is, consequently, instinctive and universal. There are wonderful things which could be related about it. But Celestial speech is of the affections which are of love, and correspond to the cardiacal functions, as spiritual speech does to the respiratory; but this speech is incomprehensible; and, still, it is the universal of all. It, also, is in man, [in] his inmosts, when these are opened to the Lord by means of love. They [in whom these inmosts are open], perceive the leasts of all the things of the Word, even to the little horns 1- as was shown; also all and everyone of the affections of the Word. They are in the inmost sense, which treats of the Lord. They perceive, [when] with man, all things of his affection and love, whether he speaks, or sighs, or beats his breast, or weeps, or rejoices: they perceive the ends. Their ideas, therefore, in the thought and speech, are not from the understanding separate from the will, but conjoined with it; so that it is as if they were from the will itself. But, as was said, their speech is incomprehensible [to the spiritual] as to interior affections, but still intelligible as to the words thence derived; for the will speaks by means of the understanding. The intellectual affects spiritual [angels]; but their voluntary does not do so.
Footnotes:
1. The "little horns" here mentioned are characteristic marks, occurring in the original Hebrew, the "tittles" of Matthew 5:18, which, in addition to the words and letters, according to Swedenborg, have their own spiritual significance. This significance, of course is entirely lost in translations, as the "little horns" cannot be reproduced.
5102. De loquela spirituum et angelorum in coelis
Sunt tres loquelae, coelestis, spiritualis et naturalis, et una influit in alteram et format illam, loquela naturalis est hominum, et in illam influit loquela spiritualis quae est apud hominem, et quam homo nescit, ita quae influit per in235 teriora hominis in coelo, in tali loquela sunt spiritus infimi, apud hominem secum loquentem, et cum homo loquitur cum illis, ut fit aliquibus: loquela spiritualis est qualis est propria spirituum et angelorum in secundo coelo, seu in Regno spirituali, loquela illa est qualis cogitatio hominis interior quam ipse nescit qualis est, absque vocibus loquelae humanae, cogitat enim homo absque illis, quare comprehendit millia momento; haec cogitatio fit loquela ei in altera vita, et quidem omnibus, inde est quod omnes spiritus consociari possint quoad loquelam, et quod quisque in illa sit, est sonora, et quasi vocum, sed voces sunt quae vocantur ideae intellectuales, est cogitatio loquens qualis est interior ex auditu cum is abit in visualem. Praeterea sciendum quod spiritus cum sunt in hac loquela non sciant aliquid de loquela naturali, et cum sunt in loquela naturali, non sciant aliquid de loquela spirituali, et vix quod sit, nam ab una in alteram transire non possunt ex lubitu, sed fit per remotionem ab homine; etiam haec loquela scribi potest, vidi chartas ex hac loquela, et libros, quos possem legere, sed nihil intelligere, nisi essem in spiritu separato a corpore, literae similes. Spiritualis haec loquela correspondet respirationi pulmonariae, transit enim loquela illa ex spiritibus ex affectionibus illorum sed spiritualibus quae respirationi correspondent, sic fluit sponte ex se, estque sic naturalis et universalis, mira sunt quae de illa referri possent. At loquela coelestis est affectionum quae amoris, et correspondet cardiacis, ut loquela spiritualis respiratoriis, sed loquela illa est incomprehensibilis, usque universalis omnium, est quoque in homine ejus intimis quando illa aperta sunt ad Dominum per amorem; hi percipiunt omnium minima Verbi usque ad cornicula, qud ostensum, etiam omnia et singula affectionum Verbi, in sensu intimo sunt, qui est de Domino, percipiunt apud hominem omnia affectionum et amorum ejus, sive loquitur, sive suspirat, sive pulsat pectus, sive flet, sive gaudet, percipiunt fines; sunt itaque illis ideae in cogitatione et loquela non ex intellectu abstracto a voluntate, sed ex conjuncto, sic ut quasi sit ex ipsa voluntate, sed ut dictum loquela eorum incomprehensibilis est quoad affectiones interiores, sed usque intelligibilis quoad voces inde, nam voluntas loquitur per intellectum, et intellectuale afficit spirituales, non autem ita voluntarium eorum.