5589. This memory is imagery formed from things visible in the world that when it becomes active through the inflow of light from heaven, conveys this speech, which, because it is from heaven's light, presents images of them conforming to the natures of things in the universe. Each thing has its own conformity from the inflow of heaven. These conforming mental images fall with spirits into words that are very distinctly enunciated. They are heard distinctly and audibly among themselves just as the words of speech are among people on earth. The result is that the speech of spirits is a natural speech and also common to everyone, a speech by which the spirits from every nation on earth and from every planet can speak among themselves, with the most ancient people equally as with those of the present day. Every person of himself comes into [the use of] of this speech immediately after death. And then when he speaks, he does not know that he has ever spoken differently. From this it is also clear that all people have command of the language of spirits and that [communication] would be of this nature if people would enter into another's thought with their own thought, and also that in this way many more things are expressed in a moment than are with words in half-an-hour.
[2] From these things it is also evident that this is a speech of words but that the words are entirely different, formed according to the nature of the thing articulately by means of sound and in such a manner that this articulated sound is expressing all aspects of the thing, differing consequently from the speech of brutes in that this is continuous. But the speech of spirits is made up of parts because they have thought of the thing itself from heaven and from the Divine truth there, which there is light. Consequently with humans it is segmented and articulated because they are capable of understanding, with brutes it is continuous.
m The Law has been written on their hearts, and the heavenly [angels] know truths without teachings, Jer. 31:33, 34. n
[5589] 1/2. How much the words of the language of spirits differ from the words of the language of humans in the world could be made clear to me, however, from several different considerations: the example [was given] of sounds that can be produced in the world, they are likewise segmented and articulated; but no one can understand it there because it is the spiritual but not the natural mode of speech that people on earth have. Speech also differs from a person's inner thought and likewise from a spirit's, for speech is outward, and care is taken lest the thought enter, for thus the quality of the spirit would be evident. Therefore in the other life they speak in the same way: those who are rational, that is, those who spoke from reason, and those who spoke only from memory about a thing without thought of their own, and likewise they can there, as much as in the world, make a pretense of being learned even if they are speaking only from memory.
[5589] 1:3.
[3] Preachers speak in this way too, each from his own doctrine without inward mental images at the same time. They let themselves only into outward affections or into an outwardly holy state of mind in which their speaking takes place, just as in the world. Those listening simply hear the speaking as done under the influence of the affection just mentioned and are affected by this without being affected inwardly.
[5589] 1:4. In a word, their speech is as equally inborn as hearing, sight, taste, the [other] senses, and odor are natural. A person in the world has such an inborn [ability to speak] as much as a spirit, but it is manifested only in the other life. There are many reasons why it is not manifested in the world that are discussed in other places. 1
Footnotes:
1. At the end of the passage are two symbols ֠an arrow pointed at a 45 degree angle upwards to the right and an astrological symbol for Mercury.
5589. This memory is pictorial, formed from the visible objects in the world; and when it becomes active through the influx of light out of heaven, it constitutes that speech - which, because it is from the light of heaven, renders the ideas thereof conformable to the nature of the things in the universe. Every single thing has its conformity from the influx of heaven. Those heavenly-fashioned ideas, fall, among spirits, into words, which, also, are distinctly spoken out, and distinctly and sonorously heard amongst themselves, like all speeches on the earths amongst men. Hence it is that the speech of spirits is a natural 1speech, and also the universal of all, whereby spirits from every nation of the earth, and from every globe, are able to converse together; and this as readily with the most ancient people as with the moderns. Into this speech, every man spontaneously comes immediately after death; and when he then speaks, he is unaware that he has ever spoken differently. Hence, also, it is manifest, that the common speech of spirits is in every man whatsoever, and would become of the same character [as it is with spirits] if one man should enter into the thought or another with his own thought; and, also, that thus he can bring forth, in one moment, more things than, by words, during half-an-hour. From these things it was also manifest, that that speech is one of words, but entirely different words, formed according to the notion of the thing, and articulated by means of sound, so that the sound is articulated, expressing all the things belonging to the matter. It differs from the speech of brutes in this way: that that is continuous, but that of spirits discrete, because there is with them the thought of the thing itself out of heaven and from the Divine truth there, - which, there, is light. Hence, with men, [speech] is discrete and articulate, because they are intellectual: with beasts it is continuous. 2
Footnotes:
1. I.e. "natural" as distinguished from "artificial," or acquired. -ED.
2. Dr. R. L. Tafel is of opinion that these signs in the margin are used by Swedenborg, here, as elsewhere, to indicate the days of the week on which the occurrences he is recording happened. The signs themselves stand, in astronomical usage, for the sun, moon, and planets, after which the days of the week are named, or to which they have been allotted. We take the arrow of the Latin Edition - which see - to be a misreading for "[circle with an arrow pointing upwards]" the sign for Mars, with which Tuesday is associated. The sign "[circle with a plus sign below and an inverted arc above]" stands for Mercury, which indicates Wednesday. These two signs occurring together, as in the margin in the present place, would, in this point of view, stand for "the night between Tuesday and Wednesday;" a phraseology paralleled by Swedenborg himself, in no. (4791m), which was written in "the night between the 15th and 19th November 1751."
The reader should know that Swedenborg used the various astronomical signs to which days of the weeks are allotted, in connection with specific dates, almost habitually, during the seven and a half months between the 2nd February and the 15th September 1749. Between nos. [4139 1/2] and 4389, they appear, as maybe seen from the Latin, no less than 130 times. This fact makes it possible to test Dr. Tafel's opinion of their significance, by seeing whether the sign occurs in septennial periods (or multiples thereof. For the purpose of making this test in such a way that the reader may form his own judgment, we have drawn up the "Analytical table of Swedenborg's use of Astronomical Signs in connection with Dates," which may be found in the Preface to the present volume. -ED.
5589a. But how much the words of the language of spirits differ from the words of the language of men in this world, could also be plain to me from various considerations. It can be expressed in the world by sound, even distinctly and articulately; but nobody there can understand it, because it is the spiritual of speech but not the natural - in which latter man is. Speech also differs from the interior thought of man and of spirit; for it is exterior, and care is taken lest [that] thought should enter it; for thus would be manifested of what sort the spirit was. Therefore, those in the other life who are rational, or who speak from reason, and those who speak only from the memory of a thing without its thought, speak alike; and those there are also able, as much as in the world, to pretend that they are learned, although they speak solely from the memory. 1
1. In the margin: "That the Law is written in their hearts, and that the celestials know truths without doctrine. - Jeremiah 31:33-34.
5589b. Thus also preachers speak, each one from his doctrine without interior ideas at the same time. They only let themselves into the exterior affections, or into a holy external state, in which their speech is just as in the world. The hearers hear only the speech in such affection, and are affected from that apart from interior affection.
5589c. In a word, their speech is every bit as natural 1as hearing, sight, taste, touch and smell are natural. 1Such natural 1[speech] man in the world possesses, just as much as spirits do; but it is only manifested in the other life. There are many reasons why it is not manifested in the world - of which, elsewhere.
1. I.e. as distinguished from "artificial" or "acquired:" not as distinguished from "spiritual." -ED.
5589. Haec memoria est imaginativa ex aspectabilibus in mundo formata, quae cum fit activa per influxum lucis e coelo, sistit loquelam illam, quae quia ex luce coeli est, sistit ideas illorum conformes naturis rerum in universo, unaquaevis res habet suam conformitatem ex influxu coeli, ideae illae conformes cadunt apud spiritus in voces, quae tam distincte edicuntur, distincte et sonore audiuntur inter se sicut voces loquelae in terris inter homines; inde est quod loquela spirituum sit loquela naturalis, et quoque universalis omnium, qua possunt inter se loqui spiritus ex omni natione terrae, ex omni tellure, cum antiquissimis aeque ac cum hodiernis, in hanc loquelam venit omnis homo post mortem statim ex se; et tunc cum loquitur, nescit quod aliter usquam loquutus sit; inde quoque patet, quod communis loquela spirituum sit apud unumquemvis hominem, et foret talis qualis si unus homo intraret in alterius cogitationem sua cogitatione, et quoque quod sic uno momento plura possit proferre, quam vocibus per semihorium; ab illis etiam patet, quod loquela illa sit vocum, sed voces prorsus aliae, formatae secundum naturam rei, articulate per sonum, sic ut sonus articulatus sit exprimens omnium rei, differens sic a loquela brutorum [in eo], quod haec sit continua, at spirituum discreta, quia illis est ipsius rei cogitatio e coelo, et ex Divino vero ibi, quod ibi est lux; inde apud homines est discreta et articulata, quia sint intellectuales,
[5[589] 1/2. apud bestias continua: quantum autem voces linguae spirituum differunt a vocibus linguae hominum in mundo, etiam mihi constare potuit ex variis; sonorum illud potest exprimi in mundo, etiam discretum articulatum, sed nemo potest id ibi intelligere, quia est spirituale loquelae non autem naturale in quo homo est. Loquela etiam differt a cogitatione interiore hominis, etiam spiritus, est enim exterior cavetur ne cogitatio intret, sic enim pateret qualis spiritus esset, ideo loquuntur similiter in altera vita qui rationales sunt seu qui loquuti e ratione illi qui loquuti modo ex memoria rei absque cogitatione sua quoque possunt ibi aeque ac in mundo simulare quod docti sint, tametsi solum
[5[589] 1/3. loquantur ex memoria; ita quoque loquuntur praedicatores quisque ex sua doctrina absque ideis interioribus simul, solum mittunt se in affectiones exteriores, seu in statum sanctum externum, in quo loquela illorum est, sicut in mundo, auditores modo audiunt loquelam in tali affectione inde afficiantur, absque affectione interiore,
[5[589] 1/4. verbo est loquela eorum aeque naturalis sicut est auditus, visus, gustus, sensus, odoratus naturalis, tale naturale habet homo in mundo aeque ac spiritus, sed manifestatur solum in altera vita, quod non manifestetur in mundo, sunt plures causae, de quibus alibi.