603.人类心智被分为三个区域，最低层就是所谓的属世区域，中间层是所谓的属灵区域，最高层则是所谓的属天区域。通过重生，人从属世的最低层或属世区域被提升至更高或属灵区域，又通过该层被提升至属天区域。下面几节（607－610）将证明，心智存在三个区域。这就是为何未重生者被称为属世，重生者被称为属灵的原因。这清楚表明，重生者的心智被提升至属灵区域，从这更高层看见发生在较低层或属世心智中的一切。人类心智里面存在一个较低区域和一个较高区域，只要稍稍关注一下自己的思维，人人都能明白并承认这一点。因为他能明白他所思的一切，所以他会说，他过去是这样想的，现在是那样想的，除非存在一个被称为洞察力的内在思维，它能俯视被称为思维的较低层，否则这是不可能的。当法官听到或读到辩护律师提出的一长串证据时，他会在其心智的较高区域将它们全部归纳为一个观点，因而将它们形成一个总的概念，然后他从这较高区域俯视较低区域，即属世思维的区域，在此按顺序整理这些证据，并根据较高区域发表自己的意见，宣布判决。谁不知道，一个人一时片刻间形成的想法和结论，比他用较低思维花半小时所表达的还要多？引用这些实例是为了是让人们知道，人类心智被分成了较低和较高区域。
603. 人类心智被分为三个区域, 最低层就是所谓的属世区域, 中间层是所谓的属灵区域, 最高层则是所谓的属天区域。 通过重生, 人从属世的最低层或属世区域被提升至更高或属灵区域, 又通过该层被提升至属天区域。 下面几节 (607-610) 将证明, 心智存在三个区域。 这就是为何未重生者被称为属世, 重生者被称为属灵的原因。 这清楚表明, 重生者的心智被提升至属灵区域, 从这更高层看见发生在较低层或属世心智中的一切。 人类心智里面存在一个较低区域和一个较高区域, 只要稍稍关注一下自己的思维, 人人都能明白并承认这一点。 因为他能明白他所思的一切, 所以他会说, 他过去是这样想的, 现在是那样想的, 除非存在一个被称为洞察力的内在思维, 它能俯视被称为思维的较低层, 否则这是不可能的。 当法官听到或读到辩护律师提出的一长串证据时, 他会在其心智的较高区域将它们全部归纳为一个观点, 因而将它们形成一个总的概念, 然后他从这较高区域俯视较低区域, 即属世思维的区域, 在此按顺序整理这些证据, 并根据较高区域发表自己的意见, 宣布判决。 谁不知道, 一个人一时片刻间形成的想法和结论, 比他用较低思维花半小时所表达的还要多? 引用这些实例是为了是让人们知道, 人类心智被分成了较低和较高区域。
603. The human mind has three levels. The lowest is called the earthly level; the middle is called the spiritual level; the highest is called the heavenly level. As we are regenerated, we are lifted from the lowest level, which is earthly, onto the higher level that is spiritual, and from there onto the heavenly level. (The existence of three levels within the mind will be demonstrated under the next heading [608-609].)
As a result, someone who has not been regenerated is called earthly, but someone who has been regenerated is called spiritual. Clearly, then, the mind of someone who has been regenerated is lifted up to the spiritual level. From up there it sees what is going on in the earthly mind below.
By paying even slight attention to our own thoughts, any of us can see and admit that there is a lower level and a higher level within the human mind. After all, we can see what we are thinking. Therefore we say, "I was thinking this or that, and now I am thinking something else. " We could never do this if there were not an inner level of thought, called perception, which can carefully examine our lower level of thought, called thinking.
[2] When judges hear or read arguments that a lawyer has laid out in a long chain, they bring them together into one view, one all-encompassing image, in the higher level of their mind. Then they direct their attention toward the lower level, where earthly thought occurs, and they arrange the arguments into a sequence and hand down a sentence or judgment based on their higher vision.
Surely everyone realizes that we are capable of having thoughts or making decisions in a moment or two that take half an hour to put into words through our lower thought.
I present these examples to make it known that the human mind has higher and lower levels.
603. The human mind is divided into three regions. The lowest is called the natural, the middle the spiritual, the highest the celestial. Regeneration has the effect of raising a person from the lowest or natural region to the higher or spiritual one, and through this to the celestial one. It will be proved in the next section [607-610] that there are three regions in the mind. This then is why a person who is not regenerated is called natural, and one who is regenerated is called spiritual. It is obvious from this that the mind of a regenerated person is raised to the spiritual region, and from its higher position there it can see what is going on in the lower or natural mind. The existence of a lower and a higher region of the mind can be seen and acknowledged by anyone who pays the slightest attention to his own thoughts. For he can see what he is thinking, so he says that he thought or thinks this or that. This would be impossible if there were no interior thought, called perception, which looks down to the lower level called thought.
[2] When a judge has heard or read a long series of cases compiled by an advocate, he groups them together to form a single view in the upper region of his mind, so as to make a universal principle; then he lowers his gaze to the lower region of natural thought, and there arranges his arguments in due order, giving his judgment and sentence in accordance with the upper region of his mind. Is anyone unaware that a person can in one or two moments think about and reach a conclusion on matters which would take him as much as an hour to spell out by means of his lower thought? These instances are quoted to show that the human mind is divided into lower and higher regions.
603. The human mind is divided into three regions, the lowest is called the natural, the middle the spiritual, and the highest the celestial. By regeneration man is raised from the lowest region, which is the natural, into the higher, which is the spiritual, and through this into the celestial. That there are these three regions belonging to the mind will be shown in the following section. This is why the unregenerate man is called natural, and the regenerate man spiritual. This makes clear that the mind of the regenerate man is raised into the spiritual region, and there sees from the higher what takes place in the lower or natural mind. That there is a lower and a higher region in the human mind, everyone can see and recognize by a slight attention to his own thoughts; for what he thinks, he sees; and therefore he says that he has thought or thinks this and that, which would be impossible unless there were an interior thought that is called perception, which looks down into the lower which is called thought. When a judge has heard or read over a long series of arguments presented by an advocate, he collects them all into one view in the higher region of his mind, thus forming them into one general idea; and from that he then looks down into the lower region, which is that of natural thought, and there arranges the arguments in order, and accordance with the higher, presents his opinion and pronounces judgment. Who does not know that a man may form more thoughts and conclusions in a moment or two, than he can express by means of his lower thoughts in half an hour? All this has been presented to make known that the human mind is divided into lower and higher regions.
603. The human mind is divided into three regions; the lowest is called the natural, the middle the spiritual, and the highest the celestial. A man by regeneration is raised up from the lowest or natural region into the higher or spiritual, and by means of this into the celestial. It will be shown in the following article that there are three regions of the mind. It is for this reason that the unregenerate man is called natural, and the regenerate, spiritual. It is, therefore, evident that the mind of the regenerate man is raised up into the spiritual region; and there, as from a higher station, it sees what goes on in the lower or natural mind.
That there are a higher and a lower region in the human mind every one may see and acknowledge from a slight attention to his own thoughts. For he sees what he is thinking about, and accordingly says that he has been, or is, thinking about this or that; now this would not be possible unless there were an interior thought, called perception, which looks into the lower, called simply, thought. A judge, when he hears or reads a long list of cases quoted by an advocate, brings them under the view of the higher region of his mind, and thus sees them under one general principle. He then looks down into the lower region of natural thought, there arranges his arguments in due order, and, according to his higher view of the subject, delivers his opinion and pronounces judgment. Every one knows that a man can, in a moment or two, think out and form a judgment upon matters which he could not express by his lower thought in half an hour. These things have been brought forward to show that the human mind is divided into lower and higher regions.
603. Mens humana distincta est in tres regiones; infima vocatur naturalis, media spiritualis, et suprema coelestis; homo per regenerationem elevatur ab infima regione, quae est naturalis, in superiorem quae est spiritualis, et per hanc in Coelestem: quod tres regiones mentis sint, in sequente Articulo demonstrabitur: inde est, quod homo non regeneratus dicatur naturalis, et homo regeneratus spiritualis; ex quo patet, quod mens hominis regenerati sit elevata in regionem spiritualem, et ibi e superiori videat illa quae in mente inferiori seu naturali versantur. Quod in Mente humana sit Regio inferior et superior, quisque potest ex levi attentione ad suas cogitationes videre et agnoscere; videt enim quid cogitat, quare dicit, quod hoc aut illud cogitaverit ac cogitet; hoc non dari potest, nisi interior cogitatio sit quae vocatur perceptio, quae introspicit in inferiorem, quae vocatur cogitatio.
[2] Judex cum audivit aut legit causas in longa serie ab advocato collatas, congregat illas in unum intuitum in superiore mentis suae regione, ita in universalem ideam, et postea inde demittit visum in inferiorem regionem, quae est cogitationis naturalis, et ibi argumenta disponit in ordinem, et secundum superiorem profert sententiam et judicat: quis non scit, quod homo possit uno momento aut duobus cogitare et concludere, quae non potest per cogitationem inferiorem tempore horulae eloqui. Haec allata sunt, ut sciatur, quod Mens humana in regiones inferiores et superiores distincta sit.