85. Of all the spirits who come from the earths of this solar system, those of Mars are the best, being for the most part celestial men, not unlike those who were of the Most Ancient Church on this Earth[gg]. When they are represented as to their quality, they are represented with the face in heaven and the body in the world of spirits; and those of them who are angels are represented with the face towards the Lord and the body in heaven.
Footnote gg: [(return) ]
The first and Most Ancient Church on this earth was a celestial church, which was the chief of all, concerning which, see nos. 607, 895, 920, 1121, 1122, 1123, 1124, 2896, 4493, 8891, 9942, 10545. A church is called celestial wherein love to the Lord is the principal thing, but spiritual wherein the principal thing is charity towards the neighbour, and faith, nos. 3691, 6435, 9468, 9680, 9683, 9780.
86. In the idea of spirits and angels, the planet Mars, like the planets elsewhere, appears constantly in its own place, which is to the left in front, at some distance, in the plane of the breast, and thus outside of the sphere where the spirits of our Earth are. The spirits of one earth are separated from those of another, because the spirits of each earth have relation to some particular province in the Grand Man[f]; and are, therefore, in other and different states; and this diversity of state causes them to appear separate from each other, either to the right or to the left, at a greater or lesser distance[hh].
Footnote hh: [(return) ]
Distances in the other life are real appearances, which are exhibited to the sight by the Lord, according to the states of the interiors of angels and spirits, nos. 5604, 9104, 9440, 10146.
87. Spirits from thence came to me, and applied themselves to my left temple, where they breathed their speech upon me, but I did not understand it. As to its flow it was very soft: I had never before perceived any softer; it was like a very gentle breeze. It breathed first upon the left temple, and upon the upper part of the left ear; the breathing proceeded thence to the left eye, and by degrees to the right, and flowed down afterwards, especially from the left eye, to the lips; and when at the lips it entered through the mouth, and through a way within the mouth, and, indeed, through the Eustachian tube, into the brain. When the breathing arrived there, I understood their speech, and was enabled to speak with them. When they spoke with me, I observed that my lips were moved, and my tongue also slightly, which was owing to the correspondence of interior with exterior speech. Exterior speech is that of articulate sound which impinges upon the external membrane of the ear, and it is conveyed from thence, by means of the small organs, membranes, and fibres, which are within the ear, to the brain. From these facts it was given me to know that the speech of the inhabitants of Mars was different from that of the inhabitants of our Earth, in that it is not sonorous, but almost tacit, insinuating itself into the interior hearing and sight by a shorter way; and that, being such, it was more perfect, and fuller of the ideas of thought, thus approaching nearer to the speech of spirits and angels. Among them the very affection of the speech is also represented in the face, and its thought in the eyes; for with them thought and speech, and affection and the face, act in unity. They account it infamous to think one thing and speak another, and to will one thing and show another in the face. They know not what hypocrisy is, nor fraudulent simulation and deceit. The same kind of speech prevailed amongst the Most Ancient inhabitants of our Earth, as it has been given me to learn by conversation with some of them in the other life; and to elucidate this subject I may relate what I have heard respecting it, as follows: "It was shown me by an influx which I cannot describe, what was the character of the speech which prevailed amongst those who were of the Most Ancient Church[gg]. It was not articulate, like the vocal speech of our time, but tacit, being effected, not by external, but by internal respiration, consequently it was a cogitative speech. It was given me also to apperceive the character of their internal respiration. It proceeded from the navel towards the heart, and so through the lips without sound when they spoke. It did not enter the ear of another by an external way, and strike upon what is called the drum of the ear, but by a certain internal way, and indeed by what at this day is called the Eustachian tube. It was shown me, that by such speech they could express the feelings of the mind (animus), and the ideas of thought, much more fully than can possibly be done by articulate sounds or audible expressions, which speech is likewise directed by respiration, but external; for there is not a vocal sound, yea, there is nothing in a vocal sound, which is not directed by applications of the respiration. But with them this was done much more perfectly, because by the internal respiration, which, because more interior, is also more perfect, and more applicable and conformable to the very ideas of thought; besides, [it is done] also by slight motions of the lips, and corresponding changes of the face; for, as they were celestial men, whatever they thought shone forth from their face and eyes, which were conformably varied, the face as to form according to the life of the affection, and the eyes as to light. It was quite impossible for them to present a countenance which was not in agreement with their thoughts. As their speech was effected by internal respiration, which is that of the human spirit itself, they could have communion with angels, and speak with them." The respiration of the spirits of Mars was also communicated to me[ii], and it was perceived that it proceeded from the region of the chest towards the navel, and thence flowed upwards through the breast, with an imperceptible breathing (halitus) towards the mouth. From these facts, and also from other experiential proofs, it was made evident to me that they were of a celestial genius, consequently, that they were not unlike those who belonged to the Most Ancient Church on this earth.
Footnote ii: [(return) ]
Spirits and angels have respiration, nos. 3884, 3885, 3891, 3893.
88. I was informed that the spirits of Mars in the Grand Man have relation to the medium between the Intellectual and the Voluntary, consequently to THOUGHT FROM AFFECTION, and the best of them to THE AFFECTION OF THOUGHT; hence it is that their face acts in unity with their thought, and that they cannot simulate in the presence of anyone. And as this is their relation in the Grand Man, the middle province, which is between the cerebrum and the cerebellum, corresponds to them; for with those in whom the cerebrum and the cerebellum are conjoined as to spiritual operations, the face acts in unity with the thought, so that the very affection of the thought shines forth from the face, and the general [character] of the thought from the affection, and also from certain signs that show themselves in the eyes. Wherefore, while they were with me, I sensibly apperceived a drawing back of the anterior part of the head towards the hinder part, thus of the cerebrum towards the cerebellum[kk].
Footnote kk: [(return) ]
Human faces on our Earth in ancient times received influx from the cerebellum, and then the face acted in unity with the interior affections of the man; but afterwards they received influx from the cerebrum when man began to simulate and counterfeit by the face affections not his own. Concerning the changes thereby occasioned to the face in course of time, see nos. 4325-4328.
89. On one occasion when spirits of Mars were with me, and occupied the sphere of my mind, spirits from our Earth came and desired to intrude themselves also into that sphere; but the spirits of our Earth became as if insane: this was caused by their being quite out of harmony; for the spirits of our Earth in the Grand Man have relation to the external sense, and consequently these spirits were in idea turned towards the world and towards self, while the spirits of Mars were in idea turned from self to heaven and the neighbour; hence the contrariety. But some angelic spirits of Mars then approached, and on their coming the communication was taken away, and so the spirits of our Earth departed.
90. The angelic spirits spoke with me concerning the life of the inhabitants on their earth; [saying] that they are not under forms of government, but are distinguished into greater and lesser societies, in which they associate themselves with such as agree in disposition, which they know at once by the face and speech, and in this they are seldom mistaken; they are then instantly friends. They also said their consociations are delightful, and that they converse with each other on what passes in their societies, and especially in heaven, for many of them have open communication with the angels of heaven. Those in their societies who begin to think wrongly, and consequently to will what is evil, are dissociated and left to themselves alone, in consequence of which they drag on a most wretched life, out of society, among rocks or other places, for the rest no longer trouble about them. Some societies try by various methods to compel such persons to repent; but when this is to no purpose they dissociate themselves from them. Thus they take precautions lest the lust of dominion and the lust of gain should creep in, that is, lest from the lust of dominion any should subject some society to themselves, and afterwards many others; and lest from the lust of gain any should deprive others of their goods. Every one there lives content with his own goods, and every one with his own honour, that of being reputed just and a lover of the neighbour. This delightful and tranquil state of mind (animus) would perish, unless those who think and will evil were cast out, and a prudent but severe check given to the first beginnings of the love of self and the love of the world. For these are the loves which first led to the establishment of empires and kingdoms, within which there are few who do not desire to acquire dominion, and to possess the goods of others, for there are few who do what is just and fair from a love of justice and fairness, still less who do good from charity itself, but most from fear of the law, the loss of life, of gain, of honour, and of reputation for the sake of these.