things only are brought forward, that it may be known that evils are derived from parents successively, and that they increase through the accumulations of one parent after another, until man by birth is nothing but evil; also that the malignity of evil increases according to the degree in which the spiritual mind is closed up, for in this manner the natural mind also is closed above; finally, that there is no recovery from this in posterity except through their fleeing from evils as sins by the help of the Lord.  In this and in no other way is the spiritual mind opened, and by means of such opening the natural mind is brought back into correspondent form.

270. (5) All evils and their falsities, both engendered and acquired, have their seat in the natural mind.  Evils and their falsities have their seat in the natural mind, because that mind is, in form or image, a world; while the spiritual mind in its form or image is a heaven, and in heaven evil cannot be entertained.  The spiritual mind, therefore, is not opened from birth, but is only in the capability of being opened.  Moreover, the natural mind derives its form in part from substances of the natural world; but the spiritual mind from substances of the spiritual world only; and this mind is preserved in its integrity by the Lord, in order that man may be capable of becoming a man; for man is born an animal, but he becomes a man.  The natural mind, with all its belongings, is coiled into gyres from right to left, but the spiritual mind into gyres from left to right; the two thus curving in directions contrary to each other — a proof that evil has its seat in the natural mind, and that of itself it acts against the spiritual mind.  Moreover, the gyration from right to left is turned downward, thus towards hell, but the gyration from left to right tends upward, thus toward heaven.  This was made evident to me by the fact that an evil spirit can gyrate his body only from right to left, not from left to right; while a good spirit can gyrate his body from right to left only with difficulty, but with ease from left to right.  Gyration follows the flow of the interiors, which belong to the mind.

271.  Evils and falsities are in complete opposition to goods and truths, because evils and falsities are diabolical and infernal, while goods and truths are Divine and heavenly.

That evil and good are opposites, also the falsity of evil and the truth of good, every one acknowledges when he hears it.  Still those who are in evil do not feel, and therefore do not perceive, otherwise than that evil is good; for evil gives enjoyment to their senses, especially sight and hearing, and from that gives enjoyment also to their thoughts, and thus their perceptions.  While, therefore, the evil acknowledge that evil and good are opposites, still,