(n. 1072).  Further about such (n. 196).  Examples showing that when spiritual things are entered into through knowledges they cannot be comprehended (n. 233, 2094, 2196, 2203, 2209).  It is permissible to enter from spiritual truth into knowledges which pertain to the natural man, but not the reverse, because there can be spiritual influx into the natural, but not natural influx into the spiritual (n. 3219, 5119, 5259, 5427, 5428, 5478, 6322, 9110).  The truths of the word and of the church must first be acknowledged, after which it is permissible to consider knowledges, but not before (n. 6047).

366.  XL.  Marriages in heaven.

As heaven is from the human race, and angels therefore are of both sexes, and from creation woman is for man and man is for woman, thus the one belongs to the other, and this love is innate in both, it follows that there are marriages in heaven as well as on the earth.  But marriages in heaven differ widely from marriages on the earth.  Therefore what marriages in heaven are, and how they differ from marriages on the earth and wherein they are like them, shall now be told.

367.  Marriage in heaven is a conjunction of two into one mind.  It must first be explained what this conjunction is.  The mind consists of two parts, one called the understanding and the other the will.  When these two parts act as one they are called one mind.  In heaven the husband acts the part called the understanding and the wife acts the part called the will.  When this conjunction, which belongs to man’s interiors, descends into the lower parts pertaining to the body, it is perceived and felt as love, and this love is marriage love.  This shows that marriage love has its origin in the conjunction of two into one mind.  This in heaven is called cohabitation; and the two are not called two but one.  So in heaven a married pair is spoken of, not as two, but as one angel.{1}

{Footnote 1} It is not known at this day what marriage love is, or whence it is (n. 2727).  Marriage love is willing what another wills, thus willing mutually and reciprocally (n. 2731).  Those that are in marriage love dwell together in the inmosts of life (n. 2732).  It is such a union of two minds that from love they are one (n. 10168, 10169).  For the love of minds, which is spiritual love, is a union (n. 1594, 2057, 3939, 4018, 5807, 6195, 7081-7086, 7501, 10130).

368.  Moreover, such a conjunction of husband and wife in the inmosts of their minds comes from their very creation; for man is born to be intellectual, that is, to think from the understanding, while woman is born to be affectional, that is, to think from her will; and this is evident from the inclination or natural disposition of each, also from their form; from the disposition, in that man acts from reason and woman from affection; from the form in that man has a rougher and less beautiful face, a deeper voice and a harder body; while woman has a smoother and