491.  LI.  The first state of man after death.

There are three states that man passes through after death before he enters either heaven or hell.  The first state is the state of his exteriors, the second state the state of his interiors, and the third his state of preparation.  These states man passes through in the world of spirits.  There are some, however, that do not pass through them; but immediately after death are either taken up into heaven or cast into hell.  Those that are immediately taken up into heaven are those that have been regenerated in the world and thereby prepared for heaven.  Those that have been so regenerated and prepared that they need simply to cast off natural impurities with the body are at once taken up by the angels into heaven.  I have seen them so taken up soon after the hour of death.  On the other hand, those that have been inwardly wicked while maintaining an outward appearance of goodness, and have thus filled up the measure of their wickedness by artifices, using goodness as a means of deceiving-these are at once cast into hell.  I have seen some such cast into hell immediately after death, one of the most deceitful with his head downward and feet upward, and others in other ways.  There are some that immediately after death are cast into caverns and are thus separated from those that are in the world of spirits, and are taken out from these and put back again by turns.  They are such as have dealt wickedly with the neighbor under civil pretences.  But all these are few in comparison with those that are retained in the world of spirits, and are there prepared in accordance with Divine order for heaven or for hell.

492.  In regard to the first state, which is the state of the exteriors, it is that which man comes into immediately after death.  Every man, as regards his spirit, has exteriors and interiors.  The exteriors of the spirit are the means by which it adapts the man’s body in the world, especially the face, speech, and movements, to fellowship with others; while the interiors of the spirit are what belong to its own will and consequent thought; and these are rarely manifested in face, speech, and movement.  For man is accustomed from childhood to maintain a semblance of friendship, benevolence, and sincerity, and to conceal the thoughts of his own will, thereby living from habit a moral and civil life in externals, whatever he may be internally.  As a result of this habit man scarcely knows what his interiors are, and gives little thought to them.

493.  The first state of man after death resembles his state in the world, for he is then likewise in externals, having a like face, like speech, and a like disposition, thus a like moral and civil life; and in consequence he is made aware that he is not still in the world only by giving attention to what he encounters, and from his having been told by the angels when he was resuscitated that he had become a spirit(n. 450).  Thus is one life continued into the other, and death is merely transition.