600.  It must be understood that the conjunction of man with heaven and with hell is not a direct conjunction with them, but a mediate conjunction by means of spirits who are in the world of spirits.  These spirits, and none from hell itself or from heaven itself, are with man.  By means of evil spirits in the world of spirits man is conjoined with hell, and by means of good spirits there he is conjoined with heaven.  Because of this the world of spirits is intermediate between heaven and hell, and in that world is equilibrium itself. (That the world of spirits is intermediate between heaven and hell may be seen in the chapter on the world of spirits, n. 421-431; and that the essential equilibrium between heaven and hell is there may be seen in the preceding chapter, n. 589-596.) From all this the source of man’s freedom is evident.

601.  Something more must be said about the spirits that are joined with man.  An entire society can have communication with another society, or with an individual wherever he is; by means of a spirit sent forth from the society; this spirit is called the subject of the many.  The same is true of man’s conjunction with societies in heaven, and with societies in hell, by means of spirits from the world of spirits that are joined with man. (On this subject see also the Arcana Coelestia in the passages referred to below.)

602.  Finally something must be said respecting man’s intuition in regard to his life after death which is derived from the influx of heaven into man.  There were some of the simple common people who had lived in the world in the good of faith who were brought back into a state like that in which they had been in the world, which can be done with any one when the Lord grants it; and it was then shown what opinion they had held about the state of man after death.  They said that some intelligent persons had asked them in the world what they thought about their soul after the life on earth; and they replied that they did not know what the soul is.  They were then asked what they believed about their state after death; and they said that they believed that they would live as spirits.  Again they were asked what belief they had respecting a spirit; and they said that he is a man.  They were asked how they knew this; and they said that they knew it because it is so.  Those intelligent men were surprised that the simple had such a faith, which they themselves did not have.  This is a proof that in every man who is in conjunction with heaven there is an intuition respecting his life after death.  This intuition is from no other source than an influx out of heaven, that is, through heaven from the Lord by means of spirits from the world of spirits who are joined with man.  This intuition those have who have not extinguished their freedom of thinking by notions previously adopted and confirmed by various arguments respecting the soul of man, which is held to be either pure thought, or some vital principle the seat of which is sought for in the body; and yet the soul is nothing but the life of man, while the spirit is the man himself; and the earthly body which he carries about with him in the world is merely an agent whereby the spirit, which is the man himself, is enabled to act fitly in the natural world.