158 HEAVEN and HELL §294
heaven or with hell, the evil ones with hell and the good ones with
heaven. Heaven is differentiated into communities, and so is hell. Every
spirit is a member of some community, is sustained by an infl ow from it,
and therefore acts in harmony with it. This is why we are united with
heaven or hell just as we are united with spirits. We are actually united to
some community there, the community we belong to in respect to our
affection or our love; for all heaven’s communities are differentiated
according to their affections for what is good and true and all hell’s com-
munities according to their affections for what is evil and false (on heav-
en’s communities, see above, §§ 41 – 45 and 148 – 151 ).295 The kind of spirit that is associated with us is determined by the kind
of person we are in respect to affection and love, though good spirits are
assigned to us by the Lord while we ourselves summon the evil ones. The
spirits with us change, however, as our own affections change. This
means we have one kind with us in infancy, another kind during our
childhood, another kind as we are growing up and in early adulthood,
and still another kind in old age. During our earliest years, spirits who are
in innocence are with us, that is, spirits who are in touch with the heaven
of innocence, the inmost or third heaven. In later childhood we are in the
company of spirits who are engaged in an affection for knowledge and
who are in touch with the ultimate or fi rst heaven. As we are growing up,
during our early adulthood, spirits who are responsive to affections for
what is true and good and therefore with intelligence are with us. They
are spirits who are in touch with the second or intermediate heaven. In
old age, though, spirits who are in wisdom and innocence are with us,
spirits therefore who are in touch with the inmost or third heaven.
Still, this association is arranged by the Lord for people who can be
reformed and regenerated. It is different for people who cannot be reformed
or regenerated. Good spirits are assigned to them as well in order to restrain
them from evil as much as possible, but their direct connection is with the
evil spirits who are in touch with hell. This means that the spirits are of the
same nature as the people they are associated with. Whether they love
themselves or money or revenge or adultery, the same kind of spirits are
with them and are, so to speak, taking up residence in their evil affections.
To the extent that we cannot be restrained from evil by good spirits, they
infl ame us, and to the extent that an evil affection is in control, they cling
to us and will not back off.
In this way, evil people are united to hell and good people to heaven.