288. All the angels of heaven confess that no one can think from himself but only from the Lord; while all the spirits of hell assert that no one can think from any other than himself. Yet it has sometimes been shown to these spirits that not one of them thinks or can think from himself, but that thought flows in. In vain, however, was this shown, for they would not accept it. Now experience will teach first, that all thought and affection, even with the spirits of hell, flow in from heaven; but that the good which flows in is, in hell, turned into evil and the truth into falsity, thus everything into its opposite. This was shown in the following manner. A certain truth from the Word was sent down from heaven, and was received by those who were in the upper region of hell, and by these was sent down to the lower hells, and so on to the lowest. On the successive stages of its way the truth was turned into falsity and finally into that falsity which was its direct opposite. Those with whom this change was made thought that the falsity was from themselves, nor did they know otherwise, although it was truth flowing down from heaven on its way to the lowest hell, which had become thus falsified and perverted. I have heard several times that this happened. The same thing takes place with good, which as it flows down from heaven is changed in its progress into the evil opposite to it. Hence it was evident that truth and good proceeding from the Lord as they are received by those who are in falsity and by those who are in evil are completely changed and pass into another form so different that the first form is not apparent. Thus it is with every wicked man, for such a one as to his spirit is in hell.