491. THE FIRST STATE OF MAN AFTER DEATH
There are three states that man passes through after death before he comes into 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, who do not pass through them; but immediately after death are either taken up into heaven or cast into hell. Those who are immediately taken up into heaven are those who have been regenerated and thereby prepared in the world for heaven. Those who 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 who 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 who immediately after death are cast into caverns and are thus separated from those who 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 neighbour under civil pretences. But all these are few in comparison with those who are retained in the world of spirits, and are there prepared in accordance with Divine order for heaven or for hell.