1970. By genuine visions are meant visions or sights of those things which have real existence in the next life, and which are nothing else than real things that may be seen with the eyes of the spirit but not with those of the body. They are visible to man when his interior sight is opened by the Lord, that is, the sight his spirit possesses and into which he also enters when, separated from the body, he passes into the next life; for man is a spirit clothed with a body. Such were the visions of the prophets. When this sight is opened the things which have actual existence among spirits are seen in light brighter than midday light of the world; not only are representatives seen but also the spirits themselves. This is accompanied by a perception as to who those spirits are, and also what they are like, where they are, where they have come from, where they are going to, and what affection, conviction, and indeed faith exists with them, 1388, 1394. All of this is confirmed by living speech, altogether as if it were human speech, and free of all illusion.