176. The existence of atmospheres in the spiritual world just as in the natural world can be seen from the fact that angels and spirits likewise breathe, and likewise speak and also hear, as people do in the natural world, and breathing requires as a means the presence of a lowest atmosphere which is called air, and so, too, do speech and hearing. The same can also be seen from the fact that angels and spirits likewise see as people do in the natural world, and sight is not possible except by means of an atmosphere purer than air. It can also be seen from the fact that angels and spirits likewise think and have affections as people do in the natural world, and thought and affection are not possible except by means of still purer atmospheres. And finally it can be seen from the fact that all the constituents of angels' and spirits' bodies, both the external ones and the internal ones, are held in connection by atmospheres, the outward constituents by the atmosphere of air, and the internal ones by the atmospheres of the ether. It is plain that without the surrounding pressure and action of these atmospheres, the inner and outer forms of the body would fly apart and be dispersed. Since angels are spiritual, and each and all of the constituents of their bodies are held in their connection, form and arrangement by atmospheres, it follows that those atmospheres are spiritual; and they are spiritual because they arise from the spiritual sun, which is the first emanation of the Lord's Divine love and wisdom.