251. (1) What the natural self is, and what the spiritual self is. A person is not human because of his appearance and anatomy but because of his intellect and will. Consequently by the natural self and spiritual self we mean a person's intellect and will as being either natural or spiritual. In respect to its intellect and will a person's natural self resembles the natural world, and can also be called a world or microcosm; and in respect to its intellect and will the spiritual self resembles the spiritual world, and can also be called such a world or heaven. [2] It is apparent, therefore, that the natural self, being in a kind of image a natural world, loves things connected with the natural world, and that the spiritual self, being in a kind of image a spiritual world, loves things connected with that world or heaven. The spiritual self, indeed, loves the natural world, too, but only as a master loves his servant, through whom he performs useful services. According to the useful services it performs, the natural self also becomes like the spiritual self, which comes to pass when the natural self feels a delight in useful service from a spiritual origin. Such a natural self may be called spiritually natural. [3] The spiritual self loves spiritual truths. It not only loves to know and understand them, but also wills them. The natural self, on the other hand, loves to speak about those truths and also to put them into practice. To put truths into practice is to perform useful services. This subordination of the natural to the spiritual originates from the conjunction of the spiritual world and natural world. For whatever appears or occurs in the natural world takes its cause from the spiritual world. It can be seen from this that the spiritual self is altogether distinct from the natural self, and that no other communication exists between them than such as exists between cause and effect.