238. So long as man lives in the world, he does not know anything about the opening of these degrees in him, the reason being that he is then in the natural degree which is the ultimate, and from this he thinks, wills, speaks and acts; and the spiritual degree which is interior, communicates with the natural degree, not by continuity, but by correspondences, and communication by correspondences is not sensibly felt. But as soon as man has put off the natural degree which is the case when he dies, he then comes into that degree which has been opened with him in the world. He with whom the spiritual degree has been opened comes into the spiritual degree, he with whom the celestial degree has been opened, comes into the celestial degree. He who comes into the spiritual degree after death, no longer thinks, wills, speaks and acts naturally, but spiritually; and he who comes into the celestial degree thinks, wills, speaks and acts in accordance with that degree. And because communication between degrees can only be by correspondences, therefore the distinctions of love, wisdom and use as regards these degrees are such as to have nothing in common through any continuity. From these things it is plain that there are degrees of height in man, and that they can be successively opened.