263. But when the spiritual mind has been opened, the state of the natural mind is entirely different. Then the natural mind is disposed towards obedience to the spiritual mind, and is subordinate to it. For the spiritual mind acts upon the natural mind from above or within, and removes the things therein which react, and adapts to itself those things which act in like manner with itself, so that the excessive reaction is gradually taken away. It is to be known that, in the greatest and least things of the universe, both living and dead, there is action and reaction, therefore there is an equilibrium of all things. This is annulled when action supersedes reaction, and vice versa. It is the same with the natural mind and with the spiritual mind. When the natural mind acts from the delights of its love, and the pleasures of its thoughts which in themselves are evils and falsities, then the reaction of the natural mind removes those things which are of the spiritual mind and blocks the doors against their entrance, and causes action to come from such things as agree with its reaction. Thus, action and reaction of the natural mind is brought about which is opposed to action and reaction of the spiritual mind. Hence a closing up of the spiritual mind takes place like the twisting back of a spiral. Whereas if the spiritual mind is open, then the action and reaction of the natural mind is turned inwards, for the spiritual mind acts from above or within, and at the same time from below or from without, through those things in the natural mind which are disposed towards obedience to it, and it twists back the spiral in which lie the action and reaction of the natural mind. For this mind is from birth in opposition to the things belonging to the spiritual mind, an opposition, as is well known, derived by heredity from parents. Such is the change of state which is called reformation and regeneration. The state of the natural mind before reformation can be compared to a spiral twisting or bending itself downwards. But after reformation it can be compared to a spiral twisting or bending itself upwards. Wherefore before reformation a man looks downwards towards hell, but after reformation, he looks upwards towards heaven.