1314. The spirits of a middle kind, however, wanted to say that it was not so, but this was not permitted them by the heavens, except to say that they did not comprehend it, for if they were to lose the life which they have as spirits they do not know what life would be. The reason of this, I say, is that exteriors can by no means perceive interiors, but interiors do perceive exteriors. The angels of the interior heaven perceive this from the Lord through faith. Thus it is not surprising if men do not comprehend this, for these spirits far excel men in the faculty of understanding. When I asked them whether they did not want to become angels, they replied that they did, but that they wanted to lose nothing of their own life; and when I further said that they would then receive a better life, they could not perceive it.