262. THAT THERE ARE TRANQUIL SPHERES IN THE THIRD HEAVEN WHICH ARE TO BE CALLED SPHERES OF IGNORANCE This morning I was led into some so-called spheres of the third heaven, and indeed to its inmost, for each heaven has its inmost, its more interior, and its exterior. The spirits who were recently taken out of the pit were told to tarry there for a little time. There was tranquillity there, nor was anything at all sad perceived; wherefore here is the tranquillity which, in the interior degree, corresponds to peace in the inmost. Afterwards having been encompassed as if with [an angelic] column, I was led into other spheres as it were of the interior heaven, and also into the heaven of ignorance. (Each heaven can be distinguished into its own heavens.) Nothing whatever was heard there, but it was tranquil. At length I was led into another heaven of ignorance, consisting of such as cared nothing about heresies, and who neither affirm nor, deny anything whatever, saying that everyone cherishes his own opinion. There, however, it was not so tranquil. It was as if someone wanted to break down the wall with an axe, of whom everyone said he was afraid lest he should at length break in. These heavens are separate and well guarded: thus nothing in the heavens is indistinct, except according to the appearance in the lower heaven, which is no longer to be called the interior, but the lower, heaven, where there is a crowd of lower spirits above hell, who act licentiously. 1747, Nov. 21, o.s. The heaven of ignorance in the interior heaven, corresponds to Innocence in the more interior and inmost.* mThese are the habitations or mansions of heaven, of which God Messiah speaks (John 14:2), which are here called spheres.n * In the margin: "obs. obs."