4716. CONCERNING THE STATE OF SPIRITS RELATIVELY TO THE STATE OF MEN. THEIR REFLECTIONS. The state of spirits relatively to the state of men, appears similar at first glance, but yet it differs greatly. They think, indeed, similarly, and will similarly, but they are different as to reflections. Man in the world reflects from his corporeal memory, but spirits from the interior memory. When a man sees another, he reflects upon all that he had heard and has experienced concerning the person; and acknowledges him as friend and companion with whom he has associated, and, for various reasons, entered into friendship. But not so spirits. They acknowledge as friend him who is like themselves; for an acquaintance, everyone who receives their ideas; but this with much variety, and whether they have been acquainted or not. Man reflects upon the various things wherewith he may array, and with which he does array himself; and this variously. Neither do spirits do this. Garments are given them according to their state; and they do not know whence and at what time, nor do they care. Man knows of what sort is his house, his rooms, his halls, and many things, also the furniture. Spirits, indeed, are similarly circumstanced; but when their surroundings are changed, when new things are given them, when they are provided with furniture, they rarely reflect from whence, and when, these things came. But it is different with one spirit to what it is with another. Likewise, when he comes into another place he does not know where he had been before, thus does not turn back from the former to the latter, as does man. In a word, reflections are circumstanced according to the states in which they are, who are in the other life, and they who are in the world. In respect to reflections, so many things occur that they cannot be described; but, still, they have a wakefulness and life, though, on account of the differences of reflections, it differs greatly [with spirits] from the wakefulness and life of man. With evil spirits, it is altogether obscure, for they know nothing save to act from the propensity of evil; but it is otherwise with the good, because these think and act from an intellectual ground. The angels think and act in a far more excellent manner than men, although they are not so well acquainted with the state of man as to be able to institute a comparison. The principal cause, is, that they have no memory of the past, as regards such things as are external, but as regards such things as are internal, thus which are of faith and eternal life; but, from whence, or how, these things are learned, they do not remember. In this they are like infants who learn and know not how.