5095. CONCERNING THE INTELLIGENCE OF SPIRITS. I spoke concerning the regeneration of man, but only in reference to the fact that man is introduced into it by means of his affections, which takes place more fully, in proportion as they have given way and become better. Immediately, a certain spirit described, from influx out of heaven, its progress by its degrees, and then he proceeded, in order, up to several hundreds [of these degrees] - it might have been to several thousands, but it was very long; and this he did in such order, and with such ideas, as could not be comprehended by man, nor even for the most part, expressed, or grasped, by worldly ideas. And this was the progress of regeneration in the exterior man. It was said that thousands of thousands more are given in the interior man, and indefinitely more in the inmost: those, also, in the most external man were not recounted. Hence may be manifest what great intelligence spirits and angels possess, and what great ignorance men.