[faculties] cannot conceive of progressions apart from spaces. But,
nevertheless, those who think from the Sensual of their spirit, that
has in some degree been removed or withdrawn from the Sensual of the
body, thus, who think interiorly in themselves, may be induced to
believe and comprehend it, since in the idea of interior thought there
is neither space nor time, but instead of them there are those things
from which spaces and times proceed. Those things, therefore, that
follow, concerning the earths in the starry heaven, are for the use
of the latter, and not for the former, unless they are of such a
character as to suffer themselves to be instructed.

[Footnote tt: Man after death has with him the memory of all his
concerns in the world, nos. 2476-2486.]

128. In a state of wakefulness, I was led as to the spirit by the Lord
through angels to a certain earth in the universe, accompanied by some
spirits from this globe. The progression took place towards the right,
and lasted for two hours. Near the boundary of our solar system, there
appeared first a whitish but dense cloud, and after it a fiery smoke
ascending from a great gulf: this was an immense chasm, separating our
solar system on that side from certain systems of the starry heaven.
The fiery smoke appeared over a considerable distance. I was conveyed
across the midst of it, and then there appeared beneath in that gulf
or chasm very many men, who were spirits (for all spirits appear in
the human form, and are actually men). I also heard them talking with
each other; but whence they were, or of what character, it was not
given me to know. One of them, however, told me that they were guards
to prevent spirits passing without permission from this into any other
system in the universe. That this was the case, was also confirmed;
for when some spirits who were in the company, and who had not