that the difference is that man has three degrees of mind, that is, three
degrees of understanding and will, which degrees can be opened
successively; and as these are transparent, man can be raised as to his
understanding into the light of heaven and see truths, not only civil
and moral, but also spiritual, and from many truths seen can form
conclusions about truths in their order, and thus perfect the
understanding to eternity. But beasts do not have the two higher
degrees, but only the natural degrees, and these apart from the higher
degrees have no capacity to think on any subject, civil, moral, or
spiritual. And since the natural degrees of beasts are incapable of
being opened, and thereby raised into higher light, they are unable to
think in successive order, but only in simultaneous order, which is not
thinking, but acting from a knowledge corresponding to their love. And
because they are unable to think analytically, and to view a lower
thought from any higher thought, they are unable to speak, but are able
only to utter sounds in accordance with the knowledge pertaining to their
love. Yet the sensual man, who is in the lowest sense natural, differs
from the beast only in this, that he can fill his memory with knowledges,
and think and speak therefrom; this power he gets from a capacity proper
to every man, of being able to understand truth if he chooses; it is this
capacity that makes the difference. Nevertheless many, by abuse of this
capacity, have made themselves lower than beasts.

256. THE NATURAL DEGREE OF THE HUMAN MIND REGARDED IN ITSELF IS CONTINUOUS,
BUT BY CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE TWO HIGHER DEGREES IT APPEARS WHEN IT IS
ELEVATED AS IF IT WERE DISCRETE.

Although this is hardly comprehensible, by those who have as yet no
knowledge of degrees of height, it must nevertheless be revealed, because
it is a part of angelic wisdom; and while the natural man is unable to