rd to what
one's interior life may be, thus that heaven is granted to each one
by mercy apart from means;{1} when, in fact, unless heaven is within
one, nothing of the heaven that is outside can flow in and be
received. There are many spirits who have this idea. Because of this
belief they have been taken up into heaven; but when they came there,
because their interior life was contrary to the angelic life, their
intellectual faculties began to be blinded until they became like
fools; and they began to be tortured in their voluntary faculties
until they became like madmen. In a word, if those that have lived
wickedly come into heaven they gasp for breath and writhe about, like
fishes out of water in the air, or like animals in ether in an
airpump when the air has been exhausted. From this it can be seen
that heaven is not outside of a man, but within him.{2}

{Footnote 1} Heaven is not granted from mercy apart from means,
but in accordance with the life; yet everything of the life by
which man is led to heaven by the Lord belongs to mercy; this
is what is meant by mercy (n. 5057, 10659). If heaven were
granted from mercy apart from means it would be granted to all
(n. 2401). About some evil spirits cast down from heaven who
believed that heaven was granted to everyone from mercy apart
from means (n. 4226).

{Footnote 2} Heaven is in man (n. 3884).

55. As everyone receives the heaven that is outside of him in
accordance with the quality of the heaven that is within him, so in
like manner does everyone receive the Lord, since it is the Divine of
the Lord that makes heaven. And for this reason when the Lord becomes
manifestly present in any society His appearance there is in accord
with the quality of the good in which the society is, thus not the
same in one society as in another. This diversity is not in the Lord;
it is in the angels who behold Him from their own good, and thus in
accordance with their good. And they are affected by His appearance
in accordance with the quality of their love, those who love Him
inmostly being inmostly affected, and those who love Him less being
less affected; while the evil who are outside of heaven are tortured
by His presence. When the Lord is seen in any society He is seen as
an angel, but is distinguished from others by the Divine that shines
through.

56. Again, heaven is where the Lord is acknowledged, believed in, and
loved. Variety in worship of the L