2. In the other life it is common knowledge that there are many planets with people on them and consequently spirits and angels from them. If a love of truth and therefore some useful reason prompts people there to want to talk with spirits from other worlds, they are all allowed to do so. This assures them that there is indeed a plurality of worlds and informs them that humankind exists on not just one earth but countless planets. It teaches them also about the character and life of these people, and about their worship of God.

9968. On my arrival there the actual planet did not appear, only spirits from that planet; for as I have noted several times previously, the spirits of each planet appear around their own planet. One reason for this is that being of differing character or disposition spirits differ as to their state of life (difference of state in the next life sets people apart, while likeness of state draws them together); and another more important reason is that they may be present with the inhabitants of their planet who are like themselves in character or disposition. For no person can live without spirits, and everyone has like spirits linked to him, see 5846-5866, 5976-5993. Those spirits appeared in a position very high above head-level, from where they had a clear view of me coming.

[2] It should be remembered that those positioned high up can have a clear view of those who are below, and that the higher they are, the wider their view is; and not only do they have a clear view of them, they can also speak to them. They observed from where they were that I was not from their planet but from somewhere else far away. Consequently they addressed me from up there, asking about various matters to which I was also allowed to reply. Among other things I told them what planet I was from and what it was like. After that I spoke about the planets in our solar system, and at the same time also about the spirits of the planet Mercury, who are allowed to wander around to very many planets, gathering items of knowledge about different things, as is their delight, see 6808-6817, 6921-6932, 7069-7079. On hearing this they said that they too had seen them among themselves.

68. I am well aware of the fact that many people will say that nobody can possibly speak to spirits or angels as long as he is living in the body, and that many will call it delusion. Some will say that I have spread these ideas around so as to win people's trust, while others will say something different again. But none of this deters me; for I have seen, I have heard, I have felt.