2182. A spiritual mental image in regard to the speech of spirits is certainly a recognizing of their disposition, but it involves much more as well. As said before, it sees whether a path is open toward heaven, or whether the mind lies open only to the world, and to what extent, and to what in the world, not only in general, but specifically. For someone, therefore, to whom the Lord grants it, by the mere utterance of a single word, almost the whole character of the spirit is exposed, consequently his quality. But also the state in which he is must be observed, which is likewise seen by the angels when the Lord so grants. What, then, does the Lord not see! For in every single idea, there is an image of the whole person, of everything one had thought, spoken or done from earliest childhood on. No one would believe this, except one who is in heaven.