It was shown above that there are three degrees of the human mind which are called natural, spiritual and celestial, and that these degrees may be successively opened in man. It was then shown that the natural degree is first opened, and afterwards, if a man shuns evils as sins and looks to the Lord, the spiritual degree is opened, and lastly the celestial degree. Since these degrees are successively opened according to a man's life, it follows that the two higher degrees may not even be opened, and that then the man remains in the natural degree which is the lowest. It is also known in the world that there is a natural and a spiritual man, or an external and an internal man. But it is not known that a natural man becomes spiritual by the opening of any higher degree in him, and that the opening comes about by a spiritual life, which is a life in conformity with the Divine precepts, and that without a life in conformity with these man remains natural.