2087. CONCERNING THE SPHERE OF SPIRITS ROUND ABOUT MAN. It was manifestly represented according to a spiritual idea, not only that there is, as it were, a sphere of spirits round about man, and that man is one of those who are in the sphere, but it appeared to me as if man was, as it were, a certain solid point, around whom was that sphere; for while man is in the body, then are his terrestrial parts represented by such a solid point, like as terraqueous globes are surrounded by their atmospheric spheres; but when his corporeal parts are laid aside, he becomes as one of the spirits, and is in that sphere like as a spirit. That such a sphere of spirits is diffused about, of greater or lesser extent; a sphere of powers acting through spirits, or one of efforts [conatus], was also manifestly shown to the spirits around me, who acknowledged and perceived such an arrangement, and said that they plainly perceive it.