Forth Letter In my previous letter, much revered Empress, I promised to send you a letter from a deceased person to his friend on Earth; it will be able to make you understand better and grasp my ideas on the state of a Christian after the death of the body. I take the liberty of attaching it to this one. Judge it from the point of view that I have indicated to you, and please direct your attention to the main subject, rather than to some details surrounding it, although I have reason to suppose that these also contain something true.
For the understanding of the matters that I will present to you in the following format, I believe it necessary to point out to you that I am almost certain that, despite the existence of a general, identical and immutable law of punishment and of supreme happiness, each Spirit, according to their individual character, not only moral and religious, but also personal and official, will have sufferings to endure after their earthly death and will enjoy the happiness that will be only appropriate to oneself. The general law will be individualized to every person, that is, it will produce in each one a different and personal effect, just as the same ray of light, passing through a colored glass, convex or concave, draws its specific color and direction from it. I would, therefore, like it to be accepted positively: that although all the blessed, less happy or suffering Spirits are under the same very simple law of similarity or dissimilarity with the most perfect love, we must presume that the substantial, personal character, of each Spirit constitutes a state of suffering or happiness, essentially different from the state of suffering or happiness of another Spirit. Each one suffers in a way that is different from another's suffering and feels pleasures that another would not be able to feel. To each of the material and immaterial worlds, God and Christ present themselves in a particular form, in which they appear to no one except oneself. Everyone has their own point of view. To each Spirit God speaks a language that is understandable only to him. To each one he communicates in a particular way and grants him with pleasures that only he can experience and contain.
This idea, that I consider to be a truth, serves as the basis for all subsequent communications given by the discarnate Spirits to their friends on Earth.
I will be pleased when I hear that you have understood how each man, by shaping his individual character and perfecting his individuality, can prepare for himself special pleasures and appropriate bliss for himself alone.
As nothing is forgotten so quickly, and nothing is less sought after by men than this happiness, appropriate to each individual, although each has every possibility of obtaining and enjoying it, I take the liberty, wise and respected Empress, to beg you to deign to analyze with attention this idea that you certainly cannot regard as useless for your own edification and your elevation towards God: God placed himself, and placed the universe in the heart of every man.
Every man is a particular mirror of the universe and of its Creator. So, let us make all our efforts, much venerated Empress, to keep this mirror as pure as possible, so that God can see in it himself and his thousand-fold beautiful creation, reflected to his entire satisfaction.
Johann-Kaspar Lavater
Zurich, September 14th, 1798
