Swedenborg: The Most Gifted Mystic Ever

[Deadworm]

Nightflight, I am delighted to see you start a thread on Emanuel Swedenborg (hereafter ES: 1688-1772). I'm starting this complementary thread to illustrate ES's unprecedented psychic talents, to present some of ES's discoveries about that nature of Heaven and Hell and the process of entering postmortem existence, and to report on his awesome verifications of his visits to spiritual dimensions. I am no Swedenborgian; In fact, I vehemently disagree with much of his theology. But O, does ES have much to teach us and to assess in the light of Scripture.

Why else shoud you study ES? (1) He is arguably the greatest mystic who ever lived. (2) A Stanford research team claimed that, together with philosopher/ mathematician, John Stuart Mill, and German poet, Goethe, ES had the highest IQ ever! http://whitecrowbooks.com/michaeltymn/entry/swedenborg_a_genius_who_explored_the_afterlife
(3) ES was the greatest Swedish scientist in history.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emanuel_Swedenborg

I highly recommend 2 books, one by ES and the other about ES: (1) ES's magisterial book, "Heaven and Hell," [The Portable Edition) translated by George Dole, in which ES shares what he has learned from his visits to the heavens and hells;
(2) Wilson Van Dusen's book about ES, "The Presence of Other Worlds," especially chapter 7, ironically entitled "Minor Miracles." I say "ironically" because this is the most electrifying chapter on afterlife verification and visitation of spiritual dimensions I have ever read! I will be presenting material from van Dusen in this thread.

 

[Deadworm]

(1) ES's transformation from scientist to mystic is facilitated by his unique capacity for deep meditative states, the stages of which are too complex and nuanced for me to do them justice. But the basic steps are outlined below, mostly from Wilson van
Dusen's "The Presence of Other Worlds," (Page numbers appended):

a. "ES would relax, close his eyes, and focus with total concentration on a single problem... His breathing would nearly stop. Awareness of the outer world and even bodily sensation would diminish and perhaps disappear (21)."
b. ES routinely receives visions of a warm and loving affirming flame of various sizes, which appeared to signal the truth of his breakthrough scientific ideas (24-25).
c. ES then develops the mental discipline to master the hypnogogic state, the threshold between consciousness and falling asleep and the process of waking. This mastery leads to an understanding of dream and trance states, triggered spontaneous insights into scientific solutions, and eventually made possible regular contact with the spirit world (27ff.).
d. Finally, ES has a highly symbolic visionary experience of his inner purification, followed later by a vision of Christ opening his inner eye to see spiritual worlds and to explore the spiritual interpretation of Scripture (See Ernst Benz, "Emanuel Swedenborg: Visionary Savant in the Age of Reason," chapters 13-15).

The awesome verifications of ES's visits to spiritual dimensions described in "The Presence of Other Worlds" will be surveyed in my next planned post.

 

[Deadworm]

The conversation in the parallel Swedenborg thread creates the impression that none of the participants have read any of ES's books or any books about ES. Yet they are quite willing to pontificate from ignorance. Are there any honest seekers on this site who are willing to engage the hard work of critical thinking? ES deserves an honest hearing, if for no other reason, than because he was much brighter than Luther and Calvin and far more spiritually gifted than any Christian of the post-apostolic era. Posters on the other ES thread seem to have no idea what kind of man they are dealing with. Please watch this documentary and be amazed!

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...C3674E83366FB5AB644EC3674E83366FB5A&FORM=VIRE

(2) THREE EXAMPLES OF ES'S VERIFICATIONS OF HIS ABILITY TO CONTACT AND CONVERSE WITH THE DEAD AT WILL:
(A) In April, 1761, the countesse de Marteville asked ES, if he could visit her late husband, the Dutch ambassador, in the spirit world and ask him about the location of the receipt for an expensive silver service he had given her. She was certain that he had paid for it, but the silversmith was now demanding payment and she couldn't afford it. ES agreed and 3 days later, he reported that her husband had put the receipt in an upstairs bureau. She protested that she had already searched that bureau, but ES replied that her husband told him he had created a false back for a certain drawer and the receipt was concealed there. The woman and her company went upstairs and found the receipt exactly where ES told her it would be (161).

(B) Several months later, ES honored Queen Louisa Ulrica of Sweden's request for a visit. She asked him if it was true that he could converse with the dead. When he said yes, she gave him a message to take to her brother. she and her brother had been separated by tragedy because their countries were at war with each other when he died. Afterwards there was a dinner party, and the other guests thought the queen didn't really believe in ES's powers.

Some time later, Count Scheffer again brought ES to court. The queen lightly asked if he had a message from her brother. ES said yes and asked that they speak alone.
The queen was so shocked by what she heard that she had to retire. she said later that ES had reported what no other living person knew. ES was later hounded by reporters to reveal what he had told her, but he kept the confidence secret.
\(C) A merchant from Elberfeld's close friend had died of tuberculosis. In 1770 the merchant asked ES if he would visit his late friend and ask him what subject he and the merchant were discussing that last time they conversed. ES agreed. A few days later, the merchant again visited ES, who smiled and said, "I have spoken with your friend; the subject of your discourse was the restitution of all things." The merchant turned pale as ES related precisely what each of them had said on this topic. The merchant then asked, "How fares it with my friend? Is he in a state of blessedness?" ES replied, "No, he is not yet in heaven; he is still in Hades, and torments himself continually with the idea of the restitution of all things." The merchant exclaimed in astonishment, "My God! What, in the other world?" ES replied, "Certainly; a man takes with him his favorite inclinations and opinions, and it is very difficult to be divested of them. We ought, therefore, to lay them aside here (168-170)."

 

[Deadworm]

(3) ES's REVELATIONS OF DISTANT CURRENT EVENTS PARANORMALLY GLEANED FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD:
(a) On July 17, 1759, a prominent merchant, William Castel, hosted ES and 15 other guests at a dinner in his Gothenberg home. At 6 PM, a highly agitated ES announced the outbreak of a monster fire in Stockholm 300 miles away. He described how it started, where it burned, when it was contained, and was dismayed to see a friend's house already in ashes. It took 2 days for news of the fire to reach Gothenberg, and every detail given by ES was confirmed!

(b) In 1770, at another Gothenberg dinner attended by many, ES suddenly turned to Mr. Bolander, a manufacturer who owned several cloth mills, and warned: "Sir, you had better go to your mills!" Recognizing ES's psychic talents, Bolanger rushed to his mills and found that a large piece of cloth had fallen down near the furnace and had started to burn. Had he not arrived on time to put out the fire, his whole property would have been in ashes. He returned to the dinner to profusely thank ES.

(c) At another dinner, this time in Amsterdam, ES went into a trance in the midst of a conversation. Upon relentless prodding, revealed in detail how Emperor Peter III of Russia had just been deposed and strangled in prison.
ES urged the partygoers to note the date and details, so that they could compare this with future newspaper reports. The later newspaper accounts confirmed ES's revelation at the party.

(4) THREE ES PARANORMAL PREDICTIONS OF EXACT TIMES OF EVENTS:
(a) In the 1700s, unpredictable weather and winds made ship arrival times hard to predict. But on one sea long voyage from London to Stockholm, ES once told Captain Dixon that the ship would arrive in Stockholm at exactly 2PM--and it did!

(b) At a Stockholm gathering, ES was challenged to display his other worldly contacts by identifying who among their gathering would die first. After meditating for a while, ES put a chill in their frivolity by replying: "Olaf Olafsohn will die tomorrow morning at 4:45 AM." A concerned friend headed for Olafsohn's house near that time and was greeted by Olafsohn's servant who informed him that Olafsohn had just died.
The clock had stopped at 4:45 AM!

(c) In February, 1772, Methodist founder, John Wesley was handed a letter from ES. ES said his spirit world contacts had informed him of Wesley's eagerness to meet him and ES wanted to set up a meeting. Wesley was stunned because he had told no one of his desire to meet ES, but he wrote ES to say that their meeting must be postponed for 6 months until his return from a missionary tour of America. ES expressed his regret that 6 months was too late because he was destined to die on March 29--and he did! Similarly, my Dad had a German friend, Helmut who always said he was destined to die on his 90th birthday--and he did!

 

[Deadworm]

ES's magisterial "Heaven and Hell" is based on his own experiences and guidance in the spirit worlds. The credibility of ES's witness is documented in my 2 preceding posts. The 3 stages after death are selectively cited from $491-520 of that book.

THE FIRST POSTMORTEM STAGE:
1. "They [the newly dead] find themselves wanting to know what heaven and hell are like and where they are. Consequently, their friends tell them about the state of eternal life and take them around to different places, into the company of different people. They go to different cities, to gardens and parks, often to gorgeous ones because things like this appeal to the outward concerns they are involved in."

MY COMMENT: Standard features of NDEs include a greeting party of relatives and friends and visions of gorgeous gardens, parks, and cities. ES would warn us against the assumption that these positive NDEs indicate their heavenly destination!

2. "Many of them think they will go to heaven, not reflecting that both good and evil people lead similar outward lives, being similarly helpful to others, going to church, listening to sermons, and praying similarly, utterly unaware that outward behavior and outward worship accomplish nothing."

3. "The quality of our outward actions is determined by the quality of our intentions and thoughts and the love and faith within them. Instead, "they [attach importance to speaking and acting."

4. In Stage 1, evil souls can still hide behind their self-image and presenting self. But good spirits gradually expose this sham.

THE SECOND POSTMORTEM STAGE:
1. "Once the first state of our more outward concerns has been completed, we as spirits are brought into the state of our deeper concerns...that we engaged in when we were left to ourselves in this world and our thinking was free and unfettered."

2. "When we think privately, we think about what we will say and do in order to please people and gain friendships, good will, and gratitude by devious means, that is, differently than if we were acting from our actual intent."

3. "They are then free to act in accord with the thoughts of their intentions because they are separated from the more outward factors that constrained them in the world."
4. As their core desires are separated from their presenting self that seeks to preserve a certain public image and self-image, they are gradually drawn to a heaven or hell consisting of likeminded souls. The suffering of a hell thus serves as a mirror of our true self, a mirror that allows us to answer the question: "What would my life be like in a world in which my thoughts can't be hidden and my neighbors share my core desires?" As Jesus puts it, "With the judgement you pronounce you will be judged and the measure you dish out will be the measure you get back (Matthew 7:2)." "Nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known (Luke 12:2)."

THE THIRD POSTMORTEM STAGE: Instruction for Those Entering Heaven
1. It is eventually established that the hellbound cannot be taught. Thus, they never reach Stage 3.

2. People from other world religions who "lived good lives in accordance with their religion" and "behaved fairly and honestly..because of the laws of their religion" "are readily led the recognize the Lord when they are taught...The best of them are from Africa." Christians are taught by Christians, Muslims by ex-Muslims, etc. Muslims readily "let go of Muhammad" and "turn to the Lord and worship Him, recognizing His divine nature."

3. Heavenbound spirits "are constantly breathing in a desire to know what is true, for the sake of constructive living" that serves "the welfare of the Lord's kingdom." "The Lord sees to it that we love the constructive activities that suit our gifts."

MY COMMENT: Most people act like this life is our career and heaven is like a Disneyworld or a glorified static nursing home in the skies. But Jesus taught that this life is our school and our afterlife is our true career with the chance to exercise jurisdiction over cities (Luke 19:17-19). Thus, Paul can ask: "Do you not know that the saints will judge the cosmos (1 Corinthians 6:2)?"

I'm fascinated by ES's afterlife discoveries. What do you think?

 

[nightflight]

I find his teachings frightening and hideous. Absolutely damning to a person like me.

 

[Fizzywig]

I find his teachings frightening and hideous. Absolutely damning to a person like me.

Which suggests some words of C G Jung........"Hence there is absolutely no truth that does not spell salvation for one person and damnation to another."

It the implications of this are seen and accepted, then it would seem to imply that we should be careful in seeking to give definitive advice to another.

 

[EmSw]

I find his teachings frightening and hideous. Absolutely damning to a person like me.

Not to worry. Whatever your delights are in this world, you will keep them throughout eternity. If you believe there is no God, no one will try to change your thinking. You are free to do whatever you desire. But, you must know every thought and accompanying action does have its own consequences. Your own actions will judge you, not God.

 

[ChetSinger]

I'm fascinated by ES's afterlife discoveries. What do you think?

I'm repelled by them. How could he determine whether he's speaking to the dead or to deceitful spirits impersonating the dead?

I see nothing in either Hebrew or Christian scriptures where we're supposed to seek out communication with spirits. Quite the opposite: they're to stay in their realm and we're to stay in ours.

 

[Deadworm]

I'm repelled by them. How could he determine whether he's speaking to the dead or to deceitful spirits impersonating the dead?

I see nothing in either Hebrew or Christian scriptures where we're supposed to seek out communication with spirits. Quite the opposite: they're to stay in their realm and we're to stay in ours.

Paul exhorts us to "zealously strive for the spiritual charisms, especially that you may prophesy (1 Corinthians 14:1)." One manifestation of the prophetic gift is visionary experience. So I guess you reject the biblical books of Ezekiel and Revelation too. Like ES, they experience their visions while they are "in the Spirit (Revelation 1:10; Ezekiel 2:1-2)." Yet ES has far more impressive verifications than either of these biblical authors. (No, I don't want his book, "Heaven and Hell" to be treated like the Bible. The ES sections quoted below derive from that book.)

IN ES's daY, medical science lacked modern resuscitation techniques and no one was discussing NDEs back then. Yet ES's opportunities to witness and experience the 3 stages of afterlife entry are strikingly helpful in answering 3 vexing questions about NDEs:

(1) If NDEs are genuine, why are most of them so positive and beautiful for most people, even non-Christians?

In the first phase of the afterlife, most people's experience is beautiful..
The first after life phase focuses on external concerns and the outward self.
Thus, friends and other caring souls "take them around to various places (in Paradise)...They go to different cities, to gardens and parks, often to gorgeous ones because things like this appeal to the outer concerns they are involved in (495)."

In my prior post I laid out ES's repeated experience of the 2-stage process by which evil souls gradually become their core desires (initially buried by their presenting self and self-image) and drift towards a hell based on the principle that like attracts like (Matthew 7:1-2). Thus, ES's experience supports C. S. Lewis's memorable quote, "The gates of Hell are locked from the inside."

(2) People typically find it hard to describe their NDEs because they happen outside the space-time continuum. Can this be clarified?

ES discovers that postmortem time and space are simply changes of mental state:
"This is also why in the spiritual world, one individual is present to another only if that presence is intensely desired. This is because one person sees another in thought in this way and identifies with that individual's state. Conversely, one person moves away from another to the extent that there is any sense of reluctance; and since all reluctance comes from an opposition of affections and disagreements of thoughts, there can be many people appearing together in one place as long as they agree, but as soon as they disagree, they vanish (194)."

"Whenever people move from one place to another, whether it is in their town, in their courtyards, in their gardens, or to people outside their own community, they get there more quickly if they are eager to and more slowly if they are not. The path itself is lengthened or shortened, depending on their desire, even though it is the same path. I have often seen this, much to my surprise (195)."

(3) NDEs typically feature a vivid past life review. How can this be reconciled with the biblical teaching about the recording of our deeds in "books," including the Book of Life (Revelation 20:12, 15)?"

"To prevent (sinners) from believing they were blameless, everything was disclosed and drawn out of their memory in sequence from the beginning of their life to the end...(Their evils) are drawn from their own memory and exposed. There is no room for denial because all the circumstances are presented together..."Nothing is hidden that will not be uncovered; nothing is concealed that will not be known (Luke 12:2--[462]).""

"We may also gather from this what is meant by our Book of Life mentioned in the Word. It is the fact that all our deeds and all our thoughts are written on our whole person and seem as though they are read out of a book when they are called out of our memory They appear as a kind of image when our spirit is looked at in heaven's light (463)."