Psychology 409B, April 20, 2007

Outline 8: The Positive Bias and Swedenborg

Sean Mosier

 

Instructions for this activity are found at:

www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy26/g26-oral1.htm

Instructor: Dr. Leon James

James, Leon. (2007). The Unity Model of Marriage Lecture Notes. Online at: http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy26/409b-g26-lecture-notes.htm#spiritual

I.       The Positive Bias

a.      Psychology actually has two forms

                                                                                 i.      Negative bias leads to

1.     Materialism

2.     Non-theistic psychology

                                                                               ii.      Positive bias leads to

1.     Dualism

2.     Theistic psychology

b.     Unity model is in theistic psychology

                                                                                 i.      Based on the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg

1.     Gathered scientifically and empirically oriented facts

2.     Eyewitnesssed the afterlife

c.      Dualism

                                                                                 i.      Addresses connection between life and afterlife

                                                                               ii.      Connection between life and death more important than life

II.    Swedenborg

a.      Discoveries

                                                                                 i.      Made the discovery that our life in heaven is in a conjugial state

                                                                               ii.      ÒCelestial couplesÓ are with their sweethearts in magnificent houses, and eternally young

                                                                             iii.      discovered that in this state, endless happiness and joy are increasing daily forever

                                                                             iv.      heaven and hell are individual realities, contained in one communal afterlife called Òthe spiritual world of the afterlife in eternityÓ. 

                                                                               v.      After we die, we either live in the heavens of our mind or the hells of our mind.  This is determined by the characteristics we have acquired in the physical world

1.     Ego-biased traits result in a mental hell

2.     Selfless traits result in a mental heven

3.     There are gradations of hell based on how much ego-biased traits we have

                                                                             vi.      Couples in a mental heaven are kept together by harmony and mental unity

                                                                           vii.      Couples in a mental hell are in hatred of each other, and practice domination and exploitation

III.  Benefits to the Positive Bias and Swedenborg

a.      By asking yourself if something youÕre doing or saying is Òfrom heaven or hellÓ you can realize which choices are unity choices, and which choices are not. 

                                                                                 i.      This is because equity and dominance arguments wonÕt work here

b.     Having a positive bias towards an enternal marriage in the unity model gives women these benefits:

                                                                                 i.      Women can see where men are resistant in the relationship

                                                                               ii.      Women can see how the menÕs resistance in the relationship affects her own peace and self-confidence

                                                                             iii.      Women can see that they can use rationality to apply mental pressure on the man, in order to motivate him to get rid of their resistance to conjunction and intimacy.

Related Links:

1.     SwedenborgÕs Expanded Biography

http://www.swedenborg.com/AboutSwedenborg-ExpandedBio.asp  - This is, by far, the best and most complete biography I have found on Swedenborg.  It contains a lot of aspects of his life, as well as the various things he has done and published. 

2.     Key Concepts of SwedenborgÕs Theology

http://www.swedenborg.com/AboutSwedenborg-KeyConceptsInSwedenborgsTheology.asp - From the same site as SwedenborgÕs expanded biography (above), they also put out a webpage that details the major concepts of SwedenborgÕs beliefs.  The most interesting, to me, was that the biggest difference between SwedenborgÕs theology and traditional Christian theology is that Swedenborg believed that the Last Judgment and the Second Coming of the Lord had been fulfilled in his lifetime.   He believed that the Last Judgment was the old Christian church coming to an end, and that the Second Coming of the Lord was the coming of a new church in the spiritual world.

3.     Swedenborg Journal

http://www.thenewphilosophyonline.org/journal/index.php  - This was another interesting and unusual Swedenborg website – a group called The Swedenborg Scientific Association puts out articles on their online journal that relate to Swedenborg.  It also contains a Swedenborg biography and brief chonology. 

My Home Page: www.soc.hawaii.edu/leon/409bs2007/mosier/mosier-home.htm

Class Home Page: www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy26/classhome-g26.htm