Course: Psychology 459, Fall 2006, Generation 25
Instructor: Dr. Leon James
Introduction to Theistic Psychologywww.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/theistic/ch1.htm
My home page: http://www2.hawaii.edu/~tomim
Class Home Page: www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonpsy25/classhome-g25.htm
Instructions for this Report: www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonpsy25/59-g25-weekly.htm
My Understanding of Theistic
Psychology
By: Tomi Moore
Report 3 for section 1.1 to 1.1.4.1
Question 1:
Study the table that begins Section 1.1. “Three Levels of Thinking About God.” Explain the history of your own development
regarding the idea of God. Use the Table to describe your own thinking at each
level. Can you guess about where will your thinking take you in the future?
Answer 1:
My Development on the
Idea of God
Form birth I was raised in a religious home and community. The idea of God as the creator and ruler of this universe was instilled in me from before I can remember. For that reason I have a hard time ever relating to being in Level 1 of the table “Three Levels of Thinking About God.”
Level 1 is called Materialistic Science, Monism, and Negative Bias. At that level one thinks that God may have created the universe, but we really have no way of knowing. One thinks that the universe is run by the natural laws that are discoverable by science, life after death along with the concepts of heaven and hell are religious matters not scientific issues and among other things ideas from the Bible and about God should not be allowed in public schools.
Level 2 in the table is something that I can relate to. It is called Mystical Religion. I feel that a majority of the people fall at this level of thinking when dealing with the ideas of God. At this level of thinking one thinks God is the Divine, infinite creator who over sees all from birth to after death, that God gives divine revelation in written sacred scripture, if they are faithful to their religion will be rewarded with an afterlife in heaven, that praying to God can convince Him to give us what we are asking for, and that religious leaders called the clergy or priesthood have a special relationship with God that can get Him to forgive one for their sins.
This level is the level most people seem to be at when thinking about God including me. I go to church on Sundays and pray to God for the things that we need, for the sick, and for forgiveness of our sins. All religions fit into this level of thinking. It is called “mystical religion” in theistic psychology because they do not give a rational and scientific explanation of God and the universe, instead it gives a creed that must be accepted as a belief system or faith which specifies who God is and what He commands of the members of that religion.
Where My Thinking Is
Heading in the Future
I think that after taking this class my thinking may be opening to the third level of thinking. This level, Level 3 is called Theistic Psychology. Not surprising it is what we have been learning about for the last six weeks. I think it is very possible that my level of thinking will reach this level soon, as I already have accepted some of what I have been learning about.
To be at this level of thinking one must think that God is the cause of every natural event and all human behavior, that in the writings of Swedenborg God has revealed scientific facts about the structure of the universe, the anatomy of the human mind and details after death, and that one must modify their character to become “heavenly” and rational to continue life to eternity in the heaven of their mind while others who are in the “hell” of their mind re delusional and irrational.
Question 2: Make up a gain-loss sheet that lists and
briefly explains what you could gain or loose by adopting the negative vs.
positive bias regarding God’s existence as a scientific reality.
Answer 2:
Gains and
Loses
In the Negative Bias a gain that I thought of is that one can
have a strong appreciation and knowledge of the natural laws of science, namely
biology, chemistry, physics, and psychology. One would have a firm grasp of this
information because they do not believe in God or that He had any part in the
creation of the universe or mankind. They would believe in
However, in the negative bias way of thinking one looses that we are all eternal and there is an afterlife, and a purpose for this life. If one has adopted only the natural laws of sciences they fail to see that there is life after death. Although our organs in our natural body stop working the organs in our mental body continue for eternity. They will also fail to see the purpose in this life, which is to rid ourselves of inherited hellish ways and consciously chose heavenly ways. In summary one looses the essence of the positive bias when they gain the negative bias.
In the Positive Bias one can gain a rational view of God and His relationship with the universe, a rational view of life after death and eternity, and also a rational view of how humans came to be and the make up of their mental organs. One can gain that God is the creator and only ruler of the universe. They can gain the knowledge of life after death and can learned detailed information regarding it through the writings of Swdenborg. Another thing that one can gain in the positive bias is the preparation for life after death since they know that one exists. They can prepare for the after life by working on riding themselves of their hellish traits and replacing them with heavenly traits.
On the other hand there are also loses when one takes on the positive bias and it is basically that they loose the negative bias. They may lose respect for the natural laws of sciences since they believe that God is what created and controls the universe and not these natural laws.
Question 3: Why does God allow people to be in the negative bias and survive as well as those who are in the positive bias?
Answer 3:
We Are Free to
Choose
The reason that God allows people in the negative bias to survive as well as those in the positive bias is that we are all free to choose what we want to believe. When God put us here one of the main purposes is so that we are given the freedom of choice, that is what makes us human. We have the right to freely choose to give into temptations and be in the hells of our mind, or we can consciously choose to change our character and be in the heavens of our minds.
God cannot make that choice for us, or treat us any different due to the choices that we make. The same influx of the spiritual substances of good and truth flow from the spiritual sun to the mental of organs equally into people who are in the positive bias as well as to people in the negative bias. Our close or distant conjunction with God is our choice, but He is always there if and when we are ready to be conjoined closer.
As said before having the freedom of choice is what makes us human. If God wanted to put us in a world where He made all the decisions for us He could have, but He did not. He put us in a world where we are given choices everyday almost every minute, the choice to be good or bad to be in our hells or in our heavens.
My Opinion
I think the main reason that God treats us equally regardless of whether we are in the positive bias or in the negative bias is because we have to live with the choices we make for eternity. If we choose to be in the positive bias and try to avoid temptations we will be in the heavens of our mind for eternity. On the same note if we choose to be in the negative bias and embrace our hellish traits God will treat us the same even though we will be in the hells of our mind for eternity.
I think people in the negative bias can also survive just as well as those in the positive bias while they are here in the physical world but it will be different for those in the negative bias and also choose not to embrace heavenly traits. It may seem that God treats all the same because He does. However, the determining factor comes from how we treat ourselves. Meaning whether we choose to live a life that is honorable and of good choices than one that is perverted and full of twisted choices.
Question 4: Explain the difference between mystical
religion and theistic psychology.
Answer 4:
Mystical Religion vs. Theistic Psychology
There are some basic and fundamental differences between “Mystical Religion” and “Theistic Psychology”. The first difference and most basic one is that religions are considered “mystical” in that they do not give a rational and scientific explanation of God and the universe. Rather, they give a creed that its followers must accept as a belief system or faith which specifies who God is and what He demands from the members of that religion. The followers of that religion believe that if they follow what the religion demands of them they will be rewarded with eternal happiness in heaven in the after life.
Mystical Religion also differs from Theistic Psychology in that religion is not fully rational and scientific in their perspective about God. Often times there are many detail that do not seem to make sense or rational add up, but followers are expected to just “have faith” and believe in what they are being taught by their leaders.
Another difference that I was able to
find is that often time religions are contradictory to each other and even
hostile. Religions regularly are putting down other religions saying that they
belong to the only true church and others are being mislead and lied to by their
church. This type of behavior does not sound God-like to me. An illustration of
this would be all the “holy wars” in the
In the study of Theistic Psychology, through the writings of Swedenborg, one can develop a rational understanding and rational explanations of how God created and manages the universe. We can get a rational explanation of how He is part of every thought, feeling, action, and event. It helps one understand God’s goals and styles of management.
Theistic Psychology is not a religion. It is only a rational understanding of the physical and mental world of eternity as documented by Swedenborg through his experiments and observations while conscious in the mental world. Theistic Psychology does not put down any other belief system rather it allows one to come to there own conclusions by presenting them with a rational explanations.
Theistic Psychology also differs from religions in that it gives detailed rational explanations of the afterlife of eternity rather than having one believe based on faith. It is not based on revelations, which are mystical, rather from the empirical observations and experiments of Swedenborg and his writings.
Question 5: Prove rationally that if God exists, then He
must be a Divine Human Person whose creation must be perfect.
Answer 5:
Rational Proof
The rational proof that if God exists then He must be a Divine Human Person whose creation must be perfect is in the very definition of God. One definition of God given by Dr. James is the supreme or ultimate reality: The Being who is perfect in power, wisdom, and goodness, and who is worshiped as the creator and ruler of the universe. Also, the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object or worship in monotheistic religions.
The very definition of God as a “being” indicates that God is a person, not an impersonal energy or entity like the universe. This makes sense when you think that most religions believe that we are created “in His image”. If we are human beings created from His image than God must be a human being as well. God cannot be anything else, it would not be logical to pray to the universe but it is logical to pray to a human being, especially a supreme being.
God is not only a human being but He is also divine. The statement that God is divine is also indicated in the definition of God. Saying that He is omnipresent means that He is everywhere at once; involved in everything. We already came to the conclusion that He is a human being, and the only way for a human being to be everywhere must also mean that He is divine. God is also divine because He is pure in love, truth, good, and wisdom.
A Perfect Creation
At first one may have a hard time accepting the fact that God has a perfect creation, meaning a perfect Earth and universe as a whole. How can this be true with all the violence and evils you may ask? God must have a perfect creation because He is omnipotent. Omnipotent refers to all power. If God controls all the power in the universe then it must be a perfect creation because God Himself is perfect.
If God is perfect and only has Good and Truth/ heavenly qualities then how can He allow for al the violence and destruction in the world? A logical way to answer this question is that although from one perspective it may be sad and devastating it may be necessary and good from another perspective.
killed in a car accident by a drunk driver. God controls everything in the universe so H controlled the decisions and actions of the drunk driver to drink too much alcohol, get into his car, power the car to move, and the same for the mother in the car with her baby; God controlled all her decisions and power when the two car collided. Some how there must be good in the death of the mother and her baby. Maybe their death will bring more awareness or prevent future drivers not to drive while intoxicated. Although it may be a tragic event to their families there is always some good.
From previous readings we also know that His creation is perfect because it is doing exactly what it was designed to do, to give humans the opportunity to rid themselves of their inherited evils and freely choose to be in the heavens of their minds even when faced with temptations. However, if they choose to be in the hells of their minds they are also free to make that choice.
Question 6: Describe what the two worlds are that God
created and maintains in rational order.
Answer 6:
There Are Two Worlds
There are two worlds that God maintains in rational order. We know there are two worlds because God could not have created this universe if he was part of it. That is an illogical assumption. A logical assumption is that God exists in one world and then created another world. That is what is known in Theistic Psychology. The first world is the physical world, the natural world which is in time and space. This is the world that we are all living in now. The other world is the spiritual world or eternity which is outside time and space.
Description of These
Worlds
We all know what the physical world looks like. It consists of all things that are created, all of which have a beginning in time. All things created here in the physical world of time and space by God has a beginning in time and in eternity. This is known as dualism. We are all created in the two worlds at the same time. The universe of created time and space is an outside covering to the universe of eternity which does not have time and space.
This was explained to me as to imagine the objects we visualize or dream. The example was to picture one self eating in a restaurant. In your imagination you will visualize objects like tables, chairs, people, food, and also sounds, smells, movements, etc. These objects are created by ones imagination in your thinking. It is ones thoughts that have been covered with physical looking objects. One can see that the chair you are sitting on in the imaginary restaurant is a thought that is covered over with an external physical-like shape. This is exactly how to understand God from eternity, being outside time and space, creating and managing events in time and space.
I was also told that the mental world of eternity is the cause of what happens here in the physical world. That is so because the two worlds are connected through the laws of correspondence. Everything relates to each of the two worlds.
In conclusion, God has created the world of time and space known as the physical or natural world. He controls it from the world of eternity which is the cause of all things that happens in the physical world. The physical world is readily known by all humans that are on Earth because they are conscious in their natural mind. If one wants to know more about the mental world while they are here on Earth, because they are currently not conscious in their natural mind of eternity, they can read the writings of Swedenborg because he was given the gift of being conscious in the two worlds simultaneously and rationally and methodically documented what takes place there.
Question 7: Prove rationally that our mental world is
the world of eternity. What will be the consequences for society when this
knowledge becomes known?
Answer 7:
Our Mental World is the World of Eternity
To prove rationally that our mental world is the mental world of eternity is quite simple when you really think about it. The mental world is the world of thoughts and feelings. These thoughts and feelings are not physical and are not in the world of time and space. We know that anything that does not exist in time and space like thoughts and feelings must be in eternity. Therefore, our mental world is the world of eternity where thoughts and feelings can exist.
We are all familiar with the mental world of eternity. Our daily thoughts, feelings, dreams, and nightmares exist there. In the mental world, which we all share, one can just think of something and it appears in their presence and when they stop thinking about it, it is removed from their presence.
I know it seems strange to think that the world of eternity or the afterlife is similar to our thoughts, feelings, and dreams. However, when one thinks logically it is the only place eternity can exist. This can also be comforting to people who have lost someone they love dearly. When we die and enter the afterlife of eternity we are conscious in the mental mind and no longer conscious in the physical mind or in contact with the physical world. However, the emotional feeling of love and its thoughts and feelings associated with that will be retained by us because they are not physical, but rather eternal for they exist in the mental world of eternity.
Possible Effects on
Society
It is hard to say if there will be a huge, drastic change in society once they are aware of this knowledge because there are already people who are aware and no change has really been seen. I think the general reaction would be disbelief. I feel most people will still think that the afterlife is in some unknown place and not in a place already known to us. On the other hand, some people will accept that fact and begin working on their character reformation so they can be better prepared for life after death.
Question 8: How are humans different from animals? What
makes us human? Justify the statement that we are human because we are rational.
Explain why animals are not immortal. How do you react to this knowledge? Look
up what Swedenborg said about animals.
Answer 8:
Humans Are Different From
Animals
We all know that humans are different from animals, we can walk on two legs, talk in complex languages, and are not covered in multicolored fur or feathers, but that is not what we are talking about here. Humans are different from animals because we have a rational mind above our natural mind. Like humans animals have a natural mind which is capable of learning from experiences and adapting to change in the conditions of the environment. Unlike animals we have a rational mind which is above our natural mind which allows us to do complex things like make plans for a family vacation or build computers.
Our Rational Mind Makes Us
Human
The most important aspect that makes us human is the fact our rational mind. Because we have a rational mind this enables us “to have dominion” over our “lusts and fantasies”. With a rational mind we have the power to control, we are able to realize and understand what we cannot at a lower level. In a human being the rational self has an automatic dominance or power over the rational self. This is why animals have such basic needs and priorities. They do not have a rational mind only a natural mind.
Having only a natural mind is why it is so easy to make our pets happy. As long as you feed them, give them a warm place to sleep, and play with them they will be your best friend. If they are given the chance to mate, which is a basic need of the natural mind, they will be ecstatic and take every opportunity given. This is not the same as a girlfriend or a child; it requires way more effort to make her happy then food and sleep!
To justify the statement that we are human because we are rational all we need to understand is that we are rational because we posses a rational mind that can set limits and control the wants of our natural mind that animals and other species cannot. Since we posses a rational mind and animals do not, we therefore can define being human because we are rational because that is one of the aspects where we are different from animals.
Animals Are Not Immortal
Animals are not immortal because they are not created as dual citizens. However, since the feelings and thoughts we have of our beloved pets are immortal our pets can appear in the mental world of eternity when we are consciously thinking about them, but then they disappear when we stop thinking about them.
My reaction to hearing this knowledge was acceptance. I was always taught that there are animals in eternity but was never given any explanation on that subject. The way that Swedenborg states it makes sense to me that they are there only when we think about them. I am not an avid animal lover, but I did have some pets that I would like to see again in the afterlife. It is comforting to hear that I will be able to see them whenever I think about them like all other things in eternity.
Question 9: When people do something bad that they enjoy doing, it seems to them that it is good. Explain this phenomenon.
Answer 9:
The Phenomenon of Falsified
Appearances
The backbone of this phenomenon of falsified appearances is the very definition of heaven and hell. Heaven is feeling good from doing good, and feeling bad from doing bad, while hell is feeling god from doing bad, and feeling bad from doing good. As one can see in hell our feelings appear to be good but are really bad.
The reason why bad acts appear to be good to us when we are in the hells of our mind is because doing bad is a sensorimotor act that follows the conjunctive action between a prior affective act and a corresponding cognitive act. To say this in a more simple way, the prior affective act of bad intentions must be accompanied by a corresponding cognitive act which is the act that justifies the evil intentions by reasoning that it is good in this case despite what it looks like. This distorted form of reasoning is what gives us permission to carry out the bad act.
Example
The example Dr. James uses is when you have been furiously looking for a parking space and when you finally find an open stall on of the cars is parked so crooked your car cannot fit in that stall. Enraged against the inconsiderate driver you use your key to scratch the side of the offending car. Doing that makes you feel a lot better as you drive away.
What happened in this situation is that you were in the hell of our mind when you felt angry you could not park there. However, you justified the evil thought of scratching the car possibly by telling yourself that the driver deserves to be taught a lesson or that somehow everyone will benefit in the future by you teaching this person a lesson now. This justification is distorted because you are in the hells of our mind and no good can come when you are in that low state.
Question 1: Explain how we become spiritually
enlightened by studying theistic psychology. What is the difference between
natural and spiritual enlightenment? Who do you know that is enlightened, either
personally or by reputation?
Answer 1:
How Theistic Psychology Can Help One Become
Spiritually Enlightened
First of all we need to define what spiritual enlightenment is; it is an elevation of consciousness, perception of truth which forms reality, to the level of operation in our mind called heaven. There can only be one reality and it is the reality and truth of God. We know all of this from studying theistic psychology. When studying theistic psychology we can learn about all the inner workings of the mental world of eternity. One can understand that we are born with a mental tendency to enjoy hellish operations.
By studying theistic psychology one can learn the rational truths about God that can move us to our character reformation and preparation for a heavenly eternity. We can experience a desire for more rationality based on what we have learned. We can begin to see more clearly from conscience as to what is right and what is wrong in our life, feelings, thoughts, and conduct. From that we will see we have an eternal future based on our relationship with God. In short, we can achieve spiritual enlightenment from studying theistic psychology because we can learn and understand that there are correspondential meanings behind the literal meanings of Sacred Scripture and this rational understanding, as apposed to only literal understanding, of this knowledge constitutes spiritual enlightenment.
Difference Between
Natural and Spiritual Enlightenment
Enlightenment is the state of mind we are in when our natural thinking is re-aligned to fit our rational thinking. It is the elevation of operations in the cognitive organ of the mind. Natural enlightenment is the enlightenment of the natural mind through the physical body. This type of enlightenment is reached through expertise or being good at something from experience. It is different from spiritual enlightenment because spiritual enlightenment is enlightenment of the spiritual mind through the spiritual body.
The two forms of enlightenment can be thought of in terms of how we read and understand Sacred Scripture. We can read Sacred Scripture and understand only the literal sense of God and the afterlife etc. This will bring us natural enlightenment because we are only understanding the writings with our natural mind. However, if we are able to see the hidden universal correspondential sense we can be spiritually enlightened because we are understanding the writings using our rational mind.
Who I Know That is
Enlightened
I think the only person that I know that comes the closest to being enlightened is my grandmother. She just has something about her that draws people close to her. The way she carries and conducts herself is not like other people. I believe that her way of thinking about God and most of the things in her life is very rational and God-like. Although she has never studied theistic psychology her upbringing and religious background has taught her how to rid herself of her inherited hellish traits and replace them with heavenly traits. She truly works everyday to bring herself closer to God. In her later years she has become and continues to be a role model to my family and our close-knit community based on her pure love for God and other people and her trustworthiness.
Question 2: Explain how our spiritual development
depends on our willingness to fight our temptations. What happens after we are
victorious? What have you observed about your own temptations in the
past?
Answer 2:
Development Depends on Our Willingness to
Fight Temptations
The progress of our spiritual development is proportional to our willingness to endure spiritual temptations. Natural temptations are the battles with conscious to maintain moral conduct as citizens, parents, spouses, and as an individual. This type of moral development is not dependent on if we are enlightened or not. However, we cannot progress with our spiritual development if we are not enlightened, and so we must be willing to undergo spiritual temptations.
Spiritual temptations start only start in adulthood after we undergo enlightenment. They are brought to our conscious awareness by the divine psychologist who chooses the timing and the spiritual temptation that he knows we have the power to over come. The Divine Psychologist only brings us to spiritual temptations after He has equipped us with the weapons of the truths that we must posses in order to engage in spiritual combat.
Victory in Spiritual
Combat
When the temptation is over come it can never again be attacked by the hells of our mind from that same direction. Although there are many other angles that temptations can attack. The phase immediately following our victory in spiritual combat we experience rational ecstasy. Rational ecstasy is the feeling and perspective we have when we are in the heavens of our eternity. This is a temporary feeling that gives one a sample of what the angles or angle-people, who are those who are in their heavenly eternity in the after life, feel in constant and unceasing rational ecstasy.
My Experiences With Over Coming Temptations
My experiences with over coming temptations are similar to what is described here, but at a much lower level. The temptations I am given always seem difficult in the beginning but after I over come it I feel like I could have handled more. The feeling I immediately get when I over come the temptation is proudness and happiness. It is not as extreme as rational ecstasy but it is a moment of a special feeling. I feel proud that I have aquired the tools and morals that were needed to overcome that temptation and also I feel happy that the temptation is over and I can relax.
One example that happened to me was during one of my exams. The student in front of me had someone next to me that kept on looking at her paper. I could see that they had the same version of the test given and her answer sheet was in clear view of my neighbor. I was faced with the dilemma of minding my own business, letting the girl whose answers were being copied know, let the cheating girl know we see her cheating or just telling the teacher. I was tempted to just mind my own business as we are all adults ad if she cheats she will not get very far anyway. In the end I told both the girls what was going on during the test.
I felt proud that I was able to stand up for the girl who had worked hard to study and prepare for the test. When this was all over I was also happy because I was not bothered with the issue of what I should do in this situation.
Question: 3When and how did Sacred Scripture reveal
that heaven in eternity is the mental world? Why do you think that this
knowledge remains unknown or disbelieved?
Sacred Scripture Reveals Heaven in Eternity
is the Mental World
Sacred Scripture has revealed several times that heaven in eternity is the mental world. In the Old Testament it says “God created the heaven and the earth”. In the literal sense it means that God created the spiritual world of eternity or “the heavens” and the natural or physical world of time and space which is “the earth”. This is a conformation of dualism that was written thousands of years ago.
Another line that is found
in the New Testament that reveals that heaven in eternity is the mental world is
“Lo here or, Lo there! For behold, the
Form these two passages,
one in the Old Testament and the other in the New Testament, we can derive that
heaven in eternity is the mental world. Fist we start off with the
Why This Knowledge is Still Unknown or
Disbelieved
I think the main reason why this knowledge that the eternity is the mental world is because most people do not understand the writings of Sacred Scripture in the rational sense rather they are just using the literal meanings of the words. As we have learned in this class to get the true universal meaning we need to understand the correspondential sense not the literal sense.
Another reason that I feel this knowledge is disbelieved is that people are getting mixed or incomplete messages from their religions and their religious leaders. Most of religions today are not telling their followers descriptions of the afterlife and eternity. I think that if more of the religions would understand and teach this detailed information more people would accept or believe this knowledge.
Question 4: Explain the principle that “individual
biography recapitulates human evolution and history”. How does this influence
the way you see yourself?
Answer 4:
An Individual Replicates
History
When one says that individual biography recapitulates human evolution and history they mean that the individual’s development follows the same pattern as the development of human kind and humanity as we know it today. In other words by knowing the details of the mental evolution of the human race on earth we are able to know details of our own mental states and how they develop in our life from birth to eternity
In previous sections we learned about the levels of mental states that one can be in. The first level one can be in, which called level three- materialistic, science, monism, or negative bias. Here in the lowest level God, heaven, hell, or religions are rejected. The next level, level two, which is slightly higher than level three is called mystical religion. At this level one accepts that God is the creator of the universe, that praying to Him may benefit us in that He may give us what we ask for, and religious leaders have a special relationship with God and can help us to be forgiven by Him. Finally the highest level that one can reach is level one, Theistic Psychology. At this level one must truly understand the writings of Swedenborg and accept that he documented scientific facts about the structure of the universe, anatomy of the human mind, and details of life after death. One should learn from Swedenborg’s writings and modify their character to become “heavenly” and rational so that they can continue life in eternity in the heaven of their mind.
From examining the three possible levels of the mind we can trace the evolutionary footsteps of humankind. We can see the pattern of materialism, doctrine, and science, which is the same as materialism, mystical religion, and theistic psychology.
Influences on the way I See
Myself
This knowledge that the evolution of an individual follows the same pattern as humankind as a whole does have an effect on the way I see myself. The problems I deal with do not seem so unique to me any more. I realize that everyone also goes through the same types of problems at some point in their lives. Also, this knowledge helps me to see direction in my future. Now that I realize my life will follow a general pattern it relives me that I can know what to expect in my life. Things will not come to me in surprise, rather I will know what battles to expect and will be better prepared on how to handle them.
Question 5: In your own words explain chart 1 in section
1.1.4.3.1. Do not just guess. You will need to do some research in Volume 18 to
find the explanations and clarifications.
Answer 5:
Chart one shows use graphically how divine speech can flow into the minds of human beings. The paths that can be taken is either through the natural mind or through the spiritual mind. The first path I will discuss will be through the natural or physical mind.
Divine speech will first flow through “Old Will”. Old will is also known as our inherited traits, good and bad. As I said before this is in the natural or physical mind. Old will is where sensuous consciousness takes place. Sensuous consciousness is direct communication with God. It was the original state of mind of the earliest generations here on Earth. Sensuous consciousness is also categorized as mystical, like all other religions. This is because it is knowledge of God based on experiences, visions and possible revelations of individuals.
Once dive speech passes through the “Old Will” it will descend to the literal meaning of Sacred Scripture. The literal meaning of Sacred Scripture is a lower form of understanding (as compared to the correspondential meaning). The literal meaning of sacred scripture is historical, ethnic, and religious. It is suitable only for religion and theology but not for science.
The final level that Divine Speech can reach is “Mystical Spirituality” if it is descending through the natural mind. As we talked about earlier mystical religion refers to all religions. It is called mystical by theistic psychology because it is not based on rationality, rather the followers of a particular religion are required to follow a creed that tells them how God wants them to behave in the physical world. It does not always logically or rationally explain the “beliefs” rather follower are required to use faith.
The other path that can be taken by Divine Speech into the mind starts off with understanding, “Rational consciousness”. In this state of mind one has an elevated mind of consciousness compared to Old Will, Sensuous consciousness. Rational consciousness is not based on human imagination and intelligence like sensuous consciousness, rather it is based on Divine revelation from God Himself. After flowing through rational consciousness Divine speech enters the level of the “Correspondential meaning of Sacred Scripture”.
The correspondential meaning of Sacred Scripture is a higher more universal understanding of the writings. It is scientific, universal, spiritual, eternal and rational. Unlike the literal meaning of Sacred Scripture it is un-sectarian, non-historical, and non-cultural. The correspondential meaning can help one to be conjoin with God more closer, at a deeper level.
Next Divine Speech descends to the discrete level known as “rational spirituality” or theistic psychology. This level is in contrast to mystical spirituality. Theistic psychologe can give a rational view on God, the mental world, life after death, eternity, heaven and hell. It does not require one to blindly believe or to have “faith” that something is true; It gives rational explanations and lets the person come to their own conclusions.
Finally, after theistic psychology Divine speech can descend to “Reformation of the understanding” and after that “Regeneration of the will”. These two levels come from the practices of theistic psychology which helps one to rid their inherited hells and be in the heavens of their minds. When they are doing this their understanding of God is reformed to a rational and logical understanding and then and only then can they begin to truly undergo regeneration of the will.
Question 6: In your own words explain chart 2 in
Section 1.1.4.3.1. Do not just guess. You will need to do some research in
volume 18 to find explanations and clarifications.
Answer 6:
Chart 2 gives us a graphical representation of how the mental world is constructed and interconnected. Each level refers to our consciousness, or depth of rational understanding, of the correspondences coming down from divine speech and spreading across the human mind of every individual.
It illustrates that at the head of the mental world and universe is God whose aura around Him makes up the spiritual sun and from Him the spiritual substances of Good and Truth influx into the discrete levels of our minds. The first level that His influx reaches is the third heaven of our mental mind also known as the celestial mind. This is the highest degree of the mind. The influx at that level is called Mediate influx; it is purely for humans in that it gives consciousness and awareness of human rationality.
Next, the spiritual substances can descend to the second heaven of our mind. In this level of the mind, like the other levels, it has an affective, cognitive, and sensory motor organ present. This level is also known as the spiritual mind; it remains unconscious until resuscitation is the level that the minds of spiritual angles are. At this second highest level one has a higher order of thoughts and consciousness in reality.
The next level, which is a discrete degree lower, is the first heaven. It is known as the minds of natural angles. At this level one can se the interior spiritual truths within the natural ideas of the truth about God. One in this level of the mind and understanding has been enlightened from the first degree.
The first degree is the world of spirits or the minds of earthlings. One at this level can see the natural correspondences and experiences natural temptations and agonize over whether to believe in religious doctrines and struggles with morals.
Finally, the lowest degree of the mind is hell. This is where the minds of devils are located. At this low level all good and truth from God has been distorted and falsified from its original truthfulness and goodness.
Question 7: In
your own words explain chart three in Section 1.1.4.3.1. Do not just guess. You
will need to do some research in volume 18 to find the explanations and
clarifications.
Answer 7:
Chart three is an illustration of Swedenborg’s discovery that the mental anatomy = spiritual geography = vertical community = eternity. This chart is a bit confusing to understand because it shows how everything is connected and to avoid being overwhelmed one needs to start at the top and work their way down all while seeing the big picture.
Like most of the graphs and concepts discussed in theistic psychology the starting point is the omnipotent God, the divine human who is full of infinite love and rationality. The spiritual sun, Gods aura, which is the source of good and truth, radiates mediate flux in the forms of spiritual heat and spiritual light. The spiritual heat is Love or Good and spiritual light is rationality or Truth. Good then flows to the unconscious affective organ which is in charge of thoughts and feelings. At the unconscious level it gives rise to ones rational abilities.
The unconscious affective organ is related in parallel, via the spiritual mind, to the unconscious cognitive organ which descended from Truth. The unconscious cognitive organ is where one gets their rational intelligence. All of what I have explained thus far is located in the Grand Human. The grand human is better known as the mental world of eternity. In the grand human exists human heavenly habitations and communities.
The unconscious affective and cognitive organs correspond to the conscious affective and cognitive organs. The conscious affective organ is our natural abilities. It is heaven vs. hell and what we intend. This is also related in parallel to the conscious cognitive organ via the natural mind. As the law of correspondence shows what is in the spiritual world is also represented in the natural mind. The conscious cognitive organ is our natural intelligence. It is rational or irrational, it is what we think.
In the “world” the natural mind, conscious affective and cognitive organ are located in there is personality and culture. This is in the “world” of science and religion rather than the grand human. This “world” is separated from the physical world of time and space. One can only enter the spiritual world after death. In the physical world there is sensory input to the physical body. Immediate influx from God flows to the physical world. It is different from mediate influx in that it can flow to objects and animals, not just human (which is what makes us human and immortal).
To sum up the graph, this shows how God the Divine human affects the universe He created Himself of Himself and uses the spiritual substances of good and truth to control the universe with pure love and rationality.
Question 8: In
your own words explain chart 4 in Section 1.1.4.3.1. Do not just guess. You will
need to do some research in volume 18 to find explanations and clarifications.
Answer 8:
Chart 4 is a schematic chart that is arrange vertically with God on the top and an ordered sequence of discrete layers downward. It is a map of spiritual geography and a schematic of the mental anatomy. The title of it is “Born into Eternity” which schematically indicates that we are all dual citizens.
Let’s start from the top of our graph which is the most interior or higher degree. At the top or inmost degree is God the Divine Human. His aura which is the spiritual sun emits divine speech in the form of the spiritual substances of good and truth. The substances of good and truth descend through discrete layers of the mind.
The first level of the mind that divine speech reaches is the spiritual mind. This is where human heavens are located it is also the highest level of the mind. This level along with the next level, rational mind, is unconscious until recitation. They exist in our spiritual or mental mind.
As mentioned the divine speech in form of good and truth descends from the spiritual mind to the rational mind. In the rational mind rationality, love, motivation, and cooperativeness are traits that exist. From the rational mind divine speech descends to the Natural mind. The natural mind is the mind we are familiar with now. It is the mind that is conscious in the physical world and then becomes unconscious at resuscitation. In the natural mind memory, personality, intelligence, as well as our inherited subconscious human hells are present.
Through the law of correspondence the mental world, the levels we have been discussing thus far, is connected to the physical world or natural world which exists on time and space. At this level of your mind divine speech is sacred scripture. This should give you are description of how divine speech comes from God the Divine Human and makes its way through the discrete levels of the spiritual and natural mind until it ends in the physical world as sacred scripture.
Question 9: In your own words explain chart 5 In Section 1.1.4.3.1.Do not just guess. You will need to do some research in volume 18 to find
explanations and clarifications.
Answer 9:
This chart is a representation of the heavens and hells in a human beings spiritual and natural mind. This graph like all others we have discussed begin with the Divine human or the spiritual sun which sends out divine immediate influx of the spiritual substances of good and truth. The first place the spiritual substances flow is the spiritual mind. At this level of the mind the influx of good and truth can enter the heavens or hells of our mind depending on what state we are currently in.
If one is in the heavens of their minds than the divine influx of good and truth will also enter the heavens of their minds where our remains of good which is activated by Divine the divine immediate influx causes endless conjugial delights and joys. These endless delights and joys are maintained by the correspondences they have in the heavens in the natural mind of those who are here on Earth. However, those who are in the spiritual hells will be where there remains of evil is activated by correspondences with the hells in the natural mind of those who are on the Earth.
If one has not gone through the second death then the divine immediate influx of good and truth will affect their natural mind. One will then be willing good and thinking truth according to Divine Speech or Sacred Scripture and doing so at the three levels called corporenial mind, sensuous mind, and the rational mind is they are in the heavens of their mind. This is not the case if one is in the hells of their mind. In that case they will be in their natural hell where willing evil and thinking falsity by contradicting good and truth at the three levels. An example of this is our hells from heredity, culture, justification, and lifestyle.
One must remember that our consciousness is designed to travel up and down the various levels of our mind. This can happen daily and often several times a day. The various levels of our mind is separated from our physical body and physical world but are connected through the laws of correspondence, so the events of one world do affect the outcomes in the other (meaning the physical or the spiritual worlds).