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: http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy25/classhome-g25.htm
Instructions for this Report: http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy25/459-g25-weekly.htm
Looking Deeper Into Theistic
Psychology
By Tomi Moore
Report #5 section 1.5.1-1.8.7
Week 11
Question 1: Summarize 1.5.1 “Students Speak Out on
Swedenborg.” Give your impressions and conclusions.
Answer 1:
Summery of “Students
Speak Out On Swedenborg”
In the section of 1.5.1.where students speak out on Swedenborg it seems that their responses sound redundant. The question that they were answering at the end of a semester, where Dr. James had periodically mentioned Swedenborg throughout some of the lectures where his findings were relevant, was if Swedenborg should be included in the history of scientific psychology. The result was that out of a class with 23 senior psychology students 13 said yes he should be included and 10 said no.
There were two main reasons or categories that the 13
students mentioned on why Swedenborg should be included in the history of
scientific psychology. The two reasons were first, spirituality and revelation
are real psychological phenomena of the mind and second, God and religion should
be part of psychology. An example from one of the comments from a student is,
“Swedenborg tried to bring spirituality into science. He contributes to the
psychology of the mind. Revelation as a phenomenon has not been disproven. Others who were wrong, were included (like
Freud), so why not Swedenborg? He gives a new paradigm.”
There were also two main reasons or categories that the 10 students gave for not including Swedenborg in the history of scientific psychology. The two reasons were that science and religion should be kept separate and Swedenborg belongs to religion and second, Swedenborg’s experiences are not provable, repeatable, or measurable. An example from one of the students who said no is, “Swedenborg’s work is based on his experiences alone and are personal. We have no means of measuring it. How would we ever find out that what he said was true? Swedenborg has no scientific basis so he cannot be included in psychology as science. Spirit, mind, etc. are not concepts included in the definition of science (maybe philosophy, religion?). How can we explain his concepts without hard core evidence”.
My Opinion
In my opinion I think that all of the students made valid points. For the perspective of the students who said no I feel they mainly came to this conclusion based on what they have learned in their classes as what constitutes a valid argument in science; that it must be observable, repeatable, and testable. With those definitions of what can be included in science Swedenborg clearly does not fit. On the other hand I think that those students who said his work should be included in science are thinking with the things they learned from at home and by their religion. They think he should be given the benefit of the doubt because they believe in the things he is talking about and also it has the possibility of being true.
Question 2: Section 1.5.1.2. “The Negative Bias in
Science” presents an extensive quote by the negative bias mode psychologist
(Bering). Analyze what he says. Make a conclusion in light of what you already
know from the positive bias.
Answer 2:
Analyses Of Berings Quote
The thesis of Bering’s article was that an organized cognitive ‘system’ dedicated to forming illusory representations of (i) psychological immortality, (ii) the intelligent design of the self, and (iii) the symbolic meaning of natural events evolved in response to the unique selective pressures of the human social environment.
The first thing that was discussed was whether or not humans “naturally” reason about death as a transitional state of consciousness or simply acquire such ideas through cultural exposure. He suggest that they could be persuaded by other adults who invent such notations to help ease their own death anxiety. He along with others that he mentions in his article categorize afterlife concepts in the same manner as other types of religious concepts, as especially virulent strains of culturally transmitted ideas that are highly effective at pirating core cognitive architecture.
His analysis on the intelligent design of the self is that he suggests that one consider that if God does not exist, then the unique self or soul of any given person cannot be the product of intelligent design; rather, it is simply the end product of standard mechanisms of genetic and environmental recombination. Also he says that if there is no intelligent design then there is no teleological function that one is designed to fulfill.
He concludes saying there is evidence, although very limited, and good conceptual grounds to argue that natural selection may have set to work on specific human cognitive errors. These errors include simulation constraints leading to Type I errors in reasoning about the afterlife, teleo-functioning errors, and that natural events were intentionally caused by supernatural agents.
My
Conclusion
I feel that Bering is making these claims because he was initially assuming that God does not exist. If he would have started his premises considering that God does exist it would have lead him to a different conclusion. He would have seen that people are not making up delusional accounts of the afterlife and the consequences for doing bad deeds here in the physical world. He would have found that these “supernatural agents” do have an effect on the natural events through the laws of correspondence.
In his quote he is constantly referring to other researchers past experiments making claims that discount the fact that there is a God and He is the center of both the worlds. I think his article would have been more interesting if he had more critically analyzed the main parts of Theistic Psychology rather than vague claims about God and the afterlife.
Question 3:
Select a few concepts from
section 1.513 “Outline of Swedenborg’s Spiritual Psychology” and discuss them
with a friend or two. What observations did you make from this exchange? Which concepts are most interesting to
you?
Answer 3:
Discussion With Friends
After reading the concepts from section 1.5.1.3, which was like a bullet point presentation of everything I have been studying this semester, I tried to explain a few of them to my friend. This was a new friend whom I had not discussed Theistic Psychology with because I wanted to see the reaction of someone hearing this information for the very first time. The first thing I did was explain to her who Swedenborg was and that at the age of 56 was able to be conscious in both the spiritual world of eternity and the physical world in which we live now.
I went in by describing his experiences with life after death; how he described what life was like in heaven and what life was like in hell. I also told her that in heaven Swedenborg was able to speak with spirits who had come from other inhabited earths in the universe. Following that I told her of how the spirits in hell had a horrible external appearance to those who were in heaven. I also explained that the spirits in hell had a frantic desire to return to the natural world and possess the inhabitants there.
My Observations During This Exchange
While I was telling these things of Swedenborg, heaven and hell to my friend she seemed very interested. At first when all she knew was that Swedenborg’s claims of being conscious in both worlds at the same, she had a look of disbelief and an expression on her face that screamed, ‘this guy was a complete psycho’. I knew the topics of heaven and hell would make her interested so I chose to explain those to her rather then the deeper theistic psychological topics such as the positive and negative bias, degrees of the mind and the levels of operations. While I was talking about heaven and hell her whole attitude of what I was telling her changed. She was amazed when I told her that God does not “judge” people and send them to hell but, rather they choose to be in the hells of their mind because they cannot give up their obsessiveness and unwillingness to comprehend rational things.
I think my friend was interested in what I was telling her because I gave her accounts of life in eternity rather than explain concepts of theistic psychology that would require her to think and understand them rationally. I did this due to my past experience with speaking to friends about theistic psychology. They only want to hear “interesting things” and not things that are rational and would require them to think before they can understand (sad but true).
Interesting Concepts
to Me
I think that the hidden correspondential sense in Sacred Scripture is the most interesting thing I learned. If that knowledge is what we needed to understood in order to have a better life in eternity why is it such a secret and not something that all religions are teaching its followers? Someone should translate all Sacred Scripture and publish those books instead of us wasting our time learning the historical, cultural aspect and not the important rational, spiritual meanings of Divine Speech as Sacred Scripture.
Question 4: Section 1.5.1.3 also contains a “narrative
account” in which there is a discussion with angels about what people on earth
knew about heaven and hell. What is your impression of this? Give an
interpretation as best you can at this point in your study of theistic
psychology.
Answer 4:
My Impression
My impression of Swedenborg’s conversation with the angles is that we the people in the natural world of time and space are very ignorant of the things in the world of eternity. The simple facts of life there that seem so elementary and basic to the angles are concepts that the people in the natural world struggle to understand. When Swedenborg would say to the angles that we know nothing of heaven and hell the angles were so surprised. They were happy when told that the lord did disclose these things so the people of the natural world would not have to suffer such ignorance as to be in a state of uncertainty regarding their own immortality. Again the angles still could not understand why the people were still so unfamiliar and unsure with the spiritual world when provided with all the information needed.
Another impression that I got from reading this conversation
was that the angles did not see why the people in the natural world wanted to
see miracles before they could understand the truth. In many accounts did they
speak of people of the natural world pleading with the Lord to show them through
miracles, as he did to Mosses in
My Interpretation
The interpretation that I get from reading this passage is that once we are in the spirit world things seem is plain and cleat that it is hard for the angels to fathom that people in the natural do not understand and believe in the afterlife and of God. They are trying to understand our way of thinking through Swedenborg so they can do their part in getting the message out about the world of eternity. I think they are trying to tell us that we have been provided with all the tools and information here in the natural world and all we need to do is to read, understand and thereby live our natural lives the way God has told us too.
To the angles it seems so strange that there is any other way. Therefore, I think that the way of life in heaven of the afterlife is so innate and wonderful they do not understand why anyone would not want it. They are trying to tells us that we do not need to be shown miracles of what is to come because we have already been told, we just need to know where to look.
Question 5: Summarize what is said in section 1.6
“Spiritual Psychobiology”. How does this relate to what you already know about
the field of psychology?
Answer 5:
Summery of “Spiritual
Psychobiology”
In this section Swedenborg’s works is said to be an early form of behaviorism, functionalism and organicity. Organicity is the premise that all functions of the mind must have a structural basis and must work together synergistically. This is what Swedenborg tried to explain when he says that the mind is a mental organ, not a epiphenomenon produced by the brain. This section also talks about Swedenborg’s unique approach to the structural components of the mind which are the spiritual substances of good and truth.
It explains that at the time of birth we are born into two worlds simultaneously. We are born in to the natural world which is physical and temporary and also into the spiritual world which is permanent or eternal. It goes on to tell how he was an accomplished scientist and at the age of 57 was approached by God and He told Swedenborg that he would be given the opportunity to be conscious in both worlds at the same time so that he could record eyewitness scientific reports from the afterlife or spiritual world.
The rest of the section is a quote from one of Swedenborg’s
autographical letters in which he tells of his life. He says that he was born at
Relation To The Field of Psychology
This relates to the field of psychology as I know it today because it goes deeper and explains concepts, such as thoughts, feelings, and emotions the psychology that I know it cannot. It does not contradict what I have learned except that it knows where thoughts and other such things exist and not just saying they are phenomenon of the mind.
I think that this is truly what science of the mind is… what we are learning in our other psychology classes are more like science of the brain. This does what Descartes could not. Show with proof and rationality the duality of the brain.
Question 6:
Study 1.6.1 “Three Levels of
Behavior”. Based on that discussion, and your own limited knowledge of the
field, explain the major differences between non-theistic psychology and
theistic psychology. You can also consult other sections, eg. Section 2.3”Is Theistic Psychology Really a Science”.
Answer 6:
Major Difference
Between Non-Theistic Psychology and Theistic
Psychology
The main difference that I could find between non-theistic
psychology and theistic psychology is in the way theories are made. In theistic
psychology a psychologist does not just invent there own theories like they do
in non-theistic psychology.
All theories in theistic psychology must be drawn from scientific revelations and must also agree with them. Othe psychologist must be able to corroborate the theories in two ways. The fist way is called Theoretical. It means that any new theory must not contradict the rational structure that has already developed by lawful extraction from the scientific revelations in the Writings of Swedenborg. Instead, it must enrich it by explaining more then what has been explained so far about any topic in human behavior. Other psychologist must be able to comprehend and corroborate the new theory by confirming it with the writings of Swedenborg for consistencies and acceptability.
The other way is called predictive. It says that every theory or model must also be able to predict new data about human behavior and must explain related data that other psychologist may bring in.
As one may know this is not the case in non-theistic psychology. There are many contradictory explanations of portions of human behavior. In my cognitive psychology class that I am taking right now I can give examples of cases where there are theories out there that are studying and thought by psychologist that are contradictory and non is known to be the “truth”. They can tell us which seems “more correct” but cannot definitely give us a correct theory.
Example
One example is the way that memory is stored. One theory that was proposed by Atkinson and Shiffrin has a three stage model that were required to learn. There were also four other models or theories that we were required to understand. They were by Craik & Lockhart, Braddeley, Tulving, and McClelland &Rumelnart. I was able to understand how all of the models work and was able to know the major differences between them but I still cannot tell you for sure how memories are stored; only that the most accepted model at this time is the model by Braddeley.
Question 6:
Discuss your answer with a friend or two. What is your
conclusion?
Answer 6:
Discussion with a
Friend
I decided to discuss the difference between non-theistic psychology and theistic psychology, in which in theistic psychology theories must be drawn from scientific revelations and must all agree with them, with my sister ( who is currently working on her masters degree in psychology). When I explained this to her she took the stand of the negative bias.
She argued that this is contradictory to what a theory is all about. If in non-theistic psychology there was a rule that all theories must come from the writings and experiments of Freud, and they all must agree with them we would not get anywhere as a science. In science a scientist comes up with a theory only after he has studying the problem at hand, done sound research, and has the empirical evidence to back up his/her claims. We learn from other people and from that better experiments are made and our understanding of the processes deepen.
To this I had to some what agree. How can any of the theories in theistic psychology disagree when the only one who was able to receive the revelations wrote all the book, and from those can the theories be made. This is how theistic psychology is able to keep a coherent rational account but is this really how it should be?
My Conclusion
I think that things are the way they were meant to be. I think that when it comes to understanding the operations of the physical body and brain it is alright to have conflicting theories. This is our species way of growing and learning from each other, each scientist trying to get closer and closer to the real workings of the brain. This is not however okay for the working of the mental mind and spiritual world. God wants us to be able to know exactly how it works and for it to make scene to all readers, not confusing them with contradictory theories. That is why I feel only one psychologist, Swedenborg, was able to write on the inner workings of the world of eternity. From his writings can only all other theories come from because they were not his own writings but from the Divine Psychologist. They are the actual operations so all things must also agree and originate from them.
Question 8: Discuss the “transmissive model” (or transmission theory) of the mind by
William James in section 2.3 He was familiar with Swedenborg’s writings from his
father, who wrote a book about him. Do you see a connection between substantive
dualism and the model of William James?
Answer 8:
Transmissive Model
The transmissive model was written by William James and can be recognized as a correlational function between the brain and the mind. This model is a dualist theory since it claims the brain is constructed out of physical matter while the mind is constructed out of the spiritual substances of good and truth. It acknowledges that we were born into two worlds, the body organs in the physical world and the mind or mental organs in the spiritual world. As in accordance with dualism it says that when the physical body dies, the mental body is resuscitated in the spiritual world and lives on to immortality.
William James refers to the dictum in psychology that “thought is a function of the brain”. If one believes that thoughts and feelings are transmissive functions of the brain, then one must also conclude that immortality is a possible scientific concept.
The transmissive model is in contrast to the productive model. The productive model can be recognized as a cause-effect relationship between the brain and the mind. An example is that in neuroscience it is argued the brain “causes” the epiphenomenon of the mind and consciousness. The productive model is materialistic and monist since it equates that the mind and brain as belonging to physical matter of time and space. This materialist model requires that the mind vanish from existence when the brain is dead. From this theory one believes that thought is a productive function of the brain and therefore, one must conclude the when the brain is destroyed so is thinking and feeling, hence deny immortality as a scientific theory.
Connection With Substantive Dualism
I think that the connection with this theory and substantive dualism is that William James says that the mind is made of the spiritual substances of good and truth. His theory also recognizes that the mind is separate from the brain and is made of spiritual substances while the brain is made of physical matter. As I mentioned previously it is a dualist theory as well.
Question 9:
Discuss your perceptions of
how other students in the class (G25) are adjusting intellectually to the
positive bias perspective. Read some of there reports and include that with what
you observe in the class.
Answer 9:
Perception of Other
Students
From the reports of my classmates that I have read online thus far and the observations I have made in class I would say as a whole the class is understanding the concepts of theistic psychology from the negative bias perspective. From the reports they write and the presentations given in class you can see that some students are having an easier time understanding the concepts and rationality then other people.
I get the impression that some students have no religious background and this makes it hard for them to just grasp the idea of God. Others are so set in their religious thinking that they too are having a hard time accepting what they are being taught. For me my religious background makes it easier for me to understand. Like what I have heard from the other students theistic psychology does not have much conflict with what they have already been taught so it makes it easier.
On the other hand a couple of the presentations given in class tell me that some of the concepts would be better understood if they out more time and effort into reading the readings thoroughly, more then once if needed and trying to understand the rationality of it. I get the impression that some students just prepare to answer their questions and cannot answer other questions that go deeper into the meaning of their topic.
Good
Effort
As I mentioned the class as a whole is doing a good job and putting in a good effort. The students who do not speak English as their first language are also doing well. When they give their presentations it can be hard for them to express what they know. However when you read their reports they truly are working hard and do understand the topics.
From my own perspective I know how demanding this class is. There is not much information that one can draw on from previous related topics. It is hard to learn a completely new way of thinking at this age and being able to accept it. We are already getting stuck in our own ways and even though we can understand it rationally and write reports on it, we still try to hold on to what we knew before as true and this new information we do not know what to do with. This is why I think the students in my class say that they are having a hard time accepting theistic psychology and sticking with it after this class is over. I do not think it is a lack of rationality or understanding rather the unwillingness to change.
Week 12
Question 1: List between 3 and 5 criteria that theistic
psychology should have if it is going to make it as a science in the
future. Briefly explain each
and then give your assessment as to how theistic psychology as you know it,
stacks up.
Answer 1:
Some Criteria TO Make
It As A Science
To distinguish between workable scientific theory in psychology and one that is unworkable in today’s standards; one might evaluate each theory on the basis of five criteria. They are organicity, objective reality, operational definition, empiricism, and usefulness. Now I will explain a few of them in more depth.
Object reality means that the facts of the proposed system must come from objective observation, and must be verifiable by others. From one perspective Theistic psychology meats this standard because Swedenborg’s reports present facts and observations as an eyewitness. Everyone present was able to see what Swedenborg saw and reported. On the other hand everyone else who was present was in the spiritual world with him and they are unable to verify what he reported. So one can see how critics can claim that “others” cannot observe and verify what the reports say. If one can accept the fact that all people after resuscitation will be able to see what he reported then it does in fact fit this criteria.
The next criteria that I will critique is empiricism. Empiricism is that every step of the explanation or theory must be capable of being understood and verified by the person’s own experience or self-witnessing observation. According to the readings this was one of the special aspects of Swedenborg’s empiricism is that at every step of his account or explanation is intended to be understood and verified by the person’s own experience or self witnessing observations. It also says that Swedenborg insisted on this type of empirical verification by readers prior to their acceptance of any idea or principle he presented.
I think that I am told how his writings hold up to this criteria of empiricism but I am not given specific examples nor do I believe it myself. All of the concepts that I have learned thus far on theistic psychology seems like I can only verify for myself after I die and am present in the after world in eternity. I cannot tell now how God gives me the spiritual substances of good and truth nor can I feel the continual influx of love I will receive from a conjugal love with another person or God Himself. This does not mean that it was not explained rational or that I do not think it is true, it just means that I cannot verify this for myself at the present time, while I am conscious in the physical world of time and space.
The last criteria I will discuss is usefulness. This criteria states that the theory must be applicable to all people and beneficial to society and individuals. The readings say that theistic psychology, which is the knowledge extracted from the writings of Swedenborg, has a comprehensive topical structure which is proof of its many uses, extensions and applications. With this I would have to agree. I think that this knowledge and information is very useful to the everyday person. One can use this information to change them self for the better and become a better person to society as well.
Question 2:
What is the method of
psychobiological correspondence and how can it be applied in theistic
psychology?
Answer 2:
Method Of Psychobiological Correspondence
In the quote from Swedenborg’s work Divine Love and wisdom Swedenborg gives full theoretical attention to the issue of the biology of the spiritual body. We use the term spiritual psychobiology to refer to the details he works out concerning the operation and development of the spiritual body. As the theory says there are two bodies that are functional relations of each other in anatomical detail and in neurophysiologic operations. The theory also asserts that not a single cellular, glandular, or hormonal activity in this body is possible without simultaneous accompaniment of the equivalent activity in the other body. It also notes that it is the spiritual body that takes precedence in determining the sequence of events for the physical body. To sum up the method of psychobiological correspondence we can say that according to this system, our physical and mental functioning in this natural body is the consequence of the psychosocial environment of the spiritual body.
Application To Theistic Psychology
This applies directly to theistic psychology because one of the main points is that all things in the physical or natural world is here because it corresponds to something in the mental world or eternity. This is one of the detailed examples that Swedenborg used to show this point. He was showing that even the environment of the spiritual body has an effect or correspondence to what happens to the physical body.
He used, in the quote that we read form the readings, that suppose our spiritual body was suddenly surrounded and invaded by the close contact of a group of people in the other world. This interpersonal proximity will set up a communication flow of cognitive and affective reactions between the people and you. As a consequence, the neurophysiologic states of your spiritual body are altered in specific ways corresponding to the character of the group of people around you. He goes on with volumes of specific details on this aspect.
This also helps to impose the law of correspondence when dealing with Divine Speech as Sacred Scripture. It does so by enforcing the concept that every thing in the natural of time and space is the correspondential sense of things in the spiritual world outside time and space. Just as the physical body corresponds molecule by molecule to the spiritual body so does the words found in Sacred Scripture. In order for us to get the true universal meaning it must be translated back to the original meaning through the laws of correspondence.
Question 3: What is the organic basis of human thoughts,
emotions, and feelings?
Answer 3:
Why Do We
Care?
The reason we are interested in the organic basis of human thoughts, emotions, and feelings is because in order for something to be a workable scientific theory in psychology under today’s standards it must pass five criteria. One of them is organicity which states that the proposed theory must be biologically grounded. In other words, no function with out structure, medium, or substance.
Organic Basis of
thoughts, Emotions, and Feelings
In psychology sensations, thoughts, and feelings must be defined as operations or processes. In the positive bias way of thinking through substantive dualism this requirement can be fulfilled in the concept of the mind and the spiritual world. We know from the writings of Swedenborg that mental operations are visible in the spiritual world of the afterlife. An example of this is when we are conscious in the after life of eternity we can tell if someone is friendly or hostile, honest or tricky, just by observing the color patterns of operations that are visibly flashing in various areas of the head and body.
Swedenborg also tells us that the mind is a spiritual organ constructed of spiritual substances of good and truth. Rational operations are in the same cognitive organ and is what we call “thinking” at the same time operations in the affective organ creates “feeling” through correspondences. Therefore, feelings and thoughts are actual operations in the affective and cognitive organ of the mind and through the laws of correspondences brain activity reflects the mental neurons and their network of operations in the mind.
Question 4: Study section 1.6.7, which describes some
features of what life is like in the afterlife of
eternity. Discuss them. How do you react? How do your friends react? Is this
something you look forward to?
Answer 4:
What Life Is Like In
The Afterlife Of Eternity
In section 1.6.7 there was a list of eight things that gave a brief description of what life is like in the afterlife or in eternity. The first thing that was mentioned is that individuals cannot think by themselves but only in groups. Next, no one can lie there, that is think one thing and say another. When I heard these first two facts about the afterlife I was not too shocked. Why would one be able to lie when they are so close in conjunction with the Divine Human and they are continually receiving an inflow of his good and truth? The only think that made me stop and think is why are we not allowed to think on our own? I wonder what advantages does thinking in a group have over thinking alone. Is it that we are already in pairs when we are married in eternity, or does this group thinking help ensure that we are doing good things for the sake of others and not for ourselves.
More facts about eternity that was given were in eternity the
external environmental features are functionally related to internal affective
and cognitive states. Also, similarity of affective states brings interpersonal
co-presence. I was already familiar with this concept as Dr. James has told us
in lecture on more than one occasion that when we are in the hells of our mind
we can create the scariest monsters imaginable. That is because our environment
will reflect our thoughts and feelings. Also, from what I have read about
Swedenborg when he wants to speak with a particular person he must first put
himself in the same level of thinking as them. As he mentioned for him to be
able to speak with
Another fact that was mentioned is that intelligence and power in the other world are functions of good uses acquired in this world. “Good uses” are actions performed for the sake of others rather than self only. This seems rational to me that we would try to benefit others rather then our selves. This is similar to the correspondential meaning of the commandment to “love thy neighbor” that we talked about earlier in the semester.
More bits of information that was listed is that in the other world the insistent denial of truth causes insanity and there are no degenerative diseases and death. It is noted that there are deformities and nonfunctioning elements which can lead to a deadening of the senses and other such things. This is what I would have expected. I think that deformities and degenerative would be a correspondence or result to something that is going on in the mental world, therefore the do not exist there, but there “true” causes do.
The last two pieces of information that was given regarding life in eternity was that in the other world every individual feels compelled to act out their feelings and thoughts, and growth in that world amounts to the continuous and never ending exploration or deepening of the packet of affections we brought with us from this world. My only comment is that I wish this world was more similar to the spiritual world of eternity.
Do I Look Forward To
This
From the description that I have heard thus far I am looking forward to being in eternity. The only concern I have is if I will have undergone enough character reformation by the time of my physical death that will allow me to choose to be in the heavens of my mind. If so then eternity will be something to look forward to, if not life in the physical world is where I’d rather be then in the hells of my mind for eternity.
Question 5:
How do you react to the idea
in section 1.6.8 that “Sacred Scripture Is The Source
of Scientific Revelations”? Be sure to make a distinction between the literal
sense of sacred scripture (religion) and its spiritual sense (theistic
psychology).
Answer 5:
Sacred Scripture Is
The Source Of Scientific Revelations
When I read this section it took me a while to understand it. Not because I could not understand how divine speech descends through the layer until it reaches the natural world as Sacred Scripture, but why the Sacred Scripture itself was called scientific revelation.
As we have learned before in the modern days God speaks to every individuals mind through sacred scripture. The Old and New Testaments are written in a Divine Style that is layered in meaning, as the reader goes from surface meaning (literal sense or religion) to deeper meaning (spiritual sense or theistic psychology).
Then I realized that it is called scientific revelations because they were made to Swedenborg who was a scientist and was recording his observations and conduction experiments in a scientific manner. Through Swedenborg God made new scientific revelations for the modern mind. From that we know that all Sacred Scripture is Divine Speech incorporating a scientific message from God to human beings.
Important
Note
It is important to note that not all of Sacred Scripture as we know it is a direct scientific message from God to Human beings. We must remember one of the basic components to theistic psychology; that is all things in the physical world is a correspondence of what is in the mental world of eternity. That means, that the message God is trying to give to human beings through Sacred Scripture is hidden in its correspondential sense.
Knowing that the literal meaning of Sacred Scripture that is analyzed and taught by nearly all religions is not the Divine Speech or message that God is trying to send. Rather, it is the literal meaning which only contains at its surface level the historical and cultural context. If one will examine the literal sense further and find the hidden correspondential sense, using the tools that Swedenborg has provided, they will then receive the true message of Divine Speech. This will be universal and rational to the highest degree.
I feel that it is very possible for the true, deeper meaning of Sacred Scripture to be hidden in the literal sense and that the Sacred Scripture is the source of scientific revelation. Where else would it be found? This is the only way that God “speaks” to us in the modern times, (besides being inspired, in which we begin to see insights we haven’t before, but do not actually hear God).
Question 6:
Section 1.6.8 discusses how
Divine Speech inflows into the mental world by levels, and each level is lower
in rationality then the level above it, until it reaches the natural level of
Sacred Scripture in a natural language. Describe this process in your own words,
as if you were giving a speech about it to people interested in spirituality.
Answer 6:
Process By Which Divine Speech Inflows Into The Natural
World
From my understanding of Theistic Psychology I will attempt to describe how divine speech descends into the mental world through discrete levels until it reaches the natural level. First of all, Divine Speech flows from God in the form of spiritual substances of good and truth. The first layer Divine Speech reaches in the mental mind, which is unconscious while in the physical world, is the “celestial” level. This is the highest level of the mind and also contains the most rational universal level of understanding Divine Speech.
The next discrete level of the mind that Divine Speech descends to is the spiritual level, then to the rational level, and finally ending at the natural level of understanding. The natural level of the mind also sub-levels which are the natural- rational correspondences, natural sensuous, and finally at the very bottom the natural-corporeal. As Divine speech descends down the discrete layers through the law of correspondence Divine Speech as God meant it losses its rational and spiritual meaning until it is at its basic literal meaning of Sacred Scripture.
Swedenborg’s reports tell us that the level at which people are willing to function in their eternity depends on the personality and life style they acquire in the physical world. He also says that when our thinking and willing operates at the celestial level we are closest to a God and called angels. It is also important to mention that our own level of understanding tends to reflect the mentality level of our culture.
Question 7: Discuss the 6 “Levels of Rational Mentality”
in section 1.6.8. Can you comprehend these levels of thinking about
God?
Answer 7:
6 Levels of Rational
Mentality
The six steps of rational mentality are mental steps that every individual goes through in the course of life on earth. The level of development that we attain in this brief life will determine the quality of our life in immortality. The six levels will show how human development and evolution is dependent on rational meaning supplied by God in Divine Speech.
The first level, called the Old Testament mentality about God, is regulated by the “natural-corporeal” correspondences in which the ancient text is written. When we are in this phase one hangs on to the literal meaning of the Old Testament. It is called corporeal because the correspondences are written at an external level of relationship with God, which is limited to mostly life in the natural. At this low level the focus is on God and religion.
Level two is known as the New Testament phase of mentality. It is a “sensuous” natural mind that is formed at this level due to the natural-sensuous correspondences in which this text is written. This level is above that of level one because it has a more advanced rational idea of God. This is because the people of this era were part of the generation during which the incarnation event took place. Hence, the literal meaning of the New Testament is found in the sensuous identity of the Son of God. From these writings one can know God sensuously—when He was born, what He went through, and then how He was resurrected from His grave as a Divine Human and then ascended to the heavens of the spiritual world where He can be seen in His natural body. This level of rationality of God is higher then level one because it recognizes that God is not only infinite and omnipotent but human as well; it allows the for the rational idea of the Holy Spirit which is the presence of the Divine Human in the conscious mind of every individual.
The writings of Swedenborg phase of mentality is the name of level three. At this level the rational mind is formed by the natural-rational correspondences in which the text of the Writings is written. It is called natural-rational because it provides a conscious view of God’s purposes and methods of managing and creating the universe. This is higher then the other two level because God is now acknowledge as the Divine Human who is inside the mind and also formed the mind and participates in its formation moment by moment from birth to eternity. It is also higher because sees the core quality of the Divine Human as the source of divine truth which is the spiritual substances for created things.
Levels four, five, and six are phase one theistic psychology phase two theistic psychology and phase three theistic psychology. They each correspond to a higher more rational level of understanding the hidden correspondential sense of sacred scripture as Divine speech. As ones level of rational understanding deepens their level of rational consciousness will move from phase one until it reaches phase three, which is the unconscious celestial mind or also known as the third heaven of the mind.
My Comprehension of
These Levels
I find it very possible to comprehend these levels of rational understanding of God. Just in the last grew months of taking this course in theistic psychology I have witnessed my own rational of consciousness move to at least level three. I feel that in time my understanding will be able to reach level six.
Question 8: Section 1.8.9 discusses theistic science as
an alternative to bible-based accounts of God and creating, which look only at
the literal meaning. What is your assessment of where this topic is going in the
future?
Answer 8:
Where This Is Going
In The Future
I think that theistic psychology as an alternative to bible-based accounts of God and creation has a good chance in the future. In the world at the present time there are so many wars due to what the bible “says and tells” a person or group of people to do. If people just want to know the message from God they can study the hidden correspondential sense and get a much deeper level of understanding them if they rely solely on the literal meaning.
I think that it would also alleviate tension between religious and cultural groups because all of those physical elements are not contained in the correspondential sense. I also feel that it will have a good chance in the future because people have gotten more and more scientific. We are always claiming that we want proof or I’ll believe it when I see it. I think the human race as a whole will move towards wanting a more rational and scientific explanation of God and the afterlife of eternity, such as theistic psychology. They will start to shy away from the portions of their religion that require blind faith and find a more rational and understandable explanation in previously “unexplainable” concepts.
Effect That May
Cause
I think that this can only have a positive affect on the world. It will get people to understand what God had intended for them and hopefully it will help more people undergo character reformation. I think, as mentions earlier, that it can ease some of the tension of the “Holy wars” because it can help them realize that the Sacred Scripture is not talking about one group being better than the other when looking at the hidden correspondential sense which is much higher then the literal meaning they are harboring over.
Question 9:
Now that I am nearing the
completion of the course, what has been the effect on studying theistic
psychology this semester? What is your prognosis for continuing the study and
this mode of thinking?
Answer 9:
Effect Of Studying Theistic Psychology
For me studying theistic psychology this semester has had a positive impact on my life personally. Upon coming in to this class I had stop attending my church for reasons unknown to me. I thought that now that I am on my own, living in my own house, I no longer needed to go to church like my mom had made me do my whole life. It is not that I did not believe what I was being taught at church or that I thought God did not play an important role in my life, but rather that I felt I needed that day to sleep in our do what I wanted to.
Studying this new rational approach to God made God and the afterlife more real to me and made it seem it should be a higher priority of mine. This study has opened my eyes to things that I have been taught in church all a long only this time it made sense rationally instead of be just believing what I was being told. I now feel the desire to return to church so I can further compare my religion to that of The Writings of Swedenborg. Just from what I have learned so far there are many similar details only theistic psychology gives me more details and presents the concepts in a more rational and scientific approach that I am used to from my studies in school.
I also feel that theistic psychology has once again opened my eyes to working on character reformation and I have been doing so actively. After the challenge we were given to try to keep only good thoughts in our mind or to stay in the heavens of our mind all day I realized how much work I had in front of me. I need to monitor my daily thoughts so I can keep my inherited hellish thoughts out of my mind. I like what I have learned about the life in the afterlife of eternity when one is in the heavens of their minds and I want that for myself.
Prognosis For Continuing This Study
I believe that I will continue to study theistic psychology at some other time in the future. For the time being I am just going to work on getting back to church and changing my character using the information I have already learned so far. Once I am back in my church relearning their teaching I will then go back into the study of Theistic psychology so I can compare and have it make more sense. I feel that using these two methods together will further my understanding of God and help me be closer in conjunction with Him.
Week 13
Question 1: What are people talking about on the web or
in the media when the say the “Bible Code”? Explain it, then show how it differs in the method and purpose from
theistic psychology. Why is the Bible code called blind in relation to theistic
psychology/
Answer 1:
What Is the “Bible
Code”?
The Bible code is a commercial computer program that allows anyone to search the Bible using the method of “equidistant letter sequences” (ELS). It is done be the user giving specifications of the place and size of the text sample to be analyzed, as well as the information wanted--- a name, date, place, type of event, or a combination of these. The computer will then do some calculations and in a few seconds deliver the information. The method that the computer is using to calculate the information is by skipping X number of letters of certain portions of the Old Testament and seeing what new words or phrases it can come up with.
Some people have found things that startle them like the name of the Prime Minister Rabin and the date that he was assassinated etc. Others claim that the Five Books of Moses in the Old Testament contain all the details of the universe and every individual. Critics of this bible code say that they can demonstrate similar phenomena using any large sample of text.
Differences From Theistic Psychology
It is important to note that the “Bible Code” research and activity is different from theistic psychology and is not in any way part of it. They are different in their purpose and methodology. The purpose of theistic psychology is to obtain the hidden messages in Sacred Scripture so that one may undergo character reformation and thereby choose to be in the heavens of their mind upon resuscitation. The purpose of the bible code seems to be to find what important bits of information the computer can manipulate out of sections of the Old Testament.
The methodology also is completely different. Theistic psychology is based exclusively on the method of correspondences with enlightenment and the “Bible Code” does not fall into this category. The method of correspondences with enlightenment is divinely specified in precise and strict terms and do not allow for deviation in its absolute standard application. It contains the word enlightenment which refers to gaining the ability to comprehend spiritual correspondences. This means that theistic psychology is not based on mechanical translation, like the bible code, it is based on the ability to understand correspondences in a rational or spiritual way, not natural.
Anyone can do the extraction process of divine speech but the results will not be genuine, contain enlightenment, unless two conditions are met. The two conditions are that one’s purpose to discover what is given in Divine Speech to assist in our regeneration or character reformation, from the old inherited hellish traits to the newly acquired heavenly traits, and that one applies the knowledge and reasoning of correspondences acquired exclusively from the spiritual meaning of the Writings Sacred Scripture.
Question 2: Explain the relationship between layers of
meaning hidden within Sacred Scripture and the levels of human mentality or
mind.
Answer 2:
Sacred Scripture
As Divine Speech
The hidden meaning of Sacred Scriptures is Divine Speech from God. The writings of Swedenborg demonstrates that all of Sacred Scripture is written in the style of Divine Speech which always contains several discrete layers of meaning. Every human being regardless of culture or religion has the same relationship to Divine Speech. The ideas in Divine Speech are transmitted to the entire human race simultaneously. The Divine Speech, which is emanating from God’s mind, passes through the various layers of the human mind. This is the origin and cause of human consciousness and immortality.
The literal and historical meaning is accurate and divine. Due to this it also contains deeper, more universal meanings that can be recovered or reconstructed by applying the method of correspondences with enlightenment as relieved in the writings.
Relationship Between Sacred Scripture And Levels Of The Human
Mind
The way in which the layers of meaning with Sacred Scripture, as Divine Speech, is related to the levels of human mentality or mind is that they both are set up in discrete layers which are set up according to rationality and level of consciousness. In Sacred Scripture there are scientific layers of meaning that are contained with in the literal meaning of every verse, phrase, and word. At each level of understanding the literal, historical, and cultural meaning corresponds to a deeper more rational, universal meaning.
The layers of the mind are analogous to the layers of Divine Speech as Sacred Scripture.
The Divine Speech from God enters the mind of every person simultaneously in the form of unconscious spiritual ideas and concepts called “celestial-rational correspondences”. They operate in the upper portion of the organ called the celestial mind. People who have elevated their rational consciousness to the highest level of the human mind, called “heaven” can perceive and understand these celestial meanings. If one is not at that level of consciousness the Divine Speech proceeds from it and descends successively through the layers of the mental world. First as I mentioned it enters our unconscious celestial mind or third heaven, then it enters our unconscious spiritual mind or second heaven, then in enters our spiritual-natural mind or first heaven, and then finally into the three layers of the natural mind.
Each level that Divine Speech descends to is less rotational and universal then the previous until it reaches the natural, literal level as Sacred Scripture. This is the lowest level of understanding of divine speech. While in the natural world of time and space the literal meaning of Sacred Scripture must then be translated back through the correspondential sense to rise the meaning it back to the original sense.
Question 3: Explain the difference between material and
spiritual ideas or concepts. Explain this difference to a friend. What is your
conclusion?
Answer 3:
Difference Between
Material And Spiritual Ideas
Materialistic refers to concepts in the natural world. When we read the reports of Swedenborg he is describing what he observed using spiritual concepts, however when we read them at first we can only understand them in a natural and general way. This is because our consciousness is at first immersed and restricted to the materialistic concepts of the natural mind. Through the progress of studying theistic psychology we can however understand the topics more and more spiritually.
Let me describe to you the example that was used in the reading. Swedenborg wrote that he was able to see the Spiritual Sun that hovers over the sky of the spiritual world. When we hear this, being materialistic thinkers, we picture a bright sun shinning in the spiritual world like our sun shines on earth Again the reading says that this image is strengthened when we picture the spiritual light and heat emanating from it and till it reaches our mind and descends through the layers until it reaches our natural mind while we are here in the physical world.
This point of view is strictly materialistic once you realize that there is no space in the spiritual world, no places, no plane of extension for there to be any movement like that which involves sunlight going through space or air. We do however know what it is like to be in a place where these conditions exist. It is like our dreams and imagination. There is no actual space in our dreams and in our thinking, but only the appearance of space.
My Conclusion
After discussing this concept with a friend I came to the conclusion that this is a hard concept to understand. I am clearly having trouble getting over my materialistic approach to understanding spiritual concepts. I can see how it relates to my dreams and so forth but it seems strange that life in eternity will be like that. From my own experience my dreams are all over the place; I jump from being at home, to the moon and various other places so fast. I guess that since all you need to do is think of something or someone and you are there in their presence that is how it can be.
I felt like I had a good understanding of the topics that we have learned thus far in theistic psychology but after this I feel like I have a lot more work until I reach this level of understanding. I think that I need more information or examples so that I can better understand this. My friend felt the same way. I was interesting for her when she learned that eternity is similar to our dream but to me it confused my understanding.
Question 4: Explain the assertion that “there is only
one mental world and we are all in it”. How do you understand this? What
difficulties did you encounter when trying to explain this assertion to another
person? What is your conclusion? What are the consequences in your mind of this
assertion?
Answer 4:
There Is Only One Mental World
. 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. There can only be one metal world because there is only one eternity and they are the same thing.
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.
My Conclusion
When I try to explain this to other people at first it does not make sense to them. I have to get them to think rationally and explain that if our thoughts, feelings, and emotions are not in our physical body or brain then they must be in eternity because they are real and must exist some where. I have no problem with understanding and accepting this assertion. I know my thoughts are real and finally I have been told where they are physically located (or spiritually for that matter). The strange thing about this is when one learns that ones thoughts are in the same place as everyone else’s thoughts. However when we think about this rationally where else would they be?
The consequences to this is that our thoughts, feelings and emotions are not as private as we thought they were. Everyone in the spiritual world of eternity has access to them. Before I thought if I thought something I was only for me to know unless I shared it with another person; now I know that is not the case. Thoughts, feelings, and emotions are eternal and therefore exist in eternity, accessible to all who are at the same level of consciousness as me.
Question 5: What is regeneration? How do you relate to
the idea of character reformation in your own life? How do you imagine yourself
as a “reborn self”? Would your friends like you better? Would you be a better
citizen or student?
Answer 5:
Regeneration
Regeneration or character reformation is the process by which one rids themselves of their inherited hellish traits to the point where they are in the exact state of mind that they desire. The tools needed for the regeneration process to take place are found in the hidden correspondential sense of Sacred Scripture in which Swedenborg explain extensively in his Writings. It says that God uses Divine Speech as a method for making scientific revelations to the human race. These revelations constitute the knowledge of theistic psychology; its purpose or use is to increase our understanding of the process of our regeneration.
God regenerates everyone but only to the extent of each individual’s willingness to face inner conflict that is attendant to character change. God supplies the power and the know-how while we supply the willingness to go along. God also gives us the power to resist and pursue the enjoyments and inclinations with which we are born with. When we do this we are using our freedom of choice to choose to be in our inherited hellish traits like selfishness, self-indulgence, greed, arrogance, etc.
The reason why character reformation is so important is because when Swedenborg observed people who had just came out of resuscitation they were very much themselves, such that they had been during the life in the body on the earth. They had the same character traits, the same loves and enjoyments, and the same ruling passions. When they reach the complete point of immortality they feel impelled from within by their ruling passion to abandon and reject everything in their mind that is not compatible with their ruling love. Therefore, if one does not undergo character reformation to their satisfaction they will choose to be in the hells of their mind upon their resuscitation.
My Imagination Of
My Reborn Self
I imagine my reborn self to be similar to how I am now. I do not necessarily think that my friends would like me any better but I do feel that the average person on the street will. You see I have the tendency to come off very bitchy to people that I do not know. I am not as outwardly friendly to them as I am to people that I know even though I smile and laugh a lot. I have been working on this and I feel I am making some progress.
It has the possibility of also making me a better citizen although I do not feel that I am a bad citizen right now. I think that most of my inherited hellish traits would have to be more personal like envy and love for material things. I am not a mean or disloyal person rather I have the tendency to always want more ( in some things like education etc. it is not a bad trait to have). I am curious to see how character reformation would make me appear to myself and others because the only person that I know who comes close to this description is my grandmother. I would be ecstatic the day I see myself identical to her in her traits and general way of thinking.
Question 6: Describe the three methodologies used in
theistic psychology. Explain the levels of extractive research. How are these
levels related to our mental anatomy or organs? How do you understand all this?
What is the potential significance of this method for generating new scientific
knowledge?
Answer 6:
Three Methodologies
The three methodologies that are used in theistic psychology are extractive, predictive, and applied. Extractive research is the systematic rational effort to extract scientific meaning from Sacred Scripture as Divine Speech using the method of correspondences with enlightenment. Predictive research is when one tries to construct rational theories out of their understanding of the knowledge gained through extractive research. Applied research is when one uses the knowledge from extractive and predictive research to improve various critical areas of need in themselves and in society. The only true research in theistic psychology is extractive research.
Levels of Extractive
Research
Extractive research is applied to the natural-rational correspondences of the literal meaning of the Writings Sacred Scripture. There are two levels of extractive research. The first level is where one identifies the naked truths in the literal sentences or the Writing Sacred Scripture. Naked truths are passages that openly and plainly give scientific revelations at the surface level. These naked truths are higher-order correspondences intermixed among the natural correspondences. This first level of natural correspondences does not break through the higher discrete level of correspondences but rather it serves as a solid foundation for them.
The second level of extractive research helps to elevate ones level of thinking with spiritual correspondences, which exist within the natural correspondences that make up the literal sentences or the Writings Sacred Scripture. This level of extraction cannot work without enlightenment as we have discussed in previous questions.
These levels of extraction relate to ones mental anatomy because portions of our mental organs were created to be ready and able to interpret the meaning and consciousness of what ever was put into the physical body. This means that our mental anatomy is already set up to aid one in extracting the hidden correspondential meanings of Divine Speech as Sacred Scripture and help us to understand it rationally.
My Understanding
Understanding the method of extraction is simple to me. It is simple the way that one draws out the true or hidden correspondential sense of Sacred Scripture. It is the most basic and widely discussed topic in this course. It was also on of Swedenborg’s main purpose for being conscious in the two worlds; to show us that there is a deeper meaning that is found within the literal sense of all Sacred Scripture.
The potential significance for this method of generating new scientific knowledge can be huge. I think that more scientist need to rationally analyze the Writings Sacred Scripture using the extraction method, and tools provided by Swedenborg, so that more awareness and studies can accumulate from this.
Question 7: How do you understand the expression “style
of Divine Speech”? How do you understand that “Divine Speech exteriorized to the
next layer of the mental world”? How does this affect you as a unique individual
today? Give the “specific content of Divine Speech”. How do you react to the
fact that this is what God wants to talk to us about or teach us? Why are these things called spiritual? How important are these
things to society and the human race?
Answer 7:
Style Of Divine
Speech
As we have mentioned so many times the style of Divine Speech is rational, spiritual, and universal meanings hidden with the literal, historical, and cultural sentences of Sacred Scripture. This spiritual meanings can only be found when one utilizes the method of extraction with enlightenment. This style of Divine Speech is easy for me to understand as a concept but difficult if I were to try to extract it myself. The readings say that Swedenborg even found it difficult in the beginning to extract the hidden spiritual meanings without the bias of the physical world when he first started this process.
My understanding of “Divine Speech as exteriorized to the next layer of the mental world” is that Divine Speech is descending through the layers of the mental mind, loosing its spiritual and rational meaning, until it reaches the outer most layer of the natural mind. This had no effect on me personally until I started taking this course. Now I feel that there is so much that I do not know about what God wants me to know and is trying to tell me. I feel as if my celestial body or mind is in a classroom where God is speaking to it and all I am getting out of it is what someone outside the building receives when they read God’s lips; almost nothing of what he is actually saying.
Specific Content Of Divine Speech
The specific content of Divine Speech in itself contains infinite truths and principles in every Word as well as in the whole message. My reaction to this is if God wanted to tell us something so important why does it have to be hidden? Why do we need to utilize higher-order understanding to get the true message?
This is called spiritual because there is no cultural or history, which are physical things, in Divine Speech. One must use their celestial-rational mind to understand this level of rationality. This can be as important to society and to the human race as one makes it. If they are able to rationally understand it one will make it high on their priorty list. However, if they mock it and fell that it is all made up and refuse to see the rationality of it they will toss it aside. The level of importance is very high, but just as God does not force one to undergo character reformation at any level higher then what they can handle, nor does He require them to understand the hidden meanings of Sacred Scripture at any higher level then their rational ability.
Question 8: How does Theistic Psychology stack up as a
science, according to its own criteria and definition?
Answer 8:
Theistic Psychology As A Science
According to what I have read thus far I feel that theistic psychology does stack up as a science. The method that theistic psychology uses is the method of correspondences with extraction to extract the underlying scientific meaning that is hidden within the literal text. This theory shows that the universe is a immerse mental organ.
I came to my conclusion that it stacks up as a science because the methods of research that Swedenborg uses seems like sound science to me. Swedenborg studying the afterlife or mental world of eternity empirically by direct observation and by conducting experiments. He wrote scientific reports daily on his findings and conclusions and published them for the world to read and critique. His approach relied heavily on his observations, interviews of people in the mental world of eternity, and by controlled experiments.
Unlike other writings dealing with God and the afterlife Swedenborg left nothing to faith or belief; if it did so we would not call it science because science rejects what cannot be made sense of. This is why his writings are so unique and also scientific. To examine for one self if the writings of Swedenborg are scientific or not one needs to examine the evidence of whether his discoveries of correspondences is valid. One also must examine the evidence which includes the way on which correspondences are used by Divine Speech in Sacred Scripture which gives us the ability to raise our rational understanding by extracting higher-order correspondences which are in Sacred Scripture.
I have done this throughout the semester and at this point I would have to conclude that theistic psychology is a science. It lives up to sciences standards which analyzes such things based on its own rational merit and objective methods.
Question 9: Who was Swedenborg? Give a brief description
of what you know so far. Should one believe Swedenborg? Does it depend on belief
or rational understanding and proof? What benefits are there in studying
Swedenborg’s theistic psychology, which is hidden within the literal sentences
of the Writings Sacred Scripture that he authored? Do you think that he knew
that his sentences were Divine Speech contained in infinite knowledge that the
human race could never exhaust?
Answer 9:
Brief Description of
Swedenborg
Swedenborg was a man who was born
in
Should You Believe
I feel that the true question should not be if one should believe Swedenborg, but if his writings are rational and makes sense to them. From my own personal experience I think that his writings are true and he did a fine job at explaining complex ideas in a rational and scientifically understandably was; far better than any religion here in the physical world. The reason for this is that he does not require that one “believe” what he is saying, rather he explains it in such a way that it is hard to deny. One is able to use their own knowledge and level of understanding to come to their own conclusions.
I think that the benefits of studying theistic psychology are similar to that of studying religion only in this case all the “religious” aspects are taken out. By this I mean that one is given the tools and the knowledge that they need while here in the physical to change themselves so that they may be in heaven in the afterlife. However, from theistic psychology we know that studying Sacred Scripture is not the way to find the tools needed, rather one needs to extract the hidden correspondential meanings and use those for true character reformation so that upon resuscitation one will choose to be in the heavens of their mind.
I think that Swedenborg was well
aware that his sentences were Divine Speech. He knew that God was giving him the
ability to be conscious in both worlds simultaneously so that He can tell
Swedenborg things of the afterlife and he would record them and later publish
them for all to read and extract the hidden correspondential sense.
Advice To Future
Generations
Taking this course was not as difficult for me as it was for others in my class. I could see that they struggled with the basic concepts right from the beginning. I am not sure if it is just my nature to give things the benefit of the doubt until I find a good reason not to believe or if it was my religious background. At any case, it is best if you stay open minded in the beginning and try to understand the concepts the best you can.
If you go to class prepared and do the weekly readings on time, Dr. James’ lectures and explanations will make more sense and you will have questions he can clarify instead of being totally dumbfounded you are left speechless when he asks if you have any questions.
The most important piece of advice is to stay on top of your reports. They will force you to think of the concepts and at the same time help you to understand them, but most importantly the pages pile up quickly and before you know it you’re pulling all-nighters just to get them in only “sort of” late. Good luck