Report 2:
My Understanding
of Theistic Psychology
By Jennifer Ikeda
Instructions for
this Report are at:
www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy22/459-g22-report2.htm
I am answering
Questions 2, 3, 6, 8, 9
Question 2:
What are the consequences for society of
"materialism" which excludes God from science? What are
"scientific revelations" and what motivates scientists to exclude
them? Discuss whether this motivation is justified and how theistic psychology
proposes to overcome this objection.
Section A: My
Own Summary of the Selections
What are the consequences for society of
"materialism" which excludes God from science?
Materialism is the understanding that “denies the existence of anything that isn’t physical.” Materialism and atheism are one in the same; they both deny the existence of God and the afterlife.
Section 1.1.1 A – Level 1: Materialistic
Science
According to a materialistic point of view all of our human emotions, thoughts and feelings are cause by chemical and electrical impulses in the brain caused by neuron firings. We have no soul and we are just biological machines, materialists see life on Earth as a very brief period where we are alive then after we pass away we are gone forever and that is the end.
Section
1.1.1 B – Level 1: Materialistic Science
When we are aware of the spirit world and the physical world and how each works together we can improve our quality of life. Many of the natural events that occur on Earth have a spiritual cause; by understanding this relationship we are able to better control our physical and spiritual environments. If we are not aware of how the choices we make on Earth affect our afterlives we are putting our immortality in jeopardy. The decision on how we live our lives on Earth determines whether or not we spend our eternal immortality in heaven or hell.
Section
1.1.1 D – Level 1: Materialistic Science
When we deny God and hold on to our materialistic beliefs we are giving up the ability to use a higher way of thinking. We are all capable of this even if we deny God. He is equally in every individual no matter what our religious beliefs are. However there is a difference in the mental states we are in when we are honoring or rejecting God. When we honor God and his omnipotence we are elevating our level of thinking which is what as known as “enlightenment”. The more we are aware of God’s omnipotence in every aspect of our lives the more “enlightened” we become, in turn this would cause science, society, and the environment to improve.
What are "scientific revelations" and what motivates scientists to exclude them?
Section
1.1.2 – Mystical Religion
Scientific revelations are also known as Divine Truth. It is called Divine Truth because the origin of Divine Truth is from God and not human beings themselves. By using Divine Truth we are able to change the way we think and feel so that it is in harmony with scientific revelations. Using this way of thinking gives us the power to solve many of the problems that have plagued society such as discrimination and egocentrism.
The Writings of Swedenborg are a scientific revelation because they give us a rational method for obtaining Divine Speech. When we go to heaven we are able to understand speech in the universal language used in the spirit world. Here on Earth we must rely on the Writings of Swedenborg to extract the Divine Speech and put it into the natural language that we use here on Earth. What is extracted from these scientific revelations is what is now known as Theistic Psychology. Others have proposed other ways of extracting meaning from Sacred Scripture but the Writings of Swedenborg is the one true, rational way of extracting Divine Speech.
Many of the world’s greatest atheistic scientists attend church. The separation of church and state are apparent in the world of science. Many materialistic scientists have openly declared their belief in God but refuse to incorporate that into their research. The founder of evolution Charles Darwin made known his belief in God.
Section
1.1.1 C – Level 1: Materialistic Science
Section B: My
Commentary
(i) It is important to understand how materialism affects the way we all co-exist on this planet. It is through scientific revelations such as the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg where we are able to extract Divine Speech. This method of extraction can be used universally with every religion such as Buddhism and Hinduism. By understanding that Divine Speech we would be able to enlighten our selves in turn making our lives on Earth more pleasurable and giving it more meaning, which also in turn makes our afterlife much greater.
(ii) This perspective has come to help me make sense of the way I look at the new and old testaments. I always had a hard time believing the literal version of the Bible. I could not understand how God could ever will someone to commit murder or allow someone who lives in a poor remote part of the world, which would never be able to read the Bible, but is a very good person and has a very good heart burn in hell because he or she was not a baptized. These concepts seemed very irrational to me and therefore I was never fully convinced, until I was introduced to Theistic psychology.
This standpoint will help society because instead of trying to convince people that a certain religion out of many is the correct one, we can all unite under one truth, uniting all religions and races. I also always felt conflict between believing in God and taking completely atheistic view in my education. It didn’t make sense to acknowledge that there is a high power and an afterlife when everything in science tells us that this perspective is not correct. Theistic psychology has helped me to understand why I had this conflict and to make sense of it.
(iii) I agree with this perspective, I think that the Writings of Swedenborg unite all religions giving light and truth to each religious belief. I do believe in God’s omnipotence and therefore I feel that science and religion do go hand in hand. I feel that it is also illogical to exclude God from science.
Question 3:
How does theistic psychology view
"mystical spirituality"? Why is it called "mystical"?
Include a discussion on "sensuous vs. rational consciousness" of God.
What evolutionary significance does this difference imply? How do readers of
Swedenborg interpret his Writings?
Section A: My
own summary of the selections
How does theistic psychology view
"mystical spirituality"?
Theistic psychology views “mystical spirituality” as being non-rational or scientific. Those who practice mystical spirituality do so with a “blind faith” in which they adopt a belief system in which they follow without question. They are told that if they follow the rules set by a specific religion they will be rewarded with eternal bliss in the after life.
Section
1.1.2 – Mystical Religion
Theistic psychology also views mystical spirituality as level 2 thinking. Level 1 thinking is materialism or atheism, which is basically, denies the existence of anything that is not in the physical world. Materialism is viewed as the lowest form of rational thinking.
Why is it called "mystical"?
Section
1.1.1 – Materialistic Science
Level 2 thinking is one step up the ladder from materialism. This is where the existence of God is assumed to be true. This is viewed as one step up because those who are atheist do not believe in the after life and those who at least believe in God will be able to somewhat prepare for what happens after our first death.
Mystical religion is not at level 3 thinking because it is not fully rational nor does it take a scientific standpoint on God. This can be easily explained through the various religions that exist throughout the world. If all religions were fully rational than they would not be completely different from each other, we would all share in the same belief system eliminating the need for such non-rational thinking as holy wars or religious persecution.
Include a discussion on "sensuous vs. rational consciousness" of God. What evolutionary significance does this difference imply?
Section
1.1.2 – Mystical Religion
Sensuous consciousness derives from mystical religion; examples of this are when someone says that they felt God or that they had a conversation with God. These sensations are felt in the corporeal-sensuous portion of the mind, which is just below the rational mind.
Section
1.2 – Mystical vs. Rational Approaches to Theistic Psychology
This kind of connection to God is impossible after “The Fall”. Before the event known as “the fall” humans were able to think of whatever information they desired and God proved the influx on knowledge into their minds. People were able to communicate with the world of spirits directly. Some members of the “celestial race” took advantage of this knowledge and tried to use it for self-gain, and thus the “celestial race” on Earth died out. This was the beginning of the “spiritual race” or “split brain race”. We were no longer able to consciously communicate with those in the spirit world.
Section
10.1.1 - Negative Emotions and the Vertical Community
Rational consciousness is what theistic psychology is based on. Unlike sensuous consciousness, rational consciousness cannot be conjured up through someone imagination. God is rational and truth is rational so in order to truly understand God we must use the rational part of our mind.
How do readers of Swedenborg interpret his Writings?
Section
2.1 – What is the difference between religion and theistic psychology?
Those who take the theistic psychology approach to Emanuel Swedenborg’s writings take a scientific approach to his writings. Many others see Swedenborg’s writings as spiritual or mystical, especially those who have a negative bias towards theistic psychology and share an atheistic view psychology.
Section
1.3 – Non-Substantive or Mystical Dualism vs.
Rational Substantive Dualism
Those who interpret the writings with a positive bias, acknowledging that there is a God and it is possible that Swedenborg was chosen by God to objectively and scientifically document the after life are able to understand the writings as they were mean to be interpreted.
Section
1.0 – The Negative and Positive Bias in Science
Section B: My
Commentary
(i) Understanding the difference between mystical spirituality and theistic psychology is key in understanding how theistic psychology is different from any other religion. Without the clear distinctions between sensuous and rational consciousness the writings become just another religious belief system. The importance of rationality makes it easier for me to view theistic psychology with a positive bias because it is void of the conflicting beliefs that shroud all other religions.
(ii) This perspective helped me to understand that I am an innately rational person. I always had a hard time accepting other religious beliefs, especially from those who said that God spoke to them or that I wouldn’t be able to spend my afterlife in heaven if I was not of a certain religion. I have always believed in a higher power and the afterlife but theistic psychology has presented itself to me in a way that I can comprehend and I’m eager to learn more about.
(iii) I agree with the perspective that theistic psychology and mystical psychology have no place in the same category. Theistic psychology takes a uniquely scientific approach to religion that has forever changed my view of religion.
The Question
that I am answering is Question 6
Question 6:
What is the perspective of theistic
psychology provides on Sacred Scripture? How is it related to Divine Speech?
What are correspondences in Sacred Scripture? Give some illustrations of Sacred
Scripture and show how they are to be interpreted from the perspective of
theistic psychology.
Section A: My
own summary of the selections
What is the perspective of theistic
psychology provides on Sacred Scripture? How is it related to Divine Speech?
Theistic psychology is based on the extracted meaning of Sacred Scripture known as correspondences using the Writings of Swedenborg.
Section
1.2 – Mystical vs. Rational Approaches to Theistic Psychology
Sacred Scripture is Divine Speech, Divine Speech are also direct quotes from God. According to Dr. James less than 10 percent of the New and Old Testaments have direct quotes from God and the Writings of Swedenborg do not contain any direct quotes in the literal sense. When reading the New and Old testaments use the Writings to extract the spiritual meaning of the text. The extracted spiritual meaning is a direct quote from God and is what as known as Divine Speech.
Section
1.6.8 – Sacred Scripture As the Source of Scientific Revelations
According to Swedenborg all the writers of the New and Old Testaments were inspired to document historical events and visions that they had and the whole time they were unaware that with every sentence there was a hidden, deeper spiritual meaning. This hidden meaning is a scientific revelation that documents God’s relationship to every human and the rational laws that govern us all in the physical and spiritual world. When extracting the Divine Speech we are able to learn all about the spiritual world and how everything is connected to each other.
What are correspondences in Sacred Scripture?
Section
2.1 – What is the difference between religion and theistic psychology?
The “scientific laws” written in Divine Speech are known as “correspondences” or “the law of spiritual-natural correspondences”. These correspondences say that every event that can be seen in the natural world corresponds or is caused by and event in the Spiritual world
Give some illustrations of Sacred Scripture and show how they are to be interpreted from the perspective of theistic psychology.
Section
3.7.1 – The Science of Correspondences A
Swedenborg was able to observe which spiritual events would cause certain kinds of natural events. This kind of understanding was never before possible because Swedenborg was the only one who was able to live in the spirit world and the natural world for 27 years. Over the years he was able to decode the relationship and share this precious information with everyone else. For example a natural object like water spiritually corresponds to truth. This means that when we read Sacred Scripture we replace the world water with truth and thus extracting the spiritual meaning.
Section
3.7.1 – The Science of Correspondences B
Swedenborg used the same procedure to discover the specific laws the govern events between the natural and spiritual worlds. Swedenborg lived in the spirit world for 27 years of his life and was able to notice relationships between events that occurred in the spiritual world and physical world. He found relationships between certain events and every time event X happened in the spirit world Y happened on Earth and Y could never occur on Earth unless X happened in the spirit world.
Section
3.7.1 – The Science of Correspondences C
Swedenborg then used his newly discovered knowledge of the laws of correspondences and wrote 12 volumes in Latin and named them Arcana Coelestia or Heavenly Secrets. In these writings he converted the more significant parts of New and Old Testaments into Divine Speech. Swedenborg went word by word if he had to converting the natural word to its spiritual meaning.
Section
3.7.3 – Extracting the Scientific Meaning in Sacred Scripture A
Swedenborg knew how important it was to document the process of decoding the Bible, which is why he describes in great detail how to do this so that others can continue his work even though they are not able to live in the spirit world. What is translated becomes Theistic psychology so it is very important to do this correctly.
Swedenborg created what would be like a dictionary so that anyone can look up a word and see how that word and find out that words spiritual meaning. For example a spiders web signifies deceit and lies, a hand signifies ability and power and the word husband means the rational mind. When you apply these correspondences to Sacred Scripture the new content that emerges is the basis for theistic psychology.
Section
3.7.3 – Extracting the Scientific Meaning in Sacred Scripture B
Section B: My
Commentary
(i) I think that it is important to understand that there is a deeper meaning in Sacred Scripture and the literal meaning. Then we are able to use this deeper meaning to make our lives here on Earth more meaningful.
It is very important for humans to prepare our minds for the afterlife and the more prepared we are the greater possibility we have of spending our immortality in heaven. The more we study Sacred Scripture with a positive bias the more enlightened we become. When we move up a level in spiritual awareness we are regenerated. We must be regenerated in order to move up levels in heaven, if not we will be stuck at one level and will never be able to move up
(ii) I think that the impact that these correspondences could have on society could forever change the world. Unifying the world religion would take away the need for such things as “jihad” or holy wars and perhaps countries that are so culturally diverse can come together for the common good. If everyone lived their lives in accordance with Divine Truth and Divine Love, turning to altruism other than egocentrism and acceptance other than discrimination.
As for myself, I want to use my new knowledge of Sacred Scripture to resist my hellish loves and embrace my heavenly loves. After learning about how it is entirely up to me to follow my Divine Psychologist I am trying to resist the things in my life that could possibly cause myself to spend eternity in hell, because if I am not willing to give up my hellish loves on Earth I will never be able to resist my hellish love in the spirit world. I don’t really have the time to sit and decipher the New and Old Testaments so thankfully Dr. James and Swedenborg have done most of the hard work for me.
(iii) I agree with the perspective that there is a deeper spiritual meaning behind the Bible that everyone can relate to. I have taken Theistic Psychology with a positive bias. I still have much to learn but I think that Theistic psychology has opened my eyes to the way I view religion and God in my everyday life. I always took the Bible at face value, because I take things very literally, I can miss out on many things that are just below the surface.
The Question
that I am answering is Question 8
Question 8:
What is the relation between mind and the spiritual world? How does theistic psychology show their relation? How can the human mind be immortal? Why should people be concerned about the afterlife? What is the "vertical community" and why should people focus on their "dual citizenship"?
Section A: My
Own Summary of Selections
What is the relation between mind and the
spiritual world?
The mind and the spirit world are interconnected because the mind of every single human being exists in the spirit world where it is immortal. The spirit world does not consist of physical space or time like our bodies.
Section
12.0.3 – The Mind is Not a Physical Space A
When we are thinking about something we are in the spirit world. There is only one spirit mind for all humans so we are all connected in the spirit world. When we experience our first death and we are no longer in our physical bodies our mind is now able to be conscious of the spirit world. This is where all humans spend their immortality surrounded by those who share their loves.
How does theistic psychology show their relation? How can the human mind be immortal?
Section
12.0.2 – The Fundamental Formula of the New Scientific Revelation
This means that we are born as dual citizens existing at the same time in the spirit world and the physical world. Our bodies are formed from physical matter and our minds are formed from substances that emanate from the Spiritual Sun. Every human mind is immortal because it is made up of these immortal spiritual substances. At the same time every human physical body is mortal because it cannot last forever and they eventually breakdown.
Section
12.0.3 – The Mind is not a Physical Space B
In the spirit world there is no concept of time or space. In the spirit world we can change the environment we are in simply by changing our moods, the environment that we “transport” to reflect the type of mood that we are in. Whether or not we stay in one place in the spirit world depends on the stability of our moods. This also means that two people in the spirit world who are in completely different moods will not be able to get near each other.
Section
2.4 – What about the spirit world and the afterlife – how can this be
researched?
What is the "vertical community" and why should people focus on their "dual citizenship"?
According to Theistic Psychology the vertical community is the influx of spirits that every human being on this Earth receives. The influx is controlled by God and says that our thoughts and emotions and our dreams at night are controlled by this influx. If we did not have this constant influx of spirits into our minds we would not be able to have a single thought in our head, essentially we would be vegetables.
Section
1.1.1 – Level 1: Materialistic Science (Monism, Negative Bias)
Why should people be concerned about the afterlife?
According to the laws of correspondences the inner mind is in constant contact from spirits, or those who have already passed on and are now spending their eternity in the afterlife.
Section
1.1.3 – Level 3: Theistic Psychology
Individuals who let their irrational thought dominate their rational thoughts create a spiritual environment that is known as hell. The individual in this hell is able to interact with those who share similar irrational or hellish loves. Those who live their life on Earth with an underdeveloped rationality will not be able to resist the temptations of their irrational loves and will be doomed to live out their immortal existence in the harsh conditions of hell.
Section
1.2 – Mystical vs. Rational Approaches to Theistic Psychology
Swedenborg made careful notes on spirits that were being resuscitated after their first death; he named these spirits “novitiate spirits”. Most of the spirits who awaken in the spirit world are given the opportunity to experience immortality in heaven and immortality in hell. According the Swedenborg’s observations, what is known as an individuals “ruling love” is the love that always wins.
This means if an individual loves his or her family but they are obsessed with making money then they will lean toward the “ruling love” and spend eternity in hell obsessing about money. All the loves in our heart are ranked by importance to us. It is important for us to be aware of what kind of loves we value the most because if an evil loves is our highest love then we will be doomed to spend eternity in hell.
Section
3.6 – Choosing the Heaven or the Hell in Our Mind
Section B: My
Commentary
(i) I feel that it is important to understand that there is an afterlife where all human beings will spend eternity. Without this basic understanding there is no way that we would be able to prevent ourselves from spending eternity in hell. It is very important to put our priorities in order. If we are not able to resist our hellish loves on Earth there is no way that we will be able to resist our hellish loves in the afterlife. Even though we are shown the joys of heaven we will still choose our “ruling love” even if that love is hellish.
(ii) This perspective allows me to take a closer look at myself and better prepare myself for the afterlife. I think it is important to teach theistic psychology to those who will learn with a positive bias so that to eliminate all false beliefs about immortality. In some religions it is believed that if you repent before you die your sins will be forgiven. This common misconception could cost someone his or her afterlife.
(iii) I have always agreed this perspective, I found it so hard to believe that someone could be a terrible person on Earth, repent and be forgiven for all of there sins. I have always hoped that God would be rational enough to judge people on their character rather than what religious background.
The one concept that I don’t agree with is that we are doomed to spend eternity in hell. I would hope that God would make it possible for us to be able to pull ourselves from the depths of hell and to be able to move up toward heaven. Change is not easy for us as humans to do but it is possible with a lot of hard work. I would hope that if for some reason I am not able or any of my loved ones are not able to give up their hellish loves then at least they have a chance to spend the rest of their immortality in heaven.
The Question
that I am answering is Question 9
Question 9:
Discuss the concept of the "as-of
self." Why is it difficult for people to accept his idea? Does the concept
of as-of self imply that we don't really have true freedom as human beings? Is
human freedom compatible with the concept of God's omnipotence? How do you
react to this concept? Can you accept it? Does it make a difference whether you
accept it or not?
Section A: My
Own Summary of Selections
Discuss the concept of the "as-of
self." Does the concept of as-of self imply that we don't really have true
freedom as human beings?
From what we have learned in Theistic Psychology God is omnipotent, so it is logical to say that God is in some way, shape or form, responsible for all human behavior. This also encompasses our thoughts and feelings. It would be incorrect to say that since God is responsible for everything then we have no control over our destiny and we are just machines powered by God, this is where the concept of the “as of self” comes in.
Section
2.9 A – What is Divine Truth in relation to scientific revelations in theistic
psychology
Humans can only feel truly happy when they feel free. If we feel that our thoughts and feelings are not under our own control then we no longer feel like we are human, in effect we become biological robots or zombies in which are actions, thoughts and feelings are controlled by someone else. Even when we are imprisoned against our will, or we must follow the orders of our boss at work we still have a sense of inner freedom because our prison guard or our boss cannot control our thoughts. It is this internal freedom that makes us human.
This sense of freedom is essential for us to be happy in the afterlife, and God created the universe so that we have the ability to spend our immortality in eternal bliss.
Section
2.9 B – What is the Divine Truth in relation to specific revelations in
theistic psychology?
Now that we are aware that God in omnipotent it is pretty safe to say that our mental actions cannot be just our own. We must understand that we do have the freedom to think and act but God is the one who is giving us the power to do so.
Section
3.7.2 – Correspondences in Sacred Scripture and Divine Speech
Why is it difficult for people to accept his
idea?
Many people have told Dr. James that they hate the concept of the “as of self” because “they react to the idea as something that removes their motivation or incentive to do or think anything.” I think that he means that people don’t feel like there accomplishments, talents or uniqueness is truly their own if God is the one who is motivating our actions.
Section 3.7.2.2 – Levels of Decent of Divine Speech
According to The Writings our quality of mood depends on the kind of spirits that God connects to us every second of every day. The stronger the connection to a particular group of spirits the stronger the love we experience whether it be heavenly or hellish. The second we are connected the instant that we experience the loves of the spirits, which we feel are our own.
Section
10.1.1 – Negative Emotions and the Vertical Community
Is human freedom compatible with the concept
of God's omnipotence? How do you react to this concept? Can you accept it? Does
it make a difference whether you accept it or not?
God gives us all a Divine Psychologist; his job is to help us to make the right choices by giving up our hellish loves and embracing our heavenly loves. If we are willing to give up these hellish loves and enter the heavens of our mind the quality of our thoughts and feelings will become more like His and we will feel true love and happiness. If we are unwilling to give up our hellish loves God will allow us to hold on to them but the Divine Psychologist will continue to try to guide us in the right directions. It is completely up to us whether or not we listen to our Divine Psychologist or sink deeper into the hells of our mind.
Section
1.8.4 – The three Methodologies in Theistic Psychology –Extractive, Predictive,
Applied
It is our responsibility to listen to our Divine Psychologist, when we resist letting go of our evil loves that we feel are our own. In essence we are stopping Him from connecting us with the heavens of our mind. God has no say in this; if He refused to connect us to our hellish loves then we would cease exist. If He were to send an influx of good spirits even though we refuse to let go of our hellish loves this would cause our certain destruction. Good and evil cannot occupy the same space and when they are forced together they annihilate one another.
Section
10.1.1 Negative Emotions and the Vertical Community A
This is why we cannot experience good and evil simultaneously, instead we go back and forth between these two states. God must be in charge of this process because His infinite mind is the only one, who can handle this complex process, and without him the system would collapse and the human race would cease to exist.
Section
10.1.1 – Negative Emotions and the Vertical Community B
Section B: My
Commentary
(i) I think that it is very important to understand that even though God is omnipotent that we are still in charge of our feelings and emotions, even though the feelings and emotions that we are experiencing are not ours. It is important to know that even though our negative or positive emotions feel as though they are our own, they are actually an influx of spirits who share the same loves as us.
When they are connected to us these spirits feel as though these loves are there own as well. Even though it is God who is connecting us to the spirits that affect our moods we are the ones who tell God which spirits to connect us too.
The “as of self” is very important because if we do not feel that we are in control of our lives then we could never truly be happy. At the same time if God were not in control of the influx of spirits this opens a widow for mistakes. One mistake would be allowing good and evil to occupy the same space and thus causing that human to be completely destroyed; God does not want this to happen which is why he needs to have control over this process.
(ii) This perspective helps me to understand why God allows evil spirits into us at all. Why doesn’t he just annihilate all the evil spirits therefore eliminating all evil loves? God loves everyone and if he were to stop the influx of evil loves into us than all the spirits in the hells of their minds would cease to exist. Evil spirits feel alive when they are connected to Earthlings.
God gives us the option of free will. Not everybody wants to do the right thing, not everybody wants to live in the heavens of there minds all the time and by allowing the influx of evil spirits he gives us the choice to decide which path we want to follow.
God also gives us the opportunity to make it into heaven, because of “The Fall” humans lost their innocence and gave them the ability to conceal their emotions and deceive their fellow man. When we resist our evil loves we prove ourselves worthy of spending our immortality in heaven.
(iii) At first I had a hard time believing that my thoughts and feelings are not my own and were connected to me by God, but the more that I read the more I understood and it all made perfect sense. Everything is connected and everything happens for a reason, it rational to me and I understood why things have to be the way they were.
Section C: My
Analysis of Prior Generations in the Generational Curriculum
Can Theistic Psychology Exist in Science?
www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/459s2004/castro/contents1.htm
By Tricia Castro
(i) Tricia felt that Swedenborg was delusional and this happened because she already had strong religious beliefs that interfered with learning Theistic Psychology. She already had formed her own personal beliefs about what heaven or hell was like so learning a different perspective was a big change for her.
(ii) At first Tricia had always thought that Theistic Psychology was about religion and that they would be discussing subjects such as divine intervention about people who have personally experienced God. After attending the class she came to realize that Theistic Psychology is different from a religious standpoint because it deals with rationality to explain things rather than personal beliefs, values or faith. Tricia felt that Theistic Psychology was an interesting way to try to understand God and science.
(iii) After studying Theistic Psychology Tricia concluded that Swedenborg may in fact have been the choosen one to spread the word of Theistic Psychology. She found his writings to be very descriptive in such a way that it gives it readers incite into the spiritual realm.
She found it remarkable that he was able to do this with without tainting The Writings with his own personal bias. Even though she finds the writings of Swedenborg extremely fascinating she still has some doubt that he could possibly have been making it all up. Since Swedenborg was the only one to live in the spirit world there is no one who can verify his findings.
(iv) I feel that her insights apply to me because I feel exactly the same way. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I entered a Theistic Psychology class. Some classmates had taken this class before and they told me that it was really hard so I think that I came into this class with a negative bias. I was told about this man named Emanuel Swedenborg who lived in the physical and spirit worlds and my first reaction was, “What have I gotten myself into?”
After attending more and more classes I became fascinated with what Swedenborg and what Professor James had to say about the afterlife. Am I completely convinced, no…Do I think that it is possible that Swedenborg lived in the spirit world, yes. I think that many things that Emanuel Swedenborg says makes perfect sense and sound extremely rational to me. I am very interested to learn more about Theistic Psychology.
Can Theistic Psychology Exist in Science?
http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/459s2004/jones/report1.htm
By Lee Ann Jones
(i) Lee Ann took Professor James class just as she was beginning to question all aspects of religion. She felt that there were so many different types of religions that she was unsure which one was the correct one and had a hard time accepting that if she was affiliated with a certain religion then that would be her “ultimate path to heaven”. Like many others she felt apprehensive about “blind faith” religions.
(ii) Lee Ann thought that the class would focus more on different religions and their effects of people’s mental states. She was surprised to discover the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg. She thought that many of Swedenborg’s writings emulated her own feeling toward religion.
“ I embraced the idea that Swedenborg’s Writings encourage an understanding of God, rather than accepting the existence of God on blind faith. Understanding that God is cross-cultural throughout all religions and the importance of character reformation, rather than salvation by blind faith, seems to be the foundation of accepting the reality of theistic psychology.”
She found it fascinating that the Bible could contain a “poetic code” and this belief is strengthened by the fact that Swedenborg studied the Bible in its original language before translations could have skewed its meaning.
(iii) Lee Ann concluded that even though she shares many of Swedenborg’s beliefs, that it is hard for her to accept the Writings of Swedenborg as scientific fact based of the fact that he his the only one to see the spirit world with his own eyes. She concluded that it would have been easier for her to accept the writings as true if other were able to experience what Swedenborg experienced and corroborate his testimony.
(iv) Like Lee Ann I felt as if many of the things Swedenborg was saying emulated how I felt religion should be. I felt that we should all be judged by our character rather than our religious affiliations. I too have a hard time looking at Swedenborg’s writings as scientific fact because after all he was the only one who was bestowed this gift, like her I would have had a much easier time believing the writings if there were others who saw the same things and could prove that they were true.
Section D: My Report on the Current Generation
Sabrina Favors
Outline of Her First Oral Presentation – Understanding
the First Methodology in Theistic Psychology – Sections 1.8.4-1.8.4.1
http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leon/459s2005/favors/myoral1.htm
On February 3, 2005 Sabrina Favors gave her first oral presentation on the Divine Psychologist. She discussed how God guides each and every human, from birth until death to achieve his or her heaven. This is where the Divine Psychologist comes into play. It is his job to prepare people for the afterlife and to help them to reach the highest heaven that they are able to reach.
Sabrina’s example of the Divine Psychologist at work was about reading the Writings of Swedenborg. The readings have a literal meaning, which are easily able to comprehend and there is a deeper, spiritual meaning in which you need a high level or rationality to understand. When you read a passage and study it then suddenly the deeper, spiritual meaning comes to you this is the work of the Divine Psychologist helping you to reach higher levels of enlightenment.
When reading Sabrina’s explanation of the Divine Psychologist it gave me a different perspective of Him. My interpretation of the Divine Psychologist was a little like the angel on your shoulder and the devil on the other. The Divine Psychologist is like the angel whispering in your ear trying to lead you to do the right thing. Sabrina’s stated the Divine Psychologist isn’t just there to help you to give up your evil loves, but to lead you to a higher enlightenment. Her oral presentation agreed with what I had written about the Divine Psychologist but also gives it a slightly different perspective.
Franklin Whang
Outline for His First Oral Presentation – Our Four Options – Section 6.3.1 – 6.3.1.6.4
http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leon/459s2005/Whang/Myoral1.htm
On March 3, 2005 Franklin Whang gave his second oral presentation on the vertical community. In his first oral presentation Franklin discusses what life if like in the spirit world and how everyone can see exactly what a person is thinking or feeling, there is no such thing as deception is heaven. He also discusses how a person changing moods can alter their spiritual environment, which is a topic that I covered in section A.
Franklin goes on to say that Spiritual light and heat from the Spiritual Sun can change the effects of our mind receptors. I did not read this nor did I include this in my report but I have read how distance from the Spiritual Sun reflects the level of heaven we are able to achieve, those who are more enlightened are closer to heaven so I can imagine that changes in light and heat would produce changes in our affective organs.
David Messing
Outline of His First Oral Presentation –
Accepting the Writings of Swedenborg as Science – Section – 2.4.2.6
On February 10, 2005 David Messing gave an oral presentation on the scientific laws of correspondences. In this oral presentation he discussed how the mind is made of spiritual substances and the brain is made of physical substances and how the two are bound together by the scientific laws of correspondences.
In my report I discussed the laws of correspondences and I agree with Mr. Messing. I think one of the most important laws of correspondences to understand is that we are dual citizens and that we are made up of physical matter, bound by the laws of time and space and we are made of spiritual matter which are not bound by these laws.
His example of this is one of the mother and teacher. A mother is first and foremost a mother but she is also a teacher, guiding her children so that they can grow to become good, honest people with the skills needed to survive when they are out on their own.
Section E: My Advice to Future Generations
My advice to future generations who will be writing report 2 “My Understanding of Theistic Psychology” would be fairly simple. The first and most important thing is to keep up the readings. It is important that you read as much as possible. I know that it may seem a bit overwhelming keeping up with your other classes and trying to complete all the readings in Theistic Psychology but it will be worth it.
If you are not able to keep up with all of the readings you must attend class! In class you will discuss the main topics of the section and gain the perspective of Dr. James at the same time. Keep all of your outlines because you can skim through them while doing your paper and find information that you would like to use in your paper and you will know exactly where to look for it.
It is also very important to use the subject index on the table of contents page of the online book Theistic Psychology. If you scroll to the bottom of the page you will find key words and the sections that you will find information on key words.
I also found it helpful to look at prior generations to see where they got some of the information needed to adequately answer some of the questions.
More helpful advice would be to start as early as possible, we asked the professor for a one week extension which he agreed. Had he not agreed to this I know I would have ended up getting a deduction of 3 points from my paper from turning it in a week late. Be prepared to be sitting at your computer for extended periods of time. This paper took much longer than paper 1.
Class Home Page: www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy22/classhome-g22.htm
My Home Page: http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leon/459s2005/ikeda/home.htm