Report 2:

Report 2:

My Understanding of Theistic Psychology

By Crystal Bulda

Instructions for this report are at:

http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy24/459-g24-report2.htm

I am answering Questions 1,2,3,5, and 6

Note: All summaries are from selections that I have pulled from Textbook of Theistic Psychology by Dr. Leon James!

My Selections: http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leon/459s2006/bulda/bulda-selections.htm

Textbook of Theistic Psychology: www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/theistic

The Question that I am answering is Question 1

Section A: My Own Summary of the Selections

Summaries for Question 1

6.3.1.1.1 Mental Biology

Mental biology is explained through the diagram A presented in this section. Swedenborg summarizes mental biology in a single spiritual-natural concept that can be understood only in a rational level of thinking through 3 different levels of progressions to arrive at a spiritual-natural understanding of the concept “mental biology.”

Level 1 is able to replicate the diagram in its essential features placed in long memory storage of the mind. At this level the mind can create a rational explanation or account of its elements and how they fit together. Then at level 2, the mind progresses to a positive bias way of thinking, but not yet scientific. Level 2 believes that God exists, along with a cognitive and affective organ, heaven and hell, but may not believe that Swedenborg’s diagram is the actual layout of God’s strategy. Lastly, at level 3 our minds progress to level 3 way of thinking. The diagram is seen as a natural-rational representation of Divine Speech.

6.3.1.1.1 (VIII) Divine Speech Descends Through the Discrete Degrees of Every Mind, and Forms Them

We become enlightened by understanding of God’s truth in a rational way. Divine Speech descends in a downward direction to the physical, natural mind, to then progress upward into a rational level of thinking in the mind. It is through our understanding of the Divine Truth from Divine Speech that can bring us to a mental state of reformation in adulthood. This happens when we begin to figure out what we want in our life. This is when we struggle to gain personal freedom when we justify what we are willing to struggle for. This willing of truth is what will bring us freedom for eternity.

1.0.2 What is Substantive Dualism in Science

Substantive dualism is when our thoughts and sensations exist according to operations that take place in some spiritual or mental organ. The mind must have mentality that there exists a dual universe, where the outside is made of physical space created by the natural suns, and there is also an inside portion of the universe where it is spiritual not visible to the outer world. This inner spiritual world is created by the Spiritual Sun that has a spiritual or rational atmosphere, also called “rational ether,” around itself. In this rational ether our thoughts and feelings exists in this rational sphere.

1.0.5 Topic 5: Sensuous vs. Rational Spirituality

Through the evolution of human consciousness, the human mind has evolved into a split-brain race with a left and right hemisphere, from a race whose brains were one whole piece. These humans who first existed on earth had a united will from the affective organ and understanding from the cognitive organ. This operation allowed the whole brain race to have a direct relationship with God.

Through evolution the split-brain race on the other hand, did not have this operation, but now has the capability to think one thing corresponding to the left brain and willing the opposite corresponding to the right brain. These two sides of the brain now allow us to battle our inherited hells of the mind using our truths from our understanding over false ideas. These battles and struggles will prepare the quality of our heavens in our mind.

Section B: My Answers to the Five Questions (Question #1)

(a) Explain in your own words how you understand the phrase "mental biology" in theistic psychology. What makes theistic psychology "mental" and what makes it "biological"? You will need to include several related concepts to give an adequate explanation: e.g., evolution of consciousness, discrete degrees, and substantive dualism. You will need to explain these related terms as well before the whole is comprehensible. Is it important for a theory in psychology to be biological?

(b) Diagram A in Section 6.3.1.1.1 is a portrayal of mental biology. Explain what elements of the diagram are useful for you, bringing out new aspects you haven't thought of yet. And what elements are problematic for you and why: Is the idea too vague? Does it contradict something you believe?

Answers:

(a) In theistic psychology, the phrase “mental biology” is the understanding of the relationships and process of our afterlife through rational reasoning. Since we are human beings on earth, we do not have the capability to directly understand the operations of the spiritual world, but we may progress in our rationality in order to comprehend the concept “mental biology” in our natural mind.

Before the spiritual split-brain race had evolved, there existed a whole brain celestial race, in who was the most ancient civilization on earth. This celestial race had a conscious relationship with God and the spiritual world in which they were ignorant of all evil and completely innocent. Unlike the celestial race, through the evolution of consciousness, we now capable of thinking one thing corresponding from the left brain and willing its opposite from the right brain correspondences. This has caused the current human race to choose our evil loves although knowing what is true.

Our physical body is born in space and time, and our spiritual body is not born in space and time. Since theistic psychology extracted this data from Swedenborg’s Writings, we may call this concept substantive dualism. The concept of dualism means that when we are born, we have a brain and a body in the physical world and a mind in the spiritual or mental world. The mind is made of spiritual substances which is mental and immortal, while our physical body and brain is made up of matter. Although these two materials are different, the brain and the mind are connected by the laws of correspondences.

Both spiritual and physical bodies are made up from the sun in their world. In correspondence to our physical body we also have three organs called the affective, cognitive, and sensorimotor organs in our mental body. These organs are constructed out of the rational immortal substance proceeding from the Spiritual Sun, which causes us to be immortal from birth. This idea allows a natural cause and effect process to occur.

By laws of correspondences with our physical body and the spiritual body there is evidence that our mental body operates in a mental and biological process with our physical body. This is because the operations of the affective organ cause us to have the mental experiences of feelings, intentions, and preferences. The operations of the cognitive organ cause us to have the mental experience of thinking and being conscious. Then finally the operations of the sensorimotor organ cause the physical body to have the mental experience of afferent sensations and efferent determinations to act in the physical body.

When we are born into both the physical and spiritual world, our organs are activated by the Spiritual Sun and the Natural Sun. God must descend his Divine Speech through discrete degrees of the mind to then form them. The Divine Speech is tied to mental biology from the affective and cognitive organs, which are constructed out of the substances from the Spiritual Sun. This activation from the Spiritual Light that emits Divine Truth and Spiritual Heat that emits Divine Love are able to form the heavens and hells of the mind.

Our natural mind has three discrete levels in which the highest is the rational level. Divine Speech descends to the lowest degree called the natural-corporeal level of the mind through the Old Testament, to then progress to the intermediate level called the natural-sensuous level which goes according to the New Testament, and then finally rises to the natural-rational level of the mind. In each progression we are able to understand God’s plan in creating and managing the universe.

Overall the concept mental biology can only be understood if an individual can first assume the positive bias role towards theistic psychology. Through the evolution of consciousness human beings need to receive and influx from the Spiritual Sun through discrete levels of the mind to know God’s Divine Speech. Then at the highest rational level of the natural mind, our mentality goes according to the Writings Sacred Scripture. This is when we have comprehended life as being born into a physical world and a spiritual world. By using the scientific revelations provided by Emanuel Swedenborg, we have understood our citizenship as substantive dualism.

(b) In the Diagram A in section 6.3.1.1.1 that portrays the concept “mental biology,” some elements that are useful and have brought out new aspects to my are the affective organ and the cognitive organ. These two concepts seem to be the reason for careless mistakes, incorrect judgments, crimes and etc, that happen everyday in our environment. This was very easy to relate to and made a lot of sense as to why I struggle everyday with the truth that I know and the false loves that empowers my decisions I make.

This concept has opened my eyes as to why I know what the right thing to do is, but I always choose otherwise. I have this problem especially with eating. I love to eat, even when I am completely full and just can’t consume any more, but when I see something else that appeals to my eyes and taste buds, I usually don’t care and go for the kill. In all my situations I face, it is the knowledge of truth and transforming my will and thinking in which I can undergo character reformation. At this point of my life, I am currently trying to make better decisions in rejecting my false and selfish loves since I now understand that I have been born with inherited false loves.

In opposition to the elements that have been useful to me, I have actually been having a hard time grasping most of the elements in the Diagram as reality. I can understand how the functions and operations need to acquire relationships to each other from the laws of correspondences, but it is still hard to know that each specific element exists just like on earth.

The main reason why these ideas are hard for me to believe that they exist is because of my religion and that it is only introduced to me for the first time in my life only now. I have never thought of any of the concepts in Diagram A before taking theistic psychology, so I am just having difficulty telling myself that the concepts are real. Yet if I were to try to think of the concepts in a rational way, I can see how the relationships work the operations of the mental biology.

One example that my Catholic religion has contradicted with theistic psychology is related to the means of arriving in heaven or hell. In my Catholic religion, it is practice of the forgiveness of sins that will erase the evils and disobedience towards God to continue a journey into the afterlife in heaven. On the contrary, theistic psychology has provided information that proves otherwise. In theistic psychology our destiny is built up from our own mind and not by God. The building blocks of our heaven and hell in the mind is made from the intentions and wills that the mind obtains, which will reveal our true loves in decision of where we want to live for eternity.

Another new idea that I have been introduced to in Professor James class has been the environment of the afterlife. Before taking theistic psychology, the environment of the afterlife has never crossed my thoughts. It is actually true that religion does not explain what this beautiful heaven consists of that we are all striving to arrive in. In theistic psychology, the heaven and hell in our mind is explained in detail, but it makes complete sense that we will have environments similar to our natural world, since this is what our mind has already compiled from the natural world.

The Question that I am Answering is Question 3

Section A: My own Summary of the Selections

Summaries for Question 3

2.14 What is Applied Theistic Psychology?

a) In theistic psychology the theory of dualism is based on a goal of enhancing the life of individuals by teaching how to think rationally. This means that the thinking process includes God as the rational basis for their thinking process. This thinking can allow an individual to modify their thoughts and feelings that occur in their daily activities to character reform or regenerate their character.

b) Regeneration is the most important concept in theistic psychology because we are inherited with hellish traits when we are brought into the physical life. Our affective traits will remain in our spiritual minds forever, meaning that when we pass from the physical world and are conscious in our spiritual world, what we have collected and built up from earth will continue in our spiritual world.

6.3.1.1.1 (X) Character Reformation and the Psychology of Cooperation

a) In creating a “new will” we must undergo character reformation with the Divine Psychologist. Daily practices of self-witnessing or spiritual practicing involve the motivation of doing for the purpose of our character reformation. Self-witnessing is the observations of out feelings, intentions, thoughts, perceptions, and actions, that are accomplished through spiritual discipline.

b) Our tasks in building a “new will” has to involve four tasks of mental effort of examining our inner life, judging it by means of the doctrine of truth from Sacred Scripture, cease doing what is not allowed or condemned thereby, and start doing what is allowed or commanded.

5.1.1.11 Regeneration of the Adult Mind

a) From the moment we are brought into the physical world, we carry inherited and “old will” which needs to be reformed and regenerated. Our struggles and temptations in our everyday life go according to our understanding and belief of truth from Sacred Scripture. When we undergo self-modification and regeneration we form a “new will,” which the correspondences remains in out unconscious spiritual mind. These remains will exist permanent in the spiritual world.

b) Regeneration is an orderly process of steps to building a “new will.” Every descending step moves through the conscious mind to parallel along with an ascending step in the unconscious mind until the mind regenerates into a heavenly state for eternity. These processes that God manages requires acquiring the truth of doctrine from Sacred Scripture and the applying it to our willing and thinking everyday.

6.3.1.1.1 (VI) Societal Consequences of Individual Effort

a) Our heavens and the hells of our mind are built up according to our heavenly and hellish traits. These traits are operated by the spiritual heat and we act according to how our affective and cognitive organ is activated in a heavenly or hellish order. The traits that we carry out in the individual level of effort in our daily experiences.

b) Heavenly traits that we acquire involve experiences of the remains of innocence from understanding Good and Truth. On the other-hand our hellish traits are acquired through denial of these Good and Truths and choosing our hellish traits as our true loves.

6.3.1.1.1 (VII) The Economics of Immortality

According to “The Economics of Immortality,” an individual becomes fully conscious of their deepest loves and affections. This ruling love is what will determine where we will spend the rest of our eternity in the spiritual world. These ruling loves have two opposing sides of loves. One being anything that we do, think, or enjoy for the sake of self is governed by our ruling love of hellish traits. On the other hand, anything that we do for the sake of God and others are governed by our ruling love from our heavenly traits.

Section B: My Answers to the Five Questions (Question 3)

(a) Why is the topic of "regeneration" so basic in theistic psychology?

(b) What are the "character reformation" steps of building a "new will"?

(d) What are "heavenly" vs. "hellish" traits?

(e) How does this relate to personality theory in psychology as you know it.

Answers

(a) The topic of “regeneration” is very basic in theistic psychology because the goal of theistic psychology is to enhance the quality of one’s life by rational thinking. Since we are inherited with hellish traits when we are brought into the physical life, theistic psychology strives to develop our interior-natural organ so that we may be able to understand purpose and roles that we must reach for while on earth. This is due to our affective traits that will remain in our spiritual minds forever, meaning that what we have collected and built up from earth will continue in our spiritual world.

This process of reformation is the inner realization that there is mortality, spirituality, immortality, heaven and hell, and a Divine Human who loves and manages us for good. Enlightenment will then occur because there is an understanding of the true reality of the creation of the universe and all operations that functions in the universe. This entire process requires the cooperation with the Divine Psychologist, to spiritually practice the motivations of our daily behaviors and thoughts for the purpose of character reformation. This spiritual practice involves self-witnessing and self-observing our feelings, intentions, thoughts, perceptions etc. which is the central emphasis of theistic psychology.

(b) The character reformation steps of building a “new will” require us to cooperate with the Divine Psychologist in exerting mental effort. God reveals spiritual truths to each mind so that people can use that truth in their mind to fight their false ideas, fantasies, and evils. This enlightenment usually begins when we enter our early adulthood years. We create a new character by daily self-witnessing and self-modification disciplines. This is when we determine our inner life, judging it by means of the doctrine of truth from Sacred Scripture, cease doing what is not allowed or condemned thereby, and start doing what is allowed and condemned. This takes place when we have understood that we are born with inherited false loves, and we realize that we need to self-witness our willing and thinking to prepare the quality of life for our eternal heaven.

In the partnership that we have with the Divine Psychologist, he helps us to build our spiritual heavens and spiritual hells of the mind. According to the Writings of Swedenborg, the remains of when we experience moments of happiness and innocence, the Divine Psychologist will quickly snatch the feelings away and deposit it into the spiritual mind, which will build the spiritual heavens in our mind. On the other hand, our spiritual hells of the mind are created when our will and intentions are evil. The Divine Psychologist again snatches away this evil feeling immediately and deposits it into the spiritual mind.

(c) The “old will” is what we are born with, inherited from our parent, from their ruling loves and enjoyments. When we are born, our mind consists of the natural hells of the natural mind, which is inherited in our affective organ that contains the mental genes of our ancestors. We do not inherit hell though because it would be unfair, but it is instead created the instant that we justify any of these inherited loves. Little by little, these justifications that we make with our mind will begin to create a hell that we must soon begin to reject in character reformation.

At early adulthood it is very important that we must self-modify what we have already inherited to reject these enjoyments from our parents and are capable of examining the content that we have accumulated in our cognitive organ to will and think. The will and thinking that will build a spiritual heaven occurs when we live according to the doctrine of truth. This process is considered to be a building process of a “new will,” in which we recognize and do away with what is false and not for the sake of self.

(d) Heavenly and hellish traits are the building blocks of the heaven and hell in the mind. Heavenly traits are willing and thinking for the sake of God and others. Heavenly traits that we acquire involve experiences of the remains of innocence from understanding Good and Truth. On the contrary, hellish traits are those willing and thinking in which are for the sake of self. An individual’s true loves determine whether their will or thinking is heavenly traits are hellish traits. Our hellish traits are acquired through denial of these Good and Truths and choosing our hellish traits as our true loves.

(e) According to the personality theory in theistic psychology, every person is born with a mind or spiritual body. As every person is born into both the physical world and the spiritual world, every thought and feeling that was experienced in the natural world is captured and placed in the spiritual mind, so the environment in the spiritual world is a mental or rational environment that is constructed from the thoughts and feelings in the mind that occur while a person is still in the physical world. In this case the Divine Psychologist captures any remains of innocence and happiness are placed in the collectivities of heaven in our mind, while any willing of evil are placed in the hells of the mind.

The Question that I am Answering is Question 4

Section A: My Own Summary of the Selections

Summaries for Question 4

1.0.1.3 Revelation: Divine Speech Exteriorizing as Sacred Scripture

In the natural world that humans exist in, we are only capable of understanding God’s Divine Speech in a natural language. In the natural world, this Divine Speech descends in a downward direction to reach the natural mind which transforms into the Sacred Scripture, consisting of Swedenborg’s observations in his life in the spiritual world and as we grow older we are able to form abstract concepts of God’s plan for creating and ruling the universe. This Sacred Scripture allows theistic psychology to understand God directly, from scientific revelations.

3.7.2 Correspondences in Sacred Scripture and Divine Speech

God manages the universe through his Love and Truth which is the source of Divine Speech. The good and truth that our mind receives build the ideas of what God wants us to do and carry out in our life on earth. God then involves our conscious rationality by using his Divine Speech to speak his Truth. The meanings in his Divine Speech are called correspondences in which are provided in Sacred Scripture. With the correspondences translated into a natural language God allows humans to elevate to a higher level of thinking.

3.7.1 The Science of Correspondence

In the bible code, there is nothing explained about the revelation, but only of mathematical and statistical proof. In contrast, Swedenborg had discovered the laws of correspondences of Sacred Scripture while in his dual citizenship. These correspondences provided theistic psychology with a method of extracting the underlying meanings of the spiritual world along with God’s plan in creating the universe that are objective laws.

6.3.1.1.1 (VIII) Divine Speech Descends Through the Discrete Degrees of Every Mind, and Forms Them

The Divine Truth in Divine Speech brings us the capability to begin character reformation. This occurs when we figure out our true loves and beliefs. It is the understanding the Divine Truth from Divine Speech that theistic psychology extracts to help humans prepare for the quality of one’s life for the afterlife. It is only then when we are exposed to these concepts where we may become rationally activated to choose our spiritual freedom.

6.3.1.1.1 (IX) Correspondences to Divine Speech in Sacred Scripture

a) Divine Speech descends to the lowest level of the natural mind called the natural-corporeal level of consciousness to progress in an upward direction of rational understanding of God. Theistic psychology’s purpose and function is to develop and open the interior-spiritual organ, which means that our thinking is able to process Divine Speech in a higher level of rationality through spiritual-rational concepts.

b) An example from the Old Testament, “there was a famine in the land,” illustrating a natural-rational correspondence that it signifies a lack of knowledge’s of faith, then in which theistic psychology wants to apply the method of correspondences with enlightenment to find out the spiritual-natural correspondences that underlie the sentence.

Section B: My Answers to the Five Questions (Question 4)

(a) What is the perspective of theistic psychology provides on Sacred Scripture?

(b) How is it related to Divine Speech?

(d) Give some illustrations of Sacred Scripture and show how they are to be interpreted from the perspective of theistic psychology.

Answers

(a) The perspective of theistic psychology on Sacred Scripture claims that the Sacred Scripture is the Divine Speech descended into a natural language for the natural mind to understand. From Sacred Scripture, theistic psychology has discovered correspondences that provided a method of extracting the underlying meanings of the spiritual world along with God’s plan in creating the universe that are objective laws. Since Divine Speech is universal to the entire human race, the Divine Speech is the ultimate reality of the spiritual world that we are preparing to consciously reside in after our physical body has past.

(b) Sacred Scripture is related to Divine Speech as God’s love and truth for the entire human race. Through descending degrees to be revealed in the natural mind, we obtain the Divine Truth from Sacred Scripture as we read the literature to be enlightened while developing rationality. The underlying spiritual meaning of Sacred Scripture is universal, biological, applied to the entire race from beginning to eternity. In the Sacred Scripture, we are able to rationally begin to understand God’s ultimate plan for the creation of the universe, through his way of communication called Divine Speech, which is only comprehendible in a spiritual language.

Divine Speech descends into every human mind that is arranged in levels, simultaneous in every mind. This is God’s only way of revealing his secrets of Divine Speech through the Writings; now as scientific revelations. Through theistic psychology’s method of extraction from Sacred Scripture, theistic psychology can now begin to explain God’s plan for the universe and every human being born into both worlds. Theistic psychology develops the interior-natural organ which will allow the mind to grow rationally.

(c) Swedenborg was able to empirically observe the correspondences of Sacred Scripture while in his spiritual world. Correspondences in Sacred Scripture are derived from the true meaning of Divine Speech. God manages the universe through his Love and Truth which is the source of Divine Speech. The good and truth that our mind receives builds the ideas of what God wants us to do and carry out in our life on earth. God then involves our conscious rationality by using his Divine Speech to speak his Truth. With the correspondences translated into a natural language God allows humans to elevate to a higher level of thinking.

(d) Some illustrations of Sacred Scripture provided in the Theistic Psychology Textbook were literature from the Old Testament, New Testament, and Writings Sacred Scripture. In each of these sources of the Divine Speech theistic psychology practices the systematic, rational, method of extractions that will allow an individual to become enlightened by understanding the Divine Speech. With each enlightenment attained, theistic psychology have discovered God’s plan for the universe and the humans that inhibit the world.

One quote that was provided in the Theistic Psychology Textbook in Section 3.7.2.1 The Stages of Theistic Psychology was written, “By the way any time rain stops.” Theistic psychology uses a code by a dictionary decipher to extract the correspondence as “The attack will begin at daybreak.” Yet, a good illustration is from another passage that has been provided in the Theistic Psychology Textbook which is “A marriage of good and truth in a person is the church in him.” The word church in this phrase can be substituted as regenerating mind, as well as the word marriage, to become substituted as conjunction. Theistic psychology has been able to look at the spiritual perspective of this phrase as in “A conjunction of good and truth in a person is the regenerating mind in him.” Theistic psychology looks upon this phrase as meaning; allowing the Divine Human to form our willing and thinking and conjoining with God as if in marriage to let us begin character reformation.

The Question that I am Answering is Question 5

Section A: My Own Summaries of the Selections

Summaries for Question 5

2.6 What’s the relation between the body, the mind, and the spiritual world?

a) According to the scientific laws of correspondences there is a relation between natural events and their spiritual causes. There is a parallelism that indicates that there is a correspondence between the circulatory system and the affective mind, along with a correspondence between the respiratory system and the cognitive mind, which reveals that the mind is the biological organ contrasting along with the mind made of two organs of spiritual substances. Correspondences show how the natural sun produces the heart and lungs, along with the Spiritual Sun producing the affective and cognitive mind.

b) A human’s brain is located in the physical body on earth, while their thoughts and feelings are located in the spiritual body, in the spiritual world. In this correspondence whatever happens the physical body on earth is satiated and felt in the spiritual body. This is due to the fact that sensations and thoughts cannot be located in the physical brain on in the physical world.

c) Anything natural has a temporary life or existence. On the other hand anything spiritual is immortal for eternity. The physical body of a human being will die and pass from the natural temporary life on earth, while our sensations, thoughts, and feelings are immortal in the spiritual world. These thoughts and feelings are permanent in the interior memory in the spiritual body.

12.0.3 The Mind is Not in Physical Space

Every individual is born with a mind in the spiritual world. Our mind is immortal and exists forever because it isn’t born in physical space and time, unlike the physical body. Sensations and perceptions of the mind are not in space and time so they cannot move like the electrical operations of the brain. Here in the mind, mental operations take place which are mental acts like thinking and feeling.

2.17 How Can You Do Research on God in Psychology?

a) Theistic psychology cannot be understood if an individual does not approach the concepts with a positive bias attitude. Having a positive bias towards dualism will allow an individual to learn the details of God’s plan in managing the universe. These plans are provided in the Writings of Swedenborg, which reveals facts about the spiritual world and God’s plan in a rational order.

b) In Swedenborg’s experience in the spiritual world, he was able to see and hear everything as if he were absorbing the information in the physical world. Here the natural mind builds up experiences that occur in the physical world, which through the laws of correspondences are tied with the brain we are born with. The spiritual mind influences the rational mind that assimilates information, which is the intermediary between the natural outer mind and the spiritual inner mind.

2.10 How is the mind or consciousness related to the spiritual world?

a) At a rational level of understanding, the spiritual world is produced from Light and Heat from the Spiritual Sun. God is infinite who produces and created all spiritual events, which then produces natural events. Therefore everything in the mind is also products of the Spiritual Sun. This means that all mental events are produced in the spiritual body in the spiritual world. The mind in the spiritual world consists of our thoughts and feelings made from the substances of the Spiritual Sun.

b) Since the goal of theistic psychology is to enhance and prepare the quality of one’s life for eternity, theistic psychology needs to develop the consciousness from scientific revelations to provide us with the Divine Truth from the Divine Speech in Sacred Scripture. People need to be taught and understand scientific revelations in a rational way to become knowledgeable of God’s plan for us. With this true knowledge our mind is capable of rationally building a heaven for eternity.

6.3 The Vertical Community of Minds

In the physical world we see our body that is also had the same shape in the spiritual world. In the spiritual world our body cannot be damaged along with eternity, because of the eternal substance that it is made up of. The spiritual body can be seen, heard, touched by other spiritual bodies in the spiritual world, and this is what is considered to be a vertical community. Communication will exists between similar minds of different spirits in the spiritual world, and if the minds are not similar than there is a special aromatic aura that surrounds the spiritual body for unwanted communication.

7.3 The Role of the Sensorimotor Mind

A vertical community consists of our mind never being alone in our own thoughts and feelings. This is due to the fact that in order for our thoughts or emotions to occur, our spiritual mind must communicate with emissary spirits from different societies. Our thoughts and emotions instantly spread and reverberate into the rational ether that constitutes the spiritual world. A thought or feeling by one individual communicates with every other mind in the spiritual world because all thoughts and feelings are all made up of the same spiritual substances.

12.6.4 The Role of Our Vertical Community

Whatever mental state we are in, we are not alone from other minds of the similar mental state. No one is capable of thinking and willing without the associations of others. This is called vertical community, where it interconnects conscious and unconscious minds in the entire universe. Here God initiates and manages every thought and feeling that exists no matter whichever state of mind we may have.

1.0.5.3 Part C: We are Dual Citizens in Discrete Layers

Since we are dual citizens living in the physical world and unconscious of the spiritual world, we will lose any connections between our individual mind and the physical world when we die from the physical world. All of the feelings, thoughts, and sensations in the natural mind are recorded in the affective, cognitive, and sensorimotor organs, which are operated by the spiritual stream from forth from the unconscious spiritual mind. It is when we think abstractly and rationally that we understand our thoughts and feelings as coming from the physical world.

Section B: My Answers to the Five Questions (Question 5)

(a) What is the relation between mind and the spiritual world?

(b) How does theistic psychology show their relation?

(d) Why should people be concerned about the afterlife?

(e) What is the "vertical community" and why should people focus on their "dual citizenship"?

Answers

(a) According to the scientific laws of correspondences there is a relation between natural events and their spiritual causes. There is a parallelism that indicates that there is a correspondence between the circulatory system and the affective mind, along with a correspondence between the respiratory system and the cognitive mind, which reveals that the mind is the biological organ contrasting along with the mind made of two organs of spiritual substances. Correspondences show how the natural sun produces the heart and lungs, along with the Spiritual Sun producing the affective and cognitive mind.

When we are born, our mind in the natural world is considered to be ‘tabula rasa,’ which means that our mind begins life with a clean slate, but God has created a blue print for our natural mind. The only way that the mind can grown and develop is from sensory signals from the spiritual mind through the spiritual organs. The natural mind has all the contents of the spiritual world because our mind is only a part of one mind of the spiritual world. These relationships are connected by correspondences between minds.

A human’s brain is located in the physical body on earth, while their thoughts and feelings are located in the spiritual body, in the spiritual world. In this correspondence whatever happens the physical body on earth is satiated and felt in the spiritual body. This is due to the fact that sensations and thoughts cannot be located in the physical brain on in the physical world. Anything natural has a temporary life or existence. On the other hand anything spiritual is immortal for eternity. The physical body of a human being will die and pass from the natural temporary life on earth, while our sensations, thoughts, and feelings are immortal in the spiritual world. These thoughts and feelings are permanent in the interior memory in the spiritual body.

(b) Theistic psychology shows the relation to the mind and the spiritual world through a rational positive bias approach. The spiritual world is produced from Light and Heat from the Spiritual Sun. God is infinite who produces and created all spiritual events, which then produces natural events. Therefore everything in the mind is also products of the Spiritual Sun. This means that all mental events are produced in the spiritual body in the spiritual world. The mind in the spiritual world consists of our thoughts and feelings made from the substances of the Spiritual Sun.

Theistic psychology needs to develop the interior-natural organ from scientific revelations to provide us with the Divine Truth from the Divine Speech in Sacred Scripture. People need to be taught and understand scientific revelations in a rational way to become knowledgeable of God’s plan for us. This is the only way for our mind to develop, by knowing the truth of our dual citizenship.

(c) Since we are born as dual citizens, our mind can never pass and expire like the physical brain that we obtain while on earth. Once we are born into the physical world our mind is born in the spiritual world that cannot be measured in physical space and time. It is in the spiritual world where our mental operations will operate within the rational ether. Anything spiritual is immortal and will never die.

(d) People should be concerned about their afterlife because according to theistic psychology when we are in the physical world, we are actually preparing our life in the spiritual world that is for eternity. In the physical world we are creating our own environment for our eternity. Since all of our affective, cognitive, and sensorimotor organs are recording all of our thoughts, feelings and sensations while in the natural world, we must learn to live righteously according to God’s Divine Speech.

With this true knowledge our mind is capable of rationally building a heaven for eternity. If we are not knowledgeable of the Divine Truth of God and choose to believe the false loves in our life in the physical world then we have chosen to live in the hells of our mind for eternity. After we have past and are resuscitated, we will see the spiritual world as we have developed and created it while on earth.

(e) The vertical community is located in the spiritual world in which the spiritual body can be seen, heard, touched by other spiritual bodies in the spiritual world. Communication in the vertical community only occurs when there are similar thoughts and feelings amongst other minds of different spirits. This means that we are never alone in our thoughts and feelings because we are not capable of doing so without the association of other minds.

People should focus on their dual citizenship because our thoughts and feelings in the natural world affect our environment in the spiritual world forever. Since we are dual citizens, whatever we feel, think, or sensate on earth will be permanent in our spiritual mind. When we are resuscitated after we pass, we will end up associating in a vertical community with those having the same thoughts of feelings.

Another reason why people should be concerned of their dual citizenship is because when we are resuscitated, we will begin to see God’s spiritual world as a process, but only those who have opened up their internal-natural organ and have built a rational level of thinking will be able to be prepared for the rejections of the loves of hell that will be presented to them to choose for eternity.

The Question that I am Answering is Question 6

Section A: My Own Summaries of the Selections

Summaries for Question 6

2.17.1 The As-of Self Revealed to Humankind

a) God controls every individual through his omnipotence. We are not controlling our actions and thoughts alone, but instead we are co-managing our behaviors with God every minute of our life. God is the only intimate partner that we will have beyond even our closest friends and family members. He controls all events in the environment, which we work with him to carry out any actions. This may feel like we are performing all of our decisions ourselves but we are actually working with God, which is a concept called “as-of self.”

b) God maintains a balance of power in every mental state that exists, cooperating with everyone in every detail that occurs for eternity. Because of this we continue to develop our “as-of self” with a feeling of freedom that we are the cause of creating it. Our development with “as-of self” is attributed only to God from scientific revelations, and with this knowledge in our mind, we are capable of character reformation. It is when we believe that we are the power source of our own actions and decisions when we are denying God, and creating a hell for eternity.

6.0.1 The Conscious Self and the Development of the As-of Self

Due to evolution it is our human race’s nature to believe and want to guide ourselves from our individual personal power. Only those who were and are capable of directly communicating with God are those who may live in a sane and healthy proprium. This excludes the human race of today, who instead pursue loves that are not consistent with the Divine Commandments. Our human race today has turned their judgment from truth and has chosen false reality, false loves, and thus creating a hell for themselves in eternity.

6.3.1.1.1 (II) God's Omnipotence and the As-of-Self Free Will

a) The concept “as-of self” indicates that God creates and manages the mental details of all individuals that obtains a sense of a self-determined being. Divine Speech has shown the true operation of this sense of self that is powered by God. The co-management with the Divine Psychologist makes it possible to have a sense of “self.” Our “as-of self” allows us to have free will in our affective organ.

b) God allows our freedom for us to choose what we want to do or think. Our freedom lets us carry out the behaviors and thoughts that we acquire. God is cooperating by giving us the reasoning processes in executing any thoughts and behaviors whether it is evil or good. This allows us to maintain our “as-of self” freedom to choose our own actions, and God will never let us sense his co-presence, instead he reveals that these mental operations appear to be our own, yet it is not.

c) As a human being we must understand that we have a sense of “as-of self” and self determination that is managed by God, and that we must strive the “as-of self,” in the struggles that God has created, to know and understand God’s management for the universe. These two important pieces of information are known as the “doctrines of truth,” that is the mental foundations of our eternal heavens.

12.6.1 Human Freedom--Heavenly and Hellish

By character reformation we must reject our hellish love that we are born with; this becomes difficult when we need to give up our personal freedom to choose what our true loves are. This gives a person a feeling of being controlled, restrained to choose other loves that we originally were not born with. The only way that a person can compel his or her self from the false loves, is to live according to the doctrine of truth from Sacred Scripture. In this effort of developing the “as-of self,” God can then remove the enjoyments of our hellish loves, and allow us to enjoy heavenly loves.

Section B: My Answers to the Five Questions

(a) Discuss the concept of the "as-of self."

(b) Why is it difficult for people to accept his idea?

(d) Is human freedom compatible with the concept of God's omnipotence?

(e) How do you react to this concept? Can you accept it? Does it make a difference whether you accept it or not?

Answers

(a) The concept of the “as-of self” means that we are not controlling our actions and thoughts alone, but instead we are co-managing our behaviors with God every minute of our life. God is the only intimate partner that we will have beyond even our closest friends and family members because he is omnipotent and omnipresence. He controls all events in the environment, and cooperates with our mind when he gives us reasoning in executing any behaviors, yet this may feel like we are performing all of our decisions ourselves but we are actually working with God.

The concept “as-of self” allows an individual to have a sense of free will. This makes the person feel as if there are controlling all events and are capable of making their own decisions. This is when God reveals to humanity of his Divine Love and Truth through the doctrine of truth and when we are the decision makers to choose whet we want to believe to begin character reformation.

(b) This concept is difficult for many people to understand and accept because they feel as if they that the power and controllers of their own lives. These people also pose a negative bias towards God’s existence and the scientific revelations. It is these people who are creating their eternal hells of their mind.

Another reason why many people will not accept the idea of “as-of self” is because our society has been evolved into being independent and successful for only the physical life that we live. Many people learn through generations to strive to be in power, and believe that they are cause for where they end up in the physical life and when they die, it’s the end. There are very few people who look at their life as a whole process from birth in the physical world to the spiritual world of eternity.

(c) The concept “as-of self” implies that we have a sense of true freedom but we actually don’t have complete freedom, because God is omnipotent and omnipresence. Through cooperation with the Divine Psychologist we are allowed to make our own decisions whether it is to believe false evil loves or the doctrine of truth. God allows our freedom for us to choose what we want to do or think. Our freedom lets us carry out the behaviors and thoughts that we acquire. This lets us maintain our “as-of self” freedom to choose our own actions, and God will never let us sense his co-presence, instead he reveals that these mental operations appear to be our own, yet it is not.

(d) Human freedom is compatible with God’s omnipotence because when we understand the doctrine of truth from Sacred Scripture we are able to develop our “as-of self” and begin our process of character reformation. Once we have understood what is God’s Good and Truth, we are able to reject the hells in our mind, and God will be able to banish evil away forever in our spiritual world, so that we may live in an eternal freedom in heaven.

(e) I believe that the concept “as-of self” as legitimate and easily comprehendible because God has provided us with evidence from Sacred Scripture on how he wants us to live our lives accordingly. God meets us half way while we carry out the decisions we choose. I believe this to be very realistic from the time that I had concentrated on my day with the Divine Psychologist. When I had done this experiment, it made me sense his presence, although I could not sense him through my natural senses, I knew that in my mind I was thinking rationally about God’s love and truth.

I can say that I have already accepted this concept because of my religious background. I have already learned how our physical life is lived according to will affect my afterlife. This is most likely due to my lifetime exposure to living according to the Divine Commandments. On the other hand is I hadn’t accepted this concept as true, then I would have a very difficult time dealing with this piece of information, because I would feel as if I am controlling my own thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and destiny. I would probably have a narrow mind set on life and a lean towards a negative bias approach to theistic psychology or even religion.

Section C: My Analysis of Prior Generations in the Generational Curriculum

Generation 20:

Suzanne Howard

Report 1

http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/459s2004/howard/459report1.htm

(i) How Suzanne felt:

Suzanne felt overwhelmed when she was first introduced into theistic psychology. Suzanne began the theistic psychology course feeling intimidated about being able to understand and accomplishing the assignments that were given, yet she still decided to give theistic psychology a chance. The concepts and ideas presented seemed too complex for her to interpret. Suzanne also felt defensive when she began to study the assigned readings and lecture notes. A disbelief why she had chosen to even take the class came over her, with feeling as if attending theistic psychology was a waste of her time.

(ii) What Suzanne thought:

While taking theistic psychology Suzanne thought that it would be beneficial between science and God. Theistic psychology would help to strengthen religion and spirituality with a scientific evidence provided in the scientific revelations provided by Emanuel Swedenborg. Through theistic psychology people will not have to choose between religion and science but by accepting both concepts as a relationship.

(iii) What Suzanne concluded:

Suzanne concluded that theistic psychology could have an impact in the field of psychology. Yet, Suzanne also predicted that theistic psychology would most not likely be accepted and applied by majority of science. This is due to the fact that there is controversy on the criteria of science and Emanuel Swedenborg’s Writings that theistic psychology bases as scientific revelations.

(iv) How her insights apply to me:

Suzanne’s insights are somewhat similar to my insights regarding theistic psychology. When I was first introduced to theistic psychology I felt very intimidated with this course. Yet, I also too decided to give theistic psychology a chance. I disagree with Suzanne’s beliefs that theistic psychology would be able to confirm relationships between science and religion. This is most likely due to history that has shown religion, which is based on a different ritual practice, contrast with how science has traditionally practiced their theories for many years.

Generation 21:

Emmy Zukowski

Report 2

http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/459f2004/zukowski/459-g21-report2.htm

(i) How Emmy felt:

Emmy felt that she had an opportunity in which, taking theistic psychology would be beneficial for her own spiritual growth. She knew that taking this class would be a challenge but she was up for it because Emmy is personally striving to better the quality of her life for a heavenly afterlife. It is through theistic psychology that she feels may help her to understand her ways of thinking along with the ways society has been manipulated into materialistic thinking. Emmy is determined to better her life for herself which, may be accomplished through the concepts in theistic psychology.

(ii) What Emmy thought:

Emmy believed that reading and understanding theistic psychology helped open an individual’s mind to a positive bias towards God. These ideas also in Sacred Scripture can be understood at a personal level, to reflect on an individual’s behavior. With Emmy’s class successfully grown together assuming a positive approach to theistic psychology, it was easier to understand Dr. Leon James material to become spiritually knowledgeable. As Emmy proceeded with the theistic psychology class she began to think about her will. It had changed her perception in wanting to build a “new will” for her own heaven.

Theistic psychology had affected Emmy’s thoughts of her Catholic faith. Since much of this religion is based on Sacred Scripture, Emmy believed that the concepts provided in theistic psychology had only deepened her mind into a higher consciousness. Emmy understands that both theistic psychology and religion needs Sacred Scripture as the revelations and teachings of the God.

After researching theistic psychology, Emmy thought that with rationalizing the concepts in theistic psychology, we are capable of forming our own heavens and hells in which we will one day face. It is through theistic psychology in which we allow ourselves to self-witness and undergo through the process of character reformation. From there we have the decision to choose whichever behaviors and intentions we want to perform.

(iii) What Emmy concluded:

Emmy concluded that everyone in life should always keep an open mind. She was able to self-witness and reflect on what changes could be made to her life to progress in her own spirituality. Doing so helped her to deal with the daily stresses and disappointing moments in life. Theistic psychology has now embedded a deeper meaning of her Catholic faith and the traditions that she had practiced all her life. Now Emmy is able to rationally think about what she can do for her spiritual growth from the concepts of theistic psychology.

(iv) How her insights apply to me:

Emmy’s insights are interesting to read about. Emmy did feel that theistic psychology would be a very complex subject to learn, but she had charged into the course hoping that it could deepen her relationship to God. I, on the other-hand, did not have that motive to begin with in the first place. I registered for this class in regards to my credit fulfillment. I didn’t even have the slightest thought about how this class could benefit my Catholic faith. I didn’t step into this class with a hope for spiritual growth at all. I believed in my faith and I was satisfied with my religion.

As Emmy continued her studies in theistic psychology, she began to see the relationship between theistic psychology and religion, on this note, I entirely could relate to her insights. Once I started to understand more on the Divine Psychologist, I was able to self-witness myself and modify my actions, along with having a scientific explanation. With these concepts understood more in details, Emmy and I were capable of strengthening our beliefs along with the process of preparing for our afterlife.

Generation 22:

Karina Swenson

Report 1

www.soc.hawaii.edu/leon/459s2005/swenson/459-g22-report1.htm

(i) How Karina felt:

Karina first entered into Dr. Leon James theistic class laughing about how ridiculous it seemed. She was overwhelmed by the concepts that she would have to study for this class. She felt very wary of the information that she had to study and present, although she had already attended class for some time. It was hard for Karina to keep an open mind, but she knew was had the skillful potential to persuade the class into believing that she knew the material well. She felt that she needed to keep her religion over priority of theistic psychology, so she had a strong resistance towards theistic psychology.

As the course had progressed more into the semester Karina started to feel more comfortable about the concepts of theistic psychology. Karina started to make sense of the concepts presented in class, and she felt that her initial reactions to theistic psychology were ignorant. This occurred when Karina began to notice the similar findings from theistic psychology and her religion, which made perfect sense.

(ii) What Karina thought:

As Karina studied theistic psychology, she began to value character reformation as being an important process in an individual’s life. This important concept could be understood from those who may have a religion or even from someone who may not believe in any faith. She believes this is so through evident literatures like self-help books, which just goes to show how there are people striving to become a better individual for themselves.

Karina thought that theistic psychology can help a person understand society because of the many social injustices that occur around everyone everyday. These injustices are due to selfishness and a strive for dominance, that Karina believes our societies should work and regenerate on. Along with understanding much of these injustice behaviors, the concept of temptations was her favorite concept. She emphasized on how God is a part of our life when we are tempted, and it is our will to resist temptations that may bring us closer to God.

Karina began to think that as she understood more of theistic psychology when she read more and thought about God often, she was able to relate it to her life with the relationships surrounding her which motivated her to improve her actions and intentions. If you were to keep an open mind towards theistic psychology the relationships around you may progress to a higher quality filled relationship. Through these realizations she began to love theistic psychology as a means of building a purposeful quality life.

(iii) What Karina concluded:

Karina came to a few conclusions about theistic psychology and the topics that were assigned. She had come to the conclusion of how God will always and forever love everyone regardless of any inequality. With this in mind Karina believes in character reformation as a means to a positive spiritual growth, where she felt she needed to work on her selfish characteristic.

She also concluded that taking theistic psychology has now allowed her to explain how life without God may not exist to an atheist. Theistic psychology has been one of her most interesting classes she has taken in college, which has helped her mind to think more rationally. Yet, overall Karina still cannot see God as a science, but God may be scientifically proven. Theistic psychology has helped her to deeper acknowledge God’s presence in her life that explains human behavior from herself and others

(iv) How her insights apply to me:

As an overall progress of how Karina understood theistic psychology, my progression had also been very slow. I had a very hard time taking in the concepts of theistic psychology. I also had to persuade the class into believing that I knew what I was explaining in my presentations but in fact, I honestly was trying my hardest to present the material in the most comprehending possible way.

Another insight that Karina found important was on character-reformation. Coming from a Catholic religion, I am also constantly striving to change my hellish intentions, thoughts, and behaviors to live according to God’s Love. I too am now aware of how I may adjust my thoughts in my mind to love one another. Along with Karina, I feel that the Divine Psychologist is an important concept that I feel very fortunate to have been exposed to from theistic psychology.

Generation 23:

Melissa Alcover

Report 2

www.soc.hawaii.edu/leon/459f2005/alcover/alcover-459-g23-report2.htm

(i) How Melissa felt:

Melissa had begun taking theistic psychology with a negative bias approach. It was not easy for her accept the concepts that were introduced to Melissa from theistic psychology. She entered into the course feeling overwhelmed when many of the new concepts and different stages of the mind were introduced. She also found the diagrams from the lecture notes confusing and hard to understand.

(ii) What Melissa thought:

Melissa was brought up as a Catholic, never exposed to concepts from theistic psychology. She thought that the ideas from theistic psychology didn’t contradict her fait, but more so deepened her understanding of God. Melissa thought the ideas of the Spiritual Sun as intriguing. As she studied the diagrams and finally was able to comprehend the concepts and meanings attached to the diagrams, Melissa found that having a Spiritual Sun as well as its counterpart that of the Natural Sun to be interesting.

(iii) What Melissa concluded:

Melissa accepted the concepts provided from theistic psychology. She believes the concepts in theistic psychology to be true due to fact that God does control everything. She knows that there always will be someone guiding her in her thoughts and decisions. She finds much of the concepts as accurate and now it has helped her to focus on rational thinking. With these concepts in her mind, she is able to perceive the important things in her life that will affect her afterlife.

Melissa also concluded that taking theistic psychology has opened her mind to new information that will help her quality of life. She emphasizes on the experience you obtain while taking this course and the benefit you will receive. Learning about the spiritual world has helped her to look at life in another perspective, but only if the individual can assume the position of a positive bias.

(iv) How her insights apply to me:

Melissa’s insights are more strongly acceptable towards theistic psychology than mine. She seemed very eager in learning the concepts when she finally understood them. I on the other-hand still find it hard to portray God as a science. Yet I still acknowledge that there is an afterlife existing when I become conscious in the spiritual world. Melissa and I also can agree on how figuring out what’s really considered heavenly or hellish behaviors. I never quite knew exactly what was considered heavenly or hellish till theistic psychology.

Section D: My Advice to Future Generations

My first advice that I would like to give to future generations, is to approach theistic psychology with an open-minded positive bias. When beginning the theistic psychology course, it will be a lot easier to understand the concepts by accepting them as a theory, because it becomes more difficult to understand by resisting the information given in class, the readings, and the lectures.

The second advice that is also very important in taking theistic psychology is to not procrastinate. When a student procrastinates it actually shows in the reports and presentations that are accessible to the entire class to see. For example, in an oral presentation, if a student is not prepared, their speech will not flow smoothly and they will not be able to provide an organized lecture. The presentation will sound like it has been whipped up on the day of the presentation.

Another example of why procrastinating will never work out is because there are a lot readings that a student must research on in order to write out well thought out report. Since there are two reports that a student will most likely have to do in the semester, it is only when they do the first report when they realize that a report cannot be done in one day. It may take days to a week to research the answers, draft, and revise the report. To get a good grade in this course revising is a good process to make sure you have followed the directions from Professor James instructions.

Last but not the least, another advice I have for future generations is to use all of the resources provided for theistic psychology. There are multiple reading materials available, discussion time in class, past generation’s reports that are accessible, and of course Professor’s kind enthusiasm to answer any questions that we ma pose. The student should keep up with readings, and ask questions that may clear up any confusion. These discussion periods in class can clarify any misunderstanding to concepts, or even instructions for the reports, presentations, and outlines on the web.

My Home Page: www.soc.hawaii.edu/leon/459s2006/bulda/bulda-home.htm

G24 Class Home Page: www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy24/classhome-g24.htm