Report 2:

My Understanding of Theistic Psychology

Masashi Shimonao

Instructions for this report are at:

www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy21/459-g21-report2.htm

 

Question 1:

People sometimes refer to the negative aspects of religion—religious wars, persecutions, intolerance. How can theistic psychology reduce this negative aspect of religion? What makes theistic psychology different from religion? How do they compare in explaining the idea of "salvation"? Can theistic psychology be universal if it relies on Sacred Scripture of Western religions and traditions? What is "religious behaviorism"?

 

< How can theistic psychology reduce the negative aspect of religion?>

Section 2.1

Religion is always bound up with culture and history, while theistic psychology is universal, of relevance to all religions and cultures and times. Different religions have different and contradictory explanations for the same phenomenon, while there is only one theistic psychology. Within theistic psychology there cannot be any disagreement or contradictory scientific theories since its knowledge base consists solely and exclusively of the scientific revelations given in the Writings of Swedenborg--a one time event in history that cannot repeat itself. The reasons why there cannot be new additional revelations in the future are fully explained and established in the Writings. Therefore the giving of these scientific revelations marks the beginning of a new evolutionary path for the human race.

 

Section A: Summary

-         While religion cannot be separated from culture and history of its origin, theistic psychology is universal to all cultures.   

-         While different religions have different explanations about the same phenomenon and contradict each other, theistic psychology provides us with only one explanation based on the scientific observation and findings from the Writings.

 

Section B: My commentary

(i)                  Since religions are often criticized of being causes of war, persecutions, and intolerance, being aware of the reason behind the criticism and making a clear distinction between religions and theistic psychology are very important, because theistic psychology is not a religion but a science.

(ii)                Although this sections does not directly state how theistic psychology can reduce the negative aspects of religions, understanding its content can easily lead us to realizing why theistic psychology can do it.  Theistic psychology is a science based on the scientific revelation form the Writing. So, the knowledge, which can be gained from it, is universal to all cultures and thus contains no possibility to create conflicts, intolerance, and contradictions if people are serious about understanding it and applying it to various problems we have in this world. 

(iii)               I agree with the notion that theistic can reduce the negative aspects of religions.  Instead of denying various view points about the existence of God and how our world is functioning, which come from all the different religions, theistic psychology can unite all the religions in the scientific way and could encompass and better understand all the good aspects of every religion.

 

< What makes theistic psychology different from religion?>

Section 2.1

The difference is that between mystical and scientific. Mystical systems depend on blind faith or credulity and as a result, there are a variety of mystical systems, or religions, and each believes to have the real truth while thinking that the others do not. This is why religion depends on declared membership, on affirmations of a common creed, and dependence on the willingness to believe something that cannot be explained in a scientific manner. As a result, when we examine religions in a rational or scientific way, we cannot arrive at a conclusion since the creed or faith resists breakdown and rational analysis.

 

On the other hand theistic psychology is not a religion but a science. Theistic psychology contrasts with atheistic psychology which automatically excludes God as an explanatory concept. Theistic psychology automatically includes God as a concept in all explanations about human behavior and dynamics. While religion depends on creed and faith, theistic psychology depends on rational and scientific explanations of the laws and mechanisms by which God causes every event and behavior to occur. Therefore theistic psychology advances by cumulative research and critical analysis of all models, theories, and data.

 

Section A: Summary

-         Religion is mystical, which depend on subjectivity of “blind faith.”  So there are as many truths as there are various forms of “beliefs.”  As a result, in order to maintain itself, religion needs to rely on something such as declared membership, common creeds, or the willingness to believe, all of which cannot be explained rationally in a scientific way. 

-         Theistic psychology is a science.  Unlike atheistic psychology, theistic psychology accepts God as a subject of scientific research. Furthermore, it systematically reveals how God is a cause of every event in a pure scientific manners.

 

Section B: My commentary 

(i)                 Since it is very easily misunderstood that theistic psychology is another form of religion at a first glance, it is very important for me to be clear about the fact that theistic psychology is a pure science, which follows all the requirements to make a valid science.

(ii)               The perspective that theistic psychology is a science helps me maintain my motivation to explore its content without any fear of intimidating my own religious view or some of my core values, because it is not a religion but a science which can be totally looked upon as an objective attempt to explain the world in which we live and the afterlife which is to come.

(iii)             I agree with the idea that theistic psychology is different from religion in that it is a science.  The fact that I do not need to “believe” in anything when I want to examine its content clearly shows that it is not a religion.  All I need to do is to maintain a positive bias just like when I read all the other scientific evidences or proofs.  Without understanding this, it is impossible for anyone to read its content with objectivity.

 

< How do they compare in explaining the idea of "salvation"?>

Section 5.0.9

In the above passage it is stated that we (‘the spiritual”) are regenerated for heaven “by charity, and not by faith separate from charity.” This is known to everyone who is familiar with the teachings of the Old and New Testaments, namely that “charity without faith is not genuine charity, and faith without charity is not faith.” I hear this issue debated frequently on Christian radio broadcasts. People would call in the talk show presentation and ask about how do they know they are saved since they still feel like living in their old habits, and do. So they want to know if they are saved or not? The standard answer given is that they are saved as long as they were sincere in confessing their faith in Jesus, that He died to save them form their sins. Then they are told that there is a process called “sanctification” by which the Holy Spirit leads them to show their faith in their life. Then they are told that that to live a life of faith means to go to Church, to seek fellowship with other Christians, and to confess their faith in Christ publicly to anyone who will listen. But is this really true?

 

The Writings show that it is not true. The life of true faith is not fellowship, Church attendance, and confession of religion, but charity, which is defined as changing how we think and act so that we do things for the sake of others, not just for the sake of self. As long as we are mean to people, or care more about our own comfort zone, we do not live a life of charity. For instance, in our work, we need to be honest and sincere, considering the uses we serve and for which we are paid. Doing a good job and being useful to neighbors, family, and society for the sake of God and heaven—this is the life of charity that leads to salvation. Faith without this charity is useless for salvation, as witnessed by Swedenborg when he monitored what happens to people who arrive in the afterlife with a strong faith not based on a life of use and caring for others. They have no faith they can hold on to in the afterlife because it is not based on altruism. They sink down into their hells where many profess faith but don’t mean it. They continue to love themselves more than others, and often, they love themselves alone, and others they love only for the sake of self. It is not possible for the "blood of Christ" or the "Merit of Christ" to turn a person who is a wolf into a sheep. Only a life of character reformation for the sake of God and heaven can do this.

 

Section A: Summary

-         In traditional Christianity, salvation is achieved when one sincerely confess his/her faith, which usually has to be followed by church membership and fellowship with other members.  Basically one can be saved whatever kind of lives he/she lives only if he/she confesses his/her faith.

-         In theistic psychology, we are saved by charity, which is to change our way of thinking and acting to live a life for the sake of others, not only for ourselves.  Literally according to the Jesus’ word, “faith without charity” is meaningless for our salvation.  We can achieve this salvation only through the process called character reformation or regeneration.

 

Section B: My commentary

(i)                  If one admits that there is an existence of the afterlife and God, it is obviously important to know how we could spend the eternal life there. The existing religions seem to give more questions rather than assurance as to the people’s salvation.  For example, the Christianity’s doctrine that anyone can be saved regardless of their act due to their “faith” only seems to be unfair and their explanation of “sanctification” does not fully explain the clear line between damnation and salvation.  Furthermore, their doctrine seems to contradict with the idea that God is omnipotent, because God in their explanation of salvation is incapable and fail to save all human kinds due to His own incompetence.  So it is important for me to know how theistic psychology, as a rational scientific manner, can explain salvation in a systematic way.

(ii)                Theistic psychology has a very clear statement about people’s salvation, which can be understood by anybody who is willing.  The process of regeneration, with a help of God’s co-managing with us, is the requirement for getting into heaven.  It is very fair for everybody and worth anybody’s attention, because according to theistic psychology, it is our own rational/irrational choices which could ultimately bring us either to heaven or hell.  In this perspective, God is already opening the way for salvation and our fates are wholly dependent on how we choose our own paths in our lives on earth.

(iii)               Idea of salvation in theistic psychology is very different from that of religions, especially the traditional Judeo-Christian beliefs.  The idea of “sanctification” in Christianity is vague compared to the “character reformation” given by theistic psychology.  In both Christianity and theistic psychology, the salvation is open to everybody without limits.  However, Christianity is culture bound but theistic psychology is universal because anybody who is trying to be a better person for the sake of others can be saved.  Furthermore, theistic psychology can motivate us to change our natural hellish traits much more than beliefs in Christianity because it is us who ultimately bring ourselves into heaven or hell.  So, I agree that theistic psychology’s perspective of salvation is more rational and complete.

 

< Can theistic psychology be universal if it relies on Sacred Scripture of Western religions and traditions?>

Section 2.1

The symbolic meaning of revelation is decoded by applying the code that has been revealed. If this revealed code is not used, but some other one invented or preferred by someone, the result is not science but pure conjecture and imagination of the author, as you can know by reading dozens of books people have written on "Bible exegesis" or Bible codes. The only way science can be maintained is by using the science of correspondences revealed in the Writings. This makes the decoding process fully rational and empirical. It's essential to understand that this unique code called "correspondences" is not something Swedenborg invented. It is called "science" of correspondences because each correspondence or symbolic representation is a universal scientific law that governs the interaction between cause and effect in the universe. This is fully explained and demonstrated by Swedenborg. For 27 years he was able to be conscious simultaneously in the natural world through his physical body, and in the spiritual world through his spiritual body. I can only imagine what that must have felt like! But he kept a daily Journal and wrote all his observations down. He was thus able to provide empirical evidence for the laws of correspondences through which all Divine revelation is written. I have examined all of the Writings and there is no doubt in my mind that anyone who has scientific literacy can read the Writings and confirm that they are rational, scientific, universal, empirical, objective, and applied.

 

Section A: Summary

-         In theistic psychology, the higher meaning of the Sacred Scripture can be extracted by the use of the codes, called the law of “correspondences,” which are revealed in the Writings. The correspondences are not Swedenborg’s invention but his daily observation while he was simultaneously conscious in both the natural world and the spiritual world.  Each correspondence is universal scientific law, which can be applied to explaining all the cause and effect in this universe.

 

Section B: My commentary

(i)                  Since large portion of Swedenborg’s Writing requires our previous knowledge about the Old Testament and the New Testament of Judeo-Christian religion, it seems, at a first glance, not to be universal but related only to the particular culture within western background.  So, it is important to know why theistic psychology can claim itself to be universal despite of its heavy weight on the Sacred Scripture of the western religions. 

(ii)                The notion of correspondences to convert Sacred Scriptures into universal concepts without any cultural limit can help me understand that theistic psychology is not only for the people in the Judeo-Christian culture but also for the entire race in the world.  So, the message contained in it can bring universal benefit to all people regardless of one’s particular religion.

(iii)               Since theistic psychology is a science based on the higher meaning of the Sacred Scriptures brought from the correspondence, I can agree that it can be said that it is universally beneficial to anyone who is willing to examine the evidences with the attitude of positive bias.

 

< What is "religious behaviorism"?>

Section 13.0.1

Religious behaviorism is the name I propose for the branch of theistic psychology that makes a scientific study of religious concepts and phenomena such as God, prayer, heaven, hell, eternity. Both religion and theistic psychology are grounded in Divine Speech or Sacred Scripture. Every culture and civilization on this earth has always possessed a religion based on Sacred Scripture by which God could be known, worshipped, and obeyed. While religion is based on the literal sense of Sacred Scripture, theistic psychology is based on the underlying scientific sense that has now become accessible to us through the Laws of Correspondences by which Divine Speech is given. This previously unsuspected knowledge has now been revealed in the Writings of Swedenborg (1688-1772).

 

Section A: Summary

-         Religious behaviorism is a branch of theistic psychology, which explains all religious concepts and phenomena in a modern psychology scientific manner.  In view of religious behaviorism, every religion is based on the literal meanings of the Sacred Scriptures which are given by God. So, it is important to extract the higher, universal meanings by the use of laws of correspondences.

  

Section B: My commentary

(i)                  Only by focusing on religious behaviorism as one of the main characteristics of theistic psychology, we can be aware that theistic psychology is a science, which meets all the requirements as a modern science.

(ii)                Since there is a lack in the awareness of religious behaviorism which include God as an explanatory concept in science, people often regard Swedenborg only as a mystic instead of a scientist.  So, knowing religious behaviorism in theistic psychology help me accept that Swedenborg was fulfilling all the qualification to be called a scientist in his attempt to pass his observation to the future generations. 

(iii)               Although I cannot still fully accept the concept of religious behaviorism since I am still exploring to examine the evidence from the theistic psychology, I can at least maintain a positive bias and try to better understand what it strives to convey through an entirely scientific manner.

 

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.

<What are the consequences for society of "materialism" which excludes God from science?>

Section 1.1.1

Materialistic science assumes that all phenomena are to be discovered or identified by physical measurements, or abstractions based on physical measurements. It rejects the use of God as an explanatory concept in science because such a concept is not physical and cannot be measured or abstracted from other concepts that are based on physical measurements. Instead we must assume that the natural world and physical forces have their own laws that must be discovered independently of any appeal to God or a spiritual world that cannot be detected or measured by physical instruments, or derived from other concepts based on physical measurements. Psychology today has adopted this "physicalistic" and "atheistic" bias so that the mental world of thoughts and feelings are considered "epiphenomena," that is, not real. The real part, it asserts, is the brain activity, which consists of electrical and chemical events firing in certain sequences.

 

According to this materialistic outlook, all human behavior, including thinking and feeling, is nothing but these electrical and chemical events organized in a special way to give rise to self-conscious awareness--an "emergent phenomenon" that supposedly originates from the physical activity of the brain.  In other words, according to materialistic science, we are biological robots with limited time to exist, and at the death of the brain, the "epiphenomenon" that is based on it called consciousness or the mind, vanishes and disappears from existence. We are no longer anything except a memory in the minds of those who knew us--and this is of course just their memory, not the actual continuation of our existence.

 

Section A: Summary

-         Materialistic science derived from materialistic society regards only the physical matters as the valid scientific proofs or evidences. It consequently excludes God and a spiritual world from its realm of investigation.  As a result, in the atheistic psychology from the materialistic science, all the psychological phenomena are regarded as the “epiphenomena,” which are not real and will vanish when our physical body starts to lose its function at the time of our death.  In this view of science, we are merely a “biological robots,” and our minds exist only while our physical bodies are functioning. 

  

Section B: My commentary

(i)                  This is an important topic because if science ends up focusing only on materialistic aspects of the existence of human race while entirely excluding the spiritual aspects, it could bring us no hope to live a better life and discourage any motivation to strive to be a better person.  Based on the materialistic science, there is no ultimate meaning of our existence and thus no hope in our future.

(ii)                To be aware of the flaw of the materialistic science in this point helps me understand why including God and spirituality in the realm of science is very important.  It might be true that ignoring God in science could bring the superficial benefit such as efficiency, economic productivity, etc.  However, it can bring no benefit as to the crucially important issue of our salvation in the afterlife. 

(iii)               Before taking this course, I was not fully aware of the ultimate viewpoint of the materialism or materialistic science, which concludes the existence of our minds is just a by-product of our biological functioning.  Contemporary science today totally excludes God or spirituality in its realm of study, and that is the way I have been taught at the other psychology classes.  However, now I came to think that the true science should incorporate those concepts as well.  

 

< What are "scientific revelations"? What motivates scientists to exclude them? Discuss whether this motivation is justified and how theistic psychology proposes to overcome this objection. >

Section 1.1.3

According to the assumptions of theistic psychology, scientific revelations have been given by God in the Writings of Swedenborg (1688-1772) and that these revelations make up the basic assumptions and premises for theistic psychology. Without these scientific revelations it would be impossible to have access to these details about God's management methods, since they cannot be discovered in any other way. Whatever other authors have written in the past, necessarily represents their guesses or visions, which remain limited. By definition it is impossible for any of them to see beyond the human level. But scientific revelations are Divine and come from the level of the Divine Omniscience. They make accessible to science a database of knowledge about God and the afterlife that can never be discovered or invented by humans living in the natural world.

These scientific revelations are not like prior revelations which were mystical. The revelations in the Writings of Swedenborg are the only Divine revelation that has been given as a rational scientific system.

Section 1.0.2

A traditional answer might be that "science is about the physical world, while God, heaven, and hell are not physical in time and space. Therefore to bring God into a scientific theory or explanation is to try to bring in something irrelevant or outside the scope of science. And this should not be allowed or it will weaken or destroy science."

Section 1.0.2

National surveys over many years consistently show that the vast majority of Americans assume that there is a Divine Person to whom an individual can talk, and be heard by Him, and that God intervenes and controls the course of all events through infinite Love and Wisdom. Atheistic psychology's position has been to dismiss these explanations about God's influence on events and behavior and to prevent these ideas from entering the science of psychology. However today it has become clear that this exclusion of God from scientific explanations is a premise adopted by scientists without actual proof, and that it is not necessarily a rational premise. Hence it is a negative bias without proof.

Therefore it makes sense to explore the alternative premise, which is that the cause of every event and behavior is God who is an intelligent Person, though infinite, who is carrying out a rational goal from loving motives. But it is necessary to go beyond religious ideas and to establish the rationality of God in science independently of religion, culture, and times. Theistic science, and theistic psychology, are therefore pan-cultural and above all religions or cultures.

 

Section A: Summary

-         Scientific revelations are given to mankind by God in the form of the Writings through Emanuel Swedenborg.  They form the basis of theistic psychology.  Scientific revelations show us how God is managing the universe in a scientific manner, which is impossible to know through our natural minds.  The revelations in the Writing are not mystical like the prior revelation but scientific. (1.1.3)

-         Modern atheistic science excludes scientific revelations in the Writing which include God and spirituality into the main subject, because they only accept physical world in the realm of science, denying the concept of dualism.  They believe dealing with God in science will destroy or weaken its validity. (1.0.2)

-         National surveys consistently show that vast majority of people in America believe in God or a “Devine Person,” who control and intervene everything in universe.  But still, atheistic psychology excludes God as an explanatory concept in science without actual proof.  Since it is a negative bias based on irrationality, the motivation of atheistic psychology to exclude God in scientific explanation cannot be justified.  On the other hand, theistic psychology attempt scientifically explore the possibility that there is an omnipotent God.  Since it goes beyond the religious ideas, it can be universal and applicable to entire humanity. (1.0.2)

  

Section B: My commentary

(i)                 Whether including God in scientific exploration or not is crucially important issue, because it determines if we accept or reject theistic psychology’s premises.

(ii)               The perspective given in above passages helped me aware that how modern atheistic psychology is ignoring the basic notion that we should not reject something without actual proof.  The research method course I took only taught me that scientific observation should be public and repeatable.  However, now I know that statement was wrong.  Although it might be better if observations are public and repeatable, rejecting God in scientific exploration without proof is far bigger mistake that can be made.

(iii)             Before I took this course, I was concluding that religion and science should be discussed separately because they are in different paradigms.  However, theistic psychology challenged that point of view and now I think that God can and must be discussed in 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 1.1.1

Those who reject the objectivity of rational spirituality have evolved a subjective mystical spirituality of God that depends on the idea of a "nonduality" between God and human beings. This is the idea that in our deepest and highest core, we human beings are each the Divine. The ultimate and highest evolution of a human being is to reach the consciousness of this Divine Being. In other words, what they call God or Divine is of the same basic substance as human beings. Human beings and God are the same substance and state. This is a self-realization we attain when we are able to let go of the illusion and delusion that we are each individual human beings struggling on a planet to survive. In the intellectual framework of nonduality the path to God is the path to Self.

 

You can see from this that mystical spirituality relies on a sensuous consciousness or experience of God while rational spirituality relies on a rational consciousness or understanding of God. This rational understanding is based on God's revelations made in Sacred Scripture. Since God and created human beings cannot be of one substance, there is a continuous duality between them that cannot be overcome to eternity. The things of God in human beings, that they feel as-if their own, are not their own. We feel life and intelligence as if our own, but we know they are God's life and intelligence in us. We think of the rational analogy with the eye and light. The light enters the eye and gives us the ability to see. This light does not belong to the eye and can never be one with the eye. Similarly, the love and truth that is in us as-if our own, is actually God's love and truth inflowing into the mind's receptor organs.

Section 1.1.1

God has communicated to humankind many principles He uses for governing the universe, and the rationality of those principles fully explains why God does not physically appear to us and set the record straight in a direct provable fashion. It explains why it is necessary for God to appear to us only in our rational consciousness, and to avoid the sensuous consciousness while we are still living in this life. To appear directly at the United Nations and face the scientists would take our civilization back to the days of the New Testament two thousand years ago when God appeared as a physical man born in history on this planet (see section xx). The appropriate steps of human evolution require that God manifest Himself to us in our rational consciousness so that we may develop for ourselves rational proof of His existence in our mind and life. This is the only rational process that can develop in us a celestial mind that can live in eternal conjugial heaven. For God to appear miraculously and give physical proof of His existence would destroy the growth of our celestial mind, when yet this is the very purpose for which God has created us on earth.

Section 1.2

Since God avoids speaking to people directly or communicating mystically "one on one," He uses another method of communication called Sacred Scripture as Divine Speech. These are written in hidden rational correspondences that reveal all the ways in which people can be conjoined to God. For its content and facts, theistic psychology relies on the lawful process of extracting hidden correspondences from Sacred Scripture as Divine Speech. This is how we obtain facts about God, what we must do to be conjoined with Him, and how we must prepare adequately for life in immortality and eternity. All personal, subjective speculation or fabrication about these topics can thus be totally avoided. All knowledge and facts of spiritual rationality are based exclusively on this revealed source. However, as will be explained later in detail, we must rely on the underlying or hidden meanings of Sacred Scripture as Divine Speech. If we rely on the surface literal meaning, we obtain mostly historical facts about a place and people, and religious injunctions for a particular cultural and racial group. These are not suitable for a science of theistic psychology. But the "method of correspondences" revealed in the Writings of Swedenborg allow us to systematically extract rational scientific knowledge and facts about God and our immortality. Details on this method will be presented throughout the following chapters.

 

Section A: Summary

-         According to theistic psychology, mystical spirituality is subjective unlike rational spirituality which is objective.  It depends on the concept of “non-duality,” which says God and humans are ultimately of the same basic substance. It is called mystical because we are encouraged to realize spiritual “oneness” between God and self, which cannot be objectively explained or examined.  In other words, mystical spirituality depends on a “sensuous consciousness” of God, which is subjective to each individual.  In view of rational spirituality, which depends on rational consciousness of God, the notion of oneness between God and human beings is unacceptable, because it is irrational to think that infinite God and finite human beings can be of one substance. (1.1.1)

-         It is only through the rational consciousness that we can achieve the understanding of God and His plan.  If we should experience God in our sensuous consciousness, it will destroy our growth of rationality. (1.1.1)

-         God does not speak to us directly in a mystic way.  Instead, he speaks to us through Sacred Scripture. Readers of Sacred Scripture, including the Writing, must extract the hidden meaning by the use of the law of correspondences.  The method of correspondences is fully explained in the Writings of Swedenborg. (1.2)

  

Section B: My commentary

(i)                  To make distinction between mystical and rational spirituality and realize that the Writings of Swedenborg are dealing with rational spirituality is very important, because so many readers and commentators of Swedenborg mistakenly regard him as a “mystic.”

(ii)                The perspective of the rational spirituality helped me understand how the concept of spiritual oneness with God is irrational and thus unacceptable.  Now that we can be sure about the fact that it is wrong to seek to experience God in a sensuous way, we can focus on getting close to God (if we want) by raising the rational understanding of the Sacred Scripture. 

(iii)               I agree that seeking sensuous consciousness with God could destroy our rational mind.  It is probably the result of their seeking sensuous experience with God that those people often seem to look very narrow- and shallow-minded.  Rational spirituality, on the other hand, keeps us thinking and trying to better understand about God through reading Sacred Scriptures. So, distinction between mystical and rational spirituality is very important.

 

Question 5:

Why is the topic of "regeneration" so basic in theistic psychology? What are the "character reformation" steps of building a "new will"? What is the difference between the "old will" and the new will? What are "heavenly" vs. "hellish" traits? How does this relate to personality theory in psychology as you know it.

< Why is the topic of "regeneration" so basic in theistic psychology? What are the "character reformation" steps of building a "new will"? What is the difference between the "old will" and the new will? >

Section 5.1.1.4

In other words, it is the process of character reformation or regeneration that determines our level of life in immortality. Depending on our effort and willingness, we can regenerate only the lower portions of the inherited mind, in which case we can live our immortality in the state called First Heaven. At this level we think in terms of spiritual-natural correspondences of Sacred Scripture and it is this that forms the basis of our understanding Divine Speech. Thinking from spiritual-natural correspondences or concepts allow us to overcome lower level temptations called "natural temptations." By this means we can acquire the virtues of morality and live immortality in the First Heaven along with others who are also reformed to this degree. 

 

But if we are willing to go further with our character up-building or spiritual growth, we can be regenerated to the second degree and we can live our immortality in the Second Heaven. In this mental state, we think from spiritual-rational correspondences, whose concepts allow us to overcome spiritual temptations. This allows us to go beyond natural morality into genuine rational spirituality. Our understanding of Sacred Scripture is vastly greater or higher. Finally, we may be willing to be regenerated all the way to the celestial degree, living out our immortality in the Third Heaven. Our thinking is based in celestial-rational correspondences, which gives us concepts that can overcome celestial temptations. For further details on the levels of temptations and their consequences, see Section xx.

Section 6.0.5.2

The left side of the chart shows how heavenly life was achieved through the "Adamic" will of the early civilizations on this earth. Direct sensuous consciousness of God and those already in heaven created a "living voice" in the conscious awareness of the celestial mind on earth. The right side of the chart shows how heaven is created in the current spiritual race on earth through a "new will." This new evolutionary creation of the human mind is achieved through rational consciousness of God and heaven. One portion of this rational consciousness is created by the inner voice of conscience, which is not direct, like it had been for the celestial race, but indirect. The inner voice appears like our own voice, not God's voice.

 

The second portion of rational consciousness involves written Sacred Scripture. As this is read or studied our knowledge and beliefs change from materialistic to spiritual or dualist. This is called "undergoing reformation" of the understanding or cognitive mind. Then as this understanding becomes "the doctrine of truth from Sacred Scripture," it is applied as principles of living in daily choices. This is called regeneration, especially with regard to "undergoing temptations." This process gradually creates the "new will" which is the heavenly proprium with which we live in conjugial heaven to eternity (see Section xx).

 

Section A: Summary

-         Whether we will be in heaven or in hell in the afterlife depends on our character reformation or regeneration during life on earth.  It is our willingness and efforts that will decide what level of heaven we will reside in heaven.  Those levels of heavens are called First Heaven (using spiritual-natural correspondence), Second Heaven (spiritual-rational correspondence), and Third Heaven (celestial-rational correspondence). (5.1.1.4)

-         Formation of “new will” will be achieved through our rational consciousness of God and Sacred Scripture.  One portion of this rational consciousness is created by our inner voice of our conscience, which is actually from God but we are unconscious of it. Second portion of the rational consciousness is achieved though our rational understanding and application of Sacred Scripture.  It is this “new will” acquired through this process that we will bring to our heaven.  (6.0.5.2)

  

Section B: My commentary

(i)                  The concept of regeneration is important to me because it means that just believing in a certain doctrine does not guarantee anything about salvation of our soul.  Each choice we daily make will ultimately decide our eternal fate.  As Dr. James states in the lecture note, there is nothing more important than knowing about this, because our eternal fate is at stake.

(ii)                Religions are usually thought to play a role of motivating people to behave well or to be a good person.  However, its strength of motivating people is sometimes weakened by a doctrine such as Christianity’s “salvation just by faith alone.”  Theistic psychology’s perspective of character reformation provides us with the strongest and most emergence need to change ourselves in a heavenly way and think rationally.  If this perspective is adopted by most people in society, it logically could best contribute to making better society. 

(iii)               I can logically understand the importance of character reformation in order for us to go to heaven (or create heaven in our mind, which will continue onto the afterlife).  However, my current position is not yet in a state of applying everything learned from theistic psychology to my own daily lives.  When the day comes when I apply this to myself and try to change my behavior moment by moment by monitoring my thoughts, I could say that I totally agree with the theistic perspective of character reformation.  In that way, there can be a consistence between what I actually do and what I believe. 

 

< What are "heavenly" vs. "hellish" traits? How does this relate to personality theory in psychology as you know it.>

Section 5.1.1.5

Since the Fall of the race there have been many generations to the current spiritual split-brain race. Therefore the inherited spiritual package from each line of the male parent is so filled with numerous hellish traits that every individual grows up with a character that is hellish. Unless this character is rebuilt, reformed, and regenerated into a heavenly one, we condemn ourselves to a life of endless hell in immortality (see Section xx). This is because our life in immortality is such as our character is--hellish or heavenly. At the second death, which occurs a short time after we are resuscitated in the world of spirits, we are compelled physiologically to drop either the hellish or the heavenly traits (see Section xx). We cannot keep a mixture of both traits, as we had while still on earth. If you remember this you will be more motivated to cooperate with God in your regeneration while still on this earth!

 

Section A: Summary

-         Hellish traits are ones we inherited our parents.  If those hellish traits cannot be reformed and changed into heavenly traits, we will end up being in hell of our mind to eternity.  In the afterlife, we have to drop either all of our hellish traits or heavenly traits.  So it is most important to be motivated to nurture our heavenly traits with a help of God while we are still alive.

  

Section B: My commentary

(i)                  Theistic psychology put a distinct line between heavenly and hellish traits and there is no grey area.  In the current perspective especially in cross-cultural psychology, it seems to me that everything, including our beliefs and values, is regarded as relative to one another and thus socially constructed.  So, this is a striking difference between theistic psychology and current theories on personality in the field of psychology.

(ii)                The knowledge of heavenly and hellish thoughts from theistic psychology helped me look at my own thoughts and behavior in a new light.  Even though there are some aspects of thoughts and behavior that I cannot be certain whether they are from heaven or hell, there are many more that I can distinguish which (heaven or hell) they are from. 

(iii)               I agree that rejecting our hellish traits or thoughts at countless moments in our daily lives could make us regenerate and build up a new character within us.  I wonder how we could accomplish this with our own efforts or ability, because it seems like an almost impossible and endless task if we really aim for character reformation.  However, the concept of God’s co-managing with us, discussed in the other section of the lecture note, can give me the assurance that we could try to pursue regeneration only because there is a help of God.  Since all we need is our willingness to apply this process to our daily lives, now I understand anyone with a willing mind can step onto this path of character-reformation.

 

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 1.2

According to rational spirituality we can be "conjoined" with God, or "adjoined to Him, in a reciprocal duality or relationship, where the parts always and forever remain distinct from each other, and there is never a "melding" or other "oneness" possible.

 

Our immortality is a result of our conjunction with God.

 

This is sometimes called "salvation," that is, not having to die like other natural things. It allows our consciousness and life to ascend to the highest human potential called "heaven," and in that state of mind we enjoy eternal life in the heaven of our mind. But the delusion of "oneness" with God brings falsities in one's life instead of truth, and the eventual result is the corruption of the rational mind so that the self sinks into the lowest state of human life called hell. Obviously it's crucial to be able to distinguish between these two forms of spirituality, for one leads to eternal happiness and rationality, while the other leads to eternal corruption and delusion. Of course, those who follow the mystical approach reject the premises of rational spirituality as ludicrous and they see no merit in it. Therefore people must decide carefully for themselves by examining the rationale of these two approaches to God and angelic life.

   

Section 1.2

The central purpose of our life on earth is therefore the growth and development of spiritual-rational ideas and thoughts of God and ourselves. Through this rational spirituality we can spend our immortality in "heaven." Without it, we spend it in "hell." Nothing therefore can be as important to us right now as to realize this difference and its consequences to us.

 

Section 5.0.7

5. The vertical community refers to the fact that, as stated in points 3 and 4, every developmental step in our mental operations is managed closely by God, not immediately, but immediately, “by means of the spirits and angels with him.” This is the vertical community to which every human mind on earth is connected and without which we would have absolutely no mental activity. God always follows this principle of mediate action, which is His method for maintaining the total networking of the human race, so that whatever happens to one individual anywhere affects in some way every other individual anywhere. What a stupendous concept! And how grand! It has been revealed that to God the entire human race appears as one (see Section xx).

 

6. But the operation of the vertical community is more specific than this universal networking effect. God connects us and reconnects us, moment by moment, to different “spirits and angels” that make up our vertical community at any one moment. God uses these more direct and specific influences as a Divine Psychologist who lovingly and wisely manages our regeneration needs—what things we need to become aware of when, or, what kind of experience we need to be prepared for the next phase.

 

7. Swedenborg confirms these revelations about the vertical community by careful scientific observations extended over a period of several years on a daily basis. Through his unique dual consciousness, he was able to see the spirits and angels in his own vertical community, who they were, what their character was, and how often they were exchanged for different spirits and angels. “Spirits” is the name used for people who pass into the afterlife and are resuscitated a few hours later in the world of spirits. “Angels” is the name used for people who enter the afterlife, and shortly thereafter, are elevated to their heavens.

 

Section A: Summary

-         Since human beings can be “conjoined with God, our minds are immortal.  This is why we do not have to die like the other animals.  We spend our life either in heaven or hell in the afterlife, depending on whether we develop rational understanding of God or delusion of “oneness” with God.  Though mystics claim to have oneness with God, God and we are distinct each other and there are never overlap between the two. (1.2)

-         Nothing is more important than to realize the fact that our development of spiritual-rational ideas will decide whether we are going to spend our afterlife in hell or heaven. (1.2)

-         Our minds are unconsciously connected to spirits and angels in the afterlife, who are with God. Those spirits and angels are people who already died and enter into their afterlives.  That connection or the network is called, the “vertical community.”  Our mental states are “induced” by our vertical community. Without that connection, we will have no thoughts or feelings.  We are unconscious of it by God’s protection so that we feel that our feelings and thoughts are really our own without becoming like robots.  In this community, everything that happens to us has influence on some other members in some way.  To God, entire human race looks like one person. (5.0.7)

  

Section B: My commentary

(i)                  It is important to know that though we tend to think that all our thoughts and feelings are ultimately private, all of them actually have interactions through vertical community and must have some influence on others. 

(ii)                Knowing the fact that everything we do can affect others through the vertical community helped me understand that we do not need to do any specific socially accepted or encouraged acts of charity in order to contribute to the good of our society.  In the extreme, just to focus on having our mental activity become more rational and well structured could help others in some way through the connection with the vertical community.  So, our successful character reformations could even contribute to the world peace.  Although this might not be an observable and a direct action toward a world peace, but it could be a most effective way to create a better world.

(iii)               If I maintaining a positive bias, I can understand the mechanism of the vertical community and our connection to the spiritual world through it.  However, in order to truly agree to this concept, I need to abandon the outside, observer kind of attitudes on this topic and then apply everything learned from this course to my real life.  I do not think that I am in that stage yet.  So, it is still important for me to keep the positive bias and look further at the evidences provided in the Writing, and explained in theistic psychology in order to deepen my rational understanding of the Sacred Scriptures. 

 

Section C: Prior Generations

I. Takashi Nakamura “Can Theistic Psychology Exist in Science?”

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

(i) Feelings

-         He felt at first that this area of study is completely new to him. He felt intimidated with the assignment.

-         However, as the understanding of the topic deepened and broadened, it became more natural to apply the knowledge to his own life.

(ii) Thoughts

-         He thought that there has to be a Divine Being and it is more rational to think that way. However, he had had doubts or negative bias about this topic during the first few weeks of the course.

-         The encouragement to maintain positive bias while examining the evidence was the one and only factor that prevented him from dropping the course.

(iii) Conclusion

-         Theistic psychology is a true science.

-         Theistic psychology was similar to his own belief of Buddhism, saying heaven and hell were not external but internal and within us. 

-         The understanding of theistic psychology could be applied to any faith.

-         Taking on a positive bias is most important when exploring theistic psychology.  The class begins not on the first day of the class but on the moment you took on the positive bias.

-         Only theistic psychology makes it possible to look at religion scientifically.

(iv) Application

-         Nakamura concludes theistic psychology is a true science and maintaining a positive bias is a requirement to explore the content of the field.  I agree with his idea and also think that through coming across theistic psychology, I learned to make more fair and rational judgment as to what constitutes the true science and what does not.  One of those examples is that I came to believe that if we seriously take on the true dualism (substantive dualism in theistic psychology), we must include God in the explanatory concept in science.

 

II. Jacqueline Fernandez  “Rationalism, Topic: Do We Have Free Will or Not?”

http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/499s98/jumetsu/jac.htm

(i) Feelings

-         In her mind, it is clear that God knows every choices we are going to make before we make it.

He knows all causes and consequences.

-         She is confused with her own conclusion.

(ii) Thoughts

-         Rational mind is one of the human aspects that differentiate us from the other animals.

(iii) Conclusion

-         Free will is merely an illusion. Otherwise, it is not rational to say that He is omnipotent.

-         The notion of “virtual free will” is most comfortable for her.

-         However, it destroys justice to say that “[H]e who is evil will live and die in a hellish state of mind, as caused by God,” because it is certainly not fair.  So, she concluded she was confused. 

(iv) Application

-         Her temporary conclusion of “virtual free will” sounds similar to theistic psychology’s concept of “As-of self.”  This concept is difficult for me to accept, too.  I can probably accept all the other concepts in theistic psychology without any problem.  However, I still want to think that I have a free will, which is not just something I “feel” like my own, but is indeed my own.  So, in this point, I feel like sharing her “confused” conclusion.  Whether I could accept this concept or not will depend on my willingness to further explore theistic psychology or not.  Otherwise, I might simply forget this most important question I could have in my life.  So, it surely does worth continuing to walk on the path of better understanding of relationship between spirituality and science through reading the Writings and theistic psychology. 

 

Section D: Current Generation

I. Maria Ellora Cabbat’s third presentation on October 28th

  In this presentation, Maria chose “ 1.Vertical and Horizontal Community,” “2. Self-Witnessing,” and “3. We are never alone in our Minds” as her three topics. 

1.      Vertical community is spiritual and where we unconsciously acquire our feelings. Horizontal community is earthly and where we acquire our thoughts. Those two communities are interconnected.  I liked her example of thinking of those who have passed away.  Feeling or thinking about somebody already passed away in the spiritual world could motivate us to be aware of the vertical community and realize that our mind is also there, though currently unconscious.

2.      We can see how our behavior are influenced by the vertical community through the technique of Self-witnessing. I liked her example off waiting on a long line in a grocery store, because it is in this kind of ordinary and small experiences that we feel our sudden changes of emotions.  This is one of the countless appropriate moments when we can examine if our lines of thoughts and emotions are either from heaven or from hell.

3.      Since our minds dwell in the spiritual communities and interconnected with spirits and angels there, “we are never alone in our minds.”  I agree with her idea of “prayer as a rational act.”  Prayer could be a powerful force that could help rejecting the hellish thoughts by “aligning our will…to that of God.

 

II. Risa Masunaga’s first presentation on September 16th

1.      Methodology used in theistic psychology

The writings of Swedenborg is the only source of evidence. I agree with her idea of the irony that the attitude of being a critical thinker makes people less open-minded to the evidence shown in theistic psychology.  All we are required to possess is a critical mind with a “positive bias.”

2.      Theistic psychology as science

Swedenborg’s empirical data and explanation fully satisfy all the criteria for valid science. Unlike atheistic psychology, theistic psychology can allow us to study a person as a whole.  Since character reformation is the key to how we will end up in the afterlife in theistic psychology, I totally agree with the view that the Writing of Swedenborg can motivate us to be responsible for our own inner states and its outcomes.

3.      Relationship between physical body and spiritual mind

“We are born as dual citizens in the natural and spiritual worlds.” We are unconscious of the spiritual world while we are alive.  I agree with her idea that other religions such as Daoism or Buddhism also focus on the dualism of body and soul. This might be a proof that someday the correspondences of those religion’s Sacred Scriptures will be revealed.

 

III. Andrew Sansaver’s first presentation on Sept 16th

1.      The difference between religion and theistic psychology is that religions are mystical and theistic psychology is scientific. While mystical depends on blind faith, theistic psychology depends on scientific and rational understanding of the God’s revelation shown in the Writings of Swedenborg. Theistic psychology includes God as a concept in science. 

2.      How we modify our character from having a lot of hellish traits to having a lot of heavenly traits will determine whether we spend our afterlife in hell or heaven.  Heavenly traits are rational and altruistic.

3.      Theistic psychology can be called science, because it satisfies all the requirements of science. It is more rational to take the positive bias. If we take the negative bias, it means that we dismiss the evidence explained by Swedenborg without any proof or logical ground, which is not rational

 

Section E: Advice to Future Generations

1.      Start writing early while you catch up with your reading assignment for the class. No matter how much you “think” about, “worry” about, or “feel stressed” about the report, your postponing writing the actual report will become just the same consequence as when you simply were procrastinating.  So, start writing anything even though you might feel you are not yet ready for that. Once you started writing, it can later be re-organized and re-written as many times as you want.  So, I would recommend you to start writing your report as soon as possible.

2.      Second point is similar to the first one.  Do not try to read everything before you start writing. The assigned reading sections are quite long unless you read really fast. So, if you only try to catch up with all the readings, you might lose time and energy to write the report.  Being able to skim thoroughly and focus on reading the most important sections intensively will help you understand the content much better.  You will be able to have as much time as you want after you put the writing as your first priority.  So, do not spend too much time to read everything.

3.      Enjoy and be grateful that we could encounter this course while we are in college. This course is probably the only opportunity in the world, in which we can study the Writing of Swedenborg as a science in college education.  Our experience of meeting theistic psychology will be our lifelong (and also in our afterlife!) treasure. Our voyage to have better understanding of theistic psychology starts when we independently embark on exploring the Writing of Swedenborg through theistic psychology even after completing the course!

 

Class Home Page: http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy21/classhome-g21.htm

My Home Page: www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/459f2004/shimonao/home.htm