Outline of My First Oral Presentation

Outline of My First Oral Presentation

Alternate Realities

This is a presentation of A Thoughtful Soul Reflections from Swedenborg, George F. Dole, p. 27-38

Published by Chrysalis Books, Imprint of the Swedenborg Foundation, west Chester, Pennsylvania

By Denise Nakamura

Spetember 23, 2004

I. Distinct levels of reality

A. There are 4 levels of reality: 3 heavens and one lower level of natural reality.

1. 1^st level: the most inward, the purest, where angels are, also known as the 3^rd heaven.

2. 2^nd level: the outward rational level, not as pure as 1^st level but spiritual angels are here, also known as 2^nd heaven.

3. 3^rd level: the inward natural, lower than other two levels but still a heaven, also known as 1st heaven.

4. 4^th level: the outward level, not a heaven, this is where most of us are (the natural world)

5. Think of it as similar to a scale that measures your level of goodness. The higher on the scale you are the higher in heaven you will go.

B. How does this relate to cultural and psychological aspects of people?

1. Cultural: different cultures and religions have different interpretations of heaven.

2. Psychological: the idea that a heaven exists gives people something to believe in and encourages them to be good in order to get there.

C. How can this be taught in schools?

1. The idea of heaven can be applied to different religions in a religion course.

2. A philosophy course can debate heaven – Does it really exist? How do you get there?

II. Inner and Outer Person

A. The inner person is the part of you that can interact with the spiritual world. The outer person is the part of you that interacts with the natural world.

1. At one point we all interacted with the spirits of the spiritual world; however, “this way has been closed.”

2. No example of the inner person’s experiences except for Swedenborg’s.

B. How does this relate to the cultural and psychological aspects of people?

1. Cultural: some cultures have designated people who speak with the spirits of the spiritual world. Example: shamans

2. Psychological: discovering that there is an inner person who can interact with the spiritual world may lead to an obsession with trying to get in contact with the deceased.

C. How can this be taught in schools?

1. Religion course

2. Philosophy course

III. Death

A. The state in which an individual passes on from the natural world into the spiritual world.

1. This process occurs everyday in life, people die everyday.

2. Swedenborg claims to have spoken with some Christians after they passed into the spiritual world.

B. How does this relate to the cultural and psychological aspects of people?

1. Cultural: everyone believes in death, they have to because it WILL happen. It’s just a matter of what different cultures believe will happen AFTER death.

Example: Christians believe in a last judgment: the final decision that will place them in either heaven or hell after death.

2. Psychological: the idea that there is life after death may give

people peace of mind.

C. How can this be taught in schools?

1. Religion course

2. Philosophy course

3. Psychology course – the effects of people’s fear or obsession with death, what types of behavior this leads to and how it affects the individual’s life.