Leticia
Valle
Psychology
459
Dr.
Leon James
The
Reality of the Visionary World
By
Colin Wilson
From
Testimony to the Invisible
Paradox definition from
Webster’s Dictionary: A statement that
seems to contradict itself or seems false, but that may be true in fact.
There is a paradox
involved in the basic quality of human existence. A certain moment of
relaxation and happiness. It seems realer than the insignificances of everyday existence.
Reality:
World of solid objects.
A poet would describe it as not “realer” than the
mystical vision, but only more close up.
17th Century: European civilization
mainly Christian so their “reality” and the idea of human existence was clear
as having a Heaven above, and a Hell beneath, and we are somewhere in between.
If we believe in Heaven
and Hell that means that essentially, there is a greater meaning to our
existence than just solid objects/science.=> there are invisible
significances that will become clear in After Life.
Science destroys the
mystical/religious beliefs. If we confide ourselves to the material world then
we become narrow-minded.
Religion has influenced to
pursue goals, intelligence, etc.
Swedenborg belonged to
the age of faith – angels/devils
German scholars criticized
that the Bible was imaginative fiction viewed as a wish/hope, viewed with
nostalgia.
Intellects felt emotionally
stranded by trying to study science and understand/accept traditional
Christianity.
1850: Emerson wrote essay on Swedenborg that referred to him as
one of the great mystical giants: “One of the…mastodons of literature he is not
to be measured by whole colleges of ordinary scholars…Swedenborg is systematic
and respective of the world in every sentence…his faculties work with
astronomic punctuality, and this admirable writing is pure from all pertness or
egoism.” Emerson goes on to warn that to understand Swedenborg “requires almost
a genius to his own.” (P.91)
Colin Wilson was an admirer
of Emerson and he heard of Swedenborg through him.
First encounter – True Christian Religion, was disappointed to find quotations and scriptures
from the Bible w/discussions of their precise meanings. Wilson believed that
the Bible was a great historical and religious document, but that it had been
“inspired” such as Shakespeare’s plays. So he felt that the Bible was
unreliable to prove anything.
When he encountered what
Swedenborg referred to as “memorabilia” where he discussed with angels he
claims that they were written like parables even though Swedenborg claimed them
to actually taking place.
His resolution was that
Swedenborg had taken too much insight on religion.
He later found that Swedenborg
began his life as a scientist and engineer and that he was well liked by many.
*This shows that if he
hadn’t been a scientist then he would have been more easily rejected and
considered schizophrenic, delusional, and unreliable.
Wilson heard stories of
second sight:
1)
Fire
300 miles away, proof came two days later
2)
Woman
charged twice for same bill, was told where to be found directly from deceased
3)
Queen
of Sweden had sent letter to her brother before he died and Swedenborg revealed
the contents
Wilson claims that this
power Swedenborg possessed was known as “second sight” and that many people
posses it, he didn’t think much of it.
The revelations by
Swedenborg made intellects ask themselves if he suffered from delusions because
he insisted that he was not exaggerating or speaking in parables and at the
same time he describes inhabitants of the moon, Mars, and Venus as spiritual
inhabitants not solid creatures.
*Intellects couldn’t get
past the physical aspect
Three explanations for
Swedenborg’s ideas:
1)
Scientists dismiss him as
superstitious.
2)
Orthodox Christians admit
that it was a possibility that Swedenborg was chosen and allowed to roam the
heavens so that he could record them and God’s children would not be lost.
3)
Idea that the mind
contains unexplored depths in which the visions might have originated.
-associated
with Freud – mental illness/delusional
Carl Jung suggested that our subconscious mind is not just a
cellar with repressed passions but that we needed to start thinking of it not
as inside of us but that we are inside it, implying that things in our mind
have and independent
existence.
Jung developed a
technique called “active imagination” that enabled him to descent into his own
mind and hold conversations with imaginary beings - Philemon. He claims
that he wasn’t speaking to himself.
*This discredits Swedenborg by trying to show that
it was possible to talk to imaginary people in our heads – he referred to it as
just a technique.
1953 – the drug mescaline sulphate had the effect of intensifying perception of reality it made Huxley aware that we think we are “seeing” but we are just actually reflecting our own concepts and desires.
-Vision and reality not mutually exclusive
Religious art seemed to contain these imaginary perceptions – always intercepted by what a man has in his mind…(p.96)
Perception
= mirror of self-reflecting reality around us, looking through an eyepiece.
Wilson Van Dusen – meditation and hypnagogic states:
Borderline sleeping and waking, like Jung he claims that there is enough self-awareness to record and even talk to inner processes.
Psychologists who have studies cases of dual or multiple personalities have concluded that the self can split into several mutually independent personalities --> Freud idea of repression
Alan Vaughan – “paranormal” researcher, interested in power of foreseeing future. Experimented with ouija board and was “possessed” by three spirits. He was allowed to read other’s minds and to see into the future “through some kind of extended awareness.”
*Suggests that Swedenborg was possessed.
One thing that is clear: there are mental states in which we can glimpse vistas of knowledge that remain concealed from us in “everyday consciousness.” Our great mistake is assuming that the kind of “knowledge” we acquire slowly over a lifetime is real, ultimate knowledge.
*Solid objects/science
We are like blind men, finding our way around by touch – and scientific extension of sensory knowledge are our waking-sticks.
Vaughan’s glimpse of power to read others minds or see the future is the “sight” in blind men.
*Credits Vaughan and not Swedenborg?
Wilson says that Swedenborg:
-always processed unusual intellectual powers
-suffered a great spiritual crisis in 6th decade
-after his struggles with crisis he wrote books like Divine Providence and Divine Love and Wisdom that weren’t written in some confused state of religious mania
-like the “mirror” perception; he believes that Swedenborg’s writings were influenced because he lived in a religious age; father was a bishop; studying the Bible since childhood.
-therefore his visions expressed themselves in terms of the Bible.