Overview
Freedom Philosophy is pleased to offer this on-demand course on the immediate three stages of life after death.
The tree stages are described over thirty short sections, which progressively answer the question that is on everyone’s mind (well almost everyone): “What happens when we die?” and as a result also touches upon what happens to young children when they die.
Please take stock as you go through the material and contemplate some of these questions as you progress to help you process what you learn:
- What thoughts and feelings come up for you as you read this?
- Does this confirm, or conflict with, your currently held beliefs? How so?
- What changes for you in your approach to spiritual life?
It must be noted that this is merely a series of short extracts, taken from three chapters of a much larger body of work, and students are recommended to read the relevant books in full for further detail and context.
This course is meant to highlight one aspect to introduce members of Freedom Philosophy to the topic, to Emanuel Swedenborg’s theology and to stimulate questions and further thought about what may be considered the one of the most significant topic in the eyes of spiritual warriors – what does happen?
It is highly likely this course will draw out many thoughts and questions.
Students may find the material challenging and are therefore asked to keep an open mind, to pray and consider deeply what is presented before them. Please connect with the community for further discussion and to ask questions. Share your ideas, thoughts and insights with the other students too in the course activity feed. After all, we are here to support each other to grow.
To assist with learning, the material has been broken down into a number of small sections. Students can progress at their own pace as they wish, but are recommended to take time to contemplate the material before them, especially in light of its meaning for their own personal spiritual state of mind and inner growth.
Emanuel Swedenborg
As far as the topic of the afterlife goes, only Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772), arguably one of the greatest scientific and philosophical minds in recorded history, lays claim to have visited the spirit world and was able to describe his experiences in great detail in what his popular book Heaven and Its Wonders and Hell From Things Heard and Seen. It was originally published in London in 1758 as De Coelo et Ejus Mirabilibus, et de Inferno, ex Auditis et Visis.
Swedenborg explains that in the world of spirits a person’s mind is progressively uncovered and a person’s true character can no longer remain hidden. In the process described, our true nature comes to the fore and we are eventually drawn to a community of like minded people. This is a place were we feel most at home. Even evil spirits will find themselves in a place they feel at home. However since they are drawn to like minded people they will receive the same treatment as they give out and so experience the automatic nature of suffering in the hells.
According to Swedenborg this progressive uncovering and revealing of our true nature is what is meant by this verse in scripture:
“There is nothing covered that shall not be uncovered, neither hid, that shall not be known.” – Luke 12:2
This course is extracted from paragraph sections 491 – 519, where Swedenborg describes these three stages. References and reference notes have been excluded and students are recommended to read the book Heaven and Hell to gain a full appreciation of the detail of the revelations expressed in their context. Swedenborg offers a great deal of evidence for his writing and much support for the afterlife can also be found with thousands of individual accounts of Near Death Experiences and described in books such as Raymond Moody’s Life After Life or in P. Van Lommel’s recent research.
For the purpose of this course we are using an extract from the Standard Edition, the English translation from the original Latin by John C. Ager, published by the Swedenborg Foundation. More modern translations of Heaven and Hell are available to members from the Freedom Library, including the latest New Century Edition.
One of the key verses of scripture the student is recommended to keep in mind and meditate on while going through the course is from the Sermon on the Mount, where our Lord, Jesus Christ says:
“In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” – Matthew 7:12
Enjoy the course!
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