According to Emanuel Swedenborg, the immediate afterlife, or the "World of Spirits" (Spirit World), is a crucial transitional phase after death. Here's a breakdown of what he described:
**1. Awakening in the Spirit World:**
* **Consciousness Remains:** You don't simply cease to exist. You wake up in a spiritual body that looks and feels like your earthly body, but is composed of spiritual substance. You retain your personality, memories, knowledge, and feelings.
* **Surrounded by Similar Beings:** You find yourself among other recently deceased people who are similar to you in terms of their inclinations and affections. This initial environment reflects your inner state and attracts like-minded spirits.
* **Familiarity and Recognition:** Initially, you might not realize you've died. You might think you're still in the earthly world, or in a slightly altered version of it. You'll likely recognize people you knew in life, especially those you were close to.
**2. A Time of Evaluation:**
* **Inner Self Revealed:** As you interact with others, your true character, motivations, and hidden thoughts begin to become more evident. The Spirit World is a place where inner realities are externalized. [bible: all secrets will be known] What you truly love and desire will shape your experience.
* **Good Spirits and Angels:** Angels and good spirits (those who lived lives of love and service on Earth) guide and support the newly arrived souls. They help you understand your new reality, answer your questions, and offer comfort.
* **Evil Spirits and Illusions:** Conversely, spirits who were dominated by selfish desires and negative emotions in life will be present as well. They are often attracted to individuals who share similar inclinations and can create illusions that reinforce those inclinations.
* **A Time of Testing and Sorting:** The Spirit World serves as a temporary holding place where the deceased's inner nature is revealed and judged. This isn't a formal judgment by a divine authority, but rather a natural process where the person's dominant affections determine their ultimate destination.
**3. Separation and Preparation:**
* **Separation of Good and Evil:** As time passes in the Spirit World, people naturally gravitate towards those who share their values and affections. Those who genuinely love goodness and truth are drawn toward the angels and higher realms. Those who are primarily self-centered and driven by evil desires are drawn toward darker realms.
* **Preparation for Heaven or Hell:** The Spirit World is a preparatory stage. It is not the final destination for anyone. After a period of time (which varies depending on the individual), people move on to either Heaven or Hell, based on their character as it was revealed in the Spirit World.
**Important Considerations in Swedenborg's Theology:**
* **Free Will:** Swedenborg emphasizes that even in the Spirit World, individuals retain their free will. They can choose to embrace goodness and truth or cling to their selfish desires.
* **No Instant Transformation:** Death doesn't magically change a person's character. The inclinations and affections they cultivated during their earthly life persist into the afterlife.
* **Emphasis on Love and Service:** The key to a happy afterlife, according to Swedenborg, is living a life of love and service to others. Genuine love for God and for one's neighbor are the most important virtues.
* **The Lord's Presence:** Swedenborg maintained that the Lord (Jesus Christ) is present in the Spirit World, offering guidance and support to all souls. He is the ultimate source of love and truth.
**In summary, according to Swedenborg:** Dying is not the end. You wake up in a spiritual body, surrounded by others and supported by angels, and go through a process where your true character is revealed, setting the stage for your ultimate destiny in Heaven or Hell. [Like Catholics? ]
8
Responses