From The Doctrines For Spiritual Christianity
Without mental images formed from finite things, and especially images formed from things that exist within space and time, man cannot begin to comprehend Divine things, let alone the Infinite. Without mental images formed from space and time man is not even capable of thinking anything, 3404, for as to the body, and so as to thoughts which are formed from external sensory impressions, he dwells within the confines of time. But angels, since they are not bounded by time or space, have mental images formed from states of being. This is why spatial or temporal references in the Word mean states, see 1274, 1382, 2625, 2788, 2837, 3254, 3356, 3827. But there are two states – a state which corresponds to space and a state which corresponds to time. The state which corresponds to space is a state in regard to being, while the state which corresponds to time is a state in regard to manifestation, 2625. There are two entities which constitute man, namely being (esse) and manifestation (existere). Man’s being is nothing else than a recipient of the eternal which proceeds from the Lord. Indeed men, spirits, or angels are nothing else than recipients – that is, recipient forms – of life from the Lord. The actual reception of life is what the term manifestation refers to. Man imagines that he has being, and indeed that he is self-existent, when in fact he is not a self-existent being but, as has been stated, one who manifests being. Self-existent BEING occurs solely in the Lord, and that BEING is called JEHOVAH. This BEING which is JEHOVAH is the source from which all things that seem to be self-existent derive their being. (Arcana Coelestia Elliot 3938{1-2})
Goodness and truth are present in their created vessels according to each one’s form because whatever flows into any vessel is received by it according to its form. The preservation of the whole is nothing but the constant flowing in of Divine goodness and Divine truth into forms created by that influx – continued existence or preservation being thus constant birth or creation. (Conjugial Love 86)
When Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are mentioned in the Word those patriarchs are not meant in the spiritual sense, as may be recognized from the consideration that names never pass through into heaven. Only what is really meant by the people who are referred to – real things, the essential nature of real things, and the states of real things, that is to say, aspects of the Church, of the Lord’s kingdom, and of the Lord Himself – passes through. But in addition to this the angels in heaven never fix their thoughts on specific persons; that would restrict their thoughts and remove them from that all-inclusive perception of real things that lies behind angelic speech. This explains why the things that the angels in heaven say are indescribable, far surpassing human thought, whose range does not extend to seeing things in their totality but is restricted to particular aspects. (Arcana Coelestia 6804{1-2})
Dwellings were shown me of those who were of the second and third posterities of this Most Ancient Church. They are magnificent, extending to a great length, and diversified with beautiful colors of bright crimson and azure blue. For the angels have most magnificent dwellings, such as cannot be described, as I have often seen. To their eyes so real is their appearance that nothing can be more real. But whence such real appearances come will be shown of the Lord’s Divine mercy hereafter. They live in an aura, so to speak, of resplendent pearly and sometimes of diamond-like light. For there are wonderful auras in the other life, of inexpressible variety. They greatly err who do not believe that such things exist there, and indefinitely more than anyone ever could or can conceive. They are indeed representative, like the things sometimes seen by the prophets; but yet are so real that they who are in the other life hold them to be real, and the things which are in the world to be relatively unreal. (Arcana Coelestia 1116)
For in the spiritual world or in heaven nothing of space or time enters the ideas, but instead what belongs to the state of life (n. 1274, 1382, 2625, 2788, 2837, 3356, 3404, 3827, 4814). It does indeed appear to spirits and angels that they advance and move from place to place, just as it appears to men; but still it is changes of the state of life that produce this appearance; just as it appears to them, as well as to men, that they live from themselves, when yet they do not live from themselves, but from the Divine of the Lord from whom is the all of life. These appearances with the angels are called real, because they appear as if they really were. I have sometimes spoken with spirits about these appearances; and those who are not in good, and consequently not in truth, are unwilling to hear that it is an appearance that they live of themselves, for they wish to live of themselves. But besides their being shown by living experience that they do not live of themselves, and that progressions from place to place are changes and progressions of the state of life, they were also told that they might be satisfied in not knowing but that they have life from themselves, as they could have no more even if the life in them were really from themselves; but that still it is better to know how the case really is, because then they are in the truth, and if in the truth, they are also in the light of heaven, for the light of heaven is the truth itself which is from the Divine of the Lord. (Arcana Coelestia 4882{1-2})
Key Points From The Video
The Profound Insight of Angelic Intellects: Angelic intellects have remarkable understanding of the relationship between internal worlds and external objects, grasping both their own states of mind and those of others, with everything understood as a representative expression of these inner states.
The Spiritual Underpinnings of Angelic Thought: Angelic thoughts connect with spiritual causes and purposes, not obscured by natural relationships or illusions of appearances. They perceive sensory objects as manifestations of mind, connecting them with the Lord.
The Illusory Nature of Natural Perception: Natural perception absorbs the mind, hindering understanding of connections between sensory objects and consciousness. Connections must be learned. Those with partially awakened spiritual awareness still may lack true understanding.
The Gradual Illumination of Spiritual Correspondences: Spiritual understanding corrects mistaken impressions. The linking of objects perceived by natural light with the states of mind belonging to the light of heaven occurs gradually, correcting the thought that the world is a structure of aggregated atoms, and that there is inherent power within matter.
Recognising the Source of Life: Through spiritual reason, it is clear that the world’s existence comes from the Lord, and its preservation is a constant act of creation. Enlightened individuals cherish that all conscious experience flows from the Lord.
Beyond the Limits of Sensuous Experience: Enlightened individuals no longer seek the causes of their sensations beyond their own conscious mind in a static world of space. They recognise there can be no external space or independent time. God cannot exist in one without existing in the other.
Discerning Real Appearances Through Spiritual Light: Things are real to spiritual and celestial minds to the extent they’re receptive to the light of life. Spiritual concepts reveal the purpose of objects, converting perceptions into genuine appearances and connecting objects with the Infinite and Eternal Lord.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What is the primary reason angelic intellects possess such profound insight?
a. their extensive scientific knowledge
b. their advanced technological capabilities
c. the purity of their affections and the clarity of their rational perceptions
d. their ability to manipulate the laws of nature
Answer c)
2. What do angels immediately connect with when they perceive representations in their sensory experience?
a. the chemical composition of the objects
b. the statistical probability of their occurrence
c. the spiritual causes and purposes these representations signify
d. the historical context in which they were created
Answer c)
3. What is a significant limitation of natural perception, according to the Text?
a. its inability to process vast amounts of data
b. its reliance on complex mathematical formulas
c. its tendency to absorb the mind, hindering understanding of connections between sensory objects and diverse aspects of human consciousness
d. its susceptibility to manipulation by external forces
Answer c)
4. What realisation dawns within the mind as spiritual understanding grows?
a. the realisation that matter has inherent power
b. the realisation that the physical world, with its material structure of aggregated atoms, was, in its previous understanding, unreal
c. the realisation that all sensory experiences are merely illusions
d. the realisation that the laws of nature are immutable and unchangeable
Answer b)
5. What falsely suggests that thoughts and affections are separate and independent from the Divine Life?
a. sensory impressions
b. the inspiration of music
c. the beauty of art
d. logical deduction
Answer a)
Reflective Questions
1. In what specific ways do you find your understanding of reality influenced by your affections, and how might you cultivate greater purity in your desires to enhance your perception of truth?
2. Can you identify instances where your thinking is clouded by the fallacies of space and time, and what practices can you incorporate to transcend these limitations and connect with the eternal present?
3. How might you apply the principle of spiritual correspondences to gain deeper insight into your relationships and experiences, and what steps can you take to move beyond superficial observations to perceive the underlying spiritual realities they represent?
Experiential Integration
Each morning, before engaging with the external world, take a few moments to centre yourself and connect with the Lord as the source of all life. Reflect on the following affirmation: “All conscious experience – whether sensory, volitional, or intellectual – flows from the Lord.”
Throughout the day, as you encounter different objects, people, and situations, consciously remind yourself of this truth and seek to perceive them as manifestations of divine love, wisdom, and purpose.
Keep a record of your reflections in a journal, noting any insights that emerge and how they might shift your perspective.