From The Doctrines For Spiritual Christianity
For every man has a lower or exterior mind, and a higher or interior mind; the lower or exterior mind is the natural mind, which is called the natural man, while the higher or interior mind is the spiritual mind, and is called the spiritual man. The mind is called a man, for the reason that man is man because of his mind. These two minds, the higher and the lower, are altogether distinct; by the lower mind man is in the natural world, together with the men there, but by the higher mind he is in the spiritual world with the angels there. (Apocalypse Explained 527)
Since man is both a heaven and a world in least form after the image of the greatest (see above 57), there is, therefore, with him both a spiritual and a natural world. Interior things which belong to his mind and relate to the understanding and the will, make his spiritual world, while exterior things which belong to his body and relate to its senses and actions make his natural world. Consequently, whatever in his natural world, that is, in his body and its senses and actions, comes into existence from his spiritual world, that is, from his mind and its understanding and will, is said to be a correspondence thereof. (Heaven and Hell 90)
Continuation [concerning Omnipresence and Omnipotence]. There are in the natural world spaces and times, but in the spiritual world they are appearances. The reason of this is, that all things that appear in the spiritual world exist immediately from the sun of heaven, which is the Divine Love of the Lord; whereas all things that appear in the natural world exist from the same source, but by means of the sun of this world, which is pure fire. Pure love, from which all things exist immediately from the Lord, is immaterial; but pure fire, through which all things exist mediately in the natural world, is material. It is for this reason that all things which exist in the spiritual world are, from their origin, spiritual; and that all things which exist in the natural world, are, from their secondary origin, material. Material things are also in themselves fixed, stated, and measurable. They are fixed, because, however the states of men change, they continue permanent, as lands, mountains, and seas. They are stated, because they constantly recur in their turns, as times, generations, and germinations. They are measurable, because every thing can be estimated; as spaces, by miles and furlongs, and these by means of paces and yards; times again, by means of days, weeks, months, and years. But in the spiritual world all things are as it were fixed, stated, and measurable, but still they are not so in reality; for they exist and continue according to the states of the angels, so that they make one with these very states; they therefore vary also, as these states vary. This however occurs chiefly in the world of spirits, into which every man first comes after death; it is not the case in heaven or in hell. The reason that it occurs there is, that every man there undergoes changes of state, and is prepared for heaven or for hell. Spirits do not however reflect upon these changes and variations, because they are spiritual, and consequently have spiritual ideas, with which all the collective and several objects perceived by their senses make one; because also they are separated from nature, but still see in the world of spirits objects altogether similar to those which they saw in the natural world, as lands, mountains and valleys, waters, gardens, and forests, plants, palaces, and houses, garments also with which they are clothed, and food by which they are nourished, and besides these, animals, and also themselves as men. They see all these objects in a clearer light than they saw similar things in the world, and they perceive them also by a more exquisite sense of touch. (Apocalypse Explained 1218{2&3})
For all things which are perceived by man through the organs of sense signify spiritual things, which bear relation to the good of love and to the truths of faith, as do smell, taste, sight, hearing, and touch; hence “smell” signifies the perceptivity of interior truth from the good of love; “taste” signifies the perception and affection of knowing and of being wise; “sight,” the understanding of the truths of faith; “hearing,” perceptivity from the good of faith, and from obedience; and “touch” in general, communication, transfer, and reception. The reason of this is that all external sensations derive their origin from internal sensations which are of the understanding and will, thus in man from the truths of faith and from the good of love, for these constitute the understanding and the will of man. But the internal sensations, which are proper to the understanding and will with man, have not that sense which the external sensations have, but are turned into such when they flow in; for all things made sensible to man by the external organs of sense, flow in from internal things, because all influx is from internal things into external, but not the reverse. For there is no such thing as physical influx, that is, influx from the natural world into the spiritual, but only from the spiritual world into the natural. The interiors of man which belong to his understanding and will are in the spiritual world, and his externals which belong to the senses of the body are in the natural world. From this also it can be seen what correspondence is, and what is its nature. (Arcana Coelestia 10199{1&2})
To show what the things are that appear to the angels in accordance with correspondences, I would here mention this one instance only for the sake of illustration. By those who are intelligent, gardens and paradises full of trees and flowers of every kind are seen. The trees there are planted in most beautiful order, entwined in cross-beam formation with arched entrances and encircling walks. All is of such beauty as to beggar description. There walk those who are in intelligence, gathering flowers and weaving garlands with which they adorn little children. There are also kinds of trees and flowers there that are never seen and cannot exist in the world. On the trees also there are fruits that are in accordance with the good of love in which are the intelligent. Such things are seen by them because a garden or park, and fruit trees and flowers correspond to intelligence and wisdom. That there are such things in heaven is acknowledged on the earth but only by those who are in good and who have not extinguished in themselves the light of heaven by means of natural light and its fallacies, for when they think about heaven they think and say that there are such things there as ear hath not heard nor eye seen. (Heaven and Hell 176)
Key Points From The Video
Relationship Between Internal and External States: The purity of one’s internal reception of love and wisdom manifests in the harmony and beauty of the external sensory world, illustrating a direct cause-and-effect relationship between internal conditions and external forms.
The Sensory World as a Reflection of Internal States: The external sensory world serves as a mirror of internal spiritual conditions, with perceptions, emotions, and thoughts influencing the way we experience and interact with the environment.
The Spiritual Shapes the Sensory: The correspondence between internal and external states in the spiritual world highlights how the reception of love and wisdom shapes sensory experiences, providing a coherent interaction between spiritual conditions and their perceptible forms.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What is the fundamental principle connecting internal states and external experiences in Spiritual Christianity?
a) Random occurrence.
b) Genetic predisposition.
c) Historical context.
d) Cause-and-effect relationship.
Answer: d)
2. How does the purity of reception of love and wisdom manifest in the external sensory world?
a) Through static and unchanging forms.
b) In the harmony and beauty of external objects.
c) By generating physical wealth.
d) Through random sensory experiences.
Answer: b)
3. What role does the sensory world play in reflecting internal states of the mind?
a) It serves as an abstract idea.
b) It functions independently of the mind
c) I It acts as a mirror to internal spiritual conditions
d) It only reflects physical attributes.
Answer: c)
4. In what way do internal spiritual states influence the sensory world?
a) They have no influence.
b) They determine genetic makeup.
c) They alter historical facts.
d) They directly shape sensory perceptions and interactions.
Answer: d)
5. What is the main idea conveyed in the conclusion about the relationship between internal and external states?
a) Internal spiritual life continuously shapes and defines sensory experiences.
b) External experiences are random and unrelated to internal conditions.
c) Internal states have no effect on external experiences.
d) Sensory experiences override internal spiritual states.
Answer: a) Internal spiritual life continuously shapes and defines sensory experiences
Reflective Questions
1. How does the understanding that external sensory experiences reflect internal spiritual states influence your perception of your environment?
2. What are some personal experiences where you have noticed a correspondence between your internal state of mind and your sensory environment?
3. How can the principle of correspondence between internal and external states enhance your spiritual practices and daily interactions?
Experiential Integration
Mindfulness and Correspondence Practice
- Morning Reflection: Begin your day by reflecting on your current internal state of mind—your emotions, thoughts, and spiritual inclinations.
- Sensory Awareness: As you go through your day, pay close attention to how your internal state influences your sensory experiences—colorus, sounds, interactions, and perceptions.
- Internal-External Journaling: At the end of the day, journal about specific instances where you observed a direct correspondence between your internal state and your sensory experiences, noting any patterns or insights.
Creative Integration
Choose one of the key points from the video and try to express and integrate it creatively through your senses. Pick a modality to do this through, perhaps a different one from what you chose for the previous module. Consider drawing or painting, making or listening to music, poetry, exercise, gardening, cooking, or even just watching the colourful or dramatic impressions of the natural world. There are so many ways you can engage with it. Record your insights from this exercise and also document any differences in what is awakened in you with this new modality.
You will have your own personal preferences, but here are two pieces of music and art that you might like to use for inspiration to get you started. Try to be sensitive to the emotions and thoughts that present as you engage with these, and reflect on how this might relate to your chosen key point.
Music
The Four Seasons” by Antonio Vivaldi
Visual
“Starry Night” by Vincent van Gogh
Further Exploration
Listen to the audio recording of the book Spiritual Christianity. Collected from the theological works of Emmanuel Swedenborg by Charles Augustus Tulk which is what this short course series is based on.
Listen HERE to Spiritual Christianity: Chapter 3 (YouTube channel)