Ok, I'm new to this topic, but want to explore it as I go along. This is a simply stunning life:

http://www.newdualism.org/Swedenborg.htm

Sorry I haven't been around to engage any sort of discussion on this topic. I don't have much time these days, but I wanted to at least open this topic a little further with Swendenborg's account of a pivotal experience:

"Prior to his spiritual crisis, Swedenborg had experienced "a certain cheering light and joyful flash" darting through his brain when he was in the presence of truth.15 Thus, whenever he felt any lack of clarity or mental confusion he took that as a sign not to go on immediately. As he proceeded with his investigations he came closer to passing over the abyss between matter and spirit and between philosophy and revelation. His journal of dreams not only documents his spiritual crisis, but also serves as a record of his personal call:

I saw also in vision that fine bread on a plate was presented to me; which was a sign that the Lord Himself will instruct me since I have now come first into the condition that I know nothing, and all preconceived judgments are take away from me; which is where learning commences; namely, first to be a child and thus be nursed into knowledge, as is the case with me now.16

With this realization, Swedenborg was ready to put aside his philosophical studies in order to focus all his attention on the spiritual. But how? It was not absolutely clear to him what he ought to do. At this time he began a manuscript entitled The Worship and Love of God, of which he published the first two parts in London in 1745. It stands apart from the philosophy that preceded it and from the Arcana Coelestia that was to follow. Like The Infinite it was both a culmination and a beginning. It differs from the philosophic works more in tone and form that in substance, and it differs from the later revelatory works both formally and substantively. This poetic work was written as an offertory to express his love and adoration to God the Creator and Redeemer."

Before this pivotal turning point:

"Swedenborg wrote very little concerning his early life, and except for the following, which was written in a letter to a friend in 1769, what little else is known comes from public records and his father's autobiography:

From my fourth to my tenth year, I was constantly engaged in thought upon God, salvation, and the spiritual sufferings of men, and several times I revealed that at which my father and mother wondered.... From my sixth to my twelfth year my delight was to discourse with clergymen concerning Faith�that the life thereof is love, and the love that gives life is the love of one's neighbor.... 1"

Thanks Asher for the introduction to Swedenborg. What a remarkable man with deep spiritual insights.

I like this quote, one of many:

Our inner self is also called our "spiritual self", because it is in heaven's light, which is spiritual. And our outer self is also called our "material self" because it is in the world's (physical) light, which is material. If our inner part is in heaven's light and our outer (physical) part is in the world's light, we are spiritual on both levels. However, if our inner part is not in heaven's light, but only in the world's light (physical which is our outer part as well), we are materialistic on both levels. In the Bible, spiritual people are called "living" and materialistic people are called dead.

In harmful people, the inner part is in the world with its light, and so is the outer part. When this is our state of mind, we do not see anything from heaven's light; we see things only from the world's light, which is called the "physical light". So things that have to do with heaven are in the dark for us, but things that have to do with the world are brightly lit.
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This second paragraph tells us quite a bit about humanity. All the finer subtle gifts of love, kindness, genuine caring for the welfare of others is gifted by the internal light from heaven. Murderes, rapists, or individuals embracing sexuality without the love and caring for another fall into this category, of no inner light from heaven.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmanuel_Swedenborg

I was just looking at some of his books in the Religious Science bookstore. He has never reached out to grab me, but almost on several occasions.
The New Thought people seem to like him, and a following has remained. We have at least one Swedenborgian
churches here in Denver.

You are being assimilated by the Sweden-Borg.
Resistance is futile!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emanuel_Swedenborg

I was just looking at some of his books in the Religious Science bookstore. While he has never reached out to grab me, almost on several occasions, the thought has occurred...
The New Thought people seem to like him, and a following has remained. We have at least one of the Swedenborgian
churches here in Denver.

He took exception to the Council of Nicea. I just noticed that David Hawkins has calibrated the Nicene Creed at 895, or higher than any spiritual teacher. I'll have to see if Hawkins has a level on Swedenborg's works...

You are being assimilated by the Sweden-Borg.
Resistance is futile!