By Brian Foster

Abstract

Many people who have had NDE’s report that they are judged in their conduct here on earth. Experiences that are replayed to them in the smallest detail. Swedenborg, who wrote eight books about the spirit world, was a witness to many trials. The article illustrates a few examples.



Introduction

Swedenborg was originally a scientist in the 18th century. He made a name for himself by publishing several scientific books on Metallurgy, plus a book on iron and one about copper and brass. He also wrote a book on Anatomy. The first volume addresses the heart and blood; the second, the brain, nervous system, and the soul.[1] In 1745, he had a revelation, which caused him to become a medium and visit the spirit world. His mission was to write the truth about the world where we go, once our physical bodies are removed.

Two years after his revelation, in 1747, he asked to be released from his duties at the Mining Board of Sweden, so he could work full-time revealing the spirit world to humanity. The first volume he wrote, Secrets of Heaven, was published in London in 1749; the eighth and final volume was published in 1756.[2]

His initial sales of the books were disappointing, but starting in 1759, a series of events occurred, which piqued the interest of society and pushed his name and books to the forefront. At a dinner party in Goteborg, Sweden, he suddenly became agitated and began describing a fire in Stockholm – more than 250 miles away – that was threatening his home. Two hours later, he reported that the fire had been extinguished three doors down from his house. Two days later all of the details were confirmed.[3] Here was proof that this learned man hadn’t suddenly gone mad or had become a religious fanatic, prone to making up the word of God.

Then a second incident happened in 1760. A widow of the recently deceased French ambassador to Sweden was given an invoice for an expensive silver set her late husband bought. She knew it had been paid for, but she couldn’t find the receipt. She asked Swedenborg for help. Subsequently, she dreamed that her husband came to her and told her the exact location of the paid receipt.[4]

The third incident was even more dramatic and most probably caused many people to write each other, telling about what transpired and started a general swell of interest in his books. In 1761, Queen Louis Ulrika of Sweden, asked Swedenborg to relay a question to her deceased brother, Prince Augustus Wilhelm of Prussia. Three weeks later, he returned to court and whispered in her ear the answer. People heard her say that only her brother would have known what Swedenborg just told her.[5] The combination of these miraculous events promoted Swedenborg to the European world stage and prompted many learned and powerful people to read his books.



Swedenborg’s Heaven and Hell

What did Swedenborg reveal? In summary, he laid out the basis of Spiritism. He presented the

gems of the ideas, codified by Allan Kardec and expounded on by the books psychographed by Francisco C. Xavier, which can be found in the eight books by Swedenborg. His basic theme is that the path to heaven lies by good works, faith, charity, and helping your neighbor, whatever your religion or lack of it, which is the core of Spiritism today.

He writes, in his book, Heaven and Hell, about the trials he personally viewed during his time in the spirit world. Swedenborg’s main contention is that we retain all, and by all, even the tiniest details, of our entire life while on earth. Hence, these records are used, for and against us, when we pass over. Here is one example of what he wrote;

“There were people who had deceived others with malicious skill and had stolen from them. Their deceptions and thefts were also recounted one after the other, many of them known to practically no one in the world other than themselves. They even admitted them because they were made plain as day, along with every thought, intention, pleasure, and fear that mingled in their minds at the time.”[6]

A truly frightening prospect. Not only the facts of our follies, but even our foolish and misguided thoughts and motivations at the time of the wrong. I am not looking forward to that day! Wait it gets more interesting;

“There were people who had taken bribes and made money from judicial decisions. They were similarly examined from their own memories, and everything was recounted from their first taking office to the end, The details of amount and value, of the tie, and their state of mind and intention, all consigned to their remembrance together, were brought to view, a hundred or more instances. In some cases, remarkably enough, the very diaries in which they had recorded those deeds were opened and read to them, page by page.”[7]

What a relief, no longer do I have to worry whether the legions of corrupt officials, which I see on news shows every day, will someday receive their just deserts. The ones who managed to pass away in old age, whose last thoughts were that they had successfully used the system, received a surprising welcome on the other side. But, I shouldn’t think in this manner, for if Spiritism has taught us anything, it is to be charitable and caring for our fellow-man. Therefore, I should be grateful for those corrupt souls to have their chance at true self-knowledge and to wish them Godspeed in their next life, where I sincerely wish their attainment for all of their goals for improvement.

We are judged even for our harmful gossip, as illustrated by Swedenborg;

“There was one man who thought of nothing of slandering others. I heard his slanders recounted in sequence as well as his blasphemies, along with the actual words, the people they were about, and the people they were addressed to. All these were presented together as lifelike as could be even though he had very carefully kept them hidden from his victims while he was living in the world.”[8]

Therefore, any form of harm to our fellow beings is counted against us.

For the true criminal action, Swedenborg gives us the following harrowing example;

“There was one man who had defrauded a relative of his legacy by some devious pretext. He was exposed and judged in the same way. Remarkably, the letters and documents they exchanged were read aloud to me, and he said not a word was missing. This same man had also secretly killed a neighbor by poison just before his own death, which was disclosed in the following way. A trench seemed to open under his feet, and as it was opened, a man came out as through a tomb and screamed at him, “What have you done to me?” Then everything was disclosed – how the poisoner had talked amicably with him and offered him a drink, what he had thought beforehand, and what happened afterward. Once this was uncovered, the murderer was condemned to hell.”[9]

For those who have experienced a trial during an NDE, these descriptions are all too real. For example, Gail, who had a NDE at the age of fourteen, describes her experience, as she remembers it in May, 2014.

“I was aware that I could communicate without speaking and that I could know all that I wanted to know. There was a feeling of peace and calm, unlike anything I’ve experienced since. Then came a judgment of sorts, where I was judged on the things I had done and the things I would do in my future life. This upset me as I felt it was mean to punish or judge me for things I hadn’t done yet. I wasn’t judged on big things, more small instances of intent. It was the little things that mattered and not the big things. Then I was told that I had to go back, which didn’t make me happy at all as I knew that being alive would hurt.” [10]

Heaven and Hell was written in 1749, over 260 years ago. The same process for judging us at our death is still in effect. Spiritism, a gift from the spirit world to us, is here to provide context for people’s NDEs. Yes, they are absolutely an experience not of this world, but that isn’t the important lesson to take away. It is that there is a spirit world, we are here on earth to learn to become better souls and that all of our actions will be evaluated to determine our grades while in the school of physical life. We are all, without exception, here to travel on our personal journeys to become pure, loving, caring and fraternal spirits.

Your life has more meaning and complexities than you realize. There are levels of the spirit world that helps us and hinders us. To understand how your individual fate is determined, tracked, and evaluated please read my book, Explore Your Destiny – Since Your Life’s Path is (mostly) Predetermined.

Author:

Brian Foster has a BSCS degree and a MBA. He has worked in R&D for medical device corporations and in IT for large financial institutions. Brian Foster has a blog at http://www.nwspiritism.com.

Works Cited

NDERF. (2014, March 14). Near Death Experience Research Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.nderf.org: http://www.nderf.org/

Swedenborg, E. (2011). A Swedenborg Sampler. West Chester. PA: Swedenborg Foundation Press.

Wikipedia. (2014, June 26). Wikipedia – Emanuel Swedenborg. Retrieved from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emanuel_Swedenborg

[1] Swedenborg, E. A Swedenborg Sampler, Swedenborg Foundation Press, p xi

[2] Swedenborg, E. A Swedenborg Sampler, Swedenborg Foundation Press, p xii

[3] Swedenborg, E. A Swedenborg Sampler, Swedenborg Foundation Press, p xiv

[4] Swedenborg, E. A Swedenborg Sampler, Swedenborg Foundation Press, p xiv

[5] Swedenborg, E. A Swedenborg Sampler, Swedenborg Foundation Press, p xiv

[6] Swedenborg, E. A Swedenborg Sampler, Swedenborg Foundation Press, p 34

[7] Swedenborg, E. A Swedenborg Sampler, Swedenborg Foundation Press, p 34

[8] Swedenborg, E. A Swedenborg Sampler, Swedenborg Foundation Press, p 35

[9] Swedenborg, E. A Swedenborg Sampler, Swedenborg Foundation Press, p 35

[10] NDERF, Individual NDE Experiences – 3669 Gail, n.d., http://www.nderf.org/NDERF/NDE_Archives/NDERF_NDEs.htm (accessed June 28, 2014)