Logopraxis

Heaven and Hell (Reading session was 311- 328)

 

 

HEAVEN AND HELL ARE FROM THE HUMAN RACE

In the Christian world it is wholly unknown that heaven and hell are from the human race, for it is believed that in the beginning angels were created and heaven was thence formed; also that the Devil or Satan was an angel of light, but having rebelled, he was cast down with his crew, and thus hell was formed. It is a matter of the greatest wonder to the angels that such is the belief in the Christian world, and still more that nothing is really known about heaven, when in fact that is the primary thing of doctrine in the Church. But since such ignorance reigns they rejoice in heart that it has pleased the Lord to reveal to those in the Christian world at this time many things about heaven and about hell, thereby dispelling as far as possible the darkness that is increasing from day to day because the Church come to its end.

[2] They wish for this reason that I should declare from their lips that in the entire heaven there is not a single angel who was created such in the beginning, nor in hell any devil who was created an angel of light and cast down; but that all, both in heaven and in hell, are from the human race; in heaven those who lived in the world in heavenly love and faith, in hell those who lived in infernal love and faith, also that it is hell taken as a whole that is called the Devil and Satan- the name Devil being given to the hell that is behind, where those are who are called evil genii, and the name Satan being given to the hell that is in front, where those are who are called evil spirits. 1

[3] The character of these hells will be described in the following pages. The angels said that the Christian world had gathered such a belief about those in heaven and those in hell from passages in the Word not understood in any other way than in accordance with the sense of the letter and not illustrated and explained by genuine doctrine derived from the Word; although the sense of the letter of the Word, unless genuine doctrine illuminates it, draws the mind in different directions, and this begets ignorant opinions, heresies, and errors.

 

312. The man of the Church also derives this belief from his believing that no man comes into heaven or into hell until the time of the last judgment; and about that, he has accepted the opinion that all visible things will perish at that time and new things will come into existence, and that the soul will then return into its body, and from that union man will again live as a man. This belief involves the other-that angels were created such in the beginning; for it is impossible to believe that heaven and hell are from the human race when it is believed that no man can go there before the end of the world.

 

318. THE HEATHEN, OR PEOPLES OUTSIDE THE CHURCH, IN HEAVEN

There is a general opinion that those born outside the Church, who are called heathen, or gentiles, cannot be saved, because not having the Word they know nothing about the Lord, and apart from the Lord there is no salvation. But that these also are saved, can be known from this alone, that the mercy of the Lord is universal, that is, towards every individual; that these are born men equally with those within the Church, who are few in comparison, and that it is not their fault that they do not know the Lord. Anyone who thinks from any enlightened reason can see that no man is born for hell, for the Lord is Love Itself and His Love is to will the salvation of all. Therefore, He has provided a religion for everyone, and by it an acknowledgment of the Divine and an interior life; for to live in accordance with one's religious belief is to live interiorly, since one then looks to the Divine, and so far as he looks to the Divine he does not look to the world but separates himself from the world, that is, from the life of the world, which is exterior life.

 

 

Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments offered in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to keep the focus on understanding the Text in terms of its application to the inner life along with reinforcing any key LP principles that have been highlighted in the exchanges.

Arcana Coelestia

6191. That man is governed by the Lord by means of angels and spirits, has been given me to know by experience so manifest as not to leave even the smallest doubt concerning it; for now through a course of many years all my thoughts and all my affections, even to the most minute of all, have flowed in by means of spirits and angels. This it has been given me to perceive so plainly that nothing could be more plain; for I have perceived, I have seen, and I have heard, who they were, what was their quality, and where they were. And when anything adverse fell into my thought or will, I have spoken with them and chided them. And I have also observed that the power they had of infusing such things was restrained by the angels; and also in what manner; and likewise often that they were driven away, and that then new spirits were present in their place, from whom again there was influx. It has also been given me to perceive whence those spirits came, or of what societies they were the subjects; and an opportunity of speaking with those societies themselves has likewise frequently been granted. And notwithstanding that everything, even to the most minute, of the thoughts and affections, flowed in through the spirits and angels, still I thought as before, and willed as before, and conversed with men as before, no difference from my former life being observed by anyone. I am aware that scarcely anyone will believe that such is the fact, but still it is an eternal verity.

6192. It has been shown me to the life in what manner spirits flow in with man. When they come to him, they put on all things of his memory, thus all things which the man has learned and imbibed from infancy, and the spirits suppose these things to be their own. Thus they act as it were the part of the man in the man. But they are not allowed to enter further with a man than to his interiors which are of the thought and will, and not to the exteriors which are of the actions and speech; for these latter come into act by means of a general influx from the Lord without the mediation of particular spirits and angels. But although the spirits act the part of the man with a man in respect to those things which are of his thought and will, they nevertheless do not know that they are with a man, for the reason that they possess all things of his memory, and believe that these are not another’s, but their own; and this for the reason also that they may not injure the man. For unless the spirits from hell who are with a man believed these things to be their own, they would attempt in every way to destroy the man both body and soul, because this is the infernal delight itself.

6193. As in this way spirits possess all things of a man’s thought and will, and angels things which are still more interior, and as the man is thus most closely conjoined with them, therefore the man must necessarily perceive and feel that it is he himself who thinks and wills; for the communications in the other life are of such a nature that in a society containing similar spirits each one believes that to be his own which is another’s. And therefore when the good come into heavenly society, they at once enter into all the intelligence and wisdom of that society, insomuch that they know no otherwise than that these are in themselves. And such also is the case with a man, and with a spirit who is attendant upon him. The things which flow in from the spirits who are from hell are evils and falsities, but those which flow in from the angels who are from heaven are goods and truths. Thus by means of influxes opposite to each other the man is kept in the midst, thus in freedom. As the things which flow in from the angels, flow in through the more inward interiors, they are not so apparent to the outward sense as are those which flow in from evil spirits. Moreover the angels are of such a character that they never desire to hear that the influxes of good and truth are from themselves, but that they are from the Lord, and they are indignant if it is thought otherwise; for they are in the manifest perception that it is so, and they love nothing more than to will and think not from themselves, but from the Lord. On the other hand, evil spirits are angry if told that they do not think and will from themselves, because this is contrary to the delight of their loves; and they are more angry when told that life is not in them, but that it flows in. When this is shown them by experience to the life, which has often been done, they then indeed confess that it is so, for they cannot speak contrary to experience; but still after some delay they deny it, and then they are not willing that it should be any further confirmed by experience.

Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments offered in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to keep the focus on understanding the Text in terms of its application to the inner life along with reinforcing any key LP principles that have been highlighted in the exchanges.

Heaven and Hell

292. With every individual there are good spirits and evil spirits. Through the good spirits, man has conjunction with heaven, and through the evil spirits with hell. These spirits are in the world of spirits, which lies midway between heaven and hell. This world will be described particularly in the following pages. When these spirits come to a man they enter into his entire memory, and thus into his entire thought, evil spirits into the evil things of his memory and thought, and good spirits into the good things of his memory and thought. These spirits have no knowledge at all that they are with a man, but when they are with him they believe that all things of his memory and thought are their own.

293. The reason that spirits who communicate with hell are also adjoined to man is that man is born into evils of every kind, consequently his first life can only be from them. Therefore, unless spirits of a nature like his own were adjoined to man he could not live, nor indeed could he be withdrawn from his evils and reformed. He is therefore held in his own life by means of evil spirits and withheld from it by means of good spirits, and by the two kept in equilibrium. Being in equilibrium, he is in his freedom, and can be drawn away from evils and turned towards good, and good can also be implanted in him, which would not be possible at all if he were not in freedom. Freedom is not possible to man unless spirits from hell act on one side and spirits from heaven on the other, and man is in between.

295. The spirits associated with man are such as he himself is in respect to his affection or love; but the Lord associates good spirits with him, while evil spirits are invited by the man himself. The spirits with man, however, are changed in accordance with the changes of his affections

 

ON WORKING FOR OTHERS

The first line is work on oneself, which begins with sincere and uncritical self-observation according to what we are taught by the Work to observe. The second line is work in connection with one another, to understand one another and not to react mechanically to the unpleasant manifestations of others in the Work, to learn a common language and so externally consider them.  The third line is to help those teaching the Work and to assist in the transmission of it.

(from Psychological Commentaries on the Teaching of Gurdjieff Ouspensky; Vol 3; p900; Maurice Nicoll)

 

 

Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments offered in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to keep the focus on understanding the  Text in terms of its application to the inner life along with reinforcing any key LP principles that have been highlighted in the exchanges.

Outer Life Conditions are NOT the Focus 

The outer external life can only be called a charitable life insofar as we give attention to the practise of charity where our inner life is concerned. So, the focus in Logopraxis is on the application of truths from the Word to examine the quality of our mental life with its thoughts and affections. It is this practise of charity on this inner plane of life that keeps external life in its proper perspective and gives it spiritual meaning.  

It’s important that these levels of life are kept separate in our thinking so that we are clear about where to apply the portion of Text that we working with, i.e. to the inner life of our mind, to our thoughts and affections. 

It is perhaps one of the most difficult things of all not to have our attention drawn into the external world with its outer events, circumstances, and people and see it as having some causal connection with how we are feeling internally. To be taken with thoughts like,  

If only this or that would change then... 

If only she or he would just do things this way then … 

What we fail to see is that this attitude to the conditions of outer life creates inverted ways of thinking about the relationship between the inner spiritual world of causes and the outer natural world of effects.   

The natural mind is predisposed to viewing external life as the cause of its internal states. However, what the Word teaches is that this is an inversion of how things actually are. From a Logopraxis perspective, external events and people are not held to be the cause of how we feel and think. The external events and people merely ground an inner response (emotional state), the cause of which is tied to belief structures that we carry but are largely unaware of. When we project the cause of our state onto something in the external world, we are operating from a belief that the external world is a world of causes and that what we experience as our emotional state is an effect resulting from whatever it is we are facing. Effectively, we believe the appearances of our senses over what the Word says is true. 

When our thinking regarding cause and effect is inverted, our focus will be on changing externals as the basis to effecting a change in our emotional state. In this inverted state of mind, we believe that changes in our external outer world will provide us with relief from feelings of discomfort, frustration, and sadness or, alternatively, will provide us with feelings of happiness, fulfilment, and joy in life. This is a diversionary tactic of the hellish proprium. The infernal proprium continually works to deflect our attention away from examining our beliefs in the light of what the Word says is true and in attending to the quality of our thoughts and affections. Logopraxis supports us to place our focus on applying truths from the Word to our mental life, this being where the real causes of our responses are seated. Attending to this level of life is where genuine spiritual work can be carried out and transformational change effected. 

The inner and outer dimensions of life then come into a new relationship. This can be seen when in our effort to work faithfully and sincerely in our dealings with others and to operate with integrity so far as our external employments, relationships, situations, and circumstances are concerned, we become aware of the quality of our inner responses as we look to meet outer life demands. Often, we find that our attitudes, thoughts, and feelings don’t necessarily match what we project outwardly. It is this newfound awareness that gives form to seeing what it is that needs to be worked on interiorly.  In this way, outer life is transformed into something that directly supports inner work. 

So, while outer life conditions can serve as triggers for inner work, they are not the focus for change in Logopraxis. Logopraxis work is psychological work; we are called to work with the Word in a way that brings a light onto our inner mental life with its thoughts and affections. We all, of course, have a life in the external world, but this outer level of life with its relationships, activities, situations, and circumstances is not the direct focus for Logopraxis work.  

 

The Purpose of the Task is Observation 

The purpose of formulating a task in Logopraxis work is not to achieve some predetermined outcome but is instead to work with it as a means to enable us to bring a specific focus to our inner life. So, task setting in Logopraxis is not concerned with achieving the task but is about setting up conditions that remind us to observe a truth or spiritual principle. The formulation of a Logopraxis task and the effort to implement it in life creates conditions that allow us to focus our attention on something higher. Tasks bring a focus to our work that creates new conditions in which something related to the spiritual life (i.e., the life of our mind) can be seen.  

 The purpose of the task then is observation; it enables us to see what we are given to see in the effort to work with it.  

 

Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments offered in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to keep the focus on understanding the Text in terms of its application to the inner life along with reinforcing any key LP principles that have been highlighted in the exchanges.

ON THE STOMACH AND MEMORY

Divine Providence

233. [8] Man's memory may be compared to the ruminating stomach of certain animals, into which they first receive their food; and so long as it is there it is not within but without the body; but when they draw the food out of the stomach and eat it it becomes a part of their life, and the body is nourished. But man's memory contains spiritual not material foods, that is, truths, which in themselves are knowledges. So far as a man by thinking, or as it were by ruminating, draws these from the memory, his spiritual mind is nourished. The will's love is what longs for, and as it were has an appetite for these, and causes them to be imbibed and to furnish nourishment. If that love is evil it longs for and as it were has an appetite for things unclean; but if good it longs for and has an appetite for things clean; and what is not suitable it separates, dismisses, and casts forth, which is done in various ways.

 

 

ON THE STOMACH AND ANXIETY

Heaven and Hell

299. I have also been permitted to know the source of human anxiety, grief of mind (animus), and interior sadness, which is called melancholy. There are spirits not as yet in conjunction with hell, because they are in their first state; these will be described in the following pages where the world of spirits is dealt with. These spirits love things undigested and unprofitable, such as pertain to food becoming foul in the stomach. Consequently, they are present where such things are with man, because they find delight in them; and they talk there with one another from their own evil affection. The affection that is in their speech inflows from this source with man; and when this affection is the opposite of man's affection it becomes in him sadness and melancholy anxiety; but when it is in agreement it becomes in him gladness and cheerfulness. These spirits appear near to the stomach, some to the left and some to the right of it, and some beneath and some above, also nearer and more remote, thus variously in accordance with the affections in which they are. That this is the source of anxiety of mind has been shown and proved to me by much experience. I have seen these spirits, I have heard them, I have felt the anxieties arising from them, I have talked with them; when they have been driven away the anxiety ceased; when they returned the anxiety returned; and I have noted the increase and decrease of it according to their approach and removal. From this, it has been made clear to me why some who do not know what conscience is, because they have no conscience, ascribe its pain to the stomach.

 

Arcana Coelestia

6202. Another influx has also been observed, which is not effected through the spirits who are with the man, but through others who are sent forth from some infernal society into the sphere of the man’s life. These speak together about such things as are adverse to the man, from which there usually flows in what is troublesome, undelightful, sad, or anxious, with much variety. Such spirits have often been with me, and they who infused anxieties were felt in the province of the stomach, without my knowing whence these anxieties came. But they were always detected, and I then heard what they said among themselves, which were such things as were adverse to my affections. The avaricious have sometimes appeared in the same region, but a little higher, and infused anxiety from care for the future; and it was given me to chide them and tell them that they have relation to such things in the stomach as are undigested, have a bad smell, and thus are nauseous. I have also seen that they were driven away, and that then the anxiety entirely ceased, and this repeatedly, that I might know of a certainty that it came from them. Such is the influx with those who for no reason are oppressed with melancholy anxiety, and likewise with those who are in spiritual temptation. But in this latter case such spirits not only inflow in general, but also infernal spirits in particular call up the evils which the man has done, and pervert and put a wrong interpretation upon the goods. With these the angels then engage in combat. Into such a state comes a man who is being regenerated, whereby he is let down into his own; and this takes place when he immerses himself too much in worldly and bodily things, and when he is to be elevated to spiritual things.

 

 

ON THE THREE TYPES OF CONSCIENCE

1033. With regard to a conscience of what is right and good being given to Gentiles according to their religion, the case is this, Conscience, in general, is either true, spurious, or false.

True conscience is that which is formed by the Lord of the truths of faith. When a man has been gifted with this, he fears to act contrary to the truths of faith, because he would thus act contrary to conscience. This conscience no one can receive who is not in the truths of faith, and therefore there are not very many in the Christian world who receive it, for each one sets up his own dogma as the truth of faith. But still those who are being regenerated receive conscience together with charity, for the very ground of conscience is charity.

Spurious conscience is that which is formed with Gentiles from their religious worship into which they have been born and educated, to act contrary to which is to them to act contrary to conscience. When their conscience has been founded in charity and mercy, and in obedience, they are in such a state that they can receive true conscience in the other life, and they also do receive it; for they love nothing before and beyond the truth of faith.

False conscience is that which is formed, not from internal but from external things, that is, not from charity but from the love of self and of the world. For there are those who seem to themselves to act contrary to conscience when they act against the neighbor, and also seem to themselves to be then inwardly pained; and yet it is for the reason that they perceive in their thought that their life, honor, fame, wealth, or gain, is thus imperiled, and therefore they themselves are injured. Some inherit such a softness of heart, some acquire it; but it is a false conscience.

 

 

Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments offered in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to keep the focus on understanding the Text in terms of its application to the inner life along with reinforcing any key LP principles that have been highlighted in the exchanges.

Arcana Coelestia 6216

Genesis 38

13. And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand on Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand on Israel’s right hand, and brought them near unto him.

14. And Israel put forth his right hand, and put it upon Ephraim’s head, and he was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head, he put forth his hands crosswise; for Manasseh was the firstborn.

15. And he blessed Joseph, and said, The God before whom my fathers walked, Abraham and Isaac, the God who feedeth me since I am unto this day,

16. The Angel who redeemeth me from all evil, bless the boys; and let my name be called in them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow unto a multitude in the midst of the earth.

17. And Joseph saw that his father put his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, and it was evil in his eyes; and he laid hold of the hand of his father to remove it from upon Ephraim’s head upon Manasseh’s head.

18. And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father; for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head.

19. And his father refused, and said, I know, my son, I know; he also shall be for a people, and he also shall become great; and nevertheless his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall be the fullness of the nations.

20. And he blessed them in this day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh; and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.

21. And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die; and God shall be with you, and shall bring you back unto the land of your fathers.

22. And I give thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.

 

 

 

Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments offered in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to keep the focus on understanding the Text in terms of its application to the inner life along with reinforcing any key LP principles that have been highlighted in the exchanges.

Heaven and Hell

486... the particular delights with everyone have reference to his one love, which is his ruling love, for they compose it and thus make one with it. Likewise all delights in general have reference to one universally ruling love, which in heaven is love to the Lord, and in hell is the love of self.

 

487. Only from a knowledge of correspondences can it be known into what spiritual delights everyone's natural delights are changed after death, and what kind of delights they are. In general, this knowledge teaches that nothing natural can exist without something spiritual corresponding to it. In particular, it teaches what it is that corresponds, and what kind of a thing it is. Therefore, anyone who has this knowledge can ascertain and know what his own state after death will be, if he only knows what his love is, and what its relation is to the universally ruling loves spoken of above, to which all loves have relation. But it is impossible for those who are in the love of self to know what their ruling love is, because they love what is their own, and call their evils goods; and the falsities to which they incline and by which they confirm their evils they call truths. And yet, if they were willing, they might know it from others who are wise, and who see what they themselves do not see. This, however, is impossible with those who are so enticed by the love of self that they spurn all teaching of the wise.

[2] On the other hand, those who are in heavenly love accept instruction, and as soon as they are brought into the evils into which they were born, they see them from truths, for truths make evils manifest. From truth which is from good anyone can see evil and its falsity; but from evil none can see what is good and true; and for the reason that falsities of evil are darkness and correspond to darkness; consequently, those who are in falsities from evil are like the blind, not seeing the things that are in light, but shunning them instead like owls. 1 But as truths from good are light, and correspond to light (see above, 126-134), so those who are in truths from good have sight and open eyes, and discern the things that pertain to light and shade.

[3] This, too, has been proved to me by experience. The angels in heaven both see and perceive the evils and falsities that sometimes arise in themselves, also the evils and falsities in spirits in the world of spirits who are connected with the hells, although the spirits themselves are unable to see their own evils and falsities. Such spirits have no comprehension of the good of heavenly love, of conscience, of honesty and justice, except such as is done for the sake of self; neither of what it is to be led by the Lord. They say that such things do not exist, and thus are of no account. All these things have been said to the intent that man may examine himself and may recognize his love by his delights; and thus, so far as he can make it out from a knowledge of correspondences, may know the state of his life after death.

 

Arcana Coelestia

6159... In proportion as a man is being regenerated, good insinuates itself into each and all things that appertain to him; for the affection of good becomes that which reigns universally in him; and that which reigns universally reigns also singularly, that is, in each and all things. This may be seen from the ruling affection with everyone. This affection, whatever it may be, is present in each particular of his will, and also in each particular of his thought, and although it does not always appear to be present in the thought, nevertheless it is in it. The reason why it does not appear is that at these moments it is clothed with affections that are insinuated by means of objects; but as these affections are put off, the ruling affection comes into plain

 

Apocalypse Explained

260... To see signifies to understand because the sight of the eye corresponds to the sight of the mind, which is understanding. The correspondence is from this, that as the understanding sees spiritual things, so the sight of the eye sees natural things. Spiritual things are truths from good, and natural things are objects in various forms. Truths from good, which are spiritual things, are seen in heaven as distinctly as objects before the eye, yet with much difference; for these truths are seen intellectually, that is, they are perceived;

... Since with angels this sight operates upon the sight of the eyes, and presents the truths of the understanding in correspondent forms that appear in heaven not unlike the forms in the natural world that are called objects, so to see, in the sense of the letter of the Word, signifies to understand. (What the appearances in heaven are, and that they correspond to the objects of the interior sight of the angels, see in The work on Heaven and Hell 170-176.)

 

 

Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments offered in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to keep the focus on understanding the Text in terms of its application to the inner life along with reinforcing any key LP principles that have been highlighted in the exchanges.

Arcana Coelestia

6202. Another influx has also been observed, which is not effected through the spirits who are with the man, but through others who are sent forth from some infernal society into the sphere of the man’s life. These speak together about such things as are adverse to the man, from which there usually flows in what is troublesome, undelightful, sad, or anxious, with much variety. Such spirits have often been with me, and they who infused anxieties were felt in the province of the stomach, without my knowing whence these anxieties came. But they were always detected, and I then heard what they said among themselves, which were such things as were adverse to my affections. 

The avaricious have sometimes appeared in the same region, but a little higher, and infused anxiety from care for the future; and it was given me to chide them and tell them that they have relation to such things in the stomach as are undigested, have a bad smell, and thus are nauseous. I have also seen that they were driven away, and that then the anxiety entirely ceased, and this repeatedly, that I might know of a certainty that it came from them. Such is the influx with those who for no reason are oppressed with melancholy anxiety, and likewise with those who are in spiritual temptation. 

But in this latter case such spirits not only inflow in general, but also infernal spirits in particular call up the evils which the man has done, and pervert and put a wrong interpretation upon the goods. With these the angels then engage in combat. Into such a state comes a man who is being regenerated, whereby he is let down into his own; and this takes place when he immerses himself too much in worldly and bodily things, and when he is to be elevated to spiritual things.

 

An excerpt from Logopraxis : Awakening to Spiritual Life : Part Two

The separation of evil spirits from good spirits is effected by various means; in general by their being taken about to those societies with which in their first state they had communication by means of their good thoughts and affections, thus to those societies that they had induced to believe by outward appearances that they were not evil. Usually they are led about through a wide circle, and everywhere what they really are is made manifest to good spirits.

At the sight of them the good spirits turn away; and at the same time the evil spirits who are being led about turn their faces away from the good towards that quarter where their infernal society is, into which they are about to come  (HH 511).  

In the work that comes with living a spiritual life, these evil spirits or states serve a use in allowing us to see the contrast of what is good, and of the Lord, and what belongs to the hellish proprium. It is only then that we, as of self, have the ability to shun evils as sins against the Lord. We see this paralleled in the description of the uses that evil spirits serve:

Another of their uses is their collecting together evil spirits like themselves and separating them from the good; and another, that the truths and goods that the evil had outwardly professed and feigned are taken away from them, and they are brought into the evils of their life and the falsities of their evil, and are thus prepared for hell (HH 508-6).

Evil spirits are not interested in being instructed in the things of heaven which is what the next phase in the awakening process entails. This is because their essential nature is love of self and the world and they are consequently led by their loves, away to their eternal community in the hells. This separation is mirrored in all states of evil and falsity that are acknowledged through awakening to spiritual life. When what belongs to the hellish proprium is seen for what it is, this very acknowledgement initiates the separation of those things that are not of the Lord, so that they are cast aside into the hells from which they arose.

… and after death he continues to be such as the nature is that he has acquired by his life in the world; and with the evil this nature can no longer be amended and changed by means of the thought or by the understanding of truth  (HH 508-7).

Exhortation is no longer of any avail, neither is instruction or fear of the law and of the loss of reputation, since everyone then acts from his nature; and that nature can be restrained and broken only by punishments (HH 509).

So, the spirits (or states of the hellish proprium), whose interiors are of a hellish quality, find a home in hell (or are cast to the periphery of our mind).  The good spirits (or states of the Lord), that are of a heavenly quality, move onto the third state of instruction in preparation for their assimilation into a heavenly community (or state of use).

The instruction provided is directly related to the uses to which the form of mind is specifically suited.

The third state of man after death, that is, of his spirit, is a state of instruction. This state is for those who come into heaven and become angels. It is not for those who come into hell, because such are incapable of being taught, and therefore their second state is also their third, ending in this, that they are wholly turned to their own love, thus to that infernal society which is in a like love (512  HH).

 

Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments offered in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to keep the focus on understanding the Text in terms of its application to the inner life along with reinforcing any key LP principles that have been highlighted in the exchanges.

An except from Logopraxis : Awakening to Spiritual Life : Heaven and Hell 491-520 (click on this link to read the full article)

Removal of Exteriorly Held Images of the Self

The main function involved in this first state is to create a plane in the exterior mind that can faithfully express what is more interior.  This is achieved through a process involving the stripping away of the exteriors of the spirit and then reforming them so that they are responsive to interiors (HH 498).  This process of stripping and ordering is necessary...

For man is accustomed from childhood to maintain a semblance of friendship, benevolence, and sincerity, and to conceal the thoughts of his own will, thereby living from habit a moral and civil life in externals, whatever he may be internally. As a result of this habit man scarcely knows what his interiors are, and gives little thought to them. (HH 492)

A spirit’s introduction to the spiritual world involves coming to terms with a few home truths concerning their sense of self and what the quality of the “thoughts of [their] own will” actually are.  This process involves the removal of any self-deceptive images a spirit carries of themselves and the false thinking that supports this. As we can see in HH 498 the length of time (reflective of states) a newly arrived spirit undergoes of being processed in the world of spirits, is related to the depth of attachment they have to these false images they carry of themselves. This is described as a difficult and even a painful experience. It needs to be remembered that it is a spiritual law that exteriors must match interiors and that it is not permitted for a spirit to have an exterior that doesn’t align with their interiors.

For Logopraxis practitioners, the awakening to the spiritual or interior life of the mind through the practice of the Word, produces the same experience described here of having the exterior self-image one carries, exposed for what it is. When we begin to seek to live by truths from the Word through a practice of self-examination and repentance, our sense of self starts to experience varying degrees of disruption. The process involves coming to see that we are not in fact who we thought we were. This is often a painful experience and because of this there exists a strong cultural tendency to avoid the kind of introspective work required for developing a spiritual life.

Logopraxis looks to support its members so that they can engage in spiritual work but it doesn’t look to offer ways to help people escape from spiritual struggles or avoid passing through genuine spiritual processes.  The core teaching in Logopraxis, that the Word is the Lord, applies here. If we are looking to the Lord as the Word to direct and guide our work, then it follows that no matter how difficult things may appear in the present, He has it all in hand and is able to carry us through. The Lord alone sees what the eternal ends for every life are.  He alone as the Word, is the only one able to manage the incredible level of complexity involved in the regeneration of the individual and collective human mind.

 

Arcana Colesita

10048 (2). With those who are being regenerated the interior and exterior things are set in order by the Lord for all the following states, insomuch that things present involve things future, and when things future become present they do the same, and this to eternity; for the Lord foresees all, and provides all, and His foresight and providence are to eternity, thus are eternal. For the Divine, which alone is His, in itself is infinite, and the infinite relatively to duration is eternal. Hence whatsoever the Lord disposes and sets in order is eternal. This is the case with those whom the Lord regenerates.

The regeneration of man begins in the world and continues to eternity, for when a man becomes an angel he is always being perfected. There are in man things external, internal, and inmost; all these are disposed and set in order together and successively for the reception to eternity of the things that follow.

 

Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments offered in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to keep the focus on understanding the Text in terms of its application to the inner life along with reinforcing any key LP principles that have been highlighted in the exchanges.

Some Readings To Reflect On :

The Lord as He is in Himself

Arcana Coelestia 6280 [3] But be it known that in respect to the Divine Human, as well as in respect to the Divine Itself, the Lord is above heaven; for He is the Sun which illumines heaven; thus that heaven is far beneath Him. The Divine Human which is in heaven is the Divine truth which proceeds from Him, which is the light from Him as a sun. In respect to His essence the Lord is not Divine truth, for this is from Him as light from the sun, but He is Divine good itself, one with Jehovah.

Divine Love and Wisdom 4 ​... the Lord, who is the God of the universe, is uncreate and infinite, whereas man and angel are created and finite. And because the Lord is uncreate and infinite, He is Being [Esse] itself, which is called “Jehovah,” and Life itself, or Life in itself. From the uncreate, the infinite, Being itself and Life itself, no one can be created immediately, because the Divine is one and indivisible; but their creation must be out of things created and finited, and so formed that the Divine can be in them. Because men and angels are such, they are recipients of life. Consequently, if any man suffers himself to be so far misled as to think that he is not a recipient of life but is Life, he cannot be withheld from the thought that he is God.

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The Divine as He is Perceived  - as the Divine Human

Arcana Coelestia  (Potts) 6876(2)​. The angels themselves, who so far excel men in wisdom, cannot think otherwise of the Divine, for they see the Lord in the Divine Human; they know that an angel, with whom all things are finite, can have no idea whatever of the Infinite, except by what is like the finite.​

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Pslam 8: 1- 9

O Lord, our Lord,

How excellent is Your name in all the earth,

Who have set Your glory above the heavens!

Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants

You have ordained strength,

Because of Your enemies,

That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,

The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,

What is man that You are mindful of him,

And the son of man that You visit him? 

For You have made him a little lower than the angels,

And You have crowned him with glory and honour.

You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;

You have put all things under his feet,

All sheep and oxen—

Even the beasts of the field,

The birds of the air,

And the fish of the sea

That pass through the paths of the seas.

O Lord, our Lord,

How excellent is Your name in all the earth!

 

The Three Heavens

Divine Love and Wisdom 202. In the spiritual world there are three heavens, arranged according to degrees of height. In the highest heavens are angels superior in every perfection to the angels in the middle heaven; and in the middle heaven are angels superior in every perfection to the angels in the lowest heaven. The degrees of perfections are such, that angels of the lowest heaven cannot attain to the first threshold of the perfections of the angels of the middle heaven, nor these to the first threshold of the perfections of the angels of the highest heaven. This seems incredible, yet it is a truth. The reason is that they are consociated according to discrete, not according to continuous degrees.

I have learned from observation that the difference between the affections and thoughts, and consequently the speech, of the angels of the higher and the lower heavens, is such that they have nothing in common; and that communication takes place only through correspondences, which have existence by immediate influx of the Lord into all the heavens, and by mediate influx through the highest heaven into the lowest. Such being the nature of these differences, they cannot be expressed in natural language, therefore not described; for the thoughts of angels, being spiritual, do not fall into natural ideas. They can be expressed and described only by angels themselves, in their own languages, words, and writings, and not in those that are human. This is why it is said that in the heavens unspeakable things are heard and seen. These differences may be in some measure comprehended when it is known that the thoughts of angels of the highest or third heaven are thoughts of ends; the thoughts of angels of the middle or second heaven thoughts of causes, and the thoughts of angels of the lowest or first heaven thoughts of effects. It must be noted, that it is one thing to think from ends, and another to think about ends; that it is one thing to think from causes, and another to think about causes; and that it is one thing to think from effects, and another to think about effects. Angels of the lower heavens think about causes and about ends, but angels of the higher heavens from causes and from ends; and to think from these is a mark of higher wisdom, but to think about these is the mark of lower wisdom. To think from ends is of wisdom, to think from causes is of intelligence, and to think from effects is of knowledge. From all this it is clear that all perfection ascends and descends along with degrees and according to them.

 

On Questions and Answers Action and Reactions

Arcana Coelestia 6262. And Israel said unto Joseph. That this signifies elevation to the internal, is evident from the signification of “saying,” as being perception, and also influx (of which above). That it denotes elevation is because the subject treated of in this verse is the influx of love, and thus of good and truth from the internal, which influx is elevation to the internal; for the external cannot be in love toward the internal, except by means of influx and elevation from the internal. For the very love which is felt in the external is of the internal, and because in order to the producing of any effect every acting must have its reacting or reciprocal, and the acting is the cause, and the reacting is the thing caused, therefore reaction is also of action, as the thing caused is of the cause; for all the force in the thing caused is from the cause. This is the case with reaction in every single thing in universal nature.

6248. Verses 8-9. And Israel saw the sons of Joseph, and said, Whose are these? And Joseph said unto his father, These are my sons, whom God hath given me here. And he said, Take them I pray unto me, and I will bless them.

6251. And Joseph said unto his father. That this signifies an answer from within, may be seen without explication, for by “Joseph” is meant the internal (n. 6177); for when a man perceives, he then on making inquiry with himself about anything, also answers himself from within. I have also observed that when spirits have made inquiry with me, they received an answer by merely looking into my thought.

 

On Correspondence and Influx

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) 5373(3) … during man’s regeneration as to the natural, goods and truths are one and all brought together into memory-knowledges. Those which are not in the memory-knowledges there, are not in the natural; for the natural mind, as regards that part of it which is subject to the understanding, consists solely of memory-knowledges. The memory-knowledges that belong to the natural are the ultimates of order, and things prior must be in ultimates in order to come into existence and to appear in that sphere; and besides this all prior things tend to ultimates as to their boundaries or ends, and come into existence together therein as causes do in their effects, or as higher things do in lower as in their vessels. The memory-knowledges of the natural are such ultimates. Hence it is that the spiritual world is terminated in man’s natural, in which the things of the spiritual world are representatively presented. Unless spiritual things were presented representatively in the natural, thus by such things as are in the world, they would not be apprehended at all. From all this it is evident that during the regeneration of the natural all interior truths and goods, which are from the spiritual world, are brought into memory-knowledges, in order that they may appear.

10199 [2]. 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.

4206 ​. That such various things of the Lord are represented, is not because various things are in the Lord, but because His Divine is variously received by men. This is like the life in man, which flows in and acts upon the various sensory and motive organs of the body, and upon the various members and viscera, and everywhere presents variety. For the eye sees in one way, the ear hears in another, the tongue perceives in another; so the arms and hands move in one way, and the loins and the feet in a different way; the lungs act in one way and the heart in another; the liver in one way and the stomach in another, and so on; but nevertheless it is one life which actuates them all so variously, not because the life itself acts in different ways,...