Good Question! Recap: Depression, the Purpose of Sin, and How to See Angels?

Watch full episode here!

Our expert panel has gathered to answer viewer questions with the help of the writings of eighteenth-century spiritual teacher Emanuel Swedenborg.

The panel members are:

Curtis Childs, host of Swedenborg & Life
Chara Daum, Latin consultant, New Century Edition
Chris Dunn, community manager for Swedenborg & Life
Karin Childs, writer for Swedenborg & Life

Questions and answers are summarized below; please follow the links for the full discussion.

1. In heaven, are we assigned an angel to help explain our experiences there?

The afterlife is bound to be a confusing place, but according to Swedenborg, we’re certain to have help as we acclimate to it. We might not have a dedicated “customer service” team to support us, but we’ll be in communities that know how to speak our language, both literally and figuratively.

2. According to Swedenborg, what is God’s purpose of sin on Earth? Is there sin in heaven?

The first thing to understand is that God did not create sin—sin is self-centeredness that results from our opposition to God’s love. Once it emerged, God found a way to account for it through divine providence and still make sure everything is working toward joy. Sin needs to be seen to be addressed and eliminated. While angels go through different stages of closeness or lack thereof to the Lord, their distance does not correspond to sinfulness or hellishness.

3. I’d really like to see an angel, but are there requirements to seeing one?

Angels communicate with us constantly, but that doesn’t mean we see them. To “see” one, you need to have your spiritual eyes open, but Swedenborg doesn’t outline a clear path to opening your spiritual eyes. Both good and evil people can and have been able to see them. It’s important, too, to remember that angels aren’t some distinct species—they’re just people in especially heavenly mindsets, living from the truth and loving others.

4. How much of our lives in this world do we remember in heaven?

We remember everything that is useful to our joy, but we can set aside useless or painful memories. Imagine if you could put your worst memories on a bookshelf and only pull them down when you need to. And at the same time, your favorite memories are always on hand and can be revisited with crystal clarity. In fact, according to Swedenborg, angels have perfect memory. For more on this, check out “What Will You Remember in the Afterlife?”

5. Do our loved ones in heaven miss us?

Since there is no sense of time and space in the spiritual world, our loved ones don’t feel like they’re waiting for us. Swedenborg did witness reunions between loved ones, which we cover in detail in “5 Reunions in the Afterlife.”

6. Do mental disorders have anything to do with anything defective in one’s spirituality? What about depression? Does that factor in?

Spirituality done right can provide healthy tools to deal with depression, but they are not otherwise related. Brain chemistry being what it is, even the most spiritual people can struggle with mental illness.

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