Monday 1 June 2015

Reader's Question: What are your thoughts on Swedenorg?

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My answer: I have read Gary Lachman's biography, RW Emerson's essay in Representative Men, watched a dozen or two YouTube vlogs, and sampled a few of Swedenborg's books and essays.

My conclusion is that Swedenborg was a genuine visionary and a genius, and has had admirers whom I respect; and therefore I regard his work is worthwhile and contains valuable insights.

I am also sure that much of his writing is mistaken, wrong. For whatever reason, he made many mistakes and could not discriminate between truth and error and published both, jumbled. This is, indeed, usual with mystics and visionaries such as William Blake. 

However, I personally find Swedenborg 'unreadable' in the sense that I don't enjoy reading it, I didn't get anything out of it - as I read it wouldn't 'go in' - consequently I remember nothing.

So - undoubtedly a great man - but not for me.

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