Heaven and Hell

Have you lost a loved one and wondered what comes next for them? Embark on a profound spiritual journey with Emanuel Swedenborg’s Heaven and Hell, where mysteries of the afterlife are unveiled. Translated from the original Neo-Latin by scholars, this work offers readers a glimpse into the wonders of heaven and the depths of hell, as witnessed and recorded by Swedenborg himself, an eighteenth-century Christian mystic. Explore the spiritual truths and transformative insights that answer the ultimate question: What happens when you die? A Swedish Enlightenment scientist of extraordinary accomplishment, Swedenborg underwent a spiritual awakening that led to almost daily experiences of heaven, hell, and what he called the world of spirits; a process that lasted twenty-seven years until his death at age 84. Like his earlier scientific works, he painstakingly recorded his spiritual experiences in great detail across eighteen volumes. Firmly rooted in the Christian worldview, Swedenborg nevertheless challenged the church dogmas of his day, insisting that what he called your inner life was just as important as your outer life, and importantly, as he states in the title of chapter 54, “No one enters heaven on the basis of mercy alone.” Though contemporaries of Swedenborg had trouble accepting his claims to having received this knowledge directly from angels in heavenly realms, his powerful message has resonated through the ages, influencing a long list of important cultural figures, including William Blake, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Carl Jung, Immanuel Kant, Helen Keller, and many others. Heaven and Hell is the place to start to engage Swedenborg’s rich body of theological works. As his fullest description of experiences in the other world, this volume has been much sought by readers who have an interest in near-death experiences or who seek consolation for the loss of a loved one.