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15.
CHANGES OF STATES AND CONDITIONS
Emanuel Swedenborg in his writings (particularly in his book
“Heaven and Hell”, page 108-111, paragraphs 154-161) revealed that
every sentient entity and being, without any exception or exclusion, is
subject to the law of continuous change of his/her/its states and
conditions.
This is an all-inclusive law. There cannot be any exceptions or
exclusions to this rule.
Only the Absolute State of the Most High is always the same and,
therefore, it is not subject to this law for the very simple reason that the
Most High contains in His/Her Absolute State, within Himself/Herself all
possible changes, conditions, states, processes, etc., from eternity to
eternity.
After the Most High’s incarnation on this planet in the form of Jesus
Christ, this also became true regarding the negative state’s mode of
changes and its conditions. Jesus Christ experienced all possible
conditions and states of the negative mode of pseudo-being and
pseudo-existence. This is the reason why one can say that the Most High
contains within Himself/Herself all possible changes, states, and
conditions from eternity to eternity and, therefore, the Most High is
always the same. This situation with the Absolute Most High —
containing all possible changes, states and conditions from eternity to
eternity — cannot be changed. If it could, the Most High would no longer
be Absolute.
However, with everyone but the Most High, the situation is entirely
different. No one is Absolute but the Most High. Therefore, no one is able
to experience simultaneously all-inclusive changes, states and conditions
which are possible in being and existence. Their entire being and
existence is based and founded on the very law of continuous changes. If
the possibilities for change were to be withdrawn from being and
existence, being and existence would cease to be being and existence.
Nothing whatsoever would remain.
As mentioned many times before, the entire Creation of the Absolute
Most High is always relative to the Most High. The motivating factors for
Creation’s being and existence can be found only in the necessity of
experience and manifestation, in a progressive mode, all infinite
numbers and varieties of changes, states, conditions and processes.
Because it is impossible for someone or something which is not
Absolute to experience all these infinite number and variety of changes,
states, conditions and processes in a simultaneous, synchronous and
all-inclusive mode, this experience is attained in a progressive, gradual,
continuous and at the same time, discrete mode.
Swedenborg perceived this law of changes as to be functional and
applicable only to the internal states and conditions of sentient entities.
Because of these internal changes, because of the law of correspondences,
the environment and its equipment of people in their state of change
reflects these necessary changes. However, according to him, people
always remain in that degree or step of Creation to which they assigned
themselves by their original choice. No change from step to step, from
degree to degree, from dimension to dimension, from universe to
universe, etc., was directly perceived or assumed by him. The only such
change in this respect possible for him was from the physical body or
from the natural world to the intermediate and the spiritual world
respectively. After this took place, one remained in that step or degree or
dimension for eternity without changing one’s place. Thus, the basic
change is the change in one’s internals or within, that necessarily
modifies one’s environment without leaving that environment behind.
This conclusion is a violation of the law of correspondences and the
law of all-inclusive changes.
The change of the states and conditions of one’s within cannot be a
self-feeding loop. It is always reflected in the changes of all other
elements of Creation, and its all-respective dimensions. If one is limited
in one’s possibility of change only by a certain mode of that change, one is
deprived of choosing all of the infinite number and variety of available
choices. If this were the case, one would lose one’s freedom of choice. To
limit one only to a certain limited number of choices, is to exclude one
from experiencing some other important changes that are vital for one’s
continuous spiritual progression. In such a case, one would no longer be
free to choose any possible mode of change of one’s current state and
condition but, instead, one would be forced to change along certain lines
dictated by the necessity of someone else’s decision. This would be
slavery and not freedom. The Most High doesn’t operate within limited
parameters.
For this reason, everyone is subject to the change of all states,
conditions and processes that one is in at any particular moment or place
of one’s life.
It is necessary to realize that the changes of one’s states and
conditions at any moment are both very subtle, minute, and sometimes
imperceptible by one’s conscious awareness and they are very general,
all-inclusive, and global with full conscious awareness of their
occurrence.
Thus, people are in a constant mode of change from one second to
another. For example, it is impossible to hold one’s attention on one
particular subject for too long. One’s attention is in a mode of constant
shifting. It is impossible to concentrate on one thought or idea for a
prolonged period of time without occasionally thinking about something
else. It is impossible to constantly be in the same mood or have unaltered
feelings forever. It is impossible to be still physically for a long period of
time. One constantly moves and is active even during one’s physical
sleep. It is impossible to stay in one spot forever. One has to shift one’s
position or place from time to time.
It is impossible to stagnate in one particular age. One grows older
and his/her appearance changes. It is impossible to maintain the same
attitude forever. It is impossible to experience the same event twice in
exactly the same manner and way. It is physically impossible for the
same person to experience childhood or any period in one’s life twice. It is
impossible to physically return to the same place, state and condition
that was experienced already once, or to experience the same experience
twice or more times in the same manner and way. There will always be a
substantial and essential difference in any experience and situation even
if one returns to the same city or the same house that one was in before.
One cannot recapture the same moment that was experienced the day
before or the second before in that place or house in exactly the same
way. It is impossible to experience two or more physical births or
physical deaths for the same person who experienced them once before,
as followers of the concept of reincarnation would like to believe. It is
impossible to forever stay in any state, condition, place, time, situation,
relationship, involvement or whatever one has without a foresight of its
end and the beginning of something new and different. Otherwise, the
Lord Jesus Christ would not say,
“Behold, I make
everything new.”
When the Lord makes such a proclamation, He/She makes it from
His/Her Absolute State because such is His/Her Nature. To proclaim
anything from the Absolute State means that it is done in an Absolute
Sense. The Absolute Sense is perceived and experienced by all relative
recipients of it in a manner of constant changes. Therefore, when the
Lord says, “Behold, I make everything new,” it doesn’t mean one, limiting
act of creating something new, as some people would like to believe. It
means a continuous, unceasing, eternal creation of everything new.
This kind of creative effort and its actualization gives everyone an
eternal opportunity to gradually experience all changes, all states, all
conditions, all processes, all times, all dimensions, all modes of being and
existence and their infinite manifestations.
By such a vital, gradual, step by step experience, one is enabled to be
closer and closer to, or more and more approximate to the Absolute
Nature of the Most High that contains all possible changes from eternity
to eternity and from infinity to infinity.
This is the major motivating factor of Creation’s being and existence.
Nothing else can really motivate its being and existence.
From the earthly standpoint and from the standpoint of the negative
state one of the reasons why people, trapped in the negative state of their
choice, often feel so unhappy and miserable is because they want to
retain or maintain one certain state or condition forever. They want to
live on this planet forever. They want to look and to feel beautiful in
their earthly body to the very end. They want to be in a good mood,
happy, satisfied or whatever, forever, without any change. Such a desire
stems from the very nature of the negative state that wants to remain
the same way it is at any given moment, without ever changing its states
and conditions to eternity.
As was mentioned many times before (in other writings of this
author), the spiritual wars of the negative state are for that purpose only:
to preserve its status quo to eternity and not to allow any change of its
state and condition to occur. One can symbolically say that the rebellion
of the negative state against the positive state is primarily because of the
true nature of the positive state which is a state, mode and process of
continuous change and fluidity. This nature of the positive state drives
the negative state mad, so to speak. For this reason, the negative state
wants to destroy or wipe the positive state out in order to establish its
own domain of eternal stagnation. Little does it know that a stagnant,
unchangeable condition would cause its own eternal end. Little does it
know that if the spiritual wars which the negative state is waging
against the positive state were not to continue and keep the negative
state in a need of constant change and movement, everyone in the
negative state would cease to exist. Little does the negative state know
that once a certain goal is accomplished and set up and once there are no
longer any motivating factors to do or to strive for anything else, all life,
including the life of the negative state, stops right there.
The negative state is possible only because the positive state exists.
The positive state is possible only because constant change and fluidity
are the essence and substance of its being and existence. If one takes
away the essence and substance of the positive state, the positive state is
no more. If the positive state is no more, the negative state is no more
because the negative state depends on the source of its life which the
positive state provides by its being and existence from the Most High.
Thus, ultimately, even the negative state is in a state of constant
change, movement, and modification.
No one in the negative state can always be happy. Because the
negative state is misery itself, everyone in it wants to be happy in order
to avoid its miserable state. But, being in a state which is misery itself, it
is inevitable for everyone, no matter how positive one is, to be and to feel,
from time to time, miserable, depressed, unhappy, irritated, inhibited,
frustrated, exasperated, angry, fearful, anxious, worried, sick, etc. This is
the negative state. This is what is brought into one’s life as a result of
incarnation into a negative state. It is futile to try to avoid these kinds of
adverse and negative conditions, states and feelings. After all, one of the
purposes for one’s incarnation into the negative state was to experience
them and subsequently to overcome and endure them without being
overwhelmed or taken by them. This effort in overcoming and enduring
them or successfully resisting them and replacing them with an
occasional sense of accomplishment and happiness, keeps the negative
state in the mode of constant change, movement and fluidity. Thus, such
a condition or attitude toward and about the negative state works toward
the ultimate elimination of the negative state’s nature to be stagnant and
unchangeable. If people were to succeed to be nothing but the misery of
the negative state, they would experience nothing but misery. Therefore,
no change of that state or condition could ever occur. In this case, the
negative state would have won its case and everyone would perish.
On the other hand, if people were to feel nothing but constant
happiness while being in the negative state, it would signify that they
love and enjoy the negative state. In this case no change of their state
and condition would occur. Again, the negative state would win its case
and everyone would cease to be and to exist.
However, because most people in the negative state experience the
misery of its state and condition, they strive to get out of its misery and
to become happy. This experience in striving makes it impossible for the
negative state to ever win the spiritual war.
On the other hand, the positive state is in the state of happiness and
bliss. The very essential and substantial nature of happiness and bliss is
constant change, fluidity and continuous spiritual progression. There is
no happiness and bliss possible in a stagnant, locked-in position, state or
condition. The stagnant condition, after a while, when its novelty wears
off, begins to rot and turns into a poisonous stench that suffocates one’s
life and all motivation for its continuation. This kind of outcome is not
happiness and bliss but misery and death. Therefore, the positive state is
the very state of change, fluidity and eternal spiritual progression. No
other type of positive state existed, exists or can ever exist.
For this reason, the members of the positive state are subject to
continuous changes of their states, conditions and processes. They have
their own ups and downs, so to speak. They are not perfect. They are not
gods. They are not Absolute. They are only relative. The relativity of
their condition is a source of this so-called up and down condition. They
have their own mornings, noons, afternoons and dusks. However, they
don’t have any nights because nights are possible only in the negative
state. The negative state is nothing but black night and thick darkness.
The experience of dusk in the positive state is the state when
realization comes that it is time to change one’s state and condition.
Swedenborg says that sentient entities in the positive state, when they
reach this point, the point of so-called dusk, become almost sad.
However, it is not the same type of sadness as experienced by people in
the negative state. Instead, it is a feeling of one’s imperfection that
makes it impossible for anyone to experience all changes in their
absolute state in a simultaneous mode of that experience. It is the state
of awareness that one is lacking something very important because of
one’s imperfect condition. It is a feeling of humility and humbleness that
comes with the realization that whatever one has learned so far, in
comparison with what one is to learn in the future, is of such small
magnitude that there is nothing to be proud of. It is a state in which one
realizes one’s gross limitations and that one cannot do anything
whatsoever without the help of the Absolute State, that is, the Most
High.
When such feelings and states are experienced by someone in the
positive state, that someone enters dusk or the end of his/her day. (Day
corresponds here to one’s current condition and state.) This indicates
that one’s current condition, state or place or whatever one has or is in,
has exhausted its usefulness, all lessons were learned, and incorporated,
everything was manifested and shared, and it is time to move on to a
different state, condition, place, time, process, dimension or whatever one
has. At the moment one enters that new situation, one enters the
morning of a new day in one’s life which gives one an experience of
tremendous happiness and bliss. The experience of happiness and bliss of
the new condition is much higher, much more profound, of greater
intensity and magnitude and of greater experiential impact than
anything that had been experienced so far in all previous steps and
conditions of one’s spiritual progression. Thus, there is no comparison or
similarity between this condition and the previous one except that the
current condition would not be acquired or entered into without the
experiences of all previous conditions, as each current condition stems
from and is built on all previous ones.
The relationship of each preceding and succeeding condition and
situation is always a discrete one and never continuous or linear. This is
the reason why it is said that there is no comparison or similarity among
various conditions. Each new condition is qualitatively and
quantitatively different and unique. However, they are all connected
with one another through correspondences. The occurrences of one
condition are synchronous to the occurrences in all other conditions.
They are specific and unique to each condition and relevant to the level
or perceptive and receptive abilities of those who occupy those conditions
at each particular level and state. For example, one aspect of the truth is
revealed simultaneously and synchronously to all conditions in being and
existence. However, the degree and quality of perception and reception of
that aspect of the revealed truth will differ substantially from one
condition to another. The revealed aspects of truth have as many facets
as there are conditions in being and existence. Each condition receives
and utilizes that facet of the revealed aspect of truth which is congruent
with its specific and unique nature.
The synchronicity of perception and reception of the revealed aspect
of the truth is a necessary occurrence because no utilization,
actualization, and realization of the totality of the revealed aspect of
truth could be accomplished without all its facets being simultaneously
processed and incorporated. If it were not simultaneous in all its facets,
no further aspects of truth could be revealed. Subsequently, stagnation
would ensue leading to the cessation of all life. This is how it works in a
discrete mode of being and existence of all possible conditions, states,
processes, places, times, dimensions, situations or whatever one has.
On the other hand, the continuous and linear form of spiritual
progression for everyone is assured within each current condition, state
and place. This means, that, when one enters the new condition or
situation for the first time, one enters into the least degree of knowledge
and its application which is available within this new condition. As one’s
day (state) proceeds from its morning to mid-morning, to noon, mid-
afternoon, late afternoon, and finally to dusk, one gradually acquires a
greater and greater degree of knowledge and its application within that
condition and one shares one’s unique contributions more and more with
all in that condition until the time comes that that condition or state
exhausts its usefulness for that one, and one can neither learn anything
new nor can one give or share anything new with others anymore. At the
moment this occurs, dusk, so to speak, sets in and one is ready for a
qualitative, non-linear jump, from one discrete condition to another
transcending, discrete condition.
The time between leaving the old condition and entering the new
condition is the time of dusk, or what is called the Last Judgment for the
one who is ready to move on.
During this transitional period, characterized by the so-called dusk of
one’s day or by one’s Last Judgment, one undergoes the process of
thorough re-evaluation of everything that happened and was
accomplished and learned in the previous condition. During this process
one receives full insight and understanding of the entire impact of one’s
stay and learning in that condition that one had on the entire Creation.
One comes to the realization of how one contributed by one’s unique
learning and experiences to the enhancement of that condition, or state,
or place, or whatever one was in, and how one was enhanced and
enriched by one’s experiences and by others in that condition and similar
matters.
When this is accomplished, one is presented with all possible choices
for the next step in one’s spiritual progression. Taking into consideration
one’s own unique needs and the needs of the entire Creation, one makes
a fresh choice. At the moment the choice is made, one is born, so to
speak, into the state or place of one’s chosen condition with full retention
of memories of everything that was experienced so far by that one. The
exception to this rule is only if one chooses to enter some regions of the
Zone of Displacement. In this case, one must agree that all of one’s
memories of anything previously experienced will be obliterated for the
duration of one’s stay in the negative state or until the agreed upon time
before incarnation into the negative state.
Now, this process of continuous change and spiritual progression, in
the manner described above, goes on to eternity.
From the above description, one can clearly see that at each point of
one’s being and existence, no matter in what condition, one is in a state
of constant change, fluidity, flow and progression. Thus, one is never
locked into only one state and condition.
As far as people in various regions of the Zone of Displacement are
concerned the change of their states and conditions proceeds as follows:
They are born or appear in the negative state in a state of total
conscious ignorance about anything described above or anything else, for
that matter.
From the moment of their birth, they are taught from externals, by
observation and the examples of others. They are exposed to various
negative and positive situations. These situations give them a choice to
either follow the positive or the negative path. By choosing the positive
path, they will be subjected to constant attacks, bombardments and
floodings of the negative state which will try to trap them into succumb-
ing to its clutches. During this time, they will be in a state of continuous
change and choice-making regarding the negative state. Once they learn
everything that they were supposed to about the negative state and that
they chose to learn, and once they have fully overcome all temptations of
the negative state, they rejoin the positive state and proceed in the
manner described above in their spiritual progression.
However, if anyone chooses to follow the negative path, the changes of
his/her state and condition are determined by each point of choice to
either continue on the negative path, becoming more and more negative
and evil, or to recede from the negative path and accept the positive path.
The choice to recede from following the negative state brings one back
into the positive state and gives one an opportunity to proceed in the
manner described above after one learns to conquer and to overcome all
temptations of the negative state.
On the other hand, the choice to follow the negative path at each
point of transition, puts one in a position to enter a condition of a
considerably greater, deeper, and different degree of evils and falsities
than one experienced and produced in the previous or preceding
condition.
Once again, during each transitional period, in the state between
leaving that preceding condition and entering the new one, one is always
given an opportunity to recede from following the negative path and to
enter the path of the positive state’s eternal spiritual progression. This
happens to everyone, without exception or exclusion, during each transi-
tional period no matter how evil, or bad, or negative one appears to be.
Now, from the above description one could easily conclude that this
process, with people in the negative state, also continues to eternity as it
does with people in the positive state. However, such a conclusion would
be erroneous.
One has to remember, again and again, that the positive state
originated in the Absolute State and Condition of the Most High.
Whatever originated directly in the Absolute Nature has to continue to
eternity because it contains within itself the presence of the Absolute
Most High. Thus, it can never cease to be and to exist. This was the
original choice of everyone in Creation as well as Creation itself before it
was created.
On the other hand, the negative state didn’t originate in the Absolute
State. It was initiated in the relative state, by people’s wrong choices, as
a result of their rejection of the Most High and His/Her spiritual
principles. Although that “relative” in itself originated from the Most
High and, therefore, must continue forever, whatever that relative
produces from itself is relative only to the relative and not to the
Absolute. Relative to the Absolute continues forever. Relative only to the
relative cannot continue forever because there is nothing Absolute in it.
Only relative to the Absolute carries that Absolute within itself (as an
extension and process of the Most High). Therefore, it stays forever. The
relative only to the relative cannot stay forever because it is an extension
and process only of the relative condition. Therefore, at one point, when
it exhausts all its potentiality, there will remain nothing in it to sustain
it.
All evils and falsities of the negative state, therefore, are limited by
their relative origin. The relative origin cannot give them an
inexhaustible and eternal source of inspiration for constantly producing
new ideas and inventions which would be able to sustain their being and
existence forever. Thus, when that relative source is dried up, the
negative state will fulfill its purpose for which it was permitted to come
to its being and existence by the Most High. At that point, it will end.
All those people who will remain in the negative state up to its very
end by their free choice will realize that there is no longer anything in
the negative state to motivate or to inspire them to remain in it and to
continue it. At the point of this realization, the memories of their
voluntary status, the conditions by which the negative state was
permitted to come into its activated and dominant mode, will be restored
to them and they will be given the following choice: either to convert to
the positive state and to follow the path of continuous spiritual
progression of change, fluidity, and motion, or to have their life source
withdrawn from them back into the Absolute State.
In the second case, at the moment of withdrawal of the life source
from them, the current negative, evil, illusional and delusional form of
that stolen life, with all its states, conditions, processes, etc., will fall
apart and turn into nothingness. After all, it is nothing more than
nothingness. At that time these people will recall that this was the very
agreement between the Most High and the entire Creation and those
who volunteered to enter the negative state, under which the negative
state was permitted to be activated and put into a dominant condition.
The promise was made by the Most High to all in His/Her Creation,
and particularly to all who volunteered to participate in the negative
state: that, first, the negative state will not last beyond one cycle of time;
second, the cycle of time, in which the negative state will be activated,
will be shortened considerably; third, all participants in the negative
state will continuously be given opportunities to get out of it; fourth, the
Most High Himself/Herself will incarnate into the negative state; fifth,
the negative state will never be permitted to be activated again; sixth, all
experiences of the negative state, from the very beginning of its
activation to the very end of its being and existence, will be permanently
recorded and placed in the Universality-Of-It-All and will be available to
everyone at any time from eternity to eternity for learning and
experiencing without the necessity of its activation sometime or
somewhere else; and, seventh, all those who will not choose to convert to
the positive state at the end of its being and existence will turn into
nothingness after their unique life source, stolen from the Most High,
will be withdrawn from them and returned to its rightful Owner where it
will be purified, cleansed, restructured, rebuilt, totally reformed,
renewed and released to a new recipient in the positive state.
These were the important agreements and promises made by the
Most High with everyone before the negative state was permitted to be
activated. Those who refused to be converted to the positive state at the
moment of the permanent deactivation of the negative state also agreed
to this. At that time, these facts will be brought to their memory and
they will fully realize the chosen alternatives to which they agreed before
entering the negative state. It is difficult to envision, at that point, that
anyone, no matter how evil or negative, would be reluctant to undergo
the conversion to the positive state.
After all, at that point, at the very end of the negative state’s being
and existence, everyone remaining in it, by law of change, will be put into
the transitional period for the Last Judgment in the manner described
above. With all memories being opened, with all tools and procedures for
conversion being revealed and made available, and being in the state of
transition, which is the state of neutrality, thus, with no influence either
from the positive or from the negative state, without the state of insanity
that characterizes the negative state and its homicidal and suicidal
tendencies, without all these adverse influences, it is difficult to imagine
that anyone would come up with the choice to reject coming back to the
positive state, the state of eternal changes, fluidity, progression,
betterment and growth.
However, such a choice is available simply because all choices,
including that one, are available to anyone under all conditions, states,
situations or whatever one has.
The availability of all possible choices in being and existence for
everyone in the Most High’s Creation and in the entire Zone of
Displacement constitutes the very nature of one’s continuous change,
fluidity, progression, movement, betterment and growth. Thus, it
motivates everyone to change one’s state, condition and situation and to
preserve one’s freedom and independence forever to eternity by not being
locked into one condition.
Source: MAJOR IDEAS OF THE NEW REVELATION
