Evil Spirits Explain Why They Like Hell - News From Heaven

In this episode, we’re exploring passages from Swedenborg’s "Divine Providence", number 340. You can download a free PDF version of the book and follow along here: www.swedenborg...
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News From Heaven is a video series from offTheLeftEye designed for people who want to better understand Swedenborg’s thought in his own words. Each week, host Curtis Childs takes a brief section of one of Swedenborg’s works and delves into the meaning behind it, highlighting key concepts and showing how even the most abstract ideas can be put to work in our daily lives.
offTheLeftEye is brought to you by the Swedenborg Foundation-a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, independent, educational organization for those seeking to explore spirituality and faith. www.swedenborg.com
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★☆★THE HOST★☆★
Curtis Childs is the Director of offTheLeftEye at the Swedenborg Foundation. While obtaining his degree in communication studies from Oakland University, Curtis experienced an internal battle with depression that led him to question God and his lifelong interest in Swedenborgian theology. After a period of intense suffering, he recovered from his depression with the help of modern medicine, therapy, and a return to the spiritually uplifting messages he found in Swedenborg’s writings. Now, Curtis is applying his education and desire to help others find peace through Swedenborg’s insights by producing and hosting weekly webcasts.

[@Mseti09]

much love from kenya, isee a whole concept of evil spirits and why the Lord is protecting our internal from the External .

[@offTheLeftEye]

Thanks for reaching out all the way from Kenya, Mseti89! So glad these ideas resonate with you.

[@jonchilds1116]

To me, this was fun to get something extra and unusual put in at the end of the book. "Hey, let us get a word in edgewise, Swedenborg, instead of writing everything your learning from God and the angels!" Bottom line, my bad habits have delight attached, and in the other world they are going to smell. Another good incentive to just keeping working at turning away from them.

[@offTheLeftEye]

I love your take on this, Jon! Gets right to the point.

[@maryvalentine4924]

Dear OTLE and Swedenborg Foundation, Wishing you every joy and blessing at this Christmastime and throughout the New Year. You are blessing to all of us who benefit so greatly from your outpouring of love and truth. Thank you so much! ❤️

[@offTheLeftEye]

Dear Mary, the same to you and yours! Blessings and joy and love for you too, and thank you so much for your kindness, support, and love, we appreciate it! God bless and happy holidays!

[@zainabsiddiqui7358]

Thank you. Respect from Scotland. God Bless us all.

[@offTheLeftEye]

Thank you, Zainab! We're so glad to know you are out there in the audience. Yes, God bless us, every one!

[@mitchyz101]

I prefer Swedenborg's take on hell to the evangelist version which is a real horror story and quite upsetting. Thanks Curtis great show as always God bless

[@offTheLeftEye]

I agree with you on that! What Swedenborg describes makes a lot more sense, and it consistent with the idea of a loving God. Thanks so much for watching!

[@talonkellen3043]

I guess I'm pretty off topic but do anybody know a good website to stream newly released tv shows online?

[@rolanddustin5920]

@Talon Kellen Flixportal :P

[@talonkellen3043]

@Roland Dustin Thanks, I went there and it seems like they got a lot of movies there =) I appreciate it !!

[@rolanddustin5920]

@Talon Kellen glad I could help xD

[@julianbristow4793]

Those type of hells are in the world. You see them wherever you go. But there are also pleasant things and smells in nature . Best thing is to avoid the bad things and hope for the good things.👍🏻

[@offTheLeftEye]

Right on, Julian! And do good to others!

[@julianbristow4793]

offTheLeftEye ..... Right. Treat others with respect and help out when the opportunity presents itself! 👍🏻🌝

[@offTheLeftEye]

@@julianbristow4793 Amen!

[@robz537]

We are colorful magnets on the painting of the cosmos ( its a line from my lyrics ) The pattern i see about good and evil spirits, feels like + and - pole to me. Nikola Tesla once said "if you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.” I think Man is the product of the sum of his experience and maybe we set our polarity by the sum of our decisions . Nice episode, good topic as always.

[@offTheLeftEye]

Thank you, Rob! And thank you for being here, my friend. I agree that our decisions matter! Would you like to say more about energy, frequency, and vibration? I'd like to understand the connection you're making between energy and our ability to make decisions.

[@robz537]

​@@offTheLeftEyeFirst of all , with our limited abilities as a human we cant understand everything about reality in detail. But we can see the pattern. (The movie "PI" is great to get that) We start in this world like our life is a white sheet and with everything we do and decide we adjust our individual freuency as if we are a radio , putting color blobs on our canvas of life. Personaly i could imagine that, instead of having thoughts for ourselves , they come to us in the possible spectrum of our frequency. Sure we can think about them and come to new knowledge, but thats not the same. In a different state of mind you have different thougts. Thats the pattern i see here. The white sheet will already be maybe colorful, or with a more dark tone but interestingly, no matter how bright the colors would be they could never be like a perfect -baby canvas of life - white again. Energy is something that consists of Frequency and Vibration. Scientists say (as Philosophers did earlier), that everything vibrates. All, like the cells in our body too. I think our state of mind is like the base for the way they will vibrate and vibration btw creates frequency. And presumably that links together in a multilayered connection which discribes the kind of energy. And i dont know, but i decide different if im in a low or high and powerful energy level. peace out friends

[@offTheLeftEye]

@@robz537 It's all so complex and fascinating! I love the way you have expressed this. Thanks!

[@DreamsofStardust75]

Love is everywhere.

[@richardleigh4003]

Correct, God is everywhere and yet nowhere is He extended.

[@offTheLeftEye]

Yes, God is Love, and God's Love is everywhere!

[@barbaramartins9224]

@offTheLeftEye Not In My Empty , Sad ... Life Anymore.😢😰💔🌷

[@offTheLeftEye]

@@barbaramartins9224 I know that right now it feels like you could never feel happy again. But I promise you, you will heal, and find ways to be happy. Your parents will be with you in spirit, helping that become possible when you are ready for it.

[@owen225]

Yes, heavenly love or infernal love.

[@ivorybow]

Very difficult subject Curtis, but well done! I am trained in anthropology, and an interesting thing about language, is that we create and choose words that match what millions believe to be spiritual truths, whether known, believed, or not. It's like a deep knowing in our brain language circuits, and they have a wisdom of their own that shows up naturally in language. We talk about foul smells using adjectives like foul, loathsome, evil, corrupt, rotting, garbage, miasma, diseased, disgusting, filthy. And we describe lovely smells with words like heavenly, rose, flowery, sweet, pure, invigorating, warm, inviting. Puppy breath, babies' fragrance, both associated with innocence, and the Holy Mother being associated with the smell of roses. All of these adjectives are also used to describe behaviors, character, and personality traits. Hmmm...There are philosophies that say we are bringing into being what we speak, therefore, be mindful of what we are creating with what we say.

[@robz537]

That is interesting, I also think a lot about language usage and isnt it funny that everywhere on the planet, in all cultures and languages, believers or non believers do say _"OH MY GOD"_ when they are in special situations , especially in dangerous ones.

[@offTheLeftEye]

Carolyn, hello! Thank you so much for offering your perspective! This is fascinating! When I read your word, "fragrance," I started to think about all the words that mean something similar -- but that have an opposite effect on my visceral response. The word "stench," for example, is polar opposite to "aroma." A bit tangential, I know, but related! Language really matters because it elicits real effects. Images matter, too. Both words and images represent deeper realities. Have you heard much about Swedenborg's science of correspondences? I suspect you would be fascinated! Here is a link to an episode of Swedenborg & Life called, "The Spiritual Meaning of Names." kzbin.info/www/bejne/mpeTaJukbdyApc0 Let me know what you think! I want to acknowledge, too, what you ended with: "...we are bringing into being what we speak." I think Swedenborg would agree. It starts with a desire. Then, speaking that desire lifts it into a form that can be perceived, audibly or legibly. Ultimately, expressing behavior or taking an action is the indication that desire is realized -- like an apple on a tree, ripe for picking! For me, personally, there is sometimes a pretty big gap between speaking an intention and carrying it out, but that if I am willing to speak it, chances are good that I genuinely want to do it!

[@Keyfer62]

This tells me that both Heaven and Hell are choices that people freely make.

[@offTheLeftEye]

Exactly, Keith!

[@kathyinwonderlandl.a.8934]

Thankyou I needed this. Such wisdom comes from the smallest things..taking the left fork in the road instead of the right, making up a story to explain why this happened when you know that it’s not true. Such little things can form into huge chains of hardships never ending.. I’m definitely trying to keep my essence on the road that leads to good not evil, no matter how hard the road is.. and it’s harder than I can bare at times. So every step forward matters.

[@offTheLeftEye]

Kathleen, thank you so much for sharing, my friend! Yes, the road is hard. The challenges are serious, and the stakes are high! It is also absolutely true what you said: every step forward matters! Just as a series of harmful decisions can snowball, one after the other, a series of helpful decisions can build on each other, leading me out of the forest into a clearing where I can find rest and breathe. Any series of helpful decisions starts with ONE helpful decision. It can be as simple as a line of prayer: "Help me, please!"

[@1daddyDA]

Thanks Curtis. This made loads of sense to me. I am now part of a great local Methodist Church in Gorleston Great Yarmouth UK. You know we have got to a point in the UK now where energy is costing so much people (old people, young people working and people not working) can not afford to have their heating and lighting on. We are opening rooms in our Church where people can come and sit, have a small meal, have a hot drink, meet with others, even watch TV, DVDS, ppay board games, see, knit, do some craft activity, read the news papers or just sit and do nothing. I felt something good and loving happening as we were meeting to get a team organised to do that this afternoon. It was like good was drawing more good out of others. It felt like welcome, care, friendship & support was happening even for us as we met together. You know I have been thinking that evil tends to to spread and get bigger by taking everything into itself like food. It even stuffs itself with stuff that started out as good. It’s like the Marshmallow Man in the original Ghost 👻 Busters This blob just keeps sucking it up, sucking it in and growing. Like the Mach Stem of a nuclear explosion. Yet God, good, truth, love, compassion, forgiveness, true righteousness seems to grow by giving out, giving away, opening hands that were once closed, turning fists clenched to fight into hands wanting to heal. It’s like sure this stuff goes on with us at psychological level, like yes it’s in our heads but it’s also in our spirits, what I would call our essence. It’s odd but God seems actually kind in putting or leaving people in the place where they will be in the end the most comfortable. Just to use the words ‘Heaven & Hell’ as place holders or concepts. Suppose those who delighted in decay, death, the rotting of flesh, the butchered bloody entrails lining the streets were in Heaven (where it quite literally,was a totally different atmosphere to them, would that not be torture or in fact Hell for them?) I have to be totally honest my friend and say that I struggle with any concept of Hell. Yet maybe that struggle is because of the traditional way it is always described. There seems to be in that description a sense of God being spiteful towards those who must in the end live there eternally. I can not conceive of God experiencing the emotion of spite.

[@offTheLeftEye]

Tony, My heart is touched by the image of you folks in Gorleston providing care and comfort for each other like that. Turning clenched fists into healing hands. Such beautiful thoughts. And you're right about God not having spite. God is pure Love and Mercy, and I resonate with that thought of it being actual kindness -- love -- that let's people be where they are most comfortable. It's all a bit hard to grasp from our earthly, time-and-space perspective. But if we keep turning on the lights and lighting the fire for people who need it, we're practicing for heaven every day! Love and blessings to you all.

[@maureenbarnes7496]

Lying and stealing are so common that they are almost “normal”. There is a choice involved in doing them but we should be concerned about the sources of the fear, greed, anger and rage in our minds that motivate them. These are not mere thoughts but something more powerful.

[@offTheLeftEye]

I agree, Maureen! It's important to reflect on where those negative feelings and impulses come from, and realize that we always have a choice about whether to act on them or not. Thank you!

[@bobouzala]

Whew, Swedenborg‘s writing’s takes a lot of faith to believe in! I like Curtis and Dr Rose, they make a very good team. I think Curtis is an excellent host, I am impressed with his breadth of knowledge and his ability to convey the material that makes sense to me. Swedenborg‘s writings can be really heavy and I appreciate some humor thrown in to make things a little easier to digest. Plus, Curtis has an excellent T-shirt collection! I like stinky cheese, I hope I’m not in trouble!!

[@richardleigh4003]

I find that Swedenborg is confirmed everywhere I look. In fact, if you can find a heavyweight Christian psychic who disagrees with him, I would be interested to know the name! At first I thought this would be easy, until I understood correspondences...;-))

[@robz537]

@Bobo Uzala Word Up! Yeah, im also happy that i found somebody talkin about Swedenborg's writing and they do make a really good team. Actually, this is the first channel with such topics on which I did not get bored.

[@bobouzala]

Rob Hollister They’ve got a veritable smorgas-borg of topics!

[@offTheLeftEye]

Hello, Bobo! If stinky cheese is your delight, stinky cheese is your delight! Broccoli is another one with excellent nutritional value and, at the same time, a suspiciously potent stench! I am going to go ahead and assert that cheese and broccoli lovers are welcome in heaven, too. It's the hidden stench inside me that needs a good airing out!

[@bobouzala]

offTheLeftEye LOL! Now we’re getting down to it; the hidden inner stink and funky gunk of Evil, nasty!

[@MrEddievanhalo]

I personally delight in peace. Evil is way too much work and suffering. I guess it all boils down to what you truly value. Order has value, disorder does not.

[@offTheLeftEye]

Absolutely, MrEddievanhalo!

[@joyborazjani2355]

Everything is about Joy. Alright then! :D Always have to be silly about my name :) Great episode! Hell is loving evil and Heaven is loving good. So we can notice what we're loving!

[@offTheLeftEye]

It's a great name! Absolutely, Joy, we can be aware of where our loves are and steer them where we want to be!

[@razjohnsmyer1651]

You will always find yourself exactly where you can solve ur problems best!

[@offTheLeftEye]

I agree, Razjohn! We find ourselves where there is opportunity to learn and to move forward. It's intriguing to think that this is true for people with heavenly love at the center of their intentions, as well as for those with hellish love as their driving motivation! Have you seen our video called, "What is Hell Really Like?" kzbin.info/www/bejne/nYmmgGSGa9dggdk If you have a chance to watch, I'd love to know if you find it useful! Blessings to you, my friend!

[@michaelflomer8348]

In Milton's 'Paradise Lost'. Satan say' et 'It is better to Rule in Hell, than to Serve in Heaven'. Why the World is the way It Is Becoming; But for a time..... So today on this Winter's Solstice, longest Night of the Year that must give way to Light of ever Increasing Day, that Spring Will Com'eth once again, by Decree of God, that no Evil has ever Cursed the Darkness so Complete in it's quest for 'Perdition' of Gods Eternal Love &'d Will, for but the light of a single candle burning in this night of night's, Now Ushering in this Spring that must Spring again, and the Sun of God will bring forth New Life, that never ends, for Thee too See ! Amen

[@offTheLeftEye]

Beautifully expressed, Michael. Thank you!

[@violetgreyhorse2838]

Thanks Curtis and team for clarifying the murky. It's nice to see that finally one view of the Bible ends with darkness/evil finally finding a place the don't like. I really hope they get to stay there. Thanks for all your prayers. Collin

[@offTheLeftEye]

Glad you could find some clarity here, Violet Greyhorse. Continued prayers for you!

[@Alberad08]

I always thought that repelling odors where to keep us away from things which would be unhealthy for us if we came into close contact with them - and if we continue that thought, liking these would be then a kinda self destructive trait. Poor creatures that do so; dangerous for themselves and others.

[@offTheLeftEye]

What a compassionate soul you are, Alberad! Thanks for your comment.

[@thatswhatshesaid.literally737]

🤔 *Why are the voices coming through the spirit boxes always asking for help? Different places, different boxes, but always voices pleading "help me" or "help us"...*

[@robertansley6331]

I’ve recorded a lot of these over the years. My belief is that these are pleas from evil spirits designed to make us distraught, to agitate and confuse us. They pretend to be loved ones or friendly spirits knowing we will react a certain way upon hearing the cry for help. The spirit world is far beyond anything we understand, there are no words on earth that accurately describe it. We are like ants trying to understand the Internet. The only way we could ever help a spirit is to pray for them. No ritual or stating the obvious such as “walk to the light” will really help them. A famous researcher, Dr. Konstatin Raudive recorded thousands of voices through electronic voice phenomenon and these entities said the same thing. They told Dr. Raudive to stop talking, it was a useless exercise but that he should pray instead. I believe Swedenborg’s description of the dying being greeted by loved ones and angels is consistent with stories from Near Death Experiences. I don’t believe any loved one or friend will ever call to us needing our help. These are evil spirits preying on our emotions. So trade praying for preying.

[@klausehrhardt4481]

@@robertansley6331 I´m not a researcher in the field, but all you´ve said looks quite consistent with the views I hold. No one should believe in mediums just because they can acuratelly tell things and facts from the person´s past. I go from the assumption that evil spirits, as angels, are all around of us wittnessing everything that we do and how we do react to what happens to us. Go a step further assuming they can network and comunicate efficiently as an intelligence office: there is no classified data for them pertaining our past deeds and that of our family. They know stuff and can pretend to be someone they are not. People are simply bedazled by the info they are given by mediums, forgeting thus to ask that crucial question: who´s there? We are ment to put spirits under proof. About the prayer and intercession for deceased ones, there is a lot catholic tradition teaches on the subject. They have the practice also included in the mass. For the biblicist, I´d like to bring your attention to what the Devil prior he entered the assembly of God and wich precipitated the Job incidents: roaming the world and wittnesing what was going on among humankind. Last word: evil spirits may say truths, but it is against their nature and will.

[@offTheLeftEye]

Yes, Robert, I really agree with that perspective. Thanks!

[@offTheLeftEye]

Great point, Klaus. When it comes to spirits and spiritual contact, it's wise to be discerning, and consider what kind of spirit it is!

[@offTheLeftEye]

She Who Knows All, I agree with what Robert Ansley has concluded. I hope that makes sense to you!

[@johnharris1770]

god moves the universe if each person loves one another and loves god

[@offTheLeftEye]

Amen! If everyone just followed the golden rule, and would strive to "love God and love one another", then God's love could fully flow into the universe and set everything in order!

[@loribarnes8899]

New subscriber! Thank you for all that you do! 🤔 Do we need to start adding a descriptive word before a positive word like “Joy” now since “Joy” is a twistable thing? 😳 Wishing Joy can be contorted? 🙊

[@offTheLeftEye]

Thanks for subscribing, Lori! Oh my.... I hope we don't have to start qualifying "joy" too much! All things are perceived differently by different people -- like in the saying "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." Or "One man's food is another man's poison." If you're coming from a good heart and wishing joy to people, I think that's a great practice to continue! The angels will know what you mean, and we can't control how other people will take it! Blessings to you, and thanks for joining us!

[@Preliminimal]

... i removed my comment regarding instructions. Curtis' humor is funtastic, and balances well with Dr Rose and all the others. When i'm feeling down i must keep perspective

[@marksingleton7199]

Which instructions were you thinking off.

[@marksingleton7199]

@Michael Bravo I think the problem is us. What we know as the original sin, has pulled us so far away from being able to talk to and hear heaven. Imagine being able to talk to God telepathically and all of a sudden the line goes dead and you find yourself in a body on earth.

[@offTheLeftEye]

Preliminimal, I suggested a few other episodes under your other comment that might feel more helpful!

[@offTheLeftEye]

Michael and Mark are making good points. It is not easy to hang onto spiritual information and instructions while we're here on earth, dealing with the limitations of an earthly mind and all the confusion that brings. Fortunately, we do not have to have it all figured out! God is doing most of the work, and our job is to simply take basic steps to resist things like hatred, greed, revenge, etc. in order to allow God to do that work within us. As Michael said, become like a little child, trusting that God is leading you. God works with any good efforts we make, and multiplies them beyond what we can imagine! For a discussion about how God is doing all that work behind the scenes, see "Regeneration: How Radical Love is Born" kzbin.info/www/bejne/gZy3paaoe8d_itU

[@marksingleton7199]

@Michael Bravo Agreed. The ego oriented world wont let people see what a wonderful thing God is doing to correct what we did. They wouldn't believe it.

[@ruthserapelo1018]

Very informative. Lots to ponder over.

[@offTheLeftEye]

Yes, definitely, Ruth, and if you have any questions please let us know!

[@AmazingLife55]

One of the better episodes ....explains one the most perplexing of all questions. Having read and watched 50 to 100 or more very real (some seem fabricated or sensationalized) NDE'S about heaven and some about hell or both.....WHY IS HELL NECESSARY ....WHY DOES HELL EVEN EXIST. It is a question that has bothered me for many years. This answer makes perfect sense in the light of free will and good and evil, especially protecting us from evil spirits in the after life.

[@offTheLeftEye]

Ah William, I'm so glad this helped you! You might like our episode, "What Is Hell Really Like?" kzbin.info/www/bejne/nYmmgGSGa9dggdk It goes further into that topic. And yes, I agree with you! Seeing it as a punishment feels so hurtful - but understanding it as the preference for some of us, can make it feel more like a mercy - for all people! At least that's how I see it. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

[@AmazingLife55]

@@offTheLeftEye You bet...always like to give credit where credit is due!! God Bless.....

[@xinzhou1903]

How... spoilt rotten do humans have to be... To make a lifetime of choices and not take any responsibility? Everytime I hear that argument that God is not loving because hell exists... I can't help but think "then why do we expect this life to be fair? There shouldn't be any consequences in this life either then. Killed somebody? Oh that's ok. You just need to take care of the body. No wait, we'll take care of that for you too."

[@xinzhou1903]

As a philosopher I absolutely loathe cause without corresponding effect. If I'm evil, then DO cast me down. I hate imbalance even more than I hate pain. XP

[@offTheLeftEye]

I hear you, Xin Zhou. It makes no sense to blame God for destructive human choices, and the consequences they bring. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

[@1daddyDA]

I’ve always found the Hell thing rather difficult to deal with. Mainly seeing it as an idea of ‘eternal conscious punishment’, here I think look even if somebody murdered all of my loved ones I can get that I might want them dead, wiped out (actually I would never argue for the death penalty but a life sentence should mean a life sentence) but even I would not seek to ensure this murderer was tortured constantly after physical death. A God who would enable this to happen in my opinion is a sadist. Especially if that same God could just consign that same soul to oblivion. It would be that they had never existed and death would mean not only the end of physical life but the end of spiritual existence. Now I’m not here saying that I don’t think there is something to be said for Swedenborg’s observation of the laws of attraction. I get that the darkness draws others who are dark into the same place. I get that there is in all of us that inner darkness that draws us away from God’s light, from helping others, loving others, serving others, living to make the world a better place, living unselfishly, living purposefully and lovingly. (Remember Freud and ‘id, ego and superego!) I even get that these spirits are so attracted to this darkness, this evil, this mischievousness, this desire to spoil, to cause trouble, to hurt, to gossip, that they will all congregate together. I even get that they will seek to experience the stuff that gives them pleasure, satisfaction and joy vicariously through us already in this ‘real world of things and stuff.’ So again what we pursue, who we are, what we desire determines which group we join but I can not believe in a God who would consign any being or entity to eternal conscious punishment. Oddly though I can believe that people consciously do make their own choices about where they want to be. These aren’t forced or predetermined because they are a natural part of free will. The point about making a choice is that we will continue to repeat that choice until it becomes habitual. Sort of reminds me of that rather dreadful image of boiling a frog but you begin by warming the water infinitely slowly. Now of course the frog is going to die horribly painfully, unless it realises early on and leaps out of the pan, but eventually it’s not going to be able to jump and escape. It’s like if we choose to live in darkness for so long we can no longer find the light switch. Or if somebody switches the light on for us it’s blinding, painful, and no longer natural to our state.

[@offTheLeftEye]

Thanks for sharing these reflections, Tony. It's hard to understand the whole thing, especially in the face of a loving God. I realize I don't see it as "eternal conscious punishment," maybe more of eternal conscious frustration, because of not being able to act out fully the way I want to. The free will is the essential part, I think. And I CAN imagine that some people just won't be comfortable in the mutual love of heaven.... Kind of? In the end, I have to hand it over to God to have it handled, even if don't get it.... ~Chara

[@josueribeiro07]

If even themselves admit they are liars, maybe we should take their words with a grain of salt....

[@offTheLeftEye]

Exactly, Josué! First step is to acknowledge that some of those thoughts in our head ARE these evil spirits!

[@josueribeiro07]

@@offTheLeftEye Yes!

[@offTheLeftEye]

@@josueribeiro07 Wolf in sheep's clothing, Josue.

[@randydiluzio8269]

Hello Curtis, Good Show. I wondered How does God keep evil spirits from Hell from invading Heaven? How does God keep Heaven protected from Hell? Happy Holidays my Friend!! Thanks.

[@offTheLeftEye]

Great question, Randy! We have some relevant clips that I think may answer your question: Short clips: "Who Governs Hell?" kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpCudJ1jqcScfKs Longer: "Hell Almost Destroyed Heaven," kzbin.info/www/bejne/ppaZc6Nmn8qHoas and "What is Hell Really Like?" kzbin.info/www/bejne/nYmmgGSGa9dggdk Full Episode: "Spiritual Warfare: The Battle Between Heaven and Hell" kzbin.info/www/bejne/eYDan6F5aq9oo9U I hope these are helpful! Let me know your thoughts. Thanks for watching! Happy Holidays to you too, friend!

[@randydiluzio8269]

@@offTheLeftEye Thank you very much

[@offTheLeftEye]

@@randydiluzio8269 You're very welcome, and we're wishing you a blessed Christmas!

[@autodesksmoker]

Taking delight in disorder explains a lot about some people I've known... I have often thought that if life was a game of Doom that I've been playing on Nightmare! I now know why. I've also lost my taste for such games! Thank you for explaining this so that I may find my way to a slow and steady path to salvation.

[@offTheLeftEye]

Well said, Alexander. I do not know that game, but I get the idea. Having worked for years on not gossiping I find I have mostly lost my taste for it. It does take awhile, but there are much better sensations out there, like how it feels to encourage someone who is feeling lonely or lost. Best of luck on your efforts.

[@biz2bizpro]

At first, what you're saying really resonates and makes sense. However, when you look at the idea on a deeper level, things start falling apart. Let's start with what makes sense. All people who love crime, fraud, hurting others choose to go to hell. So far, so good, makes sense that "birds of a feather" will always flock together. Makes sense that a loving god would allow everyone to pursue joy, no matter what. Where things start to fall apart is when you look deeper at the new situation. Okay, so now you have all the people who love crime, fraud, and hurting others in the same place. People who love things are passionate about them. That means they are serious students of these skills so they naturally get really good at them. Here's where the problem comes in, so now you have everyone who passionately loves devious stuff in the same place, but who do they con, commit crimes against etc.? All the patsies are off in heaven with god where they are safe from this (God takes care of drunks and fools). The only answer is they have to commit crimes against each other, but that's going to be one heck of a hard thing because they all love this stuff. I mean, sure, as always some master criminals will rise to the top, but over all "the game" is jacked because now only the master criminals get to have any fun, where all the rest are now the patsies. It's just like the ancient alien theory problem. It all sounds good, but if there were civilizations of aliens here, where is all the trash they should have left behind? In closing, I truly appreciate all the work you guys do, it certainly makes more sense than a lot of things but stuff like this still comes up short. Unless the answer is that everyone who is in hell is in their own lucid dream of hell (for lack of a better term) so they can then continue to commit their crimes at the best level of they are individually capable of so they can find joy too.

[@offTheLeftEye]

Fair questions Namaste. Swedenborg tells many stories about life in hell. Indeed you are right some are in their own fantasies, counting pretend money, conning each other, lustful behaviors. If you are interested in reading about it you can download the book Heaven and Hell from the Swedenborg Foundation website. Also here are a couple of videos about hell. kzbin.info-m6JPgg6qnQ and kzbin.info/www/bejne/fHmaoaGFoLOBi7s which is about a devil who met Swedenborg. Keep asking questions.

[@biz2bizpro]

@@offTheLeftEye Before I say anything, I appreciate the work you do. Around four years ago, my intuition told me to look into Swedenborg's work. I got the book Heaven and Hell but found it challenging to make my way through it. A few months ago, I found your channel and I've truly enjoyed all the videos and things I've considered from them (especially the fact that everything is easy to understand because of these vids). If Hell makes it possible for them to be engulfed in their own fantasies, this makes so much sense. Thanks for the fast response!

[@dianematlock7922]

I had a neighbor that reeked of feces and urine...always in my face...neediest human I have lived near...yet there are demons in the flesh...that are misery in the flesh... in this building...raging mad...

[@offTheLeftEye]

Prayers for them -- and for you!

[@BR-nv8bw]

I don’t get a lot of what is said in the end in relation to God: if people are literally deceived by evil, then how is that solely a choice of free will if they are literally tricked? if they don’t know better, wouldnt God make the case for a better life more impactful? I’m confused a lot by swedenborgs writings when it comes to this, as if it makes God out to be not all powerful. Like His pitch for heaven isn’t good enough for us (even though we are all children of God and came from said good?) It’s a little disheartening that God just kind of weeps over people in hell forever as opposed to being sad they are there now but will eventually return “home.”

[@offTheLeftEye]

A recurring question, Monkeys Mobilize! "It makes God out to be not all powerful" -- this is an important point. Swedenborg points out that God can not break his own laws, and the thing he cares MOST about is our own spiritual freedom. He created us all for heaven, but if he just PUT us all there, we would not have any buy-in. He wants us to be in heaven because we WANT to be, not because we HAVE to be. So he lets us opt out of his plan for us to be in heaven, if we WANT to opt out. He cannot break his own principle of giving people spiritual freedom. Swedenborg says our spiritual freedom is the apple of God's eye, and he can't overturn it. So in that way, God isn't all powerful. But he will always be leading us as close to goodness as we will let him. And Swedenborg asserts that nobody goes to hell unless and until they are fully choosing it with all their being. They've had as long as they want, in the world of spirits, to get clear about who they truly want to be, with angelic "therapists" helping them try to figure it out. So once the choice is made, it's made. And the Lord won't mess with that. It's a different kind of view of the whole thing. What do you think?

[@janniroberts2666]

This was very interesting. I especially enjoy Swedenborg's writings when things are so specific- like actual conversations with good and evil spirits and angels and when he describes what he actually saw. I have many thoughts and questions- First, if these disgusting things are so delightful to the evil spirits, why would they want to change and become part of a good community? Or how do they ever have the want to do that? I guess I thought the ultimate goal in God's vision was for all spirits to be in good communities..but Curtis said- God wants you to be as happy as you can in your place- Does that mean that God is okay with you forever staying in an evil community as long as you leave the good people alone? It was said that the evil spirits are not allowed to bother the good spirits, so are the good spirits allowed to go to the evil ones and try to share their good thoughts? Or are they expected to leave the evil ones alone as well? I think it is so fascinating that God truly lets each person be happy where they want to be happy....either in good and divine truth and love or in evil and falsity ...... I also found it so interesting that the evil spirits came to Swedenborg and said - share some things that we think also- Like Jon Childs said- very fun to hear their perspective. OTLE- thank you so much for all you do..... wish I could sit with you all and have Swedenborg conversations- you are a gift to me.....

[@offTheLeftEye]

Hi Janni, great questions! I will do my best to answer them for you, from my knowledge of Swedenborg's writings. I believe that if evil spirts find delight in disgusting, evil things, they would NOT want to change and become part of a good community. For an evil person to live in heaven would feel like a punishment, or like torment. In this way, hell is a mercy for those who can't stand heaven. I believe God DOES want all spirits to be a part of heaven, but gives humans the choice of place. I also believe that it is possible for people in hell to change their behavior and change their minds over time, and with help from God, although Swedenborg doesn't say much about this specifically and so I have more of a sense that this is true than any clear ideas on the whole concept. That said, yes, I think God is okay with people staying in an evil community if it's what they really want, because God wants everyone's happiness. There seem to be strict boundaries preventing people in hell from interacting with anyone in heaven, although those lines have been crossed. (See our episode, "Hell Almost Destroyed Heaven," kzbin.info/www/bejne/ppaZc6Nmn8qHoas ). As for good people interfering in hell, I imagine they would only go there if it were somehow God's will, if there was a mission or use behind it, but otherwise no, I don't think they would even want to go down there or have any need to. That's my understanding of it, but there is much to learn and Swedenborg's book, "Heaven and Hell" is chock full of information! Check it out and even download it for free here: swedenborg.com/product/heaven-hell-nce/ Great questions, thanks for watching, Janni! God bless!

[@rickrouse7865]

Question... In most hellish NDE's the experiencer is tortured one way or the other and hell is described as a pit or prison and eternal torture is all there will ever be in hell. How is Swedenborg accounts of hell so different?

[@klausehrhardt4481]

Hi Rick. I´ve been roaming through Swedenborg writings, specially at the secret of heavens. In many passages, he describes the going to hell or heaven as a process in the spiritual world, that´s to say, a purgatory process where one purges all good things if the dominant love is for evil or all evil things if the dominant (core) love is for good. There are also people described that go straigh to one of those destinations without delay. Those NDE´s you mention probably deal with a vision of the terminal state after the purge process to make subject person of the NDE see what human existence will look not only ater the death of the body, but after final judgment is done. Anyway, there are people that find pleasure in being tortured just here on earth, so that may give you a hint. There are not only sadists, but also masoquists: both is evil, but it also may explain much of what should be the correlative of heavenly marriage in hell. Hope it helps.

[@offTheLeftEye]

Thank you for your question, Rick, as always! And thank you for being here with us! Swedenborg would be on board with what klaus offered here in reply. He says that going to hell or going to heaven is, for most, a process. And processing hurts! Change is hard. Letting go of what we love, even when it's not serving us, can be excruciating. Both in this world and in the next life we have the opportunity to surrender to this process to be made ready for heaven, a place where torture will never again enter our experience. We are also presented with the choice to refuse surrender, refuse change, and refuse transformation. My own experience is that this state of angry refusal is a torture in itself!

[@klausehrhardt4481]

@@offTheLeftEye Hi, Curtis. That´s a great topic: to bring in comparision the way our wordly, fleshly and intelectual pleasures eventually have to wear out by running in their own closed loop cicles, at the other hand, the way our Lord constinuously flows in, keeping us alive, that is, providing us with pleasure, change, movement in a newness of life by expanding those circles into a double spiral. For those that cannot comprehend how it is possible to desire something evil as delightfull, I´d like to tell bellow of what happened to my daughter once: At the age of 10, my daughter Gabriella was depressed due to a lot of struggle and stress, both in home and school. She was also angry at me because the unforgiving badass old scholl daddy I am at times. She frowned at me and told me: I´d wish you kill me. That one hurted me, but as a father, I told her that I knew she said that due to the fact she knew I loved her so much, and by wanting me to kill her, she was pursuing a foul revenge on me. Revenge feels good, I told her, but its joy can´t last, cause you destroy the source of your joy, as evil ALLWAYS does. Good, at the other hand, keeps, nourishes and improves the source of its pleasures. Simple as that. Now, come to think what it is that goes through the heart of our Father in Heavens when he looks below to his children bellow on earth. If you think you a have a reason to be sad and full of sorrows, think it again. He can bear the unimaniginable as he can bear your sorrows also. If you are happy, you sing; if sad, you pray: tis no matter - as long as it is in our Lord. God Bless you all, Folks.

[@offTheLeftEye]

Also, Rick, I always like to remember that NDEs are just glimpses, affected by the person's own state of mind at the time. That gives a very different picture than the extended observations Swedenborg was able to make over 3 decades!

[@offTheLeftEye]

@@klausehrhardt4481 Thank you for sharing more of your insights on this topic, klaus, and we are wishing God's blessings to you, too!

[@judypa38]

Is is an evil delight to want to see evil stop when it is causing harm to oneself or others. I had the thought that hell and heaven exists for the choose what they like. I wondered why don't all people call out to God to be pulled out - because they prefer the stinch and pleasures of hell. God has created two worlds with choices; people do get pulled in because of the pressure from people who enjoy wickedness hoping they will leave then alone or they get jealous becuase evil people seem to get what they want in this life - but later on find they are miserable. It just takes longer to acquire what one needs; and sometimes somethings will bring misery so God doesn't bring it to them.

[@offTheLeftEye]

These are important ideas and questions, juldypa. Wanting evil to stop is absolutely a good thing, because that is what God feels. He longs for us to reject harming others. If God is wishing it, we do well to wish it too. Swedenborg uses the phrase "pleasure of insanity". I know how that feels... when I would rather criticize someone I love than support them. That is crazy! And yes, God sees that bad choices will bring us misery in the end, so he can spare us that suffering when he can by not allowing it in the first place. We still experience freedom, and the repercussions of our choices. But God spares us much of the pain we could easily bring upon ourselves.

[@JuanitaGrande]

Wow. Thanks for sharing this fascinating take on “hell”. I have a request please: for a long-time seeker, who has never read Swedenborg, but who jives tremendously with what is presented on this fine channel-which of his books would you suggest holds the most possible soul nuggets? Thanks much and pax from France.

[@offTheLeftEye]

We are delighted to meet you. Hello to you across the miles. My daughter is a student at Grenoble! Anyway the book Heaven and Hell is a great one to start with, with short chapters and interesting topics. You can either download it or buy a copy from www.swedenborg.com. Enjoy the treasure hunt, Juanita!

[@ericr9772]

I think maybe soul assesses progress towards a greater vision that is dynamic with events and can be modified by discarnate spirit. People that are community oriented take on simple visions that provide utility to the community. It could be possible that their soul reasoning is limited to local needs. Those whose vision encompass greater realms such as Earth itself will constantly be confronted with emerging problems. Happiness would be difficult for a global soul. To local onlookers it may appear to be the torment of God but in reality it is the breadth of soul that experiences far reaching aches as the problems of the world exacerbate.

[@offTheLeftEye]

Thank you for these insights, Eric! I agree that there can be pain in the process of trying to help make the world a better place.

[@Alvin66329]

Swedenborg concept of hell reminds me a lot of the great divorce from CS Lewis

[@offTheLeftEye]

Ottoman, that's a great connection, yes, I think there's some overlap there! There is evidence that CS Lewis drew some of his ideas from Swedenborg, or at least read and was aware of him. I think it's a little inconclusive.

[@sumanghosh-pb3dw]

11:14 - evil spirits say they love this. They want 2 bothr souls n angels so they're cast in hell.

[@offTheLeftEye]

"Cast into hell" -- but they CHOOSE it, because they actually love it, as you point out, Suman. They are separated so angels and good spirits are not adversely affected by them.

[@ACEsMatter]

People are deceived by evil

[@offTheLeftEye]

You mean the dark forces seek us out, ACEs?

[@ACEsMatter]

@@offTheLeftEye that should've said deceived by evil - and specifically thru our childhood experiences (we leave childhood thinking the world is full of people like the ones who hurt us)

[@offTheLeftEye]

@@ACEsMatter Can we think the world is full of people like the ones who cared for us? Has evil misled you in this life?

[@sagaciousid]

The bigger question that Swedenborg doesn’t address is why these evil spirits exists. And why would hell torment them when it is they who torment themselves? Why do these exist to make our lives just a bit more miserable? These are the questions, but the answer is just a Q&A session with spirits from hell that doesn’t really say much.

[@offTheLeftEye]

Well here is a playlist that answers those questions and many more. kzbin.info/aero/PLgtFTXGqZdSlweeCyT9zjfpb76Ap3O7mE There is plenty to say about evil and how God works to protect the good, and still preserve the freedom of those who choose evil. Stay curious sagaclousid.

[@cindyedwards6924]

Great explanation regarding the love/obsession/joy spirits may take in evil and it is something they seek out even on the other side (staying away from light which would make them uncomfortable). Interesting.

[@offTheLeftEye]

Yes, it really makes sense, doesn't it, when you see the harmful things people can take pleasure in here on earth, and they way people can want to avoid facing the truth about that harm. I'm glad this topic was interesting to you, Cindy. Thank you for watching!

[@moesypittounikos]

Do evil ideas come from Hell, or the bad people living there? I'm thinking of the title of Dostoevsky's novel possessed, also translated as Devil's. I've read that he read Swedenborg.

[@offTheLeftEye]

Yes, apparently he did read Swedenborg, Moesy. As for your initial question, I think of them as the same thing. Heaven and hell are the collection of human spirits who live there, and they are actually the mindset IN the human spirits -- which is why we can experience moments of heaven and hell on this earth. It's inside us. I don't think of hell as disembodied evil, but hatred and revenge and control and megalomaniacism and cruelty in human hearts and minds. Just a quick answer on my take -- what do you think? Have you seen our episode called "What is Hell Really Like?" -- kzbin.info/www/bejne/nYmmgGSGa9dggdk. (33 minutes). Or there's a 2-minute video called "What are Heaven and Hell?" kzbin.info/www/bejne/mXTMq4KJitxpr9k. Perhaps one of them would address your question as well. Your question makes me want to read Dostoevsky! Thanks!

[@alf6245]

OK. If evil people are suffering in Hell. What is causing this suffering, if they are in a place where they are enjoying themselves? Is the suffering coming from, other evil people in Hell, or suffering from the fear of the others hurting you in hell. This sounds abit like Howard Storm's NDE, he was hurt in hell by others. He said they were other people. I feel sad for them, I hope that one day they can come out of hell.

[@offTheLeftEye]

Great questions, ALF. One way Swedenborg puts it is that we go to wherever it is that we can breathe. That doesn't necessarily translate to "enjoying themselves," but it's essential! The way I take it is that spirits who choose hell just can't stand to be around love and light and kindness and goodwill for all. So they opt for a place free from that. The suffering, from what I gather from Swedenborg, is due to never being able to fully live out your fantasies of being all-powerful and fully in control; the frustration of not actually being able to harm others in pursuit of your own goals; the misery of stewing in your own hatred and resentments, etc.; and I suppose there could be fear of being threatened by others (though again, actual harm is not permitted to be inflicted). Swedenborg says that nobody goes to hell until they are fully clear that they're not interested in goodness and love and truth. So it implies a kind of permanent choice. But even Swedenborgians debate that. Here's a show we did called "What is Hell Really Like?" -- kzbin.info/www/bejne/nYmmgGSGa9dggdk (33 minutes). And another very short, very early video called "What is Hellfire ?" (1.5 minutes) -- which might succinctly address your question. Hope any of this feels helpful!

[@alf6245]

@@offTheLeftEye Thank you so much, that was very helpful!

[@offTheLeftEye]

@@alf6245 Yay!

[@gardeniabee]

I wonder what is the psychological basis of compulsion. Maybe evil driven by compulsion is more accurate description than driven by joy.

[@ericr9772]

I process new information with my brain to update my outlooks. I'm not sure spirit has the ability to update itself without a brain to synthesize new understanding or protocol for action. What people had accepted as good might inform tendencies of spirit in their time, especially in death. As notions of good change with modernity spirit does not necessarily have modern instinct.

[@offTheLeftEye]

Hi, gardeniabee! (I love your KZbin name!) You are offering a really compelling idea! Would you like to say more about that?

[@ilovemyboyfriend5425]

hey how you feel bout Christian universalism i want to try it

[@offTheLeftEye]

I really don't know anything about it, ilmb! It seems that if you're interested, it's worth a look, and you can see if it resonates with what feels good and true in your heart. Blessings to you on this step of your journey!

[@ilovemyboyfriend5425]

@@offTheLeftEye i aso like gnostic christian

[@offTheLeftEye]

@@ilovemyboyfriend5425 I think it's great to explore what fascinates you! Good luck on the journey of spiritual seeking!

[@madejesa]

Why use a highlighter if you use a color that covers the words in an unreadable way? Stick to yellow so that the words you highlight can be read.

[@offTheLeftEye]

MJS thanks for the tip! We appreciate feedback and will think about this for future episodes!

[@madejesa]

Thanks for accepting the feedback. I did like that you were underlying which allows the words readable. Good topic. I had never known this author. Thank you, good video.

[@offTheLeftEye]

@@madejesa Thank you for the kind words! We're really glad to have you here, exploring these quotes and concepts with us. Swedenborg's books have a lot to offer!

[@frenchfry5675]

I feel like I was dragged down toward hell. I struggle against it and have overcome in some ways. Honestly I'm not sure how it all came about but it seems it snuck up on me. I'm really at a loss as to why I suffer torments from spirits. The disconnect I feel is that I wasn't given a chance to choose before the evil came and attacked me. I tried being some kind of christian (even though it wasn't my background) but that didn't work for me. The things that people said, how they were saved or talked to God etc never really opened to me. I felt like I showed up and asked , waited to receive and nothing came so how much more should I put out. I tried a bunch of spiritual things but nothing really worked.

[@offTheLeftEye]

Hey there French Fry -- I'm so sorry that your attempts to free yourself of this torment have not been completely successful. It's encouraging to see that you HAVE overcome in some ways -- can you attribute that success to anything in particular? Any actions you took? Perhaps actively trying to take in some more positive ideas and energy could help -- when you were trying on Christianity, did you read any of the Bible? The hopeful and prayerful Psalms? The love and truth and compassion of Jesus in the New Testament? Having that kind of light and love to battle the dark forces with could make a difference, rather than just waiting for something to come to you. I don't know. And have you explored our channel for positive input? Have you seen, "Does My Life Matter?" -- kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWSpl4OHqMuSsLc. Or this one -- "How to Use Positive Energy to Deal with Someone's Negative Behavior" -- kzbin.info/www/bejne/bXzLln6VqLxkj6c. Perhaps you could apply it to how the dark spirits are treating you negatively. Or here are a bunch of shows about the influence hell wants to have on us. Perhaps you've already seen most of them. How To Deal With Evil Spirits kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJ66o3SlgrFlnqc The Angels and Evil Spirits With Us -- kzbin.info/www/bejne/nXXRdqyAmrmdl8k How to Detect Evil Spirits -- kzbin.info/www/bejne/r2LCk5WIqamJpa8 How Evil Spirits Attack Us -- kzbin.info/www/bejne/hIC8fImuZqd5pKs How to Make Evil Spirits Retreat and Good Ones Move Closer -- kzbin.info/www/bejne/nJ2xXpZ8jsumb7s Don't Let Hell Push You Around -- kzbin.info/www/bejne/jmincmxmZt6Hgs0 Head Bullies, part 1-- kzbin.info/www/bejne/o5qWoqKveaaqldE Head Bullies, part 2-- kzbin.info/www/bejne/gpOcYod-eq6jiKM The Lies Evil Spirits Tell Us kzbin.info/www/bejne/h5LUlWx8ndirpsk I hope that somehow you can kind of "take over" the airwaves in your own head, take charge and send away the negative input, actively turn your mind toward something good and useful when the attacks start again. I hope it doesn't sound like empty platitudes to you, but many people have said things like diet and exercise and finding a way to be useful to others have been helpful. I'm sorry if this all feels like just more words to you -- I'm just offering some thoughts in hopes of sparking some new idea. I wish you all the best, and send prayers for healing and hope for you!

[@frenchfry5675]

@@offTheLeftEye I know Swedenborg had conversations with evil spirits and I vaguely remember him being attacked by them but is there a particular place I could read up on those attacks ? Also, in his teachings (if I remember correctly) he said we have both good and evil spirits with us , did he have any conversations or encounters with them ? When I said I overcame some it's that I remained cool, calm and collected in my life. I'm not saying that I'm unaware of thoughts but much of my experience has been sensing them in a more tangible and direct way.

[@offTheLeftEye]

@@frenchfry5675 There are descriptions of Swedenborg being attacked by evil spirit scattered throughout his writings, and yes, he had plenty of conversations with evil spirits. I think you would find the most concentrated selection of those descriptions in his unpublished diary of spiritual experiences. How about give that a try! You can read it online here: newchristianbiblestudy.org/exposition/translation/spiritual-experiences-odhner/

[@la-ia1404]

There is good and bad pleasure.

[@offTheLeftEye]

Yes indeed! So true.

[@joeybez5464]

like movie what dreams may come and little nicky [kind of in some senses]

[@offTheLeftEye]

Joey B, yes, I think so! I haven't seen Little Nicky, but I believe you! (=

[@joeybez5464]

@@offTheLeftEye i became a volunteer science researcher for many channels across the globe after i had a vision that i was shown heaven /hell/ apocalypse i even took picts of my vision thanks for awesome info video

[@offTheLeftEye]

@@joeybez5464 Your'e very welcome, and thank you for all the good work you are doing out there in the world!

[@mikenutritionfit]

Great video! Could do a video on the power of words. The power of the tongue as paraphrased by Jesus

[@offTheLeftEye]

Thanks for the kind words! I'm really glad you enjoyed this episode. And thank you for the great topic idea, too! Are you referring to Matthew 15:11 "What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”? Or is it a different passage?

[@mikenutritionfit]

@@offTheLeftEye yes! Yes! I would be glad if you'd do a video topic on that because I get that a lot from motivational speakers, pastors , other religious leaders that words have power! It will be interesting to know Swedenborg's take

[@offTheLeftEye]

@@mikenutritionfit I have put that idea onto our list of possible topics. Thanks for the suggestion!

[@TheCubeMusic]

Care about you dear curtis peace ✌️

[@marysunshine5587]

Your soul has to understand both,I heard people that have had NDE god made them see and feel the abyss, some saying worse than hell were God said you need to experience that I believe he does that for some souls but god was with them so they were safe but it made their soul realize they never want to feel that or any soul to experience that place,as much as I would dread it I can understand why you'd have to understand both

[@offTheLeftEye]

Mary, well said. We can't make a choice about who we want to be until we've seen our options. And then we must make that choice over and over! Peoples' NDEs vary widely, like people themselves, and seem to be a learning opportunity for the soul experiencing them. Very interesting ideas! Have you heard Howard Storm's story? Pretty incredible! Check out our episode, "The Reality of Heaven and Hell with Howard Storm" kzbin.info/www/bejne/l4WTn2RsoZ1sqck

[@marysunshine5587]

@@offTheLeftEye oh yes his story is riveting. His soul had to see hell,it was for his soul development, yes god pretty much indidualizes the experiences for your soul.

[@marysunshine5587]

@@offTheLeftEye whenever I've been away from your channel for awhile and come back I feel that eternal soul connection to god again.

[@offTheLeftEye]

@@marysunshine5587 We love having you here, Mary, whenever it works for you!

[@Anon4280]

How is it that the devil can speak and say the truth about what they are doing in their destructive activities when it is written in verse John 8:44 that the devil is a liar and a father of lies?

[@offTheLeftEye]

I suppose evil spirits lie when it serves them to do so. When Swedenborg asked them to tell about their life perhaps they wanted the attention.

[@Anon4280]

@@offTheLeftEye Thank you for kindly replying to my question. It is an interesting perspective.

[@offTheLeftEye]

@@Anon4280 We are pleased to be able to serve you in some small way.

[@multiyournext1705]

What about the wrath of God and how its poured out in hell?

[@offTheLeftEye]

We believe passages like that are just an appearance, Multiyournext, based on people's own state of mind and heart. That is, in a certain state of rebelliousness (for instance) we might PERCEIVE God as angry or vengeful. But God is Pure Love and Mercy, as scriptures like this point out: "Let us love one another, for love is of God, and every one who loves is born of God and knows God. God is love, and anyone who abides in love abides in God, and God in him." (1 John 4:7-11) There are certainly boundaries put around those who choose evil, and sometimes evil desires bring their own punishment, but God is not pouring wrath on anyone. He created us and loves us and does all he can to lead us to heaven -- it is only our own choice that takes us to hell.

[@multiyournext1705]

@@offTheLeftEye So in terms of salvation do you still believe that only through Christ are we saved regardless of one's own sin, cause Christ already paid for our sins?

[@offTheLeftEye]

@@multiyournext1705 we believe salvation comes when we believe in something bigger than ourselves, perhaps we call it Jesus Christ; and when that belief leads us to love others and be of useful service in our daily lives. We must have faith, love, and truthful actions to be saved. See this short clip, "What is Salvation?" kzbin.info/www/bejne/aZ7amZSlbK6SldE for more! We believe Jesus Christ was born on earth and died to restore balance to humanity, so that salvation was possible at all. See our episode, "Why Did Jesus Suffer And Die?" kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKLWk4xvnLeLrtE for more on Jesus' life and death, and His love for humanity. We do not believe that everyone needs to have the same religion to go to heaven or be saved, but rather that all religions teach truths about God in different ways that resonate with different people, and can all lead us to heaven. See this short clip "Many Religions, A Single Heart" for more: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d4OkZ4OaZZasfrM This is why the Bible says: "Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god." (Isaiah 44:6) Thanks for your question! I hope this is helpful! Wishing you well!

[@ilovemyboyfriend5425]

im confused if spirits are ok with hell why do good?

[@offTheLeftEye]

For the sake of goodness. Because goodness serves people and creates a better world for all. Because we are actually happier when we care for others -- even though these spirits may THINK they're happy.

[@Preliminimal]

Thank you

[@offTheLeftEye]

We sure understand that Curtis's style will not work for everyone! That's why he brought Dr. Rose onto the team, and the other hosts, so that this channel can offer different styles for different types of learners. Have you watched Dr. Rose's series "Spirit and Life Bible Study"? spiritandlifebiblestudy.com/

[@offTheLeftEye]

I'm glad you feel value in that balance, Michael! They sure enjoy working together.

[@jameszooski9053]

i thought you said before no was cast into Hell ,they went on own free will, hear you say they are cast into Hell!, don't understand?

[@mistaleesreversespeech7728]

I think its more like magnetism of spirit.

[@offTheLeftEye]

Yes, magnetism is a good way to think of it. Basically they are "cast" or dragged into hell by other evil spirits, because when they harass good spirits, the spiritual law of "what you put out come back at you" kicks in. Other evil spirits attack those evil spirits and drag them down to hellish torment. I'm picturing that scene in the movie "Ghost" when the bad guy dies and evil spirits come and drag him down with them. They have freewill as to what actions to take, but those actions have automatic consequences.

[@robz537]

@@offTheLeftEye good example with the movie, and after commenting something with magnetism i see you guys already brought it up. ^ ^

[@klausehrhardt4481]

Hi James. I´d like to share an anallogy with you. If I choose to get hi every day on booze, I´ll get ocassionlly adicted to it: it is my free choice, altough the level of freedom in the choice depends on how much I know about what I am doing. Would I have come to this, the choice of getting out of adicction by myself will be gone, for my will has been bound and subdued to that particular vice. Now, I´m no more the master of my own will, but the master of my will is some vice. It is that vice that will throw me back into "hell". As a conclusion, we may say that we first have to go to hell in order to be cast down back there. That´s also Dante Alighieri´s opinion, for in every particular level of hell described in his Divine Comedy there are guardians, the most emblematic being Cerberus, the tree-headed dog that let the shadows in the realm of Hades, but not out. Wellcome to hotel California. Tell the number of vices of someone, and you´ll tell the number of lords rulling over him. Hope it helps.

[@offTheLeftEye]

@@klausehrhardt4481 That's a great way to explain it. To keep choosing a vice eventually causes a person to be enslaved to that vice!

[@GabrielleWilliams317]

What if you like a little chaotic fun every once in a while like fighting with fists, pulling pranks on people, doing a dine and ditch with a friend, getting high with weed or ecstacy, getting drunk, pool hopping, joy riding, egging houses, and having sex with multiple partners in semi public locations? Is this going to put me in hell? What if you wanna be doing hell type of things but then no longer want them and want a more beautiful life like in heaven? Can you transfer to heaven? What if you get bored with heaven and want some things hell offers you? Can you transfer to hell and then after you are done can you transfer back to heaven? Is you wanting to have alot of sex still when you are in the afterlife going to put you in hell?

[@offTheLeftEye]

Hi Gabrielle -- The main distinction between heaven and hell, you might say, is whether you want to be a contributing part of a loving community, or whether you want to hurt others for your own benefit and satisfaction. Doing damage to self or others would not fit into a heavenly lifestyle, because heaven is built on mutual love to all. Swedenborg says that we don't move into either heaven or hell until we're completely clear about our motivations and what we care about. So it doesn't sound like there's a lot of hopping back and forth, because we want to be where we feel at home at our core. We did a couple shows on this general topic: "What if I Don't Like Heaven?" -- kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZmKbk4KXh7qbj6M And a short one called "Is Heaven Boring?" -- kzbin.info/www/bejne/d2TEiIOaiMeejc0 Your spiritual life is between you and God, and about living what you believe to be true. So we don't know the answers to your questions, but we hope these thoughts we offer give you some points to ponder.

[@ldjt6184]

Nobody likes hell, not even Satan himself or demons. That's why they try to possess us humans and try to get us to join in their misery.

[@offTheLeftEye]

Evil can never be satisfied, so yes, there is always misery. The amazing thing that Swedenborg witnessed was that people chose hell because the atmosphere of heaven was actually more painful for them! Those who fiercely resist the need to change destructive habits actually hate the atmosphere of heaven.

[@ldjt6184]

Where did Swedenborg witness this and who are these people he's speaking about?

[@offTheLeftEye]

@@ldjt6184 After a powerful spiritual awakening and vision of Jesus Christ, Swedenborg spent about 27 years having daily spiritual experiences, in which he spoke to vast numbers of spirits and angels, and saw countless scenarios in the spiritual world. Occasionally he identifies certain spirits as people he knew on earth, or as people recognizable from history. But mostly he describes scenes he observed of people in the afterlife without knowing them personally, or identifying them as certain known persons. If you would like to know more about Swedenborg and his life story, see: "Was Swedenborg Crazy?" kzbin.info/www/bejne/gZC9gWZmg6uMnJo "Splendors of the Spirit" kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJXdlnmBnZ6SepY For his a free download of his book "Heaven and Hell", with extensive descriptions of things he observed in the afterlife, go to this link: swedenborg.com/product/heaven-hell-nce/ For specific things Swedenborg learned and witnessed about hell, see our episode "What is Hell Really Like?" kzbin.info/www/bejne/nYmmgGSGa9dggdk Or, "The Good Thing About Hell" kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6GmiIKmnrmJmtU So there are a few resources. I hope that helps!

[@lilytoh3580]

The evil ones are liars; do not believe them.

[@offTheLeftEye]

Hi Lily, can you tell me more about what you mean by that?

[@PseudoMystic]

If the God of Swedenborg is the God that made the Natural world then he is a God who intended to create creatures which of their own natural volition will be attracted to things unpleasant or outright antithetical to the lives of other organisms. To me, true Christian love is to not condemn or patronize this relative variation in natural inclination, I love the wolf, I love the worm that cannot live without causing misery to it's host, but I do not have to like that those things are their necessary inclinations, I just have to respect them and see that my perspective is not necessarily privileged.

[@offTheLeftEye]

Hi PseudoMystic, thank you for sharing your loving perspective on our natural world. I agree - why condemn innocent creatures who operate exactly as they are meant to? We can respect how all creatures and creations function in a way that preserves and protects the whole - for example, how the buzzard eliminates carcasses and flies clean waste materials so that we can all carry on functioning and not live in filth - even if witnessing these things is not entirely pleasant, the import is the USE! Is this what you're referring to? Thanks for your comment!

[@PseudoMystic]

@@offTheLeftEye Yes and no, while many organisms have their utilitarian ecological niche, I think it's risky to assume whether or not something will or wont have positive utility further on or ultimately. That, and obviously the ecology metaphor can't be perfectly translated unto human society since we have the capacity to self-reflect on our actions, and thus bear more ethical responsibility to not blindly follow our impulses, and clearly the imbalance in our social ecosystems has lead to horrific imbalance in the material ones. There's a Chinese parable about an old weak farmer whose son breaks his leg, they are both distraught and worried this injury will lead them to starve when the next day messengers pass through informing them every able-bodied young man is to be drafted into the emperor's army, the injury spares the son and the story goes on like that where one seemingly bad event leads to something good, and the seemingly good leads to something bad. What I like about Swedenborg is that his vision of the afterlife and it's teleological implications give as merciful a place as is possible for even the worst of human beings without rewarding them or condemning them, but personally I think teleological arguments risk trivializing the immediacy of suffering ("Don't worry this is all a part of God's plan") or inversely when actions are designated as ultimately or intrinsically evil they risk a sort of ethical naivety or narcissism ("It's bad from what I can see, so it's inherently bad"). I think it's important, especially in considerations of charity or self-sacrifice, to be able to see value from a non-utilitarian, or even non-consequential standpoint. A person whose generosity is motivated ultimately by the selfish reasons ("I will be rewarded in heaven") or someone who is only charitable when it appears effective in the long term ("I won't give change to the street beggar, but I will donate to improve the shelter") have their positive place in our social ecosystem, but their selflessness is limited by their inferences of utility (selfish or otherwise). I'm not against utilitarian framing in and of itself, the principle behind "teach a man to fish" still holds, but I think it's limited. Swedenborg of course was the un-credited source of inspiration for Kant's ethics, and I would by no means consider Swedenborg's philosophy to really suffer from my reservations, if anything I prefer him to Kant in that he seems far more successful at adopting a view of treating others as ends in and of themselves, and not merely as means for our own selfish ends. Whereas Kant stumbled out from the categorical imperative to questionable conclusions of racism and other such bigotry, Swedenborg comparatively excelled in this area in my opinion. Sorry for the long rambling reply, my point being I see limits and possible pitfalls to teleology in ethics, Swedenborg's teleology is however superior to most given he is able to accommodate radical difference in perspective, but it's this very relativism that makes me question how we pass judgement. I love the wolf and the worm equally as I love their prey and host because like the rest of us they are mortal creatures driven by impulse, like us they are fallible and capable of doing harm without realizing it, and because from a cosmic perspective the existence of life at all beyond it's simplest forms resonates with me as miraculous.

[@offTheLeftEye]

@@PseudoMystic Thank you so much for sharing all these insights and reflections! I really resonate with these thoughts, and with your quest to understand the order behind all that we see and experience here on earth. I'm glad that Swedenborg's writings can be a useful part of that quest. We're sure glad to have you here in the audience, sharing your perspective! Wishing you all the best!

[@evenflow3256]

❤💛💙

[@SuzannaK-uk9vm]

I really love yr show however this show is a bit confusing 1) If someone does evil , it is there choice and it is THEIR EVIL . Why does it say it's not the person that is evil ,it's hell that is going through the person ?? If someone commits what we consider an evil act ,THEY are responsible, THEY made the choice and THEY are evil or evil within that situation/ act . 2) Though I have got this message from yr channel as well as other channels whether books or youtube , I find this comment confusing too. You have flagged as others have in different media that there is no judgment n the afterlife and in heaven about what level you are at etc . However aren't good spirits judging bad spirits and calling them evil ? Hasn't a judgement already taken place and that is why spirits who genuinely have evil intent need to be separated from spirits with genuine good kind intent? Would these evil spirits be aware that they are considered " evil" If so they have definitely been judged. Please give me some feedback if you can . Thanks from Australia yr show is amazing.

[@offTheLeftEye]

Hi Suzanna, and thanks for your questions. I'll share some thoughts with you and hope they'll help, though they may not feel like a fully satisfying answer! 1. Swedenborg says we have heaven and hell flowing into us at all times, and the purpose of that is to keep us in equilibrium, so that we are in the power to choose. Perhaps you'd like to point me to a minute marker in this video where your question comes up, but usually Swedenborg talks about us not being responsible for the evil thoughts and feelings that flow into us UNTIL we act on them. And then, yes, we ARE responsible for them. But even then, he says sometimes we act out in a state of not being fully rational (drunk, sick, grieving, "out of our minds"), in which case those behaviors are not held against us SPIRITUALLY, though of course we have to face the consequences of our actions in this world. In Swedenborg's worldview, it all comes down to our inner motivations and intentions -- THOSE are the things that drive our spirit and FORM our spirit. If we are not *consciously* choosing to do evil, with full awareness and dedicated intent, then it is not really part of our eternal soul. Does that offer any clarity? 2. Perhaps the word "judgment" is part of the confusion here. Swedenborg learned that there is no one outside of ourself that is "Judging" us to heaven or to hell. That is an inner process, where we become completely clear about who we truly are, who we WANT to be, and that clarity takes us to either heaven or hell. In one place, Swedenborg says we simply go to the place where we can breathe -- the place where the outer environment matches our deepest core, where we feel at home. Yes, there needs to be separation between the evil and the good, but Swedenborg says that angels always excuse the evils in another and look for the good -- so maybe they are just aware of the need for boundaries, without having condemning thoughts about the residents of hell. ??? Conversely, I can imagine evil spirits having thoughts about angels -- but because they DON'T always look for the good in others, they probably don't call angels "good," but maybe ignorant, naive, childish, deluded, or what-have-you. ??? I don't really know, but there are some thoughts. The main thing is, people in hell are there because they have CHOSEN it as the place where they can be as happy as possible. I don't think they're worried about how other people view them.... Thoughts? Response?

[@SuzannaK-uk9vm]

Thanks for your reply . I will have a think about everything you wrote. I guess things will be clearer when we are ' there' lol . Thankyou

[@offTheLeftEye]

@@SuzannaK-uk9vm very true! Thanks for your questions! Feel free to share any more as they arise, or thoughts you may have, anytime!

[@gabinelson]

So hell is a jail.....

[@offTheLeftEye]

It is certainly a restricted life, but a life that those people freely chose over the life of heaven (which is a life of kindness and service to others). People in hell are allowed to do what they want, unless they want to harm innocent people. That, they are not allowed to do, and are restricted from doing! For a more extensive explanation of what hell is like, from what Swedenborg witnessed and wrote, see our episodes "What Is Hell Really Like?" kzbin.info/www/bejne/nYmmgGSGa9dggdk and "The Good Thing About Hell" kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6GmiIKmnrmJmtU

[@Preliminimal]

specifics?

[@offTheLeftEye]

Hi, Preliminimal! This quote is a description rather than instructions, and I can understand if it feels vague. Maybe some other episodes would feel more helpful, like: "4 Steps to Receive Power From God" kzbin.info/www/bejne/oZ3JXoOwnLd3aKs "Repentance: How to Be in Heaven Now" kzbin.info/www/bejne/a5CQq6ukpqySqck "The Day-to-Day Process of Our Salvation" kzbin.info/www/bejne/gZy3paaoe8d_itU

[@sweetpea1322]

Sorry this is off point, but you sure are having a blast with that stylus! Lol

[@offTheLeftEye]

It's certainly proving to be a fun educational tool -- with a sizable sense of humor thrown in! Thanks for watching, Sweet Pea!

[@sweetpea1322]

@@offTheLeftEye Haha yes it Is! You're welcome,I enjoy watching videos on your channel! Thank you for making such fun and educational videos about Swedenborg's work.

[@offTheLeftEye]

@@sweetpea1322 We're so glad to know you're out there in the audience. Wishing you all the best!

[@paulcook1494]

I have a difficult time thinking that people are cruel just for the sake of being cruel. We’re all products of our environments, so it seems to me that broken people haven’t learned any other way. Take Donald Trump. He has narcissistic personality disorder. Which I suspect cane from never really experiencing love when he was a child, although I’d never want to be in the same room as him, I understand, again that we’re all products of our environments. What’s you opinion?

[@offTheLeftEye]

Hi Paul! I'm not going to comment on any political figures, because we want our channel to be as inclusive as possible, and try to stick to spiritual commentary. But I appreciate your efforts to find compassion for people even if their ideas don't resonate with you! That said, I agree with you that we all have our own particular backgrounds, experiences, environments that significantly shape who we are and how we see the world around us. I think it's possible that some of us don't receive the love we needed to learn how to be good people, and in those cases, I believe the Lord provides that opportunity in the Spiritual World for us to learn what love is, and then decide if it's something we want to embrace. But for most of us, I think at some point we are fully responsible for what we put into the world, and what we take from it. It is our job to chip away at our challenges and our views and try to find love, and in doing so, share love with others. Swedenborg says that we are accountable for the actions we did with love and intention - whether good or evil. We are not accountable for things we did out of ignorance, even if they were hurtful. It is only the things we intended and wanted to do. That is why Swedenborg wrote, "All things to the very least are judged by purpose. It is purpose that forms character, it is purpose according to which they are judged in the other life. Purpose is the all in all of character." (Spiritual Experiences §2450) Some episodes that go more into the idea of why we are the way we are: SHORT Is God Fair? kzbin.info/www/bejne/i3qwl4V7ZdyghaM "Does Suffering Lead You Closer to God?" kzbin.info/www/bejne/nH2naHejprOrmrs “Why Do Some People Experience More Trauma While Others Do Not?” kzbin.info/www/bejne/hqnJeJV_l5d-iMk LONGER "Evil People Can Be More Useful to God?" kzbin.info/www/bejne/hILCqq2ceJeqjM0 "Why Bad Things Happen,” kzbin.info/www/bejne/lXeWeKKhpZlnh9E “Life Isn’t Fair, or Is It?” kzbin.info/www/bejne/amOldnWng5V7abs “Does My Life Matter?” kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWSpl4OHqMuSsLc "The World of Spirits" kzbin.info/www/bejne/p6DEgaqer6l7ja8 Hope that's useful!

[@darrellwalker6560]

This guy creeps me out! 😱 Sirach 39:28, Is.8:19-20, Is.66:22-4. I went to a place, can't say what it was, but it resembled hell as I, may understand it and what I seen they didn't enjoy it at all. He's treading dangerously on something maybe he doesn't really understand and whoever he supposedly communicating with could reallly be deceiving him or he could be deceiving the people logged onto this site. Seems to be grasping at straws. Part of the truth is a complete lie. Deut. 29:29. Hmm! 🤫🤔🧠💭

[@offTheLeftEye]

Sorry if it doesn't resonate with you, Darrell! Our channel is based on the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772), a Swedish scientist and theologian who claimed to have had spiritual experiences -- comparable to NDEs or OBEs -- over a span of thirty years. He was the first to admit that people would find this hard to believe! And we honor that everyone has to run this kind of info past their own rationality and intuition to see what resonates as true for them. If you're interested in learning more about this 18th-century scientist and devout Bible scholar, here's a short video:kzbin.info/www/bejne/fnbEYZhudsiGbZo A full length episode on why we trust Swedenborg: “Was Swedenborg Crazy?” kzbin.info/www/bejne/fnbEYZhudsiGbZo and a full length introduction episode called "Swedenborg 101: The Basic Nature of Everything." kzbin.info/www/bejne/aYKUZXiZetyEjLM We understand it's not for everyone. Wishing you well!

[@DreamsofStardust75]

We are not even supposed to partaking of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Period.

[@mistaleesreversespeech7728]

@@carolynnorton9552 its what landed us in a hell on earth... the fallen state ..to experience the duality.

[@richardleigh4003]

@@carolynnorton9552 The knowledge of good and evil is the false or shadow tree. It is the shadow of the tree of life. It is the Babylon system of sowers/reapers, sheep/wolves. haves.have-nots, privelige/prejudice, etc. All the stuff that we are supposed to be able to transcend, so that we can love even the meek and poor. If we were using the right tree, i.e. the right system, then we would constantly be paying things forwards to all, without knowledge of their good or evil status getting in the way.

[@marksingleton7199]

@@carolynnorton9552 we weren't banned but it was advised not to do it. God knew we were likely to do it. God didn't rush in and say NO! He appeared and asked Oh you didn't, tell me you didn't do it. Adam pointed at Eve who pointed at the snake and shrugged. The point is we were arrogant and looked inside each other sensually and adored ourselves so much we looked away from Gods direct energy which contains truth and life. We tried to create as God but without his Devine knowledge. As the energy used wasn't replenished by God because it was a selfish act, we lost that energy level and fell to a lower energy level which confused us. We are technically still where we were but because of the turning away from God we only perceive the lower energy part of our mind. Once this started we carried on creating by what we percieve as physical birth. We still live in gods mind as that is all their is. It's just we can't see that. God replenishes the Devine light to us out of love and will continue to do so as we continue to create, as it is by our free will. Christ came down to our energy level to remind us and put order into the heavenly levels which we disorganized. When our physical body recieve Devine light, it is regenerated to gradually energize the soul back to a higher level. This regeneration carries on in the spirit levels after we die. But if you you choose not to regenerate you stay at your present level or worse, turn away from gods light and descend even further.

[@ivorybow]

But that was before the Fall, which set the reality of the world and God's Covenant with us, to save us. It's too late to change that. For us to survive in this world, wherein He has placed us. we must understand knowledge, and evil, so we will be able to choose good over evil, We can never go back now, to before the Fall. We must act out His plan for us now

[@marksingleton7199]

@@ivorybow Yes. As the wind strengthens the tree, so the hurtful knowledge of good and bad gives us the strength of will to choose the direct light of God to ascend to our rightful level. The only way to stop the physical level would be to become attached again to Devine insight and abstinence. Unlikely in the short term.

[@ilovemyboyfriend5425]

i dont find delight in evil but i mean i look at porn so im confused

[@offTheLeftEye]

It's good to consider that something "evil" is really just something that is hurtful or harmful. Porn can be unhealthy for one's spirit and can be very addictive. God wants to lead us toward things that won't damage our ability to truly love people for who they are inside -- their real self, their spirit. It's not that God wants to punish us, but that God wants us all to be able to experience deep and meaningful love -- a mutual relationship of love and respect, rather than an objectified, self-gratification experience. And as always, motivation and intention are key. We're all on the path of spiritual development, ilove my boyfriend, and none of us earthlings have it all figured out yet. But it's helpful to reflect on the choices we're making, and see if we can discern what leads TOWARD love, goodwill, kindness, and a focus on things of the spirit, and what leads away from those things.

[@penetratorzeke]

you almost said it, but you know there is evil who watch this channel while hating and doing evil things and raging when they are called out. They think they are good because they use the church as a shield for their disgusting deeds. I know why you hesitate to talk about what's going on in this country, because God is the only one who can sort them out.

[@offTheLeftEye]

I pray that God keeps working on the sorting! Peace on earth, good will to all!

[@Rudisbashar]

It isnt about getting to god and avoiding hell. Getting out of the dark towards the light. Its about transcending all of this,these dualistic oppositions will never be in balance as long you,yourself inside,is not in Source.

[@offTheLeftEye]

Rudisbashar, that's interesting! Can you tell me more about that?

[@hermeticadept3981]

👍🏾🙏🏾

[@offTheLeftEye]

Thank you for watching!

[@kaybass520]

"There is no knowledge, nor work, nor devising" in the grave Ecclesiastes 9: 5, 10 because the dead are: "Unconscious". The dead wait for the general resurrection, outlined in Revelation 20: 13....1 page from the end of the Bible...a future event, seen in God's kingdom. Matthew 6:9, 33 Matthew 25: 31, 34. "You believe there is one God, do you? And yet the demons believe, and shudder." James 2: 15 The demons are alive, they are down upon the earth, with us, misleading mankind...and they will soon be thrown into the abyss Revelation 20: 1-3 along with Satan. So they are definitely not in 'hell', [the common grave of mankind] they are conscious, and working evil towards man. They bring deceptions; including the lie that the DEAD are ALIVE....[Genesis 3: 4] which LIE has been carried on during the days of the Great apostasy 2Thessalonians 2: 2-12 under a composite 'man of lawlessness'. Just as 'hell fire' is a LIE, also the dead declared alive is a LIE, and the 'demons; in hell is Another LIE. "And they built the high places of the Baal in order to burn their sons in the fire as whole burnt offerings to the Baal; something that I had not commanded them." said Jehovah, "AND THAT HAD NOT COME UP INTO MY HEART" Jeremiah 19: 5. SO, it has NOT COME UP INTO JEHOVAH'S HEART to burn a person in a fire, and this is a LIE brought forward by Satan and the Demons to SLANDER GOD, and frighten ordinary people. Have you become disgusted with immorality, law-breaking and lies in the faith you have been part of? Flee to the refuge indicated in Micah 4: 1-7. This is where Jehovah's name is being sanctified Matthew 6: 9, 10. This is where God's Kingdom is being explained. Matthew 24: 14. THIS is where the truth as revealed by Scripture is being taught by the people among themselves, with no clerics presiding over them Matthew 23: 8. "You are all brothers"...Christ Jesus said.

[@offTheLeftEye]

Thanks for sharing these thoughts, Kay. We believe that God is all-loving and all-knowing, and provides an eternal home that fits each and every person's spirit, including those who resist God's love. On my way to look at your scripture references now...

[@offTheLeftEye]

And if you're interested in more info from a Swedenborgian perspective, we did a 50 minute show on "the dead know nothing" -- kzbin.info/www/bejne/aHixq6Clm7qhrq8

[@chimedemon]

Huh. After watching this video it thoroughly cemented my atheism. Don’t take offense to that because it’s not a “bad” thing in my opinion. I just don’t get how if there are cosmic morals, that someone who created everything would say “yup. I made this. It’s bad though. I’m saying it’s bad. Call him a ‘filthy beast’ while I say you have freedom of will even though I know when and how you’ll die, everything you are is influenced by either me or hell (which I created) and also, even if you become redeemed in hell, you’ll STILL never be able to leave.” I don’t know man. Also I find it very hard to believe this writer had an interview with an evil spirit from hell, a spirit that kinda sounds like a biased version of everything the writer feels is “bad”. I don’t know man, I’m just a dude who doesn’t like authoritarianism or torture. ALSO, if god created evil and if apperently the spirits from hell are totally fine with how they live, then how can we call it evil? How can we say that THEY are evil and hell is evil when god created them and it, and they’re fine anyway? And if they’re being punished for being that way and they actually DON’T like it then WHY create them that way? (I’m saying he created them knowing every outcome of everything they’re gonna do, and created hell and satan knowing exactly what THEY were gonna do.) the fact that my catholic best friend who’s very suicidal has went through way more shit since she was born like being raped multiple times, having her close friends commit suicide and have abuse from her parents and family... I just don’t see it.

[@offTheLeftEye]

Hi NiD0 Ravensbeard! I'm sorry it has taken me so long to respond to your thoughtful comment. I'd like to clarify a few things that I have seen in Swedenborg's writings and worldview, that I think contradict some of what you got from this video. Our channel is based on the writings of Swedish scientist turned theologian Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772), who claimed to have 27 years of direct spiritual experiences, in which he learned about the Divine, the afterlife, and the nature of Scripture. He believed that the Bible was written in a language he called "correspondences," which is basically spiritual metaphor, and that if we look to the deeper meaning we find profound applications to our own lives. So that's where we're coming from - if that doesn't scare you away, keep reading. Swedenborg learned that God is the essence of love and wisdom, and in fact is so merciful and loving that "he could not so much as frown" at a human being. God did not create evil - evil in fact is the absence of God. It is, in other words, the absence of love and wisdom. And as I understand Swedenborg's definition - it's not so much about good or bad, as it is about choosing between love or choosing nothing, because God is the creator and foundation of all good things. So a life without God is not a life at all. Just as people say, the opposite of love isn't hate - it's indifference. In other words, it's nothing. The opposite of God isn't shame/evil/bad - it's nothing. It's an absence of light, and love, and potential. So by that definition, God does not judge or condemn anyone. In fact, throughout the New Testament, Jesus urges us NOT to judge each other - over and over - and demonstrates as much by his own example! Swedenborg believed that heaven and hell, therefore, reflect reflect what we love. So people that go to heaven aren't "lucky' or "chosen" - they are people who have chosen to live their lives from love, to act from and with love, with the best of intentions, and to believe in something larger than themselves. While we can create heaven on earth by cultivating love for ourselves and each other, and acting from a desire to be useful and make life better for each other, that is not always the state of the world we live in. But personally, I believe it is something we are working towards, collectively, on planet earth. By contrast, people in hell have selfish loves - more like obsessions - loves for destroying or hurting others, or themselves, love of greed, domination, power, etc. Loves that hurt themselves and hurt others. While Swedenborg does say that there are punishments in hell, he is clear that most of the punishment is just that the people who love hellish things live in constant misery because that is their preference - and therefore, they are constantly punished, by themselves and their refusal to want more love in their lives. There are also punishments for people who, Swedenborg says, "can't learn in any other way." To me, this indicates that there IS in fact potential for people to grow spiritually in hell - why else would God want to help them learn? However, this is not something Swedenborg says explicitly in his writings - just a sense I have about the possibilities of an infinite afterlife. God doesn't create us "evil." We choose evil of our own accord - and we can also be victims of it. Swedenborg tells us that nothing evil is permitted to happen unless the Lord can create some good from it - but in your friend's case it's hard to see the silver lining! I totally understand why you have chosen to be an atheist given what you have witnessed. But I do think love is always there for us, but we have to choose to recognize it, and reach for it, and that takes effort and practice. In my experience, it is worth it, because spiritual growth leads us to greater peace, and helps us become more loving people. A spiritual practice has helped me personally overcome some of my own challenges in life, and I have seen it do the same for others. A man named Jesus is just one way to imagine the Divine - there are many ways to view this concept. When I think of God as being like the sun, for example, I can make the connection that God is a constant source of life, a source of replenishment and renewal that keeps us all alive - the basis of our existence. Winter comes every year, but so does spring. Life is cyclical, and peace can feel far away, but always returns to us. I believe God is an opportunity that breathes life into everything, but we choose how to manifest that life. And yes, people do suffer awful things. I don't mean to discount that. I am so sorry to hear all that your friend has suffered. It would make it very difficult to believe in God when you witness so much pain and abuse in someone you love, or experience it. And yet here you are, loving her and concerned for her and defending her - which doesn't make up for all the hurt, but proves that there still is good in the world! And this time it's in the loyalty and love of a dear friend. She and many others have suffered enormously, and I believe that was not what God wanted for us, and in fact believe that when we suffer, God suffers with us. I hope things change for your friend, and that she can get the help she needs and deserves, and my heart aches to hear of all that pain. It's never okay. If you read this far and are still interested in our channel, here are some short clips that might help you grapple with these very difficult questions, better than I ever could! Short: Who Was Swedenborg? kzbin.info/www/bejne/fnbEYZhudsiGbZo What Are Heaven and Hell? kzbin.info/www/bejne/mXTMq4KJitxpr9k Why God Can't Get Angry kzbin.info/www/bejne/g2mxaH6cZqiKjKs There Is A Reason Bad Things Happen kzbin.info/www/bejne/d5TTcoF6mbqbn7c Why Do Some People Experience More Trauma While Others Do Not? kzbin.info/www/bejne/hqnJeJV_l5d-iMk Full Length: Swedenborg 101: The Basic Nature of Everything kzbin.info/www/bejne/aYKUZXiZetyEjLM Why Bad Things Happen kzbin.info/www/bejne/lXeWeKKhpZlnh9E Life Isn't Fair...Or Is It? kzbin.info/www/bejne/amOldnWng5V7abs What God Can't Do kzbin.info/www/bejne/f527e3-FoLScZ6M No worries if this channel isn't your thing - we do not want to force beliefs on anyone, and we know Swedenborg doesn't always resonate! Wishing you all the best, and sending healing love to your friend.

[@Catherine-u8l]

Saying God created evil is like saying the electric company created darkness as soon as I turn my light off at night.

[@trinahembree7598]

How can they explain why they like hell if they're are not aware that they're there? I thought the case was that they were so wrapped up in the worldly negative or demented things or self and having ignored all opportunities to see seize the light... anand existence within thereafter, they didn't realize that they were choosing. And being some could quite possibly be so self-absorbed as to be unaware of what is happening to them... kind of asleep to the idea so wouldn't even know if they were dead? And a quick question on another topic can you please tell me because I'm not quite sure are some humans angels did they come here to be an angel or did they become one while he's here?

[@offTheLeftEye]

Hello, Trina! I see that you posted this question before the show was available to watch. Before I respond, I'm wondering - did you have a chance to watch now, and if so, did this quote help to answer your first couple of questions?

[@richardleigh4003]

All men are born in the natural, die into the spiritual, die again into either heaven or hell. When we live in the natural world, we are arranging our interiors. When we live in the spirit world we are realising that interior arrangement that we are responsible for. And here's the point: when we are ready, we willingly die/birth again to enter Heaven or Hell, in the full realisation of what we truly are. No-one can do this process without realising it, everyone must be fully in choice and freedom, that is the whole point of creation, because nothing is real without choice. Without choice, no consciousness, no love. One other thing to ponder: there is an infinite variety of both good and evil affections... ;-))

[@offTheLeftEye]

@@richardleigh4003 Thank you for these insights! I agree that everyone is given the chance to fully understand their choice, and to freely make that choice.

[@richardleigh4003]

@@offTheLeftEye No, all the thanks is yours and your teams for your great output!

[@trinahembree7598]

@@offTheLeftEye m going to watch now because I downloaded it. I'm finally off work and able. But I'm still curious. Can you tell me what to watch that will explain how human are angels and if they are aware or they just submit to the light of God so easily that gods able to use them and that os what determines an angel on earth?

[@ksenijavojisavljevic2034]

All nicely explained, but again like always, animals are left out as if they are things and not sentient beings. No talk about why evil humans are aloud to unthinkably torture billions of animals. Such ignorance of a content of animals from all the mediums and psychics I follow, makes me doubt all

[@offTheLeftEye]

Cruelty toward animals and toward people goes together! An urge to be cruel toward an innocent being will look for any target that is available. Evil spirits in hell cannot attack animals on earth. They can only attack people on earth, and try to convince them to hurt both animals and people.

[@ksenijavojisavljevic2034]

offTheLeftEye So the source place innosent animals to be that available target/object so that humans can enjoy their free will choices under the influence from a hell. Why the source does not organise it in such way that target of acting under evil influence can be onky and only the another one who makes the same choice, and not the beautiful animals?

[@offTheLeftEye]

@@ksenijavojisavljevic2034 No, no, the Source did not place animals here to be targets. God is the one who feels the most pain when innocent animals and people are harmed. Jesus said that the Father "knows every sparrow that falls". That is why there is constant effort from the Divine to wake humanity up, and to teach humanity love instead of harm. And we each need to find what we can do to embody God's wishes for harmony and love between all living things!

[@ksenijavojisavljevic2034]

offTheLeftEye You did not answer, just beating around the bush. I don’t appreciate that as I can go endlessly myself in such way. You should try With Emma chanelling Swedenborg because your show has just to many smarty pants beating arround the bush explanations.

[@offTheLeftEye]

@@ksenijavojisavljevic2034 We have had this conversation before, remember? You would get angry at us, saying we are just beating around the bush, but eventually you came to realize that you were just bringing more misery on yourself to not trust that God is working on it, and that it has to be cured in a certain way to be actually cured. If you are going to be angry at God, you are helping hell. Hell does all the evil and inspires all the cruelty, and then tricks people into directing their anger at God. Please don't do that! You bring more misery upon yourself, and you do not help any animals in this way. God can only operate on earth through human beings. That is the order of physical creation. So to cure cruelty toward animals, God must do that by inspiring people's hearts. God needs people to get back into the "Divine Design," and God is constantly working on that on a deep level. Here's a quote from Swedenborg's book "True Christianity": "When we follow the divine design in the way we live we are in God, because God is omnipresent in the universe and in everything within it at the inmost level, since things on the inmost level are in the divine design. Things that go against the divine design are all outside that inmost level. On the outer levels God's omnipresence takes the form of an ongoing struggle with things that are against the divine design, and a constant effort to restore them to the divine design. The more we allow ourselves to be restored to the divine design, the more thoroughly present God is in each of us; consequently to a greater extent God is in us and we are in God." God has to work through all of us. That is the order of things. As Teresa of Avila said: "Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body." What you are demanding of God, that all harm to animals stop instantly, could only be achieved by removing all the animals, or by never have created animals in the first place. Do you want to live in a world without animals? Humanity is making such progress compared with the past in respecting and loving animals. There is a still a long way to go, but things are getting better, and to just give up and not acknowledge that gives more power to hell. More people's hearts are truly changing.That is because God is working constantly. Do you think God should just give up and get rid of all animals? What about all the beautiful connections between humans and animals that happen every day? What about the beauty that animals bring to our world? You can help animals by focusing on the good that is happening, and help to stop the bad in any ways that you can. You can be a part of God's hands and feet, part of God's wake-up call for humanity, instead of fighting against God's efforts. Are you willing to help God's efforts in this?

[@bigcountry9563]

Hell is a myth concocted to scare gullible people into submission! Jesus talked about Sheol, " refers to the grave or the abode of the dead ( Psalms 88:3 Psalms 88:5 ) 3. Proverbs 7:27 4. Isaiah 38:10 Sheol is found in the Bible sixty-five times. It is translated “the pit” three times, “the grave” thirty-one times, and “hell” thirty-one times. Hades is used eleven times, being rendered “hell” ten times and “grave” once. Adding to the confusion is that two other words are also translated hell in the New Testament. These are Tartarus, which is found once and Gehenna, which is used twelve times. WHITBY. "Sheol throughout the Old Testament signifies not the place of punishment, or of the souls of bad men only, but the grave only, or the place of death."

[@richardleigh4003]

Compulsion does not work because it is the antithesis of freedom. And some choose to live without God. What should God do?

[@robz537]

@@richardleigh4003 i couldnt say what god should do , but i do hope that there is something like a recovery program and feel like curtis mentioned that in the past, like u never know. gods ways are strange :D

[@marksingleton7199]

I think your description of hell is correct. Grave etc. Spiritual death. Swedenborg always talks of spiritual death. Hell on earth or spirit after we loose the body. If it exists here, it has to exists in spirit form.

[@richardleigh4003]

@@marksingleton7199 Once the human is fully realised in either a heaven or a hell world, that is as real as it gets, i.e.eternity because time is a natural illusion. Strictly speaking, the fully realised worlds are more real than the spirit-worlds because spirit entails the natural worlds of illusion. The closet we get to natural hells exist underground.

[@klausehrhardt4481]

It is not. Semitic Sheol may be neutral sometimes, as the greek name for the lord and god of the undergrounds (latin: infernum) Hades. Accordingly to the greek pagans, it was the place were the majority of souls made after death, becoming shadows. The exception were the heroes that at the end of their earthly life eventually became imortal due to the grace of some olimpical god, as Hercules, for instance was called by zeus (júpiter) to dwell amongst them. Among the domains of lord hades, there were places of everlasting torture (Tartarus and Erebus - Sysiphus being an example among the damned) and the place of the blessed, the elysean fields. Greek and roman pagans both believed that there was a diferent lot for the good and the evil people: it is not an invention of christians or jews. Go to Hesiod, Homer and Virgil and see for yourself. Gehenna means wasting ground, where the dump is burned down to ashes. There is also something as a fire of lake, worms and so on if you look further in the bible. If you don´t believe in nothing of this, you are also not a consequent pagan either. Most of all, it matters not what you belief is, hell dors are still open. Is a matter of choice.