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REGENERATION: THE MIND OF MAN Introduction: This class is designed to serve as a foundation to the life long study and implementation of the most fundamental principals of a human life. These principals have their roots implanted beyond this physical world, thus classifying them as metaphysical. However, it is of no importance whether we’ll call them metaphysical or philosophical, they are primarily Theo centric, that is based on God's designed and the Lord's essence. Thou, you've come here to study Hypnotherapy, allow me please to remind you that as any house being built requires proper foundation, or it will not stand, so is the therapeutic practice. It is difficult to overemphasize the importance of these principals, because your personal well-being very much depends on understanding and practice of these principals. Should you choose to incorporate these principals into the philosophical foundation of your therapy, you'll enjoy a successful practice measured by the well-being of your clients!
Basic Essence of Man:What you see before you is the human body, which is nothing more then a remarkable external shell or the External Man, as its termed. This body is merely a vehicle for the expressions of the Internal Man, - SRIRIT. The External man is a subject to death, while the Internal man goes on living! Therefore, Internal Man is the primary focus of this discussion, for the state of being of the External, when brought to obedience, (857) simply corresponds to the Internal's state of being. The aforementioned principals, when brought to focus, have a direct influence and impact on the Internal Man’s overall state of being, and they are: man's "Understanding" and man's "Will". The Principals:Contrary to the popular belief the modern man have two minds (two faculties), so to speak, not one, and therefore lives two lives. This is crucial for you to know in the light of your future therapy practice. It has not always been this way with the man, but more on this topic at a later time. Being of two minds man lives life twofold: one of the things of Understanding and the other of the things of Will. (809) Although, being distinct and separate in man, these lives flow one into the other. The attributes of Understanding are the things of Truth or the lack of it. The attributes of Will are the things of Goodness, Love or the lack of it. In the spiritual sense, the Truth here is corresponding with Faith, and the Goodness with Charity. The state of man today is grounded in the belief that he thinks and acts from himself. From this collective belief in our society sprigs forward man’s drive to do well for himself, which manifests in many things such as prosperous employment, prestigious titles, esteem and honorable positions in society, and of course, the name recognition. All of these are symptoms of a disease called: "Love of Self", which is caused by man's Understanding grounded not in Truth, but in falsities. There is nothing in man of himself, neither Truth nor False, neither Good nor Evil, - only the Choice! This love of self is so deeply imbedded in our Understanding that it becomes a predominant driving force of our Will. The man in such state of being both, Understanding and Will, when viewed from God's position is perceived as a black mass, without vitality. This is the state of man before "Regeneration", because prior to man's re-introduction to the Truth, and prior to his re-affection with Goodness, there must be a removal of all resisting conditions in man. In other words, the old man must die before the new man's conception begins. Six states of Regeneration: To regenerate a man is to instruct his Understanding and to redirect his Will. The whole process of regeneration of man is done by the mercy of the Lord, and by that alone. First state is actually precedes regeneration; it is the state of man from his infancy when the Lord stores the knowledge of Faith in the man's memory, to the point immediately preceding regeneration, and is seen as a state of void, darkness or emptiness. Here, by the Lord's mercy, the man is to be re-created or to be re-born. Second state is when the distinction being made in the man between things that belong to God and the things that are of man. The things of God in man are called the "remains"; these are the remains of knowledge of faith learned by the man in infancy and stored, but are dormant in man till now, when he comes to this state. This state seldom exists without temptations, misfortunes, or sorrows, through which things bodily and worldly are brought to their death, as it were. (845,2) Thus, things belonging to the Internal man are separated from those belonging to the External man, for the remains of the Lord are stored up in the Internal man. These are the things of the doctrinal faith and, therefore, are attributes of the Understanding. Third state is of repentance, in which man speaks piously, devoutly and brings forth goods of charity from the Internal man. However, these goods are not yet alive, for he thinks that they are from himself: from his Understanding. Fourth state is when man becomes affected with Love illuminated by Faith. The goods of his deeds are no longer brought forth as a result of the temptation and repentance, but are seen by him as Faith and Charity, for they are ignited in him now. The Faith and Charity thus, become man's two guiding lights of life. Faith is corresponding with Understanding, and Charity (Love) with Will. Fifth state is when man communicates from Faith, and thereby confirms himself in Truth and Good. The things then put forth by him are becoming alive. The Understanding of man now, is synonymous with the Truth. Sixth state is when, first from Faith, and thence from Love, man speaks the truth and does what is good. These things which man brings forth from Faith and Love are called "Living Soul", for when man acts at once and together from both, Faith and Love, he becomes a SPIRITUAL MAN. (Image of God) 875 The spiritual life of man in this state finds the delight and is sustained by knowledge of faith, as well as the works of charity. His natural life is delighted and sustained by the senses of his body. From these conditions the combat arises within the man, until Love gains the dominion: thus he becomes a man CELESTIAL. (Likeness of God). Not all of those being regenerated arrive at this state. The greatest part attain only the first state, some second, others third, forth and fifth, few the sixth; and scarcely anyone the seventh. Ref. (933;2)
Conclusion: In my humble opinion, the greatest lesson to be learned from all afore stated and to be given to your future clients is that all Love comes from the Lord, and the Lord alone; that the Lord performs all of the Goodness, and the Lord alone! Given to E. Swedenborg by the mercy of the Lord.
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