
#Netflix things heard and seen movie#
In modern times, though, a group like the one in the movie would be an anomaly. Many Swedenborgians were also Spiritualists, and during that time period, it wouldn’t have been at all unusual to encounter a group of Swedenborgians who were at least familiar with Spiritualism and séances, or who maybe even attempted to contact ghosts themselves. However, that scene does have a grain of historic truth: in the nineteenth century, when the Spiritualism movement was at its height, Swedenborg’s description of the survival of souls after death was an inspiration to those who used séances to try to contact the dead. For that reason, Swedenborgian groups tend to discourage attempts at spirit contact among their members. Swedenborg actively discouraged others from attempting to do the same, warning that it would be easy for people to be deceived by what they experienced and become spiritually damaged as a result. And as he was careful to stress, this was something that he was allowed to do only with the Lord’s permission and protection, and only so that he could bring knowledge of spiritual principles back to earth. Although there are stories of Swedenborg communicating with the spirits of the departed, Swedenborg himself described this as the result of being able to travel to the afterlife in spirit form. This might make for a fun story, but it is not an accurate representation of Swedenborgian beliefs and practices. Portals between the two realms with guides to shepherd us when the time comes.” Another suggests that the ghost in the house was the result of a portal to the spiritual world opened by a Swedenborgian, and a third jokes, in reply, that “We are good at that.” One of the characters in the film asserts that “We embrace houses as a blessing.

In the movie, a group identified as Swedenborgians come to Catherine Claire’s house to perform a séance in an effort to contact the spirit that Catherine has encountered. While theological interpretations and teachings can vary widely between groups, in general, Swedenborgian practice emphasizes spiritual growth through experiencing and expressing divine love and doing good works in the world. Two of the biggest denominations in the United States are the Swedenborgian Church of North America and the General Church of the New Jerusalem.īecause Swedenborg was a Christian and his experiences reflect a Christian faith, the churches based on his teachings are Christian also, and they hold worship services similar to other Protestant denominations. There are indeed! There are denominations, independent groups, and individuals all over the world who practice a spirituality based on Swedenborg’s teachings. Are there churches based on Swedenborg’s teachings? What do they believe?

You can read more about his life and an overview of his theology on other pages on this site.

He published more than twenty-five books detailing the things he saw and heard and the spiritual lessons that he learned from his encounters. Emanuel Swedenborg (1688–1772) was a Swedish nobleman and scientist who began having vivid experiences of the spiritual world in his fifties.
