Emmanuel Swedenborg's philosophy of the human organism

The discovery of an individual’s real character by his fellows has its parallel in the digestive process. His treatment is gentle at first as food is softly touched by the lips and afterwards tasted as to its quality by the tongue. The tongue corresponds to those who delight to perceive new varieties of goodness and truth and are eager to convey their pleasure to others who will be enriched by these qualities. The interior minds, even of good men, must be consciously opened and their real purposes disclosed, as the outer skins of grains and fruits are broken up in the mouth. If hard morsels of food are discovered they are either crushed by the pressure of the teeth or spewed out. The teeth correspond to the gates of pearl which, in mythology, guard the way to heaven and hell. None are received whose quality is not first known by these guardians.

The processes in the stomach correspond to the disciplines to which men subject one another in their life. The habits of speech and action by which a man presents himself to society are separated from him as, in digestion, the cell walls of foodstuffs are dissolved and the contents released. Some men can be admitted to the social organism at this stage. The greater number need further preparation. The measures which correspond to the functions of the intestines are increasingly severe and those in society who persist in falsity and evil endure various chastisements and torments. So long as they resist the efforts of their fellow men they cannot be introduced into heavenly societies. There are however societies which correspond to the walls of the intestine. They are those who take pleasure in correcting and punishing, but do so from justice and for the sake of reforming others and of protecting the good. Thus all human qualities have some functional value; only those individuals are rejected who refuse to disclose their real will.

A man’s function in the Grand Man is determined by his love which comes from his will and thus from his very nature. He learns to perform this function through his rational mind, and everyone is thus educated throughout his life. However, the natural mind can be separated from the celestial and spiritual and turned towards hell. Whatever is agreeable to a man’s love feels to him like freedom, and what is contrary to it feels like constraint. As man has freedom, he cannot be led and taught otherwise than according to what he himself will receive. Those who receive

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