There is a place beyond the veil of our waking lives, a space where reality is shaped by love, and the laws of physics yield to the currents of consciousness. On today's episode, we welcome Curtis Childs, a man who has dedicated his life to exploring the depths of human spirituality through the wisdom of Emanuel Swedenborg. His journey began with personal struggles—depression, anxiety, and an insatiable curiosity for the nature of existence. And in that darkness, he found a light that not only illuminated his path but reshaped his understanding of life and the afterlife itself.Swedenborg was not your average mystic. A scientist, inventor, and philosopher, he systematically mapped out the spiritual dimensions in a way that few had ever done before. His experiences in altered states of consciousness weren’t fleeting glimpses of something ineffable—they were structured, intentional journeys into the unseen. He claimed that our souls are already living in the spiritual world, tethered only loosely to this physical form. When we die, we do not move into an alien world but awaken to a reality that has always been there, shaping us from within.As Curtis Childs explains, Swedenborg’s visions revealed an afterlife structured not by arbitrary judgment, but by the gravitational force of love itself. He describes heaven and hell not as places, but as states of being—where love for others lifts one into radiant expanses, while self-absorption drags the soul into constricted, isolating realms. “The joy of heaven,” he shares, “is the joy of doing good for others.” It is not a forced morality but an organic law of existence, as natural as gravity pulling an apple from a tree.The transition from physical life to the spiritual world is, according to Swedenborg, a gentle unraveling. He describes angels—once human themselves—guiding the newly arrived soul, shielding them from disturbing thoughts and allowing them to acclimate to their newfound reality. There is no coercion, no trial by fire. Instead, we gravitate towards those who share the essence of what we love. This movement, this migration of the soul, is not imposed from without but arises from the core of our being. Who we are, what we cherish, determines where we find ourselves in the great expanse beyond.What Curtis Childs finds most profound is the idea that even now, we are navigating this spiritual terrain. Our consciousness is not bound by the illusion of separateness—we are always in connection with unseen forces, constantly shifting between states of awareness. Dreams, intuitions, synchronicities—these are glimpses of the greater reality, reminders that we are more than flesh and bone. Even in life, our spirit moves through different realms, drawn by our evolving desires, shaped by the wisdom we accumulate along the way.And what of reincarnation? Swedenborg’s insights offer a fascinating alternative to the common understanding. Instead of souls cycling through physical lives, he suggests that spiritual memory is fluid, that we can sometimes tap into the echoes of others’ experiences. Just as a powerful story can make us feel as if we’ve lived another’s life, the spiritual world allows for a deep, permeable connection between minds. What we think of as past lives may, in some cases, be the resonances of souls we are intimately linked to—a grand, interconnected dance of consciousness. SPIRITUAL TAKEAWAYS Love is the ultimate force in the universe. In the spiritual world, love functions like gravity, drawing like-minded souls together. The quality of our love determines where we find ourselves, both in life and beyond. Heaven and hell are states of being, not places. There is no divine courtroom dictating our fate—our own inner nature leads us to the experience we resonate with most deeply. The spiritual world is not separate from this one. We are always connected to it, and our consciousness is already moving through its landscapes, shaped by our choices, thoughts, and desires. The grand journey of the soul is not a leap into the unknown but a return home. The afterlife is not a place of punishment or reward but a reflection of what we have cultivated within. If love and kindness are our guiding forces, we will find ourselves in the company of those who share that light. If ego and fear rule our hearts, we will drift into isolation. But always, the choice is ours. The beauty of existence is in the freedom to create, to love, and to become ever more aligned with the divine fabric of reality. Please enjoy my conversation with Curtis Childs. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/divine-encounters-near-death-experiences-nde-beyond--6215380/support .
