In the New Church we teach that heaven is not a physical place that we may get to at some unknown point in the future, but rather a state of mind or consciousness available to us here and now.
This is because the human soul is capable of experiencing a wide range of spiritual states, which can be either positive or negative. I would think most anyone with more than a few years of experience in this life can recognise the great variety of spiritual states we can experience from the heights of joy to the depths of despair. In his view, heaven is a state of mind characterised by love, peace and joy, while hell is a state of mind characterised by hatred, fear, selfishness and suffering.
Heaven is not a physical location because it exists within the human soul. When we die, our souls enter into a new realm of existence that is shaped by the dominant spiritual state we experienced in this life. This realm is not located in space or time but rather exists within our consciousness, a consciousness which very much continues after the death of our bodies.
In short, heaven is not a physical place but rather a state of mind or consciousness that is shaped by our thoughts, feelings, and actions. By cultivating positive thoughts and behaviours, we can increase our likelihood of experiencing the state of mind that is associated with heaven.
Rev. Howard A. Thompson
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