1. PREFACE
October
I have undertaken to search out with all possible zeal what the soul is, what the body, and what the intercourse between them, and also what the state of the soul is when in the body, and what her state after the life of the body. But, desiring the end, it devolved on me to desire also the means; and, when thinking intently concerning the path to be pursued, where to begin, and, consequently, on what course to run as to a goal, I finally discerned that no other course lay open save that which leads through the anatomy of the soul's organic body, it being there that she carries on her sports and completes her course. She is to be sought solely in the abiding place and lodgment where she is, that is to say, in her own field of action. It was for this reason that I first of all treated of the blood and the heart, and also of the cortical substance, and, furthermore, am to treat of its [i.e., the body's] several organs and viscera, and then of the cerebrum, cerebellum, and, medullas oblongata and spinalis. 1
Thus armed, I am in the way of making further progress. I have pursued this anatomy solely for the purpose of searching out the soul. If I should thereby have supplied anything of use to the anatomical and medical world, it would give me pleasure, but the pleasure would be greater if I should have thrown light on the search for the soul. The body, especially the human body with its several organs and members, is so marvelously woven that here Nature has gathered together and poured forth the whole of her art and science with all that lies inmostly within. Therefore, if one is intent on searching out Nature in her supreme and inmost recesses, he must run through these several organs and members; and the longer he dwells on them, the more numerous are the marvels and the hidden mysteries that are brought to light; and though thrice the age of Nestor were his, yet other mysteries remain to be brought to the light of day. Nature is an abyss, as it were, and nought remains but amazement.
Therefore, that I may explore the soul, it is necessary that I unfold those manifold coverings which remove her from our eyes as though she dwelt in some center. I must proceed by the analytic way, or through experience to causes, and then through causes to principles; that is to say, from posterior things to prior. Such is the only way to the knowledge of things superior that is granted us. And when by this way we have been raised up to genuine principles, then first is it permitted us to proceed by the synthetic way, that is to say, from the prior to things posterior. This is the way of the soul in her action upon her body. It is the angelic way; for then, from the prior, or from things first, men see all posterior things as beneath them. Therefore, before it is permitted us to speak of the soul a priori from principles, that is to say, synthetically, we must strive upward by this human analytic way by means of posterior things, experience, and effects; in other words, we must strive upward by the ladder which leads us to those principles or that heaven. To climb up to the soul is not possible save by way of her organs whereby she descends into her body; thus, solely by the anatomy of her body.
To ascend from the organic and material body all the way to the soul, that is, to a spiritual essence which is also immaterial, was not permissible unless first I cleared the way that would lead me thither. It behooved me to elaborate certain new doctrines hitherto unknown, that they may be companions and guides without whom we can never attempt this passage, to wit, the doctrine of forms, the doctrine of order and degrees, then the doctrine of correspondences and representations, and finally the doctrine of modifications. These doctrines are treated of in the Fifth Transaction, being our Introduction to Rational Psychology. 2
Thus, at last it is now permitted us to treat of the soul from principles or synthetically. From the first age even to the present day when the infant that has been conceived is to be brought forth and born, the learned world has awaited this moment, when we may ascend upward to genuine principles. For this reason are all the sciences, both philosophical and physical; for this reason is all the experience that may give light; to this point has the entire learned world directed itself, to wit, that it may be able to speak from genuine principles, and to treat of posterior things synthetically. Of this nature is angelic perfection; of this nature is that science which is heavenly and which is the first natural science. This, moreover, is the nature of our connate ambition-the ambition, namely, that we strive upward to the integrity of our first parent, who determined all posterior things a priori and thus not only saw the whole of nature as beneath him, but also commanded it as his subject; for to judge effects from principles is the highest point of learning. Hence it is clear how important it is that we strive after true principles; and this never can be done save by the posterior way, being the way of the senses, of experience, of the sciences, and of the arts. These are human in that they must be learned. They are not of the soul for, in her, such sciences are implanted and flow forth of themselves.
The path on which to strive upward from experience through the sciences, comprising all the sciences, physical and philosophical, to things prior and to very principles, is not only steep but also extremely wide, requiring us to run, not through a single field, but through many. Many of Nestor's ages are needed; for we perpetually come across things that confuse the mind, and persuade it to perceive them as presented by the senses. The mind then believes that it has hit the nail on the head because it speaks in accordance with sensation-which is the reason why there are so many hypotheses and errors. Indeed, superior nature is such that it is the more hidden from our senses in the degree that we consult those senses; the mind then becomes more darkened, the more it is confused by the greater abundance of the rays. The senses are like so many black shades, and as we plunge into these shades, the quasi-light of sight and imagination seems to take flight; and they become more clear, as it were, the more we are able to disperse these rays. It is as though there were another sphere of light. The light of intelligence and the light of sight mutually extinguish each other. Therefore, for the most part, we do not love the light of wisdom because it obscures the light of imagination, according to the words of Plato: 3 ["Often when my soul, leaving the body, has been in contemplation, I seemed to enjoy the highest good, and this with incredible pleasure. Therefore, I was in a manner struck with astonishment, perceiving that I was a part of a superior world, and feeling myself to be endowed with immortality under the highest degree of light; which perception can neither be expressed in speech nor perceived by ears nor comprehended in thought. Finally, wearied with this contemplation, the intellect fell back into fantasy, and then, with the ceasing of that light, I became sad. Once again, leaving the body and returning to that world, I perceived the soul abounding in light, and this light then flowing into the body, and afterward raised up above the latter. Thus speaks Plato" (Aristotle, Div. Sap. secundum Aegyptos, L: I, c: iv.)].
For this reason I have labored with most intense zeal that from the one light I might pass into the other. Wherefore, kind reader, if you will deign to follow me thither, I believe that you will apprehend what the soul is, what its intercourse with the body, and what its state in the body and after the life of the body. But the way is steep. I would wish that my companions do not abandon me in the middle of my course; but if you do abandon me, I yet pray that you show me favor. And you will show me favor if you have the will to be persuaded that my end is God's glory and the public gain, and not in the least my own profit or praise.
Footnotes:
1. As indicated later on in his Preface, Swedenborg wrote the Rational Psychology as the sixth of his "Transactions" entitled Economy of the Animal Kingdom. Transaction I on the Blood and the Heart, and Transaction II on the Cortical Substance, he had already published. In Codex 36 (A Phil. Note Book), pp. 262-63 and 268, he gives the contents of the remaining Transactions as follows: III. The Cerebrum; IV. The Cerebellum and Medullas; V. Introduction to Rational Psychology; VI. Rational Psychology. There is no hint that any of these Transactions are to treat of the organs of the body. The present text, however, intimates that these organs are to be treated of in Transaction III, changing Transaction III as originally planned to Transaction IV, and so on.
Here we have the first intimation that Swedenborg contemplated changing the plan of the series of works which were to culminate in the Rational Psychology. At first he intended to approach the soul merely by an examination of the brain and medullas, and the laying down of certain new doctrines. It was in pursuance of this plan that he had treated of the Soul in the second volume of the Economy of the Animal Kingdom. Later, he confesses that he had proceeded too hastily (An. King. 19). And now he sees that he must first take up the anatomy of the whole body; he had already, as it seems, written the work on Generation (Psychol. Tr., p. 69). It was perhaps at this time that he began to draft a new series of works to be comprised in four "Tomes," as follows: I. The Organs of the Body, including Generation; II. The Brain; III. Introduction to Rational Psychology; IV. Rational Psychology (A Phil. N. B. MS., pp. 253-55, 265).
2. According to the plan referred to in the preceding footnote, Transaction V was to treat of the Cortical and Medullary Substance of the Brain, the Arachnoid, the Doctrines of Order and Degrees, of Forms, of Correspondences and Representations, of Modifications, and finally Ontology (Cod. 36 p. 263).
3. In the MS., the word Plato is followed by a blank which the author intended to fill in later. There can be no doubt but that the intended quotation is that which we have here supplied from one of Swedenborg's notebooks, published in English under the title A Philosopher's Note Book. See that work, p. 178.
