What Do We Remember When We Die?

Description

In today’s message, let’s reflect on a profound question: what do we remember when we die? Drawing from both experience and Swedenborgian wisdom, we explore how not all memories follow us—but the ones that touch the heart do. As Swedenborg wrote, “whenever we see, hear, or feel touched by something, the picture form of it and the goals we adopt are instilled in our inner memory” (Secrets of Heaven §2469). These inner memories, often formed in moments of kindness and care, become the lasting impressions that guide us even into eternity. Whether it’s a joyful greeting at a coffee shop or the warmth of a heartfelt connection, these memories live in our heart’s memory more than our head’s. Swedenborg teaches that our spiritual memory is selective, not weighed down by every slight, but elevated by love. And that’s part of how we can practice heaven now: by rooting ourselves in that inner memory and letting it shape the life we live and the goals we form.