Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772) was a Swedish scientist, nobleman, and theologian who spent his life investigating the mysteries of the soul. Born in Stockholm to a staunchly Lutheran family, he graduated from the University of Uppsala and then traveled to England, Holland, France, and Germany to study the leading scientists of the time. He gained favor with Sweden's King Charles XII, who gave him a position on the board of overseers of the Swedish mining industry. Later, he was granted a seat on the Swedish House of Nobles by Charles XII's successor, Queen Ulrika Eleonora. Between 1743 and 1745 he began to have visions of heaven, hell, and Jesus Christ that resulted in a stream of books about the nature of God, the afterlife, and the inner meaning of the Bible. He devoted the last decades of his life to studying Scripture and presenting his own unique theology to the world. Lee van Laer, poetry editor for Parabola magazine, holds a degree in fine art from St. Lawrence University and is a visual artist, musician, photographer, poet, and writer.

He is the author of several books about the ideas of G.I. Gurdjieff ( Chakras and the Enneagram , The Law of Three , and The Universal Enneagram ) as well as The Esoteric Bosch , about symbolism in the art of Hieronymus Bosch. Van Laer resides in the Hudson River Valley and is an active associate of the New York Gurdjieff Foundation. See his website at www.nefersweetie.com.