Opening the Inner World: Divine Inflow, Parts Work & Swedenborgian Wisdom with Chelsea Odhner, Robert Falconer & Jonathan Rose

What if our inner parts weren’t just fragments of the psyche—but vessels designed to receive divine love?

My guests today are Chelsea Odhner, Robert Falconer, and Jonathan S. Rose—co-authors of the new book Opening the Inner World: Spiritual Healing, Internal Family Systems, and Emanuel Swedenborg. Together, we explore the playful spirit that brought this project to life and the profound insights that emerged at the intersection of IFS therapy and Swedenborgian spirituality.

We discuss Swedenborg’s life and legacy, the idea of spiritual awakening as universally accessible, and how our parts—when burdened—can block access to divine inflow. The authors share how Swedenborg’s theology aligns with the IFS model, especially around the belief that healing comes from within, through dialogue, compassion, and connection to something greater.

This episode is a heartfelt, curious, and spiritually charged invitation to see your inner world not as a problem to fix—but as a sacred system ready to be witnessed, healed, and loved.

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Topics We Explore:

✨ The joy and creativity behind writing Opening the Inner World 📖 Who was Emanuel Swedenborg, and why do his teachings still matter? 💫 Spiritual awakenings and how we all have access to the Divine 🚪 Why parts can block that access—and how to gently open the door 💞 The soul as a vessel for divine inflow, and parts as vessels too 🗣 Why dialoguing with parts is essential—meditation alone isn’t enough 🏡 “The internal household” and learning to relate to each part with reverence 🌐 Porosity of the mind and the role of collective consciousness 🧩 How Swedenborg’s teachings and IFS therapy beautifully complement one another

______________________ About the Guests:

Chelsea Rose Odhner is a lifelong student of Swedenborg’s teachings, an IFS practitioner and coach, and the current Vice President of Publishing at the Swedenborg Foundation. Her work weaves theology, embodiment, and healing into a compassionate, grounded practice of spiritual development. 🔗 https://locusofhealing.com

 

Robert Falconer is a globally respected IFS educator and author of Many Minds, One Self and The Others Within Us. His work explores the porous nature of the psyche and the sacredness of all parts—especially those that carry burdens from beyond the self. 🔗 http://robertfalconer.us

 

Jonathan S. Rose, Ph.D., is a renowned Swedenborgian scholar and translator. As the Series Editor of the New Century Edition of Swedenborg’s works, he’s dedicated his life to making Swedenborg’s ideas accessible and actionable for modern spiritual seekers. 🔗 https://swedenborg.com

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Get the Book:

Opening the Inner World: Spiritual Healing, Internal Family Systems, and Emanuel Swedenborg 📖 On Amazon 📖 From Swedenborg Foundation

Upcoming Retreat:

Chelsea is honored to be facilitating an in-person retreat hosted by the Swedenborg Foundation this summer: "Inflow: A Retreat for Embodying Swedenborg’s Ideas Through Internal Family Systems" 📍 August 8–10, 2025 at Harmony Mountain House in Phillipsburg, NJ 🧘‍♀️ Learn More & Register

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This Episode is Sponsored by:

Heart of Caldera IFS & Wellness:  "Cultivating wholehearted connection with Self, each other, and the natural world."

Website: ifswellness.com Retreat Information: ifswellness.com/ifs-retreats  Facebook: https://www