A closer look
Emanuel Swedenborg was a brilliant eighteenth-century scientist who abruptly shifted gears at age fifty-six after claiming Jesus appeared to him and unlocked his ability to freely travel through the spirit world and visit other planets. He meticulously documented his astral projection trips to Mars, reporting that the spiritual inhabitants of the red planet communicated entirely through facial expressions, possessed no concept of spoken language, and dressed themselves in extremely stylish outfits made entirely of tree bark. He published these detailed extraterrestrial fashion reports as absolute theological fact, completely bypassing the scientific method in favor of intergalactic hallucinations. It takes a very special brand of mystical confidence to abandon a highly respected career in metallurgy and anatomy just to write extensive fan fiction about the telepathic, eco-friendly wardrobe choices of imaginary Martian ghosts
