Editing Jan Swammerdam (section)

==Spirituality==
Swammerdam suffered a crisis of conscience; his father repudiated the study of insects. Having believed that his scientific research was a tribute to the Creator, he started to fear that he may be worshipping the [[idol (philosophy)|idol]] of curiosities. In 1673 Swammerdam briefly fell under the influence of the [[Flemish people|Flemish]] [[mysticism|mystic]] [[Antoinette Bourignon]]. His 1675 treatise on the [[mayfly]], entitled ''Ephemeri vita'', included devout poetry and documented his religious experiences.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Swammerdam found comfort in the arms of Bourignon's sect in [[Nordstrand, Germany]]. Swammerdam traveled to Copenhagen to visit the mother of [[Nicolaus Steno]], but was back in Amsterdam in early 1676. In a letter to [[Henry Oldenburg]], he explained "I was never at any time busier than in these days, and the chief of all architects has blessed my endeavors".<ref name="ReferenceC">{{Cite book|title=Early Modern Zoology: The Construction of Animals in Science, Literature and the Visual Arts|author1=Karl A. E. Enenkel |author2=Mark S. Smith |publisher=BRILL|year=2007|isbn=9789047422365|pages=165}}</ref>