Hell and The Near-Death Experience

5/21/2020 Hell and the Near-Death Experience
Hell and the Near-Death Experience

As with heaven, near-death
experiencers have witnessed
numerous variations of hell realms.
These hell realms are not for
judgment nor punishment, nor are
they eternal. They are states of mind
which acts as a "time out" condition
for reflection, education and
purification of negative thought patterns. We can also witness numerous
manifestations of these hell realms right here on earth. You can see
people rotting away in prison; alcoholics passed out on Skid Row; addicts
out of their minds in crack houses; people killing each other out of hatred;
unsatisfied people living in luxury; all kinds of hellish conditions involving
unnecessary suffering. While hell realms can be seen on earth, they are
merely a reflection of the inner hell within people. Hell realms in the spirit
world are the perfect outward manifestation of the inner hellish condition
within people. This is because when we die, we "step into" the inner spirit
realm we have cultivated within us our entire life. And because time does
not exist in the spirit realms, a person's stay in these realms can seem
like an eternity or a second. People in these hellish spirit realms remain in
this condition for however long best serves their spiritual development.
The way out of these hellish realms is to have a willingness to see the
light and seek love. Eventually, like prodigal sons, every suffering soul in
these hellish realms will see the light and heaven.
Between the earth realm and the heavenly realms, there exists two hellish
realms known as (1) the earthbound realm (which this article is about)
and (2) the Void. Both of these realms can be considered hell because
they are the two darker levels. This web page will focus only on the
earthbound realm. The earthbound realm is a hellish dimension that
overlaps the physical realm. It is a dimension where souls who are bound
by some strong earthly fixation, may remain indefinitely until they are able
to extract themselves from this fixation. After death, most souls expand
very quickly through the dark hellish realms of the earthbound realm and
the void, by means of the tunnel and on to higher realms.
The following are highlights concerning the earthbound hell which will be
described. It is a state of mind where earthly, physical desires cannot be
satisfied and is due to a lack of spiritual development. This hellish state of
mind is the result of living a hellish life. The ways to escape from the
earthbound realm will be discussed and the reasons why negativity must
be removed in order to enter heaven. NDE examples of the earthbound
realm, including traditional hell, fire and brimstone NDEs, will be
presented. Religious descriptions of the earthbound realm and scriptures
suggesting universal salvation will be provided here. Even more Biblical
https://www.near-death.com/science/research/hell.html 1/20
and NDE evidence of universal salvation can be found at the link provided
here.
Table of Contents
1. Hell is a state of mind
2. Hell is having earthly desires that can't be satisfied
3. Hell is caused by a lack of spiritual development
4. Hell is caused by living a hellish life
5. Hell is neither condemnation nor judgment
6. How to escape from the earthbound realm of hell
7. Negativity must be removed to enter heaven
8. NDE examples of the earthbound realm
9. NDE examples of traditional hellfire and brimstone
10.Various religious descriptions of the earthbound realm
11.Hell is for temporary purification (like purgatory) not eternal damnation
12.NDE support for universal salvation
13.Biblical support for universal salvation
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1. Hell is a state of mind

"Hell is a state of mind. When we die, we are bound by what we think."
(Angie Fenimore)
"Hell is a psychological condition which represents the hellish inner

thoughts and desires within some souls. In hell, souls become uninhibited
and their hellish condition is fully manifested. No demons are there to
inflict punishment. Each soul acts out their own anger and hatred by
warring and tormenting others." (Emanuel Swedenborg)
"The hell of hells is knowing you were your own devil." (Arthur Yensen)
"It is your mind which creates hell." (Dr. Timothy Leary)
"Hell refers to levels of negative thought-forms that reside in close

proximity to the earth realm. It is where we go to work out, or remain
within, our hang-ups, addictions, fears, guilt, angers, rage, regrets, self-
pity, arrogance, or whatever else blocks us from the power of our own
light." (P.M.H. Atwater)
"Hell is a level of consciousness which can be experienced in or out of

the body." (Arthur Yensen)
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2. Hell is having earthly desires that can't be satisfied

"Hell is a place where everyone retains the physical desires they were
fixated on without a way to satisfy them. Hell is real hell for anyone who
lives only to satisfy their selfish desires." (Arthur Yensen)
"One level of hell exists right here on earth where an earthly desire is
craved but cannot be satisfied." (Dr. George Ritchie)
"Hell contains people who have been alcoholics or drug addicts, who
find these cravings still with them after death. They stay near the earth to
be near alcoholics or drug addicts who are still in the physical body, in
order to participate vicariously in the sensations which alcohol and drugs
give. They can be helped in the world beyond to clear their soul bodies of
these cravings so that they, too, may go on and progress. However, this is
a long and tedious process." (Margaret Tweddell)
There is no geographic hell. We build our hells right here in our own
lives. (Harry Hone)
"The quality of life after death for a suicide is determined by their

motive for killing themselves. Those who kill themselves in order to hurt
someone, get revenge, or who kill themselves out of hatred for someone
else, will haunt the living by being aware of every horrible consequence
their suicide had on others. Those who, because of mental illness,
confusion, or a terminal illness, take their own life, are allowed many
opportunities from God to grow in love just as any other person would
who had not committed suicide." (Dr. George Ritchie)
Earthbound souls linger around the living, usually to try to satisfy a

physical desire. (Betty Bethards)
If an addiction isn't conquered before death, it could keep your soul

earthbound. (Ruth Montgomery)
Your personality - your likes and dislikes, your hopes, your fears-are
still attached to you, although in a more nebulous form that when you are
on earth in a physical body. (Margaret Tweddell)
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3. Hell is caused by a lack of spiritual development

"Hell is a lack of wisdom and not moving forward to progress. Hell is
not a place." (Cecil)
"Hell is a spiritual condition we create by being away from God until we

choose to return to God. Hell is a spiritual condition that is totally devoid
of love." (Sandra Rogers)
"Hell is the pain, anguish, hurt and anger that you have caused others
or who suffered as a result of your actions/words to others. Hell is what
you have created for yourself within your soul by turning your back on
unconditional love, compassion and peace." (Tina)
"What people call hell is really a spiritual time-out condition in which

souls reflect and work out the things that blocked them from the power of
their own light." (P.M.H. Atwater)
"Concerning hell, heat is molecules in motion, while cold is their lack of

motion. Likewise, love is a fast vibration of the soul, while hate is a slower
vibration. Complete love would be God, while complete hate would be
death, leaving the soul extinct." (Arthur Yensen)
"Heaven and hell are spiritual states of being. They are not static
states but are states in which there can be growth and progress toward
ultimate wholeness of being." (Margaret Tweddell)
"The difference between life on earth and life in the spirit is that your
spirit world corresponds to your inner nature." (Nora Spurgin)
"As there are degrees of heaven or hell on earth, so there are degrees
of heaven or hell in the spiritual world." (Margaret Tweddell)
"After death people gravitate into homogenous groups according to the

rate of their soul's vibrations much like throwing a small pebble into a
threshing machine. It goes into the box that fits its proper size and weight.
After death, we are sorted by the high or low vibrations of our soul.
Everyone goes where they fit in! High vibrations indicate love and spiritual
development, while low vibrations indicate debasement and evil. All one
has to do is to love so unselfishly that their soul-vibrations rise high
enough to fit into heaven." (Arthur Yensen)
"An extreme neglect of spiritual matters on earth can result in an

earthbound condition. This is the condition people often associate with
ghosts." (Dr. Michael Newton)
"People who have an orientation of hate, for instance, find themselves

unable to appreciate a realm of love and harmony. Therefore, they
continue in their state of bitterness and are 'closed' to the glory which
exists around them." (Margaret Tweddell)
"Those who have stunted their spiritual growth through an

undeveloped or misdirected lifestyle, have led a purely self-centered life
or have hurt other people, their spiritual environment will reflect something
of these realities. A self-centered life on earth places one in an area of the
spirit world with like-minded people who have yet to learn the value of
unselfishness for the advancement of the soul." (Nora Spurgin)
"The spiritual state of being you have on earth is the spiritual state you
take with you to the world beyond when you die. There is no sudden
metamorphosis from an idle person into an active person, from a
nonreligious person into a religious person, from a money-centered

person into a God-centered person. This is not an automatic thing."
(Margaret Tweddell)
"Environments distant from God are said to be dark, cold and

inhospitable. Indeed, they reflect the spirits of those dwelling there." (Nora
Spurgin)
"We create our own hell within us while we live on earth. After death,
we step into this hell." (Kevin Williams)
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4. Hell is caused by living a hellish life

"In the spirit world, everyone lives in the kind of a heaven or hell that
they have prepared for themselves while on earth." (Arthur Yensen)
"People are in hell before they die. At death, we are gathered together
with those who think as we do." (Angie Fenimore)
"The general rule of thumb is this: hellish life, hellish afterlife - heavenly
life, heavenly afterlife. Death will not change a hellish life into a heavenly
afterlife, nor does it change a heavenly life into a hellish afterlife." (Dr.
Melvin Morse)
"Occasionally, the encounter with light is perceived as a reflection of

the fires of hell." (IANDS FAQ)
"Physical desires can be carried over into the afterlife but physical
desires cannot be satisfied there. This can create a hellish condition for
those who have them." (Nora Spurgin)
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5. Hell is neither condemnation nor judgment

"There is no condemnation in hell, only the outworking of our own
misjudgments, mistakes, misalignments, or misappropriations." (P.M.H.
Atwater)
"Those with too many negative thought patterns might flee the light of
God after death because they are too ashamed or too afraid to have their
inner thoughts and negative natures revealed to everyone." (Dr. George
Ritchie)
"After his death, Jesus descended into the lower afterlife regions to
'unlock' the gates of hell. But souls still remaining there - for them - the
gates are locked from the inside. Nevertheless, NDE evidence reveals
Jesus continues to rescue souls from hell during a near-death
experience." (Kevin Williams)
"I saw the reasons for all of my actions and understood why I did what
I had done. There was a place for all of my positive and negative actions.
There was no action that was necessarily wrong, but there were actions I
took that did not enhance positive growth." (David Oakford)
"In hell, we have the opportunity to either revel in our folly or come to
grips with the reality of consequences -- that every action has a reaction,
what is inflicted on another can be returned in kind. This is not a
punishment for our sins but a confrontation with any distortion of our
sense of values and priorities." (P.M.H. Atwater)
"Just knowing the bad mistakes you made through your carelessness
or your selfishness is a hell. You don't need a devil prodding you with a
fork." (Margaret Tweddell)
"God does not condemn anyone to hell and there is no eternal

damnation. We have the ability to condemn ourselves to the hell we
create within ourselves." (Kevin Williams)
"The God of love suffers for those in darkness, ignorance and misery."
(Nora Spurgin)
"Many people believe that those who don't give verbal assent to Jesus
are cast headlong into eternal fire to burn forever. It should be common
sense to anyone that a God of love would never treat people this way. As
Jesus said, even an evil father knows how to give good things to
children." (Kevin Williams)
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6. How to escape from the earthbound realm of hell

While Benedict was in hell, he called out to the light and the light
opened up and formed a tunnel that insulated him from all that fear and
pain. (Mellen-Thomas Benedict)
"The way out of these hellish realms is to have a willingness to see the
light and seek love for others and God." (Angie Fenimore)
To escape the darkness, you must cry out to God. Then the light will
appear. (Rev. Howard Storm)
"From what may anyone be saved? Only from themselves! That is,
their individual hell. They dig it with their own desires." (Edgar Cayce)
"The gates of hell are open. Those in hell will eventually join up, link
hands, and walk out of hell together." (Mellen-Thomas Benedict)
"We stay in hell for however long best serves our development. We do
not leave until we have changed our attitudes and perceptions." (P.M.H.
Atwater)
"Souls in the hellish realms do not have the same powers to progress
and achieve joy that others with more light in the higher afterlife realms
have. Their progress is limited - a result of divine justice. However, these
souls can choose to grow if they wish." (RaNelle Wallace)
"The living have auras of light surrounding their bodies. If the aura
becomes distorted through alcohol or drugs, an earthbound soul can
temporarily possess the body." (Dr. George Ritchie)
"There are no permanent sinners. Even the saddest example of

humanity can become the greatest." (Harry Hone)
"Accept the greater power around you and let go of the earth and its
desires." (Margaret Tweddell)
"Based on a soul's desire and willingness, those in hell are given an

opportunity for an upward journey." (Nora Spurgin)
"To appreciate heaven well it is good for a man to have some fifteen
minutes of hell." (Will Carleton)
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7. Negativity must be removed to enter heaven

"At this point, I could feel this group of beings eliminate or pull from me
the negative energy of my life in the physical world and fill me with love
beyond what I can describe." (Sherry Gideon)
"After death, if a soul has been too bad, they go to a realm of lower
vibrations where their kind of thoughts can live. If they entered heaven,
they would be annihilated by the Master-Vibration of God. This is because
souls gravitate into groups according to the rate of their soul's vibrations.
If the percent of discord in a soul is small, it can be eliminated by God;
then the remaining good can live on in heaven. However, if the
percentage of bad were too high, this couldn't be done, and the person
would have to gravitate to a lower level and live with people of his own
kind. Birds of a feather, flock together."(Arthur Yensen)
"Since I had lived such a totally self-serving existence, I was in a

hellish state of indescribable agony and sorrow. I was in shear agony. I
still remember being on my knees while this blinding light broke and
crushed my false-ego. This breaking process was extremely painful."
(Daniel Rosenblit)
"Negative thoughts cannot be expressed in the heavenly realms - only

positive ones." (Ned Dougherty)
"God is the Master-Vibration who neutralizes all negative thoughts so

that you think only the good thoughts, such as love, freedom and
happiness." (Arthur Yensen)
"God's love looks at all of us throughout the eyes of eternity. God's

overriding desire is to purify the darkness of our souls, irrespective of the
suffering God has to put us through to achieve that end. However, it will
greatly minimize our suffering if we learn to accept instead of fighting
against our situation in life." (Daniel Rosenblit)
"There are earthbound spirits of low vibrations, whom we may regard

as devils because they annoy us through mental telepathy. These
demons tune in on us through our low vibrations of hate, fear and greed.
They can be tuned out with unselfish love, or if necessary be chased
away by the stronger spirit of Jesus Christ." (Arthur Yensen)
"The only thing that burns in hell is the part of you that won't let go of
your life: your memories, your attachments. They burn them all away, but
they're not punishing you, they're freeing your soul." (Meister Eckhart)
"The purpose of religion is not so much to get us into heaven, or to

keep us out of hell, but to put a little bit of heaven into us, and take the
hell out of us." (E. Stanley Jones)
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8. NDE examples of the earthbound realm

The following are summaries of the NDE accounts of those who
experienced this earthbound region for themselves.
The following is the testimony of George Ritchie's tour of the

Earthbound Realm (archived): Jesus took Ritchie to a large city on earth
where he observed earthbound souls stalking the living for one reason or
another. One earthbound soul begged in vain for a cigarette. A young
man who committed suicide begged his parents in vain for forgiveness. In
a house, Ritchie was shown the soul of a boy following a living teenage
girl and begging for forgiveness despite the fact that the girl was
completely unaware of the boy's presence. Jesus told Ritchie that the boy
committed suicide and was chained to every consequence of his act.
Then Ritchie saw group of drunken sailors in a bar with earthbound
alcoholics trying in vain to get a drink. Ritchie is horrified when he
witnessed a sailor pass out and an earthbound alcoholic quickly possess
his body. Jesus and Ritchie then viewed a realm that was jammed with
hordes of angry, frustrated, and miserable earthbound souls who were
locked in fights to the death. Yet, nobody could be injured. Ritchie realized
that this was hell where souls are enslaved to habits of destructive
thought-patterns. He also witnessed frustrated souls attempting to
perform sexual acts. He saw souls arguing over religion or politics and
trying to kill those who disagreed with them. Whatever anyone thought
was instantly apparent to everyone there. Most of the thoughts he heard
were thoughts such as, "I told you so!" and "I always knew!" and "Didn't I
warn you!" Ritchie became aware that Jesus did not condemn them and
that he had only love for them. The only thing that kept each soul from
leaving this realm was that they all shared the same kind of thoughts. This
created a bond where soul of similar feathers can flock together. Ritchie
wonders if these souls had fled the light that showed up the darkness of
their souls. Jesus then takes Ritchie away from there. (Dr. George
Ritchie)
While in the earthbound realm, Howard Pittman watched living people going
about their daily pursuit and completely unaware that they were being stalked by
beings from the spirit world. Pittman refers to this earthbound realm as the first
heaven. He was totally flabbergasted as he watched in horror demons in all
shapes and forms moving at will among the humans. Pittman was shown an
employee's lounge on earth where a young man and young woman were talking
and laughing. Between them was a grotesque demon who was unseen by the two.
Pittman learned that this was a demon of lust. Pittman watched in astonishment
as the demon entered the body of the young man. Pittman was told that the
demon made himself desirable to the young man and he accepted by his own free
will to violate his space. (Rev. Howard Pittman)
David Oakford saw dark souls who were earthbound and who refused
to go to the light. They prey on the energies of the living in an attempt to
prevent the evolution of their spirit. David learned that we protected from
these dark ones as long as we chose to focus on the love within us. David
noticed that the dark ones did not even try to affect him. They just gave
him nasty looks and went away. David was told that whenever he sees
one, he was to tell them to go to the light. The light is a porthole to the
place all souls go if they choose to go. David learned that higher beings
know where to go and what to do to help an earthbound soul so they may
advance themselves if they so choose to do so. (David Oakford)
Josiane saw faces rushing toward her with incredible speed. They
would race toward her face, expanding and then dissolving. Face after
face washed over her and she is terrified. She drifted along and was
unable to keep her eyes open. She wondered who these people were.
She recognized some of them as people she knew who had died. The
whole room was filled with spirits and they would hover near her and look
into her eyes. She tried to push them away and she fought them. This
experience seemed to go on forever. She identified these people as
restless spirits. Their faces were twisted with pain and they seemed lost.
She was frightened to see them around her. Suddenly, spirits with glowing
faces appeared to her. They reflect a gentle and powerful light which
reminded her of pictures of beautiful angels. (Josiane Antonette)
"Emanuel Swedenborg's description of the first stage after death is a

remarkable description of the earthbound realm: After death, there are
various states that souls must pass through before arriving in heaven or
hell. The first state involves their more outward aspects and the second
[the void] involves their more inward aspects. The first state after death is
very much like their state in the physical world, since at that point they are
similarly involved in outward matters. This is why some souls are unaware
that they are dead. (Emanuel Swedenborg)
This is an example of a person who is so sure that there is no God and

no hereafter that he treats others badly while on earth and he feels no
moral obligation to lend a helping hand or to be a decent citizen. When he
makes the transition he is angry and tempestuous as he finds himself in a
situation of his own making, surrounded by other greedy souls who,
because they are in like situation, welcome him gleefully to the hell that
they have created for themselves. He tries to break out of the fiendish
group, but they surround him. He is utterly miserable, for he now begins
to see the folly of his ways but does not know how to avert his fate. He is
left there until his own remorse for sinful ways begins to penetrate his
being and he acknowledges to himself that he wasted a lifetime, a rare
privilege, by thinking only of himself. After he reaches full repentance he
is then able to free himself of the unrepentant creatures around him, and
for a long time thereafter he searches his own soul to review the past
mistakes. This is sometimes a long, drawn-out process because he will
have to make his way alone. Only he is able to assess his wrongs and
seek forgiveness, although there are many here willing to lend a hand
whenever he reaches out to them for it. (Ruth Montgomery)
People who die as an alcoholic may hover around people on earth who
drink too much, lusting after the pleasures of alcoholism yet unable to
break the bond of habit which bound them to their physical bodies. The
same with heavy smokers or drug users, there or here, or the sex
maniacs who take advantage of others to appease the bodily craving for
intercourse. This is a very important lesson which we learn on this side.
To escape the perpetual cycle of rebirth into physical form, we must erase
the ties, the shackles which bind us to satiation of the physical body. So
try to lick the bad habits while on earth. It is easier by far than to come
unloose from them on earth. Those who neither drink nor smoke nor use
drugs nor lust after sex will be free of those shackles on the other side. It
is easier while in physical form to break those shackles than it is to undo
them on the other side, where no temptations are put in our way. Thus,
there is no reward for behaving correctly here in spirit, because there is
nothing to tempt us otherwise. The hard school is in the physical one, and
there it is there that we must meet and overcome the temptations. (Ruth
Montgomery)
"A friend of mine who had recently taken his life came through and did
not know how to go into the light. I kept telling him to go forward to the
light, but he was afraid of judgment. He couldn't forgive himself. Also, he
was having a problem with the fact that after he had taken his own life, his
spirit obviously lingered around the scene of the act. He could not
overcome the memory of his father's discovering him, and that was
haunting him emotionally to a tremendous degree in the next dimension.
What he and many of us don't understand is that there is judgment there,
but it is not done by God on a throne. Judgment rests basically with
yourself. It can take eons of time as we understand it before they go into
the light. It depends on the person." (George Anderson)
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9. NDE examples of traditional hellfire and brimstone

"Why do some people have NDEs that resembles the fire and
brimstone hell of the Bible while other people describe a different kind of
hell? The quick answer is that there are many kinds of hells and many
kinds of heavens. A person's situation in life and after death is based
upon many factors including: perception, perspective, cultural and
religious background, spirituality or lack thereof, and education. If you
examine enough hellish NDEs that resemble the traditional hellfire and
brimstone, you will notice that they mostly occur to fundamentalist
Christians. Life after death often means "getting what you expect", that is,
if you believe heaven is a place where you float on a cloud and play a
harp, you just might get that when you die. And only when you realize that
this kind of heaven is a fantasy-to-be-abandoned will you find reality
different. In other words, reality is what you make it. This applies on earth
as it is in heaven. If we believe that such a hell exists, it actually does
exist - in our own minds. And since the afterlife is the realm of the mind
and spirit, these hellish conditions actually exist merely by creating them
in our own mind. This is why it is critical that we be careful what we put in
our minds and what we build there. For more information about the
differences between NDEs visit my NDE Differences page." (Kevin
Williams)
Rev. Kenneth Hagin descended into a pit until a darkness totally

surrounded him. The farther down he went, the darker and hotter it
became until he could see the fingers of flames playing on the dark walls
of the pit. In front of him, beyond the entrance into hell, he saw giant,
orange flames. He was pulled toward hell like a magnet pulls metal. He
was aware of some kind of creature at his right side, which he didn't dare
look at, that escorted him toward the entrance to hell. When he did, a
powerful voice spoke which caused everything to shake. Kenneth then
floated back up through the darkness to the top of the pit. (Rev. Kenneth
Hagin)
Don Brubaker travels through a tunnel while a large, eerie red eye
peers at him which he realizes to be his own. While in the tunnel, he is
stricken with panic and believes he is in hell. A voice, which he identifies
to be God's, tells him not to fear. He has been chosen to write about what
he is experiencing. He is told he must testify about the reality of hell.
Afterward, he is drawn into a vast, flaming oven filled with other people.
They laugh as they realize the flames are not painful. Suddenly, he is
alone in the dark with God communicating to him. In an instant, he is
aware of everyone in his life whom he was ever angry with. Afterward, he
floats in a glorious deep blue sky. Christ appears shining a tremendous
amount of light. Christ gives Don a choice of staying or returning to the
physical world. Thoughts of his family cause him to choose to return.
Before he returns, Don is taken back in time to witness the crucifixion of
Christ. (Don Brubaker)
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10. Various religious descriptions of the earthbound realm

Buddhism: The deceased eventually enters a realm of hungry ghosts
were the deceased have huge stomachs and throats the size of pinholes.
Because of this, they wander around in a constant state of unsatisfied
ravenous desire. Eventually, the unliberated deceased encounters the
Lord of Death for judgment. The Lord of Death holds up before him the
Mirror of Karma where every good and evil act is vividly reflected. Now
demons approach and begin to inflict torments and punishments upon the
deceased for their evil deeds. Even here the deceased can attain
liberation by recognizing this. The deceased who is still not liberated after
the Judgment will now be drawn remorselessly toward reincarnation. At
some point, liberation is no longer possible and the deceased are
instructed on how to choose the best womb for a favorable reincarnation.
(Buddhism)
"Be not fond of the dull smoke-colored light from hell." (Tibetan Book of
the Dead)
Hinduism: Each of the dimensions of the Great Mandala of the

Cosmos represents a quality of energy, or light. Each dimension of this
Mandala, which moves out from the central Whiteness, are infinite
numbers of possible worlds and various kinds of embodiment. The
dimension which we live in now is on the outskirts of this Great Mandala.
Dimensions even farther away from the center may be called "hells"
where there is less awareness, less possibilities, than the dimension we
live in now. (Hinduism)
Islam: Muslim theologians, particularly those of the Asharite school,

believed that if a believer entered hell, God could forgive his sins or
nonconformities and remove him, either immediately or after a certain
period during which imperfections had been burned away. The basis for
this doctrine is the Hadith: "He shall make men come out of hell after they
have been burned and reduced to cinders." In addition to this purgatory of
suffering, there is another Muslim limbo - al-A'raf (the "heights" or
"ramparts"), described in a chapter of the Koran by that name - in which
those souls reside that do not merit damnation yet are unable to enter
paradise. (Muslim)
Judaism: In rabbinical thought, the model for heaven was Eden. The
rabbinic word for hell, Gehenna, is taken from the name of a valley of fire
where children were said to be sacrificed as burnt offerings to Baal and
Moloch (Semitic deities). Jewish legend paints hell with all of the
vividness that medieval Christians did, even associating particular tortures
with particular sins. (Judaism
Hebrew scriptures showing God does not punish people forever:
a. "For no one is cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings

grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love.
For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone."
(Lamentations 3:31-33)
b. "I will not accuse them forever, nor will I always be angry, for
then they would faint away because of me -- the very
people I have created. I was enraged by their sinful greed; I
punished them, and hid my face in anger, yet they kept on
in their willful ways. I have seen their ways, but I will heal
them; I will guide them and restore comfort to Israel’s
mourners." (Isaiah 57:16-18)
c. "The Lord will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the
nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation
of our God." (Isaiah 52:10)
d. "Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the
transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not
stay angry forever but delight to show mercy." (Micah 7:18)
Gnosticism: Christian Gnostics viewed living on earth as a kind of hell.

Gnosticism saw human beings as trapped in a cycle of reincarnation and
believed that even suicide could not release one from bondage to the
flesh. In marked contrast with orthodox Christian belief, bodily
resurrection was not viewed as part of the scheme of redemption. Rather,
only the destruction of the body and of all Satan's visible creation - which
is hell - was adequate to ensure salvation of the soul and its ascent to
heaven. (Gnosticism)
Christianity: Scriptures showing souls do not stay in hell forever:
a. "[Jesus] went and preached to the spirits in prison who
disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days

of Noah while the ark was being built." (1 Peter 3:18-20)
Also, "For this is the reason the gospel was preached even
to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged
according to human standards in regard to the body, but live
according to God in regard to the spirit." (1 Peter 4:6) See
also "The Harrowing of Hell."
b. "That servant who knows his master's will and does not get
ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten
with many blows. But the one who does not know and does
things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows."
(Luke 12:47-48)
c. "Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking
you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or
he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may
hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into
prison. I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have
paid the last penny." (Matthew 5:22-26)
d. It should be difficult for any Christian to honestly conceive of
a God of infinite love and mercy to permit even one soul to
be tortured forever in hell. It is common sense that a few
minutes in hell is enough for even the hardest of sinners to
change their mind and repent. And what kind of God would
create someone knowing that he will ultimately throw that
person in hell to be tortured forever? It should be obvious
that it would be better for God to not even create such a
person. If an evil father treats his children better than this,
how much more so God? Jesus stated: "Which of you, if his
son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a
fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil,
know how to give good gifts to your children, how much
more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who
ask him!" (Matthew 7:9-11)
Return to Top
11. Hell is for temporary purification (like purgatory) not

eternal damnation
The early Church developed the concept of purgatory based on
particular passages of scripture.
a. According to St. Isidore of Seville the Church taught that in

the next life: "Some sins will be forgiven and purged away
by a certain purifying fire." (Deord. creatur., c. xiv, n. 6)
b. St. Augustine also argued: "Some sinners are not forgiven
either in this world or in the next, would not be truly said
unless there were other [sinners] who, though not forgiven
in this world, are forgiven in the world to come" (De Civ. Dei,
XXI, xxiv).
c. The same interpretation is given by Gregory the Great
(Dial., IV, xxxix); St. Bede (commentary on this text); St.

Bernard (Sermo lxvi in Cantic., n.11) and other eminent
theological writers.
d. Origen, the first great Church father, taught that purgatory is
the true description of hell. He believed if people depart this
life with lighter faults, they are condemned to fire which
burns away the lighter materials, preparing their souls for
the kingdom of God, where nothing defiled may enter. He
wrote: "For if on the foundation of Christ you have built not
only gold and silver and precious stones; but also wood and
hay and stubble, what do you expect when the soul shall be
separated from the body? Would you enter into heaven with
your wood and hay and stubble and thus defile the kingdom
of God; or on account of these hindrances would you
remain without and receive no reward for your gold and
silver and precious stones? Neither is this just. It remains
then that you be committed to the fire which will burn the
light materials; for our God to those who can comprehend
heavenly things is called a cleansing fire. But this fire
consumes not the creature, but what the creature has
himself built, wood, and hay and stubble. It is manifest that
the fire destroys the wood of our transgressions and then
returns to us the reward of our great works." (P. G., XIII, col.
445, 448).
Origen based this statement on the following Bible verse: "It

will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of
each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will
receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he
himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the
flames." (1 Corinthians 3:11-15)
e. "In the Council of Lyons, in 1274 A.D., it was stated that
after death the soul goes promptly either to heaven or to
hell. On the Day of Judgment, all will stand before the
tribunal of Christ with their bodies to render account of what
they have done.
There is abundant evidence from NDEs and the Bible that affirm hell is
a temporary place for purification.
Return to Top
12. NDE support for universal salvation

"What all people seek, what sustains them, is love, the light told me.
What distorts people is a lack of love. The revelations coming from the
light seemed to go on and on, then I asked the light, "Does this mean that
humankind will be saved?" Then, like a trumpet blast with a shower of
spiraling lights, the Great Light spoke, saying, "Remember this and never
forget; you save, redeem and heal yourself. You always have. You always
will. You were created with the power to do so from before the beginning
of the world. In that instant I realized even more. I realized that WE HAVE
ALREADY BEEN SAVED, and we saved ourselves because we were
designed to self-correct like the rest of God's universe." (Mellen-Thomas
Benedict)
"Life is a cycle of improvements and humans are not perfect yet. Most
people have this secret revealed to them when they die." (Dr. Frank Oski)
"All souls were created in the beginning and are finding their way back
to God." (Edgar Cayce)
"We are immortal and indestructible. We have always been alive, we

always will be, and there is no way in this world that we can ever be lost.
It is impossible for anyone to fall into a crack in the universe somewhere
and never be heard from again. We are utterly safe and we have always
been forever and ever." (Jayne Smith)
"From the light we have come, and to the light we all shall return."
(Josiane Antonette)
"It is God's love for us that sends us on our journey and it is our love
for God that allows us to return to God's loving arms again." (David
Goines)
"A central aspect of our eternal existence is continued spiritual growth

through love and service. We can spend what seems like an eternity
before incarnating in the flesh. During that period in the spirit world, soul
growth can be attained there as well." (Nora Spurgin)
"It [reincarnation] is a universal process, and prevails not only in the

human kingdom but also throughout the whole of nature. Whenever we
find a living form, the consciousness of that form is also evolving, using
temporarily for that purpose the physical form in order that it may gain
physical experience. In each incarnation we have a different physical
body, a different name, and may have different souls acting as parents,
but these changes do not in the slightest imperil our individuality ...
Reincarnation is not an endless process, and when we have learned the
lessons taught in the World-School we return no more to physical
incarnation unless we come back of our own accord to act as Teachers of
humanity or as Helpers in the glorious plan of evolution." (Amber Wells)
"Without physical bodies, feelings of hate and fear are intensified as

souls [in hell] vainly try to hide from their enemies. Their only hope is to
reincarnate. Then unfortunately when they do, they may forget all about
their torment in hell and again lead lives of greed and tyranny. This
miserable cycle can continue forever unless they find salvation in one of
their lifetimes. Such people really need a savior, since they are not able to
help themselves. I'm sure Christ incarnated to help them because he

said, 'I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.'" (Arthur
Yensen)
Return to Top
13. Biblical Support for Universal Salvation

See the Hebrew scriptures and New Testament scriptures above about
people not being punished by God forever in hell.
SUMMARY: Nobody can thwart God's will, who wills all men to be
saved, not wanting anyone to perish, to have mercy on everyone, to save
the whole world by Jesus atoning for the sins of the whole world.
SCRIPTURE EVIDENCE:
a. "Then Job replied to the Lord: 'I know that you can do anything
and no plan of yours can be thwarted.'" (Job 42:1-2)
b. "God our Savior, who will have all men to be saved and to come
to a knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2:3-4)
c. "[God] is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but
everyone to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9)
d. "For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he
may have mercy on them all." (Romans 11:32)
e. "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the
world, but to save the world through him." (John 3:17)
f. "And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son
to be the Savior of the world." (1 John 4:14)
g. "[Christ] is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for
ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:2)
SUMMARY: All who die will be made alive in Christ, so that God will be
all in all, because he gave his life as a ransom for all men, as the Savior
of all men, he died for all, to draw all men to himself, so that all people will
see God's salvation which has appeared to all men. Just as Adam's sin
brought condemnation to all, so Christ act brought justification for all, to
bring everything under his control and to bring all things in heaven and
earth together under him.
SCRIPTURE EVIDENCE:
a. "For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive." (1
Corinthians 15:22)
b. "The Son himself will be made subject to him who put
everything under him, so that God may be all in all." (1
Corinthians 15:28)
c. "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and man,
which is the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom
for all men, to be that testimony in due time." (1 Timothy 2:5-6)
d. "For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope
set on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of
those who believe." (1 Timothy 4:10-11)
e. "And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for
themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
(2 Corinthians 5:15)
f. "But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to
myself." (John 12:32)
g. "Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made
low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways
smooth. And all people will see God’s salvation.’” (Luke 3:5-6)
h. "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all
men." (Titus 2:11)
i. "Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation
for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification
and life for all people." (Romans 5:18)
j. "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior
from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that
enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform
our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body."
(Philippians 3:20-21)
k. "And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to
his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into
effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment -- to
bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one
head, even Christ." (Ephesians 1:9-10)
SUMMARY: God reconciles his enemies to himself because he loves
even his enemies and reconciles all things to himself. When God
reconciles all his enemies, even death itself, it will be the "universal
restoration" first prophesized by Elijah, then by his reincarnation John the
Baptist, then by his future reincarnation as one of the "two witnesses" in
the Book of Revelation. Then the end will come and the Kingdom of the
Lord will be established on earth.
SCRIPTURE EVIDENCE:
a. "If, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him
through the death of his Son, how much more, having been
reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!" (Romans 5:10)
b. "But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them
without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will
be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he
is kind to the ungrateful and wicked." (Luke 6:35)
c. "For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and
through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on
earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood,
shed on the cross." (Colossians 1:19-20)
d. "Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to
God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority
and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies
under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.. For he
“has put everything under his feet.” Now when it says that
“everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does
not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. When
he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to
him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in
all." (1 Corinthians 15:24-28)
e. [Peter addressed the Israelites;] "But God had foretold through
all his prophets that his Christ must suffer and this was how his
words came true. Now you must repent and turn to God so that
your sins may be wiped out, that time after time your souls may
know the refreshment that comes from the presence of God.
Then he will send you Jesus, your long-heralded Christ,

although for the time he must remain in Heaven until that
universal restoration of which God spoke in ancient times
through all his holy prophets." (Acts 3:18-23)
f. SUMMARY: The "time of universal restoration" is the time
heralded by Elijah when the promised Jewish Messiah
comes to rule the Kingdom of God on earth to restore all
things and creatures to God. But because John the Baptist
(as the reincarnation of Elijah) and Jesus were killed, the
time of universal restoration was postponed. After Jesus
was killed, the Church age began when Gentiles were being
brought to God. According to the Book of Revelation,
another time will come when both Elijah and Moses will
reincarnate again heralding the return of Jesus. Afterward,
the universal restoration will occur and the Kingdom of God
will be established on earth.
- "Jesus chose Peter, James and his brother John, to
- accompany him high up on the hillside where [Jesus
transformed into a being of light]... Then Moses and
Elijah were seen talking to Jesus... On their way down
the hillside Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about
what they had seen until after the Son of Man had risen
from the dead. Then the disciples demanded, 'Why is it,
then, that the scribes always say Elijah must come first?'
'Yes, Elijah does come first,' replied Jesus, 'and begins
the world’s reformation. But I tell you that Elijah has
come already and men did not recognize him. They did
what they liked with him, and they will do the same to the
Son of Man. Then they realized that he had been
referring to John the Baptist." (Matthew 17:1-13)
- Read about all the scriptural evidence proving John the
- Baptist was the reincarnation of Elijah the prophet. Here
more some examples:
(1) "Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet, before the
coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord."
(Malachi 4:5)
(2) "For all the Prophets and the Law have prophesied
until John. And if you are willing to receive it, he
(John the Baptist) is the Elijah who was to come."
(Matthew 11:13-14)
SUMMARY: In the Book of Revelation, the prophets Elijah
and Moses appear again before Jesus appears. This time
the result is the establishment of the Kingdom of God on
earth.
- "'And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will
- prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.' They are
'the two olive trees' and the two lampstands, and 'they
stand before the Lord of the earth.' If anyone tries to harm
them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their
enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them
must die. They have power [of Elijah] to shut up the
heavens so that it will not rain during the time they are
prophesying; and they have power [of Moses] to turn the
waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of
plague as often as they want ... The inhabitants of the
earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending
each other gifts, because these two prophets had
tormented those who live on the earth ... Then they heard
a loud voice from heaven saying to them, 'Come up here.'
And they went up to heaven in a cloud ... The seventh
angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in
heaven, which said: 'The kingdom of the world has
become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and
he will reign for ever and ever.'" (Revelation 11:3-15)
Return to Top
"To appreciate heaven well it is good for a

man to have some fifteen minutes of hell." -
Will Carleton
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Hell and The Near-Death Experience

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5/21/2020 Hell and the Near-Death Experience

Hell and the Near-Death Experience

1. Hell is a state of mind

"Hell is a psychological condition which represents the hellish inner

"It is your mind which creates hell." (Dr. Timothy Leary)

"Hell refers to levels of negative thought-forms that reside in close

"Hell is a level of consciousness which can be experienced in or out of

2. Hell is having earthly desires that can't be satisfied

"The quality of life after death for a suicide is determined by their

Earthbound souls linger around the living, usually to try to satisfy a

If an addiction isn't conquered before death, it could keep your soul

3. Hell is caused by a lack of spiritual development

"Hell is a spiritual condition we create by being away from God until we

"What people call hell is really a spiritual time-out condition in which

"Concerning hell, heat is molecules in motion, while cold is their lack of

"After death people gravitate into homogenous groups according to the

"An extreme neglect of spiritual matters on earth can result in an

"People who have an orientation of hate, for instance, find themselves

"Those who have stunted their spiritual growth through an

nonreligious person into a religious person, from a money-centered

"Environments distant from God are said to be dark, cold and

4. Hell is caused by living a hellish life

"Occasionally, the encounter with light is perceived as a reflection of

5. Hell is neither condemnation nor judgment

"God does not condemn anyone to hell and there is no eternal

6. How to escape from the earthbound realm of hell

"There are no permanent sinners. Even the saddest example of

"Based on a soul's desire and willingness, those in hell are given an

7. Negativity must be removed to enter heaven

"Since I had lived such a totally self-serving existence, I was in a

"Negative thoughts cannot be expressed in the heavenly realms - only

"God is the Master-Vibration who neutralizes all negative thoughts so

"God's love looks at all of us throughout the eyes of eternity. God's

"There are earthbound spirits of low vibrations, whom we may regard

"The purpose of religion is not so much to get us into heaven, or to

8. NDE examples of the earthbound realm

The following is the testimony of George Ritchie's tour of the

"Emanuel Swedenborg's description of the first stage after death is a

This is an example of a person who is so sure that there is no God and

9. NDE examples of traditional hellfire and brimstone

Rev. Kenneth Hagin descended into a pit until a darkness totally

10. Various religious descriptions of the earthbound realm

Hinduism: Each of the dimensions of the Great Mandala of the

Islam: Muslim theologians, particularly those of the Asharite school,

Hebrew scriptures showing God does not punish people forever:

a. "For no one is cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings

Gnosticism: Christian Gnostics viewed living on earth as a kind of hell.

Christianity: Scriptures showing souls do not stay in hell forever:

a. "[Jesus] went and preached to the spirits in prison who

disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days

11. Hell is for temporary purification (like purgatory) not

a. According to St. Isidore of Seville the Church taught that in

(Dial., IV, xxxix); St. Bede (commentary on this text); St.

Origen based this statement on the following Bible verse: "It

12. NDE support for universal salvation

"We are immortal and indestructible. We have always been alive, we

"A central aspect of our eternal existence is continued spiritual growth

"It [reincarnation] is a universal process, and prevails not only in the

"Without physical bodies, feelings of hate and fear are intensified as

help themselves. I'm sure Christ incarnated to help them because he

13. Biblical Support for Universal Salvation

Then he will send you Jesus, your long-heralded Christ,

"To appreciate heaven well it is good for a