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Hell is not a physical place (I think)

Spirit of Light

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
In my understanding Hell is not a physical place but a state of mind, same with heaven (I think)
So a human being can both experience Hell and Heaven in the human lifetime.
(I probably have experienced Hell state of mind more than Heaven state of mind)

Do you believe Hell or Heaven can only be experienced after you die physically?
 
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Ella S.

Ella S.

Well-Known Member
My answer to this is going to sound a bit weird.

As a Gnostic, I believe that the material world we inhabit is the physical world and, therefore, there are no other physical places outside of that. I also regard our spirit as separate from the physical world and tied to our minds.

I also don't believe in "Heaven" or "Hell" per say. I believe in the Fullness and Sojourn, which can serve as loose stand-ins for those concepts.

Both the Fullness and the Sojourn are within us, not external to us, and we can have visions of them during certain meditations. One of the most famous examples of said visions is in the Sethian text, "Zostrianos."

So they can be experienced in life and, once we successfully detach from the physical world, they are (theoretically) the only places left to experience in death when we lose our bodies.

They do appear to us as physical places in the same way that our dreams do, but, just like dreams, they aren't made of matter and don't follow the laws of physics. Therefore, they are not technically physical places, but they are a bit more than just a state of mind. I actually had an NDE a few years ago where I went to Repentance, for instance.
 
Spirit of Light

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
Ella S. said:
My answer to this is going to sound a bit weird.

As a Gnostic, I believe that the material world we inhabit is the physical world and, therefore, there are no other physical places outside of that. I also regard our spirit as separate from the physical world and tied to our minds.

I also don't believe in "Heaven" or "Hell" per say. I believe in the Fullness and Sojourn, which can serve as loose stand-ins for those concepts.

Both the Fullness and the Sojourn are within us, not external to us, and we can have visions of them during certain meditations. One of the most famous examples of said visions is in the Sethian text, "Zostrianos."

So they can be experienced in life and, once we successfully detach from the physical world, they are (theoretically) the only places left to experience in death when we lose our bodies.

They do appear to us as physical places in the same way that our dreams do, but, just like dreams, they aren't made of matter and don't follow the laws of physics. Therefore, they are not technically physical places, but they are a bit more than just a state of mind. I actually had an NDE a few years ago where I went to Repentance, for instance.
Click to expand...
I don't find your answer to be weired :) to me your answer make sense.
 
Martin

Martin

Spam, wonderful spam (bloody vikings!)
Seeker of White Light said:
In my understanding Hell is not a physical place but a state of mind, same with heaven (I think)
So a human being can both existence Hell and Heaven in the human lifetime.
(I probably have experienced Hell state of mind more than Heaven state of mind)

Do you believe Hell or Heaven can only be experienced after you die physically?
Click to expand...

Sure, you can think of heaven and hell as states of mind. You could also say that the point of spiritual practice is to attain, and remain in, a "heavenly" state of mind.
 
The Crimson Universe

The Crimson Universe

Active Member
Seeker of White Light said:
In my understanding Hell is not a physical place but a state of mind, same with heaven (I think)
So a human being can both existence Hell and Heaven in the human lifetime.
(I probably have experienced Hell state of mind more than Heaven state of mind)

Do you believe Hell or Heaven can only be experienced after you die physically?
Click to expand...

I believe they're both a mental state and also a real physical/astral realm where you go after you die.

The religion i follow speaks of both types.
The mental state is created from the quality of life you live here on earth.
And based on the actions you perform on earth, you get rewards or punishments after death in actual physical/astral heaven or hell. :=)
 
Ella S.

Ella S.

Well-Known Member
Martin said:
Sure, you can think of heaven and hell as states of mind. You could also say that the point of spiritual practice is to attain, and remain in, a "heavenly" state of mind.
Click to expand...

That's a really interesting way of putting it. I don't know how much I agree with that, but it gives me a lot to think about. Thank you for your perspective.

Actually, many Western authors compare enlightenment to being in a saintly or angelic state of purity in soul, which is practically just a rephrasing of "a heavenly state of mind." Much like a lot of the iconography of Hindu gods, Western tradition literally paints angels as perpetually calm and tranquil.

There's definitely something to this.
 
Martin

Martin

Spam, wonderful spam (bloody vikings!)
Ella S. said:
That's a really interesting way of putting it. I don't know how much I agree with that, but it gives me a lot to think about. Thank you for your perspective.

Actually, many Western authors compare enlightenment to being in a saintly or angelic state of purity in soul, which is practically just a rephrasing of "a heavenly state of mind." Much like a lot of the iconography of Hindu gods, Western tradition literally paints angels as perpetually calm and tranquil.

There's definitely something to this.
Click to expand...

I tend to assume that literal descriptions of heaven and hell are like carrot and stick for devotees.
 
Hermit Philosopher

Hermit Philosopher

Selflessly here for you
Seeker of White Light said:
In my understanding Hell is not a physical place but a state of mind, same with heaven (I think)
So a human being can both existence Hell and Heaven in the human lifetime.
(I probably have experienced Hell state of mind more than Heaven state of mind)

Do you believe Hell or Heaven can only be experienced after you die physically?
Click to expand...


I’d agree with you here @Seeker of White Light; these are states of mind that can and do become states of being.

Humbly
Hermit
 
Ella S.

Ella S.

Well-Known Member
Martin said:
I tend to assume that literal descriptions of heaven and hell are like carrot and stick for devotees.
Click to expand...

Maybe. I think it has more to do with people feeling like the universe "ought" to have some system of punishment for bad people and reward for good people. I could see how someone would come up with the concept organically.

The carrot-and-stick set-up uses that intuition against people, but I don't think it invented the idea.
 
Secret Chief

Secret Chief

Veteran Member
Seeker of White Light said:
In my understanding Hell is not a physical place but a state of mind, same with heaven (I think)
So a human being can both experience Hell and Heaven in the human lifetime.
(I probably have experienced Hell state of mind more than Heaven state of mind)

Do you believe Hell or Heaven can only be experienced after you die physically?
Click to expand...
I agree with you (and hence with Thich Nhat Hanh).
Heaven and hell are mind-made.
 
Spirit of Light

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
If we look at this road sign from Norway

Hell is in Norway :D
Yes I live in Norway :p
 

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