@NightHawk999 Well it’s not for me to judge who will be in which section of the afterlife. My own viewpoint is more along the lines of reincarnation, but their may be journeys through various afterlife states on the way towards reincarnating. For me, Dante’s “Divine Comedy” is a brilliant exposition of states of consciousness that souls may be in during this lifetime (or also in afterlife states). I believe that “hell” is a state of being stuck in the suffering of egoic attachment. In “purgatory” there is still some suffering, but the suffering is used as purification and part of spiritual practice, as the soul works towards releasing attachment to ego. It’s a state of spiritual purgation or purification. The “paradiso” state is a state of enlightenment and there are various levels to that as well. The majority of souls on earth are either in “hell” or “purgatory.” They are either in a state of egoic stuckness and attachment to ego (hell) or they have entered the spiritual path, either through spiritual practice, or through the good works of karma yoga and so are moving upwards through the process of “purgatorio”. (spiritual purging). Only a few enlightened souls on earth are in a state of “paradiso.”
p.s. The Divine Comedy is a tough read, but may be worth it. I probably wouldn’t have made it through it if I wasn’t doing it for a graduate school course.
Amen Brother, God is the Master of the Day of Judgment
I agree with you, and think it is Both state of consciouness, and a place of eternal or excessively long periods of damnation
Amen, the Buddhists talk about about 10 levels of enlightenment, the Muslims have 7 levels of Heaven, each getting closer to the Throne of God.
Agreed, this is why waking up to the egoic prisons is so monumentally important. The more an individual does this, the more they can help others.
I was going to mention this to you, that when I read the Inferno, I had a really good copy with a summary of each canto, and great footnotes, very helpful to have that additional ‘Virgil’ guiding me through the text!
Amen Brother!
These stories of human goodness and generosity are so powerful!
Yes . . . and “God” is within. Many of the near death experience reports talk about a life review where the soul judges their own life and learns from their actions in that lifetime. I’m not so sure about “God” as an external judge. There are also not that many near death experiences that report a hell realm state but there are a few. Some of them report temporarily getting stuck there until they call upon a Higher Source for help.
Yes, BOTH
Just have Faith dear Brother
No doubt.
Important to mention that I have heard of Life Reviews where the viewer not only reviews their life, but also reviews it from the perspective of others whom they have helped, hurt, or come in contact with. Talk about seeing the world through the Eye of God
It’s not about “faith” in an external “God.” It’s about knowing the “God” or “Buddha” or “Atman” within, in my opinion. Although faith in an external “God” may be a step along the path. It was a step in my path when I was younger. It’s knowing the “I Am” of pure eternal consciousness as one’s own true nature.
Near Death Experiences of hell realms are rare, but this is one. This woman moves from a hell realm to a heavenly realm when she begins to sing a Christmas carol. I believe she has written a book about her experience.
The Game of Life & How to Play It" by Florence Scovel Shinn
The Game of Life and How to Play it
Book by Florence Scovel Shinn
Re: Dodson’s “Levels of Consciousness.” This looks fascinating. And it’s book 3, so two other books before this one. So much good stuff to read, so little time.
Tried to find the others, couldnt, looks like if they exist they have might have radically different titles.
Have not read, a friend said this was one of her favorite Spiritual books. Read part of the sample on Amazon, looks pretty good.
the Power of Now…
Hospice doctor reveals the experiences of the dying which seem to support the reality of the afterlife.
https://wisdomexperience.org/wisdom-podcast/michael-tweed-wp201/
In this insightful conversation, host Daniel Aitken is joined by Michael Tweed. Michael is a well-known editor of Tibetan Buddhist texts, particularly on Dzogchen and Mahamudra. Titles he has worked on include** Blazing Splendor** by Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, Brilliant Moon by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Clear Mirror by Dudjom Lingpa, and many more.
During this episode, Michael shares his remarkable journey, starting at the very beginning with his interest in meditation and Buddhism while living in small-town Ontario. He highlights the profound impact these teachings had on his life, reflects on the importance of personal connection with teachers, shares humorous anecdotes, and much more.
You’ll hear Michael discuss:
- his discovery of meditation and Buddhism through the pages of magazines and books;
- his formative experiences with meditation and yoga;
- a transformative encounter in 1992 with Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche which lead to a period of learning and practice under Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche; and
- much more.