Is There Really a Heaven and Hell?
We Manifest Heaven and Hell
Realms of Existence
Some religions seem to push the concepts of heaven and hell, especially in the context of the dreaded eternal damnation. There are countless references to heaven and hell in The Bible, including the twelve gates of heaven (Bible: Revelations: 21:21). The Bhagavad Gita (8:16) explains that there are 14 realms of existence in the material universe: seven higher realms (swarga) which are considered heavenly and seven lower realms (narak) which are considered hellish or nether regions, according to Swami Mukundananda (Bhakti Yog Saint & Yoga Teacher). Even NDE’s have had varying accounts of experiences that could be described as heavenly or hellish.
So are heaven and hell real places or simply figments of our imagination? If one resonates with the concept that we have free will, then this would suggest that our spiritual evolution is in our own hands. If that is indeed the case, then are the heavenly or hellish experiences we endure ultimately a result of our own thoughts, intentions, and actions (Edgar Cayce Readings: 281-16)? Perhaps the only hell is the one of self-destruction (Bhagavad Gita: 16:16-21) and suffering we manufacture in our minds and attract for ourselves through our egos, material desires, attachments, aversions, and thought patterns.
The Hell We Manifest
Consider this fellow souls. What if it isn’t Source that sends us to lower or higher realms? Perhaps we create those realms through the patterns of our consciousness and are drawn to certain realms based on the Law of Attraction. Interesting, right? This would suggest that we occupy higher or lower realms not because we deserved it, but because we’ve constructed a pattern of consciousness — through our thoughts, intentions, and actions — that vibrates at that realm’s frequency.
As suggested by Buddhist traditions, perhaps heaven and hell are manufactured as states of mind, intricately woven into our daily experiences. And once we shed the material body, we attract or manifest these heavenly or hellish realms into existence. This coincides with the Tibetan Book of the Dead (Bardo Thodol) which explains that the bodies/realms we inhabit are reflections or hallucinations of our individual consciousness (12, 34). Ergo, apart from one’s own hallucinations, there is no such thing as heaven or hell existing outside oneself (38).
Regardless, what resonates with us is that none of these realms, heavenly nor hellish, are permanent nor do any of our hellish mindsets have to be permanent. Essentially, there is no eternal damnation unless we make it so. Per Buddhist traditions, when our karma runs out or the causes of our suffering are gone, we’re reborn in another plane of existence and realm based on the karma we have left. This is why we practice mindfulness — to ensure our perception, thoughts, intentions, and actions are always geared towards positivity, love, compassion, and serving others.
Fire of Purification
Fire Washes
If one resonates with the concept that heaven and hell are essentially mindsets, why does The Bible (Revelations: 19:20, 20:10, 20:14-15) explain that those not written in the book of life will be cast into the lake of fire? Is this lake of fire an actual lake consisting of fire or is it meant to be seen as metaphorical? We resonate with the idea of exploring The Bible through a more symbolic, metaphorical lens — even though it seems to be taken quite literally by most who read and translate it.
So if we explore the lake of fire through a metaphorical lens, then it’s possible that the “fire” mentioned in The Bible is referring to the cleansing and purification properties of fire washes. No, fire washes do not mean setting our bodies on fire! According to Sadhguru (Yogi, Mystic, Guru), fire washes are when we light a fire (or lamp) and face the fire with open hands and eyes for approximately three minutes. As Sadhguru explains, this process brings about a new sense of resurgence in the system — rekindling the fire within with the fire outside to burn up impurities in the system.
Violet Flame
Could the lake of fire also be referring to the cleansing and purification properties of pure love and forgiveness? Perhaps it’s referring to the purification properties of the violet flame. The violet flame is considered one of the highest vibrational frequencies of spiritual energy. Brought to humanity by Archangel Zadkiel — the angel of mercy, memory, and forgiveness — the violet flame has been used for centuries by Reiki healers, sages, shamans, and other master alchemists for spiritual purification and transmutation (transformation).
Violet flame energy is generally invoked during meditations, prayers, and ceremonies to cleanse and transmute (transform) lower-vibrational energy into neutral or higher-vibrational energy (spiritual alchemy). Lower-vibrational energy could be considered any negative, heavy, stagnant, angry, fearful, controlling, greedy, lustful, or judgmental thoughts, emotions, intentions, or actions that further detract us from vibrational harmony with Source.
The violet flame is often visualized as a bright light that surrounds a person to purify and burn away negative karma, energy, emotions, and thought patterns. It can also be used in conjunction with crystals like amethyst which are said to help align our thoughts and actions. Transmuting negative energy ensures it does not manifest into hellish thoughts or attract the realms of suffering. This affirms that all entities – no matter how far we stray from divine love – have the potential to abandon and purify negativity, as explained by the Law of One (78:25). Now that’s definitely inspirational!