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Many of the world’s spiritual traditions have a concept of an afterlife where souls depart after life; not all include both a “good place” as well as a “dark place” based on the type of life one has lived. Assuming one has lived according to the ideals of the stated precepts that each of these traditions lays out, the believers may ascend to a beautiful world or heavenly type place where there is no hurt, pain, or sorrow but only joy and love. Following this line, these traditions then hold if one has not been a good follower of the “Way”, then the soul is lost to a kind of damnation with hell fire and brimstone of various sorts. This dichotomy of good and bad is based on souls having choice or free will to choose a lifestyle that is either according to, or against the various laws of the chosen tradition.
As humans, we naturally move toward what is comfortable and serves us well. If this is true, and seems to be so in my estimation, then why would anyone intentionally want to go to the bad place? Of course they wouldn’t; yet it is also true that people are human in the purest sense and just don’t always behave in their own best interest. This means that although they may know that mean behavior begets a life of trials and tribulation as well as an afterlife of more of the same… oh well… bring it on.
I have to say that the Jewish religion takes a different view of this dichotomy of worldly afterlives. If there’s a “good place” then everyone gets to go there once the prophecy of the Old Testament comes to pass – but we won’t go there right now. For this discussion, it’s what happens to those souls that don’t follow the program so to speak according to what’s really right and wrong – as in really wrong. Even within Judaism there is some disagreement, but according to those believing in Kabbalah or Kabbalists, we create our own hell – our own bad place upon death. Wow, how does this occur? The Kabbalists will tell you that upon death there is a life review; and, when the soul sees the deeds that he or she has committed with missed opportunities to help others/be of service, this is their own personal hell that’s created. So hell is not a place but more of a situation. Don’t create your own hell; do unto others as you’d wish them to do to you! hopefully, then when you have your life review their will be fewer regrets.
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