If there was a heaven and hell - as a writer what would you imagine each to be like?
I don’t think I have to imagine Heaven and Hell, there are many examples in our world that represent both.
Recently I read a very interesting book called “ The Lucifer Effect”by Philip Zimbardo. This book tells of an experiment conducted in the sixties in Standford University where students were chosen to carry out an experiment in the basement of the university. A prison was recreated and by the flip of a coin 7 students were held hostage while the other 7 students were the prison guards. The guards had absolute power over the victims (except for physical violence) and the experiment was meant to last 2 weeks. Yet, at the end of the 6th day the experiment had to be ceased - victims having nervous breakdowns. The guards, that unleashed their evil, had to go under therapy for years to come.
These normal individuals, given absolute power, started doing evil deeds, simply because they could – or didn’t do anything to avoid hell of breaking loose.
I was very impressed by this and I think that this experiment illustrates the fact that heaven and hell both dwell in our souls, just as light and darkness compose a day.
We all have an angel and a devil inside us.We choose who comes out..
Love,
Lia
It is said, that everybody lives his own hell or paradize! I have also read that when we leave the material life, we go to the ‘plains’ we ..belong. The place of ascenting, of transforming ‘darkness’ to light, is Here and in the Eternal NOW. The lesson of LOVE, Thelma.
Lucifer- The Light Bringer, originally the title of The Morning Star, he/she has had bad press I think! Prometheus was tied to a rock by Zeus for giving light to mankind, could he of been the first Warrior of Light?
I agree that we all have the capacity for right or wrong, but am sceptical about an experiment that only uses fourteen people to reach the conclusion that we are all potential victims or sadists.
I will have to read it.
..we just have to find the way…to follow the light; when love enters…darkness disappears.
love
Agnieszka
We sometimes do get a foretaste of Heaven and Hell in this life, but isn’t Heaven and Hell a “place” we go to after we are dead? Yes, I do believe it also is a state of mind, in addition to being a perfectly good or evil environment.
I used to know a man from Chicago, USA, who grew up under rough conditions. He talked about how he would get a “piece” (Gun) and just dump it in the Chicago river when a job was done. My guess is he had murdered people. However, when I met him, he was married and had three darling little kids and a good job. Strangely he ended up saving three people’s life doing CPR to one, and helping a couple out in a car accident.
Coming Friday, August 14th, it is one year since he died, probably from an overdose of Methamphetamine. Is he in Heaven or in Hell? Elvis’ song “In the Ghetto” reminds me of this man. May he Rest in Peace forever.
Hell is moving away from God, not knowing love, warmth, peace, light, security, forgivemess. All God’s descriptions. Hell I believe is darkness, loneliness, fear, abandonment…
Kathleen xxoo
Unfortunately when we find ourselves in situation where we are in control of others we tend to create hell. Most of the time we won’t even realize that this is happening. We might find all sort of explanations for our behaviour, convincing ourself that what we are doing is right. I think that one needs to have very powerful and controlled mind to prevent that from happening.
But it is very empowering to realize that we have the power to create heaven or hell. Ultimately it is our choice what we are going to do.
I agree with everyone, its a choice we make as pointed out in many of Paulos books.
‘For what is evil but good tortured by its own hunger and thirst?
Verily when good is hungry its seeks food even in dark caves, and when it is thirsty it drinks even of dead waters.
You are Good when you are at one with yourself.
For a divided House is not a den of thieves: it is only a divided house. (The Prophet)
The Luciferic myth is also meant to show how necessary evil is… for e.g. in the Book of Job he is simply known the ‘Adversary’ who is actually God’s valued counsel, tempering His enthusiasm for a mere mortal with what we today call ’scientific scrutiny’. If he is loyal today it is because of conditions XY and Z… take them away and then we’ll have a true test of his spirit.
Evil, as the Kabbalists believe, is also part the god-head since everything has originated from him. The OT Yahweh displays all the traits that we today consider ungodlike. He’s madly jealous, he’s vindictive, intolerant, unforgiving etc
In fact the real dichotomy is NOT between good and evil but rather as the Buddha says in Awareness and Ignorance.