Is hell a real place?

Hell Reimagined: A Journey Beyond Fire and Brimstone

The Encounter

I’ll never forget the first time I watched The Burning Hell. It was at a sanctified tent crusade on Chicago’s west side, not far from where I grew up. A friend invited me, and curiosity pulled me in. The film featured Pastor Estus W. Pirkle delivering a fiery sermon about hell, warning that all non-Christians would face eternal torment. Even two self-proclaimed “Christians” who doubted hell’s existence visited him, only to be confronted with graphic depictions.

The screen showed a place with no water, no life, barely any air, and no sleep—total isolation in pitch darkness. Billions screamed for mercy while spiders the size of small cars and snakes like freight trains roamed. A stench worse than anything imaginable filled the air, and 14-foot demons broke bones and tore off limbs. All this unfolded in 12,000-degree fire pits at the earth’s core. That movie terrified me. I wasn’t the same for weeks. It was designed to shock, and growing up, I accepted those images as truth.

The Problem

For many Christians, hell is a literal furnace of suffering, etched into their minds by sermons and films like the one I saw. The imagery sticks: a tongue as a flame of fire, a source of wickedness that corrupts the body and sets life ablaze, as described in James 3:6. The New Living Translation says, “And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body.

It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.” The Good News Translation echoes this: “And the tongue is like a fire. It is a world of wrong, occupying its place in our bodies and spreading evil through our whole being. It sets on fire the entire course of our existence with the fire that comes to it from hell itself.” These verses paint a vivid picture, but the focus often shifts to a future punishment rather than the present reality they describe.

I grew up believing hell was a destination after death, a place of eternal torment. Yet, this interpretation raises questions. Ask any military veteran about hell—they’ll likely describe the chaos and pain they endured, not a fiery underworld. It made me wonder: Can spirits burn? Can we see it or feel it? The traditional view began to feel shaky.

The Insight

What if hell isn’t a physical place you go to after death but a state you experience now? This shift in perspective changed everything for me. Psalms 23:4 offers a clue: “Even if I walk through a valley as dark as the grave, I will not be afraid of any danger, because you (God) are with me” (Easy-to-Read Version). This suggests a journey through darkness with divine presence, not abandonment to a pit.

Heaven and hell, then, might be symbols of consciousness, not geographic locations. Hell could represent a state of mind shaped by mistaken beliefs about God, humanity, and the universe—ideas we create through misdirected thought. Satan, in this view, isn’t a red-horned figure but a dominant belief driving negative actions. There’s only one true power, and it belongs to God. This hell of the mind isn’t God’s creation; it’s a human construct, built from fear and error.

The tongue’s fire in James 3:6 isn’t about literal flames but the destructive power of words, ignited by our inner state. It’s a wake-up call to examine what’s burning within us today, not tomorrow.

A First Step

To move beyond this, start with self-reflection. Think of a time when your words or thoughts caused harm—maybe an argument or a moment of doubt. Write it down and consider what belief fueled it. Was it fear, anger, or a misunderstanding of your worth?

Now, picture letting that go, replacing it with a thought aligned with love or peace. This isn’t easy; it’s a personal transformation, not a quick fix. The process echoes Psalms 23:4—walking through the dark valley with faith. Over time, this practice can shift your consciousness, easing the inner hell.

Veterans might say healing starts with facing the pain, not denying it. Similarly, acknowledging our mental struggles is the first step to redemption.

I’ve spent years exploring these ideas as an educator of biblical truths, and I’m excited to share more. My premium newsletter will soon offer a deeper dive into transforming consciousness, drawing from scripture to guide you toward peace. If this resonates, I’d love for you to join me. Stay tuned for details—I look forward to walking this path with you.

Hell as a state we experience now, not a future punishment, opens a path to redemption. Through personal effort and divine guidance, we can all rise from this inner fire to a place of light.