Various cultures and religions have specific beliefs as to the existence and location of Hell. Some believe Hell is a very real place within the Earth. Others see Hell as part of a separate plane or separate reality.
Yet others view Hell as a state of mind or even a current condition of the Earth. The views of what Hell is and where it is, have changed over time, even within the same religions or cultures, such as Christianity.
Biblical Views of Hell: Is it Under the Earth?
Though there are many different views and interpretations of Hell, one thing remains consistent. In the Bible, references to Hell always indicate a place below the Earth. The Bible repeatedly speaks of people being cast “down” to Hell or going “down” to Hell alive. This suggests a belief that Hell is either below the Earth or in a plane that is lower than the physical plane, or even in the center of the Earth.
Hell is described as “in the pit” or “down into the lowest part of the Earth”, thus giving the sense that Hell is below the physical realm we can consciously perceive.
Some believe that the word for Hell derived from the Hebrew Sheol, which is a place of stillness and darkness beneath the surface of the Earth. It is believed this is a place people go when they die. It should be noted that Sheol is not considered a place of evil nor is it a place of punishment, but a location where all the souls of the deceased go.
Hades, Hell, and the Underworld: Is Hell an Earth’s Underworld?
Similar to Sheol, the ancient Greeks believed in Hades as both the location of the Underworld and the God who ruled over the souls of the departed in the Underworld. This location is viewed as beneath the Earth’s surface and accessible by a ferry steered by Charon.
Thus, in many cultures, it is customary to place coins over the eyes of the deceased as a toll to the Ferryman for a safe voyage into Hades. Again we see Hades in this cultural view as indicating an afterlife in the center of the Earth but not specifically as a place of suffering.
Though Hades is sometimes used as a synonym for Hell and the God Hades is sometimes depicted as a wily, evil trickster, Hades does not have the same connotations as Hell and is considered to more closely resemble Purgatory or a place of waiting for judgment after death.
Hell as a Fiery Pit: Is It at the Center of the Earth?
Hell is often described as a place of suffering, torture, and fire. A fiery pit, or place of eternal burning, common phrases such as the statement that someone would “burn in Hell” or that something is “hotter than Hell” demonstrate this association.
Knowing that the core of the Earth is also hot lends itself to the association with Hell being a physical place in the center of the Earth. Yet people have described Hell as synonymous with flames and fires long before subterranean exploration was possible.
In Christianity and Islam, Hell is described as a place of eternal fires. Yet mostly, the view of Hell as a place of torment, suffering, and punishment is associated with Christianity and western culture.
Beliefs that Earth is Hell in disguise:
In some cultures, Hell is considered a state of mind or state of being. Others view Hell as the conditions of the Earth, which we receive respite from only in death and the afterlife.
Some who follow Christian and Islamic faith view Hell as an intermediary place of judgment which souls encounter before reaching their final resting places.
For Buddhists, there is no judgment on “good” or “bad” and therefore can be no physical place of punishment for sins. Yet, Buddhists point to mental states as the source of suffering and self-punishment. For some who follow Buddhist thought, Hell may be a person’s interpretation of the suffering they experience during life on Earth.
The view of Hell being the state of the Earth and relief coming after death is also found in some cultures and even in some branches of Christianity. Some argue that because Lucifer was cast down from Heaven to reign in Hell, he was actually cast down to Earth, not to a location below Earth.
Thus, many contend that Earth is Hell and the many temptations of society are tests from the Devil. Others believe that Earth is Hell because humans make the wrong choices and bring suffering upon themselves, which also, according to some religions, is a byproduct of Lucifer’s influence on humans during life.
Other Whereabouts of Hell
Some beliefs among the Swahili shaped by 7th century Muslim traders speak of Hell being a place of cold and ice. For others, Hell is depicted only as rejection from Heaven or the Ancestral Realms.
Thus, for some people, an afterlife of walking the Earth shunned by your ancestors is the condition of Hell, even if not a physical or ethereal place by this name.
Among some Asian cultures, it is believed that Hell is a subterranean place that is wet and uncomfortable. The belief in eternal striving and haunting the Earth, unfulfilled is also a version of Hell in Asian cultures, which view Hell as a state of mind rather than a place.
The Ba’hai faith also describes Hell as a state of mind and views both Heaven and Hell as temporary states and not places to which people are condemned for eternity.
Most of the modern views of Hell in the western world come from the writings of Dante Alighieri. In his poem Divine Comedy, he provides a detailed description of Hell as a subterranean location with many layers corresponding to specific sins and their punishments.
Conclusion
Even now in the 21st century, many people believe Hell is a real place on or under the earth and some maintain the belief that Earth is Hell and the reward for enduring suffering awaits after death. Yet there are also many who do not subscribe to a belief in Hell as a place at all and see Hell as a self-created state of mind that you need to break free of to find peace and serenity.
Regardless of the many nuances and interpretations of Hell, there are some common threads that endured through the centuries. Hell is usually described a very hot, and only occasionally as a place of ice or dampness. Universally, however, the idea is that Hell is a place inhospitable to human comforts.
Whether a place of active torture and punishment or a place of desolation and unmet desires, Hell is described as a place that challenges human needs and survival. It is typically described as below, low, beneath, or down from the Earth or at least from the Earth’s surface.
Even New Age spiritualists speak of “negative” vibrations being low or below that of the higher or more “positive” energies. Again this suggests that Hell or negative energy exist on a lower, denser, plane.
Angela Kaufman is a Certified Intuitive Consultant, Psychic Medium, Intuitive Empowerment, Life Coach and an LCSW. She is an amazon published author and was Featured on several shows like Discovery Channel’s A Haunting, Echoes from the Past (2007) 14 Degrees: A Paranormal Documentary, Tune In to Wellness Today with LisaMarie Tersigni, and Empowering Entrepreneurs with Melissa Carter as well as numerous radio interviews. She is the author of Queen Up! Reclaim Your Crown When Life Knocks You Down - Unleash the Power of Your Inner Tarot Queen and also co-authored three books on metaphysical spirituality (Sacred Objects, Sacred Space; Everyday Tools for the Modern Day Witch | Wicca What's the Real Deal? Breaking Through the Misconceptions | The Esoteric Dream Book; Mastering the Magickal Symbolism of the Subconscious Mind). Angela regularly conducts workshops, the Inner Queen coaching program and loves writing articles, that blend social criticism with spirituality.