Visions of Hell

[curious]

In 1917, the children of Fatima, Lúcia, Francisco, and Jacinta, were shown a vision of Hell during the apparition of Our Lady. The vision depicted a vast sea of fire, with demons and souls plunged within, all of whom were described as being like transparent burning embers. The children were deeply frightened by the vision, but they were also comforted by Our Lady's promise to take them to Heaven

19 years later
In 1936, St. Maria Faustina Kowalska had a vision of hell during an eight-day retreat, according to Catholic News Agency. She described it as a place of "great torture" and "fire that will penetrate the soul without destroying it — a terrible suffering," according to Catholic News Agency. She also described a darkness where demons and the damned saw each other and all the evil, both of others and their own, according to Catholic News Agency.
Key aspects of St. Faustina's vision of hell:
The loss of God: The first and most fundamental punishment is the absence of God.
Perpetual remorse: A constant and unending sense of guilt and regret.
Unchanging fate: The knowledge that one's condition will never change.
Spiritual fire: A fire that torments the soul without destroying it, representing God's anger.
Darkness and stench: A perpetual darkness and horrible smell where demons and the damned can see each other.
Endless company with Satan: The constant companionship of the devil.
Hatred and despair: A deep hatred of God, despair, blasphemy, and curses.
Specific torments: Each soul experiences unique torments of the senses, related to their sins.
St. Faustina's vision of hell serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of rejecting God and living a life of sin, according to the Magis Center. It also highlights the importance of seeking God's mercy and forgiveness, according to the Magis Center.

The National Catholic Register report on both Visions remarks "...their jarringly similar visions of hell."

[eschator83]

I've been fascinated by your posts and must admit that for most of my life I have felt curiosity was an advantage, even perhaps a gift, despite so many ecclesiastic warnings about its distractions and dangers.  I did everything I could think of to encourage my kids to be curious; all three are now aged above 50, good people, charitable, responsible, raised good children (grandchildren and great grandchildren for us), but sadly not strongly active in any church.  I'm wondering what led you to choose your name.  I chose Eschator to reflect my hope, should I say faith, dare I say curiosity, in the Eschaton?

[curious]

No particlar reason  I picked the signin name Curious.....

[eschator83]

To get back to your topic, and I apologize for distraction.  Although i have personally tried to think much more of Heaven than hell, certainly I am well aware that fear of God (and/or Hell) is the beginning of wisdom.  I feel compelled to use this opportunity to encourage every reader to read CS Lewis' The Great Divorce.  i have no idea why he chose such a strange and misleading title.  Can someone please explain?  His story is about Heaven and hell, ad our choice between them.  His description of heaven i think is fascinatiing and encouraging, I'm uncertain whether he's also describing hell or purgatory.  Please comment.   

[curious]

query:why did CS Lewis' choose the title The Great Divorce?
Answer:

C.S. Lewis chose the title The Great Divorce as a direct response and counterpoint to William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell. Lewis used the title to symbolize the fundamental and permanent separation between Heaven and Hell, illustrating that it is impossible to have both. The "divorce" in the title refers to the ultimate separation of a soul from God when choosing a path of evil over good, emphasizing the self-imposed nature of damnation.
Here's a breakdown of the title's meaning:
Rejection of Blake's idea:
Blake's work, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, suggested a union between good and evil, or heaven and hell. Lewis's title, The Great Divorce, argues against this concept.
Self-imposed separation:
The title signifies that the separation between Heaven and Hell is a result of individual choices, particularly pride and attachment to sin. Souls in Hell actively choose to remain distant from God, creating the "divorce".
A choice between two realities:
The book's story features souls from Hell getting a "holiday" in a pastoral paradise, which is actually Heaven. They are given the choice to stay, but if they do, they must fully embrace Heaven and give up their earthly attachments.
Irreversible consequences:
For the souls in the story who reject Heaven, the separation from the joy and reality of God becomes an irreversible and fundamental "divorce".
In essence, The Great Divorce highlights the impossibility of a blended existence in the afterlife, stressing the profound choice individuals must make to embrace good or evil and the eternal consequences of that decision.

C.S. Lewis chose the title The Great Divorce to assert that a permanent and uncrossable chasm exists between Heaven and Hell, directly refuting the idea that they could ever be reconciled. His title is a direct play on William Blake's poem, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, which suggested a union of opposites.
The "great divorce" refers to several central themes in the book:
The separation of good and evil. Lewis argues that there is no compromise or "heaven with a little bit of hell in it". The book illustrates that one must fully choose one over the other; you cannot carry your pet sins into heaven.
Hell as a final choice. The narrative shows that the inhabitants of Hell, given the chance to visit Heaven, ultimately choose to turn back. Hell is not a punishment God sends people to, but a final state of self-willed separation from him. As Lewis famously wrote, "There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, in the end, 'Thy will be done'".
The nature of heaven and hell. In Lewis's allegory, Hell is a gray, dreary town that consists of nothingness and spiritual smallness. It is the result of people's selfishness pushing them further and further apart. In contrast, Heaven is a land of intense and overwhelming reality, so solid and real that the ghosts from Hell can barely endure it. The "divorce" is between the substantial reality of Heaven and the insubstantial nothingness of Hell.
Refutation of universalism. Lewis stated in the book's preface that he intended to combat the idea that all souls will eventually be saved. The narrative demonstrates that a soul's destination is determined by a conscious choice to accept or reject God, an act which results in the fundamental "divorce" from him.
The title also underwent some changes. Lewis originally proposed the title "Who Goes Home? or The Grand Divorce." The phrase "The Grand Divorce" was later changed to "The Great Divorce," which better captures the cosmic and absolute nature of the separation