You do not have to wait to die to experience heaven or hell. The opportunities to have both experiences are always available right here, right now!

Quite simply, you are in heaven when you completely open and are in total surrender to spirit, feeling your oneness with the love, peace and joy that is our source. You are in hell when you choose to stay stuck in your controlling ego wounded mind, disconnected from your source, feeling alone on the planet.
 

Our mind is a wonderful thing, yet it can be used in two totally different ways.

1. We can use our mind to access information stored there - information that has been programmed and hard-wired in. A problem with this is that some of our programming is based on false information, especially information about who we really are, what God or spirit is, and about what we can and cannot control. It is great to access programmed information regarding such things as adding numbers or memorized facts. However, accessing false beliefs about our worth, adequacy, and lovability, or about spiritual guidance, or about controlling others and outcomes, can put us into hell.
    
2. We can also use our mind as a receiver to access the information that is available to us from the universe. Cellular biologist Bruce Lipton, in his wonderful book, "The Biology of Belief," proves that the brain of a cell is the membrane surrounding the cell, with tiny antennae that are constantly being informed from the external environment. Interestingly, when Lipton realized that our trillions of cells are not being informed from within us, but rather from the external environment in which we live, he instantly went from being an atheist to believing in God. He also went from being a very unhappy person to being joyous. He went from hell to heaven.

When we keep our focus in our mind, with all our thoughts coming from our programmed mind, we are in hell - anxious, depressed, stressed, angry, empty, alone, lonely, judgmental, hurt, fearful, jealous, envious, resentful, blaming, manipulative, addicted, and so on. When we choose to use our minds like a closed-circuit TV, we are stuck in our programmed wounded self, our ego mind. Whenever our intent is to avoid our feelings, or control others and outcomes, we are stuck in our wounded ego mind, and we are in hell.
 

However, given that we have free will, we never have to stay stuck in hell.

We can always, at any moment, choose to change our intent and open to learning with our spiritual guidance about what is true for us, what is kind and loving to us, what is in our highest good. The moment we truly open to learning about loving ourselves, we start to use our mind as a receiver. When our intent is to learn, our mind opens to the vast information of the universe. When we open and allow the truth, wisdom, power, love, peace, and joy of spirit to come through our mind and into our body, expressed as loving thoughts and actions, we are in heaven.

Why, then, would we ever stay stuck in our limited mind? Why are so many people in hell?

Fear. Because we don’t know how to tolerate the painful experiences of life, it is very compelling to want to have control, and many thoughts and events trigger this desire. The moment having control over getting love, avoiding pain, and feeling safe is more important than being loving to ourselves and others, we get stuck in our ego mind. Loss or thoughts of loss can instantly trigger our desire for control - loss of love, money, approval. Any event or thought that brings pain can immediately trigger the wounded self's desire to control the pain, the person, or the event.
 

The irony is that in our effort to have control over avoiding pain, we put ourselves in hell.

Trying to control disconnects us from our source of inner peace and joy and creates our pain - our inner hell.

Our challenge is to remain open to learning with our guidance about what is most kind and loving to ourselves, even in the face of fear and pain. When you can stay connected with your source, you are in heaven, regardless of what is happening around you.

Learn to connect with your spiritual guidance with Unlocking Your Inner Wisdom, A 30-Day at-home Experience with Dr. Margaret Paul.