Just This Side of Hell

The Paradox of Indifference in the Afterlife

By: @Lymmerik

The mists of time have no real meaning to the dead. Their bodies cast aside like an old sock along the freeway, they lose the juxtaposition of one to another in absurdity. All that is left is the obscure. The existence they left behind is either one of peace, indifference, or violence and not much inbetween. However, this is not to say that a peaceful life was lived in complete harmony and tranquility; nor is it to say that a violent life was lived in constant upheaval. But those of indifference who have lived a life of utter lethargy, apathy, detachment, and indecision, those, my friend, are the ones who epitomize the context of this image. Those are the poltergeists of which I lecture. Those are the indifferent.

Source


When the truth is spoken, it is not indifferent. The truth is notorious for being partial, brutal, and most certainly embarrassing. But what is worse, brutal honesty or sinister lie? Again, there is not much inbetween, but for deceit.


"Oh, what a tangled web we weave...when first we practice to deceive."
- Walter Scott


Standing in the midst of the ruins and cinders, our decedent stands confused that it is just a dream and represents nowhere or now here. And does not feel the need to press on. He is enrobed in the wafting mists of indifference. Just this side of hell, our revenant, peers into the bowels of a great devouring furnace reflecting upon the physics from whence he came. There is no black and white, only the gray area of indifference. From this vantage point, how can his presence here continue forward into the past from where he just escaped, or return to what the future holds; more of the same? Pangs of torturous truth hinder the journey. This is why some spirits cannot find their way into an afterlife of what we mortals refer to as resting in peace. It is the indifferent ones of this existence who lose their way on the journey to that existence. Notice in the image above that there is no path, no road either in front of or behind our subject. He must not lose sight of the voyage across The River Styx but also has no navigation system.


Eons of time may pass for humanity, but time is of no consequence to the nomads of the netherworld. Most of these disembodied phantoms cannot distinguish between the way forward and the indifference of choosing to move toward the way forward; thus they are perplexed and cannot decide. There is no way to return to a past life for the ethereal being, just as we cannot return to bygone days. Thus, they cannot turn around and go back, there is only forward. This paradox confuses the eidolon into believing that the way forward to an agreement with tranquility doesn't exist for them.

A Push From The Material World

In the image above, notice to the right of the concrete pylon, just left of center, there, there stands the Grim Reaper. Our poltergeist has already been dealt with by the crescentoid sickle held up behind him. But he has no conception of the wake on the river behind him. Our straggler needs a push from this side. But can we? Some say yes, some no, but even if we can, how would we know for sure? I believe we can only be certain from that side of the matrix and we may know soon enough, or never at all.
Hell is not his destination, nor has he just returned from there. Hell is the indifference of decisions unmade that lands him in the purgatory represented so well in this image. As in this life, in that; his path is not easily recognized, but it is his path Just this side of hell.

Thank you for taking the time to read my ramblings!
@Lymmerik