Before I explain the progresion up the seven levels of the Tree of Life, ascending towards divinity, I will describe the demise of a soul. I will use the seven vices in progression with the seven bowls of wrath, as descrebed in Revalation chapter 16 of the Christian Bible, for illustration. The description can be applied to an individual, a community, or to the collective soul of humaniy.

I will clarify the difference between the "immortal soul" and the "eternal soul", before I begin.

When Adam and Eve commited the first sin, death was imposed on all of humanity. The physical body is subject to mortal death but the soul is not mortal. The immortality of the soul allows it to live on after the physical death of the body. This does not mean the immortal soul cannot die. It just means the immortal soul need not die simultaneously with the body.

I believe these souls reside in Sheol, or as Dante described it in "The Divine Comedy", Limbo.

Jesus is said to have gone into Sheol after His crucifixion to retrieve the holy souls residing there. There is no dogma regarding, whether or not He will return to Sheol again, at the end of time, or whether those souls will get a chance at a final judgment and eternity.

When the immortal soul decomposes, it is returned to the All Encompassing Light. No Hindu or any other follower of reincarnation would argue. The soul of the immortal is recycled.

All ancient mystic faiths also believe there is a point where the soul recieves salvation and eternal existance. This is the topic of many fruitless arguments on "who will be allowed into Heaven".

Biblically speaking; Heaven is not even available until the second coming of the Messiah, so these arguments are not theologically sound on any basis.

The following parody is a description of the damage a soul can incur within it's mortal existence. I believe this applies to mortal or eternal, but I am using an eternal for example.

The eternal soul comes into being when the individual believes in Jesus as the Messiah, the only begotten Son of God and requests the indwelling of the Holy Spitit of God (baptism by fire), after receiving baptism by water. This transformation is promised in John chapter 3 of the Christian Bible. The change into an eternal soul causes the soul to live forever. This transformation is often referred to, by certain Prostestant Christian groups, as being "saved". I honestly do not understand how this can be compared to salvation. If the transformed soul is not prepared for Heaven, and yet cannot die, the soul is put in danger of eternal Hell. If the eternal soul is not made prefect and pure, it cannot withstand the presence of God. I would personally consider the promise of eternity as much a potential curse as it is a blessing.

The soul of the child is born marked with the original sin of Adam and Eve, and the urepented sins of their parents and ancestors. The new soul carries the blight of death. The child is baptizied by water and cleansed of the inherited sins.

The precious child matures and acknowledges his baptism. He receives baptism by fire from the indwelling Holy Spirit of God. The child has now been transformed into an eternal being with a mortal body, by his belief in Jesus, and seeks to receive his Savior in Holy Communion.

The child receives Jesus in the Bread and Wine and his soul is filled with flowing rivers of living water from the sea that is our Lord.

The soul of the child is luminous and pure. It shines with Holy Fire and Living Water. It will live forever. How beautiful the soul of this child must appear to the angels who pass.

The young one discovers his feelings of desire and experiences greed. Feelings of power and accomplishment give this soul great satisfaction, when the greed is rewarded by the object of the child's desire. The first bowl of wrath is poured out. The soul of the young one produces festering sores. The living water from the sea, that is Jesus, becomes painful to the pustules of greed

The young soul considers the empowerment of the greed to be much more pleasant than the antiseptic burning, of the living water of the sea, on the festering sores of his soul. The child enjoys his acquisitions and desires more. The child becomes gluttonous. Only the acquiring of more of the coveted objects and more of the most sumptuous meals, can give the child pleasure. The second bowl of wrath is p8ured out. The living water received by the soul, is turned into the rotting and poisonous blood of a corpse.

The gluttony of the child causes the physical body to become bloated and sluggish. The young ill one now becomes slothful. The lazy, bloated, festering soul has no desire to work or spend his time constructively. He avoids the living waters of Jesus, and the third bowl of wrath is poured out. His soul's circulatory system, the rivers of his soul, are filled with the rotting corpse blood.

The soul spends most of his time pondering his desires. His mind is filled with lust. He desires the joining of souls, reserved for the holy sacrament of Marriage. The stagnant condition of his soul causes the fourth bowl of wrath to be poured out. The holy light produced by the joining of his soul with another, in the physical act meant for conception of new life and marital passion, causes the rotten festering soul to be burnt and charred. The soul loses all spiritual sensitivity because of it's charred condition. He can no longer distinguish good from evil, all of his actions can now be accomplished without the pain af guilt

The eternal body reflects the condition of the soul and the living habits of the person. The sickly soul desires to remain beautiful so he can fulfill his lust, greed, and gluttony. He does not want ot work hard because he enjoys his sloth. He purchases beautiful clothing and seeks out surgeries to make him appear externally lovely. His focus is turned to vanity. His vanity causes the fifth bowl of wrath to be poured out. The soul is plunged into darkness. He becomes spiritually blind and can no longer see true hope, love, justice, or mercy. He is a blight on his community.

The festering, rotting, stagnant, charred, and blinded soul becomes jealous of others who posses more wealth and physical beauty than him. His envycauses the sixth bowl of wrath to be poured out. Envy is in complete opposition to love and mercy. Jesus is the embodiment of love and mercy. Any of the living water of our Lord that remained within the soul, escapes by evaporation. The rivers of the soul are now dead and dry. Three frogs, representing three unclean spirits accompany the soul. The three coax and instruct him in the ways of the beast, the dragon, and the false prophet. The beast represents the evil deeds in the world. The dragon represents the death of all that is good and pure. The false prophet is the nature of those that would lead others into spiritual sickness, poverty, and pain. The soul enjoys his new companions and feels comfort in the great lies of the false prophet. He no longer has to fear Hell or God. He invents new and happy beliefs. He repeats his new knowledge often and to others. Just as the pathological liar believes his own lies by repeating them enough times and convincing others. The false prophet finds peace in the newly invented universe that lives in his own mind. He cannot remember God so he reinvents Him. He makes up a happy place where all the decomposing souls can play and enjoy their vices with no responsibility or accountability.

The stories of the fun new universe attract a large following of fellow rotting souls. The soul feels great pride in his new importance and made up wisdom. He defends his position of pride violently. He can not let anyone become more important than him. Truth of any kind must be hidden and oppressed through any means necessary. He has no concern for the other souls. He has become God in his own universe that grows within his mind. His pride causes the seventh bowl of wrath to be poured out. The violent destruction of his physical form takes place. His body dies. His eternal soul must now leave all that it has known and believed.

Hell will not be opened until Jesus returns, so being an eternal soul, he gains access into Purgatory. Purgatory has seven levels corresponding to the condition of the arriving souls. This soul is very damaged and will be placed very far from salvation and the entrance into Paradise. If this soul is strong enough to endure the cleansing and receives many prayers from those who love him, that are still living on the physical plane, he may be made whole again. If he cannot endure the healing trials or he is not prayed for enough by those on the earth, he will find himself in Hell when the end of this time comes. I would equate arriving in Purgatory in this souls condition with; the victim of a full body, third degree, burn arriving at the burn clinic. The one substantial difference between the burn victim and the damaged soul being; the burn victim may choose to let his soul leave his body, if he cannot endure the pain, the eternal soul has no relief by death and no power to leave.