In Western esotericism in general, a person is led through a series of initiations including certain rituals and practices, in order to bring a person to a sort of Jungian Individuation.
It is said that after a certain point, one reaches the abyss. I will briefly provide some useful definitions of what is meant by this abyss in this context:
The gulf between the individual mind and Cosmic Consciousness, between manifestation and non-manifestation, or between life and death. The plane that the magician must cross on his own, without any assistance whatsoever.
The formless chaos from which matter and spirit are formed.
The Void from which potential arises to form actuality.
Now, before I continue, I must explain that I have not reached anything I would consider to be this abyss. I've come upon dark times occasionally, but nothing like I would imagine this sort of a dark night of the soul to be. From what I gather, it's a very subjective, personal experience, not often spoken of in specifics by anyone claiming to have crossed this abyss. Indeed, I don't really expect that anyone who has would be advertising that they had in any case, and perhaps would not outright admit to having done so anyway.
In Christianity, I suspect that this is Hell. Many subscribe to the idea that Jesus passed through Hell after his crucifixtion and before his ressurrection. I also suspect that Lucifer may guide an aspirant to this abyss. Whether this is true in any knowable way and whether, then, Lucifer led Jesus to the Abyss is not really a point I'd like to argue one way or another. I'm just throwing out ideas here.
Now, I propose that religion in many of its forms (not all) intends to guard against its constituents from coming upon this abyss, to, in effect, protect them from Hell. Christianity certainly attempts to do this. I also suspect that many guard access to this also in a sort of greediness, much like the bible was for a time when only priests were allowed to read from it, and it was written entirely in Latin. Many use this "protection" as a method for controlling the masses.
Hell and Lucifer are demonized, when perhaps, they are exactly the (or a) function of personal development towards individuation of the psyche. One greets the shadow (Lucifer, the Light-Bringer perhaps), passes through the abyss, experiences individuation (or a certain level or degree of it, with whatever benefits one is supposed to receive from this process). I will further propose that this is Heaven.
All that being said, I don't believe that any of this exists in a palpable, real way. I don't believe God or Lucifer exist except as anthropomorphisms for abstractions.
I was thinking about this in reference to a thread here. I know that there are people who have had very positive experiences in their religion. Scientology, as a religion, uses their E-Meter to "audit" people. People have expressed excitement afterwards that the process works. What they are not told is that the "cans" they are asked to hold send low-level electrical impulses into the skin, which stimulates endorphin production. Endorphins "resemble opiates" and are "natural pain killers". See a real medical application of this in a product offered by the Neuro Resource Group, here. I have used this product. It really does work. If I didn't know I was using something like this that had this effect, and I were to attribute the effect to a different cause, such as something resembling therapy, I might continue to come back for therapy as well. Their positive experiences with their religion, with it's physical reinforcement, keeps them coming back, even though it's based upon false assumptions and misdirection. Perhaps this same sort of thing is possible with other religions in order to redirect?
Any thoughts?