Consequently, when we say that the soul is in hell (Hades), if we mean
by "hades" an invisible place, that means that the soul is separated
from the body; if, on the contrary, we understand hell to mean a lower
locality, we may also offer a reasonable interpretation: for now our
soul is with our body and is located with it. But what is meant by
saying that the soul is in hell after the body no longer exists? If
the soul be not separated from her image, why should she not be where
her image is? If the soul were separated from her image by philosophy,
this image will alone go to the lower locality, while the soul lives
purely in the intelligible world, without any emanation. This is what
we had to teach about the image born of some particular individual. As
to the soul, if she concentrate in her breast the light that radiates
around her, then, turned towards the intelligible world, she entirely
re-enters into this world; she is no longer in actualization. But this
does not cause her to perish (for when she is incarnated in a body,
and is particular, she exists only potentially; while she attains to
actualization when she becomes universal). So much for this point; now
let us return to our subject.