Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/3627

3627 The souls’ purification process in the beyond....

December 15, 1945: Book 46

The departed soul's purification process in the beyond starts immediately after the decease of the body but in accordance with the soul's will. Spiritually completely dark souls experience the darkness as agony, and this right from the start of the process, because it is intended to contribute towards the change of the soul's will. Although the duration of this varies, it is always the principle of the purification process. God's love constantly gives the soul the opportunity to change its will, but in the beyond it does not always recognise these methods as the working of God's love, and yet they can soon lead to the goal providing the soul is not too obstinate. It has to purify itself completely before it can accept light, and until it can receive light it is in a state of torment, and thus the fate of an immature soul is lamentable. It can never receive too much help from people by means of loving intercession or mental instructions and advice to act with love. However, if the soul is not too obstinate it will constantly progress in its development, every torment melts the hard cover, it becomes receptive to help and will try to liberate itself, although occasionally it can take a very long time before the purification process is completed and the soul, as a recipient of light, is able to act with kindness.

But even more mature souls will still have to become more receptive to light, because the light can touch a soul at various degrees of intensity, depending on its state of perfection, which can reach an increasingly higher level. On entry into the spiritual realm the soul can already be so advanced in knowledge that it no longer needs to linger in dark surroundings, it is able to see and understand everything, it finds itself in a more or less brighter pool of light and thus is also able to work accordingly. And yet it still has to shape itself to receive more light. It still has to crystallise itself to utmost clarity and this again through loving work with needy souls, because devoted love for those unhappy souls will purify the soul and make it progressively more receptive to light, while due to its redeeming activity its own happiness intensifies at the same rate. As soon as a soul has the will to ascend it becomes diligently and untiringly active, and because of its will to help other suffering souls it constantly receives strength for its own happiness and sustained helpfulness. Always providing, of course, that it has overcome its weakness of will, that its engulfing impenetrable darkness is broken, that it is receptive to the merciful rays of light which God sends into the darkness, and that it wants to escape its dark state. Its struggle towards ascent, its torments and the darkness of its surrounding are taken into account as purifying factors, its layers dissolve, it becomes receptive to light and its ascent towards the light is assured. In accordance with the soul's own will God's continuous help enables it to ascend until, penetrated by light, it can work in the spiritual kingdom as is its destiny....

Amen

Translated by Heidi Hanna