Purgatory

A place between Heaven and Hell, where the soul is not bad enough to be sent to an eternity of damnation in Hell, but not good enough to go to Heaven, so it is sent there temporarily where the person suffers, and is purified so that it can be sent to Heaven. Heaven is depicted as being above or in the realm of the sky, while Hell is depicted as below or within the bowels of the Earth. These locations are thought to be physical. Purgatory is often depicted as a mountain mostly due to Dante's Divine Comedy, but it is also sometimes depicted as a middle realm between Heaven and Hell or a level beneath Hell. In most instances, Purgatory is simply seen as a type of limbo perhaps suspended between the upper and lower realms of Heaven and Hell. Purgatory plays a prominent role in Catholic religion. Roman Catholics, among other Christians, believe in the existence of purgatory as a realm of the afterlife, as well as Heaven and Hell.