Spiritual death
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In Christian theology, Spiritual Death or Second Death is defined as a spiritual separation from God, usually brought on by sin. Christians believe that both spiritual death and physical death (defined in this context to be the separation of the body and the soul) were brought into the world through the The Fall of Man.
Some Christians believe that whereas a man only suffers physical death once, he can suffer spiritual death every time he sins. Others believe that once made alive through Christ, a believer is no longer subject to spiritual death (although he loses a state of fellowship with God when he sins, and must confess to regain this state of fellowship).
Some Christian religions define Hell as the ultimate spiritual death; being completely removed from the presence of God both physically and spiritually.
Followers of Ascended Master movements such as the Theosophical Society, I AM Foundation, and Elizabeth Clare Prophet had a different definition of the second death: The final extinguishing of the identity of a soul deemed by God to be beyond redemption. In this theology, people would continue to reincarnate for many lifetimes on Earth with one of two final outcomes. 1) Reunion with God in the ritual of the Ascension, like Jesus, or 2) Final judgment at the "court of the sacred fire," where the soul would be destroyed forever.
