Man tortures himself by disobedience to the laws of the universe. These laws are known as the gospel. Christ and the thief are near death and planning to meet in he spirit world, will we do the same. The thief that acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ and that they were to meet in paradise that translates to the garden. Hell being a place of fire and brimstone is a symbolic term.
Hell being hot is symbolic and fire denotes a cleansing.
The scripture where someone asks to have water cool his tongue is also symbolic it establishes a relationship between good and evil. Their are many scriptures telling of teaching after death that it has continuity that man does progress after death. A separation from god can be anywhere, it can and often is a situation here on earth but that condition of hell can be anywhere. That is a self created situation that man can overcome. We teach on a level that relates to the terminology the person is accustom to.