Aerial toll house

Aerial toll houses refers to a teaching held by some Eastern Orthodox saints and Eastern Orthodox Christians about the immediate state of the soul after death. It holds that "following a person's death the soul leaves the body, and is escorted to God by angels. During this journey the soul passes through an aerial realm, which is inhabited by wicked spirits (Eph 6:12). The soul encounters these demons at various points referred to as 'toll-houses' where the demons then attempt to accuse it of sin and, if possible, drag the soul into hell."

In some forms, the teaching is taught in hagiographical and other spiritual texts from quite early in the history of the Church, but it has never been formally promulgated by any ecumenical council. A number of the Orthodox saints, modern elders and theologians have openly endorsed it, but some theologians and bishops, starting from the last century, have condemned it as heretical and gnostic in origin. The content is somewhat similar to that propounded by John Climacus in The Ladder of Divine Ascent. Some say that given the amount of fear that comes along with the teaching, the love of Christ becomes misunderstood and is forgotten, but others suggest that fear is perfectly natural and salvific for Orthodox Christians.

Some authors of the Philokalia, an authoritative anthology of writings of saints and ascetics of the first millennium, taught about the toll houses. For example, St Theodoros the Great Ascetic instructs to "reflect on the dreadful reckoning that is to come, how the harsh keepers of the toll homes will bring before as one by one the actions, words and thoughts which they suggested but which we accepted and made our own". St. Abba Isaiah of Scetis wrote, "...you will leave this body, pass the powers of darkness that will meet you in the air".

Prayers mentioning the aerial accusers can be found in Liturgical texts and official Orthodox books like The Great Book of Needs: "do thou banish from me the commander of the bitter toll-gatherers and ruler of the earth.... O holy Theotokos" (Ode 8, Troparion 3).

...
Wikipedia