Do bad people stay in hell forever?

Answer from Paul Richard:

Within past-life and inter-life (i.e., in-between incarnation) regression research there are cases whereby people who led an immoral life found themselves for a time in a horrible environment on the Other Side. One that they were very glad to leave when they eventually could do so. Characteristically, these hellish dimensions entail dark landscapes, loud noises, disturbed screams in the background, emotional torment, constant storms and overall disharmony. The soul does not find peace in the lower realms - especially not on the first plane (in the seven plane paradigm found in most world religions). Only after one strives to live by The Golden Rule (i.e., embrace moral responsibility) and also to pay back karmic debts, can one slowly, over time, escape the hellish dimensions and ascend to a more spiritual plane in The Light of God. Hell need not be a permanent condition unless the soul refuses to embrace a more spiritual existence and overcome the faults and karmic debt which led to being in Hell in the first place.