Interesting thoughts! The analogy I always imagine is that God lives in a big house in heaven. If you don’t even acknowledge He exists then you have no business being a guest in his home and are cast in outer darkness. Beyond that I can’t even imagine any of it. I don’t think we are supposed to understand it right now. We should focus on having a relationship with Christ so He knows who we are and we end up in the big house.
The other thing I think about is this thought — everyone gets what they want. Christians get to be with God. Atheists don’t want to be with God and thus they do not spend eternity with Him. Everyone gets what they want!
But I disagree that we are not supposed to understand it right now, for at least two reasons:
1. We are commanded to provide reasonable answers to these issues: "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." (1 Peter 3:15) The issue of hell is one of the chief objections of unbelievers, as is evident even on this thread, so we have the responsibility to answer them, as best we can with the resources we have.
2. God has given us sufficient information, ability, and guidance (by the Spirit, who "will lead [us] into all truth") to formulate such answers. For example, I based my answer on several truths plainly taught in the Bible: God's constant love ("God is love," etc.), the truth of eternal separation from God, the truth of eternal torment (as taught by Jesus Himself), and punishment proportional to sin (consider Jesus' parables, etc.). I don't maintain that my answer corresponds exactly to reality, but only that it provides a reasonable explanation, which refutes the oft-made charge that eternal punishment in hell is nonsensical and does not represent the loving character that God claims for Himself in Scripture. Quite the contrary!