View source for Afterlife

{{Short description|Purported continued existence after death}}
{{Redirect-several|Afterlife|After death|Life after death|Hereafter}}
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[[File:Idris the prophet.jpg|thumb|A depiction of [[Idris (prophet)|Idris]] visiting Heaven and Hell from a Persian [[illuminated manuscript]] version of the Islamic text ''[[Stories of the Prophets]]'' (1577)]]
{{Philosophy of religion sidebar |expanded=religion}}
{{Anthropology of religion|Basic}}
The '''afterlife''' or '''life after death''' is a postulated existence in which the essential part of an individual's [[Stream of consciousness (psychology)|stream of consciousness]] or [[Personal identity|identity]] continues to exist after the death of their physical body. The surviving essential aspect varies between belief systems; it may be some partial element, or the entire [[soul]] or spirit, which carries with it one's personal identity.

In some views, this continued existence takes place in a [[Supernatural|spiritual]] realm, while in others, the individual may be reborn into [[World#Religion|this world]] and begin the life cycle over again in a process referred to as [[reincarnation]], likely with no memory of what they have done in the past. In this latter view, such rebirths and deaths may take place over and over again continuously until the individual gains entry to a spiritual realm or [[otherworld]]. Major views on the afterlife derive from religion, [[Western esotericism|esotericism]], and [[metaphysics]].

Some belief systems, such as those in the [[Abrahamic religion|Abrahamic tradition]], hold that the dead go to a specific place (e.g., [[paradise]] or [[hell]]) after death, as determined by their god, based on their [[orthopraxy|actions]] and [[orthodoxy|beliefs]] during life. In contrast, in systems of reincarnation, such as those of the [[Indian religions]], the nature of the continued existence is determined directly by the actions of the individual in the ended life.
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==Different metaphysical models==
[[Theism|Theist]] [[immortality|immortalists]] generally believe some afterlife awaits people when they die. Members of some generally non-theistic religions believe in an afterlife without reference to a deity.{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}}

Religions, such as [[Christianity]], [[Islam]], and various pagan belief systems, believe in the soul's existence in another world, while others, like many forms of [[Hinduism]] and [[Buddhism]], believe in reincarnation. In both cases, these religions hold that one's status in the afterlife is determined by their conduct during life.{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}

===Reincarnation===
{{main|Reincarnation}}

Reincarnation is the philosophical or religious concept that an aspect of a living being starts a new life in a different [[physical body]] or form after each death. This concept is also known as rebirth or transmigration and is part of the [[Saṃsāra]]/karma doctrine of cyclic existence. Samsara refers to the process in which souls ([[jiva]]s) go through a sequence of human and animal forms. Traditional Hinduism teaches that each life helps the soul (jivas) learn until the soul becomes purified to the point of [[Moksha|liberation]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Aiken |first=Lewis R. |url=https://archive.org/details/dyingdeathbereav0000aike_h4a8 |title=Dying, death, and bereavement |date=2000 |publisher=Lawrence Erlbaum Associates |isbn=0-585-30171-9 |edition=4th |location=Mahwah, NJ |oclc=45729833 |url-access=registration}}</ref> All major [[Indian religions]], namely [[Buddhism]], [[Hinduism]], [[Jainism]], and [[Sikhism]] have their own interpretations of the idea of reincarnation.<!--{{Sfn|Mark Juergensmeyer|Wade Clark Roof|2011|pp=271-272}}{{sfn|Stephen J. Laumakis|2008|pp=90–99}}--><ref name="Gross1993p148">{{cite book|author=Rita M. Gross |title=Buddhism After Patriarchy: A Feminist History, Analysis, and Reconstruction of Buddhism |url=https://archive.org/details/buddhismafterpat00gros |url-access=registration |year=1993|publisher=State University of New York Press|isbn=978-1-4384-0513-1 |page=[https://archive.org/details/buddhismafterpat00gros/page/148 148]}}</ref> The human idea of reincarnation is found in many diverse ancient cultures,<!--{{Sfn|Norman C. McClelland|2010|pp=102–03}}--><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Anakwue |first=Nicholas Chukwudike |date=2018-02-22 |title=The African Origins of Greek Philosophy: Ancient Egypt in Retrospect |journal=Phronimon |volume=18 |pages=167–180 |doi=10.25159/2413-3086/2361 |issn=2413-3086|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=McClelland |first=Norman |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S_Leq4U5ihkC |title=Encyclopedia of Reincarnation and Karma |publisher=McFarland |year=2018 |isbn=978-0786456758 |pages=1–320 |language=English}}</ref> and a belief in rebirth/[[metempsychosis]] was held by historic Greek figures, such as [[Pythagoras]] and [[Plato]].<ref>see Charles Taliaferro, Paul Draper, Philip L. Quinn, ''A Companion to Philosophy of Religion''. John Wiley and Sons, 2010, p. 640, [https://books.google.com/books?id=SSCx-67Tk6cC&pg=PA640 Google Books]

For Plato, see Kamtekar 2016 and Campbell 2022.

Kamtekar, Rachana. "The Soul's (After-) Life," ''Ancient Philosophy'' 36 (2016): 1–18.

Campbell, Douglas R. "Plato's Theory of Reincarnation: Eschatology and Natural Philosophy," ''Review of Metaphysics'' 75 4 (2022): 643–665.</ref> It is a common belief of various ancient and modern religions, such as [[Kardecist spiritism|Spiritism]], [[Theosophy (Boehmian)|theosophy]], and [[Eckankar]]. It is found as well in many tribal societies around the world, in places such as Australia, East Asia, [[Siberia]], and South America.<ref>Gananath Obeyesekere, ''Imagining Karma: Ethical Transformation in Amerindian, Buddhist, and Greek Rebirth''. University of California Press, 2002, p. 15.</ref>
[[File:Traditional bhavachakra wall mural of Yama holding the wheel of life, Buddha pointing the way out.jpg|thumb|alt=This Bhavachakra mural depicts the six realms of existence for reincarnation in Buddhism, with Yama holding the Wheel of Life.|The twelve nidanas in Buddhist artwork]]
[[File:Aztec - Mask - Walters 2009201.jpg|thumb|alt=Aztec wooden mask|Aztec mask depicting transformation and rebirth]]

Although the majority of denominations within the [[Abrahamic religions]] of Judaism, Christianity, and [[Islam]] do not believe that individuals reincarnate, particular groups within these religions do refer to reincarnation; these groups include the mainstream historical and contemporary followers of [[Kabbalah]], the [[Catharism|Cathars]], [[Alawites]], the [[Druze]],<ref>Hitti, Philip K (2007) [1924]. ''[[iarchive:originsofdruzepe0000hitt|Origins of the Druze People and Religion, with Extracts from their Sacred Writings (New Edition)]]''. Columbia University Oriental Studies. '''28'''. London: Saqi. pp. 13–14. {{ISBN|0-86356-690-1}}</ref> and the [[Rosicrucians]].<ref name=":1">[[Max Heindel|Heindel, Max]] (1985) [1939, 1908] ''[[iarchive:rosicrucianchris0000hein|The Rosicrucian Christianity Lectures (Collected Works)]]'': [http://www.rosicrucian.com/rcl/rcleng01.htm#lecture1 The Riddle of Life and Death] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100629063357/http://www.rosicrucian.com/rcl/rcleng01.htm#lecture1 |date=29 June 2010 }}. Oceanside, California. 4th edition. {{ISBN|0-911274-84-7}}</ref> The historical relations between these sects and the beliefs about reincarnation that were characteristic of [[neoplatonism]], [[Orphism (religion)|Orphism]], [[Hermeticism]], [[Manicheanism]], and [[Gnosticism]] of the [[Roman era]] as well as the Indian religions have been the subject of scholarly research.<ref>An important recent work discussing the mutual influence of ancient Greek and Indian philosophy regarding these matters is ''[[The Shape of Ancient Thought]]'' by [[Thomas McEvilley]].</ref> [[Unity Church]] and its founder [[Charles Fillmore (Unity Church)|Charles Fillmore]] teach reincarnation.

Rosicrucians<ref name=":1" /> speak of a [[life review]] period occurring immediately after death and before entering the afterlife's [[Plane (esotericism)|planes of existence]] (before the [[silver cord]] is broken), followed by a [[Last Judgment#Esoteric Christian traditions|judgment]], more akin to a final review or end report over one's life.<ref>Max Heindel, [http://www.rosicrucian.com/zineen/death5.htm Death and Life in Purgatory] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060711223116/http://www.rosicrucian.com/zineen/death5.htm |date=11 July 2006 }}—[http://www.rosicrucian.com/zineen/death6.htm Life and Activity in Heaven] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060711223133/http://www.rosicrucian.com/zineen/death6.htm |date=11 July 2006 }}</ref>

===Heaven and Hell===
{{Main|Heaven|Hell}}

[[File:Georgin François, The 3 Roads to Eternity, 1825 Cornell CUL PJM 1040 01.jpg|thumb|Georgin François, ''The 3 Roads to Eternity'', 1825]]
[[Heaven]], the heavens, [[Seven Heavens]], [[pure land]]s, [[Tian]], [[Jannah]], [[Valhalla]], or [[the Summerland]], is a common [[Religious cosmology|religious, cosmological]], or [[transcendence (philosophy)|transcendent]] place where beings such as [[Deity|gods]], [[angel]]s, [[jinn]], [[saint]]s, or [[Veneration of the dead|venerated ancestors]] are said to originate, be [[throne|enthroned]], or live. According to the beliefs of some religions, heavenly beings can descend to earth or [[Incarnation|incarnate]], and earthly beings can ascend to heaven in the afterlife, or in exceptional cases, enter heaven alive.

Heaven is often described as a "higher place", the [[Sacred|holiest]] place, a [[paradise]], in contrast to hell or the [[underworld]] or the "low places", and [[Universal reconciliation|universally]] or conditionally accessible by earthly beings according to various standards of [[divinity]], [[good and evil|goodness]], [[piety]], [[faith]] or other [[virtue]]s or [[orthodoxy|right beliefs]] or the [[will of God]]. Some believe in the possibility of a heaven on Earth in a [[world to come]].

In [[Hinduism]], heaven is termed ''[[Svarga|Svarga loka]]''. There are seven positive regions and seven negative regions to which the soul can go after death.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Life After Death Revealed – What Really Happens in the Afterlife |language=en-GB |work=Spiritual Science Research Foundation |url=https://www.spiritualresearchfoundation.org/spiritual-research/afterlife/life-after-death/ |url-status=live |access-date=9 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612141042/https://www.spiritualresearchfoundation.org/spiritual-research/afterlife/life-after-death/ |archive-date=Jun 12, 2018}}</ref> After completing its stay in the respective region, the soul is subjected to [[Reincarnation|rebirth]] in different living forms according to its ''[[karma]]''. This cycle can be broken after a soul achieves ''[[Moksha]]'' or ''[[Nirvana]]''. Any place of existence, either of humans, souls or deities, outside the tangible world (heaven, hell, or other) is referred to as [[otherworld]].

[[Hell]], in many religious and [[folklore|folkloric]] traditions, is a place of [[torture|torment]] and [[punishment]] in the afterlife. Religions with a [[Philosophy of history#Philosophy of chronology|linear divine history]] often depict hell as an [[eternal damnation|eternal destination]],<!--(for example, see [[Christian views on hell]])--> while religions with a [[Reincarnation|cyclic history]] often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations.<!--(for example, see Chinese [[Diyu]])--> Typically, these traditions locate hell in another dimension or under the Earth's surface and often include entrances to hell from the land of the living. Other afterlife destinations include [[purgatory]] and [[limbo]].

Traditions that do not conceive of the afterlife as a place of punishment or reward merely describe hell as an [[Bosom of Abraham|abode of the dead]], the grave, a neutral place (for example, [[Sheol]] or [[Hades]]) located under the surface of Earth.<ref name="EECO 2018">{{cite encyclopedia |author-last=Somov |author-first=Alexey |year=2018 |title=Afterlife |editor1-last=Hunter |editor1-first=David G. |editor2-last=van Geest |editor2-first=Paul J. J. |editor3-last=Lietaert Peerbolte |editor3-first=Bert Jan |encyclopedia=Brill Encyclopedia of Early Christianity Online |location=[[Leiden]] and [[Boston]] |publisher=[[Brill Publishers]] |doi=10.1163/2589-7993_EECO_SIM_00000067 |issn=2589-7993}}</ref>

==Ancient religions==
===Ancient Egyptian religion===
{{main|Ancient Egyptian religion#Afterlife}}
[[File:Osiris, God of the Dead.jpg|thumb|Judgment of the Dead in [[Duat]]]]
[[File:The Weighing of the Heart.svg|thumb|This detail scene based from the [[Papyrus of ani]] shows a heart being weighed on the scale of [[Maat]] against the [[feather of truth]], by the [[jackal]]-headed [[Anubis]]. The [[ibis]]-headed [[Thoth]], [[scribe]] of the [[gods]], records the result. If the heart is lighter than the feather, a persion is allowed to pass into the afterlife. If not, they are eaten by the waiting [[Ammit]]. [[Vignette (graphic design)|Vignettes]] such as these were a common [[illustration]] in Egyptian [[Book of the dead|books of the dead]].]]

The afterlife played an important role in [[Ancient Egyptian religion]], and its belief system is one of the earliest known in recorded history. When the body died, parts of its soul known as ''ka'' (body double) and the ''ba'' (personality) would go to the afterlife, which is known to Egyptians as the "Kingdom of the Dead". To sustain the ka, the living provided offerings of food and drink, which were believed to nourish the ka's spiritual needs.

The ka would reunite with the deceased's spirit and enjoy eternal life in the [[Aaru|Fields of Aaru]], a paradise reserved for the righteous. However, [[Osiris]] demands work as restitution for the protection he provides. Statues were placed in the tombs to serve as substitutes for the deceased.<ref>Richard P. Taylor, ''Death and the afterlife: A Cultural Encyclopedia'', ABC-CLIO, 2000, {{ISBN|0-87436-939-8}}</ref>

Arriving at one's reward in afterlife was a demanding ordeal, requiring a sin-free heart and the ability to recite the spells, passwords, and formulae of the [[Book of the Dead]]. In the Hall of Two Truths, the deceased's heart was weighed against the ''Shu'' feather of truth and justice taken from the headdress of the goddess [[Ma'at]].<ref>{{cite book | last = Bard| first = Katheryn | title = Encyclopedia of the Archaeology of Ancient Egypt | publisher = Routledge | year = 1999}}</ref> If the heart was lighter than the feather, they could pass on, but if it were heavier they would be devoured by the demon [[Ammit]].<ref>Kathryn Demeritt, ''Ptah's Travels: Kingdoms of Ancient Egypt'', 2005, p. 82</ref>

Egyptians also believed that being mummified and put in a [[sarcophagus]] (an ancient Egyptian "coffin" carved with complex symbols and designs, as well as pictures and hieroglyphs) was the only way to have an afterlife. What are referred to as the [[Coffin Texts]], are inscribed on a coffin and serve as a guide for the challenges in the afterlife. The Coffin texts are more or less a duplication of the [[Pyramid Texts]], which would serve as a guide for Egyptian pharaohs or queens in the afterlife. Only if the corpse had been properly [[Embalming|embalmed]] and entombed in a [[mastaba]], could the [[Resurrection of the Dead|dead live again]] in the Fields of Yalu and accompany the Sun on its daily ride. Due to the dangers the afterlife posed, the Book of the Dead was placed in the tomb with the body as well as food, jewelry, and 'curses'. They also used the "opening of the mouth".<ref>Glennys Howarth, Oliver Leaman, ''Encyclopedia of death and dying'', 2001, p. 238</ref><ref>Natalie Lunis, ''Tut's Deadly Tomb'', 2010, p. 11</ref>

Ancient Egyptian civilization was based on religion. The belief in the rebirth after death became the driving force behind funeral practices; for them, death was a temporary interruption rather than complete cessation of life. Eternal life could be ensured by means like piety to the gods, preservation of the physical form through [[mummification]], and the provision of statuary and other funerary equipment. Each human consisted of the physical body, the ''ka'', the ''ba'', and the ''akh''. The Name and Shadow were also living entities. To enjoy the afterlife, all these elements had to be sustained and protected from harm.<ref>Fergus Fleming, Alan Lothian, ''Ancient Egypt's Myths and Beliefs'', 2011, p. 96</ref>

On 30 March 2010, a spokesman for the Egyptian Culture Ministry claimed it had unearthed a large red granite door in Luxor with inscriptions by [[User (ancient Egyptian official)|User]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.meeja.com.au/articles/door-to-afterlife-found-in-egyptian-tomb|title=Door to Afterlife found in Egyptian tomb |publisher=meeja.com.au |date=30 March 2010 |access-date=30 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706110016/http://www.meeja.com.au/articles/door-to-afterlife-found-in-egyptian-tomb |archive-date=6 July 2011}}</ref> a powerful adviser to the [[18th Dynasty]] Queen [[Hatshepsut]] who ruled between 1479 BC and 1458 BC, the longest of any woman. It believes the [[false door]] is a 'door to the Afterlife'. According to the archaeologists, the door was reused in a structure in [[Roman Egypt]].

===Ancient Greek and Roman religions===
{{main|Greek underworld}}
The Greek god [[Hades]] is known in [[Greek mythology]] as the king of the [[underworld]], a place where souls live after death.<ref>F. P. Retief and L. Cilliers, "Burial customs, the afterlife and the pollution of death in ancient Greece", ''Acta Theologica'' '''26'''(2), 2006, p. 45 ([http://www.ajol.info/index.php/actat/article/viewFile/52560/41166 PDF] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006083809/http://www.ajol.info/index.php/actat/article/viewFile/52560/41166 |date=6 October 2014 }}).</ref> The Greek god [[Hermes]], the messenger of the gods, would take the dead soul of a person to the underworld (sometimes called Hades or the House of Hades). Hermes would leave the soul on the banks of the River [[Styx]], the river between life and death.<ref>Social Studies School Service, ''Ancient Greece'', 2003, pp.&nbsp;49–51</ref>

[[Charon (mythology)|Charon]], also known as the ferryman, would take the soul across the river to Hades, if the soul had gold: upon burial, the family of the dead soul would put coins under the deceased's tongue. Once crossed, the soul would be judged by [[Aeacus]], [[Rhadamanthus]] and King [[Minos]]. The soul would be sent to [[Elysium]], [[Tartarus]], or [[Asphodel Fields]]. The Elysian Fields were for the ones that lived pure lives. It consisted of green fields, valleys and mountains, everyone there was peaceful and contented, and the Sun always shone there. Tartarus was for the people that blasphemed against the gods or were rebellious and consciously evil.<ref>Perry L. Westmoreland, ''Ancient Greek Beliefs'', 2007, pp.&nbsp;68–70</ref> In Tartarus, the soul would be punished by being burned in lava or stretched on racks. The Asphodel Fields were for a varied selection of human souls including those whose sins equaled their goodness, those who were indecisive in their lives, and those who were not judged.

Some heroes of Greek legend are allowed to visit the underworld. The Romans had a similar belief system about the afterlife, with Hades becoming known as [[Pluto (mythology)|Pluto]]. In the ancient Greek myth about the [[Labours of Heracles]], the hero [[Heracles]] had to travel to the underworld to capture [[Cerberus]], the three-headed guard dog, as one of his tasks.

In ''[[Dream of Scipio]]'', [[Cicero]] describes what seems to be an [[out of body experience]], of the [[soul]] traveling high above the Earth, looking down at the small planet, from far away.<ref>N. Sabir, ''Heaven Hell Or'', 2010, p. 147</ref>

In Book VI of [[Virgil]]'s ''[[Aeneid]]'', the hero, [[Aeneas]], travels to the underworld to see his father. By the River Styx, he sees the souls of those not given a proper burial, forced to wait by the river until someone buries them. While down there, along with the dead, he is shown the place where the wrongly convicted reside, the [[fields of sorrow]] where those who committed suicide and now regret it reside, including Aeneas' former lover, the warriors and shades, Tartarus (where the titans and powerful non-mortal enemies of the Olympians reside) where he can hear the groans of the imprisoned, the palace of [[Pluto (mythology)|Pluto]], and the fields of Elysium where the descendants of the divine and bravest heroes reside. He sees the river of forgetfulness, [[Lethe]], which the dead must drink to forget their life and begin anew. Lastly, his father shows him all of the future heroes of Rome who will live if Aeneas fulfills his destiny in founding the city.

Other eschatological views populate the ancient-Greek worldview. For instance, [[Plato]] argued for reincarnation in several dialogues, including the ''[[Timaeus (dialogue)|Timaeus]]''.<ref>See ''Timaeus'' 90–92. For a recent scholarly treatment, see Douglas R. Campbell, "Plato's Theory of Reincarnation: Eschatology and Natural Philosophy," ''Review of Metaphysics'' 75 (4): 643–665. 2022.</ref>

===Norse religion===
{{main|Death in Norse paganism}}
{{more citations needed section|date=July 2017}}
The [[Poetic Edda|Poetic]] and [[Prose Edda]]s, the oldest sources for information on the Norse concept of the afterlife, vary in their description of the several realms that are described as falling under this topic. The most well-known are:
* [[Valhalla]]: (lit. "Hall of the Slain" i.e. "the Chosen Ones") Half the warriors who die in battle join the god [[Odin]] who rules over a majestic hall called Valhalla in [[Asgard]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.viking-mythology.com/theNineWorlds.php|title=Norse Mythology {{!}} The Nine Worlds|website=www.viking-mythology.com|access-date=11 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160515211313/http://www.viking-mythology.com/theNineWorlds.php|archive-date=15 May 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* [[Fólkvangr]]: ({{lit|Field of the Host}}) The other half join the goddess [[Freyja]] in a great meadow known as Fólkvangr.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://spangenhelm.com/folkvangr-freyjas-field-warriors/|title=Fólkvangr, Freyja welcomes you to the Field of the Host|date=20 May 2016|work=Spangenhelm|access-date=10 July 2017|language=en-US|archive-date=15 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170915104336/http://spangenhelm.com/folkvangr-freyjas-field-warriors/|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Niflhel]]: (lit. "The Dark" or "Misty Hel"). Niflhel is believed to be a place of punishment, where the oathbreakers and other wicked people go.
* [[Hel (realm)|Hel]]: ({{lit|The Covered Hall}}). Hel was the daughter of god Loki and her kingdom was located in downward and northward. Snorri Sturluson's ''[[Gylfaginning]]'' tells of evil men going to Niflhel via Hel.

==Abrahamic religions==

===Judaism===
{{main|Jewish Eschatology}}

====Sheol====
[[Sheol]], in the [[Hebrew Bible]], is a place of darkness ([[Job 10]]:21–22) to which all the dead go—both the righteous and the unrighteous—regardless of the moral choices made in life (Genesis 35:37; [[Book of Ezekiel]] 32; [[Book of Isaiah|Isaiah]] 16; [[Job 30]]:23), a place of stillness ([[Psalm 88]]:13, [[Psalm 94|94]]:17; [[Ecclesiastes]] 9:10), at the longest possible distance from Heaven ([[Job 11]]:8; [[Amos 9]]:2; [[Psalm 139]]:8).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/13563-sheol|title=SHEOL - JewishEncyclopedia.com|website=www.jewishencyclopedia.com|access-date=8 December 2019|archive-date=18 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150918204814/http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/13563-sheol|url-status=live}}</ref>

The inhabitants of Sheol were the "shades" (''[[rephaim]]''), entities without personality or strength.<!--{{sfn|Longenecker|2003|p=188}}--> Under some circumstances, they were thought to be able to be contacted by the living (as the [[Witch of Endor]] contacts the shade of [[Samuel]] for [[Saul]]), but such practices were forbidden ([[Book of Deuteronomy|Deuteronomy]] 18:10).<!--{{sfn|Knobel|2011|pp=205–06}}-->{{sfn|Berdichevsky|2016|page=22}}

Whereas the Hebrew Bible appears to describe Sheol as the permanent place of the dead, in the [[Second Temple period]] (roughly 500 BC – 70 AD), a more diverse set of ideas developed. In some texts, Sheol is considered to be the home of both the righteous and the wicked, separated into respective compartments; in others, it was considered a place of punishment, meant for the wicked dead alone.<!--{{sfn|Longenecker|2003|p=189}}--><ref name=":0" /> When the Hebrew scriptures were translated into [[Septuagint|Greek]] in ancient [[Alexandria]] around 200 BC, the word "[[Hades]]" (the [[Greek underworld]]) was substituted for Sheol. This is reflected in the [[New Testament]] where Hades is both the underworld of the dead and the personification of the [[evil]] it represents.<!--{{sfn|Longenecker|2003|p=189}}--><ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Pearson|first=Fred|date=1938|title=Sheol and Hades in Old and New Testament|journal=Review & Expositor|volume=35|issue=3|pages=304–314|doi=10.1177/003463733803500304|s2cid=147690674|via=SAGE journals}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Berdichevsky |first1=Norman |title=Modern Hebrew: The Past and Future of a Revitalized Language |date=2016 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-1-4766-2629-1 |page=23 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f1_TCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA23 |language=en}}</ref>

====World to Come====
The [[Talmud]] offers several thoughts relating to the afterlife. After death, the soul is brought for judgment. Those who have led pristine lives immediately enter the ''Olam Haba'' or [[world to come]]. Most do not enter the world to come immediately but experience a period of reflection on their earthly actions and are made aware of what they have done wrong. Some view this period as "re-schooling", with the soul gaining wisdom as one's errors are reviewed. Others view this period as spiritual discomfort caused by past wrongs. At the end of this period, not longer than one year, the soul then takes its place in the world to come. Although discomforts are made part of certain Jewish conceptions of the afterlife, the concept of eternal [[damnation]] is not a tenet of the Jewish afterlife. According to the Talmud, [[Kareth|extinction of the soul]] is reserved for a far smaller group of malicious and evil leaders whose very evil deeds go way beyond norms or who lead large groups of people to utmost evil.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/tsa/tsa37.htm |title=Tractate Sanhedrin: Interpolated Section: Those Who have no Share in the World to Come |publisher=Sacred-texts.com |access-date=8 March 2014 |archive-date=20 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191020131637/https://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/tsa/tsa37.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0011_0_10049.html |title=Jehoiakim |publisher=Jewishvirtuallibrary.org |access-date=8 March 2014 |archive-date=9 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161109045833/http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0011_0_10049.html |url-status=live }}</ref> This is also part of [[Jewish principles of faith#Maimonides' 13 principles of faith|Maimonides' 13 principles of faith]].<ref name="perek-helek-c">Maimonides' Introduction to Perek Helek, publ. and transl. by [[Maimonides Heritage Center]], p. 22-23.</ref>

[[Maimonides]] describes the ''Olam Haba'' in spiritual terms, relegating the prophesied physical resurrection to the status of a future miracle unrelated to the afterlife or the [[Messianic era]]. According to Maimonides, an afterlife continues for the soul of every human being: soul now separated from the body in which it was "housed" during its earthly existence.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ESOJDwAAQBAJ&q=maimonides+olam+haba&pg=PA178|title=Jewish Views of the Afterlife|last=Paull Raphael|first=Simcha|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|year=2019|isbn=9781538103463|pages=177–180}}</ref>

The [[Zohar]] describes [[Gehenna]] not as a place of punishment for the wicked but as a place of spiritual purification for souls.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.faqs.org/faqs/judaism/FAQ/06-Jewish-Thought/section-9.html |title=soc.culture.jewish FAQ: Jewish Thought (6/12) Section – Question 12.8: What do Jews say happens when a person dies? Do Jews believe in reincarnation? In hell or heaven? Purgatory? |publisher=Faqs.org |date=8 August 2012 |access-date=8 March 2014 |archive-date=12 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200212192206/http://www.faqs.org/faqs/judaism/FAQ/06-Jewish-Thought/section-9.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Reincarnation in Jewish tradition====
Although there is no reference to reincarnation in the Talmud or any prior writings,<ref>Saadia Gaon in Emunoth ve-Deoth Section vi</ref> according to rabbis such as Avraham Arieh Trugman, reincarnation is recognized as being part and parcel of Jewish tradition. Trugman explains that it is through oral tradition that the meanings of the Torah, its commandments, and stories are known and understood. The classic work of Jewish mysticism,<ref name="youtube.com">{{YouTube|mM8dn68vgD8|Reincarnation in the Jewish Tradition}}</ref> the Zohar, is quoted liberally in all Jewish learning; in the Zohar, the idea of reincarnation is mentioned repeatedly. Trugman states that in the last five centuries, the concept of reincarnation, which until then had been a much-hidden tradition within Judaism, was given open exposure.<ref name="youtube.com"/>

[[Shraga Simmons]] commented that within the Bible itself, the idea [of reincarnation] is intimated in Deut. 25:5–10, Deut. 33:6 and Isaiah 22:14, 65:6.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://judaism.about.com/library/3_askrabbi_o/bl_simmons_reincarnation.htm |title=Ask the Rabbi – Reincarnation |publisher=Judaism.about.com |date=17 December 2009 |access-date=8 March 2014 |archive-date=9 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140309003453/http://judaism.about.com/library/3_askrabbi_o/bl_simmons_reincarnation.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Yirmiyahu Ullman wrote that reincarnation is an "ancient, mainstream belief in Judaism". The Zohar makes frequent and lengthy references to reincarnation. [[Onkelos]], a righteous convert and authoritative commentator of the same period, explained the verse, "Let Reuben live and not die&nbsp;..." (Deuteronomy 33:6) to mean that Reuben should merit the World to Come directly and not have to die again as a result of being reincarnated. Torah scholar, commentator and kabbalist, [[Nachmanides]] (Ramban 1195–1270), attributed Job's suffering to reincarnation, as hinted in Job's saying "God does all these things twice or three times with a man, to bring back his soul from the pit to... the light of the living' (Job 33:29–30)."<ref>{{cite web |last=Yirmiyahu |first=Rabbi |url=http://ohr.edu/yhiy/article.php/1077 |title=Reincarnation " Ask! " Ohr Somayach |publisher=Ohr.edu |date=12 July 2003 |access-date=8 March 2014 |archive-date=9 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140309003907/http://ohr.edu/yhiy/article.php/1077 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Reincarnation, called ''[[gilgul]]'', became popular in [[folk belief]] and is found in much [[Yiddish]] literature among [[Ashkenazi Jews]]. Among a few kabbalists, it was posited that some human souls could end up being reincarnated into non-human bodies. These ideas were found in several Kabbalistic works from the 13th century and among many mystics in the late 16th century. [[Martin Buber]]'s early collection of stories of the [[Baal Shem Tov]]'s life includes several that refer to people reincarnating in successive lives.<ref>Martin Buber, "Legende des Baalschem" in ''Die Chassidischen Bücher'', Hellerau 1928, especially ''Die niedergestiegene Seele''</ref>

Among well-known (generally non-kabbalist or anti-kabbalist) rabbis who rejected the idea of reincarnation are [[Saadia Gaon]], [[David Kimhi]], [[Hasdai Crescas]], Yedayah Bedershi (early 14th century), [[Joseph Albo]], [[Abraham ibn Daud]], the [[Asher ben Jehiel|Rosh]] and [[Leon de Modena]]. Saadia Gaon, in [[Emunoth ve-Deoth]] (Hebrew: "beliefs and opinions"), concludes Section VI with a refutation of the doctrine of [[metempsychosis]] (reincarnation). While rebutting reincarnation, Saadia Gaon further states that Jews who hold to reincarnation have adopted non-Jewish beliefs. By no means do all Jews today believe in reincarnation, but belief in reincarnation is not uncommon among many Jews, including Orthodox.

Other well-known rabbis who are reincarnationists include [[Yonassan Gershom]], [[Abraham Isaac Kook]], Talmud scholar Adin Steinsaltz, DovBer Pinson, David M. Wexelman, [[Zalman Schachter-Shalomi|Zalman Schachter]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sytekcom.com/rooster/bta-faq1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716181413/http://www.sytekcom.com/rooster/bta-faq1.html |archive-date=16 July 2011 |title=Reincarnation and the Holocaust FAQ}}</ref> and many others. Reincarnation is cited by authoritative Biblical commentators, including Ramban (Nachmanides), Menachem Recanti, and Rabbenu Bachya.

Among the many volumes of Yitzchak Luria, most of which come down from the pen of his primary disciple, Chaim Vital, are insights explaining issues related to reincarnation. His ''[[Shaar HaGilgulim]]'' ("The Gates of Reincarnation") is a book devoted exclusively to the subject of reincarnation in Judaism.

Rabbi Naftali Silberberg of The [[Rohr Jewish Learning Institute]] notes that "Many ideas that originate in other religions and belief systems have been popularized in the media and are taken for granted by unassuming Jews."<ref>{{cite news|title=Where does the soul go? New course explores spiritual existence|url=http://www.westhartfordnews.com/articles/2015/10/14/news/doc561ecaa6934c1312697232.txt|agency=West Hartford News|date=14 October 2015|location=Middletown, CT|access-date=18 October 2015|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304101640/http://www.westhartfordnews.com/articles/2015/10/14/news/doc561ecaa6934c1312697232.txt|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Christianity===
{{main|Eternal life (Christianity)}}
{{see also|Heaven in Christianity|Christian views on Hell}}
{{Primary sources|section|find=Afterlife|find2=Christianity|date=July 2017}}
[[Mainstream Christianity]] professes belief in the [[Nicene Creed]], and [[English versions of the Nicene Creed in current use]] include the phrase: "We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come."

When questioned by the [[Sadducees]] about the [[resurrection of the dead]] (in a context relating to who one's spouse would be if one had been married several times in life), Jesus said that marriage would be irrelevant after the resurrection as the resurrected will be like the [[angels]] in Heaven.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2022:23-33;&version=47; |title=Matthew 22:23–33 |publisher=Biblegateway.com |access-date=8 March 2014}}</ref><ref name="Boulaouali 147–158">{{Cite journal |last=Boulaouali |first=Tijani |date=2022-11-03 |title=Biblical Eschatology and Qur'anic 'Ākhirāh: A Comparative Approach of the Concepts Afterlife, Death and the Day of Judgement |url=https://journal.uinsgd.ac.id/index.php/kt/article/view/19851 |journal=Khazanah Theologia |volume=4 |issue=3 |pages=147–158 |doi=10.15575/kt.v4i3.19851 |s2cid=255287161 |issn=2715-9701 |access-date=8 January 2023 |archive-date=8 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230108124609/https://journal.uinsgd.ac.id/index.php/kt/article/view/19851 |url-status=live |doi-access=free }}</ref>

Jesus also maintained that the time would come when the dead would hear the voice of the [[Son of God]], and all who were in the tombs would come out; those who have heard his "[commandments] and believes in the one who sent [Him]" to the "resurrection of life", but those who do not to the "resurrection of condemnation".<ref>John 5:24{{cite web |url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0839/__PXD.HTM |title=The New American Bible |publisher=Vatican.va |access-date=8 March 2014 |archive-date=2 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130802022938/http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0839/__PXD.HTM |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[Book of Enoch]] describes Sheol as divided into four compartments for four types of the dead: the faithful saints who await resurrection in [[Paradise]], the merely virtuous who await their reward, the wicked who await punishment, and the wicked who have already been punished and will not be resurrected on Judgment Day.<ref>[[Harry Emerson Fosdick|Fosdick, Harry Emerson]]. A guide to understanding the Bible. New York: Harper & Brothers. 1956. p. 276.</ref> The Book of Enoch is considered apocryphal by most denominations of Christianity and all of Judaism.

The [[2 Maccabees|book of 2 Maccabees]] clearly describes the dead waiting for future resurrection and judgment, along with [[Prayer for the dead|prayers]] and offerings for the deceased to alleviate their sins.

[[File:Domenico Beccafumi 056.jpg|right|thumb|[[Domenico Beccafumi]]'s ''Inferno'': a Christian vision of hell]]
The author of the [[Gospel of Luke]] recounts the story of [[Lazarus and Dives|Lazarus and the rich man]], which shows people in Hades awaiting the resurrection either in comfort or torment. The author of the [[Book of Revelation]] writes about God and the angels versus [[Satan]] and [[demons]] in an epic battle at the end of times when all souls are judged. There is mention of ghostly bodies of the prophets and the [[transfiguration of Jesus|transfiguration]].

The non-canonical [[Acts of Paul and Thecla]] speak of the efficacy of [[prayer for the dead]] so that they might be "translated to a state of happiness".<ref>[http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/thecla.html Acts of Paul and Thecla] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070606225812/http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/thecla.html |date=6 June 2007 }} 8:5</ref>

[[Hippolytus of Rome]] pictures the [[underworld]] ([[Greek underworld|Hades]]) as a place where the righteous dead, waiting in the [[bosom of Abraham]] for their resurrection, rejoice at their future prospect; the unrighteous are tormented at the sight of the "[[Lake of fire|lake of unquenchable fire]]" into which they are destined to be cast.

[[Gregory of Nyssa]] discusses the long-before-believed possibility of purification of souls after death.<ref>He wrote that a person "may afterward in a quite different manner be very much interested in what is better, when, ''after his departure out of the body'', he gains knowledge of the difference between virtue and vice and finds that he is not able to partake of divinity until he has been ''purged of the filthy contagion in his soul by the purifying fire''" (emphasis added)—Sermon on the Dead, AD 382, quoted in [http://www.catholic.com/library/Roots_of_Purgatory.asp The Roots of Purgatory] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070527235028/http://www.catholic.com/library/Roots_of_Purgatory.asp |date=27 May 2007 }}</ref>

Pope Gregory I repeats the concept, articulated over a century earlier by Gregory of Nyssa, that the saved suffer purification after death. In connection with this, he wrote of "purgatorial flames."

The noun [[Purgatory|"purgatorium"]] (Latin: place of cleansing<ref>[http://www.answers.com/topic/purgatory "purgatory"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070317200253/http://www.answers.com/topic/purgatory |date=17 March 2007 }}. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Columbia University Press., 2003. Answers.com 6 June 2007.</ref>) is used for the first time to describe a state of painful purification of the saved afterlife. The same word in adjectival form (''purgatorius -a -um'', cleansing), which appears also in non-religious writing,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0059%3Aentry%3D%2339625 |title=Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, ''A Latin Dictionary'' |publisher=Perseus.tufts.edu |access-date=8 March 2014 |archive-date=21 February 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080221225206/http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0059%3Aentry%3D%2339625 |url-status=live }}</ref> was already used by Christians such as Augustine of Hippo and [[Pope Gregory I]] to refer to an after-death cleansing.

Theologians and philosophers presented various philosophies and beliefs during the [[Age of Enlightenment]]. A notable example is [[Emanuel Swedenborg]] who wrote some 18 theological works which describe in detail the nature of the afterlife according to his claimed spiritual experiences, the most famous of which is ''[[Heaven and Hell (Swedenborg)|Heaven and Hell]]''.<ref name="swedenborgdigitallibrary.org">{{cite web |url=https://newchristianbiblestudy.org/exposition/translation/heaven-and-hell-dole/contents/10 |author=Swedenborg, E. |title=Heaven and Hell |publisher=Swedenborg Foundation |date=2000 |access-date=12 December 2017 |archive-date=8 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171208175232/https://newchristianbiblestudy.org/exposition/translation/heaven-and-hell-dole/contents/10 |url-status=live }}</ref> His report of life there covers a wide range of topics, such as marriage in heaven (where all [[angels]] are married), children in heaven (where they are raised by angel parents), time and [[space]] in heaven (there are none), the after-death awakening process in the World of Spirits (a place halfway between Heaven and Hell and where people first wake up after death), the allowance of a free will choice between Heaven or Hell (as opposed to being sent to either one by God), the [[eternity]] of [[Hell]] (one could leave but would never want to), and that all angels or devils were once people on earth.<ref name="swedenborgdigitallibrary.org"/>

====The Catholic Church====
The Catholic conception of the afterlife teaches that [[Particular judgment|after the body dies, the soul is judged]], the righteous and free of sin enter Heaven. However, those who die in unrepented [[mortal sin]] go to hell. In the 1990s, the [[Catechism of the Catholic Church]] defined hell not as punishment imposed on the sinner but rather as the sinner's self-exclusion from God. Unlike other Christian groups, the Catholic Church teaches that those who die in a state of grace but still carry [[venial sin]] go to a place called [[Purgatory]], where they undergo purification to enter Heaven.

====Limbo====
{{main|Limbo}}
Despite popular opinion, Limbo, which was elaborated upon by theologians beginning in the Middle Ages, was never recognized as a [[dogma]] of the [[Catholic Church]], yet, at times, it has been a very popular theological theory within the Church. Limbo is a theory that [[Baptism|unbaptized]] but innocent souls, such as those of infants or [[Virtue#Christianity|virtuous]] individuals who lived before [[Nativity of Jesus|Jesus Christ was born]], exist in neither Heaven nor Hell proper. Therefore, these souls neither merit the [[beatific vision]] nor are subjected to any punishment because they are not guilty of any personal [[sin]] although they have not received baptism, so they still bear [[original sin]]. So, they are generally seen as existing in a state of natural, but not supernatural, happiness until the end of time.

In other [[Christian denominations]], it has been described as an [[Intermediate state (Christianity)|intermediate place]] or state of confinement in oblivion and neglect.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thefreedictionary.com/limbo |title=limbo – definition of limbo by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia |publisher=Thefreedictionary.com |access-date=8 March 2014 |archive-date=15 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200515065128/https://www.thefreedictionary.com/limbo |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Purgatory====
{{main|Purgatory}}
The notion of [[purgatory]] is associated mainly with the [[Catholic Church]]. In the Catholic Church, all those who die in God's grace and friendship but are still imperfectly purified are indeed assured of their eternal salvation. Still, after death, they undergo purification to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven or the final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned. The tradition of the church, by reference to specific texts of scripture, speaks of a "cleansing fire", but it is not always called purgatory.

[[Anglican]]s of the [[Anglo-Catholic]] tradition generally also hold to the belief. [[John Wesley]], the founder of [[Methodism]], believed in an [[Intermediate state (Christianity)|intermediate state]] between death and the [[resurrection of the dead]] and in the possibility of "continuing to grow in holiness there", but Methodism does not officially affirm this belief and denies the possibility of [[Prayer for the dead|helping by prayer]] any who may be in that state.<ref>Ted Campbell, Methodist Doctrine: The Essentials (Abingdon 1999), quoted in [http://www.umportal.org/article.asp?id=5101 Feature article by ''United Methodist Reporter'' Managing Editor Robin Russell] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722154244/http://www.umportal.org/article.asp?id=5101 |date=22 July 2011 }} and in [http://www.umc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=4746355&content_id=%7B94F6F768-0EA6-4C1B-B6B6-0C88EC04E8A2%7D&notoc=1 FAQ Belief: What happens immediately after a person dies?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160613074435/http://www.umc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=4746355&content_id=%7B94F6F768-0EA6-4C1B-B6B6-0C88EC04E8A2%7D&notoc=1 |date=13 June 2016 }}</ref>

====Orthodox Christianity====
The Orthodox Church is intentionally reticent about the afterlife, as it acknowledges the mystery, especially of things that have not yet occurred. Beyond the second coming of Jesus, bodily resurrection, and final judgment, all of which are affirmed in the [[Nicene Creed]] (325 AD), Orthodoxy does not teach much else in any definitive manner. Unlike Western forms of Christianity, however, Orthodoxy is traditionally non-dualist and does not teach that there are two separate literal locations of heaven and hell, but instead acknowledges that "the 'location' of one's final destiny—heaven or hell—as being figurative."<ref name="Andrew P. Klager 2011">{{cite web| url = http://www.clarion-journal.com/files/new-klager-compassionate-eschatology-with-biblioklager-1.pdf#page=19| title = Andrew P. Klager, "Orthodox Eschatology and St. Gregory of Nyssa's ''De vita Moysis'': Transfiguration, Cosmic Unity, and Compassion," In ''Compassionate Eschatology: The Future as Friend'', eds. Ted Grimsrud & Michael Hardin, 230–52 (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2011), 245.| access-date = 3 May 2016| archive-date = 25 March 2016| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160325232147/http://www.clarion-journal.com/files/new-klager-compassionate-eschatology-with-biblioklager-1.pdf#page=19| url-status = live}}</ref>

Instead, Orthodoxy teaches that the final judgment is one's uniform encounter with divine love and mercy, but this encounter is experienced multifariously depending on the extent to which one has been transformed, partaken of divinity, and is therefore compatible or incompatible with God. "The monadic, immutable, and ceaseless object of eschatological encounter is therefore the love and mercy of God, his glory which infuses the heavenly temple, and it is the subjective human reaction which engenders multiplicity or any division of experience."<ref name="Andrew P. Klager 2011"/> For instance, [[St. Isaac the Syrian]] observes in his ''[[The Ascetical Homilies of Isaac the Syrian|Ascetical Homilies]]'' that "those who are punished in Gehenna, are scourged by the scourge of love. ... The power of love works in two ways: it torments sinners ... [as] bitter regret. But love inebriates the souls of the sons of Heaven by its delectability."<ref>St. Isaac the Syrian, "Homily 28," In ''The Ascetical Homilies of Saint Isaac the Syrian,'' trans. Dana Miller (Brookline, MA: Holy Transfiguration Monastery Press, 1984), 141.</ref> In this sense, the divine action is always, immutably, and uniformly love, and if one experiences this love negatively, the experience is then one of self-condemnation because of free will rather than condemnation by God.

Orthodoxy therefore uses the description of Jesus' judgment in John 3:19–21 as their model: "19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God." As a characteristically Orthodox understanding, then, Fr. [[Thomas Hopko]] writes, "[I]t is precisely the presence of God's mercy and love which cause the torment of the wicked. God does not punish; he forgives... In a word, God has mercy on all, whether all like it or not. If we like it, it is paradise; if we do not, it is hell. Every knee will bend before the Lord. Everything will be subject to Him. God in Christ will indeed be 'all and in all,' with boundless mercy and unconditional pardon. But not all will rejoice in God's gift of forgiveness, and that choice will be judgment, the self-inflicted source of their sorrow and pain."<ref>Fr. Thomas Hopko, "Foreword," in ''The Orthodox Church'', Sergius Bulgakov (Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1988), xiii.</ref>

Moreover, Orthodoxy includes a prevalent tradition of ''[[apokatastasis]]'', or the restoration of all things in the end. This has been taught most notably by [[Origen]], but also many other Church fathers and Saints, including [[Gregory of Nyssa]]. The [[Second Council of Constantinople]] (553 AD) affirmed the orthodoxy of Gregory of Nyssa while simultaneously condemning Origen's brand of universalism because it taught the restoration back to our pre-existent state, which Orthodoxy does not teach. It is also a teaching of such eminent Orthodox theologians as [[Olivier Clément]], Metropolitan [[Kallistos Ware]], and Bishop [[Hilarion Alfeyev]].<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.clarion-journal.com/files/new-klager-compassionate-eschatology-with-biblioklager-1.pdf#page=25| title = Andrew P. Klager, "Orthodox Eschatology and St. Gregory of Nyssa's ''De vita Moysis'': Transfiguration, Cosmic Unity, and Compassion," In ''Compassionate Eschatology: The Future as Friend'', eds. Ted Grimsrud & Michael Hardin, 230–52 (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2011), 251.| access-date = 3 May 2016| archive-date = 25 March 2016| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160325232147/http://www.clarion-journal.com/files/new-klager-compassionate-eschatology-with-biblioklager-1.pdf#page=25| url-status = live}}</ref> Although apokatastasis is not a dogma of the church but instead a [[wikt:theologoumenon#English|theologoumenon]], it is no less a teaching of the Orthodox Church than its rejection. As Met. Kallistos Ware explains, "It is heretical to say that all must be saved, for this is to deny free will; but, it is legitimate to hope that all may be saved,"<ref>Kallistos Ware, The Orthodox Church (New York: Penguin, 1997), 262.</ref> as insisting on torment without end also denies free will.

====The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints====
{{main|Plan of salvation (Latter Day Saints)|Exaltation (Mormonism)|Degrees of glory}}
[[File:000 preach-my-gospel 1207575 tmb.jpg|framed|Plan of Salvation in LDS Religion]]
[[Joseph F. Smith]] of [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] presents an elaborate vision of the afterlife. It is revealed as the scene of an extensive missionary effort by righteous spirits in paradise to redeem those still in darkness—a spirit prison or "hell" where the souls of the dead remain until judgment. It is divided into two parts: Spirit Prison and Paradise. These are also known as the [[Spirit world (Latter Day Saints)|Spirit World]] (also Abraham's Bosom; see Luke 16:19–25). They believe that Christ visited the spirit prison [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/1-pet/3.18-20?lang=eng (1 Peter 3:18–20)] and opened the gate for those who repent to cross over to Paradise. This is similar to the [[Harrowing of Hell]] doctrine of some mainstream Christian faiths.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Paulsen|first1=David L.|last2=Cook|first2=Roger D.|last3=Christensen|first3=Kendel J.|date=2010|title=The Harrowing of Hell: Salvation for the Dead in Early Christianity|journal=Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture|volume=19|issue=1|pages=56–77|doi=10.5406/jbookmormotheres.19.1.0056|jstor=10.5406/jbookmormotheres.19.1.0056|s2cid=171733241|issn=1948-7487|url=https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jbms/vol19/iss1/7|access-date=28 December 2022|archive-date=28 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221128015024/https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jbms/vol19/iss1/7/|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Both Spirit Prison and Paradise are temporary according to Latter-day Saint beliefs. After the resurrection, spirits are assigned "permanently" to three degrees of heavenly glory, determined by how they lived – Celestial, Terrestrial, and Telestial. (1 Cor 15:44–42; Doctrine and Covenants, Section 76) [[Son of perdition (Mormonism)|Sons of Perdition]], or those who have known and seen God and deny it, will be sent to the realm of [[Satan]], which is called Outer Darkness, where they shall live in misery and agony forever.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/76?lang=eng| title = Doctrine and Covenants, Section 76.| access-date = 15 July 2019| archive-date = 13 July 2019| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190713010958/https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/76?lang=eng| url-status = live}}</ref> However, according to the beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, most persons lack the amount of knowledge to commit the [[Eternal sin]] and are therefore incapable of becoming sons of perdition.<ref>[[Spencer W. Kimball]]: The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 123.</ref>

The Celestial Kingdom is believed to be where the righteous can live eternally with their families. Progression does not end once one has entered the Celestial Kingdom but extends eternally. According to "True to the Faith" (a handbook on doctrines in the LDS faith), "The celestial kingdom is the place prepared for those who have "received the testimony of Jesus" and been "made perfect through Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, who wrought out this perfect atonement through the shedding of his own blood" (Doctrine and Covenants, 76:51, 69). To inherit this gift, we must receive the ordinances of salvation, keep the commandments, and repent of our sins."<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/true-to-the-faith/kingdoms-of-glory.p1?lang=eng | title=Kingdoms of Glory | access-date=15 July 2019 | archive-date=12 January 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210112061937/https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/true-to-the-faith/kingdoms-of-glory.p1?lang=eng | url-status=live }}</ref>

====Jehovah's Witnesses====
[[Jehovah's Witnesses]] occasionally use terms such as "afterlife"<ref>{{cite journal|journal=The Watchtower|title=Is Gehenna a Place of Fiery Torment?|date=1 April 2011|page=31|url=http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2011252|access-date=31 December 2014|archive-date=31 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141231095604/http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2011252|url-status=live}}</ref> to refer to any hope for the dead, but they understand [[Ecclesiastes]] 9:5 to preclude belief in an immortal soul.<ref>{{cite book|title=Reasoning From the Scriptures|pages=168–75}}</ref> Individuals judged by God to be wicked, such as in the [[Great Flood]] or at [[Armageddon]], are given no hope of an afterlife. However, they believe that after Armageddon, there will be a bodily resurrection of "both righteous and unrighteous" dead (but not the "wicked"). Survivors of Armageddon and those who are resurrected are then to restore the Earth to a paradise gradually.<ref>{{cite book|title=Insight on the Scriptures|volume=2|pages=574–76}}</ref> After Armageddon, unrepentant sinners are punished with eternal death (non-existence).

====Seventh-day Adventists====
[[File:Life And Death Equation.jpg|thumb|Creation and Death Equation]]
The Seventh-day Adventist Church's beliefs regarding the afterlife differ from those of other Christian churches. Rather than ascend to Heaven or descend to Hell, Adventists believe the dead "remain unconscious until the return of Christ in judgement". The concept that the dead remain dead until resurrection is one of the fundamental beliefs of Seventh-day Adventism.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The State of the Dead: From Death to Life|url=https://www.adventist.org/beliefs/fundamental-beliefs/restoration/death-and-resurrection/|website=Seventh-day Adventist World Church Official Website|date=30 March 2015 |access-date=4 August 2020|archive-date=12 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200812065438/https://www.adventist.org/beliefs/fundamental-beliefs/restoration/death-and-resurrection/|url-status=live}}</ref> Adventists believe that death is an unconscious state (a "sleep"). This is based on Matt. 9:24; Mark 5:39; John 11:11–14; 1 Cor. 15:51, 52; 1 Thess. 4:13–17; 2 Peter 3:4; Eccl. 9:5, 6, 10. At death, all consciousness ends. The dead person does not know anything and does not do anything.<ref>{{Cite web|title=From Life to Death: What Really Happens When You Die?|url=https://www.adventist.org/articles/waking-up-to-eternity/|website=Seventh-day Adventist World Church Official Website|date=30 March 2015|access-date=4 August 2020|archive-date=18 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200918160711/https://www.adventist.org/articles/waking-up-to-eternity/|url-status=live}}</ref> They believe that death is a decreation, or an undoing of what was created. This is described in Ecclesiastes 12:7: "When a person dies, the body turns to dust again, and the spirit goes back to God, who gave it." The spirit of every person who dies—whether saved or unsaved—returns to God at death. The spirit that returns to God at death is the breath of life.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Are the Dead Really Dead?|url=https://www.amazingfacts.org/media-library/study-guide/e/4987/t/are-the-dead-really-dead-|website=Amazing Facts|access-date=4 August 2020|archive-date=28 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928060753/https://www.amazingfacts.org/media-library/study-guide/e/4987/t/are-the-dead-really-dead-|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Islam===
[[File:Muhammad and "shameless women" in Hell.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3| 15<sup>th</sup> century Persian depiction of [[Muhammad]], [[Buraq]], and [[Gabriel]] visiting Hell, where "shameless women" are burning for inciting lust in men by exposing their hair in public.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}]]
{{main|Akhirah}}

The [[Quran]] (the holy book of Islam) emphasizes the insignificance of worldly life (''ḥayāt ad-dunyā'' usually translated as "this world") vis-à-vis the hereafter.{{#tag:ref|some of the verses are:
*"... but compared with the Hereafter the life of this world is but a [trifling] enjoyment" {{Qref|13|26|b=y|s=y}}
*" ...The life of this world is nothing but the wares of delusion." {{Qref|3|185–186|b=y|s=y}}
*" ...Know that the life of this world is mere diversion and play, glamour and mutual vainglory among you and rivalry for wealth and children" (Q.57:20){{Qref|57|20|b=y|s=y}}
*" ...Seek the abode of the Hereafter by means of what Allah has given you, while not forgetting your share of this world. {{Qref|28|77|b=y|s=y}}|group=Note}}
A central doctrine of Islamic faith is the [[Judgement Day in Islam|Judgement Day]] (''al-yawm al-ākhir'', also known by other names),{{#tag:ref|The Last Day has a number of other names. It is also called the Encompassing Day (''al-yawm al-muḥīṭ''), more commonly known as the "[[Day of Resurrection]]" (''yawm al-qiyāma''), "[[Day of Judgment]]" (''yawm ad-dīn''), and "Day of Reckoning" (''yawm al-ḥisāb''), as well as both the "Day of Separation" (''yawm al-faṣl'') and "Day of Gathering" (''yawm al-jamʿ''), and is also referred to as ''as-Sāʿah'', meaning "the Hour" signaled by the blowing of the horn/trumpet.<ref>{{Qref|39|68|b=yl}}</ref>|group=Note}} on which the world will come to an end and God will raise all mankind (as well as the ''[[jinn]]'') from the dead and evaluate their worldly actions. The resurrected will be judged according to their deeds, records of which are kept on two books compiled for every human being—one for their good deeds and one for their evil ones.<ref name=Britannica/><ref name="Boulaouali 147–158"/>

Having been judged, the resurrected will cross the bridge of [[As-Sirāt]] over the pit of hell; when the condemned attempt to cross, they will be made to fall off into hellfire below, while the righteous will have no trouble and continue on to their eternal abode of heaven.<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Oxford dictionary of Islam |date=2004 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-512558-0 |editor-last=Esposito |editor-first=John L. |edition=1. issued as paperback |series=Oxford paperback reference |location=Oxford}}</ref>

Afterlife in Islam actually begins before the Last Day. After death, humans will be questioned about their faith by two angels, [[Munkar and Nakir|Munkar and Nakīr]]. Those who die as martyrs go immediately to paradise.<ref name=Britannica>{{cite web |title=Last Judgement |website=Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Last-Judgment-religion |access-date=31 January 2022 |archive-date=31 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220131151138/https://www.britannica.com/topic/Last-Judgment-religion |url-status=live }}</ref> Others who have died and been buried will receive a taste of their eternal reward from the ''al-qabr'' or "the grave" (compare the [[#Judaism|Jewish concept]] of [[Sheol]]). Those bound for hell will suffer "[[Punishment of the Grave]]", while those bound for heaven will find the grave "peaceful and blessed".<ref name=JACBMM2014:46>[[#JACBMM2014|J. A. C. Brown, ''Misquoting Muhammad'', 2014]]: p. 46</ref>

Islamic scripture—the Quran and [[hadith]] (reports of the words and deeds of the Islamic Prophet [[Muhammad]] who is believed to have visited heaven and hell during his [[Isra and Mi'raj]] journey) – give vivid descriptions of the pleasures of paradise ([[Jannah]]) and sufferings of hell (''[[Jahannam]]''). The gardens of Jannah have cool shade,{{Qref|36|56–57|b=y|s=y}} adorned couchs and cushions,{{Qref|18|31|s=y}} rich carpets spread out, cups{{Qref|88|10–16|s=y}} full of wine,{{Qref|52|23|s=y}} and every meat{{Qref|52|22|s=y}} and fruit{{Qref|36|56–57|s=y}}. Men will be provided with perpetually youthful, beautiful ''[[Houri|ḥūr]]'', "untouched beforehand by man or jinn",<ref name="Rustomji 2017">{{cite book |author-last=Rustomji |author-first=Nerina |year=2017 |chapter=Beauty in the Garden: Aesthetics and the ''Wildān'', ''Ghilmān'', and ''Ḥūr'' |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5_MoDgAAQBAJ&pg=PA297 |editor1-last=Günther |editor1-first=Sebastian |editor2-last=Lawson |editor2-first=Todd |title=Roads to Paradise: Eschatology and Concepts of the Hereafter in Islam |location=[[Leiden]] and [[Boston]] |publisher=[[Brill Publishers]] |pages=297–307 |series=Islamic History and Civilization |volume=136 |doi=10.1163/9789004333154_014 |isbn=978-90-04-33315-4 |issn=0929-2403 |lccn=2016047258 |access-date=2 December 2021 |archive-date=19 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230419034025/https://books.google.com/books?id=5_MoDgAAQBAJ&pg=PA297 |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Qref|55|56|s=y}} with large, beautiful eyes{{Qref|37|48|s=y}}. (In recent years some have argued that the term ''ḥūr'' refers both to pure men and pure women,<ref name="dawn-houri-20">{{cite web |title=Are all 'houris' female? |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/635343 |website=Dawn.com |access-date=22 April 2019 |date=9 June 2011 |archive-date=22 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190422220337/https://www.dawn.com/news/635343 |url-status=live }}</ref> and/or that Quranic references to "immortal boys" ({{qref|56|17}}, {{qref|76|19}}) or "young men" ({{qref|52|24}}) (''[[Ghilman|ghilmān]]'', ''wildān'', and ''suqāh'') who serve [[Wine#Islam|wine]] and meals to the [[Blessing#Islam|blessed]], are the male equivalents of hur.)<ref name="Rustomji 2017"/>

In contrast, those in [[Jahannam]] will dwell in a land infested with thousands of serpents and scorpions;<ref>Ghazālī, Iḥyāʾ, v.157, trans. Winter p.221-2; quoted in {{cite book|first1= Christian |last1=Lange |editor=Christian Lange |title= Locating Hell in Islamic Traditions |chapter=Introducing Hell in Islamic Studies |publisher= BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-30121-4 |date=2016 |ref=CLLHiIT2016 |page=14|jstor=10.1163/j.ctt1w8h1w3.7 }}</ref> be "burnt" by "scorching fire" {{Qref|88|1-7|s=y}} and when "their skins are roasted through, We shall change them for fresh skins" to repeat the process forever {{Qref|4|56|s=y}}; they will have nothing to drink but "boiling water and running sores"{{Qref|78|21–30|s=y}};<ref name="hughes-DoI">{{cite web |last1=Hughes |first1=Thomas Patrick |title=Project Gutenberg's A Dictionary of Islam. Hell |url=https://www.gutenberg.org/files/61526/61526-h/61526-h.htm#hell |website=gutenberg.org/ |access-date=30 January 2022 |date=February 27, 2020 |archive-date=30 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220130194648/https://www.gutenberg.org/files/61526/61526-h/61526-h.htm#hell |url-status=live }}</ref> their cries of remorse and pleading for forgiveness will be in vain{{Qref|26|96–106|s=y}}.<ref name=ItQ-233>{{cite book|editor1-last=Kaltner|editor1-first=John |title=Introducing the Qur'an: For Today's Reader|date=2011|publisher=Fortress Press|pages=233|isbn=9781451411386 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CBFKDjJgh9UC&q=jahannam |access-date=2 May 2015}}</ref><ref>{{qref|26|96-102|c=y}}, {{qref|41|24|c=y}}</ref>

Traditionally, ''Jannah'' and ''Jahannam'' are thought to have different levels. Eight gates and eight levels in ''Jannah'', where the higher the level the better it is and the happier you are. ''Jahannam'' possess seven layers. Each layer more horrible than the one above.

The Quran teaches that the purpose of Man's creation is to worship God and God alone.{{#tag:ref|"I have created the jinn and humankind only for My worship."{{Qref|51|56|s=y}}|group=Note}} Those it describes as being punished in hell are "most typically" unbelievers, including those who worship others besides Allah{{Qref|10|24|s=y}}, those who deny the divine origin of the Quran {{Qref|74|16–26|s=y}}, or the coming of Judgement Day{{Qref|25|11–14|s=y}}.<ref>{{RefQuran|17|10|b=yl}}</ref><ref name=ETISN2009>{{cite journal |last1=Thomassen |first1=Einar |title=Islamic Hell |journal=Numen |date=2009 |volume=56 |issue=2–3 |pages=401–416 |doi=10.1163/156852709X405062 |jstor=27793798 |ref=ETISN2009}}</ref>{{rp|404}}

Straightforward crimes/sins against other people are also grounds for going to hell: the murder of a believer{{Qref|4|93|s=y}}{{Qref|3|21|s=y}}, usury (Q.2:275){{Qref|2|275|s=y}}, devouring the property of an orphan {{Qref|4|10|s=y}}, and slander {{Qref|104|s=y|b=y}}, particularly of a chaste woman{{Qref|24|23|s=y}}.<ref name=ETISN2009:405 >[[#ETISN2009|Thomassen, "Islamic Hell", Numen, 56, 2009]]: p.405</ref> However, it is a common belief among Muslims that whatever crimes/sins Muslims may have committed, their punishment in hell will be temporary. Only unbelievers will reside in hell permanently.<ref name="ReferenceA">A F Klein ''Religion Of Islam'' Routledge 2013 {{ISBN|978-1-136-09954-0}} page 92</ref>{{#tag:ref|"One should note there was a near consensus among Muslim theologians of the later periods that punishment for Muslim grave sinners would only be temporary; eventually after a purgatory sojourn in hell's top layer they would be admitted into paradise."<ref name=CLLHiIT2016:7>[[#CLLHiIT2016|Lange, "Introducing Hell in Islamic Studies", 2016]]: p.7</ref> Prior to that, theologians of the Kharijite and Mu'tazilite schools insisted that the "sinful" and "unrepentant" should be punished even if they were believers, but this position has been "lastingly defeated and erased" by mainstream Islam.<ref name=CLLHiIT2016:8>[[#CLLHiIT2016|Lange, "Introducing Hell in Islamic Studies", 2016]]: p.8</ref>
|group=Note}} Thus Jahannam combines both the concept of an eternal hell (for unbelievers), and what is known in Christian Catholicism as [[purgatory]] (for believers eventually destined for heaven after punishment for their sins).<ref>John Renard The Handy Islam Answer Book Visible Ink Press 2015 {{ISBN|978-1-578-59544-0}}</ref>

The common belief holds that ''Jahannam'' coexists with the temporal world.<ref name="Islamic Traditions p. 12">{{cite book|first1= Christian |last1=Lange |title= Locating Hell in Islamic Traditions |chapter=Introducing Hell in Islamic Studies |year=2016 |publisher= BRILL | isbn=978-90-04-30121-4 |page=12|jstor=10.1163/j.ctt1w8h1w3.7 }}</ref> Mainstream Islam teaches the continued existence of the soul and a transformed physical existence after death. The resurrection that will take place on the Last Day is physical, and is explained by suggesting that God will recreate the decayed body ("Have they not realized that Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth, can ˹easily˺ re-create them?" {{Qref|17|99|s=y}}).

====Ahmadiyya====
[[Ahmadiyya|Ahmadi Muslims]] believe that the afterlife is not material but of a spiritual nature. According to [[Mirza Ghulam Ahmad]], founder of the [[Ahmadiyya]], the soul will give birth to another rarer entity and will resemble the life on this earth in the sense that this entity will bear a similar relationship to the soul as the soul bears relationship with the human existence on earth. On earth, if a person leads a righteous life and submits to the will of God, his or her tastes become attuned to enjoying spiritual pleasures as opposed to carnal desires. With this, an "embryonic soul" begins to take shape. Different tastes are said to be born which a person given to carnal passions finds no enjoyment. For example, sacrifice of one's own rights over that of others becomes enjoyable, or that forgiveness becomes second nature. In such a state a person finds contentment and peace at heart and at this stage, according to Ahmadiyya beliefs, it can be said that a soul within the soul has begun to take shape.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iU1Yn4sSXEkC&q=elementary%20study%20of%20islam | title=An Elementary Study of Islam | author=Mirza Tahir Ahmad | page=50 | publisher=Islam International Publications | isbn=978-1-85372-562-3 | year=1997 | access-date=15 October 2020 | archive-date=30 December 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231230123256/https://books.google.com/books?id=iU1Yn4sSXEkC&q=elementary%20study%20of%20islam#v=snippet&q=elementary%20study%20of%20islam&f=false | url-status=live }}</ref>

====Sufism====
{{Main|Sufism}}

The [[Sufi Islam|Sufi Muslim]] scholar [[Ibn 'Arabi]] defined [[Barzakh#Sufism|Barzakh]] as the intermediate realm or "isthmus". It is between the world of corporeal bodies and the world of spirits, and is a means of contact between the two worlds. Without it, there would be no contact between the two and both would cease to exist. He described it as simple and luminous, like the world of spirits, but also able to take on many different forms just like the world of corporeal bodies can. In broader terms Barzakh, "is anything that separates two things". It has been called the dream world in which the dreamer is in both life and death.<ref name="Ibn Al-Arabi 2006 29n, 50n, 59, 64–68, 73, 75–78, 82, 102">{{cite book|last=Ibn Al-Arabi|first=Muhyiddin|title=The Universal Tree and The Four Birds|year=2006|publisher=Anqa Publishing|pages=29n, 50n, 59, 64–68, 73, 75–78, 82, 102|editor=Angela Jaffray}}</ref>

===Baháʼí Faith===
{{Main|Baháʼí Faith on life after death}}
The teachings of the [[Baháʼí Faith]] state that the nature of the afterlife is beyond the understanding of those living, just as an unborn fetus cannot understand the nature of the world outside of the [[womb]]. The [[Baháʼí literature|Baháʼí writings]] state that the soul is immortal and after death it will continue to progress until it finally attains [[God in the Baháʼí Faith|God's presence]].<ref>[[Baháʼu'lláh]], [[Gleanings from the Writings of Baháʼu'lláh]], ed. by US Baháʼí Publishing Trust, 1990, pp. 155–156.</ref> In Baháʼí belief, souls in the afterlife will continue to retain their individuality and consciousness and will be able to recognize and communicate spiritually with other souls whom they have made deep profound friendships with, such as their spouses.<ref name="PSmith">{{cite encyclopedia|last= Smith|first= Peter|encyclopedia= A concise encyclopedia of the Baháʼí Faith|title= burial, "death and afterlife", evil, evil spirits, sin|year= 2000|publisher= Oneworld Publications|location= Oxford|isbn= 978-1-85168-184-6|pages= [https://archive.org/details/conciseencyclope0000smit/page/96 96–97, 118–19, 135–36, 322–23]|url= https://archive.org/details/conciseencyclope0000smit/page/96}}</ref>

The Baháʼí scriptures also state there are distinctions between souls in the afterlife, and that souls will recognize the worth of their own deeds and understand the consequences of their actions. It is explained that those souls that have turned toward God will experience gladness, while those who have lived in error will become aware of the opportunities they have lost. Also, in the Baháʼí view, souls will be able to recognize the accomplishments of the souls that have reached the same level as themselves, but not those that have achieved a rank higher than them.<ref name="PSmith"/>

==Indian religions==
{{Main|Indian religions}}
Early Indian religions were characterized by the belief in an afterlife, [[ancestor worship]], and related rites. These concepts started to significantly change after the period of the [[Upanishads]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sayers |first=Matthew R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3AOBwiZBjRMC |title=Feeding the Dead: Ancestor Worship in Ancient India |date=2013-09-12 |publisher=OUP USA |isbn=978-0-19-989643-1 |language=en |access-date=16 September 2022 |archive-date=30 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231230123257/https://books.google.com/books?id=3AOBwiZBjRMC |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Buddhism===
{{main|Buddhist eschatology}}
{{more citations needed section|date=November 2014}}
Afterlife in Buddhism consists of intermediated spirit realm that's beyond spatial means, which includes the six realms of existence, the 31 planes of existence, Naraka, Tengoku and the [[pure land]] after achieving [[Enlightenment in Buddhism|enlightenment]]. [[Ancestor worship]], and links to one's ancestors, was once an important component of early Buddhism, but became less relevant already before the formation of the different Buddhist streams. The concepts and importance of afterlife vary among modern Buddhist teachings.<ref name="Sayers">{{Cite thesis |title=Feeding the ancestors: ancestor worship in ancient Hinduism and Buddhism |url=https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/handle/2152/3945 |date=May 2008 |degree=Thesis |first=Matthew R. |last=Sayers |access-date=16 September 2022 |archive-date=20 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220920163432/https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/handle/2152/3945 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>Dying, Death and the Afterlife in Dharma Traditions and Western Religions (pp.29–44) Deepak Heritage Books, January 2006</ref>

Buddhists maintain that [[rebirth (Buddhism)|rebirth]] takes place without an unchanging [[Atman (Buddhism)|self]] or soul passing from one form to another.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Becker |first1=Carl B. |title=Breaking the circle: death and the afterlife in Buddhism |date=1993 |publisher=Southern Illinois University Press |location=Carbondale |isbn=978-0-585-03949-7 |page=viii |quote=Buddhists believe in karma and rebirth, and yet they deny the existence of permanent souls.}}</ref> The type of rebirth will be conditioned by the moral tone of the person's actions ([[Karma in Buddhism|kamma or karma]]). For example, if a person has committed harmful actions by body, speech and mind based on greed, hate and delusion, would have his/her rebirth in a lower realm, i.e. an animal, a [[Preta|hungry ghost]] or a hell realm, is to be expected. On the other hand, where a person has performed skillful actions based on generosity, loving-kindness ([[Maitrī|metta]]), compassion and wisdom, rebirth in a happy realm, i.e. human or one of the many heavenly realms, can be expected.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Buddhist Society: Kamma – Actions and Results|url=https://www.thebuddhistsociety.org/page/kamma-actions-and-results|access-date=2021-11-20|website=www.thebuddhistsociety.org|archive-date=20 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120071730/https://www.thebuddhistsociety.org/page/kamma-actions-and-results|url-status=live}}</ref>

However, the mechanism of rebirth with Kamma is not deterministic. It depends on various levels of kamma. The most important moment that determines where a person is reborn into is the last thought moment. At that moment, heavy kamma would ripen if there were performed. If not, near death kamma would ripen, and if not death kamma, then habitual kamma would ripen. Finally if none of the above happened, then residual kamma from previous actions can ripen.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2011-01-24|title=ORDER OF EFFECT {{!}} Dhamma Earth 法域|url=https://tusitainternational.net/zh/workings-of-kamma-rev2-chapter-iii-order-of-effect/|access-date=2021-11-20|language=zh-CN|archive-date=20 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120071729/https://tusitainternational.net/zh/workings-of-kamma-rev2-chapter-iii-order-of-effect/|url-status=live}}</ref> According to [[Theravada]] Buddhism, there are 31 realms of existence that one can be reborn into. According to these, 31 existences comprise 20 existences of supreme deities (Brahmas); 6 existences of deities (Devas); the human existence (Manussa); and, lastly, 4 existences of deprivation or unhappiness (Apaya).

[[Pure Land Buddhism]] of [[Mahayana]] believes in a special place apart from the 31 planes of existence called [[Pure Land]]. It is believed that each Buddha has their own pure land, created out of their merits for the sake of sentient beings who recall them mindfully to be able to be reborn in their pure land and train to become a Buddha there. Thus the main practice of pure land Buddhism is to chant a Buddha's name.

In [[Tibetan Buddhism]] the [[Bardo Thodol|Tibetan Book of the Dead]] explains the intermediate state of humans between death and reincarnation. The deceased will find the bright light of wisdom, which shows a straightforward path to move upward and leave the cycle of reincarnation. There are various reasons why the deceased do not follow that light. Some had no briefing about the intermediate state in the former life. Others only used to follow their basic instincts like animals. And some have fear, which results from foul deeds in the former life or from insistent haughtiness. In the intermediate state the awareness is very flexible, so it is important to be virtuous, adopt a positive attitude, and avoid negative ideas. Ideas which are rising from subconsciousness can cause extreme tempers and cowing visions. In this situation they have to understand, that these manifestations are just reflections of the inner thoughts. No one can really hurt them, because they have no more material body. The deceased get help from different [[Buddhahood|Buddha]]s who show them the path to the bright light. The ones who do not follow the path after all will get hints for a better reincarnation. They have to release the things and beings on which or whom they still hang from the life before. It is recommended to choose a family where the parents trust in the [[Dharma (Buddhism)|Dharma]] and to reincarnate with the will to care for the welfare of all beings.

===Hinduism===
{{main|Hindu eschatology}}
There are two major views of an afterlife in Hinduism: mythical and philosophical. The philosophies of Hinduism consider each individual consists of [[Three bodies doctrine|three bodies]]: physical body compose of water and biomatter (''sthūla śarīra''), an energetic/psychic/mental/subtle body (''sūkṣma-śarīra'') and a causal body (''kāraṇa śarīra'') comprising subliminal stuff i.e. mental impressions etc.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-04-06|title=The Hindu Concept of Three Bodies – Body, Mind and Existence|url=https://www.sanskritimagazine.com/indian-religions/hinduism/hindu-concept-three-bodies-body-mind-existence/|access-date=2021-11-20|website=Sanskriti – Hinduism and Indian Culture Website|language=en-US|archive-date=20 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120220631/https://www.sanskritimagazine.com/indian-religions/hinduism/hindu-concept-three-bodies-body-mind-existence/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The individual is a stream of consciousness ([[Ātman (Hinduism)|''Ātman'']]), which flows through all the physical changes of the body and at the death of the physical body, flows on into another physical body. The two components that transmigrate are the subtle body and the causal body.

The thought that occupies the mind at the time of death determines the quality of our rebirth (antim smaraṇa), hence Hinduism advises to be mindful of one's thoughts and cultivate positive wholesome thoughts – mantra chanting ([[japa]]) is commonly practiced for this.

The mythical includes the philosophical but adds heaven and hell myths.

When one leaves the physical body at death he appears in the court of [[Yama (Hinduism)|Yama]], the God of Death, for an exit interview. The panel consists of Yama and [[Chitragupta]] – the cosmic accountant, he has a book which consists the history of the dead persons according to his/her mistakes the Yama decides the punishment is and [[Varuna]], the cosmic intelligence officer. He is counseled about his life, achievements and failures and is shown a mirror in which his entire life is reflected. Philosophically, these three men are projections of one's mind. Yama sends him to a heavenly realm ([[Svarga]]) if he has been exceptionally benevolent and beneficent for a period of rest and recreation. His period is limited in time by the weight of his [[Punya (Hinduism)|good deeds]]. If he has been exceptionally malevolent and caused immense suffering to other beings, then he is sent to a hell realm ([[Naraka (Hinduism)|Naraka]]) for his sins. After one has exhausted his karma, he takes birth again to continue his [[Saṃsāra|spiritual evolution.]] However, the belief in rebirth was not a part of early Vedic religions and texts. It was later developed by ''[[rishi]]''s (sages) who challenged the idea of one's life as being simplistic.

Rebirth can take place as a god ([[Deva (Hinduism)|deva]]), a human (manuṣya) an animal (tiryak)—but it is generally taught that the spiritual evolution takes place from lower to higher species. In certain cases of traumatic death a person can take the form of a [[preta]] or hungry ghost – and remains in an earth-bound state interminably – until certain ceremonies are done to liberate them. This mythological part is extensively elaborated in the [[Puranas]], especially in the [[Garuda Purana]].

The [[Upanishads]] are the first scriptures in Hinduism which explicitly mention the afterlife.<ref>"When the body becomes weak and goes into oblivion as it were, the Atman departs, and following it, the vital breath departs ... he becomes a pure consciousness, and with this consciousness, he proceeds. His past learning and deeds as well subtle memory accompany him. Just as a worm upon reaching the tip of a blade of grass, reaches out towards another blade of grass by way of support, so also does this Jiva end this body, becomes imperceptible, and then obtains another body by way of support, and pulls itself together."

– Brhadaranyaka Upanishad 4.4</ref> The [[Bhagavad Gita]], a famous Hindu scripture, says that just as a man discards his old clothes and wears new ones; similarly the Atman discards the old body and takes on a new one. In Hinduism, the belief is that the body is nothing but a shell, the consciousness inside is immutable and indestructible and takes on different lives in a cycle of birth and death. The end of this cycle is called ''mukti'' ({{Langx|sa|मुक्ति}}) and staying finally with the [[Brahman|ultimate reality]] forever is ''[[moksha]]'' ({{Langx|sa|मोक्ष|links=no}}) or liberation.

The (diverse) views of modern Hinduism in part differ significantly from the [[Historical Vedic religion]].<ref name="Sayers"/>

===Jainism===
[[Jainism]] also believes in the afterlife. They believe that the soul takes on a body form based on previous karmas or actions performed by that soul through eternity. Jains believe the soul is eternal and that the freedom from the cycle of reincarnation is the means to attain eternal bliss.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Jhaveri|first1=Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshbhai|title=Death the Awakener|url=http://www.shrimadrajchandramission.org/pujya-gurudevshri/pearls-of-wisdom/death-the-awakener-2110.htm|website=Shrimad Rajchandra Mission Dharampur|access-date=21 January 2018|archive-date=26 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191026171833/http://www.shrimadrajchandramission.org/pujya-gurudevshri/pearls-of-wisdom/death-the-awakener-2110.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Sikhism===
{{more citations needed section|date=November 2014}}

The essential doctrine of [[Sikhism]] is to experience the divine through simple living, meditation, and contemplation while being alive. Sikhism also has the belief of being in union with God while living. Accounts of afterlife are considered to be aimed at the popular prevailing views of the time so as to provide a referential framework without necessarily establishing a belief in the afterlife. Thus while it is also acknowledged that living the life of a householder is above the metaphysical truth, Sikhism can be considered agnostic to the question of an afterlife. Some scholars also interpret the mention of reincarnation to be naturalistic akin to the [[biogeochemical cycle]]s.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Concept of reincarnation in Guru Nanak's philosophy |journal=Understanding Sikhism – the Research Journal |publisher=IUS Canada |date=2011 |volume=13 |issue=1–2 |pages=52–9 |url=http://www.iuscanada.com/journal/archives/2011/j1312p52.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.iuscanada.com/journal/archives/2011/j1312p52.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live}}</ref>

But if one analyses the Sikh Scriptures carefully, one may find that on many occasions the afterlife and the existence of heaven and hell are mentioned and criticised in ''[[Guru Granth Sahib]]'' and in ''[[Dasam Granth]]'' as non-true man made ideas, so from that it can be concluded that Sikhism does not believe in the existence of heaven and hell; however, heaven and hell are created to temporarily reward and punish, and one will then take birth again until one merges in God. According to the Sikh scriptures, the human form is the closet form to God if the Guru is read and understood,<ref>see [[God in Sikhism]]</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=http://www.khalsadarbar.com/PDFs/SriGuruGranthSahibJiDarpanEnglish.pdf |title=Sentence By Sentence English Translation & Transliteration of Siri Guru Granth Sahib |pages=267 |language=English |translator-last=Khalsa |translator-first=Singh Sahib Sant Singh |access-date=1 May 2023 |archive-date=20 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220720021817/http://khalsadarbar.com/PDFs/SriGuruGranthSahibJiDarpanEnglish.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> and the best opportunity for a human being to attain salvation and merge back with God and fully understand Him. Sikh Gurus said that nothing dies, nothing is born, everything is ever present, and it just changes forms. Like standing in front of a wardrobe, you pick up a dress and wear it and then you discard it. You wear another one. Thus, in the view of Sikhism, your soul is never born and never dies. Your soul is a part of God and hence lives forever.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.realsikhism.com/index.php?subaction=showfull&id=1248308791&ucat=7 | title=Sikhism: What happens after death? | access-date=19 December 2014 | archive-date=7 January 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220107165521/http://www.realsikhism.com/index.php?subaction=showfull&id=1248308791&ucat=7 | url-status=usurped }}</ref>

==Others==
===Confucianism===
[[Confucius]] did not directly discuss the afterlife. Nonetheless, [[Chinese folk religion]] has had a strong influence on [[Confucianism]], so adherents believe that their ancestors become deified spirits after death.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lemmon |first=Cheyenne |date=12 February 2023 |title=Hachiman, Japanese God of War {{!}} History & Symbol |url=https://study.com/academy/lesson/hachiman-japanese-god-war-mythology-symbol.html |website=Study.com |access-date=30 October 2023 |archive-date=30 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231030140229/https://study.com/academy/lesson/hachiman-japanese-god-war-mythology-symbol.html |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Ancestor veneration in China]] is widespread.

===Gnosticism===
In [[Gnosticism|Gnostic]] teachings humans contain a [[divine spark]] within them said to have been trapped in their bodies by the creator of the material universe known as the [[Demiurge#Gnosticism|Demiurge]]. It was believed that this spark could be released from the material world and enter into the heavenly spiritual world beyond it if special knowledge or [[Gnosis#Gnosticism|gnosis]] was attained.<ref>{{cite book|first=Stefan|last=Rossbach|title=Gnostic Wars|origyear=1999|date=August 7, 2019|publisher=[[Edinburgh University Press]]|page=49|isbn=9781474472180}}</ref> The [[Catharism|Cathars]], for example, viewed [[reincarnation]] as a trap made by [[Satan]], who tricked [[angel]]s from the heavenly realm into entering the physical bodies of humans. They viewed the purpose of life as a way to escape the constant cycle of spiritual incarnations by letting go of worldly attachments.<ref>{{cite web|first=Joshua|last=J. Mark|title=Cathars|url=https://www.worldhistory.org/Cathars/|publisher=[[World History Encyclopedia]]|date=April 2, 2019|access-date=2022-09-23|archive-date=23 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923052100/https://www.worldhistory.org/Cathars/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Shinto===
{{further|Shinto#Cosmology and afterlife}}
It is common for families to participate in ceremonies for children at a shrine, yet have a [[Japanese funeral|Buddhist funeral]] at the time of death. In old Japanese legends, it is often claimed that the dead go to a place called ''[[yomi]]'' (黄泉), a gloomy underground realm with a river separating the living from the dead mentioned in the legend of Izanami and Izanagi. This ''yomi'' very closely resembles the Greek [[Greek underworld|Hades]]; however, later myths include notions of resurrection and even [[Elysium]]-like descriptions such as in the legend of [[Ōkuninushi]] and [[Susanoo-no-Mikoto|Susanoo]]. Shinto tends to hold negative views on death and corpses as a source of pollution called ''kegare''. However, death is also viewed as a path towards [[apotheosis]] in Shintoism as can be evidenced by how legendary individuals become enshrined after death. Perhaps the most famous would be [[Emperor Ōjin]] who was enshrined as [[Hachiman]] the God of War after his death.<ref>{{Cite web |last=says |first=Ōmiya Hachiman-Schrein{{!}} Ways to Japan |date=2015-07-16 |title=Ōmiya Hachiman-Shrine (大宮八幡宮) (Engl.) |url=https://thomasgittel.wordpress.com/2015/07/16/omiya-hachiman-shrine-%e5%a4%a7%e5%ae%ae%e5%85%ab%e5%b9%a1%e5%ae%ae-engl/ |access-date=2023-10-30 |website=Ways to Japan |language=en |archive-date=30 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231030140230/https://thomasgittel.wordpress.com/2015/07/16/omiya-hachiman-shrine-%E5%A4%A7%E5%AE%AE%E5%85%AB%E5%B9%A1%E5%AE%AE-engl/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Spiritualism===
The [[Spirit world (Spiritualism)|spirit world]], according to [[Spiritualism (beliefs)|spiritualism]], is the world or realm inhabited by [[Non-physical entity|spirits]], both good or evil of various spiritual manifestations. This spirit world is regarded as an external environment for spirits.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hill |first=J. Arthur |title=Spiritualism - Its History, Phenomena, And Doctrine |publisher=Cassell and Company, Ltd. |year=1918 |isbn=1-4067-0162-9 |location=London, New York, Toronto and Melbourne |page=211}}</ref> The Spiritualism religious [[Social movement|movement]] in the [[Long nineteenth century|nineteenth century]] espoused a belief in an afterlife where individual's awareness persists beyond [[death]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofoc0002unse_h4m2/page/1463/mode/1up |title=Encyclopedia of Occultism & Parapsychology |publisher=Gale Group |year=2001 |isbn=0810394898 |editor-last=Melton |editor-first=J. Gordon |editor-link=J. Gordon Melton |edition=5th |volume=2 |location=US |pages=1463}}</ref>

===Taoism===
[[Taoism]] views life as an illusion and death as a transformation into immortality. Taoists believe that immortality of the soul can be achieved by living a virtuous life in harmony with the [[Tao]]. They are taught not to fear death, as it is simply part of nature.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Wong |first1=Eva |title=The Shambhala guide to Taoism |date=1997 |publisher=Shambhala |location=Boston |isbn=1570621691 |edition=First}}</ref>

===Traditional African religions===
[[Traditional African religion]]s are diverse in their beliefs in an afterlife. [[Hunter-gatherer]] societies such as the [[Hadza people|Hadza]] have no particular belief in an afterlife, and the death of an individual is a straightforward end to their existence.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Bond|first1=George C.|editor1-last=Obayashi|editor1-first=Hiroshi|title=Death and Afterlife: Perspectives of World Religions|date=1992|publisher=Greenwood Press|location=New York|isbn=978-0-313-27906-5|pages=3–18|chapter=Living with Spirits: Death and Afterlife in African Religions|quote=The entire process of death and burial is simple, without elaborate rituals and beliefs in an afterlife. The social and spiritual existence of the person ends with the burial of the corpse.}}</ref> [[Veneration of the dead|Ancestor cults]] are found throughout [[Sub-Saharan Africa]], including cultures like the [[Yombe people|Yombe]],<ref>{{cite book|last1=Bond|first1=George C.|editor1-last=Obayashi|editor1-first=Hiroshi|title=Death and Afterlife: Perspectives of World Religions|date=1992|publisher=Greenwood Press|location=New York|isbn=978-0-313-27906-5|pages=3–18|chapter=Living with Spirits: Death and Afterlife in African Religions|quote=The belief in the ancestors remains a strong and active spiritual and moral force in the daily lives of the Yombe; the ancestors are thought to intervene in the affairs of the living.... The afterlife is this world.}}</ref> [[List of Mandé peoples of Africa|Beng]],<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Gottlieb|first1=Alma|last2=Graham|first2=Philip|last3=Gottlieb-Graham|first3=Nathaniel|s2cid=154032549|title=Infants, Ancestors, and the Afterlife: Fieldwork's Family Values in Rural West Africa|journal=Anthropology and Humanism|date=1998|volume=23|issue=2|page=121|doi=10.1525/ahu.1998.23.2.121|quote=But Kokora Kouassi, an old friend and respected Master of the Earth in the village of Asagbé, came to our compound early one morning to describe the dream he had just had: he had been visited by the revered and ancient founder of his matriclan, Denju, who confided that Nathaniel was his reincarnation and so should be given his name. The following morning a small ritual was held, and Nathaniel was officially announced to the world not only as Denju but as N'zri Denju—Grandfather Denju—an honorific that came to be used even by Nathaniel's closest playing companions.|url=https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/a12b/7183cff1ee6eba57710ad30325152762e481.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200218175427/https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/a12b/7183cff1ee6eba57710ad30325152762e481.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=2020-02-18}}</ref> [[Yoruba people|Yoruba]] and [[Ewe people|Ewe]], "[T]he belief that the dead come back into life and are reborn into their families is given concrete expression in the personal names that are given to children....What is reincarnated are some of the dominant characteristics of the ancestor and not his soul. For each soul remains distinct and each birth represents a new soul."<ref name="Opoku">{{cite book|last1=Opoku|first1=Kofi Asare|editor1-last=Badham|editor1-first=Paul|editor2-last=Badham|editor2-first=Linda|title=Death and Immortality in the Religions of the World|date=1987|publisher=Paragon House|location=New York|isbn=978-0-913757-54-3|pages=9–23|chapter=Death and Immortality in the African Religious Heritage|ol=25695134M}}</ref> The Yoruba, [[Dogon people|Dogon]] and LoDagoa have eschatological ideas similar to Abrahamic religions, "but in most African societies, there is a marked absence of such clear-cut notions of heaven and hell, although there are notions of God judging the soul after death."<ref name="Opoku" /> In some societies like the [[Mende people|Mende]], multiple beliefs coexist. The Mende believe that people die twice: once during the process of joining the [[Mende people#Secret societies|secret society]], and again during biological death after which they become ancestors. However, some Mende also believe that after people are created by God they live ten consecutive lives, each in progressively descending worlds.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Bond|first1=George C.|editor1-last=Obayashi|editor1-first=Hiroshi|title=Death and Afterlife: Perspectives of World Religions|date=1992|publisher=Greenwood Press|location=New York|isbn=978-0-313-27906-5|pages=3–18|chapter=Living with Spirits: Death and Afterlife in African Religions|quote=The process of being born, dying, and moving to a lower level of earth continues through ten lives.}}</ref> One cross-cultural theme is that the ancestors are part of the world of the living, interacting with it regularly.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Bond|first1=George C.|editor1-last=Obayashi|editor1-first=Hiroshi|title=Death and Afterlife: Perspectives of World Religions|date=1992|publisher=Greenwood Press|location=New York|isbn=978-0-313-27906-5|pages=3–18|chapter=Living with Spirits: Death and Afterlife in African Religions|quote=The ancestors are of people, whereas God is external to creation. They are of this world and close to the living. The Yombe believe that the afterlife of the ancestors lies in this world and that they are a spiritual and moral force within it.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Bond|first1=George C.|editor1-last=Obayashi|editor1-first=Hiroshi|title=Death and Afterlife: Perspectives of World Religions|date=1992|publisher=Greenwood Press|location=New York|isbn=978-0-313-27906-5|pages=3–18|chapter=Living with Spirits: Death and Afterlife in African Religions|quote=Death represents a transition from corporeal to incorporeal life in the religious heritage of Africa and the incorporeal life is taken to be as real as the corporeal.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Ephirim-Donkor|first1=Anthony|title=African Religion Defined a Systematic Study of Ancestor Worship among the Akan.|date=2012|publisher=University Press of America|location=Lanham|isbn=978-0-7618-6058-7|page=26|edition=2nd |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ndxOAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA26}}</ref>

===Unitarian Universalism===
Some [[Unitarian Universalist]]s believe in [[universalism]]: that all souls will ultimately be saved and that there are no torments of hell.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bond |first1=Jon |url=http://en.allexperts.com/q/Unitarians-945/unitarian-view-afterlife.htm |title=Unitarians: unitarian view of afterlife, unitarian universalist association uua, unitarian universalist association |publisher=En.allexperts.com |date=13 June 2004 |access-date=8 March 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151106125811/http://en.allexperts.com/q/Unitarians-945/unitarian-view-afterlife.htm |archive-date=6 November 2015 }}</ref> Unitarian Universalists differ widely in their theology hence there is no exact same stance on the issue.<ref>Mark W. Harris (2009). ''The A to Z of Unitarian Universalism''. p. 147</ref> Although Unitarians historically believed in a literal hell, and Universalists historically believed that everyone goes to heaven, modern Unitarian Universalists can be categorized into those believing in a heaven, reincarnation and oblivion. Most Unitarian Universalists believe that heaven and hell are symbolic places of consciousness and the faith is largely focused on the worldly life rather than any possible afterlife.<ref>Robyn E. Lebron (2012). ''Searching for Spiritual Unity&nbsp;... Can There Be Common Ground?'' p. 582,</ref>

===Wicca===
The Wiccan afterlife is most commonly described as [[The Summerland]]. Here, souls rest, recuperate from life, and reflect on the experiences they had during their lives. After a period of rest, the souls are reincarnated, and the memory of their previous lives is erased. Many Wiccans see The Summerland as a place to reflect on their life actions. It is not a place of reward, but rather the end of a life journey at an end point of incarnations.<ref>''Solitary Wicca For Life: Complete Guide to Mastering the Craft on Your Own'' p. 162, Arin Murphy-Hiscock (2005)</ref>

===Zoroastrianism===
{{main|Frashokereti}}Zoroastrianism states that the ''urvan'', the disembodied spirit, lingers on earth for three days before departing downward to the kingdom of the dead that is ruled by Yima.<ref>{{Citation |last=Hintze |first=Almut |title=Zoroastrian afterlife beliefs and funerary practices |date=2017-05-18 |work=The Routledge Companion to Death and Dying |pages=86–97 |editor-last=Moreman |editor-first=Christopher M. |url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9781317528883/chapters/10.4324/9781315723747-10 |access-date=2024-10-25 |edition=1 |publisher=Routledge |language=en |doi=10.4324/9781315723747-10 |isbn=978-1-315-72374-7|url-access=subscription }}</ref> For the three days that it rests on Earth, righteous souls sit at the head of their body, chanting the [[Gathas|Ustavaiti Gathas]] with joy, while a wicked person sits at the feet of the corpse, wails and recites the [[Yasna]]. Zoroastrianism states that for the righteous souls, a beautiful maiden, which is the personification of the soul's good thoughts, words and deeds, appears. For a wicked person, a very old, ugly, naked hag appears. After three nights, the soul of the wicked is taken by the demon [[Vizaresa]] (Vīzarəša), to Chinvat bridge, and is made to go to darkness ([[hell]]).

[[Jamshid|Yima]] is believed to have been the first king on earth to rule, as well as the first man to die. Inside of Yima's realm, the spirits live a shadowy existence, and are dependent on their own descendants which are still living on Earth. Their descendants are to satisfy their hunger and clothe them, through rituals done on earth.

Rituals which are done on the first three days are vital and important, as they protect the soul from evil powers and give it strength to reach the underworld. After three days, the soul crosses [[Chinvat bridge]] which is the [[Final Judgment]] of the soul. Rashnu and [[Sraosha]] are present at the final judgment. The list is expanded sometimes, and include [[Bahman|Vahman]] and [[Ahura Mazda|Ormazd]]. [[Rashnu]] is the [[yazata]] who holds the scales of justice. If the good deeds of the person outweigh the bad, the soul is worthy of paradise. If the bad deeds outweigh the good, the bridge narrows down to the width of a blade-edge, and a horrid hag pulls the soul in her arms, and takes it down to hell with her.

Misvan Gatu is the "place of the mixed ones" where the souls lead a gray existence, lacking both joy and sorrow. A soul goes here if his/her good deeds and bad deeds are equal, and Rashnu's scale is equal.

==Parapsychology==
{{Main|Parapsychology}}

The [[Society for Psychical Research]] was founded in 1882 with the express intention of investigating phenomena relating to Spiritualism and the afterlife. Its members continue to conduct scientific research on the paranormal to this day. Some of the earliest attempts to apply [[scientific method]]s to the study of phenomena relating to an afterlife were conducted by this organization. Its earliest members included noted scientists like [[William Crookes]], and philosophers such as [[Henry Sidgwick]] and [[William James]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Resende |first=Pedro Henrique Costa de |last2=Moreira-Almeida |first2=Alexander |last3=Schubert Coelho |first3=Humberto |date=September 2023 |title=The epistemologies of research on the survival of consciousness after death in the golden era of the Society for Psychical Research (1882–1930) |url=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0957154X231175575 |journal=History of Psychiatry |language=en |volume=34 |issue=3 |pages=287–304 |doi=10.1177/0957154X231175575 |issn=0957-154X|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Parapsychological investigation of the afterlife includes the study of [[haunting]], [[apparitional experience|apparitions]] of the deceased, instrumental trans-communication, [[electronic voice phenomenon|electronic voice phenomena]], and [[mediumship]].<ref>David Fontana (2005): Is there an afterlife. A comprehensive overview of the evidence.</ref>

A [[21 grams experiment|study]] conducted in 1901 by physician [[Duncan MacDougall (doctor)|Duncan MacDougall]] sought to measure the weight lost by a human when the [[soul]] "departed the body" upon death.<ref>{{cite book | last = Roach | first = Mary | title = Spook – Science Tackles the Afterlife | publisher = W. W. Norton & Co. | year = 2005 | isbn = 978-0-393-05962-5}}</ref> MacDougall weighed dying patients in an attempt to prove that the soul was material, tangible and thus measurable. Although MacDougall's results varied considerably from "21 grams", for some people this figure has become synonymous with the measure of a soul's mass.<ref>[http://www.snopes.com/religion/soulweight.asp Urban Legends] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20140630064537/http://www.snopes.com/religion/soulweight.asp |date=30 June 2014 }} – Reference Page (Soul man).</ref> The title of the 2003 movie ''[[21 Grams]]'' is a reference to MacDougall's findings. His results have never been reproduced, and are generally regarded either as meaningless or considered to have had little if any scientific merit.<ref>{{cite book|last=Park|first=Robert Ezra|title=Superstition: Belief in the Age of Science|page=90|year=2010|publisher=Princeton University Press|location=Princeton, NJ|isbn=978-0-691-14597-6}}</ref>

[[Frank Tipler]] has argued that physics can explain immortality, although such arguments are not [[Falsifiability|falsifiable]] and, in [[Karl Popper]]'s views, they do not qualify as science.<ref>{{cite book | last = Tipler | first = Franl J. | title = The Physics of Immortality – Modern Cosmology, God and the Resurrection of the Dead | publisher = Anchor | year = 1997 | isbn = 978-0-385-46799-5}}</ref>

After 25 years of parapsychological research [[Susan Blackmore]] came to the conclusion that, according to her experiences, there is not enough [[empirical evidence]] for many of these cases.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.susanblackmore.co.uk/Chapters/Kurtz.htm |title=Skeptical Odysseys: Personal Accounts by the World's Leading Paranormal Inquirers pp. 85–94 |publisher=Susanblackmore.co.uk |date=25 March 2002 |access-date=8 March 2014 |archive-date=6 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140406225824/http://www.susanblackmore.co.uk/Chapters/Kurtz.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last = Kurtz | first = Paul | title = Skeptical Odysseys: Personal Accounts by the World's Leading Paranormal Inquirers | publisher = Prometheus Books | year = 2001 | isbn = 978-1-57392-884-7}}</ref>

===Mediumship===
Mediums purportedly act as a vessel for communications from spirits in other realms. [[Mediumship]] is not specific to one culture or religion; it can be identified in several belief systems, most notably [[Spiritualism (movement)|Spiritualism]]. While the practice gained popularity in Europe and North America in the 19th century, evidence of mediumship dates back thousands of years in Asia.<ref>[[David Marks (psychologist)|David Marks]]. (2000). ''The Psychology of the Psychic''. Prometheus Books. {{ISBN|978-1-57392-798-7}}</ref><ref>Nicola Holt, Christine Simmonds-Moore, David Luke, [[Chris French|Christopher French]]. (2012). ''Anomalistic Psychology (Palgrave Insights in Psychology)''. Palgrave Macmillan. {{ISBN|978-0-230-30150-4}}</ref><ref>[[Millais Culpin]]. (1920). ''Spiritualism and the New Psychology, an Explanation of Spiritualist Phenomena and Beliefs in Terms of Modern Knowledge''. Kennelly Press. {{ISBN|978-1-4460-5651-6}}</ref> Mediums who claim to have contact with deceased people include [[Tyler Henry]] and [[Pascal Voggenhuber]].

===Near death research===
{{See also|Near-death studies|Near death experience|Deathbed phenomena}}

Research also includes the study of the near death experience. Scientists who have worked in this area include [[Elisabeth Kübler-Ross]], [[Raymond Moody]], [[Sam Parnia]], [[Michael Sabom]], [[Bruce Greyson]], [[Peter Fenwick (neuropsychologist)|Peter Fenwick]], [[Jeffrey Long]], [[Susan Blackmore]], [[Charles Tart]], [[William James]], [[Ian Stevenson]], [[Michael Persinger]], [[Pim van Lommel]], [[Penny Sartori]], [[Walter van Laack]] among others.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://profezie3m.altervista.org/archivio/TheLancet_NDE.htm |title=Near-death experience in survivors of cardiac arrest: a prospective study in the Netherlands |publisher=Profezie3m.altervista.org |access-date=8 March 2014 |archive-date=13 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140713092829/http://profezie3m.altervista.org/archivio/TheLancet_NDE.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7463606.stm | access-date = 6 August 2008 | work = BBC News | title = Nurse writes book on near-death | date = 19 June 2008 | archive-date = 31 March 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090331144411/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7463606.stm | url-status = live }}</ref>

=== Past life regression ===
{{Main|Past life regression}}

'''Past life regression''' is a method that uses [[hypnosis]] to recover what practitioners believe are [[Past life memory|memories of past lives]] or [[reincarnation|incarnations]]. The technique used during past-life regression involves the subject answering a series of questions while hypnotized to reveal identity and events of alleged past lives, a method similar to that used in [[recovered memory therapy]] and one that, similarly, often misrepresents memory as a faithful recording of previous events rather than a constructed set of recollections.

However, medical experts and practitioners do not agree that the past life memories gained from past life regressions are truly from past lives; experts generally regard claims of recovered memories of past lives as fantasies or delusions or a type of [[confabulation]], because the use of hypnosis and [[suggestive question]]s can tend to leave the subject particularly likely to hold distorted or false memories.<ref name = Skepdic>{{cite book |author=Carroll RT | author-link = Robert Todd Carroll |title=The Skeptic's Dictionary: A Collection of Strange Beliefs, Amusing Deceptions, and Dangerous Delusions | title-link = The Skeptic's Dictionary |publisher=Wiley |location=New York |year=2003 |pages= [https://books.google.com/books?id=6FPqDFx40vYC&pg=PA276 276–7] |isbn=978-0-471-27242-7}}</ref><ref name = Cordon>{{cite book |author=Cordón LA |title=Popular Psychology: An Encyclopedia |publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group|Greenwood Press]] |location=Westport, Conn. |year=2005 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/popularpsycholog0000cord/page/183 183–5] |isbn=978-0-313-32457-4 |url=https://archive.org/details/popularpsycholog0000cord/page/183 }}</ref><ref name = encyclopedia>{{cite book |vauthors=Linse P, Shermer M |title=The Skeptic Encyclopedia of Pseudoscience |publisher=[[ABC-CLIO]] |location=Santa Barbara, Calif. |year=2002 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Gr4snwg7iaEC&pg=PA206 |pages=206–7 |isbn=978-1-57607-653-8 |access-date=15 November 2022 |archive-date=30 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231230123318/https://books.google.com/books?id=Gr4snwg7iaEC&pg=PA206 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Philosophy==
===Modern philosophy===
There is a view based on the philosophical question of [[personal identity]], termed [[open individualism]] by [[Daniel Kolak]], that concludes that individual conscious experience is illusory, and because consciousness continues after death in all conscious beings, ''you'' do not die. This position has allegedly been supported by physicists such as [[Erwin Schrödinger]] and [[Freeman Dyson]].<ref>{{cite book | last = Kolak | first = Daniel | title = I Am You: The Metaphysical Foundations for Global Ethics | url = https://archive.org/details/springer_10.1007-978-1-4020-3014-7 | publisher = Springer | year = 2005 | isbn = 978-1-4020-2999-8}}</ref>

Certain problems arise with the idea of a particular person continuing after death. [[Peter van Inwagen]], in his argument regarding resurrection, notes that the materialist must have some sort of physical continuity.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://philosophy.nd.edu/people/all/profiles/van-inwagen-peter/documents/Resurrection.doc|title=I Look for the Resurrection of the Dead and the Life of the World to Come |author=Peter van Inwagen |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070610012631/http://philosophy.nd.edu/people/all/profiles/van-inwagen-peter/documents/Resurrection.doc |archive-date=10 June 2007}}</ref> [[John Hick]] also raises questions regarding personal identity in his book, ''Death and Eternal Life'', using an example of a person ceasing to exist in one place while an exact replica appears in another. If the replica had all the same experiences, traits, and physical appearances of the first person, we would all attribute the same identity to the second, according to Hick.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Hick|first=John|title=Death and eternal life|year=1994|publisher=Westminster/J. Knox Press|isbn=978-0-664-25509-1|pages=279–294|oclc=878755693}}</ref>

Some philosophers have used [[Occam's razor]] to argue against the existence of an afterlife.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fisher |first=Justin C. |title=The Possibility of an Afterlife |url=https://www.physics.smu.edu/scalise/P3333fa16/afterlife/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250702081155/https://www.physics.smu.edu/scalise/P3333fa16/afterlife/ |archive-date=2025-07-02 |access-date=2025-07-02 |website=SMU Philosophy}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Shneour |first=Elie A. |date=1986 |title=Occam's Razor |url=https://centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/1986/07/22165325/p24.pdf |journal=Skeptical Inquirer |volume=10th Anniversary Essays}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ohnemus |first=Alexander |date=2023 |title=Respectfully and Unfortunately, The Improbability of, and Danger in Believing in, Reincarnation |journal=Ohnemus University}}</ref>

===Process philosophy===
In the [[panentheistic]] model of [[process philosophy]] and theology the writers [[Alfred North Whitehead]] and [[Charles Hartshorne]] rejected the idea that the universe was made of [[Matter|substance]], instead saying reality is composed of living experiences (occasions of experience). According to Hartshorne people do not experience subjective (or personal) immortality in the afterlife, but they do have objective immortality because their experiences live on forever in God, who contains all that was. However other process philosophers such as [[David Ray Griffin]] have written that people may have subjective experience after death.<ref>Charles Hartshorne, Omnipotence and Other Theological Mistakes (Albany: State University of New York, 1984) p.&nbsp;32–36</ref><ref>David Griffin, "The Possibility of Subjective Immortality in Whitehead's Philosophy," in The Modern Schoolman, LIII, November. 1975, pp.&nbsp;39–51.</ref><ref>[http://www.religion-online.org/showchapter.asp?title=3040&C=2598 What Is Process Theology? by Robert B. Mellert] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130109062948/http://www.religion-online.org/showchapter.asp?title=3040&C=2598 |date=9 January 2013 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.religion-online.org/showchapter.asp?title=2736&C=2480 A Whiteheadian Conception of Immortality by Forrest Wood, Jr.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111205005800/http://www.religion-online.org/showchapter.asp?title=2736&C=2480 |date=5 December 2011 }}</ref>

==Science==
Science cannot be used to prove that an afterlife exists, as the claim is [[Falsifiability|unfalsifiable]]. Psychological proposals for the origin of a belief in an afterlife include cognitive disposition, cultural learning, and as an intuitive religious idea.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Pereira|first1=Vera|last2=Faísca|first2=Luís|last3=de Sá-Saraiva|first3=Rodrigo|title=Immortality of the Soul as an Intuitive Idea: Towards a Psychological Explanation of the Origins of Afterlife Beliefs|journal=Journal of Cognition and Culture|date=1 January 2012|volume=12|issue=1|page=121|doi=10.1163/156853712X633956|url=http://sapientia.ualg.pt/bitstream/10400.1/4894/1/Immortality%20of%20the%20soul%20as%20an%20intuitive%20idea.%20Towards%20a%20psychological%20explanation%20of%20the%20origins%20of%20afterlife%20beliefs.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://sapientia.ualg.pt/bitstream/10400.1/4894/1/Immortality%20of%20the%20soul%20as%20an%20intuitive%20idea.%20Towards%20a%20psychological%20explanation%20of%20the%20origins%20of%20afterlife%20beliefs.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|hdl=10400.1/4894|hdl-access=free}}</ref> [[Fear of death]] or death anxiety is hypothesized to be a primary motivator for afterlife beliefs.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Jong |first1=Jonathan |title=Death anxiety and religion |journal=Current Opinion in Psychology |date=1 August 2021 |volume=40 |pages=40–44 |doi=10.1016/j.copsyc.2020.08.004 |issn=2352-250X}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Jong |first1=Jonathan |last2=Ross |first2=Robert |last3=Philip |first3=Tristan |last4=Chang |first4=Si-Hua |last5=Simons |first5=Naomi |last6=Halberstadt |first6=Jamin |title=The religious correlates of death anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis |journal=Religion, Brain & Behavior |date=2 January 2018 |volume=8 |issue=1 |pages=4–20 |doi=10.1080/2153599X.2016.1238844 |language=en |issn=2153-599X}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Gulliford |first1=Liz |title=Death anxiety and religious belief: an existential psychology of religion |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13617672.2018.1454246 |website=Journal of Beliefs & Values |pages=525–526 |language=en |doi=10.1080/13617672.2018.1454246 |date=2 October 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Facing Death without Religion {{!}} Harvard Divinity Bulletin |url=https://bulletin.hds.harvard.edu/facing-death-without-religion/ |website=bulletin.hds.harvard.edu |access-date=17 November 2024}}</ref> Jamin Halberstadt finds that one function of religion is to alleviate death anxiety via afterlife beliefs.<ref>{{cite news |title=Why almost everyone believes in an afterlife – even atheists |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24432570-500-why-almost-everyone-believes-in-an-afterlife-even-atheists/ |access-date=17 November 2024 |work=New Scientist}}</ref> There also is research about afterlife beliefs from an evolutionary perspective, i.e. in the context of [[group selection]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Afterlife Beliefs: An Evolutionary Perspective |url=https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/5xajk |website=osf.io |access-date=17 November 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Atkinson |first1=Quentin D. |last2=Bourrat |first2=Pierrick |title=Beliefs about God, the afterlife and morality support the role of supernatural policing in human cooperation |journal=Evolution and Human Behavior |date=1 January 2011 |volume=32 |issue=1 |pages=41–49 |doi=10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2010.07.008 |issn=1090-5138}}</ref>

=== Near-death experiences ===
{{See also|Near-death experience|Deathbed phenomena}}

In 2008, a large-scale study conducted by the University of Southampton involving 2,060 patients from 15 hospitals in the United Kingdom, United States and Austria was launched. The AWARE (AWAreness during REsuscitation) study examined the broad range of mental experiences in relation to death. In a large study, researchers also tested the validity of conscious experiences for the first time using objective markers, to determine whether claims of awareness compatible with out-of-body experiences correspond with real or hallucinatory events.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.southampton.ac.uk/news/2014/10/07-worlds-largest-near-death-experiences-study.page |title=Results of world's largest Near Death Experiences |date=7 October 2014 |access-date=16 January 2019 |archive-date=16 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190116200740/https://www.southampton.ac.uk/news/2014/10/07-worlds-largest-near-death-experiences-study.page |url-status=live }}</ref> The results revealed that 40% of those who survived a cardiac arrest were aware during the time that they were clinically dead and before their hearts were restarted. One patient also had a verified out-of-body experience (over 80% of patients did not survive their cardiac arrest or were too sick to be interviewed), but his cardiac arrest occurred in a room without markers. Dr. Parnia in the interview stated, "The evidence thus far suggests that in the first few minutes after death, consciousness is not annihilated."<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://bioethics.georgetown.edu/2015/07/consciousness-after-clinical-death-the-biggest-ever-scientific-study-published/ |title=Consciousness after clinical death. The biggest ever scientific study published |access-date=16 January 2019 |archive-date=16 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190116150054/https://bioethics.georgetown.edu/2015/07/consciousness-after-clinical-death-the-biggest-ever-scientific-study-published/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The AWARE study drew the following primary conclusions:

# In some cases of cardiac arrest, memories of visual awareness compatible with so called out-of-body experiences may correspond with actual events.
# A number of NDErs may have vivid death experiences, but do not recall them due to the effects of brain injury or sedative drugs on memory circuits.
# The recalled experience surrounding death merits a genuine investigation without prejudice.<ref>[https://iands.org/news/news/front-page-news/1060-aware-study-initial-results-are-published.html AWARE STUDY INITIAL RESULTS ARE PUBLISHED!] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220708230558/https://iands.org/news/news/front-page-news/1060-aware-study-initial-results-are-published.html |date=8 July 2022 }}, Retrieved 8 July 2022</ref>

Studies have also been done on the widely reported phenomenon of [[near death experiences|near-death experiences]] (NDE). Experiencers commonly report being transported to a different "realm" or "plane of existence" and they have been shown to display a lasting positive aftereffect on most experiencers.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Greyson | first1 = Bruce | year = 2003 | title = Near-Death Experiences in a Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic Population | journal = Psychiatric Services | volume = 54 | issue = 12| pages = 1649–1651 | doi = 10.1176/appi.ps.54.12.1649 | pmid = 14645808 }}</ref>

==See also==
{{Div col|colwidth=22em}}
* [[Allegory of the long spoons]]
* [[Astral plane]]
* [[Bardo]]
* [[Brig of Dread]] (Bridge of Dread)
* [[Empiricism]]
* [[Epistemology]]
* [[Eternal oblivion]]
* [[Exaltation (Mormonism)]]
* [[Fate of the unlearned]]
* [[Heaven]]
* [[Hell]]
* [[Immortality]]
* [[Mictlan]]
* [[Mind uploading]]
* [[Nirvana]]
* [[Omega Point]]
* [[Paradise]]
* [[Phowa]]
* [[Pre-existence]]
* [[Purgatory]]
* [[Rebirth (Buddhism)|Rebirth]]
* [[Reincarnation]]
* [[Soul]]
* [[Soul flight]]
* [[Soul retrieval]]
* ''[[Spiritism (book)|Spiritism]]''
* [[Suspended animation]]
* [[Spirit world (Spiritualism)|Spirit World]]
* [[Undead]]
* [[Underworld]]
{{div col end}}

==References==
=== Explanatory notes ===
{{reflist|group=Note}}

===Citations===
{{reflist|30em}}

== Bibliography ==
* Philip C Almond, ''Afterlife: A History of Life after Death'', London and Ithaca NY: I.B. Tauris and Cornell University Press, 2015.
* {{cite book|last=Berdichevsky|first=Norman|title=Modern Hebrew: The Past and Future of a Revitalized Language|location=Jefferson, North Carolina|publisher=McFarland|year=2014|isbn=978-1-47662-629-1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f1_TCwAAQBAJ}}
* {{cite book|last1 = Brown|first1 = Jonathan A.C.<!--|author-link=Jonathan A.C. Brown--> |title = Misquoting Muhammad: The Challenge and Choices of Interpreting the Prophet's Legacy|date = 2014|publisher = [[Oneworld Publications]]|isbn = 978-1780744209|url=https://archive.org/stream/misquoting-muhammad-pbuh/misquoting-muhammad-pbuh_djvu.txt |access-date=4 June 2018 |ref= JACBMM2014}}
* Campbell, Douglas R. "Plato's Theory of Reincarnation: Eschatology and Natural Philosophy," ''Review of Metaphysics'' 75 (4): 643–665. 2022.
* [[Dan Cohn-Sherbok]] and Christopher Lewis, (eds.), ''Beyond Death: Theological and Philosophical Reflections on Life after Death'', Pelgrave-MacMillan, 1995.
* David Fontana, ''Is there an afterlife: a comprehensive overview of the evidence'', O Books 2005.
* Jane Idelman Smith and Yazbeck Haddad, ''The Islamic Understanding of Death and Resurrection''. Oxford UP, 2002.
* [[Michael Martin (philosopher)|Michael Martin]] and Keith Augustine (eds.), ''The Myth of an Afterlife: The Case against Life After Death'', Rowman & Littlefield, 2015. {{ISBN|978-0-8108-8677-3}}.
* John J. McGraw, ''Brain & Belief: An Exploration of the Human Soul'', Aegis Press, 2004.
* Mark Mirabello, ''A Traveler's Guide to the Afterlife: Traditions and Beliefs on Death, Dying, and What Lies Beyond'', Inner Traditions. 2016. {{ISBN|978-1-62055-597-2}}
* Christopher M. Moreman, ''Beyond the Threshold: Afterlife Beliefs and Experiences in World Religions'', Rowman & Littlefield, 2008.
* Robert A. Morey, ''Death and the Afterlife'', Minneapolis, Minn.: Bethany House Publishers, 1984. 315 p. {{ISBN|0-87123-433-5}}
* Hiroshi Obayashi (ed.), ''Death and Afterlife: Perspectives of World Religions'', Praeger, 1991.
* {{cite book |last=Ratzinger |first=Joseph |author-link=Joseph Ratzinger |year=1988 |orig-date=1977 |chapter=Part II: Death and Immortality – The Individual Dimension of Eschatology |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BH_pDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA67 |title=[[Eschatology: Death and Eternal Life]] |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=[[The Catholic University of America Press]] |edition=2nd |pages=67–163 |isbn=9780813216447}}
* [[Alan F. Segal]], ''Life After Death: A History of the Afterlife in Western Religion'', Doubleday, 2004.

== Further reading ==
* {{Gutenberg|no=19082|name=The Destiny of the Soul: A Critical History of the Doctrine of a Future Life}} (Extensive 1878 text by [[William Rounseville Alger]])
* {{Cite book |last=Jennings |first=Ken |year=2023 |title=100 Places to See After You Die: A Travel Guide to the Afterlife |location=New York |publisher=Scribner |isbn=9781501131585 |oclc=1347430851}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{Wikiquote|Afterlife}}
{{Wiktionary|afterlife|hereafter}}
* {{Cite SEP |url-id=afterlife |title=Afterlife |last=Hasker |first=William}}
* [https://www.vatican.va/archive-ccc_css/archive/catechism/p123a12.htm Vatican.va: Catechism of the Catholic Church]
* [http://www.islam-guide.com/life-after-deaty-by-wamy.htm Islamic Guide: Life After Death]
* [http://www.jewfaq.org/olamhaba.htm Judaism 101: Olam Ha-Ba: The Afterlife]
* [[Stewart Salmond]], [https://archive.org/details/christiandoctri04salmgoog ''Christian Doctrine of Immortality'']
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070311081839/http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/cgi-local/DHI/dhi.cgi?id=dv1-76 ''Dictionary of the History of Ideas'': "Death and Immortality"]}}
* [https://newchristianbiblestudy.org/exposition/translation/heaven-and-hell-dole/contents/10 Online searchable edition of Swedenborg's ''Heaven and Hell''] (Swedenborg Foundation 2000)
* [https://exchange.umma.umich.edu/resources/23935 Collection: Heaven, Hell, and Afterlives] from the [[University of Michigan Museum of Art]]

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[[Category:Afterlife| ]]
[[Category:Philosophy of religion]]
[[Category:Religious belief and doctrine]]