Ring Binder filled with spirituality

A belief in the afterlife is a pervasive and widespread concept among human beings. The afterlife has a number of diverse religious and spiritual connotations for different people, but in its most basic terms is a belief in the continued existence of the spirit, soul or mind of a being after physical biological death. The afterlife is also known as 'life after death' and the 'hereafter' in the English language, and is also known by different words which are specific to their religious context. Many people have a strong belief or faith in the afterlife, with some people researching it as a concept while they are still alive. It is not unusual for a Buddhist or a Christian to dedicate a large percentage of their lives to researching and preparing for the afterlife. A common stamp collecting tool could be a useful item for people wanting to document their research, whether it be based on a religious, spiritual or pragmatic point of view.

The diversity of views surrounding the afterlife are immense, incorporating all of the world's religions while also going beyond them into beliefs surrounding new and old age spirituality. The afterlife as a concept is prevalent in all of the world's major religions - Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism, and most of the minor ones as well. In many common views, the continuation of the spirit or soul occurs in an immaterial realm and takes on a spirit like form. Another common view among religions is that the spiritual place that a person's soul goes to is dependent on their actions during their biological life. The major eastern religions of Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism have a different conception of the afterlife as they include reincarnation as part of the fate for most souls after death.

The Christian view of the afterlife varies depending on sect, although the popular view of a Christian 'Heaven' following a 'judgment' is representative of most doctrines. The Judaic view of the hereafter refers to a place of judgment, a review of earthly actions and a 'world to come'. In Islam, the hereafter is known as either 'Jannah' - paradise, or 'Jahannam' - hell. Again, individual earthly actions and judgment day shape which place people are to go. Eastern religions believe in reincarnation, or an Earthly return of a person's soul, although they all foresee the possibility of a free soul which has escaped the cycle of reincarnation and is able to merge with God.

There are two very different views on the afterlife; one based on the faith of religion and spirituality and the other based on empirical evidence. While science in the most part denies that there is any afterlife at all, some fringe scientific fields such as reincarnation research, astral projection research and near death experience research do try to validate some people's claims of a definitive and describable afterlife phenomena. Many scientists with no personal faith or beliefs about an afterlife are still fascinated by the concepts of the hereafter. Both religious and spiritual believers, and the more skeptical and unconvinced part of the population often research and collect stories and personal writings on the many different aspects of the afterlife phenomena. Selling stamps (Briefmarken verkaufen) and other stamp collecting tools meant to house collections of material are the perfect way to keep such research organised.

With the spiritual and religious history of humankind going back into the earliest stages of our known evolution, there is no shortage of views and perceptions as to what a possible afterlife may bring. Many religious followers in particular, dedicate their here-and-now lives towards getting ready for this afterlife. Information on the afterlife varies depending on a person's religious views, however, a number of religious texts, personal writings, and even scientific findings do exist on the subject. It makes sense to organise any such collections by using an appropriate piece of stationary such as a binder, making sure that this information is available any time that it is needed