The Afterlife

Survival after death

The Afterlife or the life after death, simply refers to the continuing existence of the soul, mind or spirit after the physical death of the body. In many beliefs, those who die pass into a specific realm or plane of existence. Some believe that souls go to Heaven and Hell, while others believe that humans are reincarnated after death. Many theists believe that some form of afterlife will await us when we die. Atheists do not believe in an afterlife, as a general rule. Other religions such as Buddhists, believe in the act of reincarnation, however do not attribute this act to God.

Agnostics believe that like the existence of God, the existence of a supernatural phenomena like souls or the afterlife, is not easily proven and therefore must remain unknown. Throughout nearly all religions such as Christianity, Islam and many Pagan religions, who believe that souls exist beyond the grave, and others, who believe in reincarnation such as Hinduism and Buddhism, all believe that the rewards of the afterlife are in direct correlation to the lives that we lead.

In ancient Egyptian religion, the afterlife played a crucial role. The belief here is that when the human body died, parts of the soul known as the body double would be taken to the Kingdom of the Dead. While the soul would dwell in the Fields of Aaru, Osiris demanded that it work to pay him back for the protection that he provided while living. Many tombs held statues that were placed to serve as substitutes for the deceased. In order to reach the afterlife and claim a reward, a heart free from sin was required as well as the ability to recite the spells, passwords and formulas found in the Book of the Dead. Egyptians also held on to the belief that the only way to experience the afterlife was to be mummified upon death. New Cars - The only way that the deceased could dwell in the Fields of Yalu and accompany the Sun on its daily ride was to be properly embalmed and laid to rest in a flat-roofed, rectangular building known as a Mastaba. 

In the ancient Greek and Roman religions, an afterlife of eternal bliss was believed to have existed in Elysium. However, this was reserved for the mortal descendants of Zeus. Plato described souls as being judged instantly upon death and sent to heaven or to a punishment underground. After the judgments have been either enjoyed or suffered, depending upon how the deceased led their lives, they were then reincarnated. The Greek god Hades is known as the king of the underworld, in which torment is given to those souls after death. There are heroes in Greek methodology who are said to have visited the underworld. The Romans had a very similar belief about the afterlife, with Hades being known as Pluto.

Many religions view the afterlife in many different ways. While Christians believe that all souls will either encounter Heaven or Hell, depending upon their loyalty to God, other religions believe in the reincarnation of souls into other lives. One thing is certain. In order to fully understand the afterlife, one must experience it firsthand. urvival after death is often viewed as reincarnation or the belief that the soul of the deceased returns to the material world and is reborn into a new body. Many people throughout the world have stated cases in which they grew up with memories of past lives. These memories allow them to trace their roots from their previous lives and even be reunited with people that they knew in past lives. There are references to reincarnation found in virtually every religion. In Hinduism, it is believed that souls advance to other bodies immediately after death.