An Afterlife and its Cultural Variations
An afterlife, life after death, or heaven is a place of continued existence that some people believe will await them when they die. Major views on the afterlife derive from religion, esotericism and metaphysics.
Cultural Perspectives on the Afterlife
Belief in an afterlife is common and widespread throughout the world, but it differs from culture to culture. Some societies believe that the souls of the dead go to a specific place after death, while others believe that the souls will remain in a gloomy shadow of earthly existence, slowly fade away, or exist in an unknowable realm. Some cultures also believe that the dead may be reborn in another body, often repeatedly until they gain entry to a spiritual realm or otherworld.
The Importance of the Afterlife in Religion
The concept of an afterlife has existed in cultures for many centuries, though some people have regarded it as a myth or a fanciful belief. It is an important part of the ethos of many religions, and is viewed as one of the most significant elements in religious practices.
Ancient Beliefs about the Afterlife
Among the earliest beliefs about death were those that held that the body would die, but that the soul, or spirit, would survive. This was a very different idea from what we now think of as a "resurrection."
Ancient Egyptian Views on the Afterlife
In ancient Egyptian cultures, the afterlife took several forms. In addition to burial, the dead were buried with writings that included prayers and hymns to help the soul make it safely to its new place in the afterworld. These texts included directions for how to get to the afterworld and instructions for how to protect oneself while on the journey. Texts inscribed on the walls of royal tombs told of a journey that was hazardous but rewarding if the pharaoh's wishes were followed.
Ancient Philosophical Beliefs on Immortality
Some beliefs about the afterlife were not based on religious faith, but rather on the ideas of ancient philosophers who believed in the immortality of the soul. These beliefs were rooted in the Greek concept of a divine affinity and in Platonic doctrines about the eternal nature of the soul.
The Influence of Egyptian, Roman, and Greek Thought
Early beliefs in the afterlife were highly influenced by Egyptian and Roman ideas about life after death, as well as by the ideas of ancient Greece and other civilizations that were rooted in Greek thought. These beliefs were adapted to the needs of the individual and to cultural conditions.
Conceptions of the Afterlife in Different Traditions
Beliefs in the afterlife are found in most cultures of the world, and have been reflected in various ways by different religious and philosophical traditions. There is considerable diversity in how the afterlife is conceived, but two elements--belief in a final moral judgment of personal conduct and belief in an after-world distinct from this world--define Christian, Christian-influenced, and to a lesser degree Jewish and Islamic conceptions of the afterlife.
The Desire to Believe in an Afterlife
Despite this wide variety, most people believe that there is a place of continued existence after death. They do not have evidence that an afterlife exists, but they do want to believe that it does. This is the desire that most philosophers regard as a case of wishful thinking on the assumption that the universe is naturalistic.
