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[[Image:GuideToTheAfterlife-CustodianForGoddessAmun-AltesMuseum-Berlin.png|320px|right|thumb|Ancient Egyptian papyrus depicting the journey into the afterlife.]]
The '''afterlife''' or '''life after death''' is a generic term for a continuation of [[existence]] after [[death]], typically in a [[Spirituality|spiritual]] or [[ghost]]like afterworld. Deceased persons are usually believed to go a specific region or [[planes of existence| plane of existence]] in this afterworld, often depending on the type of person they are and the life they lived. Some believe the afterlife includes some form of preparation for the [[soul]] to be transferred to another body ([[reincarnation]]).

The major views on the afterlife derive from [[religion]], [[esotericism]] and [[metaphysics]]. There are those who are skeptical of the existence of the afterlife, or believe that it is absolutely impossible, such as the [[materialism|materialist]]-reductionists, who state that the topic is [[supernatural]], therefore does not really exist or is unknowable.

==Types of views on the afterlife==
There are two fundamentally different types of views on the afterlife: [[observation]] based views and [[faith]] based views.
*The first type is based on some form of observation by a human or an instrument. These observations come from [[reincarnation research]], [[near death experience]]s, [[out-of-body experience]]s, [[astral projection]], [[electronic voice phenomena]], [[mediumship]], various forms of photography etcetera. They are studied by [[Survivalism (life after death)|survivalism]]. The work of people like [[Bruce Moen]] and [[Robert Monroe]] are also of this type. Also [[science|scientific research]] into the afterlife is based on observation.
*The second type is based on some form of faith, usually faith in the myths that are told by ancestors or faith in the truth of religious books like the [[Bible]], the [[Qur'an]], the [[Talmud]], the [[Vedas]], the [[Tripitaka]] et cetera. This article is mainly about this second type.

== The afterlife in different metaphysical models ==
<!-- This section supports the question presented on [[List of philosophical questions]], which links to here. -->

In metaphysical models, [[theists]] generally believe some sort of afterlife awaits people when they die. [[Atheism|Atheists]] generally believe that there is not a life after death. Members of some generally non-theistic religions such as [[Buddhism]], tend to believe in an afterlife like [[reincarnation]] but without reference to [[God]].

[[Agnosticism|Agnostics]] generally hold the position that like the existence of God, the existence of supernatural phenomena, such as souls or life after death, is unverifiable and therefore unknowable. Some philosophies (i.e. [[posthumanism]], [[Humanism (life stance)|Humanism]], and often [[empiricism]]) generally hold that there is not an afterlife.

Many religions, whether they believe in the soul’s existence in another world like Christianity, Islam and many [[pagan]] belief systems, or in reincarnation like many forms of Hinduism and Buddhism, believe that one’s status in the afterlife is a reward or punishment for their conduct during life. To the extent that the afterlife is a form of justice, it is usually restricted to humans, as animals are not held responsible for their actions.

== Afterlife in modern science ==

Modern science, in general, either describes the universe and human beings without reference to a soul or to an afterlife, or tends to remain mute on the issue. A notable exception is a famous study conducted in 1901 by physician [[Duncan MacDougall]], who sought to measure the weight purportedly lost by a human body 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 | id = ISBN 0-393-05962-6}}</ref> MacDougall weighed dying patients in an attempt to prove that the soul was material, tangible and thus measurable. These experiments are widely considered to have had little if any [[scientific]] merit, and 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] - Reference Page (Soul man).</ref> The title of the 2003 movie [[21 Grams]] is a reference to MacDougall's findings.

Others, such as [[Francis Crick]] in 1994, have attempted a ‘scientific search for the soul’.<ref>{{cite book | last = Crick | first = Francis | title = The Astonishing Hypothesis – the Scientific Search for the Soul | publisher = Touchstone Books | year = 1995 | id = ISBN 0-684-80158-2}}</ref> [[Frank Tipler]] has argued that [[physics]] can explain [[immortality]], though such arguments are not falsifiable and thus 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 | id = ISBN 0385467990}}</ref>

Some investigations have been conducted which failed to find evidence that “out-of-body” experiences transcend the confines of the brain. For example, one hospital placed an LED marquee above its patients’ beds which displayed a hidden message that could only be read if one were looking down from above. As of 2001, no one who claimed [[near-death experience]] or out-of-body experience within that hospital had reported having seen the hidden message. <ref>{{cite book | last = Alper | first = Matthew | title = The "God" Part of the Brain - a Scientific Interpretation of Human Spirituality and God | publisher = Rogue Press | year = 2001 | id = ISBN 0-9660367-0-0}}</ref>

==Afterlife in Ancient Egyptian Religion==

The afterlife played an important role in [[Ancient Egyptian religion]], and its belief system is one of the earliest known. When the body died, parts of its soul known as ''ka'' (body double) and the ba (personality) would go to the Kingdom of the Dead. While the soul dwelt in the [[Aaru|Fields of Aaru]], [[Osiris]] demanded work as payback for the protection he provided. Statues were placed in the tombs to serve as substitutes for the deceased.

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| id = ISBN 0-4151-8589-0}}</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]].

Egyptians also believed that being mummified was the only way to have an afterlife. Only if the corpse had been properly [[embalm]]ed and entombed in a [[mastaba]], could the 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.

==Afterlife in Zoroastrianism==
[[Zoroaster]], who lived in Iran around 1000 BCE, teaches that the dead will be swallowed by terror and purified to live in a perfected material world at the end of time.

The [[Pahlavi]] text ''Dadestan-i Denig'' ("Religious Decisions") from about 900 CE, describes the [[particular judgment]] of the soul three days after death, with each soul sent to heaven, hell, or a neutral place ([[hamistagan]]) to await [[Judgment Day]].

==Afterlife in ancient Greek and Roman religion==
[[Image:Waterhouse - Danaides.jpg|right|thumb|The dead [[Danaides]] punished by having to pour water into a leaking cauldron.]]
In the [[Odyssey]], [[Homer]] refers to the dead as "burnt-out wraiths." An afterlife of eternal bliss exists in [[Elysium]], but is reserved for [[Zeus|Zeus's]] mortal descendants.

In his [[Myth of Er]], [[Plato]] describes souls being judged immediately after death and sent either to the heavens for a reward or underground for punishment. After their respective judgments have been enjoyed or suffered, the souls are reincarnated.

The Greek god [[Hades]] is known in Greek mythology as the king of the underworld, a bleak place in between the place of torment and the place of rest, where most souls live after death. 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. The Trojan prince Aeneas, who founds the nation that would later become Rome, visits the underworld according to the epic poem [[Aeneid]].

==Afterlife in Norse religion==
The [[Prose Edda]] describes [[Hel (realm)|Hel]] as an unpleasant abode for those unworthy of [[Valhalla]], which is reserved for chosen warriors who die in battle.

==Afterlife in Abrahamic religions==
===Judaism===
Writing that would later be incorporated into the [[Hebrew Bible]] names [[sheol]] as the afterlife, a gloomy place where all are destined to go after death. The [[Book of Numbers]] identifies [[sheol]] as literally underground ({{niv|Numbers|16:31-33|Numbers 16:31-33}}), in the Biblical account of the destruction of the rebellious Korah, Dathan and Abiram and their 250 followers, although it is speculated that this passage should be read literally, signifying an earthquake or split in the earth.

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. page 276.</ref> It should be noted that the Book of Enoch is considered apocryphal by most denominations of Christianity and all denominations of Judaism.

The book of [[2 Maccabees]] gives a clear account of the dead awaiting a future resurrection and judgment, plus prayers and offerings for the dead to remove the burden of sin.

[[Maimonides]] describes the [[Olam Haba]] ("World to Come") in spiritual terms, relegating the prophesied physical resurrection to the status of a future miracle, unrelated to the afterlife or the Messianic era.

The [[Zohar]] describes [[Gehenna]] not as a place of punishment for the wicked but as a place of spiritual purification for the souls of almost all mortals.[http://www.faqs.org/faqs/judaism/FAQ/06-Jewish-Thought/section-9.html]

===Christianity===
====The Early Church: 1st century====
[[Image:Domenico Beccafumi 056.jpg|right|thumb|[[Domenico Beccafumi]]'s ''Inferno'': a Christian vision of hell]]
[[Jesus]] and the [[New Testament]] writers of the [[Bible]] books mention notions of an afterlife and [[resurrection]] that involve ideas like [[heaven]] and [[hell]]. The author of [[Gospel of Luke|Luke]] recounts the story of [[Lazarus and Dives|Lazarus and the rich man]], which shows people in [[Hades]] awaiting the resurrection either in [[bosom of Abraham|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 past prophets, and the [[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] 8:5</ref>

[[Hippolytus of Rome]] pictures [[Hades]] as a place where the righteous dead, awaiting in the [[bosom of Abraham]] their resurrection, rejoice at their future prospect, while 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]] formulates belief in the possibility of [[purgatory|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''" (emphases added) - Sermon on the Dead, AD 382, quoted in [http://www.catholic.com/library/Roots_of_Purgatory.asp The Roots of Purgatory]</ref>

[[Augustine of Hippo|Saint Augustine]] counters [[Pelagius]], arguing that [[original sin]] means that the unbaptized go to hell, including infants, albeit with less suffering than is experienced by those guilty of actual sins.

====Medieval Christianity====
[[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 which he wrote of "[[Purgatory|purgatorial]] flames".
The noun "[[Purgatory|purgatorium]]" (Latin: place of cleansing<ref>[http://www.answers.com/topic/purgatory|"purgatory."] The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Columbia University Press., 2003. Answers.com 06 Jun. 2007.</ref>) is used for the first time to describe a state of painful purification of the saved after death. The same word in adjectival form (''purgatorius -a -um'', cleansing), which appears also in non-religious writing,<ref>[http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0059%3Aentry%3D%2339625 Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, ''A Latin Dictionary'']</ref> was already used by Christians such as [[Augustine of Hippo]] and [[Pope Gregory I]] to refer to an after-death cleansing.

====The Protestant Reformation====
[[Martin Luther]] denounces the doctrine of [[particular judgment]] as contrary to the [[Bible]], professing instead the belief that [[psychopannychism|the soul sleeps]] until [[Judgment Day]]. [[John Calvin]] denounces Luther's doctrine, writing instead that the souls of the elect rest in blessedness while awaiting the [[resurrection of the dead]].

====Swedenborg and the Enlightenment====
During the [[Age of Enlightenment]], theologians and philosophers presented various philosophies and beliefs. 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]].

On the other hand, the enlightenment produced more rationalist philosophies such as [[deism]]. Many deist freethinkers held that belief in an afterlife with reward and punishment was a necessity of reason and good moral order.

====Afterlife in Latter-Day Saints (Mormonism)====
President [[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 to redeem those still in darkness - a spirit prison or "hell" where the spirits of the dead remain until judgement. It is divided into two parts: Spirit Prison and Paradise. Together these are also known as the Spirit World (also Abraham's Bosom; see Luke 16:19-25). They believe that Christ visited spirit prison (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. 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 (1 Cor 15:44-42; Doctrine and Covenants, Section 76) or are cast with Satan into Outer Darkness. (See Doctrine and Covenants, Section 76.) This continues to be the belief system of most Mormons.

====Christian fiction====
[[C. S. Lewis]] writes ''[[The Great Divorce]]''. In this work of fiction, people who are already in hell are given a "field trip" to heaven. They get to look around and decide whether they would like to leave [[Hell]] and stay in [[Heaven]]. Every one of the subjects finds reason to reject heaven. Lewis is not suggesting that this will actually happen ("It is appointed to man once to die, and then comes judgment," Hebrews 9:27). He is showing that the excuses people used to reject Christ when they were alive on earth would be retained even if they got a second chance, because their character hasn't changed, and God's ways are still abhorrent to them.

====Salvation, faith, and merit from ancient to modern Christianity====
Most Christians deny that entry into Heaven can be properly earned, rather it is a gift that is solely God's to give through his unmerited grace. This belief follows the theology of [[Paul of Tarsus|St. Paul]]: ''For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.'' The [[Augustine of Hippo|Augustinian]], [[Thomist]], [[Martin Luther|Lutheran]], and [[Calvinist]] theological traditions all emphasize the necessity of God's undeserved grace for salvation, and reject so-called [[Pelagianism]], which would make man earn salvation through good works. Not all Christian sects accept this doctrine, leading many controversies on grace and [[free will]], and the idea of [[predestination]]. In particular, the belief that heaven is a reward for good behavior is a common folk belief in Christian societies, even among members of churches which reject that belief.

Christian theologians [[Thomas Aquinas]] and [[Jonathan Edwards]] wrote that the saved in heaven will delight in the suffering of the damned. Hell, however, doesn't fit modern, humanitarian concepts of punishment because it can't deter the unbeliever nor rehabilitate the damned. Many Christian believers have come to downplay the punishment of hell. [[Universalists]] teach that salvation is for all. [[Jehovah's Witnesses]] and [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Seventh-day Adventists]], though they have among the strictest rules on how to conduct their lives, teach that sinners are destroyed rather than tortured forever.

====The dead as Angels in Heaven====
In the informal folk beliefs of many Christians, the [[souls]] of virtuous people ascend to Heaven and are converted into [[angels]]. More formal Christian theology makes a sharp distinction between ''angels'', who were created by [[God]] before the creation of humanity, and ''saints'', who are people who have received immortality from the grace of God through faith in the Son of God Jesus (John 3:16).

====Universalists====
Some sects, such as the Universalists, believe in [[universalism]] which holds that all will eventually be rewarded regardless of what they have done or believed.

====Jehovah's Witnesses====
[[Jehovah's Witnesses]] understand [[Ecclesiastes]] 9:5 to preclude an afterlife:

For the living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all, neither do they any more have wages, because the remembrance of them has been forgotten.

They believe that following Armageddon a resurrection in the flesh<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=acts%2024:15;&version=9; Acts 24:15 KJV]</ref> to an Edenic Earth<ref>''Insight on the Scriptures'' vol. 2 pp 574-6</ref> will be rewarded to both righteous and unrighteous (but not wicked) dead and that eternal death (non-existence) is the punishment for sin lacking repentance after Armageddon. Although those who are not dead when Armageddon occurs will be judged and possibly slain during Armageddon because of their potential regretless sins. They believe that death is the price for sinning (that is why most dead will be resurrected - they paid the price already).<ref>''Reasoning From the Scriptures'' pp 168-175</ref><ref>[http://www.watchtower.org/library/w/2002/7/15/article_02.htm Jehovah's Witnesses website on Hell]</ref>

====The Modern Catholic Church====
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.

===Islam===

The [[Islam]]ic belief in the afterlife as stated in the [[Qur'an]] is similar in most ways to the Christian belief in the afterlife, though its official description is more detailed. The Islamic equivalent to heaven is [[jannah]] and the equivalent to hell is [[jahannam]]. Jannah and Jahannem both have different levels. Souls will not get there until after the Judgment Day, but their level of comfort while in the grave depends on their belief in Islam and their conduct during life.
Recent scholars , have identified that there might be a life between judgment day and life in the grave , there has been little evidence from the islamic times , the life that the decease live is called "Hayyat al Bar-zakh".The decease are believed to live in another life , totally different than the life that they once lived , little is spoken about it , but people do believe that it exists.

==Afterlife as reincarnation==
An afterlife concept that is found among [[Hinduism|Hindus]], [[Rosicrucian]]s, [[Spiritism|Spiritists]], and [[Wicca]] is [[reincarnation]], as evolving humans life after life in the [[Physical plane|physical world]], that is, acquiring a superior grade of [[consciousness]] and [[altruism]] by means of successive reincarnations. This succession is conceived to lead toward an eventual [[salvation|liberation]] or [[born again|spiritual rebirth]] as spiritual beings.

Some practitioners of eastern religions follow a different concept called [[metempsychosis]] which purposes that human beings can [[transmigration of the soul|transmigrate]] into animals, [[vegetables]], or even [[minerals]].{{Fact|date=February 2007}} One consequence of the Hindu and Spiritist beliefs is that our current lives are also an afterlife. According to those beliefs events in our current life are consequences of actions taken in previous lives, or [[Karma]].
====Eastern Religions====
=====Hinduism=====
The [[Upanishads]] describe [[reincarnation]], or [[samsara]]. The Bhagavad Gita, the holy book of Hinduism talks extensively about the afterlife. Here, the Lord [[Krishna]] says that just as a man discards his old clothes and wears new ones; similarly the soul discards the old body and takes on a new one. In Hinduism, the belief is that the body is but a shell, the soul inside is immutable and indestructible and takes on different lives in a cycle of birth and death. The end of this cycle is Mukti or salvation. However, not all Hindus believe in reincarnation.

=====Buddhism=====
[[Buddhism|Buddhists]] believe that [[rebirth (Buddhism)|rebirth]] takes place without a [[Atman (Buddhism)|self]] (similar to soul) and that the process of rebirth is simply a continuation of the previous life. The process of being reborn as any other being is based on your [[karma in Buddhism|karma]]. From a Buddhist perspective, the current life is a continuation of the past life. If one dies with a peaceful state of mind, this will cause fortunate karma to ripen and a fortunate rebirth as a human or god will follow. If one dies with a negative state of mind, this will ripen negative karma and a lower rebirth such as an animal, hungry ghost, or hell-being will follow.

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 [[Buddha (general)|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.

=====Sikhism=====
[[Sikhs]] also believe in reincarnation. They believe that the soul belongs to the spiritual universe which has its origins in God. It is like a see-saw, the amount of good done in life will store up blessings, thus uniting with God. A soul may need to live many lives before it is one with God.

====Other believers in reincarnation====
Rosicrucians,<ref>[[Max Heindel]], The Rosicrucian Christianity Lectures ([http://www.rosicrucian.com/rcl/rcleng01.htm#lecture1 The Riddle of Life and Death]), 1908, ISBN 0-911274-84-7</ref> in the same way of those who have had [[near-death experiences]], speak of a [[life review]] period occurring immediately after death and before entering the afterlife's [[Plane (cosmology)|planes of existence]] (before the [[silver cord]] is broken), followed by a [[Last Judgment#Esoteric Christian tradition|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] - [http://www.rosicrucian.com/zineen/death6.htm Life and Activity in Heaven]</ref>

Some [[Neopaganism|Neopagans]] believe in personal reincarnation, whereas some believe that the energy of one's soul reintegrates with a continuum of such energy which is recycled into other living things as they are born.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}

Many [[Wicca]]ns, though not all, profess a belief in an afterlife called the Summerland, a peaceful and sunny place where the souls of the newly dead are sent. 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.

==See also==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-3}}
* [[Akhirah]]
* [[Atheism]]
* [[Bardo]]
* [[Belief]]
* [[Brig of Dread]] (Bridge of Dread)
* [[Bruce Moen]]
* [[Cognitivism]]
* [[Cryonics]]
* [[Death]]
* [[Doomsday]]
* [[Electronic voice phenomenon]]
* [[Elysium]]
* [[Empiricism]]
* [[Enlightenment (concept)|Enlightenment]]
* [[Epistemology]]
* [[Eschatology]]
{{col-3}}
* [[Eternity]]
* [[Exaltation (Mormonism)]]
* [[Ghost]]s
* [[Happiness]]
* [[Harrowing of Hell]]
* [[Haunting]]
* [[Health]]
* [[Heaven]]
* [[Hell]]
* [[Humanism (life stance)]]
* [[Immortality]]
* [[Intermediate state]]
* [[Jewish eschatology]]
* [[Life]]
* [[Life extension]]
* [[Logical positivism]]
{{col-3}}
* [[Mictlan]]
* [[Near-death experience]]
* [[Omega point]]
* [[Out-of-body experience]]
* [[Pre-Birth communication]]
* [[Preventive medicine]]
* [[Reincarnation]]
* [[Salvation]]
* [[Scientific method]]
* [[Sheol]]
* [[Soul]]
* [[Suspended animation]]
* [[Truth]]
* [[Undead]]
* [[Valhalla]]
* [[Verification]]
{{col-end}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*''Life After Death: A History of the Afterlife in Western Religion'' by [[Alan F. Segal]], Doubleday, 2004
*''Brain & Belief: An Exploration of the Human Soul'' by [[John J. McGraw]], Aegis Press, 2004

==External links==
{{external links|date=July 2007}}
{{commonscat}}
{{Wiktionarypar|afterlife|hereafter}}
* [http://www.gotquestions.org/is-there-life-after-death.html Is there life after death?] - An Evangelical Christian perspective
* [http://www.spiritualtravel.org/OBE/afterdeath.html www.spiritualtravel.org] - A Tibetian Buddhist View of the Afterlife
* [http://www.near-death.com/ What Happens When You Die?] - A Luciferian's View of the Death Process and Collective Reincarnation
* [http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/cgi-local/DHI/dhi.cgi?id=dv1-76 Dictionary of the History of Ideas: ''Death and Immortality'']
* [http://www.near-death.com/ Near-Death Experiences and the Afterlife]
* [http://www.yourafterlife.nu/ www.yourafterlife.nu] - Various Accounts of the Afterlife
* [http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/michael_martin/heaven.html Common problems with the concept of Heaven]
* [http://sedna.no.sapo.pt/the_light_beyond_death.pdf Rosicrucians: The Light Beyond Death]
* [http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/afterlife/ Afterlife] at [http://plato.stanford.edu/ Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy]
* [http://veritas.arizona.edu/ VERITAS Research Program]
* {{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]])
* [http://www.epm.org/resources-eternity.html Eternal Perspectives] - Articles About Eternity from a Biblical Point of View by Randy Alcorn
* [http://death-and-dying.org/index.htm Buddhist View of Death & Dying]
* [http://lunch-table.com/afterlife/ Afterlife Kids]

{{Heaven}}
{{Death}}

* http://www.rafed.net/english/books/death/01.html#9

[[Category:Religious philosophy and doctrine]]
[[Category:Death]]
[[Category:Jewish theology]]
[[Category:Christian eschatology]]
[[Category:Life after death]]
[[Category:Paranormal]]
[[Category:Islam and other religions]]

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