Afterlife

The afterlife is a category of beliefs concerning continued existence of a person after death. It can refer to a soul or consciousness persisting, a non-personal continuation of influence, or various fates assigned by moral judgment. Beliefs differ across cultures and historical periods and may include both personal survival and symbolic or collective continuities.

Many religious traditions describe an afterlife in moral terms with judgment and destination. In Abrahamic faiths, common concepts include heaven, hell, and sometimes purgatory. In Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and some folk beliefs, rebirth or reincarnation continues the moral journey until liberation from the cycle of rebirth. Ancestral spirits and realms of the dead also appear in various cultural frameworks, sometimes emphasizing ongoing relationships with the living.

Philosophical and secular views range from dualist notions that the mind persists after death to materialist positions that deny personal survival and emphasize the end of consciousness. Some theories focus on continuity through memory, influence, or lineage rather than personal continuation.

Scientific investigation offers no conclusive evidence for an afterlife. Near-death experiences are reported in many cultures, but interpretations vary and are not regarded as proof of survival. Researchers examine psychological, physiological, and social factors that shape such experiences.

Belief in the afterlife has influenced rituals, ethics, and art. It shapes practices around death, mourning, and commemoration and remains a central topic in theology, philosophy, and literature.