Attention!
In most of the known religion of the world, there is life after death.
What happens to you after death?
Either punishment, reward, reincarnation or just a whole new world.
But as most religion changes throughout time or according to different teachings, there
may be inconsistencies in ones belief.
Thus, here are 7 instances on what could happen to you after you are no longer living in this world.
That is, according to different religions.
Number Seven
Ancient Egyptian
The ancient egyptians believe that humans are made of the body they are born with and
the soul within it.
For either of it to remain in existence, both must not be destroyed.
Without the body, the soul would cease to exist and vice versa.
That's why they mummified people in the past.
To ensure that the soul would not disappear when the body disintegrates.
But where does the soul go?
According to texts found on coffins, they would go to the underworld called Duat.
Duat is pretty similar to Earth but has turquoise trees, iron walls all around separating different
layers, lakes of fire and overall much more lushfull yet dark.
It is a pretty dangerous place.
Its a place that wants to kill you for the second time.
And as stated earlier, once you die a second time, you would be gone forever.
So there are traps all over the place and you also need to look out for supernatural
animals.
Not to mention some Gods such as Osiris, Anubis, Horus, Thoth, Ma'at and Hathor whom are also
easily angered and would also harm you.
There's a few beliefs in what happens in Duat.
Some say that people basically live their life til they die , without any judgement
whatsoever.
Or the Duat is just an intermediate where the soul needs to pass through to be finally
judged at the end of the journey.
So you either end up devoured by the Devourer of Souls, Ammit or pass on to paradise called
Aaru.
Number Six
Islam
When a person dies in Islam, the soul would be taken out of the body and would be in a
somewhat purgatory realm or Barzakh until the day of judgement.
Its a realm where you wont be able to sense the time.
There the souls would be questioned about their beliefs and deeds and would get a small
glimpse on what they would go through in the actual afterlife.
Only on the day of judgement, everyone is given back their body and raised from the
dead for the final judgement.
This is when people get judged and sent to either hell or heaven.
There are a few layers of hell and heaven.
Each layer gives different rewards and punishments according to your deeds.
Apparently the lowest and worst hell is reserved not for disbelievers but for Muslims who are
Munafiq.
Munafiq is basically those who are Muslim but lies, slanders, double crosses and those
that are insincere.
Number Five
Hinduism
In Hinduism, karma is a big thing.
The karma you have accumulated, may it be good or bad determines your condition in the
afterlife and when you reincarnate.
In the afterlife, depending on the karma you have accumulated, you are put in either Naraka
(hell) or Svarga (heaven).
The Naraka is governed by the god Yama while Svarga by Indra.
There are many layers of hell and heaven that gives punishments and rewards accordingly.
The Naraka and Svarga is only a temporary place for human souls.
Its only an intermediate before the soul is then brought back to earth to be reincarnated
to other lifeforms.
It is also a place for the soul to feel the consequences of their karma and to imprint
the consequences to either not do bad deeds anymore or to do more good in the next life.
It is believed you will forever go through this cycle of death and rebirth.
Only until you reach the state of Moksha, which is a bit like Nirvana where you're 100%
free from everything, will you be able to be released from this death and rebirth cycle.
Number Four
Judaism
Apparently in Judaism, it is unclear what will happen after ones death.
There's a few beliefs from going to hell or heaven, reincarnation to even being resurrected
one day.
But most of the ideas about the afterlife only developed post biblical times.
Thus what is certain is that, as Judaism focuses on the life they currently own, their beliefs
is more about the kind of life one has lived.
As long as they follow their God's path and does nothing bad, there would be a better
place for their efforts.
But if there is a heaven and hell, it would be Gan Eden and Gehenna.
Gan Eden is said to be a perfect place of bliss and peace.
Only the righteous goes straight to Gan Eden.
While Gehenna or Sheol is a place where people gets purified for their sin.
It is said that the demons manifested in Gehenna are created by one's own sins.
Thus, the more sin you have the longer you would stay in Gehenna.
After you have done your time in Gehenna, you would be placed in Olam Ha-Ba which is
a new world.
Not as great as Gan Eden but better than Gehenna.
Number Three
Buddhism
The Buddhism afterlife belief is pretty similar to Hinduism.
In that everything dies and would then be reincarnated.
There is also karma just like in Hinduism and depending on the karma accumulated one
could be reborn as a human or animal or ghosts.
Even demigods or even one of the gods themselves.
Though it is more complicated than that as it is believe that there is no soul.
Rather than soul, its just an accumulation of karma, thoughts and desires.
To escape from the cycle of living and dying while experiencing all the feelings and suffering
you get with it, you need to achieve the state of Nirvana.
Or the state of enlightenment.
In this state, you would be an eternal being that's just existing and free from any worldly
suffering.
Though it is not entirely clear what exactly is the Nirvana as it is said to transcend
normal thinking.
So, even with all this, Buddhism still believes the god of the dead, Yama.
The same Yama from Hinduism.
He governs Naraka and judges the dead to either be punished, rewarded or to go straight to
reincarnation.
Number Two
Ancient Greek
For the ancient Greek, the dead is just the dead.
They would lack the sense of purpose, wit and overall would be in a sense of confusion
most of the time.
The appearance of the deceased would be the same as when they died.
Anyways, upon death, the soul would be led by Hermes to the Underworld ruled by the god
Hades.
The soul would then cross a river to enter the realm of the dead.
Hades is said to be surrounded by five rivers but the most famous one is the river Styx.
There would be a ferry waiting for the soul to cross the river.
But not everyone could get on it.
Only those who could pay a small fee of coins would be granted access.
Usually the fees would be the coins that are placed on the lips of the dead.
Those who couldn't get on the ferry, gets trapped between the underworld and the living
world just wandering about being all confused.
After the ferry ride, the soul would pass through the gates to Hades.
The gates guarded by Cerberus would only allow entry to Hades but not exit.
So once in Hades, the soul would then be judged.
And according to their past deeds, some would be sent to Tartarus a deep deep dungeon of
suffering and torment OR to Elysium otherwise known as the Elysian Fields, where the souls
would dwell with no worries nor responsibilities.
Number One
Shinto
There's a few things that could happen to you in Shinto belief.
Nothing exceptionally good either as there is no actual heaven.
When one dies, the spiritual energy is released from the body.
Then that spirit would go into the underground realm called the Yomi no Kuni.
If you have been following my videos, you would know that Yomi no Kuni is the land of
the dead where Izanami no mikoto, which is one of the god that created Japan, ended up
in when she died.
The land of the dead is a gloomy, dark and most probably in a different plane and dimension
underground.
There's a river separating the land of the living and the land of the dead.
Pretty much like Hades.
Everyone and everything with a spirit and dies would end up there and live there forever.
There are no punishments nor rewards.
But with some exceptions.
As long as you haven't eaten anything in the world of Yomi, you won't be their permanent
residence.
But that would be almost impossible because when you're new, you would be in a state of
confusion and wont remember much.
Of course being an exceptional person that caught some of the God's or Kami's eyes might
just land you a good deal to live in other worlds such as the Takamagahara where most
of the deities resides in.
Though, it is believed with proper rituals or festivals, these spirits could come back
to the present world in spirit form.