Life After Death

LIFE AFTER DEATH Introduction Many religious beliefs are based on the idea that humans possess a "soul" or "spirit" which exists independently of the body. The notion of life after death is therefore of central concern to religious believers and it is important to establish what “surviving” death exactly means.

Reincarnation Reincarnation is the belief that a person consists of a body and a soul (subtle-body). The soul that a body contains is eternal; it is not created and then implanted in a body. In Bhagavad-Gita, Krishna told Arjuna not to weep at the death of a friend because death is not the end to the circle of reincarnation. Resurrection It refers to the belief that the dead will ultimately be raised and have their bodies restored to them. While this belief is found in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, Christian belief in the resurrection and saving of the dead is shaped specifically by the resurrection of Christ who, according to the New Testament, on the third day after his death and burial rose again and appeared to his followers.

Identity after death If, for instance, I were to die and ascend to heaven, how would others there recognise me? If I met my grandfather, how would he know me from the boy he left behind? What if I die when I am older than he was when he died? Furthermore, how would he look to his grandfather at the same time? HINDUISM The Reincarnation as per Hinduism is based on the Law of Karma. The Law of Karma underlies justice. It refers to the belief that an individual’s actions will be judged; right actions generate good Karma, bad actions generate bad Karma. The soul of a person carries the Karma that an individual has gained through their actions in life. When the soul is reincarnated it will be placed in a body according to its Karma. The soul with good Karma will end up in a body of a higher social status creature or human; those with bad Karma end up with a lower status body or even in the body of an animal. Hence, within Hinduism, respect for all living things is bound up with belief in reincarnation and the Law of Karma. After death our good and bad deeds are counted and processed and sometimes we are sent back to earth and not necessarily as human being. CHRISTIANITY Christians (e.g.Evangelical Protestants) believe that after death the soul stays on the grave until the time when God will end the world – known as the Last Day which will follow second coming of Jesus.

Then the dead will be raised and everyone will appear before God for a final judgment which will determine a fate in either heaven (for good people) or hell (for the sinners). Jesus said that there would be a final judgement at the end of the world. EGYPTIAN The Egyptian Afterlife was seen as a perfect existence in an ideal version of Egypt. The Afterlife was a place of complete bliss, delight and peace. The Afterlife was referred to as the Field of Rushes or Field of Offerings. Ancient Egyptians provided for their afterlives according to their earthly means. The Ancient Egyptians were preoccupied by death and believed that after death they would go to the dark and terrifying place called the Underworld. The Underworld was a land of great dangers and various tests through which every Egyptian would need to pass before passing into the Afterlife. Pyramids A pyramid is a massive structure built as a tomb or grave to house and protect the body of a pharaoh for the afterlife and as a monument to honor the pharaoh. These stepped pyramids might have symbolized a stairway to heaven which during some periods might have been seen as a way for the dead king to climb up into the sky to become a star. The process of mummification involved cleaning the body, inside and out. The organs and intestines had to be removed before the body could be preserved. Using one method, the brain was removed through the nose with an iron hook and the other organs and the intestines were taken out through a cut made in the side of the body. Then the inside of the body was cleaned and the cut was sewn up again. The removed liver, lungs, stomach, and intestines were placed in containers called

canopic jars which were placed inside the body cavity or with the body in the tomb. Some of these jars had stoppers shaped like human or animal heads representing funerary gods. It was believed that these gods would ward off evil forces. BUDDHIST In Buddhist and Hindu beliefs there is a "Hell," too, where souls languish in suffering. But to be relegated there is not necessarily permanent. The Hindu God Krishna, for instance, visited the kingdom of the dead and released a favorite pupil. In Buddhism, Hell is often entered by a "Bodhisattva" who then releases some of its inmates. A Bodhisattva is one who is highly evolved spiritually, and on the way to becoming a Buddha as a result of merit gained in previous earthly lives. The Chinese Buddhist Goddess Kwan Yin turned a Hell into a Paradise whilst in trance.

AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION They that are born are destined to die; and the dead to be brought to life again;They believe that god is responsible for everything. He is God, He the Maker, He the Creator, He the Discerner, He the Judge, He the Witness, He the Complainant ISLAMIC After the dead have been buried and the mourners have departed, two angels, Munkar and Nakeer, are said to arrive and interrogate them. The dead are made to sit upright, and are expected to have a full knowledge of and belief in Islam. If the questions are answered correctly, then the deceased is

allowed access to paradise through a door that opens on command from Heaven. However, if the questions are answered incorrectly, the infidel pays the price. A door to Hell opens, releasing heat and an odious wind. The grave closes in on him, crushing his ribs and leaving him suffering until the day of resurrection.

Why people believe in life after death….? Near Death Experiences Clinically dead for a period of time and then brought back to life. Often have out of body experiences, visions of light etc. Evidence of a Spirit World Ghosts, mediums (people who believe that they can contact the dead),etc Evidence of Reincarnation Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist belief that after death the soul is reborn into another body. Possible evidence would be memories of a past life. scientific views on death and revival Death is an irreversible termination of the biological functions that define a living organism. As per scientific view, there is no evidence regarding the existance of a soul. Therefore we assume that the soul does not exist. According to physics law of conservation ,"matter is neither destroyed or created. it can only be transformed from one form to another".

matter is defined as either a solid, liquid or gas. Human body is a combination of all 3 -- bones are solid, blood is liquid, gas is the oxygen that we breathe into the lungs. If someone is killed, it is said that he has been destroyed. But since the body is part of matter, it CANNOT BE DESTROYED. it can only be transformed from one form to the other. After death, the body loses all it's energy and then the bodily juices combined with the micro organisms decompose the soft tissue of the body. However, the bones are too strong to be decomposed so fast. Fear of death Fear of death is called as thantophobia. After attaining 25 years of age, more than 90 percent of people will start having this disorder. If one fears death excessively, it can prevent them from being able to enjoy life. The 14 Points You Probably Didn’t Know About Death 1. After the head being cut off from the body, an average person remains conscious for 15-20 seconds. It is said that they can also talk or make some sounds at that time if the parts responsible for voice is unaffected. 2. In 1931, Henry Ford(the American founder of the Ford Motor Company) decided to preserve his friend, Thomas Edison’s last dying breath. He kept it in a bottle.

3. One of the main reasons cowboys carried pistols in the 1800’s was to avoid being dragged to death by their horse. 4. If someone plans to jump off Mount Everest to commit suicide, you’ll need a lot of patience. It takes the average person 2.5 minutes to hit bottom. And we don’t want to know who timed it. 5. An old superstition stated that if the doors in the house were locked, the soul of a dying person couldn’t get out. 6.A superstitious belief says that if you point at a funeral process taking place near you, you will die within a month. It is because when you point. three fingers points back at you. 7. That ballpoint pen? Nearly 100 people are killed every year by choking on a ballpoint pen. Which proves the old quote about the pen being mightier than the sword. 8. A cockroach can reportedly live up to 9 days without its head. 9.After we die, we are not permitted to communicate with anyone still living on earth. The spirits of the dead don't come back. There are no ghosts. 10.It is believed that on the heavenly worlds the opposite genders will continue to fascinate, stimulate and comfort one another.

11. Within three days of death, the enzymes that once digested your dinner begin to eat you 12. In Madagascar, families dig up the bones of dead relatives and parade them around the village in a ceremony called famadihana The remains are then wrapped and given to a newly married, childless couple ,etc.., 13 During a railway expansion in Egypt in the 19th century, construction companies unearthed so many mummies that they used them as fuel for locomotives. 14. Eighty percent of people in the United States die in a hospital. More people commit suicide in New York City than are murdered.

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