What Happens When You Die?

Death carries with it a sense of finality, and many people want to believe that when a loved one dies, there is the chance that they will be reunited in the future. Moreover, death often comes as the result of a tragedy, or a long and difficult struggle with illness. It makes sense to wonder whether, beyond this world, there is any peace and rest from life’s suffering. Of course, there are many different ideas of what happens when you die.

Christian Beliefs

The majority of people in Western culture believe in some form of Christianity. In fact, Christian beliefs inform much of what we think of when the idea of life after death comes up in conversation. In the Christian world, there are two possibilities for the afterlife.

The first is Heaven, a place of harmony and happiness. This place is described in the Bible as being a place where humans can exist as both body and spirit, at one with their Creator. While there are varying views on how to “get” to Heaven, most Christians believe that placing faith in Jesus Christ is the key.

The afterlife may also occur in Hell, where those who are wicked or have not trusted in Christ can expect to spend eternity. Hell is a place of torment, and of separation from God.

Muslim Beliefs

According to the teachings of Islam, there are two places to which the soul can travel following death. The first, a Paradise or Heaven, is known as Jannah. The second, Jahannam, is roughly equivalent to hell.

People do not go to either place immediately following death; rather, once they are judged on Judgment Day, Allah determines where they should spend the rest of eternity. The purpose of life, and the purpose of the afterlife, is to glorify the Creator for all He has done for mankind.

Jewish Beliefs

In the Jewish faith, there are varying ideas of what life after death looks like. Many Old Testament writers, such as David and Solomon, wrote of a place called Sheol. It is a place of darkness reserved for those who have died without forgiveness for their sins.

Modern Judaism holds that, after death, humans go to a World to Come. The soul is resurrected and allowed to live on. While other faiths usually believe that some people are eternally condemned if they are wicked or evil, the Jewish faith does not hold this to be true. Rather, wicked people must spend time before entering the afterlife in preparation, which includes absolution of their sins. Some Jews also believe in reincarnation.

Eastern Religions

Reincarnation is the belief that, after one’s death, he or she sheds the corporeal body formerly worn and assumes a new one. A reincarnated individual assumes a new body after death. The body into which they enter is based upon the actions of the prior life.

One who was good, equitable, and kind in his or her life will be reincarnated as a human being, and sometimes as a god or demigod. Hinduism holds that karma (the total of the good or bad deeds one has done) determines whether one becomes a higher form after death (a human or a god), or a lower form, such as an animal or a plant.

Atheists and Agnostics

Atheists and agnostics are mong those who believe in no life after death. These individuals believe what happens when you die is that your body simply returns back to nature. For these individuals, there is a definite beginning point and a definite end point to life.

Beyond that, we simply cannot know whether there is life after death. Although this might seem frustrating to some people, many atheists feel it is a relief, as they need not live hoping that their good deeds will outweigh the bad in the afterlife.