Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
Normal
The human mind is, if I remember correctly, incapable of conceiving true, complete nothingness, therefore the idea that one's mind experiences utter "nothing" after death is intolerable to the living mind. That's where the "afterlife" comes in - it's a metacognitive defense mechanism that keeps people from going wacky at the thought that death is a senseless, thoughtless void.That is why religions that portray an afterlife that is based on real-world qualities existed all over the world even before their civilizations encountered each other. Humans are hardwired to need some sort of explanation, which in turn fuels the formation of religious doctrines (amongst other things, of course).Not all world religions depict an afterlife that is independent of the material world; the mythology of Ancient Greece depicted Hades as a physical location. Many other religions do this in the same way. Even Christianity describes the realms of its afterlife as "heaven above and hell below," ascribing physical, material locations for the afterlife. You may choose to take that metaphorically if you'd like, which is, I'm assuming, what most Christians do today, but you may also take it literally.
The human mind is, if I remember correctly, incapable of conceiving true, complete nothingness, therefore the idea that one's mind experiences utter "nothing" after death is intolerable to the living mind. That's where the "afterlife" comes in - it's a metacognitive defense mechanism that keeps people from going wacky at the thought that death is a senseless, thoughtless void.
That is why religions that portray an afterlife that is based on real-world qualities existed all over the world even before their civilizations encountered each other. Humans are hardwired to need some sort of explanation, which in turn fuels the formation of religious doctrines (amongst other things, of course).
Not all world religions depict an afterlife that is independent of the material world; the mythology of Ancient Greece depicted Hades as a physical location. Many other religions do this in the same way. Even Christianity describes the realms of its afterlife as "heaven above and hell below," ascribing physical, material locations for the afterlife. You may choose to take that metaphorically if you'd like, which is, I'm assuming, what most Christians do today, but you may also take it literally.
