life after death

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Near death experiences often describe a tunnel of light to which the soul is drawn.

The question of life after death is a philosophical, religious, and spiritual subject that has been discussed since ancient times. There are various approaches to answering this, including the following:

  • Rejection: With death, the existence of a human individual ends . A deceased does not live on as a subject; there is only a continued life in a figurative sense as a continued existence in the memory of fellow human beings. A special case of the rejection of survival after death is the total death theory , a doctrine of Christian theologians, according to which death may put an end to the entire existence of man, but a future resurrection is to be expected.
  • Assumption of an afterlife that is considered a final state. In many religions, human life on earth is seen as a maturation or probation. After death, the individual finally changes to another state of being (continuing to live in a realm of the dead , afterlife , resurrection, heaven , immortality , hell , limbo ).
  • Reincarnation : According to some models that accept a rebirth, a spiritual part of the human being, his soul , survives the death of the body. This part is the bearer of individuality. He later appears in another body. There is a multitude of incarnations (incorporations).

Religious ideas

Old Egypt

The “life goal” of the ancient Egyptian represented eternal continuity in the “empire of Osiris ”, for which the deceased needed embalming and mummification and the approval of the judgment of the dead . A previously lived life in moral perfection symbolized “the good” that was allowed to pass into the afterlife after “examination by the judgment of the dead”. While the body remains in the grave, the " Ka " and the " Ba " leave its body. In the mythological conceptions since the New Kingdom , after the weighing of the heart , it was decided whether the soul of the deceased should set out on the journey to Sechet-iaru or be destroyed by Ammit .

Judaism

In ancient Judaism , it was imagined that after death a person would enter a shadowy world, the Sheol (שאול), and continue to live there near or far from God. However, this life is not real life. It is therefore particularly important for a devout Jew to continue to live in his descendants.

The preacher writes: "As animals die, so men die" (3:19).

Above all in the book of Daniel , which is considered by some to be the youngest book of the Tanakh , there is the teaching about an “ eternal life ” with God: “Many who are sleeping under the earth will wake up, some to eternal life, others to eternal shame and shame ”(Dan 12,2). There are also references to a possible resurrection after death in other books (Deuteronomy 32.39 and 1 Sam.2.6).

The belief in the afterlife was controversial among Jewish scholars in the last period before the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70. Today the belief that there is a resurrection of the dead is common in Judaism. In particular in Orthodox Judaism there is also the idea of reincarnation .

The Jewish scholar Moses Maimonides explains in his 13 beliefs , which are of great importance for Orthodox Judaism, that the righteous would be rewarded with the coming world after the resurrection of the dead and the unjust would be punished with the destruction of their souls.

Christianity

General statements

In Christianity, it is assumed that death as a result of the Fall fell upon humanity and upon the whole of the fallen world. Man was originally created for paradise , communion with God. The breach of trust in the fall of man led to the banishment from paradise and thus to spatial separation from God during his lifetime.

Christianity teaches that Jesus Christ , the Son of God, took the punishment for all sinners on the cross and that every person is thus redeemed from this curse. Communion with God is thus possible again and goes beyond death. Whoever confesses to Jesus Christ in his life and places his trust in him will be accepted into the new world of God ( heaven , eternity, glory, light).

On the day of the last judgment man will be raised to life again by God ( resurrection ), whereby it is a question of a flawless and incorruptible body. People would be rewarded or punished for their actions. Those recorded in the book of life (the blessed , the righteous , the merciful and gracious) entered eternal life , into the kingdom of heaven , and enjoyed the contemplation of God. But the cowards and the unbelievers and the wicked and the murderers and the fornicators and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone; this is the second death . ( Revelation of John 21 : 8).

Heaven is described in the Bible as a place of eternal peace, where there is no more suffering, no fear, no war and no more diseases ( Rev 21 : 1-5  EU ).

Roman Catholic teaching

The Church sees the origin of death as the consequence of sin. Adam, by breaking the divine command, drew death upon all humanity.

“Then the Lord God commanded man: You may eat from any tree in the garden, but you may not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and bad; because as soon as you eat it, you will die. "

- (Gen 2,16-17)

As a punishment for breaking the divine test command, death was imposed on all humanity.

“With the sweat of your brow you shall eat your bread until you return to the field; you are taken from him. Because you are dust, you have to go back to the dust. "

- (Gen 3.19)

It is part of the Roman Catholic teaching that many souls first have to prove themselves in purgatory after earthly death . Before they are finally allowed to enter the kingdom of heaven, a final purification takes place.

After that, all the dead would be resurrected with their bodies on the last day.

“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven when the command is given, the archangel calls and the trumpet of God sounds. First, those who have died in Christ will be resurrected; then we, the living who are still left, will be caught up in the air at the same time as them on the clouds to meet the Lord. Then we will always be with the Lord. So comfort one another with these words! "

- (1 Thess 4:16-18)

The completion and renewal of the world meant the completion of the work of Christ. All enemies of the kingdom of God have been overcome. Jesus hand over the kingdom to God the Father without relinquishing his sovereign power and royal dignity. The rule of God, the ultimate goal of creation and the meaning of human history, begin.

Luther

Martin Luther emphasizes the dependence of salvation solely on faith: Man cannot deserve salvation, it is given to him by God out of love. Man only has to accept this in faith ( sola fide , sola gratia , justification ).

View of universal reconciliation

Interpreters who advocate universal reconciliation or universal reconciliation point out that the idea of hell has pagan origins and has been brought into connection with the Bible through questionable, now mostly corrected translations ( Hades , Sheol , Gehenna ). According to this, even a person who was unable to believe on this earth ( conversion ) will also gain faith in Christ after his death through judgments.

Christian theosophy

According to the theosophist Emanuel Swedenborg , the Last Judgment takes place shortly after death. This judgment is a revelation of man. While people in this world could disguise themselves, the inner nature of a person becomes visible in the hereafter. The bad guys go to the bad guys and they torture each other. The good guys, who are dominated by love of God and neighbor, would also find their own kind. Even in the middle state, the good felt comfortable with the spiritual angels. Here they laid aside their false principles, would be instructed in right doctrine, and would be led up to heaven.

Islam

Although the Koran states that everyone will suffer death at some point, it gives only sparse and indirect information on the period between individual death and the end times . After the signs of the “last hour” and the destruction of all creatures, the resurrection and judgment of men will take place on the last day . These signs include blowing the trumpet (among others in Sura 18 , 99); the emergence from the earth of an animal, which in some traditions is identified with Dajāl and is to be conquered by Jesus ( sura 27 , 82); the resurrection in the grave ( sura 30 , 56); the rising of the dead out of the earth ( sura 50 , 44); setting up the scales ( sura 55 , 7) and the "accounting" (among other things in sura 13 , 18). Many questions about the afterlife (الآخرة / al-Āchira orمعد / maʿād ) have been studied in various theological and philosophical traditions; the theological tendency of the Ash'arites eventually confirmed the truth of the traditional narratives about life in the world to come.

In an attempt to create a linear narrative that spans the period from the individual death of a person to the Last Day, hadiths and later scholars such as al-Ghazālī , al-Qurtubi or as-Suyuti have started with the point in time when the angel of death opened the soul carries away the deceased, whereupon the soul is brought back to the deceased after the burial - or even before - so that it can take part in the funeral ceremonies and the cries. Then she is visited by the angels Munkar and Nakīr and questioned by them, whereby the belief in God must be proven by reciting the creed . Now one or two nameless angels visit the dead and absorb the good and bad deeds that will be revealed on the day of the resurrection. Unbelievers cannot answer the questions and are therefore tortured in various ways, for example, bitten by snakes or punished with “grave chastening” ( ʿadhāb al-qabr ), during which their grave constantly narrows. Believers, on the other hand, are rewarded with the fact that their grave is enlarged or that a window to heaven is opened for them.

On the Last Day, people rise from their graves and are called to the Last Judgment, which according to some sources is to take place in Jerusalem . There they have to wait anxiously and griefly for the moment when it will be seen whether their good or bad deeds outweigh them. The believers then meet the Prophet Mohammed at a pool (al-Ḥaud), where they are blessed with his intercession . The bridge as-Sirāt , which spans Hell, must be crossed by everyone. Those destined for heaven can cross the bridge safely, the damned fall to hell. At this point the destined fate - heaven (janna) or hell (jahannam) - becomes manifest. Some other accounts describe the souls of martyrs staying in the bodies of green birds in the trees of heaven or under God's throne before the resurrection, or it is described that children, martyrs and prophets go to heaven immediately after death.

Bahaitum

According to the teachings of the Bahaitum , life after death eludes human understanding, just as a fetus in the womb cannot (yet) grasp the outside world. The Baha'i scriptures describe the soul as immortal; it will continue to develop until it has reached God's presence. According to the Baha'i belief, the human soul retains its individuality and consciousness after the death of the body and can recognize the souls of other deceased and communicate with them on a spiritual level.

According to the Baha'i scriptures, after physical death, the human soul will recognize the value of its own deeds and can see the consequences of its deeds. It is expected that those souls who have turned to God will experience joy, while those caught up in their error will become aware of their missed opportunities. Also, they can see the achievements of those who have reached the same level, but not those of souls who have reached a higher level of development.

Baha'ullah writes: "... It is clear and plausible that after their physical death all people will assess the value of their deeds and will recognize everything that their hands have done. I swear by the sun, which is more divine over the horizon Power shines! Those who follow the one true God, when they depart from this life, will experience indescribable joy and happiness, while those who live in error will be gripped by fear and trembling and filled with a dismay that cannot exceed nothing Happy to him who, through the gracious favor and the manifold benefits of the Lord, has drunk the exquisite, incorruptible wine of faith over all confessions. " (Source: Gleaning from the writings of Baha'ullah 86: 4)

Buddhism

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama adopted the doctrine of a chain of rebirths from Hinduism . However, Buddhism has no concept of a soul and teaches rebirth without transmigration of souls through conditioned arising . The chain of rebirths means suffering, which only ends at the end of this chain in a state of non-existence: every person is first and again born into this world, because without enlightenment he cannot break away from his thirst for life. Since life necessarily means suffering, the goal of a Buddhist is to overcome emotional ties to the world and not to be chained to passions. This is how nirvana , the end of rebirths, can be attained. According to tradition, Buddha refused to talk about life after death because it did not lead to letting go and inner peace to deal with this question. Key words passed down are the following about the irreversible transience of structures (of “composite”): “ Did n't I, Anando , announce beforehand that everything that is dear to you and pleasant must become different, must become different ? How could this be obtained here, Anando, that what was born, become, put together, is subject to decay, since it should not decay: it does not exist. "

Zen Buddhism

In Zen , death is an aspect of life. There would be nothing to be achieved, including no rebirth and no immortality. For Zen Buddhism, life and death are equal concepts based on a limited consciousness. Eternal life is consciousness itself. To experience this reality concretely is the way of Zen. For the enlightened one, the idea of ​​a death as a dreary end is an "enormity" ( Willigis Jäger ). A story from ancient Japan (source?) Clearly shows this radical relationship to life:

"Master, is there life after death?"
"I don't know."
"But aren't you the master?"
"Yes, but not a dead master."

Tibetan Buddhism

In Tibetan Buddhism one believes in an intermediate state ( bardo ) that begins at the moment of death and ends with the next incarnation, provided that someone has not yet escaped the cycle of rebirths. A detailed description can be found in the Bardo Thödröl from the 8th century, called Tibetan Book of the Dead in German . Here the science of death is referred to as the foundation for the art of dying.

In the moment of death the deceased see the bright light of wisdom through which he can attain Buddhahood. There are various reasons why the deceased do not follow this light. Some would not have been taught about the intermediate state in their previous life. Others have long been used to just following their animal instincts. And some are afraid of the light. This is a consequence of bad deeds, delusion, stubborn pride, broken vows, or lack of familiarity with the virtuous.

In the intermediate state, currents could arise from the unconscious that trigger extreme moods or visions. It is important to realize that intimidating visions are only reflections of your own inner thoughts. You can't get hurt because you don't have a material body. In the intermediate state one should be virtuous and adopt a positive attitude.

The deceased received help from various Buddhas who showed them the way to Buddhahood. Those who do not follow the path would be given advice for better rebirth. First, they would have to free themselves from attachments from their previous life. It is recommended to find a family for rebirth in which the parents have great faith in the Dharma . The will should be oriented towards working for the benefit of all beings during the incarnation. This is how one grows to enlightenment.

Popular religious ideas

For the Swanen , a Georgian mountain people, death is only separated from life by a “thin wall”. They believe that their loved ones who have died take care of the salvation of the still living. They also take care of the salvation of their deceased. This “wall metaphor” can be seen particularly well in the Svaneti sacred buildings . On the inside walls of many Swan churches - as is common in other religions - saints can be seen, whereas on the outside worldly personalities - such as B. Kings - are depicted. Services in Svaneti are mostly held outside the church instead of inside it. The space within the church is reserved for the souls of the deceased. The highlight of the memory of the deceased and the honoring of their souls is the annual Lipanali festival.

Well-known death researchers

Maurice S. Rawlings was an American cardiologist, a physician to President Eisenhower and the Joint Chiefs of Staff . He criticized other death researchers such as Moody and Kübler-Ross for the fact that their interviews with those affected never took place immediately after the resuscitation, but usually a few weeks afterwards. In timely interviews, there are not only positive, but also negative (hell) reports from the afterlife, which Moody and Kübler-Ross overlook. Rawlings has authored several books such as: "Beyond the Line of Death - New Clear Indications of the Existence of Heaven and Hell" (1987), "To Hell and Back - Life After Death" (1996), which have been translated into several languages.

Raymond A. Moody was one of the first to systematically study the experiences of patients who were clinically dead and resuscitated. He found that the reproductions were very similar.

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross interviewed numerous terminally ill people and described the “five phases of dying” in her work. What is meant is how patients deal with the insight that they are about to die. She also dealt with near-death experiences.

Bernard Jakoby is a German death researcher who comes to similar results as Moody.

Pim van Lommel is a cardiologist and conducts prospective studies on the subject of near death.

Sam Parnia is an American cardiologist researching near-death and out-of-body experiences at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City.

Markolf Niemz is a German biophysicist. Niemz deals with a new branch of mortality research , near death research .

Bruce Greyson is an American psychiatrist and neuroscientist. He is Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the Division of Perceptual Studies at the University of Virginia , the direct successor of Ian Stevenson . He is a founding member of the International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS) and is known for his work in the field of near-death experience.

Empirical research

Already ancient texts, e.g. B. Pliny the Younger and the Chinese philosopher Mozi , testify to attempts to empirically answer the question of life after death by researching cases of spooks and visions of ghosts. Systematic research into this question in our time begins with the founding of the Society for Psychical Research in London in 1882. a. alleged appearances of the deceased and alleged communication through them, "instrumental transcommunication" (the recording of voices that are ascribed to a paranormal origin on tape), the phenomenon of the media and séances, as well as near-death and out-of-body experiences. The task of parapsychology is to investigate such phenomena. Death research also deals with this topic. Skeptics dispute the evidential value of reasoning based on such phenomena.

Thanato sociology

In thanato sociology, sociologists, such as B. Hubert Knoblauch , with near-death experiences and the societal handling of death, for example in the institutionalization of dying.

Post-death contact and medium

Some believe in post-death contacts or that so-called media can establish contact with deceased people. This so-called mediumism is particularly widespread in Europe in England, Wales and Switzerland. In England and Wales, medium is a recognized profession with its own union and schools and training centers. In England and Wales, media appear in many churches. In Switzerland, many media have their own practices, appear on large stages and on television, and work, among other things. a. with the police for investigative work (see medium ).

Reception in literature and film

The literary works in which an afterlife is discussed include the novella The Baron Bagge by Alexander Lernet-Holenia (1936) and Karl May's novels Am Jenseits (1899) and Im Reiche des Silber Löwen III (1902).

Films in which the subject plays a central role are Ghost Message by Sam , Ghost Whisperer Voices from Beyond , Hereafter by Clint Eastwood (2010) and Stay by Marc Forster (2008).

See also

Survey

According to a survey of 1003 people in Germany in March 2019, 40 percent believe in life after death; In 2005 it was 45 percent. Belief is particularly pronounced among Catholics (53 percent; 2019) and Protestants (41 percent), while only 25 percent of the non-denominational surveyed believe in it.

literature

Web links

Film documentaries

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Maimonides' Introduction to Perek Helek, ed. u. trans. v. Maimonides Heritage Center, pp. 22-23.
  2. ↑ Sura 3 , 185
  3. ↑ This can ultimately be traced back to the book Zechariah (Chapter 14, Zech 14  EU ), which also speaks of an eschatological catastrophe starting in Jerusalem. Lexicon of Dialogue: Basic Concepts from Christianity and Islam
  4. ↑ Roberto Tottoli: Afterlife . in: Encyclopaedia of the Qur'ān, Vol. 2. Brill, Leiden / Boston / Cologne 2002. ISBN 978-90-04-12035-8 .
  5. ↑ a b Peter Smith: burial, “death and afterlife”, evil, evil spirits, sin . In: A concise encyclopedia of the Bahá'í Faith . Oneworld Publications, Oxford / Boston 2000, ISBN 1-85168-184-1 , pp. 96-97, 118-119, 135-136, 322-323 .
  6. ↑ Paul H. Köppler: So Speaks Buddha - The Most Beautiful and Most Important Discourses of the Awakened One. P. 21.
  7. ↑ Dīgha Nikāya (DN 16.3.6) Mahaparinibbana Sutta.
  8. ↑ Video: Dr. Raymond Moody on near-death experiences ( July 11, 2014 memento in the Internet Archive ). Accessed March 15, 2014.
  9. ↑ Video: Elisabeth Kübler-Ross on near-death experiences (1981) , accessed on March 14, 2014
  10. ↑ Dr. Pim van Lommel: Near-death research of a cardiologist accessed on March 16, 2014; Pim van Lommel et al. (2001): Near-Death Experience in Survivors of Cardiac Arrest: A prospective Study in the Netherlands. In: The Lancet. 358 (9298), December 15, 2001, pp. 2039-2045 ( pentathon.talktalk.net PDF).
  11. ↑ Video: Spiegel-TV: Is there life after death? For a look into the hereafter, see contributions by Markolf Niemz, by Walter van Laack , from March 9, 2014.
  12. ↑ Bild der Wissenschaft: Are near-death experiences images from the afterlife? “A bright light at the end of a long tunnel, a feeling of joy and hope: this is what patients who have suffered cardiac arrest have told British researchers. The scientists at the University of Southampton rate these reports as the most conclusive evidence of life after death so far, writes the German medical newspaper. "And" One thing is made clear by researcher Bruce Greyson from the University of Virginia: people with near-death experiences are not psychological ill. The change in consciousness does not lead to permanent damage, he reported in the journal 'Lancet' (vol. 355, p. 460). "Accessed on March 16, 2014.
  13. ↑ Ancient History Sourcebook , accessed January 2009.
  14. ^ The Ethical and Political Works of Motse , accessed January 2009.
  15. ↑ Video: Spiegel-TV: Is there life after death? For a look into the beyond see contributions by Markolf Niemz , by Walter van Laack, from March 9, 2014; zdf ; Near-death experiences are not brain products - ZDF report, accessed on March 14, 2014; Video: Elisabeth Kübler-Ross on near-death experiences (1981) , accessed on March 14, 2014; Image of science: Are near-death experiences images from the afterlife? “A bright light at the end of a long tunnel, a feeling of joy and hope: this is what patients who have suffered cardiac arrest have told British researchers. The scientists at the University of Southampton rate these reports as the most conclusive evidence to date of life after death, writes the German medical newspaper. "Retrieved on March 16, 2014.
  16. ^ John Archibald Wheeler: Point of View: Drive the Pseudos Out. In: Skeptical Inquirer. Volume 3, 1979, pp. 12-13; Paul Kurtz: Is Parapsychology a Science? In: Skeptical Inquirer. Volume 3, 1978, pp. 14-32.
  17. ↑ Dietmar Czycholl (Ed.): When I fell asleep yesterday. Experiences of revivors in world literature. An anthology from three millennia. Oberstaufen 2003.
  18. ^ Karl May: Am Jenseits , Freiburg i.Br. 1912, p. 504 ff. (Online at zeno.org) ; In the kingdom of the silver lion , Volume 3, Freiburg i.Br. 1908, p. 270 ff. ( Zeno.org ).
  19. ↑ Dietmar Pieper: "The sky is empty" . In: Der Spiegel . No. 17 , 2015, p. 40-48 ( online - April 20, 2019 ).