Discussion Your culture's views of the afterlife?

[Abhorrence2]

If you don't mind sharing, how does the culture you come from describe the afterlife? It's interesting to see how different people develop different understandings of it. While there are arguments against it, I like to believe that what comes after death is ultimately up to your own beliefs. What you believe manifests to become your reality post-death. Doesn't make sense I know but it's good to cling onto it for a sense of hope. My culture follows (or at least used to) Tengrism. It's descriptions of the afterlife are kind of vague. In it, the world is separated into three entities each governed by a deity: Uçmag the heavens governed by Tengri, Earth governed by Umay the daughter, and an underworld governed by Erlik. In Erlik's underworld (Tamag) he teaches the lost souls to atone for their sins after which they can ascend to the heavens. He does not decide your sins, only your length of punishment. In Uçmag, those who have lived a good life already reside among some godlike entities, with Tengri at the highest level. Uçmag is seen as almost like earth but devoid of human damage. Untouched nature and harmonious, only inhabited by the souls of humans in harmony with nature. At least that's as much as I know.

 

[leavingthesoultrap]

In my original culture (Slavic paganism) the belief is that after you die you come back to be reborn within your extended family (kin). And that you lived many lives before this one as your ancestors.

 

[derpyderpins]

Lots of christians around me, and like most christians they don't really follow the bible, they see everything about god and heaven as wonderful and easy to get in to. Everyone you want to believe is in heaven gets in! When the sad thing is even if their religion is real plenty of their loved ones would probably end up in hell. Of course, I don't believe it. I wish more than ever that I could, but I don't.

 

[BruhXDDDDD]

Most of my closer family and friends don't seem to have a strong opinion on it. Also wasn't aware Tengrism was still practiced much anywhere.

 

[Kavka]

I think Ietsism is a really common belief or rather feeling here. From the Wikipedia:

Ietsism is an unspecified belief in an undetermined transcendent reality. It is a Dutch term for a range of beliefs held by people who, on the one hand, inwardly suspect – or indeed believe – that "there must be something undefined beyond the mundane and that which can be known or can be proven", but on the other hand do not accept or subscribe to an established view of the nature of a deity offered by any particular religion.

It's often used as the answer ("there must be something") to whether a God exists, but I'd argue that it also applies to the afterlife. A lot of people who don't believe in any formal religion any more still believe that there is some sort of heaven or afterlife. Personally, I think this is insufficient and intellectual laziness, but I'm genuinely happy that it's a comforting thought for a lot of people.