Belief In Afterlife Research Articles

Barriers and Facilitators Towards Deceased Organ Donation: A Qualitative Study Among Three Major Religious Groups in Chandigarh, and Chennai, India.

This study aimed to examine the barriers and facilitators of the public toward deceased organ donation in Chandigarh, and Chennai, India, from three major religious groups, Hinduism, Islamism, and Christianity. Twenty-five focus groups were conducted (n = 87) stratified by study region, religion, sex, and age. Data were analysed using framework analysis. The results revealed that individuals were primarily willing to donate their organs. However, their religious views regarding death, after-life beliefs, funeral ritual practices, and lack of knowledge regarding their religion's position toward deceased organ donation created tension and ambiguity in the decision-making. However, younger age groups (18-30years) appeared more open and positive toward deceased organ donation. The conclusion demands a clear need for religious leaders and stakeholders to address theirreligion's stance, which creates tension and ambiguity in any uncertainties surrounding cultural and religious-based views among the Indian population.

A Review of Research on the Role of Different Types of Religiosity in Terror Management

This review paper aims to reveal the role of different types of religiosity based on research addressing religiosity in terms of in-group and out-group distinction within the scope of Terror Management Theory (TMT). Studies point out two important results of the phenomenon: the first is the fact that general religiosity focusing on only one aspect of religiosity (religious belongingness, afterlife belief, etc.) to measure religiosity increases worldview defense, supporting the hypothesis of mortality salience. The second is the fact that different religious orientations (intrinsic, fundamentalist, etc.) cause various reactions, depending on their unique characteristics when mortality is salient. In the current study, possible reasons for the differences between research findings are discussed. In order to clarify the roles that different types of religiosity play in terror management, a classification based on the strong-flexible and exclusive-inclusive poles of the “belief” and “belonging” dimensions suggested by Sarouglu has been proposed. It has been argued that religiosity types would function in terror management in different ways, depending on the classification in which they are placed. For example, when the religious worldview is threatened, the strong-exclusive pattern (e.g., religious fundamentalism) can lead to more negative reactions, while the strong-inclusive pattern (e.g., intrinsic religiosity) can be associated with positive processes in inter-group relationships. Future research on this classification and types of religiosity can provide unique contributions to developing TMT. On the other hand, knowing the roles of different forms of religiosity in managing existential concerns may be of therapeutic benefit in coping with death, bereavement, grief and related processes.

Religious belief and emotional vampires in organizations

PurposeConsistent with the metaphor of narcissists as “emotional vampires” who leave their victims emotionally drained and devoid of energy, this research suggests that certain factors, such as subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and religious beliefs, can reduce the level of narcissistic behavior in organizations. Drawing from the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and self-regulation theory, the current study evaluates the moderating role of Islamic religiosity in the relationship between subjective norms and the intention to behave narcissistically. In addition, this study examines the moderating role of afterlife belief in the relationship between perceived behavioral control and the intention to behave narcissistically.Design/methodology/approachThe research hypotheses were tested using two-wave survey data collected from managers of 103 service organizations (Study 1) and 323 employees of four service organizations (Study 2). This research applies structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the proposed model using SmartPLS 3 software.FindingsIslamic religiosity had a negative moderating role in the relationship between subjective norms and the intention to behave narcissistically (Study 1 and Study 2). In addition, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control had significant positive effects on the intention to engage in narcissistic behavior among managers (Study 1). However, perceived behavioral control had no significant effect on the intention to engage in narcissistic behavior among employees (Study 2).Originality/valueThe current study not only tests the applicability of the TPB to narcissistic behaviors in Islamic organizations, but it also extends the classic TPB framework by including two moderating variables – Islamic religiosity and afterlife belief.

Perceptions of death and preparations for afterlife among older adults: The role of social workers in Lagos, Nigeria

This paper explores death and afterlife beliefs on human existence, focusing on the human awareness of mortality and the role of religion in providing explanations for the afterlife. It delves into the perceptions of death and preparations for the afterlife among older adults in the Kosofe local government area of Lagos State, Nigeria. Emphasis on the involvement of social workers in supporting them through this existential process was brought to the fore. The study aims to understand the interplay of cultural, religious, and social factors that shape the perspectives of older adults regarding death and their preparations for the afterlife. It also seeks to identify the challenges encountered by them. This paper is anchored on the strength of Kübler-Ross's stages of grief theory. The qualitative research approach employed in this study provides a nuanced understanding of the participants' experiences. Findings show that adherence to religious doctrines is a key preparatory strategy for the afterlife. The study contributes to a deeper comprehension of how beliefs about death and the afterlife shape the experiences of older adults, offering insights for social work practice in supporting them through this life transition.

Supernatural Belief in ‘Scientific’ Worldviews?

Abstract A ‘scientific worldview’ is commonly seen as contradictory to belief in supernatural forces, and there is little research on the supernatural beliefs of individuals who identify with science. In this article, we investigate the supernatural explanations of science-oriented individuals in domains of fundamental concern (suffering, death, and origins), and how supernatural causality is reconciled with belief in science. The open-ended responses of 387 Finns were analysed. The results show that science-oriented Finns endorsed both religion-related and more secular supernatural beliefs (such as belief in evolution as a purposeful process). Following the coexistence model, science-oriented Finns applied synthetic and target-dependent reasoning. In addition, many who invoked supernatural explanations integrated supernatural causality with science. Two forms of integrated reasoning were found: 1) supernatural agency as the ultimate cause and scientific theory as the proximate cause, and 2) a similarity-based heuristic, as seen in afterlife beliefs appealing to the law of conservation of energy.

“КАК СКВЕРНО, ЧТО Я ВЫНИМАЛ ДУШИ ЛЮДЕЙ”: КОНЦЕПЦИИ ДУШИ И ЗАГРОБНОЙ ЖИЗНИ У ЕЗИДОВ ЗАКАВКАЗЬЯ В XX ВЕКЕ

Kurdistan, centered between Asia Minor, Transcaucasia, and Iran, has frequently served as a focal point of rebellion to central governments and the main religions associated with them. As a result, despite its geographic isolation and strict ethnic boundaries, the emergence and development of Yezidism should be observed through the lens of the Middle East, which requires paying close at-tention to its possible connections to other confessions in the region, whose creed and religious practice share several elements with Yezidism. The belief in afterlife and immortality of the soul occupies a prominent place in most reli-gious doctrines. This article examines the Transcaucasian Yezidis’ ideas about the afterlife, set-ting them in these regional and historical contexts. The investigation follows the concept of “brotherhood in afterlife”, which plays an important role in Yezidi socio-spiritual hierarchy, since it is the brother or sister in the afterlife of each Yezidi who will, after death, intercede for him/her before God and guide his soul through the Salat bridge, allowing him to enter paradise. Of particu-lar interest is the belief in reincarnation existing in the Yezidi environment, metaphorically re-ferred to as “changing the shirt”, in which the soul after death may move into a body with a higher rank as a reward for righteous behavior. The Yezidis' eschatological concepts and rites were recorded and analyzed in valuable little-known field studies conducted by anthropologists and ethnographers, as well as in forgotten Sovi-et films. These documents serve as the primary sources of study in the paper.

Comparing Islam with other Late Antique Religions: Examining Theological Parallels with Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, and Manichaeism

This article argues that Islamic theological doctrines emerged out of broad late antique religious trends. Such trends were reflected in Judaism and Christianity, but also transcended them. In support of this view, the article systematically examines parallels between Islamic theological doctrines, and those found in the late antique religions of Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, and Manichaeism. It is argued that all of these religions share six basic doctrines: (1) belief in one morally-concerned Supreme Being (2) belief in lesser spirit beings that are good or bad (3) belief in prophets (4) belief in scriptural texts (5) belief in an afterlife (6) belief that the world will end with the triumph of good over evil. It is argued that the preceding six doctrines coherently fit together into a larger perspective on the universe. The article explains how this perspective is central to late antique religions, including Islam.

Would you exchange your soul for immortality?-existential meaning and afterlife beliefs predict mind upload approval.

Mind upload, or the digital copying of an individual brain and mind, could theoretically allow one to "live forever." If such a technology became available, who would be most likely to approve of it or condemn it? Research has shown that fear of death positively predicts the moral approval of hypothetical mind upload technology, while religiosity may have the opposite effect. We build on these findings, drawing also from work on religiosity and existential mattering as predictors of perceived meaning in one's life. In a cross-sectional study (N = 1,007), we show that existential mattering and afterlife beliefs are negatively associated with moral approval of mind upload technology: people who believe there is a soul or some form of afterlife and who also report a high level of existential mattering, are least likely to morally approve of mind upload technology. Indeed, mind uploading-if it ever becomes feasible-is a form of technology that would fundamentally redraw the existential boundaries of what it means to be human.

Coping with mortality salience: the role of connection thinking and afterlife beliefs in Chinese context

Coping with mortality salience: the role of connection thinking and afterlife beliefs in Chinese context

Afterlife beliefs and obligation to obey the law in high adherence contexts: exploring connections among Malaysian youth

ABSTRACT Previous studies have linked religiosity to a variety of positive outcomes for young people. However, further investigation into the underlying mechanisms that drive this connection is necessary to facilitate these positive outcomes. Some studies have suggested that afterlife reward and punishment beliefs play a role in this connection, as they promote future-oriented thinking. Drawing on Deterrence Theory, this study proposes that afterlife reward and punishment beliefs may also strengthen the obligation to obey the law in youth, thereby avoiding deviant behaviours. As Islamic societies are among the most ardent in believing in the afterlife, this mechanism may be particularly relevant for Muslim youth. To test this hypothesis, data were collected from 303 university students in Malaysia. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the structural validity of the Malaysian version of the afterlife reward and punishment beliefs scale. Hierarchical regression analysis further revealed a positive correlation between afterlife reward and punishment beliefs and obligation to obey the law, with afterlife reward and punishment beliefs significantly explaining variance in obligation to obey the law even after accounting for Muslim religiosity. The study highlights limitations and provides suggestions for future research in this area.

Sanctity of Life or God's Command? Investigating Religious Determinants of Attitudes Toward Three Cases of Unnatural Death: Capital Punishment, Abortion, and Euthanasia.

Whether individuals may decide to end other people's or their own lives has always been a matter of ethical and social debate. The current research explores attitudes toward three cases of unnatural death: capital punishment, abortion, and euthanasia. One considerable factor that shapes individuals' attitudes toward human intervention in death is religion. This paper argues that religion causes significant changes in individuals' mindsets toward human intervention in the death process. Therefore, the present research examines how religion affects attitudes toward the death penalty, abortion, and euthanasia. This study proposes differentiating religion into four dimensions: religiosity, spirituality, afterlife beliefs, and religious affiliation. Using data from the 2018 wave of the General Social Survey (GSS), the present research found that religion's various dimensions have distinct effects on attitudes toward the death penalty, abortion, and euthanasia.

Continuing bonds of bereaved Muslims mothers with their young dead child

Based on continuing bonds theory, this research examined the experience and manifestations of continuing bonds of bereaved Muslim mothers with their children who died in home accidents. This qualitative phenomenological study is based on interviews with 15 bereaved mothers (aged 28–46 years) whose children (aged 1–6 years) died 2–7 years before the interviews. Analysis revealed three themes: efforts to continue the physical bonds, challenges in the continuing bonds in cases of traumatic death, and belief in afterlife as the main element of the continuing bonds. The traumatic circumstances of the death challenged the ability to maintain the bond based on positive memories without it being overwhelmed by the traumatic memories of the last moments of the child’s life. Religious beliefs played an important role in the characteristics of the bond. Maintaining the bond requires professionals to provide a therapeutic environment where bereaved mothers feel safe talking about it.

COVID-19 uncertainties to impulsive buying behavior: the roles of mindfulness and afterlife belief

COVID-19 uncertainties to impulsive buying behavior: the roles of mindfulness and afterlife belief

Past Life Meditation Decreases Existential Death Anxiety and Increases Meaning in Life among Individuals Who Believe in the Paranormal

Abstract Despite their growing popularity, little is known about the psychological effects of participating in past-life meditation groups in contemporary western contexts. We conducted a study to re-create some of the conditions observed in the field by facilitating a group of adults interested in exploring past life meditation. Before the session, participants completed a survey about their afterlife beliefs and associated experiences. Participants also completed questionnaires measuring meaningfulness in life and fear of death before and after the session. In the sample (n = 125), just over half of the participants (52%) reported having a past life memory or vision during the session. Higher paranormal beliefs predicted reporting a past life memory or vision. We also found that having prior memories or visions of having lived before, but not the general belief in having a past life, predicted reporting having past life experiences during the session. Consistent with our predictions, participants who reported having a past life memory or vision also reported reduced existential death distress and increased meaningfulness in life following the session, compared to those who did not report these experiences.

Very Present and Very Real: A Case Study of Regularly Hearing the Voice of the Deceased Without Distress in Bereavement.

Although sensory and quasi-sensory experiences of the deceased (SED) have been the subject of much debate, research on the phenomenology of auditory verbal experiences in the bereaved has been neglected. This case study describes the phenomenology of a regularly occurring voice hearing experience and its meaning for a single bereaved individual. The voice of the deceased can be heard as though in external space, and the experience can feel real, even when the death is fully acknowledged. A bereaved individual can welcome and benefit from the experience even when it is not recognized as a normal part of grieving in the individual's cultural context, when no afterlife belief is present, and when the experience remains unexplained. The case study demonstrates that hearing the voice of the deceased can be a regular occurrence without causing distress or dysfunction and lends support to the idea that SED are a common concomitant of normal bereavement.

Eternal outgroups: Afterlife beliefs predict prejudice

People express prejudice toward ideologically dissimilar groups. However, little research has explored (a) how specific beliefs, such as afterlife beliefs, relate to prejudice, (b) whether such beliefs can explain the known association between religiosity and prejudice toward value-threatening groups, and (c) the mechanisms through which afterlife beliefs predict prejudice. We addressed these questions by assessing individual differences in religious, spiritual, and secular afterlife beliefs and attitudes toward religious and political groups. Across four studies (N = 3996 U.S. adults), we find evidence supporting a group exclusion hypothesis: religious and secular afterlife beliefs predict prejudice toward value-incongruent groups (even after controlling for religiosity). We also find some evidence that religious afterlife beliefs explain the association between religiosity and prejudice against value-threatening groups. Finally, we find moderate support for an existential anxiety buffer hypothesis, wherein some afterlife beliefs predict increased peace of mind, reduced death anxiety, and in turn, reduced prejudice.

Moral locus of control in hastened death when faced with irremediable health conditions

ABSTRACT Following APA’s call to present research in reader-friendly styles, the objective of this study is to identify characteristics of a unique set of 101 people who chose to hasten their death when faced with irremediable health conditions without support from any state/medical-aid-in-dying programs. The methodology used was to collect information regarding education, spiritual orientation, beliefs in regard to their personal locus of control, their basis for moral decision-making, and belief in an afterlife from a group of people who had decided to hasten their deaths and compare those beliefs and personal traits to the general population and, where available, to people who chose to hasten their death using state supported medical aid in dying programs in the United States. The results showed statistically significant very high levels of education, less traditional religious beliefs, lack of belief in a conscious afterlife, a high feeling of internal locus of control, and a high sense of internal moral authority. This led to the conclusion that these personal and belief factors combine to create the concept of a high internal moral locus of control in this group of people who choose to hasten their death when faced with irremediable health conditions.

The Role of Implicit and Explicit Beliefs in Grave-Good Practices: Evidence for Intuitive Afterlife Reasoning.

The practice of burying objects with the dead is often claimed as some of the earliest evidence for religion, on the assumption that such "grave goods" were intended for the decedents' use in the afterlife. However, this assumption is largely speculative, as the underlying motivations for grave-good practices across time and place remain little understood. In the present work, we asked if explicit and implicit religious beliefs (particularly those concerning the continuity of personal consciousness after death) motivate contemporary grave-good practices. Across three studies, and comparing participants from the United States and NZ, we measured grave-good deposition at actual or hypothetical funerals, finding that jewelry, photographs, and other items with sentimental, emotional, and relationship value were common. In addition, intuitive afterlife reasoning (as measured by people's attributions of mental states to the dead) motivated grave-good decision-making for about half (Study 2) or more (Study 3) people, including afterlife nonbelievers ("extinctivists"), while those who held explicit (i.e., stated) afterlife beliefs were more likely to participate in the practice. The decision to leave grave goods was also associated with magical contagion beliefs and a need for personal comfort, while other motivations, such as social signaling, were less common. Our results suggest that "afterlife use" is a common motivation for grave-good practices, and that humans possess evolutionarily early intuitions about postdeath consciousness.

Afterlife beliefs among evangelical and mainline protestant children, adolescents, and adults: A cultural–developmental study in the U.S.

Afterlife beliefs among evangelical and mainline protestant children, adolescents, and adults: A cultural–developmental study in the U.S.

Seeing Light: A Critical Enquiry into the Origins of Resurrection Faith by Peter Gant

Reviewed by: Seeing Light: A Critical Enquiry into the Origins of Resurrection Faith by Peter Gant Glenn B. Siniscalchi peter gant, Seeing Light: A Critical Enquiry into the Origins of Resurrection Faith (Durham, UK: Sacristy Press, 2019). Pp. xii + 302. Paper $31.80. Peter Gant’s thought-provoking book will be of interest to biblical scholars and fundamental theologians whose area of specialization is dedicated to historical-critical exegesis and the earliest Christian claim that “God raised Jesus from the dead.” The first half of the book comprehensively covers the relevant aspects of the ancient Jewish matrix leading up to the emergence of Christianity, including the multiple understandings of immortality (which is consistent with and reinforced by the hellenization of Palestine), Sheol, angelo-morphic visions, rewards and punishments for the dead, the notion of resurrection itself, exaltation, and heavenly redeemer figures and titles. One should agree with G. in affirming that “Jesus’ followers were able to draw on a wide variety of existing Second Temple afterlife beliefs” (p. 19). Gant’s lucid coverage of the wisdom traditions and cultic practices of Judaism sets the stage for the possibility of many nuanced interpretations of the NT evidence for the resurrection of Jesus. He exposits the embedded testimonies and cultural factors that are behind and underneath Paul’s writings and the canonical Gospels. These testimonies include [End Page 158] “a short, powerful and multiply attested formulaic assertion to the effect that God has raised Jesus from the dead” (p. 20). Other considerations include “pre-Pauline christological hymns . . . that speak powerfully of the heavenly exaltation of Jesus. . . . There is also an early Aramaic prayer for the coming or return of Jesus from heaven. And, most especially, there is a very early tradition concerning appearances of the risen Jesus to his disciples, a tradition differing significantly from the much later appearance stories in the Gospels” (p. 20). G.’s text is especially helpful in distinguishing the earliest evidence (i.e., the after-death appearances of Jesus) from later understandings that developed in the first twenty years of the Christian movement. Gant’s assessment of the understandings of the religious background and the NT evidence is fairly presented and consistently informative. Although G. does not completely discount interpretations of the resurrection that resonate with most of the agreed-upon evidence in contemporary studies (see, e.g., the proposals set forth by senior scholars such as Gerald O’Collins and N. T. Wright), he settles for a reconstruction that many critics will want to dispute. Introducing his willingness to push forward a newer depiction of Easter faith, G. believes that “key texts such as Daniel 12:2–3 are capable of more than one interpretation. Even if it is true that ‘resurrection’ without an empty grave would have been unthinkable, allowance must still be made for the possibility of innovation on the part of Jesus’ earliest followers” (p. 197). Consequently, G. maintains that the earliest evidence points in favor of the earliest Christian belief in the exaltation of Jesus (see Phil 2:5–11). However, other believers said that Jesus was raised from the dead. More importantly, these distinct beliefs were not necessarily complementary to one another (p. 262). According to G., the latter point highlights the uncertainty and pluriform ways in which evidence can be assessed. A second controversial point is the irrelevance of the empty tomb of Jesus for resurrection faith. The final controversial contention is that modern scientific worldviews will preclude the possibility and defensibility of miracles. It is unfortunate that G. repeatedly takes this assumption for granted and never explains to the reader why anyone should accept it. Part of the problem is that miracles are defined as divine interference with the laws of nature, but this outdated definition indicates that G. is unaware of the scholarship that discusses miracles in ways that are congruent with science and its relationship to philosophy. Since the nature of the evidence is uncertain, allowing for many interpretations in light of a modern scientific worldview, one should merely resort to theological language for understanding the origins of Easter faith: “resurrection faith emerged as a theological interpretation of the totality of the history of Israel, the life...