00:00All we are is dust in the wind, dude.
00:05Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most interesting theories
00:09about what might happen to us after we expire.
00:12Isn't it amazing?
00:13Is this what you thought it would be?
00:16I certainly didn't.
00:17I don't know what it is yet, do you?
00:20No, I guess I don't.
00:24Number 10.
00:25Duat and the Judgment of the Dead.
00:27The stories and myths about what happens when we die are many, with countries and cultures
00:31often sharing ideas about a soul's journey into the afterlife.
00:35The ancient Egyptian believed in an underworld known as Duat, a place over which Osiris reigned
00:40and where souls encountered spiritual challenges.
00:43It was only after these varied challenges were conquered that these dead souls might
00:48encounter the gods Anubis, Thoth, and Ammit, while having their hearts judged.
00:53Should the soul's heart be too heavy when placed opposite a feather from the deity Maat,
00:58then the person would be devoured by Ammit.
01:00However, if that soul's heart passed the test, then they would be allowed passage into
01:04Aru, an Egyptian equivalent to paradise.
01:08If the scales balance by the time you've ended the journey, then a soul is permitted to pass
01:12into the field of reeds.
01:13What if they don't balance?
01:15You get thrown overboard!
01:18Number 9.
01:19Spiritual Levels Theory.
01:20One of the most interesting things about the afterlife is its status as the ultimate unknown.
01:26There's no definitive answer about what happens, and this makes theories such as Edgar Cayce's
01:30tenets of spiritualism just as valid as any other.
01:34Cayce was an alleged clairvoyant who gained fame and notoriety thanks to his mysterious
01:39trances and prophecies.
01:41His spiritual levels theory was rooted in astrology and presented various states of
01:45being that were analogous to the nine planets.
01:48Cayce's afterlife was one that provided ultimate freedom to these travelling souls, an ability
01:53to visit the creativity of Neptune, or experience the eternal love of Venus.
01:58It's a theory that ties in strongly to Cayce's influence upon the New Age movement.
02:03Number 8.
02:04Pessimist Theory.
02:05Those espousing a pessimist theory to the afterlife could point to several literary
02:09quotes as reasons for their feelings.
02:11These quotes include Shakespeare's, Hell is Empty and All the Devils are Here, or Hell
02:16is Other People, by Jean-Paul Sartre.
02:25It may sound melodramatic, but the pessimist focuses less about what happens after they
02:29die because they believe all of humanity has already expired.
02:33Or perhaps they feel that existence itself is so routine that the only rational approach
02:38is to pessimistically await an unknown future.
02:41The philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer expanded on this, commenting upon how life is a constant
02:46state of dying versus a will to live, and that only through the bringing of death can
02:50the soul find release and, potentially, happiness.
02:54Number 7.
02:55Paranormal Theory.
02:56There was a little girl, she was about maybe eight or so, and she looked at me and she
03:01said, why are you dirty?
03:04This next theory is fairly popular because it provides something with which we can emotionally
03:08relate.
03:09The paranormal theory deals with the study of parapsychology, a pseudoscientific belief
03:14in ghosts, hauntings, and events that can't be explained.
03:17Leaving our loved ones behind after we die is one of the most painful things about the
03:21afterlife, or at least within our perception of it.
03:24So what happens if we can retain that personal contact?
03:38The paranormal theory presents this idea that connection after death is possible, via the
03:43utilisation of psychic medium or some other form of communication.
03:47However, this also brings to the table the idea of souls being lost, with some sort of
03:52unfinished business… which sounds somewhat tragic, to say the least.
04:04Number 6.
04:06Egocentric Theory.
04:07The egocentric theory basically posits that you are the centre of all things, and so the
04:12universe began with you and will end with your death.
04:21The philosophical writings of Friedrich Nietzsche are often associated with this theory, with
04:25some taking the viewpoint that egocentric theory on the afterlife places nearly all
04:30of the control within the goals and desires of the deceased.
04:33These people surmise that, since death is an unknown, what awaits us can be manipulated
04:38and made into anything we wish.
04:40If we truly believe that we are the centre of our universe, then maybe so too can we
04:46conquer death and find an afterlife that suits our innermost desires.
05:00Number 5.
05:01Uncertain Theory.
05:02It's nearly impossible to separate theorising about death from the great philosophers of
05:07the world, including Denmark's Søren Kierkegaard.
05:11The man's existential philosophy left a lot of room to interpretation when it came
05:15to the afterlife.
05:26This comes down primarily to Kierkegaard's assertion that death and the afterlife is
05:30a quote uncertain certainty.
05:32Everything dies, we know this.
05:34Kierkegaard argued that possessing an uncertain theory about the afterlife may not necessarily
05:39affect what happens to us, but can affect how we live our lives in the here and now.
06:00A person who believes in the uncertain theory of death may choose to live in a manner of
06:04hedonistic excess, or may conversely live in a simple manner, in the hopes of some great
06:09cosmic reward.
06:11Number 4.
06:12Plato on the Soul.
06:13The Phaedo, a treatise on the soul by Greece's famed philosopher Plato, echoes the sentiments
06:19of Plato's mentor Socrates, who espoused that the soul is immortal.
06:23Socrates was condemned to death by the Romans, on account of his deviation from their state
06:28religion.
06:36But Plato's dialogue accepts his teacher's idea that the soul will travel after the body's
06:41demise.
06:42Plato spoke specifically about a soul's judgment, with the just entering the fields of Asphodel,
06:48while the wicked are condemned to torment in the pits of Tartarus.
06:52There are connections here to both other ancient religions as well as Abrahamic ideas of heaven
06:56and hell, while Plato also ensured to allow for a place of limbo known as the Acherusian
07:02Lake.
07:03Good afternoon and welcome to Judgment City.
07:06You've just had quite a little journey, so for now, relax and enjoy the ride.
07:10Considering the transformation you've just been through, you really won't have any choice.
07:15Number 3.
07:16Biocentrism.
07:17I wanted to see if I went in, could I finally escape, like actually die?
07:25The idea of a connection between consciousness and the cosmos is revisited within the theory
07:30of biocentrism.
07:31This philosophical construct, by Boston-based doctor and author Robert Lanza, offers that
07:37biology and consciousness molds the world around us, and that the afterlife may take
07:42place over the span of multiple universes.
07:52It's a theory that brings up potential feelings of déjà vu throughout endless multiverses
07:57as our consciousness travels.
07:59It may sound like the stuff of Marvel comics, but biocentrism, like any other afterlife
08:05theory, provides an interesting outlet for the ultimate unknown.
08:22Number 2.
08:23Solipsism.
08:24All life ends.
08:25It's perhaps the path of the agnostic, the skeptic, or the atheist.
08:30The theory of solipsism places all of the emphasis upon consciousness and the mind.
08:34Knowing this, a solipsistic theory concerning the afterlife essentially means that all life,
08:39all existence, will end once the mind is gone.
08:43Then again, this idea of total oblivion also brings with it the absence of pain and of
08:48loss.
08:54As a result, the solipsist might very well welcome said oblivion, if only to quiet the
08:58nagging question of what happens that lurks within us all.
09:02This theory feels similar in tone to pessimism or even nihilism, while also acknowledging
09:07the potential for peace at the end of all things.
09:22Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified
09:25about our latest videos.
09:27You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
09:31If you're on your phone, make sure you go into settings and switch on your notifications.
09:37Number 1.
09:38Rebirth and reincarnation.
09:53Just as the eternal return theory espouses the potential for differing outcomes for differing
09:58deaths, so too do theories of rebirth and reincarnation offer up hope for another chance.
10:04Many Indian religions espouse beliefs in reincarnation, an experience that sees the spirit take on
10:10a new physical form after death.
10:22This cycle of death, rebirth, and reincarnation may be connected with attaining the spiritual
10:27plane of nirvana.
10:29The religion of Jainism even offers up the idea that reincarnation may not solely be
10:33limited to the human experience, but we may even return as an animal or plant.
10:38All of these scenarios, at the very least, offer up intriguing food for thought.
10:52Can you think of any theories we missed?
10:54Let us know in the comments.
10:56Check out these other clips from WatchMojo, and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell
10:59to be notified about our latest videos.
Comments