What happens after death?
Humans have been asking this question for centuries. But unfortunately, those who have the answer can’t come back and tell us. Modern science confirms death under two conditions. The first is that the dying person’s heart completely stops beating, and the second is that their brain functions irreversibly stop. Interestingly, modern science has recorded many cases in which people have died based on these two conditions but have come back to life after a short time. In fact, doctors often perform CPR on patients who are clinically dead from a heart attack, and in some cases, they are able to restart the patient’s heart and bring them back to life.
According to a report published by the European Registry of Cardiac Arrest, out of 6,414 cases in which CPR was performed, 662 clinically dead individuals were brought back to life. In the majority of these cases, survivors share out-of-body experiences, which, in scientific terms, are called near-death experiences. According to a 2017 article published by the US National Institute of Biotechnology Information, more than 9 million near-death experiences have been recorded in the US alone.
Thanks to this vast data, modern science has come much closer to answering the question of what happens after death. Among hundreds of reports of near-death experiences, some common traits include seeing flashbacks of one’s entire life at the time of death, seeing one’s body separate from oneself after death, seeing and hearing conversations and events around the body, or seeing humanoid figures.
In 2013, Dr. Sam Parnia, an associate professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, conducted a scientific study and published a groundbreaking discovery. This discovery completely changed science’s perception of death. Dr. Parnia proved with evidence that consciousness remains alive even after the body dies, and that in cases of resuscitation, consciousness exits the body and reenters it. Because of Parnia’s discovery and reports of numerous other near-death experiences, it has become impossible for science today to deny that consciousness is a separate entity from the body and that its existence continues even after the body dies.
Bhagavad Gita on the Immortality of Consciousness
This Modern Science Discovery is Explained In Hindu Scripture As: This discovery of modern science has also been confirmed by Lord Krishna in the beginning verses of the Bhagavad Gita. In the 13th verse of the second chapter of the Gita, Lord Krishna says, “Dehinosmin yatha dehe kaumaaram yavanam jara tatha dehant prapti dhira tatra na muhiti.” Just as the same consciousness continues from our child body to our young body and from our young body to our old body, similarly, after death, it continues by leaving this body and entering another body.
And further, the 17th verse states, “Avinashi tu tadviddhi yen sarvam idam tatam.” This consciousness, like energy, is indestructible. Consciousness never ends. Consciousness only changes bodies. As long as a particular body is suitable for consciousness to reside in, it remains in it, and later leaves that body and enters a new body. Of course, there are various descriptions in the Puranas that consciousness travels to Yamaloka, and from there, depending on its deeds, it is sent to upper or lower planetary systems for a specific period of time. Consciousness concludes its destined enjoyment or suffering on the upper or lower planets and enters a new body on Earth. The law regarding which species’ body consciousness will enter on Earth is explained in the eighth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita. It states, “Yama Yama Wapapis Smaraan Bhaav Yajati Anteh Kalevaram Tam Tam Tevaiti Kaunteya Sada Tadbhaav Bhavitah:
The body in the next life is in the state of the consciousness that it remembers or is in at the time of leaving its previous body. For example, if a person is conscious of the dog in his home at the time of death, then upon returning to Earth, he will receive the body of a dog in his next life. If a person loved eating meat throughout his life, and in his final days, when he couldn’t find meat, he kept thinking about it, his next body will be that of a carnivorous animal like a tiger. If a person loves swimming and his consciousness is deeply attached to swimming, his next Earth body will be that of an aquatic animal like a fish. Of course, the process of consciousness leaving one body, visiting other planets, returning to Earth, and entering a new body and being born is a scientific process that occurs in a dimension beyond our physical reach. We request the scientific community to develop instruments that can trace consciousness and its journey.
Now that such instruments are developed, even ordinary people will be able to easily understand the science of consciousness described in the Bhagavad Gita. meanville we Let’s focus on this thing of Lord Krishna Ki Antakale Cha Mamaev Smaran Muktva Kalevaram This prayati samadhabhavam yaati naast yatra sabhasah If a person dies at the time of death If he remembers Krishna then that person will enter Krishna’s eternal abode, Goloka Vrindavan, and escape the cycle of birth and death in this world. Actually, at the end of our lives, our consciousness will be able to remember Krishna only if we have been Krishna-conscious throughout our lives.
Separation of the Soul and the World of Barzakh
What happens after death In the Light of Islamic Scripture: Islamic scriptures offer a clear and structured understanding of what happens after death, beginning with the separation of the soul (ruh) from the body. The Quran states that the soul is taken by angels at the moment of death, at the command of Allah: “Allah takes the souls at the moment of their death, and those who do not die in their sleep…” (Quran 39:42). This indicates that consciousness does not simply disappear; rather, it passes from the physical world to an invisible reality. Death is not described as annihilation, but as a transition to a new phase of existence in which the soul remains conscious. The Quran repeatedly affirms that humans will be resurrected and held accountable, demonstrating that consciousness continues after physical death.
Islam further describes an intermediate state, known as Barzakh, that exists between death and the Day of Judgment. The Quran states: “Behind them is a barrier (Barzakh) until the Day they are resurrected” (Quran 23:100). In this world, the soul experiences a form of consciousness, comfort, or suffering, depending on one’s actions. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) elaborated on this state further in authentic hadiths, describing how the deceased can perceive their state, be questioned in the grave, and experience peace or punishment. This is reminiscent in some ways of modern accounts of near-death experiences (NDEs), in which people describe heightened awareness, a sense of detachment from the body, and encounters with another world although Islam emphasizes that true knowledge of the unseen comes only through divine revelation, not subjective experience.
From an Islamic perspective, near-death experiences may reflect partial glimpses of the soul’s separation process, but they do not equate to the full reality of death. The Quran reminds us: “You were lifeless, and He gave you life; then He will cause you to die, then He will bring you to life, and then you will be returned to Him” (Quran 2:28). This verse emphasizes the continuity of consciousness under Allah’s control, describing life, death, and what follows as purposeful phases rather than random events. Islam thus presents death as a transition in which consciousness continues, ultimately leading to resurrection and eternal accountability, giving deep meaning to both life and the experiences surrounding death.
Do you believe consciousness survives death? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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