I was reading an interesting article on MSNBC. Maria Shriver had interviewed, on The Today Show, a woman who claim to have died, passed into the afterlife, and came back to life. She described her experience in the afterlife.

The article made me think about my own beliefs about the afterlife. My husband will emphatically tell you that he does not believe in an afterlife, “Once you’re gone, you are gone.”

For me, it’s not that simple. Our views concerning the afterlife are often shaped by religion, personal experiences, or the losses we’ve endured.  Some people believe the afterlife is a place we go, others think it’s a state of energy, and some, like my husband,  don’t believe it exists at all.

When someone we love dies, I think the question of what comes next can feel less philosophical and more urgent. I remember when my brother unexpectedly passed away a few years ago, in my grief, I wondered about the possibility of an afterlife increasingly more. When there is a special event in my family, such as the recent birth of a new grandchild, I wonder if my brother and parents are watching.

Do you believe there is an afterlife, and if so, what do you think it looks like?