Throughout human history people have pondered whether death ends their existence or is the gateway to an afterlife. In recent decades millions around the world have reported near-death or out-of-body experiences. The world’s major religions teach various conceptions of an afterlife that include reincarnation, bodily resurrection and the immortality of the soul.
The John Templeton Foundation recently awarded a three-year, $5 million grant to John Martin Fischer, a professor of philosophy at the University of California, Riverside, to study a wide range of issues related to the afterlife and immortality. The grant will enable Fischer and a team of eminent scientists, philosophers, and theologians to rigorously examine global reports about near-death experiences and how belief in an afterlife influences human behavior. The Immortality Project promises to be the most comprehensive study of the afterlife ever conducted. Its findings will be reviewed by respected leaders in their fields and published in academic and popular journals. When the project is finished, Fischer plans to publish a book tentatively titled, “Immortality and the Meaning of Death.”
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