Throughout time and history many people have viewed the event of death and what supposedly happens after death differently. Everyone seems to have an opinion on the subject, although of course it's never been proven what happens after death. The living have only their thoughts and beliefs to comfort them when thinking about death and dying. Here are some different perspectives on death that people have thought throughout the ages and currently in our world culture:

• Reincarnation: Some believe that the soul is reincarnated several times over and over again and that you are to learn from each experience on Earth to gain a higher understanding before you can stop being reincarnated and achieve a higher state of being. Some people have claimed to remember things from past lives or claimed to have been someone else before in a past life.
• Becoming a spirit/ghost: Some people say that ghost's and spirits exist and that many times it is people who are dead that are sticking around haunting places or areas. Many have claimed to see ghosts and even taken pictures or recordings of them. Many people believe there is a spirit world or spirit dimension that we cannot see. Some believe your spirit remains here on Earth after you die.
• Going somewhere like Heaven or Hell: Some religions believe you go to a heaven or a hell, either one created by a God and a Devil or perhaps your own version of a heaven or a hell and this is where you spend eternity or all time.
• Being with a God: Some religions think that after you die you are taken by a God and will spend all time with this God.
• The soul awakens at death: Some believe that your soul awakens upon death and you become more self aware. You are reborn and go on to a greater realm that you couldn't achieve in your human state.
• Being judged by a God: Some religions believe that you are to be judged after death by someone or something, including some kind of a God. This God passes judgement on you one way or another and determines your fate.
• Near death experiences: Many people who have had near death experiences report similar stories of  seeing a bright white light and going towards this light. Some report actually seeing other people or beings, sometimes family members or friends are there. Some have even reported talking to the people and being led or told to go back away from the light and it's not their time yet. It is very creepy how many people claim to have similar or the same experience when being brought back from death or near death.
• Becoming light itself: Along with some people claiming to have seen bright lights when experiencing near death, some claim that you actually transform into a higher being and are surrounded by or become light.
• Going to another dimension/state of being: Some think that we will pass over into another dimension or perhaps another state of being on a higher level or plane perhaps. This perspective contains that we will continue to exist in some form, just no longer in this dimension or perhaps even this universe.
• Nothingness: Perhaps the most depressing or saddest perspective, but one that many people entertain and accept is the idea that you will basically cease to exist at all upon death. Your body and soul or spirit are both dead upon death. Some think that this physical life is all there is and there is nothing else to it. Their perspective is that we live and we die and that's it, there's nothing more special or profound to it.