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Death stands as the ultimate enigma. Throughout history, guidebooks have been crafted in an attempt to demystify it. These works share striking similarities across different periods and cultures, often describing divine judgment, rivers to cross, and monstrous creatures to evade on the path to paradise.
No one has yet crossed to the other side and returned. This implies that these books are, in fact, guidebooks for the living—offering us insights into our inner selves and serving as poignant reminders of our own mortality.
10. Orphic Gold Tablets
A golden tablet, shrouded in mystery, was discovered folded among the ashes of the deceased in a bronze urn excavated in Thessaly. The ancient Greek inscription on it identified the item as a totenpasse—a passport for the departed.
Dating from around 300 to 350 BC, the tablet contained detailed instructions on how to quench the deceased's immense thirst. Some springs erased memories, while others offered sustenance. The tablet also outlined a set of prescribed answers to appease the afterlife's judges.
Similar passports for the dead have been uncovered throughout the ancient Greek world. Long referred to as “Orphic,” after the religion surrounding Orpheus—who ventured into the underworld to reclaim his love—many scholars now argue that these artifacts represent various mystery schools rather than one unified tradition.
9. Bardo Thodol
The Tibetan Book of the Dead, also known as Bardo Thodol, is a guide to the afterlife and the cycle of reincarnation. Originating in the eighth century, its original title was The Great Liberating through Hearing in the Intermediate Stages.
This text outlines the journey after death, as the departed travel toward either reincarnation or buddhahood. They are confronted by frightening ghosts, demons, and spirits. The key to survival is to remain fearless, for without their physical form, the deceased are impervious to these creatures. As they navigate this spiritual maze, they must be careful not to let their souls escape through the body’s lower openings.
Carl Jung found great interest in the work, interpreting the demons of the afterlife as symbolic representations of the human psyche. The text has had a lasting impact, particularly on the beat, hippie, and psychedelic movements. Death remains a constant, and the book’s relevance continues to thrive.
8. Ars Moriendi
The Ars moriendi (“The Art of Dying”) comprises two connected texts from the mid-15th century. During a time when Europe was ravaged by the Black Plague and war, death was omnipresent, and people sought comfort. The original “long version” was created in 1415 by an anonymous Dominican friar.
In 1450, the “short version” was released, distinguished by its woodblock prints. The first depicted the Devil tempting the deceased, while the second provided guidance on resisting this temptation.
The prints featured striking imagery that was easily understood by all. This was one of the earliest books produced using movable type. With 100 editions before 1500, Ars moriendi became incredibly popular. The central metaphor of Ars moriendi is that the afterlife is a maze of temptation.
7. The Book Of Arda Viraf
This sacred Zoroastrian text is often referred to as the “Iranian Divine Comedy.” It narrates the journey of Arda Viraf as he ventures into the underworld. According to legend, Arda Viraf consumed wine and henbane to induce a trance, allowing his soul to leave his body and travel to the other side.
After seven days, his soul returned to his body. He transcribed his visions, which later became known as the Arda Viraf Namag, or The Book of Arda Viraf. The exact date of the work remains uncertain, but it was likely finalized sometime between the 9th and 10th centuries.
The deceased arrive at the Chinvat Bridge, where they receive judgment. If their good deeds outweigh the bad, a beautiful woman escorts them to paradise. If their wicked deeds prevail, the bridge narrows until a vile hag casts them into Hell.
6. Popol Vuh
The Popol Vuh is regarded as the Mayan bible. Originally a Mayan codex, it was translated into Spanish in 1550. The narrative follows twin brothers Hunahpu and Xbalanque as they venture into the underworld, where they deceive the lords of death into granting them a return. Their journey offers a vivid map of Xibalba, the Mayan underworld.
For the Maya, the ultimate goal of the deceased was to reach paradise, yet Xibalba was a treacherous place filled with terrifying man-eating deities, eternal darkness, and rivers of blood and pus. The twins learned that paradise lay beyond Xibalba, down nine layers to the middle world, and then through 13 more levels.
A select group of Maya were exempt from these trials: fallen warriors, women who died in childbirth, suicide victims, and those defeated in the deadly ball game pok-a-tok.
5. Amitabha Sutra
The Amitabha Sutra is a key text in Pure Land Buddhism, a branch of Mahayana Buddhism that enjoys widespread popularity in East Asia, though it originally emerged from the Indian subcontinent. This teaching spread to China via the Silk Road, where ideas were often deemed more valuable than the goods carried along the trade route.
The Amitabha Sutra focuses on the afterlife, providing a vivid depiction of the Western Paradise, or Sukhavati. It is customary for members of the Pure Land sect to chant this sutra for the dying, offering both comfort and practical guidance. The aim is to help individuals overcome their natural fear of the unknown and embrace death with peace.
4. Holy Dying
Published in 1651, Holy Dying is the second volume in a two-part series that represents the pinnacle of the literary movement that began with Ars moriendi. Its counterpart, Holy Living, guided believers on how to live a righteous life, while Holy Dying prepared them for what lies beyond.
The author, Jeremy Taylor, has been called the “Shakespeare and Spenser of the pulpit.” The vivid metaphors and poetic elegance in Holy Dying distinguish it as a masterpiece. Many considered it to be one of the crowning achievements of Stuart-era literature.
Jeremy Taylor served as a cleric in the Church of England during Oliver Cromwell’s reign. He even spent some time in prison due to his royalist sympathies. His work emerged as a ray of light in a time marked by death and turmoil.
3. Book Of The Dead
For the ancient Egyptians, the Book of the Dead was a collection of incantations designed to guide the deceased through the afterlife. They believed the journey was fraught with dangers, including man-eating beasts and trials. This sacred text even offers precise instructions for overcoming the challenges posed by the underworld’s guardians.
The Book of the Dead originates from the New Kingdom, roughly between 1500 BC and AD 100. Many of its spells trace back to the earlier Pyramid Texts and Coffin Texts. The Pyramid Texts, which are from the Old Kingdom, were reserved solely for royals, while the Coffin Texts, engraved on coffins from the Middle Kingdom, were used for both kings and commoners.
The Book of the Dead consists of several hundred papyrus scrolls, with the Greenfield papyrus being the longest. Stretching 27 meters (90 feet), it wasn’t publicly displayed until 2010. Many of the original papyri are so delicate that they would deteriorate within months of exposure.
2. Heaven And Hell
Emanuel Swedenborg, often called the 'Swedish da Vinci,' made significant contributions across science, philosophy, and religion. Born in Sweden in 1681, his pioneering studies on trance states and dream analysis came over a century before Freud’s work on the subject.
Much of Swedenborg’s life was dedicated to researching other dimensions accessed through altered states of consciousness. His findings culminated in the publication of his book Heaven and Hell.
This posthumous guide delves into the angels, demons, and spirits one may meet in the afterlife. It also contemplates philosophical questions like 'are non-Christians allowed into Heaven?' Swedenborg further presents a clear formula for those destined for Heaven and another for those headed to Hell.
Swedenborg's conclusions, based on trance-induced visions, are often questioned. Nonetheless, his remarkable prediction of his own death’s exact date and time suggests there may be valuable insights from this intellectual titan.
1. Florentine Codex
The Florentine Codex is a 16th-century study of Aztec culture. Taking decades to complete, this monumental work was created by Franciscan friar Bernardino de Sahagun, who is often regarded as 'the first anthropologist.' However, Sahagun’s aim was not to preserve Aztec culture but to evangelize them.
Book Three of the Florentine Codex details the journey after death. For the Aztecs, one’s fate in the afterlife was determined not by how they lived, but by their social standing and the manner of their death.
Those who passed due to old age or illness journeyed to Mictlan, a dark and dangerous underworld. Mictlan was an inhospitable realm, populated by man-eating creatures, perilous terrain, and violent storms.
Another realm was Tlalocan, a paradise of eternal spring and abundance. Reserved for those who died from lightning, drowning, or certain diseases, this was a peaceful afterlife. Even more exalted was the paradise beyond, reserved for sacrificial victims and fallen warriors.
