The world of the "afterlife" that hasn't changed from the past to the present【What’s Happiness Science】

Jan. 31, 2026（Last Update: June 13, 2026）

The existence of the afterlife hidden in various spiritual experiences

【 Ghost 】💬When I woke up, there was a person sitting next to me, facing away. When I looked again, it was indeed the spirit of a woman in white clothing.（60s・Male）

【 Sleep Paralysis 】💬At night, as I was falling asleep, I suddenly felt something touching my body, and I couldn't move at all.（20s・Male）

【 Nightmare 】💬I often have nightmares before I get sick. Recently, I dreamed of a massive outbreak of insects in my room, and afterward, I had a fever.（30s・Female）

【 Poltergeist 】💬One night, I was very scared because I kept hearing knocking sounds from a corner of the room where no one else was present.（40s・Female）

"I was tormented by nightmares," "I suddenly experienced sleep paralysis in the middle of the night," "I heard footsteps coming from an empty room"...

Perhaps you have also experienced or heard such things at least once.

Happiness Science's President, Ryuho Okawa, reveals the truth of spiritual experiences in various spiritual messages and in the new book 'Challenge to the Immortal' open_in_new. In this article, we will introduce the truth of the spiritual world based on 'Challenge to the Immortal'.

※ This article isMonthly "What's Happiness Science" No.198 (January 2026) open_in_newreprinted and edited from

Within your heart lies an "infinite value."

In the more than 30,000 days of life given to you, what will you achieve,
and what "treasures in your heart" will you find?
Polish your beautiful heart and become a light to the world.

＞Purchase at Happiness Science Publishing open_in_new

The truth of the afterlife revealed by Happiness Science

Please believe that there is an "afterlife world," that "the essence of humanity is the soul," and that "this world is a place for training" (omitted) and that "how you live in this world determines the afterlife world."

（経典『不滅なるものへの挑戦』より）

There are various religions in the world, but why do they speak of heaven, hell, and spirits, even though the times and regions differ?

It is because the afterlife world is not just a tale from the past, but continues to exist unchanged even now.

President Ryuho Okawa introduces the "basic principles of the afterlife world" as taught in the scriptures such as 'Challenge to the Immortal'.

Truth of the afterlife 〈1〉 After death, one receives judgment in the afterlife based on their thoughts and actions during their lifetime

After death, a person crosses the River Sanzu and goes to the afterlife's Yama (King of Hell) office.

There, the King of Hell is present, and all the person's thoughts and actions during their lifetime are reflected in a mirror, determining whether they go to heaven or hell. Even what is thought in the heart is judged.

Truth of the afterlife 〈2〉 Structure of the spiritual world in the afterlife

President Ryuho Okawa reveals through various spiritual research that the afterlife world is divided into various levels based on the state of the mind.

Those who have lived with a pure heart and love go to a higher dimension, while those who are self-centered and harm others go to hell, which is part of the fourth dimension.

※ This world is close to the hell realm, making it easy to be influenced by evil spirits that have fallen into hell.

"My Near-Death Experience"It really happened! The world of the afterlife

Experiences of seeing the afterlife have been reported from all over the world. This time, we will introduce the near-death experience of Mr. K from Aomori Prefecture.

Miraculous survival from the River Sanzu! "The afterlife was a beautiful world"

Mr. K (Aomori Prefecture, 75 years old)

Out-of-body experience during surgery

This was eight years ago. At that time, I was 67 years old and suddenly felt a severe pain in my heart, so I underwent an examination. I was diagnosed with "acute aortic dissection" and had to undergo surgery.

After losing consciousness due to anesthesia, my entire body was enveloped in a warm sensation. When I realized it, I was floating in the air, having left my physical body.

Below me, I could see doctors and nurses in white surgical gowns surrounding my body lying on the operating table. Strangely, a golden light like sand gold was overflowing from my chest area, illuminating the entire operating room. Furthermore, the renowned surgeon had large white wings growing from his back, and the nurses had small wings that fluttered around.

(Is this a near-death experience...?)　

Even while witnessing such spiritual scenes, I felt no fear. This was because I had become a believer in Happiness Science a few years ago and knew that "the essence of humanity is the soul, living in this world in a physical body."

A mysterious experience on the River Sanzu

After a while, the scenery suddenly changed, and I found myself standing in a spacious meadow, blown by a pleasant breeze.

(Oh, where on earth is this place?)

On the opposite bank, I could see a flower field blooming with colorful and beautiful flowers, and a series of mountains stretching in layers. In front of me flowed a vast river that was more than a hundred meters wide.

(Could this be the River Sanzu?)

It was very bright, with soft sunlight that felt pleasant, filling me with a sense of peace I had never felt before. Strangely, as soon as I thought, "I want to go to that flower field," I was instantly "teleported" to that place.

(I had learned that "the spiritual world is a world of thoughts," but it really is true!)

I was captivated by a beautiful world that seemed impossible in this life, wandering around the riverbank. However, I did not encounter a single person no matter where I went. It is often said that "those who have passed away come to greet you at the Sanzu River," but there was no one.

(The scenery is beautiful, but it's lonely.)

At that moment, I suddenly felt a sensation of being pulled back, and my consciousness rapidly faded away.

The conviction that "the afterlife exists"

The next time I regained consciousness, I was on a bed in the intensive care unit. My heart had stopped once during the surgery, and I received electric shocks multiple times before coming back to life.

After that, without any pain, I was able to be discharged safely the following month and return to work.

Having actually caught a glimpse of the afterlife, I became convinced that "the afterlife exists 100%" and my gratitude for being alive, supported by deities, deepened. I want to convey to many people that for those who live honestly, the afterlife is not scary at all, but a happy world.

[ Column ] Sanzu River

After death, a person embarks on a journey to the afterlife within forty-nine days, and the first destination is the "Sanzu River." Once you cross this Sanzu River, you can no longer return to the earthly realm. When crossing the Sanzu River, depending on the person's way of life in their previous life, a bridge may appear allowing them to cross, or they may walk on water, or even struggle to cross while drowning.

【三途の川の渡り方】生前の行いによって渡り方が変わるって本当？ chevron_right

By living in faith, you can return to heaven.

What I truly want to convey to everyone is that there is both this world and the afterlife, and that a person's way of living in this world becomes their "report card" that connects directly to their life in the afterlife (omitted). If I can teach that everything is connected and that nothing is wasted, I believe that everyone will change the way they live.

（経典『不滅なるものへの挑戦』より）

In "Challenging the Immortal," written by Ryuho Okawa, not only is the world of the afterlife discussed, but also the way of living that allows one to return to heaven without confusion after death. I will introduce part of the "correct way of living to return to heaven" as taught in this book.

Conditions for returning to heaven (1) Have faith.

When it comes to "faith," some may have doubts, but to return to heaven, the condition is to first have a "heart of faith" that believes in deities. This is because all humans are beings created by the Buddha.

Believing in the existence of deities and the afterlife daily and living with a heart of gratitude is the first step to avoid getting lost in this world or falling into hell after death.

Conditions for returning to heaven (2) Reflect on your self-centered heart.

In this world, it is easy to live in a way that benefits oneself. However, if you only think about yourself and blame others or the environment, your heart becomes clouded, leading to a connection with hell.

To prevent this, it is important to have the habit of reflecting on your heart in light of the teachings of deities. By daily removing the clouds from your heart and polishing it clean, you can get closer to a heavenly heart.

Conditions for returning to heaven (3) Live with a heart of love and blessing.

As children of the Buddha, humans possess the qualities of the Buddha, such as love, effort, and a heart of blessing.

The reason humans are born in this world is to polish their respective Buddha-nature and to cooperate with each other as children of the same Buddha to make this earth a utopia. Living with a heart of love that wants to make others happy and having a heart that blesses those who are successful opens the path to heaven.

The appeal of "Challenging the Immortal"

I will introduce three appeals of "Challenging the Immortal," which discusses universal truths for humanity.

(1) You can understand the path to escape from unhappiness and attain happiness.

Discover the wrong tendencies of the heart that invite unhappiness and learn the secrets to becoming happy. You will understand the "correct way of being" as a human.

(2) Knowing the afterlife changes your life.

By knowing the spiritual truth that "the afterlife exists," you can understand the relationship between this world and the afterlife, allowing you to live a life that won't cause trouble after death.

(3) A message from the Lord God that transforms crisis into hope.

Guidance is revealed from the Lord El Cantare, who created humanity, to help humanity overcome unprecedented crises and open a hopeful future.

＼ Recommended scriptures ／

Volume 3 of the Law Series "Eternal Law"
This is a mysterious book that reveals everything about the "spiritual world" for the first time.

＞Purchase at Happiness Science Publishing open_in_new

The world of the "afterlife" that has not changed from the past to the present - Special feature on "Challenging the Immortal" (1) [Monthly "What's Happy Science" January 2026 issue]

◆ The existence of the afterlife hidden in various spiritual experiences
◆ The truth of the afterlife revealed in Happy Science
◆ Truly happened! The world of the afterlife "My Near-Death Experience"
◆ By living in faith, you can return to heaven.

> Read the web version of the booklet open_in_new

This article isReprinted and edited from Monthly "What's Happy Science" open_in_newNo.198 (January 2026 issue)