Shakespeare described death as 'the undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveller returns'. There are those who would argue that people have returned from 'the undiscovered country'. Discuss the evidence put forward as proof that there is life after

People who have a problem with Shakespeare’s description of death as ‘the undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveller returns’ may challenge it in a dualist approach. Some dualists who believe in concepts such as reincarnation would definitely argue against it. Reincarnation as a form of life after death is caused by the transmigration of souls from that of a dying body to a new one. The soul will then lead a different life in the new body with no knowledgeable memories of the past life on earth, the memories are either non-existent or are deeply buried in the subconscious. This approach would mean it is possible for the soul to return from the undiscovered country but not the body.  This view of life after death is followed by Hindus and Buddhists who both believe that Karma influences their next life .The approaches of the two religions however differ as Hinduism’s emphasis is on the development through the cycle of life, death and rebirth to be reunited with Brahman.

Many different ways have been used to try and provide evidence for life after death, one such way is regression. This method is concerned with the idea of reincarnation, that people have had earlier lives. It is based on the belief there are memories of past lives in the subconscious. It is believed these memories can be accessed though hypnosis or sometimes without, in the case of children who claim to have memories of earlier lives. The descriptions and memories in both ways have been investigated and found to be accurate accounts of people and places partly confirmed by historical records. There are many questions as to whether this proves the existence of earlier lives however as it is argued that the individual claiming to have the memories may simply be remembering information they have heard in childhood and attributing it to a past life. Moreover the person could have psychological problems which they manifest as an earlier life. There is also the problem that people may be susceptible to impression while under hypnosis and not actually be giving a real account but are instead being lead down a path by the person leading the regression. These problems with regression make it a lot less significant as proof for life after death than it fist seems.

Another type of evidence for life after death comes in the form of near-death experiences. Due to new technological advances more people are now being pronounced clinically dead and then being resuscitated.

Dr Moody believed when this happens it is possible to have a near-death experience, and that such an experience proves the existence of a soul that can exist without the body. He argues that the accounts of the near-death experiences are so similar it has to be more than just a coincidence. Similarities between cases include the person having a feeling of being outside of the body so they can see the body and the events that are taking place. Another similarity is the feeling of having unrestricted movement and the absence of any physical pain in a heighten sense of reality. It can therefore be argued that this experience is a glimpse of what I yet to come thus proving the concept of life after death. Many people will however dismiss this as proof of a life after death as the similarities are very much the same as the type of experiences of life after death portrayed in films. They would therefore argue it is possible that people have imagined these types of things that happening to them in a space of time they cannot remember. The so called experience is therefore not actually and experience at all.

Overall it would therefore seem that although there are many ways in which life after death is trying to be proven no of them actually can provide any real proof. Further more the criticism against them make them even less credible. It would therefore seem that death is ‘the undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveller returns’ as Shakespeare described it as although the concepts of regression and near death experiences make it seem possible that someone could return in some form there is no actual concrete proof.