Is Heaven a Parallel Universe?
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VOICE OVER: Peter DeGiglio
WRITTEN BY: Aidan Johnson
What happens when we die? If Heaven exists, then is it on another dimension to Earth?
Is Heaven A Parallel Universe?
The concept of Heaven has hugely evolved over time. Of course, it has its roots in ancient religious texts and beliefs. A paradisial plane of existence, waiting for us after we die, it’s unparalleled, ethereal perfection. But, traditionally speaking, it hasn’t always tallied with a scientific worldview. For many, Heaven can’t exist and doesn’t exist. However, in more recent times, the boundaries between Heaven and Earth, between fact and fabrication, have started to blur.
This is Unveiled, and today we’re answering the extraordinary question; is Heaven a parallel universe?
Heaven and hell are the two primary realms of the afterlife in most Abrahamic religions - including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. If we do good in this life, it’s believed that our souls will enter Heaven, which is a supernatural realm containing paradise. On the other side of the coin, if we live an immoral life, our souls will burn for eternity in hell. It’s a basic premise so ingrained into the human psyche that you don’t even need to particularly identify as religious, it probably still affects your views - at some level - on life, the universe and everything.
The idea actually has its roots far further back than any of today’s leading religions, however. Those in Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, and Rome all had similar concepts of life after death. The Egyptians believed in “the Field of Reeds”, a paradise where the deceased could enjoy eternal peace… if they were deemed to have been righteous on Earth. In Greek mythology, the Elysian Fields were a similarly perfect post-life place. The basic idea of an idyllic afterlife, which came as a reward for a moral life beforehand, is a very old concept for humankind.
Science and science fiction are both newer concepts. But, arguably, they hold a greater influence on modern minds. And the science of parallel universes, in particular, has grown and grown in both significance and popularity. We now have a wealth of variously complex multiverse theories, all suggesting that there is more than just this one universe. No matter how you arrive at their existence, it’s said that parallel universes could reasonably possess entirely different laws of physics and fundamental, natural conditions. In some versions, there could be a couple of parallel worlds out there, in others there could be an infinite number of them. Currently, these aren’t theories that are widely accepted by the scientific community… but discussion around them is growing. And, in some cases, it’s blending over into Faith and religion.
The famed Many-Worlds Interpretation could reasonably be called the most influential of all parallel universe theories. Originally proposed by Hugh Everett III, in 1957, it claims that every single quantum event creates a branching point, at which reality splits into two separate universes. It’s effectively a coin toss, every single time that any individual event happens. One outcome is what could’ve been, the other is what we know does happen in this reality. Broadly, the result is a potentially infinite multiverse, where everything that can happen has happened. The major issue with the theory is that testing it directly is almost impossible. The realities that are constantly pairing off in Many Worlds never actually cross, which means there can be no evidence of any other planes of existence for anyone (or thing) belonging to this plane of existence, which is the one that we all live along.
Nevertheless, could it be argued that the general structure of a Many Worlds multiverse might offer an explanation for (or, at least, space for) Heaven as something that’s real. An especially unsettling application of Many Worlds is the idea of quantum immortality. In short, it says that, if every possible event is split into two inevitable outcomes, could that mean that death itself follows a similar pattern? And, therefore, in some realities, could it be that a dead person doesn’t die? And, if that were true, then would that dead-not-dead person have entered Heaven, from our perspective, as we continue to live along the multiversal timeline that they have passed on from? It’s considered a highly controversial and dangerous thought experiment, given that it appears to place considerably less significance on the need to stay alive in the here and now. It implies that this life isn’t all there is, which could be interpreted to mean that living this life doesn’t matter. Unsurprisingly, all physicists generally unite against this disturbing conclusion.
To some degree, the issue of quantum immortality might lend itself to the concept of Heaven but, then again, most versions of Heaven are that there is only one. There are some Heavens that are split up in various ways, perhaps tiered according to a perceived hierarchy of inhabitant… but it’s almost always the case that there is only one, single Heaven that’s out there, waiting for us. In the Many Worlds multiverse, this wouldn’t be the case, given that the model spawns countless timelines, forever. Rather than just the one, and with finality.
Ultimately, it’s the metaphysicality of Heaven that’s difficult to account for. The unrealness of something that millions of people still ardently believe to be real. It’s a place, a realm, that’s beyond the reach of physical measurement, so how could we ever know it was there? And could we ever hope to recognise it, if we did end up being somehow delivered to Heaven, at the end of our lives?
The Orchestrated Objective Reduction theory of consciousness (or, Orch OR) might offer a way out. Developed by the British physicist, Sir Roger Penrose, and the American anesthesiologist, Stuart Hameroff, it champions a view that consciousness is produced at the quantum level, and is therefore not exclusively tied to our physical brains or bodies. Hameroff, in particular, has spoken about the theory in relation to what happens after we die, suggesting that perhaps our consciousness can continue even once our bodies have failed. This is because, with Orch OR, our brains act more like an antenna through which our quantum consciousness passes, over the course of our traditional lifetimes. However, when we die, our consciousness continues, only it’s expelled back out into the wider universe.
So, is this Heaven? And, just as intriguingly, could it constitute a parallel universe? Importantly, neither Penrose nor Hameroff have claimed that Orch OR is proof of life after death. Hameroff has previously alluded to how it could explain the out-of-body hallucinations associated with near death experiences. But, Orch OR certainly never promises another world entirely. If there is truth to it, then it’s a process and reality of this reality… rather than requiring a parallel time and place to host it.
Perhaps Orch OR could also be applied to certain other inexplicable phenomena that many people have at one time felt, however. Such as the bizarre sensation of inherently knowing when somebody else is looking in your direction. Or even deja vu, where things happening in real time feel as though they must have happened before. The shared aspect between Orch OR and the Many World multiverse is the possibility for this seemingly metaphysical connection.
Neither option corresponds directly to Heaven, but there are some links to be made, between the ideas of religious Faith and the possibilities of theoretical science. Heaven can be viewed as a different place entirely to the one in which we’re all living out our days. If it were a parallel world, then it certainly isn’t one that we can just idly travel to, nor return from. And so, it has some shared qualities with what the parallel worlds in a Many Worlds multiverse should be like. Clearly, though, those similarities aren’t proof that Heaven is a parallel world.
And yet, Heaven might also be interpreted as more like a state of being. We attach a divine presence to it, and picture it as an idealized paradise. But, ultimately, it’s an image in our head, or a feeling in our soul. And the soul is what some believe might’ve been uncovered by Penrose and Hameroff, with the Orchestrated Objective Reduction theory. The suggestion that consciousness could be quantum, and that it might continue to exist after we’ve died, if it were ever proven beyond doubt then it would surely change the world. And, Heaven or not, it would trigger a seismic shift in exactly how we see and think about ourselves.
The concept of Heaven has hugely evolved over time. Of course, it has its roots in ancient religious texts and beliefs. A paradisial plane of existence, waiting for us after we die, it’s unparalleled, ethereal perfection. But, traditionally speaking, it hasn’t always tallied with a scientific worldview. For many, Heaven can’t exist and doesn’t exist. However, in more recent times, the boundaries between Heaven and Earth, between fact and fabrication, have started to blur.
This is Unveiled, and today we’re answering the extraordinary question; is Heaven a parallel universe?
Heaven and hell are the two primary realms of the afterlife in most Abrahamic religions - including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. If we do good in this life, it’s believed that our souls will enter Heaven, which is a supernatural realm containing paradise. On the other side of the coin, if we live an immoral life, our souls will burn for eternity in hell. It’s a basic premise so ingrained into the human psyche that you don’t even need to particularly identify as religious, it probably still affects your views - at some level - on life, the universe and everything.
The idea actually has its roots far further back than any of today’s leading religions, however. Those in Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, and Rome all had similar concepts of life after death. The Egyptians believed in “the Field of Reeds”, a paradise where the deceased could enjoy eternal peace… if they were deemed to have been righteous on Earth. In Greek mythology, the Elysian Fields were a similarly perfect post-life place. The basic idea of an idyllic afterlife, which came as a reward for a moral life beforehand, is a very old concept for humankind.
Science and science fiction are both newer concepts. But, arguably, they hold a greater influence on modern minds. And the science of parallel universes, in particular, has grown and grown in both significance and popularity. We now have a wealth of variously complex multiverse theories, all suggesting that there is more than just this one universe. No matter how you arrive at their existence, it’s said that parallel universes could reasonably possess entirely different laws of physics and fundamental, natural conditions. In some versions, there could be a couple of parallel worlds out there, in others there could be an infinite number of them. Currently, these aren’t theories that are widely accepted by the scientific community… but discussion around them is growing. And, in some cases, it’s blending over into Faith and religion.
The famed Many-Worlds Interpretation could reasonably be called the most influential of all parallel universe theories. Originally proposed by Hugh Everett III, in 1957, it claims that every single quantum event creates a branching point, at which reality splits into two separate universes. It’s effectively a coin toss, every single time that any individual event happens. One outcome is what could’ve been, the other is what we know does happen in this reality. Broadly, the result is a potentially infinite multiverse, where everything that can happen has happened. The major issue with the theory is that testing it directly is almost impossible. The realities that are constantly pairing off in Many Worlds never actually cross, which means there can be no evidence of any other planes of existence for anyone (or thing) belonging to this plane of existence, which is the one that we all live along.
Nevertheless, could it be argued that the general structure of a Many Worlds multiverse might offer an explanation for (or, at least, space for) Heaven as something that’s real. An especially unsettling application of Many Worlds is the idea of quantum immortality. In short, it says that, if every possible event is split into two inevitable outcomes, could that mean that death itself follows a similar pattern? And, therefore, in some realities, could it be that a dead person doesn’t die? And, if that were true, then would that dead-not-dead person have entered Heaven, from our perspective, as we continue to live along the multiversal timeline that they have passed on from? It’s considered a highly controversial and dangerous thought experiment, given that it appears to place considerably less significance on the need to stay alive in the here and now. It implies that this life isn’t all there is, which could be interpreted to mean that living this life doesn’t matter. Unsurprisingly, all physicists generally unite against this disturbing conclusion.
To some degree, the issue of quantum immortality might lend itself to the concept of Heaven but, then again, most versions of Heaven are that there is only one. There are some Heavens that are split up in various ways, perhaps tiered according to a perceived hierarchy of inhabitant… but it’s almost always the case that there is only one, single Heaven that’s out there, waiting for us. In the Many Worlds multiverse, this wouldn’t be the case, given that the model spawns countless timelines, forever. Rather than just the one, and with finality.
Ultimately, it’s the metaphysicality of Heaven that’s difficult to account for. The unrealness of something that millions of people still ardently believe to be real. It’s a place, a realm, that’s beyond the reach of physical measurement, so how could we ever know it was there? And could we ever hope to recognise it, if we did end up being somehow delivered to Heaven, at the end of our lives?
The Orchestrated Objective Reduction theory of consciousness (or, Orch OR) might offer a way out. Developed by the British physicist, Sir Roger Penrose, and the American anesthesiologist, Stuart Hameroff, it champions a view that consciousness is produced at the quantum level, and is therefore not exclusively tied to our physical brains or bodies. Hameroff, in particular, has spoken about the theory in relation to what happens after we die, suggesting that perhaps our consciousness can continue even once our bodies have failed. This is because, with Orch OR, our brains act more like an antenna through which our quantum consciousness passes, over the course of our traditional lifetimes. However, when we die, our consciousness continues, only it’s expelled back out into the wider universe.
So, is this Heaven? And, just as intriguingly, could it constitute a parallel universe? Importantly, neither Penrose nor Hameroff have claimed that Orch OR is proof of life after death. Hameroff has previously alluded to how it could explain the out-of-body hallucinations associated with near death experiences. But, Orch OR certainly never promises another world entirely. If there is truth to it, then it’s a process and reality of this reality… rather than requiring a parallel time and place to host it.
Perhaps Orch OR could also be applied to certain other inexplicable phenomena that many people have at one time felt, however. Such as the bizarre sensation of inherently knowing when somebody else is looking in your direction. Or even deja vu, where things happening in real time feel as though they must have happened before. The shared aspect between Orch OR and the Many World multiverse is the possibility for this seemingly metaphysical connection.
Neither option corresponds directly to Heaven, but there are some links to be made, between the ideas of religious Faith and the possibilities of theoretical science. Heaven can be viewed as a different place entirely to the one in which we’re all living out our days. If it were a parallel world, then it certainly isn’t one that we can just idly travel to, nor return from. And so, it has some shared qualities with what the parallel worlds in a Many Worlds multiverse should be like. Clearly, though, those similarities aren’t proof that Heaven is a parallel world.
And yet, Heaven might also be interpreted as more like a state of being. We attach a divine presence to it, and picture it as an idealized paradise. But, ultimately, it’s an image in our head, or a feeling in our soul. And the soul is what some believe might’ve been uncovered by Penrose and Hameroff, with the Orchestrated Objective Reduction theory. The suggestion that consciousness could be quantum, and that it might continue to exist after we’ve died, if it were ever proven beyond doubt then it would surely change the world. And, Heaven or not, it would trigger a seismic shift in exactly how we see and think about ourselves.
