Heaven

Dante and Beatrice gaze upon the highest heavens; from Gustave Doré 's illustrations to the Divine Comedy . In religion , Heaven is the English name for a transcendental realm in which it is believed that people who have died continue to exist in an afterlife . The term "heaven" may refer to the physical heavens, the sky or the seemingly endless expanse of the universe beyond, the traditional literal meaning of the term in English. The term in English has also typically been used to refer to the plane of existence of an afterlife (often held to exist in another realm ) in various religions and spiritual philosophies , often described as the holiest possible place, accessible by people according to various standards of divinity , goodness , piety , faith or other virtues .

Dante and Beatrice gaze upon the highest heavens; from Gustave Doré 's illustrations to the Divine Comedy . Heaven , the heavens or seven heavens , is a common religious, cosmological , or transcendent place where heavenly beings such as gods , angels , jinn , saints , or venerated ancestors originate, are enthroned , or live. It is commonly believed that heavenly beings can descend to earth or incarnate and that earthly beings can ascend to Heaven in the afterlife or in exceptional cases, enter Heaven alive . Heaven is often described as a "higher place", the holiest place, a Paradise , in contrast to Hell or the Underworld or the "low places", and universally or conditionally accessible by earthly beings according to various standards of divinity , goodness , piety , faith , or other virtues or right beliefs or simply the will of God . Some believe in the possibility of a Heaven on Earth in a World to Come . Another belief is in an axis mundi or world tree which connects the heavens, the terrestrial world, and the underworld . In Indian religions , Heaven is considered as Svarga loka , and the soul is again subjected to rebirth in different living forms according to its karma . This cycle can be broken after a soul achieves Moksha or Nirvana . Any place of existence, either of humans, souls or deities, outside the tangible world (Heaven, Hell, or other) is referred to as otherworld .

Place where beings such as gods, angels, spirits, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or live. Dante and Beatrice gaze upon the highest heavens; from Gustave Doré 's illustrations to the Divine Comedy . Heaven , or the heavens , is a common religious cosmological or transcendent supernatural place where beings such as gods , angels , spirits , saints , or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned , or live. According to the beliefs of some religions, heavenly beings can descend to Earth or incarnate and earthly beings can ascend to Heaven in the afterlife or, in exceptional cases, enter Heaven alive . Heaven is often described as a "highest place", the holiest place, a Paradise , in contrast to hell or the Underworld or the "low places" and universally or conditionally accessible by earthly beings according to various standards of divinity , goodness , piety , faith , or other virtues or right beliefs or simply divine will . Some believe in the possibility of a heaven on Earth in a world to come . Another belief is in an axis mundi or world tree which connects the heavens, the terrestrial world, and the underworld . In Indian religions , heaven is considered as Svarga loka , and the soul is again subjected to rebirth in different living forms according to its karma . This cycle can be broken after a soul achieves Moksha or Nirvana . Any place of existence, either of humans, souls or deities, outside the tangible world (Heaven, Hell, or other) is referred to as the otherworld .

Supernatural place where gods, angels, or ancestors reside This article is about the divine abode in various religious traditions. Dante and Beatrice gaze upon the highest heavens; from Gustave Doré 's illustrations to the Divine Comedy . Heaven , or the heavens , is a common religious cosmological or transcendent supernatural place where beings such as deities , angels , souls , saints , or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned , or reside. According to the beliefs of some religions, heavenly beings can descend to Earth or incarnate and earthly beings can ascend to Heaven in the afterlife or, in exceptional cases, enter Heaven without dying . Heaven is often described as a "highest place", the holiest place, a Paradise , in contrast to hell or the Underworld or the "low places" and universally or conditionally accessible by earthly beings according to various standards of divinity , goodness , piety , faith , or other virtues or right beliefs or simply divine will . Some believe in the possibility of a heaven on Earth in a world to come . Another belief is in an axis mundi or world tree which connects the heavens, the terrestrial world, and the underworld . In Indian religions , heaven is considered as Svargaloka , and the soul is again subjected to rebirth in different living forms according to its karma . This cycle can be broken after a soul achieves Moksha or Nirvana . Any place of existence, either of humans, souls or deities, outside the tangible world (Heaven, Hell, or other) is referred to as the otherworld . At least in the Abrahamic faiths of Christianity , Islam , and some schools of Judaism , as well as Zoroastrianism , heaven is the realm of afterlife where good actions in the previous life are rewarded for eternity ( hell being the place where bad behavior is punished).

Supernatural place This article is about the divine abode in various religious traditions. ( Learn how and when to remove this message ) Dante and Beatrice gaze upon the highest heaven; from Gustave Doré 's illustrations to the Divine Comedy . Heaven , or the Heavens , is a common religious cosmological or supernatural place where beings such as deities , angels , souls , saints , or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned , or reside. According to the beliefs of some religions, heavenly beings can descend to Earth or incarnate and earthly beings can ascend to Heaven in the afterlife or, in exceptional cases, enter Heaven without dying . Heaven is often described as a "highest place", the holiest place, a paradise , in contrast to Hell or the Underworld or the "low places" and universally or conditionally accessible by earthly beings according to various standards of divinity , goodness , piety , faith , or other virtues or right beliefs or simply divine will . Some believe in the possibility of a heaven on Earth in a world to come . Another belief is in an axis mundi or world tree which connects the heavens, the terrestrial world, and the underworld. In Indian religions , heaven is considered as Svargaloka , and the soul is again subjected to rebirth in different living forms according to its karma . This cycle can be broken after a soul achieves Moksha or Nirvana . Any place of existence, either of humans, souls or deities, outside the tangible world (Heaven, Hell, or other) is referred to as the otherworld . In the Abrahamic faiths of Christianity , Islam , and some schools of Judaism , as well as Zoroastrianism , heaven is the realm of afterlife where good actions in the previous life are rewarded for eternity (Hell being the place where bad behavior is punished).