The dead are those who have died, as opposed to those who are still living (commonly referred to as "the living.") It may refer to the deceased from an incident such as a war, or a group of people, or more be used more generally for all those who have died. People of many cultures and religions believe the dead have an enduring afterlife, while others may respect the memory of the dead without supernatural beliefs.
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Mythology and folklore
In many cultures, mythology and folklore, undead creatures inhabit the realm of the dead, which is located either under the earth, or in a far away, unknown or parallel world, often guided there by a psychopomp. Death itself may also be seen as personified entity, also belonging to the realm of the dead. The dead may be depicted as corporeal, having an animated physical body that is otherwise biologically deceased such as that of ghouls and zombies; or as spiritual entities without a tangible form such as ghosts and spectres. In some folklore, under special circumstances, living people may also visit the realm of the dead, without themselves dying.
Trivia
- In the United States, according to a 2006 poll, 19.9% of people agree (or strongly agree) it is possible to communicate with the dead. The percentage goes up to 29.2% in the eastern states; and is about twice as high for females (27.2%) as males (14.0%).[1]
In culture and religion
- Tibetan Book of the Dead
- Day of the Dead (Mexico and elsewhere)
- Resurrection of the dead
References
- ^ Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion - American Piety in the 21st Century – September 2006. [1]
