What is heaven and what might it be like? Heaven is often associated with the life hereafter. In chapter 1 of this book, the author attempts to explain why every major religion and every significant culture in human history has had some notion of heaven or “paradise.” Different names are used: nirvana, Elysium, Valhalla, Utopia, Shangri-La, etc. Why do different people have such different ideas about heaven? The author reflects on the paradise that has been lost by man. Death, the afterlife and the phenomenon of near-death experiences are also investigated.