About the book: 1980 / Belief in the posthumous existence of the human soul, hope for afterlife reward for the hardships of earthly life, fear of the torment of hell are inherent in the religious consciousness of Buddhists , both Christians and Muslims. But how did these ideas arise, what real social and psychological function do they perform? The book by V. E. Chertikhin, candidate of philosophical sciences, contains a large amount of ethnographic and historical material that will allow the reader to trace the long history of the formation of ideas about heaven and hell in various religions, learn about the role they have played for thousands of years in the spiritual intoxication of the masses. The publication is intended for a wide range of readers.