Even in modern secular societies, belief in an afterlife persists. Why?

Even in modern secular societies, there’s a persistent belief that death may not be the end of something resembling a conscious human experience. So what has kept the idea of an ‘afterlife’ churning throughout human history? Featuring insights from the frontiers of evolutionary psychology, philosophy and a healthy dose of gallows humour, this short from BBC Reel sets out to understand why, starting from a young age, we seem to be so eager to project consciousness beyond its apparent end. Further, the video investigates whether the contemporary notion that we could potentially upload our ‘selves’ to become immortal is based on science or is just another expression of our seemingly immortal desire to outlive death.