The Other World: Constructions within Custom, Myth, and Religious Traditions

Abstract

Ideally, the concept of the other world is understood proportionally as part of the human system of meaning that encompasses symbolic, religious, and rational dimensions in a balanced manner. In reality, however, the other world is often positioned in extreme ways: either regarded merely as an imaginative myth or accepted dogmatically without critical reflection, resulting in ambiguity of interpretation and tension between myth, religion, and modern rationality. This study aims to examine the other world as a construction within custom, myth, and religious traditions, and to explore its implications for the formation of human values, attitudes, and behavior. This article is a library research study employing a qualitative approach. The methodology used is descriptive analytical study. The findings conclude that the other world is a multidimensional construct shaped within custom, myth, and religious traditions, functioning as a framework of meaning for understanding life, death, and the order of the cosmos. From an Islamic perspective, the other world is affirmed as a normative theological reality that shapes moral orientation and human responsibility in ethical and spiritual terms.