The Tibetan Book of the Dead in VR

AfterDeath

An ancient Tibetan Thangka depicting the Lord of Death consuming the six realms of physical existence.

(click to enlarge)

AfterDeath is an attempt to bring the experiences described in the Bardo Thodol - the Tibetan Book Of The Dead - to virtual reality, and to translate the Tibetan Buddhist experience of death in a way that can be experienced by those still part of this mortal coil.

Ultimately, we hope to bring the entire Bardo Thodol to VR - an ambitious undetaking, as there many phases of the unique"Bardos", that are said will be experienced by one's human consciousness upon the death of the physical body and the transition of that consciousness to another form.

1 - THE BARDO OF DYING

AfterDeath is proud to announce our upcoming release on Steam of AfterDeath Part 1: The Bardo of Dying, developed in Unreal Engine!

In this, the first of the Bardos, consciousness leaves the physical body in stages, as you experience powerful, overwhelming elemental visions transitioning into the realms of pure awareness.

For more info, check it out on our SteamVR page!

2 - THE BARDO OF LUMINOSITY

Pure awareness, manifested as infinite luminosity, is the initial state that our consciousness is said to experience after death. The universe is filled with radiant displays of deep and subtle light, accompanied by primal sounds of thunder, wind, rushing water, and fire.

We're hoping to one day bring the Bardo of Luminosity into being in VR! If you're interested in development on this project, click here.

3 - THE BARDO OF BECOMING

This Bardo consists of several stages, including the appearance of gods and demons, a ghostly journey across desolate plains and rugged mountains, and a terrifying confrontation with the Lord of Death, who measures out your sins and merits and decrees your ultimate fate.

We have a partial demo of The Bardo Of Becoming, coded as an initial pilot for AfterDeath in 2018! This version is not yet complete, but it still tested well in our screenings. If you're interested, you can try it here.

4 - THE SIX REALMS

Finally, you are reborn into one of six realms, ranging from a god-like existence of pure pleasure to the burning torments of hell - or, for exceptionally pure souls, one of four Purelands of non-corporal existence.

Each of these will be a separate "game" experience, in which selfless acts of courage and empathy can "respawn" your subsequent rebirths in a higher form.

We're hoping to one day bring the Six Realms into being as a project! If you're interested in development on this project, click here.

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