Why do people think their spirit goes immediately to heaven when they die?

Answer 1

Its because such religious teachings all share one basic idea and that is that some part of us survives the death of the physical body. And of course according to almost every religion, past and present, we somehow live on forever with the ability to see, hear, and think. Yet, how can that even be? You see, our senses, along with out thoughts, are all linked to the workings of our brain. And most importantly, at death, the brain stops working. Our memories,our feeling and senses do not continue to function independently in some mysterious way. They do not survive the destruction of our brain. Even The Bible share that thought, just read Ecclesiastes 9:5.

Answer 2

Most Christians understand the soul as a spiritual reality distinct from the human body but integrally connected with it. They believe that when people die, their souls will be judged by God, who will determine if they spend eternity in heaven or hell. Part of the popular understanding about death is the hope and expectation that the deceased is now "up there." This means that rewards in heaven are immediate or at least soon available, not something for the distant future. Otherwise, we can not have the comfort of believing that the departed are in paradise
Equally, most Christians believe that everyone will be raised from the dead at some future time and made to answer for their conduct in this life. Here, the assumption is not only that people will live again in bodily form but that they will in some sense have the same body as they had before.
In between those two positions is one where the soul is dormant until some time vaguely in the future, when body and soul are reunited in heaven. For many of us, death comes when the body has degenerated and could be racked with pain. Is this the same body we will have for eternity, or will we get a new body? If we get a new and more perfect body, how old will it appear to others, and will our grandmothers and our grandchildren recognise us?

Because we know nothing about heaven, even whether it actually exists, theories abound as to when we go there, and in what form. For believers, going to heaven is as good a theology as any other and at least it offers the most comfort.

For more information, please visit: http://christianity.answers.com/beliefs/what-awaits-us-after-death

Answer 3

Belief in the immediate ascent of the spirit to heaven upon death is often based on religious teachings, such as those in Christianity, Islam, or Judaism, where it is specified in their respective scriptures. This belief provides comfort and hope to individuals, assuring them of a positive afterlife.