Abstract

Terror management theory (TMT) posits that people cope with mortality concerns
via symbolic immortality (e.g., secular cultural beliefs that outlast death) and/or
literal immortality (afterlife belief). However, what happens when these two forms
of immortality conflict, as in atheism? Would atheists’ mortality concerns be better
assuaged by affirming an afterlife, or by affirming their literal immortality-denying
worldview? Drawing on an untested TMT hypothesis, we predicted that atheists would
be buffered from mortality concerns if their atheistic worldview – no life after death –
was challenged, but not if it was supported. Results confirmed the hypothesis and were
also found for theists and agnostics. These findings support TMT’s claim that literal
immortality is of paramount importance in ameliorating death concerns.