Cognition, Culture and Consumption in the Afterlife

Consumer behavior theory is grounded in the here and now, yet consumers may be influenced by beliefs concerning the hereafter. How might our theories be altered, if consumer projections of the world-to-come could be factored in? The present study examines the beliefs consumers have about possessions and behaviors available in the afterlife. Using depth interviews with a diverse set of persons, we investigate the possibility that conceptions of heaven may be structured according to earthly cultural patterns, including those concerning the marketing system. We find that both cognitive and cultural patterns relevant to current consumption practices are projected into narratives of the afterlife and that these may be usefully employed by theorists.