Upon the death of the body, the soul is freed from its ties with the physical body and the surrounding physical world, and begins its journey through the spiritual world. Baha'i followers understand the spiritual world to be a timeless, placeless extension of our own universe, and not a physically remote or removed place. The deceased should not be embalmed, unless it is required by state law' Beyond this, the exact nature of afterlife remains a mystery. While the Baha'i faith is relatively free of teachings regarding the actual rituals of funerals, it does advise that the deceased should not be embalmed, unless it is required by state law. Also, the deceased should be buried within one hour's travel time from the place of death since the Baha'i faith teaches that we are all world citizens and should not be attached to any particular geographical site.
Many native peoples believe that death is the beginning of a journey into the next world.
Since one's spirit often needs help to make this journey, strict rules may govern the behaviour of the living relatives of the deceased so as to ensure the departed a good start in their journey to the other world. Some Potawatomi, for instance, continue their ancient tradition of setting a place for the spirit of the deceased person at a funeral feast, in order for the spirit of the deceased to be able to partake of the spirit food. Among the Yuchi, who are politically recognised as part of the Creek Nation of Oklahoma and number less than one thousand, Christian burial customs are occasionally interwoven with Yuchi traditions. These may include placing personal items such as a hunting rifle, a blanket and some tobacco in an adult male's coffin before interment. This reflects the Yuchi belief that one's needs in the afterlife is not significantly different from those in our present life.