History Main / TheLifestream

** The concept returns in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' in a very similar manner to its original appearance in ‘’VII,’’ even sharing the same name. The Lifestream serves as a massive reservoir of aether, the setting’s source of magic, consciousness, souls, and indeed all matter, giving it the alternate title of the Aetherial Sea. It can even be used [[FunctionalMagic as a transportation system]] through the use of the aethernet, a network of aether crystals that act as targeting beacons for the Teleport spell.
*** Another older spell called Flow can be used more quickly and without the aid of the aethernet, but [[TeleporterAccident is considerably less reliable]] and is considered [[DangerousForbiddenTechnique too dangerous to be used outside of extreme emergencies]] thanks to the various ways it can mess things up. Such mishaps can include spitting the user out hundreds of miles from their destination, taking a very long time to resolve, or even leaving them trapped in the Stream indefinitely. Those last two are particularly troublesome as, also like in ‘’VII’’, overexposure can be damaging to individuals who still possess a corporeal body. [[spoiler: This is shown rather dramatically in the aftermath of 2.55, when Y’shtola is forced to use it in a last-ditch attempt to escape from the Brass Blades and both she and Thancred sustain significant injuries as a result of entrapment and overexposure, respectively.]]

** The concept returns in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'', and the "aethernet" is the technique of using a network of crystals to hitch a ride in the stream and pop back up at your destination intact. There are a couple cases of people travelling the Lifestream without the aid of those crystal entrance/exits [[spoiler:(Y'shtola and Thancred)]] by use of a forbidden spell called Flow. In both cases, long-term exposure had lasting effects. [[spoiler:Y'shtola, who couldn't even escape the stream without outside help, wound up blind and now resorts to "seeing" the aether around her with her own life force. Thancred's personal aether was disrupted to the point that he can no longer use magicks, meaning he couldn't just teleport back home when he popped back into the world.]]

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[[folder:Live Action TV]]

[[folder: Religion & Mythology]]

* In ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'', this is ''kind of'' what the [[spoiler:Eldian "paths" are]]. It's a place where [[spoiler:the Eldian ancestor Ymir Fritz is trapped and made to create and recreate titan bodies out of the earth around her. Once she completes a titan body, it's presumably sent back to "reality". The only people capable of accessing the paths are Eldians who are titan shifters (such as Eren), and they forget about this dimension, along with Ymir Fritz, when they're revived... except those of royal blood. Zeke maintains memories of his human body being moulded by Ymir, and states that it felt like he was there for many years]]. It turns out that [[[spoiler:Eren's goal]] is to [[spoiler:rescue Ymir from her eternal prison and thus make it impossible for any more titans to be created]].

* ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'': Creation always have the number of souls necessary to animate living beings in it, since the Ewer of Soul always provide exactly that much. The problem that Autochthon --a machine-god who is also a self-contained world-- face in his self-imposed exile is that he need to eat souls (to put it simply), and he's dying because he can't get fresh ones.
** Note that there's no Lifestream in a traditional sense; souls normally reincarnate, thus they enter Creation but doesn't leave it. The only way souls meet FinalDeath is by falling into Oblivion. The Neverborn want to [[OmnicidalManiac toss everything, themselves included]], into Oblivion.

A specific form of the afterlife, a nexus where [[OurSoulsAreDifferent souls/hearts/spirits]] go to die, and sometimes where they come from. This is sometimes implied to be a physical place, or maybe in another dimension. In Western media, has parallels to Eastern religion aside from occasional [[CrystalDragonJesus artsy substitutions]], and a very good way to refer to the concept of life and death when a series may not allow you do to so without offending {{Media Watchdog}}s by portraying {{Heaven}}. Naturally very common in anime.

* In ''Film/{{Avatar}}'', the spirits of the departed live on inside Eiwa -- and their memories are accessible if you plug your ponytail into a tree.

* The computer system that runs the Afterlife in Paul Robinson's ''InstrumentOfGod''.

* ''VideoGame/BioShock2'': [[spoiler: ADAM has become a variant. Once a human Splices with it, their genetic blueprint, personality, memories, and powers are imprinted in the substance contained in their bodies. [[KnightTemplar Sophia Lamb]] wishes to fuse her daughter with the aggregate genius of Rapture to make her the first "[[AGodAmI Utopian]]".]]

* In some versions of Buddhism, souls go to the "Bardo" for a time-out between incarnations. Several interludes in ''The Years of Rice and Salt,'' an alternate-history novel by Kim Stanely Robinson, are set in the Bardo. The Chinese "Di Yu," or "Earth Prison," is similar to the Bardo although it is usually translated as "Hell" and there is some tormenting of sinners in the lower levels.

* The Akasha from the {{Franchise/Nasuverse}} is the place where souls of the deceased are recycled to create new souls. However, it is also described as "the root of everything", as the concept of time does not apply; if a conscious being somehow manages to enter, it is basically TheNothingAfterDeath. Akasha is also where [[VisualNovel/FateStayNight the magi]] strive to reach, as "connecting" with Akasha allows the use of True Magic, which are miracles beyond the scope of current science or magecraft, such as [[{{Tsukihime}} Zelretch's]] alternate dimension travel.

* The [=AllSpark=] in the ''{{Transformers}}'' series. At least, as far as the Anime/UnicronTrilogy is concerned. In ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' and ''WesternAnimation/BeastMachines,'' it was interchangeably called the Matrix (which is ''also'' the name of a MacGuffin that isn't really related to it.)
** The name is changed to "The Well of All Sparks" in ''TransformersAnimated'', mostly because in this one the Allspark is an actual, physical item. This may or may not go for the movieverse as well.
** Annoyingly, the name changes as the concept stays the same. But for all Transformerdom, this trope is the best way to describe it. All Sparks come from a source when they're incarnated and return to this source when they terminate, taking with it its knowledge and experiences to share with and improve the whole. "Where all are one," as Rhinox put it. You can ''sometimes'' communicate with it.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime'', the Well of All Sparks is the soul of Primus, the creator of the Transformers. Every Spark is born from him and returns to him after death. [[spoiler:Transformers corrupted by Primus' ancient foe Unicron, like Megatron, are unable to return to it.]]

* The Akasha from the {{Nasuverse}} is the place where souls of the deceased are recycled to create new souls. However, it is also described as "the root of everything", as the concept of time does not apply; if a conscious being somehow manages to enter, it is basically TheNothingAfterDeath. Akasha is also where [[VisualNovel/FateStayNight the magi]] strive to reach, as "connecting" with Akasha allows the use of True Magic, which are miracles beyond the scope of current science or magecraft, such as [[{{Tsukihime}} Zelretch's]] alternate dimension travel.

-->-- '''The Promised Land''', ''Anime/FinalFantasyVIIAdventChildren''

* The Speed Force in Franchise/TheDCU is sometimes portrayed like this. In essence, it acts as the Valhalla for all speedsters who use it directly when they die. It's not completely certain why this happened but it's believed that when [[Franchise/TheFlash Barry Allen]] was hit by the lightning bolt that gave him his powers that it simultaneously made him the first user of the Speed Force and sending the Speed Force throughout time and the multiverse. Since Barry is the first person to have the Speed Force every step he takes causes the Speed Force to grow making it it's own dimension.

* The Keywork in [[CoheedAndCambria The Amory Wars]] is a subversion: the souls are tortured and used as a fuel source for the entire galaxy. In fact, [[spoiler:there is an entire race, called Stars, who were created just for there to be more souls to burn.]]

* [[ComicBookTropes Comic book]] example: The Speed Force in TheDCU is sometimes portrayed like this.
** In essence the Speed Force acts as the Valhalla for all speedsters who use it directly when they die. It's not completely certain why this happened but it's believed that when [[TheFlash Barry Allen]] was hit by the lightning bolt that gave him his powers that it simultaneously made him the first user of the Speed Force and sending the Speed Force throughout time and the multiverse. Since Barry is the first person to have the Speed Force every step he takes causes the Speed Force to grow making it it's own dimension.

** The concept returns in Final Fantasy XIV, and the "aethernet" is the technique of using a network of crystals to hitch a ride in the stream and pop back up at your destination intact. There are a couple cases of people travelling the Lifestream without the aid of those crystal entrance/exits [[spoiler:(Y'shtola and Thancred)]] by use of a forbidden spell called Flow. In both cases, long-term exposure had lasting effects. [[spoiler:Y'shtola, who couldn't even escape the stream without outside help, wound up blind and now resorts to "seeing" the aether around her with her own life force. Thancred's personal aether was disrupted to the point that he can no longer use magicks, meaning he couldn't just teleport back home when he popped back into the world.]]

* There was an issue of ''{{Stormwatch}}'' (''ComicBook/TheAuthority'''s predecessor) where it was revealed that Heaven and Hell were cosmic siege engines locked in an endless war, powered by the souls of the dead. There was a bar next to a nuclear testing range with a wall of photos of physicists who'd ended their lives at ground zero of a nuclear blast to deny either side their soul.

** Said bar was also visited a few times in {{Planetary}}