60 Minutes/Vanity Fair Poll
The Afterlife
November 6-10, 2015

Which one of the following kinds of immortality would you most like to have? 1. Doing
something important that is remembered by history, 2. Creating a work of art that is admired
long after you die, 3. Actually living forever without aging, 4. Having lots of descendants, or 5.
None of them.
Americans would rather be remembered forever than live forever.
When Americans are given the chance to live forever, they don’t want to do it literally. When asked
what type of immortality they’d most like to have, the top choice was to do something important that is
remembered by history, picked by 36% of Americans. In contrast, actually living forever without aging
is a distant second, picked by just 14%. Another 9% each pick creating a work of art that is admired
long after you die and having lots of descendants. But for a sizeable minority, immortality holds little
appeal: 31% of Americans don’t want any of these.
While younger Americans want to be remembered by history, older Americans seem happy to be
forgotten. 46% of Americans under the age of 35 think it would be best to be remembered for doing
something important, but this is true of just 28% of Americans age 65 and older. Instead, 45% of
seniors don’t want any of these types of immortality.
Which Type of Immortality Would You Most Like to Have?
Total
18-34 35-44 45-54 55-64
To be remembered by history
36%
46% 43% 33% 26%
Actually living forever
14
13
13
12
17
Creating an admired work of art
9
10
7
11
10
Having lots of descendants
9
13
6
10
7
None of them
31
17
30
33
37

65+
28%
12
5
8
45
Which one of the following things would you most like to be named for you after you die? 1. A
street in the town where you grew up, 2. A grandchild, 3. A pew in your church, 4. A national
holiday, 5. A rest stop on a highway.
Americans would rather have a grandchild named after them than a national holiday.
If Americans were to be immortalized by being named after something, half would most prefer to have a
grandchild names after them (51%) - more than all the other offered choices combined - which include
a street in their hometown (15%), a pew in their church (9%), a national holiday (9%), or a rest stop on
a highway (4%). Having a grandchild named for them is the top choice of Americans of all ages.
Which Would You Like to Be Named for You After You Die?
Total
18-34 35-44 45-54 55-64
A grandchild
51%
48% 49% 57% 50%
A street in your hometown
15
21
19
11
11
A pew in your church
9
7
6
8
12
A national holiday
9
13
15
6
5
A rest stop on a highway
4
3
3
4
3
65+
51%
10
13
2
6

Which one of the following people do you think would be most surprised at how they are
remembered by later generations?
Men think Shakespeare would be most surprised at how he is remembered, women pick Marilyn
Monroe.
For those who do attain immortality through fame, it may not be how they expect to be remembered - if
they expect to be remembered at all. When asked who would be most surprised at how they are
remembered by later generations, Americans are torn between Marilyn Monroe (21%) and William
Shakespeare (21%) as their top choice – with men leaning towards Shakespeare (22%) and women
leaning towards Monroe (23%). Further down on the list are post-impressionist painter Vincent Van
Gogh (18%), Founding Father and revolutionary Samuel Adams (12%), Egyptian Queen Cleopatra
(11%), and reclusive poet Emily Dickinson (8%).
Who Would Be Most Surprised at How They Are Remembered?
Total
Men
Women
Marilyn Monroe
21%
18%
23%
William Shakespeare
21
22
20
Vincent Van Gogh
18
19
18
Samuel Adams
12
17
7
Cleopatra
11
10
11
Emily Dickinson
8
4
11

Which one of the following movies is most likely to still be a cult classic a hundred years from
now?
Many Americans think people could still be doing “The Time Warp” 100 years from now.
If Americans could guess what movie would still be considered a cult classic in 100 years, The Rocky
Horror Picture Show is the top choice, picked by 20% of Americans from a list of seven “cult” movies.
Tied for second place are Monty Python and the Holy Grail (16%) and Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction
(16%), followed by The Princess Bride (13%). In just single digits are The Big Lebowski (6%), The
Room (2%), and Pee Wee’s Big Adventure (2%). 14% volunteer that they don’t know any of these
movies.
While Rocky Horror is the top choice of older Americans – particularly between the ages of 45 and 54 –
Americans between 18-34 favor Pulp Fiction as the movie that will still stand as a cult classic 100 years
from now.
Which Movie Will Still Be a Cult Classic in 100 Years?
Total
18-34 35-44 45-54
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
20%
15% 19% 33%
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
16
14
17
15
Pulp Fiction
16
23
18
15
The Princess Bride
13
15
16
13
The Big Lebowski
6
10
2
6
The Room
2
1
3
2
Pee Wee’s Big Adventure
2
5
1
*
Don’t know any of these (vol.)
14
12
12
11
55-64
24%
19
13
11
6
2
2
11
65+
16%
15
8
9
3
4
1
25
2

Which are you better prepared for – retirement or death?
Lower income Americans are better prepared for death than retirement.
Americans are divided between death and retirement as to which they are more prepared for. 43% of
Americans say they are better prepared for death, while 41% are better prepared for retirement.
The split falls along economic lines. Among those earning under $50,000 a year, Americans are better
prepared for death (49%) than retirement (35%), while those earning $100,000 a year are better
prepared for retirement (54%) than death (32%).
Death
Retirement

Which Are You Better Prepared For?
Total
<$50K
$50K-$100K
43%
49%
42%
41
35
43
$100K+
32%
54
If you had to choose, which question would you rather know the answer to – “What happens
after you die?” or “What is the meaning of life?”
Learn the meaning of life or find out what comes after it?
Americans are also torn between wanting to know the meaning of life or finding out what happens after
you die: 45% pick the former and 48% pick the latter. This divide can be seen along most
demographic groups, though Americans who identify with a religious faith are slightly more likely to
want to know what happens after death, while those who do not identify with a religion lean slightly
towards finding out the meaning of life.
Which Would You Rather Know the Answer To?
Total
Religious
Not religious
What happens after you die?
48%
49%
46%
What is the meaning of life?
45
44
49

Do you think science could someday prove whether or not the afterlife exists, or do you think the
existence of the afterlife will always be beyond the ability of science to prove?
Most Americans doubt that science can prove whether the afterlife exists.
For those who want to know what happens after they die, Americans have little confidence that science
holds the answer. Just 30% of Americans think science could someday prove whether or not the
afterlife exists, while 67% think this will always be beyond the ability of science to prove. Both religious
and non-religious Americans are skeptical of science on this topic.
Can Science Prove Whether the Afterlife Exists?
Total
Religious
Not religious
Yes
30%
27%
36%
No
67
69
62
3

What do you think of people who have had a near death experience and report having seen
loved ones, God, or heaven? 1. Most have had a real glimpse of the afterlife, 2. Most are
delusional.
Most Americans think near death experiences can be a glimpse into the afterlife.
Most Americans think some people have seen evidence of the afterlife firsthand: those who report
having had a near death experience. 63% of Americans think most people who have had a near death
experience - and report having seen loved ones, God, or heaven - have had a real glimpse of the
afterlife, while just 27% think most are just delusional. Religious Americans (67%) are more likely than
the non-religious (52%) to think such people have really seen the afterlife, though majorities of both
groups think this is so.
Views of People Who Have Had a Near Death Experience
Total
Religious
Not religious
Most have seen the afterlife
63%
67%
52%
Most are delusional
27
24
39

Where would you send someone who is trying to find the best picture of what life after death
might look like?
Americans would go to a religious figure to find out about life after death.
If you wanted to find out what life after death might look like, most Americans (61%) would send you to
a religious figure to find out - at least before they’d send you to the movies (14%), a high school science
teacher (7%), or a New Yorker cartoon (5%). Americans who identify with a specific religion
overwhelmingly choose a religious figure to consult with on what the afterlife looks like (70%), while
Americans who are not religious are not so sure. While 33% of Americans who do not identify with a
religion would pick a religious figure, almost as many would recommend going to the movies (27%).
Where Should Someone Look for the Best Picture of
What Life After Death Looks Like?
Total
Religious
Not religious
A religious figure
61%
70%
33%
The movies
14
11
27
A high school science teacher
7
5
14
A New Yorker cartoon
5
4
10
None of these (vol.)
8
7
12
4

If you could be reincarnated after you die and have a new life as any one of the following, which
would you choose?
One in thee Americans pick to be reincarnated as a grandchild over being reincarnated as dog, a prince
or princess, or a famous recluse.
If the afterlife means being reincarnated, a third of Americans would choose being reincarnated as their
own grandchild, over a dog, royalty, or a brilliant recluse. 34% of Americans pick coming back as their
own grandchild, ahead of the second choice pick – being reincarnated as a healthy dog with loving
owners (25%) - though more Americans choose walking on four legs and living in dog years than being
reborn into royalty as a prince or princess of a small but peaceful country (20%). Just 8% of Americans
would want to be a brilliant recluse who only became famous after death.
Which Would You Choose to Be Reincarnated As?
Total
Men
Your own grandchild
34%
31%
A health dog with loving owners
25
27
A prince/princess of a small peaceful country
20
22
A brilliant recluse who becomes famous only after death
8
10

Women
36%
24
19
6
Which one of the following former public officials has had the best life after holding office? 1.
Sarah Palin as a political commentator, 2. Al Gore as a documentary filmmaker and activist, 3.
Jimmy Carter as a humanitarian, or 4. George W. Bush as a painter.
Republicans and Democrats agree – Jimmy Carter has had the best life after holding office.
When it comes to life after holding political office, Americans think Jimmy Carter has had the best
“afterlife”, at least compared to some other public officials who have retired after him. The former
president – who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian work in his post-White House
years – is chosen by 55% of Americans as having the best life after public office, and he is the top
choice of Democrats (65%), independents (52%), and even Republicans (46%).
In distant second place is another former president - George W. Bush - picked by just 18% of
Americans for his second career as a painter since leaving office in 2009. Former Vice President Al
Gore gets 11% for his work as a documentary filmmaker and activist after he lost the 2000 presidential
election to Bush, while one-time Vice Presidential candidate and former Alaskan governor Sarah Palin
is last with just 8% for her post-office career as a political commentator.
Jimmy Carter
George W. Bush
Al Gore
Sarah Palin
Who Has Had the Best Life After Holding Public Office?
Total
Republicans Democrats
Independents
55%
46%
65%
52%
18
24
9
21
11
7
15
10
8
17
4
7
5
__________________________________________________________________________________
This poll was conducted by telephone from November 6-10 among a random sample of 1,010 adults nationwide.
Data collection was conducted on behalf of CBS News by SSRS of Media, PA. Phone numbers were dialed from
samples of both standard land-line and cell phones.
The poll employed a random digit dial methodology. For the landline sample, a respondent was randomly
selected from all adults in the household. For the cell sample, interviews were conducted with the person who
answered the phone.
Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish using live interviewers. The data have been weighted to
reflect U.S. Census figures on demographic variables.
The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus four percentage points.
The error for subgroups may be higher and is available by request. The margin of error includes the effects of
standard weighting procedures which enlarge sampling error slightly.
This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.
6
60 Minutes/Vanity Fair Poll
The Afterlife
November 6-10, 2015
VF-01. Which one of the following kinds of immortality would you most like to have?
Doing something important that is remembered by history
Actually living forever without aging
Creating a work of art that is admired long after you die
Having lots of descendants
None of them
Don’t Know/Refused
*********** TOTAL RESPONDENTS **********
************** Age **************
Total
18-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+
%
%
%
%
%
%
36
46
43
33
26
28
14
13
13
12
17
12
9
10
7
11
10
5
9
13
6
10
7
8
31
17
30
33
37
45
2
2
2
2
3
2
VF-02. Which one of the following things would you most like to be named for you after you die?
A grandchild
A street in the town where you grew up
A pew in your church
A national holiday
A rest stop on a highway
None of these (vol.)
Don’t Know/Refused
51
15
9
9
4
11
1
48
21
7
13
3
6
1
49
19
6
15
3
6
2
57
11
8
6
4
11
2
50
11
12
5
3
19
*
51
10
13
2
6
17
3
*Less than 0.5%
VF-03. Which one of the following people do you think would be most surprised at how they are remembered by later generations?
Marilyn Monroe
William Shakespeare
Vincent Van Gogh
Samuel Adams
Cleopatra
Emily Dickinson
Don’t Know/Refused
Total
%
21
21
18
12
11
8
9
Men
%
18
22
19
17
10
4
9
Women
%
23
20
18
7
11
11
9
VF-04. Which one of the following movies is most likely to still be a cult classic a hundred years from now?
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Pulp Fiction
The Princess Bride
The Big Lebowski
The Room
Pee Wee’s Big Adventure
Not familiar with any of these movies (vol.)
Don’t Know/Refused
Total
%
20
16
16
13
6
2
2
14
9
************** Age **************
18-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+
%
%
%
%
%
15
19
33
24
16
14
17
15
19
15
23
18
15
13
8
15
16
13
11
9
10
2
6
6
3
1
3
2
2
4
5
1
*
2
1
12
12
11
11
25
3
13
4
11
19
VF-05. Which are you better prepared for – retirement or death?
Death
Retirement
Both Equally (vol.)
Neither (vol.)
Don’t Know/Refused
******** TOTAL RESPONDENTS *******
********** Income **********
Total
<$50K $50K-$100K
$100K+
%
%
%
%
43
49
42
32
41
35
43
54
5
4
6
5
10
10
8
9
1
2
1
*
*Less than 0.5%
VF-06. If you had to choose, which question would you rather know the answer to?
What happens after you die?
What is the meaning of life?
Don’t Know/Refused
Total
%
48
45
7
Religious
%
49
44
7
Not religious
%
46
49
5
VF-07. Do you think science could someday prove whether or not the afterlife exists, or do you think the existence of the afterlife
will always be beyond the ability of science to prove?
Yes, science can prove afterlife
No, science cannot prove afterlife
Don’t Know/Refused
30
67
4
27
69
4
36
62
1
VF-08. What do you think of people who have had a near death experience and report having seen loved ones, God, or Heaven?
Most have had a real glimpse of the afterlife
Most are delusional
Depends (vol.)
Don’t Know/Refused
63
27
2
8
67
24
2
7
52
39
2
7
VF-09. Where would you send someone who is trying to find the best picture of what life after death might look like?
A New Yorker cartoon
A religious figure
A high school science teacher
The movies
None of these (vol.)
Don’t Know/Refused
5
61
7
14
8
4
4
70
5
11
7
3
10
33
14
27
12
4
VF-10. If you could be reincarnated after you die and have a new life as any one of the following, which would you choose?
Your own grandchild
A healthy dog with loving owners
A prince or princess of a small peaceful country
A brilliant recluse who becomes famous only after death
Don’t Know/Refused
Total
%
34
25
20
8
13
Men
%
31
27
22
10
11
Women
%
36
24
19
6
15
8
VF-11. Which one of the following former public officials has had the best life after holding office?
Jimmy Carter as a humanitarian
George W. Bush as a painter
Al Gore as a documentary filmmaker and activist
Sarah Palin as a political commentator
Don’t Know/Refused
Total respondents:
*** TOTAL RESPONDENTS ***
***** Party ID *****
Total
Reps
Dems Inds
%
%
%
%
55
46
65
52
18
24
9
21
11
7
15
10
8
17
4
7
8
6
7
10
1,010
9