In February 2025, as war continued in Israel, 2,912 adults answered a question about what might remain of them after death: would other people remember them? A study led by researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem found that people who felt more certain they would be remembered also tended to report better mental health and fewer problematic addictive behaviors.
The researchers, Dr. Uri Lifshin and Professor Mario Mikulincer, studied what psychologists call “symbolic immortality.” It does not mean living forever or believing in an afterlife. It means feeling that some part of your life will continue through relationships, achievements, identity or a legacy. The findings, published in the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, suggest that this sense of lasting connection may matter for well-being.
Participants who reported a stronger sense of symbolic immortality also tended to have higher self-esteem, more social support, a greater sense of meaning in life and more secure relationships. They reported fewer symptoms of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress, along with fewer sleep problems and less difficulty managing emotions.
The pattern also appeared across a wide range of behaviors. A stronger belief that others would remember them was linked with lower levels of problematic alcohol, cannabis and prescription drug use. It was also linked with fewer problems involving gambling, gaming, pornography, compulsive sexual behavior, social media and internet use. The researchers described the connections as generally modest to small, but said they were consistent across many measures.
The survey was designed to broadly reflect Israel’s adult Jewish population by gender, age, religious observance and place of residence. Researchers asked participants whether they thought people would remember them after they died, including through their accomplishments or legacy. Participants also answered questions about mental health, substance use, behavioral addictions, relationships and personal meaning.
The team separated symbolic immortality from belief in an afterlife. The two ideas were related, but belief in an afterlife was more closely tied to religiosity and belief in God, and it was not consistently linked to better mental health. Symbolic immortality remained associated with the outcomes even after the researchers accounted for afterlife beliefs and several demographic factors.
The results do not prove that feeling remembered improves mental health. The link could run in the other direction: depression or other difficulties might make it harder to feel connected, purposeful or sure that one’s life will leave a mark. The study also took place in Israel during wartime, so findings may not apply in the same way elsewhere. Research that follows people over time, or tests ways to strengthen a sense of purpose and connection, could help clarify what is driving the pattern.
For now, the study points to a hopeful possibility: feeling that life matters to other people may go hand in hand with better well-being. That sense of continuity can come from ordinary sources—relationships, community, identity and things people create or pass on. The researchers say more work is needed to understand whether it plays a direct role, but the findings highlight how closely mental health may be tied to meaning and connection.