Most religions throughout history have held a similar view, that the soul is of a different nature to the body, inhabiting it like a genie in a bottle. Until the 19th century, almost every culture in human history took for granted that the essence of human identity was non-physical and would survive the death of the body. Many religions envisage the afterlife as a paradise where the soul attains the fulfilment and happiness that eludes us during our physical lives. This may partly explain why the concept of the soul developed, or at least became prevalent.