Perhaps, these are manifested through the believer's imagination...so, those 72 virgins aren't "real" as in spirits of women whose afterlife is to be one of Dick's virgins for him after death. Perhaps, it's simply a projection of the believer...kind of like being in a dream. It looks real. It feels real...and for all intents and purposes, it tastes real...but, it's virtual...which doesn't make it any less "real" for the one experiencing it...it's "real" for him, exclusively...Nisaba's post resonated with me. It brought to mind, "Inner Christianity - A Guide to the Esoteric Tradition", by Richard Smoley. There's a section where he explains that very thing - how you get exactly what you believe (deep down in the bones), not necessarily what you wish for...because what you wish for and what you actually believe are not the same.
< starts believing in 'Amazon heaven' >
But seriously, such 'mental throwups' are illusions that have been imprinted on the screen of the mind ... especially so, if that screen ( point of view) changes little.
Many practices teach about this (and the 2nd death or 'astral death' that follows) . Especially in practices that teach a bit more of a complex idea about the death process, like some branches of Buddhism. That is why they say to ignore all the 'clamour' ; beautiful or horrific and ...
'move towards the light ' - any image but pure light is considered part of ' the illusion' .
This could be relevant :
" There is little danger that any student, however idle or stupid, will fail to get some result; but there is great danger that he will be led astray, obsessed and overwhelmed by his results, even though it be by those which it is necessary that he should attain. Too often, moreover, he mistaketh the first resting-place for the goal, and taketh off his armour as if he were a victor ere the fight is well begun." - Liber O.
