Liberation (moksha) is generally believed to be a state available after death, when one is not alive. The perception around this is flawed. Since no one knows what happens after death, how can liberation be experienced after death? Liberation has to be experienced before death. If liberation is felt and experienced while one is alive, then one is guaranteed of liberation after death too.
It is to be understood that whatever is our state while we are alive, whatever conditions we impose on the mind while we are alive and whatever impressions we imprint on the mind would be carried after death too as post-death state is a continuation of the same life force which we are in while being alive.
As death is only of the physical body and not of the soul, it continues to remain alive based on its conditions, impressions and feelings even after our death. Here comes the concept of heaven and hell. The soul experiences good states or tragic states depending on what its nature was while it was “alive” with the body. Again, most people have this notion that heaven and hell are two physical places where the physical body stays after death.
Going to these places depends on the good or sinful deeds that one does while being alive. Heaven and hell are not physical locations — they are mental states which the mind goes through depending on the good or sinful thoughts/vibrations that it emanates while in the physical body.
So if you feel bound and conditioned to the world, to people and to situations while you are alive, then you will remain so even after death. But if you feel liberated from all these bondages, then you will continue to remain liberated even after death.
This liberation is experienced when you feel you are not the physical body nor the mind, senses nor intellect, wisdom nor ego of individual existence identified with some name or a form, but you identify yourself with formless divine self (also called pure consciousness, atman, brahman, etc.).
Remaining identified with this self or atman while being alive and witnessing the activities of body, mind, ego and intellect without attributing their actions to yourself, you are considered to be in a liberated state.
This state of liberation will continue even after the death of the physical body and you will remain eternally established in the bliss of the supreme, witnessing the universe and its activities without getting attached or engrossed in its functioning or activities. This is the real state of liberation, moksha.
