Why do so many people believe in an afterlife?

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Right, even "Because there's nothing better to do" works here.

I think a better question would be "Is there a purpose to life?", and my answer would be "No, don't worry about it".

But you still believe in an afterlife.

the universe culminates in the experience of this moment of being alive. nothing seems to be lacking. no need for a hereafter.

I do?

That's practically what I said. Point = Purpose = Reason for being.
To which you could've simply said "I don't think there is a point/purpose (yadda yadda here)", instead of making assumptions about what I do and don't assume to be true like you did in your first statement.
You likely don't know this, but I don't like when people put words in my mouth or try to tell me what I do and don't assume, and I do speak up when people do that and those people tend to not like me nor what I have to say afterward. Now, I'm perfectly willing to have a civilized conversation with you about what beliefs I personally have (I wouldn't presume to speak for others)(because that's the point of the thread). I don't think you're consciously trying to start anything, I'm just saying.

Now, since that's out of the way:
If there is no purpose to existence (life) then why bother with it at all? And if there is no purpose in said existence, what is the point to continuing to allow it to exist? If life is meaningless then why continue with existing in said condition?

I believe that we are here to learn, and to adapt our way of thinking to prepare for what is to come in the hereafter.

So you argue as a pure hedonist?

Except the nagging inescapable feeling that there must be something more...

The obvious answer is: "Because they like the idea."

But this raises the next question: "Why do so many people believe in a terrible afterlife?"

Seriously, if I was going to believe in an afterlife in order to make me happy, it would be a much better afterlife than the standard Christian one.

Here are three ways in which my imagined afterlife would be better than the Christian afterlife:
(1.) There would be no Hell - everyone would go to the good afterlife.
(2.) There would be lots of fun activities to do, not just praising God all day.
(3.) You would be able to end your existence whenever you wanted to.

So if you don't belive in Hell, where would the evil in the world go? What about evil people? If everyone would go to the good afterlife, what's to stop people from causing havoc in an evil way there? Why would that be any different/better than earth?

Not to sound distasteful or apologetic but a few more nuts and bolts are in the story. By this narrative we were built in God's image as creators ourselves. A lot is also said about creation being God's mirror. In that sense 'praising God all day' might have a very different and perhaps far more active meaning.

I don't want to sound like I'm preaching but I want to point out the common misunderstanding of the verse where it mentions us being created in God's image. It doesn't mean he created us to look like him or to be gods or creators ourselves, it simply means that God created man as a spirit first, then gave man the physical body afterward.

I do agree about the praising God all day in the hereafter though, I think there's more to it than that lol.

what is this 'nagging inescapable feeling' but desire? the feeling of not wanting to want. let it be its own fulfillment, and find heaven here and now.

Well, if I'm mistaken I'll ask this in sincerity just to see if I can clarify what I'm missing. How would the angels classify as different from and even subordinate to us in this context? I really don't believe that we'd be full on 'gods' either, just that we might have more hands-on and direct work in processes.

It's because people want something to believe in.

The way I understand the Angels' roles, is they are more of messengers and guardians that are only sent when needed, I wouldn't say they're subordinate to us necessarily but I think what makes them different now is Adam and Eve. Before they ate of the tree of knowledge, their spirits were full and living, but once they took of the tree of knowledge the spirit that dwelled within them died (hence when God said "do not eat of the fruit of the forbidden tree or thou shalt surely die", he meant spiritually) and that's when Angels were used most on Earth because people didn't have that connection with God anymore. Then God sent Jesus to us and when Jesus died, it was so that we may be forgiven for our sins and that opened the door for us to able to be born again (allow the Holy Spirit to live within us again). So now, that communication is available to those who seek it, once again. Angels are the soldiers of Heaven, they don't live on Earth, never will. They are occasionally sent by God to help certain people, but these encounters are always brief and only at the moment of need, during which they never give their identities (in fact most cases are likely never found out for that reason and the ones that are, are mostly speculation as far as that goes), and they disappear without a trace afterward. That's mostly what makes them different imo.
I know that was long, but yeah I couldn't shave it down much lol.