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Perspectives on Death: K. Ortiz/April 2010

Perspectives on Death: K. Ortiz/April 2010. Death In General. Everything dies Death comes with life; just as life comes with death (can’t have one without the other) Many try to give death a face Evil; Satan Skeleton with scythe and bony hand Ghost. Death In General.

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Perspectives on Death: K. Ortiz/April 2010

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  1. Perspectives on Death:K. Ortiz/April 2010

  2. Death In General • Everything dies • Death comes with life; just as life comes with death (can’t have one without the other) • Many try to give death a face • Evil; Satan • Skeleton with scythe and bony hand • Ghost

  3. Death In General • Many tend to be afraid of death, or attach some sort of mystery to the concept, but do not deny it. • “Death is the great equalizer” – popular phrase • The concept of death leads many to question morals.

  4. The Fear of Death • As there are more vaccinations and even cures for life-threatening epidemics, the fear of death is changing. • All cultures, even those of the past, look at death as a defining moment in life. • Many associate death with a bad act: • Frightening happening • Retribution • Punishment

  5. The Fear of Death • People can fear their own death. • People can fear the death of another. • Understanding where the fear comes from can help to make clear the death rituals and customs of other cultures.

  6. The Fear of Death • Ancient Hebrews – dead person is unclean; not to be touched • American Indian – worried about evil spirits; shot arrows into the air to ward off evil spirits. Consider how this may have translated to the shooting of guns as a salute. • Early cultures – Used tombstones as a way to keep bad spirits deep in the ground.

  7. Effect of Religion on View of Death • Belief in God has lead to a belief in the hereafter. • People will be relieved of suffering and pain by dying. • There’s reward in going to heaven. The suffering is in living.

  8. American Death Customs and Perspectives • Richly Christian influence. • Must prepare children for dealing with death through literature. • Americans are very “hush hush” about death. • Being “laid to rest.” The dead rest in the burial place. RIP • As a result of the advances in science, many people die at hospitals; not in the home.

  9. American Death Customs and Perspectives • Tradition in disposal of the body – custom casket with lavish funeral. • Grief therapy for the living. • Buy back guilt of the death of a loved one by paying for the best funeral. • Make-up used to make dead seem more life-like. • Quoted from National Funeral Service Journal, found in Mitford’s The American Way of Death: “The focus of the buyer’s interest must be the casket, vault, clothing, funeral cars, etc. – the tangible evidence of how much has been invested in the funeral – the only real status symbol associated with a funeral service.”

  10. Tibetan Buddhist Perspective on Death • Being aware of death allows for perspective or awareness. • Enlightenment will allow one to transcend death. • There are moments all around us at all times that remind us of the idea of death. • Preparations for death must occur during life. Reflecting on death should be a part of everyday reflections and meditation. • Dreams – the moment when we fall asleep is reflective of the moment of death.

  11. Tibetan Buddhist Perspective on Death • Rebirth • Not every rebirth will be human. Human rebirths are considered rare. • According to John Powers, author of Introduction ot Tibetan Buddhism, quoted on pbs.org, “Humans are uniquely situated in cyclic existence: we are intelligent enough to recognize the problems and sufferings of cyclic existence (unlike lower types of beings such as animals)…”

  12. Egyptian Life/Death Beliefs and Rituals • Egyptians were obsessed with death. • Rituals for funeral ceremonies were an important part of death practices. • Embalmment/mummification/body preservation • Special burials • Corpse dismemberment • Belief in life after death. • God of the Dead - Osiris

  13. Egyptian Life/Death Beliefs and Rituals • While death rituals were significant to their culture, life was a major focus. • Life was more desirable. • Man consisted of an immortal soul – ka • One’s personality is born out of the chaos of the world. • Believe in the god, Khnum, a ram-headed god, who creates humans from clay.

  14. Final Thoughts • The beliefs on about death and dying are different from… • person to person • family to family • culture to culture • religious creed to religious creed.

  15. Works Cited Kubler-Ross, Elisabeth. New York: Macmillan, 1969. Print. Langone, John. Boston: Little Brown and Company, 1972. Print. Leca, Ange-Pierre. London: Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data, 1980. Print. Mitford, Jessica. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1963. Print.

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