Human Persons are Oriented Toward Their Impending Death

HUMAN PERSONS ARE ORIENTED TOWARD THEIR IMPENDING DEATH Death • Is the end of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. • In medical terms, the death of the human being is associated with “brain death” or the ceasing of all brain functions. • The causes of death include aging, disease, and fatal injury. • death is considered to be a natural occurrence, and as a person advance in age, the certainty of death is seen in the gradual decline of the human body. This process is called aging or senescence. • One view considers aging as being brought about by gradual mutations and defects in the genes as the body ages, leading to damage and loss of tissue in aging people. • Another view considers aging as a product of evolution. All the characteristics that enabled humans to successfully adapt, particularly the capacity for reproduction early in life, were gained at a cost; the consequence of our evolutionary advantage is aging. • Another evolutionary theory on aging and death suggests that limited lifespans offer greater opportunities for diversity within a species, thus ensuring variation within the gene pool and long-term survival of the entire human species. • In other disciplines, the definition of death is not merely confined to physical death. Philosophy, psychology, and the other social sciences consider death as an experience which involves not only the deceased individual but also other people and the community. • In psychology, the experience of death is often associated with negative emotions such as grief, anxiety, anger, and fear. The death of a loved one is a powerful emotional experience that often leads to stress and depression. Various individuals cope with the experience of death in different ways, and adequate emotional support is required for persons to overcome it. On the other hand, death can also be an opportunity for people to recall and memorialize the life and achievements of a loved one. • Cultures have varied ideas, values, and beliefs regarding death, and these are reflected in traditions, funerary practices, religion, and philosophy. Beliefs regarding death often include a belief in the persistence of the human soul or spirit, and the existence of an afterlife where the souls of the dead reside. Other beliefs related to death include reincarnation, the belief that a person's spirit begins a new life in another body; and eternal oblivion, the belief that the person's consciousness is completely erased upon death. • How people deal with death is often influenced by culture. heath is a life event which is surrounded by the most ceremony and symbolism in many cultures. This may be because death is often a powerful event that causes deep emotions among people. The traditions and rituals surrounding bereavement, burial, and remembrance of the deceased are seen as a means by which people make sense of the loss of a loved one. Communities and societies also assign a great significance to death, as evidenced by various celebrations and commemorations across cultures such as All Souls Day, the Chinese Ghost Festival, and the Mexican Day of the Dead. • In Philippine society, death is considered an experience that involves not only the family but also the community. The wake is often an opportunity for immediate and extended family members, friends, and acquaintances of the deceased, and other members of the community to come together in memory of the deceased. Voluntary contributions for the family of the deceased (abuloy) are collected to help defray the costs of the funeral and other needs. The funeral procession is also an important practice and members of the community who witness this are expected to adopt a respectful and somber attitude as the procession passes. Various beliefs and superstitions surround every activity related to death from the period of mourning until burial. • Filipinos also hold their departed loved ones in high regard and treat their memory with respect, and the deceased are continually remembered through death anniversaries, occasional visits to the cemetery, and religious observances. These events and practices provide opportunities for people to remember their deceased loved ones and to ponder on the reality of death in their lives. How does the prospect of death give significance to our lives? Philosophers have long pondered death and what lies beyond it. Though death is an inevitable phenomenon in life, philosophers have 'observed that people often treat the subject with dread. Most human actions are seen as being intended to delay or even deny the prospect of death. As a result, several philosophical views have arisen regarding the best attitude or perspective regarding death, and how to deal with the reality of death in our lives A major question that philosophers consider when discussing death is what happens to the person when he dies. The dualist perspective believes that the mind or spirit, being incorporeal, persists after the body's demise. The complete annihilation of the body, therefore, does not mean that the person no longer exists because his spirit endures after death. This thinking gives rise to the idea of an afterlife, where it is believed that the spirit of the dead survives and continues to persist. Various religions and cultures believe in different forms of an afterlife - the ancient Greeks imagined an underworld (Hades) where the dead are rewarded or punished for their actions in life; certain Hindu sects believe that the dead go to one of many paradises or hells; while Christianity believes that the righteous enter Heaven while sinners go to Hell. A controversial topic related to the belief in the existence of the afterlife is the phenomenon known as 'near death experience." People who were close to death reported experiences of an afterlife. These experiences often include the person having an -out-ofbody experience,' where the person views his or her body or the events surrounding his or her apparent death from a distance. Other experiences related to the phenomenon include passing through a tunnel toward intense light, meeting the spirits of other departed people, and revisiting life's events. Skeptics contend that near death experiences are not supernatural phenomena and have a biological basis, as the visions and experiences result from oxygen deprivation and other related brain activities caused by traumatic injury or grave illness. The opposite view to the belief in the afterlife is eternal oblivion, or the belief that death totally extinguishes the consciousness of the person. This perspective denies the existence of a noncorporeal, immortal aspect in man, and considers death as the end of a person's existence. Various ancient philosophers such as Socrates, Cicero, and Lucretius have entertained the notion of eternal oblivion, while a number of modern beliefs, such as skepticism and atheism, consider this as a feature of human existence. Apart from the debate regarding the afterlife, philosophers have also focused on the significance of the inevitability of death in shaping the course of human life. Philosophers define man's awareness of the inevitability of death as mortality salience. For philosophers, contemplating mortality and death often leads to feelings of terror or anxiety. However, learning to face and accept the reality of death can lead man to embrace life more fully and have a more meaningful existence. Philosophers have advocated acceptance to address feelings of dread or anxiety regarding death. Whether there is an afterlife or oblivion, the possibility of death should not be feared—since it means that the person is finally free from misery. One significant view on death and how it defines human life is that of Martin Heidegger. He believes that man is a being oriented towards death (being-toward-death), and that human existence is fundamentally defined by the awareness of one's impending death. Death is considered by Heidegger as the fulfillment of existence, and the acceptance of one's mortality bring about a sense of freedom in a person. • Ludwig Wittgenstein echoes Heidegger's views on the acceptance of death. However, he believes that death is a phenomenon that is outside of human experience—in essence, we do not live to experience death. A person cannot hope to achieve immortality but he or she can achieve a certain degree of timelessness if he or she learns to live in the present. • Karl Jaspers considers death as the most significant limit situation," and that one should have the capacity to alter his or her perspectives and ideas to be able to live with the fact that he or she is destined to die. The acceptance of death will lead a person to live an authentic life, 'without postponement or self-deception," and will give rise to positive values and emotions such as courage, serenity, patience, dignity, and acceptance. • The psychologist Erik Erikson defines death as an important aspect in the development of man. In the later stages of life, man undergoes a challenge of balancing his life between ego integrity and despair. Ego integrity refers to a person achieving his or her life's purpose or having come to terms with his or her life. However, if a person views his or her life as a failure or his or her life's experiences as generally unsatisfactory, he or she may be prone to feelings of despair. The successful maintenance of a balanced and productive life as one ages will result to wisdom which is defined by Erikson as a view of life undaunted by death. Death also serves as a Motivation for people to think of how they can best live a meaningful life. Many people strive to leave behind a legacy either in the form of an inheritance, a reputation, or a significant achievement. Others strive to achieve certain goals within their lifetime in a desire to live a life without regret. How can faith help us understand death? The Christian perspective considers death in the context of man's spiritual nature. Death entails the destruction of the physical body, as man is created from dust and in death, he returns to dust (Genesis 3:19). However, man's spirit goes on to live in eternity. Man's spirituality, therefore, defines his existence as it is the person's ultimate destiny to live on in eternity as a spirit united with God. The theistic view defines the meaning of human life as part of a larger plan devised by God. Within God's plan all things in existence have their purpose or value. The ultimate purpose of the person is to know God and to be perfectly united with Him. Death is but a part of God's plan, and the Bible speaks of the inevitability of death as being bound with the promise of salvation. The Scriptures assert that “it is appointed to men to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Jesus Christ Himself gives the promise that those who believe in Him and live by God's commandments shall be rewarded with eternal life. The Gospel of John proclaims the promise of Christ: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die” (John 11:25-26). The belief in eternal life and salvation transcends human wisdom and rationality. What lies beyond death is salvation and eternal happiness with our Maker, and it is through faith and repentance that one is led to the acceptance of the truth of our ultimate salvation. How should one face death and loss? Throughout our life, we have faced various experiences related to death: Usually, the first death that children experience is the death of a pet. As we grow older, we often hear of relatives and acquaintances dying from various causes. In the news, we hear of the death of ordinary people and celebrities. The most powerful experience with death are often those of loved ones, particularly friends and family members. Another aspect of facing death is when a person becomes aware of his or her impending demise. This applies to people with terminal illnesses and those who have debilitating or serious medical conditions which adversely affect their lifespan or quality of life. Grief is the natural reaction to death and dying. The experience of grief often involves a multitude of emotions such as sadness, anxiety, anger, and guilt. Grief may also be brought about by other forms of loss—the loss of a home, belongings, or employment; and other traumatic experiences. Psychological studies have suggested that the separation of family members, the end of a romantic relationship, and substance abuse can bring about feelings related to grief. Prolonged grief, however, carries several risks such as severe depression, social maladjustment, emotional problems, and stressrelated illnesses. Psychological studies on grief have yielded several views on how humans deal with death, dying, and loss. The earliest description of the phenomenon of grief was put forth by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. Her studies involve terminally-ill patients and how they dealt with death and dying. Her findings and insights lead her to propose that dying people, as well as the people closest to them, go through five stages of grief. 1. Denial - the dying person initially expresses disbelief regarding his or her situation; those who hear of the death of a loved one often refuse to believe the news at first. 2. Anger - the person expresses frustration with his or her situation. Dying people often vent their anger and frustration on the people closest to them, and often, express that their situation is "unfair." People in grief also experience anger and indignation, often thinking that the deceased or dying person did not deserve such fate. 3. Bargaining — the dying person often voices his or her wish that his or her life be prolonged, and that he or she is willing to do whatever it takes to survive. People at this stage also tend to think that things will improve if they behave in a certain way or make changes in their lives. One example is a once irritable person suddenly becoming calm and considerate, or a dying person becoming less demanding and adopting a more agreeable disposition regarding his or her situation. These behaviors are seen as attempts to lessen the trauma and anxiety of facing death. 4. Depression — the dying person experiences intense sadness and exhibits disinterest in life and its normal routines. A person may become withdrawn, sullen, and express hopelessness or helplessness. The dying or grieving person may experience certain emotional and mental problems depending on the gravity of his or her situation. 5. Acceptance — this is the last emotional stage of grief when the person finally comes to terms with his or her impending death and has embraced his or her mortality. Dying people who have achieved this stage were found to be calm and emotionally stable, and are often a source of emotional support for their grieving family members. Later discussions on Kubler-Ross's theory establish that these stages need not be experienced in sequence, and that some people do not go through all of the stages when experiencing grief. A person may remain in denial for a long time and then eventually reach the stage of acceptance without going through the intervening stages. On the other hand, a person may exhibit acceptance of the situation but then experience depression or anger at a later time. A more recent theory on grief was proposed by George Bonnano. He views that grief does not necessarily proceed along conventional stages as proposed by Kubler-Ross. He considers humans as being naturally resilient, and that grieving should not necessarily be defined by sadness or anxiety. Bonnano's view is that people proceed along four trajectories of grief. 1. Resilience — the person remains emotionally stable despite the loss and continues with his or her normal activities. Bonnano believes that this is the most ideal emotional course when experiencing grief. For him, grieving people can still be happy and go about their normal routines. 2. Recovery- the person experiences a period of grief, but this eventually gives way to recovery and a return to normalcy. 3. Chronic Depression- the grieving person experiences intense and chronic depression which continues long after the death or traumatic experience has passed. 4. Delayed Grief- the person may seem to be well-adjusted but experiences feelings of grief, anxiety, and distress 8at a later time. Death and grieving are difficult transitions in life but with adequate support and proper perspective, one can face this important aspect of human existence with acceptance, calm and dignity. The realization of the significance of death in our lives can give way to a new resolve to strive to achieve meaning and relevance in our lives.