Perception of Death - Term Paper Example

ABSTRACT Every living creature needs to follow the inevitable circle of life in which start from conception moving throughout different stages such as early childhood, early adulthood, middle adulthood and late adulthood. Consequently the last stage will be death. However, many people never reach the late adulthood due to accidents or illness in early years. In today’s society many people believe that after death there is another stage in which is view as a new life. The physiological appearance in each person will change with each stage, however, it is up to the individual to have the will power to slow the process and live longer. If a person develops good eating habits, exercises daily, and possesses a positive attitude with regard to the everyday activities since early childhood. He/she will have higher probability to live longer as compared to a person who uses drugs, drinks alcoholic beverage excessively or lives a sedentary life. Many of the late adulthood in the developed countries live longer due to more medical assistance and educational resources available. However, living longer truly depends on the person’s mindset. The development and resulting lifespan of people may be dependent on such factors as their perception of death or afterlife, resiliency in confronting changes in adulthood and attributed value to life. Late Adulthood Stage This paper discusses how factors such as their perception of death or afterlife, resiliency in confronting changes in adulthood and attributed value to life have affected the development and quality of the lives of the interviewees who are in their late stages of adulthood. As their views are compared and further information gathered, the apparent role of adult development factors are exhibited. Fear of Dying Fear of death or dying is natural and sometimes may cause individuals to become preoccupied and obsessive with the thoughts of death. At times, just the mere mention of death may even cause substantial anxiety for some people. To further illustrate how the fear of death is actually universal, the presence of death is often frightening and unwelcome or even taboo to discuss in some cultures. In more modern cultures, death has been accepted as eminent, thus, embraced. However, the restrictions to certain foods that can be eaten or clothing that can be worn to avoid death or prolong life still prevail. Based on recent psychological studies, there are five primal fears, i.e. fear of dying, the unknown, abandonment, loss of control, pain, and bodily deterioration (Garfield, 2001). All these fears stem from people’s fear of death. According to Clinical Psychology Professor Charles Garfield, the most common fear, fear of the unknown occurs when one questions “what will happen”. We fear not knowing what is next to come particularly in the afterlife. He further explains that the fear of abandonment is the unintentional abandonment that people leave when responding to a near death situation. For instance, as he was questioning his dying friend’s wife about being alone, she affirmed that as people came and went after visiting and consoling her of her husband near death experience, she felt abandoned as they disappeared. Fear of loss of control is related to the loss of independence as individuals who are nearing death rely a great deal on others. This is especially difficult for an individual who has always been independent (Garfield, 2001). In this regard, individuals who are asked how they would like to die would highly likely state that they would like to die peacefully and without pain or “a quick, agony-free end during sleep or a clear-minded final few moments in which they can say farewell and review their lives,” (Berk, 2004). In terms of fear of dying through bodily deterioration, note that all individuals are concerned about their self-image particularly their body image even for those who are dying. The changes in a dying person’s body can impact those around them as they may either be too frail to touch or just maybe too intimidating to even look at. These fears are often felt by those in the late adulthood as they reach the realization that their end may be near as their health or physical capacity and mental ability deteriorates. Perceptions of the Afterlife How a person perceives the afterlife is often related to the concept morality or uprightness that is tied to his/her religious beliefs. For example, a good person or someone who has suffered much in life is usually believed to have a happy afterlife ahead by Christians. On the contrary, someone who has been bad in this lifetime to the point of not being able to be forgiven is said to suffer eternal damnation in the afterlife. In an interview with someone who has lost her mother when she was nine years old due to tuberculosis, the interviewee admitted that she felt very sad and hopeless during those times. But then she believes that, although her mother has suffered greatly while she was alive, she would be rewarded in the afterlife. With this, she mentioned her father whom she described as a person who “wasn’t a bad man but he had his way of living”. She was referring to her father’s bohemian lifestyle and extra-marital affair as they continued living with this lady until her father passed away. Given her perception of the afterlife, it can be seen how she juxtaposes her mother, who had been good yet suffered much, to her father, who had been an unfaithful spouse. Perceived Changes in Development Stages As the interviewees relay their recollections of childhood, adolescence and middle age, it is seen how various factors become vital in honing them through these development stages. In childhood, the family plays an important role relative to a person’s happiest moment. During adolescence, combined influence of family and school to a person is exhibited. As one reaches middle age, gaining independence or earning a living is a central issue. When asked to make a recollection of happiest moments across the development stages, a 67-year old woman responded that when she was a child she vividly remembers how much time she spent with her grandmother in the kitchen baking and cooking while telling stories. Given the ideal image her grandmother projects, she felt as if she was a child in a story book as her grandmother would sing and relay fascinating stories to her. In the same way, as an adolescent she spent much time with her fun loving aunt and uncle in Germany. During this time, she remembers her aunt teaching her how to sew, cook and do other household chores. She also learned how to go to the market to get fresh produce, meats and bread. She fondly reminisces how her uncle would tell them stories and play pranks on them. As she reached middle age, good memories of her finding a job and paying for a small one-bedroom apartment as she gained independence came to mind. Seeking employment was a great relief for her as she did not have a great relationship with her mother and siblings. In another interview, the interviewee also described how flying kites with his cousins and running around the family’s rice fields make up his happiest childhood moments. As he graduated from elementary school, he recalled wearing his first pair of shoes. He came from a poor family so as he reached adolescence he had to help his aunt run a small grocery store in the city. Similar to others in the middle age, he savored being given the opportunity to be independent by earning a decent living. He knew his life was going to take a 360-degree turn as he was granted the privilege to work in the United States and earn $2.50 for washing cars. As the interviewees observed personal changes when they grow old, they also took note of the dramatic changes happening around them. For them, these changes both have positive and negative effects. One of them responded that, as she grew up during the World War II era, she had seen how the population boomed and how cities progressed at an increasing rate date by day. Albeit much more houses are being built today, she believes that they are not as durable and sturdy as the old ones. Moreover, she remarked that medical technology has come a long way in improving the lives of people. However, she noticed that, although there are more food stuffs to choose from in the groceries, these are not necessarily the healthier variants. She believes that home food is still the healthy alternative to microwave meals. Since parents are too busy to cook healthy meals as they are engrossed with their jobs, many are getting sick for all the preservatives contained in fast foods. Another interviewee also noted how medical benefits and technology have substantially changed over the years. Back then, he illustrated the poor housing and scarce food that affect the health of people. When one got sick or infection, instead of a medical doctor, they consulted someone who would prescribe herbs or make concoctions to heal them. He relayed that there were no electricity of running water in their community then. The sewerage system was also primitive as they had to relieve themselves in make-shift bathrooms outside the house. They practically lived in home-grown organic foods with limited chicken or pork as these could only be afforded by the rich. As food was insufficient for a family of ten, they only had two meals daily. Nowadays, there is so much of everything particularly food options. Given his experiences, he feels so bad when food goes to waste. Although housing has become modern, he still appreciates his old house as he sees how people could barely afford to have a decent home with the sky rocketing rents in Hawaii. In terms of morals, one interviewee asserted the better values inculcated then. Although people did not enjoy high standards of living then, they learned to respect each others and work hard. According to this interviewee, many people can be heard complaining about their cost of living now. However, in the past, although money was an issue, people’s respect was the number one factor and no one dared to disrespect their parents. Value of Life How an individual values life may be indicated by the persons or things he/she values most. For the interview conducted, we are given a glimpse of how the interviewees value their life by knowing their dreams and the things they regret as this later stage of their lives. These are the regrets or the “could-have-beens” as people grow old. In late adulthood, people ponder about how near they are to dying and they realize their past mistakes or the dreams that were left behind. In the interview series, it is seen that most of them attribute the value of their lives to their precious families. For example, many of the interviewees admitted that pursuing higher education was dream they were not able to realize. For myriad reasons like financial difficulties or family problems, they were not able to complete college which could have enabled them to have better-paying and more stable jobs because they had to immediately work to support themselves. In this regard, they could have been better providers for their children. With this, it becomes apparent that they regretted not taking advantage of the opportunity that could have made family life less economically stressful and family members better off. Another common regret that shows how much people value their family as crucial component of their lives is that they could have spent more time with their spouses and children. An interviewee answered that she wished she could have taken more family vacations rather than worry more about the future that neither them really know if they would spend it together. If she could only rewind the time that has passed, she would communicate openly with her husband regarding her true feelings rather than bottling up these emotions. For another interviewee, he thought of going back to how he was as a father to his children. In this work-a-day world, he considered himself more focused on providing for the so that they would not have to live the way he did. However, he was too busy to see them actually growing up and accomplishing the things they did. He admitted feeling heartbroken every time he witnesses the way his oldest daughter and her husband rear their son. He could only wish that, just like them, he could tell each of them how much he loves his kids. Instead of being a good provider, he could have excelled in being a good father who is always there for his kids and show love with simple but meaningful gestures. In valuing their lives, the interviewees also recognized the importance of leisure. This means that for them to de-stress, they take time off by doing things they enjoy. One interviewee said that he enjoys dancing and going into the casino to play on the machines. Another important aspect revealed in the interviews regarding valuing life is acceptance. Although there may be many things in life that bring regrettable memories, it is important that we accept ourselves for who we are if we truly value our lives. In relation to this, an interviewee asserted that despite her imperfections, she trusts God that everything in life happens for a reason which may be difficult to comprehend hitherto. Conclusion In view of the above, it can be seen that the series of interviews of people, who are in the stages of late adulthood, validate the notions about the adult development factors identified such as perceptions of death and afterlife as well as the insight regarding changes in development stages and value of life. Most people in late adult stage confront death with fear. This fear of death ramifies into other fears like fear of the unknown, abandonment, loss of control, pain and bodily deterioration. With regard to the afterlife, a person perceives this notion in relation to his/her beliefs on religion and morality. In terms of changes in development stages, it is apparent how the interviewees considered some changes as positive or negative. As seen in the discussion, interviewees in general positively perceived advancements in medicine and technology. On the other hand, they negatively contended the inculcation of values in today’s generation. Relative to how they value their lives, the interviewees primarily attributed this to their families. In almost all cases, we have seen how they held their families as their utmost priorities such that they even had regrets for not being able to exert their best efforts in raising their kids. Furthermore, as they grow old, they have appreciated the importance of leisure by doing the things they enjoy most and accepting themselves for who they are. References Berk, L. E. (2004). Development Through the Lifespan, Third Edition. Garfield, C. A. Ph.D (2001). Connecting through the Heart. Retrieved on July 28, 2006 from: http://www.shanti.org/shanti/cg4/article4.html Read More