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Throughout the course of history, all over the world death has been an inescapable fact of life. There are inherent differences however, in our attitude concerning death contingent upon culture and the time in which we live.
In ancient Egypt, death was viewed as merely a journey and the corpse was preserved and death masks were crafted for the dead. This lengthy mummification process was a testament to the belief in the afterlife. The mummified body (treated with spices, flowers and tannic acid) was then entombed with items to make their afterlife more comfortable. Dried food and other comforts including sometimes servants (often buried alive) went along to wait on the master after death.
During the 8th century, Tibetan wisdom by Buddhist Padma Sambhawa was included in the Tibetan Book of the Dead, a “how to” guide which also stressed preparation for the afterlife. However unlike the Egyptians, this philosophy centered on insuring spiritual preparation rather than material comforts. The Tibetan Book of the Dead stresses the preparation of the soul through meditation and how to peacefully cross over to the next lifetime. This book has been expanded upon in several modern publications, as this philosophy of life after life is still popular today.
During the Middle Ages, plagues, frequent wars and public executions made death commonplace. The youngest of children were exposed to death, and were not protected from illness or shielded from violence and danger as they are today. Death was viewed as matter of fact and it was not uncommon for stacks of bodies to be unceremoniously burned so that disease would not further spread. Life was short and brutish and people did not have time to indulge in sentiment. The rich constructed elaborate tombs and mausoleums for their ancestors but for the majority of the population, the focus was on the survival of the group, army or farm and individual lives did not hold much value. It is noteworthy though that many who were martyred or killed in battle, inspired by Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection, believed that they were on a mission from the divine and that they would be rewarded after death.
By the 1800s, people were still dying young, and the bloody Civil War decreased the male population (a great number just boys) vastly. Women were still dying in childbirth from simple complications and a fever could easily kill, as there were no antibiotics or fever reducing medications. Public executions were still commonplace, however impaling and burning alive was replaced by hanging and in Europe by the Guillotine. Dying young was still commonplace, however many people were working towards progress in the medicine and civil rights which would focus on the value and quality of individual life. The pioneer graves that paved the way show etched sentiments to those lost along the hard way west.
By the 20th century, modern medicine took death out of the bedroom and into the hospital room, where a person died surrounded by medical personnel behind a curtain. Many modern children (and adults) have never seen a dead body, and few have seen a dead body before preparation by a mortician. Death became abstract, the most natural occurrence relegated to “unnatural’ status in the form of jokes, fears and denial. The concept of heaven and hell in the children’s prayer “If I die before I wake…” is a precaution most kids didn’t need to take as they could just about count on surviving childhood, and keeping their parents, and in many cases their grandparents until they are grown. However, the spiritual revival of the Aquarian age has brought a renewed interest in metaphysical topics including reincarnation.
The late 20th and early 21st century has brought another shift in attitudes toward death. Modern science has saved lives, and it can also be used to assist in death. Death is being brought out from behind the sterile curtain. Decreased hospital insurance payments have many people spending their last days at home, with their family often assisting in their care. People are also choosing to be more active in the decisions regarding their death, and organizations such as Hospice, are helping terminal patients die with peace and dignity by addressing the physical, psychological and spiritual concerns of the patient and their families. In the extreme, some patients are choosing assisted suicide in order to orchestrate their own passing. These trends may represent modern science and ancient philosophy coming full circle for addressing mind, body and spirit in a holistic attitude and approach toward death.
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