TruthBook Religious News Blog

Tue, Aug 25, 2009
William McKenzie/Editorial Columnist

Despite the cries at town-hall meetings, the House's health care bill contains no "death panels" that would force end-of-life decisions upon elderly Americans. But the protests certainly have revealed a deep anxiety among some voters about the end of their lives.

Part of that is natural. No one wants someone else making decisions for them about how their days come to a close. Yet it also speaks to a heightened fear that many of us have about our mortality.

Texas Faith moderator Rod Dreher explored this subject in a paper he did for his Templeton Cambridge journalism fellowship this summer. He drew upon the writings of Orthodox theologian Jean-Claude Larchet, author of "The Theology of Illness." Here's an excerpt from Rod's work:

Larchet laments the way today's patient has become entirely dependent on physicians for deliverance from physical illness and related maladies. Paradoxically, despite the great advances medical science has made in treating illness, Larchet says patients today have fewer spiritual and psychological resources with which to cope with illness than their ancestors did. He identifies five factors in modern life in the West that put the patient at the mercy of physicians:

Please click on "external source for the complete, very interesting article.

Labels: death, faith, fear, illness, mortality, Texas Faith, William McKenzie

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Thursday, December 18, 2008

After death: then what?

Goodbye Heaven and Hell: we now hold a host of quirky ideas about the afterlife

by John Naish

(This is page one of a three page article. It contains results of a survey exploring peoples' beliefs regarding life after death, and is very interesting. Please click on "external source at the bottom of this page to access the entire piece.)

Of the two certainties we face in life, death and taxes, we all tend to share similar thoughts on taxes. But what about death and whatever comes after it? Most of the time we go about our lives as though it will never happen. The afterlife has become taboo. Even during Easter, the great Christian story of death and resurrection, we prefer to think of chocolate eggs and fluffy bunnies. But Michael Irwin, a retired United Nations medical director, has created his own national opinion survey about life after death and unearthed an intriguing range of beliefs.

He wrote to 1,600 Britons picked at random from Who’s Who, where he is listed by dint of working for the UN and the World Bank. He is also a former secretary of the Voluntary Euthanasia Society and is on the council of a similar group, Friends At The End (Fate). I guess you could say he’s interested in the subject. So, it seems, are many others: of the 761 replies he received, more than half added extra comments and ideas to the questionnaire.

Nearly half of those questioned believe that nothing will survive their deaths other than their children, their writings, and the memories of friends. But significant numbers believe in the possibility of their souls surviving in an afterlife, or of their life force continuing in some form. Only one in five didn’t feel certain about what would happen.

And beyond these apparently simple positions lies a spectrum of quirk-filled personal credos, which Irwin has compiled into a booklet, What Survives? “I’m 74 and it’s natural that I’m thinking about what happens to me when I die,” says Irwin, of Cranleigh, Surrey. “I grew up in the Church of England and was a religious teenager. But later I grew sceptical and became a humanist. Now I’m more New Agey: I believe that there are life forces common to all living creatures which may survive our deaths in some way going back to the universal force of creation.”

Despite his spiritual shift, he has not lost his scepticism. “In my years as a clinical doctor, eight of my patients came around from comas or ‘died’ on the operating table and told me they saw flashes of light and other phenomena,” he recalls. “Whether it was genuine or the result of chemical changes in the brain, I can’t say.”

Michael Irwin will send copies of his booklet, What Survives? free to the first 50 readers who e-mail him on michael-hk.irwin@virgin.net

ANNABELLE BOND Mountaineer, 36 “I would like to think that I will go on another journey after I die. What form it will take I cannot possibly imagine. But I do believe in some kind of God, and I think that we will all report to it after we die, whatever our religion.

“I had Christianity shoved down my throat at school, but it hasn’t stopped me believing. Climbing has helped; it suits me to be optimistic about life after death. It helps me to come to terms with the chance that I won’t make it back from an expedition. You never know on the mountain; you can die however good or bad you are at climbing. It’s beyond your control.

“One person in 12 doesn’t make it to Everest’s summit. Last year, I saw two friends slip to their deaths on a peak in Alaska, and I’ve seen plenty of dead bodies on the way up mountains.

“Of course it makes you think about your own mortality; it’s important to acknowledge the obvious danger you are putting yourself in. But at some point, it’s comforting to pass the responsibility on to a higher force — otherwise you’d never climb.

“Being on a mountain is a powerful spiritual experience. You feel connected with this world and the next. The least religious person would pray if they found themselves in danger, I can guarantee. I never know who, or what, I’m praying to. It’s something up there, and I want it to protect me.

The closest I’ve ever been to my own end was climbing a peak in Argentina last year. It was the sixth mountain I’d done back-to-back in six months, including Everest.

I was going for the title of fastest woman in history to complete the Seven Peaks challenge — involving the highest mountains on each of the seven continents — which I got.

Labels: belief, death, life after death, Michael Irwin

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Wednesday, September 24, 2008

What Happens When We Die?

By M.J. STEPHEY Tue Sep 23

A fellow at New York City's Weill Cornell Medical Center, Dr. Sam Parnia is one of the world's leading experts on the scientific study of death. Last week Parnia and his colleagues at the Human Consciousness Project announced their first major undertaking: a 3-year exploration of the biology behind "out-of-body" experiences. The study, known as AWARE (AWAreness during REsuscitation), involves the collaboration of 25 major medical centers through Europe, Canada and the U.S. and will examine some 1,500 survivors of cardiac arrest. TIME spoke with Parnia about the project's origins, its skeptics and the difference between the mind and the brain.

What sort of methods will this project use to try and verify people's claims of "near-death" experience?

When your heart stops beating, there is no blood getting to your brain. And so what happens is that within about 10 sec., brain activity ceases - as you would imagine. Yet paradoxically, 10% or 20% of people who are then brought back to life from that period, which may be a few minutes or over an hour, will report having consciousness. So the key thing here is, Are these real, or is it some sort of illusion? So the only way to tell is to have pictures only visible from the ceiling and nowhere else, because they claim they can see everything from the ceiling. So if we then get a series of 200 or 300 people who all were clinically dead, and yet they're able to come back and tell us what we were doing and were able see those pictures, that confirms consciousness really was continuing even though the brain wasn't functioning.

How does this project relate to society's perception of death?

People commonly perceive death as being a moment - you're either dead or you're alive. And that's a social definition we have. But the clinical definition we use is when the heart stops beating, the lungs stop working, and as a consequence the brain itself stops working. When doctors shine a light into someone's pupil, it's to demonstrate that there is no reflex present. The eye reflex is mediated by the brain stem, and that's the area that keeps us alive; if that doesn't work, then that means that the brain itself isn't working. At that point, I'll call a nurse into the room so I can certify that this patient is dead. Fifty years ago, people couldn't survive after that.

How is technology challenging the perception that death is a moment?

Nowadays, we have technology that's improved so that we can bring people back to life. In fact, there are drugs being developed right now - who knows if they'll ever make it to the market - that may actually slow down the process of brain-cell injury and death. Imagine you fast-forward to 10 years down the line; and you've given a patient, whose heart has just stopped, this amazing drug; and actually what it does is, it slows everything down so that the things that would've happened over an hour, now happen over two days. As medicine progresses, we will end up with lots and lots of ethical questions.

But what is happening to the individual at that time? What's really going on? Because there is a lack of blood flow, the cells go into a kind of a frenzy to keep themselves alive. And within about 5 min. or so they start to damage or change. After an hour or so the damage is so great that even if we restart the heart again and pump blood, the person can no longer be viable, because the cells have just been changed too much. And then the cells continue to change so that within a couple of days the body actually decomposes. So it's not a moment; it's a process that actually begins when the heart stops and culminates in the complete loss of the body, the decompositions of all the cells. However, ultimately what matters is, What's going on to a person's mind? What happens to the human mind and consciousness during death? Does that cease immediately as soon as the heart stops? Does it cease activity within the first 2 sec., the first 2 min.? Because we know that cells are continuously changing at that time. Does it stop after 10 min., after half an hour, after an hour? And at this point we don't know.

What was your first interview like with someone who had reported an out-of-body experience?

Eye-opening and very humbling. Because what you see is that, first of all, they are completely genuine people who are not looking for any kind of fame or attention. In many cases they haven't even told anybody else about it because they're afraid of what people will think of them. I have about 500 or so cases of people that I've interviewed since I first started out more than 10 years ago. It's the consistency of the experiences, the reality of what they were describing. I managed to speak to doctors and nurses who had been present who said these patients had told them exactly what had happened, and they couldn't explain it. I actually documented a few of those in my book What Happens When We Die because I wanted people to get both angles - not just the patients' side but also the doctors' side - and see how it feels for the doctors to have a patient come back and tell them what was going on. There was a cardiologist that I spoke with who said he hasn't told anyone else about it because he has no explanation for how this patient could have been able to describe in detail what he had said and done. He was so freaked out by it that he just decided not to think about it anymore.

Why do you think there is such resistance to studies like yours?

Because we're pushing through the boundaries of science, working against assumptions and perceptions that have been fixed. A lot of people hold this idea that, well, when you die, you die; that's it. Death is a moment - you know you're either dead or alive. All these things are not scientifically valid, but they're social perceptions. If you look back at the end of the 19th century, physicists at that time had been working with Newtonian laws of motion, and they really felt they had all the answers to everything that was out there in the universe. When we look at the world around us, Newtonian physics is perfectly sufficient. It explains most things that we deal with. But then it was discovered that actually when you look at motion at really small levels - beyond the level of the atoms - Newton's laws no longer apply. A new physics was needed, hence, we eventually ended up with quantum physics. It caused a lot of controversy - even Einstein himself didn't believe in it.

Now, if you look at the mind, consciousness, and the brain, the assumption that the mind and brain are the same thing is fine for most circumstances, because in 99% of circumstances we can't separate the mind and brain; they work at the exactly the same time. But then there are certain extreme examples, like when the brain shuts down, that we see that this assumption may no longer seem to hold true. So a new science is needed in the same way that we had to have a new quantum physics. The CERN particle accelerator may take us back to our roots. It may take us back to the first moments after the Big Bang, the very beginning. With our study, for the first time, we have the technology and the means to be able to investigate this. To see what happens at the end for us. Does something continue?

Labels: biology, brain, consciousness, death, Dr. Sam Parnia, M.J. Stephy, mind, out of body experience

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Sunday, June 01, 2008

Insights into living and dying - Book Review

The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, 10th Anniversary Edition, Sogyal Rinpoche, Patrick D. Gaffney, Andrew Harvey

ENNAPADAM S. KRISHNAMOORTHY And
NIRANJANA BENNETT

Modern healthcare professionals can learn much from the Tibetan Buddhist belief that it as important to die with dignity as it is to live happily. Another look at a classic, a book by Sogyal Rinpoche, that had its 10th anniversary reprint recently.

The book, authored by Sogyal Rinpoche, a renowned Buddhist teacher, has been revised and updated to commemorate its 10th anniversary. The book begins rather impressively with a foreword by the Dalai Lama, who sets the tone: “No less significant than preparing for our own death is helping others to die well”. Sogyal Rinpoche places life and death contextually together for our consideration, describing why we must address death during our lives. The realm of gods in the Buddhist teachings, who lived lives of fabulous luxury and pleasure with little thought or time for spirituality until death appeared, and who were unprepared for it, are alluded to here, as is active laziness whereby unimportant tasks become responsibilities, part of a rigid schedule, and begin to dictate one’s existence.

“The fate of the gods reminds me of the way the elderly, the sick and the dying are treated today. Our society is obsessed with youth, sex and power and we shun old age and decay. Isn’t it terrible that we discard old people when their working life is finished and they are no longer useful? Isn’t it disturbing that we cast them into old people’s homes, where they die lonely and abandoned?”

Contemplating deeper meanings

He highlights instead, the importance of spirituality, contemplation and the need to devote some time each day to examining the deeper meaning of life.

He speaks of two groups of people whose attitudes to death clearly affect the way they live life. One group lives in denial of death — repressing and refusing to acknowledge its potential impact. The second group has a casual attitude towards death, not attributing to it the seriousness of thought it deserves.

The author advocates that each individual attempts to understand the nature of the mind, and then move on to train the mind through different practices of meditation. Mindful meditation (having roots in ancient Buddhist practice) is applicable to anyone suffering from stress, anxiety or pain and Rinpoche describes its three essential components. Rinpoche goes on to expound on several Buddhist beliefs: rebirth, karma, reincarnation, bardos etc. and stresses on the importance of the mind.

In its second section the book deals with Dying. Most of us, even medical professionals, are bewildered when confronted by the prospect of death. Often we feel inadequate or embarrassed, not knowing what we should say to the person who is dying, and to his near and dear ones. Indeed, the most typical human response to death is denial of the condition or the diminishing of its impact. However, the person who is dying often has a much clearer knowledge and vision of this inevitable outcome, achieved after weeks of intense suffering. Helping the dying person achieve an early, more graceful acceptance of death, without denying or diminishing his thoughts and feelings is thought to be important. Rinpoche describes the case of a lady doctor friend who, having dealt (in her perception) unsuccessfully with a dying individual, asked Rinpoche what he would have done in that situation.

“I would have sat by his side, held his hand and let him talk. I have been amazed again and again by how, if you just let people talk, giving them your complete and compassionate attention, they will say things of a surprising spiritual depth, even when they think they don’t have any spiritual beliefs. I have been very moved by how you can help people help themselves by helping them discover their own truth, a truth whose richness, sweetness, and profundity they may have never suspected”.

Essential qualities

Two things most useful at the deathbed are, a sense of humour, a useful tool to dissolve the gravity of the situation; and the ability to not take things personally, since anger is a common response of the dying person, and may be directed towards the person trying to help. It is also important to show unconditional love, which can be facilitated by thinking of yourself in the dying person’s place (empathy). Rinpoche also emphasises the importance of telling the truth with love, a rare blend of virtues that directly addresses the dying person’s needs. Active compassion (expressed in action, not mere words) is another ingredient that enables the experience of dying. The Buddhist practice of Tonglen, the ability to take on the suffering and pain of others and give them your happiness, well being and peace of mind and the powerful Tibetan tradition of phowa (pronounced po-wa), the transference of consciousness, are described as being invaluable to the dying person. To be able to deal effectively with the dying person’s fears, it is important to introspect and be aware of one’s own fears about death.

“Caring for the dying makes you poignantly aware not only of their mortality but also of your own.”

While saying goodbye, two explicit verbal statements are pre-requisites. The dying person must be given permission to die with the assurance that his loved one(s) will be taken care of in the aftermath. When the loved one is a child, Rinpoche suggests that it is commendable to encourage the young one to pray, as it gives them a sense of having contributed in some way. He also addresses the people that the dying person leaves behind, saying that it is useful to be open to grief rather than repress it, and try to learn from the grief.

“Bereavement can force you to look at your life directly, compelling you to find a purpose in it where there may not have been one before.”

In its third section, the book deals with Rebirth.

Accepting death

In the final part of the book, Rinpoche speaks about the significance of understanding and accepting death because it is a universal process. In his view, we live in a world that appears to be too besotted with life to give much thought to death, an unhealthy attitude that needs to change. It is not uncommon today, to have a beloved elderly relative admitted in a hospital ICU, with multiple tubes and support systems for his sustenance, often an unwilling participant in the seemingly interminable fight for his life. Pray, what price are we paying, to defy death under these circumstances? What dignity is there in challenging death in this manner? Indeed, what crime would we commit in allowing a person who has lead a full life to meet his maker in a natural, dignified and well-prepared manner? These philosophical thoughts assail one’s mind, as one contemplates life and death in the modern context. Rinpoche’s exhortation to the health professional is particularly moving.

For doctors, nurses and others confronted with the experience of death he also has other valuable tips to share.

“I never go to the bedside of a dying person without practising before hand, without steeping myself in the sacred atmosphere of the nature of the mind. Then I do not have to struggle to find compassion and authenticity for they will be there and radiate naturally.”

Undeniable realities

Death and dying are an undeniable reality; a natural consequence of all human existence. Dying well is a dream that most elders have (we talk of Anayasa maranam in Hindu culture) and helping people die well and peacefully is a duty, not just for the healthcare professional but also for their near and dear ones. This book, therefore, has obvious implications for every one of us, as we will all have to face death at some point of time in our lives. Even individuals who do not share Rinpoche’s religious and spiritual inclinations have plenty to learn from the book, as it offers practical insights into dealing with dying.

However, several of the principles expounded in the book are not scientifically verifiable. Instances of the occurrence of a rainbow body for example or beliefs about near death experiences and rebirth have their testimony in anecdotal repetitions and not empirical evidence. The book, therefore, is likely to appeal more to those with spiritual inclination than those who subscribe strictly to modern scientific tradition. Nevertheless, as the Tibetan saying goes, “If you are too clever, you could miss the point entirely.”

Sogyal Rinpoche’s ability to clearly express himself, capturing the reader’s attention, with interesting anecdotes and quotations from learned works is unquestionable. Even more commendable, however, is his choice of subject… Most books speak of life and living happily ever after. This one speaks of death as well.

Dr. E.S. Krishnamoorthy is Director, T.S . Srinivasan Chair and Senior Consultant Neuropsychiatrist at The Institute of Neurological Sciences-VHS, Chennai. E-mail: esk@nsig.org

Niranjana Bennet is a M.A. Psychology student at Christ College, Bangalore. She researched for and co-wrote this article while interning in TINS-VHS.

The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, 10th Anniversary Edition, Sogyal Rinpoche, Patrick D. Gaffney, Andrew Harvey

Labels: Buddhism, death, Ennapadam S. Krishnamoorthy, Niranjana Bennett, Sogyal Rinpoche

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Friday, May 16, 2008

ELDR Magazine's "Right To Die" National Survey: Should Your Doctor Help You Die?

ELDR magazine and ELDR.com today released the results of a national survey on the "right to die" issue or what some call "physician-assisted suicide." It reveals that over 80% of adults say the right to die is a personal decision, not that of government or religion; that two-thirds want physician-assisted right to die legal, as in Oregon; that half of U.S adults could eventually face a right to die caretaker role for a loved one; and that only half of adults over 60 have a living will or health care directive.

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) May 15, 2008 --

The survey is in conjunction with ELDR's Summer issue cover article, "Perfect Ending," which tells the story and reflections of a physician who had clandestinely given patients, who were terminally ill and in great physical pain, the means to end their lives. The physician profiled is not identified.

"A painful or prolonged death is something everyone worries about," said Dave Bunnell, editor-in-chief of ELDR. "Yet too few of us plan ahead to be prepared for this possibility. Our survey is telling people if they act now, they can be in charge. You don't have to leave this entirely to fate."

The ELDR survey comes as Washington state proponents gather signatures for a voter initiative which, if successful, would make that state the second after Oregon to legalize physician-assisted "death with dignity." 225,000 valid voter signatures need to be presented to Washington state officials by July 3 for the I-1000 initiative to appear on the November 2008 ballot.

Other results from the ELDR Magazine "Right To Die" National Survey include:

Half of American adults (49.1 percent) have parents, close relatives or friends in their senior years for whom they might eventually be considered a guardian caretaker or legal trustee.

82 percent want the option, if they were suffering at end-of-life, of being sedated into unconsciousness, even though this might hasten their death.

93.6 percent want artificial life support stopped if they were in a persistent vegetative state, where mental functioning had ceased and it was highly unlikely they would regain consciousness.

Fewer than 25 percent have a living will or advance health care directive which states their wishes if they were incapacitated or in persistent vegetative state. Only half of those over 60 do.

Complete survey results can be found at http://www.eldr.com.

Survey Methodology: This survey of 1,070 U.S. adults was conducted for ELDR by Knowledge Networks and is statistically projectable to the U.S. population. The survey was conducted between March 13 and March 25, 2008 using Knowledge Network's statistically valid, random probability online consumer panel. The sampling margin of error is ± 4.7 percent for all respondents; ± 5.9 percent for the 20-59 age bracket and ± 5.0 percent for the 60-plus age bracket.

About ELDR Media: ELDR is a media company which seeks to inspire the affluent elder to live a more meaningful life, to celebrate the joys and to navigate the challenges of aging. ELDR is the first media company targeting the 60-plus active and affluent demographic. ELDR was founded by senior housing innovator Chad Lewis and pioneering magazine editor and entrepreneur David Bunnell. ELDR Media LLC is headquartered in Berkeley, California. Visit ELDR online at http://www.eldr.com.

Labels: death, ELDR, physcian-assisted suicide, right to die

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Tuesday, August 28, 2007

A Different Take on Death From Carl Jung

In this short video, Carl Jung, one of the most eminent and well-known psychologists of the 20th century, gives his views on death. He explains that since our psyche knows no boundaries of time and space, it is therefore, able to envision life going on forever. He gives some practical advice for living in a mentally healthy way as we age.

Labels: afterlife, Carl Jung, death, psychology, video

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Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Final goodbye isn't as hard as you might think

Monday, June 11, 2007

Experts say the most common theme in final conversations is love.

By JANE GLENN HAAS

What do you say to a loved one who is dying?

How do you say "goodbye" in a way that helps them – and you – when emotional stress is high and grief hovers?

"Final Conversations: Helping the Living and the Dying Talk to Each Other" by Maureen P. Keeley and Julie M. Yingling (VanderWyk and Burnham, 2007) may be the first communications text dealing with this specific topic. And as such, the book offers powerful tools to prepare and have "FCs" as the authors call "final conversations."

"Most of the people we interviewed lost a loved one years ago and they have processed the grief enough to just want to tell the story. In fact, they were excited to do it."

Yingling, a professor of communication development at Humboldt State University, and Keeley, a communications professor specializing in health issues at Texas State University, talked with 80 people in defining their work.

Q: Did you find any cultural differences in the way people want to say goodbye?

A: There is no difference in these important conversations. The most common theme is love. There is a real focus on getting the love message said before death.

Q: After the message is said, does everyone want to die surrounded by loving family members?

A: A lot of people send everyone away. A lot of people feel they want to be alone. My father did that. Most of the family was with him and about 11 p.m. he told everyone to go get some rest. He died two hours later. A lot of people just go by themselves.

Q: We've heard lots of stories about the dying seeing visions, seeing people already dead. These tales seem to confirm spirituality and life after death.

A: It seems most of the people we talked to have some spiritual belief but that ran the gamut. There were those who were born again and those who felt another way. We concluded the experiences of a dying loved one either confirmed what people already believed or encouraged them to look a little further into it.

Q: What about after death experiences of loved ones?

A: We didn't have that question in our original survey but people started telling us what happened to them after death. So we began asking and we were pretty amazed at how many people said 'yes' they had received a message or two. Most were very close to the parent or family member who died.

Q: It seems somehow bizarre that we need coaching, if you will, on what to say to loved ones who are dying.

A: Part of the problem is that in the middle of the last century, we got away from seeing death. We gave it over to medical professionals and walked the other direction. We didn't have to cope. Now the length of time between diagnosis and death is getting longer so people know they are going to die and the loved ones know.

Q: How do you talk to someone who is dying?

A: There is no model but once there, and once you acknowledge it, it feels natural and you do what you need to do. Death is part of life. We better welcome it and live our lives more conscientiously. People are so affected by these conversations they often take a turn in their lives and find more joy. I don't know whether it lasts but everyone reported that effect for them.

Q: You even talked to people who are angry at the dying person?

A: Yes. For instance, one young man's mother was an alcoholic and he had a horrible childhood. But he focused on a couple of good years he had with her and was able to say, 'I forgive you. You were a good mother.' When the end comes, you aren't going to get any more chances so you better resolve it.

Q: What about the dying who go into a coma and can't talk?

A: Just be physically close. That's important all the way through. Somehow, I believe they hear you and are taking in your message. Just keep talking or hold their hand. Your presence is calming and loving.

Q: Has this research changed your attitudes toward your own death?

A: It has. I used to think I would like to have people around me for a while. To make it a more joyous time. I didn't think about my own, how to put it, spirituality. Now I want people close to me around me and I really sort of want to go more quietly. I will be approaching some other kind of experience with my own spirit.

Reach Julie Yingling at jmy2@humboldt.edu

Labels: death, love, spirituality