On Death and Dying

“In simple terms, in our unconscious mind we can only be killed; it is inconceivable to die of a natural cause or of old age.”

Humans are hardwired for existence and to enjoy and fight for life. As one of the most fundamental instincts, the drive for life is so intrinsic that it is practically impossible for us to conceive of our own death. This can only be remedied with work and meditation on the reality of death, and when we have had experience with it.

“If a patient is allowed to terminate his life in the familiar and beloved environment, it requires less adjustment for him.”

One of the principal anxieties about death is caused by the prospect of suffering and dying in a strange and uncomfortable place. The advent of modern medicine has allowed for great advancement and lifesaving technology while, at the same time, removing death from the home and the local community in which the rest of the individual’s life has been lived.

“The more we are making advancements in science, the more we seem to fear and deny the reality of death.”

Scientific advancements in modern times have cast the illusion that our greater ability to heal has given us the ability to cast off death, or to postpone it indefinitely. This is not the case, and thus the greater our ability to diagnose and heal, the greater our inability to conceive of death.