Perspectives of death

Perspectives of death Introduction Death in the current world has received various perceptions and even different meanings. According to Levete (2010), death is described as a one of the many stages of human life. In the different interpretations of death, there is a section of people that believe death is the final stage in the life journey of both human beings and plants. On the other hand, there are those people who hold on to the belief that life exist after death (Levete, 2010).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Perspectives of death specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Medical perspective of death According to the medical understanding of death, diseases are closely linked with death. In other words, diseases are perceived as type of death that is incorporated in the lives of the living things. Although diseases may indicate the shift from life and death, they are also known to co-exist with life. Diseases have been described as death in living things, hence by dealing with them directly one will be doing away with histopathology, thus retaining the living organisms to their healthy condition (Lyng, 1990, p.144). Psychological perspective of death Although cultures may differ on perception of death, psychologically speaking death remains to be death. Death has been a concept since time in memorial, and over the years, it has been pulled in various directions until the inception of modern science. Although death is perceived as an ambiguity term, it has been defined as an event that symbolizes the passage from living to dead. This passage is said to occur in our everyday period (Kastenbaum, 2000, p. 7). Legal perception on death Traditionally in legal perspective, death was not determined by the exact time of death. The law relied on legal fictions, which contributed to the honesty in which decisions of great importance about definition of life and death were decided (Shah and Miller, 2010). In the modern world, deat h has transformed into a prerequisite issue since the inception of vital organ donation. In this perspective, the exact period of death hence became of great importance. The dead donor rule also reflects on the importance of defining death, as the donor should not succumb to death due to transplantation process (Shah and Miller, 2010).Advertising Looking for essay on rhetoric? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Cultural beliefs on death Culturally speaking, death was a personal issue as well as a social event. Although death of a member in the society caused disruption in terms of duties and roles allocations, it also increased harmony and cohesiveness within the community. The death of a close friend or relative was a devastating sense of loss as well as an emotional experience. These kinds of deaths remind the living of their state of mortality and the reasons behind death thus creating fear of dying. Initially death was associated with myths, religion, and magic. In many cultures death does not cease to exist but instead it proceed to exist and function even in the afterlife (Aiken, 2001, p.128) Conclusion Death in the modern world has been defined differently depending on an individual’s believe, religion, culture or even career. Some of these spiritual and religious beliefs have associated death with life. In this perspective people tend to believe the existence of a spirit or soul that shifts to another realm upon dying. In addition to this, there is the belief that the dead body is resurrected in order for it to be reused in the afterlife. In the modern world, technological developments have changed the perception of death, as people with dead brains are still perceived alive. References Aiken, R. L. (2001). Dying, death, and bereavement. NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum associates, Inc. Kastenbaum, R. (2000). The Psychology of Death. NY: Springer Publishing Company, Inc. Levete, S. (2010). Deat h. NY: Wayland/TheRosen Publishing Group, Inc. Web.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Perspectives of death specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Lyng, S. (1990). Holistic health and biomedical medicine: a countersystem analysis. NY: State University of New York Press. Shah, K. S. and Miller G. F. Can We Handle the Truth? Legal Fictions in the Determination of Death. American Society of Law, Medicine Ethics. Boston. Web.