Death: A Mysterious Phenomenon

Dr. Farida Virani

There are few things that fit the bill of fascinating, thought-provoking, and frightening,
‘Death’ is one such thing. Though death is a fundamental feature of our lives, fear of death
has been always been present in most cultures. Defined by the medical world; Death is the
permanent cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena
which commonly bring about death include aging, predation, malnutrition, disease, suicide,
homicide, starvation, dehydration and accidents or major trauma resulting in terminal injury.
But in the late 1960s, two medical developments coincided: high-tech, life-sustaining
machinery and organ transplant. These innovations blurred the border between life and death
and hence it became essential to clarify that boundary. To address such thorny questions, a
Harvard panel met in 1968 to define death in two ways: the traditional way, by
cardiopulmonary criteria, and a new way, by neurological ones. The neurological criteria,
which are now used to determine “brain death,” involved three cardinal benchmarks: coma or
unresponsiveness, apnea or the inability to breathe without a ventilator, and the absence of
brain-stem reflexes.

Osho asserts, ‘Death is the greatest illusion of all’ whereas Haruki Murakami wisely claims,
‘Death is not the opposite of life, but a part of it, while Rabindranath Tagore sagely observes,
“Death is not extinguishing the light; it is putting out the lamp because the dawn has come.”
Lawrence Samuel, author of ‘Death, American Style: A Cultural History of Dying in
America’, states in his book, “death was turned into a horrible little secret, instead of being
the most natural thing in the world. Denial became the operative word, because death was
oppositional to the culture's defining values, like youth, progress, and achievement”.
However, things are now changing and Death is making its way back into the conversations,
thanks to ‘the narcissism of the self-esteem movement’ embedded into the growing culture
and enthusiasm for sharing personal information over the internet. This has opened a very
rare window into this forbidden dimension of life, making death a part of our everyday
experience.

Living in a diverse society represented by different cultures and religious beliefs also means
that key events like ‘death’ are interpreted and celebrated differently. Even though there are
countless myths, stories, rituals, elucidations and explanations related to ‘dying’, there has
been limited research based scientific evidence related to the actual ‘phenomenon of death’.
Thanatology (from Greek thanatos, “death”) as a professional discipline has gathered
momentum following the publication of several subject-related books including The Meaning
of Death (1959), edited by Herman Feifel, The Psychology of Death (1972) by Robert
Kastenbaum and Ruth Aisenberg and recent Dying a Transition (2015) by Monika Renz.
Jeffrey Long, M.D., is a physician practicing the specialty of radiation oncology (use of
radiation to treat cancer) in Houma, Louisiana, has served on the Board of Directors of
IANDS (International Association for Near-Death Studies) and is actively involved in
research for more than 20 years. His book, Evidence of the Afterlife (2010), gathered a lot of
attention. The Art of Dying (2008) by Peter Fenwich, a neuropsychiatrist and Dr. Bruce
Greyson’s fifty years of research into near-death experiences (NDE) at the University of
Virginia has also generated a tremendous interest in the phenomenon of death.

While no two NDEs are the same, research analysis highlight the characteristic features that
are commonly observed in NDEs. These characteristics include a perception of seeing and
hearing apart from the physical body, passing into or through a tunnel, encountering a
mystical light, intense and generally positive emotions, a review of part or all of their prior
life experiences, encountering deceased loved ones, religious figures and a choice to return to
their earthly life. Investigation of the personal accounts of people (Anita Moorjani, Don
Piper) and the research findings related to the phenomena maintain that experiencing NDE’s
produce widespread and long-lasting changes in values, beliefs, and behaviour that
dramatically affect the experiencers' attitudes toward living and dying. They often report a
subsequently increased sense of spirituality and a connection with their inner self and the
world around them (Khanna, Greyson; 2014)

Researchers from the renowned Max Planck Institute for physics in Munich state that the
physical universe that we live in is only our perception and once our physical bodies die,
there is an infinite beyond. Dr Hans-Peter Durr, former head of the Max Planck Institute for
Physics, said: "What we consider the here and now, this world; it is actually just the material
level that is comprehensible. The beyond is an infinite reality that is much bigger”.
Biomedical researcher Robert Lanza who has been on the frontier of cloning and stem cell
studies for more than a decade, was named One of the Top 50 "World Thinkers" is 2015. In
his book ‘Biocentrism’ he posits, our consciousness plays a central role in creating the
universe. He theorizes, our belief in death is based on a false premise, that the world exists
independent of us (the great observer). Lanza wrote, “Life is an adventure that transcends our
ordinary linear way of thinking. Life has a non-linear dimensionality; it's like a perennial
flower that returns to bloom in the multiverse.” He further mentions, “Your consciousness
will always be in the present -- balanced between the infinite past and the indefinite future --
moving intermittently between realities along the edge of time, having new adventures and
meeting new (and re-joining old) friends”. He admits his theory lacks a mathematical basis
and is working on the supporting mathematical structure. Papers are expected to follow in
scientific journals.

Death is “a process, not a moment,” writes critical-care physician Sam Parnia in his book
‘Erasing Death’. He mentions, ‘In a whole-body stroke in which the heart stops beating, the
organs do not die immediately’. Jimo Borjigin is a neuroscientist at the University of
Michigan. Her research suggests death the final journey into permanent unconsciousness
may actually involve a brief state of heightened consciousness. Peter Fenwick was an
eminent neuropsychiatrist, academic and expert on disorders of the brain. His most
compelling and provocative research has been into the end of life phenomena, including near-
death experiences , deathbed visions of the dying people, as well as the experiences of
hospice and palliative care workers and relatives of dying people. Dr. Fenwick strongly
believes that consciousness may be independent of the brain and so able to survive the death
of the brain, a theory which has divided the scientific community. Published in a book titled,
‘The Art of Dying’, his research involved listening to over 1,000 people who were
experiencing the process. Peter Fenwich gives the following advice about preparing for the
time that will come to all of us.

 Teach people including children not to be afraid of dying.

 Learn what may happen when you die
 Discuss death; do not sweep it under the carpet. Give up the “conspiracy of silence”
 Prepare for death, do not just clean your attic, but also clean-up your relationships
 Overcoming the common barriers such as unfinished business and unresolved
emotions of guilt or hate are important to die peacefully.

Questions related to Life, Death and Life after Death have captivated people across cultures,
religion and countries since ages. The concept of death in different religions vastly varies. For
instance, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism have discrete opinions about death
and what comes after. Even though many universities, scientific labs and research based
institutes are seeking answers to provide systematic evidence related this mysterious
phenomenon which Terence McKenna called the black hole of biology, ‘Death’ is still the
greatest mystery known to human beings.

Author

Dr. Farida Virani

Prof HR & Behavioural Sciences
Corporate Trainer & Life Coach
Email: faridavirani@gmail.com