HW 55 - Culminating Project - Care of the Dead

For a long time I’ve always found life to be an interesting topic, because of the events that take place from beginning to end. I always found it interesting how when a mothers is pregnant that’s when life starts, or is it. Like any experience, everyone’s is different, causing people to have different ideas about things. One can argue that life doesn’t truly start until you can start communicating and others can say it’s the moment you’re born.

Both birth and death share similarities, because they both deal with existence. Scientifically we know that when a person is born it’s due through the process of sexual reproduction, and when one dies it depends on whether the person has a pulse, caused by the heart; or if their brain is functioning. One reason people are so focused about death is because after someone dies, many believe that there is a continuation of some sort, an afterlife. One of the reasons people believe this is because before a person was born they didn’t exist. The definition of the word existence is; a obsolete: reality as opposed to appearance ,b : reality as presented in experience. (Merriam-Webster). Basically if people knew one existed was visible than they existed, but there’s a contradiction to that. Mainly because it’s based on whether a sperm existed or an egg, which is constantly being created, so technically everyone that could have been exists or existed, if it was created. To go even deeper some of the building blocks of life are nutrients, and when someone dies, their remains break down and become nutrients. Depending on how a person is interred they’re remains naturally breaks down.

With technology playing a role in helping people survive when ill or damaged, there are ways to help people stay alive through major situations. Situations such as open heart surgery, or a coma. Remember one of the main factors that describe someone, as being alive or dead, is the state of their heart and brain. If people went with those factors than technically any person in a coma/vegetable state or are being helped by an artificial heart to stay alive is dead, which is why with every new breakthrough the definition of existence is requisitioned and gains a new definition.

I personally believe that birth and death are connected more than people think. The fact that everyone who is born will eventually die, is pretty remarkable. At the same time I think birth and death are closely connected, because of energy. Before we’re born we’re energy that is forming based on our parents our ancestors our environment (surroundings), what we eat, everything. And when we die, I don’t think we’ll consciously continue in another realm knowing the same people and will be able to see future generations to come. And when we die we become energy again, our body breaks down, becomes nutrients or is burned, and we’re constantly being used. One of the reasons I believe the idea of a afterlife such as heaven is non existent, is due to the fact of when we die and how. What if someone had Alzheimer’s when they died, would that person suddenly start remembering things again, and what about the age someone died, would they be that same age.

Citations:
John, Dinolo. Medline Plus. New York City: Medline, Web. .

William, Kevin. "The NDE and Religion." Research Conclusions 2010: n. pag. Web. 16 May 2011. .