Do some people really "die" momentarily and then come back to life?
Can some people communicate with the dead?
Is everybody afraid of death, or are some people unphased by it?
Is it easy to accept an imminent death?
Life Expectancies
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2102rank.html
(CIA 2010)
- The life expectancy of the average citizen in the US is 78.11 years, which is 49th on the list of countries
- Macau is first with 84.36 years
"Origins of Modern Humans: Multiregional or Out of Africa?". ActionBioscience.
- Homo sapiens are believed to have originated and begun interbreeding around 2.5 million years ago
Life Expectancy, Overview of Life Expectancy, By Matt Rosenberg 2010
- Humans alive in ancient Roman times are only estimated to have had a life expectancy of 22-25 years
by Jiaquan Xu t al, 2010
- In 2007, heart disease was the leading cause of death in the US with 616,067 deaths
(Centenarian 2010)
- There are approximately 72,000 centenarians living in the US today
- Ways to promote longevity are to: Eat balanced, smaller meals, exercise, avoid smoking, laugh, think positvely, own a pet, get a job that you enjoy
- About 4.2 million babies were born in 2008
Afterlife
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/death
Death= The total and permanent cessation of all the vital functions of an organism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Near_death_experience#REM_state
(van Lommel P, 2001) "Near-Death Experience in Survivors of Cardiac Arrest: A prospective Study in the Netherlands," The Lancet, December 15
- NDE's are near death experiences
- NDE's usually include a 'tunnel' feeling, warmth and love, a life summary, an unpleasant sound, and a feeling as if a person is out of his or her body
- Pim van Lommel conducted a study in the Netherlands in 2001 and found that 62(18%) out of 345 revived cardiac arrest victims had experienced a NDE
- According to the Gallup and Proctor survey in 1980-1981, of a sample of the US population, data showed that 15% had an NDE.
(Grace Communion International, 1999)
- Channeling: a paranormal experience alleged to be contact between a human being and an entity from the spirit world
- Thomas Edison conceived the possibility of instrumental communication with the dead
- According to a USA Today article (Greg Barrett, “Can the living talk to the dead?” USA Today, (6/20/2001), Section D) 28% of Americans “believe that people can hear from or communicate mentally with the dead.”
- “another 26% aren’t sure, but won’t rule it out.”
Confronting/Coping with death
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death
Aubrey D.N.J, de Grey (2007). "Life Span Extension Research and Public Debate: Societal Considerations" (PDF). Studies in Ethics, Law, and Technology 1 (1, Article 5)http://www.mfoundation.org/files/sens/ENHANCE-PP.pdf. Retrieved March 20, 2009.
- Roughly 150,000 people die each day around the world
- Charles Darwin developed the theory of evolution and natural selection to explain why people die
- Only the strongest and best-adapted organisms can reproduce and pass on their genes to thrive in the environment
(US Religious Landscape Survey, 2008)
- 70% of Americans affiliated with a religion belive that many different religions lead to eternal life
- 74% of Americans believe in an afterlife
- 59% of Americans believe in Hell
"Cross-Cultural Beliefs, Ceremonies, and Rituals Surrounding Death of a Loved One "
(Clements et al., 2003; Spector, 2000)
- Hinduism follows beliefs in karma and previous lives
- After a person achieves enough good deeds through their lives, his or her soul is freed
- In Hindu culture, a deceased person's body has rituals conducted for it over a 10 day span, during which, it is believed that the spirit wathches over the deceased's family
- On the 11th day, it is believed that the deceased's spirit leaves the body
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/525639_5
"Cross-Cultural Beliefs Surrounding Death of a Loved One: Before Death: Beliefs"
(Sandra L. Lobar, 2006)
- Asian cultures assosciate the number "4" with death, so they avoid placing an ill person in a room with a "4"
- Asian cultures also do not like having an ill person's feet facing a door because their feet are carried out first if they die
Hapgood, Isabel Florence (1975), Service Book of the Holy Orthodox-Catholic Apostolic Church (Revised ed.), Englewood NJ: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese, pp. 360–366
- Christians have "Last Rites" given to them on their deathbed in the "Anointing of the Sick" ceremony
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