The Experience Of Dying May Be More Pleasant Than We Think, As People At The End Of Their Lives Use Unexpectedly Positive Language To Describe The Feeling
As death draws near, it is possible to experience complete and utter happiness. It may seem odd, but a study has shown that people at the end of their lives use positive language to describe the feeling of dying. This suggests that the experience of dying may be more pleasant than we tend to think.
Having a fear of death is a natural part of being human. It runs deeper for some people than others. The idea of death can be scary and overwhelming because it’s inevitable, and no one knows what happens to the spirit or essence of a person after they die.
That’s why it’s important to enjoy life and prioritize meaningful experiences. Acknowledging and accepting death can enhance our appreciation for life, making it less dreadful than we imagine it to be.
A full life is not measured by how many years you’ve lived. Your attitude toward your circumstances is what matters. The Roman philosopher Seneca once said, “To have lived long enough depends neither upon our years nor upon our days but upon our minds.”
In a study published in the journal Psychological Science, researchers investigated what facing death is really like. Was it as frightening as many of us expected it to be? They conducted two experiments in total.
For the first one, they examined the language in blog posts written by terminally ill cancer patients documenting their final days. They compared the words to the language of healthy participants who were asked to imagine what it would be like if they were dying.
The healthy participants used more negative language, including words like “anxiety,” “fear,” and “terror.” Meanwhile, the terminally ill patients used more positive language, such as “love” and “happiness.”
In the second experiment, the research team analyzed the last words of death row inmates and compared them with the words of non-inmates who were asked to imagine what facing imminent death would be like.
Again, the results were similar. The inmates’ words were much more positive than the non-inmates’. Together, the findings suggest that the experience of dying may be more pleasant than people believe.
fizkes – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual person
“The more we push something away and don’t think about it, the more salient and anxiety-provoking it is,” said Dr. Lisa Iverach, a senior research fellow at the University of Sydney. “For cancer patients or anyone who is terminally ill, death is on their mind, and by having it in their consciousness, there is less fear.”
The participants facing death expressed gratitude for their family and friends, as well as the accomplishments they’ve had throughout their lives. So, it seems that feelings of social connection and meaning provide some comfort.
In conclusion, it is possible to experience happiness and gratitude among more negative emotions, like sadness, anger, remorse, and guilt, when faced with death.
You can read the study in the Psychological Science.
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