Physics And Grief Patricia Monaghan Analysis

380 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Science v religion

The essay, “Physics and Grief” by Patricia Monaghan talks about how one does not necessarily has to find comfort in religion that sometimes a science, like physics, can give one the comfort a person needs to overcome grief or difficult times. In the essay, one can read that Monaghan was experiencing a tremendous grief after the death of her husband, Bob. Monaghan was not a person that would have concerns about if afterlife existed, but her husband practice Zen and he believe that “Thus, when the body died, consciousness ceased as well” (Monaghan 17), this meaning that he did not believe in the afterlife. Trying to have the same believes as her husband was just frustrating Monaghan because she wanted to believe that her husband was still with

Show More
Related

  • Lucretius' Writing on the Fear of Death

    1129 Words  | 3 Pages

    At the most basic level of subconscious thought, every living animal possesses a desire to stay alive. Usually, this instinct lays dormant, although in dire situations, we can be led to do unexpected things. In addition to this subconscious drive, there is a socially constructed motivation for fearing death. Thanks to the pervasive nature of religion throughout history, much of humanity has, at some point or another, feared the prospect of eternal damnation and torture during one’s life after death. Although not every religion has a negative aspect of the afterlife, or even any semblance of an afterlife at all, those religions which do contain some such construct receive much more attention in this regard. Throughout history, many academics have countered people’s irrational fear of the unknown by noting that there is no definitive evidence to prove the existence of such a postmortem experience. According to Lucretius, this fundamental fear of death is completely speculative, and wholly illogical; he argues that we have no reason to fear death because there is nothing after death. What makes Lucretius’ argument so significant, is not how he counters religion, but how he bases it upon his own revision of atomism. It is because of this foundation of logical thought that Lucretius’ writing on the nature of death can still be thought of as a sound hypothesis.

    Read More

  • Immortality And Resurrection: The Dichotomy Between Thought and Physicality.

    1870 Words  | 4 Pages

    In religion the concept of life after death is discussed in great detail. In monotheistic religions, in particular the Christian theology, death is a place where the soul, the eternal spirit that is part of you, transcends or descends to depending on if you go to heaven or hell. The argument calls for a form of immortality of the soul and a lack of immortality of the body—the soul lives forever, the body perishes. John Hick in his excerpt from “Immortality and Resurrection” refutes the ideology that the spirit and body are dichotomous, one being everlasting and the other limited. In his view on the immortality of the human psyche, he claims that the spirit and body are connected; they are not too distinct entities. With this proclamation he attempts to prove the existence of life after death by analyzing resurrection from a psychological perspective and through thought experiments.

    Read More

  • Wicca, the Apocalypse, and the Future of the Natural World.

    1440 Words  | 3 Pages

    First, Haviland et al. (2013) say that religion and the questions it answers, like explaining life and death, have always been universal across cultures. In addition to offering answers, comfort, and solace to individuals, religions offer ind...

    Read More

  • Death And Grieving By Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

    1953 Words  | 4 Pages

    In 1969 Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, a psychiatrist, published the Pioneering book On Death and Dying. The work acquainted the world with the grieving process, called the five stages of grief. Kübler-Ross gathered her research from studying individuals with terminal cancer (Johnson, 2007). The first stage of the grieving process is denial. In this stage the person refuses to believe that their loved one is deceased, a common thought during this period is, “This can’t be happening to me” (Johnson, 2007).The second stage of the grieving process is anger. In this level the person becomes frustrated with their circumstances, a customary complaint is “Why is this happening to me?” (Johnson, 2007). The third stage of the grieving process is bargaining. At this point the individual hopes that they can prevent their grief, this typically involves bartering with a higher power, and an ordinary observance during this time is “I will do anything to have them back” (Johnson, 2007). The fourth and most identifiable stage of grief is depression. This phase is habitually the lengthiest as...

    Read More

  • Thanatopsis by William Cullen Bryant

    1221 Words  | 3 Pages

    .... He knows death is a conclusion to the material world, but in this conclusion is a type of rebirth. Bryant believes death prepares the soul for its next journey. With this belief he is put at ease, but I cannot say the same for myself. I am truly confused about the subject. It is a source of great frustration for me. I, like many people, talk about the possibility of an afterlife, but it seems rather pointless. I spend countless hours pondering a question that shall never be answered in this lifetime. In addition, I realize death, along with being the end of the earthly life, is an end to all earthly traits. The afterlife begins following death, and cannot contain earthly characteristics. Therefore, it is illogical for me to attempt the comprehension of an afterlife. Even if it exists it is still impossible for me, as a living person, to understand or fathom.

    Read More

  • Thesis on Death and Grieving

    1104 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...h can hold anybody back from living. Griefing is tough and there’s no clear “right” way to grief. Although my grieving for my dad's death wasn't as tough as my family thought, I couldn't tell anybody how to handle death. In conclusion death is the clearing of the old making way of the new and it should not be feared, but more energy should be put in now, while you’re alive and living your life to the fullest.

    Read More

  • A Secret Sorrow: The Effects Of Cryptically Oppressive Men On Women

    1231 Words  | 3 Pages

    Amanda Stevenson Dr. Sigler EN 102: Composition and Literature 11 September 2015 The Effects of Cryptically Oppressive Men on Women Although A Sorrowful Woman by Gail Godwin and A Secret Sorrow by Karen van der Zee illustrate the predicaments of two very different women, both stories have similar, male driven undertones. The stories’ intertwining themes suggest that as women attempt to attain freedom by not succumbing to the standards of typical life, they ultimately fail because of oppressive male society. Ironically, the differences in each story highlight the similarities, such as the role of children and the method of separation of the women, each with relation to the male characters.

    Read More

  • Lindemann's Theory Of Grief Analysis

    1198 Words  | 3 Pages

    Grief is the natural human emotional response related to a loss of loved one or separation. Everyone grief differently. It is a process or a journey which does not end on a certain time. Life and grief are connected and both consists of good days and bad days. Sometimes grief may happen for months or years which ultimately will bring healing. “Grieving is crucial, necessary and unavoidable for successful adaptation” (Malkinson 1996). Grief and bereavement depend on the culture, religion and the nature of relationship with the lost one. There are many theories which explain grief. Lindemann (1994) developed a theory of grief. The theory of Parkes (1998) on grief is much similar to the theory of Bowlby (1980). The author would like take Kubler-Ross (1969) theory of grief to explain the grief process. The theories of grieving help to understand bereavement. There are several stages including in this model and Kubler-Ross believes that

    Read More

  • Death, Grief, and Redemption in The Lovely Bones

    1592 Words  | 4 Pages

    Death is the unfortunate event in which the people on this Earth have to embrace as a part of life. Most can relate to death in some way whether it be by relating to someone who has died or being close to someone that has lived this eventual nightmare everyone can relate to death and grief in some type of way. According to the OED, grief is the “... act or fact of dying; the end of life; the final cessation of the vital functions of an individual.” Death and grief are forever in the lives of death’s victims, with no known cure, just nullified existence to help lessen the pain. As the grieving process becomes an essential element to families affected by death, a developing mentality can be forever shaped by the components of death, grief, and redemption.

    Read More

  • Worden's Model Of Grief

    1097 Words  | 3 Pages

    Worden (2002) developed a model, which described grief as a process and not a state. He proposed that families need to work through a series of tasks in order to make a complete adjustment. Based on the model of grief by Kublar Ross 2005 it is important to remember that parents that have recently received a diagnosis and may go through a period of anxiety and confusion due to grief as they come to terms with their child’s diagnosis.

    Read More

  • Reflection On Contemporary Thanatology

    2571 Words  | 6 Pages

    The writer’s academic background as a Biologist, Chemist and Physiologist know that Death is inevitable. However, as a Christian and Bereaved,

    Read More

  • A Child's Perception of Death and Grief

    2486 Words  | 5 Pages

    Death and dying is a natural and unavoidable process that all living creatures will experience at some point in life, whether it is one’s own person death or the death of a close friend or family member. Along with the experience of death comes the process of grieving which is the dealing and coping with the loss of the loved one. Any living thing can grieve and relate to a loss, even children (Shortle, Young, & Williams, 1993). “Childhood grief and mourning of family and friends may have immediate and long-lasting consequences including depression, anxiety, social withdrawal, behavioral disturbances, and school underachievement” (Kaufman & Kaufman, 2006, p. 61). American children today grow up in cultures that attempt to avoid grief and deny inevitability of death (Shortle, Young, & Williams, 1993). Irreversibility, finality, inevitability, and causality are the four factors relative to a child’s understanding of death. These four components are relative to a child’s developmental level at the death is occurs (Willis, 2002).

    Read More

  • Theories Of Death Anxiety

    902 Words  | 2 Pages

    In different cultures some can share the same religion causing them to even have the same type of spiritual beliefs which provocatively helps shape that culture. All cultures have their own theories about the meaning and purposes of life and what happens after death. This apprises to how people in those different cultures approach death in their own ways. “For example, people may find death more manageable if they believe in a life after death. In some cultures, people believe that the spirit of someone who has died directly effects the living family members. The family members are comforted by the belief that their loved one is watching over them. Over-all, beliefs about the sense of death help people make sense of it and cope with its mystery.” (Okechi,

    Read More

  • Life After Death In The Five People You Meet In Heaven

    708 Words  | 2 Pages

    At some point in everyone’s life we experience thoughts about death, whether they’re positive or negative depends on their outlook on the afterlife. While some view death as only the beginning of their eternal life, others view it as the absolute end. When we think about the afterlife, most think that its either we go to Heaven or Hell. But since this is not proven and is such a broad topic, throughout history many authors have been concerned and curious with the uncertainties about the afterlife. Life after death is known mostly through faith, the imagination must make up for what lies beyond. Therefor authors and poets express their beliefs about death through their literary works. Death is something that is very scary to think of, but it will all happen to us at one point or another. This relates to the novel The Five People You Meet in Heaven, death plays a prevalent role in the life of the protagonist and death made him learn his values and his purpose

    Read More

  • Reflection Paper On Grief

    1111 Words  | 3 Pages

    Grief is a process, not a switch. One cannot turn off grief. One cannot hide from grief. The only way to work through one’s grief is by going through each step of the grieving process. This does not always happen on a timeline. Grief is certainly not linear, and infertility grief is especially nonlinear. I believe that all people who are experiencing infertility are grieving parents. I am a childless mother, with empty arms and a grieving heart. Even though I have not directly experienced the loss of a child, each cycle is a reminder that my arms will remain empty. Infertility cycles are experienced with both hope and loss. Every month I hope that I will become pregnant, and every month that hope is crushed. This highest-of-highs to lowest-of-lows roller coaster is unique, in that the losses are compounding. Each failed cycle adds to the grief and opens the wound like a scab being pulled off a freshly healed sore. Month after month, cycle after cycle, treatment after treatment, the losses compound and build upon each other. Grief expands. When I first started this journey, I wasn’t nearly as disappointed in a failed cycle as I am now. Grief is inevitably a part of anyone’s infertility journey. Grieving each “loss” is an integral part of the process towards becoming a parent. In my experience, in order to make decisions on which step to take next with clarity, it is essential to grieve losses individually and in a purposeful manner.

    Read More

More about Physics And Grief Patricia Monaghan Analysis

Open Document