The Attraction of Death Although there is the common presumption that everyone fears death and has an aversion to it, paradoxically, death is also, under appropriate conditions, seen as an attraction (the end of suffering) or as a final act of revenge, heroic sacrifice, or an extreme acting out of self-pity. There is also ‘the romance of death’ by which it is celebrated for its intrinsic drama (legends, opera, and fiction, such as Romeo and Juliet) The thrill of death pervades the Roman Coliseum, dueling, the racetrack, and acts of war. To ‘flirt with death’ is also an attraction of high ris-taing (e.g., as represented by motorcyclists’ jackets and tattoos with skull and crossbones). Death can also be ceremonial (hari-kari) and is solemnly celebrated via funerals with the case drawn slowly by horses in State funeral processions. Freud postulated an intrinsic death instinct termed “Thanatos’ (in contrast to ‘Eros’, the life instinct) that is buried deep in the primitive unconscious where it exerts a potential influence that can be strengthened by indoctrination(Kamikaze pilots, Islamic suicide bombers, cult mass suicide). Currently there is a long waiting list of zealous volunteers among Islamic extremists (“We worship death, not life, “said bin Laden. ) There is therefore the ‘Cult of Death’, which is glamorized to impressionable, naïve youth who are induced to commit not only suicide but also simultaneous mass murder of the innocent. There were numerous kamikaze volunteers during World War 11. Thus, a dramatic exit has a unique attraction and the glamour of drama. Most commonly,, suicide is an act of despair and desperation consequent to the loss of faith or hope.
Posted on: Tue, 12 Aug 2014 19:42:42 +0000
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