Overcoming Death Denial

Last Saturday morning in Chicago, I listened to a compelling presentation by "spiritual activist, teacher, author and ceremonialist" Stephen Jenkinson on "The Skill of Brokenheartedness: Euthanasia, Palliative Care and Power."  




One point that Jenkinson made is that we are a death denying culture . . . and this will not change.  He recognized that might not be a welcome message among hundreds of attendees at a Compassion & Choices conference.  But I wonder about the accuracy of Jenkinson's prediction.  




In 1978, Princeton sociologist Viviana Zelizer that "the financial evaluation of a man's life introduced by the life insurance industry was initially rejected by many as a profanation which transforms the sacred event of death into a vulgar commodity."  Yet, today, the life insurance industry has long been legitimated as a new form of ritual with which to face death.




Zelizer identifies a plethora of factors explaining the shift.  But it seems that similar factors could obtain at the beginning of the 21st century.  In short, it seems at least possible to transform death from a over-medicalized ritual back to an accepted part of life.  Like Ira Byock, I hope that baby boomers will “take back” the end of life in the same way they took charge of the beginning by pushing for the natural childbirth movement and efforts to bring fathers into the delivery room.