Abstract
Positive Psychology is a field that focuses on
individual strengths, however the field cannot be complete unless it addresses
the strength of spirit which is enduring.
If it only focuses on the temporary experience of positive traits, then
this field will fail, as most others do, at the juncture where life meets
death. Aging and death are undeniable aspects of everyone’s experience however,
our society has developed a view of intolerance towards death which has
handicapped the healing process. The overwhelming
focus on the material world that we live in, on keeping the body appearing
young, and on resisting death due to fear, make graceful transitioning very
difficult. Indigenous cultures and spiritual traditions offer hopeful models that
we urgently need to integrate into our aging community. Cultures which teach positive messages of
afterlife, possibilities of continued relationships with deceased loved ones,
connecting with the nonphysical realm through transcendence, and other such spiritual
messages make the end of life transition a much more positive experience. This paper will examine ways in which a new
tolerant understanding of death might be developed and implemented using models
from traditions that have successfully done this. When spiritual understandings
are applied to the topic of aging and death, Positive Psychology can
triumphantly set new societal norms.
Update: This proposal was accepted and I was invited to present at the IPEN Positive Psychology Conference!
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