Death
From ImmInstWiki
Death occurs when the normal 'life' processes within an a biological system halt. It is still unclear how to define the process of life, and hence it is the same for death, any definition is completely arbitrary. Early attempts to define the instant of death were based on the subject's heartbeat and respiratory functions, however, now that we have the ability to revive people who's hearts have completely seized, that definition has been rendered useless outside of clinical testing.
The most widely accepted definition of death currently is concerned with the electrical activity within the subject's brain. It is believed that the cessation of electrical activity between the cells in the brain leads to the destruction (or at least suspension) of consciousness, when a subject exhibits no brain activity, they are classified as being in a vegetative, or 'brain-dead' state, at which point they are often pronounced legally dead.
Death in Popular Culture
In movies, video games, advertisements, art, music, and magazines, death isn't necessarily taken light-heartedly, rather, it is accepted as an inevitability.
Assumptions about Death
It is human nature to retain a certain degree of curiosity about the unknown, and death is one of the greatest mysteries humanity has ever faced, we have tried for millenia to define it, to cope with it, and to explain what happens after it, and many simple assume that death is a gateway to a more beautiful, fair, and mystic realm.
Due to the fact that humanity has never had a way to permanently avoid death, and our abilities to negotiate with it have been severely limited at best, we as a species have adopted a rather lethargic attitude about it. We have realized that death has never lost a fight, and that we have never won one. However, we also have to consider, since the birth of the past few generations, we have developed numerous tools which help us understand, predict, delay, and prevent death. The last several generations have been equipped with these tools at varying degrees and with each generation our tools become more refined, and effective, we simply have to wait to see how they fair against this invisible adversary. With that said, even though it has been reasonable for us to doubt we can achieve victory over death in the past, it is beginning to look feasible, and might not remain such a reasonable assumption in the next 50 years.
The majority of people take the above attitude one step further and will create logically unprovable fantasies about what they might encounter after the neurons in their brains stop pulsing electricity and chemical between them. Some will actually claim to know what lies after this barrier.
Almost every culture has a religion, almost every religion has an explanation of what happens during and after death, and almost every explanation adheres to a common theme: The transcendence from an earthly existence to a heavenly, or magical existence free of biological limits. This heavenly theme isn't the only one these explanations conform to, they also lack scientific evidence and are based on anecdotal claims (stories). These explanations can never be proven, and can never be disproved, they are a logical impasse from which we will never escape.
To a growing number of people, these beliefs are beginning to appear childish and stress fractures are beginning to show themselves. Since these beliefs and assumptions cannot be repeated in controlled circumstances, many are growing tired with their unprovable claims and have decided to take a more active and productive path, a path which leads them in direct conflict with death. These people are the people who believe we might finally be in a position to indefinitely prevent the death of a person, allowing them make their own choice of whether they want to blindly throw all of their memories, loved ones, and appreciation of life into the riskiest gamble of their lives.
Death in Art: Under the All-Embracing Shadow
La Danse Macabre, the Dance of Death – had originally pertained to the magnificent fresco from the Franciscan Church of the Holy Innocents in Paris, dating 1424. The fresco has been decorating the southern wall of the church’s cloister, which was surrounded by the biggest cemetery in the city. This unique French model has later developed unto a vast artistic trend, carrying the exact same name. Ever since, Macabre artists have managed to convey their noteworthy message through a simple albeit highly incisive allegory.
Death is all-embracing, clamored their masterpieces; no matter one's station in life, the Dance of Death unites all.
Generally, this fascinationg genre consists of personified death figures (mostly limned as animated skeletons, naked or draped in shrouds, often carrying a scyth or a spear) leading a row of dancing characters from all walks of life to their graves - typically featuring an emperor, a king, a pope, a monk, a youngster and a beautiful girl.
Below or above the paintings often were several verses, in which the figures of death address their victims. They often speak in a threatening and accusing tone, sometimes also cynic and sarcastic. In these verses, the human victims later present their argument - full of sorrow and despair, crying for clemency and pleading to be spared. But death never seems to be considerate, leading all without exception unto his dance: from the entire sacred clerical hierarchy (including the cardinals, bishops, abbots, canons, priests and even the very pope with all of his exalted glory), to every single figure of the laic world (merchants, greedy moneylenders, dukes, counts, knights, doctors, robbers, peasants, innocent children, legendary emperors and even the mightiest of all kings). Death does not seem to care for the gender, age, integrity level, social position or wealth of the people it leads into its universal dance of destruction; all reside under its great shadow, without exception.
And so, these fascinating works were mostly painted or carved to decorate the outer walls of monasteries, family vaults, ossuaries or churches’ interior. Numerous versions of La Danse Macabre were produced under the vast impact of many frequent lethal plagues and disasters, specifically the Black Death, which has ravaged through Europe during the 14th century, putting to death more than a third of its population.
The far too common epidemics and the resultant high mortality rate have been reminding the medieval folk just how fragile their lives actually were. Apart from La Danse Macabre, these bloody times have given birth to other artistic genres featuring death as their basic theme. Le Triomphe De La Mort, the triumph of death – is but another attempt to try and express the noted characteristics of death: inevitability and universality. However, in contrast to La Danse Macabre, here death is not depicted dancing, but rather in a constant, furious battle with the living; particularly men. The outcome of the battle as depicted is quite obvious; death prevails and eventually subdues the living.
One of the best examples among this gripping genre is no other than Pieter Bruegel’s unique masterpiece, which currently hangs in the Museo del Prado, Madrid. In Bruegel’s triumph (see below), death is clearly seen at the center of activity. Its central personification is armed with a scythe and rides a highly emaciated horse. And so, all of its frightened victims seek cover and rush into a crate with a marked Christian cross on its doorway. The crate, looking rather suspicious, is most likely to imply on a misleading trap; perhaps even an underlying critique of the vague promises of post-death survival offered by religion?
It is also worth mentioning how a different cross sits so lonesomely in the center of the scenery; so impotent and helpless in the face of death. A horde of skeletons raids this landscape; they mow all men without exception, the king as well as the mother and her toddler, the knight as well as the fine ladies, the peasant as well as the lovers playing of the music without noticing the presence of a skeleton behind them. Some people try to defend themselves with swords; but to no avail. The landscape mirrors this death: the trees and the grass are dried out, infernal fires burn behind the hill; everywhere skeletons kill men and women, by drowning, hanging, slitting throats. A man on the verge of being beheaded cries of mercy in vain, his hands in chains. There is not even a promise of redemption or resurrection in this picture. Skeletons toll the bell, there is no hope anymore.
Bruegel’s The Triumph of Death
This segment was copied with consent from Forma Aeternus: A Quest for Enduring Beauty by Daniel Stein --Inarchunite 16:09, 8 Aug 2005 (PDT)
