Existential and Spiritual Issues in Death Attitudes


Book Description

In this new volume, death is treated both as a threat to meaning and as an opportunity to create meaning.




Existential Psychology East-West (Volume 2)


Book Description

Existential-Psychology East-West(Volume 2) emerged from continued dialogues on existential psychology, particularly existential-humanistic psychology, in Southeast Asia. This volume includes authors from Southeast Asia, India, Africa, Europe, and the United States, including Xuefu Wang, Louise Sundararajan, Mark Yang, Louis Hoffman, Al Dueck, Albert Chan, Donna Rockwell, Ilene Serlin, Rainbow Tin Hung Ho, Rochelle Suri, Meili Pinto, and Anthony K. Nkyi. The book is divided into three sections: 1) Theory and Practice, 2) Applications and Case Illustrations, and 3) Existential Perspectives on Cultural Myths. The first three chapter focus on Zhi Mian Therapy, an indigenous Chinese approach to existential psychology. These chapters are the most comprehensive overview of Zhi Mian Therapy in English to date. Other theory chapters include a discussion of international psychology from an existential-humanistic perspective, the concept of Sui Wu Fu Xing, men's violence against women, Sunyata, and the concept of savoring. The second section focuses on a variety of case illustrations to illuminate the practice of existential therapy in different cultural contexts. The final section expands upon existential perspectives of myths as developed in Rollo May's The Cry for Mythand Existential Psychology East-West(Volume 1). Seven myths from different cultural contexts are examined from an existential perspective. Along with Volume 2, Existential-Psychology East-West(Volume 2) represents a landmark contribution to the existential psychology literature.




Meaning in Positive and Existential Psychology


Book Description

This book is a first attempt to combine insights from the two perspectives with regard to the question of meaning by examining a collection of theoretical and empirical works. This volume therefore is destined to become an important addition to psychological literature: both from the viewpoint of the history of ideas (again this would be one of the first times that positive and existentialist psychologies meet) and from the viewpoint of theoretical and empirical research into the meaning concept in psychology.




Death Anxiety Handbook: Research, Instrumentation, And Application


Book Description

Presenting a broad coverage of this major area of studies on death and dying, this book provides a systematic presentation of the six most widely used and best validated measures of death anxiety, threat and fear. These chapters consider the available data on the psychometric properties of each instrument and summarize research using them, and also supply a copy of the instrument with scoring keys - to facilitate their use. In addition, other chapters make use of the instrumentation by pursuing questions of applied significance in various health care settings nursing homes, psychotherapy, death education, near death experiences, persons with AIDS, experiences of bereaved young adults.; An introductory chapter introduces the major philosophical and psychological theories of the causes and consequences of death anxiety in adult life, and a closing chapter gives an overview of death education and how this affects attitudes towards death and dying.




The Encyclopedia of Adulthood and Aging, 3 Volume Set


Book Description

This authoritative reference work contains more than 300 entries covering all aspects of the multi-disciplinary field of adult development and aging Brings together concise, accurate summaries of classic topics as well as the most recent thinking and research in new areas Covers a broad range of issues, from biological and physiological changes in the body to changes in cognition, personality, and social roles to applied areas such as psychotherapy, long-term care, and end-of-life issues Includes contributions from major researchers in the academic and clinical realms 3 Volumes www.encyclopediaadulthoodandaging.com




The Human Quest for Meaning


Book Description

The first edition of The Human Quest for Meaning was a major publication on the empirical research of meaning in life and its vital role in well-being, resilience, and psychotherapy. This new edition continues that quest and seeks to answer the questions, what is the meaning of life? How do we explain what constitutes meaningful relationships, work, and living? The answers, as the eminent scholars and practitioners who contributed to this text find, are neither simple nor straightforward. While seeking to clarify subjective vs. objective meaning in 21 new and 7 revised chapters, the authors also address the differences in cultural contexts, and identify 8 different sources of meaning, as well as at least 6 different stages in the process of the search for meaning. They also address different perspectives, including positive psychology, self-determination, integrative, narrative, and relational perspectives, to ensure that readers obtain the most thorough information possible. Mental health practitioners will find the numerous meaning-centered interventions, such as the PURE and ABCDE methods, highly useful in their own work with facilitating healing and personal growth in their clients. The Human Quest for Meaning represents a bold new vision for the future of meaning-oriented research and applications. No one seeking to truly understand the human condition should be without it.




Visions of Hope


Book Description

Growing evidence indicates that spiritual practices enhance personal resilience under challenging circumstances. Combining the wisdom of the Bible (stations) with modern considerations of positive psychology, Visions of Hope is a practical guide map for chronic patients. The symbolic framework of the stations of the cross serves in the examination and understanding of the challenging facets of chronic diseases, such as the trials of despair, suffering, and the hope of redemption. The book does not shy away from discussing the most difficult questions the reader might face, including the need to face death and what happens after we die. Original illustrations by the author, classic poetry, and quotes from the Bible and other religious and spiritual texts bring the content into a sharper focus for the reader in an aesthetically pleasing and meaningful volume. This is a book you will want to keep and share with family and friends throughout the disease process.




Curing the Dread of Death


Book Description

This unique book explores the dread of death and its management from a wide range of perspectives with researchers and writers from a variety of cultures, academic traditions and disciplines across the globe. The fields covered are broad — including palliative care and grief, psychodynamic theory, social, developmental and clinical psychology, sociology and anthropology, counselling practice as well as history, art, and philosophy.




Death Attitudes and the Older Adult


Book Description

This innovative and informative new text bridges the fields of gerontology and thanatology.




Reflecting on the Inevitable


Book Description

Death studies have, over the last twenty years, witnessed a flourishing of research and scholarship particularly in areas such as dying and bereavement, cultural practices and fear of dying. But, despite its importance, a specific focus on the nature of personal mortality has attracted surprisingly little attention. Reflecting on the Inevitable combines evidence from several disciplinary fields to explore the varying ways each of us engages with the prospect of personal mortality. Chapters are organized around the question of how an ongoing relationship might be possible when the threat of consciousness coming to an end points to an unspeakable nothingness. The book then argues that, despite this threat, an ongoing relationship with one's own death is still possible by means of conceptual devices, or 'enabling frames', that help shape personal mortality into a relatable object. In each chapter the subtleties and applicability of key ideas are enhanced through a series of illustrative narratives built up around the lives of four people at different ages living in two adjacent houses. Reflecting on the Inevitable is relevant not only to academics of death studies, but also those training and practicing in people-helping professions, as well as anyone experiencing or attempting to make sense of major life events.