The mirror of death: Diverse cultural beliefs, images, and rituals of death and the effects on the livin

The purpose of this study is to examine the death images and rituals that individuals and cultures create, and how these symbols influence and affect our daily lives. In the beginning of the paper, various attitudes and beliefs toward death are presented from the disciplines of philosophy, psychology, theology, anthropology, and the arts. The overview of multiple views reveals the diversity of beliefs and practices in this universal experience.;Specifically, the research focuses on death in America, where death tends to be in the shadow of the culture, as well as in the shadow of the individual's psyche. The study also focuses on the cultures of Bali and Tibet, where death is consciously confronted and integrated into daily existence. Bali and Tibet were chosen given their accepting view of death versus America's repressed view of death.;This work indicates the psychological danger in creating an imbalance within the reciprocal relationship of the opposites of life and death. It suggests that a contributing factor to violence in America may be our tendency in this society to remove death from our awareness. The research further implies that the nature of death needs to be seen and represented, and that death rebels and grows unruly in the darkness of the shadow. This study explores the possible compensatory role of violence created by the imbalance of life and death. In examining death and loss in Bali and Tibet, this dissertation suggests that the awareness of death within life and its respected presence in these communities help maintain a balance, lending a more sacred way of living, leading to compassion and peace.;Finally, this dissertation explores the possible ways that depth psychology can help us move beyond culturally conditioned views to allow for diversity and openness in experiencing death at different levels. Furthermore, it discusses the benefits of the descending journey into the shadow and the role of death and loss in the individuation process. The study also explores the role of depth psychology in creating a balance between life and death through symbolic images and rituals, which can bring a culture into a sense of compassion and community.