Will you leave behind a legacy?

The terror management theory is unique to human beings and says that we have a desire to live and thrive and this is shadowed only by our realization that death is inevitable. I believe Stephen Cave put it best when he said, “We each live in the shadow of a personal apocalypse.” (Cave, 2013). Cave has also found that society has created four stories that help us cope by making us in some way immortal. His four immortality stories are elixir, resurrection, soul, and legacy.  We often times find one or more of these to be the plot of ancient myths and modern stories of death.

Elixir- The idea of avoiding death all together by taking some sort of elixir of life that will keep us going. In the book of Genesis, God discusses the tree of life and how man must not eat from it or they will not only hone the knowledge of God (from the eating of the apple from the tree of knowledge) but also his immortality.  “Then the Lord God said, ‘Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever,’” (Genesis 3:22)

Cave discusses how in modern day we no longer rely on finding the “Fountain of Youth” but rather on creating one through science. We utilize modern technology to develop hormone treatments, stem cell research, etc. that will increase our vitality, functionality, and length of time on Earth.

Resurrection- We can rise up and live again as someone or even something different, therefore not really dying but rather evolving or transitioning into a different life. Many Egyptians believed that death was simple a transition period in life and that their ka left the body at the point of death.  This is why they mummified their dead and buried them with their riches, so that when their ka returned it would have a body to return to.  They also believed in Osiris, the god of the afterlife, regeneration, and rebirth.

Soul- A majority of people believe that we all have a soul (except for gingers…only kidding) and that death only occurs to the body. Our soul leaves our dead body but lives on to watch over our loved ones.  The ka that I referred to previously is what Egyptians believe is their soul.  It lives on before they are resurrected in body.

Legacy- This isn’t a physiological part of you living on, much like what takes place in the three previous stories. This is more of the legend that you leave behind.  Something you did that was so phenomenal that it will live on forever, or damn near close to it.  Your legacy may be so small that it only survives by your family and friends or it may have made such a significant impact that it lives on throughout the entirety of the world, like Steve Job’s legacy of technology.

In truth, no one can really know for sure what we have to look forward to after death. Our legacy is almost the only thing we can guarantee with certainty and that is why “the only thing that matters is that you make [your life] a good story.” (Cave, 2013)

P.S. Would living in Never-Land be considered an elixir? =D

Death

Steven Cave was extremely eloquent in talking about something that many of us are afraid to discuss. He describes 4 different stories we tell ourselves about death and how we deal with them. One of the most impacting statements to me was that we believe these 4 stories because we are biased and we are biased because we are afraid of death. Our fear of death is natural but not rational. Its not rational because theres absolutely nothing that we can do about it, we just need to come to terms with it.

Elixir- the old story of a fountain of youth is a very common immortality story. We have changed that to fit today’s feelings through how we can avoid death through science (stem cells etc). In greek mythology their nectar and ambrosia can be seen as the elixir of immortality.

Resurrection- some people can accept that they are going to die but know that they will return. This is especially important in christianity. In todays day and age we see resurrection ideas through cryogenically freezing practices.

Soul- A much more spiritual way of seeing immortality. Its the idea that the body dies but the soul will always live on. We see this in Ancient Egyptian myths. After being mummified with everything they could possibly need in the afterlife their souls take on this vast journey to the underworld.

Legacy- The idea of legacy as an immortality story is a bit different than the other 3 stories. Instead of the person or their soul living forever they are always remembered. Today it is much easier to have a legacy with the internet available for pretty much everyone.

At the end of his lecture, Cave describes the way he came to terms with his inevitable death. He sees it as a book. The opening cover his birth and the back cover as his death. All that matters to him is that it was a good story no matter how long or how short it is.

Death!

Stephen Cave does an excellent job explaining things that I feel like many people are too afraid to talk about. He makes some very direct observations about how humanity contemplates its own end.

He discusses four main stories that humanity tells itself in order to come to terms with death.

Elixir- Many people new and ancient believe in ways to extend life or hopefully even to become immortal. The Greeks thought many foods or drinks would allow them to live longer or become immortal, for example. Modern day medicine has brought many breakthroughs in life longevity, and in some cases, it has even become a trend for consumers to try and find ways to extend their lives to the maximum. Like Cave explains, we even put billions of dollars into stem cell research and cloning techniques. I think elixir myths are some of the most common stories that people tell themselves, even without be aware of it at times.

Resurrection-This is one of the stories I think many people tend to avoid expressing even if they do believe it. The idea of deceased bodies retaking life is more than many people want to admit, even if they truly believe it. Greek mythology speaks of times when humans taken down to Erebos and then somehow being able to return. Some modern day religions speak of reincarnation, where one who has died is able to come back in a different life form. They don’t necessarily return as a human, but one way or another they are resurrected back into some form of life.

Soul- The ancient Egyptians were huge believers that the soul was the part of the body that would continue into the after-life. They took great care to protect and preserve the souls of the dead so that they would arrive happy and clean on the other side. A modern day example that comes to mind is the idea that is portrayed in the movie “Transendence”. A scientist is terminally ill and decides to have his mind uploaded into a computer that he designed to be self-aware.

Legacy- “The idea that you can live on through the echo that you leave in the world”, says Cave. I really like this observation. I think this is the kind of immortality story that we strive for unconsciously. Everybody grows up wanting to leave behind some sort of legacy. Some of them are family oriented people that want to leave behind a better life for their children than the life that they personally had. Sometimes people want to live on through their fame. Some people just want to be remembered as a great person, and to be talked about long after they are gone.

Based on Cave’s observations I think the best way to be comfortable with any of these stories is to simply decide which one is the most harmonic with our “terror management” system and then cling to it. Most every one that have ever lived has had some sort of fear of death, and demanded some sort of explanation whether it be from a god or a scientist. The trick to life is figuring our which story gives us the most passion to live our lives the best we can. If it is our desire to leave a legacy maybe we need to start having more kids or writing more books. If it is our desire to have some sort of elixir, maybe it’s time to start investing in stem cell research and regrowth-hormones.

I loved Cave’s observations!

Can we achieve immortality?

Stephen Cave talks about our experiences of death.  As a child we don’t quite understand, we just know that the person is not walking around with us anymore.  Mr. Cave talks about his experience of death as a child as a black hole that he was afraid.  He didn’t want to go to the black hole.  My first experience of death was when my grandpa died when I was 10.  I don’t really remember asking what happens when we die but I do remember my grandma tell me that grandpa was in Heaven with God.  It wasn’t until I started going to church with a friend at age 13 that I learned what grandma meant about Heaven.

Stephen Cave talks about 4 types of immortality stories or beliefs-elixir, resurrection, soul and legacy.  Since there is no real proof of what happens when we die, people fear it because it is the unknown.  Relying on these immortality ideas helps us cope with the loss of our loved ones and helps us with our final decisions. We believe these stories because we are so afraid of death.

Since most of us want to avoid death because we don’t know what if feels like, we believe in elixirs to make our death easier or prolong our death.  People even believe the elixirs will heal us from cancer, old age, or other fatal illnesses.  Most cultures believe in elixirs that will ensure our life. Nowadays we even believe that the scientists can prolong our lives by medicines, treatments or even freezing our bodies to bring us back when they find a cure for our disease.  The Greeks even believed in special drinks and food would give them immortality.

If you believe in Resurrection if meant you believe that you would die but that you would rise again, live again or even come back to earth.  Just like Jesus.  This idea of immortality is passed down to each generation and there are different versions in each family.  Even though most believe this is basically a Christian belief, Stephen Cave mentioned that other types of religions believe this also.

The majority of people believe we have a soul.  Many stories have been told about near death experiences where we leave our bodies, see our bodies surrounded by people, see a bright light, someone on the other side might talk to us but then we return to our body and continue to live.  Epicurus believed that the soul died when the body died. So he believed we have a soul but it didn’t move to another dimension but stayed with the dead body.

Legacy is leaving behind your story through children, writings, even videos of your stories.  Legacy is a questionable way of immortality to me.  I’m not sure if I understand how a legacy can be immortality because to me immortality is surviving but leaving a legacy is something that’s done after you die.  Stephen Cave said that sceptics doubt legacy as an immortality.  I am one of those sceptics.

I loved his definition of terror management theory, “We develop our world views, that is the stories we tell ourselves about the world and our place in it, in order to help us manage the terror of death.”

Death

Stephen Cave starts off with his speech discussing death and what we, as people, think about it and what we tell ourselves to cope with it.  The four categories of stories that he states we tell ourselves are:

Elixirs:  In almost every myth/story there is some type of elixir, whether it be the elixir for life or the fountain of youth.  People believe there is some elixir that will give them immortality.  We even have this in science, some people believe we will eventually achieve immortality scientifically.

Resurrection: A belief that states we will be resurrected like Jesus Christ, or that we will be resurrected in some way or another. People also rely on science for this, saying we can freeze our body than unfreeze it later in life.

Soul: The belief that we have souls and will live on through our soul forever, even after death. People also believe science can do this as well by putting our memories into a computer that lives on forever.

Legacy: Legacy is leaving behind something of yours or making an impact on others.  Social media makes this incredibly easy, but people can also do this through making an actual impact on the world or having children carry on their legacy.

Resurrection, when I think of it, I think of the Biblical resurrection.  That if we believe in God/Jesus we will be resurrected in the coming of Jesus. I believe that this is the most common resurrection story but we also see a minus of it in today’s society (zombies, for example) so this story has always freaked me out a bit.

In Egyptian myth, the Egyptians would wrap their most powerful leaders in linen to preserve them for their eternal afterlife. They believed that the soul would carry over. This was so that their body wouldn’t perish and they would be able to have it with them in the afterlife. They also had important items and food buried/offered to them so they could also have that as well.

Legacy is a very important attribute in today’s society, and we seem to have many who believe in legacy. Many people have children so their last name is carried or, kind of like Zeus who slept with many women and had many children to carry on his legacy.

I loved Cave’s speech and agreed with him that our life is a book, and that we should make it great.  That we need to make the middle amazing.  I thought this was one of the best assignments we have had, because death is inevitable and seeing the coping mechanisms was incredibly interesting.

WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE!!

Stephen Cave broke up the way we see death or rather conquering death in four sections.

Elixir – Mr. Cave described how since the beginning of existence we have created a potion in order to conquer death. We have always thought of the fountain of youth as something silly that is a story we have been told time and time again. It is not that bizarre when we think about how in society we are constantly taking pills to look younger, have more energy, and get aroused at a moments notice when we are older (just not longer than 4 hours). These are nothing but modern day elixirs.

Resurrection – In the Religious nation that we live in we are very familiar with the idea of resurrection. We have been told all our lives that when we die we either ride the existential elevator up or down.

Soul – A soul is also something that is familiar to most religious people. Once you die your spirit, soul, or essence does not go away.

Legacy – This is the idea that even when you die, you can be a part of something greater. A cause or team or possibly something that you accomplished. It depends of what your actions are that decide what your legacy is. Both Jesus and Hitler had legacies that will live on forever.

Ancient Egyptians believed that if a body is wrapped in fine linens and a particular ceremony were to take place this would allow them passage to the afterlife. This would be similar to the soul that we are used to hearing about.

We generally think of a legacy in terms of military battles. I immediately thought of the movie Starship Troopers. This was a movie about a distopian future where giant bugs were the enemy and the military were the good guy defenders. In this scene the commander said, “Come on you apes, don’t you want to live forever”. He was talking about not only their legacy, but their survival of their species.Starship Troopers

I found Mr. Cave’s analogy of a book to be very insightful. He explained how the beginning was your birth and the end was your death. We always say that death is a part of life when this is not the case. In fact death is apart from life.

Happy Halloween everyone!

The Simpsons Death

Family Guy Death

Death all around us

Steven Cave categorized death in four ways.

First there was elixir, the belief that someone could take a consumable item and it would either prevent death or at least keep them alive for a longer period of time.

The second way we view the afterlife is resurrection. This is the belief that once we die there is the possibility for us to be brought back to life by some force and continue living in that manner.

The third is soul. After people die they believe that a part of them will live forever while their bodies decay. They live on through their soul for eternity.

The fourth way that he categorizes death and the afterlife is legacy. People want to make sure they are remembered after they have passed. Even if there isn’t a heaven, their presence will always be known and felt. I relate this to something like any sports hall of fame.

The Egyptians prepared their deceased for a better life in the afterlife by surrounding them with their prized possessions and giving their kings golden masks. In Greek mythology there was a pleasant afterlife. Nothing exceptionally crazy but you know it could be worse for some people. Christianity has heaven or hell and they seem to be two extremes. One is incredible and anything you have ever wanted while the other is more of an eternal punishment where even the coffee is cold. (Anyone read the Far Side Gallery?)

When I was a kid I saw the movie phenomena and this was my first experience of realizing what death really was. I think I was comforted by the fact that once someone dies they aren’t just gone forever but that they are living maybe a better life somewhere else. The Egyptians coped with death by believing their relatives would be even better off in death than they were in life and possibly even deities.

For the most part Christianity helps relieve fear of death because when someone dies you always hear “they are in a better place now.” Not to be a negative nancy but it seems they also forget about the other half of the spectrum. Do they really know how their relatives act? I think they just choose to ignore this other possibility to help them move on and not be as sad about the passage of a loved one.

Dead as a door nail; kicked the bucket; pushing up daisies…

The four ways Steven Cave said that we categorize death and the afterlife are:

1) Elixir: Dealing with some sort of magic potion or Holy Grail that grants the consumer immortality, thus making death unobtainable. This seems to be fading away except in movies. However in society, makeup developers come up with anti-aging creams and the like.

2) Resurrection: This one is the belief that you will be raised from the dead like Jesus Christ. Most believers in either Judaism, Islam and Christianity believe in the Resurrection of our bodies after death. Ironically these 3 religions are the 3 most warring groups in history. I think this belief is foundational around a deeper faith in their God and Salvation.

3) Soul: Here we have people who, after death, turn into a soul that remains forever… **and dealing with Halloween, they may haunt others**? Others under this umbrella believe that they have a soul and then just leave the flesh when they die to forever reside as their soul. Funny thing is, most Christians believe in the Resurrection and their Soul.

4) Legacy: Most want to leave a legacy, and today it is, more than ever, attainable through social media. Through their posts, videos, status updates, humor, followers and all that jazz. No longer do we call on heroes or have scribes following us around. We just feel we need to let the world know our every move. Instead of actually investing in a person and getting to know the real them.

I find it interesting how the Egyptians view death. Mummification is about life after death and what they will be. I like the idea about making a king have a gold face. Not because he was rich, but because they wanted him to be a deity once in the other realm. I find it funny how the stories of Hathor (Isis), Seth, Horus, Ra, etc.. are very similar in the fact that they are all violent and sexual, just like the Greek Mythologies we’ve already learned about.

I remember, like S. Cave, how I viewed death as a kid like the Existential Elevator. Not knowing exactly what I believed and not taking my parents faith truly for my own (until I grew older). I remember wondering what the rules were (growing up in Legalistic Christianity) about Heaven & Hell. Did we really become angels, playing harps on the clouds after we die? I wasn’t sure what I believed due to the fact that TV and all the cartoons were so appealing to me as a kid.

I remember the Movie “All Dogs Go To Heaven”, do you? (are you old enough… lol) This movie really made me think, was heaven based on Karma or did it come down to a decision of Salvation like I was taught growing up? I really fought with this idea from then and still to this day especially when it comes down to the controversial topic of Suicide (another debate for another time). However… Do all dogs go to heaven? My theological answer is a resounding, YES!!!

All Cats Go Straight To Hell! lol

Who is Behind the Pumpkin’s Smile?

Many a drunken Irish moon ago there once lived one of the most notorious, lazy and all around scoundrels in the Emerald Isles. His name is so unknown it is only synonymous with Samhain, All Hallows Eve or Halloween for today’s generation. Jack was known by many names: Drunk Jack, Jack the Smith, Stingy Jack, and of course Jack of the Lantern. All of these names refer to a being so cunning he tricked Lucifer, Loki, Coyote, Hades or whatever you want to call the master of evil, treachery and cunning in giving him more time at life.
So let us understand the hunger of Stingy Jack. Jack wanted nothing but to live a full life and not be hampered by good, evil or work. Now Jack was a true scoundrel, he would trick locals and steal from the poor. Jack did not think of the consequences and when Lucifer came calling Jack at the local tavern Ol’ Jack was unprepared. The situation was dire but Jack had a rapier sharp mind. He tricked Lucifer into allowing him to get one more pint of ale. When Jack finished his pint he tricked Lucifer into turning into a silver coin to pay the barman. Jack being sharp witted placed the coin into his pocket with a crucifix he carried. Let it not be said that Jack did not at least believe in something. Well, Lucifer did not like his predicament and had to make a deal with Jack. The deal was, Lucifer would be set free from Jack’s pocket if he left Jack and his soul alone for ten years. The agreement was made and Jack walked away happy.
Jack’s hunger to live a longer life is evident. The way he tricks Lucifer into allowing him to live another ten years shows his desire. The situation was dire for our intrepid trickster and he changed it to give him what he wanted. Not only did he get ten years without Lucifer interfering in his life he was able to be the same scoundrel he had always been. This is not the only time Jack tricks Lucifer he does it ten years later and has Lucifer promise Jacks soul will never pass through the gates of Hell. Once again Jack averts tragedy and is left to live his life.
Unfortunately for Jack he did not make a deal with the Angels. Jack ended up dying several years later from his life style. Well Jack was so smart that he had tricked Lucifer so he should be allowed into heaven right, or maybe not? Alas, poor Jack was not able to enter Heaven because he was such a scoundrel. Heaven does not want those who are given not only one chance at a new life but two chances who do not help their fellow man. So Jack swallowed his pride and headed to Hell to face Lucifer. When Jack knocked on the great doors of Hell he was greeted by a smiling Lucifer.
Lucifer the trickster, the cunning one and the one who gets the last laugh is who met Ol’ Jack at the gates. Jack informed Lucifer that heaven would not take his immortal soul and he needs a place to rest his soul. The cunning Lucifer master of trickery reminded Jack of the little traps he made for Lucifer. Jack was also informed of the personal affront Lucifer had faced when Jack had tricked him not once but twice. Jack smiled and agreed he had tricked Lucifer for more time but now he had tricked himself. With a howling laugh Lucifer explained to Jack he must keep his end of the bargain. The bargain being Jack’s soul will never enter Hell. With a weary sense of defeat Jack asked Lucifer what he could do if Heaven and Hell did not want him. Lucifer thought for a moment and gave Jack a spark of hellfire. To this day Jack uses the hellfire spark as a lantern to walk between the worlds of the living and the dead. You see reader, the hellfire lights his way for all eternity.
Now, this tail of deceit is not over. You see, Jack tries to come to this world every Hallows eve and to keep Stingy Jack from entering your home you need to do several things. One, tell your children of Stingy Jack. Two, get a turnip, potato, or gourd and cut out the innards. Three, carve a face of Jack into the root vegetable of choice and finally. Four, place a candle into the cavity to ward off Jack O’ Lantern!

Have a wonderful Halloween!!!

Trickster Analysis

In the 1960’s, the Pink Panther started out as a live action title sequence for movies.  A title sequence is a short cartoon before the movie.  In the first short film Pink Panther harasses a little white man that’s painting a house blue.  Pink Panther wants the house to be pink.  Pink Panther plays many tricks on the little white guy and in the end everything including the grass and trees are the color pink.  This short cartoon won the 1964 Academy Award for Animated Short Film.  Many cartoons soon followed with Pink Panther coming up with wild ideas, chaos and tricks to get his way. A trickster knows no shame because he doesn’t distinguish between right and wrong.  Tricksters have a thirsty drive for pleasure.

Pink Panther acts like his shenanigans are no big deal and he continues until he wins or gets hurt.  Pink as a deceiver and trick player, seems to be a blockhead.  His actions are odd. He tries to trick the other characters usually to help but sometimes it’s to get back at them by continuing to play the tricks until he succeeds in blowing himself up or losing the game.    He decides the house should be pink so he follows the little white guy around, right after the white guy painted it blue, then Pink would come back and paint it pink again.   The whole cartoon is Pink Panther doing everything he can think of to keep the house pink. This went on until Pink hid all the blue paint so the white guy couldn’t paint anymore.  The white guy then buries all the pink paint.  In the end the pink paint grows from the ground pink grass, pink trees. Pink Panther is so happy that he hugs the little white guy.

Pink Panther is also a Situation-Invertor.  In all his mischief, Pink turns bad situation into good.  He decides he want to be a super hero.  He steals pink long underwear, and a sheet from a clothes line.   He sees a little old lady being held up by a robber.  He grabs the lady and puts her out of site.  Then he tries to take care of the robber.  He tries taking the robber’s gun away but the robber is much stronger.  In the end the robber shoots Pink in the head and his heads is fried black.  Pink seems to be a lot like Prometheus in that he wants to help the human little old lady.  Even though Pink didn’t turn the situation around to benefit him because he ended up getting hurt.  Pink wasn’t as lucky at Prometheus.

As an ambiguous and anomalous, Pink Panther tries to protect himself from a bully from space.  In the cartoon “Star Pink” Pink Panther owns a gas station for space ships.  The cartoon shows Pink filling a tank and washing the windows of a space ship then it flies away.  The next space ship that comes along is a reckless one that comes flying in way to fast.  Pink sees it coming and decides to close his gas station.  The space guy, which happens to be the white guy but green in color this time, gets mad and tries to open the gas station.  The green guy finds Pink hiding behind a rock with a key to the station in his hand.  The green guy sends a robot out to get the key.  Pink plays tricks on them by undoing his jet pack, leading the robot to an area where he drops in a hole and turns the green guy into a flower with a molecular transmitter.  When a bee gets in the transmitter with Pink, Pink comes out half bee.  So, he flies around chasing the green guy shaped like a flower.  Pink is on the edge of getting beat up by the space bully so he plays tricks to keep the bully at bay and in the end the bully runs away.   Loki had a similar situation in that he lured the giant away from the wall and saved the woman just like Pink lured the green space man away from his gas station.

Pink causes hate and discontent for the little white guy in some of the cartoons.  But in others he tries to help the humans by doing good deeds that always end badly.  Pink’s drive is for happiness but his aim to be right gets him to trick all sorts of people in the cartoon. Pink doesn’t seem to be bothers by the tricks he plays and how they may affect the other characters.  Pink just wants to get his way.

https://youtu.be/41aGCrXM20E

https://youtu.be/Rr2Y135W6Fc

https://youtu.be/xXvBkwihOE8