Download Ghosts, Souls and Death

Ghosts, Souls and Death
Human Universals:
Every culture has a concept of soul, and an after life, but…
Death is a biological occurrence with a myriad of cultural
interpretations…
The Soul
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The noncorporeal, spiritual component of an individual.
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In anthropology, the term is seen as exclusive to humans.
In many cultures, seen as departing from the body during sleep to travel through space/time and
meet with all sorts of people, including relatives
Soul is seen as departing from the body during Trance, illness and permanently upon death.
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The meshing of science and spirituality. How some in Western Society perceive of near death and death
experiences:
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Quantum Mechanics and Consciousness (first 5 min.): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqJOIQWkfWA&feature=related
from What the Bleep Do We Know?
Where does the soul reside? How many souls within an individual?
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Haitian Vodou: ti bonanj is the “little angel” or the person’s consciousness and ego. Upon death, stays around
the body for a bit and then moves on to heaven. Gwo bonanj or “big angel” comes from the ancestral spirits
and is returned after death. This is the person’s life force that determines his/her character and intelligence.
Jivaro (Ecuador): Each individual has 3 souls. Nekas is the life force. Aruntam is acquired through visions and is
necessary to reach the afterlife or “real” life. The miusak is the “avenging soul” that resides in the head and
avenges the death of the deceased.
Ancient Egypt: Soul was made up of five parts:
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Ren (name). Given at birth. As long as the name was remembered and spoken, the person would live on.
Ba (personality). The part of a person that would go to the Afterlife and live on, often represented by Ba birds.
Ka (life force). Death occurs when this leaves the body. Also seen as going to the Afterlife and reuniting with the Ba.
Ib (Heart). Essential to gain entry to the Afterlife. Good heart, Afterlife gained. Bad heart, the Ba, Ka and every other part of
the soul would die a final death.
Sheut (Shadow). A shadow was is always attached to an individual, therefore it must contain and important part of that
individual. Often portrayed on tomb walls as a mini featureless figure behind the deceased individual.
Death and the Afterlife
• Where/what is the “After Life?”
• Transmigration: The soul passes from one body to another (human,
animal, inanimate object).
• Reincarnation: A belief in an immortal, eternal soul that is born again and
again in different bodies.
– Over 70% of the world’s religions have this at their core.
– Hinduism: The goal of reincarnation (or samsara) is to attain moksha or
liberation from the limitations of space, time and matter. Karma is the
cumulative result of actions (good or bad) from previous lives. Good actions
equal good Karma and eventual attainment of moksha.
– Buddhism: Reincarnation as the transmission of Karma, but not of personality
(as it is in Hinduism). The ultimate goal of reincarnation, and Buddhism is the
cessation of desires and cravings. Only if this is achieved may one reach
Nirvana.
• Purgatory: In Roman Catholicism, a place where souls go that are in a
state of grace but need purification.
Ancestors
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Ancestor Worship
– A catch-all term used by anthropologists to describe
the beliefs and behaviors surrounding the veneration
of ancestors
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This term is slowly falling out of favor because in some cultures
ancestors are seen as being venerated and attended, but not really
worshipped.
– Japan
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Ancestors as dead regular household members that are not in
living memory.
Upon death, the soul will wander in uncertainty for a few days until
it is purified by a series of rituals performed by the family. After
these cleansing rituals, the soul then enters the clean and peaceful
world of the ancestors.
The dead in Japanese society carry a moral authority, a perceived
ability to lay down morals and values within the family. One does
not want to do wrong for fear of shaming the ancestors.
• Geomancy when describing Japanese culture, Geomancy
refers to:
– A method of determining the location and
orientation of structures within the
household (Feng Shui). The incorrect placement of
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furniture/objects or the overall structure of the house can lead to
negative occurrences.
If Geomancy can not reveal the misfortune, then the ancestors might
be suspected.
Determining Death
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What is the body?
What animates the body?
What is consciousness?
Is someone dead when their heart
stops, but the brain keeps on
working? How about the other way
around?
– 18th & 19th century pull-cords. The
heart as a voluntary muscle?
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Which is the seat of the soul? The
Heart or the Brain?
– Modern western medicine: The Brain
• “Beating Heart Cadavers”
– Ancient Egypt: The Heart
• The heart in mummification, the
heart scarab