Descriptive-phenomenological psychology of death

Abstract

This essay aims to establish a definition of death through the means of a descriptive-phenomenological psychology. It is considered a descriptive and phenomenological psychology because it attains to the experience (Erlebnis), on what is experienced in terms of conscious acts. The material used in this phenomenological psychology research are “near-death experiences” (NDEs), which are extensively covered in the medical and psychology literature. This material provides the experiential basis for the definition of death and the act of dying. Prior to this phenomenological study, this essay will present a brief analysis about some theoretical issues concerning death, such as the problem of defining death, the matter of the certainty of death, and the inability to determine it as the annihilation of a person or the complete vanishing of his or her consciousness. From theses examinations, it becomes possible to conclude this essay with a definition of death that is completely grounded on the phenomenological description of the lived experience (Erleben).