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Detecting Anastasis In Vivo by CaspaseTracker Biosensor

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Dying Is Unexpectedly Positive.

Amelia Goranson¹, Ryan S Ritter², Adam Waytz³

¹1 Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Psychological Science

|June 2, 2017

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Dying may be less dreadful than imagined. Studies show that the experiences of terminally ill patients and death-row inmates facing death are more positive than anticipated.

Keywords:

LIWC affective forecasting death language open materials positivity

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Area of Science:

Psychology
Thanatology
Affective Science

Background:

Societal perceptions often portray dying as a dreadful experience.
Limited empirical research compares the actual affective states of those nearing death with imagined experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

To compare the affective experiences of individuals facing imminent death with those imagining imminent death.
To investigate whether the experience of dying is more positive than commonly perceived.

Main Methods:

Study 1: Analyzed blog posts from near-death patients (cancer, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) and compared them to simulated posts by nonpatients.
Study 2: Compared the last words of death-row inmates to simulated last words of noninmates and poetry by death-row inmates.

Main Results:

Near-death patients' blogs were more positive and less negative than simulated posts, with positivity increasing closer to death.
Death-row inmates' last words were more positive and less negative than simulated words and inmate poetry.

Conclusions:

The affective experience of dying, even under terminal illness or execution, may be more pleasant than imagined.
Challenging the prevalent negative perception of death through empirical evidence.