Death and the Self.

Area of Science:

• Cross-cultural psychology
• Philosophy of mind
• Religious studies

Background:

• Philosophical theories suggest that a less continuous sense of self may reduce concern for future death.
• Cultural and religious beliefs significantly shape attitudes towards selfhood and mortality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between the perception of self-continuity, fear of death, and generosity.
• To compare these attitudes across diverse cultural and religious groups, including Hindus, Westerners, and various Buddhist populations.

Main Methods:

• Comparative study involving Hindus, Westerners, Lay Tibetan Buddhists, Lay Bhutanese Buddhists, and Monastic Tibetan Buddhists.
• Assessment of self-continuity, fear of death, and prosocial behavior (generosity) using multiple measures.

Main Results:

• Monastic Tibetan Buddhists demonstrated the strongest denial of self-continuity compared to all other groups.
• Contrary to predictions, monastic Tibetans displayed significantly higher fear of death than all other populations.
• Monastic Tibetans were less generous, showing a lower willingness to sacrifice personal lifespan for others.

Conclusions:

• Strong denial of self-continuity does not necessarily correlate with reduced fear of death or increased generosity.
• Cultural and religious contexts, particularly within monastic traditions, may foster unique psychological responses to self and mortality.
• Findings challenge existing philosophical assumptions linking self-continuity to existential concerns and prosociality.