Meaning of death: Implications for bereavement theory

Abstract

Abstract In the last few decades important advances have been made toward deepening our understanding of normal bereavement processes. Despite these advances, individual differences in the intensity and prolongation of struggles with death's meaning have typically been overlooked. On the basis of a review of sociocultural, existential, and spiritual perspectives, it is argued that response to the meaning of death–and thus also the meaning of life–may affect the course of mourning in important ways. More specifically, for some bereaved individuals the ongoing involvement with these issues of meaning may result in a deeper, richer way of being in the world–despite the additional anxiety and discomfort that may accompany such intense searching.