Essay Sample on Death Experiences The Life Review

Essay Sample on Death Experiences The Life Review Death has been a fascination for humanity since the beginning of time. Death is in fact lifes greatest mysteries, as it has been common belief that no one can return after death to re-tell what has happened to them. However, this general idea about death is starting to change in the Western world with the phenomenon of the near death experience. The near death experience has enabled human beings to fathom what occurs after one dies. However, not everyone is open to accepting peoples reports of near death experiences, and many remain skeptical despite the vast similarities in thousands of accounts. There are millions of people in Western society who claim to know what it is like to die. These people have all been in medical situations, where their lives have been at stake. Most of these people have actually clinically died, and have been resuscitated through medical devices. Raymond Moody, an American psychiatrist, coined the term near death experience (NDE) to refer to the situation where a person experiences death for a short amount of time, but then is revived and returns to life. Moody wrote a book entitled Life After Life in which he exposes the phenomenon of the near death experience. Though some may argue that, one should be slightly suspicious about very recent NDEs after the publicity following in the wake of Moodys book, Moody attempts to retrace the near death experience back to antiquity, to prove that this is not just a modern phenomenon (Bremmer 261). However, these ancient near death experiences bear almost no similarities to the modern experience, the exceptio n being the feeling of drifting away (Bremmen 263). It becomes evident that near death experiences are influenced by the time period that they are occurring in. Near death experiences can be seen as products of their time. Since Moodys book, the awareness of near death experiences has increased. People who have claimed to have experienced near death following the publicity of Moodys book, perhaps only experienced these things because they have read about them. This is a common occurrence in human nature. Images and ideas often seep into our unconscious minds and we begin to believe that these images and ideas are our own. Popular culture has made use of the near death experience in plot scenarios of television shows and movies. Even on the popular animated television show The Simpsons, Homer Simpson is shown floating over his body while he is in the operating room. With these images in mind, it is not wrong to say that someone who has experienced a life threatening trauma might recall these images and believe that they have taken place in their own lives. The modern and Western near death experience involves less religious figures and symbol s, as Westerners are becoming more and more secularized. What one might imagine taking place after death is a reflection of their position in the world and their beliefs as, every age gets the afterlife it deserves (Bremmen 268). Despite the detailed accounts of many near death experiences, it is difficult to ignore ones skepticism and become convinced. Although each account is so interesting to read, and despite the similarities between each individual story, the reports of near death experiences continue to sound like dream reports. A person retelling a dream often sees themselves in the dream as if they are detached from their body. They often have difficulty recounting the events of the dream and have difficulty finding the right words to express the events of the dream. When recounting a near death experience, Many people have made remarks to the effect that, There are just no words to express what I am trying to say, (Moody 273). Dreamers will often meet random people, dead relatives and religious figures in their dreams. Similar to when a person who dreams, in the context of the near death experience no one, has reported any odors or tastes while out of their physical bodies (Moody 285). The body in a dream is not a physical body, as many sensory perceptions like smell and taste do not take place within dreams. However, a dream can easily feel like reality. When waking up from a good dream, a person may wish to re-enter the dream, and when waking from a nightmare a person may feel relieved that it was in fact not real. Many people who have experienced near death describe it as a reality that they wanted to remain a part of. Near death experiences are not necessarily dreams. It is undetermined exactly what they are, however they do share many characteristics of dreams. The mere fact that, The persons involved uniformly describe their experiences as ineffable, that is, inexpressible, is reminiscent of the difficulty of those who wish to express their dreams (Moody 273). The life review part of the near death experience is quite remarkable. This aspect of the phenomenon has also made its way into popular culture. In various movies and television shows, the characters are often in situations where their lives seem to flash before their eyes. This usually happens at a pivotal moment when the character is either in danger or has just undergone an epiphany of some sort. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross describes the life review as the last phase of the near death experience. She interprets this phase, as being heaven or hell. Maybe both (Kubler-Ross 319). The reason for her interpretation is that within this phase, one is forced to review their life, and to understand the significance of their behavior throughout their lifetime. The way Kubler-Ross describes the life review causes it to appear to be an emotionally difficult process. However, it is very difficult to imagine ones life flashing before ones eyes in a matter of moments. Clearly this life review is made up of many memories stored deep within ones brain. Although not having a basis for this claim, perhaps these memories that are being conjured are due to the fact that the brain is being deprived of oxygen during the time of a near death experience. Although lacking any empirical evidence, it is plausible to assume that there is perhaps a scientific explanation to the near death experience. Every person who has experienced this phenomenon has been in a state where their lives were at risk. Most of the people have actually died and been revived, suggesting a severe loss of oxygen to the entire body, including the brain. Perhaps the near death experience is some sort of reaction in the brain due to this loss of oxygen? Without scientific evidence, it is impossible to come to a conclusion, but with all mysterious matters such as these, the human being is often drawn to science to look for answers. The skeptic will always try to find a justifiable cause for what is inexplicable. Considering that the near death experience is an incredibly mysterious phenomenon, Westerners have become increasingly fascinated with it. It is human nature to be fascinated with that which is ambiguous, confusing and intangible. Human beings seek answers to everything. When something does not have a concrete answer, we try to explain it and attempt to come to an understanding. Death is naturally the greatest mystery of life and therefore the near death experience perhaps sheds some light upon the unknown. The near death experience is a comforting thought for Westerners as it assures them that life does go on after death. Most of the accounts of those who have experienced near death have described it as a tremendously pleasurable experience and, people [even] reported that they did not want to come back (Kubler-Ross 317). Although it is quite difficult to believe the individuals who report near death experiences, it is also quite difficult not to. The similarities between experiences are uncanny, making even the most adamant skeptic ponder the phenomenons validity. It is unbelievably interesting to imagine that in the Western world today, due to all of our medical technology, we are able to actually die and come back to life to talk about it. It is simply fascinating that humanity has perhaps unraveled lifes greatest mystery. You can order a custom essay, term paper, research paper, thesis or dissertation on any topic from our professional custom essay writing service which provides students with high-quality custom written papers at an affordable cost.

War of 1812 Causes

War of 1812 Causes The War of 1812 is generally thought to have been provoked by American outrage over the impressment of American sailors by the Britains Royal Navy. And while impressment was a major factor behind the declaration of war by the United States against Britain, there were other significant issues fueling the American march toward war. During the first three decades of American independence there was a general feeling that the British government had very little respect for the young United States. And during the Napoleonic Wars the British government actively sought to meddle with - or completely suppress - American trade with European nations. British arrogance and hostility went so far as to include a deadly attack by the British frigate HMS Leopard upon USS Chesapeake in 1807. The Chesapeake and Leopard affair, which began when the British officer boarded the American ship demanding to seize sailors believed to be deserters from British ships, nearly triggered a war. In late 1807, President Thomas Jefferson, seeking to avoid war while calming public outcry against British insults to American sovereignty, had enacted the Embargo Act of 1807. The law succeeded in avoiding a war with Britain at the time. However, the Embargo Act was generally seen as a failed policy, as turned out to be more harmful to the United States than to its intended targets, Britain and France. When James Madison became president in early 1809 he also sought to avoid war with Britain. But British actions, and a continuing drumbeat for war in the U.S. Congress, seemed destined to make make a new war with Britain unavoidable. The slogan Free Trade and Sailors Rights became a rallying cry. Madison, Congress, and the Move Toward War In early June 1812 President James Madison sent a message to Congress in which he listed complaints about British behavior toward America. Madison raised several issues: ImpressmentContinual harassment of American commerce by British warshipsBritish laws, known as Orders in Council, declaring blockades against American ships bound for European portsAttacks by savages on one of our extensive frontiers believed to be instigated by British troops in Canada The U.S. Congress was being steered at the time by an aggressive faction of young legislators in the House of Representatives known as the War Hawks. Henry Clay, a leader of the War Hawks, was a young member of Congress from Kentucky. Representing the views of Americans living in the West, Clay believed that war with Britain would not only restore American prestige, it would also provide a great benefit in territory. An openly stated goal of the western War Hawks was for the United States to invade and seize Canada. And there was a common, though deeply misguided, belief that it would be easy to achieve. (Once the war began, American actions along the Canadian border tended to be frustrating at best, and Americans never came close to conquering the British territory.) The War of 1812 has often been called Americas Second War for Independence, and that title is appropriate. The young United States government was determined to make Britain respect it. The United States Declared War In June 1812 Following the message sent by President Madison, the United States Senate and the House of Representatives held votes on whether to go to war. The vote in the House of Representatives was held on June 4, 1812, and members voted 79 to 49 to go to war. In the House vote, the members of Congress supporting the war tended to be from the South and West, and those opposed from the Northeast. The U.S. Senate, on June 17, 1812, voted 19 to 13 to go to war. In the Senate the vote also tended to be along regional lines, with most of the votes against the war coming from the Northeast. With so many members of Congress voting against going to war, the War of 1812 was always controversial. The official Declaration of War was signed by President James Madison on June 18, 1812. It read as follows: Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That war be and is hereby declared to exist between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the dependencies thereof, and the United States of America and their territories; and the President of the United States is hereby authorized to use the whole land and naval force of the United States, to carry the same into effect, and to issue private armed vessels of the United States commissions or letters of marque and general reprisal, in such form as he shall think proper, and under the seal of the United States, against the vessels, goods, and effects of the government of the said United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the subjects thereof. American Preparations While the war not declared until late June 1812, the United States government had been actively making preparations for the outbreak of war. In early 1812 the Congress had passed a law actively calling for volunteers for the U.S. Army, which had remained fairly small in the years following independence. American forces under the command of General William Hull had started marching from Ohio toward Fort Detroit (site of present day Detroit, Michigan) in late May 1812. The plan was for Hulls forces to invade Canada, and the proposed invasion force was already in position by the time war was declared. (The invasion proved to be a disaster, however, when Hull surrendered Fort Detroit to the British that summer.) American naval forces had also been prepared for the outbreak of war. And given the slowness of communication, some American ships in the early summer of 1812 attacked British ships whose commanders had not yet learned of the official outbreak of the war. Widespread Opposition to the War The fact that the war was not universally popular proved to be a problem, especially when the early phases of the war, such as the military fiasco at Fort Detroit, went badly. Even before the fighting began, opposition to the war caused major problems. In Baltimore a riot broke out when a vocal anti-war faction was attacked. In other cities speeches against the war were popular. A young lawyer in New England, Daniel Webster, delivered an eloquent address about the war on July 4, 1812. Webster noted that he opposed the war, but as it was now national policy, he was obligated to support it. Though patriotism often ran high, and was boosted by some of the successes of the underdog U.S. Navy, the general feeling in some parts of the country, particularly New England, was that the war had been a bad idea. As it became obvious that the war would be costly and may prove to be impossible to win militarily, the desire to find a peaceful end to the conflict intensified. American officials were eventually dispatched to Europe to work toward a negotiated settlement, the result of which was the Treaty of Ghent. When the war officially ended with the signing of the treaty, there was no clear winner. And, on paper, both sides admitted that things would return to how they had been before hostilities began. However, in a realistic sense, the United States had proven itself to be an independent nation capable of defending itself. And Britain, perhaps from having noticed that the American forces seemed to become stronger as the war went on, made no further attempts to undermine American sovereignty. And one result of the war, which was noted by Albert Gallatin, the secretary of the treasury, was that the controversy around it, and the way the nation came together, had essentially united the nation.