Reflections on death and dying

Abstract

This theoretical essay aims to propose reflections on death and dying through the prism of possible antagonisms, illness and human occupations involved in this process. The antagonisms are put up for discussion obeying the sense of mutual opposition between life and death, birth and death, as well as between their prediction and their negation. Illness is discussed from the perspective of Laplantine's dynamic and ontological models, opening up reflections on the meaning of illness for the patient, who is often expropriated from their dying process. It also addresses how death is currently pushed behind the scenes of social life. Finally, the occupations of death based on the “principles of good death” are approached from the perspective of occupational therapy, discussing funeral preparations and rites developed by the deceased, their social circle and by health professionals, religious people, funeral agents and cemetery workers. We understand that death is a social process.