Psychopomp Stories:
Contemplating Death in a Spiritually Diverse Society
Doctoral Dissertation by Laura Strong, PhD
Abstract
Humans have always wondered what survives the death of the body and how
it makes the transition from this existence to the next. Imagined solutions
have become embedded in many of the world’s mythological tales, religious
texts, and sacred narratives. Psychopomps, which act as escorts to the
afterlife, appear repeatedly throughout these stories and are the focus
of this exploration.
The idea of an eternal psyche or soul that can be guided at the
time of death was once a common concept in the West. Rites of passage,
including the Eleusinian Mysteries and the bedside reading of Ars Moriendi (Art
of Dying) literature, assured people there was life after death and a guide
would be there to assist them. Yet, a number of historical events created
an atmosphere where death became such a taboo in the mid-twentieth century
that even “terminally ill” patients were not told they were
dying. The accompanying shift towards prolonging life at all costs created
new fears and anxieties, and now leaves many underprepared to face their
final journey.
Over the past few decades, many have worked to reverse this trend. At
the same time, psychopomps have been reemerging in the collective imagination
through such means as Jungian depth psychology, The Tibetan Book of
the Dead, shamanism, near-death experiences, and the work of psychics,
mediums, channelers, and other contemporary explorers.
To gain a better understanding of these compassionate guides, this work
examines the archetypal attributes of the Greek god Hermes, as well
as psychopomps from other cultures. These include Barnumbir, the
Australian Morning Star; the Aurora Borealis of Labrador Eskimos;
Anubis, Egypt’s
jackal-headed god; Daena, the Zoroastrian self-guide; the Valkeries
of Northern Europe; the Japanese Bodhisattva, Jizo; angelic beings
including Islam’s Azrail and the Christian Archangel Michael; and
various animal guides.
I believe psychopomps are returning to our consciousness at this time
to lead our multicultural and spiritually diverse society towards a better
relationship with death. Consequently, I conclude with a discussion of
the “mythological advantage” of sharing archetypal images and
stories in an effort to expand such difficult discussions as the transition
to the afterlife.
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