Introduction
In every culture, death remains a common occurrence, which is universal. The enigma of its appearance in different forms in the past centuries is depicted as a way of looking at human existence. This paper investigates how death is presented through art, specifically “The Sixth Sense” movie by M. Night Shyamalan. The article is based on the Psychology of Death and Dying class and emphasizes the importance of three concepts underlined throughout the paper.
Death Anxiety in “The Sixth Sense”:
The course also focuses on a dominant issue referred to as death anxiety, which entails fear that death might come upon someone. This concept permeates the plot of “The Sixth Sense” to produce a multifaceted study on how people react toward death. The movie tracks the events around Cole Sear, an eight-year-old boy who can see and talk to ghosts (Albert et al., 2014). The encounter between these spirits and Cole incites an undeniable feeling of death fear both for the characters and the public.
The film is excellently portrayed in how it depicts the psycho-effectiveness of fear of death through the personality of Cole. As he tries to confront himself with this supernatural ability, his struggle reflects how people deal with their death. The atmosphere of strange and unnerving makes the death anxiety more emotionally charged because they see what they do not know about the future or afterlife (Albert et al., 2014). The movie takes audiences along Cole’s journey, leaving them to contemplate their fears and concerns about death and providing a moving analysis of one of humanity’s most profound questions.
Kübler-Ross’s Stages of Grief in “The Sixth Sense”:
The Psychology of Death and Dying class discussed the famous theory of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross – the six stages of grief model. “The Sixth Sense” uses all this model, but on the other hand. It embodies all these psychological aspects. The death of Crowe early on in the film triggers a remarkable voyage that effortlessly coincides with the acclaimed phases by Kübler-Ross. Throughout the story, Crowe goes through the five stages of grief as described by Kubler Ross, namely, denial, anger bargaining, depression, and finally, acceptance (Albert et al., 2014). The progression is what makes these characters come alive with depth that can be related to audiences’ loss. “The Sixth Sense” is a fantastic representation of our ability, as humans, to cope with our most profound feelings of sorrow in connection with our demise.
The film intermingles Kübler-ress’s stages in the narrative and provides a more complex view of mourning. It turns into this reflective mirror that allows us to have much sympathy and compassion for those whose world has changed after they lost their loved ones. The film also analyzes universal grief through its characters’ emotional journeys by entertaining us (Albert et al., 2014). “The Sixth Sense” goes beyond its paranormal aspects, providing an emotional and meaningful portrayal of moving on after loss.
Terror Management Theory in “The Sixth Sense”:
As the story proceeds slowly, terror management theory (TMT) as the fundamental theme in the course on the psychology of death also appears between the lines of “Sixth Sense” through the character of the boy called Cole, whose relationship with the dead people proves the above theme. The terror management theory puts it as such: people deal with the fear of impending death by creating a shared cultural perspective and boosting their self-worth. The theory of media and technology (TMT) can portray people’s anxiety over death in “the sixth sense” vividly. Cole’s fantastic gift of sighting and communicating with ghosts defies the general view of life and the afterlife (Lee B. Strickland, 2014). The audience watchers become witnesses to meanings and interpretations as people strive to make sense, come to terms, and try to overcome the ultimate fear of dying and death.
Through exploration, the movie forces viewers to reflect on their positions and responses towards death. Life, death, and the afterlife are debated as the audience rethinks their standpoint. Furthermore, “The Sixth Sense” is not just meant to entertain. It is an inquiry into some of the most profound philosophical questions about death and existence (Lee Strickland, 2014). Including the TMT in the movie makes it more than just entertaining; instead, it becomes a thought-provoking exploration of what life and death mean.
Conclusion
As an illustration, the Sixth Sense relates to conceptual aspects addressed in the Psychology of Death and Dying course, for instance. The film explores existential issues in life, including death anxiety, Kübler-Ross’s stage of grief, and terror management theory, all revealing a deep understanding of the human experience with mortality. Psychologically speaking, this means that the art medium serves as an instrument through which people can relate to death and challenge their phobias or perceptions of death. As it is, “the sixth sense” demonstrates the potential of artistic expression in probing the darker intricacies of human existence and death.
References
Albert Lee Strickland. (2014). Last dance: encountering death and dying. McGraw-Hill Education – Europe.
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