Reflecting on the Inevitable: Mortality at the Crossroads of Psychology, Philosophy, and Health

Death studies have, over the last twenty years, witnessed a flourishing of research and scholarship particularly in areas such as dying and bereavement, cultural practices and fear of dying. But, despite its importance, a specific focus on the nature of personal mortality has attracted surprisingly little attention. Reflecting on the Inevitable combines evidence from several disciplinary fields to explore the varying ways each of us engages with the prospect of personal mortality. Chapters are organized around the question of how an ongoing relationship might be possible when the threat of consciousness coming to an end points to an unspeakable nothingness. The book then argues that, despite this threat, an ongoing relationship with one's own death is still possible by means of conceptual devices, or 'enabling frames', that help shape personal mortality into a relatable object. In each chapter the subtleties and applicability of key ideas are enhanced through a series of illustrative narratives built up around the lives of four people at different ages living in two adjacent houses. Reflecting on the Inevitable is relevant not only to academics of death studies, but also those training and practicing in people-helping professions, as well as anyone experiencing or attempting to make sense of major life events.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: Other People Die Chapter 2: My-Death Chapter 3: Limits of Intelligibility Chapter 4: Aversion and Evasion Chapter 5: A Constant Companion Chapter 6: Essential Structures Chapter 7: Passionate Suffusion Chapter 8: Point-of-Transition Chapter 9: Self-Generative Process Chapter 10: Dialogue Chapter 11: What's to Gain? Chapter 12: Applications Conclusion

About the Author :
Peter J. Adams, PhD, has a background in philosophy, social sciences and health sciences. He was trained and practiced for many years as a clinical psychologist, working mostly with adults facing mental health, addictions, violence and life-change issues. His research publications have focused mainly on addictions, public health, unhealthy commodity industries and existential concerns and he has published five previous sole-authored books. He is currently a professor of population health at the University of Auckland in Auckland, New Zealand.

Review :
"[I]f you have an interest in death studies or your clinical or teaching duties include these fields, you should consider this book." -- Roger Woodruff, IAHPC Is it possible to comprehend one's own death? Might the attempt to do so be critical for the engagement with oneâs own life? Reflecting on the Inevitable takes the reader on a journey into the midst of the questions that emerge here, drawing together a range of philosophical and psychological considerations within an intriguing and accessible narrative that will be of value, not only to students and researchers in many different fields, but also to anyone who has begun to reflect on the fact of their own inevitable demise. - Jeff Malpas, PhD, FAHA, Emeritus Distinguished Professor, University of Tasmania, Tasmania, Australia This is a rich and fascinating study of the prospect of personal death. The book is unusual in that it combines insights from various different disciplines and schools of thought. Adamsâ discussions are thought-provoking and more entertaining than the subject matter might suggest. - Jens Johansson, PhD, Professor of Philosophy, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden Reflecting on the Inevitable provides an accessible and interdisciplinary guide to the philosophy and psychology of death. Adamsâ focus on personal mortality makes this book an especially welcome contribution to the literature. It will be of interest to anyone with a serious interest in the personal dimension of mortality as well as the general issue of how we may think our way through this extremely elusive realm of human experience. - Paul Fairfield, PhD, Professor of Philosophy, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada Adams' highly original, sensitive, attention to the struggle we each have with our own death resulted in a finely-tuned, delicately-argued book. It uses the literary aid of four fictional characters, whose presence in the book makes its ideas both accessible and engaging. - Havi Carel, PhD, Professor of Philosophy, University of Bristol, Bristol, England, United Kingdom