‘Study death to live well’

In Ancient Rome, when triumphant generals marched in victory parades, they would hear the words “memento mori,” meaning “remember that you will die,” from a slave whose sole responsibility was to remind them of their mortality.

The story of slaves reminding glorious generals of their human limitations may be apocryphal, but it delves into humans’ mortal nature.

Death is inevitable, but people rarely bring it up in casual conversation. It’s almost taboo to do so in many countries, including Korea.

But Choi Joon-sik, professor of Korean studies at Ewha Womans University, urges people to think more about death.

“It is ultimately to live well,” Choi told The Korea Herald last week at his office overlooking Gyeongbokgung Palace. 

“While you tackle the concept of death and try to understand what it means, your ideas about life will be firmly established.”

He believes that the nature of death is one of the most important and valuable questions to contemplate. Because in the search for an answer, people will ultimately delve into another set of questions: What is life and what do we live for?

In reality, people tend to shirk away from thinking about death until it is imminent, said Choi. “Then, it’s already too late.”

The professor said Korean culture’s Confucian roots played a large role behind this phobia.

“In Confucianism, death is something to be avoided at best, and there is no such thing as an afterlife,” he said.

Indicative of Koreans’ profound fear of death, some TV dramas depict death with “jeoseung saja,” a Korean Grim Reaper, taking the dying characters away.

Of course, it’s difficult to prepare for one’s own death, Choi admitted.

Still, many Koreans are too obsessed with everyday life, he believes.

“Sometimes, we are too preoccupied with mundane activities ― eating and living ― that we often forget what really awaits us, soon or later.”

The 59-year-old scholar is one of very few Korean thanatologists, or scholars of death. He currently leads the Korean Association for Thanatology, along with other cultural organizations, and has authored a number of books on death.

But one has to wonder, how did the professor of Korean studies find himself concentrating on death and the afterlife?

“When I was growing up, I was always fascinated with subjects like spirits, the afterlife, the unknown world or UFOs (unidentified flying objects),” Choi said.

The curiosity about the afterlife led him to pursue religious studies.

As a Ph.D. student at Temple University in the U.S., he started studying death, as one has to comprehend death first to understand the afterlife.

It was during this time that he realized death and religious studies cannot be separated. “Religion is one way of overcoming death,” he said.

After copious research on this topic for years, Choi believes that the afterlife exists.

How can he be so sure?

“All three major religions ― Buddhism, Christianity and Islam ― accept afterlife in their doctrines,” he said. “The fact that these religions have adhered to such a superstitious concept for centuries means something.”

Also, there are many accounts of near-death experiences, a lucid personal experience associated with impending death, according to Choi.

“When you hear their testimonies, many survivors claim to have seen the world of the afterlife,” he said. “It’s quite fascinating to hear their vivid portrayal of the experiences.” He also added that there have been numbers of scientific studies proving the existence of a form of life after death.

But he is mindful that it is a matter of belief. Nevertheless, whether one believes in the afterlife or not, studying thanatology is critical, he says.

“Let’s assume you are diagnosed with a terminal illness and know that death is forthcoming,” Choi said. “In this case, contemplating death means to organizing your life and setting priorities.”

“It only drives people to live fully, relish each moment, nurture important relationships and do things that really matter, which are all important life lessons,” said Choi.

He listed a couple of practical things people can do to prepare for death.

Making a will earlier in life is important, says Choi who has written his will, which includes a series of hand-written information such as bank account passwords, preferred funeral methods, intention for organ donations, and most importantly, farewell messages to his beloved family.

“Another method is to draft your own advance directives,” said Choi. The form allows the person to decide in advance what kind of medical treatment ― such as using artificial respirator or conduct CPR ― he or she would want and not want in the future, should that person fall into a condition where he or she is not capable of decision.

“Everyone should be able to decide what kind of treatments they prefer, if possible,” he said. “Even young people. Because accidents can happen anytime, anywhere.”

In Muriel Spark’s famous novel “Memento Mori,” a character says, “It is difficult for people of advanced years to start remembering they must die. It is best to form the habit while young.”

Choi agrees that the younger people started thinking about death, the better.

“There is no such thing as too early when it comes to death,” he said. “Because no one knows when they are going to die. Moreover, it’s not only about one’s own death. We are all destined to an end where we say good-byes to our beloved families, friends and also pets.”

When people go on a weeklong trip abroad, they book plane tickets, search for hotels and study travel information before heading to the country.

“Why not study and prepare for a longer journey after death?”

By Ahn Sung-mi (sahn@heraldcorp.com)