Friend or foe?
escape from death, or death as an escape?
pp. 471-480
in: Maciej Stolarski, Nicolas Fieulaine, Wessel van Beek (eds), Time perspective theory; review, research and application, Berlin, Springer, 2015Abstract
Time structures personal and social life and stores its meaning, becoming a buffer against death anxiety and giving people sense of self-continuity. The article explores the connection between death attitudes and time perspectives in patients with various experience of suicidal behavior. Studies conducted in Russia and Netherlands reveal qualitative changes in patterns of defense mechanisms against the fear of death pertaining to intensity of suicidal wishes and quantity of the attempts, which lead people from repulsion of the act to actual welcoming death as an escape from unbearable existence.