Existential Psychology: Death Anxiety, Terror Management Theory and New Life in Christ.

(8-10mins)

“I will deliver this people from the power of the grave;

I will redeem them from death.

Where, O death, are your plagues?

Where, O grave, is your destruction?

Hosea 13:14 NIV

Human beings are highly thoughtful, relational and complex living beings. We also have the ability to introspect, understand others thoughts and cognitions and to perceive things yet to happen (Thornton et al, 2021). So what differentiates us from a cucumber? A cucumber is alive and growing? Well we, unlike a cucumber, are trying to self-preserve. Thought patterns surrounding this existential, inevitability of dying are at the core of Existential Psychology. As Cultural Anthropologist Ernst Becker writes in his book, The Denial of Death (1973): ‘‘ In Humans, anxiety can arise, resulting from the awareness of the inevitability of death in a highly intelligent, self-conscious animal that is instinctively programmed for self-preservation’ (p.836).

It's no wonder we never desires to talk about death! But it’s one thing that unites us all, as a certainty no surer than taxes in life. It’s just the ultimate buzzkill. The Christian faith and promise from the bible completely flips the script on death- Life beyond the grave. Despite this, believers ,among non-believers, can get caught up in the existential dread of being confronted with the thoughts of dying.

Behold, Terror Management Theory (TMT) , a worldly lens which attempts to explain why death freaks us out and how we cope and respond. How exactly does this framework provide a comforting reassurance for the secular world in mitigating death anxiety? This article will be going over why this may be the case and how Christians can answer with practical, biblically grounded responses, even if they sometimes cling too tightly to their worldview and when death looms.

Terror Management Theory —> Why death haunts us.

TMT, was proposed by psychologists Sheldon Solomon, Jeff Greenberg and Tom Pyszczynski in the 1980s following the release of Ernst Beckers, The Denial of Death (1973). The book argues that humanity has been plagued with a mean combination. We are wired to survival, but our intelligent brains also realise we have to physically die. Becker puts it bleakly ‘What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? The idea is ludicrous, if too monstrous. It means to know that one is food for worms’.

Our brains are very aware of this brutal combination and according to TMT, we lean on culture, we lean on what matters to us, we lean on what the people in our vicinity do and capitalise on that as a distinguishing feature of our behavioural patterns. When confronted with a salient mortality stimulus, our beliefs, values, goals and identity want to be prioritised. If we invest into our cultures and worldview, maybe in a way that will contribute to the infinite value of being a part of this community and that will live on forever, so despite my physical body dying. One my think unknowingly ‘ I will feel at ease investing in my worldview and culture that won't die’. This can be done in two ways. Proximal defences are fast and snap reactions to Mortality Salience (MS). Which is simply denial and distraction of the thoughts. The distal defence is mainly what we will will be discussing here and that is the more deeper, subconscious efforts we engage in, without often awareness to help us cling to our worldview, (ingroup/out group practices, values, gender roles, social structures, reputation) which, in turn, can boost self esteem by ‘feeling we are living up to being a good representation of what we believe in’ (Solomon et al,.1999)

Some experimental research as shown, in 1989, Magistrates after being primed with a question asking them to ‘write what will happen to them when they die’ (Mortality Salience), then after completing a distraction task- they found these magistrates set the bonds of defendants (prostitutes) at 450 US$ (1152 AUD, 2025), a whopping 9 times higher , 50 US$, than judges in the control condition without any MS (Rosenblatt et al., 1989). We get defensive of our worldview when our brains process death. Other studies have found materialism and consumerism spikes after being primed with death because maybe buying stuff acts as a shield and legacy in things lives on? (Arndt et al, 2004). Even mental health takes a hit: individuals suffering from a mental health conditions can have symptoms exponential increased with death anxiety and MS, particularly OCD (Menzies, R.E et al., 2017)

‘For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain’ (Phillipians 1:21)

For Christians, our entire beliefs are centred around evidence based faith- a promise of eternal life through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is amazing news and why it is the foundation for the good news! It’s the ultimate slap in the face to death. As Ephesians 2:1 highlights, ‘you were dead in your transgressions and sins…v4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive in Christ even when we were dead In our transgressions- it is by grace you have been saved’. How should Christians and their worldview respond now to thoughts of death and TMT? We are all prone to prioritising our culture, possessions and worldview when mortality grips us and I believe due to our fleshy and sinful nature we may tightly cling to our worldview to the point it becomes a barricade to trusting in God's unwavering gift of grace.

Death anxiety grips people differently. It can make us overly defensive. For Christians, we are engaging in a daily, ongoing war against our sinful nature and need to be reminded of God's love daily. When this doesn’t happen and we are primed with our inevitable mortality, we might begin to judge our non-believing friends more harshly, obsess and worry about over-religious rules or distract ourselves with other contemporary issues facing the church today like political discourse, women in teaching positions or worship styles. But hang on, the bible talks about being inheritors of eternal life through adoption to sonship? Before the creation of the universe (Ephesians 1:5-15). If we are seeking to be ‘good, mature’ Christians- wouldn’t we be immortal in our faith already, so protecting ‘our legacy’ is okay right? This can go sideways. Warnings about hypocrisy and wickedness was a trap Jesus called out in Matthew 23:27. We are all hypocrites. There are just two kinds: unrepentant hypocrites and repentant hypocrites.

Death stirs doubt and insecurity. Even if we believe in Christ's victory over death, it still is a faith. Living things, by the laws of nature and physics don’t come back to life. Our human wiring freaks out, whispering ‘what If I'm not enough’ So maybe we might overcompensate- policing our faith or others to feel better about ourselves. Without Christ as our anchor and to quote 18th Danish philosopher, Soren Kierkegaard ‘The most painful state of being is remembering the future, particularly the one you’ll never have’. Fear can twist faith into a rigid checklist, making us no different from religion and being pharisaical.

I love how the Gospel completely confronts death. Just as much as true faith isn’t denial nor distraction. It’s the way we turn our inevitable and terror-filled thoughts of death into trust in a Saviour who has beaten death. How can we live this out in our lives when death anxiety creeps in?

1. Catch your fear in action.

TMT shows we often want to distract our deny our mortality with defensiveness. Notice when you’re learning and thinking about your worldviews or culture a much more than normal. There may be a chance somewhere along the way you brain become preoccupied with death. Pause and reflect: ‘Lord, am I pursuing you or trying to work though life in my own effort?.. help me see you for who you are, my Saviour and Lord, victorious over the grave’.

2. Embrace Death with humility and gratitude?

I know what you may be thinking. ‘Jed what?? Death with thankfulness? Oh thanks that I GET TO DIE ONE DAY??’

Look I understand that response, but hear me out. Let us not constantly push death away out of conversations and relationships (maybe not with your unbelieving friends constantly) but for Christians, let us use the thoughts of death to draw us more to Christ. The early christian church practised memento mori (reflecting on death to live fully for Christ. Psalm 23:4 ‘Even though I walk through the valley of shadow of death, I fear no evil, for you are with me’. While we have meaning and purpose and value whilst being alive on this planet, death is a doorway to our one true home, to Jesus.

3. Choose to love when you really don't feel like it.

This is really tough one sometimes. TMT warns death anxiety can make us tribal, material and prone to hostility towards outsiders. If you begin to feel defensive about your values and worldview, ask the Lord to help you see the world and people though the lens that he sees them. Listen actively and thoughtfully with another person that shares a different view or has different cultural norms- listening well and empathetically is an immensely valuable skill to practice.

4. Take comfort and rest in Grace and not Effort

Death anxiety tempts us to earn eternity by being ‘good enough’ plaguing your thought process by ‘if Im good representative of what I believe in’ that is what matters. Salvation for Christians is ‘by grace and not works’ (Ephesians 2:8-9) My worth in Christ is not my performance. Thank the Lord for THAT!

As we prepare our hearts and minds for Easter this year, I find myself reflecting on the way Christ processed his impending death. The Saviour of the World, the Lamb of God, comes to die. Jesus didn't justify his anxious thoughts surrounding the inevitability of his death nor did he make excuses. Fully human and fully God, he experienced all human emotions and feelings. ‘Not my will but yours be done’ Luke 22:42, contemplating bearing the full anger of his Father and revealing more of his humanity by sweating drops of blood in his distress in the Garden of Gethsemane. What a Saviour we serve. As this reminds me as well, let us have the same attitude towards death and dying as Jesus did, letting his will be done in our lives as we serve Him and others.

Note: If the thoughts and themes In this article have been distressing, please feel free to contact these helplines (Australia)

Lifeline (call or text): 13 11 14

Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636

References:

Thornton, M. A., & Tamir, D. I. (2021). Perceiving actions before they happen: psychological dimensions scaffold neural action prediction. Social cognitive and affective neuroscience, 16(8), 807–815. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsaa126

Pyszczynski T, Greenberg J, Solomon S. A dual-process model of defense against conscious and unconscious death-related thoughts: an extension of terror management theory. Psychol Rev. 1999 Oct;106(4):835-45. doi: 10.1037/0033-295x.106.4.835. PMID: 10560330.

Rosenblatt, A., Greenberg, J., Solomon, S., Pyszczynski, T., & Lyon, D. (1989). Evidence for terror management theory: I. The effects of mortality salience on reactions to those who violate or uphold cultural values. Journal of personality and social psychology, 57(4), 681–690. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.57.4.681

Arndt, Jamie & Solomon, Sheldon & Kasser, Tim & Sheldon, Kennon. (2004). The Urge to Splurge: A Terror Management Account of Materialism and Consumer Behavior. Journal of Consumer Psychology. 14. 198-212. 10.1207/s15327663jcp1403_2.

Menzies, R. E., & Dar-Nimrod, I. (2017). Death anxiety and its relationship with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 126(4), 367–377. https://doi.org/10.1037/abn0000263

Cover art: ‘Monk By The Sea’ - Casper David Freidrick (1808~1810)

Author: Jed is a final year psychology student in Sydney, Australia and came to a personal relationship with Jesus around 16 whilst living his teenage years in Berlin. He’s planning on studying a Certificate of Ministry at Sydney Missionary and Bible College (SMBC) in 2026 . He also is a volunteer crisis supporter with Lifeline and a program facilitator for the Court Chaplaincy Association in NSW. Jed is a lover of people, tennis, long hikes, beaches and the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

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