ASSIGNMENT 19: RIDE EITHER THE “HOLLYWOOD TOWER OF TERROR” IN DISNEY’S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS OR THE “HAUNTED MANSION” AT THE MAGIC KINGDOM, AND PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE VARIOUS DEPICTIONS OF GHOSTS. ARE THERE SUCH THINGS AS GHOSTS? WHAT HAPPENS TO HUMANS AFTER THEY DIE?
Dennis O'Neil, in the website “Evolution of Modern Humans: Archaic Human Culture,” writes: “The Neandertal ritual burial of their own dead implies a belief in an afterlife. This is basically a rudimentary religious concept. Likewise, the ritual burial of cave bear trophy heads is consistent with a supernatural belief system.” (http://anthro.palomar.edu/homo2/mod_homo_3.htm)
Kenneth Burke, after generating his Definition of Man, toyed with the notion that he should have included one more clause, “conscious of his own death.” Not only are humans conscious of their own death, their perfectionist nature makes them interested in what happens to them after death. Human perfectionism causes individuals to write wills and purchase life insurance to effect proper conditions for their loved ones, after they die. Humans also pursue methods of insuring that their own personal afterlife will be satisfactory.
Even atheists, according to Burke, are probably plagued with a haunting concern that they might find themselves in some version of Hell. Burke, an agnostic, sees that "atheism . . . involves the denial of immortality" (ATH 51). His perspective will not allow him to be an atheist. He explains:
Usually, the "scientific" mind prefers simply to truncate its thinking on the subject. It "suspends judgment." "Maybe there is immortality, and maybe there isn't." At least, if science abides by its rules, adopting a conviction only when it can be "proved by the evidence," it would not seem possible for the "scientific mind" to go beyond this agnostic position. Atheism (and, in keeping, a categorical denial of immortality) is a statement of faith that necessarily cannot be substantiated by a "weighing of all the evidence." When you find a [hu]man . . . eager to deny the possibility . . . you may legitimately . . . [ask:] Why such zest? Might it not come from a fear of punishment after death? (ATH 52)
As for the Walt Disney Corporation, the concept of death and rebirth seems to be formulaic in their films. In the Jungle Book, Balou the Bear appears to have died, then reemerges from this state. Sleeping Beauty succumbs to a death-like sleep and is then awakened. Likewise, Snow White, after eating a poisoned apple, is laid out in a coffin by the Dwarfs until her prince revives her with a kiss. In Pinocchio and Beauty and the Beast, Pinocchio and the beast seem to actually die. Then, they are both reborn to a new kind of body: a human body, instead of a wooden puppet or beast.
In a similar vein, Hercules descends to Hades to rescue Meg, and Mufassa, the Lion King Simba’s father, returns from the dead to speak to Simba.
Walt Disney, according to a myth, hedged his bets. The myth says he had his body preserved by cryogenics at his death, so that he could be revived when the cures to his illnesses had been discovered. Not true. Walt died of cancer and a heart attack, on December 15, 1966. His body was cremated two days later.
Biblically, the Hebrew word SHE’OL, translated “grave, hades, or the abode of the dead,” hints at the basic problem. It comes from the word SHA’AL, meaning “to ask.” The point is, much like the whole issue of theology, there are certain things no living human knows. We may, at times, just need to leave things in the arena of things we are still “asking” about. This means that the afterlife and theology, in general, fall in the realm of rhetoric. There seems to be evidence, dating as far back as the Neanderthals, that humans have believed in an afterlife. As Burke suggests, it would appear to be beyond the capacity of science to either prove or disprove the existence of either the afterlife or God. So, where are we?
Humans have been persuading themselves and others for thousands of years regarding the religious issues lurking in the parks at Walt Disney World. Some would persuade us that, since we do not know the answers of SHE’OL, we need not even consider it. Others would persuade us that, since there is an instinctive view in humans that there is an afterlife, we would be unwise to ignore such issues. Some would persuade us that, if there is an afterlife, everyone will (in a Disneyesque sense) “live happily ever after.” Other would persuade us that, if there is an afterlife, some will live MORE happily ever after than some others. What do you think?
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