Watch Death, Dying, and the Afterlife: Lessons from World Cultures

Death, Dying, and the Afterlife: Lessons from World Cultures is an engaging and thought-provoking lecture series presented by Professor Mark Berkson, Ph.D., and part of The Great Courses Signature Collection. This series takes a deep dive into the ways that different cultures throughout history have understood and approached death, dying, and the afterlife. With over 24 lectures, Professor Berkson offers insights into how different cultures around the world view death and how these views impact how they approach everything from mourning and funerals to the afterlife and reincarnation.

Professor Berkson draws from a rich tapestry of cultural and religious traditions, exploring everything from ancient Egyptian beliefs about the afterlife to contemporary Hindu perspectives on reincarnation, from indigenous American practices surrounding death to the ways in which different Christian denominations wrestle with the meaning of death and dying. Throughout the series, Professor Berkson emphasizes the diversity of human perspectives on these universal experiences, eschewing simple generalizations and instead providing a nuanced and multi-faceted understanding of the ways that people across cultures have made sense of death and dying throughout history.

The first few lectures of the series focus on the ways in which different cultures understand death itself. This includes discussions of the ways in which various cultures define death, how they distinguish between death and other forms of absence or transition, and how they have responded to different forms of death over time. As Professor Berkson notes, there is no one-size-fits-all definition of death or approach to dying, and throughout the series he emphasizes the many different ways in which cultures have grappled with these concepts.

From there, the series delves into the rituals and practices surrounding death and dying in different cultures. This includes discussions of everything from Tibetan sky burials to West African funeral masks, from Japanese funerary rites to Mexican Day of the Dead celebrations. Professor Berkson examines the various ways in which cultures have sought to memorialize the dead, comfort the living, and make sense of the complex and often overwhelming emotions that come with death and dying. Along the way, he underscores the ways in which these practices are often deeply connected to larger social and cultural systems, and how they reflect and reinforce shared values and beliefs.

The later lectures in the series focus on the concept of the afterlife and what different cultures believe happens after we die. This includes discussions of everything from concepts of heaven and hell in various religious traditions to the ways in which different cultures envision reincarnation and the transmigration of souls. Professor Berkson also explores the ways in which beliefs about the afterlife intersect with beliefs about morality, justice, and the nature of the universe itself. As with the earlier lectures, he emphasizes the incredible diversity of beliefs surrounding the afterlife, and how these beliefs have changed over time in response to various shifts in cultural and religious practices.

Overall, Death, Dying, and the Afterlife: Lessons from World Cultures is a fascinating and insightful exploration of one of the most fundamental and universal human experiences. Professor Berkson's engaging and accessible style makes the lectures a pleasure to listen to, and his deep knowledge of cultural and religious traditions from around the world ensures that listeners will come away with a rich understanding of the many ways in which different cultures have sought to make meaning out of death and dying. Whether you are a student of religious studies, anthropology, or cultural history, or simply someone with a curiosity about different ways of looking at the world, this lecture series is sure to be a valuable and enriching resource.

Death, Dying, and the Afterlife: Lessons from World Cultures is a series that ran for 1 seasons (24 episodes) between February 5, 2016 and on The Great Courses Signature Collection