Imagine that you are visiting a friend
who lives on the 20th floor of an old,
downtown apartment building. It’s the
middle of the night when you are suddenly
awakened from a deep sleep by
the sound of screams and the choking
smell of smoke. You reach over to the
nightstand and turn on the light. You
are shocked to find the room filling fast
with thick clouds of smoke. You run to
the door and reach for the handle. You
pull back in pain as the intense heat of
the knob scalds you violently. Grabbing
a blanket off the bed and using it as
protection, you manage to turn the handle
and open the door. Almost immediately,
a huge wave of flame and smoke
pours into the room, knocking you
back and literally off your feet. There is
no way to leave the room. It is getting
very hard to breathe and the heat from
the flames is almost unbearable.
Panicked, you scramble to the only
window in the room and try to open it.
As you struggle, you realize that the old
window is virtually painted shut around
all the edges. It doesn’t budge. Your
eyes are barely open now, filled with
tears from the smoke. You try calling
for help but the air to form the words is
not here. You drop to the floor hoping
to escape the rising smoke, but it is too
late. The room is filled top to bottom
with thick fumes and nearly entirely
in flames. With your heart pounding,
it suddenly hits you, as time seems
to stand still, that you are literally
moments away from dying. The
inevitable unknown that was always
waiting for you has finally arrived. Out
of breath and weak, you shut your eyes
and wait for the end.
After reading this death scenario, participants
were asked to answer the following questions
(Cozzolino et al., 2004, p. 281):
1. Please describe in detail the thoughts
and emotions you felt while imagining the
scenario.
2. If you did experience this event, how do
you think you would handle the final
moments?
3. Again imagining it did happen to you,
describe the life you led up to that point.
4.How do you feel your family would react
if it did happen to you?
ISBN 1-256-51557-4
Positive Psychology,
0 comments