title: Exploring fears of death and dying using network analysis

authors: Calkin, Cailen J.

subjects: Fear of death

abstract: Objective: Fear of death is often pathologised, yet little research has examined its unique links to different aspects of an individual’s life. This study investigated the unique associations among fear of death, psychological distress, mindfulness, compassion, life limiting illness, spirituality, meaning in life, and self-esteem using network analysis. It also explored the potential influence of meditation and psychedelics.

Method: A total of 486 university students and community-based participants completed a series of online surveys, which included a sociodemographic questionnaire and eight self-report rating scales. A Bayesian Gaussian Graphical Model was used to estimate nondirectional associations between variables, while a Directed Acyclic Graph depicted probabilities of directional links.

Results: The directed network revealed the central role of fear of another's death and its direct influence on other facets of death anxiety, life limiting illness, mindfulness, meaning in life, and subsequently spirituality and other variables in the network. The remaining facets of death anxiety had no significant influence on any wellbeing-related variables. This study empirically expanded upon the Terror Management Theory and found that self-esteem may not buffer death anxiety as previously proposed. Secondary analyses found that psychedelic use and meditation experience correlated with lower death anxiety, but these findings require replication due to small samples between groups.

Conclusions: These findings reframe assumptions about death anxiety by revealing its specific effects and avenues for promoting wellness surrounding mortality. In addition, they provide empirical support for Buddhist teachings, which emphasise the awakening effect of directly realising mortality. These results suggest that death anxiety could facilitate existential growth, contributing to the body of literature that highlights its potential positive effects.

text: Exploring fears of death and dying using network analysis Objective: Fear of death is often pathologised, yet little research has examined its unique links to different aspects of an individual’s life. This study investigated the unique associations among fear of death, psychological distress, mindfulness, compassion, life limiting illness, spirituality, meaning in life, and self-esteem using network analysis. It also explored the potential influence of meditation and psychedelics.

Method: A total of 486 university students and community-based participants completed a series of online surveys, which included a sociodemographic questionnaire and eight self-report rating scales. A Bayesian Gaussian Graphical Model was used to estimate nondirectional associations between variables, while a Directed Acyclic Graph depicted probabilities of directional links.

Results: The directed network revealed the central role of fear of another's death and its direct influence on other facets of death anxiety, life limiting illness, mindfulness, meaning in life, and subsequently spirituality and other variables in the network. The remaining facets of death anxiety had no significant influence on any wellbeing-related variables. This study empirically expanded upon the Terror Management Theory and found that self-esteem may not buffer death anxiety as previously proposed. Secondary analyses found that psychedelic use and meditation experience correlated with lower death anxiety, but these findings require replication due to small samples between groups.

Conclusions: These findings reframe assumptions about death anxiety by revealing its specific effects and avenues for promoting wellness surrounding mortality. In addition, they provide empirical support for Buddhist teachings, which emphasise the awakening effect of directly realising mortality. These results suggest that death anxiety could facilitate existential growth, contributing to the body of literature that highlights its potential positive effects.

year: 2024

title: Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park 2021 Long-term monitoring: Report on ecological restoration progress

authors: Farnworth, Bridgette

abstract: This report was requested by Tui 2000 Inc. and the Hamilton City Council (HCC) as a means of tracking terrestrial restoration progress at Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park (WNHP). WNHP is a cutting-edge urban ecological restoration project in which ecosystems representative of the Hamilton Ecological District are being reconstructed from scratch on public land in Kirikiriroa Hamilton. Larger-scale projects of this nature are becoming more commonplace around the globe due to growing emphasis on restoring nature in urban areas. While this report quantifies the remarkable restoration success achieved at WNHP through investments by Tui 2000 Inc., HCC and the community since 2004, it also contributes to scientific theory. Restoration ecology is a newly developing scientific field and hence WNHP presents a unique opportunity for ecologists to improve restoration practice and also learn from the results.
Here we share results from data analysed from 25 permanent monitoring plots throughout WNHP, spanning planting years since the beginning of planting in 2004 through to 2017 (14 years of planting). These plots are located across the five main ecosystem types (i.e., planting zones) being restored. This information should be used to inform current management and future planning for WNHP.
In the 2021 monitoring, we measured key variables of forest development, including: canopy openness, native tree basal area, non-native herbaceous groundcover, leaf litter, dead trees, native tree seedling abundance and species richness, and epiphyte colonisation. Linear regression models revealed a statistically significant relationship between all (except dead trees and native tree seedling abundance) of these ecosystem variables and forest age. We note that there are several thresholds between 12 - 16 years since the initial restoration planting: basal area increased and the canopy openness decreased, reducing the light availability at the forest floor, thus reducing the non-native herbaceous groundcover from 100% to ~25% in 12 years (with one plot having 0% cover). With these ecosystem changes, important indicators of functioning forests appeared around the same time, such as leaf litter accrual (up to 95% groundcover) and an increasing number of dead trees (up to 37 dead small trees in one monitoring plot), native seedling recruitment (in abundance and species richness), and fern cover.
The results in the report generally signal positive restoration progress. Now a focus is required on non-native weed and invasive mammalian pest control management, paired with careful enrichment planting, and where needed, infill of mid/late-successional plants. Enrichment planting and weed/pest management will help secure the investment in initial plantings by starting the longer-term next phase of forest development, while also creating a more species-diverse ecosystem, resilient to the manifold pressures of the urban landscape, disease, and climate change.

text: Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park 2021 Long-term monitoring: Report on ecological restoration progress This report was requested by Tui 2000 Inc. and the Hamilton City Council (HCC) as a means of tracking terrestrial restoration progress at Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park (WNHP). WNHP is a cutting-edge urban ecological restoration project in which ecosystems representative of the Hamilton Ecological District are being reconstructed from scratch on public land in Kirikiriroa Hamilton. Larger-scale projects of this nature are becoming more commonplace around the globe due to growing emphasis on restoring nature in urban areas. While this report quantifies the remarkable restoration success achieved at WNHP through investments by Tui 2000 Inc., HCC and the community since 2004, it also contributes to scientific theory. Restoration ecology is a newly developing scientific field and hence WNHP presents a unique opportunity for ecologists to improve restoration practice and also learn from the results.
Here we share results from data analysed from 25 permanent monitoring plots throughout WNHP, spanning planting years since the beginning of planting in 2004 through to 2017 (14 years of planting). These plots are located across the five main ecosystem types (i.e., planting zones) being restored. This information should be used to inform current management and future planning for WNHP.
In the 2021 monitoring, we measured key variables of forest development, including: canopy openness, native tree basal area, non-native herbaceous groundcover, leaf litter, dead trees, native tree seedling abundance and species richness, and epiphyte colonisation. Linear regression models revealed a statistically significant relationship between all (except dead trees and native tree seedling abundance) of these ecosystem variables and forest age. We note that there are several thresholds between 12 - 16 years since the initial restoration planting: basal area increased and the canopy openness decreased, reducing the light availability at the forest floor, thus reducing the non-native herbaceous groundcover from 100% to ~25% in 12 years (with one plot having 0% cover). With these ecosystem changes, important indicators of functioning forests appeared around the same time, such as leaf litter accrual (up to 95% groundcover) and an increasing number of dead trees (up to 37 dead small trees in one monitoring plot), native seedling recruitment (in abundance and species richness), and fern cover.
The results in the report generally signal positive restoration progress. Now a focus is required on non-native weed and invasive mammalian pest control management, paired with careful enrichment planting, and where needed, infill of mid/late-successional plants. Enrichment planting and weed/pest management will help secure the investment in initial plantings by starting the longer-term next phase of forest development, while also creating a more species-diverse ecosystem, resilient to the manifold pressures of the urban landscape, disease, and climate change.

year: 2021

title: Through the eyes of whānau: Destruction of cultural identity through education

authors: Ngaamo, Raewyn Brenda

subjects: Māori

abstract: This thesis examines how the schooling experiences of a dual cultural heritage whānau influenced the development of their identity, their language and culture across three generations. Koro, Tuakana, Teina and Moko share their experiences with us and through these stories reveal how they were forced through the colonising beliefs and practices of schooling to reshape themselves in a bid to belong. The compromise and abuse of cultural identity in wider society, replicated and validated in schooling, created a vicious and dehumanising experience for each of them. School was a major site of assimilation for this whānau. They experienced racism, rejection, low expectations and cultural disconnection across the three generations. They suffered particularly as dual heritage children who experienced rejection and racial micro aggressions from both Pākehā and Māori alike. Instead of education being a means to realise their potential and to achieve success it was actually the vehicle for the destruction of their cultural identity.

text: Through the eyes of whānau: Destruction of cultural identity through education This thesis examines how the schooling experiences of a dual cultural heritage whānau influenced the development of their identity, their language and culture across three generations. Koro, Tuakana, Teina and Moko share their experiences with us and through these stories reveal how they were forced through the colonising beliefs and practices of schooling to reshape themselves in a bid to belong. The compromise and abuse of cultural identity in wider society, replicated and validated in schooling, created a vicious and dehumanising experience for each of them. School was a major site of assimilation for this whānau. They experienced racism, rejection, low expectations and cultural disconnection across the three generations. They suffered particularly as dual heritage children who experienced rejection and racial micro aggressions from both Pākehā and Māori alike. Instead of education being a means to realise their potential and to achieve success it was actually the vehicle for the destruction of their cultural identity.

year: 2019