Paging Dr. Neil.
Dr. Anderson, room 381.
Dr. Philips, report to ICU.
Unfortunately, medical science cannot always have success.
The moment death occurs, my expertise is called upon.
When this organ ceased to function, the result was death,
the one reality we cannot avoid.
I'm Dr. Frances Gröss.
l work as a pathologist.
And over the past 20 years, I've compiled a library of the many faces of death.
My travels have taken me all over the world,
searching for the various situations that have dealt with our ultimate end.
I've seen with my own eyes a myriad of experiences
that have led me to greater awareness of the living.
We have developed a world that refuses to recognize our own destiny.
Many years ago,
l was plagued with a recurring dream.
There were only two faces that l could recognize - a young woman and a priest.
Everything was quiet and the funeral seemed endless.
l had no reason for this dream.
lt had resembled nothing l had ever experienced within my lifetime,
just the constant images of death,
existing within a silence that would not respond to my questions.
l knew that this dream marked a beginning, the beginning of journey
that would take me around the world in search of an understanding of death.
My friends thought me compulsive and insane,
while others said l was a distorted fanatic.
You will be witness to what l have discovered.
May you be the jury, but your verdict will be one of self-conviction.
l know what l have witnessed. Now it is your turn.
Prepare yourself for a journey into a world
where each new step may give you a better understanding of your own reality,
for l am sure you will gain a new perspective from the many faces of death.
Mother Nature had a surprise for those who died in the town of Guanajuato, Mexico.
When families could not afford to pay the rental fees on their loved ones' grave sites,
the dead were exhumed, revealing that they had been mummified
due to the rich minerals in the earth.
Men, women and children - their faces frozen with the final vision.
As l studied these mummies, l had the feeling that each one
had a different story to tell about their own death.
Death in sport is another area l explored during my visit to Mexico.
Like a modern-day gladiator, a matador's fame
will be determined by the quickness of his sword.
In another part of this country, I discovered what could be the most brutal sport of all.
Set in clandestine meeting places because it is illegal,
pit bull trainers face their dogs against each other in a battle to the death.
Trained from puppies, these animals are bred to kill.
A dog fight can last as long as two hours.
Bets are made at the beginning of the brawl,
and a trainer can make as much as $5,000 from a single bout.
A pit bull is capable of surviving at least five fights within its violent lifetime.
If this appears inhumane, remember, these animals know only one way of life.
They have been conditioned by man to declare war on their own kind.
The Amazon jungle in South America,
one of the last natural frontiers left on the planet Earth.
Even in this untouched magnificence, death becomes a mandate of survival.
As l observed the various creatures of this jungle,
l realized that nature has endowed each inhabitant
with its own special equipment to survive.
There is no shelter for the weak.
Territorial rights must be observed.
One wrong move can easily end in death.
When a creature becomes prey in this wilderness, there is one conciliation -
death occurs in a matter of seconds and nothing is wasted.
There is a continual balance that must be maintained in the jungle.
The death of one creature ensures the existence of another.
Deep within the Amazon basin exists an Indian tribe known as the Jivaros.
Totally content within their domain,
these savages have existed in a world isolated from modern civilization.
They have always fascinated me because, for them, killing on a daily basis
is their only means of survival.
And, like the animals who are their neighbors, the Jivaros eat all they kill.
When the women began to make a potion called chicha,
l knew my visit to their village would soon be rewarded.
By mixing their saliva with manioc root, an alcoholic drink is the result.
This marks the beginning of a very special celebration.
For these Indians do not restrict their hunting to only animals.
There is a greater trophy that these warriors seek.
Their quest for revenge becomes a gruesome ritual.
The severed head of an opposing warrior ensures them respect
in a land known as the Amazon.
The country of Africa has its own code of laws that expose another face of death.
During my travel through the Serengeti plains of Africa,
l became intrigued with a tribe called the Masai.
Meat for these people is a delicacy,
and the warriors in charge of butchering the animal were eager to begin their feast.
l found their consumption of blood an interesting prelude to their main course.
Living on a farm in the Western world,
a human being chooses a life of self-sufficiency.
This lifestyle may appear barbaric to urban dwellers.
Unlike the Masai, who celebrate the slaughter of a cow,
the death of an animal on a farm is one chore among many
for this modern-day pioneer.
Watching this rooster writhe in pain around the barnyard,
the woman assured me the bird had felt nothing.
Since its death is so sudden, movement is caused by a nervous reflex.
Viewing this whole process, l began to question my ability
to survive under these same conditions.
If necessity dictated that l become my own provider,
l think I'd choose the life of a vegetarian.
But what about people who don't live on a farm?
Those of us who live within the womb of a technological society?
Our carnivorous needs must also be fulfilled.
To meet this enormous demand, Western culture has developed
the ultimate killing machine to feed the hungry masses.
lt's called the slaughterhouse.
Life in this profession begins early in the morning.
The death-dealing process is an all-day affair.
One of the more grotesque slaughtering techniques is the method of koshering.
Blessed by a rabbi, then slaughtered by his hand, the animal bleeds to death.
This is said to be a purifying process,
but as the cow choked on its own blood, l could only feel pity.
Since the demand for this meat is limited,
only a small percentage is killed in this fashion.
The average American consumes 120 pounds of beef per year.
In a typical month, slaughterhouses across the country will kill nearly 3 million cows
and 385,000 lambs.
Each individual along the assembly line has his own specialty.
Day after day, they continue to work in this environment of death.
When the novelty wears off, the workers inform me
their job becomes a simple routine, a way to make a living -
nothing more, nothing less.
Do the animals know they are going to die?
The men who kill them claim they don't,
but when the machinery begins to rumble and the conveyor belts start to roll,
sounds that expedite death are heard by animal and man alike.
My travels have taught me that modern technology does have one advantage -
as consumers, we're spared the process and only deal with the finished product.
The Al Haram Restaurant in the Middle East presented an experience
that l found most unique.
This restaurant is housed within stone walls hundreds of years old.
From the moment patrons enter these premises, they are treated like royalty.
The welcoming music and finger chimes of the belly dancer
mark the beginning of this most unusual dining adventure.
When the waiter appears carrying wine and the special dining implements,
it is a sure sign our tourists will soon begin the ritual which brought them here.
Feeling that the foreigners were comfortable within his domain,
the waiter signaled for the house specialty.
Good evening.
Here's to good food and wine.
As the monkey was brought down the hall and a toast to prosperity was made,
the waiter presented the men with their tools of destruction.
Good.
Look at that little monkey. Why don't you touch it?
l know it will be great.
l can't believe this.
Secured in a special trap, the animal was now ready to become the main dish.
Following a few simple instructions, the men at the table were prepared for the kill.
No, no. Just use quick strokes. Just use quick strokes.
- Hit him like that? - lt's easy.
Oh, my God!
That's all l have to do?
That's it.
After a matter of seconds, the gruesome ritual had ended.
The skull was carved open for the delicate brains inside.
While this continued, it occurred to me that in the confines of this elegant restaurant,
people were paying exorbitant prices to play the role of a hunter.
A definite ritual had been established, and there was very little difference
between what l had witnessed in this restaurant and the ceremony of the Masai.
The human being was killing for celebration,
ready to devour the animal slaughtered.
Throughout history, it was believed that by eating the brains of this sacred animal
a new source of wisdom would be inherited,
bringing those who ate this delicacy closer to God.
I'm not eating this.
You don't have to eat anything you don't want to.
Watching a living animal die before their eyes
and then having to eat the lifeless remains
caused amusing responses from each of the tourists.
When l asked the man with the hearty appetite why he enjoyed the meal,
he replied, "If l can get closer to God by eating brains, why not?"
Excuse me.
l don't believe this.
The human reaction to death in this particular environment was instructive.
Flavor became incidental, taste totally ignored,
for the spiritual human mind became the savior in this meal of death.
If none of you are going to finish this, l want some more.
lt would be another lifetime before any of these tourists would visit here again.
The unparalleled beauty of the ocean is a unique wonder among nature.
Life within this domain appears sheltered from man,
but when the hunting instincts of man are directed toward this environment,
the creatures of this world have little protection.
The man who kills for pleasure, to feel the power of a gun and nothing else,
is a dangerous threat to the well-being of this planet.
A professional fisherman hunts for another reason.
The sharks he kills will be used by society for a variety of products.
The Pribilof Islands off the coast of Alaska presented another kind of hunter.
Once a year, these men work from sunrise to sunset.
They are contracted by the government to crop their herds of fur seals.
This fulfills two necessary functions.
Firstly, by performing their duty, a natural balance is created in the seal population.
Secondly, the pelts of these animals
provide a lucrative income to the government.
The only thing l question is their method of death.
Whether or not the seal feels any pain is purely a matter of conjecture.
l am convinced that when these animals are herded,
their instincts warn them of their final destiny.
A warning which soon will no longer matter,
as this island is transformed into a battleground of naked carcasses.
When the sun set that evening and the final herd was rounded up,
l then decided never to wear the skin of an animal on my back again.
There is still one more hunter - he who kills illegally for profit.
These men are known as poachers.
The valuable skin of the alligator can bring a high price on the black market.
Although this hunting is totally forbidden by law because the reptile faces extinction,
these men will kill as many as 20 gators in a single evening.
They are the murderers of nature.
Although poachers manage to escape a great deal of the time,
game wardens across the country are becoming more successful
in apprehending these criminals who destroy creatures of the earth.
The government has developed a method of providing society
with the alligators' precious skins.
Breeding farms have been constructed
where these reptiles are raised from infants.
Their growth to adulthood will cost them their lives.
Channel 9 Action News. I'm here today with Mrs. Ellis.
Mrs. Ellis, as well as several other area residents,
are having problems with what they consider to be a menace.
- Can you tell me about that problem? - Yes, I'm very concerned.
We've got a big alligator off in that lake and I'm really worried about it.
Mrs. Ellis, do you fear for the lives of your children as well as your pets?
Yes, I do. The kids can't even go swimming anymore.
- ls this your daughter, Mrs. Ellis? - Yes. This is Lisa.
Lisa, how do you feel about going into the water with a potentially dangerous animal?
Not me. No more.
The alligator seems to pose a threat to most of the residents.
Animal control officers have been notified, of course.
Calls like this are becoming more frequent,
and again, today, l believe the animal control officials will have their hands full.
- Did you call about a nuisance alligator? - Yes, l did.
- Where's he located? - He's over in those weeds.
- Over here? - Yes.
- How large is he? - He's gotta be at least 15 feet.
Thank you very much for the call. Let's take a look right over here, OK, Joe?
This news story presents an ironic conclusion to the story of the alligator.
Sometimes the reptile gets his own chance at revenge.
Any good?
Move in on him.
- Oh, my God! - Oh, my goodness! He's gonna kill him.
Oh, my God! Get him!
Don't drown.
Keep the film camera rolling.
l just can't believe it.
When the game warden was pulled ashore,
his mutilated body represented a violent retaliation
from a creature which has suffered continual abuse from mankind.
Get 'em outta here. Give me the blanket. Give me the blanket.
OK.
Here, here. Where's the ambulance?
A man hired to defend the alligator lost his life to the creature he was trying to protect.
This time, when given the chance, the alligator became the hunter.
John Wilkes Booth.
James Earl Ray.
Lee Harvey Oswald.
Sirhan Sirhan.
La Salle, France. 1968.
There was another member that l neglected to add to the list of assassins.
François Jordan.
One of the unique characteristics of man
is that he is the only animal on earth that kills for greed.
l had the unusual experience of meeting the individual responsible
for the assassination you have just witnessed.
His weapons are the tools of his trade, while his aim brings him his wealth.
My name is François Jordan. I'm a hired assassin.
When l kill, it is for business,
not for political, nor even social value.
But there is another kind of killer -
the human being who murders for no apparent reason.
This person is placed in a situation
where violence is the only means of dealing with reality.
There are no judgments or morals behind the crime.
lt is an eruption of repression that manifests itself
by causing the deaths of others.
On July 10, 1973, Mike Lawrence went berserk.
This remarkable footage is a classic example of a man's mind that snapped.
We've trapped him up in the house. l want you guys to go under.
You try and throw the tear gas along there, OK?
- Come on out. - Make it easy on yourself.
- No. I'll kill you! - Come on out with your hands up.
After several hours, Lawrence's one-man revolt was finally defeated.
But Lawrence was not the only victim that died on that summer afternoon.
Get outta here. Come on, move out!
What caused this man to murder his family?
ls our society to blame?
Perhaps there is a Mike Lawrence in each of us,
ready to explode when the time is right.
The primary responsibility of the county coroner of Los Angeles County
is to investigate and inquire
the circumstances surrounding deaths of a sudden and unexpected nature,
or by homicide, by suicide, by accident
or presumed natural causes, but a diagnosis has not been determined.
This responsibility is clearly written
by state statute.
The Los Angeles County coroner's office.
24 hours a day its doors must remain open, for death has no time schedule.
The law states that when a person is suspected of dying
by other than natural means,
or if death occurs without medical attendance for 20 days,
the coroner's office must investigate.
Coroner investigators in the field handle as many as 40 cases per day.
Once their initial inquiry into the victim's death has been completed,
they accompany the body to the morgue.
After registering weight, height and fingerprinting,
exploratory x-rays are conducted.
This homicide victim had been involved in a gang war.
In this particular case, after a total x-ray scan,
the bullet that caused death was located.
The cadaver is then placed in the hands of forensic pathologists.
These men are medical doctors who conduct autopsies
determining criminal responsibility in a death.
As l walked around, l was reminded of words written by the late Luther Easton.
"In a world with no sound, their cries go unheard.
"The reality of life becomes totally absurd.
"The counting of time is considered a crime.
"And the money one earns, not worth a lone dime.
"So here they will lie for the rest of the night.
"Their bodies remain still in darkness and in light.
"But don't be afraid for it will happen to you.
"When all will stop as your body turns blue."
I'm not really sure why these words came to me.
Perhaps it was from my feelings of sadness.
l had witnessed many young people in the prime of their lives
the victims of sudden death.
Obviously it was their time to die, but was this their destiny?
Had their fate been preplanned?
Did any of these people ever know they would die by violent means?
Now it was too late. By the time they would leave this morgue,
the mystery of their death would have hopefully been solved.
Not all death can be identified through autopsies.
If the forensic pathologist is still unsure of the cause, technology intervenes.
Specimens of tissue are prepared for microscopic study.
What may be missed by the eye will be discovered by intense magnification.
Aided by an electron scanning microscope, computers can analyze human tissue
and identify the source of a weapon used in a crime.
The embalming process is another area that cannot go unnoticed.
By injecting the body with fluid, the pathologist is given the gift of time.
Because the workload is so immense,
some victims may have to wait weeks before their case is solved.
With a preservatory fluid injected,
the cadaver is then refrigerated in an environment of 42 degrees Fahrenheit.
Having witnessed the entire process of this institution,
l began to wonder about the people who comprised the staff.
Being a pathologist, l am used to the autopsy routine.
But in my work, the patient dies of natural causes or a specific disease.
The role of a doctor in the coroner's environment differs greatly.
He is witness to the atrocities mankind creates.
Intrigued by this kind of pressure, l asked Dr. Noguchi how he views his own death.
He replied that, for him, life on this planet is a transitory stop
for the spirit moves on after death.
After thinking about this man's answer,
l understood how he maintained his own sense of balance.
A few days after my visit there, l questioned whether l would suffer a violent death.
Knowing full well that l had little control over this decision,
it occurred to me how short life really is, how little control we really have.
In 1974, Larry DeSilva brutally raped and then murdered an 84-year-old woman.
After a lengthy trial, he was sentenced to death by means of electrocution.
Because of the general outcry against the inhumane method of hanging,
the electric chair was the next step in the development of capital punishment.
Its premier was in New York during the year 1890.
Larry DeSilva would soon join the list of criminals that have died in this fashion.
lt's time.
DeSilva told me he had read about the method that would take his life.
When l asked him if he was afraid, he looked at me and smiled.
But when the guards led him down death row to the execution chamber,
DeSilva seemed nervous and totally disoriented.
He finally told me he was scared to die.
When l asked him if he ever thought about this possibility as he murdered the woman,
he replied, "All l wanted was her goddamn wallet and the bitch gave me a hard time."
DeSilva's history in crime was a lengthy one.
At 34, 17 of those years were spent in and out of penal institutions.
Beginning with petty theft,
DeSilva finally committed a crime which would cost him his life.
Good luck, Joe.
Goin' straight to hell right out, man.
The process is simple. The victim is placed in a chair
where electrodes are attached to his leg and head.
These two areas are sponged down beforehand with a brine solution
to conduct electricity.
Strapped to a seat that you will never leave alive is a situation that l still cannot justify.
A man on death row is in a continuous battle with time and bureaucracy.
When both fall into the proper alignment, the condemned knows that death results.
During the final preparations, those of us watching this man
could feel the fear being transmitted from his body.
Even though he committed an inexcusable crime,
l began to wonder if two wrongs really make a right.
His eyes are taped to prevent them from popping out of their sockets.
The next step is the flick of a switch
which sends a current of 2,000 volts through the victim's body.
Then the current is brought down to 1,000 volts after a few seconds.
By this point, the man is unconscious
and the whole process is repeated as many times as necessary
until the prisoner is proclaimed dead by the physician on duty.
The room began to smell like burning flesh.
After a brief examination, we all knew there was more to come.
The final trickle of blood marked the conclusion to this grotesque execution.
How much longer will we be plagued by violence within society
is a thought I've often pondered.
If this is the only solution,
humankind must stop and question the whole meaning of justice.
This footage was shot by a Canadian tourist while on vacation in the Middle East.
l decided to include this in my study
for it portrayed a barbaric method of dealing with the criminal.
To this day, l still don't know the crime this man committed.
lt would be curious to know whether his act was worthy of the judgment.
The one redeeming factor of holding a public execution
is perhaps it is a deterrent to crime.
But is that any justification for execution?
Most people have a desire to gain power and a better understanding of life.
Religion helps center a person, supplying answers to the unexplainable.
There is also another alternative for those seeking answers - the world of cults.
Cults offer their followers four basic prizes -
a sense of identity, discipline, knowledge and power.
To attain these levels, each cult has its own doctrine of laws that must be followed.
On the outskirts of San Francisco,
a cult existed that promised its members immortality.
l had heard rumors about their ceremony.
They believed the power of everlasting life
was found in the internal organs of the dead.
After spending weeks searching for these people, l finally met their leader.
As he explained his beliefs and methods, l realized l was dealing with a maniac.
After lengthy discussions, he allowed my crew to film his cult.
He reasoned that it was time for the world to understand the true path to immortality.
Brothers and sisters, we have before us a gift.
A gift that is gonna let us outlive and outlove
any and every human being on earth.
Bless our souls so that we may be cleansed and freed forever.
This is ours. This is ours, people.
Feel it. Come on.
Come on.
Touch it.
People,
we are free,
we are there
and we are beautiful.
Go on.
Come on.
Oh, yes!
Their gruesome ceremony culminated in an orgy.
Even if they had the answer to immortality,
l felt a great sense of evil among the members of this group.
From my viewpoint, they were dangerous individuals whose minds were controlled.
Throughout the hillsides of Kentucky and Tennessee exists another strange cult.
They call themselves the Holiness Branch of the Church of God.
Their frightening ceremony is based upon the actual words from the Bible
found in the 16th chapter of Mark.
"And these signs shall follow them that believe:
"in my name shall they cast out devils;
"they shall speak with new tongues; they shall pick up serpents;
"and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them;
"they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."
At the height of the ritual, the handlers of the snakes, or "saints" as they are called,
reach a trancelike, almost hypnotic state of mind.
At this point, confessions are made and those who have sinned are purged.
The power of belief was the key ingredient in this bizarre situation.
Although we may be the most intelligent creature on this planet,
we are also the most inconsistent.
To find peace within our existence
we sometimes create a logic that endangers our lives.
Allow me to quote this cult's basic prayer.
"Once l was a drinking man. Amen.
"Once l was a sinner with women. Amen.
"But it doesn't matter no more. Amen.
"If the serpent bites me today. Amen.
"lt won't matter 'cause l can get salvation in the Lord.
"Amen and hallelujah."
Later that day, a member of the congregation died of a snake bite.
l wonder what happened to the Lord at that moment?
I'm sure their faith masked any disbelief.
Does a full moon affect the psyche of a human being?
On the evening of April 22, 1977,
it may have had some effect on Mary Alice Brighton.
- Which floor is it? - Sixth.
She's going. She's going.
lt's definitely sixth.
In 1978, 35,000 people committed suicide in the United States,
a rate of 12 per 100,000.
Of the many faces of death l have studied, suicide is the most perplexing.
Often it has occurred to me that with all our technical advances in the medical field,
the motivations behind what causes the human being to take its own life
has still remained a mystery.
There are also those who seek immortality.
Cryonics clinics have been developed to meet this demand.
Within 24 hours after Samuel Berkowitz died of cancer,
his body was prepared for cryonic suspension.
Once all his blood had been drained,
a balanced salt solution was flushed through his circulatory system.
This process completed, Mr. Berkowitz was now ready
to be connected to the perfusion apparatus.
A glycerol solution was placed into his body.
This reduced the freezing damage that would occur and prevent cell deterioration.
By freezing the dead, doctors are able to preserve the body
so that sometime in the future, when a cure has been developed,
the deceased may be brought back to life.
This procedure can be quite costly.
Just be sure you provided money in your will.
Since ancient time, man has been interested in physical survival
and has attempted to preserve human remains.
The first man was frozen ten years ago.
Since then, hundreds of others have chosen the same path.
TRANS TlME in Berkeley, California, are cryonic specialists.
They sincerely believe the dead they preserve
will be brought back to life at a later point in time.
Imagine what it would be like to die in 1980 and wake up one hundred years later.
If science is successful, the future will be inhabited with humans from the past.
After being placed in a sleeping bag and wrapped in a special plastic casing,
Mr. Berkowitz was now ready to be housed in his capsule filled with liquid nitrogen.
From this point on, he will be encapsulated in an environment 320 degrees below zero.
Good luck, Mr. Berkowitz.
For those who drown in the wilderness, the chance of seeing the future is very unlikely.
For this unfortunate victim, life ended when he decided to enter the ocean.
Drinking at a beach party, a short dip in the water
would have hopefully brought back some sobriety.
Numbed by the liquor, he was caught in a vicious undertow which cost him his life.
l find this kind of death particularly tragic.
lt is caused by sheer stupidity.
Often we do things which later we regret.
Through situations such as this,
l am further able to understand the fine line between life and death.
When it is a person's time to die, the forces of nature have little discrimination.
This young man was at the prime of his life.
Maybe he took too much for granted.
The human being is always seeking a new sense of excitement.
As the urban dweller turns to the wilderness to discover different thrills,
accidents and even death can result.
- He's up there. - When did this happen?
- About 45 minutes ago. - Let's go. Let's get him out of there.
In this specific case, two boys from a nearby city decided to explore a cave.
When one of the boys fell off a cliff, a sheriff's rescue squad was summoned.
As the sheriffs searched the cave,
they informed me that accidents like this are not unusual.
Even when people realize the danger inside these environments,
their natural curiosity often blinds them to the obvious hazards.
Having to rescue the inexperienced spelunker is the real hazard.
When a person falls in this kind of situation,
the danger is shifted to the rescuer,
for they must climb to parts of the cave where nobody goes.
After listening to these professionals, l grew to admire them.
They have made the commitment to save the lives of others,
even if it meant their own death.
The boy had fallen about 90 feet.
As the sheriffs rappelled down,
l wondered if they too wouldn't someday suffer the same fate.
Inexperience is a major cause of death within the wilderness.
Once a person enters an environment that is potentially unsafe,
he increases the odds of getting seriously hurt if he doesn't know what he's doing.
l decided to include this story in my study
because it supports an unusual human motivation.
Some people place themselves in precarious situations
even when they're aware of the risks.
Could this be caused by a latent death wish?
l don't know the answer. l only know many meet their end
when it could easily be avoided by using some common sense.
Unfortunately for the victim, this cave would be his last foolish adventure.
When he fell, he broke his neck.
Hiking in the mountains is something l occasionally do to find peace of mind.
Away from the city, l am able to reflect about my life
and make decisions about my own future.
But even in this realm of natural solitude lies another face of death.
Each year, thousands head to a higher altitude to escape the smog.
Creatures that live in this terrain will often take advantage of the innocent vacationer.
Although they may appear docile and tame,
one wrong move could cause a vicious attack.
Honey, get out some bread. Let me throw some bread. Come on, bear.
Oh, this is great. This is great.
Come on, bear.
Look at the size of him.
Come on, over here. Over here.
Honey...
The footage you are viewing was shot by two tourists
who happened to discover the same bear in a national park.
Here's some bread.
Here's a little more bread.
Want some more bread? Here's more.
Like that?
Honey, be careful.
Here we are, take some bread. Here's some bread.
And here's some more. You want some more?
Bob, be careful.
Be careful, Bob.
Bob, be careful.
Oh, my God!
l find this to be a particularly unusual face of death,
for the incident occurred through total ignorance.
lt seems to prove a point that perhaps we're not as intelligent as we think.
Sitting in our comfortable homes, living in surroundings that meet our every need,
a world of total incubation provides a perfect way of life.
No matter how safe this may appear, we still have very little control.
A natural disaster can destroy this planet at any given moment.
At present, scientists have discovered 400 active volcanoes around the world.
When the earth decides to spew out its molten lava,
death and destruction are the usual result.
When it begins to rain, the human being has a tendency to become retrospective.
Memories of the past blend with hopes for the future.
In 1972 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, there was one major problem -
the rain wouldn't stop. Residential sections were totally destroyed
as floods created millions of dollars worth of damage and left hundreds dead.
When a tornado and a lightening storm attacked a small town in Mississippi,
a dual natural disaster was created.
Fire would consume what the giant twister didn't destroy.
The next day, after the storm passed, a whole town had been devastated.
570 people lost their lives.
Those who survived had to start from the beginning.
They had no plans of moving to another area.
This town was their home and they would rebuild and restore their community,
knowing full well a new tornado could one day return.
When man tries to harness his natural resources,
he faces a whole new area of disaster.
When a gas line burst in a giant high-rise, an uncontrollable fire resulted.
The victims who were trapped 35 stories above the street
had only one route of escape.
Perhaps the greatest disaster of all is one that man has created himself.
If nature doesn't destroy the environment, it is very possible that the human being will.
No more nukes!
Nuclear energy was thought to be one alternative to a cleaner environment.
But when radiation began to leak from a plant at Three Mile Island,
conservationists proclaimed technology had created
one of the greatest threats to human existence.
One man thought he had the answer.
Bob, radiation reaching max on unit 2.
Terminate all units immediately. Shut down.
By far the greatest crime committed by mankind is war.
No one will ever know the exact number of people who lost their lives
during the four years this planet became the stage for World War ll.
When the Japanese launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor,
the United States chose to enter a war
that would soon introduce the world to the ultimate horror of technology.
During this time, the world was also confronted with Nazism.
Based upon doctrines of Adolf Hitler,
the country of Germany, with the aid of Italy, prepared itself to take over the world.
One man was determined to change the course of history.
By manipulating human emotions through fear,
Adolf Hitler sent his troops on missions of destruction.
The human mind is an extremely fragile piece of machinery.
When proper psychological methods are employed,
the most passive can become the most aggressive.
As the Germans moved through Europe, the pain of defeat was experienced by all.
Allied forces soon began to halt the Nazi progression.
Faced with continuous defeat, Hitler soon lost control not only of his army,
but also of his mind.
The threat of Nazism was soon erased.
Only a legacy of a distorted prejudice remained.
The capacity to hate is a frightening human reality.
We are always ready to blame another
if the circumstances can free us from our own self-guilt.
Hitler found his guinea pigs in the Jews.
He believed the world would be a better place if they were annihilated.
His solution was the concentration camp.
Six million Jews were murdered.
One man had engineered the most effective killing environment in history.
35 years have passed since the first concentration camp was liberated.
Time may heal many wounds.
l wonder if this kind of atrocity will ever happen again.
Those that survived the Holocaust believe that it will.
This face of death is by far the most devastating.
Helpless people were murdered like animals in a slaughterhouse.
l personally don't know if this kind of situation could repeat itself,
but if it does, we all deserve a life in hell.
The greatest killer of all is disease.
Thousands die on a daily basis from an assortment of illnesses.
The common rat has preyed on man throughout the centuries.
The carrier of bubonic plague,
this rodent has caused more death than all the wars in history.
The vampire bat has made its own contribution to the world of disease.
This blood-sucking creature is one of the many carriers responsible for rabies.
The disease centers on the nervous system, causing paralysis.
The victim eventually chokes to death on his own saliva.
Another fertile ground for numerous diseases is poverty.
Even though medical science has discovered cures to many illnesses,
those who cannot afford the life-saving serums
can only hope their death will be swift and painless.
When a cholera epidemic broke out in India, hundreds of thousands fell victim.
When medical supplies ran short, the untreated waited patiently for death.
Without food, the human being could not exist.
Malnutrition eventually leads to one of the most painful forms of death -
starvation.
With the ever-growing problem of overpopulation,
the demand for food around the world can no longer be met.
Unfortunately, this painful reality
has become a way of life for the people of Biafra.
There is a modern-day plague which medical science is currently battling.
lt is a disease called cancer.
Since this disease is able to attack any part of the body in many different forms,
research centers have been set up across the United States
with the hope of finding new cures to this dreadful plague.
The Rigler Research Center at UCLA in Los Angeles, California, is one such center.
By conducting surgery on cancerous dogs,
doctors hope to find new cures for treating the human being.
This particular animal has terminal cancer.
In this operation, surgeons will place a special monitoring device
inside a blood vessel which leads to the liver.
By studying the flow rate and volume of blood,
doctors may gain a better understanding of how cancer destroys this organ.
The results of this operation will be discussed by a board of scientists.
Hopefully, the knowledge discovered may bring the world one step closer
to curing this particular form of cancer.
Modern technology may someday find a solution,
but many of us believe technology may also be the cause.
Pollution, cigarettes, the water we drink,
the preservatives in our food may all be contributors to cancer.
Could it be that cancer is a man-made disease?
ls this nature's way of warning us that we must stop and reevaluate our existence?
While disease fighters continue their explorations into the medical causes,
their findings may proclaim a sociological change within society is necessary.
If this occurs, a new respect for both the planet and our own lives
will create an end to a disease that causes the death of loved ones each year.
The advent of modern transportation has made the world accessible to every person.
Man has developed different sports to take full advantage of his travel toys.
Since many of us have yearned for the gift of flight,
the sport of skydiving was introduced.
Jumping thousands of feet dependent upon a parachute
is the risk one takes if he wants to fly.
Unfortunately, there is also the chance of death.
This accident occurred at an airshow in the Western United States.
The man plummeted to earth from 2,000 feet when his parachute malfunctioned.
l wondered what thoughts ran through this man's mind as he fell at 80 mph.
Doctors later informed me the man suffered a painless death
for he had slipped into cardiac arrest before hitting the ground.
After playing this accident back in slow motion, l disagreed.
lt appeared the skydiver struggled throughout the fall,
trying in vain to prevent his destined outcome.
This nightmarish death made me question the role of cautionary measures
necessary to prolong life.
After pondering this possibility,
l realized that no matter how cautious l am, if it's my time to die,
it doesn't matter if I'm walking down the sidewalk or jumping out of a plane.
Even in the world of make-believe,
the use of transportation vehicles can end in disaster.
When a film crew was preparing to photograph a special car stunt
for a new action-adventure movie,
an unexpected accident occurred.
What was to be a routine stunt ended in disaster
when a safety cable malfunctioned.
- Camera. - Rolling.
Hell Raising. 47 Baker. Take one.
Jesus Christ! Get him outta there.
Keep rolling. Catch it.
The driver suffered internal injuries which resulted in his death.
In the routine work of a stuntman, the dangers faced daily
are like doing a tango with death.
These daredevils fall off cliffs, jump from moving cars
and perform any stunt which makes an actor appear fearless.
Those who work in this environment have an interesting perception of death.
They believe their job is as safe as anyone else's
because they are all carefully trained professionals.
Unfortunately, it was his equipment and not his expertise
which determined this man's untimely end.
An ironic conclusion to this tragedy
is that months later, when the movie was released,
the director decided to include this sequence in the picture.
The only change - the character who supposedly drove the car
left the vehicle unharmed and continued his escape by foot.
One of the many alternatives in the realm of transportation is the locomotive.
This unexpected accident occurred when the engine of a passenger train exploded,
causing all the other cars to derail.
Rescue crews worked feverishly to free survivors.
As blowtorches burnt through the twisted metal,
lifeless parts of bodies were all that remained.
The modern traveler makes a choice
each time he decides to enter the domain of public transportation.
Although accidents on the rail systems of the United States are relatively infrequent,
when they do occur, the chance of survival becomes questionable.
Each year, more than 53,000 people lose their lives
on the highways of the United States.
Since this is the most common means of transportation,
the death rate is also the highest.
When death is caused by these machines,
the witness can suffer extreme psychological damage.
In this accident, a woman was riding her bicycle when she was hit by a semitruck.
Crushed by its heavy wheels, her body became unidentifiable.
Staring at her remains, l couldn't help but think that human technology
has once again created a monster.
Speeding and carelessness have been the basic code
of most drivers around the world.
The woman who died in this accident wasn't even driving a car.
How long will it be before the pedestrian is banished from the sidewalk and the street?
Since the Wright Brothers invented the airplane,
the entire planet has become a vacation ground for those who can afford the fare.
The pilot of this plane had just been certified.
To celebrate his new achievement, he took three friends up in a rented aircraft
to show off his newly acquired skill.
He began doing stunts - nosedives and huge turns.
In the midst of one of his stunts, he was going at such an excessive speed,
he ripped the wing off the airplane.
Losing all control, the small plane crashed in a nearby field.
Arms and legs were strewn throughout the wreckage.
Nobody survived this particular stunt show.
We all wish to be recognized and respected by our peers.
When we turn to our machines to gain this recognition, as this young pilot did,
disaster is not an unlikely ending.
Abuse can sometimes introduce the human being to the final curtain.
This certainly was the case for this novice pilot and his friends.
Lindbergh, PSA182.
PSA182.
PSA182, Lindbergh Tower.
Traffic twelve o'clock. One mile. A Cessna.
OK, we have it there. There we go.
182, roger.
How far will you take it in when 182 comes and traffic's waiting for departure?
- Probably about three to four miles. - OK.
PSA182 clear to land.
182 is clear to land.
- Tower, we're going down. This is PSA. - We'll call the equipment for you.
On that warm September day, there were no survivors.
149 people died.
A commercial 727 airliner collided in the sky with a light plane
and both came crashing down in a residential section of San Diego.
Many of those who witnessed the crash and the aftermath which followed
are still to this day under psychiatric care.
Living through this nightmare is an experience one cannot easily forget.
When a woman heard the crash and went to her door,
a body came flying through the window, covering her in blood.
lt would be a long time before the people of this area would ever board a plane again.
From the massive impact,
bodies were strewn in every imaginable area throughout the neighborhood.
The stench of the dead turned this peaceful community into a virtual morgue.
Screams could be heard as new victims were discovered.
Viewing the bodies mutilated beyond recognition,
l had the painful realization this disaster could be the most gruesome face of death.
Throughout my studies of death, there was still one theory l had neglected -
the concept of life after death,
where the deceased had left this realm and the physical form,
but their souls had remained. Skeptical of this whole concept,
l went in search of a situation that might prove the existence of one's immortal soul.
Joseph Binder's remarkable story presented the perfect situation.
My name is Joseph Binder and I'm an architect.
About eight months ago, my five-year-old son Mark was hit and killed by a car.
After that, about three weeks later,
my wife Diane committed suicide.
lt was a very emotionally rough time for me
and l thought l was gonna go mad.
But after a few months, l had begun to pull myself together
when this house just turned into a living nightmare.
A living nightmare? What was it that caused Binder, a perfectly sane man,
to hear chilling sounds echo through his house
or suddenly view an apparition in human form?
These incidents brought me to the next step in verifying this man's testimony.
With Binder's approval, l brought in specialists -
two men trained in the field of supernatural phenomena.
Utilizing the most sophisticated equipment available,
the parapsychologists wasted no time.
They set up their machinery around areas in the house
where Binder had reported an attempted communication by his wife and child.
Even with their equipment, the professionals resorted to techniques
developed by ghost hunters of centuries past.
Flour spread on the floor was still the best method of preserving a ghost's footprints.
After two weeks of waiting, the dead had chosen to end their silence.
Sensitive parabolic microphones began to record Binder's lost family.
Cameras photographed apparitions of two ghosts,
while recorders captured their haunting sounds.
The flour revealed footprints of an invisible being.
lt was now time to bring in a medium, a willing soul that would allow Binder
to communicate with the people he missed and loved.
Are you ready, Mr. Binder?
Then let us proceed. Your hands.
Everything is fine. l left too soon, Joe.
Diane?
l tried to make contact with you.
l thought it was you. But I'm still not sure. ls it you?
The white rose, the one you gave me the night we found out l was pregnant.
Oh, Diane, l love you.
l love you, Diane.
Daddy. Daddy.
Oh, my God! Mark?
Daddy, I'm scared.
l don't know where l am. l miss you.
lt's OK, Mark. l miss you.
lt's all right, Mark. lt's all right.
When l studied the pictures that were shot of the ghost of Binder's wife and child,
l began to reexamine my whole outlook on death.
l realized that when we die, it really isn't the end.
Somehow, l feel the soul in each of us remains a traveler forever.
During the past 20 years, l know that my compulsion to understand death
was much greater than just an obsession.
My dreams had dictated my mission.
But now it is time to witness the final moment,
to discover a circle that forever repeats itself.
The end of the beginning, or the beginning of the end?
I'll leave that decision to you.