Death reflection and meaning in life: Mediation by self-transcendence and authentic-self pursuit.
Death Studies February 28, 2026 Xiuxin Wang, Xiaohan Hu, Mengyao Tian et al.
Reflecting on death—as opposed to fearing it—is linked to a greater sense of meaning in life. A survey of 501 adults found that people who engage in death reflection report both feeling that life already has meaning and actively searching for meaning. The connection between death reflection and feeling that life is meaningful occurs entirely through a sense of self-transcendence, or feeling connected to something larger than oneself. The link between death reflection and searching for meaning operates through two separate routes: self-transcendence alone, and self-transcendence followed by pursuing an authentic self. The findings suggest that how people think about death determines whether it enhances or diminishes meaning.