ABSTRACT
D. Kalsched observed that trauma survivors are often forced into another form of reality, and that the experience of this non-ordinary reality helps them survive unbearable pain. Although death is an integral part of human existence, it is often dreaded or experienced as profoundly traumatic. R. Gordon looked at death as it is experienced in the human psyche and presented her study of the imagery of four patients who did Rorschach tests with her in the terminal phases of their illnesses. Based both on her study, and her clinical experience, Gordon, following Carl G. Jung, hypothesized that the psyche does prepare the individual for death, whether or not they are consciously aware of approaching the end of life. Sandplay offers people facing death more than simple solace. Sandplay works with the images brought forth from the unconscious, bridging the divide created by ordinary consciousness, creating the possibility for participation in the Self, or what Jung referred to as absolute knowledge.
