title: [The passing of life (in the fear of no longer being).].
abstract: This article deals with reactions to the idea of death, one's own as well as that of others, death which is ever present and unthinkable to such a great extent. Death does not only happen as a tact at the end of life. It is also anticipated from a distance, sensed and dreaded through that which can represent it. It thus provokes complex psychic work, requiring a comprehension of the unthinkable end of the life of the body and the spirit. Three periods will punctuate our text. The first will present an author sensitive to the reactions of another faced with death. His openness to the understanding of it will increase his understanding of himself in relation to his own death. The second period is that of a divided author, struggling with two conflicting parts of himself. The third will examine two typical reactions of treatment personnel to the dying, two defensive reactions to be understood so as to be surmounted albeit recognizing their inexorable nature.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Routier