Livre como uma borboleta: simbologia e cuidado paliativo

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between butterflies and palliative care. A qualitative ethnographic study was performed, based on participant observation in two Oncology Palliative Care Services in Brazil and in Portugal. A literature review on the etymological and symbolic meaning of butterflies, followed by discussions with experts who have studied this insect and its presence in art, books and movies, was undertaken. Butterfly symbols vary from place to place and from people to people, and the semantics and representation of the insect are associated with various forms of life, culture, religion and belief. The constant and intriguing presence of butterflies on the walls and windows of the hospitals studied has a significance for palliative care. The metamorphosis of butterflies is symbolically associated with radical changes in human lives, with death perceived as a possibility for renewal. Therefore, the breaking of the cocoon is the death of the body, when the soul achieves freedom in the image of the butterfly. Thus, palliative care, in its theoretical philosophy and applied practice, assists and eases this process of change in the lives of patients and their families, without denying the death, pain nor suffering experienced by the elderly during an advanced disease.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding vector-borne diseases in central Mexico

“…The symbolism of butterflies varies among study sites and individuals, with their representation associated with different lifestyles, cultures, religions, and beliefs [42]. For many people in the state of Puebla, lepidopteran species are associated with superstitions with different meanings.…”

“…For example, moths are considered to be bad omens and are associated with bad luck and death, white butterflies are associated with good luck and presage changes in the weather, and other butterfly species are associated with economic gain or loss. Some species attract attention because of their diverse colors and their process of metamorphosis, while some are even associated with palliative care [42].…”

"˜Panapaná': a Metamorfose de uma Pesquisa com os Cotidianos da Educação Museal na/com a Cibercultura

“…Indubitavelmente, a beleza e a imponência do objeto, posicionado estrategicamente entre a passagem de uma sala expositiva a outra, assim como as muitas representações simbólicas e a forte presença da borboleta no imaginário de diferentes povos e culturas (Costa;Soares, 2015), chamavam a atenção dos visitantes do museu gerando as numerosas imagens e narrativas compartilhadas no Instagram 4 .…”

El transitar de la muerte: cuidado paliativo ¿utopía o realidad?

“…La muerte, como un fenómeno de la realidad humana, que representa el final de la vida y le proporciona al ser humano la conciencia de finitud, ha estado sujeta a la transformación de la sociedad actual, inmersa en una escala de valores, símbolos e ideologías de toda índole que ha maximizado el temor por enfrentarla (25). El temor hacia los momentos de dolor físico y emocional que produce, así como a la pérdida de autonomía y dependencia funcional (30).…”