Thanatophobia and Overcoming the Fear of Dying
While it is perfectly normal to have a fear of death, what happens when it becomes a phobia, it can affect the way we live. When did you first realize that you were going to die? I would have been around nine or ten. It was Christmastime, late at night when the rest of […]
Movies that deal with Dementia
Dementia is not a single disease. It’s an overall term to describe a collection of symptoms that one may experience if they are living with a variety of diseases, including Alzheimer’s Disease. Many face dementia-related issues at the end of their lives and others find themselves as caregivers. Yet, a study published in 2014 found […]
How Deathbed Phenomena Can Impact Those Left Behind
“Among the things we have learned about death is that there are also some exceptional experiences that occur around the deathbed that can have a profound impact on those experiencing or witnessing them. These are deathbed visions and deathbed dreams. “ In this article by Psychology Today, we see how these phenomena are not only […]
Postal Service for the Dead
One of the hardest things when dealing with the reality of death is being faced with the fact that you’ll never talk to your loved one again; that the words you want to say will never be heard. But they can be written down and mailed. Based in Los Angeles, Postal Service for the Dead […]
New Study Shows Some Patients Who ‘Died’ but Survived Report Lucid ‘Near-Death Experiences’
What happens when we actually die—when our heart stops and all electrical activity “flatlines” in our brain? Scientists have not given up on providing their own answers and are making some progress in better understanding the brain’s process of transitioning from life to death. Sam Parnia is an associate professor of medicine at NYU Langone […]
Spoiler Alert- We Are All Going to Die
Marion Foreman has been a nurse for 50 years and has seen many deaths. Naturally, this has had an impact on her life and what she wants her death to be. In this opinion piece from Compassion in Dying, Marion talks about taking control of her own end, by making her wishes known and why […]
Study finds Near-death experiences tied to brain activity after death
“Absence of record doesn’t mean there’s an absence of consciousness…Ultimately, what we’re saying is, ‘This is the great unknown. We’re in uncharted territory.’ And the key thing is that these are not hallucinations. These are a real experience that emerges with death.” Dr. Sam Parnia Dr. Sam Parnia is the senior author of a new […]
Messages on the Wind
It started with Itaru Sasaki in Otsuchi, Japan. Devastated by the loss of his cousin and a strong desire to talk with him once again, a thought stirred in his mind. Just pick up the phone. Symbolically, Saski constructed a telephone booth in his garden. The phone booth housed a disconnected rotary phone that is […]
10 Lessons I’ve Learned About Living from the Dying By Diane Button
“As a death doula, I often say that sitting at the bedside of the dying is one of the greatest privileges of my life. Their final wishes, tears, joys, and wisdom have given me the tools for living a meaningful life. In fact, the dying have been my greatest teachers.” Diane R. Button is […]
The Sharing Place
Death can shatter a family. And when that family includes children, it can be even harder. It can be a challenge to know how to begin to help those young hearts heal. In Salt Lake City, Utah, the Sharing Place provides a safe space for kids and their families to come together, to know they are not […]