Dying Consciously in a Loving Community (322)

After a terminal diagnosis, activist Steve Hamm said he wanted to die consciously with his friends around him. Judy Alexander and about twenty friends committed to being his care team. In training meetings with professional end-of-life caregiver Kippi Waters, they learned … [Read more...]

Embracing the End of Life: A Journey into Dying and Awakening (324)

A frightening near-death experience led Patt Lind-Kyle, author of Heal Your Mind, Rewire Your Brain, to wonder what happens to the mind during the dying process. Her explorations led to writing a new book Embracing the End of Life: A Journey into Dying and Awakening. She … [Read more...]

Making Meaning for the Ending of Our Days, part 2 (306)

Stephen Jenkinson asserts that our death-phobic culture considers "The best death is the least death" — basically dying quickly and knowing little about dying. He titled his book Die Wise rather than Die Wisely to encourage us to learn about dying from those who die before … [Read more...]

Making Meaning for the Ending of Our Days, part 1 (305)

Stephen Jenkinson made keen observations in his decades working with the dying. The author of Die Wise: A Manifesto for Sanity and Soul observed that our high-technology medical system often makes things harder for dying people. When a patient or their family bargains for … [Read more...]

Green Burial and Land Conservation (249)

"I want to die and be returned to the earth so that I have the least harmful impact… Not just to live that way but to die that way. I'd like to become the compost for a beautiful tree that bears fruit to feed the next generation." Brandy Gallagher of O.U.R. Ecovillage … [Read more...]