Being alive in the moment is a miracle, making simple tasks like doing the dishes feel extraordinary. Being grounded in mortality allows for appreciation of basic senses and experiences, connecting deeply to the strange journey of life. While facing death may seem terrifying, it sparks curiosity and questions about the unknown, whether it leads to cessation of consciousness or a glorious afterlife. The unknown evokes different emotions for different individuals, from curiosity to terror, shaping their perspectives and actions.
Dr Laurie HATES thinking about her own death. It's scary, creepy and morbid, right? Wrong. Thinking about our finite lives can makes us better, happier people. The shadow of death makes us behave more kindly towards others, and can motivate us both to enjoy the little joys of life and seek out greater fulfilment in our careers and in our relationships.
But you need to look death square in the face - and that's not easy for a thanatophobe like Dr Laurie. To help her, she enlists psychologist Jodi Wellman (author of You Only Die Once: How to Make It to the End with No Regrets) and death doula Alua Arthur (author of Briefly Perfectly Human: Making an Authentic Life by Getting Real About the End).
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