Latest Death Cafe News
In Memory of the Late Mr. and Mrs. Comfort, a fable by Richard Avedon. Featuring model Nadja Auermann and a friendly skeleton companion, originally appearing in The New Yorker, November 6, 1995.
Resource: HospiceVoices Lessons for Living at the End of Life
Posted by chazel on Dec. 12, 2013, 10:31 a.m.
This would be a great book to help start the conversation on death and dying.
Death Cafe write up: Death Cafe Ithaca
Posted by Angela Lucia Mennitto on Dec. 12, 2013, 10:15 a.m.
Thank you to everyone who attended the first Ithaca Death Café and shared so openly and honestly with such heart and humor. The event was a great hit, with many folks interested in continuing the conversations they started that evening.
We were full before we even advertised, so we expanded to accommodate more folks and then broke into three groups to allow more intimate sharing. A special thanks to Tricia Conroy and Michele Hochstetter who helped facilitate.
At the end of the evening, we asked everyone for three words to best describe this Death Café. The responses included:
- Delightful, fun, informative
- Supportive, engaging, open
- Comfortable, open curiosity, acceptance ...
Video: Sheldon Solomon - Afraid of the Dark: Humanity at the Crossroads
Posted by Jon Underwood on Dec. 11, 2013, 9:15 p.m. 2 comments
Created by Megan Mooney for Death Cafe.
Created by Megan for Death Cafe.
New Blog post: Arguements for Afterlife for the non-religious
Posted by Paul Veliyathil on Dec. 11, 2013, 7:33 a.m. 51 comments
The topic of death is front and center in my line of work as a hospice chaplain. A corollary topic that immediately follows is the question of life after death. Most of my patients, especially those with a Christian religious background believe in after life; Those from non-religious backgrounds are usually non-believers in life after death. Their view was best articulated by one of my Jewish patients thus: “When you are dead, you are dead ...
New Blog post: Life and death bring us together
Posted by dobura on Dec. 10, 2013, 7:38 a.m.
Today is my brother Omondi's birthday, he would have been 49 - he died in 1989. Also today, Alice posted to me her video on death and Death Cafe ... poetic, because it was because of my brother's death that I hitch-hiked through southern England way back in 1989, before she was even born, and met Alice's mum, and older brother and sister ... and we've been friends ever since. Life/death is a ...
Death Cafe write up: Death Cafe in Whitefish, Montana
Posted by Constance on Dec. 10, 2013, 6:16 a.m. 2 comments
Singing to the dying, near death, loss of a beloved animal, loss of a close relative, death of someone you don't like, sensing the dead and hospice care are a few of the topics we touched upon at the first meeting of the Whitefish Death Cafe. It went Beyond anything I expected in the quality and openness of both the conversation and attendees. My little family just experienced a death days ago and yet I left the room feeling invigorated, hopeful, looking forward to the next meeting. The facilitator Nancy was superb. I highly recommend this group.
Death Cafe write up: Somerset Death Cafe
Posted by petalguru on Dec. 10, 2013, 6:08 a.m. 1 comment
We had 11 people plus Margaret and I, which we felt was a huge success seeing as we had had some negative reactions with some of our posters being removed from village noticeboards.
The conversation followed many paths with contributions from such interesting people; a soul midwife, a psychotherapist, a retired diplomat, a Buddhist, and many others, Some wanted to debate their ideas, others just to listen. It was deeply humbling that people felt safe enough to share such intimate fears. We had lovely feedback and the general opinion was that we must do it again!
New Blog post: RIP Nelson Mandela
Posted by Sean Legassick on Dec. 9, 2013, 10:42 p.m. 2 comments
I wouldn't say that I ever met Nelson Mandela. But I did see him speak in person at the opening of the Robben Island gateway at Cape Town's waterfront. It was what seems to me like an age ago, and yet even then he seemed old. I was standing a few meters away and as he was helped by two minders to the stage I was struck by his frailty. Until, that is ...
Death Cafe write up: Bridge of Bardo: a Death Cafe offering
Posted by Said Osio on Dec. 9, 2013, 4:21 p.m.
Asheville ushered in Death Cafe with great compassion...All sixty souls came and respectfully deepened with a sonic soundscape and reflective introduction. Dobra Tea House a magical watering hole for Asheville's wonderful eclectic mix from chaplains, Grief counselors, and even a baby.
Witnessing were the walls alive in the conversation creating a limiinal theatre of sorts a true sense of communitas. Jan we begin again !!!!
Video: Sheldon Solomon on His Mortality
Posted by Jon Underwood on Dec. 7, 2013, 3:11 p.m. 1 comment
New Blog post: Transit Now!
Posted by DeathattheMovies on Dec. 6, 2013, 2:04 p.m. 3 comments
Transit Now! As a young, iconoclastic seeker-after-truth, one of my most admired authors was Ernest Becker. He won a Pulitzer-prize in 1974 for The Denial of Death, arguing that the terror of death is an innate fear which haunts us from birth.In it he quotes Sigmund Freud, “Is it not for us to confess that in our civilized attitude toward death we are once more living psychologically beyond our means, and must reform and ...
Death Cafe write up: SW London Death Cafe
Posted by Suzanne Michal on Dec. 6, 2013, 4:19 a.m.
Despite the fact that only about half the people I was expecting came, it was an almighty powerful evening.
Listening to a woman share her story of her mother's passing in March moved me to tears and inspired so much hope in healing relationships, even difficult ones before someone goes for good.
Yet again, the same effect happened which is a classic for a Death Cafe: people's masks and pretence fall aside and a genuine human being starts to shine.
To our surprise in the middle of it, 2 ladies appeared. They were Norwegian and came to London only for the day to meet Jon who ...