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When Breath Becomes Air: A Young Neurosurgeon Examines the Meaning of Life as He Faces His Death

By Maria Popova — 2016

“When you come to one of the many moments in life where you must give an account of yourself, provide a ledger of what you have been, and done, and meant to the world.”

Read on www.brainpickings.org

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An Introduction to the Death-Positive Movement

In most modern cultures, it’s common for people to feel uneasy about death. We express this discomfort by avoiding conversations on the topic and lowering our voices when speaking of the dead and dying.

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Terminal Options for the Irreversibly Ill

My Feb. 5 column, “A Heartfelt Appeal for a Graceful Exit,” prompted a deluge of information and requests for information on how people too sick to reap meaningful pleasure from life might be able to control their death.

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Alternatives for the Final Disposition

Though I wince at the redundancy, funeral “pre-planning” is a phenomenon receiving increased attention, and a growing number of Web-based guides tell how to go about it. As www.funerals.org puts it: “Funeral planning starts at home.

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When Your Fears About Dying Are Unhealthy

The fear of death and dying is quite common, and most people fear death to varying degrees. To what extent that fear occurs and what it pertains to specifically varies from one person to another.

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What Death Teaches About Life: An Interview with Frank Ostaseski

Frank Ostaseski, an internationally respected Buddhist teacher and pioneer in end-of-life care, has accompanied over 1,000 people through their dying process.

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Ram Dass Is Ready to Die

For more than 50 years, Ram Dass has watched as other nontraditional spiritual leaders have come and gone while he has remained.

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A Heartfelt Appeal for a Graceful Exit

Studies of dying patients who seek a hastened death have shown that their reasons often go beyond physical ones like intractable pain or emotional ones like feeling hopeless.

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Connecting through Compassion

For three decades Charles Garfield has trained volunteers to care compassionately for strangers. He shares what he’s learned about the extraordinary deeds of ordinary people.

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Seven Keys to a Good Death

Is a “good death” just an oxymoron? Or can the experience of death be far more positive—an opportunity for growth and meaning?

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Don’t Tell Me When I’m Going to Die

Prognoses are more of an art than a science. Maybe it’s better not to know.

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EXPLORE TOPIC

Facing Own Death