Issue # 92 - August 2022

Excellent Interview about Death Care

with the Legendary Barbara Karnes, RN    

If you have ever worked or volunteered in a hospice setting, or if you've had a loved one in hospice care, then you've most likely seen this little blue blook. It was written by Barbara Karnes, RN, and it is one of the most valuable tools we have in end-of-life care. Dr. Karen Wyatt interviewed Barbara on her End-of-Life University podcast recently, and if you are interested in this field, you'll really enjoy this interview. LISTEN HERE

Considering becoming a death doula? Get some important advice HERE. 

Near-Death Experiences: Research Updates

"We are particularly interested in studying NDEs that may bear on the question of whether the mind can function outside the physical body, and on whether we may survive bodily death. One such type of experience is the so-called veridical NDE, in which experiencers acquire verifiable information that they could not have obtained by any normal means. For example, some experiencers report seeing events going on at some distant location, such as another room of the hospital; or an experiencer might meet a deceased loved one who then communicates verifiable information the experiencer had not known. Other kinds  that may bear on the mind/body question include those in which mental functioning seems to be enhanced despite physiological evidence that the brain is impaired." READ MORE...

Buddhist Chaplains on the Rise 

In a profession long dominated in the U.S. by Christian clergy, Buddhists are leading an ever more diverse field that includes Muslim, Hindu, Wiccan and even secular humanist chaplains. Buddhist chaplains say they’re uniquely positioned for the times due to their ability to appeal to a broad cultural and religious spectrum, including the growing number of Americans — roughly one-third — who identify as nonreligious. READ MORE...

 Essay by Novelist Anne Lamott 

I Don’t Want to See a Football Coach

Praying at the 50-Yard Line

From the New York Times, July 8, 2022

Even someone who prays regularly finds this offensive 

"Many of us who believe in a reality beyond the visible realms, who believe in a soul that survives death, and who are hoping for seats in heaven near the dessert table, also recoil from the image of a high school football coach praying at the 50-yard line.

It offends me to see sanctimonious public prayer in any circumstance — but a coach holding his players hostage while an audience watches his piety makes my skin crawl.

We are fighting furiously for women’s rights and the planet, and we mean business. We believers march, rally and agitate, putting feet to our prayers. And in our private lives, we pray. READ MORE...

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CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS

JOIN US IN NEW YORK! 

Honoring Grief and Loss

Through Mindfulness and Sacred Ceremony

The Omega Institute

Rhinebeck, NY, Oct. 14 - 16

SIX CE CREDIT HOURS

FOR NURSES, SOCIAL WORKERS, PSYCHOLOGISTS AND MORE! 

If you are mourning the death of a loved one or a loss of any kind, including divorce, job loss, pet loss, health loss, or any major life transition, this workshop provides a rare emotional learning experience via interactive processes and sacred rituals for navigating the grief journey.

Participants will be led to deeper healing by moving toward internal transformation as opposed to focusing on external events. We do this through guided meditation and gentle body work, along with ritual and ceremony, which gives form to the formless and converts unseen healing energies into practical toolsFind comfort and support in an array of healing practices and multicultural traditions for working with grief, including yoga, meditation, art therapy, music therapy, and sacred ceremony. DETAILS HERE.

Looking for Credentials in End-of-Life Care

from an Accredited University?

Marian University offers accredited ONLINE thanatology programs that provide skills for working in multidisciplinary fields dedicated to death, grief and loss. Students with a variety of backgrounds will benefit from the courses taught by practitioners and research scholars with doctoral degrees who are recognized experts in the field.

Rigorous, intentional study is combined with online convenience to offer applicants from around the world an opportunity to elevate their understanding and expertise. There are two programs available.. a Master of Science in Thanatology, and a Graduate Certificate in Thanatology. CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS.

CONFERENCE UPDATES

Fourteen hours of exclusive content

not available to the general public!

If you didn't attend the conference (or even if you did), you can watch video recordings of all the presentations from the comfort of your own home. If you purchase the recordings, you'll receive links to videos of all the general sessions (except the pre-conference workshop). These links won't expire, so you can watch any time you like!