Death and dying

Self-knowledge and personal growth Relationships, work and leisure Values and ethical living

Traditional Chinese painting of a woman resting on a chair in a pavilion by a pond with ducks and lotus flowers.

Creativity

idea

To be creative, Chinese philosophy teaches us to abandon ‘originality’

Whether grieving a death or connecting to colleagues, creativity enables an artful life, according to Chinese philosophy

by Julianne Chung

Painting of a man on a leafy balcony with potted plants and German text on the wall below.

Thinkers and theories

idea

For Nietzsche, nihilism goes deeper than ‘life is pointless’

For Friedrich Nietzsche, nihilism is a terrible psychological problem – a coping mechanism with deadly consequences

by Kaitlyn Creasy

Painting of a man seated at a table next to a skull on books, with a patterned curtain in the background.

Death and dying

guide

How to not fear your death

You exist, but one day you won’t. An Epicurean perspective can help you feel less afraid, and even grateful for life’s finitude

by Sam Dresser

Crowded riverbank with numerous people in boats and on the ghats at dusk, celebrating a festival, lights in the background.

Death and dying

film

At India’s ‘death hotels’, devout Hindus seek liberation from cycles of rebirth

Directed by Dan Braga Ulvestad

Photo of a glass shattering on a grey surface with shards scattered mid-air and on the ground.

Grief

idea

Grief is not a process with five stages. It is shattered glass

The five stages describe a grief that’s knowable and controlled. An accident in my kitchen helped me find a truer metaphor

by Joshua Thomas

Painting of a chaotic ancient city in flames, with a large statue and crowds fleeing across a bridge over a turbulent sea.

History of ideas

idea

How the ancient philosophers imagined the end of the world

How the ancient Greeks and Romans imagined the end of the world, and what we can learn from them today about catastrophe

by Christopher Star

Painting of a skull adorned with colourful flowers, a butterfly, sheet music and a candle in the background.

Anxiety

guide

How to get more comfortable with death

Angst about mortality is part of being human, but if it’s interfering with your life, there are proven ways to dial it down

by Rachel Menzies

Painting of a cat lying by a window with blue shutters, with a red and purple sky with the moon in the distance

Sacred places

film

From the rhythms of the dying day to a cosmic journey of transformation

Directed by Simon Feat

Photo of a person walking a dog on a forest path with sunlight streaming through trees.

Grief

idea

Seeing grieving as learning explains why the process takes time

Standard features of human memory and learning can help explain the disorientation that follows the death of a loved one

by Saren H Seeley & Mary-Frances O’Connor

Painting of figures being guided by angels through a tunnel of light in a dark, ethereal setting.

Spirituality and religion

idea

Near-death experiences have long inspired afterlife beliefs

Through time and across cultures, near-death experiences share common themes and have inspired beliefs about the afterlife

by Gregory Shushan

Ancient mosaic depicting a lounging skeleton with Greek text, an amphora, a loaf of bread and a platter on a dark background.

Death and dying

guide

Reflections on mortality can help you live well now – here’s how

For me and many others, contemplating death has clarified what matters. These curiosity-based exercises will get you started

by Joanna Ebenstein

Close-up of an elderly woman’s face with eyes closed, light grey hair, and a blurred brown background. Her expression is calm.

Death and dying

film

Why one death doula sees an examined death as vital to a good life

A film by Annie Marr