Death and dying

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

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

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

CREATIVITY

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

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

ANXIETY

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

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

GRIEF

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

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

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

GRIEF

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

Photo of a man relaxing on a garden lounger with hands behind head smiling, surrounded by chairs and a bottle on the grass.

GRIEF

Why do so many of us blame ourselves after a loved one’s death?

After losing my father, I felt the guilt and regret that burden many other bereaved people – and found a way to carry them

by Delaney Rebernik

Photo of people crossing a street in a city. Sunlight casts long shadows. Skyscrapers and flags are in the background.

DEATH AND DYING

Why so many of us see our loved ones after they have died

These experiences – which are more of an illusion than a hallucination – can be a healthy part of the grieving process

by Shayla Love

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

SPIRITUALITY AND RELIGION

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

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

Black and white photo of seagulls flying over a calm sea with distant hills in the background.

RITUALS AND CELEBRATIONS

Mourning is a leap to freedom, inviting new dreams of living

Mourning is a leap in the dark, but not into darkness. It’s a leap to freedom that invites us to dream of living once more

by Alexander Hirsch

Photo of a wolf standing in a sunlit paddock with mountains and trees in the background, creating a serene atmosphere.

ALTERED STATES

Altered states can help us face death with serenity and levity

Near-death and out-of-body experiences can help us embrace our impermanence, letting us live and face death with serenity

by Sam Gandy, Samantha Treasure, Jade Shaw & Alexander Beiner

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

MEANING AND THE GOOD LIFE

The immortalists have got it wrong – here’s why we need death

The immortalists say beating death will lead to peace. But what if mortality is our bittersweet path to love and harmony?

by Susan Cain

Photo of a cyclist in a yellow shirt on a winding park path at sunset with a city skyline in the background.

DEATH AND DYING

I thought I knew everything about death. Then grief struck me

Even though I grew up in Death World, and still live there, it couldn’t prepare me for being my family’s sole survivor

by John Troyer

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

DEATH AND DYING

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

Directed by Dan Braga Ulvestad