Art of Dying IV Conference

Art of Dying IV: Living, Dying and Being In Between

Sunday, OCTOBER 3nd

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Plenary Address


	There is No Death
	Marianne Williamson
	The great religious systems of the world all speak of a realm of eternal life, a dimension of awareness and experience that transcends death. According to Jesus’ teaching in A Course in Miracles, death does not exist. In this session we ask, in what way can such a belief translate into a practical consideration, providing not only greater understanding but also greater peace of mind?

Morning Workshops


	The Role and Mystery of Liminality: Betwixt and Between in the Art of Dying
	Therese Schroeder-Sheker
	The mystic St. Francis of Assisi related to Death as his Sister, a cherished family member. Like St.Francis, we are all living with dying, whether she is close at hand or coming towards us from the future. Patients and caregivers stand in the liminal zone, that land betwixt and between, where roles are reversed and growth is accelerated. This workshop explores liminality in contemplative musicianship and the delivery of prescriptive music in music-thanatology. It also addresses caring for the physical and spiritual needs of the dying whether at home, hospice or hospital.

	*The Wisdom of the Day of the Dead* Celebration**
	Elena Avila, RN, MSN
	Scholars trace the origins of the modern Day of the Dead to indigenous observances dating back thousands of years. It is a ritual that focuses on the gathering of friends and family to pray for and remember those who have died. Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars, using marigolds and the favorite foods of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts. The altars use sacred objects and pictures that reveal how the patient would like to be remembered and celebrated, and assist the family in the grieving process. Elena also discusses how children and their passing are honored in this tradition.

	Embracing That Which Does Not Die
	Marianne Williamson
	How do we make faith in eternal life a practical reality, making the journey without distance from theory to visceral knowing? During this workshop, we will use prayer and visualization to open our centers of awakening to a greater embrace of eternal being.

	End-of-Life Doulas: A New Model for Guiding Patients Through the End? Process of Dying
	Henry Fersko-Weiss, LCSW
	End-of-Life (EOL) Doulas are transforming the time when a person is actively dying into a sacred experience. Using guided visualization and affirmation, meditation, light therapeutic touch, aromatherapy, legacy work, and rituals, EOL Doulas alleviate fear and deepen the meaning of the dying process. People are helped through conversation to face dying with truth and courage and a vigil plan is created for the last days and hours of life. Emphasis is on the kind of dying process and atmosphere the person and their family wants. This approach is deeply valuable for both personal and professional experiences at the bedside of the dying.

	The Death Moment, Near Death Experiences, and the Afterlife Journey: Wisdom from Kabbalistic Tradition
	Simcha Raphael, PhD
	A rich tapestry of teachings on dying and the afterlife journey of the soul can be found in mystical Judaism. In this workshop, we will explore little-known teachings on post-mortem consciousness found in the Zohar, a central text of Kabbalistic tradition. Through study and meditative practice, we will discover practical applications of Kabbalistic afterlife teachings in contemporary work with the dying and bereavement.

Panels


	How Visions of the After-Death or “Between” Affect Dying, Assisting the Dying, and Bereavement
	Robert A. F. Thurman, PhD and Marianne Williamson

	Spiritual, Scientific and Practical Approaches to Living and Dying
	Simcha Raphael, PhD, Therese Schroeder-Sheker, Elena Avila, RN, MSN

Post-Conference Retreat


	Tibetan Healing Retreat: Maintaining Spiritual Health While Working with the Dying
	Robert A. F. Thurman, PhD, and Leslie Blackhall, MD, MTS
	Participants will be led in the “Medicine Buddha Contemplative Practice” to pacify all negative energies, karmic disorders and external obstacles. This retreat is intended to accumulate merit and increase one’s positive mind and spiritual development while bringing harmony in relationships with one’s self, family, patients, friends, community and environment in order to achieve a holistic balance. Caring for those near the end-of-life may be a job, but it is also a calling. To be called to do this work means that we bear witness to death as a part of celebrating life, that we view the painful and unanswerable questions raised by nearness of death not as stressors to be endured, but as our spiritual path. In this workshop, we will use a combination of reflective writing, mindfulness meditation and appreciative inquiry to explore ways of reconnecting to the spiritual heart of end-of-life care. We will also look at how we can integrate these practices into our work environment.

Tibetan Thangka painting "Wheel of Lifer"