Welcome to
The Afterlife Advocate
A Conversation about Conscious Dying, Conscious Grieving
and the Journey of the Soul
Issue # 20 - August 2016
Published by The Afterlife Education Foundation,
producer of the Original Afterlife Conference
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Denver, Colorado
August 20 - 21, 2016
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with Terri Daniel
August 3,4, 6, 13 and 14
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San Juan Island, WA. with Shamanic Practitioner Linda Fitch August 19- 21 -------------------------
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with Terri Daniel
October 8 and 9, 2016
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It is Accomplished!
And what a long, strange trip it's been.
At age 56, in 2009, I decided to go to college (I never did when I was young). I was embarking on a new path as a spiritual teacher, and I knew I'd need some alphabet soup after my name in order to be taken seriously. I also really wanted to study theology, religious history, counseling and other topics that have fascinated me since age 12.
Seven years and $100,000 later, I have an MA in Pastoral Care and various certifications in topics related to my field of study. So after all the academic work, internships, hospice volunteering, chaplaincy training, etc., what now?
More school, that's what. Because teaching death, dying and bereavement at the college level is my goal, I need a doctorate, so that begins in January. I'll be 66 when it's completed, but I'm going to turn 66 anyway, right? I might as well fill my days with something practical and engaging. All of this is a preamble to an explanation of why you're receiving this month's newsletter a bit early. I'm leaving on August 1st for a speaking tour through Colorado and Utah, and i wanted to get the newsletter out before my departure. If any of you are in those states please consider coming to one of the presentations. I will be conducting my Grief as a Mystical Journey workshop and also giving some talks to hospice workers on Interfaith Conversations with the Dying and the Bereaved. You can find all the information HERE.
Rev. Terri Daniel, MA, CT
End-of-Life Advisor, Interfaith Chaplaincy,
Bereavement Support
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Two Beautiful Short Films About Death
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| Here, Alan Watts discusses the acceptance of death. The images are lovely,
but the words are mind-blowing.
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Forgiveness at End-of-Life
As a hospice social worker, I have been witness to some powerful reconciliations at end of life: a daughter who forgave her mom for alcoholism, a son who forgave his dad for the divorce, siblings hugging it out.
We sometimes even see the patient's physical symptoms resolve. "Terminal restlessness" may go away when that long estranged loved one finally visits. We see the unconscious patient's brow relax. The effect of resolution in the patient is physically apparent and they die with a peaceful expression on their face.
Sadly, though, we have to acknowledge and remember that sometimes the reconciliation doesn't happen. The daughter will never go to the nursing home to visit her dying mother. The brothers will not put aside their differences despite a shared love for their dying father. The patient will not forgive the grandson who stole from her.
Unresolved conflict can be difficult for some hospice and palliative staff to accept. We know how much better they will feel if they can just let go of past hurts. We know that if they hold grudges, they might hold it for the rest of their lives. Is there something we can do or say to help them understand? READ MORE...
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Atul Gawande Addresses Congress
Dr. Atul Gawande, author of the book Being Mortal and subject of a PBS documentary by the same name, went before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging to talk about "Assuring Care That Honors One's Goals and Priorities Beyond Just Living Longer."
Among other things, he spoke of the need for everyone over the age of 18 to have continuing conversations with loved ones and health care proxies about end-of-life wishes, and the need for clinicians to be trained in high-quality communication with patients on advance care planning. READ MORE...
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Recordings From Past Afterlife Conferences
If you missed any of our past conferences (or if you were there and would like to purchase recordings of the presentations), here are two offers: 1. With help from our friends at Beyond Words Publishing, we've just put together a fantastic deal on our 2014 and 2015 livestream broadcasts. You can now purchase both years for only $40 (originally priced at $97 each). Click HERE for this remarkable bargain!2. If you're interested in the 2016 recordings (on CD, DVDd or MP3), you can find them HERE.
We're hard at work on plans for our 2017 conference,
so save the dates
(June 1-4, Portland, Oregon)
and stay tuned for updates!
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Our friends Bobby and Sara Sheehan, creators of the film Mortal (which we screened at the 2016 conference), are working on a new film about grief, called Hope. We are big fans of their work and want to support them in any way we can, so here is a quick clip from Hope, and a link to their Indigogo fundraising campaign if you would like to contribute.
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We love producing this newsletter, and we hope you love reading it. To make sure our content continues to be relevant to your interests, we hope you will take a few minutes to complete this short survey. To thank you for your feedback, you will receive a digital download of Terri Daniel's book, Embracing Death: A New Look at Grief, Gratitude and God, and a $25 discount on general admission to the 2017 Afterlife Conference!
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