In this TEDx talk, neuropsychiatrist Peter Fenwick discusses his research into the experience of the dying, including death-bed visions and the like. Fenwick exhorts the audience to listen attentively, because the stories he tell about “our last great adventure” may well help them during their own, inevitable end. He sounds a little nervous and tentative during the talk, but I recommend his book The Art of Dying for a full and detailed exploration of these fascinating topics:
Peter Fenwick is an eminent neuropsychiatrist, academic and expert on disorders of the brain. His most compelling and provocative research has been into the end of life phenomena, including near-death experiences and deathbed visions of the dying person, as well as the experiences of hospice and palliative care workers and relatives of dying people. Dr. Fenwick believes that consciousness may be independent of the brain and so able to survive the death of the brain, a theory which has divided the scientific community. The ‘problem with death’ is deeply rooted in our culture and the social organization of death rituals. Fenwick believes that with serious engagement and through further investigation of these phenomena, he can help change attitudes so that we in the West can face up to death, and embrace it as a significant and sacred part of life.
(h/t @DavidBMetcalfe)
