As more people recognize the emotional and spiritual limitations of traditional religious funerals, celebrations of life (CoLs) have become mainstream, and often include slide shows depicting great moments in the departed person's life. I attended two of these last month, and realized that the people closest to me have no access to my digital photos, and don't know which images I'd want to share for my final farewell.

So I have begun creating my own CoL slide show, using the photos, captions and music that express the moments and milestones for which I want to be remembered. And because my friends and family are scattered all over the country and the world, I wouldn't expect them to travel to an in-person event to celebrate me after my death. So I've come up with a plan.

On my 75th birthday, two years from now, I will throw my own CoL party, live (and livestreamed), and present my slide show to celebrate my life in the company of loved ones rather than waiting until I'm dead. I might live another 20 years after that, and they can do what they want with me when the time comes. But this way, they won't feel obligated to do anything.

If I'm still publishing this missive in two years, you'll read all about it here!

Dr. Terri Daniel, CT, FFGT

Clinical Chaplaincy, End-of-Life Educator

Bereavement and Trauma Support

office@deathgriefandbelief.com

END-OF-LIFE, AFTERLIFE AND BEREAVEMENT

Free Online Premiere of Suffering Into Gold,

a Film About Shared Death Experiences

This heartwarming, award-winning short film presents Paul Gralen, who, when diagnosed with ALS, makes the brave decision to use legally available methods to end his own life.

Beth Orr, his wife, reaches out to William Peters, founder of the Shared Crossing Project, for assistance in manifesting a shared death experience (SDE) and engages in a process that enables a conscious, connected, and loving end-of-life experience.

Following the screening, William Peters, Founder of the Shared Crossing Project, Dr. Monica Williams, Medical Director of the Shared Crossing Project, will interview Beth Orr and Ann Morris, Paul’s sister, about their bedside experiences, including their SDEs. Details and registration HERE

Listening to Near-Death Experiences

"When we study what dying patients experience, or those exhibiting terminal lucidity, or individuals reporting near-death experiences, we occupy a peculiar position. We're attempting to understand states of consciousness we haven't experienced ourselves.

"Our encounter with these states lies in the future; none of us can speak from experience and tell the affected person: "I know exactly what you mean, I've experienced that too." At most, we can say we've observed or heard it before—but it's an experience that can only truly be grasped from the first-person perspective. David Hume articulated it thus: You will never know how a pineapple tastes until you've actually eaten one yourself. Consider that for a moment. It's simultaneously obvious and profound. So how can we share what we experience when the other has not yet experienced it?" READ MORE...

Why Pop Spirituality Falls Short

This is a fantastic article, but it's very long. If you're in the mood for an in-depth read, sit down with a cup of tea or a glass of wine and get ready for a deep dive into a very important exploration. If you only have a few minutes, scroll down to the section called "Why Pop Spirituality Falls Short." READ MORE...

SACRED ACTIVISM

Clergy Attacks by ICE Agents Justifiable?

"House Speaker Mike Johnson dismissed religious freedom concerns on Wednesday (Oct. 29) about clergy protesting mass deportations being shot with pepper rounds and pepper bullets by Department of Homeland Security agents, saying the agents have conducted themselves in a “measured” manner.'

'Religious freedom does not extend and give you the right to get in the face of an ICE officer and assault them, if indeed that was what happened there,” said Johnson, a Southern Baptist." READ MORE...

CONFERENCE RECORDINGS NOW AVAILABLE!

Mindfulness, Non-Violent Communication

and MAGA

Family Gathering for the Holidays?

Psychologists and Spiritual Teachers Share Strategies

for Staying Calm and Promoting Peace

If you weren't able to attend the free online workshop, no worries!

You can watch all the conference recordings HERE

RELIGION REPORT

Yes, there are Atheist Chaplains

"A chaplain in the palliative care unit of a hospital cancer center, Callahan supports patients and their loved ones as they confront some of life’s most challenging crises: How will I cope with the pain and suffering that accompanies this advanced illness? Did I do right by my dying family member? Did I experience and accomplish everything I wanted to? What will happen after I die?" READ MORE...

The Lepers of Our Time?

"Christian nationalism’s various enemies have a tendency to muddle together into one single existential threat to the American way of life, one amorphous and dangerous “them” from which the Christian nation’s “us” must be protected at all costs...We no longer drive out from our towns lepers and heretics. But there are plenty of groups today whose exclusion is presented as necessary to secure the Christian nation." READ MORE...

WORKSHOPS, CLASSES

AND PROFESSIONAL TRAINING

Managing Loss and Grief

During the Holiday Season

An Online Experiential Workshop

Saturday Dec. 7, 2025

10 am - 1 pm Pacific

If you are mourning the death of a loved one or a loss of any kind, your grief can be more difficult and your sadness more pronounced during the Winter holidays. We all respond to loss in different ways, and styles of coping can span a vast spectrum. Some choose to skip the holidays altogether, abandoning traditional customs that are painful reminders of holidays past. Others continue -- and enhance -- those traditions by including departed loved ones in new rituals designed to bring their presence into the festivities.

In this workshop we will explore a variety of experiential tools for working with loss, trauma, grieving in community and spiritual practices for deep inner work. These include guided meditation, art therapy processes and sacred ceremony for moving the “stuck” energy of grief out of our bodies and into a more spacious, more ventilated emotional landscape.

DETAILS AND REGISTRATION HERE

OTHER STUFF

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office@deathgriefandbelief.com

971-236-1541

﻿Why Pop Spirituality Falls Short

Managing Loss and Grief

During the Holiday Season

Why Pop Spirituality Falls Short