Issue # 91 - July 2022

The Conference is Just Three Weeks Away!  

Portland, OR - July 15-17

Our Discounted Hotel Rate Ends July 1st,

so Book Your Room ASAP!

NEW!

Special rate for a Sunday night stayover... Only $59!

See related article below...

This year's roster features experts from all over the world,

offering a variety of perspectives on death, grief and belief

across the spiritual, social and psychological spectrum.

The live conference ticket includes two cocktail parties

plus lunch and dinner on Saturday.

If you can't attend in person,

you can purchse the conference recordings for only $99

All the details can be found HERE

Special Hotel Rate Announced

for Sunday Night After the Conference!

We have some exciting news for those who are planning to stay at the conference hotel.

The hotel is offering us a remarkably low rate on rooms for the closing night (Sunday, July 17)… only $59! 

If you need an incentive to stay over Sunday night, now it’s a very affordable option. But even better… if you already have a reservation that includes Sunday night, the hotel will honor the discount, and will reduce your rate for that night!

To take advantage of this great offer, call the hotel at (503) 281-2500. Tell them you’re with The Conference on Death, Grief and Belief, and that you want the $59 rate for Sunday night. 

Psychedelic Death

By Hannah Sparks

Doctors say they have “a good argument for psychedelics in palliative care,” and how tripping on shrooms can offer a “glimmer” of hope and ease fears of dying.

“It could revolutionize care homes, which are in a bit of a parlous state after the last few years,” said Dr. David Luke, an associate professor of psychology at Greenwich University. Luke studies the psychological effects of psilocybin, the psychoactive compound in “magic” mushrooms, which several studies have shown could help treat mental illnesses associated with the end-of-life experience, such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. READ MORE...

Secular Mourning Rituals

by Lincoln Andrews

This newsletter has been in circulation since 2014, when it was launched in support of our Afterlife Awareness Conference. We still believe in an afterlife (i,e, the survival of consciousness beyond physical death), but one without any specific religious doctrines or narrative.

However, many of our new subscribers don't include an afterlife in their belief system, but still want to  embrace meaningful grief rituals and practices. This beautiful article is for them, and in fact, it's for anybody seeking creative tools for working with loss and grief.  READ MORE... 

Bereavement and Bad Theology

If you can't make it to the conference but are still interested in learning more about our content, consider reading Terri Daniel's 2020 book, Grief and God: When Religion Does More Harm Than Healing. Find it on Amazon HERE.

Board Members Wanted for

The Child-Friendly Faith Project

The Child-Friendly Faith Project (CFFP) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to share knowledge and build community around the issue of religious child maltreatment, which is defined as any abuse or neglect a child suffers as a result of religious belief, doctrine, or practice. Click HERE to learn about the organization.

CFFP was founded in 2012 by Janet Heimlich, author of Breaking Their Will: Shedding Light on Religious Child Maltreatment. CFFP is currently seeking new board members with experience in fundraising, graphic design, human rights advocacy or media relations. This is an unpaid position that requires about five hours a month of your time.

If you are interested in learning more about becoming a board member, please EMAIL CFFP with a brief description of your interests and qualifications

CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS

Honoring Grief and Loss

Through Mindfulness and Sacred Ceremony

The Omega Institute

Rhinebeck, NY, Oct. 14 - 16

SIX CE CREDIT HOURS

FOR NURSES, SOCIAL WORKERS, PSYCHOLOGISTS AND MORE! 

If you are mourning the death of a loved one or a loss of any kind, including divorce, job loss, pet loss, health loss, or any major life transition, this workshop provides a rare emotional learning experience via interactive processes and sacred rituals for navigating the grief journey.

Participants will be led to deeper healing by moving toward internal transformation as opposed to focusing on external events. We do this through guided meditation and gentle body work, along with ritual and ceremony, which gives form to the formless and converts unseen healing energies into practical toolsFind comfort and support in an array of healing practices and multicultural traditions for working with grief, including yoga, meditation, art therapy, music therapy, and sacred ceremony. DETAILS HERE

Six continuing education credit hours available! 

Exploring the Equation Between Love and Death

This program, led by two pioneers in the end-of-life care field and long time Buddhist practitioners, is an exploration of how we bring depth and dedication into our whole life and the life of the world. Through teachings, exchanges, and unique practices and processes, we explore the profound relationship between love and death, engaged practice and the role of love and compassion in how we serve others. DETAILS HERE

CONFERENCE UPDATES

And if You're Staying Over on Sunday Night,

Why Not Join us for The Post-Conference Excursion?

When the conference ends on Sunday, the fun will continue!

We'll begin with a luxury bus tour through the beautiful Columbia River Gorge, and after taking in the spectacular scenery, we'll arrive at the legendary Multnomah Falls Lodge, where we can take a short walk up to the falls before feasting on a fabulous dinner. DETAILS HERE

Six CE Credit Hours Available

 Pre-Conference Workshop

Loss and the Quest for Meaning:

From Complicated Spiritual Grief to Personal Reconstruction 

World-renowned grief experts Robert Neimeyer PhD and Carolyn Ng PsyD will be facilitating an in-depth workshop on Loss and the Quest for Meaning: From Complicated Spiritual Grief to Personal Reconstruction that will be of particular interest to bereaved individuals as well as bereavement professionals (six CE credit hours available).

This interactive, experiential event will explore the practical implications of a "meaning reconstruction" approach to grief, whether the loss is related to a death or to a non-death event such as the loss of health, relationships, meaningful work, social connections or life-defining roles. 

The workshop introduces a rich selection of practical tools and techniques, including arts-assisted methods, reflective exercises, interactive group work and symbolic visualization that can ultimately help restore a sense of coherence and meaning in the aftermath of loss.

The Atheist After-Party

Apostates, idolators, fornicators and infidels welcome!

Even if you can't attend the conference, if you're a fan of Atheist podcasts, you'll want to drop in for this FREE event after conference events conclude on Saturday July16 to meet some of your podcast heroes. Our guests of honor will be conference keynote speakers Seth Andrews from The Thinking Atheist, and Frank & Dan from Thank God I'm Atheist. We've set up a special web page where you can RSVP, and it also offers options to attend their individual keynotes or the full conference. DETAILS HERE.