With gratitude to Gary Wederspahn of Final Exit Network for contributing this article (Editor’s note: The following is by Gary Wederspahn, FEN board member and author of Intercultural Services: A Worldwide Guide and Sourcebook and many articles on cross-cultural communications and relations. Gary served as Peace Corps Director in Guatemala, Costa Rica and Ecuador. He has lived and […]
Suicide and The Bible
Many thanks to Kevin Bradley of Final Exit Network for contributing this article. There is nothing in the Hebrew or Christian scriptures – which most Christians refer to as the Old Testament and New Testament – that explicitly says suicide is wrong. The biblical sources tell of seven people who had a hand in their […]
How We Learn About Death – Part 2
How We Learn About Death – Part Two Excerpted from Embracing Death: A New Look at Grief, Gratitude and God By Terri Daniel We’ve all heard the cliché, “nobody’s ever come back from death to tell us about it, so there’s no proof that the soul lives on.” But that’s not true. Countless people […]
How We Learn About Death – Part 1
How We Learn About Death – Part 1 Excerpted from Embracing Death: A New Look at Grief, Gratitude and God by Terri Daniel The way we perceive death is a choice. When my 10 year-old son Danny was diagnosed with a degenerative illness that would end his life sometime within the next 10 years, […]
Death Has Many Names
This article is from the New York Times, Feb. 14, 2021 By George Yancy Photo Credit…Devin Oktar Yalkin for The New York Times This month’s conversation in our series exploring religion and death is with Jacob Kehinde Olupona, a professor of African religious traditions at Harvard Divinity School. He is the author of “City of […]
Bereavement and Bad Theology: A Toxic Cocktail
For those who are struggling with frightful and disempowering religious beliefs that complicate the grief process, this video from my presentation on Jan. 10, 2021 at The Conference for Death and Bereavement Studies will be helpful: https://youtu.be/LPygjhyOElg On a similar topic, please consider reading this article in the Journal of Pastoral Care and Counseling: https://journals.sagepub.com/eprint/GKSJEVZXUMFNI7QCNUZZ/full […]
Shame and Self-Loathing in the Name of God
I recently discovered this excellent article on how Christianity — as it is understood, taught and practiced by most Christians — encourages shame and self-loathing. Many thanks to Neil Carter for his insight and wisdom on this topic. Here’s an excerpt: “In order to need a savior, you have to feel there is something you […]
Bereavement and the Buddhist Bardo
I shared this article by Pema Khandro Rinpoche in the January 2021 issue of our newsletter, The Afterlife Advocate, and want to also post it here, because it’s one of the best pieces on death and grief that I’ve ever seen: Breaking Open in the Bardo
What is Karma?
By Terri Daniel and Danny Mandell Posted originally on Facebook, Monday, January 2, 2012 . . When the Tibetan Buddhists first brought their teachings to the west in the 1950s, the word “karma” came along with them, and within two decades the word became part of American pop culture. You could see it […]
The Ego’s Desire for Deathlessness
The Ego’s Desire for Deathlessness I just watched a movie on Netflix called HOPE FROZEN, about a family in Thailand whose two year-old daughter died of brain cancer, and they have her cryogenically preserved. It makes a powerful statement about science vs. spirituality, family dynamics and complicated grief. I had a very strong emotional (and […]
Is it Possible to Prepare for Sudden, Unexpected Heartbreak and Loss?
This article was originally published on ThriveGlobal.com, Feb. 12, 2020 We hear a lot about preparing for disasters like earthquakes, hurricanes and fires. If we live in areas prone to these kinds of events, we are acutely aware of the potential for catastrophe, and most of us have followed the recommended preparedness guidelines. We have […]
Ram Dass April 6, 1931 – December 22, 2019
Of all the spiritual teachers who inspired and guided me over the decades, Ram Dass was my number one. I rejoice that he has now left his body, and I am broadcasting endless messages of gratitude to his beautiful spirit for the gifts he’s given to me and to the world. In THIS VIDEO, he […]
Grieving in Community
When a community is devastated by a traumatic event, such as a mass shooting or natural disaster, in addition to individuals grieving their personal losses (death of loved ones, loss of a home), there is a communal loss experienced by all who have been touched by the event, directly or indirectly. Grieving in community is an […]
How the Law of Attraction REALLY Works
The pop spirituality interpretation of the Law of Attraction says that if we think only positive thoughts and say only positive words, we can avoid bad experiences and have everything our personality desires (health, love, security, wealth, etc). Conversely, if we think the “wrong” thoughts, we will emit “negative energy” and the universe will respond […]
Christian vs. New Age Beliefs
Christian vs. “New Age” Beliefs Some of you may have already seen this post in our Facebook group, and I think it’s so important that I want to reproduce it here as well. In the process of doing research for my doctoral dissertation on toxic theologies, I came across something that really hooked me. It’s […]
Messages from the Divine
If you follow me on Facebook you’ve probably already heard this story, but it bears repeating. On the first day of the intense fires in Santa Rosa, CA (I live 10 miles from there), I was watering my garden in the smoky air, and I noticed something unusual in one of the flower pots. It […]
Celebrating the Day of the Dead
How to Invite your Ancestors to Visit From our friend Kitty Edwards at The Living and Dying Consciously Project, here are some tips for creating an altar that will invite your ancestors to visit you on the Day of the Dead Mexico’s Day of the Dead celebrations offer us an opportunity to connect with our […]
Spiritual But Not Religious
Are you Spiritual But Not Religious? If you consider yourselves to be “spiritual but not religious,” you are not alone. Do you know there’s now an acronym for that? It’s called S.B.N.R., and it’s a new buzzword that signals a growing trend SBNR is such a trendy term that it’s even the subject of a five-day […]
How to Celebrate Winter Solstice
Christmas for Non-Christians Published 2009 by Terri Daniel Updated 2022 HOW TO CELEBRATE WINTER SOLSTICE Some of you know that I’ve been hosting an annual Solstice Ceremony and Celebration for the past 32 years. I began this tradition the year my son was born, because I didn’t want him to see Christmas as a time […]
Spirituality and Politics
Spirituality and Politics As spiritual leaders, there are times when we must mix spirituality and politics in order to teach that terrorism is NEVER a religious act. Allow me to step up onto my spiritual soapbox for a moment. I would be remiss as an educator certified in death dying and bereavement if […]
Origins of Easter
What do bunnies, flowers and eggs have to do with the resurrection of Jesus? Here’s a quick overview of the origins of Easter Spring is all about the “resurrection” of life in the natural world. Plants come alive, animals give birth, and everything awakens to the light after the darkness of winter. This month the Christian world […]
Origins of Valentines Day
Happy Lupercalia! A look at the origins of Valentines Day Those of you who know me personally can attest that I am probably one of the least “romantic” people you know. So naturally, on Valentine’s Day, rather than caring about romance, I prefer to unpack the tradition in search of its roots in Pagan fertility […]