Can we get better at accepting death?

CrowdScience

BBC

Science, Technology

4.8 • 985 Ratings

🗓️ 24 June 2022

⏱️ 35 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Death is inevitable, though many of us would rather not dwell on it. For those with a terminal illness, however, the end of life is clearly a more pressing reality.

CrowdScience listener Sam has known for a while that her illness is terminal, and by now she’s got used to the idea. But she finds many friends and family would rather avoid the subject at all costs; they don’t want to acknowledge what’s happening until it’s all over. She’s wondering if there’s a way to lighten up the topic of her approaching death, and create the openness she craves.

If we could learn to be more accepting of illness and dying, the end of life could be a more positive experience for all involved. So how can we face up to the impending death of a loved one, and best support that person in the process? In search of answers, we talk a clinical psychologist about death anxiety, visit a death café, and learn about a scheme in India where whole communities are trained in caring for people at the end of life.

With Dr Rachel Menzies, Abigail Griffin, Dr Suresh Kumar and Rebecca Nellis. Thanks to Lola, Juan, Leon, Qayyah, Bessy, Madhumita, Ashley, Amaru, Mila and Sheila.

Presented by Caroline Steel Produced by Cathy Edwards for the BBC World Service

[Image: A woman sitting next to her sister who has cancer. She is wearing a headscarf. Credit: Getty Images]

Transcript

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0:00.0	Take some time for yourself with soothing classical music from the mindful mix, the Science of
0:07.0	Happiness Podcast.
0:08.0	For the last 20 years I've dedicated my career to exploring the science of living a happier more meaningful life and I want
0:14.4	to share that science with you.
0:16.1	And just one thing, deep calm with Michael Mosley.
0:19.4	I want to help you tap in to your hidden relaxation response system and open the door to that
0:25.4	calmer place within. Listen on BBC Sounds.
0:31.2	It's been a part of my life where I've always been trying to come to terms with the inevitability of it and trying to kind of counteract the sadness.
0:44.4	The older I grow, the more spiritual in a way I feel like I'm becoming because also you start feeling your mortality as you age more and you no longer kind of like have all the time in the world.
0:57.0	It was a very profound experience, the most profound of my life because we knew that the time was limited.
1:07.0	You're listening to crowd science from the BBC World Service.
1:12.0	I'm Caroline Steele and for this
1:14.2	episode we've been speaking to a lot of people about the one thing that
1:18.5	everyone is going to experience. Death is a topic that I am personally vested in and how death can be a very powerful
1:29.1	vehicle for forgiveness of self and others.
1:32.4	I think quite a lot about death and sometimes go to
1:35.9	bed at night with this pang of like, it's going to come to all of us and we've got to
1:42.2	face it and we'll all lose people so you have to find
1:45.9	the way to deal with it and what it means.
1:53.0	Facing death head on is what today's show is all about
1:56.0	because of a question from our listener Sam.
1:58.0	She got in touch after hearing a previous episode of crowd science
	...

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