Social philosopher, Religion for Atheists author and School of Life founder Alain de Botton presents his concept of Atheism 2.0, a life-stance and process of inquiry that begins with the understanding that the “supernatural” is fictional and then asks “how can this fiction help us live meaningful and fulfilling lives?” This is also the premise … Read moreAtheism 2.0 with Alain de Botton
Sometimes I think that death is like when a leaf falls from a tree. I look up and hear and see a rustling, colorful mass. But then one breaks free and for a glorious moment (who can say how long it may seem?) that leaf swirls catching light and casting shadows like it never has … Read more“Like when a leaf falls from a tree”
A panel discussion between writer Will Self, philosopher Stephen Cave and Dr Joanna Cook, lecturer in Medical Anthropology, hosted by the Royal Society of Arts in 2014. Much attention is given to the practice of secular/non-theistic mortality and memorial ritual.
Dying and Living is an online festival of presentations about the Big Question of mortality, presented by Science and Nonduality: This gathering is centered around the theme of Dying and Living. Our world is going through challenges, upheaval and confusion. Death feels closer. False beliefs, obsolete structures, and ideas of separateness are falling away. Reclaiming … Read moreDying and Living: An Immersive Online Experience (October 21-25, 2020)
Canadian teacher, author, storyteller, cultural activist and farmer Stephen Jenkinson offers words of deep wisdom on the subject of “finding meaning” in death. Currently in abeyance due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jenkinson’s Orphan Wisdom School waits to re-open its doors. In the meantime, fortunately, his interviews and other works are widely available.
Tom Robbins is the author of numerous counterculture classics including Another Roadside Attraction (1971), Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1976) and Jitterbug Perfume (1984). The search for meaning is not a whole lot different than the yearning for certainty, which is to say, an unsuitable pursuit for any who might aspire to nimbleness of mind, … Read moreThe Meaning of Life According to Tom Robbins
This talk was given at a local TEDxSnoIsleLibraries event and produced independently of the TED Conferences. Cultural anthropologist, Jennifer James, believes embracing the awareness of our mortality is a key to fully living. Jennifer’s lifetime of curiosity about beliefs, human behavior and the human spirit has roots in her childhood. That curiosity has underpinned her … Read moreLiving Fully Through Death Awareness
Click here to read Sasha Sagan’s 2014 essay for The Cut: My parents taught me that even though it’s not forever — because it’s not forever — being alive is a profoundly beautiful thing for which each of us should feel deeply grateful. If we lived forever it would not be so amazing. In this video, Sasha … Read more“Lessons of Immortality and Mortality From My Father, Carl Sagan”
A sobering and urgent documentary on the challenges of living in the face of mass extinctions and climate catastrophe. For more on this subject, visit the Living in the Time of Dying website.
A concise presentation on the subject of mortality from the Epicurean philosophical perspective, from the Society of Friends of Epicurus.