Dying Your Way

Extraordinary Media
  • 5.0 (7)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

Dying Your Way explores the practical heart and soul of our greatest exit. You will hear from family members, carers and patients themselves with profound insights that will shine a light on this mortal experience. Join certified End of Life Doula as she speaks with experts in the field of death and dying as well as those who bravely share their personal stories as a real life experience. This is the conversation that looks at death in the way it should be…a courageous and sacred event. This is Dying Your Way Join the conversation on our FaceBook group, search for Dying your Way. Or to learn more or contact us go to www.dyingyourway.com.

  1. S4E28 - Encore Episode: Dr. Marjorie Woollacott on consciousness, NDEs, and terminal lucidity

    JAN 25

    S4E28 - Encore Episode: Dr. Marjorie Woollacott on consciousness, NDEs, and terminal lucidity

    In this Encore episode of the Dying Your Way podcast, Claire O’Berry revisits a conversation with Dr. Marjorie Woollacott, world-renowned neuroscientist, tenured professor at the University of Oregon, and author of Infinite Awareness: The Awakening of the Scientific Mind. While Dr. Woollacott’s early academic work focused on rehabilitation neuroscience, her current work explores consciousness research and end-of-life phenomena that challenge strictly materialist assumptions, including near-death experiences, terminal lucidity, and the dreams and visions many hospice patients report near the end of life. This conversation invites listeners to set aside fixed beliefs about both science and religion and to listen with curiosity to the research, the clinical implications, and the human stories that continue to emerge. In this episode, we explore: Consciousness and the brain, including the “filter” hypothesis A near-death experience account that raises clinically relevant questions Terminal lucidity and why it matters for dementia, coma, and stroke care End-of-life dreams and visions, and what they may mean for comfort and fear reduction The implications for carers and clinicians supporting people who appear unresponsive Links and resources mentioned in the episode are included below. https://marjoriewoollacott.com/ https://dyingyourway.com/ https://galileocommission.org/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    32 min
  2. S4E27 - Encore Series — Molly Reynolds, David Gulpilil, and the Final Return to Country

    JAN 9

    S4E27 - Encore Series — Molly Reynolds, David Gulpilil, and the Final Return to Country

    In this Encore episode, Claire O’Berry speaks with Australian filmmaker Molly Reynolds, director of My Name Is Gulpilil, a documentary shaped around the final chapter of iconic actor and dancer David Gulpilil’s life. Together, Claire and Molly explore what David’s story reveals about mortality, culture, identity, and the deep human longing to return to our roots at the end of life. The conversation moves through Aboriginal perspectives on Country and kinship, the complexities of care and access, and the way film can hold both beauty and hard truth. Claire is resharing this conversation after recently watching Journey Home, David Gulpilil (narrated by Hugh Jackman), which tells David’s story of returning home and last wishes being honored. In this episode My Name Is Gulpilil and David’s life on screen and off Country, belonging, and the importance of being laid to rest on ancestral land How care systems can help, and how they can miss cultural realities The role of story, art, and memory in preparing for death Mentioned My Name Is Gulpilil (Molly Reynolds) Journey Home, David Gulpilil (narrated by Hugh Jackman) Films connected to David’s career and collaborations, including Walkabout, Storm Boy, The Tracker, Ten Canoes, Charlie’s Country, and Another Country See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    43 min
  3. S4E26 - Encore Series for the Holidays — Peter & Elizabeth Fenwick and The Art of Dying

    12/20/2025

    S4E26 - Encore Series for the Holidays — Peter & Elizabeth Fenwick and The Art of Dying

    In this Encore Series episode, recorded in 2020 during the height of COVID, Claire O’Berry and Terry Mepham speak with Dr. Peter Fenwick and his wife, Elizabeth Fenwick, from Scotland. Peter Fenwick, a renowned neuropsychiatrist and researcher, is widely known for his work exploring near-death experiences and what they may reveal about consciousness, dying, and the human experience at the end of life. Elizabeth Fenwick, a writer and long-time collaborator, brings clarity, warmth, and grounded insight to the conversation. Together, they authored The Art of Dying, the book at the heart of this episode. This conversation is also a living legacy. Peter died in November 2024, and we offer love and condolences to Elizabeth and to all who are missing him. In this episode, we explore: What first drew Peter into near-death experience research, and what changed his scepticism Deathbed visitors, end-of-life visions, and why they may matter deeply to the dying The role of curiosity as a powerful antidote to fear What preparation could look like, including repairing relationships and releasing old regrets Why death literacy may deserve a stronger place in medical education and community care Key moments include Peter’s simple invitation: “If you’re going to die, be curious,” and the reminder that we often talk about death as someone else’s story, not our own. Subscribe, share, and join us as we continue building death literacy from diagnosis through grief and bereavement. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    57 min
  4. S4E25 - Encore Series for the Holidays — A Conversation with Ken Ross

    12/05/2025

    S4E25 - Encore Series for the Holidays — A Conversation with Ken Ross

    As the holidays approach, many people feel the quiet resurgence of grief — memories growing louder, empty chairs at the table, and the tender ache of “what ifs” and “if onlys.” In this rerun episode, we revisit Claire’s conversation with Ken Ross, son of Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and Founder of the EKR Foundation. Together, they explore the true scope of Elisabeth’s pioneering work — beyond the five stages — into palliative care, hospice development worldwide, grief education, and her extraordinary legacy as a voice for the dying and those who love them. This episode is a grounding, compassionate companion for anyone navigating grief during the holiday season. In this episode: The real meaning behind the “five stages” Why Elisabeth stopped teaching the stages — and how media distorted them Her role in building hospices around the world Cultural barriers to palliative care and global end-of-life access Personal stories from Ken’s life with his mother How the EKR Foundation continues her mission today If this conversation brings you comfort, please subscribe for free on YouTube, Apple, or Spotify — and share it with someone who may need a gentle resource this season. Holiday Blessings from Dying Your Way — may you feel loved, supported, and never alone on your path. Learn more or enroll: https://www.dyingyourway.com/eol-trainingContact Claire: info@dyingyourway.com 📬 Connect with Us: 💻 Website: https://dyingyourway.com 📧 Contact: info@dyingyourway.com 📱 Instagram: @dyingyourway 🗣️ Leave a comment, submit a topic, or tell us your story! 🙏 Support the Podcast: ✅ Subscribe — It’s free! 💬 Leave a review or comment 🔗 Share this episode with someone who needs it 👍 Hit that like button to help others find this space See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    36 min
  5. S4E24 - Mindfulness, Preparation, and the Gift of Conscious Dying

    11/19/2025

    S4E24 - Mindfulness, Preparation, and the Gift of Conscious Dying

    In this Season 4 finale, Claire O’Berry reflects on a season filled with honesty, courage, and deep learning. Each solo episode this season served as a “Cliffs Notes” version of the Dying Your Way End-of-Life Training — a practical roadmap for anyone facing a chronic progressive illness or supporting someone through one. Claire also expresses deep gratitude to each guest interviewed this season. Their stories, insights, and lived experience expanded the teaching topics and grounded them in real human wisdom. Each module was followed by a guest who illuminated the theme through their own journey. This season — and all past seasons — will remain available, and Claire will be highlighting past interviews in the weeks and months ahead as we prepare for Season 5. Listeners are encouraged to subscribe, like, and comment to help spread the message of mindful dying and conscious living. This finale reviews the key lessons from Episodes 1 through 23:• Receiving a diagnosis• Building your end-of-life support team• Advance care planning• Understanding your disease• Aging in place• Legacy work• Funeral planning• Stages of dying• After-death care• The week of the funeral• Grief and bereavement Claire shares why preparation is the greatest gift we can give ourselves and the people we love — and invites listeners to take the complete Dying Your Way End-of-Life Training to create their own EOL plan. Learn more or enroll: https://www.dyingyourway.com/eol-trainingContact Claire: info@dyingyourway.com 📬 Connect with Us: 💻 Website: https://dyingyourway.com 📧 Contact: info@dyingyourway.com 📱 Instagram: @dyingyourway 🗣️ Leave a comment, submit a topic, or tell us your story! 🙏 Support the Podcast: ✅ Subscribe — It’s free! 💬 Leave a review or comment 🔗 Share this episode with someone who needs it 👍 Hit that like button to help others find this space See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    31 min
  6. S4E23 - The Last Door: Dying with Grace on Death Row – A Conversation with Murali Pacini

    11/12/2025

    S4E23 - The Last Door: Dying with Grace on Death Row – A Conversation with Murali Pacini

    What does it mean to prepare for death with dignity — even from behind bars? In this deeply moving episode, Claire O’Berry speaks with Murali Pacini, former director of the Prison Project, about two remarkable men — James and Miguel — who spent their final years on Texas Death Row immersed in spiritual practice. Through meditation, community with like minded inmates, and unwavering commitment to transformation, these men faced their final moments not with fear, but with peace. You'll hear: How the Prison Project brought meditation to thousands of inmates worldwide The final letters exchanged between each man and their spiritual teacher Miguel’s last words, witnessed by those who sat with him James’ poetic statement of oneness moments before execution Reflections on what we can do to live more consciously and die more gracefully This episode is not about capital punishment — it’s about what’s possible when a soul prepares and turns inward. Any soul! Share this episode with someone who needs to hear it. [link] Explore the Dying Your Way End-of-Life Training https://www.dyingyourway.com/eol-training 📬 Connect with Us: 💻 Website: https://dyingyourway.com 📧 Contact: info@dyingyourway.com 📱 Instagram: @dyingyourway 🗣️ Leave a comment, submit a topic, or tell us your story! 🙏 Support the Podcast: ✅ Subscribe — It’s free! 💬 Leave a review or comment 🔗 Share this episode with someone who needs it 👍 Hit that like button to help others find this space See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h 1m
  7. S4E22 - Prema Paxton — The Deep Love at the Bottom of Grief

    11/05/2025

    S4E22 - Prema Paxton — The Deep Love at the Bottom of Grief

    When Prema Paxton’s 20-year-old son Lance died from fentanyl poisoning, her world stopped. In this intimate conversation, Prema shares her family’s story, the memorial they created forLance, and how she now serves other grieving parents through Love in the Trenches (LITT). She offers free online classes blending restorative yoga, meditation, and Yoga Nidra to help grief move through the body. Explore them at loveinthetrenches.org/litt-yoga. Donations to support LITT’s programs can be made here: loveinthetrenches.org/donate. Prema also leads Soham Retreats in Sweden—safe, nurturing spaces to rest and reconnect. Learn more at soham.se/grief-loss-love. Highlights Lance’s story and the fentanyl epidemic Speaking truth to reduce stigma around overdose deaths The deep love underneath unbearable pain How yoga, breath, and stillness ease the body’s trauma Creating a “sacred altar of the heart” for unconditional self-love The healing power of community and shared presence Support: U.S. 988 | Australia 13 11 14Host: Claire O’Berry, Dying Your Way Podcast 📬 Connect with Us: 💻 Website: https://dyingyourway.com 📧 Contact: info@dyingyourway.com 📱 Instagram: @dyingyourway 🗣️ Leave a comment, submit a topic, or tell us your story! 🙏 Support the Podcast: ✅ Subscribe — It’s free! 💬 Leave a review or comment 🔗 Share this episode with someone who needs it 👍 Hit that like button to help others find this space See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    46 min
  8. S4E21 - Grief and Bereavement

    10/29/2025

    S4E21 - Grief and Bereavement

    This is not a teaching episode. It’s not a checklist or a tidy list of stages. It’s a story — my story — about grief, love, and the spaces in between. In this deeply personal episode, I share the complicated grief that followed the unexpected death of my husband, David, in 1985, just two weeks after our divorce — a loss that wasn’t acknowledged but that shaped me for decades. I also speak openly about the anticipatory grief I’m experiencing now as my husband Terry, my late-life gift, faces a Parkinson’s diagnosis — and how my past informs my present. This conversation isn’t about answers. It’s about honesty. About the scars that never fully heal. About the love that remains. And about the shared, human experience of grieving — whether the loss happened long ago, recently, or hasn’t yet happened at all. Next week, we’ll continue the conversation with guest Prema Paxton, who transformed unimaginable loss into a mission of support for grieving parents. But for now, I invite you to sit with me in this tender space, where love and grief live side by side. 💔 If you or someone you love is struggling: U.S.: Dial 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (24/7). Australia: Call Lifeline at 13 11 14 (24/7). Explore Dying Your Way End of Life Training: https://www.dyingyourway.com/eol-training 📬 Connect with Us: 💻 Website: https://dyingyourway.com 📧 Contact: info@dyingyourway.com 📱 Instagram: @dyingyourway 🗣️ Leave a comment, submit a topic, or tell us your story! 🙏 Support the Podcast: ✅ Subscribe — It’s free! 💬 Leave a review or comment 🔗 Share this episode with someone who needs it 👍 Hit that like button to help others find this space Take a deep breath, hold your loved ones close, and remember: You can die your way. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    22 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

Dying Your Way explores the practical heart and soul of our greatest exit. You will hear from family members, carers and patients themselves with profound insights that will shine a light on this mortal experience. Join certified End of Life Doula as she speaks with experts in the field of death and dying as well as those who bravely share their personal stories as a real life experience. This is the conversation that looks at death in the way it should be…a courageous and sacred event. This is Dying Your Way Join the conversation on our FaceBook group, search for Dying your Way. Or to learn more or contact us go to www.dyingyourway.com.

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