What happens as we die?

‘We can describe ordinary dying and it shines the light into that dark place where all their fears were at play.’ – Kathryn Mannix

Palliative care expert Kathryn Mannix explores the societal shift in understanding and dealing with death.

She emphasizes the need to reclaim our collective wisdom about this natural process, reducing fear and bringing comfort to those facing their final days.

Table of Contents

1. Loss of Practical Wisdom on Death
2. Impact of Medical Progress
3. Understanding Dying: A Pattern
4. Death: A Public Health Issue
5. Importance of Communication
6. Comparing Death with Birth
7. Call for Collective Understanding
8. Reclaiming Ownership of Death
9. Role of Palliative Care
10. Shift in Dying Locations
11. Need for Public Education
12. Impact on Religious Beliefs

Loss of Practical Wisdom on Death

The practical wisdom of what happens as people die has been lost due to medical advancements that have moved death from homes to hospitals.

This shift has resulted in a view of death as a medical failure rather than a natural process.

Impact of Medical Progress

Rapid medical progress throughout the 20th century transformed hospitals into places where lives are saved rather than where people died.

This change led us to forget what dying looks like and lose ownership over the process.