Fear of death means we view it as something to be fought every step of the way.Īimed at a broad popular readership, The Art of Dying looks at how other cultures have dealt with death and the dying process (The Tibetan 'death system', Swedenborg, etc.) and compares this with phenomena reported through recent scientific research. We have become used to believing that we have to shield each other from the idea of death. Fenwick believes that with serious engagement and through further investigation of these phenomena, he can help change attitudes so that we in the West can face up to death, and embrace it as a significant and sacred part of life. The 'problem with death' is deeply rooted in our culture and the social organization of death rituals.

Fenwick believes that consciousness may be independent of the brain and so able to survive the death of the brain, a theory which has divided the scientific community. His most compelling and provocative research has been into the end of life phenomena, including near-death experiences and deathbed visions of the dying person, as well as the experiences of hospice and palliative care workers and relatives of dying people. Peter Fenwick is an eminent neuropsychiatrist, academic and expert on disorders of the brain. The Art of Dying is a contemporary version of the medieval Ars Moriendi-a manual on how to achieve a good death.

The art of dying peter fenwick pdf