Do you have a loved one who is close to death? Are you afraid of death and dying? Do you want to know more about what happens as we die? I realize these are not uplifting questions. They may trigger a great deal of fear and you may want to turn off this show right now. I invite you to stay with us and be open to my conversation with Martha Atkins, PhD as she shares her story and research.
Martha Atkins is the founder and chief executive officer of Atkinsosity, LLC, where she works with individuals who are dying and the families who love them. Her work in the world is to help people be less afraid of death and dying.
One of the things we talk about in this interview is meaning making. Research around grief tells us that when we can derive meaning from loss, we can move through our grief more effectively and with better outcomes and with less fear.
“What is the story you tell yourself about the person who died? What is the story you tell about your own grief?” asks Martha in this episode.
Listen to this episode to learn more about death, dying, grief, and loss. You’ll learn about deathbed visions and phenomena, how fear of death drains so much energy from us, how to have hard conversations about death, and more.
Your voice matters! Make sure you subscribe to the show and leave a review in Apple Podcasts. Tell me what you love and why you’re here and maybe you’ll hear a shoutout to YOU in a future episode!
LISTEN HERE
WHAT YOU WILL DISCOVER
- Martha’s story about death and dying
- What deathbed visions are
- How to go through death and grief with our loved ones
- What deathbed phenomena are
- Why fear of death drains so much energy
- Deathbed visions vs. hallucinations.
- How to have hard conversations about death
- How to ask “what do you want?”
- Two takeaways for going through death and dying of a loved one
RESOURCES FOR YOU
- Martha’s website
- Martha’s Tedx talk
- Quote correction from the interview. The quote was actually from Hafiz, not Rumi. “Troubled? Then stay with me for I am not.” ~ Hafiz
- Sign up here to receive Friday Podcast updates, Sunday Love letters, and Wisdom Wednesdays.