Elisabeth Kübler-Ross: “On Death & Dying”…and Beyond

This episode features a live radio interview I conducted in 1981 with death and dying pioneer Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. The episode begins with an overview of the remarkable life of the late Swiss-American psychiatrist, and the enormous impact her lifework has had on how the medical world and the public at large view and treat the dying process. Hospice, palliative care, end-of-life studies, dying with dignity – we owe a great debt to Kübler-Ross for what we now take for granted as the ideal model.

In our 25-minute conversation, we covered a wide range of subjects related to death and dying: what happens at the moment of death; Elisabeth’s convictions about life after death; children and death; working with parents who have lost children in violent incidents. We also talked about parenting and grandparenting, about unconditional love and child rearing.

After the interview, I offer some personal reflections on my own experience with death, and why we should take Kübler-Ross’ views seriously. I close with an invitation to join in an ongoing conversation centered around viewing the many critical problems we face today, individually and collectively, through the lens of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’ “radically enlightened” views on death and dying.

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