“Dying in the sanitary environment of a hospital is a relatively new concept. In the late nineteenth century, dying at a hospital… — Caitlin Doughty Death Copy Share Image
“Death might appear to destroy the meaning in our lives, but in fact it is the very source of our creativity. As… — Caitlin Doughty Creativity Copy Share Image
“I have come to believe that the merits of a death custom are not based on mathematics (e.g., 36.7 percent a "barbarous… — Caitlin Doughty Death Copy Share Image
“No matter how many heavy-metal album covers you’ve seen, how many Hieronymus Bosch prints of the tortures of Hell, or even the… — Caitlin Doughty Copy Share Image
“In that moment, standing at the edge of the pit, I'm sure Brébeuf was moved by the death rituals of the Wendat… — Caitlin Doughty Death Copy Share Image
“Many children and grandchildren of immigrants, have, like Sarah, found themselves severed from their family’s cultural rituals. The funeral system in the… — Caitlin Doughty Children Copy Share Image
“Left to their own devices, human bodies rot, decompose, come apart, and sink gloriously back into the earth from whence they came.… — Caitlin Doughty Death Copy Share Image
“In the opening scene of the film, Bond glides through the mêlée in a skeleton mask and tux and slips into a… — Caitlin Doughty Around the world Copy Share Image
“Rather than let author and environmentalist Edward Abbey be buried in a traditional cemetery, his friends stole his body, wrapped it in… — Caitlin Doughty Books Copy Share Image
“With Q-tips and cotton I cleaned out Elena’s nose, ears, and mouth—a deeply unpleasant task. In the last throes of life, basic… — Caitlin Doughty Copy Share Image
“Katrina noted that “humans are so focused on preventing aging and decay—it’s become an obsession. And for those who have been socialized… — Caitlin Doughty Copy Share Image
“Buddhists say that thoughts are like drops of water on the brain; when you reinforce the same thought, it will etch a… — Caitlin Doughty Buddhism Copy Share Image
“Holding the space doesn’t mean swaddling the family immobile in their grief. It also means giving them meaningful tasks. Using chopsticks to… — Caitlin Doughty Family Copy Share Image
“It is worth noting that the main players in the recomposition project are women—scientists, anthropologists, lawyers, architects. Educated women, who have the… — Caitlin Doughty Death Copy Share Image
“But the decubitus ulcer presents a unique psychological horror. The word “decubitus” comes from the Latin decumbere, to lie down. As a… — Caitlin Doughty Blood flow Copy Share Image
“I had written my thesis on medieval witches accused of roasting dead infants and grinding their bones. A year later I found… — Caitlin Doughty Care and concern Copy Share Image
