In this Encore episode, Claire O’Berry speaks with Judith Schwartz, former Clinical Director of End of Life Choices New York, about VSED: Voluntary Stopping Eating and Drinking.

This conversation offers a grounded look at what VSED involves, what supports are essential for comfort and safety, and why some people explore VSED when other end-of-life options are not available or accessible. Judith also discusses advance directive considerations, including documents designed to guide feeding decisions if a person later loses capacity.

Resources mentioned


End of Life Choices New York: VSED information and education




Dementia Advance Directive and “Minimal Comfort Feeding” option




Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking: A Compassionate, Widely Available Option for Hastening Death (Oxford University Press), edited by Timothy E. Quill, Paul T. Menzel, Thaddeus Pope, and Judith Schwarz



Listener care note: This episode discusses end-of-life decision-making. If you feel distressed or at risk, please pause and contact local crisis supports or emergency services.

In this Encore episode, Claire O&rsquo;Berry speaks with Judith Schwartz, former Clinical Director of End of Life Choices New York, about VSED: Voluntary Stopping Eating and Drinking.
This conversation offers a grounded look at what VSED involves, what supports are essential for comfort and safety, and why some people explore VSED when other end-of-life options are not available or accessible. Judith also discusses advance directive considerations, including documents designed to guide feeding decisions if a person later loses capacity.
Resources mentioned
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">
End of Life Choices New York: VSED information and education 
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
Dementia Advance Directive and &ldquo;Minimal Comfort Feeding&rdquo; option 
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking: A Compassionate, Widely Available Option for Hastening Death (Oxford University Press), edited by Timothy E. Quill, Paul T. Menzel, Thaddeus Pope, and Judith Schwarz 
</li>
</ul>
Listener care note: This episode discusses end-of-life decision-making. If you feel distressed or at risk, please pause and contact local crisis supports or emergency services.

Dying Your Way explores the practical heart and soul of our greatest exit. You will hear from family members, carers and patients themselves with profound insights that will shine a light on this mortal experience.

Join certified End of Life Doula as she speaks with experts in the field of death and dying as well as those who bravely share their personal stories as a real life experience.

This is the conversation that looks at death in the way it should be…a courageous and sacred event.

This is Dying Your Way

Join the conversation on our FaceBook group, search for Dying your Way. Or to learn more or contact us go to www.dyingyourway.com.

Dying Your Way explores the practical heart and soul of our greatest exit. You will hear from family members, carers and patients themselves with profound insights that will shine a light on this mortal experience.

Join certified End of Life Doula as she speaks with experts in the field of death and dying as well as those who bravely share their personal stories as a real life experience.

This is the conversation that looks at death in the way it should be…a courageous and sacred event.

This is Dying Your Way

Join the conversation on our FaceBook group, search for Dying your Way. Or to learn more or contact us go to www.dyingyourway.com.

Dying Your Way

Dying Your Way explores the practical heart and soul of our greatest exit. You will hear from family members, carers and patients themselves with profound insights that will shine a light on this mortal experience.
Join certified End of Life Doula as she speaks with experts in the field of death and dying as well as those who bravely share their personal stories as a real life experience.
This is the conversation that looks at death in the way it should be&hellip;a courageous and sacred event.
This is Dying Your Way
Join the conversation on our FaceBook group, search for Dying your Way. Or to learn more or contact us go to <a href="http://www.dyingyourway.com">www.dyingyourway.com</a>.

Dying Your Way With Claire O'Berry

S4E30 - Encore Episode: Understanding VSED (Voluntary Stopping Eating and Drinking) with Judith Schwarz

In this Encore episode (recorded in 2020), Claire O’Berry speaks with Stephen Jenkinson about what we have lost culturally around dying, and what it might mean to recover death wisdom as a shared, communal responsibility.

Together, they explore why older and vulnerable people are so easily dismissed, the difference between a “personalized” death and a communal one, and why the work of dying asks more of us than a preference list. Stephen also reflects on fear, medicalized dying, and the long shadow a death-phobic culture casts over how we live.

Mentioned and recommended: Orphan Wisdom and the Orphan Wisdom School, Stephen’s home for teaching and writing.

For your next listen: “Matrimony, Patrimony & the Village We Need” (Claire’s more recent conversation with Stephen).

In this Encore episode (recorded in 2020), Claire O&rsquo;Berry speaks with Stephen Jenkinson about what we have lost culturally around dying, and what it might mean to recover death wisdom as a shared, communal responsibility.
Together, they explore why older and vulnerable people are so easily dismissed, the difference between a &ldquo;personalized&rdquo; death and a communal one, and why the work of dying asks more of us than a preference list. Stephen also reflects on fear, medicalized dying, and the long shadow a death-phobic culture casts over how we live.
Mentioned and recommended: Orphan Wisdom and the Orphan Wisdom School, Stephen&rsquo;s home for teaching and writing.
For your next listen: &ldquo;Matrimony, Patrimony &amp; the Village We Need&rdquo; (Claire&rsquo;s more recent conversation with Stephen).

S4E29 - Encore Series - Stephen Jenkinson and the Work of Dying

In this Encore episode of the Dying Your Way podcast, Claire O’Berry revisits a conversation with Dr. Marjorie Woollacott, world-renowned neuroscientist, tenured professor at the University of Oregon, and author of Infinite Awareness: The Awakening of the Scientific Mind.

While Dr. Woollacott’s early academic work focused on rehabilitation neuroscience, her current work explores consciousness research and end-of-life phenomena that challenge strictly materialist assumptions, including near-death experiences, terminal lucidity, and the dreams and visions many hospice patients report near the end of life.

This conversation invites listeners to set aside fixed beliefs about both science and religion and to listen with curiosity to the research, the clinical implications, and the human stories that continue to emerge.

In this episode, we explore:


Consciousness and the brain, including the “filter” hypothesis




A near-death experience account that raises clinically relevant questions




Terminal lucidity and why it matters for dementia, coma, and stroke care




End-of-life dreams and visions, and what they may mean for comfort and fear reduction




The implications for carers and clinicians supporting people who appear unresponsive



Links and resources mentioned in the episode are included below.

https://marjoriewoollacott.com/

https://dyingyourway.com/

https://galileocommission.org/

In this Encore episode of the Dying Your Way podcast, Claire O&rsquo;Berry revisits a conversation with Dr. Marjorie Woollacott, world-renowned neuroscientist, tenured professor at the University of Oregon, and author of Infinite Awareness: The Awakening of the Scientific Mind.
While Dr. Woollacott&rsquo;s early academic work focused on rehabilitation neuroscience, her current work explores consciousness research and end-of-life phenomena that challenge strictly materialist assumptions, including near-death experiences, terminal lucidity, and the dreams and visions many hospice patients report near the end of life.
This conversation invites listeners to set aside fixed beliefs about both science and religion and to listen with curiosity to the research, the clinical implications, and the human stories that continue to emerge.
In this episode, we explore:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">
Consciousness and the brain, including the &ldquo;filter&rdquo; hypothesis 
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
A near-death experience account that raises clinically relevant questions 
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
Terminal lucidity and why it matters for dementia, coma, and stroke care 
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
End-of-life dreams and visions, and what they may mean for comfort and fear reduction 
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
The implications for carers and clinicians supporting people who appear unresponsive 
</li>
</ul>
Links and resources mentioned in the episode are included below.
<a href="https://marjoriewoollacott.com/">https://marjoriewoollacott.com/</a>
<a href="https://dyingyourway.com/">https://dyingyourway.com/</a>
<a href="https://galileocommission.org/">https://galileocommission.org/</a>

S4E28 - Encore Episode: Dr. Marjorie Woollacott on consciousness, NDEs, and terminal lucidity

In this Encore episode, Claire O’Berry speaks with Australian filmmaker Molly Reynolds, director of My Name Is Gulpilil, a documentary shaped around the final chapter of iconic actor and dancer David Gulpilil’s life.

Together, Claire and Molly explore what David’s story reveals about mortality, culture, identity, and the deep human longing to return to our roots at the end of life. The conversation moves through Aboriginal perspectives on Country and kinship, the complexities of care and access, and the way film can hold both beauty and hard truth.

Claire is resharing this conversation after recently watching Journey Home, David Gulpilil (narrated by Hugh Jackman), which tells David’s story of returning home and last wishes being honored.

In this episode


My Name Is Gulpilil and David’s life on screen and off




Country, belonging, and the importance of being laid to rest on ancestral land




How care systems can help, and how they can miss cultural realities




The role of story, art, and memory in preparing for death



Mentioned


My Name Is Gulpilil (Molly Reynolds)




Journey Home, David Gulpilil (narrated by Hugh Jackman)




Films connected to David’s career and collaborations, including Walkabout, Storm Boy, The Tracker, Ten Canoes, Charlie’s Country, and Another Country

In this Encore episode, Claire O&rsquo;Berry speaks with Australian filmmaker Molly Reynolds, director of My Name Is Gulpilil, a documentary shaped around the final chapter of iconic actor and dancer David Gulpilil&rsquo;s life.
Together, Claire and Molly explore what David&rsquo;s story reveals about mortality, culture, identity, and the deep human longing to return to our roots at the end of life. The conversation moves through Aboriginal perspectives on Country and kinship, the complexities of care and access, and the way film can hold both beauty and hard truth.
Claire is resharing this conversation after recently watching Journey Home, David Gulpilil (narrated by Hugh Jackman), which tells David&rsquo;s story of returning home and last wishes being honored.
In this episode
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">
My Name Is Gulpilil and David&rsquo;s life on screen and off 
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
Country, belonging, and the importance of being laid to rest on ancestral land 
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
How care systems can help, and how they can miss cultural realities 
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
The role of story, art, and memory in preparing for death 
</li>
</ul>
Mentioned
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">
My Name Is Gulpilil (Molly Reynolds) 
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
Journey Home, David Gulpilil (narrated by Hugh Jackman) 
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
Films connected to David&rsquo;s career and collaborations, including Walkabout, Storm Boy, The Tracker, Ten Canoes, Charlie&rsquo;s Country, and Another Country
</li>
</ul>

S4E30 - Encore Episode: Understanding VSED (Voluntary Stopping Eating and Drinking) with Judith Schwarz

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