A Meditation on Death: Letting Go to Live More Fully

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Join Julia and Bill for a 25-minute guided Death Meditation, a gentle and meaningful practice of letting go that invites us to explore our relationship with death—and, in doing so, discover a deeper appreciation for the life we are living now. The meditation will be followed by an open Q&A and conversation.

Rather than approaching death as something to fear or avoid, this practice uses imagination and contemplation to explore the process of letting go—of our relationships, surroundings, bodies, senses, and ultimately the identities we have constructed throughout our lives.

For those who have had profound psychedelic experiences, this territory may feel familiar. Psychedelics can sometimes bring experiences of ego dissolution, loss of a familiar sense of identity, or a feeling of egolessness. The Death Meditation offers another contemplative way of exploring what it can mean to loosen our attachment to who we believe ourselves to be—and to meet that letting go with curiosity and openness.

Drawing inspiration from Buddhist teachings on mortality and impermanence, as well as traditions of symbolic death, transformation, and rebirth found across cultures, the meditation invites us to deepen our appreciation for the preciousness and fragility of life.

The intention is to cultivate presence, appreciation, acceptance, and openness. By contemplating death and the letting go of identity, we may discover a renewed capacity to be more fully present for the life we are living now.

Facilitators:
Julia Star has been working with psychedelic-assisted therapy for over thirty years. She finds the model of finding answers to life’s challenges through the plant medicines to be the most effective and heart-opening path towards personal freedom.

Bill Wagg has practiced Buddhism for nearly 50 years, a path that has taken him from Tibetan monasteries in India to decades of study, retreat, and meditation. He spent 18 months studying at a Tibetan monastery under the esteemed Kalu Rinpoche, along with six months making pilgrimages to Bodhgaya and other important Buddhist sites throughout India.

Rooted in the Karma Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, he has received teachings from many respected teachers, including the Dalai Lama, Mingyur Rinpoche, and Tai Situ Rinpoche.

Despite a lifetime of practice, Bill brings a wonderfully humble perspective to Buddhism—he often says it takes a long time to truly understand these teachings, and he suspects he may still have a few lifetimes to go.

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Disclaimer:
Our group exists to provide education and harm reduction and foster a supportive, heart-centered community. Our group does not offer medical advice, therapy, or psychedelic substances. Also, our events do not condone or facilitate the taking of illegal drugs.