October 31^st, 2025

The Benefits of Meditating on Mortality

There is evidence that reflecting on mortality — our own and others — can help us live our lives more fully. For the most part, we bend over backwards to veer away from discussions about the transitory nature of life. Discomfort with the topic coupled with endless distractions and a preference for lighter and upbeat subject matter sideline conversations about death...Halloween is the only time of year we embrace death but that's because it's sugar-coated, literally. Edible ghosts and plastic skeletons don't invite contemplation of our inevitable demise.

A study in Personality and Social Psychology Review found that when reminded of death people make better use of their time. They make healthier choices such as using more sunscreen, smoking less, and exercising more. Awareness of death can also motivate increased expressions of tolerance and empathy. People invest more time in their relationships and feel more grateful for each day when they are asked to consider their limited time on earth...

Contrary to what one might think, meditating on mortality doesn't promote self-absorption...In fact, there is evidence that being reminded of death facilitates creativity, open-mindedness and can even make you funnier. In one study, people primed to think about death created funnier cartoon captions...

In his book The Four Things That Matter Most, palliative care physician Ira Byock writes about the four things that we say before we die or to someone we love who is going to die:

Please forgive me.
I forgive you.
Thank you.
I love you.

If these are the most important things we can say to one another, what are we waiting for?

Samantha Boardman, M. D., Psychology Today Oct. 25, 2022