About us

         I conceived In Light of Dying.com as a place where people from all walks of life could freely and anonymously (if they so choose) gather to engage in thought and emotion provoking conversations about dying—and living—in the presence of a past, immediate, or distant death.

       We associate dying with the most grievous of human pains, the pain of incontrovertible loss and often, the fear of the unknown. Humanity’s most elaborate rituals, and perhaps, our most simple, are created to assist survivors with the pain and mystery of death.

        But what of the dying process itself? What is the impact of a terminal illness on those afflicted and their families, friends, and co-workers? How does one integrate conflicting emotions that, from moment to moment, may fly from rage to acceptance, grief to joy, or regrets to gratitudes?

        This site had its origins in an earlier site, Conscious Living—Conscious Leaving. That site was created to share a series of recorded conversations between my late wife, Ilene Kouzel, and her friend, Carol Ross. In these recordings, Ilene revealed her views about consciously dying and living. They originally appeared as podcasts, and are now included in the audio portion of In Light of Dying.com.

        I would like to thank my collaborators in co-creating this site, Carol Ross for holding the conversations with Ilene and organizing the creation of the first site; Ilene’s cousin, Margarita Kouzel, for her project manager role, her contribution as a primary caregiver, and her love and support through the last two years of Ilene’s life and beyond; Dave Murphy, for countless hours of listening and editing the recordings; Bill Silverman, for his challenging insights into the purpose and conception of the website; and Leonardo Vargas, for his ability to take my ideas for the site and make it as real as anything can be on the internet.

        It is our fervent hope that In Light of Dying.com will provide you and others with an opportunity to explore your hopes and fears, wisdom and anger, insights and bewilderment, and above all, share your tears and laughter with the mystery of living and dying well.

Namaste,

Nicholas King