Author Archives: Rachel Jones (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

“The Wolves,” by Paisley Rekdal

A grandmother’s death by MAID is described in poetry
Posted on April 10, 2023 by Rachel Jones (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

It was the week of asking. Asking to watch her eat. Asking if she understood the doctors’ questions. Asking her to explain the difference between wanting to die right now, and dying later. The tumor making certain answers unquestionable. I … Continue reading →

Posted in The Next Chapter | Leave a comment

“Tukdam: Between Worlds,” by Donagh Coleman

A documentary explores the unique death state of Tibetan Buddhist meditators
Posted on March 27, 2023 by Rachel Jones (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

The 2022 feature documentary, “Tukdam: Between Worlds,” delves into the strange and unexplainable post-mortem state of “tukdam,” in which a person dies while meditating yet continues to seem very much alive. Tibetan Buddhist monks who die in this state often … Continue reading →

Posted in Lending Insight | 1 Comment

Does ChatGPT Understand Death?

Some intrepid explorers have asked the AI to write eulogies
Posted on March 16, 2023 by Rachel Jones (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

Ever since OpenAI released ChatGPT, its generative AI bot in November, the internet has been lauding its ability to write poems, explain quantum computing, and even provide dating advice. There has also been much concern over the bot’s ability to … Continue reading →

Posted in Something Special | Leave a comment

Preventing Species Extinction Through International Collaboration

Unified management plans have helped some desperately endangered species
Posted on March 2, 2023 by Rachel Jones (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

Urgent international effort has the potential to reverse species extinction, a new study has found. The research, published in the journal Science, found that species considered extinct in the wild  — which only exist in captivity or other areas outside … Continue reading →

Posted in Science of Us | Leave a comment

Australia Becomes First Nation to Name Psychedelics as Medicine

Australian officials have approved MDMA and psilocybin for controlled psychiatric use
Posted on February 23, 2023 by Rachel Jones (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration has announced that it will permit the prescription of two psychedelic substances to treat mental illness: MDMA, more commonly known as Ecstasy or Molly, and psilocybin, the psychoactive component of mushrooms. In doing so, Australia has … Continue reading →

Posted in Something Special | 1 Comment

“An Untitled Japanese Death Poem” by Kozan Ichikyo

A Zen monk’s final words offer insight into this world and the next
Posted on February 10, 2023 by Rachel Jones (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

Empty-handed I entered the world Barefoot I leave it. My coming, my going — Two simple happenings That got entangled. This untitled poem by Kozan Ichikyo, written in 1360, represents a genre known as “jisei” or Japanese death poems, once … Continue reading →

Posted in The Next Chapter | Leave a comment