Death is simply a shedding of the physical body like the butterfly shedding its cocoon…

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

The Wheel of Life

Topic: Life Beyond Death & the Spirit World

Death is simply a shedding of the physical body like the butterfly shedding its cocoon. It is no different from taking off a suit of clothes one no longer needs. It is a transition to a higher state of consciousness where you continue to perceive, to understand, to laugh, and to be able to grow.

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross was born in Switzerland on July 8, 1926, and her life journey took her from the heart of Europe to the intricate corridors of the human psyche. A groundbreaking psychiatrist, she is best known for her pioneering work in Near-death studies and her seminal book "On Death and Dying," published in 1969. In this work, she courageously broached the subject of mortality, delineating what would later be known as the Kübler-Ross model or the Five Stages of Grief. These stages—denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance—were initially described as phases individuals go through when grappling with their own impending death. Over time, however, these stages have also been recognized as universally relevant to anyone dealing with loss or grief, expanding our understanding of the shared human experience of love and suffering.

More than an academic, Kübler-Ross was a tireless educator and humanitarian. She received twenty honorary degrees and estimated that she had educated around 125,000 students through her courses on death and dying across various institutions. Notably, she was also a 2007 inductee into the National Women's Hall of Fame. Her voice reached far beyond the medical and psychiatric communities; in 1970, she delivered the prestigious Ingersoll Lectures on Human Immortality at Harvard University, casting a spotlight on the theme of On Death and Dying. The breadth of her influence attests to the universality of her message, one that transcends academic disciplines and speaks to the heart of our collective human journey.

While she was often dubbed the "death and dying lady," she considered herself more aptly as the "life and living lady." The Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Foundation, inspired by her life's work, continues her mission. The foundation serves as a vivid reminder that her teachings were not solely about the end of life but about embracing the totality of existence—both its trials and its joys. It is this enduring focus on love, acceptance, and the interconnectedness of all life's experiences that makes her legacy a living testament to the transformative power of compassion.

(1926-2004) Humanism, Arts and Sciences
Life Lessons

Kübler-Ross Elisabeth, and David Kessler. Life Lessons: How Our Mortality Can Teach Us about Life and Living. Simon & Schuster, 2014. [Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, Life Lessons, 2000].

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, M.D.

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, M.D. (July 8, 1926 – August 24, 2004) was a Swiss-born psychiatrist, a pioneer in Near-death studies and the author of the groundbreaking book On Death and Dying(1969), where she first discussed what is now known as the Kübler-Ross model. In this work she proposed the now famous Five Stages of Grief as a pattern of adjustment. These five stages of grief are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. In general, individuals experience most of these stages, though in no defined sequence, after being faced with the reality of their impending death. The five stages have since been adopted by many as applying to the survivors of a loved one’s death, as well.She is a 2007 inductee into the National Women’s Hall of Fame. She was the recipient of twenty honorary degrees and by July 1982 had taught, in her estimation, 125,000 students in death and dying courses in colleges, seminaries, medical schools, hospitals, and social-work institutions. In 1970, she delivered the The Ingersoll Lectures on Human Immortality at the University of Harvard, on the theme, On Death and Dying.

The Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Foundation*

*The Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Foundation is 501(c)(3) volunteer-based organization inspired by the life of psychiatrist, humanitarian and hospice pioneer, Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. Though Elisabeth is often described as the “death and dying lady” or the “creator of the Five Stages” she often referred to herself as the “life and living lady”. It is in the spirit of embracing all of life, which includes death, that we further the mission and vision of Elisabeth through the work of the Foundation that bears her name.

On Death and Dying

“The five stages―denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance―are a part of the framework that makes up our learning to live with the one(s) we lost. They are tools to help us frame and identify what we may be feeling. But they are not stops on some linear timeline in grief.”

―Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross [about The Five Stages of Grief].

Additional Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Quotations

“When we have passed the tests we are sent to Earth to learn, we are allowed to graduate. We are allowed to shed our body, which imprisons our souls.”

―Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross [The Wheel of Life (1997)].

“I’ve told my children that when I die, to release balloons in the sky to celebrate that I graduated. For me, death is a graduation.”

―Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross.

“Those who learned to know death, rather than to fear and fight it, become our teachers about life.”

―Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross [On Children and Death (1985)].

“It is difficult to accept death in this society because it is unfamiliar. In spite of the fact that it happens all the time, we never see it.”

―Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross [Death: The Final Stage of Growth (1975)].

“For those who seek to understand it, death is a highly creative force. The highest spiritual values of life can originate from the thought and study of death.”

―Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross [Death: The Final Stage of Growth (1975)].

Resources

The Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Foundation

The Wheel of Life

Resources

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