Patrick Vernon

Event: 31st October-1st November, 2025-Dying to Live Living to Die: An Existential Paradox – The Existential Academy Online Conference

On 31st October and 1st November, the Existential Academy will host its much-anticipated online conference, Dying to Live, Living to Die: An Existential Paradox. This unique gathering invites participants to confront one of life’s most profound questions: how does the reality of death shape the way we live?

Far from treating death as a distant or purely biological event, the conference positions mortality as a central axis of human meaning. Through existential inquiry, participants are invited to reflect on how the awareness of finitude awakens freedom, responsibility, and the urgency of living authentically. Rather than fearing or denying death, the sessions will explore how acknowledging it can transform our perspective on life itself.

The programme spans a wide range of themes, including:

• Suicide and assisted dying, and the ethical and psychological complexities they present.

• End-of-life care, exploring its psychological and philosophical dimensions.

• The continuing bonds with the deceased, and how they shape the living.

• Anthropological and sociocultural perspectives on death rituals and cultural narratives.

• The Black community’s experience of mortality, where systemic inequality, historical trauma, and collective mourning intersect with existential thought.

Bringing together philosophy, psychology, anthropology, and cultural history, the conference promises to be a rich, interdisciplinary engagement with mortality—challenging assumptions and opening space for deeper understanding.

Why You Should Attend

This event is more than a scholarly gathering—it is an opportunity to reflect deeply on how death gives shape to life. Whether you are a practitioner, student, or simply someone curious about existential questions, the conference offers tools for personal reflection, professional growth, and cultural understanding. Attending will not only enrich your perspective on mortality but also inspire you to live with greater purpose, authenticity, and empathy.

Keynote speakers include leading voices from across the fields of existential philosophy, psychology, and social commentary:

• Robert A. Neimeyer, PhD

• Emmy van Deurzen

• Dr Chloe Paidoussis-Mitchell CPsychol, DCPsych, AFBPsS

• Dr Robert Brodrick

• Prof Havi Carel

• Dr Kelli Swazey

• Professor Patrick Vernon OBE FrHistS

• Andrew Copson OBE

📘 Read the full programme here
🎟 Register for the conference here

For assistance with registration, contact the Onlinevents Ltd team at help@onlinevents.co.uk.