As a death doula, I talk to people who wonder what will happen when they take their last breath. Some want certainty. Some want comfort. Some simply want to be heard.
Science, specifically neuroscience, tells us that consciousness is tied to the brain, and when the brain ceases to function, so does awareness. Near-death experiences—the tunnel of light, the sense of peace, the vision of loved ones—may be explained as the brain’s and the body’s natural response to shutting down.
But across cultures, people describe dying as more than just a medical process. In Buddhist traditions, death is viewed as a transition, shaped by awareness, intention, and the way one has lived. In Christianity and many Indigenous traditions, death is a homecoming—a return to spirit, ancestors, or the divine. Whether biological or mystical, there is no easy answer.
What’s striking is not that there may be an answer, but rather the impact, the result of the question. To ask, 'What happens when we die?' can prompt the question, 'How will we live?' Facing mortality—whether with doubt, faith, or both—can bring day-to-day life into sharper focus, nurturing and valuing connections, choosing presence, and setting intentions for today or one's final days.
As doulas, we don’t claim to know what happens after death. What we do know is how to hold the space for uncertainty. When I was trained as a doula, one of the things that stuck with me the most was this: Death is not a medical event with a human component—it is a profoundly human event with a medical component. And in that human space, there is room for curiosity, fear, tenderness, and possibly joy.