Introduction
Introduction
Modern ways of dealing with death in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom attempt to make it a more accepted and autonomous experience. The death positivity movement seeks to spark a more comprehensive discussion of death as a part of life, while death doulas, nonmedical professionals who look after people as they die, offer compassionate end-of-life care. Individuals also use advance directives to share their wishes for dying and after death. However, debate rages over when such wishes should be honored in the context of medical assistance in dying, where it is legal, especially for people with severe and persistent mental illnesses. At the same time, mainstream discussions of alternative burial methods are gaining momentum due to factors such as climate change and ...