Join us in welcoming Dr. Aditi Sethi, a hospice and palliative care physician, end-of-life doula, and musician for what is sure to be an insightful and moving conversation with our director, RamDev Dale Borglum. Featured in the documentary “The Last Ecstatic Days,” Aditi is an emerging and important voice for shifting our culture’s understanding and approach to dying, death, and bereavement care.

Dr. Aditi began her career as a palliative care doctor, spending ten years supporting individuals at the end of their lives through hospice care. While the traditional medical model provides essential symptom management and supportive care, Aditi began to feel that something was missing—a deeper connection that could come from a more holistic approach to death and dying, not only for those facing their mortality but also for their caregivers.

Driven by this insight, she explored alternative models of care and engaged with other like-minded individuals to envision another way of being with death and dying in their community. This led to the concept of a conscious framework for living and dying, centered on intentionality and presence.

In March 2021, Aditi met Ethan Sisser, a 36-year-old man dying of glioblastoma. With only weeks to live, Ethan expressed a desire to film his death as part of a community-supported journey. Though time was limited, their collaboration resulted in the feature film The Last Ecstatic Days, directed and produced by Scott Kirschenbaum. The film now touches audiences worldwide and captures the reality of community-supported death in real time.

Today, Aditi’s vision continues to emerge as the Center for Conscious Living and Dying (CCLD) in the Swannanoa Valley near Asheville, NC. Supported by over 300 volunteers, this vibrant community provides a compassionate environment for residents in their final days, exemplifying the transformative impact of a holistic approach to death care. She recently summarized the heart-centered system in her TEDx Talk, ‘The Art of Dying Before You Die.’

It is the unwavering commitment of Dr. Aditi and the dedication of the community that have brought this innovative model to life. Their collective effort has not only inspired others to create similar communities but also proved that with vision and dedication, a more creative approach to caring for one another is indeed possible.