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What can the final words of the dying reveal about consciousness—and about how we should live?
We speak with linguist and author Lisa Smartt, founder of the Final Words Project and author of Words at the Threshold. Drawing from more than a decade of research into end-of-life language, Lisa explores recurring patterns such as journey metaphors, visions of deceased loved ones, terminal lucidity, unusual forms of communication, and the surprising coherence that can emerge as people approach death.
Together, they examine whether consciousness may extend beyond the brain, why seemingly nonsensical final words deserve our attention, and how approaching death with curiosity rather than fear can create opportunities for connection, forgiveness, and healing.
Key Takeaways:
- Final words often contain recognizable patterns, including journeys, transportation, major events, and references to “going home.”
- Seemingly disconnected language can form a sustained narrative when a person’s words are documented over several days.
- Terminal lucidity can bring unexpected clarity, recognition, forgiveness, and meaningful final conversations.
- Lisa’s research transformed her own view of consciousness, leading her to see the brain more as a receiver of consciousness than its sole creator.
- Listen without immediately correcting or dismissing the dying. Curiosity, kindness, and openness may reveal meaning that isn’t obvious in the moment.
Where to find Lisa Smartt:
- Final Words Project: https://www.finalwordsproject.org/
- Life After Life:https://www.lifeafterlife.com/
- Email: smarttcoaching@gmail.com
- Dr. Raymond Moody Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Life__AfterLife
Lisa Smartt’s Bio:
Lisa Smartt, MA, is a linguist, educator, and poet. She is the author of Words at the Threshold: What We Say When We’re Nearing Death (New World Library 2017). The book is based on data collected through The Final Words Project, www.finalwordsproject.org , an ongoing study devoted to gathering and interpreting the mysterious language at the end of life. She has worked closely with Raymond Moody, guided by his research into language, particularly unintelligible speech. They have co-facilitated presentations about language and consciousness at universities, hospices and conferences.
“It’s very beautiful over there.”— final words of inventor Thomas Edison
A person’s last words can often be enigmatic, confusing or powerfully meaningful; they can also offer tantalizing clues about the ultimate fate of the human soul. Until now, no author has systematically studied end-of-life communication by collecting and analyzing the final utterances of the terminally ill. When her father faced his final weeks, linguist Lisa Smartt began transcribing his conversations and noticed that both his language and personality underwent inexplicable changes. Smartt’s father, a skeptical man with a secular worldview, developed a deeply spiritual outlook in his final days — a change reflected in his last words. Baffled and intrigued, Smartt began to investigate the near-death utterances of others, collecting over a hundred case studies with interviews and transcripts. In Words at the Threshold, Smartt decodes the symbolism of those last words, showing how the language of the dying points the way to a transcendent world beyond our own.
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Youtube: https://youtu.be/dxIU16NdeCM
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/57R3gbb4BdRkVgOHR1MVez?si=0dee0f70ec1a4a54
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