Life in the Afterlife

After a career in business Ineke Koedam (1963) came in 2000 to a turning-point in her life. After a shortened study at the University of Humanistic Studies she started her own practice in 2003 Weerschijn, for dying and bereavement. Subsequently, she worked as a volunteer and coordinator at Hospice De Vier Vogels in Rotterdam. She explored the ideas of Elisabeth Kübler–Ross and Christine Longaker and finds it most important to have the inner self in order. This is something she keeps working on through meditation, periodic retreats and inner schooling.

Her extensive experience in caring for the dying and their families led to an increasing range of training for volunteers and professionals in terminal healthcare. Furthermore, since 2010 Ineke is connected to the Foundation STEM as a freelance trainer (Dutch equivalent for Dying Matters).

From 2009 to 2011 Ineke Koedam carried out, on behalf of the eminent neuropsychiatrist Peter Fenwick (UK), research on so-called "end-of-life experiences." This resulted in the publication of her book In the light of death: Experiences on the threshold between life and death in the Netherlands (2013 AnkhHermes ), with an English version now available and a German version expected in January 2016.

Since 2010, Ineke has been connected to the Foundation STEM as a freelance trainer (Dutch equivalent for Dying Matters in the UK). Ineke participates in the Advisory Board of the Dutch Foundation Reflection on Organ donation (SBO) and is a fellow of In Claritas.

In her presentation, Ineke describes the end-of-life experiences she learned about in her studies as well as in her personal and professional life. On behalf of prominent Neuropsychiatrist Peter Fenwick, Ineke researched these end-of-life experiences by interviewing fellow hospice workers in various hospices and bundled their experiences together in her book, In the light of death: Experiences on the threshold between life and death.

A dying man clearly sees his deceased wife and even can talk with her. A dying woman who has been in a deep coma, suddenly becomes alert enough to coherently say goodbye to loved ones at the bedside.

In In the Light of Death the author shows that these intensely spiritual experiences can be healing and often lead to transformation for the dying, their relatives, friends and carers, particularly if they can be understood and discussed before the process of dying begins. In the light of death is informative, comforting and helpful at a time when many people are afraid of dying.