Translating Research into Opportunities for Understanding: What Death Can Teach Us About Life

Researcher Natalia Leontovich explores the science of consciousness at the end of life and what it may teach us about compassion, connection and living.

Event: Wednesday, November 11, 2026 – 7 pm – Messiah Lutheran Church, Marquette

Death is something we all face, yet it remains one of the most difficult subjects to talk about.

We wonder what happens when life ends. We think about loved ones we’ve lost, worry about those whose lives may be nearing an end, and occasionally confront our own mortality.

But finding the right words to talk about it can be difficult.

What do you say to someone who is dying? How do you comfort someone facing the loss of a loved one? When is the right time to ask questions, share fears or simply acknowledge what is happening?

Often, we hesitate. We worry about saying the wrong thing, bringing up painful emotions or asking questions that have no easy answers. Sometimes, silence feels safer.

But what if science could help us better understand the dying process and, in doing so, make it easier to talk about death?

That possibility is at the heart of an upcoming presentation by Natalia Leontovich, research project manager, with the NYU Langone Health Critical Care and Resuscitation Research Group at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

On Wednesday, November 11, at 7 p.m. at Messiah Lutheran Church in Marquette, Leontovich will present “What Death Can Teach Us About Life,” a free public program exploring emerging research into consciousness at the end of life and what these experiences might reveal about human connection, compassion and the way we live.

It was just over a year ago that Trillium House Executive Director Melissa Cavill saw Leontovich present at an Omega Home Network conference in Buffalo, New York, and knew her work was something special. That initial experience led to encouraging The Cedar Tree Institute to bring her to the Upper Peninsula when they began planning The Coming Home project to encourage discussion on hospice and palliative care experiences. 

Exploring the science of consciousness

Leontovich’s interest in the experiences of people approaching death began while working in research involving amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive neurological disease that can rob individuals of their ability to move and communicate while leaving their awareness intact, outside of a small percentage of patients who experience cognitive changes. Witnessing experiences of patients and families led her to consider questions beyond medical treatment.

What were these individuals experiencing internally? How could researchers better understand their awareness? And could that understanding provide greater emotional support to people facing serious illness and death?

With a background in psychology and neuroscience, Leontovich eventually moved into research examining consciousness during cardiac arrest and resuscitation.

Over the past five years, her work has explored what researchers call recalled experiences of death, commonly known as near-death experiences. These are experiences reported by some individuals who have survived cardiac arrest and been successfully resuscitated.

The research combines quantitative scientific measurements, including electroencephalography (EEG) to monitor electrical activity in the brain, with qualitative research involving personal accounts from individuals who have survived these events.

One intriguing area of investigation involves unusual patterns of electrical activity observed in some brains during the dying process. Further research could help to understand these patterns and examine if there is a relationship between brain activity and experiences reported by some cardiac arrest survivors.

For Leontovich, findings raise larger questions about the nature of consciousness itself, including how our brains produce or relate to our sense of awareness and identity.

Her work brings together neuroscience and deeply personal experiences that have traditionally been difficult to study scientifically.

“I think that I’ve been really lucky to work at that intersection,” she said, referring to the traditional divide between science, spirituality and inner experience.

Understanding experiences near the end of life

More recently, Leontovich has expanded her research to examine paradoxical lucidity in individuals with dementia and other neurological conditions, as well as terminal lucidity near the end of life.

These phenomena involve unexpected moments of clarity, recognition or communication in individuals who may have experienced significant cognitive decline or lost the ability to communicate.

For families and caregivers, such moments can be deeply moving, particularly when they involve a renewed sense of connection with someone who has seemed increasingly distant because of illness.

Leontovich is interested in what these experiences may reveal about consciousness and whether there are meaningful connections between what people report following cardiac arrest and what others experience as they approach death.

Could these phenomena be part of a broader continuum of experiences surrounding the end of life? Much remains to be understood about their underlying mechanisms and relationships.

Through scientific investigation and conversations with individuals and families, she hopes to better understand experiences often discussed only through personal, cultural or spiritual perspectives.

While the scientific questions are compelling, Leontovich believes the research also has important implications for those caring for loved ones and navigating grief.

Finding comfort through understanding

Death, Leontovich observes, is among the few experiences that connect every human being. Yet the grief and emotions surrounding it can make it difficult to discuss openly.

“Death is such a taboo subject, in many cultures,” Leontovich said, noting that the emotions surrounding loss often contribute to our reluctance to talk about it.

Through conversations with people who have survived cardiac arrest and families who have witnessed unusual experiences near the end of a loved one’s life, she has discovered something meaningful: people often need a safe space simply to share what happened.

Some individuals have carried their experiences privately for years, uncertain how others might react or whether they would be believed.

Rather than describing this work as emotionally burdensome, Leontovich calls it inspiring and moving.

“It is very inspiring, and it’s very moving to be able to provide a space for people to share this experience,” she said.

She believes learning about these experiences can help people feel more comfortable discussing death, including the questions and emotions that accompany it.

“I think that it helps give people the language to actually talk about these experiences,” she said.

And sometimes, finding that language is the first step toward greater understanding and comfort.

What death might teach us about living

One of the most intriguing themes emerging from Leontovich’s work has less to do with what happens after death and more to do with what matters while we are alive.

In listening to accounts of recalled experiences of death and experiences surrounding the end of life, she has encountered recurring reflections. Although each person’s experience is unique, Leontovich says researchers have identified common themes across accounts from individuals with different backgrounds and beliefs.

These reflections have also influenced how she approaches her own life, making her more aware of how people treat one another and what ultimately holds meaning.

“I really think that’s about…human connections and how we treat people,” she said.

It is a perspective that invites us to consider questions we might otherwise postpone.

Are we making time for the people who matter most? Are there conversations we have been avoiding? Are we extending compassion to others navigating illness, grief or uncertainty?

For someone caring for a dying loved one, these questions may bring opportunities for meaningful conversation. For someone grieving, they may offer another way to reflect on a cherished relationship. For healthcare professionals and caregivers, they may encourage a deeper appreciation for the personal experiences accompanying the dying process.

And for those simply curious about life’s greatest mysteries, they offer an invitation to think differently about the present.

Leontovich hopes her research can help people approach death with greater openness, while recognizing that much remains unknown.

“There’s something that everybody can take away,” she said.

Beginning the conversation together

Perhaps one of the greatest opportunities presented by Leontovich’s visit is not finding definitive answers about death, but creating space for questions we rarely allow ourselves to ask.

Scientific research is helping explore experiences that have puzzled people for generations. While many questions remain unanswered, learning about these discoveries may offer new perspectives, greater understanding and a starting point for meaningful conversations.

We don’t have to be facing a terminal illness, grieving a recent loss or working in healthcare to benefit from these conversations. We don’t need a scientific background, a particular spiritual belief or even the right words.

We simply need a willingness to listen, reflect and learn alongside others.

Talking about death may never be easy. But greater understanding, compassion and connection can make those conversations feel less frightening and less lonely.

And perhaps, by becoming more comfortable talking about death, we can discover new ways to appreciate life.

About the Upcoming Presentation
November 11, 2026 – 7 pm
Messiah Lutheran Church, Marquette

“What Death Can Teach Us About Life” is a free public presentation featuring Natalia Leontovich, research project manager, NYU Langone Health Critical Care and Resuscitation Research Group, NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

Presented by the Cedar Tree Institute in collaboration with The Coming Home Project, the evening will also feature music by singer, songwriter and guitarist Michael Waite and flutist Stephan Leuthold.

The event is made possible through support from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation, Michigan Health Endowment Fund, Superior Health Foundation, Northern Michigan University Center for Rural Health and Michigan State University College of Human Medicine.

Everyone is welcome, whether attending out of personal curiosity, professional interest or a desire to better understand experiences surrounding death and dying.

To register, visit https://forms.gle/P3gPYbweYebYqoeH6 or email hpicotte@outlook.com.