Sometimes you have to read a headline twice to fully comprehend it.
“‘Living Funerals’ Offer Wake-up Call Without Trauma” by Danae King (https://www.pressreader.com/usa/dayton-daily-news/20200206/281943134876311) is the most recent to catch my attention. Occasionally a funeral for someone believed deceased is a plot device in fiction; I recall the service the town gave Tom Sawyer and his friends when they were thought dead. But planned and conducted for the living with their full cooperation?
Yes, we’ve come to this. According to the article, living funerals were first conceived in South Korea as a way to prevent suicides by showing people the value in their lives. It also can be viewed as a celebration of life for those who realize the end is near (https://www.yourfuneralchoice.com/living-funerals/).
Of course, all radical ideas cause their own controversies. Is this the ultimate gesture of respect or the perversion of a sacred rite? Or simply a huge ego trip?
Personally, I can’t imagine organizing or even requesting such a ceremony for myself. As for everyone else, whatever works….