The DEATH CAFE hosted by Elizabeth Gill Lui

THE DEATH CAFE

hosted by Elizabeth Gill Lui

PHILOSOPHICAL RESEARCH SOCIETY

Lecture Room

THIRD THURSDAY & FOURTH SATURDAY

2:00pm - 5:00pm

The Death Cafe is a regular gathering of open-minded people who share in discussions related to death and dying, and the omnipresence of loss that permeates our lives. The focus is an open-ended forum for investigating life’s meaning when informed by the finitude of our existence. Our conversations uncover insights into the mystery of life as seen through the prism of death’s inevitability. The meeting is informal, without expectation, and open to all.

THE DEATH CAFE AND THE DEATH-POSITIVE MOVEMENT

The Death Cafe is part of a growing international movement of people who desire to reevaluate and transform our cultural relationship to death. Since its founding in England in September 2011, Death Cafes have spread internationally and are now held in over 90 countries. The Cafes bring together people who are committed to a healthier approach to dying, death and burial, including green burials and alternatives to the problematic practices of the traditional funeral industry. The Death Cafe is conducted under the original guiding principle of its founder, Jon Underwood, ‘to increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives’. The simple directive for the gathering is to ‘get people together, have tea and cake, and talk about death.’ At the PRS Death Cafe we are especially engaged in a secular humanist investigation into the nature of reality, living and dying. Additional information on the Death Cafe can be found at .

YOUR HOST

Elizabeth Gill Lui is a fine art photographer, published author, and educator. Her academic background includes advanced degrees in Comparative Religion, American Indian Studies, Architectural Photography, and Transformational Psychology. She has been a distinguished visiting scholar at schools in the US and Asia, and recipient of grants from the Ford Foundation, the Graham Foundation, and the Rockefeller Fund. Lui’s books have looked at the cultural significance of architecture and the built environment as humanizing aesthetic forces, while promoting the need for architectural literacy. Her fine artwork in photography presents iconic imagery that conveys the unity of consciousness and nature, the fractal patterns present in the organic world, and the profound connections that unite us all. Further information can be found at .

CAFE ATTENDANCE

Admission is free of charge, but a suggested donation of $10 towards the nonprofit Philosophical Research Society is much appreciated. Ticketing is offered through the PRS Eventbrite page and can also be purchased in person on the day of the event at the PRS Bookstore.

This event is held in the upstairs LECTURE ROOM at PRS, accessible by an outside staircase. If you need any special assistance, please email events@prs.org or phone 323-663-2167.

• To ensure safety for visitors and staff, PRS has implemented the following measures:
• Please stay home if you are feeling sick. Check the CDC website for coronavirus symptoms.
• Please do not visit if you come in close contact with someone who has COVID-19 or COVID-19 symptoms in the 14 days prior to your visit.
• Face masks are strongly recommended to all visitors and staff indoors. See LA County recommendations. ​
• Please use the outdoor courtyard when eating or drinking.
• ​Capacity is limited for the purposes of safety.
• Hand sanitizer stations are available throughout the campus.
• All visitors must follow the posted rules.

PRS EVENT POLICIES

• We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone.
• Events are subject to change without notice, including guest speakers and/or performers.
• We encourage you to arrive at least 30 min. before the scheduled event start time to find parking, enjoy the Bookstore and take your seats.
• Please turn off all mobile devices before the show. Talking and texting are not allowed during the events.
• No filming, audio recording or mobile phone recording of events, screenings, concerts or other programs by audience members is allowed.
• There is no smoking permitted on PRS grounds.
• We strongly encourage guests to wear masks to PRS events to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
• PRS allows Service Animals into the facility under ADA and state guidelines. For further details please visit www.ADA.gov. No animals permitted whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support, under ADA guidelines and CA Health Code.
• Please do not bring outside food or drink into PRS events.
• Weapons are strictly prohibited at PRS events.

REFUND POLICIES

All sales are final. There are no refunds or exchanges for PRS events, except in the event of a medical emergency, including but not limited to a positive COVID-19 test.

In the event that PRS is forced to cancel an event entirely, tickets will be refunded or vouchers offered for a rescheduled event.