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Orange County Death Cafe August 6, 2026

Event Series (See All)

August 6 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Join us at Endswell Funeral Home on August 6th from 6-8PM for a potluck and open discussion with the community around your questions about death and dying.

First Thursday – Orange County Death Café, August 6th 2026

Facilitated by: James McKelvey & Justin Dillree

Several Death Cafés hosted in Durham and Orange Counties:

  • ● Orange County Death Café: 1st Thursday each month, 6:00-8:00pm – Endswell FH, 407 Meadowlands Dr., Hillsborough. Moderator: James McKelvey & Facilitator: Justin Dillree. Registration at https://endswellfuneralhome.com/news-and-events/.
  • ● Hillsborough Death Café: 2nd Monday each month, 5:45-7:45pm – 903 Eno Street, Hillsborough, facilitated by: Neidra Clark. Register by contacting Neidra at neidra@mindspring.com.
  • ● Death Café Noire: 2nd Saturday each month, 2:00-4:00pm – Durham South Regional Library, facilitated by: Traci Hathaway. Registration is not needed.
  • ● Daylight Death Café: 3rd Monday each month, 9:30-11:00am – Seymour Center, Chapel Hill, facilitated by John Chase. Register by contacting the Seymour Center front desk at 919-968-2070.
  • ● Orange County Death Café: 3rd Wednesday each month, 6:00-8:00pm – Endswell FH, 407 Meadowlands Dr., Hillsborough. Facilitated by: Sara Williams, Registration at https://endswellfuneralhome.com/news-and-events/.
  • ● Southwest Durham Death Café: 4th Monday each month, 5:30-7:30pm – Southwest Regional Library, Shannon Road, Durham. Facilitated by: Tammy Morales & Justin Dillree. Registration is not needed.
  • ● LGBTQ+ Death Café: 4th Thursday each month, 1:30-3:00pm – Seymour Center, Chapel Hill. Facilitated by: Tsyr Han Chow. Register by contacting the Seymour Center front desk at 919-968-2070.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

  • ● Coming Up:
    • ○ Wednesday 8/19; 6:00pm – 8:00pm Orange County Death Cafe – Endswell
    • ○ Thursday 8/20; 11:30am – 1:00pm Info. Session, Sustainable End of Life Care – Endswell
    • ○ Thursday 9/3; 6:00pm – 8:00pm Orange County Death Cafe – Endswell
    • ○ Saturday 10/10, The Science of Consciousness (TSC) Conference – San Diego CA
  • ● Check Endswell’s Events Calendar for details and more of what’s Coming Up!

FIRST THURSDAY CONVERSATIONS:

Tonight we had a very interesting conversation that began with, and frequently circled
back to, questions surrounding lived personal experiences with and connection to consciousness after death.

  • ● Consciousness After Death: What becomes of our consciousness after we die, are we still able to communicate, how can we prepare in the world of the living?
  • ● Different Views: People always look at life differently, in ways that fit with the desires they are seeking, and we tend to gravitate toward the things that align with our personal life, and world views.
  • ● Transitional: Death can be transformational, we are always changing in life, and death is just one more sense of transformation in life.
  • ● One or All: Is our experience of consciousness truly an explanation of a solitary isolated experience, or are we connected with potential to recognizing and interacting with a whole unifying universal conscious experience?
  • ● NDEs (near death experiences): How can we understand what has happened on the other side during an NDE, and how do we tap into what that is in the world we live in now.
  • ● Phenomenology Vs. Ontology: What are we experiencing in our minds vs. what we are experiencing that exists in the real wold outside of our minds?
  • ● Frequencies: Consciousness is described by some as varying degrees (frequencies) of energy, that can be sensed in interactions and experiences after death.
  • ● Stillness: When the mind is perfectly still (utter stillness – a reference to Buddhism), we connect with the ‘background condition’ within our own minds.
  • ● Spiritual Hunger: Does hunger for connection cloud our thoughts and abilities to get in touch with those from the other side, or even ourselves?
  • ● OK: Being OK with not knowing what happens after the end of our lives may provide better opportunities for us to foster connection with those we care about in the living (and ourselves).
  • ● Focus: Remember to focus on the world we live in now, taking small steps to prepare for your own death, while finding many ways to connect with people in your life today.

Quotes:

  • ● “Hope is the key to making the most of our lives”

Recommendations:

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Endswell Funeral Home

407 Meadowlands Dr
Hillsborough, NC 27278 United States + Google Map
(919) 907-9777
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