Healing 2.0: Disrupting Death
In 2019, Justin Harrison's mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer. But by the time she died, he had figured out how to keep a part of her alive...forever. This week, the strange and provocative story of a man who believes that grief is not inevitable — that we can, in a way, cheat death.
- Duration
- 59m
- Broadcast on
- 20 Nov 2023
- Audio Format
- other
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In 2019, Justin Harrison's mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer. But by the time she died, he had figured out how to keep a part of her alive...forever. This week, the strange and provocative story of a man who believes that grief is not inevitable — that we can, in a way, cheat death.
If you missed the earlier installments of our Healing 2.0 series, you can find them in this podcast feed, or on our website: Life After Loss, What We Gain from Pain, and Change Your Story, Change Your Life.
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This is Hidden Brain, I'm Shankar Vedanta. In 2021, the writer Sheri Turner decided to look up her mom's house on Google Maps. She typed in the address and hit enter. When the picture came up on her screen, it showed the house with a light on in her mom's bedroom. Sheri's heart skipped a beat. Her mom had died some years earlier in 2017. Google Maps had captured the image nearly 10 years before that. The light in the bedroom window was a snapshot from the past, like the glow of a star that has long since burned out. But to Sheri, at least in the world of Google Maps, it felt like her mom was still alive in the home where Sheri grew up. Sheri described what the experience felt like. She wrote of her mom, "It is still her house. She is still alive. I am still visiting every few months on the train." Sheri Turner's reaction to the image in Google Maps is part of a very old story. In every human culture, in every age, people try to preserve the memories of loved ones. They set up memorials, mark anniversaries, share remembrances. Mirrors and family heirlooms are passed down, generation to generation. They are always people try to keep the dead alive, at least in memory. But inevitably, memories fade over time. There is nothing we can do to bring those relationships back. Or is there? What if there is a way to never say goodbye, to avert the finality of death? Last week, psychologist Lucy Hone shared how she learned to live with the unimaginable loss of a child. Today, in the latest installment of our Healing 2.0 series, we bring you a strange and provocative story of a man who believes that grief is not inevitable, that we can, in a way, cheat death. The human quest to bridge the greatest of divides, this week on Hidden Brain. Support for Hidden Brain comes from Instagram. Instagram teen accounts automatic protections limit who can contact teens, the content they can see, and the time they spend on the app. Students are automatically placed into teen accounts. Teens under 16 will need a parent's permission to change any of those settings to be less strict. Learn more about teen accounts and Instagram's ongoing work to protect teens online at instagram.com/teenaccounts. Support for Hidden Brain comes from Defender. Even the boldest journey starts small, with a single decision to go somewhere new. Defender 110 is a vehicle built for those moments, for drivers capable of great things, whether they're headed toward uncharted territory or just a weekend away. The Defender 110 combines on-road presence with off-road capability. It looks tough because it is, with an exterior engineered for durability. Inside, capability meets comfort, with seating for five and the option for seven plus refined finishes and thoughtful design. It's also packed with intuitive tech, like 3D surround cameras with clear-side ground view to help you navigate rough terrain, and the next-generation PIVI Pro infotainment system designed to keep you informed, connected, and in control, no matter the path. The Defender 110 is naturally capable, expedition ready, and built for those ready to move forward.
Transcription truncated.
In 2019, Justin Harrison's mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer. But by the time she died, he had figured out how to keep a part of her alive...forever. This week, the strange and provocative story of a man who believes that grief is not inevitable — that we can, in a way, cheat death.