Awaken to life with Mortals
Overcome your deepest fears and learn how to fully engage with your life.
With evidence-based tools and experiences contained within a compassionate community, Mortals guides you in embracing your mortality to profoundly enrich your life.Are you ready to embark on a transformative journey together?
What is it?
Picture Mortals as a haven for folks wrestling with life's big questions, dealing with difficult experiences or long-term or unexpected health issues.A place where you can engage in traditional and contemporary contemplative and creative activities - such as guided Buddhist meditation, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy exercises and creative writing - and join an online community of peers that is centred around awakening to life.
We recognise that we live in a society where people are increasingly disconnected, often thinking they're alone in their struggles – including the heavy stuff like, well, death.
On top of that many are grappling with chronic or long term health conditions or have experienced the loss of a loved one, which leads them to think about the big things about life - meaning, purpose, fear and hope.
Yet, thinking and talking about mortality seems to happen only when things are tough.We believe it's time for a change.
So, what's the solution?
Mortals begins with our evidence-based Mortality Attitude Profile, a simple questionnaire designed to help you understand how you feel about death with its empirically derived Mortality Types, that describe your attitude through key psychological sub-scales such as acceptance, fear, and empowerment.Once you understand that much, we can help you explore mortality over time in a contained, constructive way - with activities such as facilitated online group sessions, creative individual exercises and fascinating seminars from experts - aiming to shift your perception, ease your fears, and help you truly embrace life.
The Legacy Dreamer, one of 7 Mortality Types
How does it work?
Research shows that coming to terms with your mortality has the positive benefit of improving life satisfaction, wellbeing and meaning.We also know that that providing ‘social support’ (i.e. groups) can help people find a container for their problems and that the greater the support experienced by individuals, the lesser their fear of death.It's been shown that accepting death can liberate people from fear and anxiety of death, and lead them toward living their lives with purpose.
With Mortals our goal is for you to go...
From feeling alone with intense emotions... to finding a sanctuary to express and explore those feelings
From limited, unsupported conversations about mortality... to open, facilitated dialogues about life and death
From facing life's major transitions and stress alone... to being part of a community that helps navigate life's big changes together
From fear and anxiety about death... to a transformed perception leading to peace and acceptance
Hear from our founder, Ivor Williams
Mortality has touched my life in profound ways.I experienced a traumatic bereavement as a teen which thrust me into confronting life's big questions. This personal journey evolved into my life's work: helping others embrace their mortality and truly live.The need for Mortals is crystal clear to me. For nearly a decade, I worked with and for terminally ill people and their loved ones and spearheaded end-of-life innovation at Imperial College London, championing a compassionate, human-centric approach alongside brilliant designers, researchers, and clinicians. Our impact in palliative and hospice care has been felt across the UK and abroad.But the issues we face at the end of life are the same ones we face during the whole of our life: we are expected to face our mortality alone, often at the worst possible times, and without any of the support to make meaningful change.I’ve made it my mission to take on big problems. Before Mortals, I created Cove, an NHS-approved music therapy app loved worldwide that helped people self-manage their mental health in a joyful way. In 2022, I trained as an end-of-life doula, deepening my commitment to aiding others at life's final chapter.Mortals is the embodiment of the research and development I've been fortunate to be a part of over the years. But it's more than tools; it's a community and a positive vision for the future.Join us in exploring, reflecting, and understanding our shared journey and let's awaken to life together.— Ivor
Your mortality calls you to adventure
Register interest for Mortals!
We will be running a new programme in summer 2024. Sign up and be the first to know about applications and other exciting updates, such as the release of the Mortality Awareness Profile.
What happens on the programme?
The programme will include the creation of your Mortality Attitude Profile and will be comprised of:• Guided meditations and thought exercises that stimulate awareness of mortality
• Facilitated online group discussion and check-ins
• Practical exercises to help make the most of these ‘awakening’ experiences that will be directly applicable to your daily life
When death finds you, let it find you alive
Who made Mortals?
Mortals was created by Ivor Williams, in collaboration with psychologists and psychotherapists with guidance from spiritual leaders and others. It is built upon years of Ivor’s research - as Lead for End-of-Life Care at Imperial College London - into contemporary methods for supporting mental health and wellbeing and is based upon pioneering research in sociology, end-of-life care and psychospiritual care.
Who is this for?
Mortals is for everyone, because death affects everyone. Our mission is to support anyone at any stage of their life in an authentically inclusive space.When Mortals fully launches, we believe it will be particularly beneficial for those experiencing major life changes, facing existential problems due to climate change, bereavement, long-term or chronic illnesses or conditions, and terminal or life-limiting illness.
Who is this not for?
Our current offering is not for those who have been bereaved in the last 6 months or recently diagnosed with terminal illnesses. Given our small team, we don't have the in-house expertise to support people who may need additional support. We recommend professional 1:1 support for them if they feel they require any help with their experience.
What is the Mortality Attitude Profile?
The Mortality Attitude Profile (MAP) is a proprietary web-based questionnaire assessing one's views on mortality across five psychological areas. Once completed, it provides a personalised "Mortality Type" that can be used in your daily life much in the same way the Myers-Briggs personality tests can provide important insights. It is also a foundational part of the Mortals programme. It was designed in collaboration with psychologists, and is underpinned by robust academic research and empirical evidence, so you can trust the findings.
Is this safe?
We believe so. Our work is based upon a variety of sources, including ethically-approved clinical studies alongside long-standing practical exercises and meditations that have been used by many people over hundreds of years. We hold ourselves to a high standard of care, with years of experience in facilitating group work around sensitive/difficult topics and have designed our programme with input from clinical experts who have advised the best way to mitigate risks and provide the most reasonable care for people taking part in the programme.
Isn’t it a bit morbid to think about death?
While current societal norms might make it feel morbid, engaging with mortality has long been viewed as a profound way to truly understand and appreciate life. Think about the ancient Stoics, the use of Memento Mori in art, or the Death Café movement. Mortals is built upon a long tradition that has helped many people over the millennia.
What can I expect to get from Mortals?
Simply put, by understanding your personal attitude to mortality and engaging in our activities and being part of our community, we aim for you to find greater purpose, improved well-being, and lead a more fulfilling life.
What is the structure of the programme?
The 6-week programme offers weekly online sessions that centre around mortality awareness exercises. Week 1 sets the stage by explaining the pilot and gently introducing issues around mortality. Week 2 has participants pondering their ideal death. From Week 3 to 4, they deeply explore mortality through exercises like visualising a terminal illness, meditating on death, analysing their fear of dying, and recognising the consequences of evading mortality thoughts. Week 5 and 6 emphasises tasks that orient you towards your purpose and meaning in life and the creation of a legacy document connecting participants to their cultural roots, values and future generations. All with access to the private, online community.
We dream of a future where our mortality is embraced, not denied.
Join our journey towards awakening to life! Get in touch via email if you'd like to talk to us more about Mortals.Find our founder, Ivor on Twitter.Stay updated and subscribe to our Substack for deep dives into being mortal.
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