Amid reports that Keanu Reeves thinks about dying all the time, death experts and grief counselors advise focusing on life rather than endings.
Mr. Reeves has been discussing death while promoting “The Book of Elsewhere,” which he co-wrote with science fiction author China Miéville.
“The Book of Elsewhere” opens on a battlefield where several people are dead or are in the process of dying. A doctor then weighs in on what he calls the “Great War” and the soldiers who survived it.
Readers are taken on a philosophical journey through an apocalyptic dystopian world that’s dotted with burned-out cars, ruined laptops, housing projects hedged by trash, and fallen bodies of dead men.
One of the characters is struggling with the dilemma of coming back to life on multiple occasions after being declared dead.
Narration in the book switches from third person to second person and back again in a hodgepodge of short stories.
Some of the chapter titles are “The Wife’s Story,” “The Servant’s Story,” “The Doctor’s Story,” “The Stowaway’s Story,” “The Orphan’s Story,” and “Brother.”
Characters coming back to life is indicative of a reincarnation theme, according to Grief Coach Jock Brocas.
“Keanu has probably thought deeply about reincarnation because there’s a reincarnation structure in the book but not from a religious point of view but from the point of view that we have the capacity to continue in another form,” Mr. Brocas told The Epoch Times.
The Canadian actor starred in box office hits such as “Speed” in 1994, “The Matrix” in 1999, and “The Matrix Reloaded” in 2003.
“The Book of Elsewhere,” based on his comic book series “BRZRKR,” is his first novel, and he is slated to star in a film rendition.
“Many individuals who are in the late stages of adulthood are more open to thinking about mortality as they become more aware that life is short and has no guarantees regarding the average life expectancy,” Elreacy Dock, certified grief educator and Capstone University adjunct professor of thanatology, told The Epoch Times.
A thanatologist is a specialist in the scientific study of death, dying, grief, loss, and bereavement.
Mr. Reeves is no stranger to endings. He began experiencing the death of loved ones at a relatively early age.
For example, he was in his 20s when his best friend, River Phoenix, overdosed in 1993. A few years later, the baby daughter he had with Jennifer Syme was stillborn, and in 2001, Ms. Syme died in a car accident.
“Reeves is likely grappling with his own aging process and the inevitable reality of his mortality,” grief doula and former hospice director Maura McInerney-Rowley told The Epoch Times. “This is a common phase for many individuals as aging brings a natural reflection on one’s achievements, relationships, and unfulfilled aspirations. For Reeves, this reflection might be intensified by his personal losses and the public nature of his life.”
Ms. McInerney-Rowley is the founder of Hello, Mortal, a weekly newsletter aiming to transform the denial of death into a celebration of life.
People who are preoccupied with death or dying can navigate around it by embracing a more mindful approach to life, according to Ms. Dock.
“This can look like pursuing more activities and goals that bring a sense of meaning and purpose into their lives, leaning more deeply into nurturing their relationships and bonds with other people, and simply taking more time to be fully present in every experience,” Ms. Dock said.
The benefits of ruminating about life rather than death include making the most of building connections, creating positive memories, and pursuing meaningful goals, according to certified death doula Erin Kabba.
“By focusing on the now, we may find peace and come to accept that this journey will ultimately end,” Ms. Kabba told The Epoch Times. “We all should strive to die empty—leaving nothing behind that you wished you had done or accomplished.”
