Death holds a strange and terrible fascination for most people. Often framed as the final journey or adventure on which we depart, the mystery of what lies beyond death’s door is one of the greatest questions faced by mankind.

What comes after life isn’t really the focus of Raymond Tallis’ book on death though. Rather The Black Mirror is an exploration of life, living, and the philosophical questions therein, but told “from the point of view of a totally dispossessed corpse” - namely Raymond’s own. This strange autobiographical approach allows Raymond to reflect not only on the nature of life itself but on the details of his own days and years among the living.

We see the now deceased Raymond work his way back through his life, reflecting on his relationships and the very nature of our lives. This reaches from the great to the mundane. So while he talks about the act of being in relationships or in nature he also highlights the massive amounts of everyday stuff we need to get through life; from oft misplaced keys to clothes and food.

Raymond’s training as a neuroscientist and extensive work with the brain lends a professional edge to this philosophical work. As his dead self reflects on the meanings in life it also addresses the inner workings of the human mind. One of the highlights of this is that, while he’s journeying through his own memories, the Raymond Tallis corpse is looking at how memory and remembering works.

Susan spoke with Raymond about his own life, his career in medicine, and these reflections on death and the meaning of life. Should we be afraid of death? Should we be more focused on life? And what can we learn from looking beyond The Black Mirror? (this piece starts roughly 20 minutes in)

This week’s music to read to

Clem Leek’s ‘Breaking Down’ opens the show with ‘Crystal Lake’ by Julianna Barwick bringing part one to a close. The show ends with ‘Necklace of Wrens’ by The Gloaming.