Mortally Wounded: Stories of Soul Pain, Death, and Healing

by Michael Kearney

What makes for a good death? In Mortally Wounded, a bestseller in Ireland, where it was first published, Dr. Michael Kearney reflects on his personal experiences working with the dying and shows us that it is possible to learn to die well. Starting from the premise that our fear of death is as much a cultural construct as an ancient fear of the dark, Kearney moves into the area in which it is possible to die well or "in one piece, psychologically speaking." Exploring some of the same territory as James Hillman and Thomas Moore, Kearney emphasizes the importance of going downward into soul, where we can find the elements of psychological wholeness, a healing balm to be applied to our mortal wound. Sensitive, intelligent, and brutally honest, Kearney opens a window on our darkest, most difficult subject, and lets some light in.

157 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

As you can see from my original review below, I read excerpts of this text a couple years ago... but yesterday I read the book in its entirety. It was excellent. First of all, I feel I have a better understanding of depth psychology than anything I gleaned from the other texts I read in my first two semesters in Mythological Studies. What I feel Kearney ultimately argues through this text is that there is a strong, healing power in our own inner depths. While he relates this specifically to the power individuals can find in this as they approach death, you can really apply it to any time (of crisis) in your life. And, of the most interest to me, he continuously relates everything back to the Chiron myth, concluding the text with a rich analysis of the myth that can only be fully appreciated after reading the entire text. This book offered me everything I was looking for, and also has me very excited about returning to graduate school!!

-------------------------------------------------------------------
My first review from February 2009:
I only read excerpts, so this is not a full review....
Last quarter, I learned about Chiron, the wounded healer of Greek Mythology. Because of my chronic pain injury, I was immediately drawn to this archetype. An instructor recommended this book to me when I asked where I could read about the Chiron myth.
I read a few excerpts throughout and the entire last section of the book on the Chiron myth. Someday I will read the book in its entirety, but right now, the bulk of it doesn't deal with what I am looking for - ways of coping with pain. This book deals with the bigger pain- death. It is filled with stories of mortally wounded patients. To be perfectly honest, that sounds rather depressing right about now. I think it will be helpful to read at another time when I know someone who is dying... or when I am dying... So, for now, I decided not to read those sections (my reading time is rather limited, after all).
The sections I read were very interesting, and Kearney offers good retellings of the Chiron myth with a good analysis of what it is to embrace both pain and death. Chiron struggles with an injury; he is both mortal and immortal. He is torn between these worlds. In some respect, we all are. We are both mortal and immortal, as our bodies will die but our souls will live on. The Chiron myth points towards reconciling that fact.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deeply moving and useful to me at this current stage of life, back with my aging parents.