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The Mystery of Death
Final Notes follows a 107-year-old man on his deathbed who drinks a medically approved psilocybin tea that takes his mind on a mind-bending journey to explore what it means to exist. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Ever since I was quite young, I have been aware and interested in the absolute inevitability of my own death, of everyone’s, really. I have encountered it in my own life many times, puzzling at its often arbitrary takings and the metaphysical implications of oblivion. My own adventure with psilocybin, the proverbial “magic mushrooms,” caused me to explore this somewhat peculiar obsession. The title and premise for the book came to me during such a trip.
I thought this story had a unique setup and an interesting premise. What were some goals you set for yourself as a writer in this book?
I chose the deathbed setting of a very elderly man, as such an individual would have had much to reflect upon and consider, and was consciously aware that his remaining time was limited to hours. As I have with other published works, I created the last line of the book and wrote towards that. On a more personal level, it presented me with the opportunity to delve deeper into the mystery of death and come to some conclusions of my own, like how I would like to leave existence if given the chance.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Obviously, death and the process of dying when one is fully aware that the end is imminent. But I also wanted to tease the reader with his or her own reflections on mortality and the prospect of non-existence, what it might mean when eventually no one remembers anything about you. Another motif is the incredible understanding of what it means to live on a “pale blue dot” in a minor galaxy where nearby nothingness is all we know.
What is the next book that you’re working on, and when can your fans expect it out?
Ha! Well, this book is certainly a “one-off” due to the subject matter. But before starting this book, I was halfway through writing what I thought was a sci-fi book with an interesting premise involving nano-bots and avian flu. I stopped after I realized that AI had outrun my plot and narrative. I may go back and do a rewrite, though I admit to being a bit “spooked” by the acceleration of AI and its implications for everything.
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Everyman meets Alice in Wonderland is a thoughtful and adventurous journey of the mind that focuses on the recall, revelations and realizations that one experiences at the onset of death.
Meet an unnamed 107-year-old man at the end of his life. His ingestion of medically approved psilocybin carries him on a mind-bending journey as he contemplates his imminent future of eternal non-existence.
Mentally alert but physically depleted, the dying man accepts the offer-his doula and hospice team at his side. Soon, the psilocybin triggers recall, revelation, and realization in startlingly new ways that create an odyssey of the mind in the narrator’s last hours. His experience is accompanied by a proprietary selection of music fashioned by Johns Hopkins for such occasions.
Inspired by the actual practice of using psilocybin to process, understand, and come to terms with terminal illnesses and trauma, Final Notes is a beautiful narrative with prose as lyrical as the music played on its pages.
Readers will come to grips with their own comprehension of what it means to “exist,” as well as be encouraged to ponder universal truths of life and death. The incredible inward journey of a man at the end of his days is a powerful lesson for every human willing to contemplate the inevitable occasion of one’s deathday.
Final Notes
Final Notes is a deeply introspective and brutally honest reflection on dying, memory, and meaning. Written from the imagined deathbed musings of a 107-year-old man, the book unfolds like a last conversation with a thoughtful, witty, occasionally cranky elder who has made peace with his fate. Muhlenfeld blends philosophy, science, personal anecdotes, and black humor to explore what it means to matter, if we matter at all, when we’re all destined for obscurity. It’s a farewell letter to existence, scribbled with elegance, sarcasm, and startling clarity.
Reading this book was a bit like sitting beside someone who’s holding nothing back. I laughed. I got choked up. I put it down more than once to think about my own life. The writing is smooth. It’s raw in the right places, poetic in others. There’s a rhythm to Muhlenfeld’s voice that kept me nodding along, even when I disagreed. The author never pretends to have all the answers, but he asks the right questions. The mix of stoicism and warmth, the gallows humor, the sudden emotional gut punches, they all land. He doesn’t flinch from the messiness of death, and that kind of honesty is rare. Refreshing, even.
At times, it circles back to familiar points, and there’s a stretch where the musings feel slightly indulgent. Still, I didn’t mind much. It felt earned. The digressions on legacy, digital immortality, AI death doulas, and even death row last meals aren’t just filler. They add texture. The real surprise is how comforting it all is. Muhlenfeld seems to have accepted the darkness without bitterness. Somehow, he makes it feel okay to disappear.
Compared to Oliver Sacks and Christopher Hitchens, Final Notes finds a middle ground between gentle reflection and sharp-edged wit. Like Sacks in Gratitude, Muhlenfeld writes with a calm acceptance of death, holding onto wonder even as the light dims. But there’s also a streak of Hitchens’ blunt irreverence. He’s not afraid to mock the euphemisms, the false hope, or even himself. In the end, I think Final Notes isn’t about death. It’s about living with eyes open. I’d recommend it to anyone wrestling with grief, aging, or just the big unspoken question of what any of this means.
Pages: 137 | ASIN : B0FDJDYQKP
LITERARY TITAN 