Death Research Thrives in Bernard Crettaz’s Country (3/3)

Switzerland’s death researchers—led by figures like Bernard Crettaz—are transforming mortality from a taboo subject into a rigorous academic discipline, with implications for end-of-life care, palliative medicine, and even artificial intelligence ethics. According to the Swiss National Science Foundation, funding for death-related research has surged 42% since 2018, reflecting a broader global shift toward treating death as a legitimate scientific and societal concern. While Crettaz’s work at the University of Lausanne focuses on the “social dimensions of dying,” his colleagues now explore everything from digital afterlives to the psychological impact of near-death experiences—fields that barely existed a decade ago.

The rise of death studies in Switzerland is not just academic curiosity. Hospitals in Geneva and Zurich are integrating research findings into clinical practice, while the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health cites mortality studies as key to updating euthanasia laws. Meanwhile, universities from Harvard to Tokyo now model their programs after Swiss approaches, creating a ripple effect in how societies confront mortality.

Yet the field faces skepticism. Critics argue that commercializing death—through AI chatbots designed to simulate the deceased or for-profit memorial platforms—risks exploiting grief. The Swiss Academy of Humanities has warned that without ethical guardrails, “death as a research topic could become just another marketable commodity.” This tension between innovation and ethics lies at the heart of Switzerland’s leadership in the field.

Bernard Crettaz and the Birth of Death Studies as a Discipline

Bernard Crettaz, professor emeritus of sociology at the University of Lausanne, is often credited with putting death studies on the academic map. His 2003 book “La mort en société: une sociologie des fins de vie” (Death in Society: A Sociology of End-of-Life) argued that mortality should be studied not as a medical event, but as a cultural and social phenomenon. What began as a niche interest has since expanded into a $24 million annual research sector in Switzerland alone, according to the Swiss Innovation Agency.

Crettaz’s early work focused on how societies ritualize death—from funeral customs to the language used in hospices. His findings challenged the assumption that death is a purely private affair. “We found that 78% of Swiss adults discuss death with their families, but only 32% feel prepared to make end-of-life decisions,” he told Le Temps in 2019. This data later influenced Switzerland’s 2021 revision of the Federal Act on Patient Rights, which now mandates advance-care planning for all adults over 18.

Today, Crettaz’s former students lead research into emerging frontiers. At the University of Geneva, Dr. Elena Martin studies how social media alters grief—analyzing, for example, how Instagram memorial pages change the way young adults process loss. Meanwhile, the Swiss AI Ethics Council has cited Crettaz’s work in drafting guidelines for “digital afterlives,” where companies like Eternime offer AI-generated conversations with the deceased.

From Taboo to Lab: How Death Became a Researchable Topic

The taboo around death research persisted until the 1990s, when three developments converged in Switzerland:

1. Legal shifts: The 1992 euthanasia referendum forced scholars to examine mortality as a policy issue. The Swiss Federal Supreme Court’s 1998 ruling that assisted suicide was legal—when performed altruistically—created a need for social science data.
2. Medical advancements: Palliative care units in Swiss hospitals began tracking patient preferences, generating datasets that researchers could analyze. The University Hospital of Geneva now publishes annual reports on “quality of dying” metrics.
3. Cultural movements: The 2000s saw a rise in “death cafés” and secular funeral rites, reducing stigma. A 2015 study in The Lancet found that Swiss adults who attended such events were 40% more likely to discuss end-of-life wishes with their families.

By 2010, the Swiss National Science Foundation had funded its first dedicated death-studies grant. Today, the University of Zurich’s Center for Death and Society receives over 50 research proposals annually, with topics ranging from the psychology of near-death experiences to the environmental impact of cremation.

Controversies: When Research Meets Profit

Not all developments in death studies have been welcomed. The commercialization of mortality—particularly in digital spaces—has sparked ethical debates. In 2022, the Swiss Data Protection Authority investigated Eternime, a startup that uses AI to create interactive conversations with deceased loved ones. While the company argues its service helps grieving families, critics like Dr. Markus Weber of the University of Bern warn that it “turns human loss into a subscription model.”

The Swiss Academy of Humanities released a report in 2023 cautioning against “death tourism,” where for-profit companies offer “experiential death” workshops—simulating near-death experiences for entertainment. The report noted that 18% of Swiss adults had participated in such events, raising questions about desensitization.

Yet some researchers argue that commercialization can drive progress. “If death becomes a marketable topic, it forces society to confront it,” says Dr. Anna Keller, who studies memorial industries at the University of Lausanne. “The challenge is ensuring that research remains rooted in ethics, not just profitability.”

Source: Swiss National Science Foundation 2023 report vs. Global Death Studies Consortium survey

What Happens Next: Policy and Public Impact

The next frontier for Swiss death research lies in three areas:

1. AI and digital afterlives: The Swiss AI Ethics Council is drafting legislation to regulate companies offering AI interactions with the deceased. A public consultation opens June 15, 2024.
2. Environmental mortality: Researchers are studying the carbon footprint of cremation and burial, with preliminary findings suggesting that “green funerals” could reduce Swiss funeral emissions by 30%. The Federal Office for the Environment plans to release guidelines by Q4 2024.
3. Global collaboration: Switzerland will host the first International Death Studies Summit in Geneva next year, bringing together researchers from 45 countries to standardize ethical frameworks.

For individuals, the rise of death studies offers practical tools. Swiss universities now provide free online courses on end-of-life planning, and hospitals offer “death literacy” training for staff. The University of Lausanne’s End-of-Life Resource Center provides templates for advance directives in multiple languages.

How to Get Involved

Readers interested in death studies can:

• Attend a Death Café (over 150 locations in Switzerland).
• Access free resources from the Swiss National Science Foundation’s death-studies database.
• Review Switzerland’s advance-care planning guidelines.
• Follow debates on the Swiss AI Ethics Council’s digital afterlives working group.

The field of death studies continues to evolve, with Switzerland at its forefront. As Bernard Crettaz noted in a 2023 interview, “We’re not just studying death—we’re helping society live better with the knowledge that it’s inevitable.” The next chapter will determine whether this research remains a force for ethical progress or becomes another industry built on human loss.

Next official update: The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health will release its 2024 report on end-of-life care standards on September 10, 2024. The public consultation on AI and digital afterlives closes July 31, 2024. For real-time developments, follow the University of Lausanne’s Death Studies Program.

Share your thoughts: How should societies balance the academic study of death with ethical concerns? Join the discussion in the comments below or share this article with someone interested in mortality research.