AN AUTHOR from Bradford on Avon has addressed the problems with society’s reluctance to talk about death in her new book.

Sue Brayne, 67, trained as a nurse and did a masters degree in the Rhetoric and Rituals of Death.

Her latest book Living Fully, Dying Consciously, The path to spiritual wellbeing, draws on her own healing path, and is also inspired by her academic study into end-of-life experiences.

Miss Brayne said: “Since I can remember, I’ve always been fascinated with death. Everyone knows they’re going to die and our lives are shaped by it. It’s more then just a biological process. I’m aware of changes in the world so I had strong feelings I wanted to write it.

“I had a life changing mystical experience which took me beyond who I am. It was an ordinary setting on a train and the curtains in my forehead parted and I lost sense of my body. It was dark and light at the same time but there was a twinkle of amazing love is the only way I can describe it.

“When I was in this place there was a presence near me and I felt protected. Then the curtains closed and I was back on the train. People say you can't have that as they feel embarrassed but they aren’t mad and it’s good to talk about it.

"The main message of the book is breaking through this false persona we present to the world, and to learn to own the life we have come here to experience. Each one of us has such a completely unique life. However, we are often so full of shame that we forget that we all have something to contribute to the world."

“We’re going through times of massive change in our world, so I’m keen to promote resilience in our lives. If we can't address our own mortality, how can we address the enormity of the problems with the planet.”