Dispatches · Issue 12 · Newsletter ·
The Existential Dispatch, Issue No. 12
In healthcare, we are often asked to be steady while standing inside other people’s instability: uncertainty, grief, anger, and the slow erosion of certainty. Thinker of the issue: Karl Jaspers.
A Word from the Founding Director
In healthcare, we are often asked to be steady while standing inside other people’s instability: uncertainty, grief, anger, and the slow erosion of certainty. This week’s Dispatch is a small reminder that existential work is not a luxury add-on; it is part of how we keep faith with the human beings in front of us (and with ourselves).
Existential Thinker of the Issue
Karl Jaspers
“Philosophy is a struggle against the bewitchment of our intelligence by means of language.”
Why it matters clinically: In the clinic, language can both heal and trap. Jaspers’ reminder helps us notice when a diagnostic label, a protocol, or even a well-meant reassurance starts to replace the person’s lived reality. Existential care begins when we loosen the words enough to meet the experience again.
In Academia
Neuroexistential psychotherapy: bridging the gap (Frontiers in Psychology, June 29, 2026)
A new open-access paper argues for a more unified, evidence-informed existential psychotherapy that can converse seriously with brain/body science without losing what existential traditions protect: meaning, agency, and personhood. frontiersin.org
In Film, Literature and Culture
AI “grief videos” and the ethics of simulated remembrance (Fortune / AP, July 2, 2026)
A reported look at the growing market for AI-generated videos that recreate deceased loved ones — a vivid case study in how technology can both comfort and complicate mourning, raising questions about consent, reality, and the limits of “one more conversation.” fortune.com
In Healthcare (Global)
Australia: a hospital-led review aimed at reducing occupational violence and aggression
Northern Health (Victoria) is partnering with the Monash University Accident Research Centre on an “Australian-first” review to identify underlying causes of violence in hospitals and inform a three-year prevention plan — a reminder that safety work is also meaning work: what we tolerate shapes who we become. premier.vic.gov.au
Funding and Grant Opportunities
NIH Director’s New Innovator Award (FY2027) — application due August 17, 2026 (5:00pm local time)
High-risk/high-reward support for exceptionally creative early-career investigators proposing bold approaches to major biomedical/behavioral challenges. commonfund.nih.gov
Conferences and Events
The 5th Sapporo Conference for Palliative and Supportive Care in Cancer (SCPSC)
A global convening focused on palliative oncology and psycho-oncology. uicc.org
Startup and Innovation Watch
Empathy adds AI to bereavement support and legacy planning (Built In NYC, July 7, 2026)
Empathy announced a new focus on integrating AI into its bereavement support platform, including an AI-guided space to rehearse difficult conversations — an example of how “care at scale” is increasingly being designed through the lens of cognitive load, accompaniment, and narrative. builtinnyc.com
To Close: An Existential Joke
I told my therapist I’m afraid of commitment. They said, “Let’s unpack that.” I said, “I’d rather not label anything right now.”