Death like life is a process. 'Beyond the brain' is a speculative project about the late stages in the human life and the threshold between life and death in a person's life. As recorded over the last decades, people around the world do live longer, but many also live sicker for longer, according to a study of all major diseases and injuries in 188 countries.

General health has improved worldwide, thanks to a significant progress against diseases in the past decade and gains in fighting illnesses. But healthy life expectancy has not increased as much, thus people live more years with illnesses and disabilities.

In law, euthanasia has no special legal position in the UK. Instances described as euthanasia are treated as murder or manslaughter. However, the Suicide Act (1961) makes a specific offence of 'criminal liability for complicity in another's suicide' and is punishable by up to 14 years' imprisonment, while declaring suicide itself to be legal.

Opinion polls show overwhelming public support for law changes that would make it easier for terminally ill patients in pain to request medical help to shorten their lives. In successive surveys, about 80 per cent of people back the move. A recent survey found that 47 per cent of people said they were prepared to help a loved one to die, even if it meant breaking the law.

If a person is approaching their end of life, they have the right to good palliative care – to control pain and other symptoms – as well as psychological, social and spiritual support. They're also entitled to have a say in the treatments that they receive at this stage. For example, under English law, all adults have the right to refuse medical treatment, as long as they have sufficient mental capacity.

The project explores the reality behind the assisted suicide mask' a controversial subject for many years and suggests that mentally competent, terminally ill adults should be allowed the option of an assisted death, within strict legal safeguards. This would bring an end to the many negative consequences of the status quo on terminally ill people and their loved ones such as dignitas deaths, mercy killings, violent suicides, refusal of food and water and illegal assisted dying practices.

What if Otley could work as a prototype town' as an example where people could make the very last decision for their lives?

What if Otley was in limbo?