Rainer Langhans, the 84-year-old hippie icon and co-founder of Kommune I, shared that he is facing the end of his life due to terminal cancer. In a recent interview with Bild, Langhans stated, "I am dying. Death has me in its grip. I am befriending him."
Langhans is known for his role in the 1968 student movement and as a symbol of the sexual revolution. His relationship with Uschi Obermaier and his involvement with Kommune I made him an icon of the hippie era. According to Stern, Langhans and Obermaier lived the free love lifestyle until 1973.
Langhans battled aggressive prostate cancer for five years and previously disclosed his diagnosis publicly. According to T-Online, a blood test in mid-February revealed that his cancer is progressing, with doctors determining that his condition is incurable. "They can only make dying easier for me," he said.
Langhans remains calm and introspective. "I myself have no panic. On the contrary. The news has awakened my life spirits anew," he said. Embracing his spirituality, he meditates against the fear of death. "My spirituality helps me to continue living," he explained.
Langhans chose to forgo aggressive treatments such as chemotherapy and surgery. As reported by Stern, he is focusing on palliative care and continues to receive hormone therapy that lowers his testosterone levels, a process he describes as "chemical castration." "I don't want to start a war with my body," he said, according to T-Online.
Throughout his journey, Langhans finds solace in acceptance and love. "I know it sounds strange to many people, but I have accepted the cancer, explained my love to it, and now live more consciously and appreciatively," he acknowledged. He firmly believes in life after death. "I am convinced that there is a life after this one. And beyond the normal world, I will be healthy, an all-encompassing loving being, who is doing well and is blissful," he told Bild.
Langhans's three long-time female companions, Christa Ritter, Brigitte Streubel, and Gisela Getty, have been deeply affected by the news of his impending death. "The women are afraid for me, they are repressing the doctors' statement," he said. Despite their fears, he trusts them to make his remaining time meaningful. "And when the time comes, the women can think of something. They will surely make it nice," he added.
As he faces his final chapter, Langhans remains true to his ideals, seeking deeper meaning in his situation. "I live in the here and now. And I want to use the time that remains to me," he said. He refuses to withdraw from public life and continues to engage with the world around him. "I enjoy every moment, have no pain, and participate fully in life," he expressed to Bild.
Langhans meditates to cope with the fear of death, and his spirituality became a cornerstone of his daily life. "Instead of falling into despair, he is turning to meditation," reported T-Online. "The knowledge of dying makes me come alive strongly again. It may sound crazy. Death has come closer to me, but by accepting the illness, I am blooming again in the last meters," he shared with Bild.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.