  Mass loss dominates the stellar evolution on the Asymptotic Giant Branch. The
phase of highest mass-loss occurs during the last 1--10\% of the AGB and
includes the so-called Miras and OH/IR stars. In this review I will discuss the
characteristics and evolution of especially Miras, and discuss how they are
linked to the mass loss. There are indications that high mass-loss rates are
only reached for relatively young stars with massive progenitors. The mass loss
rates vary both on long and short time scales: the short-term variations are
likely linked to luminosity variations associated with the thermal-pulse cycle.
The influence of mass loss in the post-AGB phase is also discussed.
