#29 - A Prickly Kind of Afterlife

When We Die Talks

Content provided by Zach Ancell. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Zach Ancell or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.

2M ago 38:29

MP3•Episode home

This week’s anonymous call begins with jokes about humidity, pets, and even what it would mean to be reincarnated as a cactus. But, like so many of these conversations, the laughter eventually gives way to something much more personal.

The caller opens up about years of chronic illness, nearly dying from blood clots, and the disappointment of seeking comfort in a faith community that couldn’t support them. They share what it meant to step away from the church, to embrace their identity, and to find peace in the cycles of nature.

What emerges is a vision of death not as an ending, but as energy recycled. Through plants, through animals, through us. It’s a conversation that mixes humor, honesty, and a surprisingly beautiful take on what might come next.

If you’d like to watch this conversation instead of just listening, you can find the video version on YouTube.

In this episode, we discuss:

Book recommendations: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Giver by Lois Lowry
The near-death experience of blood clots and how it changed their outlook on mortality
Why humor became their way of coping with chronic pain and medical trauma
Leaving the church, and what it means to find comfort outside of faith
Seeing dogs and cats as “souls who’ve already learned the lessons”
The idea of being reincarnated as a cactus (and what plants can teach us about energy, growth, and symbiosis)
How conversations about death can swing from lighthearted to deeply personal in a matter of minutes

Amori - Your Mortality Companion
Visit amori.life and use code WHENWEDIE50 to get 50% off your download.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
Support the show

Stay Connected
✨ WWDT+: Early Episode Access
🌐 Website: whenwedietalks.com
📸 Instagram: @whenwedietalks
▶️ YouTube: When We Die Talks
🎵 TikTok: @whenwedietalks
📰 Substack: When We Die Talks
📚 Anonymous Book Recommendations
✉️ Email: [email protected]

Want to share your thoughts?
We want to hear from you! Call our voicemail at 971-328-0864 and tell us what you believe happens when we die. Your message might be featured in a future episode and could help inspire someone else on their journey. Or, if you're interested in having a full conversation, you can apply to be an anonymous caller at whenwedietalks.com.

Have feedback about the show? Questions? Suggestions? Feel free to send a text or email—we’re always open to hearing what’s working and what’s not.

44 episodes

#Society #Zach Ancell #Death #Afterlife #Death Anxiety #Existential #Grief #Mortality #Life And Death #Conversations #Religion #Philosophy #End Of Life #Belief #Spiritual Beings