If you knew you only had one year left to live, what would you do differently? This week’s Saturday Contemplation — available exclusively to WWDT+ members — explores what truly matters when time feels finite.

During a medical crisis, this week’s caller found herself outside her body, greeted by family who had already died, and facing a threshold she was told not to cross. Blending humor and honesty, she shares what that experience taught her about death — and the unexpected peace she found there.

The very first Saturday Contemplation reflects on a simple but powerful truth: each breath brings us closer to death. This guided meditation invites you to sit with impermanence and discover the preciousness of every breath.

This special anniversary episode marks one year of When We Die Talks. Instead of an anonymous call, I take time to pause and reflect on what this past year has brought—thirty conversations that have reshaped the way I think about death, grief, connection, and even my own beliefs. I share the lessons I’ve learned from both the calls and the process of creating this podcast, introduce the new Saturday Contemplations, and talk honestly about what the future might hold. Most of all, I want to say thank you—for listening, sharing, and being part of this space where we can talk about what so many avoid.

Episode #30 marks the first international call for the podcast. Our Canadian caller shares a wide-ranging conversation about science, spirituality, and culture—touching on everything from the brain’s mysteries at death to an extraordinary coma story where days felt like decades. At its heart is the idea that each of us is a universe in and of ourselves.

This anonymous caller mixes humor with raw honesty as they share their experience living with chronic illness, nearly dying from blood clots, and stepping away from the church they grew up in. What they found instead was comfort in the natural world — in the ways plants, animals, and energy all recycle and renew. The conversation moves from jokes about reincarnating as a cactus to deeply personal reflections on faith, identity, and resilience. It’s a mix of laughter, honesty, and perspective you won’t forget.

In this anonymous call, a close friend joins me to explore everything from heart-shaped signs left by her grandmother to the daunting reality of eternity. Our conversation moves between the intimate and the infinite. Touching on mortality, time, space, nothingness, and the strange mix of fear and wonder that comes with contemplating what happens when we die.

An anonymous caller reflects on her father’s passing, the strange signs that followed, and how those moments restored her faith in an afterlife. We explore grief as a state of being, the puzzle piece that can never be replaced, and the possibility that ego and consciousness transform when life comes to an end.

What if you never died? In this anonymous call, our guest imagines immortality, jokes about sexy vampires, and reflects on what it means to “walk people home.”

In this call, our caller shares the story of losing her brother, the surreal moments of his dying process, and the humor and signs that carried her through. From freezer chicken to promises in the sky, it’s a conversation about grief, ritual, and why planning for death matters.

He lost his wife in a sudden accident—just before they made the first payment on their home. In this call, we talk about living in the moment, the isolation of grief, and finding flashes of humor in the heaviest places.

A nurse and Reiki practitioner reflects on what she’s learned from being with people as they die—and the experiences that made her believe consciousness continues on. From childhood curiosity to dream visitations and energy healing, this episode explores what it means to hold space for the unknown. It’s grounded, mystical, and even a little weird—in the best way.

Our caller lost her best friend just before her birthday. In this anonymous call, we talk about grief, the stigma around suicide, and the belief that love and energy never really disappear.

Content Note: This episode includes discussion of suicide. Call or text 988 for free, 24/7 support.

This caller doesn’t know what happens when we die and he’s completely at peace with that. From grief and religion to psychedelics and a cat named Flannel, this conversation covers a lot of ground and lands in a place of calm certainty: everything will be okay.

Season 2 officially starts next week, but I wanted to take a minute to share a few thoughts before it does. In this short update, I talk about how the podcast has evolved, what’s shifting in Season 2, and what you can still expect from each episode moving forward.

If you’ve been listening, thank you for being here. And if you’re just joining, I’m glad you found the show.

Brynna Fish shares her idea of the “Worldwide Soul Web,” a belief that our souls are made of those who came before us—and continue on through others when we die. We talk about connection, loss, and the messages that find their way to us, even through dogs.