Today, I speak with Ben Schmidt, a licensed funeral director and content creator. I ask him questions about what happens after you die, how the body is prepared for last rites, and what families should expect during the process. We also delve into the case of Kendrick Johnson—the teen who died under mysterious circumstances in a gym mat—and the condition in which his body was returned to his family.

We really get into the weeds, nerding out on the details surrounding embalming and cremation. I even ask Ben about the pros and cons of smoking formaldehyde.

Ben shares some fascinating scientific insight into the embalming process, especially in the first 20 minutes. Personally, I love the level of detail, but don’t worry—we mix up the topics regularly throughout the episode.

Email [email protected] IG: @mortraqr @thefuneralcast    Facebook: The Funeral Science Podcast, The Funeralcast   Tik Tok:   @funeral_science   Podcasts (Spotify Links):  The Funeral Science Podcast  The Funeralcast Blog Sights: www.frigidfluid.com www.ravenplume.com

I met Xavier many years ago at a meetup in California. He’s incredibly talented and radiates positivity. Over the years, he’s been involved in several music projects as a singer and songwriter, and we hit it off immediately.

In today’s episode, we discuss a family vacation he took with his father—what should have been a relaxing getaway in a tropical paradise instead turned into a tense ordeal, navigating family conflicts. Adding alcohol to the mix doesn't help. 

 

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ai61DeA6TloJOZ8TYcqMf?si=Mx9Anxn1RCCbybz3QgE_WQ

 

https://www.instagram.com/virtualnobodies/

 

"Consent is the voluntary, informed, and enthusiastic agreement to engage in an activity, particularly when it comes to personal boundaries or intimate situations. It involves clear communication, mutual respect, and understanding that any party has the right to say "no" at any time, without facing pressure or consequences. Consent is crucial for building trust, ensuring safety, and promoting healthy, respectful interactions in all areas of life." I pulled this definition of consent from ChatGPT because even a robot gets it when the rest of the world seems to struggle. 

CONSENT CAN BE WITHDRAWN AT ANYTIME

 Today's episode I speak with Kenna about a situation she found herself where she became intimate with a man who did not respect her wishes, care about her as a person and only wanted to take. She shares details about the attack, the actions she took and the emotional toll it left. 

As much as I like to mix my topics up, I felt this was needed to piggyback off the last update episode. I have many more topics coming up, from morticians to healthcare. 

 

 

On today's episode, I welcome back Lisa, who was featured on episode 21, "Why We Don't Report Rape." A quick recap: she served in the Coast Guard and was attacked in her room while stationed there. She couldn’t identify her attacker, nor was she allowed to put a lock on her door for security. It was a very upsetting episode, and when she reached out, I was thrilled to hear from her. I was hoping for good news, but instead, she shares how she was attacked again. From there, she confides in me the treatment that worked for her, and we discover that we have something in common.

I was really excited to speak with her and had some unexpected surprises during the conversation.

Happy Halloween! For tonight's creepy episode, I interview Joe Diamond (what a name!) who is a mentalist and magician. He's had a storied career and life growing up in a conservative town while pursuing his dreams of becoming a magician. We talk about his time on Penn and Teller's Fool Us, delve into philosophy, and even do a few magic tricks.

https://www.joediamondlive.com/

https://www.instagram.com/joediamondlive/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kql5oar-UIE&t=2s

 

Here on the peripheral, we talked a lot about drinking and alcoholism. Something we've never discussed is what happens once you stop drinking.

What is it like to live a sober lifestyle? How does the rest of the world treat somebody who chooses not to consume alcohol? You might not realize how intertwined drinking is in our culture and society. In everything we do, alcohol is available. In any event or situation, even at church, alcohol will be provided.

It's accessible anywhere, and even when there's a global pandemic, liquor stores are considered vital or essential. I stopped drinking several years ago, and at every event I attend or outing I go on, I face peer pressure, shaming, and even ridicule for not drinking.

Today, I speak with Rebekah, who recently celebrated her seventh year of sobriety. I decided to have a conversation with her and ask about her experiences after choosing to give up alcohol.

 

Check out Rebekah's new podcast!

https://www.tyfyipod.com/

https://www.instagram.com/hi_itsrebekah/

 

I have ADHD. Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. I've had it all my life but was only diagnosed a few years ago. I was told I had anxiety and depression for many years which I'm sure my ADHD presented as but ultimately the root cause for my issues had always been ADHD.  ADHD has dozens of traits or symptoms associated with it and with the advent of the smart phones and social media, lot of people are self diagnosing but there are differences between being addicted to your phone and actually having the disorder. To get a better understanding of ADHD I speak with Andrew who is a licensed therapist, Husband, father and "Neurospicy."    

https://linktr.ee/neurospicycounseling

https://www.instagram.com/neurospicycounseling/

Welcome back to the peripheral, I was on the wine and crime podcast,  ep 67 gossip at the corpse cart, Amanda and Lucy are hilarious and we had a lot of fun chatting. They do my astrology chart so please check that out. Also if you're in the northeast Aaron and I will be at the Berkshire podcast festival in north Adams Massachusetts . Oct 18-20 use code Generation2024 for 35% off your ticket.

Today's episode is a little different. I had the pleasure of speaking with Jake Deptula from Strictly Stalking and LoveLustFear podcast. It's an interesting conservation between two similar podcasters who interview guests about traumatic events. We discuss what it's like being on the other side of the microphone, ways to protect yourself from stalking and resources that are available for stalking victims.

https://linktr.ee/StrictlyStalking

https://www.stalkingawareness.org/

http://www.standupresources.com/

http://www.victimconnect.org/

https://www.stopstalkingus.com/

http://www.cagoldberglaw.com/

https://www.berkshirepodcastfestival.com/

https://wineandcrimepodcast.com/show_episodes/ep67-gossip-at-the-corpse-cart/

We can all sit back in our comfortable lives and question other people's decisions. Especially when it comes to relationships. We think we know what we'd do if we were put in that situation or walked in someone else's shoes but we don't. It's easy to say everyone is accountable for their own actions but what if those actions have been molded and manipulated but someone who has broken you down, striped away your identity and made you believe that you deserved all of the terrible things they've said or did to you?

My guest today paints a pretty clear picture of a cycle of abuse that she endured and how it affected her judgement of others and more importantly, herself.

We hear a lot of stories about trauma and abuse on this podcast. After losing all of my siblings to mental health issues and addiction I must admit that I sometimes don't hold much hope that people can change, people can turn their lives around or persevere.

We can loosely connect the dots between childhood trauma to mental health disorders as an adult. On this episode my wonderful guest and friend Shane Waters joins me. Through Shane's wonderful story telling, he connects those dots from his childhood trauma to his behavior as an adult.

Here are Shane’s shows: Foul Play and Hometown History.