When We Die Talks

Brynna Fish has spent much of her life exploring what it means to be a soul. What we’re made of, what we leave behind, and how we stay connected after we die.

In this episode, she shares personal stories that helped shape her idea of the “Worldwide Soul Web”—a belief that our souls are composites, made up of pieces of those who came before us. From an unexpected moment beside a stranger’s body on a Cincinnati highway, to a message passed between two of her dogs in the great beyond, Brynna reflects on how connection, memory, and love transcend death.

We also talk about her Jewish upbringing, how past life regressions and spiritualist churches shaped her worldview, and the moment at her mother’s funeral when the wind blew at just the right time. Whether or not you share her beliefs, this is a conversation about what lives on, and how we might carry those we love in more ways than we realize.

Mentioned in this episode:

• The Jewish tradition of watching over the dead
• Past life regression and spiritualism
• The power of naming and remembering those we’ve lost
• Her concept of the “Worldwide Soul Web”
• Dog stories that’ll probably make you cry

Special thanks to Holly Pruett for making this interview happen!

About When We Die Talks: When We Die Talks is a podcast built around anonymous conversations about death, loss, and how contemplating mortality shapes the way we live. If you’re new here, start with the Episode Guide. It’s designed to help you find conversations that match where you’re at—curiosity, grief, hesitation, or openness.

Stay Connected
🌐 Website: whenwedietalks.com
📰 Substack: When We Die Talks
📸 Instagram: @whenwedietalks
▶️ YouTube: When We Die Talks
✉️ Email: [email protected]

Want to share your thoughts? Leave a voicemail at 971-328-0864 and share what you believe happens when we die. Messages may be featured in a future episode. If you’d like to have a full conversation, you can apply to be an anonymous caller at whenwedietalks.com.

Two anonymous callers, two very different life stories, but a shared thread of grief, reflection, and the search for meaning.

In this episode, one caller opens up about a decade marked by intense, sudden losses, including the murder of a close cousin, the death of her fiancé, and a period of time spent living in her car. Through it all, she has wrestled with the big questions of what happens when we die and found a kind of personal faith rooted in kindness, connection, and the love of a small dog named Henry.

The second caller grew up with death always lingering in the background. Her mom was diagnosed with cancer when she was ten and passed away when she was twenty-two. That experience shaped everything—her outlook on life, her fears around health, and even her sense of identity. We talk about the stories we carry, what happens when we finally let some of them go, and why grief can feel like a personality trait.

Both conversations dig into what happens when grief becomes part of your identity, and what it takes to start making sense of it all. Whether it’s finding faith in the eyes of a dog or learning to rewrite the story you’ve been telling yourself for decades, these calls offer a glimpse into how we keep going even when things fall apart.

Books mentioned in this episode:

• I Am Still the Greatest Says Johnny Angelo by Nik Cohn
• The Chronology of Water by Lidia Yuknavitch
• All Book Recommendations (So Far!)

This episode is sponsored by Amori.

Amori is a digital time capsule designed to help you reflect on mortality, process emotions, and leave meaningful messages for your loved ones. It’s a thoughtful way to ensure your presence is felt in life’s biggest moments, even after you're gone.

Learn more and get 50% off at amori.life with the code WHENWEDIE50.

About When We Die Talks: When We Die Talks is a podcast built around anonymous conversations about death, loss, and how contemplating mortality shapes the way we live. If you’re new here, start with the Episode Guide. It’s designed to help you find conversations that match where you’re at—curiosity, grief, hesitation, or openness.

Stay Connected
🌐 Website: whenwedietalks.com
📰 Substack: When We Die Talks
📸 Instagram: @whenwedietalks
▶️ YouTube: When We Die Talks
✉️ Email: [email protected]

Want to share your thoughts? Leave a voicemail at 971-328-0864 and share what you believe happens when we die. Messages may be featured in a future episode. If you’d like to have a full conversation, you can apply to be an anonymous caller at whenwedietalks.com.

Maura McInerney-Rowley has been part of When We Die Talks from the very beginning, encouraging Zach to turn the project into a podcast long before the first episode was released. In this conversation, she shares how early experiences with illness and loss shaped her, what she learned as a hospice director, and the moment that led her to create Hello Mortal and Death Archetypes.

Zach and Maura talk about what it means to live with the reality of death, the importance of sitting with uncertainty, and how curiosity can be a powerful guide. This episode explores why contemplating death isn’t morbid. It’s deeply human, and can help us live more intentionally.

How to Find Maura

• Hello, Mortal
• Death Archetypes
• Substack
• Instagram

About When We Die Talks: When We Die Talks is a podcast built around anonymous conversations about death, loss, and how contemplating mortality shapes the way we live. If you’re new here, start with the Episode Guide. It’s designed to help you find conversations that match where you’re at—curiosity, grief, hesitation, or openness.

Stay Connected
🌐 Website: whenwedietalks.com
📰 Substack: When We Die Talks
📸 Instagram: @whenwedietalks
▶️ YouTube: When We Die Talks
✉️ Email: [email protected]

Want to share your thoughts? Leave a voicemail at 971-328-0864 and share what you believe happens when we die. Messages may be featured in a future episode. If you’d like to have a full conversation, you can apply to be an anonymous caller at whenwedietalks.com.

In this episode, two anonymous callers share their perspectives on death, loss, and what might come after. While each conversation is distinct, both explore how personal experiences and beliefs shape our understanding of mortality.

The first caller reflects on a series of traumatic events, including the sudden death of his mother. He discusses how these losses led to a deeper exploration of Buddhism and grief, culminating in the discovery of a mysterious email—apparently sent by his mother—months after her passing. The second caller, a dream therapist, offers insights from over two decades of working with people navigating loss and fear through their dreams. She shares the idea that death may be individualized, meeting each person in a way that reflects their own language, belief system, and emotional state.

Together, these conversations offer thoughtful reflections on grief, healing, and the diverse ways we attempt to make sense of death.

Topics Covered:

• Personal accounts of loss and healing
• The role of Buddhism and spirituality in processing grief
• A mysterious posthumous email and its emotional impact
• Dream therapy and how dreams may help prepare us for death
• The concept that death meets each person individually
• Reflections on truth, belief, and the stories we tell ourselves to find peace

Mentioned in the Episode:

• The Ten Things to Do When Your Life Falls Apart by Daphne Rose Kingma
• Illusions by Richard Bach
• When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chödrön
• Murderbot by Martha Wells
• The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri

About When We Die Talks: When We Die Talks is a podcast built around anonymous conversations about death, loss, and how contemplating mortality shapes the way we live. If you’re new here, start with the Episode Guide. It’s designed to help you find conversations that match where you’re at—curiosity, grief, hesitation, or openness.

Stay Connected
🌐 Website: whenwedietalks.com
📰 Substack: When We Die Talks
📸 Instagram: @whenwedietalks
▶️ YouTube: When We Die Talks
✉️ Email: [email protected]

Want to share your thoughts? Leave a voicemail at 971-328-0864 and share what you believe happens when we die. Messages may be featured in a future episode. If you’d like to have a full conversation, you can apply to be an anonymous caller at whenwedietalks.com.

This week, I’m talking with Elizabeth Fournier, also known as The Green Reaper. Elizabeth runs a funeral home in Boring, Oregon and is one of the most well-known advocates for green and home-based burial in the country. She’s also the author of The Green Reaper: Memoirs of an Eco-Mortician, which tells the story of how she built a funeral home in a repurposed goat barn and started helping families return to more natural, hands-on ways of saying goodbye.

We cover everything from what’s actually involved in a green burial to lesser-known options like human composting and water cremation. Elizabeth also shares her personal relationship with death, how she came to this work through early loss, and what she believes happens when we die.

A quick note before listening: this was our second time recording the episode. We lost part of the original due to a tech glitch, and Elizabeth was gracious enough to do it all over again. Also, toward the end of this version, a client arrives unexpectedly and she needs to wrap quickly. I’ll step in during that moment to give you a heads-up.

In this episode:

• What green burial really means and how it works legally
• Why families are increasingly interested in natural and home burials
• How Elizabeth got the nickname The Green Reaper
• Her personal belief about what happens when we die
• What she’d want her loved ones to know if she died tomorrow
  
  

Books Mentioned in this episode:

• Elizabeth’s memoir: The Green Reaper: Memoirs of an Eco-Mortician
• Her follow-up book: The Green Burial Guidebook
  
  

Connect with Elizabeth:

• Website: thegreenreaper.org
• Instagram: @elizabethgreenreaper
• Funeral Home: cornerstonefuneral.com

About When We Die Talks: When We Die Talks is a podcast built around anonymous conversations about death, loss, and how contemplating mortality shapes the way we live. If you’re new here, start with the Episode Guide. It’s designed to help you find conversations that match where you’re at—curiosity, grief, hesitation, or openness.

Stay Connected
🌐 Website: whenwedietalks.com
📰 Substack: When We Die Talks
📸 Instagram: @whenwedietalks
▶️ YouTube: When We Die Talks
✉️ Email: [email protected]

Want to share your thoughts? Leave a voicemail at 971-328-0864 and share what you believe happens when we die. Messages may be featured in a future episode. If you’d like to have a full conversation, you can apply to be an anonymous caller at whenwedietalks.com.

In this episode of When We Die Talks, Zach shares two anonymous conversations sparked by one simple question: What do you believe happens when we die? Both callers were raised Catholic, but their paths have taken them in different directions. One has found comfort in the traditional ideas of judgment, heaven, and hell, while the other explores reincarnation, spirit guides, and the role of karma. Along the way, they each reflect on how contemplating death has shaped the way they live.

These calls were part of a new project to connect with more voices and perspectives. If you want to be part of the random pool for future anonymous calls, you can apply here: https://www.whenwedietalks.com/apply-anonymous

Please note: these are phone conversations, so the audio quality differs slightly from regular episodes, and there are a few minor connection issues during the calls.

About When We Die Talks: When We Die Talks is a podcast built around anonymous conversations about death, loss, and how contemplating mortality shapes the way we live. If you’re new here, start with the Episode Guide. It’s designed to help you find conversations that match where you’re at—curiosity, grief, hesitation, or openness.

Stay Connected
🌐 Website: whenwedietalks.com
📰 Substack: When We Die Talks
📸 Instagram: @whenwedietalks
▶️ YouTube: When We Die Talks
✉️ Email: [email protected]

Want to share your thoughts? Leave a voicemail at 971-328-0864 and share what you believe happens when we die. Messages may be featured in a future episode. If you’d like to have a full conversation, you can apply to be an anonymous caller at whenwedietalks.com.

In todays episode, I speak with pet death doula Ute Luppertz about the emotional journey of losing a beloved animal. Made more timely by a recent health scare with my 17-year-old dog Jackson, we discuss how we can prepare for a pet’s death, create meaningful rituals, and navigate the grief that often goes unspoken.

Together, they explore:

• How pets teach us about patience, compassion, and presence
• The importance of rituals and legacy in animal loss
• Why grief around pets is often minimized—and how to push back
• How children and other animals experience loss
• What Ute believes happens when our pets die

Whether you're actively caring for an aging animal or reflecting on past loss, this conversation offers comfort, perspective, and tools for honoring the love we share with our pets.

Connect with Ute:

Website: https://www.pets-point-of-view.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/petspointofview/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/petspointofview/

Pet Hospice & Death Doula Training

About When We Die Talks: When We Die Talks is a podcast built around anonymous conversations about death, loss, and how contemplating mortality shapes the way we live. If you’re new here, start with the Episode Guide. It’s designed to help you find conversations that match where you’re at—curiosity, grief, hesitation, or openness.

Stay Connected
🌐 Website: whenwedietalks.com
📰 Substack: When We Die Talks
📸 Instagram: @whenwedietalks
▶️ YouTube: When We Die Talks
✉️ Email: [email protected]

Want to share your thoughts? Leave a voicemail at 971-328-0864 and share what you believe happens when we die. Messages may be featured in a future episode. If you’d like to have a full conversation, you can apply to be an anonymous caller at whenwedietalks.com.

In Episode 13, Zach talks with poet and therapist Sara Rian, whose work beautifully captures the complex emotions surrounding grief and loss. Sara openly shares her experience following the suicide of her mom in 2018, discussing how writing poetry became an essential part of her healing process.

Throughout the episode, Sara and Zach explore:

• The profound impact poetry can have in expressing and processing grief.
• Personal anxieties around death and strategies for coping.
• How conversations about loss can reduce feelings of isolation and foster connections.

Content Warning: This episode includes discussions of suicide and traumatic loss. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please seek support from mental health professionals or trusted individuals. You're not alone.

Special Giveaway: We're giving away signed copies of Sara Rian's powerful poetry books! To enter, head over to  Substack or Instagram for all the details.

Connect with Sara:

Website: https://www.sararianbooks.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sara_rian_books/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553870953082

About When We Die Talks: When We Die Talks is a podcast built around anonymous conversations about death, loss, and how contemplating mortality shapes the way we live. If you’re new here, start with the Episode Guide. It’s designed to help you find conversations that match where you’re at—curiosity, grief, hesitation, or openness.

Stay Connected
🌐 Website: whenwedietalks.com
📰 Substack: When We Die Talks
📸 Instagram: @whenwedietalks
▶️ YouTube: When We Die Talks
✉️ Email: [email protected]

Want to share your thoughts? Leave a voicemail at 971-328-0864 and share what you believe happens when we die. Messages may be featured in a future episode. If you’d like to have a full conversation, you can apply to be an anonymous caller at whenwedietalks.com.

This episode is another all-voicemail edition, featuring deeply personal messages from listeners reflecting on one of life’s biggest questions: What happens when we die?

The voicemail has always been a central part of When We Die Talks. It’s a space where people share their beliefs, fears, and hopes about death—whether they find comfort in the unknown, struggle with uncertainty, or see death as a transition to something else.

In this episode, voices from different backgrounds offer unique perspectives on mortality. Some explore the possibility of reincarnation, others reflect on the idea of returning to energy, while some wrestle with the concept of nothingness. Their stories highlight the complexity of how we process death and what it means for the way we live.

This collection of voicemails serves as a reminder that there is no single answer, only the personal truths we form along the way.

This episode sponsored by The Deadbook: The Deadbook provides your loved ones with a framework, giving them space to grieve once that day comes. Visit thedeadbook.co and get started today. And just for listening, use the code ‘WWDT’ at checkout for 15% off. 

About When We Die Talks: When We Die Talks is a podcast built around anonymous conversations about death, loss, and how contemplating mortality shapes the way we live. If you’re new here, start with the Episode Guide. It’s designed to help you find conversations that match where you’re at—curiosity, grief, hesitation, or openness.

Stay Connected
🌐 Website: whenwedietalks.com
📰 Substack: When We Die Talks
📸 Instagram: @whenwedietalks
▶️ YouTube: When We Die Talks
✉️ Email: [email protected]

Want to share your thoughts? Leave a voicemail at 971-328-0864 and share what you believe happens when we die. Messages may be featured in a future episode. If you’d like to have a full conversation, you can apply to be an anonymous caller at whenwedietalks.com.

In this special episode of When We Die Talks, Zach sits down with his father, Chris Ancell, for a conversation that’s both personal and profound. They’ve shared countless discussions over tequila, but this one focuses on something much deeper—the inevitability of death and how each of them approaches it differently.

Chris reflects on the deaths that have shaped him, from family members to close friends, and how those experiences have evolved his understanding of mortality. His pragmatic outlook stands in stark contrast to Zach’s deeply personal fears, creating a conversation that’s raw, insightful, and—at times—unexpectedly humorous.

Together, they explore questions like:

• What do you think happens when we die?
• How does our understanding of death change over time?
• Does consciousness persist beyond the body?
• Would you want to know the exact date of your death?

This episode sponsored by The Deadbook: The Deadbook provides your loved ones with a framework, giving them space to grieve once that day comes. Visit thedeadbook.co and get started today. And just for listening, use the code ‘WWDT’ at checkout for 15% off. 

About When We Die Talks: When We Die Talks is a podcast built around anonymous conversations about death, loss, and how contemplating mortality shapes the way we live. If you’re new here, start with the Episode Guide. It’s designed to help you find conversations that match where you’re at—curiosity, grief, hesitation, or openness.

Stay Connected
🌐 Website: whenwedietalks.com
📰 Substack: When We Die Talks
📸 Instagram: @whenwedietalks
▶️ YouTube: When We Die Talks
✉️ Email: [email protected]

Want to share your thoughts? Leave a voicemail at 971-328-0864 and share what you believe happens when we die. Messages may be featured in a future episode. If you’d like to have a full conversation, you can apply to be an anonymous caller at whenwedietalks.com.