Listening to a podcast about death can be a healing experience for someone coping with the loss of a loved one. In this article, Stelae discusses how these podcasts can be a useful tool to change our perception of life and death.
Why listen to a podcast about death
Experts in coping with grief say that talking about death in a natural way helps us to cope with grief in a more positive way. Out of fear or even superstition, most people avoid talking about it since it is such a taboo subject.
However, talking and reflecting on the end of life, both among adults and with children, helps us to express emotions and accept feelings. It also prepares us for bereavement and allows us to change our way of facing life.
Just as important as talking about death or reading books about death, is listening to other people talk about it because it makes us think about it and identify more closely with it. This is why listening to a podcast about death can help us.
Common themes in podcasts about death
Although a podcast about bereavement can help us to deal with the loss of a loved one, it is not the only topic covered in this type of podcast. There are discussions on the stages of grief, near-death experiences, guides to thinking about death in a light-hearted way, and even podcasts that take a comedic approach to the subject of death.
The best podcasts about death you should listen to
It is possible for you to find all kinds of podcasts about death. Some give you an insight into grief, while others give you an account of other people's experiences that you can relate to. Here are some examples:
Recommended podcasts for understanding bereavement
If you are looking for a podcast about grief that will help you understand the different stages and help you cope after the death of a loved one, you may wish to listen to one of the following podcasts:
- Por qué hablar de la muerte y el duelo ayuda a vivir mejor (Why talking about death and grief helps you live better). With the intervention of Patxi Izagirre, clinical psychologist and expert in bereavement, Cristina Mitre's podcast tries to explain the stages of grief and helps us to identify when we are dealing with pathological grief. It also addresses issues such as suicide, perinatal grief and palliative care, so many people may find it a very useful tool for confronting their own grief.
- Mirar la muerte (Looking at death). This podcast about death is presented from the perspective of three women who ‘work with death’. These palliative care nurses talk about caring for people at the end of their lives and the importance of dignity and saying goodbye to loved ones.
Podcasts about near-death experiences
Learning about the experiences of others helps us to empathise and identify those feelings and emotions we feel when we lose someone we love. Examples of this kind of podcast about death are:
- Asistolia: la muerte desde dentro (Asystole: death from inside). This podcast talks about death in a natural and clear way, covering the scientific, human and economic aspects of it. There are eight episodes with accounts from people who live with death on a daily basis, narrating everyday situations in a straightforward way.
- The griefcast. This was chosen as the best podcast of 2018 in the UK for its unique way of talking about death. It does so in a humorous way, bringing together a group of comedians who talk about the death of their loved ones. From these conversations you can draw conclusions. They generate empathy and an intimate experience with other people who share their own grief from a different point of view.
How to choose the best podcast about death
Not all podcasts about death are for everyone. Depending on your individual sensibilities and the stage of grief you are in, you may find that one particular podcast about death is more suitable for you than others.
Factors to consider
It is important that, when looking for a podcast about death, you think about what you want to get out of it. Understanding grief, learning about other experiences, having a guide for dealing with your own grief are all valid reasons for turning to such tools, and will be decisive in the type of podcast you choose.
Above all, it is important that you look for a podcast about death that is done with empathy and sensitivity. It should provide informed experiences and reflections in a tone that is adapted to the moment you are in.
The impact of death podcasts on our perception of life
Many people who have listened to podcasts about death come to the conclusion that talking about death is necessary to change the way we face life. Being aware of the ephemerality of our existence invites us to live more intensely and to recognise through the experiences of others that we are not alone in the grieving process.
Why is interest in podcasts about death growing?
Podcasts are on the rise and, with society's increased interest in mental health, many people are following the advice of experts who suggest talking about death in a natural way in order to cope with grief in a more empowering way.
More and more people are becoming less afraid to listen to experiences they can identify with or to go deeper and reflect on the end of life which is, essentially, an everyday issue. This is why there is a growing interest in podcasts about death.
