A Death Doula’s Guide to Consciousness After Death with Mayim & Jonathan

In this powerful and emotional Mayim Bialik’s Breakdown episode, licensed end-of-life counselor and death doula Dr. Martha Jo Atkins explores consciousness after death and what truly happens when we die. Drawing on decades of guiding people through their final moments, she reveals the spiritual, biological, emotional, and psychological changes that occur when consciousness leaves the body—offering profound insights into life after death and the mysteries of the dying process.

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You’ll hear jaw-dropping stories of deathbed visions, including dream shifts, visits from deceased loved ones, and shared death experiences where relatives actually feel what the dying person is experiencing. Dr. Atkins shares what she’s witnessed that made her believe in the afterlife, what understanding death can teach us about living, and her own supernatural encounters—from speaking to deceased loved ones in dreams to eerie hospice hauntings.

Dr. Atkins also breaks down:

• Why we’re so afraid to talk about death—and how doing so makes us more human
• How sensory perception shifts as people begin to let go, and the signs that death is near
• The difference between a natural death and dying before your time—and what that means for the soul’s journey
• Could Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy help us process grief in healthier ways?
• Why presence matters most in a loved one’s final days
• How our treatment of elders reflects our values as a society, and why end-of-life care matters deeply

Plus, Mayim opens up about the raw, painful, yet beautiful experience of caregiving for her father in his final days.

Whether you’re grieving, caregiving, or simply seeking answers to what happens when we die, or wondering what leaves the body when we die, this episode offers rare wisdom and comfort for life’s most inevitable transition.

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