Podcast Episode

The Scientist Who Talks to Spirits | Dr. Neil Theise

Life, Death & The Space Between with Dr. Amy Robbins·Dr. Amy Robbins |Psychology | Spirituality | Grief | Life After Death·9 August 2026·1h 15m

About this episode

My guest today is a serious scientist. Dr. Neil Theise is a pathologist and stem cell researcher whose work has been featured in Nature, Science, and Cell. He's also a Zen practitioner. For decades, he kept those worlds separate—until his own body forced them together. But what really got me? His 82-year-old mother. She had dementia, talked to dead people, traveled out of body, and described space and time as "chopped into pieces." Her Parkinson's disappeared. Her blood pressure normalized. She called it the happiest time of her life. Neil wrote Notes on Complexity to lay the groundwork. His next book, Sarah in the In-Between, is the one he really wanted to write. This conversation will change how you see dementia, death, and what it means to be present. 00:00 A Scientist Who Talks to Dead People03:10 Introducing Dr. Neil Theise04:30 Two Paths: Science and Mysticism13:12 The Stem Cell Work That Shaped History16:02 Complexity Theory: How Life Self-Organizes22:06 The Moment His Leg Became Cells28:04 The Zendo: Stick or Smoke, Body or Cells31:30 Big C Consciousness and the Mind of God34:48 His Mother Sarah: Dementia, Dead People, and Bliss43:20 Her Parkinson's Disappeared46:36 End-of-Life Visions Are Real52:53 Maybe They're Not Gone. Maybe They're Elsewhere.58:21 Why You Need a Spiritual Practice1:00:55 Mark's After-Death Communication with Sarah1:06:28 The Woman Who Still Hears Sarah's Voice1:12:40 Where to Find Neil LEARN MORE ABOUT DR. NEIL THEISEhttps://www.neiltheiseofficial.com/about  Subscribe to my Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/dramyrobbins  JOIN MY COMMUNITY In The Space Between membership, you’ll get access to LIVE quarterly Ask Amy Anything meetings (not offered anywhere else!), discounts on courses, special giveaways, and a place to connect with Amy and other like-minded people. You’ll also get exclusive access to other behind-the-scenes goodness when you join! Click here to find out more --> https://shorturl.at/vVrwR Stay Connected: -         Instagram - https://tinyurl.com/ysvafdwc-         Facebook - https://tinyurl.com/yc3z48v9-         YouTube - https://tinyurl.com/ywdsc9vt-         Website - https://tinyurl.com/ydj949kt   Life, Death & the Space Between Dr. Amy RobbinsExploring life, death, consciousness and what it all means. Put your preconceived notions aside as we explore life, death, consciousness and what it all means on Life, Death & the Space Between.** Brought to you by:Dr. Amy Robbins | Host, Executive ProducerPodcastize.net | Audio & Video Production |  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.