DEAD Talks

DEAD Talks with David Ferrugio is a podcast about death, grief, loss, and what it means to truly live. After losing his father on 9/11, David created a space for honest, emotional, and sometimes funny conversations about the one thing we all face but rarely talk about. Each episode features guests sharing real stories about grief, near-death experiences, the afterlife, healing, trauma, spirituality, and the human experience. You might cry, you might laugh, and you might leave thinking about life a little differently.

DEAD Talks is a society podcast hosted by David Ferrugio, with 279 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

David Ferrugio hosts DEAD Talks, a society show with 279 episodes published.

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  DEAD Talks

  A Catholic Priest Who Helps Souls Cross Over: Afterlife, Trauma & Grief with Father Nathan Castle (#281)

  Sep 28, 20261h 11m

  A Catholic Priest Who Helps Souls Cross Over: Afterlife, Trauma & Grief with Father Nathan Castle (#281) What happens to people who die suddenly and traumatically, and what can their stories teach those of us still grieving? Father Nathan Castle, O.P., is a 70-year-old Dominican priest, author, and podcast host. For nearly 30 years he has had an unusual calling. More than 700 people who died in car crashes, floods, violence, and other sudden tragedies have come to him in dreams. With his prayer partners, he helps them find peace and move forward in the afterlife. Whether you're a believer, a skeptic, or somewhere in between, this conversation offers a hopeful and surprisingly human view of death, grief, and what might come next. Most of all, it carries one message: don't let the worst thing that happened to you define you. Connect with Father Nathan Castle: Website: https://nathan-castle.com Podcast: The Joyful Friar (Apple Podcasts / Spotify) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FatherNathanCastleOP Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/father_nathan_castle Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fathernathancastle You're Not Dead Yet: How Grief and Loss Can Teach You to Live: Learn more and order David’s book at ⁠DeadTalks.net/Book⁠ Sign Up For E-Mail Updates Here: https://www.deadtalks.net/signup Support the Show Join the DEAD Talks Patreon for just $2 to support the mission—and get episodes early & ad-free: https://www.patreon.com/cw/deadtalks Hats, Shirts, Hoodies + More: https://cottonbureau.com/people/dead-talks Exclusive Discounts 10% off Neurogum – powered by natural caffeine, L-theanine, and vitamins B6 & B12 to boost focus and energy: https://neurogum.com/deadtalks About DEAD Talks DEAD Talks with David Ferrugio approaches death differently. Each guest shares raw stories of grief, loss, or unique perspectives that challenge the “don’t talk about death” taboo. Grief doesn’t end—it evolves. After losing his father on September 11th at just 12 years old, David discovered the power of conversation. Through laughter, tears, and honest dialogue, DEAD Talks helps make it a little easier to talk about death, mourning, trauma, and the life that continues beyond it. Connect with DEAD Talks (@deadtalkspodcast)YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | www.deadtalks.net Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  DEAD Talks

  9/11 Families vs. Saudi Arabia: The Lawsuit 25 Years Later (#280)

  Sep 21, 202648 min

  Twenty-five years after 9/11, the legal fight for answers is still ongoing. DEAD Talk host, David Ferrugio (who lost his father on 9/11) sits down with attorney John Eubanks of Motley Rice, who represents 9/11 families in the long-running litigation against Saudi Arabia, to break down where the case stands today, what evidence has emerged, why key government documents remain classified or heavily redacted, and what could happen next. They discuss alleged Saudi connections to individuals who assisted two of the 9/11 hijackers, the fight to obtain documents from the U.S. government, the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA), the upcoming federal appeals process, and why — nearly 25 years later — families are still seeking accountability and the full truth. You're Not Dead Yet: How Grief and Loss Can Teach You to Live: Learn more and order David’s book at ⁠DeadTalks.net/Book⁠ Sign Up For E-Mail Updates Here: https://www.deadtalks.net/signup Support the Show Join the DEAD Talks Patreon for just $2 to support the mission—and get episodes early & ad-free: https://www.patreon.com/cw/deadtalks Hats, Shirts, Hoodies + More: https://cottonbureau.com/people/dead-talks Exclusive Discounts 10% off Neurogum – powered by natural caffeine, L-theanine, and vitamins B6 & B12 to boost focus and energy: https://neurogum.com/deadtalks About DEAD Talks DEAD Talks with David Ferrugio approaches death differently. Each guest shares raw stories of grief, loss, or unique perspectives that challenge the “don’t talk about death” taboo. Grief doesn’t end—it evolves. After losing his father on September 11th at just 12 years old, David discovered the power of conversation. Through laughter, tears, and honest dialogue, DEAD Talks helps make it a little easier to talk about death, mourning, trauma, and the life that continues beyond it. Connect with DEAD Talks (@deadtalkspodcast)YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | www.deadtalks.net Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  DEAD Talks

  His Brother Died on the 105th Floor — 25 Years Later with Jay Winuk (#279)

  Sep 14, 202650 min

  No goodbye. No body. No funeral. Glenn was on the 105th floor on 9/11 — and 25 years later, his brother still hasn't had a chance to say what he needed to say. I was 12 when I lost my dad that same day, so I know that wound. For the 25th anniversary, Jay Winuk opens up about losing his brother Glenn on September 11th and living 25 years without closure. We talk about the strange, specific grief of 9/11 families — when there's no body to bury, no traditional funeral to mark the loss, and no answers about your person's final moments. Jay shares how his family had to invent their own rituals for healing, what it was really like to grieve as a kid, the prolonged hope when someone is missing, and how he turned his loss into service through his brother's foundation. This conversation is for anyone who's ever lost someone without a goodbye. In this episode: • No goodbye — what it means to grieve without a body or funeral • What 9/11 was like as kids — left safe at school, not knowing until 3pm • The questions that haunt 9/11 families: Did he suffer? Was it quick? Was he a hero? • The frustration of still-unanswered questions 25 years later • How service and community rebuilt meaning after loss For more on Jay Winuk foundation 911 Day check it out here: https://www.911day.org/ You're Not Dead Yet: How Grief and Loss Can Teach You to Live Learn more and order the book at ⁠DeadTalks.net/Book⁠ Sign Up For E-Mail Updates Here > https://www.deadtalks.net/signup Support the Show Join the DEAD Talks Patreon for as little as $2 to support the mission—and get episodes early & ad-free: https://www.patreon.com/cw/deadtalks Hats, Shirts, Hoodies + More: https://cottonbureau.com/people/dead-talks Exclusive Discounts10% off Neurogum – powered by natural caffeine, L-theanine, and vitamins B6 & B12 to boost focus and energy: https://neurogum.com/deadtalks About DEAD Talks DEAD Talks with David Ferrugio approaches death differently. Each guest shares raw stories of grief, loss, or unique perspectives that challenge the “don’t talk about death” taboo. Grief doesn’t end—it evolves. After losing his father on September 11th at just 12 years old, David discovered the power of conversation. Through laughter, tears, and honest dialogue, DEAD Talks helps make it a little easier to talk about death, mourning, trauma, and the life that continues beyond it. Connect with DEAD Talks (@deadtalkspodcast)YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | www.deadtalks.net Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  DEAD Talks

  9/11 Took My Dad When I Was 12: Grief 25 Years Later with David Kessler (#278)

  Sep 7, 202654 min

  Twenty-five years after losing his father in the September 11 attacks, DEAD Talks host David Ferrugio sits on the other side of the microphone for one of his most personal conversations yet. World-renowned grief expert David Kessler interviews David about losing his father at just 12 years old, growing up as “the 9/11 kid,” the guilt that followed, and what it means to grieve a death the entire world continues to watch and remember. They explore the memories David has lost—and the ones he has spent years trying to recover—the pressure he felt to become “the man of the house,” how grief changes over decades, and why sadness and joy don't have to be mutually exclusive. David also opens up about the experience that brought his childhood grief full circle when his mother nearly died in 2023, the lessons behind his new book, You’re Not Dead Yet: How Grief and Loss Can Teach You to Live, and why continuing to live fully can be one of the greatest ways we honor the people we’ve lost. This is a conversation about September 11, grief, loss, trauma, guilt, mortality, legacy, healing, meaning, and what it looks like to keep living when someone you love is gone. You’re Not Dead Yet: How Grief and Loss Can Teach You to Live is available now wherever books are sold. You're Not Dead Yet: How Grief and Loss Can Teach You to Live Learn more and order the book at ⁠DeadTalks.net/Book⁠ Sign Up For E-Mail Updates Here: https://www.deadtalks.net/signup Support the Show: Join the DEAD Talks Patreon for just $2 to support the mission—and get episodes early & ad-free: https://www.patreon.com/cw/deadtalks Hats, Shirts, Hoodies + More: https://cottonbureau.com/people/dead-talks Exclusive Discounts10% off Neurogum – powered by natural caffeine, L-theanine, and vitamins B6 & B12 to boost focus and energy: https://neurogum.com/deadtalks About DEAD Talks DEAD Talks with David Ferrugio approaches death differently. Each guest shares raw stories of grief, loss, or unique perspectives that challenge the “don’t talk about death” taboo. Grief doesn’t end—it evolves. After losing his father on September 11th at just 12 years old, David discovered the power of conversation. Through laughter, tears, and honest dialogue, DEAD Talks helps make it a little easier to talk about death, mourning, trauma, and the life that continues beyond it. Connect with DEAD Talks (@deadtalkspodcast)YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | www.deadtalks.net Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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  DEAD Talks

  9/11 Kids: Losing Our Fathers and Growing Up With Grief with Katie Pereira (#277)

  Aug 31, 202655 min

  David sits down with Katie Pereira for a deeply personal conversation between two people who both lost their fathers on September 11, 2001. Katie was just seven years old when her father, Franco Lalama, was killed in the World Trade Center. David was twelve when he lost his father that same morning. Twenty-five years later, they compare what it was like growing up as “9/11 kids,” living with such a public loss, watching the footage, approaching the anniversary each year, and grieving all the memories with their fathers they never got to make. They also talk about childhood trauma, dark humor, the strange guilt and gratitude that can coexist with grief, how losing a parent changes the way you see life, and why Katie still finds herself watching 9/11 footage hoping she might somehow catch one last glimpse of her dad. Katie also shares how Comfort Zone Camp helped give her childhood back after loss—and how she eventually turned that experience into a career helping grieving children. A raw conversation about 9/11, losing a parent, childhood grief, resilience, and what it means to keep living after the day that changed everything. For more on the incredible organization for grieving children check out Comfort Zone Camp here: https://comfortzonecamp.org/ You're Not Dead Yet: How Grief and Loss Can Teach You to Live Learn more and order the book at ⁠DeadTalks.net/Book⁠ Sign Up For E-Mail Updates Here > Submit Your Email Support the Show Join the DEAD Talks Patreon for just $2 to support the mission—and get episodes early & ad-free! Hats, Shirts, Hoodies + More: Shop Here  “Dead Dad Club” & “Dead Mom Club” – Wear your story, honor your people. Exclusive Discounts 10% off Neurogum – powered by natural caffeine, L-theanine, and vitamins B6 & B12 to boost focus and energy. About DEAD Talks DEAD Talks with David Ferrugio approaches death differently. Each guest shares raw stories of grief, loss, or unique perspectives that challenge the “don’t talk about death” taboo. Grief doesn’t end—it evolves. After losing his father on September 11th at just 12 years old, David discovered the power of conversation. Through laughter, tears, and honest dialogue, DEAD Talks helps make it a little easier to talk about death, mourning, trauma, and the life that continues beyond it. Connect with DEAD TalksYouTube | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | www.deadtalks.net Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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