Guest host Lisa Garr (email) was joined by filmmaker David Donnelly and psychiatrist Thomas Lewis for a discussion of the concept of living forever and the technologies that could make it possible. Donnelly emphasized that humanity's pursuit of immortality is ancient, tracing it back to the earliest known stories such as the Epic of Gilgamesh. Through the making of his documentary Forever Young, he moved from skepticism to believing that aging science is undergoing a genuine revolution. Donnelly highlighted advances in biomarkers and epigenetic clocks that now allow scientists to measure biological aging and evaluate whether interventions are actually slowing or reversing it.
Donnelly stressed that the real goal is extending healthspan rather than simply lifespan. He argued that living longer only has value if people remain mobile, cognitively healthy, independent, and socially connected. He pointed to emerging technologies such as AI-driven drug discovery, CRISPR, and epigenetic reprogramming as promising developments, while cautioning that these breakthroughs must ultimately become accessible to the broader public if they are to benefit society.
Dr. Lewis described aging research as a major shift in medicine, moving from viewing aging as an unavoidable fact of life to treating it as a biological process that may eventually be modified or delayed. He explained epigenetic reprogramming, the idea that cells might be rejuvenated by resetting the molecular markers that control gene activity to a more youthful state, potentially allowing aging to be slowed or partially reversed. At the same time, he noted important risks, including the possibility of promoting cancer through excessive cell growth. Lewis also explored the philosophical and social implications of longer lives, arguing that meaning, purpose, and human relationships may become even more important as lifespans increase. He warned that longevity without connection could worsen loneliness and depression.
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In the second half, spiritual medium and soul gardener Austyn Wells described death not as an ending but as a transition in which the soul continues beyond physical life. Drawing on both personal and professional experiences, she said her work as a medium and grief counselor has convinced her that consciousness survives death and that communication with loved ones remains possible. Wells explained that her own spiritual journey deepened after the death of her father, whose presence and guidance she continued to experience after his passing.
Wells shared that her experiences with spirit communication began in childhood and later developed into what she called soul conversations. She described mediumship as receiving communication through intuition and energetic impressions rather than through ordinary hearing, and argued that everyone possesses some capacity for this connection. Central to her philosophy is the idea that human beings are both finite and infinite—physical beings living temporary lives while also carrying an eternal energetic essence that transcends death and time.
Wells also reflected on society's changing relationship with death, arguing that modern life has distanced people from grieving and communal mourning. She contrasted today's institutionalized experience of death with earlier traditions in which families and communities participated directly in caring for the dying and memorializing loved ones. While acknowledging this separation, she expressed optimism that movements such as hospice care, death doulas, green funerals, and renewed conversations about grief are helping society reclaim a healthier and more meaningful relationship with death and remembrance.