Tomorrow's Monsters

He was pulled beneath a speeding train… and awakened to something beyond this world.

David Ditchfield was saying goodbye to a friend when his coat became trapped in the closing doors of a train. He was dragged under the moving cars, suffering massive trauma and blood loss. As surgeons fought to save his life, David left his body—and entered another realm entirely.

In his near-death experience, David encountered guides who enveloped him in peace, love, and a sense of cosmic belonging. When he returned, everything had changed. Despite having no formal training in art or music, he began composing symphonies and painting vivid works inspired by what he saw on the other side.

This episode explores the mystery of where creativity comes from, and how a brush with death can awaken something extraordinary within us.

Story producer: Kate Sweeney.

Episodes of Alive Again are available now. Search for Alive Again and listen now.

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Before the fall, he was chasing a dream. After the fall, he found his sound.

Musician Blair Crimmins was spiraling—caught between fading dreams, destructive habits, and an unshakable feeling that something needed to change. Then one night, after a day of drinking and being dragged behind his dog on a skateboard, he cracked his skull on the pavement outside his apartment in Atlanta. He nearly died. He lost his sense of smell. He lost himself.

But that accident became a turning point.

In this episode, Blair shares the long and uncertain road to healing—physically, emotionally, and creatively. From vestibular therapy to olfactory training, from depression to the rediscovery of music through piano, banjo, and ukulele, Blair found his way not back, but forward. He left behind the rockstar dream and built something entirely new: a vibrant, genre-defying sound that would become Blair Crimmins and the Hookers.

This is a story about injury, isolation, and rebuilding—not just a career, but an identity. It’s about how the worst night of your life might just be the one that wakes you up.

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He was electrocuted—and came back with a blueprint for existence.

In February 2018, Adam Tapp was doing some woodworking in his front yard when a freak accident electrocuted him. Paramedics revived him—but not before he crossed into another realm.

What he experienced during those moments mirrored earlier psychedelic journeys, yet went even deeper. In his near-death state, Adam gained a radical new understanding of consciousness, fear, and the chemical nature of reality. His fear of death dissolved—and what replaced it was a profound curiosity about life itself.

This episode is a mind-expanding look at how close encounters with death—and the brain’s own internal pharmacy—can shift our understanding of everything.

Story producer: Kate Sweeney.

Alive Again is available now. Search and listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Kathy Preston was just a joyous little girl when the Holocaust tore through her golden childhood in Transylvania. In this unforgettable episode of Alive Again, Kathy recounts—in stunning detail—the moment her innocence ended, hiding in a barn as bayonets stabbed the straw just inches from her face. Miraculously, she survived. But this is more than a story of hiding and escape. Kathy’s story travels through persecution, displacement, and grief—but also healing, forgiveness, and the power of memory. She reflects on the woman who risked everything to save her life, on the trauma that shaped her worldview, and on the stubborn optimism that carries her forward. From being starved and hunted as a child, to building a joyful life with children and grandchildren, Kathy’s journey is a testament to resilience—and a reminder that surviving isn’t just about staying alive. It’s about choosing love over vengeance and passing that choice forward. And now, in her 80s, Kathy speaks to school children across the U.S. about the power of resistance, survival, and the importance of love over hate. 

“There are less and less people alive from the period I am from,” she tells us, “and the more people die, the less availability there is to connect with the past. I speak for the people who can’t speak for themselves.” 

Story producer: Nicholas Tecosky.

Go listen to ALIVE AGAIN. Episodes available now. Search for ALIVE AGAIN wherever you get your podcasts.

First, they prepared for a missile. Years later, it was fire that came.

Annelise Cochran was working aboard a whale research vessel off the coast of Lahaina, Hawaii, when the state's missile alert system issued a terrifying false warning: a ballistic missile from North Korea was inbound. Everyone on board braced for the end. It didn’t come—but in many ways, it was a dark premonition.

Five years later, Annelise found herself facing a real catastrophe. As wildfires swept through Lahaina with brutal speed, she and her friends fought for survival over eight harrowing hours. One of them didn’t make it.

This episode is a haunting and deeply human story of foresight, loss, and the raw resilience it takes to face a world unraveling. It’s a powerful reminder of how community, resourcefulness, and inner strength can anchor us through the chaos of disaster.

Story producer: Brent Dey.

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