Today we’d like to introduce you to Pooja Chilukuri.
Hi Pooja, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew up in a large metropolitan city in India, a childhood shaped by culture and community. After high school, I moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, to attend Meredith College for my undergraduate studies. While completing my master’s degree, I met my husband at North Carolina State University. We married soon after graduation, and for more than three decades now, Raleigh and Cary have been home to us and to the two children we raised here.
My professional path initially followed a traditional route. I spent ten years working in technology and research, a career that was steady, but life had other plans. A series of health challenges within my family—affecting both me and my husband—became the catalyst for a profound pivot. When my husband was diagnosed with two autoimmune disorders and I began struggling with reactive airway issues and chronic hives. I immersed myself in studying health, nutrition, and lifestyle medicine, determined to find answers.
What began as research for my family’s survival became a calling. I trained as a nutritional therapist, initially to support my husband, but soon realized that the information I was learning—especially around the damage caused by ultra-processed, chemical-laden foods and lifestyles disconnected from the rhythms of nature—needed to be shared more widely. Since 2014, I have worked as a wellness educator in Raleigh and surrounding communities, teaching more in high school, independent living communities, libraries, wellness centers, and workplaces through lunch-and-learn programs. My focus has been on health, aging, and practical lifestyle changes that empower people to reclaim their well-being.
At the same time, I was navigating another upheaval. After seventeen years of service, I left the religious institution that had shaped much of my adult life. That year became a perfect storm: significant family health crises, the loss of my long-standing career, and the unraveling of deeply held religious beliefs. Stepping away from the church forced me to confront residual trauma rooted in rigid teachings about God, the afterlife, and fear-based faith.
My background in health and wellness, along with the founding of The Afterlife Podcast, became pathways back to wholeness. Writing emerged as both refuge and release—a way to name and let go of the harmful aspects of my faith while preserving what remained meaningful. Of the six books I have published to date, five explore faith, spirituality, and healing.
When I realized that traditional publishing timelines could stretch for years, I chose a more entrepreneurial route. By partnering with book designers within my community, I founded my own self-publishing company, Healing River Press. While I currently use it to publish my own work, my long-term vision is to create space for other writers—especially those with marginalized or difficult stories—to have their voices heard.
Through my writing, teaching, and podcasting, I continue to serve as a guide for those wrestling with religious fear, grief, and questions about the afterlife. My work sits at the intersection of health, faith, and storytelling—rooted in lived experience, and driven by a belief that healing is possible, even after everything you thought was certain falls apart.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The journey was far from smooth. I found myself learning how to run a business while also wrestling with imposter syndrome and the fear of public speaking. Coming from a background in scientific writing, I didn’t have formal training in creative writing or podcasting, so much of this process has been a leap of faith and a lot of on-the-job learning and which meant trusting the process and growing into skills I never imagined I’d need.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am an author and a podcast host, as well as a wellness educator. I am the host of The Afterlife Podcast, a show available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and iHeartRadio, where I explore conversations around faith, healing, and the afterlife.
I feel deeply called to speak about the topic of religious trauma through my podcast and books. Religious trauma refers to a constellation of symptoms—often resembling complex post-traumatic stress—experienced by those raised in authoritarian religious environments shaped by harmful teachings and cult-like dynamics. My own path toward healing has involved challenging fear-based beliefs by engaging in conversations with people who have had near-death experiences and glimpses of the afterlife. Bringing these stories into the light has been transformative, letting go of fear and opening space for hope.
As a member of the International Association for Near-Death Studies, I’ve had the opportunity to speak at conferences, webinars, and group gatherings, as well as appear on a number of podcasts. Through these conversations, I share my story in hopes of bringing encouragement to those who feel trapped by fear-based religious teachings or shaped by painful and distorted views of God and the afterlife.
My books include my memoir, And Then There Was Jesus, a story centered on healing spiritual wounds and rediscovering faith, as well as a series of faith-based reflections designed to help readers reshape their view of God. These are available on Amazon.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I’ve never considered myself a natural risk-taker. In fact, that may be why my start was slower than most. Beyond the financial risks involved in entrepreneurship, there is also the emotional risk of vulnerability—of putting my story, message, and deeply held beliefs into the public sphere and not knowing how others will respond. Conversations about faith, health, and lifestyle can be especially sensitive, and while many people are open, there have also been moments of resistance.
Every time I step on a stage or share my work publicly, there is an element of risk in how it will be received. A mentor once told me that when your work is driven by love and service, fear begins to lose its power. I often return to a quote from my faith—“perfect love drives out fear”(1 John 4:18)—and when I shift my focus from self to serving others, much of the anxiety around risk fades. That said, I approach growth thoughtfully. I see myself as someone who takes calculated risks, always with contingency plans and the willingness to pivot when something isn’t working.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://poojachilukuri.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chilukuripooja/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorPoojaChilukuri
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@poojachilukuri
- Other: https://bit.ly/AfterlifePodcast
