Joe Rogan has never been one to shy away from unconventional ideas, and his thoughts on what should happen to his body after death are no exception. During a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience with comedian Andrew Santino, the podcast host shared his surprisingly unorthodox final wishes—and they involve vultures.
While discussing various topics ranging from ancient torture methods to modern funeral practices, the conversation took an unexpected turn toward death rituals. Santino asked Rogan directly: “Do you want to be buried, cremated, what do you want when it’s over?”
Rogan’s answer was immediate and definitive: “Tibetan Sky funeral.”
For those unfamiliar with this ancient tradition, a Tibetan Sky funeral is a ritual practiced in Tibet and parts of Mongolia where the deceased’s body is taken to a mountaintop, cut into pieces, and fed to vultures.
The practice is rooted in Buddhist beliefs about impermanence and the cycle of life, viewing the body as an empty vessel once the soul has departed.
“The move is they take you, they take your body—no embalming—they cut you up and they bring you to the top of a mountain where they chop you up and feed you to vultures while everybody watches,” Rogan explained to a somewhat surprised Santino. “The vultures know that that’s what you’re there for because they feed people to these vultures all the time.”
When Santino pressed him on why he would want such an end, Rogan’s reasoning was practical and philosophical. “At least my body will be useful, right? Goes back to nature, I guess,” he said.
The comedian elaborated that the ritual represents a return to the natural cycle, with the body serving one final purpose by nourishing other creatures.
During the discussion, Rogan showed Santino footage of an actual Tibetan Sky funeral, where dozens of vultures gather around bodies laid out on mountainsides. The birds, accustomed to this ritual, wait patiently before consuming the remains. In traditional practice, family members and monks witness the ceremony as a reminder of life’s impermanence.
Santino, by contrast, revealed a much more conventional approach. “Burn me up, dude. Burn me,” he said, explaining that he doesn’t want to take up any more space than necessary.
“Land is for the living,” he added, echoing his grandfather’s philosophy about cemeteries being a waste of valuable real estate.
The conversation also touched on the commercial side of death, including body brokerage—where body parts can be sold after death for medical research and training. Rogan referenced a documentary filmmaker friend who had investigated the practice, revealing that there’s an entire marketplace for human remains.
Tibetan Sky burials are not widely practiced outside of specific regions and communities, and legal restrictions in most Western countries would make such a funeral impossible.