For those of you who haven't seen Foxcatcher, it's a wonderful film. If you don't want any "spoilers" about the film, please come back to read this after you've seen the film. But it's based on a true story, so you might be well aware of it by now.
Mark and Dave Schultz, the amazing Olympic athletes, trained at Foxcatcher wrestling facility, under the auspices of John Du Pont. The performances are brilliant, the film's look and the art direction are fantastic. The film lays out the story pretty much as it happened, with some adjustments for drama, and attempts to gain insight into the events surrounding a tragedy, by pointing to the wealth of the Du Pont family that contributed to the murder that occurs.
Today is the 19th anniversary of that event. It's been 19 years since Dave Schultz's life was cut short. RIP Dave.
But there's a deeper, richer story here, and it wasn't touched upon by the filmmakers. That's why you have your trusty Flipside correspondent on hand, to search for the other meanings that are buried in the story.
At the funeral of his son, Phillip Schultz made a dramatic revelation during his eulogy. Here's the original article about it: http://articles.philly.com/1996-02-12/news/25655410_1_john-du-pont-david-schultz-nancy-schultz
From the article
Wait a minute.
A group of 12 men standing in a circle in the clouds? Where have we heard of that before?
In Michael Newton's "Journey of Souls" he talks about the "councils" we all have, and they average from 6 to 12 people. In the 25 between life sessions that I've filmed, and report upon in "Flipside" and "Its a Wonderful Afterlife" many included the same reports - visiting the council of elders, or the "wisdom makers" where people gain insight into why they chose a particular lifetime. (And in "It's a Wonderful Afterlife" the same research done by Dr. Helen Wambach shows how people under deep hypnosis recount "choosing to be here" with the assistance of "wise elders" or "council members" for a variety of spiritual reasons.)
12 men (often women) standing in the clouds talking to us about our journey on earth is not only common - it occurs in just about every between life hypnotherapy session. (LBL). Michael Newton cataloged 7000 of them, Helen Wambach cataloged hundreds of them, and I've filmed 25.
In Newton's research (7000 people over 30 years before he published) he says that people visit their council two key times; before reincarnating to discuss the life lessons they're about to impart, and again when they return to review how the person feels they did during their lifetime.
Also, David noted to his father (again, he was four years old at the time) that he was "going to be tested on Earth," that he would "pass the test, but I wouldn't be here very long."
This is also in these reports - a matter of fact account of what's being shared between the soul and their spirit guides. "What are you going to do while you're on Earth?" "Well, I'm going to try to do this, and this other thing, and help these other people." Generally these stories all have to do with imparting a lesson in love.
At one point, a spirit guide spoke up while I was filming a session with Scott De Tamble (lightbetweenlives.com). The person was asked "Who or what is God?" And the woman said (a skeptical film producer, who never thought she could be hypnotized, but had an amazing session) "God is beyond the capacity of the human brain to comprehend. It's not physically possible. But you can experience God, by opening your heart to everyone and to all things."
So opening your heart to everyone and all things might be one of those events to examine. And this as well.
Because if Dave knew that he wasn't going to be here long, how was that going to play out? We could go through all the choices that Dave made in life, whether bungee jumping, or wrestling the most amazing matches in the world - at any point along that way, Dave could have chosen to check off the planet in some other manner. Bungee cord breaks, he has a heart attack on the mat. But that's not what happened.
He knew what was going to happen. He couldn't put it into words at four years old, but he knew he wasn't going to be here for the full term, for the full journey.
So where does that put John Du Pont in this story? He's a scary, creepy, lost soul - as Steve Carrell portrayed him, and as he everyone reported him to be. In the film, they try to point to his lack of mother's love as a reason for his being unhappy, unloved. A drunk, drug user. An abuser. An unhappy 1 percenter.
But wait a second. There's a deeper story here. He's playing that role of drug user, unloved soul. He's fulfilling his own path and journey in this story. Did he know what was going to happen when he became obsessed with wrestling to start Foxcatcher? If Dave knew what his path and journey was going to be, could John Du Pont have known as well?
The research shows that we choose difficult lifetimes to experience all kinds of positive and negative energy. That between lives, when we are back "home" we are filled with unconditional love, and we see our journey here on Earth more like a stage play, or a classroom, where we examine things, learn lessons, teach things, have compassion, help others (or play the role of the person not helping others). But back home is like stepping off stage. Or graduating from college.
As Kathy Bates says in the final episode of this year's "American Horror Story" - "Does Desdemona hate the actor who played Othello, who kills her in the play?" Once we are offstage we see our journey as one where we can share and love and play many roles.
So Foxcatcher is a brilliant film to be sure. But when you watch it, know that young Dave knew that he was not going to have a long life, that someone or something was going to cut it short, but despite that knowledge - he gave his heart freely, gave his love to his brother, and his family - and his love continues on. And I honor him today by suggesting that unconditional love is the way of the Universe. That we need to love everyone unconditionally - because they don't die, they can't die, they just aren't here - and back "home" we get to continue our lessons in love by choosing our next lifetime.
This isn't my opinion or belief - I'm just reporting what people say under deep hypnosis, and now in my latest work comparing those concepts to what people say after a near death experience, out of body experience, or some other life altering event. And many, many speak of these "life reviews" with members of some kind of spirit council, with elders, and spirit guides - but all of them speak of this unconditional love we find back "home" for lack of a better word.
Dave is not dead, he's just not here. He's home. And we honor his memory to consider his sacrifice - to go through that pain and anguish, to teach a lesson in love.
He said he would be tested while he was on Earth and that he would pass the test. Admirably I'd say.
Just a little Flipside perspective and my two cents.
Mark and Dave Schultz, the amazing Olympic athletes, trained at Foxcatcher wrestling facility, under the auspices of John Du Pont. The performances are brilliant, the film's look and the art direction are fantastic. The film lays out the story pretty much as it happened, with some adjustments for drama, and attempts to gain insight into the events surrounding a tragedy, by pointing to the wealth of the Du Pont family that contributed to the murder that occurs.
 |
| Dave Schultz - from USA Today |
But there's a deeper, richer story here, and it wasn't touched upon by the filmmakers. That's why you have your trusty Flipside correspondent on hand, to search for the other meanings that are buried in the story.
At the funeral of his son, Phillip Schultz made a dramatic revelation during his eulogy. Here's the original article about it: http://articles.philly.com/1996-02-12/news/25655410_1_john-du-pont-david-schultz-nancy-schultz
From the article
Later in his eulogy, Schultz told how David at age 4 predicted he would die young. David
told his dad that before he was born, he was one of 12 men standing
around in a circle in the clouds. David was told by one of the men that
he was going to be tested on earth.``He said I would pass the test, but I wouldn't be here very long,'' David recounted to his dad. ``David was truly a transcendent figure,'' his father said softly.
Wait a minute.
A group of 12 men standing in a circle in the clouds? Where have we heard of that before?
In Michael Newton's "Journey of Souls" he talks about the "councils" we all have, and they average from 6 to 12 people. In the 25 between life sessions that I've filmed, and report upon in "Flipside" and "Its a Wonderful Afterlife" many included the same reports - visiting the council of elders, or the "wisdom makers" where people gain insight into why they chose a particular lifetime. (And in "It's a Wonderful Afterlife" the same research done by Dr. Helen Wambach shows how people under deep hypnosis recount "choosing to be here" with the assistance of "wise elders" or "council members" for a variety of spiritual reasons.)
12 men (often women) standing in the clouds talking to us about our journey on earth is not only common - it occurs in just about every between life hypnotherapy session. (LBL). Michael Newton cataloged 7000 of them, Helen Wambach cataloged hundreds of them, and I've filmed 25.
 |
| Michael Newton, whom I interviewed for Flipside |
In Newton's research (7000 people over 30 years before he published) he says that people visit their council two key times; before reincarnating to discuss the life lessons they're about to impart, and again when they return to review how the person feels they did during their lifetime.
Also, David noted to his father (again, he was four years old at the time) that he was "going to be tested on Earth," that he would "pass the test, but I wouldn't be here very long."
This is also in these reports - a matter of fact account of what's being shared between the soul and their spirit guides. "What are you going to do while you're on Earth?" "Well, I'm going to try to do this, and this other thing, and help these other people." Generally these stories all have to do with imparting a lesson in love.
At one point, a spirit guide spoke up while I was filming a session with Scott De Tamble (lightbetweenlives.com). The person was asked "Who or what is God?" And the woman said (a skeptical film producer, who never thought she could be hypnotized, but had an amazing session) "God is beyond the capacity of the human brain to comprehend. It's not physically possible. But you can experience God, by opening your heart to everyone and to all things."
So opening your heart to everyone and all things might be one of those events to examine. And this as well.
Because if Dave knew that he wasn't going to be here long, how was that going to play out? We could go through all the choices that Dave made in life, whether bungee jumping, or wrestling the most amazing matches in the world - at any point along that way, Dave could have chosen to check off the planet in some other manner. Bungee cord breaks, he has a heart attack on the mat. But that's not what happened.
He knew what was going to happen. He couldn't put it into words at four years old, but he knew he wasn't going to be here for the full term, for the full journey.
So where does that put John Du Pont in this story? He's a scary, creepy, lost soul - as Steve Carrell portrayed him, and as he everyone reported him to be. In the film, they try to point to his lack of mother's love as a reason for his being unhappy, unloved. A drunk, drug user. An abuser. An unhappy 1 percenter.
But wait a second. There's a deeper story here. He's playing that role of drug user, unloved soul. He's fulfilling his own path and journey in this story. Did he know what was going to happen when he became obsessed with wrestling to start Foxcatcher? If Dave knew what his path and journey was going to be, could John Du Pont have known as well?
The research shows that we choose difficult lifetimes to experience all kinds of positive and negative energy. That between lives, when we are back "home" we are filled with unconditional love, and we see our journey here on Earth more like a stage play, or a classroom, where we examine things, learn lessons, teach things, have compassion, help others (or play the role of the person not helping others). But back home is like stepping off stage. Or graduating from college.
As Kathy Bates says in the final episode of this year's "American Horror Story" - "Does Desdemona hate the actor who played Othello, who kills her in the play?" Once we are offstage we see our journey as one where we can share and love and play many roles.
So Foxcatcher is a brilliant film to be sure. But when you watch it, know that young Dave knew that he was not going to have a long life, that someone or something was going to cut it short, but despite that knowledge - he gave his heart freely, gave his love to his brother, and his family - and his love continues on. And I honor him today by suggesting that unconditional love is the way of the Universe. That we need to love everyone unconditionally - because they don't die, they can't die, they just aren't here - and back "home" we get to continue our lessons in love by choosing our next lifetime.
This isn't my opinion or belief - I'm just reporting what people say under deep hypnosis, and now in my latest work comparing those concepts to what people say after a near death experience, out of body experience, or some other life altering event. And many, many speak of these "life reviews" with members of some kind of spirit council, with elders, and spirit guides - but all of them speak of this unconditional love we find back "home" for lack of a better word.
Dave is not dead, he's just not here. He's home. And we honor his memory to consider his sacrifice - to go through that pain and anguish, to teach a lesson in love.
He said he would be tested while he was on Earth and that he would pass the test. Admirably I'd say.
Just a little Flipside perspective and my two cents.
