Charles Grodin, James Van Praagh and the Flipside

Mom, me, and Luana in Roma circa 1986

Some years ago (1996) I was invited by Charles Grodin to appear on his talk show as a "Hollywood Correspondent" - the joke was that he would say "Here's our Hollywood Correspondent with the latest news" and I would appear on screen bragging about all the Hollywood gossip I had discovered.  

Charles would frown with disdain, (he loathes Hollywood gossip) and ask me what movies I had seen - and basically I would blather about celebs, string nonsense together - I actually never had any gossip, or any real stories to tell. If I "went to a screening with Tom Hanks" it was because I was sitting in the back row. 



Charles' pal Elaine May called him up and said she thought the bit was hilarious, but other people (like my mom) were wondering why "Charles was so mean to you."  So he brought me on to explain the bit - as well as tell a story about my first audition for an agent. (A positive review from Elaine May is worth its weight in gold.)

Here's one of the clips with me as Joe Hollywood.

CHARLES WITH MEDIUM JAMES VAN PRAAGH

In the following clip, this was the moment that I realized that people don't "die" that "life goes on."  It's the kind of thing that is unique to the person experiencing it. One tends to have epiphanies alone.  

In my case, I was producing segments for the Grodin Show for six months, had seen James Van Praagh on CNN, and since our mutual friend Luana Anders had passed away a couple of years earlier, I suggested that Charles bring him on and see if he could speak with her.  

Charles is an open minded skeptic - neither believing or disbelieving - but allowing people to share their experiences. He notes that in this clip.

Luana Anders in a mirror in Rockefeller Plaza

In my case, when Luana passed away, I put a photograph on my refrigerator and said aloud "Well, that's the essence of our relationship. Laughing while having cappuccinos and cookies in Rome."  We spent a lot of time laughing when she was still on the planet.

However, fans of Flipside will know that since this show - in 1998 or 1999 perhaps - she had started to visit me from the other side.  And in this case, I was no longer on the show as a segment producer (he had moved from CNBC to MSNBC) and I called in from Santa Monica - Charles arranged with the producer to give me a direct line to call in - but no one knew I was going to be calling in but Charles and the producer.

James Van Praagh, here with medium Tony Stockwell
(who appears in "Architecture of the Afterlife"

In this example, James talks about a couple of things that are absolutely verifiable. 

This photograph that I put on the refrigerator - there was only one photograph of me and her, and when I put this one up, said that sentence aloud.  "The essence of our relationship" - and I know I've never spoken aloud to a photograph before or since. So when James referred to the photograph - there was only one photo on the planet he could have been referring to. THIS ONE:

The essence of our relationship

The other thing was my Martini glass collection.  

That is - everyone gives me one on my birthday or some other occassion - and I have quite a few from around the globe.  So when she refers to my "cocktail glass" collection, she's specifically giving James Van Praagh an image that will get me to say "Martini glasses."  Even though James TO THIS DAY doesn't know my last name or that I was calling in on the show.

But this kind of thing is subjective. For me it was evidentiary. For others they may imagine it something else. They can parse the idea, try to explain it away  but I left in the part of the clip where Charles confirms it was accurate.  

And this moment turned my life in another direction - if it was possible for her to "visit me" or to "appear on the Charles Grodin show" with her old friend Charles (they appeared in "Sex and the College Girl" together decades earlier and remained lifelong best pals.)

For me, her showing James the photo and the cocktail glass collection was absolute proof that she still existed.

And if she still existed, then how could I go and seek her out?  Since then I've written 8 "best selling" books  (kindle in their genre) about our journey - the new book "Architecture of the Afterlife" mentions her, and the latest book with Jennifer Shaffer, Luana "writes" the forward.  Because she can communicate with us, and does so EVERY WEEK.

With Jennifer Shaffer

Every week for the past five years I meet up with Jennifer Shaffer (a medium who works with law enforcement agencies nationwide, has assisted in a case with Bill Bratten (former NYPD commissioner) and Jennifer and I have been demonstrating for five years that it's possible to speak directly to our loved ones on the flipside.

Our new book - written the help and assistance of Luana - who is outside of time, is in "Backstage Pass to the Flipside 3". 


Luana is our moderator on the flipside, and she is referenced often on our Podcast (HackingTheAfterlife.com) and in the Video Clips (MartiniZone.com)

It's funny - I gave these VHS tapes to someone at a local college - it took him two years to get around to them. And today I'm finally putting up to clips.

Enjoy.