Thanks to everyone who entered to win a free copy of the book "Backstage Pass to the Flipside 3" - a free PDF of the book has been sent to everyone who entered... (or will be sent, check the mailbox."
I asked people to ask Luana five questions. These folks had never met her, didn't know her, but as a demonstration that you can get an "answer" from someone on the flipside, I designed these questions in such a way that no one could answer them but a close friend of Luana's (none entered) or were actually speaking to Luana.
The answers to the questions are:
1. What was Jack Nicholson’s nickname for you?
(People might get an image or a sound, or something else. Whatever it is, don’t judge it, just write it down.)
The winning answer came from "Frances" in Florida, who said "I get an image of her standing with a clutch purse. The color of the purse was turquoise." I asked what color that might represent, and she said "aquamarine?" I said "That's close enough - The answer is "Blue." (Could have been a state of mind comment, but Jack has a nickname for all his pals.)
2. What city did your mother own property in, that we went to visit?
(Again, hard for them to use “words” – an image might come to mind, or an image of a person might appear; just note whatever that is.)
One person answered this correctly; "New Mexico." Her mother brought property there in the 1960's, Luana and I went to visit it later in her life, and it was specifically in Santa Fe. New Mexico was/is correct.
3. What was the name of your dog that you found wandering the streets of West Hollywood?
(Hint: This name is also the name of a city. Again – try not to judge it, but listen carefully for the name of a city, or a place on a map – if you get a state ask “north, south, east or west?” until you take out a map, look at the cities on the map and “ask her to direct you to the correct one.”)
One person answer "Jose" - which in Spanish would be as in "San Jose" - but it's close to "Boyse" - which was her nickname for "boys town" or West Hollywood. I called him "Boise" (hence the hint) but Boyse is more accurate than Boise - and close enough to Jose to suggest a winning entry.
4. Name the cat in this photo.
Painted by Luana
(Hint: Not Mr. Bailey who is someone she often refers to. Cat shares the name with a friend of hers, and a person with the same name may appear.)
This cat's name was "Robert." However, a number of folks said "Kit Cat" or "Kitty Cat" - I don't remember Robert being referred to as such - but who knows? Maybe he is on the flipside. So no one got this correctly, but that's fine; Robert doesn't mind.
5. What is your uncle’s first name, who was the brother to your mother?
(Hint: an image of someone with the same name might come to mind. She would have called him "Uncle ____")
This is a tough one - and I'll leave her uncle out of this since no one reported his name correctly. He was an unusual uncle of hers, had an unusal life and Luana took care of him in his elder years.
The point of this exercise was to inspire folks to do the same kind of "self experiment" with their own loved ones. Not with Luana per se - but with anyone that we knew that was on the planet.
Devise your own "five questions" or ten, or twenty. Take out a photograph and ask them to reply. They don't have to reply with sound, could be an image ("clutch purse that's blue") could something that pays off later. Try not to hung up in the "proving" part - as Harry Dean Stanton told us (In "Backstage Pass to the Flipside 1") "Believe in the possibility of an afterlife, then you won't waste any more of your time arguing about it like I did."
Sage advice.
But in this case, talk to them. Ask them questions. Repeat the questions in different locations - their favorite restaurant, a beach. Ask questions you don't know the answer to - 'When you hear an answer before you can ask the question then you'll know you've made a connection."
Books and awards will be sent out as we speak - and the winner to Jennifer's raffle (a free hour with her) will be notified privately by email (and will announce here if they ask me to.)
Thanks for playing along!
"Architecture of the Afterlife" and "Backstage Pass to the Flipside 3" will be on audible in a few weeks. Stay tuned.
The answers to the questions are:
1. What was Jack Nicholson’s nickname for you?
(People might get an image or a sound, or something else. Whatever it is, don’t judge it, just write it down.)
The winning answer came from "Frances" in Florida, who said "I get an image of her standing with a clutch purse. The color of the purse was turquoise." I asked what color that might represent, and she said "aquamarine?" I said "That's close enough - The answer is "Blue." (Could have been a state of mind comment, but Jack has a nickname for all his pals.)
2. What city did your mother own property in, that we went to visit?
(Again, hard for them to use “words” – an image might come to mind, or an image of a person might appear; just note whatever that is.)
One person answered this correctly; "New Mexico." Her mother brought property there in the 1960's, Luana and I went to visit it later in her life, and it was specifically in Santa Fe. New Mexico was/is correct.
3. What was the name of your dog that you found wandering the streets of West Hollywood?
(Hint: This name is also the name of a city. Again – try not to judge it, but listen carefully for the name of a city, or a place on a map – if you get a state ask “north, south, east or west?” until you take out a map, look at the cities on the map and “ask her to direct you to the correct one.”)
One person answer "Jose" - which in Spanish would be as in "San Jose" - but it's close to "Boyse" - which was her nickname for "boys town" or West Hollywood. I called him "Boise" (hence the hint) but Boyse is more accurate than Boise - and close enough to Jose to suggest a winning entry.
4. Name the cat in this photo.
Painted by Luana
(Hint: Not Mr. Bailey who is someone she often refers to. Cat shares the name with a friend of hers, and a person with the same name may appear.)
This cat's name was "Robert." However, a number of folks said "Kit Cat" or "Kitty Cat" - I don't remember Robert being referred to as such - but who knows? Maybe he is on the flipside. So no one got this correctly, but that's fine; Robert doesn't mind.
5. What is your uncle’s first name, who was the brother to your mother?
(Hint: an image of someone with the same name might come to mind. She would have called him "Uncle ____")
This is a tough one - and I'll leave her uncle out of this since no one reported his name correctly. He was an unusual uncle of hers, had an unusal life and Luana took care of him in his elder years.
The point of this exercise was to inspire folks to do the same kind of "self experiment" with their own loved ones. Not with Luana per se - but with anyone that we knew that was on the planet.
Devise your own "five questions" or ten, or twenty. Take out a photograph and ask them to reply. They don't have to reply with sound, could be an image ("clutch purse that's blue") could something that pays off later. Try not to hung up in the "proving" part - as Harry Dean Stanton told us (In "Backstage Pass to the Flipside 1") "Believe in the possibility of an afterlife, then you won't waste any more of your time arguing about it like I did."
Sage advice.
But in this case, talk to them. Ask them questions. Repeat the questions in different locations - their favorite restaurant, a beach. Ask questions you don't know the answer to - 'When you hear an answer before you can ask the question then you'll know you've made a connection."
Books and awards will be sent out as we speak - and the winner to Jennifer's raffle (a free hour with her) will be notified privately by email (and will announce here if they ask me to.)
Thanks for playing along!
"Architecture of the Afterlife" and "Backstage Pass to the Flipside 3" will be on audible in a few weeks. Stay tuned.
