The Flipside of Alcatraz and Drapchi Prison

Took a trip up to the Rock this weekend. Funny, lived in SF, been in the city a zillion times - just never made it over to "The Rock."

Alcatraz docks

In the 60's, it was reclaimed by Native Americans briefly.

Typical cell.

We all know about some of the famous inmates here, Machine Gun Kelly, Alfonso Capone.  Robert Stroud.

Al was 35 in this pic.

Oddly enough - Al owned a couple of homes in my hometown of Northbrook Illinois. And the land that I grew up on was reportedly one of his "ranch properties." My parents bought it in the 50's from someone who had purchased it from one of his relatives.

There had been cows up on our hill, and we often found bones while digging up the backyard.  Years later, I wondered if there might be any other bones up in Al's old ranch property (frenemies.) Alas, never got around to looking.

The Rock from SF

While visiting the rock I met this fellow. Author William Baker,  Bill Baker former Alcatraz inmate #1259.

William G Baker, Author/Inmate Alcatraz 1259

I spoke to Bill briefly about his life.  I said "What's it like for you to have been brought here so many years ago, to come back here on your own volition?"

He said "I've been asked that question 100's of times. Normally I just say "Cause I'm crazy."

"But I'm going to tell you the answer. It's because I have no remorse.  Most people don't realize that Alcatraz was a place where prisoners came here who were already in prison and had done something to get them labeled as bad prisoners.  So no one came here for their first time in prison. They'd already been in prison and they'd escaped."

According to his entertaining book, he'd tried to escape a number of times, and was sent here because of them.  "The men who were here had already been in the prison system. So they knew what to expect.  And they dealt with it.  But the reason I can come back up here is that I have no remorse. I had no remorse back then and I have no remorse now."

I asked why he thought that was, or if remorse had something to do with how we get through life.

He said "Some people are upset about their lot in life, about what's happened to them.  But I never had it. And I don't have it now."  He said "Let me put it this way, all those Wardens who used to run this place are dead.  Now I'm running this place."

I asked if he'd ever dreamt about his old pals that he knew while he was incarcerated on The Rock. He said "All the time."  I asked if they appeared sad or happy in his dreams.  He said "Always happy. Whenever I see them they're happy."  I asked him if he ever heard anything "new" from them - something that he wasn't aware they'd said or expressed before.  He said "I have to think on that awhile. Nothing comes to mind. But they're all happy."

I wanted to say "It's because they've returned "home" and of course they're going to be happy."  But did not.

During the tour of Alcatraz, there was a moment in "D Block" where the prisoners were locked into isolation. The voice tour includes an inmate saying "But if you close your eyes, eventually you see a pinpoint of light, and then you see images - and those images can take you anywhere."

Take you anywhere.  Cool.

The irony is here though - a man put in prison for being incorrigible.  At the age of 23 sent to Alcatraz where the toughest, baddest, worst of the worst were sent.  And he had no remorse about being sent there.  In fact he'd written a book about it, and had returned to dance on the graves of those who'd put him in here.

NPR interviewed Bill some years back:

And now to Tibet....

The Potala Palace Tibet

When you think of life as a play - a stage play - and people choose their costumes and props, and roles they're going to play - it makes perfect sense that the inmate would return to gloat over surviving beyond all of them.

Palden Gyatso

Years ago I met a Tibetan Monk who had been incarcerated for decades in the notorious Drapchi prison. 

This is the notorious prison in Lhasa, Tibet where the Chinese put dissidents, or just people they don't like. 

They're sent there and tortured on a daily basis. It might be because of the inmate's adherence to his religion or robes. It might be because a guard didn't like them. But Drapchi is often a one way ticket off the planet for those monks sent here.

 (Buddhism, according to scholars like Robert Thurman is a religion in name only - since it doesn't "believe" in any deity, or any creator - that all humans are equal in terms of being able to achieve enlightenment on their own, through the powers of their brain - it's mis-categorized as a religion. It's actually a philosophy.  And the fact that China, an avowed atheist/communist government has been torturing and abusing Tibetans for decades to dissuade them from following a "philosophy" is worth pondering.  (Since it's not a religion, then Mao's admonition "all religion is poison" wouldn't apply to Buddhism in the first place ... but I digress.)

Palden showing "thumb cuffs"

But I met this elderly monk in Los Angeles. Palden Gyatso.  He spoke of his incarceration, and I asked him about the "happiest day of his life." With tears in his eyes, he said it was upon his release, when he got to meet His Holiness the Dalai Lama. 

What's amazing to me about his story - this is a man who was tortured for three decades. And when he was released, he snuck out some of his instruments of torture. Cattle prods. Handcuffs. He's spoken about these days of torture. And about those who tortured him.  He survived beyond the lives of two of the three of his principal torturers.

That is - the man who tortured him for a decade - who went to work each day at Drapchi and spent his day torturing this happy little man - dropped dead. So they assigned another torturer. He lasted another decade. Then he dropped dead. The third torturer let Palden Gyatso (born 1933) go.

It's great to hear that Bill Baker has survived his ordeal. But as he put it "He knew what he was in for, and it wasn't an ordeal for him."  Palden Gyatso suffered immensely for his devotion to his vows as a monk, but in his case he prayed every day for the liberation of his captors.  Prayed every day that they would not suffer for the pain that they were causing him.  His prayers, as strong as they were, didn't help the two Chinese guards who dropped dead while torturing this humble old monk.  

But I would offer that in order to live life fully, try to leave remorse out of the picture.  Just live your life. If you have to do time, then you do the time.  Pray for the liberation of all souls, the prisoners, the prison guards, the wardens.  After all - they're not gone, they're just not here.

"Now I'm running this place."

In both cases, these men are "Dancing on the graves" of those who incarcerated them.  Interesting to think about.

Below is a tape smuggled out of Drapchi Prison by these Buddhist nuns whose sentences were increased by years because of its revelation.  Worth reminding folks there are prisoners suffering around the world for nonsensical reasons - the entire prison concept needs to be rethought in light of flipside research.  Punishment isn't relevant, revenge is meaningless, giving people the opportunity to help others through teaching or compassion is the only logical way to deal with prisons or prisoners. (See Michael Moore's "Where to Invade Next" for further info). If we're here to teach, learn or help - what's the point?

Circling the Sacred Mountain, God and Morgan Freeman

For fans of "Flipside"  

Cover photo Jock Montgomery, Cover type by Richard Rossiter

This is the book that was in the library of the apt I sublet while working on the film "Salt​." 

I had read the book and audited Robert Thurman's class at Columbia U in '96. In 2004 I was in Mumbai filming a Bollywood script when I got an email "If you can be in Kathmandu next week you can join our trip around Mt. Kailash in Tibet." I joined the trip and documented it ("Journey into Tibet." The full version is here and costs $2.99 to view, but all pieces are free on youtube if you search for them).




At some point we were on Mt. Kailash (pictured above) and Robert told us any wish made in this sacred place "would come true." I jokingly decided I'd wish for a million dollars... or a 3 picture deal. Couldn't make up my mind, and out of my mouth came the words "I want a son." I was startled when I said it. Then three years later, driving around Santa Monica with our son, and I asked "Did you know daddy from before?" He nodded, "yes." I asked "Where did you meet me?" He said "in Tibet." Startled, I said "Where in Tibet?" He said "On the path." I thought of all the paths I'd been on - then I remembered the wish I'd made. "Was it Kailash?" He shrugged. I asked "Was it Kangra?" He nodded "yes" and said "It was Kangra." 

Where I made the wish

Kangra is the name of the path in Tibetan where I made that wish. Then a year later, subletting an apt in the West Village while working on "Salt" son found this book in the owner's library, pulled it out to show his mom. He pointed to the picture of Mt. Kailash and said "That's where I found daddy."  

Sherry called me on the set and asked "Did you know this book was here?" I didn't and had not said the word Kailash to him other than in the car. "That's where I found daddy."  From Flipside: A Tourist's Guide On How To Navigate the Afterlife​


  

Morgan Freeman

is seeking the story of God on National Geographic.  The series opens with an interview with David Bennett - an author ("Voyage of Purpose") who had a near death experience.  I interviewed him for the book "It's a Wonderful Afterlife"  David has a fascinating story - he doesn't call this ball of light "God" in his book - but of course since the show is about God, Morgan asks him if the ball of light is God, to which David replies - "yes."


Important to be specific here - in his written account and in the account her gave me during his interview, he saw this ball of light as "millions of lights" - and a few of them separated from the light to travel to speak with him... so in essence, you could say that the ball of light was "God" and that the slivers of light that came to visit him where also "of God."

Because in this world of trying to use language to define the inexpressable, we seem to be caught up in what the word's say or mean.  Is God a he?  Often people will say "I felt a male presence" when asked that question.  Sometimes they'll say "I felt more of a female presence."  So it depends on the person doing the viewing.

In this search of "God" or the meaning of the afterlife, they're touching upon the surface of these questions - by the nature of the medium of course.  But in essence, they jump from David Bennett's first person account of his experience with the afterlife, to Dr. Sam Parnia's work - the doctor behind the Aware project - who has studied near death experiences.

Dr. Sam talks about life continuing on for a few moments after death, and David Bennett's experience was for "15 to 18" minutes. The implication being that David's experience couldn't be "hypoxia" or some other physical event created by the brain, because the brain didn't have oxygen for quite some time.


My interview in a noisy cafe with author David Bennett

But I think they're skimming the surface here.  It's wonderful to hear Morgan's face, to see his face react to these stories, to hear his own personal journey with this work.  But by limiting the series to a search for "God" - and then lightly touching upon what people say about their experience in the afterlife, is to mix the subjects up.

In Michael Newton's interview in "Flipside: a Journey into the Afterlife" he talks specifically about the "Creator or creators" that many of his clients have experienced.  These are people under deep hypnosis who recall not only past lives, but a between lives realm where they can examine, explore and explain what they're experiencing.

As I've outlined in "Flipside" and the "It's a Wonderful Afterlife" books these reports are consistent and they're replicable.  I've filmed nearly 30 people under hypnosis, and examined other taped recordings of these sessions from different people across the globe, and what they say is consistent.  That we don't die. That our consciousness continues on. That it's here that we are deluded by "reality" as if this was the only realm in existence. That we return "home" to be with our loved ones and teachers - and are able to see our lifetimes as "performances on stage" where we learn and teach and examine all forms of energy.

I've filmed people who've had near death experiences, and seen how they can re-examine those events clearly - with more depth - I've filmed people who are skeptics, who don't believe in an afterlife, but who clearly remember previous lives and then experience the between life arena and are able to see their lives with perspective.  I've filmed interviews with people NOT under hypnosis - who by merely asking them the same questions people are asked while under hypnosis - are able to access the same clarity about past lives and the between life realm.

The point being - you don't need to have a near death experience to experience life off this planet.  You don't need to have a near death experience or be under hypnosis to access your memories of previous lifetimes or being able to talk to and hear from your spirit guides.  That you can access "new information" from them in the spirit world - meaning details that you aren't aware of, could not be privy to or never heard of - and yet turn out to be true because you've heard them from people not alive.

That's a series I'd like to work on - and perhaps one day will.  But for the time being we'll just have to hope that the people who are making these shows are able to take that one step further.  Or "One Step Beyond."

My two cents.

The Jewel Tree Meditation of Flipside

Just a couple of notes of merriment. 

 
The audio version of "It's a Wonderful Afterlife Volume Two" is now live and online.

It's also available in Nook here:

Volume One is available in Nook here:

And available in audio here:

It's a particularly hard time around the holidays when your loved ones are far away, either in spirit or physically.

There's a Buddhist meditation about that, and perhaps giving yourself a taste of that can be helpful.

Put yourself in a calm place, or a place where you feel calm.  That could be a Starbucks, or a lake or a pond, or in your chair while you're reading up on the latest online news.

Sit back for a moment and breathe.  You know what I mean.  Literally, sit back, take a deep breath and let it go.

Stressed from shopping?  Stressed from getting gifts?  Stressed from giving gifts? Stressed because there's no money to give gifts?  (Sing it).  Stressed because everything seems a little bit more heightened at this moment?

Take a deep breath.  Let it all go.

Look around you.  What do you see?  Did you ever notice that particular thing before?  What's it doing in your field of view?  Did my suggesting you look at it bring it into view, or was it always there and you just didn't consider it?  Could be a photograph, or a pencil, or a person sitting on the other side of the coffee shop.  (I met my wife in a Starbucks, and in 20 minutes, after realizing how much we had in common I said "Let's just skip down and get married and have a couple of kids."  She was convinced I say that to everyone at Starbucks.)  But I digress.

Breathe in.  Listen to what sounds you might be able to hear.  Are they unique?  Annoying?  What are they really? Waves of sound just coming your way?  Let them pass through, don't attach anything to them.

Breathe in.  And then breathe out. 

Now, here comes the fun part.  Don't do this while driving.  Imagine yourself sitting by a pond somewhere, the most beautiful lake you've ever seen.  Then imagine a tree coming out of that lake.  A magnificent tree, and hear the sound of the leaves as it rises out of the water.  Birds come and land on your tree. The sun is at the right height to really allow you to see this tree.  Feel the warmth of the sun, listen to the sound of the birds.

Then in the center of the tree put the happiest person you know.  It could be someone alive or dead, doesn't matter. Just put them there in the tree.  Gaze up at them, and let them gaze down upon you.  Welcome them to your tree.  

And then open up a channel from your heart, straight up into the tree, like a laser beam of light.  Let it hit that person in the center of the tree and light them up with love.  And it starts their engine as well, and they return that love to you.  Could be anyone - your mom, your dad, your most sacred deity, your best friend - whoever it is, shower them with that unconditional love.

(Funny, it's the most common thing I've heard in NDE's and LBL's - a sense of "unconditional love."  As opposed to "conditional love?"  That would be.. "Uh, yeah, I love you... but...")  I digress.
 
And now put everyone you love around this person and do the same with them.  Open up the iris of this beam of light and allow them to return it equally.  Feel that intense love coming from you and then it returns more powerful, stronger than before.

Then put around your loved ones from near and far, alive or dead, people you see on a daily basis, who may be sad or unhappy, or stressed.  Put them up there too, why not?  It's a tree for the masses.  And then finally after them, put up there the people you really don't like, or can't stand, or believe that you hate.  Or that you believe hate you.  (Because hate is a relative thing - the person you "hate" in middle school may become a best friend later on in life).  

They're startled to be called into your tree, but they like the light.  They like the feeling up there. So you've got this magnificent tree in front of you, filled with your loved ones, friends and acquaintances.  

Then put gifts in each one of their hands.  Could be anything - it's free! - you just imagine it and hand it to them, and see that look of happiness, gratitude, or love coming from them.  It's your gift to them.  Didn't cost you anything but the time it took to read this blog.

Give love freely.  Feel the vibration of the return that comes to you.  Breathe in that golden healing light that showers you, breathe out as much healing energy and light as you can muster.   

And then, just for fun - turn the healing light to snow - let it blanket everyone.  They aren't cold, just startled by the white flakes falling on them.  Healing snow, melting into their hearts, making their gifts turn white.

Then slowly one by one thank them for appearing in your life, or your tree, and then allow them to dissolve, until you're back to your most beloved... and thank them for taking away all your pain and stress today, because that's a gift from them to you.

Merry Holidays, Happy New Year.

(This is a Martini modified version of the Jewel Tree Meditation of Tibet, taught me by Robert Thurman while we were in Tibet.  You can watch him give it in Tibet here: or get a copy of Journey into Tibet here:)

Deepak Chopra's Million Dollar Consciousness Challenge

Deepak Chopra's One Million Dollar Challenge to the Skeptics

“Please explain the so-called normal, how does electricity going to the brain become the experience of a 3D world of space and time. If you can explain that, then you get a million dollars from me."  

Deepak Chopra 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Up6GqgBK5Qo

So the world's foremost "gadfly of consciousness" has issued a challenge (ala the skeptics of the planet and "the amazing randi" and his "million dollar challenge" to prove ESP) to prove what "reality" is.  (for randi's challenge: http://www.skepdic.com/randi.html)

Let's start with the definition of skeptic.  

The definition of skeptic is: 

A person who doubts the truth or value of an idea or belief: (Cambridge Edition) or

noun

1.

a person who questions the validity or authenticity of something 
purporting to be factual.

2.

a person who maintains a doubting attitude, as toward values, 
plans,statements, or the character of others.

3.

a person who doubts the truth of a religion, especially Christianity, 
or of important elements of it.

4.

(initial capital letter) Philosophy.

1. a member of a philosophical school of ancient Greece, the earliest
2. group of which consisted of Pyrrho and his followers, who
3. maintained that real knowledge of things is impossible.
4. any later thinker who doubts or questions the possibility 
5. of real knowledge of any kind.

A skeptic is someone who doesn't believe in the prevailing school of thought.  

And the prevailing school of thought about consciousness is this: it all arises in the brain. 

Forget for a moment about the "paranormal."  Let's define "normal" for a moment. 

What's happening in the brain? Why is it self aware or thinking?  When a child remembers a past life are they delusional? When a person hears a voice and steps back from a speeding car racing by, and no one is around - who told them to step back?  Is everything we see and hear created by the brain?  

Or is it created somewhere else?

I would argue that Deepak's challenge to prove reality - or consciousness - is like those who want to disprove the paranormal.  First we have to agree on the definitions of what we're talking about - and in so doing we have to agree on each particular word, perhaps even agree on the particular letters. Skeptic or sceptic.  We can't even agree on the danged word to begin with.

But let's put this to rest, shall we?  Let's answer the million dollar challenge.  "Explain the so-called normal, how does electricity going to the brain become the experience of a 3D world of space and time?"  

The answer is pretty simple. 
(Profoundly simple, simply profound.)

Consciousness works just like an FM receiver works.  The brain is an instrument that has been honed and altered over millennia, but functions the same way that an FM receiver does.  

The consciousness receiver by Yamaha

There are filters to keep certain information out (below 20 Hz or above 20K hz aren't accessible) the amperage only goes so high, the output is onlyo so many watts per channel, otherwise we would blow the speakers.  The receiver is off when it is in the womb, until about the 4th month (according to the many reports I've gathered from NDEs or LBLs) and then the receiver is turned on (people claim we "merge" with the fetus around the 4th month). 

There's a lot more information that is available to the receiver then it initial receives while it boots up. 

It takes about 7 years for all the circuits to actually form and shape themselves until the back and forth ability to experience other wave lengths eventually becomes moot. (Just the way some kids can remember past lives but no longer do after the age of 7 or 8 - others can experience other dimensions or pick up signals from other realms (just the way bees can see other visible spectrums), and others have different frequencies accessible to them, as mediums do).  

But ultimately, the receiver is accessing information that is being broadcast to it - it translates that information into dreams, hopes, and consciousness.  

Each receiver is different, or at least different enough so that no two circuit boards are the same (even identical twins have different dreams and moments of consciousness - sometimes they can feel what the other twin is feeling, but that's because the receivers are so similar - but not exactly the same.)

However, there is a fundamental difference in this model that I'm describing, and this is why it's worth a million bucks.

Because it's not based on karma or previous editions of the same receiver - the conscious mind exists as a sub unit in this other realm, or the realm outside the receiver and CHOOSES which receiver its going to work with based on a number of factors that have mostly to do with compassion (or agreements, or helping others). 

Not all receivers have all their dials and switches intact however, and when a person chooses a faulty one things can go awry - it's a bit like cranking up the tunes, turning all the dials to 10 at once - you may think that's going to work in theory, but it can actually overheat the system, blow speakers, or cause damage to the system.  However, you wouldn't know that unless you tried it once or twice.  (or over a few lifetimes).

I've laid this all out in my work; "Flipside: ATourist's Guide on How to Navigate the Afterlife" (#1 in all its genres at amazon twice) and the two volumes of the new work that interviews scientists that prove my theory (called "It's A Wonderful Afterlife" - volume one is available now, and volume two soon to come.)  This theory is based on the past 6 years of filming people under deep hypnosis, and then expanding the research into near death experiences, out of body experiences, and the scientists who have been on the cutting edge of studying consciousness (Dr. Bruce Greyson at UVA - see his "Is Consciousness Created by the Brain?" on youtube) and Mario Beauregard, a neuroscientist in Montreal (wrote "Brain Wars") RobertThurman and Gary Schwartz PhD ("Sacred Promise"). 

When you combine the research you can see pretty clearly that the brain functions as a receiver of information - but like an FM receiver in your home, it is limited by its construction but at the same time can play some pretty awesome tunes.  

The music isn't created by the machine itself, but it does an amazing job of translating waves and energy into sound.  The same happens with the brain, but in a much more multifaceted, multidimensional way - but the function is the same.  

Consciousness doesn't come straight from the source to our unit - then all the units would play the same song.  We exist as fully formed individuals between lives, and send about a third of our spirit energy to any particular incarnation. (This is based on the over 10K interviews done under hypnosis by Dr. Michael Newton and Dr. HelenWambach).  

According to one person we would "blow the circuits" if we brought too much energy to a lifetime.  Just the way we would "blow the circuits" if we had all of our consciousness downloaded into the FM receiver at once.

When we come here, we do so to learn and teach - and there are filters in place so we don't remember all of our previous lifetimes.  A bit like random access memory (RAM), so that not all the information is accessible at one time.  That function is two fold - we don't spend all day thinking about all of our different lifetimes, and we're able to focus on the obstacles and joy in the one we're currently in.  

We spend our lifetime (or life of the FM receiver) making people happy (happy tunes) or sad (catharsis is involved) as we affect and change and learn from every song we play, every function we perform. And at the end, our circuits eventually burn out.  However, just like the many studies of the brain, people do suddenly access their consciousness at death - in England, the reports are as high as 70% of nurses with alzheimers patients that claim in the last minutes, sometimes hours, sometimes days prior to death, they suddenly are lucid and remember their lifetime with clarity. (For the cite for this see the above talk given by Dr. Greyson - it's statistical research, not hopeful speculation.) 

And after these folks have died, autopsies reveal that their brain was not capable of these "higher functions" - that there's no earthly or physical reason they should have been able to be fully conscious and speak with clarity about their lives. 

The reason is because as the brain and body have died, the filters that keep out consciousness have "died" as well - and are shut off.  Unfortunately it's only for a few minutes, or hours, or even days - but it allows loved ones to say goodbye. What I'm talking about her are scientific results that are consistent and are replicable.  And at the heart of science is the idea that if you can repeat an experiment under certain conditions, whatever the result is the answer, whether we like that answer, whether we believe that answer, whether it's worth a million dollars or not.  

And that, my dear Deepak (whom I met once many years ago in La Jolla) is the answer to your million dollar question.  The electricity that goes to the brain functions just like the electricity that goes to power up a receiver of music.  

It's not the receiver that is creating the 3D experience, the electricity is just powering up the unit that receives, processes and filters the information its receiving (which you could call radiating waves of consciousness (in a back and forth conversation with our higher selves) that allow us to experience reality.  

Once all the circuits of the receiver are up and running, it can process its own myriad of information, including bodily function - but the "mind" or "consciousness" that makes us aware of our world around us comes from elsewhere, works with the circuits in the particular unit and creates (or helps formulate) who we are in temporary, yet high fidelity form. Crank up the volume.

Hope this helps.  Rich Martini

For the book It's A Wonderful Afterlife:
https://www.createspace.com/4733624

Flipside Documentary Gaiam

In Kindle and book

Flipside in Kindle or Book

Tibet House Flipside Book Talk "Route 66"

For those of you who couldn't make it - here it is.

Best,

Rich

Its A Wonderful Afterlife in Manhattan

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BOOK LAUNCH - 'IT'S A WONDERFUL AFTERLIFE' WITH RICHARD MARTINI

EVENT DETAILS

WHO

Richard Martini 

WHAT

Book launch 

WHERE

Tibet House US gallery, NYC 

WHEN

Friday, August 08, 2014 At 07:00 PM  

HOW

free admission 

DETAILS

Friday, August 8; 7-9PM 

ABOUT THE EVENT

Author and award winning filmmaker Richard Martini has written and/or directed 9 films. A former free lance journalist for Variety, Inc.Com, Premiere and other magazines, Richard will talk about the findings of his extensive research for his best selling book "Flipside: A Tourist's Guide on How to Navigate the Afterlife" (#1 at Amazon in its genre twice) his debut non-fiction book on a topic that's been haunting him since the death of a soul mate, upon which his 90 minute documentary of the same name is based. The new book "It's A Wonderful Afterlife" examines near death experiences, between life sessions and includes a chapter from Robert Thurman on the "Death of Death."

After a dream vision of visiting his friend in the Great Beyond, Martini went on a literary quest to find out what the prevailing science and philosophical opinions on the Afterlife are. He journeyed into Tibetan Philosophy, made documentaries in Tibet and India,  and eventually was introduced to the work of the Newton Institute, founded by renowned author and hypnotherapist Dr. Michael Newton ("Journey of Souls"). The new book includes interviews with post materialist scientists Gary Schwartz, Bruce Greyson, Mario Beauregard and examines a number of NDE's and LBLs that have remarkably similar stories about the afterlife.

Martini’s first documentary "Special Olympians" won the Mexico City International Film Festival. He then made his feature film directorial debut "You Can't Hurry Love,”with Bridget Fonda. He wrote and/or directed "Limit Up," "Point of Betrayal" "My Bollywood Bride" and "Cannes Man." He worked on the films "Amelia" and "Salt" as a digital media curator, pioneering a method of previsualizing a film online, film director Phillip Noyce hired him to work on both films.  

He's also directed documentaries; "Tibetan Refugee"explores the Tibetan community in Dharamsala, "White City/Windy City" explores the relationship between Chicago and Casablanca in the Eisenhower "Sister Cities" program, and "Journey Into Tibet", follows Buddhist scholar and author Robert Thurman on a sacred journey around Mt. Kailash in Western Tibet. COPIES OF THE BOOK AND 90 MINUTE DOCUMENTARY "FLIPSIDE" WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE.  

For more information, visit: WWW.RICHMARTINI.COM

Friday, August 8; 7-9PM      CLICK HERE TO RSVP

#1 in its genre at Amazon!!!!

FLIPSIDE

Hit #1 at Amazon in its genre. They put up a little banner flag thingie. Open up the champagne. I mean prosecco. Va bene!

Hanging with my Peeps in Ladakh

Flipside: A Tourist's Guide on How to Navigate the Afterlife by Richard Martini (Dec 13, 2012)

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The world's best person at saying Thank You
photo courtesy Brian Kistler (Visions of Tibet)

THANK YOU dear reader.

I know that you've come to this material, to this research for a variety of reasons...

Sometimes its from the pain of losing a loved one.

Sometimes its from experiencing unexplainable events in your life.

Sometimes its from fear of the unknown - and trying to find out what is known.


I am not a scientist.  I am not a philosopher.  I am not a new age guru. I'm a film guy.

Shooting a doc in Casablanca

Author & Robert Thurman in his class at Columbia U

But I am a curious fellow.  And for that reason, I began making a documentary about the topic, and once I was in over my head....

With Robert Towne, Caleb Deschanel, "Personal Best"

I couldn't stop.

After filming hours of between life sessions - sometimes six hours at a time - I realized I either had to edit this footage into a miniseries...

Or publish a book.

Publishers laughed.

Literally.  "very funny, but we aren't publishing memoirs at this time."

For the Memoirs. Author at 23.

Memoir?  I'm talking to people who show evidence that there's life after death.  A memoir?

With my peeps in Moscow

Oh, ok.  So I cut out half the chapters, and just focused on the transcripts of the book and how I came to them.  And in between my musing about what the heck that all might mean.

I'm glad it's helping folks.  I take no credit whatsoever for reporting what I'm hearing from people under deep hypnosis about the Afterlife.  I take credit for noting that it didn't matter who was under hypnosis - THEY WERE ALL SAYING THE SAME THINGS ABOUT THE AFTERLIFE.

No matter who the therapist was.

That was worth writing about.

Xmas at the Taj 

Those who made this happen; Mom, Sherry, Dad

So thank you from the bottom of my heart - but more importantly, thank those folks who let me report on their very personal, very profound journeys into the afterlife.

Now where's the Prosecco?

In my past life as a film guy

Rich