Latest reviews from the Audible version of Hacking the Afterlife

These are from here: 

Surprised and chagrined by the latest reviews on the Audible.com version of “Hackingthe Afterlife...”

"Great Book! #1 on my list to read first about the afterlife!!"

Narrator/Author was easy to listen to and at the top of my list for books on the afterlife. I have listened to quite a few and would recommend this one as the first book to read/listen to if you are questioning why you are here and what you will do after. Thank you for having it on Audible!

(You’re welcome, thank you!)

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Conservative GirlMiami01-27-17

"excellent top notch book on the subject!!!"

this is an excellent book and I didn't mind the narrators natural style.....it was real, human and endearing. God Bless You and yours, for all your hard work. wishing you nothing but love-liness!!!! Emily

(Thank you Emily, most appreciated)

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

Amazon CustomerIllinois, USA01-18-17

"Hacking Reviewed"

I've read and listened to many books in this genre and Rich does a great job at making the subject matter accessible and enjoyable. This is the first book that I have heard Rich narrate and so it was slightly different and not what you would be accustomed to from an audio book. However, his natural approach generates a more intimate and personal environment which adds to the entertainment. 

Having read Brian Weiss, Michael Newton, Jane Roberts, and Dolores Cannon, amongst others, there was not a lot of new material but what he does is bring the concepts together in a manner that is not overwhelming. For those beginning their journey into this field, Hacking is a great springboard that will send you on your way to a deeper understanding of what you will discover on the flip side.

(Thank you!)

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Rich01-17-17

"it's like a spiritual talk over a good drink"

nothing better than a real-world author reading his own words of important things like spirituality in the afterlife, but reading it as if you were sitting in a Tavern and having the conversation over a drink with a good buddy. It's not boring spirituality lectures, it's stories of research into past life regressions and medium sessions with logic and humor SD structure and bases.

(Drinks on the house!)

Dbernelle01-10-17

"Great Content - Rich should have practiced his read & acoustics"

As in the title, Rich's work is fantastic, but he should have practiced his reading & used consistent acoustics.

His work is real & his humor is great.... if he wasn't surprised over & over by his own words & the wording of the book it would have had the impact that it deserved - I would still want him to be the reader, just practiced...

(I agree.  Elocution lessons for me!)

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Marcia D.01-05-17

"The best Martini yet--a profound and joyful piece of work."

A true gift to everyone...particularly those whose hearts and minds pursue the "eternal questions" that continue to plague us and our planet...Rich Martini gladly shares the gold from his studies, research documentaries, filmed and radio interviews, personal experiences in the crossover worlds, questions, conjecture, opinions and, among all those facets gathered and recorded from the combined worlds of earth life and Spirit, issues proffered for any perspectives anyone may seek. I find endless delight in the ebook narration of this work simply because he exudes such irrepressible humor, common sense, joyful spontaneity and engaging warmth in the eager, direct conversations-with-a-friend spirit that leaps into the atmosphere and fills the personal space of the listener. In my almost 50 years of traveling these paths, this is surely the best summation I've found to date of the wisest truths that are there for the gathering. 

Congratulations, Rich Martini...and Thank You!

(Thank you Marcia!  Very kind.)

.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

BebeCentreville, VA12-30-16

"Worth the listen!!"

Any additional comments?

While the narration is different from other audiobooks I wouldn't say it bothered me. This book felt more like I was listening to a speech which in no way took away from the content. If you're a fan of esoterica or are open minded to discover new materials then this book is a treasure! I've read or listened to 100's on this topic and while some of the information and ideas already exist in print it's the depth of review that appeals to me in this book. Plus, there was plenty of new information. I found the listen to be delightful.

(I found this review to be delightful. Thanks.)

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

JoyChimayo, Nm, United States12-29-16

"I love this book"

What did you love best about Hacking the Afterlife?

I love the author's reading of the book. His voice, humor and asides make a subject that is hard to believe very compelling. In studying the afterlife through reading many books, I am still unsure. I like this author. I think that he believes what he's saying. I am not with him as an absolute believer. I'm thinking about taking a deep hypnosis session because I listened to this book. Not sure, but maybe..
The Jesus fixation was a little strange. But I went with it. So many people who were with Jesus at one time or another? Strains credulity to a very, very, very limit. Still, I went with it. Kinda.

What other book might you compare Hacking the Afterlife to and why?

LIfe After Life.

Which character – as performed by Richard Martini – was your favorite?

Richard Martini is very funny and smart, and all of this book is done in his voice. I love his voice.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. I listened to it in seven parts.

Any additional comments?

Keep going, Richard Martini. If I'm interested, many people are. Maybe less Jesus next time.

(Thanks Joy! I’ll let Jesus know! (just kidding) I’m just reporting though.)

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

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G. Merkel01-14-17

"Yawn! Waste of time."

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Was hoping for some, if not brilliant, at least interesting glimpses of the afterlife. Instead this book turned into a rambling monologue with very little substance and endless "name dropping." Heard about Amelia Earhart to ad nauseum with claims that she was a spy captured by the Japanese (he spent over an hour on that alone). Then of course, there was a long torturous interview with none other than Jesus himself, who claims not to have died on the cross after all. Michael Jackson put in an appearance as well as Robin Williams and the list goes on. Although I have no way of knowing what actually happened to these individuals, the story lines which were supposed to have been given through a medium, were all over the place and sometimes even contradictory. Boring would be an understatement. After about 6 hrs. of listening and trying my best to be open minded, I simply couldn't take anymore.

Has Hacking the Afterlife turned you off from other books in this genre?

Luckily, I have listened to books by many other authors on this subject which I thoroughly enjoyed and felt that I came away with a greater understanding of the topic. Raymond Moody, Jeffrey Long, Brian Weiss, James Van Praagh, Penny Sartori, Michael Newton and Eben Alexander, among others, have some terrific books on the subject and I am hoping they will release more.

How could the performance have been better?

In all fairness, I have read previous books by Richard Martini "The Flipside" and "It's a Wonderful Afterlife" and they were not that bad. Although most of his work seems to revolve around the rich and or famous, not the regular person on the street, he at least didn't belabor one historic figure to the same degree in those books. I was able to get through them. My main complaint is that his works are filled with way too much dialogue and irrelevant information, rather than giving much insight into the afterlife. It almost comes across more like a bad script stuffed with fillers.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Main reaction was disappointment since I had really been looking forward to listening to this book, and then found out that it couldn't hold my interest.

Any additional comments?

The book came across as being fabricated and lacking in authenticity. If it was genuine, then it fell short of convincing this reader. At the very least, it could have been entertaining, even if I didn't buy it. Which is not to say that I am a skeptic on the subject, just this one particular book.

I tracked down Cheryl on Facebook and wrote the following:

Cheryl! I'm sorry you didn't like my audio version of "Hacking the Afterlife." How can I make it up to you?  I hope you asked for your money back... sounds like you had a hard time listening to it... really, tell me how. have you seen the print copy? (Michael Jackson isn't in it... I think you meant Prince, but that's not my choice - I didn't ask for any celebrities to "come through" - but I do live in hollywood). 

So I knew Robin Williams, I reviewed Prince for a show he did and saw him backstage... I don't know why they reached out to Jennifer Shaffer - but they did. Don't know what to say about it feeling fabricated - you've written positive reviews of my previous books "Flipside" and "It's a Wonderful Afterlife." Everything that I report is filmed. Meaning, I film my interviews, and I either post them online, or provide transcripts for what's said. The book are literal transcripts. The audio is me reading those transcripts. So not much I can fabricate.  

And as to Amelia - what can I say? After 30 years of research, I had 3 different mediums answer questions about her - and they were all accurate - not anything that is available in the research. So the point of her section was "new information" from people in the afterlife. Not because she’s famous. Because she’s still accessible. (as are all our loved ones.) It’s Amelia that tells the medium that US soldiers didn't dig up her body (she doesn't tell me!)

And finally - I thought long and hard about including the Jesus material - but this nearly half a dozen people contacted me to claim that they knew or met him in a previous lifetime... at some point I realized I was being prejudiced by not reporting that... 

Who am I to deny what they’re telling me? Again, I’m a reporter, reporting what I hear. Happy to send you a free copy of the book, or a copy of the film flipside? But Audible is a money back guarantee – and I’m sure you can get a refund. Thanks. Rich

A couple of Flipside Memories from those in the audience....

Some unusual emails and contacts from people around the planet lately....

My alma mater.

Phone rang. It was a woman in Canada.  She sounded surprised to hear my voice. She said "It's you!" I said "Yes, I think so. Should be me."

She said she had been listening to me on a blog radio broadcast the night before and fell asleep. She said that she began to dream that I was still talking to her.  But in this case, she was looking at me. (Gray hair, glasses, you know... me.)  The only problem was is that she'd never seen me before. 

So the next morning she went on line and watched a video of me talking and said "oh my god! that's the guy in my dream!"  

Trying to life Curtis Hanson's Oscar

She listened to the podcast again, and at some point they lost the connection with me, and someone in the control room said aloud my phone number to call me back to the show (Podcasts - it happens).  Only this woman could hear the person saying my number.  And she called it.

And I answered.

I said "Oh come on now, you must have seen a video of me speaking somewhere. I'm all over the net."  She said she had not.  I said "Well, there must have been a photograph of me on the blog radio ad" and she said "Well, I didn't see one. I just tuned in while I was in bed."

I said "That's funny. Well, let's examine it for a moment, shall we? Was this a creation of your imagination? Or did I actually come and visit you (not consciously, not aware of it) and speak to you?  What did I say?"  She said that I jokingly said "Maybe we know each other from a previous life."  She said, "Then you got up from the table and left behind your cellphone, keys and wallet."

Exqueeze me?

I said "Okay, try an experiment with me.  Freeze the image that you can remember.  Take a look at the phone. Describe it to me."

She said "It's a flip phone."  I said "Well, I don't own one of those - so it's likely your imagination of me doing this.  Open up the flip phone. What do you see?"  She said "I see a phone number."  I asked her to read it to me.  And in a very slow halting voice she read off the number... one digit at a time... and read off my cell phone number.

Me in reflection outside Ciprianis.

I laughed. "Well c'mon. You called me on this number!" She seemed startled. "Oh, yes, I did, didn't I?"  I said "So you are seeing that number on a cell phone - okay, it means that someone - likely your subconscious wants you to reach out to me for some reason. What about the wallet?" 

She described a wallet (that unnervingly sounded like mine - I instinctively felt for it - still there...) but when she opened it found credit cards and a photograph.  I asked "Who is in the photo? What's the first name that comes to mind?" She said a name. I said "Where does this person live, what year?"  She said a place and a year.  I asked "How do you know this person? Is she on the planet?"  She said "I don't think so. But I feel like I know her from another place - like from over there on the other side."

Everything's gonna be ok.

I told her to see if she could search this woman's name and find evidence of this person's existence. But perhaps that's the person who sent this message to her, for her to call me.  "What does this person want you to know?"  "That everything is going to be okay is what comes to me."

Then I asked "So what about the keys?" She said "There's big and small ones - one is a car key, the other a door key. And a key ring with a symbol."  I asked her to draw a symbol, and tell me what it meant. She drew something like the number 8 - "like the symbol for infinity." 

Infinity.

I said "Take the house key and take it to the door of the house that it unlocks. Describe it to me."  She described a two story house that seemed like it was in Eastern Europe.

I said "Open it. Go inside. What do you see?"  She said she was in the hall, and saw a plant and a mirror." I said "Great. Go to the mirror. Who do you see? A man or a woman?"  She said "A woman."  

She got the impression she was in Bosnia (a place she's never been) seeing a woman from the 1800's.  She gave me a name, a town - other details.  I said, "If you were doing a regression you'd spend more time with this woman. But based on what I've experience, look at this person. Is she a stranger? A friend? Or is she... someone else?" She said "It's me."

I said "Ask her. Why have you shown me this vision?"  She said "What I'm hearing is; "To show you that you don't have to stress or worry so much. Everything is going to be okay."

As I pointed out to her - that's a pretty long way to get to such a simple sentence. But by making it so complex, and a puzzle, when you get to the answer to the clues, it resonates more.  

I asked her if she really heard it. "Everything is going to be okay." She says she did.

Can you hear me now? On the set of "My Bollywood Bride"

A woman contacted me from Europe. She works for an airline.  She found me through one of my youtube videos.  She had recently had some very powerful dreams, and wondered if I might help her source them.

She told me that in one dream, which sounded like she was having an "out of body experrience" she felt like she was drifting over a desert setting at twilight... 

"My body started to shake, at my spine a tingling sensation (a bit like Kundalini when it's active, mine awakened a few years ago, but I didn't had it under control and it was very painful so I stopped meditating for a few years...but I  know how it feels). 

So I hear this music. It gets louder and louder.... music from movies.... (it was) soundtrack music that I like to listen (like "the force theme" from Star Wars and so on and many others) and then I heard voices. Whispers first. They got louder and then I could hear them saying "We take care of you all" (I felt they meant my family). 

And I asked in my mind "What's with my sister...? (Can you) take care of her?" and the voices said "We will take care of her, don't worry". I tried to stand up from bed, but couldn't move and realized I had sleep paralysis. Then I tried to force myself to fall asleep again to wake up from it. When I did, I immediately started to write to you..."

Turns out her sister has had a sudden illness. She's worried about her - so she got this dream where someone told her -- "It's going to be okay." 

I suggested that she try to meditate on the dream and ask some direct questions to these voices.  As an experiment I suggested she "freeze the frame" and see what she could learn without judging or worrying about whatever she heard.  Here's her slightly edited, complete reply: (grab a cup of tea and savor this if you please).

"Ok. Wow. My first attempt to examine it in freeze mode: I see myself lying on the bed in this situation and I try to freeze the frame. Then I said "Bring me to the place, where the music and the voices came from." 

At first I see a landscape, like a desert with a sky at the evening. I am kind of flying over it, in the air, then I make a sudden move upwards. I see light and then I see a group of people dressed in white (My conscious mind tries to judge it as something that I have read, but I try to say to myself "don't judge it"). 

I know all these people (not from this life though) and they are super happy to see me, laughing and joking. And they almost crack themselves up about what they did with me with the (Star Wars) music. Like friends who know you very well and who kind of tried to make a surprise party for you.

Here's a soul group. Got a surprise party for you.

I ask them "What's the point of always dressing up in white?" They said "Imagine how you would feel, if you saw us and we were all dressed up in black!". Ok - I get it. (This would really scare me.) 

I see that this form (of the spirits) as humans is just one they take for me but it is also convenient for them. As if they know this form very well.

So now I tried to examine the individuals... (previously, in out of body experiences) I mainly heard a female voice, (but) I knew that she spoke for many.... And (in my visions) I kind of saw her hair. Short wavy greyish, but no sharp face. So I tried to find her in this group.

But for some reason I couldn't examine them individually. Instead I (felt I) was sucked into them. I couldn't resist this force almost. I was just "one" with them. As soon as I tried to examine them individually, (it was like) I was spit out of this oneness. But it felt so calm and peaceful and I thought "Ok, just bathe in it for a while". This oneness... I (felt like I) was like a huge galaxy in this moment. I was in the universe. 

Another piece of home.

Then I tried to find people inside of me (from that "oneness") that I know from Earth. And again, as soon as I found them, I (felt like I) was spit out of the comfy zone of me being the galaxy, peaceful and calm. As soon as I found them, I also felt their energy and all the emotions connected to them and I was not in the oneness anymore. Which felt totally awful.

 I couldn't say if the emotions connected to them and the energy connected to them was my own feeling and energy towards them -- or their own which made them individualized from the "oneness." This really interested me, because in this life I have huge problems to differentiate if emotions are my own or if I just feel the emotions of others. Often it's all just a big enmeshed entanglement for me.

The first photograph... 180 years ago in Paris. 

Then I understood. To experience us and others as individuals we need to have all these emotions... especially/also the bad ones. The more "bad" the emotion the more we are separated from the oneness. Or the best term would be "individualized," not separated really, but defined or distinctive. For the first time I understood this now.

So to experience all this earth stuff from the oneness into this play with individuals, we need these emotions that separate/define us.

Hard to find the horizon that defines us from outer space.

I thought "this sucks, there needs to be another way". I then knew, this is what we have to try to learn as humanity. To hold this state of mind to be the oneness and individuals at the same time. Which as I understood it, is a certain frequency which is super hard to hold.

I then saw that is the reason for the strong movement of immigrants from the middle east to the west.

The middle east humans have more of a group consciousness, but they tend to disrespect the individual's freedom.

The western humans are individuals, but they forgot they are part of a group.

So these wars that are happening -- there is kind of a balancing out of these two extremes....like two ways to be a human, that clashes now together.

Flipside is in Italian, Spanish

This movement through immigration is a start of a long process of coming together again to learn from each other, so in future we can hold this frequency of feeling oneness and being individuals on Earth at the same time (which I understood will be the end of this cruelty on earth and new kind of experience that will begin here).

I have to say at the same time I also saw myself in front of a bigger group of people. Like a gathering. This kind of "happened" at the same time. My focus was more on the other thing, though. So in front of these bigger group of people --  they were all light and dressed white and they were like listening to what I had to say... I don't know what I said.... but I remember that I asked if i could speak with the part of the soul that is still here (in the light) of someone that I know who is still alive on earth. When I did, the floor under my feet opened up into a dark hole and I was thrown out of wherever I was, and (it's as if) they wanted to send me back to my body. I don't know why this happened. (We discussed this later, it may be related to her "not knowing" how this part of the story would end.)

You can find God in the eyes. Always. There.

I also remember asking if this oneness is all there is. If that is God. I understood that I just felt a tiny part of "all there is." More like a soul group oneness. Which again is part of something -- a bigger oneness -- and that even God as we understand God, and that (concept is) kind of responsible for us as a part of a bigger oneness and it never ends. 

Like circles made of individuals and this circle is again an individual of a bigger circle and every individual in a circle is part of many different other circles. Like clockworks entangled all together. And that's why if there is a tiny eruption somewhere it will effect everything. 

Hope that makes any sense. Hard to put this picture into words."

Stars? Or just shining parts of all of us as one?

Well.....

Wow. How about that? Pretty cool I'd say.

She tells me she has not read any of my books (although she owns a couple, has just started them) and here she lays out an important message for humanity.  (I could wait and write about this in another next book - and maybe I will - but for now, I'm sharing it with all of you.)

Our loved ones are not gone. They're just not here. You're on the planet for a reason.  Only you can examine that reason, but it's worth examining. We're all part of the same energy - and that energy is what God is.

As mentioned in "It's a Wonderful Afterlife" - one person's spirit guide said "God is beyond the capacity of the human brain to comprehend - it's just too much information.  However you can experience God by opening your heart to everyone and to all things."

Got it?

Thanks for tuning in.

Tears in Heaven and The OA

"How's life with the dead?"  I ran into my friend again today, and we went off on another tangent that I wanted to share.

Photo by Russ Titelman

I told her about this unusual experience that happened to me. I had an unusual dream some years ago, which wasn't like a dream, it felt real, or more like a vision.  And in this vision, I ran into a woman who was distraught.  She was in tears and sobbing. She was in her 70's perhaps, kind of hunched over and really wailing.  I was conscious of the fact that I stopped and took her shoulders and said "What's the matter? Why are you crying?"

She said "I'm lost. And I can't find my husband."  I said to her "Well, can you show me a picture of him?"  And in her mind's eye she thought of her husband and projected it to me.  I "opened up my consciousness" to include all parts of the universe and did a "search" for him.  I was using the energetic grid or pattern or fingerprint that is unique to this fellow.

And I found him. In his pod, or his tree, or some kind of light apartment complex where he was with his friends, or soul group.  I snagged him, or yanked him out of whatever it was he was doing and pulled him back here to where this woman was wandering a dark street.  I said to her "Is this him?"  She cried out with joy at the sight of her husband and embraced him.

When I woke up, I wondered - "Why wasn't he there to greet her when she passed away?"  I realized even though that's the case with the vast majority of us, it's not the case with everyone.  Because they may very well pass away in a state of distress, either because of events occurring to them at that moment, or by a tragic sense of sadness or loss they've been holding onto.  So they can't "tune in" to their relatives or loved ones because they're just too upset.  

Then I wondered why I was involved in finding him. You'd think that her guides or guide would do that kind of work for her.  All I know is what I experienced. I asked her for an image of him, and from that I was able to see what the energetic grid was for him (1s and 0s I guess) and was able to - like a google search engine - find him where he was located in the universe.

My friend said, "that's so strange."  She had just been listening to the song "Tears in Heaven" by Eric Clapton - you know the song - "Will you know my name? If I see you in heaven?"

I told her that I begin a chapter in Flipside with the song. She said it she had been weeping over the song, and then was thinking about our conversations about the flipside, and how likely it would be that they could recognize us "over there." Then I told her my own flipside moment with that tune.  

Russ

Some years ago, my friend Russ Titelman (who took the photo in my favorite coffee shop that I use in my books and to open this post) invited me over to the Village recording studio where he was mixing a song with one of his artists. Russ is a Grammy award winning producer, has worked with Shaka Khan, won Grammy's with Paul Simon, (friends of the blog may remember that Luana Anders, the genesis for "Flipside" dated Paul) and on this day Russ was producing Eric's song "Tears in Heaven."  

Luana with actor Michael Gough

I went into the Village studios off Santa Monica Blvd in West LA and waited outside the offices for him, and saw Eric leave with a few friends.  I'm told he's a private guy, so I didn't try to say hello... just nodded and smiled as he headed out.  I went into the studio and Russ played me this amazing track he had just laid down.

Would you know my name
If I saw you in heaven?
Would it be the same
If I saw you in heaven?
I must be strong and carry on
'Cause I know I don't belong here in heaven

Would you hold my hand
If I saw you in heaven?
Would you help me stand
If I saw you in heaven?
I'll find my way through night and day
'Cause I know I just can't stay here in heaven

Time can bring you down, time can bend your knees
Time can break your heart, have you begging please, begging please

Beyond the door there's peace I'm sure
And I know there'll be no more tears in heaven

Would you know my name
If I saw you in heaven?
Would it be the same
If I saw you in heaven?
I must be strong and carry on
'Cause I know I don't belong here in heaven

(Written by Eric Patrick Clapton, Will Jennings • Copyright © Universal Music Publishing Group)

I was one of the few humans who got to hear that song before it came out of the studio.  

The lyrics, written in hand, were still on the music stand where he'd played it. I read the lyrics as he sang the song...oh what a song, like reaching into your heart and squeezing it.  Easily one of the saddest and most powerful songs ever written. (For those not familiar with the circumstances around the song, it was based on the loss of four year old son Conor.) Eric's red guitar pick was still sitting in the chair, the pick he'd used to play the song. (Later Russ gave me one of his picks, it has Eric's name engraved on it.)

So will Eric's son Conor know his name in heaven?  Most assuredly.

What people say consistently is that they travel with us whenever we think of them or mention their names.  Of course it's not the same as holding their hand, hearing their laughter, or hanging out with them... but you can do that in your dreams until it's time to hang out with them for real.

Which brings me to Steve Job's last words.  I was filming Jennifer Shaffer recently and we had a short but sweet conversation with someone who appeared to be Steve Jobs. So I asked him - "What was the meaning of your final words, as reported by your sister; "Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow."  

I thought perhaps he was seeing the flipside, or some wondrous example of it.  Jennifer said simply; "He saw his father, and in that moment understood his journey."

Steve's father had not passed by the time that he passed - but as I've mentioned before, two thirds of our energy is always "back home" so it's possible to greet or be greeted by our loved ones, even though they may still be on the planet.  Their "higher selves" are capable of showing up to embrace us.  And in that moment of seeing his father over there, understood why he chose to be himself over here.... Wow.

And on another note...

Someone wrote me about "the OA" post I did where I mentioned the show was about "angels." (So far, over 160K folks have found the post, which is a testament to how good the show was. I was merely commenting on the loss of one of their writers on the show.  

This one fellow wrote to say he objected to the idea of doing a show about angels, and said that once he realized the show was about angels, he turned it off.

Here is my reply: 

Just a note to say that I have forwarded on your comments, both here and at the condolences site to Allison Wilke's family. I got a note from one of them who mentioned this post. 

I've also gotten comments from people upset about the idea of a show that's associated with "angels." First I'd like to note that the show never mentions angels, nor anything about death or guardians. They seem to be careful to avoid using that kind of nomenclature. 

I've found that by mentioning any number of religious artifacts "angels" "jesus" "divine grace" or even the word "god" there's a kind of brain freeze that takes over people. They have already made up their minds about how those concepts relate to their lives, and it's like walking in cement. 

All I can say about my flipside research, is that I try not to judge any part of it. If someone says "it felt like this person was an angel" - it's because there is no other word we can use to describe that. After all the word comes from somewhere - not thin air. 

The words "ghost" and "afterlife" have the same effect. Obviously we need a new syntax to describe these things. The show "The OA" is about a woman who has had a number of near death experiences. 

Accounts of near death experiences are written about in scientific literature, peer reviewed journals discuss them - I recommend searching for Bruce Greyson's (A Dr. at UVA) talk "Is Consciousness Produced by the Brain?" and Dr. Parnia's "Aware" project. 

Near Death experiences are not confined to the brain, and have been proven to be so. If you're curious about near death experiences, I refer you to David Bennett's "Voyage of Purpose" to Dr. Alexander's "Proof of Heaven" or a number of accounts that have been presented at IANDS.org meetings, including Dr. Anita Moorjani's journey. NDE's exist - and what they have to say about the flipside is consistent with my research, which is examined in my books "It's a Wonderful Afterlife" volumes one and two. 

So when talking about this show - which is scripted and comes from someone's imagination - it is based on fact. Near death experiences happen, and in a high percentage, people meet "spirit guides" or what others might call "guardian angels" - they do experience going through some kind of "light" and they do experience "unconditional love." 

Brit Marling of "The OA"

I would offer that they also come back and struggle with being able to process their experience, the way Prairie's character does. 

Looking forward to another season (I hope!)

My last note: I've had some pretty unusual emails as of late from folks around the globe who've read my books and wanted to share a flipside moment with me. I'll be writing about those in my next post. Stay tuned.

Flipside and "The Discovery" at Sundance

"How's life with the dead?"

That was a greeting I got this morning.

"Oh, life with the dead is fine, if you mean my daily routine of chasing my tail."

Sundance has a film starring Robert Redford, directed by Charlie McDowell (co-written by Charlie and Justin Lader) that deals with the Flipside.





I haven't seen the film, "The Discovery" and I look forward to seeing it.  From the trailer and online reports, it appears this is a story about a scientist who discovers there is an afterlife.  Mayhem ensues.

From CNET.com: "The Discovery" (Netflix original movie) is set one year after science proves that there is indeed an afterlife. As a result, millions of people around the world commit suicide in order to cross over. The movie follows the scientist who confirmed the afterlife (Redford), his son Will (Jason Segel) and Isla (Rooney Mara), the woman Will falls in love with who has a tragic past."

Charlie's mom is Mary Steenburgen and his dad is Malcolm McDowell.  Mary starred in a film "Going South" with my pal Luana Anders (who as fans of the Flipside books know, is the genesis of my journey into the afterlife - she came back to visit me a number of times after her passing, and since then I've found a way to visit her on the Flipside.  (I'm not kidding. Just read "Flipside")

I met Charlie's father Malcolm McDowell some years ago. My wife and I were invited to dinner with Julian Cerruti and his mom Chantal and Malcolm.  Malcolm was a longtime friend of Julian's dad Nino (the clothing designer, one of the few people I've met on the planet where I felt like I'd known him forever and appears briefly in my film "Cannes Man").  

 For me the dinner was a delight because I've been a fan of Malcolm's work since "If" and "O Lucky Man."  (If you haven't seen the latter, I highly recommend it.)

Younger days. Charlie's pop.

Of course I loved him in "Clockwork Orange" but I wanted to know about "O Lucky Man" - a film I saw in college and wrote a paper about, having interviewed the composer Alan Price backstage in Boston.  The film (edited badly for the US release) was an epic journey in a Voltaire's "Candide" like fashion, where Malcolm plays a man who goes through hell and back to find himself. The extended version is brilliant the music even more so.

Malcolm told me some great stories about the film - for example, I wanted to know why Lindsay Anderson decided to use the same actors for different parts.  It was such a clever choice, almost like seeing reincarnated friends again - and the subtle way in which Malcolm's character in the film did a double take when seeing the same actor (who perhaps died in the previous reel, but was now playing a man servant) again in the story. He said it was just one more example of Anderson's genius (and cost cutting!)

I get a lot of great stories just by asking.

He told me that when he was acting in A Clockwork Orange, he was having a hard time because Kubrick, notorious for multiple takes, wasn't giving him any direction at all.  So Malcolm called Anderson, director of his previous film "If" for advice.  And as he put it "Lindsay directed my performance in Clockwork over the telephone." Funny.

So his son Charlie has co-written and directed this Redford film - where he plays a doctor who is experimenting with "time travel" in the sense that we don't die, we continue on.  But once "the afterlife" is proven to exist, it appears everyone is in a big hurry to get there.

Which brings me back to the "how's life with the dead?" comment.

The flipside isn't this foggy.

Just a word or two about suicide.

First of all, I'm a reporter here, not a doctor. So if someone asks "where'd you hear that?" it's from some rube (me) who claims that he "talks to people who talk to the dead" all the time.  Someone who claims that he's seen people who are supposed to be dead and they tell him "new information." (which I report in my books). Someone who claims that the afterlife is just this place that we call "home" and that when we get off stage we return there.

I had an NYPD detective pull me aside on the set of "Salt" to ask me about a ghost in his house and his daughter talking about reincarnation. I said to him "Look, first of all, you're talking to some guy on a movie set. Let's begin there." 

But then, after asking some questions, we discovered the ghost was his old partner who died 10 years ago, showing up to his 8 year old daughter "younger and thinner" and that she was remembering a lifetime in Australia.  I suggested his partner was not haunting him, but keeping a watchful eye on someone he loved, and that he take out a map of Oz and ask his daughter "So, where did you live before?" He did, and she showed him, told him the epic story of her previous life and death... and finding him.

But I digress.

These details are not my "belief," a philosophy or a point of view. Or a religious concept.  

I'm just a frickin' reporter, man.

But the topic of checking yourself off the bus comes up a lot.  I've met parents whose children have departed early, I've spoken to people who consciously remember checking themselves off the planet in a previous lifetime, I've filmed people who remember a lifetime they left early during a previous lifetime. 

I spoke to a woman (recounted in "Flipside") who told me that she was on her way to do herself in, was literally standing in line at the hardware store with the chemicals she needed - when she overheard some boys from Uganda talking about their journey. Once she spoke to them she realized she was here on the planet to help them.  She now runs an orphanage for "lost boys" in Uganda.

She waited before she checked out.

Not all of us do that. Not all of us can.  It would be extremely irresponsible of me to claim that I know some magic formula for keeping people on the planet.  I don't.  But I do know what people say consistently.

This is the playground. This is the ballpark. This is the game that we all want to participate in. We sign up for roles that are difficult - in advance - because we know they're difficult. We sign up for them to learn a lesson. It might be a lesson in love, in forgiveness, it might be a lesson to teach others - it might even be because "we're in a hurry to get back to the other side because we have work to do over there that requires our full attention."  (I know what that sounds like.) But we sign up to come here for a reason.

What people report about the afterlife (I've filmed 35 deep hypnosis sessions, some with Scott De Tamble (lightbetweenlives.com) and some with others, I've examined Michael Newton's research (7000 cases over 30 years) and Dr. Helen Wambach's cases (2000) and people consistently say the same things (relatively): we choose to come here. We choose to learn or teach some lesson here. We eventually all get off stage and go "home." And there's no judgment negatively of how we get off stage. We are the only people who give ourselves a hard time for "quitting early" or for "screwing up everyone else's plans."

No punishment. No suffering. Just compassion. Some people don't want to hear that, don't like to hear that... but it's consistently reported. Now - would that fact make everyone jump into Niagara Falls? Or off the Golden Gate?

It's a bit like stopping in the middle of a play and shouting "I don't like this play!" and jumping off stage.  Not going to get much applause for that move. And when you get backstage, the rest of your cast is going to come and say to you "We're all going to have to do this again for you.  Thanks a lot."

(Here's the audible version of "Hacking the Afterlife")

But this film  "The Discovery" should engender a discussion about suicide and the afterlife. And I'm raising my hand to say a few things to Charlie, to Robert, to whomever wants to know... that there is a body of evidence out there about this topic.  If I may:

A. The afterlife has already been proven to exist. Look up "post materialist science" and you'll find the scientists on the cutting edge of this research.  We don't die.  We can't die. Suicide doesn't get us anywhere but off this stage.

B. That's no solace for parents who've lost a child, for a lover who's lost a friend. For anyone anywhere who has lost someone to suicide;  it's like a giant tsunami of sorrow that washes away everything in its path. It's not something we can take lightly.  But it is something we need to talk about. Openly.

C. This research into the afterlife shows us why we came here in the first place. We've had many many lifetimes. They all have a theme. If you examine the previous ones you may get to understand the theme, and understand why you've chosen this path and journey.

D. It takes courage to come here in the first place. According to the research, we can say "no" when our guides suggest a lifetime that is difficult.  We can say "No, I don't want to be a child born into poverty in africa, born HIV positive who lives with flies and dies in 6 months."  But there are those who say "I volunteer. Yes. I can teach a lesson in love. I can teach the doctors and nurses and those who fall in love with me a lesson in love. I can do this." Give them credit for having the courage to do so.

 I talk about this stuff in my books, or I go on at length about it in my book talks on youtube (I do mean at length - there's about 25 - 1 hour to 2 hour talks here): 




Which backs me all the way up to the woman who asked me "What's new in the world of the dead?"  She said "What's the point of all this past life research? I don't care who I was in the past, I just want to live my life as it is."  ("Don't turn on the stage lights please!")

I said "That's great.  But the reason it matters is because when you examine all the different lifetimes you've had, you'll see a theme - a healer, a doctor, a soldier, etc.. and you can choose to continue doing that, or realize that you might want to take on some other classes." Karma doesn't dictate who we are going to be - if we get to choose (or not choose) a lifetime it's because we think we're going to master whatever the lessons are from that life.

Past life/reincarnation research is important because once we realize that we've all chosen to come to the planet, doesn't it make sense to leave behind a clean campground, not only for our children, but for our own possible return? Leave behind fresh air, water and earth that we might enjoy it again?

She argued "But what about Hell? What about evil on the planet?"

I offered "If no one dies, then no one can be harmed, can they?  If they step off stage, they're backstage - there's no harm that can come to them over there.  Evil is a construct of the planet - because of it's polarized system, positive/negative. It only exists onstage. Once you're outside of time, or outside of this realm, it's doesn't exist, or it does so in relatively minute amounts. That's what's reported."

She said "What about those who have a near death experience and see evil?"  I said "In sessions I've filmed, when asked "Why did you choose to experience this?" these folks report that it disappears once they realize that they've chosen to go to wherever place they're experiencing. How could it dissolve unless it was a mental construct in the first place?"  

Plus no two accounts of heaven (or hell) are the same. If no two descriptions are the same, can it exist? It can only be an energetic construct based on the person conjuring it up. And in all the cases I've examined, I've never encountered a "dark side" - only descriptions of "being back home" that include the concept of "Unconditional love."

She gave me this 20 mile gaze, looking at me as if I was losing my marbles.

22 mile gaze.

I told her about the interview I did in "It's a Wonderful Afterlife" (vol 2) where I spoke to an attorney who claimed all of her clients who had committed 2nd degree murder had a visitation, "vision" or some other kind of visit from their victims where they heard a version of "I'm okay. And I can help you."  

It's not something anyone could ever talk about obviously - ("Hey judge, you'll never guess who visited me...") but it's related to the fact that everyone, once they're off the planet, no matter in what fashion - is okay. 

They're not gone. They're just not here.

I think it's sad to not be able to hold their hand, share a slice of pizza or have cappuccinos with them, but they're okay. 

If you ask them, they will tell you.

I had a woman approach me at a book talk once. Her daughter had been murdered. She put her finger in my face and said "How dare you say that my daughter's death somehow might have been part of her life's plan!"  I looked at the finger, then at her.  I sat her down.

"Can I speak frankly to you?" She said "I wish you would."  I asked "Since her death has she ever been to visit you, or have you felt her presence?" She said "All the time."  I asked "Was she a happy person?" She said "Yes." I said "Then pretend it is her. Imagine for a second that she's come back to see you and wants to give you a message. Imagine how hard it is for her to connect with you because you're so angry about her passing. Would she want you live your life in such anger?"

A sunset is a sunrise somewhere else.

She said "No."  I said "Well try to honor that then. Try to honor who she was by thinking of her in a positive light, remembering her laughter and what a light she was in your life.  Then allow her to communicate with you the best way that she knows how - it might not be a direct message, but it might be an indirect one. Might come from someone else, might come from a dream, a photograph you run across, a piece of music you both loved. Allow her into your life in the way that she would be able to reach out to you." 

A month later, I was giving a book talk in Santa Monica and spotted her in the back row.  Afterwards I went and sat with her. "How are you?" She said "I just wanted to come here, look you in the eye and say "Thank you for saving my life."

Tears came to my eyes. I said to her "Look, it's not me. It's the research. I'm just reporting what these people have said consistently. But thank you for saying that, it means a lot to me."

A couple of months later, I heard from this woman that she had progressed so far as to begin taking a stand-up comedy class. She'd found a way out of her anger and into something that could heal her and others. I hope she's doing well as I write this. 

No parent should have to lose a child. Therapy, suicide prevention, showing them a different way, talking openly and frankly about bullying, drugs, or any other process they might get in over their heads can help. Seek advice from a therapist. (avoid the SSRI pills if you can, but if the Doctor insists, then visit Richard Davidson's work at the University of Wisconsin where he proves scientifically that meditation can cure symptoms of depression (and circumvent SSRI drug use)).

But we can't always discern or understand why a loved one has left the stage... in whatever fashion. Try not to judge them for doing so, just keep your heart open to them.

Many judged Robin Williams harshly because he chose to check himself off the bus. But he's okay. He's just not here. People chose to judge Prince harshly for taking pain killers. But he's okay. He's just not here. People tend to focus on the method people get off stage - but if you realize that they're just back stage and you will see them again - why not focus on the light they brought into our lives?

All we can do is ask them. Through meditation, through hypnosis, perhaps through just opening our minds up to the question "Why?"  Hard to comprehend or accept the answers, but if we stay open to them, we often can hear the reason.

After this mother's comments, it made me reflect on my own path and journey - writing and directing films, trying to find the right path for myself. I realized no matter how many films I might make, I would never get a review like "Thank you for saving my life."  

Finally, I would offer kudos for this film "The Discovery" because the more we're talking about the flipside, about going there or coming back, the more it will help the planet.  Congratulations Netflix, (makers of another consciousness lifting show "The OA" which deals with near death experiences), Robert Redford, and Charlie McDowell (and co-writer Justin Lader)!

Break a leg. But not mine.

My two cents. Or in this case my two rupees.