The Martini Shot

Sunday

The Ghost is Us (Interstellar) and other plot points

I spoke at the Center of the Heart church in Santa Barbara yesterday.

It was pretty mind bending - I invited two audience members onstage (the Reverend Maryum Morse, and the Core Council VP Roxy Angel Superstar).

I'd never meet either before yesterday.

And in a few moments, just asking them questions about their journey - we went somewhere unusual, somewhere that people go under deep hypnosis - but we went there just by my asking a series of improvised questions.

We went to visit their councils, we went to visit their loved ones who have crossed over, we got to ask them questions about their journey and what they're up to these days.

For those of you familiar with my research, it's something I've been doing as of late. Asking someone if they've had some kind of altered consciousness event that they're aware of (could be a dream, a near death event, an out of body event, or they're a medium) and then I ask them questions to see what is in their memory.

I've learned the memory is holographic.

Meaning we think that it's transitory, subject to interpretation, or some other pejorative associated with memory.

I'm finding that's not the case. When you have a memory - you have a 360 degree memory. It included everyone that's around you at that moment in time.

It's a holographic memory - I call it that because if you take a holographic photo of something, and then smash it to pieces, each piece of the smashed hologram contains ALL THE INFORMATION from the photograph.

All of it.

So when I ask people to remember some event that happened when they were children (Tony Stockwell's memory of a ghost child in his room when he was 8) I can ask them to access that memory, and then reanimate it.

In other words - if there was someone in your dream or vision, or past life memory, or if there was some person in your near death event - we can go back to that person and ask them questions IN REAL TIME - in present tense. Not just "How are you?" or "Where are you?" But "Describe to us what you're spending your time over there doing."

I've been doing this for months now, and will be part of my new book "The Afterlife Expert."

(If you'd like to donate to help its creation in return for a copy and other prizes, please go to www.gofundme.com/theafterlifeexpert)

I will be posting the 40 minute video in a day or so, so you can see for yourself how it's done. Does it require my presence to do it? I have no idea. But I'm showing people how it's done. What you do with that information is up to you.

Meanwhile....

Was watching "Interstellar" the other night and rethinking the part about the "tesseract."

For those of you unfamiliar with the film; here's a clip:

For those of you who saw the film, a reminder:

Cooper, the intrepid astronaut, goes through a black hole along with his computer TARS to see if they can find a way to transmit that information back to planet Earth. It's a last ditch effort, and appears to have gone haywire, when agent Cooper exists his space craft as it breaks up from the pressure.

However, he finds himself in a geometric place - which he calls a "tesseract" - which means "a 4 dimensional cube" - Cooper is looking out through ribbons of energy (roughly). While he's in this geometric shape - he sees all the moments of his daughter's lifetime. Including when he was about to leave her behind, and then the gift of his watch that he gave her.

At some point Cooper realizes that the "aliens" who sent information about how to travel through time and space were not aliens per se - they "are us in the future."

In other words, human beings, or conscious entities, who are trying to help earthlings from a long time ago, but have found a way to communicate from the future to us in the past to save the human race.

It's a shame they don't save Earth - because everyone is on "space stations" by the time Cooper returns (to Station Cooper - named for his scientist daughter).

But this is what I'm doing.

I'm reaching out to "us." The people not of the future - but the people who are no longer on the planet. I'm using the common tools that we have (mediums, hypnosis, open discussions) to ask questions of people on the flipside.

Because WE ARE THE GHOSTS.

You see?

We don't die. Only about a third of our energy is here on the planet, so two thirds is always "back home." People back home claim they attend classes in "energy transformation" - I've been to a few of these classrooms myself, have interviewed teachers and students alike - and they all say the same things relatively.

They are us.

They are no longer on the planet.

And yet I am interviewing them and trying to gain the knowledge they have to help the planet they've left behind.

We are the "ghosts in the machine."

Human bodies are like computers or robots that have been animated - but much more interesting. We choose to be here, so we may one day choose to be part of the lifetime of a robot - that's really up to us to make that choice. I'd argue that were millennia away from being able to make that particular journey - because it's taken millions of years for us to figure out how to animate the creatures of this planet with our consciousness.

We are the aliens.

We are the humans.

We are the consciousness that's part of the sentient universe.

And we all have access to this information - we just need to go within to access the hologram of our memories... and ask the right questions.

Okay, I'll stop now - that's enough to chew on. If you want more, CHECK OUT "HACKING THE AFTERLIFE."

Available in audible, kindle, paperback, etc.

The Afterlife Expert

So I've got a new "crowd funded" book campaign. "The Afterlife Expert" How unusual is that?

Praying for Divine Help at Per Lachaise cemetery, Paris

I'm raising funds for it based on crowd funding, which is an unusual concept to begin with. But being a fan of the Renaissance, and art history (My major in college: "The Impact of the 20th century upon the Arts" at Boston University. I was the only Humanities major out of 26K students), I decided that it's a useful analogy to the old fashioned "Patron and Artists" relationship.

Instead of going to the "powers that be" to fund my next project (meaning a film studio, a publisher, a record label) instead of going to the Medici family (the bankers of Florence) or the Vatican (the funders of Caravaggio, Michelangelo, Leonardo etc) I go directly to the audience and ask them to donate money into my proverbial hat.

https://www.gofundme.com/theafterlifeexpert

The first time I did I was "crowd funded" I was about 13 years old. I had just learned how to play "All Along the Watchtower" on guitar. I was sitting on a street corner in my home town, waiting for a friend's mom to pick us up... and I started playing my guitar. I had an old cowboy hat that I'd set down, cars were passing, I wasn't aware of them, and then one car stopped, guy rolled down his window, and threw some money into my hat, then drove away.

I thought - "that's weird, that guy was going to fast to hear a song, but he's just offering some money for "the idea of the song."

I've crowd funded three books now. ("It's a Wonderful Afterlife" volumes one and two, and "Hacking the Afterlife") In return for support, I put people's names in my books, and reach out to them via email and in some cases have opened some unusual conversations. (I have unusual conversations all the time, not just with people who've donated to my books, but I'm just saying - I write to the people who donate to ask them about their journey -- and if I haven't in the past, I will do so in the future!)

Praying for Divine Assistance at Mt. Kailash in Tibet.

I must admit, someone posted a complaint last year - "oh, here comes another raising funds campaign from the Flipside guy" and it gave me pause. Obviously not a fan of the work, or not a fan of the idea of patronage in general.

Totally understand that. All I can do is allow the universe to guide whatever the heck it is I'm doing. For whatever cosmic or comic reason, I've been put on this the path to examine and explore the Flipside. It's not for everyone. But for whatever reason, it is the path I'm on.

But back to the Renaissance.

Cellini was a sculptor, created artworks in pencil, oil, gold and this statue in Florence

Benvenuto Cellini, the great sculptor, wrote a hilarious biography that was made into a film (badly) but his book is still in print.

It details his life as an artist, his battles with his patrons, and some pretty crazy moments in his life - when he wasn't paid, he'd confront his patrons in the streets of Florence, pull out his dagger or sword and threaten them - in some cases stab them. He was jailed by the Pope for not finishing an artwork he'd been commissioned - he was jailed in Hadrian's tomb - a secret escape route for the Popes - and when he tried to escape he fell and broke his leg.

Then when the French attacked Rome, according to Cellini, he helped line up a rifle atop Hadrian's tomb; with one shot, nailed a French General a quarter mile away (and Cellini saved Rome.)

Hadrian's tomb (also used as a jail by the Vatican)

My books won't last the length of Cellini's art or even have the color and craziness of his autobiography (free copy here: (The Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini) but they are made in the same vein.

People who have become my patrons, (thank you patrons! Grazie Patroni!) are investing in the research, no matter how crazy it appears!!!!

Cellini jumped and broke his leg to get out of debtor's prison where'd he'd been sentenced
by Pope Julian for not finishing a work he'd already paid for.
Hint: Guess I'd better finish my books.

So what's the new book about?

Well, like the others, it's pretty unusual.

I've found that without using hypnosis (I'm not a hypnotherapist, but have taken courses in that discipline, and have a degree from LightBetweenLives.com) I have been able to elicit some of the same results that hypnotherapists get during their 4-6 hour sessions (past lives, visits to a soul group, councils, libraries, etc)

The accounts are relatively the same - during a hypnotherapy session, a hypnotherapist asks general questions "Where would you like to go?" but in my version, I direct the questions: "I'd like to speak directly to your guide, is that possible? If so, could your guide appear before you now so we have a reference to address them as male, female, or some other entity? And if so, could your guide put that visual in your mind's eye as we speak?"

"The Afterlife Expert" with Jennifer Shaffer (jennifershaffer.com)
and George Noory of Coast to Coast AM

It's an unusual method for a variety of reasons - it's certainly not scientific because I'd have to ask neutral questions and wait for the person to guide me where they'd like to go. My attitude is this - after examining the 7000 cases Michael Newton had over 30 years, after examining the 2000 cases Dr. Helen Wambach had over ten years earlier, examining the 40 cases I've filmed and done 5 of my own - I have a pretty solid idea of what a person is going to find during one of these adventures.

And knowing what it is they're going to find - knowing the architecture of the afterlife - I direct them there to that place.

The point is this - if during one of these interviews, the person claims "something else entirely is being seen" (visuals that are contrary to these thousands of cases) or "they aren't getting anywhere" - that would be interesting, but so far, that's not been the case.

I chose my subjects based on their ability to already connect with the flipside - perhaps they've had a near death experience, maybe they've had a hypnotherapy session, a past life regression, an out of body experience, a recurring dream - something that I can use as a gateway to help them gain access to the flipside.

Luana sees you.

What's interesting about the results is that they're from all walks of life - some have no idea there might be a flipside, some don't believe in an afterlife, some are religious, many are not - it doesn't matter. They may have read my books, or have no clue as to what I'm talking about - that doesn't appear to matter either.

What matters is that they're able to talk about "what they're seeing." And while doing that I direct them into the flipside. As I'm fond of saying "You may not know what it is that I'm doing, but your spirit guides do."

The other part of the book is direct communication with people no longer on the planet.

In this case, I'm working with Jennifer Shaffer (JenniferShaffer.com) an excellent intuitive/medium who works with law enforcement nationwide using her skills with communicating with the flipside. Jennifer and I have been meeting for months now where I film our "conversations." I try to be open to whomever "shows up" during our conversation. There is usually some direct connection between me and the person who shows up, between Jennifer and the person who shows up - or if it's a stranger who appears (or someone I barely know) I'll ask them "why they've chosen to appear to us."

Instead of filming these events in an environment normally set aside for scientific study (a closed room, white walls, detection equipment) I film them wherever we happen to be. Because I've found, it doesn't matter how much noise or chaos is around us - if spirit wants to reach out to her, they do. She interprets to the best of her ability (after all, it's not a cell phone, but more of a sense phone) and I do the best I can to ask them questions like "From your perspective, what do we look like?" "What was the first thing you noticed about no longer being on the planet?" "What do you miss about being here?"

I'm in the process of transcribing these sessions. There are about 20 or 30 interviews, discussions, which translates to about 10-20 hours of footage to sift through. The point is that it's going to take me a lot of time and effort to get all of this down on paper. So that's another reason to crowd fund - since a patron has already paid me for the work, it's an incentive to get the work done. (Or I'll find myself locked into Hadrian's tomb with jumping my only escape.)

Anyways, hope you understand, and thanks for your support!!!!!

Cellini Martini

Thursday

The Afterlife Expert

https://funds.gofundme.com/mobile/dashboard?url=theafterlifeexpert

New book campaign...

https://www.gofundme.com/theafterlifeexpert

Friday

Save the Universe

Jesus showed up in my coffee shop today.

For those of you who experience Catholic brain freeze (as I do when I hear his name) you probably need to move along to another blog, or another post. I wouldn't linger here too long, as it's going to get funky up in here in a moment.

For fans of "Hacking the Afterlife" stick around. It will be interesting, I promise. I'm in the midst of working on the next book, don't have a solid title yet, but while I'm in writing mode, I tend to see things in terms of chapters.

How can Jesus show up in a coffee shop? Well, as I told this fellow - who looked kind of startled, upset, freaked out at what he was "seeing" while I was talking to him, I tried to reassure him it was normal.

"Try not to judge it. Just let it be whatever it is. It could be your imagination and that's fine. You could be conjuring up this face, but don't let that freak you out." I hastened to add; "You're sitting in pretty much the same table at the same cafe where he's shown up a half dozen other times to people I'm chatting with. So it's not it's the first time he's appeared while having a coffee in Caffe Luxxe, but I understand it's disconcerting for you. It's not for me. Allow that it "Could be your imagination. Could be someone pretending to be him. Or... could be him."

But let's see how we got here first of all.

A friend of mine invited me to meet up with his friend about a project in the film business. (My other world.) I met with him about a month ago, specifically to help him and his business partner, did what I could to paint a realistic picture of the difficulties ahead with this venture, but also, as I do when I talk to people about whatever project they have in mind, to address on some level why this project is meaningful -- "on a spiritual level."

"What is it in your conscious life that has led you to this endeavor, and how will it help the planet?"

This fellow understood what I was asking, but his partner did not. His world view is firmly planted in the "materialist science" world - i.e., what happens in your lifetime is based on factors of genetics, sociological and human wants. Nothing spiritual about it.

I pointed out to his partner that my decade of research in this arena has led me to include a spiritual aspect to why we do things, why we find ourselves involved with any number of projects, and how they may have a deeper meaning to our life's path.

The young fellow dismissed that concept entirely (I wound up asking him "So how old are you anyway?" and when he said his age I said "See? That's as far as you've gotten so far. You'll get there eventually.")

But his partner has a family member who is working on consciousness studies, and he understood what I was referring to, and asked if we could meet up at a later date. He had some unusual events happen to him in his youth, and he was eager to discuss them with me.

Today we did so.

In the "OA" she met with a guide

I had mentioned how Mario Beauregard, PhD, a neuroscientist, had this apotheosis when he was 12 where he was walking in the woods behind his home in Canada, and suddenly felt this wave of euphoria, and saw how "everything and everyone is connected."

HHDL and Mario B

When Mario told me about that, I noted a number of other people who've had this same kind of event in their lives - Sir Francis Younghusband one of them - where it altered their life's path.

Younghusband was a soldier in the British army at the time, but "put down his rifle" and created the "council of world religions" which exists to this day.

In Mario's case, he's spent the past 30 years using science to explain what he experienced ("Brain Wars" is one of his books, he's interviewed in "It's a Wonderful Afterlife" and speaks in his native tongue, French, on these topics on youtube.)

But today my new friend told me that he had a similar event when he was about 10 years old.

It was New Year's Eve, so he remembered the date, and he had gone upstairs to take a bath. And while in the tub, he suddenly was "transported" to a space that was "somewhere else in the universe." He said it was like he was "outside in outer space" and a voice spoke to him. The voice said to him (in French - I asked) "Save the Universe." He heard it a number of times, and when he got out of the bath, he was so freaked out by the event, he went downstairs and tried to tell his incredulous brother.

My friend said the event and those same words came to him a number of other times.

I said, "Well let's explore this for a moment. Can you remember the sound of the voice?" He said "Yes, that it was a strong voice, and it was a command... as if telling me that I was supposed to do something." I said "How old did the voice sound?" He thought for a moment, said "Old, older than 50 perhaps." I said, "Is this voice a stranger, a friend, a soul mate or a spirit guide?" I tend to not think too long and hard about what my next question is going to be, but by giving him four choices, I figured that included "I have no idea."

He said "guide." I said "Okay, Mr. Guide, can you give us a name or a letter of a name to address you?" He said "G." He couldn't come up with a name, really, and I said "Fine, let's be George for the moment... So George, what did you mean by that statement which scared the hell out of this ten year old; "Save the Universe?"

He couldn't access an answer. I said "By universe do you mean everything that's in our universe? Or is that a figurative term to include other dimensions?" He said he felt it to mean "Everything, everywhere."

I said "Okay, George, give our friend an image of yourself at an early age, something that he can identify and look at. What do you see?"

He said "I don't want to say it. But he looks like Jesus."

I said "Try not to judge it. Either it's your imagination giving you an image, or it's someone pretending to look like him, or it's him." (Without mentioning how many times he's shown up in this very same cafe as I've spoken to friends who "don't believe in him" friends from India, friends from around the globe who don't have any connection to "him" but for some reason "see him" in a dream, out of body experience, or some other event.) I asked him to describe him, physically.

He said "Brown eyes, but lighter, with bits of green and yellow." I said "You mean gold?" He said "Yes, gold. Longer hair, about down to the shoulder." (As noted, he's shown up with "gold flecks" in his eyes a number of times. He's also shown up with blue eyes, which I ascribe to the person who is seeing him... but the "gold" part I've heard at least three different times.)

I said "So what do you mean by telling our friend here at age ten that he has to save the universe?"

He couldn't answer. I said "Are you trying to tell him that he needs to impart information about the nature of the universe, how understanding how the afterlife works will serve to save the universe?"

He said "Yes. That's what it means." I said, "Okay, let's appreciate for a moment that you heard this message when you were ten and it's taken you 30 years to run into a fellow who can help you understand or interpret it."

"Save the Universe."

By helping people to understand the nature of reality. How we don't die, how we move into another realm where everyone is equal, where there is no hierarchy.

"Home."

Where we access our loved ones, our memories of previous lives, where we plan our future ones. And how by accessing that information, that knowledge, and somehow helping get it into the world, it will ultimately help the universe.

At least that's my interpretation of it.

I didn't know what my new friend did for a living. He said "It's in sales."

I said "Well, then, you must have a unique ability to bring things to people that maybe they didn't know they would need or want, but it's important for them to have. And perhaps you knew you'd chosen this life to help sell one of the biggest spiritual concepts that's ever been tackled." He said "I'm getting the feeling it's going to be a big fight."

He said that he thought people would be upset about hearing about an alternate reality with regard to the universe. ("Taking the red pill.")

I said "You mean people will be upset about that? Of course they will be. Everything they've invested in up until now will be meaningless. The accumulation of wealth instead of friends, the pursuit of material objects instead of the pursuit of giving or sharing love, the idea that we need drugs or chemicals to alter our reality so that we can somehow dull it... all of that will go out the window."

I also said "Try not stress too much over the idea. It's a tall order. "Save the Universe."

You have to consider that this person was telling you this sentence in precisely the way he wanted you to hear it. So you would remember it. It may relate to your soul's purpose, not only in this life, but in future lives.

Try not to judge your path too harshly - but I suggest that something will come forward to you what will help you to fulfill this idea - perhaps because your relative is working in consciousness studies - but be prepared for it to come.

Now that you understand who said this to you, the next step will be to understand why they said it to you."

So, if there's anything you can take away from this post, on a hot day in August in Santa Monica, CA - it's that it's up to each of us to save the universe.

It's up to each us to examine the nature of reality to see if what these folks are saying is true.

That we are here temporarily, that eventually we return home - but while we're here we can all share in the feelings of unconditional love that we give to each other. And by coming to terms with that, indeed, you will have saved the universe.

My two cents.

Thursday

Hacking the Afterlife Reviews

Amazon page for "Hacking the Afterlife"

"Everyone who has ever lived continues to exist on the Flipside and if possible, can be asked direct questions." This is the startling premise of "Hacking the Afterlife" which argues it's possible to obtain "new information" from people no longer on the planet.

These "afterlife interviews" are conducted via various mediums, with people under deep hypnosis, or with people fully conscious yet able to access and remember details of previous lifetimes. The reports offer practical advice ("afterlife hacks") on how to navigate our lives and improve our planet.

Best selling author of '"Flipside: A Tourist's Guide on How to Navigate the Afterlife" (also a film) and "It's a Wonderful Afterlife," (both went to #1 at Amazon kindle) frequent guest on "Coast to Coast," explores the Flipside via mediums and other methods, "interviews" a variety of people who are no longer on the planet.

Interviews with someone who claims to be Edgar Cayce "sleeping prophet," three different mediums who claim to be able to speak to Amelia Earhart, "conversations" with Robin Williams, the Artist formerly known as Prince, and a number of people who claim to have known the person known worldwide as the "Alpha and the Omega." The Author explores these accounts with an open mind, and invites the reader to do the same.

Quotes for the book from the people who were interviewed:

*"This book will have people questioning their own disbeliefs and belief paradigms. It's a translation of the ethers." Edgar Cayce via medium JenniferShaffer.com

*"Good luck to you for making the unbelievable claim that there even is an afterlife. " Howard Schultz, friend who passed away recently.

*"They should read your book if they want to fly. It makes the reader open up. It's beautiful written music, Rich." The Artist formerly known as Prince Rogers Nelson.

*"Two words; "Love, Love." The key ingredient for happiness is to love the love; love love, and then send it to everything." Robin Williams via Jennifer Shaffer.

* "Lift this book to your soul. And see what your soul has to say. Hearing the words from the book; don't judge it, just listen to your spirit. It will guide you and tell you that the "unthinkable" is real. Laughing is the best medicine. Don't waste time trying to dig up things." Amelia Earhart (who proves in this book that she died in Saipan during the war)

*"More people will be changed by your words than the ones who can't hear what you're saying. It is a challenge frequency that always hurts initally." From the person known as the Alpha and the Omega.

REVIEWS

5.0 out of 5 stars

"Richard has topped his Flipside Series with Hacking The Afterlife. My favorite chapters were/are the chapter that had the message from Planet Earth and the long chapter about Issa/Jesus.

Everything I have read or listened to Richard's Audible Books are truly Awesome Research Material. I have all 3 version of this Book, the Audible.com version, the Kindle Version and the actual book. I am on the 5th listening of the Audible version and the information he shares about Jesus showing up in either a LBL or through a Medium is truly what the World needs to hear.

Richard's Catholic Brain Freeze seems to be in the background because the information rings very TRUE to me. I was raised Southern Baptist, but later adopted Non-Denomination/Gnostic Beliefs about Jesus. It makes sense that the Romans would do some rewriting of the Bible when it was put together in 325AD.

Richard's Hacking the Afterlife and Flipside series brings out truths that the Protestant Religions would rather keep buried/denied to their believers. As Richard says He is not there to Rock Your Boat or Beliefs. I recommended this book to some friends and they thought I was crazy to believe in such research.

I have always wondered about the missing years of Jesus in the 4 Gospels and this book covers those years and it truly makes sense. We all have to test the spirits and I believe the Holy Spirit has allowed this information to be made known to help all of us to LOVE One Another even more and to enjoy our Vacations here on earth. This Book is AWESOME.

5.0 out of 5 stars

This detailed kindlebook of Hacking The Afterlife; Practical Advice From The Flipside by Richard Martini has written details from different writers that give different perspectives on the afterlife. I do like the healing guidance and reminder that it is possible to recover towards triumph from almost any challenge in life.

Deep down I already knew this but it is healing to see that reminder in written form. I respectfully disagree on some of the points made in this kindle book yet my spiritual heart is indirectly influencing me to give myself more time to revisit some of the points I disagree with that are currently left unwritten.

There are various details included such as sometimes when a person dies it is actually common for some men and women to meet family members and or friends and or other members from their soul group from both their current lifetime and past lifetimes, people can be met by their spirit guides, our spirit guides are very supportive and positive even if we veered towards a course different from what we set out to do prior to incarnating, information on the council of elders.

It is possible for a man or woman to ask for help in a course adjustment if they are concerned about living their lives in alignment with what their soul/higher self set out to do in their present incarnation, the hall of records, soul groups, pre-life planning, a person can go a thousand years in living in the non-physical realms/afterlife before reincarnating back on earth if they choose to do so, and much more...

5.0 out of 5 stars

Hacking the After Life will help satisfy curiosity about this topic!

"A very interesting and enlightening book regarding what's beyond this plane of existence. The author draws first on his experience with Michael Newton, Phd. who, in his books notes cases with countless patients who had recall of not only previous lives, but also lives between lives, then with his own experience of being regressed. As a result, he began interviewing folks while in a state of regression.

I recommend this book to perhaps satisfy the curiosity about this topic.

5.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating

I am only partially through this book, but I find it fascinating. It is just incredible the work that Martini and his partners are doing in the between life area. I would love to participate in a between life session.

5.0 out of 5 stars

Enjoying it. Good follow up to his previous books on the same subject. This book is more in depth and even refers back to his other works. It's got me fascinated..... Makes me wonder if my husband, who recently transitioned to the flipside, is reading along with me. Wish he'd let me know.....

5.0 out of 5 stars

Great Book!

I enjoy all of Mr Martini's books. This one is great.

5.0 out of 5 stars

A definite must read!

This is a great read in the series of books on the afterlife by Richard Martini. I remember being skeptical, but intrigued, when I first read "It's a Wonderful Afterlife", but something in the back of my mind kept telling me this was really how it was. I think you will find his interviews with people in the afterlife quite fascinating and eye opening. I sincerely suggest all his books on this subject. And I thank you Mr. Martini for opening my mind to a new way to look at the afterlife.