A little perspective on Quora

I comment often on Quora about my research into the flipside... and someone posted a not uncommon question - which I take no offense at, but the links may prove valuable to someone who is curious about the science involved.

Do you realize that what you report about the nature of human existence is incredible? If it is true, why do so many scientists reject it out of hand?

Richard Martini, Film Director Writer at Internet Movie Database (1985-present)

Answered 7m ago

I appreciate your comment. But having spent some time doing this research, I can tell you the scientists who don’t dismiss it “out of hand.” In fact, having interviewed a number of scientists about this particular topic, I can tell you that they not only don’t dismiss it “out of hand” but are doing their own studies on the same topics.

Gary E Schwartz PhD from Harvard (“Sacred Promise”) former head of a Yale hospital, wrote the introduction to my book Flipside. He’s currently at the University of Arizona running a lab on the topic.

Mario Beauregard PhDappears in my book “It’s a Wonderful Afterlife.” He wrote “Brain Wars” and we’ve spoken often about his studies into consciousness - including doing MRI with people who are under deep hypnosis. Trained at the University of Montreal, he’s currently working with Gary in Arizona.

Dr. Bruce Greyson psychiatrist, part of DOPS at UVA and Iands (dot) org. I spent a couple of days with Dr. Greyson, he is known as the godfather of near death experiences, the scale that scientists use to measure NDEs is named for him - he also appears in “It’s a Wonderful Afterlife” discussing how consciousness is not only produced by the brain. For your own reference, I can recommend watching his YouTube talk of the same name.

His colleague, Dr. Sam Parnia has studied near death events as well, as part of the “Aware” project - a ten year study of near death experiences. In these near death reports, people claim the same things that people under deep hypnosis claim.

I can recommend reading the 2000 cases from Dr. Helen Wambach, a psychologist in New Jersey who reported ten years before Michael Newton reported the same things with his 7000 cases. As I’ve reported, I’ve only filmed 50 - people I chose to be part of a study based on their skepticism. As it turns out, the most ardent skeptics are often the people who go the furthest in these deep hypnosis sessions.

Other scientific research worth examining: Ed Kelley, who wrote “Irriducible Mind” - a textbook on consciousness, who is also part of DOPS at UVA - someone who is a scientist who studies Psi phenomena, or Dr. Jim Tucker, also part of DOPS at UVA who has written books about the verified cases of reincarnation. Or perhaps take a look at David E Presti’s latest book “Mind Beyond Brain.” David being a professor or neurobiology, psychology and cognitive science at UC Berkeley. In his latest tome, he digs into the concept of consciousness existing outside the brain.

I could go on - but what’s the point? You are obviously not familiar with the books I’ve cited, or the work I’ve done in this area (which cites the above books and interviews a number of the authors.) I’m happy to give a hand to anyone who wants to understand what the data shows - that is, reports that are consistent and reproducible. I’ve been doing the same kind of research for over a decade now, and am happy to help guide anyone to the research involved. All I can say is that for those who want to “dismiss” the research “out of hand” that’s great. It’s not my task or job to hold anyone’s hand, or to direct anyone’s hand to the research. I’m a filmmaker after all - everyone that I film I put in my books and transcribe what they have to say, and then compare it to the thousands of other cases.

In my case - none of this is theory, belief or opinion - I’m filming people saying the same things consistently, and then transcribing what they say. If one has a problem with what they’re saying - or any scientist has a problem with what they’re saying - I suggest taking it up with them, or conducting their own experiments.

I suggested the same to UVA when I presented my research to them in 2011. At the moment, I’m told they have had the same results using people who have used deep hypnosis to access near death memories - which in turn leads to other bits of new information. But thanks for weighing in.

Interview with Bill Paxton on the flipside

I was finishing up my film for Gaia "Backstage Pass to the Flipside: Talking to Bill Paxton" when Dr. Medhus reached out to me and asked if there was anyone I wanted her to speak with.  I suggested Billy.

I asked these same questions to two other mediums (as mentioned in "Backstage Pass") and got the SAME ANSWERS from all three mediums.

Further, she nails a number of things in this interview - including that I met Bill in a pub in London when he was working on Aliens.  No one knows that story but me and Bill.

Welcome to the flipside.

Enjoy.




Love you Billy!

Early film director

In Cannes

Alex Honnold's Amgydala and Free Soloing with Tonglen

For those who got a chance to see the Oscar wining film "Free Solo" on National Geographic channel, they got a glimpse into the inner workings of the mind of the most amazing climber ever put on film. Directed by Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, it's in theaters now as well as the safety of the National Geographic Channel in your own home.

There was a key moment in the film, when Alex agreed to have his brain MRI'd. The doctor looking at the inner workings of his brain, said "Your amygdala isn't functioning normally."

Alex made a comment like "I guess my brain's different."

Typical amygdala - Wikimedia

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

Some can argue that the evidence of why Alex appears to be unafraid of heights, is because the "flight or fight" mechanism in his brain is malfunctioning.  It's the catchall phrase that people use when talking about the amygdala - a peanut sized part of the brain that regulates serotonin.

I'm not a doctor, but I've studied a little bit about the amygdala because it appears in an epic study on meditation, something I am familiar with.

Using MRI to study meditation

Richie Davidson

Part of his study with a monk trained in meditation.

Richard Davidson at the University of Wisconsin did a study with MRI of brains of people who were expert at meditation, where he showed that a "single session of meditation can change the shape of the amygdala." 

I attended a lecture he gave at UCLA where he talked about this research to a room full of psychiatrists, eager to find an alternate to the customary methodology of prescribing SSRI drugs to children who are depressed.

I attended the lecture because I know that Davidson is part of the Dalai Lama's mind science program, and was curious what his research might show about meditation.  But after the lecture where he demonstrated that his study showed that "mediation can cure or alleviate symptoms of depression," hand after hand went up.

The psychiatrists in the SRO room were concerned because parents were insisting, asking for help with depressed children, or with children who were acting out - and the only medicine they had in their arsenal was medicine that would "inhibit serotonin release." (SSRI drugs like Prozac, Zoloft, etc).  (The "misfiring" of serotonin is frequently cited in everything from autism to not being able to sleep properly)

As it turns out, there had been no definite studies done with teens and these SSRI drugs, and the side effects (one pediatrician told me that it was as high as 15%) could be severe; ideations of suicide or violence.  Here is a warning from the National Institute of Health: 

"The documented efficacy and long-term benefit of antidepressants in patients with recurrent forms of severe anxiety or depressive disorders support their use in those individuals with these disorders, who experience suicidal thoughts or behavior. In general, it is assumed that antidepressants are beneficial for all symptoms of depression, including suicidality. However, some evidence suggests that Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors [SSRIs] may cause worsening of suicidal ideas in vulnerable patients. Systematic reviews and pooled analysis of experimental, observational, and epidemiological studies have investigated the use of SSRIs and their association with suicidality. Taking account of the methodological limitations of these studies, the current evidence fails to provide a clear relationship between their use and risk of suicidality in adults. However, in children and adolescents, there appears to be a bit of increased risk of suicidal ideations and attempts, but not of completed suicides."  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3353604/

(And further, if one wants to make the case that every mass shooting since Columbine has had an SSRI or "antidepressant" component - that case can be made. Many of the shooters had been under psychiatric care, or had a history of Serotonin Release inhibitor use). 

Michael Moore weighs in on the topic:




It's not my opinion, theory or belief that is the case - it's just in the public records when there has been an autopsy done on the shooter or shooters, or there is a known record of that kind of medical prescription.

Be that as it may, this isn't a post about SSRI abuse, or the medical community prescribing something that hasn't been fully studied - it's about the part of the brain that for some reason, wasn't "functioning normally" in the brain of Alex Honnold, the man who is the first to free solo "El Cap" in Yosemite.

Robert Thurman (left) leading a meditation under the north face of Mt. Kailash in Western Tibet

If you've seen the film, it's thrilling, dizzying, almost disturbing to see him defy gravity and reach the top.  His casual comments of his success - not screaming, hopping up and down, but of sitting down and smiling profusely - point to someone who has his amygdala "not abnormal" but functioning perfectly well.

In the voice over, he talks about "controlling his fear" by "expanding his horizon" - by expanding what it is that he is doing in his mind with regard to each step of the journey.  It's as if he's "meditating on what he should be doing" and "visualizing what can be done."  Further, he had done the trip "40 or 50 times" the year prior, so he was very familiar with the journey. He was able to previsualize each step.

However, there are not many human beings that could make that trip, as is noted throughout the film.  He has an amazing ability to either compartmentalize fear, or as the MRI shows - to not have it both him at all.

El Capitan in Yosemite (wiki)

Was it his determination to succeed that caused the amygdala to work differently in such adverse conditions?  Or was he born that way?

Well, in Davidson's epic study, he showed that anyone can change their amygdala by being mindful.  In fact, the idea of "mindfulness" comes directly from his study, because the word "meditation" is often associated with religious practices, or worse - yoga - meaning a person would have to do "some form of exercise in order to accomplish a task."  Which is why the word meditation was changed to something more precise about what was going on.  Mind. Full. Ness.

Palden Gyatso was able to endure thirty years of torture
at the hands of the Chinese authorities through meditation.

After his lecture, I asked Richard Davidson what specific meditation he used to achieve the results.  I figured since there are so many different meditations that are possible, the specific meditation might hold a clue as to why he achieved those results.

He told me; "Tonglen;" but a "non-specific version," using the idea of "healing of the Earth as an object" instead of a person to not skew the scientific results.

As close as I'll get to climbing a mountain
in Tibet

I happen to know what "Tonglen" is and how it's used.  And indeed, it does hold a clue - not only to why Alex Honnold can climb a mountain without fear, but as to how we can help cure or alleviate depression without the use of drugs.

Tonglen means "give and take" in Tibetan.  It refers to the practice itself, where the person meditating imagines someone (or in this case, the non specific Earth) that is ill and needs healing.  The meditator pictures their loved one (or object) in front of them, then imagines the problem that needs repair (or illness) as a "color or smoke."  It doesn't matter which color they choose to represent "illness" or "trauma" - they imagine it on the person or object they're trying to heal.  It's up to the person doing the imagining to determine what color or smoke they see.

Then as they breathe in, the imagine "pulling that illness" out of the person or object, pulling that color or smoke into themselves.

It may sound counterintuitive - pulling an illness out of someone and imagine pulling it into yourself - but as the illness arrives, you're supposed to imagine a healing light ("the healing light of the universe") blasting that illness and transforming it into a healed light - and the color or smoke changes.

So for example, if you're imagining someone's broken rib, you might imagine a color for that injury - perhaps red, or red smoke.  As you picture your friend, you imagine "pulling that color out of them" as you breathe in - the color finds its way into your own rib, but as it arrives, you turn on a "klieg light of healing energy" - and turn that color into a healed energy and then breathe it back into the loved one.

Or in this case the Earth.

Richard Davidson and HHDL

As you breathe in, you pull the color out of the loved one, as you breathe out, you breathe healed light back into them. Perhaps you "take the red" and "give back gold" into your loved one.

In one case, I know of someone who tried this with someone who had pneumonia - they got a call from their friend who was deathly ill, and was asking for help.  First he called a doctor who agreed to go to this person's home, and then as a test of their ability, imagined trying to heal the loved one using Tonglen. First, the person saw the wife's chest as a fireplace with coals inside of it, burning red. And as he breathed in, he saw the coals get brighter, with flames - but then as he breathed out, he imagined his breath was a cool ice filled mist, that damped the coals. 

Eventually the imaginary cool mist turned to snow, and he said that he pictured snow falling on the red coals in his wife's chest - until the fire went out.  

A few moments later, prior to the doctor's arrival, he called his wife, and she said "I don't know what just happened, but my fever broke. My pneumonia just seemed to end. I feel better now."  The doctor arrived moments after that and gave her a dose of antibiotics. It's not as if the meditation saved this person's life where antibiotics did the trick, but it's an anecdotal story of someone claiming to "feel the physical effects" of the tonglen meditation.

There is no scientific proof (that I'm aware of) that demonstrates that prayer or meditation can cure or help the object of the prayer or meditation (there is plenty of anecdotal tales) but there is medical evidence that proves the person doing the prayer or meditation can "cure or alleviate symptoms of depression" in themselves.

Literally "doing unto others" selflessly has a physical healing effect on the person doing the selfless act.

When they imagine themselves healing someone else - doing something selflessly, indeed, they heal themselves.  They alter the amgydala in such a way that it now is able to regulate serotonin normally, or better - or whatever term they use to describe the normal function of the amygdala.  

Which indeed, may very well by the way that Alex Honnold's amygdala works - just fine, thank you very much.  His amygdala may be what we all might aspire to - to be able to experience life without fear on a daily basis.

For further information, Richard Davidson's website is here:https://centerhealthyminds.org/about/founder-richard-davidson  Pema Chodron has a book and technique on teaching Tonglen which can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwqlurCvXuM and for further adventures into the flipside, my film can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0081U6K1Y - highly recommend watching Free Solo as it's a monumental achievement in film and in sport: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7775622/

Talking to Harry Dean Stanton on the Flipside on Coast to Coast Radio

It's always a treat to be invited onto Coast to Coast radio.

This interview was after Harry Dean Stanton passed away, and Jennifer Shaffer and I had a chat with him about his arrival on the flipside.  Harry Dean was famous for being a skeptic and atheist - but he has some funny things to say about his arrival over "there."

Here's the book "Backstage Pass to the Flipside: Talking to the Afterlife with Jennifer Shaffer" 

Jennifer Shaffer, medium extraordinaire

And as an addendum to this post:

For "Chris C", who wrote the following to me on "The Book of Faces:" 

"So when will you tell me about Art Bell in afterlife, it was a request made on Coast to Coast with George Noory"

Indeed, I remember one of the callers asked a question about Art Bell - I didn't know Art, but he did reach out to me about appearing on his radio show after hearing me on "Coast to Coast" (a show he created) which I did with his Heather Wade (and posted below).  But to this fellow on the Book of Faces I replied:

"Honestly bro i dont have any questions for art bell. If you do you can ask him. Just say his name. Ask your questions.  When you hear an answer before you can form the question you'll know you've made a connection."

(I'm not ducking the question.  I get asked all the time; "why don't you talk to so and so?"  I also offer that "so and so" is welcome to come to one of the times that I'm filming a medium speaking - (including my weekly chats with JenniferShaffer.com) - but I really don't have much to ask Art - "Why did you get involved in this kind of research?"  "Who was there to greet you when you crossed over?"  I didn't know him - so I couldn't verify any of his answers.  The answer that I gave Chris came directly from someone on the other side as a "method of how anyone can speak to us over here.")

To which Chris replied:

"You led us to believe you could talk to the dearly departed, I will bring this up on Coast to Coast during open lines, I am sadly sorry you sound like a fake, I thought maybe you were real."

 Ok. Chris C - since you weren't listening; I don't speak to the afterlife; I film people who do.
As per one of those conversations, we can all communicate with the afterlife - not just mediums. 

Art Bell is waiting for you to reach out to him. Tell him I said hi. (Not knocking Art, he reached out to me to be on his show before he died - but find it ironic my reluctance to talk to him would piss off one of his fans.)

And because I didn't answer your question the way that you preferred ("Wait, hold on,  yes, let me get on my headphone and speak to Art on your behalf") you are promising to go to "go on Coast to Coast" and tell everyone what a fake I am.

Too late. I'm way ahead of you bro.

Again. I'm not claiming to "talk to the dead." I've been filming people for ten years "talking to the dead" "talking about the dead" "talking about how the dead are not dead" "talking about how we don't die." 

So in that vein, "Hey Art Bell, do me a favor and "ping" this fellow so he can know that you still exist, so he can ask you questions - because as we both know, no one dies, no one is gone, everyone we've ever known or loved is accessible if we take the time to ASK THE QUESTIONS."

(Of course Art is welcome to join our chats, just not going to seek him out without a booker paving the way. I'm sure he's a busy man even on the flipside, answering all of the questions everyone has for him.)

So here's the interview I did for Art Bell's show with Heather Wade (his hand picked replacement). Heather reached out to me on his behalf years earlier, but it took a couple of years before they had me on his show, and sadly, Art passed a few months after this aired.  But Heather goes to a place pretty unusual during this interview - visits some things that are pretty unusual - so it's a fun listen either way. I know he enjoyed hearing it.

Enjoy.

BBC Broadcaster Howard Hughes and I chat about the flipside

The Unexplained With Howard Hughes »

Edition 382 - Richard Martini

3 days ago 

  

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By Howard Hughes. Discovered by Player FM and our community — copyright is owned by the publisher, not Player FM, and audio streamed directly from their servers.

First time on the podcast for Rich Martini - afterlife researcher in California...

click on this link: https://player.fm/series/the-unexplained-with-howard-hughes-98730/edition-382-richard-martini

BBC Radio's Howard Hughes

Magical Thinking, Reincarnation and How to be an Impartial Witness

First things first.

Photo by Russ Titelman

With regard to this NBC report on Dr. Jim Tucker's work at UVA on reincarnation:



Dr. Tucker and Carol Bowman have been working diligently on reincarnation topics since they were students of Ian Stevenson at the University of Virginia.

I posted a link to this report, and some wag on the book of faces suggested that any discussion of reincarnation was "Magical thinking."

To which I replied:

"Ian Stevenson spent 30 years at UVA doing peer reviewed studies in reincarnation. Dr. Jim Tucker has continued his work at UVA, along with Carol Bowman have presented dozens of verifiable cases of reincarnation. Dr. Greyson (UVA)'s talk "Is Consciousness Produced by the Brain?" (YouTube) cites the medical evidence showing that it's not. 





Ed Kelly PhD's "Irreducible Mind" shows that what we believe to be logic regarding consciousness is inaccurate. Magical thinking appears to be a prerequisite to addressing the nature of existence. 

I've filmed 50 cases of people recalling previous lifetimes, examined thousands from Dr. Helen Wambach and Michael Newton. People consistently say the same things about the process of incarnation. It's not a theory, belief or opinion we've all had previous journeys here: just reporting what is consistently claimed. 

The belief that life ends with the chrysalis stage is the part that is magical. The point being; if we choose to return, doesn't it make sense to have fresh air, earth and water for our return? 

The magical thinking is believing that life ends when it can be demonstrated that it does not.

To which the wag replied:

"Are these verifiable cases?"

Indeed they are verifiable cases.  I recommend doing a little research on the topic. Ian Stevenson. Dr. Jim Tucker. UVA. Iands.org 

The question is why did you choose to come back? Who are you here to teach? What are you here to learn? If this concept is beyond one's scope at the moment, it will eventually be addressed. 

Or not. It's your/our choice. Not everyone signs up to learn how the play ends. That's fine. Just enjoy the show. I respect your opinion that life ends. It's just not in the research."  

Another face of the book wrote: 

Sorry. Dead is dead.

My reply: "Indeed. I've heard the same argument from caterpillars looking at a chysalis. 

First we have to define dead. If we look it up, we find that "lack of oxygen to the brain" is considered medically dead. If you look at the cases - and I do mean LOOK at the cases, you'll find in Dr. Sam Parnia's work that there are many cases of people who died (no oxygen to the brain) and returned to talk about it. 

If you examine Mario Beauregard's "Brain Wars" you'll find clinical cases of death and consciousness continuing to exist - or examine the thousands of cases at the International Association for Near Death Studies (iands.org) where people were dead dead dead but yet - not dead. 

David Bennett's experience; a navy scientist drowned for 12 minutes - twelve minutes under water, no oxygen - he saw and experienced many things that he reports in his book "Voyage of Purpose" - I've interviewed him and others who've had near death events. Dead... but not dead. 

And the truth is, you'll continue to consider this to be fact until you meet someone who has had the experience or experience it yourself. Dead, but not dead. 

I'm sorry if that's what you think happens - that's what you believe happens - but all I can tell you is that's not what the research shows happens. And by research I'm talking about thousands of cases where people claim that's "not what happens." "I was startled because I could see my body, and everyone saw that I was dead... but I was not dead." 

I've been filming people under deep hypnosis for ten years talking about these events - skeptics, scientists, atheists, agents, producers, attorneys - it doesn't matter. Once they witness a death of their own (from a previous lifetime in these cases, not NDEs) they say the same things the NDE people say. "I realized I WAS NOT DEAD." 

When asked "Where do you got after that?" they consistently say "I went home." Not heaven. Not purgatory. Not hell. "Home." It's what people consistently say. If we took the time to look at what they say, we'd see they don't claim any religion is accurate. None. Zero. Not a single solitary one. 

They do say "all roads lead to home" and that "it doesn't matter what one believes while they're here, they all experience the same things when they are not." I'm sorry if this upsets the paradigm of the simple sentence: "Sorry, but when you're dead you're dead." It's just... not... in... the... research. Sorry."

What's the magical thinking we're talking about here? 

Are we looking at data that is in front of us and choosing to ignore it? That's fine, that's allowed - but that is belief, that is opinion, or that is following what isn't in the research.

What is magical thinking?

Magical thinking is how Einstein discovered that he was able to see "the speed of light" in his mind, prior to putting it on the page, it allowed Nikola Tesla to construct complete mechanical objects in his mind without putting them on paper and "seeing them work" - it's the same magical thinking that Beethoven described when he "went into the ethers" to find the source of his inspiration.  "Beyond the spheres."

I understand the complaint is that magic is not real, that there is logic to every "trick of the mind" - but that does not negate the fact that thousands of people have said the same things under deep hypnosis about the journey, that what they say is consistent and reproducible. In the 45 sessions I've filmed, and the 5 I've filmed myself experience, I can tell you that when you "see something" that is in your mind's eye and learn "new information from people no longer on the planet" - you do feel as if you're experiencing something "magical."

What's wrong with magical thinking?  It is the source of every poem ever written, every movie ever scripted, every novel, play or story that has been ever crafted.  Because we are hard-wired to create stories - even if we are creating stories that are echoes of our previous lifetimes, or our between lifetime experiences.  

What people claim about reincarnation under deep hypnosis dovetails with what people who remember their previous incarnations have to say on the topic.  We tend to think we can't ask people questions about their journey, that somehow our asking the questions interferes with their memory of it - but when you have thousands of people say the exact same things about a journey, and it's CONTRARY to every known religious definition of reincarnation, then it begs the question; "How could all these people be saying the contrary thing to what people claim reincarnation is, or how could they all be understanding something that science does not understand?"

Then we have proof of concept to point to.



This past weekend I was invited by my pal Jennifer Shaffer (jennifershaffer.com) to participate in a "proof of concept" event in Manhattan Beach.  She had gathered together about 25 people who expressed an interest in mediumship.

Jennifer has an extensive background in helping people in missing person cases. She's helped with some high and low profile cases.  She reports what she sees, experiences, hears, senses as part of her pro bono work for families who have suffered these kinds of traumas, but one day she thought "wouldn't it be great if I could get together a group of like minded people and see what kind of details we can all come up with?"

For those familiar with the history of this kind of research with the government, ("Men Who Stare At Goats") there was some formal training in the 70's with regard to "remote viewing." Using mediums or psychics to try to pry into Soviet secrets.  Like any government project, the military was trying to use science to further the ability to "see" into what the Soviets were up to (as the Soviets had their own programs in the same field.)

The remote viewing program was abandoned, some papers were written; most point to the results being "slightly better" than flipping a coin, but still - a better percentage of "guessing" or seeing people objects and things that they were asked to look for.  Unfortunately what they were tasked to find were coordinates where Soviet agents would be vacationing in their dacha - and like many projects aimed at using people to assist in govt secrets, didn't exactly pay off.

But in this case, Jennifer has already been tasked with helping to solve crimes, or find people - and she brought together a group of like minded folks, to see what the results would be.

The results, from my chair in the room, were astounding.  Strangers that have no formal training in mediumship, aren't professional mediums but were people who have spiritual backgrounds, came together to see what they could come up with. And they came up with consistent results.

Jennifer presented three case studies - in one instance, a criminal already in prison for what he'd done, in the second case, a person who is currently missing, and in the third, a child who had died under mysterious circumstances.

In each case, the four groups came up with the exact same information - age range, looks, what the person liked to do, what their background was. In the case of the missing person, they had detailed maps, detailed sounds or visuals that were in line with what law enforcement had already discovered (yet had not been revealed) in the case of the person who had died, one of their parents stood in front of the group and detailed the many details of what these people had already know.  Names, dates, places... all right on the money.

The program is called "Impartial Witness" and as outlined, some people from silicon valley have assisted in coming up with how to use AI to help in these cases, there are former government officials involved from a variety of law enforcement backgrounds, and then, there's these anonymous people who will be assisting in helping to find, discover, learn or solve any number of issues.

Almost like having a live think tank on the flipside.

I can imagine all of the possible applications - from corporations looking to solve a mystery (an airliner that has disappeared for example) to discovering why their corporate secrets are being stolen, and how, to parents who are in need of their help, or siblings trying to find their long lost parent. But at the moment, this group is assisting law enforcement on "cold cases" as well as missing person cases.

Of course it can't or doesn't always work. My research into this arena points out that "not everyone wants to be cured" (i.e., they signed up to learn from this lifetime and it's not up to anyone to solve the problem before they experience it) "some people learn more from a tragedy than it being solved" (i.e., "You can learn more from one day of tragedy on planet Earth than you can from 500 years on some boring planet" (that's a direct quote in "Flipside") - so there may be any number of reasons why something isn't solved or understood, even on a group level.

But for those who are looking for an edge, a leg up, a way to help solve real time problems, this is an excellent tool in the algorithmic bag.  If you have endless amounts of money to throw at an issue, and will leave no stone unturned to find the solution, it's certainly an excellent way to help law enforcement that is open to working with them (and in those applications yet to be discovered.)

Yes, it could be reminiscent of Phillip K. Dick's crime solving fantasy "Minority Report" which shows the problems occur when someone in a position of authority abuses the system - however, the people involved have thought out how to make sure there's no security issues that can't be addressed. The people who report are anonymized, vetted by Jennifer so that people with the right intent are involved, as well as ensuring that the law enforcement is not being asked questions, but are observing what the results are through multiple filters.

But I saw that this kind of think tank could also be tasked to help save the planet.

There's no reason this kind of application can't be tasked to helping the environment "What are the best ways to explore how we can change salt water to fresh water for pennies?" or "How can we solve the problem of fossil fuel energy issues?"

Whatever answers that come forth - it won't matter whether it comes from someone's subconscious, from a scientist no longer on the planet, or a group of people exploring the answers from the flipside - the solution will have the same result; helping humanity. There is no question that cannot be asked to the flipside, it's just a matter of understanding and translating what those answers might be.

Stay tuned.

Photo by Russ Titelman