Last shot of the day on a film set, also the last name of the author of this blog. Martin - Latin singular, those soldiers who work for Mars, God of War. A smith. In this lifetime of words, music and film. AKA "The Afterlife Expert" (Coast to Coast AM) If you want to reach me, I can be found on FB, LinkedIn, or Gmail under MartiniProds (my youtube channel)
Mom, myself and Luana traipsing around Rome. "Dad, why are you taking this picture?"
This question came in via Quora, where I randomly answer questions about the Flipside: "I truly enjoy your entries. Thank you for sharing the information that you have found. Could I ask one question, though? What drove you to investigate this? Your content is like none other I have experienced before. How did you come about it?"
My answer: "My best friend Luana Anders died. She started visiting me in dreams. Later that year, I was working in NYC on the Charles Grodin show (Charles was a great friend, and we became friends through her.) I had seen James Van Praagh on Larry King and suggested we bring him on to see if he could converse with her. (Charles isn't a believer or non believer - he likes to remain open to both sides of any discussion). So we designed an experiment. I called in the show directly from my home. Only Charles knew I was calling in. James Van Praagh mentioned a few things, but two jumped out. The cocktail glass collection reference (my last name inspires comic gifts) and a photo on my refrigerator. It was the only photo I’ve ever put up where I said aloud - “Oh look: the essence of our relationship.” (Drinking cappuccinos and laughter. It's reported in “Flipside")
The photograph on my fridge he was referring to. There was only one.
When I put it up I said aloud "THE ESSENCE OF OUR RELATIONSHIP"
When he mentioned it I knew only one person in existence could know the story behind this photograph that he mentioned live on the air. Later our 3 year old son wouldn't go upstairs. I asked him why. He pointed to the staircase and told me a woman was visiting him. I said “Who is visiting you?” He took me into the kitchen and pointed to THIS PHOTO on the fridge. Worried he might never go upstairs again, I asked “Does she frighten you?” He said “Dad. You can see right through her!” I thought it over and said “Well, does she say anything to you?“ He nodded. “She says “I love you.” I replied, “Well… that doesn't sound scary, does it?” He paused, sighed and said “Okay" and went upstairs to bed. (From "Flipside: A Tourist's Guide on How to Navigate the Afterlife.") Once one proves to themselves their loved ones still exist - experience won't prove it to anyone else, because it’s experiential - one stops wondering. I started designing more ways to film or capture that experience. Hence the past ten years, two documentaries ("Flipside" and "Talking to Bill Paxton" on Gaia) and 8 books about the Flipside research. Here’s the clip where James Van Praagh mentions the photograph - believe, don't believe - but this was the moment I realized there actually is a flipside:
Thanks to everyone who entered to win a free copy of the book "Backstage Pass to the Flipside 3" - a free PDF of the book has been sent to everyone who entered... (or will be sent, check the mailbox."
I asked people to ask Luana five questions. These folks had never met her, didn't know her, but as a demonstration that you can get an "answer" from someone on the flipside, I designed these questions in such a way that no one could answer them but a close friend of Luana's (none entered) or were actually speaking to Luana. The answers to the questions are: 1. What was Jack Nicholson’s nickname for you? (People might get an image or a sound, or something else. Whatever it is, don’t judge it, just write it down.) The winning answer came from "Frances" in Florida, who said "I get an image of her standing with a clutch purse. The color of the purse was turquoise." I asked what color that might represent, and she said "aquamarine?" I said "That's close enough - The answer is "Blue." (Could have been a state of mind comment, but Jack has a nickname for all his pals.) 2. What city did your mother own property in, that we went to visit? (Again, hard for them to use “words” – an image might come to mind, or an image of a person might appear; just note whatever that is.) One person answered this correctly; "New Mexico." Her mother brought property there in the 1960's, Luana and I went to visit it later in her life, and it was specifically in Santa Fe. New Mexico was/is correct. 3. What was the name of your dog that you found wandering the streets of West Hollywood? (Hint: This name is also the name of a city. Again – try not to judge it, but listen carefully for the name of a city, or a place on a map – if you get a state ask “north, south, east or west?” until you take out a map, look at the cities on the map and “ask her to direct you to the correct one.”) One person answer "Jose" - which in Spanish would be as in "San Jose" - but it's close to "Boyse" - which was her nickname for "boys town" or West Hollywood. I called him "Boise" (hence the hint) but Boyse is more accurate than Boise - and close enough to Jose to suggest a winning entry. 4. Name the cat in this photo. Painted by Luana (Hint: Not Mr. Bailey who is someone she often refers to. Cat shares the name with a friend of hers, and a person with the same name may appear.) This cat's name was "Robert." However, a number of folks said "Kit Cat" or "Kitty Cat" - I don't remember Robert being referred to as such - but who knows? Maybe he is on the flipside. So no one got this correctly, but that's fine; Robert doesn't mind. 5. What is your uncle’s first name, who was the brother to your mother? (Hint: an image of someone with the same name might come to mind. She would have called him "Uncle ____") This is a tough one - and I'll leave her uncle out of this since no one reported his name correctly. He was an unusual uncle of hers, had an unusal life and Luana took care of him in his elder years.
The point of this exercise was to inspire folks to do the same kind of "self experiment" with their own loved ones. Not with Luana per se - but with anyone that we knew that was on the planet. Devise your own "five questions" or ten, or twenty. Take out a photograph and ask them to reply. They don't have to reply with sound, could be an image ("clutch purse that's blue") could something that pays off later. Try not to hung up in the "proving" part - as Harry Dean Stanton told us (In "Backstage Pass to the Flipside 1") "Believe in the possibility of an afterlife, then you won't waste any more of your time arguing about it like I did."
Sage advice. But in this case, talk to them. Ask them questions. Repeat the questions in different locations - their favorite restaurant, a beach. Ask questions you don't know the answer to - 'When you hear an answer before you can ask the question then you'll know you've made a connection." Books and awards will be sent out as we speak - and the winner to Jennifer's raffle (a free hour with her) will be notified privately by email (and will announce here if they ask me to.)
Thanks for playing along! "Architecture of the Afterlife" and "Backstage Pass to the Flipside 3" will be on audible in a few weeks. Stay tuned.
While interviewing a woman for "Architecture of the Afterlife" she suddenly announced that "Iz" (Israel) was one of her "guides." I asked "him" the same questions I do to anyone I meet on the flipside about his life, who greeted him when he crossed over. I asked about the song "Over The Rainbow" and she said "he's saying it was a tribute to someone named Pa-ha-nui." I asked if she knew who that is and she said "No." I asked him directly if he was referring to Gabby Pahanui, the father of Hawaiian slack key guitar (who I saw on a trip in the 70's in Honolulu). She said "He's shouting ""Shi hu!" over and over again!" I asked if she knew what that meant, she did not. "He keeps repeating it like he's excited that you understood." Later, I asked a friend from Hawaii what it means - she said "It's "chee hoo" - a samoan term we use as slang for "Right on!" or "Woo hoo!" So "Chee Hoo!" Iz and Happy Birthday. Google made a meme for you.
