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)
Talking tonight with Heather Wade on "Midnight in the Desert" - Art Bell's radio program. Tune in/call in - talking at Night about the Living Dead. Or "Talking about the dead who claim they are still living." or "Hey, this crazy filmmaker claims that he talks to people who talk to the dead."
Foto by Russ Titelman
Midnight in the Desert Live Late Night Talk Radio http://midnightinthedesert.com Wed May 24 – Richard Martini – "Life Between Lives" 9pm-1am PT / Mid-4am ET Dark Matter Digital Network Author and award winning filmmaker Richard Martini has written and/or directed 9 indie films. A former free lance journalist for Variety, Inc.Com, Premiere and other magazines, a graduate of the Masters of Professional Writing Program at USC, FlipSide: A Tourist’s Guide to the Afterlife is his debut non-fiction book on a topic that’s been haunting him since the death of a soul mate. After a dream vision of visiting his friend in the Great Beyond, Martini went on a literary quest to find out what the prevailing science and philosophical opinions on the Afterlife are. He journeyed into Tibetan Philosophy, made documentaries in Tibet and India, and eventually was introduced to the work of the Newton Institute, founded by renowned author and hypnotherapist Dr. Michael Newton, Journey of Souls. Website: www.richmartini.com If you'd like to bone up on the latest reports from the flipside; here are my books, available in Kindle, ebooks, audible, print - they haven't figured out how to charge for remote viewing "yet" - but here are the links:
These are transcripts of filmed "between life" therapy sessions, as well as how I came upon this material. The sessions were filmed for the documentary below, at some point I realized that by transcribing them, I had a way of showing them unedited. Includes Michael Newton's last interview about his work.
This is the accompanying documentary with clips from the filmed sessions. Includes Michael Newton's last filmed interview, where he explains his journey and work in detail.
I began to interview scientists about near death experiences, about their work into consciousness outside the brain. Includes interviews with Dr. Bruce Greyson, Gary Schwartz PhD, Mario Beauregard PhD, and includes near death experiencers who also did a between life hypnotherapy session to see if they could revisit their "near death event" with greater clarity.
Part two includes more sessions and some interviews with unusual reporters: an attorney who claims that all of her clients had a vision, visitation or experience from their victims where they said "I'm okay, and I can help you."
"Hacking the Afterlife" Following the premise that "we don't die" I begin to interview mediums (whose work I have verified) to see if we can ask the same questions to the same people on the flipside, using different mediums to see what the results are. I include those results, as well as interviews with a number of people who claim while fully conscious, to be able to access this same arena. The second third of the book are mediums who contact someone who claims to be Amelia Earhart, the third part of the book is easily the most controversial; examining claims for people who say that they "met" or "spoke to" Jesus during their near death event, while having an out of body experience, while under hypnosis.
Got this unusual email today from a reader. Asked if it was okay to share her dream, and my response to it.
What are dreams anyway? We know what they are reflexively. "Working out the details of the day." But sometimes we have dreams that don't feel like dreams. They feel like reality. Except they don't follow the rules of reality. So what are those events? Visions? (Funny how the Tinglit ("eskimo") have dozens of word for "snow" and the Bushmen of South Africa have dozens of words for "water" but we have one word for a vision while our body is asleep.) I have always been fascinated by the Aboriginal, indigenous peoples of Australia, who during the 40K documented years as a society have evolved to a point where they consider being asleep as connecting with their relatives - "dream time" is reality, while "walking around the planet during the day" is more like a false reality - a dream. So if you spend one third of your life (sleeping 8 hours) in "reality" - what does that say about what the rest of your life is like? That what happens in your dreams might be more real than your reality?
Here's the email:
"Hello! I am loving your book. I’m about half-way through it, and it is wonderful to have access to your wisdom, from which I can learn.
On June 12, 2008, I had a not-of-this-world experience... I am a writer and insurance agent now, written two books. I’m from KY, got my law license in 1998/still have my law license but now I live in FL. I’ve lived here for 5 years and love it here. I wanted to change my career b/c the negativity of practicing law is a real downer, though I’ve had some great experiences too. Fighting all the time is very depressing to the soul. What happened to me in 2008 was a motivator/impetus for my change in career.
On June 12, 2008, I was up late as usual. I worked all the time. Crazy hours. I had just finished a federal trial... in the federal USDCourt. (The 6th Circuit case was reversed, published/sent back down and I tried it, etc.) Though I’ve lost my *ss on my cases, this was a good one. Got a good verdict/just me handling the case. I recall, however, very little about the trial. It was like I was in a zone or something. The Judge (had) this particular case as his first civil case as a judge on the federal bench.
Long story short, on the night of June 11th, 2008 my little girl, was up very late. My husband and I adopted her from Russia when she was about 2 years old. She will be 13 this year. After we adopted, I had gotten pregnant (by the grace of God) and we now have a little boy, age 10. About 11:30 ish or so and I went to bed. I had put our daughter to bed in her bedroom, but as soon as I got in the bed I heard little footsteps, etc. and she was getting into bed with me to sleep with my husband and I, which was typical. So I tucked her in with me and I looked at the clock. I told her that it was almost her birthday (June 12th), the best day of my life, the day that she was born in Russia, and how I loved her and Russia so much. With smiles, etc. we went to sleep.
Around 2:30ish in the morning, I was awakened. And I mean literally “awakened.” There is no chance whatsoever I was dreaming. Please know this. We had a big canopy bed which we just sold a few months ago here in FL where I live… And we were in that same bed in Kentucky at that time… To the right of me was a man in what I now known is an “orb.” Silvery shimmersih, ovalish…. (I’d never even heard of an “orb” before/honestly). I could see his face moving somewhat, real-time….closer and then farther away as if he was moving, etc. slightly within the silvery circle of light. I’d say the orb was about 2 feet in width, etc. roughly or maybe a little less. It was just his face in the orb, unlike the being to the left of me which I will discuss later… The man had dark brown hair and looked about 55ish or so…
Receding hairline, and it looked like he may have had some facial acne scarring, not exactly sure. I recall simply that this face wasn’t perfectly smooth, etc. He definitely had brown hair and brown eyes and was middle age, though I must say that it was more silvery shimmerish (silver backlit) though I am certain that he was dark haired and dark eyes. My instinct was that it was a paternal connection, not necessarily a fatherly figure but perhaps, maybe an uncle or one watching over me. I did not (and do not) recognize him. He appeared maybe Egyptian or Middle-Eastern, I’m not exactly sure.
To my left, there was a man in a long white robe. It was formal though plain at the same time. Linen or something. Not colonial. But very distinguished. Very high order. He had purple all around him, and the purple was moving, it being waves. It was energy in motion. I now know that this was his aura. It was the most amazing purple that I have ever seen, not sure that I can replicate what I saw by way of description. Recently, I noticed a bunch of purple flowers growing out of a bush, and that was the closest purple that I have ever seen to the purple on 6/12/08. Vivid, vivid, vivid. A purple like I had never seen before. He was beautiful. The most beautiful eyes that I have ever seen in my entire life. He looked about 35ish or so. Very handsome. Shoulder length brown hair and it was tasseled though not unkempt. Very high order.
He appeared from his torso up, the purple then all around him in perimeter about 3 feet wide roughly all around him. The purple waves at the end of the perimeter were moving, literally, waives. Energy in action. His eyes - I cannot say how vivid, how strikingly beautiful. No beard. Clean shaven. Very formal and distinguished.
When I was awakened, it was absolute DIRECT EYE CONTACT from the man to my left in the robe/purple all around him. I could tell (though I heard nothing) that they were communicating, the two of them. -though not by spoken word. The man to the left was not in an orb, but was “THERE” right in front of me, whether you call it 3d, 4d, or whatever I’m not sure. It was as if he were right in front of me, though floating above me, not too far above and from me. Maybe a foot or so in the air from me, away from me. Very close to me.
The direct eye contact that I experienced gave me a feeling that I am not doing what I am supposed to be doing. That I was meant to write.
The man to the right also had direct eye contact with me, though I believe he was there more of a guide and helper to the man on my left, who I believe with all of my heart was Jesus (in the robe), though no words were spoken. If he wasn’t Jesus, then a different archangel. The man to the left was effectuating the meeting, that was clear. However, the man to the right was present and a part of it. Before this time, I had always had strange experiences throughout my life. However, I grew up in a wonderful, middle-class conservative home. I attended a Christian Church in Kentucky. I come from a family of attorneys/my dad is a country attorney and farmer. Suffice it to say that “new age concepts” was not in my portfolio..... It happened twice on June 12, 2008.
The first time I told myself it had to be a dream, scared of not-of-this-world aspects. I’d say 2-3 minutes each time. After the first awakening, it happened again about 45ish minutes later that same night. When I looked at both of them, and back to the man on my left the second time, (telling myself to be strong, that it was not a dream), and saw the purple waves moving the second time, I screamed and pulled the covers up above my head. Not that I thought I would ever be hurt, for I certainly felt safe and sure. It was simply not of this world. And that was scary, difficult to reconcile with the material world, it being clearly not of this world or dimension.
When I did that, I saw the man to the left in the robe back away with my eyes as I was in the act of pulling the covers over my eyes, and then they disappeared.
After this experience, for about a week, I had many strange experiences... However, I was forever changed, awakened. I think about it a lot. I would love to explore who this holy being was…and its meaning in broader ways and implications. ....
I have no past drug use. I think that I’ve smoked marijuana twice in my entire life. I don’t think that it’s some drug hallucination at all. I’m positive that it genuinely happened. I privately spoke with a minister about it when it happened (about 6 months after it happened), and he pretty much blew me off “respectfully.” After this event, I began reading, reading, reading everything that I could get my hands on. From writings about Catholic saints to Doreen Virtue, to Seth Speaks, to a Course in Miracles, to Caroline Myss, (I could go on and on and on)….. and the closest thing that I can match it with was a piece about Teresa of Avila where she writes about someone who visited her. I found a picture on Facebook which I sent to my sister a few months ago about what the robed man looked like/similar. I will try to find that picture.
I am a vivid dreamer. I dream like crazy every day it seems. However, this was not a dream, 100%. I am loving your book! I work out on the treadmill and listen to Audible.com books while working out. I sincerely thank you again for your precious time...." (Leslie from FL)
So this was my reply,edited: (by the way, I'm happy to share this woman's name and her book - to whomever asks, but because I feel it's important to examine what she remembers of her dream, so I'm making this an anonymous post.) My reply: "Thanks for the email. Wow. What a fun adventure you've had. How to examine this vision? (I know what you mean by "not being a dream." It's just a shame we don't have different words for different dreams - we are just stuck with "dream." It's not a dream, but it's not "real time" either.) I would suggest the best path forward for you is to examine all of it the way you would a case.
Just examine the facts and try your best to not make any judgments until you've seen all the facts you can. There's is a reason that you have a legal mind - and a reason you want to write about it as well. I could point you to many lawyers who write successfully (fiction) but suffice to say, having an ability to "make your case" is of value. So allow that you've always been on the right path. In "It's a Wonderful Afterlife" an attorney contacted me and told me that in 30 years of practice, all of her clients - second degree murder cases - had told her they had a "vision, dream or were visited by a physical manifestation of their victims."
I asked her "how many cases?" She said "all of them." She said that in each case, the perpetrator would get a message from his or her victim in essence "I'm okay and I can help you." Needless to say,the attorney couldn't share it with anyone, nor could her clients. But I shared her story anonymously in the book.
I have gathered many stories of people having visitations of this kind - I mean Michael Newton discusses them in his books, in my case I've interviewed a number of folks to probe deeper. Which is something you should do. First to identify the characters in your vision - I think there's a reason why this Egyptian fellow (let's just call him that) showed up - and it's likely (based on my research) that he's related to you or your daughter (or family). (A way of saying that his presence - whether a product of your subconscious, or a product of his appearance - may be related to her.) But before you consider that concept - you should read the books by Michael Newton because you'll see the reports that people tend to incarnate with their fellow loved ones, and they tend to show up to them in different ways. I've spoken to a number of adoptees and adopters under deep hypnosis - and they claim consistently that it's no mistake that they "found their parents." Literally claiming that they chose their parents, just the way we do in life. And further, that if you think of the complicated journey that she took to find you - that's for a good reason as well. You may be able to access that journey or that information by seeing a Michael Newton trained hypnotherapist.
(you can find a list of therapists trained by Newton at the Newton Institute . org - searchable database.) So back to your vision - yes, the people who show up in purple are generally known as "older wiser guides." Michael Newton points out that they often appear as avatars, to make the person seeing them more comfortable - because if you're having a vision (sometimes during a near death event) it's much easier to be greeted by Jesus (or Mohammed if you're Muslim, or Buddha, Krishna, etc) when you need to be told that "It's not your time, you have to go back." These are common events in near death experiences, so common there are groups around the world that talk about them (international association of near death studies - I speak at their groups often, if you look me up at MartiniProds on youtube.)
So on one hand - you have your guide, the purple fellow (Michael Newton discovered in "Destiny of Souls" that the older and wiser souls are, the darker their "colors" vibrate - like young souls are more on the white/yellow visible spectrum, and the wiser ones are in the blue/purple spectrum.") This is not a "hierarchy" by any means - many people ask their guides (via a hypnotherapist) what their "color is" - and then emerge from their session feeling less than or more than... but the truth is that we are all equal - those of us starting out, those of us towards the other side... it's not a judgment call. If you're still with me - on one side you have a guide "posing" as Jesus-like, or you have Jesus himself stopping by to advise you on some level - "You need to write" is a good message, but it isn't "you need to give up everything, sell your home and clothes, stop doing law and become a starving writer" - or he would have said that.
After all - "You need to write" isn't really a concept over there. As you noted, they don't use language over on the Flipside, so he's not saying "you need to go around and lecture and talk about me" either - he's really just saying "you need to express yourself and your truth." And who wouldn't benefit from that? Does this make sense? We tend to take what we hear from people over there as dictum - especially when channelers do it - "this is the truth and you must listen to me!" But the truth is - the people that we channel or talk to over there are just like us - they're off the planet to be sure, but they are only aware of all the lifetimes they've had, all the journeys they've been through, and they may not know the answer to your question, but they're not in a position to say "I don't know, that's above my paygrade" so they may answer the question with the best of their ability - but it may not be accurate. Like the Seth books - I can point to a number of things that are arguably wrong about them - and I have endless arguments with people about the topic - but suffice to say Seth only knew or knows what he knows. He's not all knowing. He's not omniscient. If you ask Seth about "how do I turn salt water to fresh water for pennies?" he's going to refer you to someone else (an engineer perhaps).
(As you can tell it's something I spend my time doing - asking questions to people on the flipside to see what they have to say. And often I argue with them as well... and I must say it's fun to hear them say "well, you're accurate, but it's not easy to express that concept to someone still on the planet.") Now.. back to your vision. Avatar/guide on one side, dressed as he would be dressed, emanating an energy that is consistent with "older, wiser" guide (people call them archangels - but that's just a place holder for "older wiser fellow.") But they are accessible at any time. It's interesting that it happened twice. Your conscious mind was of course not aware of the time between seeing them the first and second time - but your higher conscious mind is aware of that conversation. I suggest the following to access this dream again. Because your mind has no delete key. Everything that happens to you - whether you're asleep or awake - is stored. We can't access those files because then we'd get nothing done. But they are accessible. I've proven this in my books where I get people who've had near death experiences to experience them again, and see more details.
Try an experiment. I want you to invite your sister to do this with you. She's going to play the role of your guide, and ask (a number of) questions, and record whatever you say. Have your sister read the questions aloud, and you open your mind (and heart) to the answers. (I'm choosing your sister, because like a good detective, you included her channeling abilities in this story - but she's not going to channel for you - she's just going to be a tour guide in this case. If she can't or won't do it - anyone who isn't judgmental will suffice.) (I won't reproduce the questions here - perhaps in a book in the future, but they're all about "who are you? Where do I know you from? Have we met before? Show me where that was. What are you hear to tell me? What was the conversation that I missed?")
Think of this is a "trip into my subconscious" - but more like an e-ticket to your dream. Don't forget to record it (cellphone or some other way) because you will want to listen back to it, or transcribe it later. You can argue that it's all from the subconscious. You can argue that it's all made up. But like I say - none of that matters.
You've been given this gift, this insight into the flipside, and you instinctively know that you need to explore it further. But I would say (argue) that it's important to explore it like an attorney - avoid any judgments to the facts of the case - and by that I mean religious artifacts - the truth is that we've been on the planet much longer than there was a jesus, buddha, mohammed, krishna - they're all avatars, and all of them have served a purpose in our spiritual evolution. But the important thing to remember is that you too are a divine soul on the planet - composed of the same energy these avatars were made of, and you will have the same journey that they did - going from a young soul to an older soul - and you will one day teach others how to do this method... it may not be in this lifetime, but it will occur, because now you're aware of it. So - there, I've given you casework and homework - and you know what to do. Don't be in a hurry to solve this case - do the homework methodically - take your time. Avoid anyone telling you what you should or shouldn't do (including me) and find your own path into this journey.
But I've given you a small version of what I've been doing with people - fully conscious - over coffee - and have been getting amazing results... and by results I mean they're consistent and they are replicable - which is what science (and law) asks of us. Dreams turn out to be gateways into the Flipside.
I think it's pretty funny that George Noory has dubbed me "The Afterlife Expert."
As noted, I've been on the air with him six different times, and each time we go on the air together, my book sales jump. They don't just jump, they skyrocket. I've cataloged this effect - saving the charts the day they hit #1 (after appearing on his show.) As I've pointed out before, and to anyone who has read my books, "Flipside: A Tourist's Guide on How to Navigate the Afterlife" "It's a Wonderful Afterlife: Further Adventures into the Flipside" and "Hacking the Afterlife: Practical Advice from the Flipside" - ...I am fond of saying "I am not an expert at anything." Sure, I've had an unusual, eclectic journey on the planet - like most people. I've performed in bands that have played the House of Blues, I've written for magazines like Variety, Premiere and Inc.com, I've had teeny tiny minor roles in films (cameos in "Salt," a few lines in "Personal Best," "Limit Up" and "You Can't Hurry Love.") I graduated magna cum laude with a Humanities degree from Boston University (although I thought it was a joke when they announced it during graduation - as I thought for sure I'd flunked a few classes. Had no idea what it mean in Latin. Still means little on this planet.)
Directing "Point of Betrayal" in 1996
Me, me, me, me! There's a story that Robert Thurman tells that he quotes often - and it was a study that the Dalai Lama had mentioned to him (two great name drops in one sentence) that said there was a study of patients at a hospital in Boston, and they found that those who spent a lot of time saying "Me, I, I am, I feel" self centric egoistic language - had more health problems than those who didn't single themselves out. Vanum populatum already. (Funny - here's both words in a Latin book published in 1696 - it means "annihilate vanity") But I am saying, despite going into the film world, working on dozens of films, having written and directed a gaggle of them, made some documentaries - I haven't mastered that craft in any stretch of the imagination. I feel like I could if given more chances to do so - but what can you do? If you can't direct a film, you can direct traffic... or in my case, direct questions to people who are on the Flipside.
With George after taping his TV show
So am I an "Afterlife Expert?" The moniker itself is counterintuitive, a condundrum - because you'd have to believe there is an afterlife first, then you'd have to believe there's such a thing as an expert on the topic. But I can say - over the past decade - I've been doing some pretty interesting/unusual forays into examining what people on the flipside say about us back here... with varying results. The facts don't change - but the stories that people tell me from that perspective - are fascinating and never get tiring, or boring. And now... a word or two from the Flipside: Once a week I get a chance to hang out with Jennifer Shaffer - she's a medium/intuitive who works with law enforcement nationwide to help with difficult "missing person" cases. I know she's been featured in a number of shows, articles, and I've had the privilege to see her in action. She's very good at what she does - but once she's done "reading" or "seeing" or "sensing" images from the flipside - she doesn't remember any of it.
Intuitive/Medium Jennifer S.
So that's why I bring along my camera. (Jennifer appears in my book "Hacking the Afterlife" - where I ask if we can query folks no longer on the planet. I had no idea if that was a possibility, but as I point out in "Hacking" she gave me information that I did not know, could not have known, but prove to be accurate. "New Information" from the other side.) I film these events. So is there a film in the future? Likely. Is there another book coming out of these tapings? Equally likely. It's like I set out the gunpowder, and then wait for a spark to ignite it. Haven't quite gotten there yet, but I'm sure I will. Yesterday, I was asking questions to a crowd of people on the Flipside. I completely understand how wacky this sounds - and Jennifer and I took a moment to laugh "If anyone heard what we were doing or talking about they would think we are nuts." We may be nuts. It doesn't matter, does it? They just don't make straight jackets like they used to.
Dubious are we? You should be.
But here we were chatting with a crowd of folks - I would tell you who they were, because that would goose up the readership of this blog - that would be an easy way to say "Oh, I just spoke to (celebrity who is dead) and they told me to tell you blah blah blah." I don't think that's fair to anyone - to the family and friends of the deceased, or even to the person we're talking to, who may change their mind, or learn something new on their path over there. But when something comes through that I think I can pass along - I will figure out a way to do it, either in book form, or film form. Yesterday the topic of suicide came up.
Excuse me, what came up?
It came up in a funny way, actually. We were speaking to someone who died from a self inflicted act - and a group of others were there, who also had checked out early due to self inflicted drug use, or depression, or other reasons. I noted "Hey everyone talking to us now is someone who checked themselves out. What do you guys have to say to people over on our side who are thinking of doing so?" I'm going to paraphrase here. Like I say, I filmed it, have a record of it - and will use the transcript in the next book - but for the sake of discussion, they (a few different folks) said: "You're going to miss a lot about being alive." I asked "what, specifically?" "Being able to breathe. You don't really appreciate it, but it's fun. You'll miss tactile things. Like music. You can't really pick up a guitar and strum it over here - you can create that mentally, but it's not the same. Just like hugging a tree is not the same. It's a mental idea of a tree, but it's not as much fun as wrapping your arms around a tree and really hugging it." I asked someone I knew (know) really well what she missed the most about not being here. Jennifer said "She's showing me being in convertible.. (to me: "did you have a convertible?" Me; "Yes, when I knew her.") and just letting her hair fly all over the place, that feeling of traveling and feeling the air around you. The taste of things. The smells... all of it. You really miss those things, that you don't really appreciate while you're there, but you miss them when you're here." Today a woman was talking to me about why she goes barefoot on her walks in Griffith park. She said "I read somewhere that having your shoes off, puts you in a different relationship with nature, and that it helps your health to be grounded."
Being grounded.
Yes, that's what you'll miss... being here on the planet. Having your toes in the green hair of the earth (grass), picking up a clump of flesh (dirt), feeling a wave wash over you (wind) or just lying in the sun and cooking (or having vitamin D replenish.) Breathing is the opposite of being a tree. If you look at a tree - its branches - they mirror the lungs, don't they? Exactly. And when you breathe, you suck in the oxygen that comes from trees, from planets - which if it were water would choke you - but because it's oxygen, it keeps you alive - and then you exhale that carbon dioxide, which... hey, wouldn't you know it, goes right back into the trees. A perfect system. (Unless you're polluting the system - gas fumes, cigarettes, alcohol...) And the person we were talking to about a recent suicide said "Yes, talk about suicide. Talk about loving life. Because every small thing you do to negate life, is a form of suicide. Every cigarette you smoke, every time you damage your brain cells with too much alcohol, or vape - it's another form of suicide. (and by extension allowing the govt to pollute the planet) It just take that much longer for you to get there, but make no mistake, it's a form of suicide." I say it came up in a "funny way" because when asked "so how did you die?" one of the other people put a funny image in Jennifer's mind of someone croaking, their tongue out, head sideways. (Like with a rope) And it was later that day that we discovered this person had died in that precise manner. So not funny - but the person who did the image was famous for being funny - what can you do? They were all together in the room - not mourning, but just chatting with us. And the topic came around to regrets for having checked out "early." "I toyed with it quite a bit" this person said. I asked what that meant. They said "toying with it, by getting close to it more than once... and I didn't plan to check out this time either, it just happened." I asked this person "what it was like crossing over, did anyone come to see you?" And he named two people that were "in the room" as we were speaking - one of whom neither Jennifer nor I had any experience with before, but said that "they were old friends and he showed up" to greet this person on the other side - to ease the transition. After we were done chatting, and my camera battery ran out - a waiter came over and asked what we were up to. I told him briefly about filming our "talks." He said "I wish I could talk to my sister." Jennifer said "She was 16, when she passed." He froze. "Yes." "She wants to tell you she's with you, and also with your family when you go back to North Carolina." The waiter looked at me, shock on his face. I looked at him and asked "How old was your sister when she passed?" "16, wow." he said. "And where are you from?" I asked. "North Carolina." I said "Well that's a fabulous tip, isn't it? Your sister just came through to tell you she's always with you, no matter where you are."
with Jennifer Shaffer and Scott De Tamble
And Finally.... I got a letter the other day from someone who seemed at his rope's end. He said he was in pain 24/7 and didn't think there was a reason to go on. He wanted to know my opinion about what it might be like on the flipside if he did himself in. I said, and I repeat it here for anyone reading this: "I'm not an expert. I'm not a medical professional. I'm a filmmaker guy writing about an interesting topic. That question must be addressed by a medical professional" - and if he didn't have one he needed to seek one out immediately." But I said, because I understand what was being asked, I felt compelled to respond. Here in part was my response:
"Thanks for writing. I appreciate the question, and I understand what you are asking me. On behalf of all those who've participated in the journey that is your life - I beseech you - implore you - to seek counseling. I understand there's an issue of pain, and I understand that there's the idea of "ending the pain" - and I am not a professional in the field of medicine. Your family, your friends, every teacher you've ever had - everyone who has ever known you - would want you to seek out help. And I do mean of the professional kind. (If you can't think of someone, just search for a local place near you. It's easy to do or find.) But I also understand the nature of your question, and I'm going to address it directly. First of all - you chose this life. You chose your parents, you chose to experience this. You chose it specifically because you felt you could handle it. I don't say that lightly. I say that as a friend, as a fellow traveler, as someone who, if I was part of your soul group, would stand in front of you and say "You said you can handle this. You have work to do while you're down there on the planet. You have to handle this. You can handle this. Buck up man, you chose this difficulty because in the past you took the easy way out - and you said "I can do it this time, I can overcome this, and I will." And all of your council members came together and said "Bravo! We love you brother, we support you 100% you can handle this." At the moment it seems like you can't handle it. First things first. Let's separate the issues. 1. there's pain. Usually that's the topper, that's all you need to know. Pain is pain. Is it 100% pain all day, can't move a muscle kind of pain? Well, no, because you were able to write this letter. So let's allow that it's not 24/7 pain. In fact, I'm going to bet that you can sleep - albeit when you wake up you're in pain, but you can sleep - so when you're asleep, you're not in pain. So that means a third of the day - roughly - there is no pain. I mean this seriously. A third of the day you are not conscious of the pain. Okay? So now I want you to count how many hours in the day that you are in pain. Is it 8? Is it more? Is it less? Figure it out. Take out a tally sheet and add them up. Let's say that it's four hours of unbearable pain - four hours of bearable pain, and the rest is psychosomatic - or let's just say, is compounded by other factors. (Lack of friends, lack of family, wrong president in the white house, etc). Okay - now I'm going to give it to you straight. Can you handle four hours a day of unbearable pain? No? Light up a joint. Yes. You can. If you aren't in a state where pot is legal, get to one. Go there. I was just in Vegas - it's every where - the whole city was stoned. I used to travel to amsterdam - stoned city! Go to california - colorado - anywhere it's legal and stay there. Smoke the right pot until you don't feel the pain. We'll get to the other issues in a minute, but start there. 1. How do I stop the pain? Smoke pot. Opiods - sure they make you zone out - but too many side effects like "wanting to kill yourself." Which brings me to point 2. 2. Why am I depressed? I heard you. You are depressed. I don't blame you. But I want to tell you that you can stop the depression. You can kill the depression. You can kick the shit out of depression. I can show you how to do it, but you have to bear with me dude. You have to want to kick this habit - of allowing the many sad thoughts to pile into the backseat of your pick up truck and weigh you down. Kick those thoughts out of your truck one at a time. You weren't born with family. You chose to come into the world. You chose your mom and dad - and then, for whatever reason you chose to have this accident. You chose to experience this kind of hardship. In the cases I've examined, its usually because in a future life you'll be a doctor and you'll teach people about pain and healing. You can ask your guides why this happened. Have you tried between life therapy? It would be fantastic for you. Tell me what state your in and I'll recommend someone for you. But that's not kicking depression to the curb. That's just going to make you understand "why" you chose this difficult lifetime. Let's just allow for a moment that I'm speaking the truth. You chose this for a reason. Not to give up on it - but to learn from it. It's easy to check out - people do it all the time. but you didn't come here, you didn't get on stage to jump off the stage. I know it's hard - but seriously - you said you could handle it, and that's what we all expect you to do. So - how to kick depression to the curb? I talk about it in Flipside. "Tonglen." Look it up. Search it on youtube. When you're not in pain (you can be stoned, that won't affect this meditation) you try to do this meditation. It's been proven (richard davidson university of wisconsin) to CURE OR ALLEVIATE SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION. There are no side effects. So here's what you're going to do. Put on some music. Something that makes you feel good. Get in a comfortable position. Then picture yourself as a younger man. Happy, in the prime of life. Picture the clothes your wearing,the hair you had, whatever - create that image like a 3d picture in your mind. Make it real. Make your eyes twinkle. "Hey, that's me!" Create you in your mind. Then think about the spots on your body that hurt - or ache - doesn't matter which ones - focus on them. Picture a color - the first thing that comes to mind - what color is that body part? (You can imagine a smoke, that works too, but if you just picture a color it's easy). Then as you breathe in during this meditation, imagine that part of the body opening up and releasing the pain - imagine the pain as a color and pull it out of the joint, body part, and into you - who are meditating... really see that color or smoke emerge from the body of the young man you're looking at, and as that wounded part releases it's energy, you hit it with a blast of healing light from the universe. You heard me. Hit that pain with the whitest hot light you can imagine - CGI effects and all - and turn it into a healed light or smoke... pick any healed color that comes to mind - and breathe it back into that part of your body that needs healing, breathe it back into the body of that young man that needs healing. Do this over and over and over again until the light changes... it will... just keep doing it. Now here's the really cool info; you've just done a centuries old tibetan meditation - called "give and take." And while there's no evidence that it cures the person you're meditating on (although you may actually feel better in the parts you've focused on) there is a huge body of scientific evidence that it cures depression in the person doing the meditation.
Richard Davidson and his pal HHDL
You got that? No side effects. Cures depression. Now - I'm going to give you one more meditation - because you sound like you need it. So - try to remember, you're not in pain 24/7 although it feels like it - you're in pain for so many hours in a day - I can point to any number of people that I know who are suffering right now in much more profound pain that you could imagine - from physical deformities to disease - in constant pain - who can't write on a computer, can't read a letter, can't listen to what I'm writing to you. So you have that. First before I teach you this other meditation - which will solve your issues of your family and friends - I want you to just think for a moment on how you came to meet your family and friends. You chose them. There's no accident that you chose them. You did it because you knew they would not be here for you at this moment - you actually said in your pre-life session "You can't be there for me when I need you otherwise I will not be able to learn the lesson I need to learn." (I wasn't there, but I have heard something like this before - from people who were molested sexually, or some other awful childhood trauma where they saw and understood why they asked their loved one to abuse them - to teach or learn lessons from it. Sounds harsh, but you're asking for the truth, so I'm giving it to you.) .............. Do this every day. Every day. Every day. count the hours of pain - and try to take minutes off of that number every day... try to take less pain medication if you can, smoke more pot if you can, try to meditate on unconditional love towards everyone and all things... and then you'll see. You'll see why you wrote to me. You'll see why you chose to be here. You'll see who you are here to help. You'll see who you are here to teach. You'll see it all.
If you can find a hypnotherapist near you (there's a searchable databased at Newton Institute.org - find a Newton trained hypnotherapist near you. When I was doing my first of five sessions, I asked the folks back there, back home, if there was anything that I could pass along to people who might read what I had to say on the topic. And i heard: "Just let go." Let go of anger. Let go of resentment. Let go of pain. Let it all go. You're here for a reason, find that reason. Relish that reason. Find the one or two or three minutes a day where you feel joy - and amplify them - reduce the pain minutes daily by meditating, or by helping someone else who is in pain... and you'll see why you're still here......
I post this for anyone who needs help in this area. Please seek counseling. Seek help from a medical professional. Suicide is not the answer to the question. Unconditional Love is the answer to every question you have.
"Please Join us on Tuesday, June 27thfor our “Eat & Greet” Luncheon Series at the Great Greek Restaurant in Sherman Oaks, Ca. Come have fun at an intimate lunch setting, mingle and meet some of your favorite people in the world of the unknown.
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Waiting for my spanikopita
C'mon down and talk about the meaning of life, or the meaning of the afterlife, or whatever's on your mind.... while dining on Greek cuisine! Bring your own copy (if signing is desired)
"Flipside: A tourist's guide on how to navigate the afterlife"
"Flipside: Journey into the Afterlife" FILM
"It's a Wonderful Afterlife: Further Adventures in the Flipside" volume ONE.
"It's a Wonderful Afterlife: Further Adventures in the Flipside" Volume two.
"Hacking the Afterlife"
