Hacking The Afterlife podcast

Happy New Year!  Jennifer and I chat about the upcoming New Year, about pets in the afterlife.  Also a visit from Amelia Earhart prior to my going on Coast to Coast to talk about the new book SHE WAS NEVER LOST: THE AMELIA EARHART SAGA. George's mom stopped by (she's still on the planet, but his mom's higher self stopped by)... and we chat with Amelia about the book, also chat with Robert Towne's dog Hira who talks about the life and returning home of pets.  (Not death - but returning home)  To book a session with JenniferShaffer.com - or myself RichardMartini.com - happy new year!

Welcome to the podcast Hacking the Afterlife. I tend to put information here that gives context to the podcast. In that vein, for those unfamiliar with what we're doing: At what point in time is it okay to ask recently deceased people questions on the flipside? When is too soon? When is it inappropriate?  Some context: as a filmmaker, I’ve written and or directed 10 feature films, made a number of documentaries about the afterlife, and have spoken at UVA Medical school DOPS regarding how the footage shows consciousness is not confined to the brain. Jennifer Shaffer works with law enforcement agencies nationwide on missing person cases. I’ve interviewed some of those agents from the FBI, LAPD (NYPD) who work with her on a daily basis. A third of her practice is pro bono work with law enforcement. She also works with a number of people who knew Rob and Michelle, and the families of Kobe Bryant and Steve Jobs have allowed her to mention that she works with them. Ten years ago, I began working with Jennifer - we met for lunch and have been talking since then. The past five years on our podcast. Our moderator on the flipside is Luana Anders - who worked with Rob Reiner in the film THE LAST DETAIL. Luana died in my arms, and began visiting me not long after (back in 1996). It took me until 2004 to investigate how it was possible she could communicate with me - and upon meeting Jennifer I realized I could have conversations with her. And indeed - we’ve been doing that nonstop for over ten years. Luana was in many films - worked with Marlon Brando, Jack Nicholson and others - and in my case, I worked with Ray Charles in the film LIMIT UP where he plays “God.” The point is that it’s “six degrees of separation.” If Luana knows someone, or I worked with someone, it’s easier for us to verify those details. I knew Penny Marshall, we did a gig together once, I appeared on Laverne and Shirley once (cutting room floor because Harry Dean Stanton’s song went long.) So when this question is asked; “Are you going to be speaking to Rob and Michelle soon?” it comes from the couple of hundred interviews we have on the podcast HACKING THE AFTERLIFE on YouTube. In terms of our podcast, people tend to miss the notion that we aren’t in charge of the guest list. Since Jennifer and I have begun to talk to the flipside, it’s really up to Luana Anders to decide who is “ready to be interviewed.” In terms of how that works, sometimes I “hear” a voice from someone I knew or know - and when that happens, I’ll say to myself “Well, if this person wants to show up for a conversation, they know where to find us.” And then - since Jennifer and I have been doing that for over the past ten years, frequently I’ll show up for a meeting with her - and she’ll say “so and so is here.” That has happened more often than I can recall. I can report that I heard Robert Kennedy’s voice one day saying “I understand you’re the person I need to speak with to get a message to my family.” I had the presence of mind to not judge that I heard his distinct voice - and said to him; “Actually I’m not the guy, you need to find Luana.” The next day I went to meet with Jennifer and she said before I could say anything; “Robert Kennedy is here.” The other day during the Frank Gehry interview, I heard his voice (or had the impression of hearing his voice) saying “Yes, I’ll be on your podcast.” And not believing that it was actually him and not my imagination, I said to him “Well, we met through Sally Kellerman, so if you do want to speak to us, Sally should show up and I’ll know it’s you.” And during that podcast, at first Jennifer said “Luana says you have someone” and then said “Hot Lips is here.” (Sally Kellerman’s role in the film MASH.) So I knew that Frank was available to converse. In this case, we have spoken to Rob Reiner’s ex, Penny whom I was pals with. When she crossed over, we have a conversation with the one and only. We’ve also interview Garry Marshall, whom I knew when he was still on the planet - so it wasn’t hard for us to connect with Penny. Generally - what we’ve learned recently is that Luana Anders is teaching a class in the flipside in how to communicate with us. The class - is large. We’ve spoken to quite a few people in the past ten years. So all that being said, I was wondering if we’d be speaking to Rob and his wife Michelle this week. A friend of mine who has done a guided meditation session with me said “I have the feeling you’re going to be speaking to Rob Reiner this week.” I said “It may be too soon - but I have to be open to whomever does show up.” In other words - I know how tragic the event is, I know how raw his friends feel - and some of them I know well enough to say that I know they’d be upset to hear that we were inviting him to our podcast. This week - I’m about to post it - he does show up. I ask Luana “Who is here on your guest list” and Jennifer makes a face and says “Rob Reiner.” Then she said “He’s just observing. He doesn’t want to speak. But he’s observing the class.” We’ve had that before - where people show up to just observe this give and take to see what it is. In the Frank Gehry podcast I asked him if he was ready to converse (He was friends with Luana and I told him at a party that I had scattered some of his old friend’s ashes at the Guggenheim in Bilbao) - and we ask him about that on the podcast. The point is - without context it may seem exploitive to converse with someone who is recently passed. I know that some people are offended that we speak to anyone in this fashion - however, as I try to point out, as a filmmaker for the past 40 years, a music critic at Variety, and since Luana was in over 100 films and TV shows - between us we know many folks on the flipside, and she has many of them in her class on how to “communicate with the denser realm.” (Folks onstage). So Rob and Michelle may talk to us in the future. That’s up to them. Again - it’s not my opinion, theory or belief that people exist after leaving the stage - it’s what the footage, data and research show. People can spend their lives believing that life ends, and be completely startled, shocked to realize life goes on. That our manner of passing isn’t as relevant as our many of living - and how many people we’ve affected or cared about. Love is all there is. So it’s a cogent question, and the answer is revealed in today’s podcast: “Yes, he still exists and No, he’s not ready to talk about it yet.” We’ll see if he is at a future date. The point of the podcast (and the underlying point of the question) is that “everyone can communicate with people offstage” - our loved ones are not gone, they just aren’t here. I’m sorry that bothers some people - but I wouldn’t be accurate if I didn’t report verbatim what the data, research or footage was showing. Hope this helps someone. For people who want to communicate directly with loved ones, I can recommend Jennifer's help - there's also her "Wine & Spirits" events in Manhattan beach. For those willing to do hypnotherapy, I recommend Scott at LightBetweenLives.com - a way to explore in detail. For those who are familiar with guided meditation, I can help them access their teachers and guides via RichardMartini.com Hope this helps.

Some years ago, when Jonathan Krane was producing my films and married to the Oscar nominated actress Sally Kellerman - who was Luana Anders closest pal on the planet - my wife and I had a Christmas dinner at Sally and Jonathan's home. Frank Gehry was there - by himself, so my wife and I, both children of architects sat down to have a lively conversation about everything under the sun. So the other day, after Frank passed, I had the "feeling" or awareness that he was willing to join our podcast - mainly because we've interviewed so many pals of his. Frank was in "group therapy" with Sydney Pollack, Sally, Jonathan, Luana - Blake Edwards, Dudley Moore and others... Milton Wexler was the renowned psychotherapist who ran the group, and remained a famous therapist until the end of his life. But because I knew Sally was in the group - I made that the "bell ringer" for myself - if I asked to speak to Frank and Sally showed up ("Hot Lips" in the original MASH) I knew it was him. And that's what happens in the podcast. Frank stops by to talk about his journey - and I was startled to see that his favorite building was the home of Norton Simon - which I didn't know he designed when I went to Sally and Jonathan's wedding at the palatial estate. But there you have it - I don't even know if Jennifer said "Venice" and I heard "Malibu" - I'll have to check the tape, but that's where my mind went. And yes, Jennifer Jones did offer to have our wedding at her home - but we didn't go that path.  Funny to remember it now and in this fashion. It's another mind bending podcast and serves as a reminder; they aren't gone; they're just not here. Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and for folks like Frank who are Jewish; Happy Hannukah!

As always, the podcast is around whatever topic that Luana Anders, our moderator on the Flipside wants to discuss. In this case, it was about how to modify stress, how to change the paradigm, and most importantly, to talk about Santa. I make a joke about how you never see Santa and Satan in the same room - both have the same letters, both wear red outfits, what's up with that? Jennifer avoids answering me and talks about how Luana is making a connection between Jesus and Santa. I offer an explanation and Jennifer "taps her nose" which is how Luana shows her that I'm on the right path. The idea that Santa represents a gift giver, someone who gives gifts without asking for anything in return - no loyalty, no fealty, no religions beliefs - just flat out, "here's the gift I'm giving you based on what you need." Jesus - in terms of the data, the research (see THE GREATEST STORY NEVER TOLD AS TOLD BY JESUS AND THOSE WHO KNEW HIM for context) - he shows up in 15% of NDE's whether people believe in him or not, so it's not a religious point that is being made. It's a giving point. And when Jesus shows up, people talk about feeling "unconditional love" or "indescribable joy" or "non judgmental acceptance." All of which could be viewed as "Gifts" to give someone.  Luana talks about how the world would shift in 24 hours if everyone on it could give unconditional love for that time frame - but suggests that just doing ten minutes of focused meditation a day - and giving yourself love while doing it, is a way to chip away at the problem. Again - Luana Anders is my pal who I was with for 20 years, who died in my arms in 1996. When I first started meeting up with Jennifer over 10 years ago, she talked about Luana being in the room - and eventually we realized that she brought us together. In this podcast, for the first time, I realize that Luana is "teaching a class on the flipside" (parts of which include this podcast) where she's showing people offstage how to communicate to a denser realm, using telepathy or by reaching out to someone like Jennifer whose filters are lowered or down. Jennifer talks about how her doctors have suggested that her being in the Delta state for a number of hours per day, has healed her brain from the traumatic injury she experienced after a car accident many years ago.  Her doctors have suggested that its her work that has helped to heal her brain. However, that also means that her filters are less than others - and the density of our realm is what the class is about.  It's another mind bending podcast, but the discussion is lighthearted. Eddie Hassell, the later actors makes an appearance at the beginning to explain how and why he "set off the fire alarm" in Jennifer's home (to reach out to his mother).   Then I recount the battery on my car dying - and Luana said that was "done to prevent you from having a car accident that day."  It sounds like wishful thinking, except I wasn't aware I'd left the flashers on the car on - didn't see them in the garage, didn't hear them as I normally would.  All I can say is "Thank Lu, I appreciate it."  She also said she was with me and my pals and family on Thanksgiving - which is a fun thing to consider.   Again another mind bending podcast and it includes Santa!!!

Another mind bending podcast.  #Prince #Hira #RobertTowne #RobinWilliams #FredRoos Jennifer begins the podcast talking about a kitty she's rescued and what she's going to name it. Robert Towne's dog Hira stopped by - often does when it comes to animals - and we asked him about how the cat found Jennifer.  Then since Robert Towne was standing by, I asked him about our mutual friend Fred (Jennifer head his name "Fred Roos") and I asked him about a conversation I had this past weekend about the Heritage Auction that they're doing with his stuff - and asked about a mutual friend named Colleen. Those who know Colleen and know Fred will know their connection, but Jennifer does not.  So I spoke to Colleen and she told me a friend of hers had passed, but nothing more about them. And so I asked Fred about that. Meaning I'm asking someone offstage about someone else offstage that I don't know - that Jennifer doesn't know - that only Colleen could know if this is accurate or not. Then Robin Williams and Prince stopped by - and at some point, because I know that people like to complain about "celebrities" on the podcast, I asked Prince how many of his other lifetimes he was aware of. It's not a question I've ever asked before on the air. But he said "1325" (I think).  Meaning he's aware of over 1300 other lifetimes.  And so when someone is accessing their previous lifetimes - as we all can - they can access the ones that had impact on the one they're living now. It's mind bending to consider, but it is consistent in the data, research and footage. Then Robin talked a little bit about how when someone wants to invite him over, just turn on one of his films. He's happy to watch his films with anyone who wants to see him. Another mind bending podcast. Thanks for tuning in!