Hacking The Afterlife podcast

Hacking the Afterlife with Jennifer Shaffer, Maestro Leonard Bernstein, Felicia Bernstein

Another one for the ages.

In this episode, I invited two people to come to our podcast booth. One was Norman Lear, the prolific TV producer, and the other was Leonard Bernstein. I have just seen the Premiere of #MAESTRO #Netflix #StevenSpielberg #MartinScorsese #BradleyCooper #CareyMulligan #MayaHawke - and wondering if I might be able to invite the Maestro himself #LeonardBernstein and his wife #FeliciaMontealegre to our podcast.

I didn't tell Jennifer who I was inviting, other than Lenny. I didn't know if she had seen the film or not, so I did my best to ignore the title, and focus on the person I wanted to speak with.

I get overcome with emotion when he tells us that he met with Gustave Mahler on the flipside, someone he spent his life focused on, someone who like him was both a composer and a musician.  "We lived dual lives" Leonard has reportedly said.

In this interview, Jennifer starts by saying that this "person is a director."  It didn't occur to me to agree that a conductor is a director. (Doh!) 

Jennifer mentions 48 years that "they were together" - but that is the amount of time that Felicia was in NYC - 27 years married to Leonard.

Jennifer said that she died of lung cancer, I didn't know, but that is correct.

I asked if he's spoken to Gustave (Mahler) and she described their meeting on the flipside. (Jennifer didn't know what I was referring to or who I was talking about. She works with law enforcement agencies often - 30% of her practice is pro bono work with different agencies.)

Leonard conducted all of Mahler's symphonies, made recordings of them in the 1960's and the 1980's.

I ask about the comment Bradley made where he felt "his presence during the making of the film." He said he was "present for every moment" but especially in the dance sequence. (Jennifer hasn't seen the film - but that would be the onstage sequence of "On the Town" where Bradley took part in Jerome Robbin's choreography as Leonard.

I asked what piece he felt connected to - she asked if there was an Olympic piece. He did compose "Olympic Hymn" the six minute intro for the Olympic Congress in Germany.

He mentions "Mass" commissioned by Jackie O for the opening of the Kennedy Center in 1971. It's "anti war" message kept Nixon from the ceremony, the Vatican called the piece "blasphemous."

He mentions seeing Aretha on the flipside, said "they were friends." I didn't know they were pals, headlined the 1977 Inaugural Gala at the Kennedy Center, were onstage together holding hands.

Aretha is interviewed in "Backstage Pass to the Flipside" and "Tuning into the Afterlife." She told us that her niece would find her "missing will." The niece did find it in her home as she predicted she would. (We reached out to her, the niece told me that she talks to her mother on the flipside often (Aretha's sister) but didn't believe we were conversing with her.  

Beethoven's father was Johann, lived from 1740 to 1792. He was a musician, singer and teacher who reportedly was an alcoholic who was abusive to his son.

Our interviews with Beethoven can be found in "Tuning into the Afterlife" (available on Amazon). 

At one point Jennifer mentions "addiction" and it's widely reported that Leonard's use of drugs and alcohol increased after her passing. 

For more information, see MartiniZone on Youtube, RichMartini.com or JenniferShaffer.com - Copyright Richard Martini 2023, All Rights Reserved.  See the film MAESTRO in theaters now, or on Netflix soon - and compare this conversation with one's own ears.

 

 

Hacking the Afterlife with Jennifer Shaffer, Luana, Amelia Earhart, Steve Jobs and Napoleon

As all in all of our podcasts, Jennifer and I have no clue who we're going to speak to during our session.  Sometimes I ask or invite people to come forward, and sometimes Jennifer states up front "so and so is here."

In today's podcast, we asked Luana Anders, our moderator on the flipside, to let us know if she wanted to bring someone forward or talk about process.

Jennifer said "she wants to speak to you about your next book."  I am writing my next book, it's kind of what I do - it's a little afield of the normal topics that I work on, because it focuses on those people who have had experiences with ETs - either seeing them, or talking to them.

I assumed she meant she wanted to talk about that... "My next book."

But then Jennifer said "Amelia Earhart is here." For those who know, Amelia has shown up before on the podcast, and the initial interview mentioned in the podcast can be found in the book HACKING THE AFTERLIFE. In it, I give the details of how that came about to be, how I had interviewed three different mediums and asked Amelia the same questions and got the same answers.

But then as Amelia was speaking about "this being my next project" (I've been trying to get my filmed version off the runway for some years now) I realized what she was saying. That a "book about Amelia" is going to be my next book.

Then I asked if it should be a book based on what the research says about what happened to Amelia, or should it be a story about my journey to that research.

And she said it should be about my journey.

Which is amazing to hear - as it saves me the effort of going down another road instead. So that's why I mentioned in the podcast that everyone can do the same by asking their loved ones on the flipside to assist in their decisions.

Then Jennifer mentioned Steve Jobs, so he stopped by to tease her a bit, since she's had him show up in many sessions (dating back to before I met her).  

That led me to ask a question about his last words, which then led me to ask Napoleon about his last words.

I know it's hard to fathom, but Napoleon has been to visit before, I was given a question to ask him by an Oscar winning screenwriter, and he answered it.  Then I saw the film recently, and asked him his opinion about the film.

What makes it uncanny is that Jennifer has NOT SEEN THE FILM but is answering my questions from Napoleon's perspective - who has seen the film.  He gives it a "thumbs down" in general, but has compliments for the work of Joaquin Phoenix.  He describes specifically what he liked about his performance - which again is mind bending as Jennifer has not seen it.

Everything he says is accurate about the film, including the reluctance of Josephine to accept him as her new husband (she was married, lost her husband in the Revolution.)

I recommend the film, but after you've seen this interview, and then come back and listen to it again.

MIND BENDING.

Thanks for tuning in!

HACKING THE AFTERLIFE with Jennifer Shaffer, Thanksgiving with Luana Anders and Jennifer’s dad Jim

Sometimes we have podcasts where Luana Anders wants to talk about process or connecting to those we love who are offstage.

In this anniversary edition - we can't tell if it's been 8 or 9 years of us getting together like this, we have a conversation about connecting with loved ones over the holidays.

Needless to say, they're available. They can be conversed with if one wants to. We've spoken about it in the book BACKSTAGE PASS TO THE FLIPSIDE, the idea of "setting a chair aside" for a loved one who is no longer on the planet.

Jennifer recounts how a client of hers lost a loved one recently, and he came through to insist that instead of being sad about his passing that they tell a joke or a story in his honor that will make everyone laugh on Thanksgiving.

I recommend that people speak about them in present tense, and if it's not a tradition, we can make it one where everyone in attendance talks about "what they're grateful for" or "about a person that is no longer on the planet that they'd like to invite to the dinner."

It's a non denominational comment. We don't have to convince anyone that "they're still alive!" but we can suggest that we heard from someone that it's a tradition in Ireland (or Italy, why not?) where on Thanksgiving everyone tells a story about someone who couldn't be there at the dinner.

They can choose whether that person is on the planet or off the planet, but ask them to speak of them in present tense, as if they were at the table and hearing that toast.

Jennifer's father Jim shows up - he's the one who so eloquently offered the idea that "when you can move grief to nostalgia you begin the healing process."

So Thanksgiving is a day of nostalgia, both sad and happy memories of those no longer at the table.

Hope this helps.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Hacking the Afterlife with Jennifer Shaffer, Luana Anders and Matthew Perry part two

"If you believe, it's easier to receive." 

Our weekly conversation begins with a general discussion about talking to loved ones offstage, how it seems to be easier for people to do nowadays.  Jennifer mentions that she has a couple of days of openings on her calendar, so find out more info at JenniferShaffer.com

  We ask our moderator on the Flipside Jennifer Shaffer if she has anyone she wants to reference, she begins by discussing dreams that Jennifer has had where she was with her cat who passed away.

  I asked if she had anyone specifically on her guest list that she wanted to bring forward and Matthew Perry came forward (again) to follow up with our previous conversation.

  As noted, his autobiography mentions that people should read it as if he was already offstage - and so it's apt that he's come from offstage to comment on it.

  Another mind bending podcast on the Hacking the Afterlife podcast.

  Enjoy.

Hacking the Afterlife with Jennifer Shaffer - Matthew Perry, Luana Anders, River Phoenix, Bob Saget revised

There was a glitch at the end of the podcast so I'm uploading it again...

As usual - Jennifer and I have no idea what we're going to talk about, or who we're going to speak to.

We have our moderator on the flipside, Luana Anders to thank for our guest list. 

Today's podcast is the 2023 DAY OF THE DEAD version.  We start off talking about Jennifer's latest events, (JenniferShaffer.com) - as we note in this podcast, by remembering our loved ones, we realize this is the DAY OF THE NOT DEAD.

Because what people report is that when the play is over we go home.  Without exception.

We invite whomever wants to speak to us to check in with Luana first. And she brought Matthew Perry.

Jennifer points out that he's been coming in to her sessions during the past week.  Friends of his that she was reading, brought him forward.  So it's not like Jennifer and I thought "Oh, let's talk to Matthew."

So I asked him the same questions I ask everyone.  In this case, I knew that he had done his first movie with River Phoenix - and that when they become close friends, River's sudden death affected him directly.

In this session he talks about the people that he's helped with their addictions, he talks about passing away after a game of Pickle ball (accurate, but Jennifer didn't know that), he talks about seeing River on the flipside. He says "He likes what we're doing, and he has friends Jennifer will be speaking with and he wanted Jennifer to "get used to it."

He mentions his book during the podcast: Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir. I looked at the prologue and put a sentence at the end of the podcast from the book: "If you like, you can consider what you're about to read to be a message from the beyond, my beyond." 

Jennifer saw Bob Saget come through - and said "The comedian who we spoke to who golfed." She didn't remember his name - I said "Garry Shandling" because Garry did come through to talk about golf... but in this case, she was referring to Bob Saget (who corrects me later in the podcast.)

We spoke to River Phoenix about his journey - about how he shows up to his brother Joaquin often and he's aware of those visits. (Only he could answer this question.) For those interested in attending a Jennifer evening, see JenniferShaffer.com - fun events in Manhattan Beach and around the southland. 

Hank Azaria showed up in our podcast with Stephen Hawking talking about a story he told on the Late Show. 

It's another mind bending podcast.

Fellow has a strong sense of humor. My laughter is reflected by doing this kind of conversation weekly for 8 years. 

Bless his heart. Hope this helps someone. He says he's grateful he left a book. If you're missing him, or want to talk more about him - check out his book. "Every day should be the day of the dead" he says. "Love well. You have to love yourself in order to love others." River Phoenix. "I'll be back." Bob Saget: "Laughter is great medicine." #MatthewPerry #RiverPhoenix #BobSaget

Hacking the Afterlife with Jennifer Shaffer, Luana Anders, Matthew Perry, River Phoenix, Bob Saget

As usual - Jennifer and I have no idea what we're going to talk about, or who we're going to speak to.

We have our moderator on the flipside, Luana Anders to thank for our guest list. 

Today's podcast is the 2023 DAY OF THE DEAD version.  We start off talking about Jennifer's latest events, (JenniferShaffer.com) - as we note in this podcast, by remembering our loved ones, we realize this is the DAY OF THE NOT DEAD.

Because what people report is that when the play is over we go home.  Without exception.

We invite whomever wants to speak to us to check in with Luana first. And she brought Matthew Perry.

Jennifer points out that he's been coming in to her sessions during the past week.  Friends of his that she was reading, brought him forward.  So it's not like Jennifer and I thought "Oh, let's talk to Matthew."

So I asked him the same questions I ask everyone.  In this case, I knew that he had done his first movie with River Phoenix - and that when they become close friends, River's sudden death affected him directly.

In this session he talks about the people that he's helped with their addictions, he talks about passing away after a game of Pickle ball (accurate, but Jennifer didn't know that), he talks about seeing River on the flipside. He says "He likes what we're doing, and he has friends Jennifer will be speaking with and he wanted Jennifer to "get used to it."

He mentions his book during the podcast: Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir. I looked at the prologue and put a sentence at the end of the podcast from the book: "If you like, you can consider what you're about to read to be a message from the beyond, my beyond." 

Jennifer saw Bob Saget come through - and said "The comedian who we spoke to who golfed." She didn't remember his name - I said "Garry Shandling" because Garry did come through to talk about golf... but in this case, she was referring to Bob Saget (who corrects me later in the podcast.)

We spoke to River Phoenix about his journey - about how he shows up to his brother Joaquin often and he's aware of those visits. (Only he could answer this question.) For those interested in attending a Jennifer evening, see JenniferShaffer.com - fun events in Manhattan Beach and around the southland. 

Hank Azaria showed up in our podcast with Stephen Hawking talking about a story he told on the Late Show. 

It's another mind bending podcast.

Fellow has a strong sense of humor. My laughter is reflected by doing this kind of conversation weekly for 8 years. 

Bless his heart. Hope this helps someone. He says he's grateful he left a book. If you're missing him, or want to talk more about him - check out his book. "Every day should be the day of the dead" he says. "Love well. You have to love yourself in order to love others." River Phoenix. "I'll be back." Bob Saget: "Laughter is great medicine."

 

Hacking the Afterlife with Jennifer Shaffer, Einstein, Tesla, Hawking, Genghis Khan, Helen Keller

Tonight's podcast begins with a reference to the documentary AFTER DEATH which I happened to go to their premiere.  It's about the data, research from near death experiences, and focuses on some of the NDE's that included visits with "heaven" or "god" or "Jesus."  Angel.com studios is a crowd funded distribution network, and their members vote which films they'd like to see.

In this case, something that's up my alley - I saw the film and wished I had made it.  They interview scientists talking about the research, and do excellent reenactments of events.  The only quibble I have is the quote that "23% of NDE's are hellish" - I asked the author of that quote where he got it from, he said "The guidebook of NDE's" which was written by my friend Dr. Bruce Greyson.  I have the handbook, as well as his latest book AFTER which clearly states that figure is "1 to 3%" - not "23%."  But that aside, I understand the need for people to believe that hell exists - or that it might be waiting for people who are less than honorable.

Which leads us into tonight's podcast, because in it, Luana Anders, our moderator on the flipside who passed in 1996 brought four disruptors - icons, Einstein, Hawking, Tesla and Genghis Khan.  The reason he was there was to point out that "everyone plays their role on the planet" which can include some pretty awful stuff.

Genghis Khan's army was responsible for an estimated "40 million deaths" - more than Stalin and that German fellow combined.  But that doesn't mean that we cannot speak to him - again, I don't make the guest list, Luana brought him to make a point.

And so I interviewed him, asked him the same questions I ask every new member of our class. From there he spoke about his journey, and the three scientists spoke about how to fix the planet, and a methodology to do so. (Think tanks where people do exactly what we're doing.)

Finally, my friend Margaret Lindsay showed up - Luana mentioned she had been to visit me a week ago - and Jennifer saw her with a woman.  I guessed correctly that the woman with her was "Helen" - as Margaret owned her home on Martha's Vineyard, where I stayed, and signed Helen Keller's guest book.

Just another mind bending podcast in an ocean of them.

Enjoy. 

Hacking the Afterlife with Jennifer Shaffer, Luana Anders, John E Mack, Carl Sagan

We don't plan our podcasts in advance, and let the folks on the flipside, our class organized by Luana Anders (my pal who passed in 1996 and who brought me and Jennifer together).  Luana is in charge of the topics discussed and the guest list.

Podcast begins with a discussion about the recent tragic events in Israel. Some of Jennifer's sessions are involved with people whose children serve in the military overseas or are scheduled to serve.

In our podcast we generally don't discuss matters involved with the future, as the research shows that the future is not set, we have free will to change outcomes, but important to mention that a medium like Jennifer has better access to likely outcomes, which people on the flipside have more access to.

There's a discussion of how prayers work, meditation functions, how people on the flipside are aware of the trauma and issues involved.  Also an unusual bit of new information about those involved in perpetrating trauma - and what their observations are about being on the other side.

It's not something we've covered before, and a first to hear that people of like energy - that is the people causing mayhem - find themselves in a holding place, or locale where they wait for their life reviews, which in the cases of those who cause mayhem may last for a long time.

Because they have the experience of seeing all the trauma, all the negativity in others that they've caused, they experience that first hand as if they were the victims.  We've heard this before in terms of a person's life review - that those who create joy in others experience that, and those who create the opposite experience the negativity caused in front of the audience of their classmates, council members, guides.

It's a hellish description, and I tried to clarify that this wasn't a permanent location (as the research is consistent about the fact that everyone eventually returns home, there are no dungeons on the flipside, however there are those who are voluntarily placed in a form of isolation. (This was reported in Michael Newton's JOURNEY OF SOULS.)

Then, I invited a person forward that I wanted to speak to - the Pulitzer prize winning author John E Mack who died in a car accident at age 74. He was famous because while at Harvard, he started a study with people who had been "abducted" during their experiences with UFO's, and he took a lot of heat in his career over publishing those detailed accounts.

It was interesting to put him together with J. Allen Hynek, someone I knew in my youth, the author of Project Blue Book, and the man responsible for the term "Close Encounters of the Third Kind."  Jennifer was not aware of who John was, or his last name, which I didn't reveal until the end of the conversation.

We also invited Carl Sagan forward, because they were friends - Jennifer couldn't have known that either when she said "I'm getting the feeling that he's a buddy." We have interviewed Carl before - about what it was like for him to realize he was on the other side.  He told us in BACKSTAGE PASS TO THE FLIPSIDE that he "spent a lot of time wandering different vistas without seeing anyone" because he didn't believe - or was of the strong belief - that no one would be there.

It took him a "long time" to shift his focus to realize that people still did exist, and he could interact with them. He appears a number of times in our interviews, and each time brings a bit of his wit and sense of humor.

We know this is all disconcerting for many - the topics involved.  All we can do is report. Jennifer Shaffer works with law enforcement agencies daily, we met eight years ago and I realized she was like having a "cell phone" to the flipside.  It may not always be clear what the message is, but I found that if I tailor my questions to what I know about another person, I can gain new information. Things that the general public doesn't know - and Jennifer couldn't know until she says the answer that she's getting.

Hope this helps.   

Hacking the Afterlife with Jennifer Shaffer, Luana Anders, Paul Allen, Bill Paxton, Charles Grodin

As we like to point out, we have no clue who is on our guest list when we start the podcast.  Luana brought three people we've spoken with before, and they wanted to weigh in on the same topic that was talked about last week - that is, how to get out of a negative mindset, as well as how to treat the negative impacts of football or drug abuse on the brain.

In this case, Paul Allen, the cofounder of Microsoft who created the brain institute stopped by.  When Jennifer and I first met Paul it was some years ago - and is in the film TALKING TO PAUL ALLEN, JUNIOR SEAU AND DAVE DUERSON (Free on Youtube).  In that film, we detail how these three individuals wanted to tell us that "Joe Namath has cured his CTE using oxygen therapy."

 

No other way to put it - we were not aware of that in any way shape or form. And after their third visit to talk about it - I learned that indeed Joe was telling people that his oxygen therapy had likely cured his CTE.

So I tried to clarify that what he had come through to tell us, was that Paul is suggesting "from the flipside" that oxygen therapy would be valuable in treating depression or brain trauma.

As noted, in the research of Richard Davidson at the University of Wisconsin, he's shown that meditation can "change the shape of the amygdala, the regulator of serotonin in the brain - the regulator of emotions.

I highly recommend people take a look at this research if it's something they're working on. Davidson has demonstrated that meditation can "cure or alleviate symptoms of depression."  Worth examining.

Then there were two other friends who stopped by - one was Bill Paxton whom I knew for decades, and has shown up often in our book BACKSTAGE PASS TO THE FLIPSIDE where we interviewed him extensively about his journey. But also the film TALKING TO BILL PAXTON is now available on Amazon where I had three different mediums ask Bill the same questions on the flipside and he answered them all the same - including one session where I was not present.

Finally, Charles Grodin is and was a dear friend, and for Jennifer to say that he was the source of the voice that I heard this morning (saying "HELLO" so loudly it woke me up) and my wife woke me up yesterday with this poking of my foot - saying "someone had poked her three or four times in the night."

Again - it's a way of demonstrating that they still exist. Neither my wife nor I suspected that it was someone we knew - and I had planned to "ask the question during the podcast" if the time arose that I could ask it... and sure enough, it was brought up without me prodding, and Jennifer said that "something happened to Sherry as well" which was accurate.

Anyways, a long way of saying our loved ones are not far away. Just allow that they know what we're doing, they know that it's okay to chat with us, they know that we will disbelieve that it really is them, but if one is listening to this podcast, it's likely because they would like to be able to converse with a loved one.

Jennifer is doing a wine and spirits group this weekend in Santa Ynez, near Solvang - so if one is in the neighborhood check it out.

Another mind bending session with the flipside.

Hacking the Afterlife with Jennifer Shaffer, Elvis, Janis, Aretha, Junior, Anthony and Luana

One of the most unusual podcast I can remember.

Jennifer and I decided to meet up today at the last minute, and had no idea or clue what might be the topic of discussion.

This one is about addiction in all of it's forms.  Jennifer first talked about her own experience with the use of drugs, or cigarettes or alcohol - and then a number of people came forward to talk about the subject.

Elvis came forward to talk about his own issues in this area.  Then Janis Joplin came forward - we had interviewed her in the book BACKSTAGE PASS TO THE FLIPSIDE and it's also in TUNING INTO THE AFTERLIFE.  She talked eloquently about the idea that people are trying to "escape from the illusion they have onstage."  Mind bending to put it that way - but we are all in a play, and people in the play use drugs and alcohol to escape the play they're in, thinking they're escaping reality when they're escaping the play.

Aretha Franklin stopped by - as she knew a number of people who left the stage early, and I asked her about our interaction with her niece who is the executor of her estate. She offered that she and her niece are "speaking regularly now." 

Then Junior Seau stopped by - Junior was interviewed in the documentary TALKING TO PAUL ALLEN, JUNIOR SEAU AND DAVE DUERSON on Youtube.  In that documentary, Junior said that he showed up when Paul crossed over to thank him for starting the brain institute.

But he also wanted to tell us (along with Dave Duerson, who both suffered from CTE) that "Joe Namath has cured his CTE using oxygen therapy."

That's in the documentary.

But today he stopped by to say that addiction was like CTE - in that the repeated abuse of the brain had the same effect of many hits on the brain.  He also suggested the oxygen therapy could treat addiction.

No way of knowing if that's accurate, but it certainly is worth looking into.

Finally, Anthony Bourdain came forward, as he had mentioned in his previous interview that his drug use in his youth contributed to his inability to "feel joy."  He repeated the concept that people should learn to meditate - and when I asked him to use his interview skills with our class, he asked them all for "one concept that would help people with addiction."

And then he said that they responded with the word "love."  As in love yourself, love those who you chose to incarnate with, love the idea of love, love what love is - and that will help keep a person on the planet.

Interesting to contemplate, mind bending to see live.

Enjoy.