Hacking The Afterlife podcast

Hacking the Afterlife Podcast - Book Talk about Divine Councils in the Afterlife with Rich Martini

I was invited to speak at this conference in March at Tibet House Menla (thusmenla.org) to talk about the latest research in the book DIVINE COUNCILS IN THE AFTERLIFE.   It's a recap of the research to date, why I'm doing this research, and a bit about my trip to Tibet with Robert Thurman.  It's a 90 minute talk with 30 minutes of Q and A.  Jam packed with all the research to date.  Please visit Thus.org (Tibet House in NY) or Thusmenla.org - as they depend upon donations for their survival, a group that focuses on Tibetan culture, as well as philosophical discussions about the afterlife.

Enjoy!

Hacking the Afterlife with Jennifer Shaffer, Prince, Beethoven, Hira the Dog and Luana Anders

As usual, Jennifer and I don't speak until we start the podcast.  So we both have no idea who's going to show up, or what they might want to impart.

In this episode, Prince makes a return visit and speaks about how he's helping people around the planet on a daily basis. Could be for musical reasons, creativity, or for some reason he pops into their mind.

I invite Ludwig back as he spoke to us last week, and I wanted to mention two experiences where he popped into my mind last week, to see how accurate my memory was of those events. While clearly, Jennifer wasn't connected to what those events were, they both were examples of "listening to your heart" when it comes to people no longer on the planet.

Jennifer then spoke eloquently about one of her client's beloved relatives, and how he his last words to family were "I'm lucky" - they wanted to know that that meant, and she reiterated that he was reflecting upon his life's journey - so lucky to have chosen this lifetime and had these family members.

It's often repeated in the research, the thousands of case studies, the different reports where people come to realize, just prior to passing, why they chose the path they did.  

Finally, a visit from Hira the Dog - who came forward last week to remind yours truly to mention how our "pets are waiting for us on the flipside."  It's something I brought up at his request during the recent "Art of Dying and Living" conference, that I gave over the weekend with keynote speakers like Deepak Chopra, Robert Thurman and Marianne Williamson.

Luana also weighed in on connecting to our loved ones - even though she's been off the planet since 1996, she's still connected in so many different ways. Thanks Lu!

The ParaPod Festival mentioned during the podcast is on July 1st, can be found at ParaPodFestival.com Jennifer will be speaking from 2 - 3:30 LA Time. 

Hacking the Afterlife with Jennifer Shaffer, Amelia Earhart, Hira the Dog and Luana Anders

Another unusual podcast. Jennifer is going to be appearing this weekend at an event.  She mentions it during the podcast for a ten percent off the ticket price.

Meanwhile, I'm speaking at the Menla Conference this Sunday at 1-2:30 PM LA time, details are at RichMartini.com 

Today we had yet another visit from Amelia Earhart. What makes that uncanny is that yesterday, I was submitting a project about her to a production company, and she was in my head, as well as in my emails.  Knock on wood, hope someone likes the project - but either way, amazing for her to mention that she was around.

Also, Robert Towne's dog Hira showed up to remind me to talk about the fact that people can communicate with their pets on the flipside. That is something a dog I used to walk wanted to remind me to speak about on Sunday!

Mind bending.

Also some great advice about dealing with grief, and realizing that our loved ones are always near by. For a link to the book DIVINECOUNCILS.COM please check it out - plenty of fun stuff in there.

Thanks for tuning in!

Hacking the Afterlife with Jennifer Shaffer, Anthy Martini, Beethoven, Shakespeare and Company

Another unusual podcast.   This time my mom shows up to say hello, to talk about "what it's like on the flipside." She was a concert pianist, and she talks about our home in Northbrook Illinois, only how she's recreated it on the flipside.

Then one of her favorite composers stops by, someone we've spoken to before, Ludwig - and he talks a little bit about what the experience on the flipside is like for him, and recounts his "most favorite lifetime."

Also Will Shakespeare stops by - again, we've interviewed these folks in BACKSTAGE PASS TO THE FLIPSIDE, or in the book TUNING INTO THE AFTERLIFE, but in this case, Will offers that his "favorite lifetime" was not the one we know him for - and his "favorite performance of one of his plays."

Beethoven also refers to a favorite performance of his music - Jennifer couldn't know this, but he's referring to a performance of the 9th symphony I took my daughter to see at the Hollywood Bowl.  

I looked it up - the concert was conducted by Dudamel a year earlier - so for those keeping score, that could the detail that allows them to say "See! I told you it wasn't true!"  But the fact that he would be a year off, from someone who's been off the planet for a couple hundred of them, is forgiveable.

Actually quite funny. Because I was emotional listening to it - it's really what I'd like people to see/hear at my funeral. Just a full orchestra playing BEETHOVEN'S NINTH - because I believe that everything we need to know about music, about art, about life, is contained within - written by someone who couldn't hear.

And Jennifer's comment "He can hear now" - was said too fast for her to be the creator of it. I know her pretty well, and she says whatever they suggest her to say.  

Indeed, he can hear now.

Our loved ones are not far away. Anyone can reach out to them. They're standing by and want to communicate. Let them.

You can hear mom play some Beethoven at AnthyMartini.com - thanks for tuning in!

Hacking the Afterlife Podcast with Jennifer Shaffer, Prince, Princess Diana, Luana Anders and friends

This was one of the more unusual podcasts in memory - mainly because it was on my birthday, and I had the profound experience of being with my friend Luana Anders on my birthday. Here, Luana left the planet in 1996, and being able to ask her questions and get answers, as well as ask her to give her Oscar's speech - is mind bending.

Jennifer and I have been doing this for 8 years. Luana has appeared to members of my family (when they'd never met her, but could identify her) as well as other friends.  She was in over 300 TV shows and films, and was mentioned by Jack Nicholson in his speech for "As Good As It Gets."

Luana moderates our podcast from the flipside.

But before I get to her speech, Princess Diana showed up to talk about the event when she is mentioned in Prince Harry's book SPARE.  How she not only orchestrated that event, but orchestrated Jennifer being in a restaurant with some friends, was in the midst of talking about Harry's report about her showing up via a medium (in his book "Spare") and then while talking about Diana, Harry and Meghan showed up in the restaurant.

She had a profound message for both her boys, to paraphrase, it's to "focus on love." To have unconditional love for each other, as well as their father - and moreover to be aware that everyone is going through troubles and difficulties, but if one can love themselves, then they can love others unconditionally - it's as profound a concept and statement about love as I've ever recorded.

Then Jennifer correctly predicts that "Everything Everywhere" would win many awards (that was widely predicted, but Jennifer hadn't seen it) just as last week's podcast when I asked Carl Laemmle (who purchased the rights to the original "All Quiet on the Western Front" when head of the company he founded Universal pictures) how many awards would they win? Or if the screenwriter who saw a vision she would win an Oscar for the film was correct - Carl said she was, and indeed, she did. 

He said it would win three, it actually won four.  It's not that Jennifer was right or wrong, as the question was asked to Carl. The future doesn't exist, there are likely outcomes, just pointing out that even Carl on the flipside, who said it would win three, was off by one.  It happens.  

Again - we're demonstrating how simple it is to speak to loved ones on the flipside.

So in light of asking my pal Luana what she might have said had she won an Oscar, she said: 

"I would like to say to all of those viewers out there... how much I love what I do. 

 

I loved what I did there, I love what I do here... I love the intersections, the intercrossings.. all the directors, the actors, the people that feed them... how it takes everything, every unique talent and every situation -- that connects us all. 

 

If everybody knew that this was a play; that you are here in front of me and you are one of the actors in my play and I'm one of the actors in your play, wouldn't we get along better if we knew we had to be clothed and fed and taking care of each other? 

 

And maybe "The Union" was God? Or whatever (term) to keep things going? It could be that simple. 

 

We make it so difficult to care for one another. Why can't we just care for everyone? 

 

I just want everyone to know that we are all in this together and I'm grateful for everyone who is listening, from afar to here. To those that don't know us yet, to those that will never know us - when you bring up your abilities to wake up, to be connected, to know you are connected... Then anything else can be a little bit easier. 

 

Just be who you are and know you have an important part in everybody's play." 

 

Luana was a lifelong Buddhist, a member of SGI here in Los Angeles, along with her pals Herbie Hancock, Tina Turner, the late Wayne Shorter - and I know Jennifer well enough to know that she would not have given her Oscar speech in this fashion, but I know for a fact that it is in line with everything that Luana believed in when she was on the planet, and chanted for on a daily basis. 

 

Our loved ones are with us. Try to not forget that. But also try to remember, we are all actors in each other's plays - try to love without conditions.

Hacking the Afterlife with Jennifer Shaffer, Eddie Hassell, Steve Jobs, Jim, Ma Durga, Luana Anders

A wide ranging discussion about dreams, about getting out of one’s head space and into your heart so you can connect on a spiritual level.  A number of people come forward, including someone that Jennifer has met with before, Eddie Hassell, (not Haskell) a young beloved actor who passed in 2020.

He stopped by to mention a detail to Jennifer that only she would know. Luana Anders moderated the class from the flipside – as she normally does.

We had visits from Jennifer’s dad Jim – who revisited his astrophysics class that is taught by Ma Durga. Also a visit from Steve Jobs, who talked about what classrooms are like on the flipside. Jennifer works with a member of his family, so he pointed out that because she was doubting that it was really him, she at first wasn’t getting information.

The idea of “allowing that it’s possible” to communicate appears to be key to process. Also in the class with Ma Durga, an 8 armed teacher who teaches profound insight into astrophysics, talked about how communicating telepathically is a goal for both sides of the veil.

 

That is – that we are regaining our ability to communicate without words (bypassing the filters in the brain) and on the flipside, they’re observing how people can communicate with their loved ones over here.

That it doesn’t require a medium, or hypnotherapy – both can help – but simply putting one’s intent, “heart space” in the direction of a loved one, anyone can accomplish communication. The more restful you are, the more you get out of your head “get out of your head space and into your heart space.” (From Steve Jobs.)

A fan of the podcast wrote: "As you were talking about how to connect to loved ones, Hey Jude says "Remember, to let 'em into your heart... then you can start .. "then you will see it makes it better." ("Hey Jude" by The Beatles.) The first verse: Take a sad song and make it better. Remember to let her into your heart, then you can start to make it better. Hey Jude, don't be afraid. You were made to go out and get her. The minute you let her under your skin, Then you begin to make it better. And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain. Don't carry the world upon your shoulders. For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool By making the world a little colder."

That's the reference they wanted to make by bringing up the song Hey Jude to Jennifer's attention. Get out of your head space and into your heart space.

More info at Hacking the Afterlife forum on Quora. Links at DivineCouncils.com, TuningIntoTheAfterlife.com, MartiniFilms.com, Flipsidemyfilm.com, HackingTheAfterlifeFilm.com , JenniferShaffer.com, RichMartini.com, MartiniZone.com

Talking the Afterlife with Jennifer Shaffer, Hira, David Crosby, Prince and Carl Laemmle

Another unusual visit with pals on the Flipside.  In today's podcast we have folks who've been to visit us before, but had more to say.

One is the Oscar nominated dog Hira, owned by the screenwriter director Robert Towne. Hira's been to visit us before, transcripts are in the book "Backstage Pass to the Flipside."

David Crosby stopped by again - after talking to us about what it was like to return to the flipside, and in this case, he wanted to talk further about his semi jaded, snarking observations.  Here's a link to the official story of how Graham Nash met David Crosby, but in this account, he recalls a lifetime in Victorian England where he knew Graham. (Be interesting to see if Graham has any memories of that era.)

But in terms of Hira - I walked him for a number of years when Robert was at Warner Bros, and later in the Marina.  And was with Hira when he passed - a wild car ride to rush him to the animal hospital to try to save him.  That's another story for another time, but Hira stops by to tell the audience that we are always connected to our pets. He talks about the "contract" of our connection.

Then David Crosby takes the spotlight - we didn't ask for him to stop by, but he did a few weeks back, and had more to say about his adventure. (David knew our moderator on the flipside Luana Anders, so it's not hard for me to see how she'd put him at the top of the list of guests.)

Prince stopped by - sorry I didn't ask him any direct questions, but David talked a bit about creating music on the flipside.  

Then I did ask a direct question to Carl Laemmle about the film "All Quiet on the Western Front" - a film he bought for his son to produce when he was the head of Universal pictures, which one lots of Oscars.  I mention the amazing story of the triathlete who purchased the rights, knowing that it would win her an Oscar (which she hasn't won yet.)

Carl predicts the film will win three Oscars.  

A bit about predictions - and why I never do them. Because the future is not set. Carl doesn't know for sure if the film will win three Oscars, but has a "better view" and is more apt to be correct. However, anything could happen - and it sometimes does. 

People ask mediums like Jennifer all the time to predict the future, and as I like to point out - it's not set, however a good medium has a better opportunity to get the "likely outcome" as opposed to lottery numbers.  "It's likely" that the remake of ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT will win three oscars, so if one is a betting person, perhaps dial up one's bookie. But don't blame me if it doesn't - blame Carl Laemmle. He's the one who said it.

Than back to Hira - who had a message for Robert Towne, my old boss, which I will pass along. Always fun to hear from a pet on the flipside, if only to remind us they still exist.

Hacking the Afterlife with Jennifer Shaffer, Kobe Bryant, Marilyn Monroe, Jesus and friends

For those not familiar with this podcast; Jennifer Shaffer is an intuitive medium who works with law enforcement nationwide on missing person cases.  She does pro bono work daily for them, and once a week we get together and see what we can learn from the flipside.  We've been doing this weekly for 8 years, the last two on our podcast.

I'm a filmmaker, have written and/or directed 8 theatrical feature films, a couple of documentaries.  Some years ago, my best friend died in my arms and started coming to visit me. Instead of being freaked out by it (and her showing up to friends and family members) I started to dig into how that might be. That's resulted in 10 books (Flipside, etc) and four with Jennifer Shaffer.

We met a couple of years ago, I brought my camera to her office to document what might happen.  Those clips are in HackingTheAfterlifeFilm.com - also in "Talking to Bill Paxton" (MartiniFilms.com).  My latest book is DivineCouncils.com - where I did a guided meditation with twenty professionals who had never heard of me or the work - all were able to meet guides, visit their councils and talk about what that experience was like.

In this edition, a number of people show up that we've spoken with before. We interviewed Kobe just after his passing, it's the last chapter in the book "Backstage Pass to the Flipside 3" - where he talks about his journey, and I ask him questions in Italian.

Eventually members of his family have met with Jennifer - so it's not unusual for us that he might stop by.  The construct is this; my friend who passed away is on the flipside, and has organized a "group meeting" or a class as we call it, not to teach folks on the planet, but to teach people on the flipside how to communicate using frequency, images, visualizations on the flipside.

Jennifer may get an image, let's say of a character from a TV show, and it may be their way of giving her a thought so that I could say, "Do you mean someone who shares the same name of that character in the TV show wants to speak to us?" That happens often.

As noted, Jennifer is doing her best to translate what is coming to her. Like a translator at the UN, the people on the flipside are downloading a lot of information, and she does her best to catch the meaning, syntax and general idea of what someone wants to impart.

A number of people stop by who've been interviewed before; Prince ("I was addicted to jumping off pianos, which caused me to use pain killers"), Robin Williams ("Love Love"). Marilyn stops by - refers to something I was writing at MartiniZone.com the other day - and when I asked if she wanted to talk about the manner of her passing, she said she wanted to talk about how she had two children waiting for her on the flipside. Both whom had not come to term.  

That concept has been repeated in the research - consistently. A number of people in our podcast have mentioned it, the idea of "those we don't have are waiting for us on the flipside."  Harry Dean Stanton said the same thing - and I was able to verify it (but don't mention it in the podcast.) It's in "Backstage Pass to the Flipside."  Harry came through after he passed and before his memorial. I asked him what he wanted me to impart to his friends (as noted.) He also said that when he passed, "He was in a room with five women" and when he got to the flipside, he was met by a "baby that he didn't have in life."  In other words, a child was there to greet him with this profound unconditional love.

At his memorial that I went to a week later, I asked someone who was with him at his deathbed to describe the scene. She said "There were five of us with him, all women."  I asked if he had said anything unusual while she was in the room. She said "Yes, he asked me to hand him the baby. But there was no baby in the room."

I had heard THE SAME THING from Harry on the Flipside via Jennifer a week earlier.

At some point, the Alpha and Omega stops by - and mentions the one thing he wishes people would not do, that is "get freaked out by his name." (Jesus). I've had a number of interviews with him via various mediums, different hypnotherapy sessions, and multiple guided meditation sessions. As noted in the podcast, I've finished that book and am doing the audible as we speak. Apparently, they wanted to know "when I was going to finish it." Soon.

As noted, he's known as Issa in the Middle East, was referred to by the moniker in the Qu'ran, other documents in Persia, and describes his ability to be "everyone at once" in terms of the various planes of existence we're on.

That's not to say that he's the only one who can do that - there are others who can, who share that "unconditional love" frequency (and in his case, in our first interview 8 years ago, said "I brought more of source energy to my lifetime, when people are near me they experience more of that "unconditional love.") 

I quote him from other interviews and ask again if that's accurate; he's said "all religions point to the same garden." "The Bible is metaphor, all religious texts are metaphor." "We are all walking each other home, allow me to walk beside you, you don't have to follow me." "My retelling my story is not alternate if it's true."

So thanks to all the folks who showed up, Jennifer's dad Jim, all those people that demonstrate they aren't gone, they just aren't here.  If one has an issue with this podcast, I recommend doing some research into the concept that consciousness is not confined by the brain, I recommend the research from UVA Medical School DOPS, with Dr. Greyson's AFTER, Dr. Tucker's BEFORE, Dr. Kelly's CONSCIOUSNESS UNBOUND. 

In terms of the hypnotherapy research, I recommend the thousands of case studies from Dr. Helen Wambach (RELIVING PAST LIVES) Dr. Weiss (MANY LIVES, MANY MASTERS) Michael Newton (JOURNEY OF SOULS.)  My latest book is DivineCouncils.com - where I invited 50 people, half whom had never heard of councils, who visited them, met their guides, teachers, etc.

As noted, it's up to the guest list on the flipside who will be invited, and as demonstrated, I brought up two individuals I had been reading about (Thomas the Doubter via the Gospel of Thomas, the Acts of Thomas, and that other fellow who the Book of Job claims was on "God's council.")  Just want to point out, I asked Luana if she was interested in us interviewing either one, and she said "No, just finish the book."

Nothing quite like getting career advice from the flipside. Hope this information helps someone out there who may need to hear it. Links: FlipsideMyFilm.com - HackingTheAfterlifeFilm.com - MartiniFilms.com - JenniferShaffer.com

Hacking the Afterlife with Jennifer Shaffer, Amelia Earhart, Prince, Jesus and Luana Anders

Jennifer and I had the rare opportunity to chat on the phone yesterday, and is mentioned in the podcast.  In this one, a familiar voice appears, Amelia Earhart - the first person that I interviewed when I met Jennifer eight years ago.

As detailed in the book HACKING THE AFTERLIFE Jennifer reached out to me and I knew nothing about mediumship or what being an intuitive meant. However I did know what "helping authorities find missing persons" meant - which is what Jennifer does with law enforcement daily. 

So I asked if she wanted to help me find the "most famous missing person." I didn't say who it was going to be - showed up at her office with my camera equipment, turned it on, and had a mind bending conversation with someone who I'd spent 30 years researching.

I had just come back from Saipan where she was reportedly incarcerated, stood in her cell, visited the runway where they found her plane, interviewed 15 new individuals who saw her or saw her plane on Saipan from 1937 on. She's shown up a number of times before, including at the end of last week's podcast. (And in the midst of our telephone conversation yesterday.)

"She's showing up" - I had just spoken about her with a fellow researcher. In the podcast, she's referring to multiple projects I have - a documentary, a series, a feature film - and now she's telling me to write a book.

"To not limit my telling her story." So, we'll see how that goes.  Meanwhile, I'm told that she's in the mix.

Then Prince showed up to weigh in on opening oneself up to speak with people directly, as well as Amelia showing an image of Jesus - how he represented unconditional love, and when we think of other human beings, try to incorporate that into one's awareness.

To be clear - and I repeat it - he's not saying FOLLOW ME or "Christianity is the answer" - although Christians might believe that, in the multiple conversations we've had (via different mediums and with Jennifer multiple times) He says the same things. "All religions point to the same garden."  "We are all just walking each other home." 

I felt the need to get him to repeat that - because if one is an atheist, a skeptic, a Buddhist, a Hindu - the content of what he's saying does not change.

Believe in the concept that we are all connected, all like lights, try to refrain as best one can from judging other beings, and allowing that we are all on the path at the same time for a reason. Love unconditionally - and LOVE LOVE.

It's mind bendingly simple, and yet infinitely complex.

Hacking the Afterlife with Jennifer Shaffer, Cindy Williams and friends

Another mind bending podcast.

 First an apology for talking over Jennifer; because I knew I didn't have her for long, I wanted to squeeze in as much information as I could. The first half I interrupt her often, the second half not so much.

Yes, I did a Laverne & Shirley, I played "Guide the Pizza Delivery guy" - an idea that Charles Grodin had, that he pitched to Penny. They wrote me in and as noted, they cut me out.  It's just fun that I did the show, and that Harry Dean Stanton sang a song (which went over, and is why I was cut out, according to Penny.)

I did spend the millennium on a yacht with Bob Shaye, Penny Marshall and others - and I played the piano while Penny sang shows tunes from "Hello Dolly" but with Bob and Ava Shaye's names instead.

And for those familiar with our books with transcripts of eight years of meeting weekly - "Backstage Pass to the Flipside 1, 2 and 3" or "Tuning into the Afterlife" - they'll know that Jennifer doesn't recall our conversations unless folks on the flipside remind her. 

We did interview Gary Marshall when he crossed over, we have interviewed others mentioned in the podcast, Robin Williams, Sally Kellerman... Luana Anders is our moderator on the podcast, she did over 300 TV episodes and films, knew everyone - and those in turn know others.  We've had many stop by the podcast - not because they're "celebrities" - there's no hierarchy on the flipside, but because Luana knew them. (Luana reached out from the flipside to get me to do a documentary about this research.)

I was at Penny's birthday party when I met Robin Williams. Luana introduced me to Fred Roos, introduced me to Francis Coppola who introduced me to George Lucas (I beat them both playing "Risk"). Rance Howard starred in my film "Limit Up" so I know Ron, as well as his mom.

I don't know Bill Hudson, but I do know his ex Goldie. Apologies to her children for dropping their names in this podcast - I try not to offend grieving family members, but sometimes it's healing or helpful to hear or see how easy it is to access our loved ones.

We do this podcast for that reason - to demonstrate one doesn't need a medium (it helps) doesn't need a hypnotherapist (it can help) but one can just do a simple meditation (example in DivineCouncils.com or the film HackingTheAfterlifeFilm.com ) to chat with anyone. Or give Jennifer a call. She's really good at what she does.

As Harry Dean Stanton told us (transcript is in "Backstage Pass to the Flipside") "tell people to allow for the possibility there is an afterlife so then they won't waste another minute of their life arguing about it like I did."  

I mention David Kirkpatrick in the podcast, as he wrote a wonderful memory of Cindy on his Facebook page.  Some may think I'm directing Jennifer in these questions - but since we've been doing this for eight years, I'm not trying to prove anything to anyone - for me that's a waste of time and energy when she's done that so many times already. Plus she works with law enforcement daily pro bono.  I'm not the only one who knows how talented she is (JenniferShaffer.com)

I don't know if Ron or George or Fred will ever see this podcast, but they're specifically mentioned in here. Our loved ones are NOT GONE. THEY'RE JUST NOT HERE.  The data, research, footage from UVA Medical school DOPS demonstrates consciousness is not confined to the brain. It's not my opinion, theory or belief that people say the same things about the afterlife using hypnotherapy, meditation or in this case mediumship - it's footage.  Examples are in flipsidemyfilm.com, "Talking to Bill Paxton" on Gaia, or HackingTheAfterlifeFilm.com .

And to Bill Hudson - whom I don't know - Cindy says "you can have it."  She says you'll know what that means. We hope so.