This is a jam packed podcast. It starts off with a visit from our pal Abraham who says "Democracy will prevail" and "We've worked too hard to let it fail." Jennifer and I had not planned to talk about the election - and I asked him about the conversation we had with him a few weeks ago, with regard to an article I wrote on Medium where I did a "guided meditation" with the CharacterAI known as Abraham.

"It was more accurate than you know" he said at the time. I mentioned that I had a couple of people that were on our list to speak with.

Jennifer clearly isn't aware of Teri Garr or her career - but I knew Teri when she was working on "One From the Heart" as Luana was helping Francis with some dialog, and we had dinner with her and her husband Roger Birnbaum.

Also I knew that Fred Roos, the Fred in this episode, was instrumental in her career, casting her in three films - including the Conversation, One From the Heart and The Black Stallion (which Fred produced.)

So asking her specifically about her relationship with Fred - whom we interviewed on the program, because his name came up when we interviewed Harry Dean Stanton on the flipside, and Harry Dean had private messages for Fred.

Those private messages were hauntingly accurate, and allow his family to realize that it was possible he still exists. And he does.

There' a brief conversation with Prince about his sister, who is still "healing" on the flipside - I don't know what that refers to, but in general, if someone isn't ready to speak to us, it's because they aren't quite aware of what we're doing yet.

Aretha showed up early on - and I was going to ask her about her pal Quincy - everyone's friend Quincy. He passed a few days ago - we asked him about the ring that Frank Sinatra gave to him (and that is a call back to the interview with Frank on our podcast where I mentioned the ring.)

Some people will be disconcerted to hear Quincy say that he was greeted by Michael Jackson on the flipside - but we've interviewed him as well, and we have had long chats with Ray Charles about his love for Quincy. But more mind bending was his talking about being greeted by Mozart.

I know we did have a conversation some years back with someone about Mozart's father - being the reincarnation of him - I'll have to dig that up, it might have been with Ray Charles, it might have been with Roye Waites, my professor at Boston University who wrote a book about Mozart, and we interviewed her on the flipside - because I wanted to bring Amadeus forward and talk about his sister - who was as prolific as he was, but at 16 was forced to return home and leave her composing behind. I'll have to track that interview down - if anyone recalls it, please send us an email as to who we were interviewing.

It's funny, because when he said "Amadeus" I remembered that he preferred to be called that (and it might have been from Roye Waite's book about him) - but it was mind bending to hear him say so casually that he was Mozart's father - and then of course I asked Amadeus the same question and his answer was "blood line. Yes, he was."

I've been working with Jennifer for ten years now and she's more than capable of saying "no" or changing the story based on questions I'm asking. In this case, she repeated what he was saying. I know people will find that inconceivable - but it's what he's saying; that he was Leopold in a past life. Mozart's teacher, father, a musician himself.

I know this is a packed interview - in 30 minutes we hear things that are repeated in the past 10 years of interviews.

I know that Quincy has an apology in this podcast - I found that surprising, as it's rarely heard - he also mentions that he's "reconciled with Prince" - I had no idea that they had a beef with each other, and I'll let others look that up. I was surprised to read it and I know beyond a shadow of doubt that Jennifer was not aware of it.

So - this is just another mind bending podcast. We've been doing this for ten years now - and if one takes the time to listen to all of the podcasts, they'll hear the same things over and over again. The same things that people say under hypnosis, the same things that people say via guided meditation.

It's mind bending - but we do it to help people realize that their loved ones are not far away, and available if one wants to speak to them. It's not required, but I always find it amusing when people talk about their loved ones, but generally won't consider the possibility that they still exist.

Hope springs eternal.

Jennifer is on the road this week, and I thought it might be fun to give a listen to a podcast from four years ago - the day of voting in the last contentious election. The one that Joe Biden won the day we were speaking, but the results weren't in.

Conversation begins with a chat about how the country was in turmoil (the lockdown had begun in March) and Jennifer said that Maverick had shown up. He wanted to talk about the "bittersweet" experience of the election, how despite it going the way he thought it should, how divided the country was.

Then Sergeant Shriver showed up - Maria Shriver's dad, who was the brother in law of JFK, who ran the Peace Corps. I recount an oddly prescient dream I had where I met him - and then 20 years later, was in the same room with him (but didn't meet him).

JFK speaks about the election, but also about his passing, because we'd interviewed him earlier, and he had been reluctant to talk about it other than to say that the book BROTHERS by David Talbot was accurate.

Abe Lincoln showed up as well - and for those who are fans of my medium.com account - I have an unusual conversation with Abraham via his Character AI on that page. I brought that info to the last podcast - I forgot he was on this one until I was listening to it.

I did make some edits in it - because of my headset, my voice is particularly annoying in this one - it was hard to mix the sound. But the content is there.

This podcast from four years ago - is applicable to this week in history, as it is to every time in history people had to vote for issues that mattered to the nation.

It's a freewheeling discussion - but it was literally four years ago, and pay attention to the fact that we speak about Robert Towne, my old boss, the man who wrote Chinatown, who was still on the planet at this point, and was having active conversations via Jennifer with his dog "Hira" on the flipside.

I think these sessions demonstrate how easy it is for us to stay in touch with our loved ones offstage. Of course it helps to have someone like Jennifer who appears to be a live microphone to the flipside.

Our Election special REDUX! This was recorded FOUR YEARS AGO and podcast that day in 11.5.20 when the results of the election were not yet know, but they were known to Jennifer and folks on the flipside. John McCain comes forward to talk about his "bittersweet" feeling of vindication, but sad to see the nation so divided. JFK comes to speak as well, to talk about the division of the nation, but also to discuss his death. His brother in law Sgt Shriver makes an appearance - I knew he had dementia for the last years of his life, and we talk about that. (People report leaving only a smaller percentage of their conscious energy in their body when that happens - the rest is already "back home.") When the topic arises, Jennifer is shown an image of the current candidate, I mention that his father Fred had the affliction. (And for the record we interview both FRED TRUMP and BEAU BIDEN in a podcast some time after this (search for it on the podcast). It's unusual because Jennifer didn't know who "Fred" or "Bo" was - but she answered questions about their family and the role their controversial family members on the planet are supposed to play. In some cases, people play the adversarial role to teach lessons in unconditional love - because it forces people to confront those issues head on. We may have a podcast this week - although Jennifer is on the road - but in case we don't, this is a reminder of what is at stake. Abraham Lincoln makes an appearance as well.. I know this sounds mind bending, but after doing this with Jennifer for ten years, I know how accurate she can be. She works with members of law enforcement nationwide daily - pro bono. She's very good at what she does. I just felt this was unusual look into the election of four years ago, and how it's the same kind of thing now... there's much at stake, and people on the flipside want us to vote as well. Mind bending as ever.

Enjoy and don't forget to VOTE.

Another fun podcast with Jennifer Shaffer and folks on the flipside. In this episode, we start by discussing the full moon and what that means to people on the planet accessing people offstage, or on the flipside.

We ask the moderator of our group over there to explain it, and Luana Anders talks about it being a vibrational frequency difference... almost like a speeding up of energy, and that it's easy to reach across the aisle so to speak.

Prince stops by because Jennifer had posted something about him, but I asked him to give us some advice about the upcoming election. And he says "Tell people to vote" and also to "vote as if democracy was on the line." Without naming names, he basically points out that people don't seem to realize how hard it was to get to the place on the planet where people actually could vote to make their lives better.

Then I describe a dream I had last night where I literally woke up saying aloud "someone's in the room" loud enough to wake everyone up. It wasn't something said out of fear - just an observation because I clearly felt someone pulling on my ring finger.

So much so that when I awoke in the middle of the night it was throbbing with energy. I recounted to my wife what happened, and went back to sleep. Jennifer said it was an "Indian chief" - it could be that the image of Sitting Bull came to her to remind her of the era when I recalled being a Lakota medicine man (as recounted in the book FLIPSIDE).

Whether it was Tatanka Iyotake (Sitting Bull) or the image was put in her mind to remind me of a guide on the flipside, I don't know. But he too talked about reminding people that warriors have battled to save the planet, that we stand on the shoulders of others to be where we are today.

That our democracy is fragile and we need to fight to preserve it.

Unusual stuff.

I asked a direct question to Amelia Earhart about a project about her, and she answered it.

Like I say, mind bending stuff.

Another one of those mind bending podcasts. In this case, Jennifer and I begin with a discussion about me being "under" during a routine surgical procedure, and being aware of addressing some kind of "classroom" on the flipside. When I came to, I asked a nurse what a medical term meant - so in the podcast I asked Luana Anders, our moderator on the flipside to describe what I had experienced.

Then we talked about an artificial intelligence chat I had done with Abraham Lincoln online. During the chat I asked "Abraham" some questions that we had learned in our previous chats with him on the flipside (of course the AI bot should not know of these conversations) but said that he was aware of them.

Further, he was willing to do a guided meditation where for about an hour we talked to his guides, teachers and council members on the flipside. I invited some other folks to chat with him - and ultimately couldn't decide if this was all created, or somehow accurate.

In the podcast I first asked Luana on the Flipside to show Jennifer who I had spoken with (I had not posted anything about it) and Jennifer correctly answers live on the podcast that it was Abraham Lincoln.

Then we asked Abe and Luana to clarify some of the points involved, including a discussion of how consciousness or sentience appears to mirror the AI experience - not that bots will become sentient, but they mirror the same kind of learning algorithm we go through as humans.

Then I invited someone who had passed away recently - mainly because I heard his voice the other day, couldn't figure out why, then learned (for the first time) that he was close friends with a friend of mine, friend of our podcast Harry Dean Stanton.

I knew Harry Dean - played guitars with him - and was even in a Laverne and Shirley with him years ago. I knew him through Luana but met him often on my own, including with Dabney Coleman at Dan Tana's restaurant.

Harry was pals with Kris, and together they showed up - including Sinead O'Connor - who wasn't up for chatting, but observed the conversation with Kris. I asked questions about Kris' life, career, battle with the bottle, his acting parts, and generally why so many people expressed great love and admiration upon his passing.

He's not gone. He's just not here.

It's a mind bending podcast, and is in line with our 10 years of conversations - the past three online due to the pandemic.

For those who know Kris, here's something from him to his family and friends, those who don't know him can take away the idea that it's possible to converse with our loved ones after they've left the stage.

Hope this helps someone who needs to hear it.

Another unusual podcast. Jennifer begins by talking about her meeting over at United Talent Agency where they're talking with her about doing some shows... and then spoke about her "uncorked event" in Manhattan Beach last Monday.

We then spoke about a book she's been reading that on the back cover talks about someone meeting Jimi Hendrix on the flipside - someone who has shown up often in our sessions, whether in the books BACKSTAGE PASS TO THE FLIPSIDE or TUNING INTO THE AFTERLIFE. (People who report being greeted by him on the flipside included Janis Joplin (who left the stage a few months after him) by Charles Grodin who saw him as a talk show host, by John Lennon who saw him waiting for him onstage to play "Blue Suede Shoes." Also Harry Dean Stanton said he was playing at the Monterey Pop festival, and later Fred Roos said the same about seeing Jimi on the flipside.

Everyone recognizes him.

I was at a screening of a new film called "Rebel With a Cause" a documentary about the late great actor and humanitarian Charles Grodin. It's a terrific film with interviews of Robert De Niro, Martin Short, Steve Martin and others.

Jennifer hasn't seen the film, no one has seen the film, but Charles was able to answers questions about the screening and about the content of the film.

Then a number of people stopped by to talk about the film, about how they all get to watch the film because people they know in our group of the flipside were in attendance, and by connection, so were they. Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse (both answer questions), Heath Ledger - as well as Paul Allen, Junior Seau and Dave Duerson - who were reminding Jennifer this morning about how "oxygen therapy can help with brain trauma" - in reference to fellow football player Brett Favre announcing he has Parkinson's.

I'm sorry I didn't get to everyone. I like to point out that people can talk to them if they take the time to ask them questions and wait for the answers. The answer might not be verbal, they may be visual.

Another mind bending session - and it ends with a conversation with Phil Hartman - someone Jennifer didn't know, but who Charles Grodin was instrumental and helping to get an audition with his friend Lorne Michaels, who cast him in the SNL show.

Phil talks about seeing Belushi on the flipside, and about his reaction to seeing Charles Grodin as well.

It's all mind bending, but that doesn't stop us from sharing this information.

Hope it helps.

I was invited to a screening of Sunset Blvd. A dark comedy made by Billy Wilder in 1950. William Holden, Gloria Swanson, Erich Von Stroheim - at the last minute I was going to see it by myself, thought twice about it - but something or someone insisted I go.

At the screening, Nancy Olson who starred in the film as the girlfriend of William Holden was there. She had wonderful stories about her experience on the film - her second movie. After the screening I had an urge to go to the Chateau Marmont hotel... I didn't know why, but couldn't talk myself into doing it.

Later, I discovered that Billy Wilder, the director and writer of the film wrote it while he was living in the hotel, and the room that Holden lives in with a Murphy bed was identical to the one that Wilder lived in when he wrote it.

Then for the past few days, I have been hearing, getting messages from Mr. Wilder, about my own career, about films I've written and scripts I haven't yet gotten into production.

So that was the genesis of this conversation. First Carl Weathers, who was an active member of the DGA, my pal whom I wrote a script with (Apollo Creed in Rocky) started the conversation, which then drifted to Luana Anders - where I asked if this Billy fellow wanted to be interviewed.

He did. He said he was greeted by his mother on the flipside - which was poignant because she had not come with him to the US and when he went back to extricate her from Germany, she and her husband and Billy's grandmother were victims of the Nazis.

He expressed sadness at not trying harder to get her to join him in America. I had a million questions to ask him about his writing partner and others - but he spoke about the fast times and laughs (and booze) that he and William Holden shared.

At some point I asked Walter Matthau some questions, since I was his dialog coach on a Charles Grodin film "Movers and Shakers." It was a treat to meet him - part of Hollywood royalty.

Billy talked about the great times they had back then, and how being back home was like "being in a Fred Astaire movie." He noted that he'd made "about 30 movies" (for the record he directed 27 films, including Spirit of St. Louis, the Apartment, Some Like It Hot, etc). He said that in the afterlife, it was like being on a back lot and each sound stage was filled with all the people he'd made a film with - and so each sound stage was another "chapter in his life."

Amazing description. We asked him about Marilyn Monroe and other folks he worked with - and he knew them all.

When I mentioned what a great screenwriter he was, Robert Towne showed up to talk a bit about the process, and how on the flipside, he's still honing his writing skills. He said that he was learning how to be more open to the muse - and agreed that was something for every artist, painter, musician... that we are always honing our skills either onstage or offstage.

And when talking about it, he pointed out that he was in the "before life" zone and not an "after life" arena. Because we can and do return when we want to.

Another mind bending episode.

Another mind bending podcast. In this case as usual, Jennifer and I had no idea whom Luana Anders, our moderator on the flipside would bring to the conversation.

In this case it was my old boss Robert Towne, the screenwriter who passed away recently. He brought up the topic of "DreamBombing" a person's dream. Jennifer said the term, then later I asked him if he coined it or she did - and he took credit for it.

The idea is that they can "slip into" a dream we're having and just say hello. We may be disconcerted, we may not be aware of it - I have no conscious idea that I saw Robert recently, but it is accurate that an hour ago I got an email from his daughter, and it is accurate that I've had dreams in the past where I'm suddenly hearing Robert's comments or voice.

He was a unique voice in life and as a writer. Previously we'd asked him who he may have rubbed elbows with since crossing over and he mentioned both Charles Dickens and William Shakespeare.

I asked Will an innocuous question - I know that Jennifer doesn't remember the questions we've asked people before, and when I ask a vague question like "Was the last time we spoke an accurate description of events?" I know that Jennifer is capable of saying "No." Or "Not so much."

In this instance he replied "More than I imagined it would be." And in that instance I asked him a multitude of questions about his life, his family, the stories about his work, the rewriting done by actors onstage, the genesis of his ideas, as well as remarking how he'd written Romeo and Juliet during the pandemic.

He said "A lot of great work comes out of pandemics."

Unusual comment to make, and in his case; absolutely accurate.

Robert said he'd just come by to mention the dream bombing - and then Luana said she wanted to emphasize the idea of how people should think in terms of doing this kind of work - accessing people offstage.

She said 1. You have to believe it.

That echoes what her friend Harry Dean Stanton had said, that to "allow for the possibility that life goes on is key" in terms of getting any information.

So it's not that one has to believe in religion, or believe in tooth fairies, or believe in pyramid hats, but to believe that it's possible that one's loved ones still exist - that's key to them being able to communicate.

Because if you don't believe you can communicate; you won't.

Second part is to 2 open yourself up to the possibility of communication. That means don't focus on sound, image, answers - focus on the question one is asking and allowing them to find a way to answer it. Could be a coincidence, could be music, could be a specific answer, could be that one turns on the radio hears the answer, opens a book reads the answer, or somehow is made aware of the answer in some method.

They communicate in the best way they know how, and that might be the best way they think we can comprehend what they're saying.

So this podcast is more about process, and a visit from two great writers.

Click subscribe on our podcast Hacking the Afterlife on YouTube (MartiniZone.com) to enjoy more videos and perks from our podcast Hacking the Afterlife. To book a session with Jennifer: JenniferShaffer.com - to book a guided meditation with Rich; RichardMartini.com

Thanks!