Episodios

  • Hacking the Afterlife Holiday Edition; Jennifer Shaffer, Luana Anders talk to people offstage about the coming year!
    Dec 20 2025
    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 ...
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    33 m
  • HACKING THE AFTERLIFE with Jennifer Shaffer, Frank Gehry, Luana Anders, John Lennon, Elvis
    Dec 13 2025

    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!

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    46 m
  • HACKING THE AFTERLIFE with Jennifer Shaffer, Eddie Hassell, Classrooms in the Afterlife, SANTA
    Dec 6 2025

    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!!!

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    51 m
  • Hacking the Afterlife with Jennifer Shaffer, Luana Anders, Prince, Robert Towne, Robin, Fred Roos
    Nov 21 2025

    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!

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    33 m
  • Hacking the Afterlife with Jennifer Shaffer, Luana Anders, Kobe Bryant, Jesus and friends
    Nov 14 2025

    We weren't able to do a podcast tonight, "unforeseen circumstances" (isn't that funny for a podcast where we talk to the afterlife?) - but am rerunning one of our most popular podcasts, with the additional opening and subtitles, so people can "sing along with us."

    Just kidding. Here's the original liner notes:

    This was from a year ago....

    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.

    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. (SINCE THEN IT'S BEEN PUBLISHED, AS HAS THE LATEST BOOK "SHE WAS NEVER LOST" about Amelia Earhart) As to books by scientists about how consciousness isn't confined to the brain, I recommend 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. Enjoy!

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    1 h
  • HACKING THE AFTERLIFE with Jennifer Shaffer, Luana Anders, Prince and President Kennedy
    Nov 7 2025

    Another mind bending podcast. In this case, Luana brought JFK forward to chat with us about a number of things. Including a conversation I had with him yesterday via a guided meditation. I ask as many questions as I could think of - and I'm happy to report that he's still the charming fellow he was when he was on the planet.

    He has a birthday message to his niece Maria, and so did Prince.

    To book a session with Jennifer: JenniferShaffer.com - to book a session with me, RichardMartini.com

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    32 m
  • Hacking the Afterlife with Jennifer Shaffer, Luana Anders, Robert Towne and his dog Hira and pal Jeanne
    Oct 31 2025

    It's the "Day of the Doorway" podcast.

    Jennifer begins by talking about some of the incredible things happening in her world, the Fox TV show they're making that Jessica Alba is producing, and the unusual events that have happened in the past around her "Day of the Dead."

    As we like to point out; "can't be dead if they can communicate or share new information." In this episode of our podcast, we talk to Luana Anders our moderator on the flipside about the process involved, and at some point my old boss, Luana's close pal Robert Towne stops by with his dog Hira. We ask a couple of questions to his Dog - the only dog nominated for an Oscar (Robert used his name for the film "Greystoke" and I heard not long ago, that he had sent Richard Prince (mentioned in the discussion of "Heaven Can Wait") Richard went to the Oscars with a speech Robert Towne had written in case his dog Hira won the oscar. True story.

    I had a dream last night where I was speaking to the daughter of my friend "Jeanne" - and I thought about the podcast and just said "Let's invite your mom to talk to us" - and that's the genesis of this conversation.

    I asked her about what it was like being on the flipside, I also asked her about mutual friends that are offstage, as well as some friends of hers that I know that are still onstage.

    In this case because I don't reveal her name - these are questions asked to a friend on the flipside who can answer them, in a demonstration of the kinds of questions anyone can ask loved ones who have crossed over.

    JenniferShaffer.com is where one can book a session with Jennifer, or attend the "Wine & Spirits" events in Manhattan Beach, and RichardMartini.com is where one can book a meditation with me, where I provide an audio MP3, transcript and a copy of any of my books.

    Happy DAY OF THE DOORWAY!! (which we speak about in the podcast - how the day of the dead, is really about realizing that it's just a doorway.)

    Enjoy.

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    45 m
  • Hacking the Afterlife with Jennifer Shaffer, Luana Anders, Lisa Marie Presley, her dad, Prince, Bill Paxton
    Oct 24 2025

    Another mind bending session if only because of the scope of the conversations.

    We begin with our usual catching up - Jennifer is doing her "Wine and Spirits" events in Manhattan Beach, and I've been doing guided meditations with people (she's at JENNIFERSHAFFER.COM) and I'm at RICHARDMARTINI.COM

    We invite Luana Anders for a chat, and Luana brought up a guided meditation I did the other day as she wanted to discuss something that occurred. Jennifer doesn't know what it is - because I haven't told anyone. Nor do we speak prior to the session.

    But during a session, a woman was accessing her council when we spoke to one of her teachers, and I asked him if he was teaching a class. He said "Yes. "Flying." I asked if we could visit the classroom and speak to one of his students.

    We did that and Bill Paxton appeared as he was conversant about the idea of "flying at the speed of thought." As we discussed that other class members started showing up and Luana wanted to refer to that - saying that these sessions we're doing is helping people on the other side how to communicate with their loved ones on the planet.

    Then we spoke with Lisa Marie Presley - who wanted to talk in general about the topic of "leaving the stage early" - as her son Benjamin had done so. Jennifer and I aren't dispensing any kind of medical advice, and if one is feeling suicidal, please call #988 and seek professional help.

    But we had a general discussion about depression, about the research that shows meditation can "cure or alleviate symptoms of depression" - we talked about the number of people who have left the stage early (Anthony Bourdain, etc) who have come to our podcast to suggest that people take up meditation to help these issues.

    And I cited the work by Richard Davidson at the University of Wisconsin ("Healthy Minds") that showed how meditation can "cure or alleviate symptoms of depression."

    Lisa Marie's son came forward and talked about what it was like for him to return home - saying that while he was met by "overwhelming unconditional love" he felt he also carried the trauma and sadness he'd caused others by his leaving early.

    I asked his grandfather if he wanted to weigh in and deferred to his daughter. However Prince came forward to talk about how "jumping off pianos" led to his pain killer addiction - but he doesn't regret "jumping off pianos" because it's a metaphor for living a life fully.

    And then Bill Paxton weighed in from his perspective, and I asked him about his pal Rob Lowe (who has spoken to Bill on a podcast where he showed him "how to fly" on the flipside.)

    Another mind bending adventure.

    Thanks for tuning in.

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    36 m