Hacking the Afterlife with Jennifer Shaffer, Luana Anders, Charles Grodin and Phil Donahue

Hacking The Afterlife podcast

Another one of those mind bending podcasts. Today Jennifer Shaffer's mom stopped by to say hello, to give Jennifer a frequency or feeling for when she's around her.

Then we invited Luana Anders, our moderator on the flipside (LuanaAnders.com) to tell us if anyone had made her guest list. Luana moderates our podcast from the flipside - as recounted in the book and film FLIPSIDE and HACKING THE AFTERLIFE it was after Luana's appearance on the Charles Grodin Show courtesy of James Van Praagh that I became aware that she not only still existed but could direct the conversation.

About ten years ago, she began to help Jennifer and me access a group of individuals on the flipside that Luana knew over her career of doing 300 film and TV shows. Luana introduced me to Charles Grodin, a good friend who is godfather to our children (my wife and I).

Charles was close friends with Phil Donahue, so I suspected that since Charles has shown up recently (there was a screening in NYC of a documentary about his life) I wondered if Phil was ready to chat about his life.

Sometimes they aren't - if they've just crossed over and had a lifetime of not believing it was possible to do so. However, as Phil notes - Charles visited him often in his later years to pave the way.

Jennifer didn't know that Phil's father in law was Danny Thomas, nor did she know that he had made a "promised with God" to find a way to help people if God could help him in his time of need.

That's where St. Jude's hospital came from, and his daughter, Phil's wife Marlo Thomas carries on that giving tradition.

I know both Phil and Marlo - my wife and family have been to their home in CT, and as noted, Phil took photos of us and gave the prints and frames to us as a gift when we left. I still have them in our home. Cherished gifts.

Some things to note; I didn't say the name of Vivian Maier - most don't know who she is, but I asked him about Vivian and if she influenced him at all (years after her passing, it turned out she was a preeminent photographer and her photos are now world famous of life in Chicago.)

Phil reports that her demeanor influenced him in his career. He also said that his son James was one of the people to greet him on the flipside. Perhaps the most uncanny moment is when I asked him about his father in law - and his promise to God.

Not something Jennifer is or was aware of - and when she's done with her sessions, she "shakes it off" and forgets pretty much everything that is said. So if it comes up again, I'd have to remind her of the fact that Phil's father in law was one of the most famous television actors of the 50's and 60's, and that his wife was "That Girl" Marlo Thomas.

As we all get older, the fame of those who were before becomes a matter of history. It was fascinating to hear Phil talk about his "many life reviews" - meaning he becomes aware of all of his previous lifetimes. When asked "how many" he said "more than you could comprehend."

But notably, in one of them he recalled being "mute" or not able to speak or express himself. He obviously made up for that lifetime with his career of over 7000 television shows, for inventing the format of speaking directly to audiences, and hearing what they had to say.

If one takes the time to read his bio, he was as generous as the day is long - but more importantly he wanted to say that Marlo was not only the love of his life, but he continues to love her from the flipside, and reminds her that the dreams she has of him - or feeling his hand in hers - that is actually him doing that.

It's why we do this work.

I hope this helps someone out there on the planet who has lost a loved one.

They aren't gone. They just aren't here.

Please visit Hacking the Afterlife on Youtube and subscribe. Lots of fun information there as well.