While Jennifer is on a parent student weekend, am replaying one of our more popular episodes... over 4500 folks have seen it - it is second part of an interview with Robert Towne, the screenwriter, on the flipside (my old boss) and a discussion of Napoleon and a visit with Charles Grodin and Luana Anders. Here's the original liner notes from a year ago in August of 2024...

First; Jennifer's got another one of her Uncorked events in Manhattan Beach - tickets are available, for sixty bucks one gets a glass of wine, two hours with her and others who all get spoken to. The events are fun and easy to attend. UncorkedWineShops.com https://uncorkedwineshops.com/medium-monday-tickets/

For ticket info: JenniferShaffer.com

This is a continuation of our conversation with Robert Towne, my old boss who left the stage last week. Jennifer mentions how she was walking on the beach the other day and Robert (and his dog Hira) appeared walking next to her... Jennifer did a number of sessions with Robert and so she's used to communicating with him.

In this episode, I'm continuing with my list of questions to ask him about - people that we spoke with before, people offstage and if he has messages for people onstage.

In this case, Robert was doing a rewrite or polish for a script about Napoleon (I don't know if it was his own, or it was for someone else, like Ridley Scott as Robert wrote "Days of Thunder" for his brother Tony.

Comes to mind - when his brother Tony passed, we were doing this research, and Robert asked me about his passing, so we did a session asking Tony what happened. It's in the book BACKSTAGE PASS TO THE FLIPSIDE.

Either way - I want to point something out. We accessed Napoleon and his friend Betsy Balcombe in a previous session - it might be in print instead of in the podcast list - that would be in BACKSTAGE PASS TO THE FLIPSIDE 1, 2 or 3 - and in that instance, she identified herself as Napoleon's friend, and when asked whether he died of natural causes or was "poisoned" we heard her say it was poison. (or not from natural causes).

In this episode, I ask Robert if he's had a chance to ask Napoleon about the accuracy of that, and the answer is the word "wife."

For those paying attention, that could be the wife of Napoleon (who was having an affair back in Paris, had two children with that fellow and married him) that could be the wife of Balcombe, but his family left St. Helena before Napoleon died, it could be "Fanny" the wife of one of his lieutenants he made a pass at, and nearly jumped off a ship at the thought of being stuck on St. Helena with him - or it could have been any number of wives on the island, as apparently, he'd have flings with quite a few.

Wild and crazy guy.

But in reading the A. Robert's autobiography of him, it's clear that he died of stomach cancer. The doctors did an autopsy, it's the same disease his father died of - and it's clear to me that is what he died of. "It was a miracle he didn't die from it earlier."

In terms of this kind of research, asking questions and getting answers, because I've been doing this for 8 years weekly, I have to allow that it's possible I was asking the wrong question, it's possible that Napoleon was trying to steer the conversation to another topic (like "It was my wife Josephine that caused me to have agita which turned into stomach cancer") or it could be that the word "wife" meant something else altogether.

It's important to note this - because I'm asking leading questions and I could be leading the medium into an area where they are trying to answer my questions based on what they're getting from the flipside. (I've seen people do this, and likely I have done it before as well.)

Jennifer says what she hears, senses, or visualizes. Why he answered "wife" is subject to more questions - because I could revisit the conversation and point out that it was cancer that took his life, so what's he pointing to a wife or his wife, or someone else's wife?

Either way - this is one of those things that make people say "well it's all subject to conjecture" so therefore it's pointless to ask questions.

But clearly Robert was able to express who Rudy the Rank was, and Charles Grodin is able to express his opinions about the movie we were watching.

Either way - we do this work to encourage people to explore on their own - to ask questions, to gauge the answers, to ask more questions and see what one can learn. If one doesn't want to they don't have to - but clearly if one does want to communicate, they can.

Just research the answers (as I've done here.)

Hope this helps.

This is an unusual version of the podcast. An old friend passed, someone I've known for 40 years, someone who was friends with our moderator Luana Anders on the Flipside, and by his own estimate was friends with 80% of our class on the flipside.

Henry Jaglom was a Hollywood icon, known by everyone, knew everyone, used to hold the most attended New Year's Eve parties where I got to meet the cast of the Sopranos, met Ang Lee, Oscar winning actors, directors - Peter Bogdanovich, would run into my friend Carl Weathers and Sally Kellerman and her husband Jonathan Krane.

It was always fun - and Orson was a born raconteur.

He also didn't believe in the afterlife at all. He was adamant about it - and if the topic came up, would squint at me, wrinkle his brow, shake his head - just the way Luana's pal BJ Merholz does when the topic comes up.

All I can say is Harry Dean Stanton was the King of Skeptics - and when we spoke to him on a number of occasions (and he proved beyond a shadow of doubt he still existed by giving me private health messages to friends of his at his memorial - who were flabbergasted to hear what Harry had to tell them as only he could have known those intimate details from the Afterlife..

Harry told us to tell people to "believe in the possibility of an afterlife so they don't waste another minute of their lives arguing about it like I did."

As noted in the podcast, Jennifer was able to squeeze me in today when I told her a friend had passed, without telling her anything about it, and his friends had already reached out to me to ask some questions.

So sincere best wishes to his family, to his kids, to his exwives, to all those who loved him and think this is an unusual way to pay our respects.

Yes, I know that Orson Welles was upset that he caught Henry secretly taping him - I heard it from Orson's secretary at a party at Henry's house. She whispered to me that Orson felt so betrayed, "He never left his home again."

I didn't have to tell Jennifer who I was asking about - she could see them. And to be clear - Jennifer is not a movie fan, she spends much of her day on criminal cases helping out various law enforcement agencies pro bono - I've interviewed some of those agents or detectives.

She is interpreting what she gets - like when I asked her on BJ Merholz behalf - "who introduced him to Henry?" I thought it might be their mutual pal Jack Nicholson - but Jennifer got that it was a woman - and wasn't Luana (even though that makes sense) but really couldn't pin down who it was. Why? Who cares?

She was aware of Bert Schneider without knowing who he was (or how his first name is spelled) and how he "left the planet too early." (How could she know?) Or that Dennis was Dennis Hopper, or that Orson was Orson Welles - she knew nothing, zero, zippo about Henry Jaglom and most people who knew Henry didn't know that much about him anyways.

Finally it wasn't until I was listening to the podcast when I realize why Carl Weathers and Sally Kellerman were teasing him about "being in our class." I realized that they were referring to the fact that he was adamant about life going on - and I suspect those who knew this about Henry will continue to believe that is the case - but in doing this work with Jennifer EVERY WEEK for the past ten years, I can report we've had many skeptics, curmudgeons show up to talk to us about how surprised, gob smacked, shocked they were to realize that life goes on.

Life goes on.

Get over it.

Thanks for tuning in.

This is another milestone. We only had a half hour, so I began by asking a specific question. The video that I posted, that Jennifer had not seen - was of footage of Saipan in 1944. I asked Amelia if this footage featured the Electra? She said it did but the "wrong date." (She says year, but Jennifer later said that meant date to her).

The video was 3/4's correct.

Because the footage shows three planes in a hangar on Saipan - two Japanese Zeros and another plane covered by camouflage. Amelia confirms that this was her Electra - which they found "the next day." And is part of the book SHE WAS NEVER LOST: THE AMELIA EARHART SAGA. Read it to give this comment context.

Then we invited Robert Redford to speak to us. It happens sometimes where I feel like "someone is bugging me" and two days ago that happened. So I asked him all the questions that I could muster about his family and friends.

I know the family asked for privacy and apologies for asking him for messages for them - but we've been doing this weekly for ten years now. I've learned that even if a person doesn't believe that we're speaking to their loved one, eventually they come to realize it's accurate.

Jennifer revealed she did a reading with Jean Smart, the Emmy winner of "Hacks" - and while not revealing anything they talked about, described the process of their getting together. And then throughout the podcast, she had other things come to mind - working on Robert's daughter's fiancee's case in Colorado - something she hadn't thought about in ten years, but came to her the night before he passed.

Jennifer has been working with members of Kobe's family (they've allowed her to say that) - and other folks. The point isn't about celebrity - it's about the fact that Jennifer has the ability to just say whatever comes to mind.

I asked Robert how it was he was aware of our class, and Kobe showed Jennifer that it was his introduction that made him show up.

We've interviewed a number of his pals, Sidney Pollack's daughter wrote to me that everything we reported was accurate about her, about him turning his chair around and packing his cigarettes while he answered questions. Sidney confirmed a latter he'd written to my pal Phillip Noyce before he passed. We've been doing this for awhile.

So I dove into the interview. He had messages for his pals, I asked for them by first names, but anyone could figure out who he's referring to.

So Jane Fonda, Barbra Streisand, Dustin Hoffman, Bob Woodward, Meryl Streep, Rod Lurie - he has a comment for all of you. It doesn't matter if one believes it's him speaking to them or not - eventually we'll realize the process.

Jennifer can be reaches at JenniferShaffer.com, I can be reached at RichardMartini.com

He gives some sage advice about politics, and lowering the political temperature.

Another mind bending podcast. We begin with a general conversation about the terrible event yesterday where a political commentator was gunned down. I mentioned how we've spoken in the past to people on the flipside including Martin Luther King, Bobby Kennedy, JFK and others who have been killed for their political views. Unusually, there's a voice that can be heard saying something when I mentioned Robert Kennedy (Bob? Bobby?) that seems to be correcting me.

Be that as it may, we begin by speaking to Luana about the "Ohoponopono prayer" (I'm sorry, please forgive me, thank you, I love you) that our friend Office K introduced me to recently - and the data that shows that there's a positive effect with people who've used it. I asked Luana Anders, our moderator on the flipside to give us some guidance or explanation about the prayer and why it might be effective.

Then Luana wanted to talk about the UAP conference given in Washington DC yesterday.. I don't know if Jennifer had seen it, but I did - and so we got into a discussion about "aliens" and "alien aircraft" from the perspective of FIVE - the head librarian of Akashic libraries (in this region he once told us.)

FIVE has appeared in a number of session I've recorded - with other people, 5 appears in the book DIVINE COUNCILS IN THE AFTERLIFE, also on the podcast if one looks up the word "Five" - he uses the number as there's no gender associated with it. So people won't be confused about 5 being a god or goddess, or librarian. Another term which has no gender attached to it.

Five has often been funny and deeply profound, and is the same in this podcast. Five talks about how aliens are interdimensional, but also how they cannot appear on the planet without "permission" or "being allowed to do so for benevolent reasons."

Five protested that my use of the word "Benevolent" was too strong a word, as it seemed he was saying "they cannot do harm." Prince weighs in at the end to talk about how music is frequency and from the heart.

As usual - mind bending conversation about mind bending stuff. I am aware of the high pitched hum in the recording, but did not hear it while recording and tried to tune it out without harming the quality of voices. So apologies for those who are hearing it.

Thanks for tuning in!

Another example of the kind of kismet that happens when Jennifer and I meet up. We don't plan a guest list, we have Luana Anders, our moderator on the Flipside who does that for us.

In this episode, the first person that comes through is Mr. Bailey, Luana's cat. When Luana was on her death bed, her cat escaped from her house and disappeared. She called me in a panic. My soon to be wife Sherry went with me to see if we could find her. Sherry went into the backyard and said a prayer aloud: "Mr. Bailey, Luana needs you now." The cat appeared in the tree above, and jumped into Sherry's arms, a person she'd never met.

Mr. Bailey wanted to talk about how animals have the ability to communicate to the afterlife, and while people may have filters on the brain that prevent them from that awareness, animals do not. Mr. Bailey confirmed what we've heard in the past; "animals understand how incarnation works, but humans do not."

Hard for some folks to contemplate; dogs smell cancer, elephants can communicate over ten miles, octopuses have 9 brains, and do more with one year of life than humans can do in 90. Some other pets stopped by to give their support.

Then former President Reagan stopped by. He said that our interview with JFK (a number of years ago, it's in the book BACKSTAGE PASS TO THE FLIPSIDE) inspired him to say hello. He pointed out that he's had a number of lifetimes with Nancy in the past - even if he was married to someone else to begin with. (Jane Wyman whom Ronald said "raised him.")

I asked who in our classroom of notaries had invited him and he said it was John McCain. John came by some years ago after he passed to ask us to pass along a private message to his daughter, which I did through a producer at Coast to Coast radio. I don't know if she dismissed the message, as I've yet to hear from her.

But in those earlier conversations he confirmed a number of things only he could know - or be aware of. People I interviewed in his office for the film "Three for the Road" and later, talked about meeting his victims of the Vietnam war on the flipside - and them understanding each other as players in a drama.

He talked about the politics of the era when he passed, and this veiled reference to Steve Schmidt's 2020 comments about the current President were what I was referring to as someone had reposted them the other day.

We've heard it often - people act out difficult roles onstage to get others to react and do that thing that they're supposed to do. However, in terms of political debate, the former President deferred from doing so - as he put it "I just came by to express concern for how divide the country is."

I asked if there was any advice he could give - some kind of grand gesture or action people could do. His answer was simple, yet profound. Smile. Start smiling to people we know, then more that to people we don't know, then move that to people we may not like. Just the physical act of smiling changes the paradigm, and everyone can do that on their own.

It sounds miniscule - but instead of arguing with someone who clearly still exists on the flipside, I think it's wise to consider that they're saying instead of belittling or berating it. He was consider the great communicator - and why not listen to his advice.

To be clear; we've communicated with a number of Presidents, both Bushes, Jimmy Carter, LBJ, Nixon, JFK, FDR and Truman. Again - I ask the questions and Jennifer gives verbatim what she's hearing or sensing. It's possible miscommunicate, but when you've been working with someone weekly for ten years, if one is paying attention, we can see that these folks show up often to talk to us.

And in this case - Ronnie himself. While people may start with a defensive posture - defending him, or upset that he might speak on our podcast - the point is that anyone can invite him to have a conversation and see what he says.

As noted, we have the current President's father and brother on a podcast, and the last President's late son Beau on that same podcast. It's mind bending to hear them talk about the play we're all involved in. How we should spend more time talking to each other, coming together, than coming apart.

Hard to fathom in today's climate, that that is the message that is repeated often.

Enjoy.

Another one of those mindbending discussions between Jennifer, myself and folks offstage. In this podcast, we began talking about our previous week, which included Jennifer getting a flat tire at a wedding in Utah.

That led to a conversation about a dream I had the night before, where my old mentor Fred Roos (prolific producer, Oscar winner) showed up - and I asked Fred some questions about a documentary that he's appearing in - that hasn't been released yet, but premiered at the Venice film festival last night.

When I refer to Mike, I'm referring to the director of that film, when I refer to Ellie, I'm referring to a film director and author who appears in the film (which Jennifer couldn't know) and the questions I ask her are based on my friendship with her since we met in the 1980's. A generous and very profound person while on the planet.

The reference to life being like an "electric toothbrush going off" when someone dies, came from her husband. And my questions about that quote were meant for those who would understand who that might be, and why I might ask it.

Everyone who has been on the planet is available. They may take time to get back to us, but we can ask them questions, ask them for help, ask them to participate in our journey.

Harry Dean Stanton is someone that Ellie knew well, and Fred knew well, and for those familiar with the podcast, we interviewed the great uber skeptic when he passed, and that conversation is in the film HACKING THE AFTERLIFE on Amazon Prime or Gaia.

Harry tells us to tell people to "believe in the POSSIBILITY of an afterlife, so then they won't waste another minute of their lives arguing about it like I did."

And he did. Anyone who knew him knows that to be the case.

Podcast wraps up with an appearance by Prince (I asked Amelia Earhart who impressed her on the flipside) - and he does show up a lot when I ask that question. And Jennifer reminds me that I'm going to be on COAST TO COAST WITH GEORGE NOORY talking about the new book SHE WAS NEVER LOST; THE AMELIA EARHART SAGA - which isn't just talking to her via mediums (there is that) but also new information that shows many people saw her before she left the stage entirely - 7 years after her disappearance.

Enjoy.

Odd sequence of events allowed me to see Jennifer today. As she notes in the podcast - someone booked a session which prevented me from seeing her - and then when the day wore on, someone couldn't do their session with Jennifer - so we got together.

There's some really mind bending information here. Jennifer tells the story of her son losing his wallet and passport, credit cards - and then dreaming about where they were, and going out at 4 in the morning and finding them.

Luana Anders, our moderator on the flipside shows up to talk about a party going on - and the screenwriter, my former boss Robert Towne comes forward to talk about the new book "She Was Never Lost: the Amelia Earhart Saga."

I worked with him for three years, and remained pals with him for the rest of his life. He became a fan of our work together and had a number of sessions with Jennifer where he was able to communicate with his mother, father, and dog Hira. (Search that name on our podcast site for some mind bending conversations.)

Then on a whim, I asked Robert who surprised him on the other side - and he said (again) it was seeing Will Shakespeare. So I asked Will some questions about the ending of Hamlet. Funny answers.

Then, because of a mention of William Blake - I asked to speak with a poet named Allen. I met him in 1996 at a concert for Tibet House in New York City. I was standing by myself in the VIP room (I had traveled with Robert Thurman to India at that time, later we went to Tibet together). But this poet named Allen came over to speak to me - and I wondered why that was.

It's a fun answer he gives. Jennifer had no idea who he was, or his pal Jack, or his pal Lawrence. Also was curious about the poet Walt Whitman because many compared Allen to him.

Marilyn Monroe stopped by to admonish people for judging others for how they look. Amelia Earhart stopped by to say again how much she likes this new book of mine, Robert said that there's going to be a 'part two' with regard to the book - (we'll see) and Luana pointed out that the story Jennifer told about finding her son's wallet is related to "opening one's mind up to allow for the answer to come forward."

This is pretty much what Jennifer and I have been doing for over ten years. Talking to people offstage and learning new information from them.

Enjoy!

Another one of those mind bending podcasts that we do. Jennifer is back from her vacation, and Luana wanted to talk about a dream that I had last night - where we flew off to a party event where all her friends were. It happened in the 1980's, and I was revisiting the event, only some of the people at the party are now on the flipside.

Luana talks about how to manifest oneself into a dream of a love one still on the stage (she says it's difficult) but she compares doing so with meditation - meaning manifesting something or someone is the equivalent of inviting them to join one's dream.

Mind bending.

Amelia Earhart stops by to talk about the book SHE WAS NEVER LOST: THE AMELIA EARHART SAGA which is decades in the making. I have to look up what she meant by "Chapter five paragraph three."

As I've mentioned, there's an incredible moment that took place ten years ago - when I was holding a book that was written by Vincent Loomis about Amelia, and she said "open it to page 49, as there's something in there about the military aspect of her mission to Howland island."

I opened the book to page 49 and found a reference to "Clarence Beelin" who Loomis said was involved with redesigning her gas tanks. I looked up Beelin and it turns out he owned an aviation company in Boston."

But then ten years later, I'm transcribing that section in the book, and I think "Why was that so important for me to hear?" I took to ChatGPT to ask about Clarence Beelin and I was told that was likely an error - because it was Clarence "Kelly" Johnson who redesigned her gas tanks for longer travel. What makes that important is that Kelly Johnson went on to create the "skunk works" at the CIA - that he was credited with redesigning her fuel tanks, but further was responsible for all the spy planes in post war history - the U2 spy plane, the SR 71 and other designs - literally the most famous spy plane designer of all time.

But the point is - that Jennifer didn't say it - and Vincent Loomis had it wrong in his book. The person who referenced it was Amelia Earhart herself, and wanted to point out why that was an important passage in the book - because it was incorrect!

Because the guy who redesigned her gas tanks (so she could make it to Mili atoll where she landed the Electra on an atoll) - and wanted to give him credit for doing so!

Anyways, all of it's mind bending, and all of it is in the book.

Also Prince stops by to make Jennifer blush. As he often does.

The paragraph that Amelia refers to in this podcast:

Enjoy!