Hacking the Afterlife with Jennifer Shaffer, Gary Wright, Yogananda, Walter Matthau, Jimmy Buffett and others

Another mind bending episode.

Luana Anders is our pal on the flipside who generates the guest list. In this case it was someone who passed away recently, musician Gary Wright.

Gary was famous for his song "Dream Weaver." He worked with George Harrison and others in a long career. Jennifer did a private session with him in his home a few years ago, and he wanted to talk about his journey to the flipside.  He talked about who greeted him there, and what his experience was like.

Gary was a fan of the Indian pandit Yogananda.  His book "Autobiography of a Yogi" changed Gary's life because he said it inspired the song Dream Weaver.  We've chatted with Yogananda before, I asked him questions about his teacher and other events in his life.

It's a mind bending thing he says when I asked him "What do I tell friends of mine in India about the fact that we've spoken to you?" He said "They have me on a pedestal. You need to have me in your heart to speak to me."  

He answered that question before I asked it by taking Jennifer's hand.

Luana then took us to "a concert."  I had been asked about a number of people who passed recently, so I wondered if this "concert" was so we could talk to them. Indeed, she brought forth Tony Bennett.

Tony mentioned the time that we met backstage on the tonight show, talked about my healthy head of hair - which allowed me to talk about the black wig he was wearing for that show in the 1980's.  Later his son switched it to a grayer one - (or he stopped wearing one, I don't know) but it was funny because he brought it up.

Then we spoke to Walter Matthau. Indeed, I worked as his dialog coach on the Charles Grodin film Movers and Shakers, and he refers to our long conversations.  That brought forth Gene Wilder to remind me that we had dinner together (yes, we did with Louise Lasser and Charles Grodin, and I recalled his thick white sox.)

Then Jimmy Buffett stopped by and talked about when he went over to the flipside, he walked onstage to a concert gig.  It's often reported by musicians - the feeling of walking onstage and being met by fans and other musicians.  He said "It was like playing a 12 hour gig."

He talked about feeling all the love from his fans, and had words for his family.

For other interviews with musicians, take a look at the book TUNING INTO THE AFTERLIFE which is mostly about them.

Thanks for tuning in.