Updates

10/6/03
Over the last couple months I've been working hard to promote the "In Another Life" video, and to make myself available as a reincarnation expert. I was invited to be a "chatroom" guest by the group associated with www.shamansapience.com. It was scheduled to be a one-hour chat with about eight pre-arranged questions. The chat went almost three hours and I think we got through the second question. It was a sharp group and there were a lot of intelligent questions asked. Moreover, it's rare to find a group that can handle the chat format in a mature way, and I was very impressed with them.

I also gave a talk at the Sunday service for a small local group at the Interfaith Truth Center, on how the video was produced. I think it was well-received, though the 10-year-old boy in the front row gave me instant feedback when I was losing the audience, by yawning ;-). When I can keep kids attentive, I'll know I've come into my own as a speaker. In this case when I got away from the official topic of the making of the show itself, things got "juicier" and I got some good information across, especially about the place of reincarnation in Christianity.

I also spent about a week writing e-mails to over a thousand hand-picked college professors in the areas of thanatology, religion, philosophy, sociology and psychology. I've had a few orders--about the percentage you expect in that kind of marketing--but the idea of a class watching this video is really exciting. I only wish I could sit in. I sat through so many classes when I was in college that had a materialistic world-view behind them, and felt so frustrated. So in a sense I am returning with about 25 years of life experience and study behind me, as I prepare to turn 50 this coming Christmas. Maybe someday I'll be invited to guest lecture in a college setting, if the show gathers enough interest in academic circles. What's got to seem odd to them is that I'm presenting some very highly credentialed experts in this film--a psychiatrist, a Jungian analyst, an LCSW, a philosophy professor, an editor for the Washington Post and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering. So this is a strange lineup for a show presenting a "pro" viewpoint on what I'm sure is seen by most as a flakey topic... It also amuses me that philosophy professors would dismiss reincarnation out of hand or confine it to the realm of "Eastern teachings", when one of their founding fathers (Plato) taught it... I'm just showing that modern science is starting to confirm what Plato taught.

"In Another Life" was written up in one review, while several other reviews, print interviews and articles both in print and online are pending. One of my articles, first printed in Namaste Magazine, is going to be reprinted as a chapter in a book in England. And a couple notables in the field have agreed to view the tape.

Finally, Wisdom TV has agreed to air "In Another Life", with the final negotiations set to be completed this month (October).

If you are connected with a group which might be interested in my serving as a guest lecturer, or online as a "chat room" guest, let me know. I've studied this subject for about 30 years and I've been very picky about my sources, so what I'm good at is not just imparting information, but also cutting through the misinformation and getting down to the correct core ideas.

I want to be clear, if anybody reading this is wondering, that I would like to sell tapes and make a normal income doing what I'm good at as much as the next person. Right now on the financial level it's like an expensive hobby, and hasn't even come close to paying for itself. My primary goal, however, is to get respect for, and a correct understanding of, reincarnation back into Western society. I consider myself one of many who have this same goal, and I intend to play my part to the best of my ability.

Best regards,

Stephen S., Producer

Previous Updates
7/23/03
3/23/03