OK - I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable about anything - it is a sensitive subject. I will share one experience I had that I haven't really discussed with anyone else. It is quite brief. I was in the bath - sort of half way between sleeping and waking - and I heard my friends voice on a telephone telling me that his daughter had been killed. It jolted me out of my half sleeping state because it shocked me. I didn't say anything to him because that was all I had heard - no details at all. The following week his daughter was killed in a car crash and he did phone me and say the same words. I still haven't said anything and that was twenty years ago. I don't think I would want to have that kind of experience on a regular basis - it would destroy me. Change of subject - I am taping a new (over here) series called F.B.I. Have you seen it - is it any good if you have.

Since you told me that I will tell you a few things. I had an experience when I was about 14. I used to ride around with a couple friends of mine in a station-wagon. We would drink beer and smoke pot and I would play my guitar, making things up. Those are the guys who recorded me secretly. Anyway, during those sessions I felt I was being given music. I would say so and so should do this song, or this song should be sung by a girl, and son on. I didn't want to do them myself. I didn't want to be famous and I didn't think I was good enough anyway. Really stupid in retrospect. But I also got glimpses of the future. This was about 1973 I think. I saw that everyone would have their own computer, they would be in every home, even small ones you could carry around with you. I knew there would be a black President and he wouldn't be a good one. I could see these things, or feel them mostly, in the time they happened. It wasn't something I believed, it was something I was there for, that I experienced. I knew music that had not been made yet. That was a strange experience. I mostly put it out of my mind until much later.

But there was another experience that happened about 10 years ago. A little background first. In 2007 I went out of work on disability, my back. I was home all the time after that. Anyway, there was a cat which started coming around and it had kittens. One of the kittens I got close to, Buddy. He would crawl up on my thigh and go to sleep there when I was lying on the couch. He did that all his life. Then a raccoon began coming around. Sometimes there are rabid raccoons in the area and I decided to kill it. It was dark one night and I heard it and grabbed a shotgun and shot it. But it was Buddy. I cried so hard. He died in my arms. I really wanted to turn the shotgun around and follow him. I have rarely cried like that in my life. As he was dying I told him I loved him and begged him to meet me when I died and crossed over to the spiritual dimension. I couldn't stand the thought of him leaving and me never seeing him again. I loved that cat so much. It still hurts to think of what happened. A few years later I heard there was an animal communicator named Bruce Butcher speaking locally. I went and heard his story and I booked a session with him so I could find out about my sister's pets. I found out he can also communicate with the spirits of animals which have died. I asked him about Buddy. Buddy didn't understand how he died, it was just a sudden thing. Then he told me Buddy said he would meet me when I crossed over. I was just looking at him. He told me "he said you asked him to meet you when you die and cross over". It came flooding back to me then. I had blocked the whole thing out of my mind as best as I could. That is how badly it hurt me. I felt so badly about it that I had never even told anyone what happened. I only said Buddy died in an accident. But I never told anyone what I said to Buddy, and this guy lives hundreds of miles away, and I had never met him before. There is no conceivable way he could have known what I said to Buddy except through me or Buddy, and I never told him. That session helped me a lot. I later took a class from him. He claims that we all have the capacity for telepathy, and I believe him. In fact, I think that it has happened to me many times, often without us realizing it has happened, we just think we thought that thought on our own, and it happened to you. You communicated telepathically with someone from the spiritual world who let you hear that call from a week in the future.

I know I have had it happen to me before. I once answered a friend and alarmed him greatly. I don't recall what the topic was, but he said something and I said yeah, I feel the same way sometimes and went on a bit. He asked me why I said that. I said well I was just answering you. I had not been looking at him when he spoke. We were sitting there drinking beer. He swore he had not said a word. And I of course swore that he had because I heard him clear as day say....and I told him what he had said to me. He replied that he had been thinking that, but he didn't say anything. I could tell he felt violated and greatly alarmed. At that point I felt he was worried that I could read his mind right then, and I said hey this doesn't happen all the time, I don't know what you're thinking now. And he got up and angrily said Fuck you and left hurriedly. Usually I only feel and know things, but that time I heard his voice speaking so clearly I believed he had actually spoken the words. It was actually a traumatic thing for my friend. Other times I have known the exact words someone is getting ready to say, and then heard them say them. Sort of like when you complete someone else's sentence for them, but different, because I knew the exact words, I didn't just think I knew what they meant. In the class with Bruce a lot of us were successful communicating with animals. Bruce knows some friendly dead animals who like to work with people who want to learn to talk to animals. Strange thing to say, eh? But it's true. He stressed to us not to judge what we receive, but to just write it down as we get it. I found that so hard to do. But I knew this dog had an injured back, and that it didn't like wearing a muzzle. Turns out she had to be muzzled because she would instinctively snap at someone who hurt her back. I didn't realize the dog was already dead, and Bruce thought I should have known that. But I think we all sense things a little differently. The impressions I got from the dog were very light, they didn't intrude on my mind or grab my attention the way those other communications had done. Normally I would have passed them off as my mind wandering.

I read a couple of books I found helpful. One was written by a neurosurgeon named Eben Alexander. He contracted a form of meningitis and had no brain activity except the brain-stem for a week. In every case where the brain shuts down like that, the patient never regains their mental function, they remain like vegetables. This guy came all the way back, completely. He is the only case in history who has done that. There is no medical explanation. But what is so interesting is the story he told of what he experienced while there was zero brain activity. This disproves the theory that near death experiences must be caused by brain activity, because he had none. And he met people there, one of whom was his twin sister he never met. Eben was adopted and never knew her. But he met this wonderful person while there and only found out who it was later when he investigated and tracked down his birth family. He saw a family photo and realized this is the girl I met there.

Another book is called The Laws of the Spirit World by Khorshed Bhavnagri, an Indian woman whose sons died in a car crash. She was deeply grieved over their deaths. She later learned to communicate with them and wrote this book about things she learned. It is very different to Eben Alexander's book, but very interesting also.

My experiences are so strange that I don't like to relate them to anyone, and the one is very painful, though not as much as before I spoke with Bruce. I am certainly not pushy about what I now know to be true, but I have no doubts anymore. I used to believe things on faith, because Christianity taught them. It's not possible for us to know things exactly as they are in the spiritual dimension. The Apostle Paul said as much. And I don't know that the ideas of the first century Christians about purgatory, heaven and hell are conceptually correct. Maybe, but maybe not. Any glimpses I ever had of the future were just that glimpses, not like being here now. What I learned was correct, but it was just a glimpse of this and of that.

And like here, not everyone you might communicate with is a decent sort of person. Bruce said as much. Some souls are not concerned with reaching heaven and don't try.

Well, I went on quite a bit more than I thought I would.

And I am glad that you did !! You must be a very sensitive to have experienced those things - I am so sorry about Buddy - I lost a cat a year ago last November - he was old - subject to fits - and his gums were so sore he couldn't eat any more - he was put to sleep - but my grief continues - it may as well be two days ago rather than nearly two years - I had him for eleven years and it was like we understood each other. So I understand the intensity of your feelings regarding Buddy and I am glad that you have the reassurance that you will see him again - I hope it will be the same for me. I too had an odd experience with regard to song writing - once again I was half asleep - maybe three quarters - and this song just came into my head - complete with tune and lyrics. I had it recorded and it is still my favourite song - a sort of light jazz thing - the musician who demo'd it for me said he wished that he had written it. I was so pleased and amazed for a musician to have said that to me - a non muso. He had demo'd other stuff for me but never said that before so I think he meant it. I have always had a nagging belief in a spirit world - it makes no sense to me that we are granted life for no reason - why bother? If our entire life experience dies with us and in the end the Earth dies too - then what is the point of existence? My brother was reading a book which he tried to interest me in but I don't feel I have the intellect to understand it - it was quantum physics or some such thing and it presented the theory that the Universe is a living entity that is connected on all levels and we are also. It is too complex a theory for me - I can only understand it on the most basic level. Maybe what we call the spiritual world is just another name for that theory. God - I've made my brain hurt now !!!

Animals have souls and they love us too. If you were as close as that to your cat then I would bet you will see him or her in the spiritual dimension.

What we do in this physical dimension is very important. Our minds are mostly blocked to the spiritual world while we are here. The best reason I have been able to learn and discern for that is that our souls grow best when we make the right decisions without knowing how it affects us in the spiritual world. When we do good without knowing the payoff it means we have learned an important lesson. People who really screw up here, e.g. think only of how to screw over others to enrich themselves and so on, they really regret it over there.
I think reincarnation might be an option. I know Christianity doesn't teach that but I have my reasons for thinking so. That Indian lady says that progress can be made faster by coming to the physical world, unless we screw up and decide to become murderers and such, which sets you back in the spiritual world. Anyway, she says some souls seek to reincarnate to do better and advance to a better situation in the spiritual world.

I see there is a series called FBI available on Prime TV. If you like it we can watch that one. Wait, forget that. It is extra money for that show.

Oh bugger !! We aren't having any luck with stuff to watch are we !! I am not a Christian per se - I am not religious at all. I believe that what we call God and the Devil (Good and Evil) reside within ourselves. We can choose to be one or the other - I have always chosen not to hurt others if I can avoid it (it's not always possible of course because other people can want what you don't and vice versa) and to do the best I can if anyone needs my love or my help. It is quite a simple philosophy I suppose. I have read some things that make me think that re-incarnation might actually happen - I am not sure that I would want to come back though - life is too hard here !! Have you heard of Edgar Cayce - he is quite an interesting subject. It is my belief that religions were invented by man to stop anarchy - to subjugate women - and to enrich those who practice it. You only have to look at the wealth of the Vatican and other religious organisations to prove that point. To control the population first create a climate of fear - and what more frightening than a see all super being who can see who you are - where you are - and what you are doing at all times ? And of course that entity has to be masculine because women don't evoke fear. I hope it is true that there is some form of natural justice for all the evil people who have lived in this world - past and present - I hope all the evil ones are sent back over and over again in dire circumstances so that they can truly atone for all their past misdeeds. I want to believe that I will see my loved ones again - human and animal - at some point in some future in some realm.

Yes Edgar Cayce is a very interesting person. Bruce mentioned him when we talked. People who are gifted at communicating telepathically with the spirit world need to limit the activity. Bruce talked of flushing the mind afterward, i.e. not trying to stay connected telepathically all the time. Cayce was warned toward the end of his life that he should cut down on the number of 'readings' he did daily by the spirit guides he spoke with. But he sort of had a big heart and felt bad at turning people away. He kept doing several readings per day and died shortly afterward, and the thinking is that is what killed him.

Your example of the wealth of the Catholic Church: yes, religion is very often quite corrupt. Religion is a man made exploitation of a real thing, that is how I see it. Any time there is something which attracts people for a legitimate reason, there will be evil people who opportunistically move in to make a fraudulent business of it. Early in his practice of giving readings to people, Cayce was taken advantage of by people who came to him and asked him about the stock market while he was in his sleeping state, and Cayce answered them and they profited in the market. Later he found out what had happened he was very upset about it. After that he began having someone he trusted sit in on the sessions to make sure it didn't happen again. Church membership and large donations to charities and such tell us nothing about what sort of person someone is. In spite of the opportunism by evil or selfishly motivated people, there can be genuine good that comes out of religious organizations.

People who are guided by their consciences, those who have not by habit deadened their ear to that inner voice, can make right decisions and follow them on their own. Having the support of others who also try to follow their consciences can be a great help of course. Sometimes groups of them are members in churches and good can come from them. But we have all seen the dark side of church members and congregations. People can treat the church as a social status system, they can be tempted to evil by church politics in large organizations. Frequently those who rise to the top positions in large organizations of any sort may not be the best sorts of people, in government especially. And when a dark soul heads a group, he seeks others who will support him as his subordinates and only promotes those with deadened consciences.

One lady I used to know had a saying she liked: Only one life, will soon be past, Only what's done for Christ will last.

Even if one is not a Christian the idea behind it remains true. Life is short and how we live it is important to us in the afterlife. So don't deaden your conscience, don't give in to blind ambition or super egotistical goals and so on. Remember those trite but true sayings and maxims which one knows to be true inside, like the Golden Rule. If it were me in that person's position, how would I want to be treated? What can I do to help someone else in this situation? If I see that person suffering, can I lessen it with a kind word? Or by lending a hand even in a simple matter?

None of us are close to perfect. I know only too well the ways I have failed, the mistakes and bad decisions I've made, and the regrets I have. But the fact that I ackowledge those issues and hope to do better is a good sign to me. I don't want to deaden my conscience. As long as I can be pricked by that little voice inside I can improve and maybe do good here.

A sociopath is someone who learns to deaden their conscience and by the time they are an adult they may no longer be bothered by harming other people, even killing them. I would not want to be them in the afterlife. What do they gain here? Not much, and nothing which is worth it.

We both need to make lists of shows currently available on our networks and share them. Hopefully there will be enough overlap that we can find several good ones. I enjoy discussing them with you.

I think that we are both basically sensitive empathic people who try to do their best towards others - whatever mistakes we might think we have made in the past (and what human being hasn't) I don't believe they were generated by evil intentions. The main thing is that we think about them - we acknowledge them - we try to do better in the future. You can't ask for any more than that. I heard a piece of dialogue once where a man says "I am not religious - I am spiritual" and it stuck in my mind - because it's how I would describe myself. On to Netflix - I have trawled and trawled for something to watch - it's hard for me because I don't like so many genres!! I dislike comedy - romance - horror - vampires and werewolves - animation - high school anything - female dominated shows - the list is nearly endless!! Easier to say what I like I suppose - I like intelligent dramas like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - most any serious spy stories - thrillers - crime stories and police procedurals - anything mob related - some marvel mayhem stuff like Gotham - I would watch that again - Grimm - didn't think I would like it but I did in the event - actioners like Taken with Liam Neeson - I like him in most things - there is a spin off series of "Taken" - I watched the first couple of shows but was lured away by something else - "Shooter" I enjoyed the film and I watched the first series of the spin off but the second series was delayed for a long time because he broke his leg. I started watching some I think maybe French crime series on tv - I have to mention it because it made me laugh - I can't even remember the title - it was something like Code 37- sex crimes. I thought ok - crime series - I'll give it a go. Oh dear - guess who the lead investigator was? - AN EMPOWERED FEMALE - the funny thing was that she dressed in the tightest clothes that all looked about two sizes too small for her and the camera man seemed to have an obsession with her derriere because every time she went to a crime scene she was photographed from behind and all you could see was her butt as she walked - to make matters worse the music that accompanied this was drum beats in the same rhythm as her walk. I do so wish you had pantomimes over there because this happens regularly on them - you get a character walking determinedly across the stage - usually the dame (who is a man in drag with huge bum and bosoms) and the drummer will ba bump ba bump ba bump in time to the jiggles. And that was exactly what it was like with the EF. I couldn't watch it because this wasn't a one off - it happened in every scene she was in. Changing the subject again because my mind flits about a lot !! I have just read on the news that a black female Metropolitan Police woman asked for permission to go on a Nigerian reality show - she was refused permission - she went anyway and had sex three times on the show with another male contestant. I couldn't believe my eyes - had sex on television? Is this normal now? I mean we have simulated sex in practically every show but so far not actual sex. In Britain reality contestants are thought to have had sex but they have been under blankets and it was a matter of conjecture. She was quite open about it - she did it for societal reasons (that would be money then) She has brought the force into disrepute and she will probably be sacked for which she will scream RACISM - "it's cos I'm black innit?" The Met will probably realise this and climb down to a lesser charge and she will retain her job - unless of course she wins the money - in which case you wont see her for dust. PS - Can you get "Line of Duty" over there - it's a long series that apparently gets better as it goes along - it's a British police procedural.

Prime TV has Line of Duty but you have to pay extra for it. It's 2 bucks per episode but once you start paying extra for shows, it can start adding up and I am on a fixed income. It sounds interesting Perhaps it will be offered for free on Prime at some point.

I loved Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and the other genres you mentioned. I like mob movies and have seen most of them I think. I watch them over again sometimes. I love spy stuff, and crime shows as well.

There are some comedies I like, but I like them better when they are mostly light dramas which are somewhat humorous. There was a 2004 movie called The Big Bounce with Morgan Freeman (I always like him), Owen Wilson, and Charlie Sheen and Gary Sinise had supporting parts. It was a kind of mystery, light drama, with funny situations in it. Owen Wilson can do straight serious roles, but I think he is better when he can act like the laid back California kid he is. Morgan Freeman played a judge in a small Hawaii community. That is one you might enjoy which is on the lighter side.

Liam Neeson is good. He is another one of those actors who always makes a film better. He can make the film work. Morgan Freeman, Idris Elba, Denzel Washington, also give solid performances and I will watch films just because they are in them. Bruce Willis is often good, but I kind of got tired of the Die Hard series. The first one was great. But many of the sequels seem to be lacking something; they make money because of the Die Hard name and the Bruce Willis name.
I loved the first Terminator film. None of the sequels were as good. But it's hard to duplicate or surpass a great first film I think. But I kind of like Arnold and he has made some good films, big hits. There are other good actors whose work I will usually watch if I can. I can't think of all their names now. Michael Madsen is a good one. He's not generally the leading man type but he always helps the film. I think I mentioned "The Killing Jar" already and you said you couldn't get that one. Reservoir Dogs from 1992 was a good film. I have liked several of Quentin Tarantino's films. The Hateful Eight is on Netflix here now, you can check over there. I like Gotham also. Did you watch the Sons of Anarchy show? It's about a biker club/criminal gang and focuses on the original chapter of the club. It was a good story, lots of action and crime stuff.

I started watching Line of Duty ages ago but there was something about the opening episodes I just couldn't get into - there are some actors I just don't like and Gina McKee is one of them. I would have tried to persevere if you had said it was free to you over there but being as it isn't - no worries!!. I have never heard of "The Big Bounce" but if it is in a comedy genre list that wouldn't be surprising. Bruce Willis used to be good - the original "Die Hard" one and two were good - but then it began to lose quality - the last one I watched about ten minutes of and then gave up. He seems to have gotten that world weary sneer etched into his face now - he can't seem to get rid of it. The last film I actually liked him in was "The Jackal". I also used to like Mel Gibson films - the "Lethal Weapon" one and two were good - by the time it got to four it was unwatchable. Do you have the TV series of it over there? There was a lot of problems with the original actor who played Riggs - he got sacked after the second series. I still watch it - I don't know why - it is like picking a scab - the most irritating character is Murtaugh's wife - she just cannot shut her mouth - all she does is SMILE with those blinding white teeth that you need black out curtains for. I liked the Terminators one and two - after that it was all downhill. I like Arnie - he can laugh at himself which is always a plus for me. I didn't watch Sons of Anarchy - I am not attracted to bearded bikers !! I will never watch a film that features boxing either - even a whiff of it - in fact any sport. I have just watched the pilot of F.B.I. - not my cup of tea - all empowered females black and white - and fake interracial interactions. Have you seen "Once upon a time in America" - that is one of my favourite films next to "Ronin" (as you know I have a soft spot for Robert de Niro !!) Have you watched "Unforgotten" it's on Netflix over here - 2 seasons - it's not bad - I could watch it again. Also have you seen "Fortitude" that's a weird one - it's not on Netflix but it may be on Amazon. I like some of QT's films - "Kill Bill" one and two I've seen - also "Reservoir Dogs" he seems to have a stable of actors that he uses a lot. Guy Richie tends to do that to. Yes "The Hateful Eight" is available on Netflix over here - I have a very vague memory of it so I may watch it again.

Once upon a time in America has great reviews. I will have to see it. Unforgotten sounds interesting, I looked it up on IMDB. I will look for it. Fortitude is available on Prime. Let's give it a try

I will look for "Fortitude" on Prime - it depends on whether it has subtitles also - if it isn't available over here you go ahead and watch it because it is good and I remember a lot of it. I will let you know if I can get it. Oh - there is a show on Amazon called "Falling Water" it may be worth a try. Update - I have looked on Amazon and "Fortitude" is there - but it is not included on Prime so you have to pay for it - damned annoying.

I started on Fortitude last night. It is interesting.

I checked and Falling Water is available too. We can watch that. I can switch between the two.

OK - there are several series of Fortitude I think - be prepared for the unusual !! I will start watching Falling Water tonight probably - there are two seasons so I hope it is interesting and engaging.

I binged through the first season. That was wild. I have to say that as soon as I saw bugs crawling out of that lady's pustules I would have gotten the hell out of that hospital room. He said call the sheriff. I would have said get a can of bug spray

I thought you would like it !!! I'm really mad I can't watch it again with you. It gets wilder!! I started watching Falling Water tonight - it is quite slow - but first episodes sometimes are. I has established some plot lines more clearly than others. I will persevere and see how it progresses.