1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,109 Stephen Weber: And then when I came to the intersection 2 00:00:02,109 --> 00:00:03,779 where I was to make a right hand turn, 3 00:00:04,339 --> 00:00:07,449 someone had opened up a space for someone coming 4 00:00:07,449 --> 00:00:10,389 in the opposite direction to make a left hand turn, 5 00:00:10,699 --> 00:00:13,829 and so just as I was going into the intersection, the 6 00:00:13,859 --> 00:00:15,599 truck made a left hand turn 7 00:00:15,719 --> 00:00:17,929 and went smashing right into the side of me. 8 00:00:21,529 --> 00:00:24,669 Rod Bland: My guest today is Steven Weber, who's one 9 00:00:24,669 --> 00:00:26,869 of the global community of people who have had 10 00:00:26,889 --> 00:00:28,419 a near death experience. 11 00:00:28,729 --> 00:00:31,549 And Steven is here today to share his story. 12 00:00:31,589 --> 00:00:32,509 Thanks for joining on the show, Steven. 13 00:00:33,039 --> 00:00:33,859 Stephen Weber: It's my honor. 14 00:00:33,859 --> 00:00:36,299 I appreciate you taking the time to speak with me. 15 00:00:36,964 --> 00:00:37,604 Rod Bland: Yeah, no worries. 16 00:00:38,234 --> 00:00:39,354 So it's my honor as well. 17 00:00:39,644 --> 00:00:41,464 We were just speaking about your accent. 18 00:00:41,464 --> 00:00:43,424 It's the Long Island accent. 19 00:00:43,424 --> 00:00:45,544 And now I'm familiar with people that come 20 00:00:45,544 --> 00:00:46,034 from Long Island. 21 00:00:46,034 --> 00:00:49,334 I know what to, my ear is tuned to it now. 22 00:00:50,519 --> 00:00:51,999 Stephen Weber: Well, Water, quarter, what 23 00:00:51,999 --> 00:00:52,859 is and should is. 24 00:00:52,859 --> 00:00:53,559 No ERs. 25 00:00:53,559 --> 00:00:54,609 That's the way we talk. 26 00:00:55,834 --> 00:00:56,244 Rod Bland: All right. 27 00:00:56,244 --> 00:01:00,044 Why don't we just drop into a little bit of your life 28 00:01:00,114 --> 00:01:01,934 prior to your experience. 29 00:01:01,934 --> 00:01:04,474 I'm interested in hearing a little bit about how, perhaps 30 00:01:04,474 --> 00:01:07,134 how you grew up and then let's talk about your NDE. 31 00:01:07,134 --> 00:01:07,274 Okay. 32 00:01:08,489 --> 00:01:08,839 Stephen Weber: Sure. 33 00:01:08,999 --> 00:01:12,839 I grew up on a small blue collar town on Long Island. 34 00:01:12,839 --> 00:01:17,019 It's about 50 miles or so east of New York City. 35 00:01:17,479 --> 00:01:21,119 And it was a rural community that was becoming suburban. 36 00:01:21,464 --> 00:01:23,444 And there was lots of open trails. 37 00:01:23,704 --> 00:01:26,404 And so when I was a young kid, I had a paper route. 38 00:01:26,694 --> 00:01:30,254 I bought a mini bike when I was about 10 years old. 39 00:01:30,254 --> 00:01:32,724 And ever since then, I've been riding motorcycles, 40 00:01:32,824 --> 00:01:36,784 mostly a Harley Davidson's once I was old enough to 41 00:01:36,784 --> 00:01:39,084 get a street bike and, and I just loved it. 42 00:01:39,084 --> 00:01:40,674 It was such a big part of my life. 43 00:01:40,674 --> 00:01:42,624 I love riding motorcycles. 44 00:01:42,884 --> 00:01:44,614 I also am a computer person. 45 00:01:44,614 --> 00:01:45,394 I'm an engineer. 46 00:01:45,394 --> 00:01:47,314 And so I'm into technology. 47 00:01:47,394 --> 00:01:50,644 And that was like my life is that I work very hard with 48 00:01:50,644 --> 00:01:53,914 my computers, but In a lot of ways, I was an outlaw biker. 49 00:01:53,944 --> 00:01:56,704 I I can't show you, but I have tattoos all up and down 50 00:01:56,704 --> 00:02:00,504 my arms, Harley Davidson's, and and that was pretty much 51 00:02:00,504 --> 00:02:01,954 my life for the longest time. 52 00:02:02,004 --> 00:02:03,774 I was never a spiritual person. 53 00:02:03,794 --> 00:02:06,554 I grew up in a Catholic Christian community. 54 00:02:06,554 --> 00:02:10,414 The church was the center of town and but I was more 55 00:02:10,414 --> 00:02:13,254 or less a Christmas and Easter Catholic, I would say. 56 00:02:13,694 --> 00:02:15,954 And that was pretty much it is that I focused 57 00:02:15,954 --> 00:02:17,254 on having a good time. 58 00:02:17,474 --> 00:02:20,234 I considered myself a pleasure maximizing unit. 59 00:02:20,714 --> 00:02:25,624 I had loved the rock and roll and cold beer and pretty girls 60 00:02:25,624 --> 00:02:28,054 and, all those terrible things that you're not supposed to 61 00:02:28,064 --> 00:02:29,384 be interested in these days. 62 00:02:29,474 --> 00:02:31,139 That's what I was interested in. 63 00:02:31,379 --> 00:02:32,629 Until my life changed. 64 00:02:32,709 --> 00:02:35,029 And when I take a look at so many things that have 65 00:02:35,029 --> 00:02:38,519 happened, like at one times I thought once I had this 66 00:02:38,529 --> 00:02:42,159 near death experience, this spiritually transformative, 67 00:02:42,509 --> 00:02:44,409 just wow experience. 68 00:02:44,824 --> 00:02:48,894 I thought that was really the focus of my life and so many 69 00:02:48,924 --> 00:02:52,694 things that had gone on, but I really began to learn is that 70 00:02:52,934 --> 00:02:56,934 there's only a small part, I believe, in a much, much 71 00:02:56,934 --> 00:03:01,884 longer experience that really taught me about forgiveness. 72 00:03:02,184 --> 00:03:04,734 And about not only forgiveness of other people, but of 73 00:03:04,744 --> 00:03:08,474 yourself and about learning and the very meaning of life. 74 00:03:08,714 --> 00:03:12,054 And in the end of everything, I would say that if there's 75 00:03:12,064 --> 00:03:15,234 one lesson that I learned from this experience and everything 76 00:03:15,234 --> 00:03:17,844 associated is life is good. 77 00:03:17,854 --> 00:03:20,924 And people are good, even when very sad things happen. 78 00:03:21,044 --> 00:03:22,984 And that's really what I've walked away from 79 00:03:22,984 --> 00:03:23,994 this experience with. 80 00:03:25,034 --> 00:03:26,544 Rod Bland: I know there's a couple of events that 81 00:03:26,544 --> 00:03:28,184 occurred and I'm not going to give anything away. 82 00:03:28,184 --> 00:03:31,994 So tell us about the events that led up to your NDE and 83 00:03:32,014 --> 00:03:33,254 then what happened after that. 84 00:03:34,089 --> 00:03:35,199 Stephen Weber: Sure, I'll be glad to. 85 00:03:35,199 --> 00:03:38,349 It's really important for me to share this experience 86 00:03:38,619 --> 00:03:41,479 because it's very clear in a lot of ways can 87 00:03:41,479 --> 00:03:42,829 bring peace to people. 88 00:03:42,949 --> 00:03:46,469 Not only people who fear or cons don't know what's 89 00:03:46,469 --> 00:03:49,429 gonna happen next and and have a fear of death 90 00:03:49,429 --> 00:03:50,989 or even a fear of life. 91 00:03:51,339 --> 00:03:55,824 Is that is that truly, It's an inspirational experience. 92 00:03:55,914 --> 00:04:00,034 So I would say that it all started I guess back in 2005. 93 00:04:00,414 --> 00:04:03,414 I live on Long Island and Fire Island and the 94 00:04:03,414 --> 00:04:04,854 Hamptons and all that. 95 00:04:04,859 --> 00:04:07,254 It's all a beach community and I would love to ride 96 00:04:07,254 --> 00:04:10,284 my Harley Davidson all up and down Ocean Parkway. 97 00:04:10,554 --> 00:04:12,564 It's a really, it's a hopping place. 98 00:04:12,564 --> 00:04:13,134 I loved it. 99 00:04:13,454 --> 00:04:16,694 And so it was 4th of July weekend back in 2005. 100 00:04:16,994 --> 00:04:19,814 And I was driving my Harley Davidson down the parkway. 101 00:04:20,174 --> 00:04:22,444 And I noticed that there was someone driving right 102 00:04:22,444 --> 00:04:25,674 next to me and it seemed odd, I wasn't sure it was. 103 00:04:26,044 --> 00:04:28,964 Out of place, but there was a pickup truck not more than 104 00:04:28,964 --> 00:04:31,094 about five yards away from me. 105 00:04:31,434 --> 00:04:34,804 And and after a while, me looking at it a few seconds, 106 00:04:34,824 --> 00:04:36,194 it's just like forever. 107 00:04:36,464 --> 00:04:39,394 I realized this truck was going the wrong 108 00:04:39,404 --> 00:04:41,514 way on the parkway. 109 00:04:41,764 --> 00:04:42,734 I was going. 110 00:04:43,204 --> 00:04:46,624 Northbound on the parkway and he was going northbound, but 111 00:04:46,624 --> 00:04:51,174 in the southbound lane and and at first I wasn't sure what 112 00:04:51,174 --> 00:04:54,764 was going on because there was construction around and it's 113 00:04:54,764 --> 00:04:56,104 just not something you expect. 114 00:04:56,104 --> 00:04:58,184 It was very late at night and I just didn't 115 00:04:58,184 --> 00:05:00,034 know what was going on. 116 00:05:00,354 --> 00:05:03,324 And just then, when I finally realized that this 117 00:05:03,324 --> 00:05:07,174 fella is going the wrong way, The divider line 118 00:05:07,214 --> 00:05:10,634 disappeared between us, and he was right next to me. 119 00:05:10,954 --> 00:05:13,004 And I realized I had to get out of his way. 120 00:05:13,004 --> 00:05:16,794 I just, if he realized that he was going the wrong way, 121 00:05:17,084 --> 00:05:19,624 he was going to cut right, right into me, and I need 122 00:05:19,624 --> 00:05:21,034 to get my thoughts together. 123 00:05:21,354 --> 00:05:24,974 And so I pulled over two lanes on the highway to get 124 00:05:24,974 --> 00:05:26,754 as further away as I could. 125 00:05:27,014 --> 00:05:29,714 And just right then, he went underneath the 126 00:05:29,714 --> 00:05:31,634 bridge and went headlong. 127 00:05:31,964 --> 00:05:33,624 Head on collision right 128 00:05:33,624 --> 00:05:34,534 into a limousine, 129 00:05:36,174 --> 00:05:38,764 killed a little girl, a little seven year old girl, 130 00:05:39,244 --> 00:05:40,604 and killed a limo driver, 131 00:05:41,164 --> 00:05:44,334 and it was a family coming back from a wedding, and 132 00:05:44,334 --> 00:05:46,924 they had done all the right things they did, they hired 133 00:05:46,924 --> 00:05:49,844 a limousine to bring them back and forth so they could 134 00:05:49,854 --> 00:05:52,354 have some drinks with their families and not get in 135 00:05:52,354 --> 00:05:56,324 this crazy situation, and the allegation was that the 136 00:05:56,324 --> 00:06:00,394 fellow who who caused the accident and although it was 137 00:06:00,394 --> 00:06:03,864 late at night, people were immediately on scnene, because 138 00:06:03,864 --> 00:06:05,174 it was a holiday weekend. 139 00:06:05,619 --> 00:06:09,979 And once I saw that, I went home, I went when you're on a 140 00:06:09,979 --> 00:06:14,029 motorcycle, you want to stay away from traffic accidents. 141 00:06:14,079 --> 00:06:16,589 There's a lot of debris on the road and people are 142 00:06:16,589 --> 00:06:17,899 looking at the accident. 143 00:06:17,909 --> 00:06:19,549 They aren't looking at anything else. 144 00:06:19,779 --> 00:06:21,689 You just don't want to get run over. 145 00:06:21,689 --> 00:06:23,799 It's a very serious situation. 146 00:06:23,799 --> 00:06:24,394 I've been. 147 00:06:24,624 --> 00:06:27,324 Riding for decades, hundreds of thousands of miles 148 00:06:27,324 --> 00:06:30,174 on my motorcycles, on my Arleys, I've been around. 149 00:06:30,184 --> 00:06:32,734 And so I know that was a dangerous situation. 150 00:06:33,144 --> 00:06:35,764 So I so I drove home and that was the end of it. 151 00:06:36,104 --> 00:06:37,674 I just went on with my life. 152 00:06:37,674 --> 00:06:39,224 I often thought about it. 153 00:06:39,589 --> 00:06:43,569 But but those types of things, as tragic as it was, 154 00:06:43,769 --> 00:06:45,459 it they happen all the time. 155 00:06:45,739 --> 00:06:47,699 And it was in the newspaper the next day, 156 00:06:47,699 --> 00:06:51,299 and they were asking for witnesses to come forward. 157 00:06:51,739 --> 00:06:54,329 But I didn't come forward because that, I felt that 158 00:06:54,399 --> 00:06:59,209 there wasn't a lot to the imagination of the allegations 159 00:06:59,209 --> 00:07:01,459 where the gentleman was drinking, he was driving 160 00:07:01,459 --> 00:07:04,689 the wrong way, he hit the limousine, he killed these 161 00:07:04,739 --> 00:07:08,459 beautiful people and can't undo it, but it seemed 162 00:07:08,459 --> 00:07:09,859 very straightforward to me. 163 00:07:10,459 --> 00:07:12,539 And that was the end of it for about a year. 164 00:07:12,914 --> 00:07:16,074 And then a year later, some friends of mine called me 165 00:07:16,074 --> 00:07:18,054 up and said, Steve, you got to look at the paper. 166 00:07:18,644 --> 00:07:20,844 And and so I, I'm a computer person. 167 00:07:20,844 --> 00:07:23,694 I, I didn't pay attention to local news. 168 00:07:23,944 --> 00:07:26,934 I was more like big news, like world news. 169 00:07:26,934 --> 00:07:28,494 Are we going to blow ourselves up today? 170 00:07:28,504 --> 00:07:29,584 Like that kind of news. 171 00:07:29,844 --> 00:07:32,004 I really wasn't that knowledgeable about 172 00:07:32,014 --> 00:07:33,274 local happenings. 173 00:07:33,564 --> 00:07:36,054 So I went out and got the paper, and on the front 174 00:07:36,054 --> 00:07:39,524 page, there was a trial going on for this fellow. 175 00:07:39,894 --> 00:07:42,184 And he was being charged with second degree 176 00:07:42,184 --> 00:07:43,924 murder, not manslaughter. 177 00:07:44,134 --> 00:07:46,324 He was being charged with second degree murder, 178 00:07:46,324 --> 00:07:48,764 and it was like the first time in the United States 179 00:07:48,794 --> 00:07:50,504 that was going to happen. 180 00:07:51,104 --> 00:07:54,114 And and after hemming and hawing it for a while as I 181 00:07:54,114 --> 00:07:55,534 came forward, I really did. 182 00:07:55,944 --> 00:07:58,544 And it was a very difficult thing for me to do. 183 00:07:58,924 --> 00:08:00,504 I was a business person. 184 00:08:00,584 --> 00:08:02,804 I owned my own business with my brother. 185 00:08:03,199 --> 00:08:05,109 And it was just a difficult thing. 186 00:08:05,109 --> 00:08:06,599 I really didn't want to do it, but I knew 187 00:08:06,599 --> 00:08:07,729 I had to come forward. 188 00:08:08,089 --> 00:08:10,359 I came forward and I testified at that trial. 189 00:08:10,359 --> 00:08:11,889 I was on the stand for two 190 00:08:11,889 --> 00:08:12,489 days. 191 00:08:12,559 --> 00:08:15,919 The defense attorney was a very, I don't know. 192 00:08:15,929 --> 00:08:17,799 I don't want to mischaracterize him 193 00:08:18,049 --> 00:08:20,479 he, in my opinion, he wasn't professional. 194 00:08:20,689 --> 00:08:23,069 And he was just trying to throw things up against 195 00:08:23,069 --> 00:08:25,459 the wall and seeing if things would stick 196 00:08:25,509 --> 00:08:27,739 and I thought that it was very apparent the fellow 197 00:08:27,739 --> 00:08:29,189 was driving the wrong way. 198 00:08:29,449 --> 00:08:31,729 The allegations he was drinking it seemed 199 00:08:31,729 --> 00:08:32,799 very straightforward. 200 00:08:33,239 --> 00:08:36,339 And and they convicted that fellow and they sentenced 201 00:08:36,339 --> 00:08:38,189 him to 16 years in prison. 202 00:08:38,919 --> 00:08:42,039 And and I had very mixed feelings about that because 203 00:08:42,039 --> 00:08:44,829 I understood the pain and suffering of the family, 204 00:08:45,069 --> 00:08:48,189 losing a little seven year old daughter and they 205 00:08:48,189 --> 00:08:50,689 were injured themselves, profoundly injured. 206 00:08:51,389 --> 00:08:53,879 But I saw the kid, and he was a kid. 207 00:08:54,189 --> 00:08:57,289 He was just a kid who made a stupid mistake. 208 00:08:57,529 --> 00:08:59,449 And for the grace of God, it wasn't me, because 209 00:08:59,449 --> 00:09:00,599 I wasn't any angel. 210 00:09:01,329 --> 00:09:05,259 And I felt I had very mixed feelings about it. 211 00:09:05,419 --> 00:09:07,349 And the family was very angry. 212 00:09:07,579 --> 00:09:09,909 They thought the judge should have been harsher 213 00:09:09,929 --> 00:09:10,999 with the defendant. 214 00:09:11,539 --> 00:09:13,129 And they were very bitter about it. 215 00:09:13,349 --> 00:09:16,929 And I understood that, but it stuck with me for quite some 216 00:09:16,929 --> 00:09:18,559 time, just their reaction. 217 00:09:18,769 --> 00:09:20,569 And I felt for them, I really did. 218 00:09:20,839 --> 00:09:23,109 But I also felt for the defendant, in the sense 219 00:09:23,109 --> 00:09:27,469 like, just a stupid kid doing a stupid mistake 220 00:09:27,479 --> 00:09:28,819 that he can't take back. 221 00:09:29,249 --> 00:09:30,119 And that was it. 222 00:09:30,604 --> 00:09:31,744 And it changed my life. 223 00:09:31,804 --> 00:09:34,314 I couldn't go back to work with my brother anymore 224 00:09:34,314 --> 00:09:35,664 after having that experience. 225 00:09:35,914 --> 00:09:39,064 And so I sold out, I sold my interest in my computer 226 00:09:39,074 --> 00:09:40,274 company to my brother. 227 00:09:40,534 --> 00:09:42,274 And I became a full time dad. 228 00:09:42,564 --> 00:09:47,154 I had two children at the time and I did not, I 229 00:09:47,154 --> 00:09:48,094 didn't want to miss out. 230 00:09:48,334 --> 00:09:51,324 I saw what that family had gone through and I wasn't 231 00:09:51,324 --> 00:09:52,744 going to miss out a moment. 232 00:09:52,744 --> 00:09:56,534 And so I did some small consulting on the side from 233 00:09:56,534 --> 00:09:58,634 my home computer consulting. 234 00:09:58,914 --> 00:10:00,914 And I took care of my kids. 235 00:10:00,914 --> 00:10:01,584 I was Mr. 236 00:10:01,584 --> 00:10:02,034 Dad. 237 00:10:02,234 --> 00:10:04,654 I even ran for the school board and I was elected 238 00:10:04,654 --> 00:10:05,754 to a school board. 239 00:10:06,064 --> 00:10:07,404 And that was a challenge. 240 00:10:07,454 --> 00:10:09,494 I was just so wrapped up in just being the 241 00:10:09,504 --> 00:10:10,774 best parent I could. 242 00:10:11,234 --> 00:10:13,334 It was my life and it was something I thought 243 00:10:13,334 --> 00:10:14,304 I was really good at. 244 00:10:14,304 --> 00:10:15,054 I really did. 245 00:10:15,594 --> 00:10:17,654 I was definitely an alt personality. 246 00:10:17,814 --> 00:10:18,684 I was a biker. 247 00:10:18,774 --> 00:10:19,594 I liked having fun. 248 00:10:19,904 --> 00:10:23,134 Work hard, play hard, but I was committed father. 249 00:10:23,164 --> 00:10:24,364 I really was. 250 00:10:24,929 --> 00:10:29,779 And that's the way it went for a while until one afternoon. 251 00:10:29,779 --> 00:10:31,269 It was Sunday afternoon. 252 00:10:31,529 --> 00:10:35,129 I decided to take my Harley Davidson out to the Hamptons. 253 00:10:35,129 --> 00:10:37,549 The Hamptons here on Long Island is like the 254 00:10:37,549 --> 00:10:40,459 hot spot where all the rich and famous go, but 255 00:10:40,459 --> 00:10:41,509 I wasn't going for that. 256 00:10:41,719 --> 00:10:44,949 There's this little hole in the wall barbecue shop 257 00:10:45,329 --> 00:10:48,099 that I would go to and I'd get some ribs there. 258 00:10:48,099 --> 00:10:50,579 You could drive past this place a million times 259 00:10:50,579 --> 00:10:51,769 and not even notice it. 260 00:10:52,139 --> 00:10:55,079 But I just happened to notice it because I, I know certain 261 00:10:55,079 --> 00:10:58,209 things, being a biker and driving all over the place you 262 00:10:58,209 --> 00:10:59,689 know, the good spots to eat. 263 00:11:00,119 --> 00:11:02,979 So I had driven out there and had some ribs. 264 00:11:02,979 --> 00:11:04,369 It was a Sunday afternoon. 265 00:11:04,369 --> 00:11:05,849 Then on my way back. 266 00:11:06,194 --> 00:11:08,324 The road was backed up for miles. 267 00:11:08,384 --> 00:11:12,374 I mean for miles and miles, the cars were not moving. 268 00:11:12,684 --> 00:11:17,114 You expect beach traffic, but it was really the spring time. 269 00:11:17,114 --> 00:11:18,444 It wasn't that warm out. 270 00:11:18,704 --> 00:11:20,684 There must have been some road construction or 271 00:11:20,684 --> 00:11:24,014 emergency road repair or something which caused it. 272 00:11:24,404 --> 00:11:27,164 But I saw people were driving on the shoulder of 273 00:11:27,164 --> 00:11:30,104 the road to get up to the next turn to make a right 274 00:11:30,104 --> 00:11:33,104 hand turn to get out of the mess and find another way. 275 00:11:33,684 --> 00:11:35,304 And after sitting there for a while, 276 00:11:35,304 --> 00:11:38,564 I decided to do that, just that, is I drove on the 277 00:11:38,564 --> 00:11:41,384 shoulder, and then when I came to the intersection 278 00:11:41,384 --> 00:11:44,794 where I was to make a right hand turn, someone had opened 279 00:11:44,794 --> 00:11:48,094 up a space for someone coming in the opposite direction 280 00:11:48,304 --> 00:11:51,324 to make a left hand turn, and so just as I was going 281 00:11:51,324 --> 00:11:54,374 into the intersection, the truck, it was a truck, 282 00:11:54,704 --> 00:11:57,194 made a left hand turn and went smashing right 283 00:11:57,194 --> 00:11:58,214 into the side of me. 284 00:11:58,764 --> 00:12:01,654 Yeah, it crushed my whole left hand side, 285 00:12:01,654 --> 00:12:04,064 everything I'll go into that a little bit, but 286 00:12:05,064 --> 00:12:05,964 the lights went out. 287 00:12:06,184 --> 00:12:08,242 I had no idea what had happened. 288 00:12:08,242 --> 00:12:10,752 Rod Bland: So you saw the truck and that was, it was 289 00:12:10,752 --> 00:12:14,182 like just a split second and that was truck boom gone. 290 00:12:15,207 --> 00:12:16,277 Stephen Weber: I didn't even see the truck. 291 00:12:16,317 --> 00:12:18,177 They did, these are all things that from reading 292 00:12:18,177 --> 00:12:20,487 the police report and stuff, I didn't see anything. 293 00:12:20,487 --> 00:12:22,367 I didn't know anything had happened. 294 00:12:22,747 --> 00:12:26,697 And the next things I realized is that I was laying 295 00:12:26,697 --> 00:12:30,567 on the ground, and I was looking straight up, and 296 00:12:30,897 --> 00:12:34,167 there was all these flashing lights all over the place. 297 00:12:34,492 --> 00:12:36,912 And it was actually starting to get dark out. 298 00:12:37,342 --> 00:12:41,002 And I realized some time must have passed because 299 00:12:41,712 --> 00:12:43,212 everything was changed. 300 00:12:43,492 --> 00:12:46,072 And I remember looking around and thinking to myself. 301 00:12:46,817 --> 00:12:48,927 This is going to be like no other day. 302 00:12:49,027 --> 00:12:51,347 There was no getting up from this because that's 303 00:12:51,347 --> 00:12:53,517 one of the first things I tried to do is get up 304 00:12:53,797 --> 00:12:55,777 because as a biker, right? 305 00:12:55,967 --> 00:12:56,777 Or wrong. 306 00:12:57,017 --> 00:12:59,687 There's a saying, if you go down, get up because if you 307 00:12:59,687 --> 00:13:02,677 don't get up, you stay down, you will stay down, you'll 308 00:13:02,717 --> 00:13:04,537 get up right away and I tried. 309 00:13:04,842 --> 00:13:06,752 And I felt my leg was disconnected. 310 00:13:06,762 --> 00:13:09,542 It was, the skin was still there, but my leg was 311 00:13:09,542 --> 00:13:14,512 just flopping all around and ah, such intense 312 00:13:14,562 --> 00:13:16,742 pain that I blacked out. 313 00:13:17,692 --> 00:13:21,582 And then and then the next thing I knew is I was. 314 00:13:22,887 --> 00:13:23,927 Sailing through the air. 315 00:13:24,357 --> 00:13:27,407 I was going higher and I was going through the clouds and 316 00:13:27,407 --> 00:13:31,357 I was thinking, what someone would think in that situation. 317 00:13:31,422 --> 00:13:32,412 Rod Bland: What's happening here. 318 00:13:33,917 --> 00:13:35,997 Stephen Weber: Yeah, because it was everything 319 00:13:35,997 --> 00:13:39,227 was so surreal and I didn't realize it. 320 00:13:39,557 --> 00:13:42,687 Until I started to go down out of the clouds, 321 00:13:42,997 --> 00:13:46,737 and then I saw a big circle with an H in the middle 322 00:13:46,737 --> 00:13:49,467 of it, and I realized I was in a helicopter 323 00:13:49,467 --> 00:13:53,397 and I was being airlifted to Stony Brook Hospital, and I 324 00:13:53,417 --> 00:13:56,557 knew that hospital because I'm a graduate of the university 325 00:13:56,557 --> 00:13:57,497 there at Stony Brook. 326 00:13:57,667 --> 00:14:00,047 My daughter's a graduate of this university. 327 00:14:00,047 --> 00:14:02,617 My mom's a graduate of the university. 328 00:14:02,617 --> 00:14:04,437 It's a cornerstone of our community. 329 00:14:04,717 --> 00:14:06,547 And it's one of the most premier trauma 330 00:14:06,557 --> 00:14:07,667 centers in the world. 331 00:14:07,927 --> 00:14:09,827 They just do incredible work there. 332 00:14:10,087 --> 00:14:13,107 I think they invented the sonogram or they did so 333 00:14:13,107 --> 00:14:17,467 many of the tests and micro grafting surgery to reattach 334 00:14:17,487 --> 00:14:20,667 limbs and such that it's just a tremendous trauma center 335 00:14:20,667 --> 00:14:23,817 outside of about 50 miles outside of New York city. 336 00:14:24,337 --> 00:14:26,177 And I was outside of the helicopter. 337 00:14:26,177 --> 00:14:27,787 It was if you remember from MASH. 338 00:14:28,017 --> 00:14:30,927 The way the helicopter was really small and it 339 00:14:30,927 --> 00:14:32,177 can't fit you inside. 340 00:14:32,177 --> 00:14:33,517 So they have these pontoons. 341 00:14:33,517 --> 00:14:38,687 And so I was outside and all these things, it 342 00:14:38,687 --> 00:14:41,277 just took me a while to realize what was going on. 343 00:14:41,657 --> 00:14:46,447 And then when they rolled me off the helicopter, I realized 344 00:14:46,497 --> 00:14:49,897 that was the last time I was on this earth in my mind. 345 00:14:50,567 --> 00:14:51,637 In my hospital bed. 346 00:14:51,657 --> 00:14:53,027 I was in a coma for a month. 347 00:14:53,422 --> 00:14:57,412 But in my soul, where I was, I spent a lifetime, 348 00:14:57,422 --> 00:14:58,602 lifetimes there. 349 00:14:58,962 --> 00:15:01,762 And it's a place I call between here and there. 350 00:15:02,092 --> 00:15:03,952 And it was surreal. 351 00:15:03,962 --> 00:15:07,182 It was the most intense, most beautiful experience 352 00:15:07,192 --> 00:15:08,222 someone could have. 353 00:15:08,602 --> 00:15:09,652 I didn't expect it. 354 00:15:09,782 --> 00:15:10,982 I didn't expect any of this. 355 00:15:11,602 --> 00:15:13,682 And I was profoundly ill. 356 00:15:13,892 --> 00:15:15,332 I was bleeding internally. 357 00:15:15,332 --> 00:15:18,522 They had to do several surgeries to stabilize, 358 00:15:18,742 --> 00:15:19,862 stop the bleeding. 359 00:15:20,092 --> 00:15:22,082 My whole body was crushed. 360 00:15:22,082 --> 00:15:24,292 They had to do all this surgery to put all these 361 00:15:24,302 --> 00:15:25,772 metal implants in me. 362 00:15:25,992 --> 00:15:28,372 And then my back, my vertebrae were crushed. 363 00:15:28,372 --> 00:15:31,342 They had to put these two steel rods in it. 364 00:15:31,652 --> 00:15:34,792 And then I was in a coma and at first I didn't 365 00:15:34,792 --> 00:15:36,172 know I was anywhere else. 366 00:15:36,762 --> 00:15:39,682 I thought I was at work. 367 00:15:40,922 --> 00:15:41,962 Really, it was... 368 00:15:42,317 --> 00:15:44,407 It was no different than anything else I was 369 00:15:44,407 --> 00:15:49,847 experiencing and when I say I was in another place, a 370 00:15:49,847 --> 00:15:54,537 place between here and there, it's like purgatory that I 371 00:15:54,537 --> 00:15:58,337 learned as a Catholic, except for Catholics learn purgatory 372 00:15:58,337 --> 00:15:59,837 as a place of punishment. 373 00:15:59,967 --> 00:16:02,127 You're not good enough to go to heaven, but you're not 374 00:16:02,127 --> 00:16:03,297 bad enough to go to hell. 375 00:16:03,407 --> 00:16:05,767 Go to this middle place where you do penance and you... 376 00:16:06,947 --> 00:16:10,107 Absolve yourself of sins and then you could be in heaven. 377 00:16:10,457 --> 00:16:12,537 But it wasn't like that for me. 378 00:16:12,857 --> 00:16:15,697 It was a place of learning and understanding. 379 00:16:16,087 --> 00:16:20,707 And it was what I felt, what I feel now is that in 380 00:16:20,707 --> 00:16:22,267 the same way, your body. 381 00:16:22,957 --> 00:16:26,497 transitions to come from spirit into a physical 382 00:16:26,507 --> 00:16:29,957 form, your body also transitions to go from a 383 00:16:29,957 --> 00:16:32,297 physical form into spirit. 384 00:16:32,437 --> 00:16:33,897 It's not like a switch. 385 00:16:33,907 --> 00:16:36,467 I don't believe that all of a sudden you're alive 386 00:16:36,467 --> 00:16:40,527 and now you're past and now you're in forever. 387 00:16:42,297 --> 00:16:43,357 It's a process. 388 00:16:43,457 --> 00:16:44,937 It has to take place. 389 00:16:45,117 --> 00:16:46,917 At least that's what I've come to learn. 390 00:16:47,247 --> 00:16:49,457 And then one of the first things is I 391 00:16:49,457 --> 00:16:50,657 learned in that place. 392 00:16:52,162 --> 00:16:56,882 It seemed like I shared all of my experiences. 393 00:16:57,717 --> 00:17:01,547 I shared everything that I had with the All 394 00:17:01,547 --> 00:17:04,717 That Is, and I received certain wisdom, certain 395 00:17:04,727 --> 00:17:07,247 knowledge that I needed 396 00:17:07,397 --> 00:17:10,157 in order to make this transformation into spirit, 397 00:17:10,317 --> 00:17:14,127 to make sense of my life that had passed so far, to 398 00:17:14,127 --> 00:17:17,827 be able to grow my awareness through my experiences, and 399 00:17:17,827 --> 00:17:24,737 so, um, I was, Sat down at a table and someone said, okay, 400 00:17:24,737 --> 00:17:28,797 Steve, this is spirituality 101, start chapter one. 401 00:17:28,947 --> 00:17:30,237 It was nothing like that. 402 00:17:30,517 --> 00:17:34,777 It was the very first things I learned is how to see 403 00:17:35,017 --> 00:17:39,767 spirit, how to sense spirit in everybody and everything. 404 00:17:40,467 --> 00:17:43,687 And the way I was taught and I have to stress, I 405 00:17:43,697 --> 00:17:47,087 never felt like there was a spirit's hand on this. 406 00:17:47,367 --> 00:17:49,357 It felt like things just happened. 407 00:17:49,617 --> 00:17:53,717 It really, it wasn't like, like I, I saw Jesus or 408 00:17:53,747 --> 00:17:55,397 I saw this white light. 409 00:17:55,397 --> 00:17:56,767 I didn't see any of that. 410 00:17:56,957 --> 00:18:00,927 What I had was this experience and what the experience was 411 00:18:00,927 --> 00:18:04,067 is I saw a friend of mine, a gentleman who I worked 412 00:18:04,067 --> 00:18:06,867 with 20 years ago and I hadn't seen him for 20 years. 413 00:18:07,277 --> 00:18:09,257 And I saw him and I was talking to him. 414 00:18:09,257 --> 00:18:11,667 I recognized him right away and we said 415 00:18:11,667 --> 00:18:12,887 hello to each other. 416 00:18:13,307 --> 00:18:15,657 But what was odd about it is that he hadn't 417 00:18:15,687 --> 00:18:17,547 aged a bit in 20 years. 418 00:18:17,797 --> 00:18:18,757 Nothing, not a bit. 419 00:18:18,767 --> 00:18:20,027 He was still the same guy. 420 00:18:20,257 --> 00:18:23,907 He was like from Haiti and he spoke this French, Creole, 421 00:18:23,907 --> 00:18:25,267 English kind of language. 422 00:18:25,447 --> 00:18:27,527 And it was very expressive because he really didn't 423 00:18:27,527 --> 00:18:28,597 know all the words. 424 00:18:28,597 --> 00:18:31,247 And so we pantomime him out as he talked. 425 00:18:31,247 --> 00:18:32,767 And he was really a jolly fellow. 426 00:18:32,767 --> 00:18:34,277 I really enjoyed his company. 427 00:18:34,517 --> 00:18:36,627 But I only worked with him for a year. 428 00:18:37,057 --> 00:18:39,847 So I really didn't know his, and in retrospect, I would 429 00:18:39,847 --> 00:18:41,257 think, why was he there? 430 00:18:41,397 --> 00:18:43,387 Why was he the one showing me this? 431 00:18:43,757 --> 00:18:47,687 But but then he appeared to me again, but he was an old man. 432 00:18:47,877 --> 00:18:52,257 He was like 80 years old and I didn't recognize him at first. 433 00:18:52,677 --> 00:18:54,517 And but then he did his mannerisms. 434 00:18:54,557 --> 00:18:56,607 He acted out things the way that he does. 435 00:18:56,967 --> 00:18:59,617 And I said, aren't you so and so? 436 00:19:00,157 --> 00:19:01,777 and he said, yeah, how'd you guess? 437 00:19:02,957 --> 00:19:05,797 And that was the starting of this game, is this 438 00:19:05,797 --> 00:19:09,097 guy appeared to me in every shape and form. 439 00:19:09,257 --> 00:19:12,497 Sometimes he appeared to me as a lady, other time he appeared 440 00:19:12,507 --> 00:19:17,167 to me as an Asian person or from South America or he would 441 00:19:17,167 --> 00:19:20,667 change all these ethnicities and ages and everything. 442 00:19:20,962 --> 00:19:23,942 And over a period of time, and I keep on guessing 443 00:19:23,942 --> 00:19:27,022 him, sometimes it took me a while, but over a period 444 00:19:27,022 --> 00:19:30,372 of time is that I didn't really have to concentrate 445 00:19:30,582 --> 00:19:34,522 on like a mannerism to tip me off to who he was. 446 00:19:34,792 --> 00:19:38,102 As I start to feel like an energy like there was 447 00:19:38,132 --> 00:19:40,952 something no matter what his form on the outside 448 00:19:40,952 --> 00:19:43,492 changed, there was still part of it that I could 449 00:19:43,702 --> 00:19:45,982 sense that didn't change. 450 00:19:46,587 --> 00:19:50,067 And as time went on as I didn't even have to see 451 00:19:50,067 --> 00:19:52,987 him, I didn't even have to look at him, I could just 452 00:19:53,217 --> 00:19:55,257 sense and feel his energy. 453 00:19:55,977 --> 00:20:01,397 And that was when I realized what I was seeing was his 454 00:20:01,397 --> 00:20:06,147 true spirit, his satnam his soul, that part of you that 455 00:20:06,307 --> 00:20:09,897 perhaps was born with the universe or created with 456 00:20:09,897 --> 00:20:14,667 the universe, or always was, but perhaps, It grows and 457 00:20:14,667 --> 00:20:19,357 develops over time and so by me seeing him and seeing 458 00:20:19,357 --> 00:20:22,827 him in all these shapes and sizes is that I realized that 459 00:20:22,827 --> 00:20:26,717 I could see and sense spirit and once I could do that is 460 00:20:26,717 --> 00:20:28,307 I start to look around me. 461 00:20:28,807 --> 00:20:31,137 And all of a sudden I saw everything in a different 462 00:20:31,137 --> 00:20:34,517 light now because that I could sense spirit 463 00:20:34,777 --> 00:20:38,197 and I started to realize everything has a spirit, 464 00:20:38,457 --> 00:20:41,277 everything, the plants, the trees, the 465 00:20:41,277 --> 00:20:42,777 animals, the universe. 466 00:20:43,117 --> 00:20:46,947 And I started to understand that all these 467 00:20:46,957 --> 00:20:50,097 spirits are unique, but they're also connected. 468 00:20:50,667 --> 00:20:54,507 That together, perhaps, I'm just saying perhaps, I call 469 00:20:54,507 --> 00:20:58,027 it the universe according to Steve very laughingly, is 470 00:20:58,027 --> 00:21:03,217 that I'm just saying perhaps we are all connected and 471 00:21:03,217 --> 00:21:07,147 that all of us and all of our experiences make up the 472 00:21:07,147 --> 00:21:12,032 consciousness and I believe Now that I believe that's the 473 00:21:12,032 --> 00:21:13,542 consciousness of the Creator. 474 00:21:13,892 --> 00:21:17,002 I believe that the creation and the Creator are one. 475 00:21:17,332 --> 00:21:20,842 Whether you believe in the Big Bang or let there be light, 476 00:21:21,042 --> 00:21:22,952 it explains the same thing. 477 00:21:23,092 --> 00:21:27,052 All of creation coming from a singularity and an infinite 478 00:21:27,052 --> 00:21:33,007 expansion and this whole scenario plays out where, Many 479 00:21:33,037 --> 00:21:37,587 planets and many individuals and many species evolve and 480 00:21:37,597 --> 00:21:43,047 grow and develop spirit and eventually come to realize 481 00:21:43,227 --> 00:21:45,507 that they are the creator. 482 00:21:45,677 --> 00:21:49,087 If we think about now, if we think about where we are with 483 00:21:49,097 --> 00:21:53,307 technology, CRISPR technology and gene editing, and we've 484 00:21:53,307 --> 00:21:56,967 just come that this way in a short period of time, imagine 485 00:21:56,967 --> 00:21:59,647 us a thousand years from now, if we don't blow ourselves up. 486 00:21:59,662 --> 00:22:02,532 First, about the technology and what 487 00:22:02,562 --> 00:22:04,092 we'll be able to create. 488 00:22:04,612 --> 00:22:08,292 And what I really think is that perhaps, just perhaps 489 00:22:08,642 --> 00:22:12,452 I'll get off my thing in just a second, but perhaps the 490 00:22:12,452 --> 00:22:16,392 very purpose of life is to learn and grow and to really 491 00:22:16,432 --> 00:22:19,662 add to the consciousness of the creation and the creator 492 00:22:19,662 --> 00:22:21,282 through our experiences. 493 00:22:21,707 --> 00:22:23,707 And that was one of the first things I believe I 494 00:22:23,707 --> 00:22:26,957 learned there is really that everything has a spirit. 495 00:22:27,137 --> 00:22:30,477 We're all connected and perhaps we make up the 496 00:22:30,477 --> 00:22:33,677 consciousness of the creation that the creator and creation 497 00:22:33,677 --> 00:22:37,647 are one and that was my very first experience, but that 498 00:22:37,647 --> 00:22:40,477 was the first experience of many to come because that 499 00:22:40,937 --> 00:22:44,147 when I was there this kept on happening with this fellow 500 00:22:44,197 --> 00:22:47,927 and me recognizing who he is, and it kept on going on 501 00:22:47,927 --> 00:22:49,597 until I stopped learning. 502 00:22:49,967 --> 00:22:52,927 And each time I stopped learning, I was presented 503 00:22:53,087 --> 00:22:54,497 with another scenario. 504 00:22:54,812 --> 00:22:57,462 that brought my learning to the next level. 505 00:22:57,932 --> 00:23:02,232 And so the very next scenario was I had a life 506 00:23:02,232 --> 00:23:06,972 review and my life review went over and over again. 507 00:23:07,292 --> 00:23:11,092 I reviewed all the aspects of my life, but now I 508 00:23:11,092 --> 00:23:13,532 could see spirit and I could sense spirit in 509 00:23:13,532 --> 00:23:14,892 everybody and everything. 510 00:23:15,232 --> 00:23:19,237 So as I start to replay my life, Each scenario took on 511 00:23:19,247 --> 00:23:21,977 a different meaning because that I could see what 512 00:23:21,977 --> 00:23:23,737 everyone else was feeling. 513 00:23:24,167 --> 00:23:28,587 And so to me, my reality was my reality, but every other 514 00:23:28,627 --> 00:23:32,557 person in that situation had their own reality as well. 515 00:23:33,077 --> 00:23:35,937 And so as I start to go through all these scenarios 516 00:23:35,937 --> 00:23:39,167 in life is I learned more and more things. 517 00:23:39,917 --> 00:23:43,137 And then when I got to the end of my life review, 518 00:23:43,487 --> 00:23:47,387 my awareness was raised and I would go through 519 00:23:47,387 --> 00:23:48,787 my life review again, 520 00:23:49,067 --> 00:23:52,247 because I was able to get more and more out of my life review 521 00:23:52,247 --> 00:23:55,427 each time I went through it, because at the end of my life 522 00:23:55,427 --> 00:23:59,472 review, My understanding, my awareness was raised 523 00:23:59,472 --> 00:24:02,322 and I was ready to learn more from my experiences. 524 00:24:02,842 --> 00:24:05,572 And one of the things I learned that was so valuable 525 00:24:05,782 --> 00:24:09,022 is some of the most terrible experiences in my life. 526 00:24:09,382 --> 00:24:12,922 One of the most heartbreaking things that I've had the 527 00:24:12,922 --> 00:24:15,772 jealousy and the hatred towards myself and other 528 00:24:15,772 --> 00:24:23,107 people that, that once I lived through those, And I had my 529 00:24:23,107 --> 00:24:27,557 life review over and over, I began to understand those 530 00:24:27,577 --> 00:24:28,967 things in a different light. 531 00:24:29,227 --> 00:24:32,697 And once I began to understand it, is I would feel like 532 00:24:32,697 --> 00:24:36,257 a weight was lifted off me, is that I didn't have 533 00:24:36,257 --> 00:24:39,527 any of those hatreds or animosities ashamed anymore. 534 00:24:39,747 --> 00:24:42,227 Because once I understood it, and I learned what 535 00:24:42,227 --> 00:24:45,497 I had to learn from it, I, it was liberating. 536 00:24:45,507 --> 00:24:46,647 It was blissful. 537 00:24:46,667 --> 00:24:47,947 It truly was. 538 00:24:48,347 --> 00:24:51,837 is I knew every day that I went through my life review 539 00:24:52,057 --> 00:24:54,577 is that I knew it was going to be a really bad time. 540 00:24:54,697 --> 00:24:58,417 I really, because you had to face some really tough things. 541 00:24:58,817 --> 00:25:01,947 And but at the end that I would feel blissful. 542 00:25:02,087 --> 00:25:02,837 I really would. 543 00:25:02,837 --> 00:25:03,757 And I like bliss. 544 00:25:03,757 --> 00:25:04,977 I really do. 545 00:25:06,217 --> 00:25:09,767 And I just, it drove me, it almost drove an urgency. 546 00:25:09,817 --> 00:25:13,017 It drove an urgency for me to learn more and more. 547 00:25:13,392 --> 00:25:14,282 And grow. 548 00:25:14,772 --> 00:25:17,752 And that went over time and time again, a lot closer 549 00:25:17,752 --> 00:25:19,172 to infinity than one. 550 00:25:19,552 --> 00:25:22,922 And it kept on happening until I stopped learning. 551 00:25:23,742 --> 00:25:25,612 And then when I stopped, nothing. 552 00:25:25,892 --> 00:25:27,352 Rod Bland: Steve, it almost sounds like you're on a 553 00:25:27,742 --> 00:25:30,312 therapist couch where you're talking about your experiences 554 00:25:30,312 --> 00:25:33,372 and then you integrate and process that and then you 555 00:25:33,542 --> 00:25:35,562 move on to the next one. 556 00:25:36,502 --> 00:25:38,112 Stephen Weber: No, and it's so true because I 557 00:25:38,112 --> 00:25:39,822 apply that in my life now. 558 00:25:39,822 --> 00:25:43,212 That's one of those changes that really made such a 559 00:25:43,212 --> 00:25:46,382 positive difference in my life in the here and now is that 560 00:25:46,382 --> 00:25:48,592 I constantly do life reviews. 561 00:25:48,802 --> 00:25:51,892 In fact, if I can't look back six months ago and say 562 00:25:51,892 --> 00:25:55,247 what a jerk I was, I'm really not learning and growing, 563 00:25:55,607 --> 00:25:58,677 nobody, if not learning and growing, why are you here? 564 00:25:59,067 --> 00:26:02,187 And so that's why that life review was so important to 565 00:26:02,187 --> 00:26:06,027 me because not only did it enable me to grow there, 566 00:26:06,247 --> 00:26:07,827 but enabled me to grow here. 567 00:26:07,827 --> 00:26:11,107 Once I learned the value of it, like anytime, some 568 00:26:11,147 --> 00:26:13,537 people, when they find out their faults, they feel 569 00:26:13,537 --> 00:26:16,097 shame or they uncomfortable, or they deny it. 570 00:26:16,257 --> 00:26:17,487 Me, I get excited. 571 00:26:17,577 --> 00:26:20,177 I get excited because it's okay, I'm going to learn it. 572 00:26:20,207 --> 00:26:21,197 I'm going to grow from this. 573 00:26:21,197 --> 00:26:23,797 I am, I'm gonna, I'm gonna do it, and I 574 00:26:23,817 --> 00:26:25,037 don't even have that. 575 00:26:25,497 --> 00:26:28,867 Sometimes it, you know, can upset people close to me. 576 00:26:28,867 --> 00:26:30,507 Like when I make mistakes, it really doesn't 577 00:26:30,557 --> 00:26:31,627 bother me that much. 578 00:26:31,697 --> 00:26:34,837 I have empathy and remorse in those things, but I don't beat 579 00:26:34,847 --> 00:26:37,987 myself over the head for it as long as I learned from it. 580 00:26:37,987 --> 00:26:39,677 And I'm not a person of malice. 581 00:26:39,677 --> 00:26:42,337 I really not concerned about that. 582 00:26:42,337 --> 00:26:45,417 It's just, you learn and grow, and that's and 583 00:26:46,017 --> 00:26:46,937 that's really the mission. 584 00:26:46,937 --> 00:26:48,447 That's what I learned, at least, from those 585 00:26:48,637 --> 00:26:49,887 life experiences. 586 00:26:49,937 --> 00:26:51,967 Rod Bland: I know time is a relative thing and 587 00:26:51,967 --> 00:26:54,127 time doesn't really exist when you're outside of 588 00:26:54,127 --> 00:26:57,237 this physical reality, but how many of those life 589 00:26:57,237 --> 00:26:58,817 experience reviews do you, oh 590 00:26:58,837 --> 00:27:01,257 you did actually say closer to infinity than one, yeah. 591 00:27:01,702 --> 00:27:03,517 Stephen Weber: But I want to say something about the time, 592 00:27:03,517 --> 00:27:04,817 because that's a really important 593 00:27:04,817 --> 00:27:05,927 point that you raised. 594 00:27:06,317 --> 00:27:09,987 Is that time didn't exist there like it exists here. 595 00:27:10,037 --> 00:27:12,747 For instance, here you have appointments in the future. 596 00:27:12,747 --> 00:27:14,077 You can see the calendar. 597 00:27:14,327 --> 00:27:15,087 You can cook. 598 00:27:15,107 --> 00:27:16,187 The grass grows. 599 00:27:16,197 --> 00:27:17,417 The weather changes. 600 00:27:17,822 --> 00:27:19,482 There, it isn't like that. 601 00:27:19,532 --> 00:27:21,452 Everything's about the experiences. 602 00:27:21,752 --> 00:27:23,782 Nothing, none of this happens unless it's 603 00:27:23,862 --> 00:27:25,392 part of an experience. 604 00:27:25,682 --> 00:27:29,082 And so really the way that you sense time, and time 605 00:27:29,082 --> 00:27:32,802 moving on, is that you sense your personal growth. 606 00:27:33,072 --> 00:27:36,582 All the understandings, how you learned along the way, 607 00:27:36,772 --> 00:27:39,237 and that when I was going through my life review is 608 00:27:39,237 --> 00:27:42,062 that what gave my sense of time is that I remember when 609 00:27:42,062 --> 00:27:45,212 I started my life review, where I was mentally and how 610 00:27:45,212 --> 00:27:48,392 I had to work through all of this stuff to get where I, my 611 00:27:48,392 --> 00:27:51,942 understanding is now, and that gave you the sense of time. 612 00:27:52,292 --> 00:27:55,922 That's why I believe so much, everything about life 613 00:27:55,922 --> 00:27:57,442 is getting experiences. 614 00:27:57,692 --> 00:28:00,412 If you went om on a mountain all day, and I, and that 615 00:28:00,412 --> 00:28:02,702 may be important for some people, I don't know. 616 00:28:03,062 --> 00:28:05,312 But you're not getting life experiences. 617 00:28:05,492 --> 00:28:06,632 You have to be out there. 618 00:28:06,632 --> 00:28:07,602 You have to laugh. 619 00:28:07,602 --> 00:28:08,722 You have to cry. 620 00:28:08,942 --> 00:28:10,382 You have to make mistakes. 621 00:28:10,542 --> 00:28:11,712 You have to love. 622 00:28:11,752 --> 00:28:14,772 You have to do all these things and still be able 623 00:28:14,772 --> 00:28:17,832 to dust yourself off at the end of the day and put one 624 00:28:17,842 --> 00:28:19,002 foot in front of the other. 625 00:28:19,252 --> 00:28:22,262 So you get so many more of these life experiences. 626 00:28:22,452 --> 00:28:24,552 If I didn't have these life experiences, I 627 00:28:24,552 --> 00:28:25,332 would have nothing. 628 00:28:25,632 --> 00:28:27,702 I would be bored but really. 629 00:28:27,912 --> 00:28:29,592 Time wouldn't move at all because I'd have 630 00:28:29,592 --> 00:28:30,872 nothing to reflect upon. 631 00:28:31,102 --> 00:28:32,372 At least that's what I believe. 632 00:28:32,584 --> 00:28:35,594 Rod Bland: So the life reviews came to an end at some point. 633 00:28:36,094 --> 00:28:39,664 Was there always someone there with you or did you 634 00:28:39,664 --> 00:28:42,444 just have this general sense of spirit or the creator 635 00:28:42,444 --> 00:28:44,104 that was there with you as you were going through that? 636 00:28:44,369 --> 00:28:46,289 Stephen Weber: I know this is very much unlike 637 00:28:46,289 --> 00:28:49,539 many other people's life, NDEs, but I didn't 638 00:28:49,689 --> 00:28:53,889 sense like an individual, like a Jesus or a God. 639 00:28:54,149 --> 00:28:56,299 It was, everything was all around. 640 00:28:56,329 --> 00:28:57,749 It was like, it was everything. 641 00:28:57,749 --> 00:28:59,449 Like I remember when I was a kid, they would 642 00:28:59,449 --> 00:29:00,779 say, God is everywhere. 643 00:29:00,829 --> 00:29:02,289 And I'd be like little eyes. 644 00:29:02,289 --> 00:29:04,979 You can see me going to the bathroom, it was like, 645 00:29:05,249 --> 00:29:07,519 you would have those kinds of thoughts as a child, 646 00:29:07,539 --> 00:29:09,969 but it wasn't until I was in that other place where. 647 00:29:10,394 --> 00:29:11,504 It's everything. 648 00:29:11,514 --> 00:29:14,024 And that's what gave me the understanding. 649 00:29:14,034 --> 00:29:17,004 At least what I felt was that the creator and the 650 00:29:17,004 --> 00:29:20,394 creation of one is that it wasn't like one set of eyes. 651 00:29:20,394 --> 00:29:22,264 It was like complete understanding that 652 00:29:22,264 --> 00:29:23,414 surrounded everything. 653 00:29:23,944 --> 00:29:25,714 And I hope that answers your question. 654 00:29:25,714 --> 00:29:26,724 I could babble on for a while. 655 00:29:27,249 --> 00:29:28,179 Rod Bland: It's a paradigm, isn't it? 656 00:29:28,179 --> 00:29:31,049 Because we see with our eyes, we individualize 657 00:29:31,049 --> 00:29:33,509 things and to try to explain something that's outside 658 00:29:33,509 --> 00:29:35,349 of that paradigm it's not an easy thing to either 659 00:29:35,349 --> 00:29:36,779 explain or grasp, I think. 660 00:29:37,764 --> 00:29:39,494 Stephen Weber: It's very true, but but I 661 00:29:39,494 --> 00:29:41,864 do think it's important to for me to do my best 662 00:29:41,864 --> 00:29:44,824 because having that life review is one of those lessons 663 00:29:45,094 --> 00:29:47,394 that you could really learn in the here and now that would 664 00:29:47,434 --> 00:29:51,004 change your life, is to have a very critical but honest 665 00:29:51,414 --> 00:29:53,194 and kind eye towards yourself. 666 00:29:53,224 --> 00:29:55,884 But truly to identify those faults in yourself, which 667 00:29:55,884 --> 00:29:58,724 you can learn and grow, a lot of the things, a lot of 668 00:29:58,734 --> 00:30:01,734 the issues that we have in life, we've ingrained them 669 00:30:01,734 --> 00:30:04,224 when they happened like if the dog bites you when you're 670 00:30:04,224 --> 00:30:06,934 seven years old, you can go through your whole life and 671 00:30:06,934 --> 00:30:10,369 just be afraid of dogs and react all of a sudden towards 672 00:30:10,369 --> 00:30:15,109 dogs, as opposed to if you were to review that situation 673 00:30:15,119 --> 00:30:18,899 with the understanding the life experience of a 40 674 00:30:18,899 --> 00:30:22,949 or 50 year old, you may now understand is that you 675 00:30:22,949 --> 00:30:24,909 could tell the difference between an aggressive 676 00:30:24,909 --> 00:30:26,119 dog and a friendly dog. 677 00:30:26,119 --> 00:30:27,859 So you don't have to be afraid of all dogs. 678 00:30:28,069 --> 00:30:30,269 You have to use your sense to figure it out. 679 00:30:30,269 --> 00:30:32,999 And those, that's what a life review does. 680 00:30:33,199 --> 00:30:34,729 It releases those blockages. 681 00:30:34,729 --> 00:30:37,524 You can have that blockage for all your life and never 682 00:30:37,564 --> 00:30:41,624 be around dogs and, be very afraid of them, or you can 683 00:30:41,624 --> 00:30:44,524 revisit it with the wisdom of your life experience. 684 00:30:44,704 --> 00:30:47,674 And that's really the true beauty of the life review 685 00:30:47,884 --> 00:30:50,384 and how it's manifested in our lives here and now 686 00:30:50,384 --> 00:30:51,384 it's one of those things. 687 00:30:52,399 --> 00:30:52,789 Do it. 688 00:30:52,869 --> 00:30:55,439 You'll be a happier person, in my humble opinion. 689 00:30:56,389 --> 00:30:58,059 Rod Bland: While you're there having your life 690 00:30:58,059 --> 00:31:01,419 reviews, what else did you see and did you have were 691 00:31:01,419 --> 00:31:02,579 your senses like sight? 692 00:31:02,579 --> 00:31:03,619 Could you hear things? 693 00:31:03,619 --> 00:31:04,569 Could you smell things? 694 00:31:04,569 --> 00:31:05,529 Could you touch things? 695 00:31:06,029 --> 00:31:07,969 Was that there or was it something different to that? 696 00:31:09,109 --> 00:31:09,979 Stephen Weber: It was different. 697 00:31:10,059 --> 00:31:13,569 And what I mean by that is, when I say I talked, 698 00:31:13,569 --> 00:31:14,799 I really didn't talk. 699 00:31:15,199 --> 00:31:16,269 Nobody talked. 700 00:31:16,279 --> 00:31:17,529 It was just an awareness. 701 00:31:17,529 --> 00:31:19,699 Even when I was playing that game with my friend. 702 00:31:19,949 --> 00:31:21,579 It wasn't like we really talked. 703 00:31:21,579 --> 00:31:22,069 It was like, 704 00:31:24,039 --> 00:31:27,309 it's tough to say how the communication was, but I knew. 705 00:31:27,569 --> 00:31:31,229 What he was, wanted to know and wanted to share. 706 00:31:31,419 --> 00:31:33,979 And I could tell he knew what I wanted to know or 707 00:31:33,979 --> 00:31:35,289 what I wanted to share. 708 00:31:35,499 --> 00:31:36,809 And that's the way it went. 709 00:31:36,809 --> 00:31:40,379 It wasn't like, like Star Trek when the head moves 710 00:31:40,379 --> 00:31:44,139 and they see pumping and you hear someone talking, 711 00:31:44,139 --> 00:31:46,669 but they're not talking like you read the back. 712 00:31:46,689 --> 00:31:47,379 No, it's not. 713 00:31:47,409 --> 00:31:51,289 That is that you can feel certain things and it has 714 00:31:51,289 --> 00:31:52,669 nothing to do with speech. 715 00:31:52,669 --> 00:31:55,879 You can feel and sense intent and knowledge and 716 00:31:56,249 --> 00:31:57,699 that's how I interacted. 717 00:31:58,294 --> 00:32:03,804 It wasn't that like I can walk to the store or something. 718 00:32:04,024 --> 00:32:07,454 It was that these scenes played over and over again. 719 00:32:07,654 --> 00:32:10,564 I couldn't choose where I was going or what I was doing. 720 00:32:10,564 --> 00:32:13,614 I didn't try, I didn't try, I just, everything 721 00:32:13,614 --> 00:32:14,514 just happened. 722 00:32:14,844 --> 00:32:18,714 But once I was in that situation, it appeared to me 723 00:32:18,894 --> 00:32:20,674 that I had a lot of free will. 724 00:32:20,859 --> 00:32:23,569 on what I can choose to do or what I can choose 725 00:32:23,569 --> 00:32:27,089 to understand is that it was almost like a play. 726 00:32:27,459 --> 00:32:31,049 Is that is that you had the scene, all your focus was 727 00:32:31,059 --> 00:32:32,499 what was going on there. 728 00:32:32,739 --> 00:32:35,249 There could be all stuff around me or there could 729 00:32:35,259 --> 00:32:36,429 be nothing around me. 730 00:32:36,669 --> 00:32:39,494 I wouldn't know because It just didn't occur to you 731 00:32:39,494 --> 00:32:43,274 to focus on that because everything was about this 732 00:32:43,284 --> 00:32:45,254 interaction that was going on. 733 00:32:45,504 --> 00:32:48,484 So it wasn't that I ate or slept unless that was 734 00:32:48,494 --> 00:32:49,764 part of the experience. 735 00:32:49,934 --> 00:32:52,704 And for me, I didn't have those kinds of experiences 736 00:32:52,764 --> 00:32:56,004 but later on, there was one point where I saw sunsets and 737 00:32:56,414 --> 00:33:00,104 rises and falls every day, but that wasn't marking time. 738 00:33:00,354 --> 00:33:02,324 That was part of that experience that 739 00:33:02,324 --> 00:33:03,624 was very important. 740 00:33:03,934 --> 00:33:05,154 And and so it's. 741 00:33:06,104 --> 00:33:08,224 It was just just a surreal experience. 742 00:33:08,424 --> 00:33:12,974 I after I was experiencing my life review, when I learned 743 00:33:12,984 --> 00:33:16,694 all I was going to learn from that, everything stopped 744 00:33:16,694 --> 00:33:17,924 and everything changed. 745 00:33:18,144 --> 00:33:19,954 And the next thing is I was put in charge 746 00:33:19,954 --> 00:33:21,054 of some young adults. 747 00:33:21,484 --> 00:33:23,834 And I had to teach them a task. 748 00:33:24,594 --> 00:33:27,224 And no matter what they wouldn't listen to me, 749 00:33:27,544 --> 00:33:28,534 no matter what I did, 750 00:33:29,034 --> 00:33:31,994 they wouldn't they would act, no really, they 751 00:33:32,114 --> 00:33:35,484 would act like they got everything like okay yep. 752 00:33:35,754 --> 00:33:38,734 And then when it was time to do it, they would scatter. 753 00:33:39,124 --> 00:33:41,614 And then I would see them later and they would act 754 00:33:41,614 --> 00:33:42,804 like nothing's wrong. 755 00:33:43,124 --> 00:33:44,814 It was like something wasn't clicking. 756 00:33:44,814 --> 00:33:47,074 It's I, and I was failing miserable. 757 00:33:47,354 --> 00:33:48,564 I w I was failing. 758 00:33:49,314 --> 00:33:53,404 And then I I went to who I thought was like 759 00:33:53,404 --> 00:33:54,734 in charge of things. 760 00:33:55,524 --> 00:33:58,944 And I want to express how I felt and try to figure 761 00:33:58,944 --> 00:34:00,264 out what was going on. 762 00:34:00,774 --> 00:34:04,504 And as I stood before, I don't know the owner 763 00:34:04,504 --> 00:34:05,434 who was in charge. 764 00:34:06,209 --> 00:34:09,789 I realized something is that I realized that I was 765 00:34:09,799 --> 00:34:14,529 standing before myself, not myself, Stevie Weber, but 766 00:34:14,809 --> 00:34:18,359 my higher self like it was then it became apparent to me 767 00:34:18,359 --> 00:34:24,454 that perhaps part of you is always in spirit and part of 768 00:34:24,454 --> 00:34:27,704 you has a human incarnation or a physical incarnation 769 00:34:27,994 --> 00:34:31,174 to learn and to grow and to make the mistakes that your 770 00:34:31,174 --> 00:34:34,644 higher self couldn't make to enable you to have those 771 00:34:34,644 --> 00:34:37,934 experiences that enable you to learn and grow, which 772 00:34:37,974 --> 00:34:41,334 is perhaps the very meaning of life is that to continue 773 00:34:41,334 --> 00:34:44,624 the spiritual evolution, this awareness revolution, 774 00:34:45,044 --> 00:34:49,129 evolution, how the more you Raise your consciousness. 775 00:34:49,129 --> 00:34:51,959 You raise the consciousness of everything around you. 776 00:34:52,499 --> 00:34:57,289 And so once I started to stand before my higher self is 777 00:34:57,289 --> 00:34:59,549 that I couldn't read my mind. 778 00:35:00,029 --> 00:35:03,909 I couldn't tell why I felt the way I felt or 779 00:35:03,909 --> 00:35:05,259 the knowledge that I had. 780 00:35:05,609 --> 00:35:09,509 But by standing in that grace, just that understanding, it 781 00:35:09,509 --> 00:35:12,119 wasn't like I was answering or asking questions, 782 00:35:12,439 --> 00:35:13,879 but just by being in. 783 00:35:14,179 --> 00:35:17,579 That aura, that energy, things just appeared 784 00:35:17,609 --> 00:35:19,049 to me to be more clear. 785 00:35:19,309 --> 00:35:21,909 It's not like someone put a thought in my head. 786 00:35:22,149 --> 00:35:25,359 It was just by being there, like all of a sudden I looked 787 00:35:25,359 --> 00:35:28,609 around at the kids and I realized I had it all wrong. 788 00:35:29,019 --> 00:35:31,969 Is that I wasn't there to teach them a task. 789 00:35:32,529 --> 00:35:37,519 What I was there to do is that these children were spirits 790 00:35:38,119 --> 00:35:41,629 who had yet to experience their first human incarnation. 791 00:35:42,029 --> 00:35:45,559 And I was here, I was being tested to see if I could 792 00:35:45,559 --> 00:35:49,169 shepherd those young children, those young adults, those 793 00:35:49,169 --> 00:35:52,539 young spirits into their first human incarnation. 794 00:35:52,949 --> 00:35:56,249 And what I was doing is I was failing miserably because 795 00:35:56,259 --> 00:35:58,659 that I spent all this time. 796 00:35:58,944 --> 00:36:02,784 To learn about spirit, be able to sense spirit and life 797 00:36:02,814 --> 00:36:04,204 reviews and everything else. 798 00:36:04,454 --> 00:36:07,704 And finally, when I was put in the situation to 799 00:36:08,174 --> 00:36:11,034 mentor these spirit, I didn't see them as spirit. 800 00:36:11,194 --> 00:36:13,854 I saw them as dumb kids who wouldn't listen. 801 00:36:14,074 --> 00:36:16,414 Like I was taught all these things and I 802 00:36:16,414 --> 00:36:18,134 didn't apply any of it. 803 00:36:18,924 --> 00:36:21,614 There was this lady there who didn't do anything, 804 00:36:22,194 --> 00:36:25,434 and it seems strange, but everyone had a role there, 805 00:36:25,744 --> 00:36:28,034 but there was this lady there who just prayed. 806 00:36:29,389 --> 00:36:33,089 And I couldn't hear her words that she was praying, 807 00:36:33,589 --> 00:36:38,499 but I felt like this energy coming from her that was 808 00:36:38,509 --> 00:36:44,439 just so beautiful and so intense and so love, but love 809 00:36:44,449 --> 00:36:48,399 with wisdom, it's not just love, it's love with wisdom 810 00:36:48,819 --> 00:36:53,744 and it was almost like The words was a was a road in 811 00:36:53,744 --> 00:36:55,434 which this intent traveled. 812 00:36:55,724 --> 00:36:57,594 It really wasn't like the words matter. 813 00:36:57,774 --> 00:36:59,584 It was just like the highway for this 814 00:36:59,714 --> 00:37:01,394 beautiful loving energy. 815 00:37:01,594 --> 00:37:04,244 And when I was in this place, that loving energy 816 00:37:04,304 --> 00:37:07,914 really gave me strength at some of the most difficult 817 00:37:08,314 --> 00:37:11,214 points when I was dealing with the situation, it was 818 00:37:11,214 --> 00:37:13,834 like, I couldn't hear the prayer, but I felt that 819 00:37:13,844 --> 00:37:15,954 loving energy and that was. 820 00:37:16,339 --> 00:37:18,419 If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't have made it. 821 00:37:18,529 --> 00:37:19,439 I really wouldn't have. 822 00:37:19,439 --> 00:37:20,299 I don't think so. 823 00:37:20,999 --> 00:37:22,959 And then once I understood that... 824 00:37:23,409 --> 00:37:25,789 Everything came into line. 825 00:37:26,019 --> 00:37:29,499 It was then I began to realize that perhaps your spirit was 826 00:37:29,509 --> 00:37:33,849 created with the universe but it learns and grows over 827 00:37:33,849 --> 00:37:37,609 periods of time through many incarnations that it's not so 828 00:37:37,609 --> 00:37:42,104 much I believe that's not so much your reincarnated, as a 829 00:37:42,114 --> 00:37:45,334 new person or a new body or just yourself and you just 830 00:37:45,344 --> 00:37:46,874 forgot your other lives. 831 00:37:47,144 --> 00:37:50,184 It's really what I began to understand is that 832 00:37:50,584 --> 00:37:54,734 your spirit grows through many incarnations, many as 833 00:37:54,764 --> 00:37:58,294 animals, as plants, as all different types of things. 834 00:37:58,474 --> 00:38:01,024 And at each stage, you learn how to have 835 00:38:01,034 --> 00:38:02,184 love and compassion. 836 00:38:02,234 --> 00:38:04,314 Does an alligator have love and compassion? 837 00:38:04,314 --> 00:38:05,274 I don't think so. 838 00:38:05,534 --> 00:38:08,044 But once preachers start taking care of their Children, 839 00:38:08,054 --> 00:38:11,054 then they start to understand love and compassion. 840 00:38:11,244 --> 00:38:14,324 And I truly believe that the spirit learns and 841 00:38:14,324 --> 00:38:18,034 grows through many of these experiences once again 842 00:38:18,194 --> 00:38:21,799 to elevate the awareness and the consciousness. 843 00:38:22,179 --> 00:38:24,909 And once I was able to shepherd those kids off to 844 00:38:24,909 --> 00:38:29,169 their experience, to their physical experience is that 845 00:38:29,659 --> 00:38:33,729 I had my very next and final experience in that place. 846 00:38:34,229 --> 00:38:36,599 I come from a small town on Long Island called 847 00:38:36,609 --> 00:38:40,289 Kings Park, and that's in New York, in the USA, 848 00:38:40,679 --> 00:38:43,659 and there's a big bluff, it's like a cliff that overlooks 849 00:38:43,659 --> 00:38:44,949 the Long Island Sound, 850 00:38:45,309 --> 00:38:48,289 and everybody from town, at the end of every day, we 851 00:38:48,289 --> 00:38:51,349 all go down to the shore, it's a small redneck town, 852 00:38:51,809 --> 00:38:55,129 and we go down to the bluffs and we have red solo cups. 853 00:38:55,129 --> 00:38:57,989 Some people drink coffee and other people drink other 854 00:38:57,989 --> 00:38:59,549 stuff from the red solo cup. 855 00:38:59,629 --> 00:39:02,219 And we talk about what's going on in town, who's 856 00:39:02,239 --> 00:39:06,714 doing who and all those small Town Gossip, which 857 00:39:06,714 --> 00:39:08,234 makes small towns fun. 858 00:39:08,644 --> 00:39:11,754 And I would sit there with my two friends when I was in 859 00:39:11,754 --> 00:39:13,814 this place, Joey and John. 860 00:39:14,104 --> 00:39:16,394 I knew them from town, and they were 861 00:39:16,394 --> 00:39:17,184 good friends of mine. 862 00:39:17,424 --> 00:39:20,154 They were much older than me, but they were talkers. 863 00:39:20,174 --> 00:39:21,294 They were raconteurs. 864 00:39:21,314 --> 00:39:23,174 They were these two Irish guys who still 865 00:39:23,174 --> 00:39:26,424 spoke with the brogue and they could tell a tale. 866 00:39:26,424 --> 00:39:28,474 I just really, they did a lot of fun. 867 00:39:28,474 --> 00:39:31,694 And and Joey, he had broken his back when he 868 00:39:31,694 --> 00:39:33,884 was a kid, right at the bluff where we were. 869 00:39:34,804 --> 00:39:37,514 He was diving in the water, it was shallow, and they actually 870 00:39:37,514 --> 00:39:41,114 had to put metal implants in his back and stabilize him. 871 00:39:41,124 --> 00:39:43,494 And that was years ago when that was really new. 872 00:39:44,079 --> 00:39:47,169 And then Johnny, he like did the readings in church. 873 00:39:47,189 --> 00:39:49,599 And he was like the voice of God when he was like, 874 00:39:49,599 --> 00:39:52,979 he had this voice that was like, and Jesus said, and 875 00:39:52,979 --> 00:39:55,799 like the ground would shake, he was really a good guy. 876 00:39:55,809 --> 00:39:57,009 I really liked them a lot. 877 00:39:57,634 --> 00:40:00,004 And and I would sit there and I'd watch Sunset 878 00:40:00,004 --> 00:40:02,874 with them every day. 879 00:40:03,374 --> 00:40:05,844 But the Sunset wasn't marking time. 880 00:40:05,904 --> 00:40:08,234 It was the reason why we were there. 881 00:40:08,554 --> 00:40:12,824 Because each time I saw the Sunset go, eventually 882 00:40:13,144 --> 00:40:17,464 I came to the realization that both Joey and John 883 00:40:17,504 --> 00:40:19,084 had died earlier that year. 884 00:40:20,114 --> 00:40:23,294 And I thought to myself, how could this be happening? 885 00:40:23,294 --> 00:40:23,754 Really. 886 00:40:24,089 --> 00:40:25,509 How could this be happening? 887 00:40:25,569 --> 00:40:26,739 Is that up until this point? 888 00:40:26,739 --> 00:40:29,429 A lot of crazy stuff was going on, but for some 889 00:40:29,429 --> 00:40:33,199 reason, I don't know, it didn't register with me. 890 00:40:33,199 --> 00:40:34,669 It was like, I was just going with it. 891 00:40:34,879 --> 00:40:36,829 I was having, up until this point, I was having a 892 00:40:36,829 --> 00:40:40,079 wonderful experience and I just didn't question anything. 893 00:40:40,079 --> 00:40:43,289 I don't know why it sounds so odd that these strange 894 00:40:43,289 --> 00:40:45,469 things were happening, but I was just dealing with it. 895 00:40:45,469 --> 00:40:47,049 And it was okay. 896 00:40:47,049 --> 00:40:47,749 I was fine. 897 00:40:47,749 --> 00:40:50,689 I certainly didn't remember any accident I was in. 898 00:40:51,209 --> 00:40:54,159 And when I came to this realization, I started 899 00:40:54,159 --> 00:40:56,319 to think to myself, I wanted to ask them 900 00:40:56,489 --> 00:40:57,899 like, how are they here? 901 00:40:57,899 --> 00:40:59,039 Why are they here? 902 00:40:59,379 --> 00:41:02,219 I know your past, like, how could you be here? 903 00:41:02,844 --> 00:41:06,834 And I kept on thinking about asking them, and I say that, 904 00:41:07,354 --> 00:41:09,554 like I was saying before, it's not like we really talk. 905 00:41:09,554 --> 00:41:12,294 It's if I wanted this to be known, I would 906 00:41:12,294 --> 00:41:14,064 have made it known. 907 00:41:14,614 --> 00:41:17,634 And each time this happened is that for some reason I 908 00:41:17,634 --> 00:41:18,884 didn't want to ask them. 909 00:41:19,114 --> 00:41:20,884 I'm not exactly sure why. 910 00:41:21,884 --> 00:41:23,504 I probably didn't want to know the answer. 911 00:41:23,684 --> 00:41:25,524 It's I just didn't want to ask them. 912 00:41:26,254 --> 00:41:29,334 And then finally, each time we went through this experience, 913 00:41:31,274 --> 00:41:33,584 Because I started to get the feeling that if I didn't ask 914 00:41:33,584 --> 00:41:37,624 them now, I would never get a chance to ask them again. 915 00:41:38,414 --> 00:41:41,454 And this started building up and then finally one time 916 00:41:41,454 --> 00:41:44,334 as I had made it known that I wanted to know why they 917 00:41:44,334 --> 00:41:50,434 were here, and they said, is that they wanted to make 918 00:41:50,434 --> 00:41:52,244 sure that I was alright. 919 00:41:53,094 --> 00:41:56,874 And I didn't know what they meant by this because there 920 00:41:56,874 --> 00:41:58,044 was nothing wrong with me. 921 00:41:58,064 --> 00:41:59,024 I was fine. 922 00:41:59,484 --> 00:42:02,394 And it was like echoing in my mind, I'm all right. 923 00:42:02,434 --> 00:42:03,164 I'm fine. 924 00:42:03,184 --> 00:42:03,914 I'm all right. 925 00:42:03,934 --> 00:42:08,254 It was like it was just so surreal to me and then as the 926 00:42:08,264 --> 00:42:12,164 sun started to set it just got brighter and brighter 927 00:42:12,524 --> 00:42:16,164 and then I shielded my eyes and then eventually I took 928 00:42:16,604 --> 00:42:20,874 my hands off my eyes and I was in my hospital room and 929 00:42:20,984 --> 00:42:24,144 my mother was holding my hand and she was telling me that 930 00:42:24,144 --> 00:42:27,444 I had been in this terrible accident, but and I was 931 00:42:27,444 --> 00:42:30,164 very injured, but everything was going to be all right. 932 00:42:30,164 --> 00:42:31,304 I'm going to be fine. 933 00:42:32,064 --> 00:42:34,254 And and that was my return back. 934 00:42:34,334 --> 00:42:36,494 But in so many ways, that's just the start of 935 00:42:36,504 --> 00:42:41,084 the experience because I thought it was the drugs, 936 00:42:41,134 --> 00:42:44,984 like I thought of this experience afterwards. 937 00:42:45,004 --> 00:42:48,884 And a lot of times I joked about it with friends, I 938 00:42:48,884 --> 00:42:52,194 would, I really did is that I really made fun of it. 939 00:42:52,214 --> 00:42:55,044 It was like, Hey, I got a six pack to go, it was, 940 00:42:55,104 --> 00:42:56,784 wow, that was a trip, man. 941 00:42:56,794 --> 00:42:57,294 It was like. 942 00:42:58,284 --> 00:42:59,464 I didn't believe it. 943 00:42:59,994 --> 00:43:02,674 And but I was just so gravely ill. 944 00:43:02,704 --> 00:43:07,994 I couldn't walk for a year and and it was just so tough but I 945 00:43:07,994 --> 00:43:11,304 remembered a couple of things is first off as I remember 946 00:43:11,304 --> 00:43:15,734 that lady who was praying and I could see spirit now 947 00:43:16,234 --> 00:43:18,014 and I knew who that lady was. 948 00:43:18,389 --> 00:43:20,829 That lady was a dear friend of mine, Kathy. 949 00:43:21,029 --> 00:43:22,619 She was I was on the school board. 950 00:43:22,619 --> 00:43:24,609 And so she was like one of the school moms. 951 00:43:24,609 --> 00:43:26,489 Our kids went to class together. 952 00:43:26,709 --> 00:43:28,029 We did field trips. 953 00:43:28,079 --> 00:43:31,569 We ran an organization called the Kings Park Network to 954 00:43:31,619 --> 00:43:34,689 have positive change in our community and everything. 955 00:43:34,989 --> 00:43:36,509 And we were good friends. 956 00:43:36,509 --> 00:43:40,449 We walk our dogs together and she was a little kooky, 957 00:43:40,489 --> 00:43:42,929 she was into saints and things like that, things that kind 958 00:43:42,929 --> 00:43:44,149 of made fun of her over it. 959 00:43:44,199 --> 00:43:45,789 But she was good humored about it. 960 00:43:46,259 --> 00:43:48,159 And and so I called her right away. 961 00:43:48,159 --> 00:43:48,929 As soon as I. 962 00:43:49,449 --> 00:43:51,769 I was tied down, which was very strange. 963 00:43:51,919 --> 00:43:53,489 It's the first time I was tied down with 964 00:43:53,489 --> 00:43:54,599 my clothes on before. 965 00:43:54,599 --> 00:43:55,779 So it was very strange. 966 00:43:55,839 --> 00:43:57,889 It took me a little time to get used to that. 967 00:43:58,349 --> 00:44:00,519 But as soon as I was able to get, I was intubated. 968 00:44:00,529 --> 00:44:01,389 I couldn't move. 969 00:44:01,389 --> 00:44:03,559 I had this tube down my throat and that's 970 00:44:03,589 --> 00:44:04,829 set like a long time. 971 00:44:04,829 --> 00:44:05,749 I was like that. 972 00:44:06,964 --> 00:44:09,914 But as soon as I got all that stuff out of me, I texted my 973 00:44:09,924 --> 00:44:14,824 friend and I told her that I heard her prayers and she 974 00:44:14,864 --> 00:44:16,644 said, you heard my prayers? 975 00:44:16,904 --> 00:44:17,904 How did you know? 976 00:44:17,954 --> 00:44:20,754 And I told her that that I was in a place. 977 00:44:21,514 --> 00:44:25,184 That not here, not there, where you can hear prayers, 978 00:44:25,184 --> 00:44:27,354 and I heard your prayers, and it gave me strength 979 00:44:27,744 --> 00:44:29,934 at the most difficult time I was there, and 980 00:44:29,934 --> 00:44:31,114 I thank you for that. 981 00:44:31,544 --> 00:44:34,284 And she told me how she prayed every day at the exact same 982 00:44:34,294 --> 00:44:38,094 time, and she made sure, to send me that, that love and 983 00:44:38,094 --> 00:44:41,734 light, and and really, so if I have any advice to anybody 984 00:44:41,734 --> 00:44:44,994 is that, prayers work, but it's almost like the words 985 00:44:44,994 --> 00:44:46,684 don't matter, it's the intent. 986 00:44:47,054 --> 00:44:49,844 It's the love and the caring and the intelligence. 987 00:44:50,309 --> 00:44:53,229 That you put behind those prayers, that it's really 988 00:44:53,229 --> 00:44:56,769 just a highway, a vehicle for sending that into spirit. 989 00:44:56,769 --> 00:44:57,889 I really believe that. 990 00:44:58,199 --> 00:44:59,459 And it wasn't for Kathy. 991 00:44:59,459 --> 00:45:00,749 I wouldn't have made it. 992 00:45:01,179 --> 00:45:03,779 And also Kathy was an athlete. 993 00:45:04,159 --> 00:45:05,939 And so she helped me recover. 994 00:45:06,209 --> 00:45:08,609 And she was like halfway between Sergeant Slaughter 995 00:45:08,609 --> 00:45:12,329 and Mother Teresa, you know, you know, like, at times she 996 00:45:12,329 --> 00:45:14,539 was so tough and so mean, 997 00:45:15,319 --> 00:45:19,179 but other times she was just so kind and supportive. 998 00:45:19,229 --> 00:45:22,189 And, but there was something else there. 999 00:45:22,499 --> 00:45:25,569 is that I felt like a surety of outcome. 1000 00:45:25,769 --> 00:45:27,489 Almost like I've been down this road 1001 00:45:27,509 --> 00:45:28,729 before, but I hadn't. 1002 00:45:29,059 --> 00:45:31,989 Like I knew that if I did these things and I tried real 1003 00:45:31,989 --> 00:45:34,719 hard and I didn't give up, I didn't get discouraged, 1004 00:45:34,759 --> 00:45:35,859 I would get better. 1005 00:45:36,199 --> 00:45:38,809 I would be able to walk and these things would happen. 1006 00:45:39,179 --> 00:45:40,739 And I was so sure of this. 1007 00:45:40,919 --> 00:45:43,719 I drove the poor people crazy in rehab because I 1008 00:45:43,719 --> 00:45:44,909 would sneak out of my room. 1009 00:45:44,909 --> 00:45:48,569 I'd be in my walker and I'd be shuffling down 1010 00:45:48,569 --> 00:45:49,769 the hall and stuff. 1011 00:45:49,769 --> 00:45:52,449 And they'd tell me I'd have to get back in my room. 1012 00:45:52,959 --> 00:45:54,649 And it was then I realized. 1013 00:45:55,054 --> 00:46:02,514 What Joey and Johnny meant about what Joey and Johnny 1014 00:46:02,514 --> 00:46:05,534 meant about making sure I was going to be okay. 1015 00:46:05,794 --> 00:46:07,014 They didn't mean there. 1016 00:46:07,284 --> 00:46:08,564 They meant here. 1017 00:46:09,074 --> 00:46:11,934 Because I believe that they were my spirit guides. 1018 00:46:12,184 --> 00:46:15,704 And like John's leg, he died of diabetes. 1019 00:46:16,024 --> 00:46:17,704 His leg was all infected. 1020 00:46:17,834 --> 00:46:19,734 My leg was all crushed. 1021 00:46:20,124 --> 00:46:23,054 My back was all busted up. 1022 00:46:23,054 --> 00:46:24,424 I had all these metal implants. 1023 00:46:24,754 --> 00:46:26,424 Just like my friend Joey. 1024 00:46:26,784 --> 00:46:28,234 How does this happen? 1025 00:46:28,464 --> 00:46:31,354 Like, how do they, how do I feel that energy? 1026 00:46:31,354 --> 00:46:32,634 How does that happen? 1027 00:46:33,154 --> 00:46:35,474 No, I'm certain they were my spirit guides 1028 00:46:35,684 --> 00:46:38,154 and I was benefiting from their knowledge. 1029 00:46:38,184 --> 00:46:41,534 Not like they were telling me one more push up, but 1030 00:46:41,554 --> 00:46:44,104 it was that understanding that if I did these 1031 00:46:44,114 --> 00:46:46,004 things I would get better. 1032 00:46:46,574 --> 00:46:47,664 And it was really true. 1033 00:46:47,684 --> 00:46:51,794 I felt like I did, I made tremendous recovery. 1034 00:46:51,794 --> 00:46:54,974 In fact, I meet some of my friends from high school 1035 00:46:54,974 --> 00:46:57,494 now, I'm in better shape than they are, nothing happened 1036 00:46:57,494 --> 00:47:00,604 to them, it's just, it's all about motivation and 1037 00:47:00,654 --> 00:47:03,134 and getting that energy, really feeling that. 1038 00:47:03,699 --> 00:47:07,349 from my spirit guides and Kathy, you know, get going, 1039 00:47:07,359 --> 00:47:08,979 Steve, but it really was. 1040 00:47:09,079 --> 00:47:10,579 And things were going pretty good. 1041 00:47:10,579 --> 00:47:12,879 Then I was starting to get my sea legs back. 1042 00:47:12,879 --> 00:47:14,959 I had returned to work and 1043 00:47:15,009 --> 00:47:17,479 then my son died of a drug overdose. 1044 00:47:18,839 --> 00:47:19,819 And um, 1045 00:47:20,092 --> 00:47:20,655 Rod Bland: Yep. 1046 00:47:20,655 --> 00:47:21,219 Yep. 1047 00:47:21,459 --> 00:47:21,709 Stephen Weber: you. 1048 00:47:22,239 --> 00:47:27,589 And uh, you know, it happened so quickly, a 1049 00:47:27,589 --> 00:47:30,779 lot of families have, long histories but he was, 1050 00:47:31,339 --> 00:47:32,809 He's a tremendous musician. 1051 00:47:32,809 --> 00:47:35,019 He could play the guitar like Jimi Hendrix. 1052 00:47:35,019 --> 00:47:37,429 He could play the saxophone like Dizzy 1053 00:47:37,429 --> 00:47:39,079 Gillespie played the horn. 1054 00:47:39,429 --> 00:47:40,632 He played the guitar 1055 00:47:40,632 --> 00:47:41,619 and the piano. 1056 00:47:41,619 --> 00:47:43,439 He played the piano like Mozart. 1057 00:47:43,459 --> 00:47:46,269 He just, he would, I remember the piano teacher used to 1058 00:47:46,519 --> 00:47:49,519 yell and scream at my son because he was playing all 1059 00:47:49,519 --> 00:47:51,299 these very complicated pieces. 1060 00:47:51,489 --> 00:47:53,899 My son would say, what am I playing it wrong? 1061 00:47:55,779 --> 00:47:56,899 He would say, no idea what you're playing. 1062 00:47:57,219 --> 00:47:57,619 It was like. 1063 00:47:58,054 --> 00:48:00,974 It was such a blast and he was gone, he was a 1064 00:48:00,984 --> 00:48:02,134 championship wrestler. 1065 00:48:02,134 --> 00:48:05,984 He was on a scholarship to a engineering, top engineering 1066 00:48:05,984 --> 00:48:07,444 school in the United States. 1067 00:48:08,074 --> 00:48:12,104 And it was just, Oh, it just happened all of a sudden. 1068 00:48:12,834 --> 00:48:16,484 And, and I had to do a lot of soul searching because, being 1069 00:48:16,494 --> 00:48:19,934 an alt personality wasn't so funny now, like the Harley 1070 00:48:19,964 --> 00:48:22,564 Davidsons and the pretty girls and the beer and stuff, 1071 00:48:22,574 --> 00:48:23,944 it wasn't that funny now. 1072 00:48:24,144 --> 00:48:28,204 I was a committed father, 100%, but I often thought 1073 00:48:28,254 --> 00:48:30,684 did I make the best example? 1074 00:48:31,054 --> 00:48:33,544 These are things you just run over your mind 1075 00:48:33,544 --> 00:48:36,154 over and over again, you just try to figure out. 1076 00:48:36,714 --> 00:48:39,394 And this is when I started to become pretty close to 1077 00:48:39,394 --> 00:48:42,204 my friend, Kathy, is that we were spending a lot of time 1078 00:48:42,204 --> 00:48:45,724 together and sometimes I would share stuff about the 1079 00:48:45,724 --> 00:48:48,934 place between here and there with her and then one day as 1080 00:48:49,064 --> 00:48:53,294 I was sharing it and I like made a joke and Kathy said, 1081 00:48:53,634 --> 00:48:54,794 Steve, are you looking at me? 1082 00:48:54,824 --> 00:48:55,724 I'm not laughing. 1083 00:48:55,734 --> 00:48:57,234 She said, okay. 1084 00:48:57,524 --> 00:48:59,724 That, That was real. 1085 00:49:00,284 --> 00:49:03,804 And the things you learn there is preparing you for 1086 00:49:03,804 --> 00:49:05,594 what you're experiencing now. 1087 00:49:06,734 --> 00:49:09,154 And I think she was right, because that it 1088 00:49:09,154 --> 00:49:11,424 was such a difficult thing and I had to begin 1089 00:49:11,424 --> 00:49:12,774 to come to terms with it. 1090 00:49:13,299 --> 00:49:15,329 And Kathy, she was very kind about it. 1091 00:49:15,399 --> 00:49:17,999 She was a little, she was a little kooky about things, 1092 00:49:17,999 --> 00:49:20,849 about spirit, at least I thought at the time, but I 1093 00:49:20,859 --> 00:49:24,599 later learned that perhaps she, one of us was kooky and 1094 00:49:24,599 --> 00:49:26,799 perhaps it wasn't her but. 1095 00:49:27,394 --> 00:49:28,214 Who knows? 1096 00:49:28,334 --> 00:49:33,454 And and so my cousin had gone to a medium, mediums, channel 1097 00:49:33,614 --> 00:49:39,054 spirit and went to a medium and to get in contact, I 1098 00:49:39,064 --> 00:49:40,304 think, with her grandmother. 1099 00:49:40,704 --> 00:49:44,204 And instead of her grandmother coming through, my son came 1100 00:49:44,224 --> 00:49:48,264 through And there were a few validations about my 1101 00:49:48,264 --> 00:49:51,394 son playing football with her son and the medium 1102 00:49:51,404 --> 00:49:54,994 read off the numbers on the jerseys and also said that 1103 00:49:55,754 --> 00:49:56,534 he had a synchronization. 1104 00:49:57,334 --> 00:49:59,824 Synchronicity with Saint Teresa, and that's like a 1105 00:49:59,824 --> 00:50:03,404 Catholic Saint, the little flower and roses, and the 1106 00:50:03,404 --> 00:50:08,164 psychic had asked if we had seen flowers like roses, 1107 00:50:08,414 --> 00:50:10,984 and it was so weird because Kathy and I, we were hiking 1108 00:50:10,984 --> 00:50:14,304 as part of my rehabilitation, and we'd be seeing roses 1109 00:50:14,304 --> 00:50:16,804 all over on the trails, like in the middle of winter, 1110 00:50:17,134 --> 00:50:19,384 and Kathy would say, Oh, someone's trying to send us 1111 00:50:19,394 --> 00:50:22,154 a message, And I would say, yeah, they dropped the rose. 1112 00:50:22,164 --> 00:50:23,674 That's what the message is sending. 1113 00:50:23,854 --> 00:50:26,064 And she'd say no, this is so odd. 1114 00:50:26,574 --> 00:50:29,544 And so when my cousin came back with this information 1115 00:50:29,544 --> 00:50:31,624 about Nick and St. 1116 00:50:31,624 --> 00:50:33,714 Teresa and roses, I just thought it was a 1117 00:50:33,714 --> 00:50:34,924 whole load of poppycock. 1118 00:50:34,924 --> 00:50:37,644 I just, I thought she looked on Facebook, what, 1119 00:50:38,834 --> 00:50:39,854 I just didn't buy it. 1120 00:50:39,854 --> 00:50:42,874 And that really upset Kathy because she felt 1121 00:50:42,884 --> 00:50:47,259 like this was the, the missing link that Steve 1122 00:50:47,259 --> 00:50:48,769 would really buy into this. 1123 00:50:49,229 --> 00:50:50,979 And that went on for a while. 1124 00:50:50,979 --> 00:50:55,459 And then, one day it was about a year after my son's passing, 1125 00:50:55,679 --> 00:50:57,169 is that a friend gave us a St. 1126 00:50:57,169 --> 00:50:59,279 Teresa card, like a mass card. 1127 00:50:59,749 --> 00:51:03,319 And so what we had done is that we had found like a 1128 00:51:03,329 --> 00:51:07,979 brook, a babbling brook, and we had put a statue of St. 1129 00:51:07,979 --> 00:51:11,639 Teresa there, and we had a big magic marker, and we wrote a 1130 00:51:11,639 --> 00:51:15,289 prayer on it, And we put the rock down and then we came 1131 00:51:15,299 --> 00:51:17,799 back like a month later and there's a hundred rocks there. 1132 00:51:17,849 --> 00:51:21,769 It was with all prayers on it for lost children or even 1133 00:51:21,769 --> 00:51:25,009 I need a job or I like this girl, even something as simple 1134 00:51:25,009 --> 00:51:28,399 as those things, but everybody started writing prayers down 1135 00:51:28,749 --> 00:51:32,049 and it was then I started to really begin to heal because 1136 00:51:32,179 --> 00:51:36,119 I began to, it reminded me of that Sting song, Message in a 1137 00:51:36,119 --> 00:51:38,899 Bottle where he was miserable, he put a message in a bottle, 1138 00:51:38,899 --> 00:51:42,309 he expected an answer, but he got 10, 000 bottles back 1139 00:51:42,349 --> 00:51:44,389 instead, asking for help. 1140 00:51:44,984 --> 00:51:47,974 And and that's the way I felt, but it reminds 1141 00:51:47,974 --> 00:51:49,044 me of that place. 1142 00:51:49,054 --> 00:51:50,994 It wasn't that nobody wanted to listen. 1143 00:51:51,304 --> 00:51:53,434 It was like we were all in this together. 1144 00:51:54,024 --> 00:51:56,324 Really, that we all have these problems. 1145 00:51:56,324 --> 00:51:57,714 We all have these things. 1146 00:51:57,714 --> 00:51:59,964 I'm not the first person to have lost a child 1147 00:52:00,104 --> 00:52:01,404 or lost a loved one. 1148 00:52:01,604 --> 00:52:03,614 And we're all in this together and we really have 1149 00:52:03,614 --> 00:52:07,254 to rely on each other and be there for each other. 1150 00:52:07,324 --> 00:52:09,234 It really helped me to understand that. 1151 00:52:09,699 --> 00:52:12,189 But it was then I looked down on the mass card 1152 00:52:12,519 --> 00:52:16,699 and it said Saint Teresa was born on January 2nd. 1153 00:52:17,129 --> 00:52:18,659 That was my son's birthday. 1154 00:52:19,279 --> 00:52:24,789 And then I, I'm not done, and then I read the day 1155 00:52:24,789 --> 00:52:28,019 she was canonized, that was the day my son died. 1156 00:52:28,499 --> 00:52:28,879 Rod Bland: Golly. 1157 00:52:28,899 --> 00:52:31,549 Stephen Weber: Like, Like, how does that happen? 1158 00:52:31,839 --> 00:52:33,579 It was like, really I could understand one 1159 00:52:33,579 --> 00:52:35,409 thing, but both things? 1160 00:52:35,949 --> 00:52:38,459 Statistically speaking, that's crazy. 1161 00:52:38,719 --> 00:52:42,129 And then with the flowers and everything, like I 1162 00:52:42,279 --> 00:52:43,609 had to sleep on this. 1163 00:52:43,609 --> 00:52:47,739 I really, it was very like, and then that 1164 00:52:47,739 --> 00:52:49,689 night I had this dream. 1165 00:52:49,699 --> 00:52:52,989 It was a dream that so many times people have when 1166 00:52:52,989 --> 00:52:54,759 they've lost a loved one. 1167 00:52:55,194 --> 00:52:59,164 Is that the loved one comes back to them and 1168 00:52:59,404 --> 00:53:00,814 it's everything's okay. 1169 00:53:01,154 --> 00:53:03,414 It's like nothing of this it's well, it's 1170 00:53:03,464 --> 00:53:05,744 it felt like nothing of this really happened. 1171 00:53:06,579 --> 00:53:09,459 And then when I woke up as I realized it was just a 1172 00:53:09,469 --> 00:53:14,299 dream, but it was okay now, it really was okay because 1173 00:53:14,309 --> 00:53:18,689 that I began to understand that place was real and that 1174 00:53:18,689 --> 00:53:24,009 my son was in that place now and he was transitioning 1175 00:53:24,209 --> 00:53:27,229 and he was experiencing all of those beautiful things 1176 00:53:27,229 --> 00:53:31,469 that I experienced and just as spirits grow and we have 1177 00:53:31,469 --> 00:53:35,294 our a higher selves that I'm certain I will see him 1178 00:53:35,294 --> 00:53:39,474 again, not as father and son, but truly as part of our 1179 00:53:39,784 --> 00:53:41,694 whole spiritual existence. 1180 00:53:41,954 --> 00:53:43,294 And it will be beautiful. 1181 00:53:43,544 --> 00:53:46,244 But until that time comes, I was going to 1182 00:53:46,244 --> 00:53:47,734 make the best out of life. 1183 00:53:47,954 --> 00:53:49,654 I was going to be happy again. 1184 00:53:50,024 --> 00:53:51,484 I was going to be sad again. 1185 00:53:51,804 --> 00:53:54,344 I was going to enjoy and make the most out of it. 1186 00:53:54,574 --> 00:53:57,104 My, my daughter, such a beautiful girl. 1187 00:53:57,224 --> 00:53:58,974 She was struggling with losing her. 1188 00:53:59,264 --> 00:53:59,784 Her brother. 1189 00:53:59,784 --> 00:54:01,824 And so I had to focus on those types of 1190 00:54:01,824 --> 00:54:03,564 things, not on myself. 1191 00:54:03,894 --> 00:54:06,654 And and it was beautiful. 1192 00:54:06,654 --> 00:54:10,594 It really was so liberating for me because I began to 1193 00:54:10,654 --> 00:54:16,554 understand everything, but that's not where it ends. 1194 00:54:17,674 --> 00:54:21,594 Is that they caught the fellow who sold my son the drugs. 1195 00:54:22,664 --> 00:54:24,104 Because, I'm a computer guy. 1196 00:54:24,104 --> 00:54:25,974 I had cameras all over the house when cameras 1197 00:54:25,974 --> 00:54:28,234 weren't cool, I was into it, not that I lived in a 1198 00:54:28,234 --> 00:54:30,924 dangerous neighborhood just because you could do it, 1199 00:54:31,534 --> 00:54:34,034 and my son didn't have any other drugs in his system. 1200 00:54:34,034 --> 00:54:36,644 He really didn't have his history of drug abuse besides 1201 00:54:36,674 --> 00:54:39,984 beer, the things that the kids can do and and they put him 1202 00:54:39,984 --> 00:54:44,284 on trial and they charged him with second degree murder. 1203 00:54:45,044 --> 00:54:47,354 The very same charge that they charged that 1204 00:54:47,354 --> 00:54:48,394 fellow in the beginning. 1205 00:54:48,774 --> 00:54:50,064 Very same charge. 1206 00:54:50,544 --> 00:54:52,994 And I thought, wow, how ironic that was. 1207 00:54:53,314 --> 00:54:55,634 And it was, they were charging him federally. 1208 00:54:56,214 --> 00:54:58,354 And in the United States, that's a big deal. 1209 00:54:58,364 --> 00:55:01,604 If you get charged federally, you get 16 years, you're 1210 00:55:01,604 --> 00:55:04,324 going to do 16 years, there's no, it's different. 1211 00:55:04,864 --> 00:55:09,714 And and so I went to go to the trial and and I was 1212 00:55:09,714 --> 00:55:12,714 really, I wanted to be angry. 1213 00:55:12,714 --> 00:55:13,414 I really did. 1214 00:55:13,854 --> 00:55:15,234 I wanted to pound the flesh. 1215 00:55:15,494 --> 00:55:17,934 I knew how those parents felt in the beginning. 1216 00:55:19,049 --> 00:55:22,999 After losing their child and when I got there and I saw 1217 00:55:22,999 --> 00:55:26,169 the defendant, I don't know. 1218 00:55:26,939 --> 00:55:28,039 I just couldn't hate. 1219 00:55:28,119 --> 00:55:30,099 I just, I couldn't do it. 1220 00:55:30,709 --> 00:55:35,069 Like all I saw was a kid, a stupid drug addicted 1221 00:55:35,099 --> 00:55:38,969 kid who made a terrible mistake, a mistake that 1222 00:55:38,969 --> 00:55:40,309 he couldn't take back. 1223 00:55:40,689 --> 00:55:42,879 What would it serve for me? 1224 00:55:43,109 --> 00:55:47,589 I don't know, it might sound so sappy so, well, whatever, 1225 00:55:47,619 --> 00:55:51,139 but I felt love for the kid, I really did, is that I 1226 00:55:51,139 --> 00:55:52,629 wanted things to be different. 1227 00:55:52,859 --> 00:55:55,569 I wanted him to be able to put his life back together. 1228 00:55:55,769 --> 00:55:59,189 He had to be held responsible, because my son wasn't the only 1229 00:55:59,209 --> 00:56:01,939 person who he'd hurt, the only person who died, but other 1230 00:56:01,939 --> 00:56:03,909 people got very sick and... 1231 00:56:04,379 --> 00:56:07,149 Forensics have changed their lives, and granted, 1232 00:56:07,159 --> 00:56:09,599 buying drugs is your own choice, but when a drug is 1233 00:56:09,609 --> 00:56:12,629 so addictive, and you're so young, and you really don't 1234 00:56:12,639 --> 00:56:16,429 know about these things, it's just, and I felt for the 1235 00:56:16,449 --> 00:56:20,539 kid, and, you know, I think. 1236 00:56:21,009 --> 00:56:25,889 And I don't know for sure, but I think that those 1237 00:56:25,909 --> 00:56:28,789 parents experienced from the beginning, with that 1238 00:56:28,789 --> 00:56:32,159 wrong way drunk driver is that I think that was 1239 00:56:32,169 --> 00:56:33,549 part of my life review. 1240 00:56:34,039 --> 00:56:35,699 And I came to terms with that. 1241 00:56:36,159 --> 00:56:39,429 By living through their example and feeling what they 1242 00:56:39,429 --> 00:56:42,559 felt and going through that over and over again in my 1243 00:56:42,559 --> 00:56:46,909 life review, when I was put in that same situation, it's like 1244 00:56:47,089 --> 00:56:48,769 I had the benefits of that. 1245 00:56:49,079 --> 00:56:52,879 And I was able to relieve myself of all of that 1246 00:56:52,889 --> 00:56:55,449 negativity, all those negative feelings. 1247 00:56:55,784 --> 00:56:58,734 And truly really what I wanted for that kid is I 1248 00:56:58,734 --> 00:57:01,524 wanted him to have a child someday, to get out of jail, 1249 00:57:01,734 --> 00:57:04,914 and have a child, and to love that child, maybe a son, 1250 00:57:04,914 --> 00:57:07,894 and nurture him, and bring him to wrestling practice, 1251 00:57:07,944 --> 00:57:11,484 go to his wedding, and see grandchildren, and maybe 1252 00:57:11,484 --> 00:57:14,154 someday when your day comes, you'll be surrounded by your 1253 00:57:14,154 --> 00:57:15,694 great grandchildren in bed. 1254 00:57:15,974 --> 00:57:17,864 That would be payback for me. 1255 00:57:17,864 --> 00:57:20,859 For that truly would to have a life well lived. 1256 00:57:21,119 --> 00:57:23,739 And so I understand Stevie Webb is not making 1257 00:57:23,739 --> 00:57:24,909 criminal justice law. 1258 00:57:25,079 --> 00:57:27,879 And I am a full believer in law and order in this world. 1259 00:57:27,879 --> 00:57:30,759 So I'm not saying anything about anything except for 1260 00:57:30,759 --> 00:57:32,469 my personal experience. 1261 00:57:32,894 --> 00:57:35,664 Is that I found a way to love after all of that, 1262 00:57:35,664 --> 00:57:37,484 after all this experiences. 1263 00:57:37,784 --> 00:57:41,234 And so when I tell you, and when I share with you and your 1264 00:57:41,234 --> 00:57:46,504 audience about the near death experience was just part, it 1265 00:57:46,504 --> 00:57:50,354 was just part of a longer, A more intense story that, 1266 00:57:50,644 --> 00:57:52,164 that, how did this happen? 1267 00:57:52,164 --> 00:57:55,724 I had this crazy experience with this wrong way 1268 00:57:55,724 --> 00:57:58,364 drunk driver and the death of this young lady. 1269 00:57:58,634 --> 00:58:01,534 Then I had my near death experience. 1270 00:58:01,744 --> 00:58:04,844 A crazy, crazy, and I survived to tell about it. 1271 00:58:04,994 --> 00:58:08,054 I often say like I took a spiritual shortcut because 1272 00:58:08,054 --> 00:58:09,344 all I did was survive. 1273 00:58:09,364 --> 00:58:10,524 But it's really true. 1274 00:58:10,834 --> 00:58:13,664 I had this crazy near death experience and 1275 00:58:13,664 --> 00:58:15,124 then I lost my son. 1276 00:58:15,444 --> 00:58:19,864 And then we had a trial that so paralleled everything, 1277 00:58:20,674 --> 00:58:22,804 and I thought, like, how did all this happen? 1278 00:58:23,184 --> 00:58:27,404 Is there a master design to things, or is the stage set? 1279 00:58:27,404 --> 00:58:29,364 Sometimes I hear people say, oh, that's your 1280 00:58:29,364 --> 00:58:30,874 life plan, you plan this. 1281 00:58:31,184 --> 00:58:32,664 I never got that feeling. 1282 00:58:32,984 --> 00:58:35,524 I never, you know, that like, like you have the 1283 00:58:35,524 --> 00:58:38,914 wisdom to plan your life plan to, I don't know. 1284 00:58:39,044 --> 00:58:40,184 I don't have all the answers. 1285 00:58:40,184 --> 00:58:44,234 All I have is my experience, but it seems so odd how 1286 00:58:44,234 --> 00:58:47,594 these things fit together and truly since, since 1287 00:58:47,604 --> 00:58:50,553 having these experiences and coming to terms, like 1288 00:58:50,554 --> 00:58:52,204 my life has changed so much. 1289 00:58:52,254 --> 00:58:55,164 There's certain gifts that I take with me now. 1290 00:58:55,604 --> 00:58:57,334 And one of those things is. 1291 00:58:58,004 --> 00:59:02,694 is signs and synchronicities is to really understand those 1292 00:59:02,714 --> 00:59:06,644 messages that we receive from spirit and that and then you 1293 00:59:06,644 --> 00:59:09,324 have to get rid of the oh wow factor a lot of times 1294 00:59:09,324 --> 00:59:12,794 when people receive a sign they're like oh wow grandma's 1295 00:59:12,824 --> 00:59:17,594 you know blah blah blah once you start to examine why 1296 00:59:17,594 --> 00:59:20,734 you're seeing this message or why you're feeling this 1297 00:59:20,754 --> 00:59:24,434 message all of a sudden it opens up this gateway of 1298 00:59:24,494 --> 00:59:29,054 communication because spirit knows That could communicate 1299 00:59:29,074 --> 00:59:32,284 with you and understand, you could understand those. 1300 00:59:32,474 --> 00:59:35,144 And sometimes the message in and of itself is 1301 00:59:35,144 --> 00:59:37,634 just one message and it tells the whole story. 1302 00:59:38,004 --> 00:59:41,894 But other times, messages from Spirit is a sequence 1303 00:59:41,894 --> 00:59:45,204 of messages to educate you and bring you a 1304 00:59:45,204 --> 00:59:46,554 level of understanding. 1305 00:59:46,954 --> 00:59:49,574 And it's really true, at least for me, is that once I 1306 00:59:49,574 --> 00:59:53,634 started opening up my eyes, I started to see these messages. 1307 00:59:54,004 --> 00:59:57,184 In my book, The Place Between Here and There, is that 1308 00:59:57,214 --> 01:00:01,254 I write about about this one experience that really 1309 01:00:01,264 --> 01:00:03,864 changed the way I felt about mediums and psychics 1310 01:00:03,914 --> 01:00:05,674 and spirit communication. 1311 01:00:05,934 --> 01:00:09,224 Because I remember the first time that my friend Kathy, 1312 01:00:09,264 --> 01:00:13,744 Kooky Kathy, said to me one afternoon, she said, has my 1313 01:00:13,744 --> 01:00:16,364 son ever tried to contact me? 1314 01:00:17,064 --> 01:00:19,624 I thought she was batshit crazy, because I, I'm 1315 01:00:19,634 --> 01:00:21,924 dealing with this grief and she's talking about 1316 01:00:21,924 --> 01:00:23,324 my son contacting me. 1317 01:00:23,324 --> 01:00:24,944 Oh, what am I supposed to go to a medium? 1318 01:00:25,154 --> 01:00:27,164 And they got to tell me stuff about my son. 1319 01:00:27,164 --> 01:00:28,694 Like I want to know part of this. 1320 01:00:28,934 --> 01:00:31,144 I didn't understand any of this and I 1321 01:00:31,144 --> 01:00:32,264 didn't buy a lot of it. 1322 01:00:32,994 --> 01:00:40,384 And um, day, Kathy and I, during the health crisis that 1323 01:00:40,384 --> 01:00:43,504 we've all had to go through, the whole world has suffered 1324 01:00:43,504 --> 01:00:47,284 through I had decided to write this book about my experience 1325 01:00:47,284 --> 01:00:49,894 and Kathy was helping me with it, we were doing it together. 1326 01:00:50,264 --> 01:00:52,314 And we were just taking a break from it and we 1327 01:00:52,314 --> 01:00:54,594 were walking along the beach on Long Island. 1328 01:00:55,044 --> 01:00:57,714 And one of Kathy's favorite pastimes is 1329 01:00:57,964 --> 01:01:02,104 collecting beach glass and it would roll up on the beach 1330 01:01:02,104 --> 01:01:04,344 and she had jars and jars of it all over the house. 1331 01:01:04,544 --> 01:01:06,754 We were going to have to get another extension on 1332 01:01:06,754 --> 01:01:09,554 the house just to take care of all of our beach glass. 1333 01:01:09,964 --> 01:01:12,694 And she's a big saint person and she always prays to 1334 01:01:12,694 --> 01:01:16,044 this saint called Saint Germaine, the violet flame. 1335 01:01:16,354 --> 01:01:19,714 So when we're walking on the beach, she's praying to Saint 1336 01:01:19,714 --> 01:01:21,574 Germaine to heal the world. 1337 01:01:22,349 --> 01:01:24,609 And first off, it wasn't for Kathy, things would 1338 01:01:24,609 --> 01:01:25,569 have been a lot worse. 1339 01:01:26,039 --> 01:01:29,729 She's, doing all those prayers for us, and I do believe. 1340 01:01:30,899 --> 01:01:34,709 But she wanted a sign from Saint Germain that 1341 01:01:34,709 --> 01:01:37,949 he had heard her prayers, and that he was going to 1342 01:01:37,949 --> 01:01:39,239 help her heal the world. 1343 01:01:39,949 --> 01:01:44,129 And so she asked for to find violet beach glass, like St. 1344 01:01:44,129 --> 01:01:46,769 Germain, the violet, she wants to find violet beach 1345 01:01:46,779 --> 01:01:48,649 glass on Long Island. 1346 01:01:48,749 --> 01:01:51,229 You will find hen's teeth before you will 1347 01:01:51,229 --> 01:01:52,539 find violet beach glass. 1348 01:01:52,549 --> 01:01:53,219 It doesn't exist. 1349 01:01:53,949 --> 01:01:55,099 Just no way. 1350 01:01:55,619 --> 01:01:57,679 And I knew she was going to be disappointed 1351 01:01:57,679 --> 01:01:59,809 because she can really get wrapped up in this stuff. 1352 01:02:00,129 --> 01:02:03,539 And and so we're on our way back and I thought 1353 01:02:03,539 --> 01:02:05,759 she was almost crying and that she was really upset. 1354 01:02:05,759 --> 01:02:07,979 She didn't find the violet beach glass. 1355 01:02:08,439 --> 01:02:12,899 And then just right then out of, just out of nowhere, this 1356 01:02:12,979 --> 01:02:16,469 Dalmatian puppy, Dalmatian, like 101 Dalmatian, like a 1357 01:02:16,469 --> 01:02:20,209 white puppy with black spots all over it, comes running out 1358 01:02:20,209 --> 01:02:23,189 from behind a sand dune and starts jumping all over us. 1359 01:02:23,439 --> 01:02:24,219 I was thrilled. 1360 01:02:24,219 --> 01:02:25,159 I love doggies. 1361 01:02:25,159 --> 01:02:27,229 I have no problem with a dog jumping on me. 1362 01:02:27,469 --> 01:02:29,409 And we were just, I was patting its head and 1363 01:02:29,409 --> 01:02:30,849 like pushing it around. 1364 01:02:31,344 --> 01:02:33,784 The owner comes running from behind the sand dune 1365 01:02:33,784 --> 01:02:35,304 saying, Oh, I'm sorry. 1366 01:02:35,374 --> 01:02:37,174 It's a puppy, got away. 1367 01:02:37,174 --> 01:02:38,484 And we're like, no problem. 1368 01:02:38,754 --> 01:02:41,934 And we chatted with the lady for a little bit. 1369 01:02:42,424 --> 01:02:44,014 And so I asked her, what's the dog's name? 1370 01:02:46,703 --> 01:02:48,023 Rod Bland: You're not going to say Violet. 1371 01:02:48,033 --> 01:02:48,053 Wow. 1372 01:02:48,343 --> 01:02:48,503 Hmm. 1373 01:02:50,314 --> 01:02:52,344 Stephen Weber: And I think to myself, like, 1374 01:02:52,464 --> 01:02:54,064 how could this Dalmatian, 1375 01:02:54,094 --> 01:02:57,214 how does a Dalmatian puppy, how does that be Violet? 1376 01:02:57,494 --> 01:02:59,524 It's nothing could be further from the truth. 1377 01:02:59,914 --> 01:03:02,984 And so I'm like, in shock, and Kathy doesn't get it at all. 1378 01:03:03,144 --> 01:03:06,784 And so the lady runs off with the dog, and so we're walking 1379 01:03:06,784 --> 01:03:10,304 away, and I'm like, Kathy, the dog's name is Violet. 1380 01:03:10,664 --> 01:03:11,964 And she finally got it. 1381 01:03:12,264 --> 01:03:15,554 And I was like, that's a sign, that has to be a message. 1382 01:03:15,604 --> 01:03:16,914 What does that mean? 1383 01:03:17,084 --> 01:03:17,694 Really? 1384 01:03:18,944 --> 01:03:21,344 We have to find this lady again. 1385 01:03:22,034 --> 01:03:24,434 And so what had happened a few weeks later, people walk in 1386 01:03:24,434 --> 01:03:25,904 the same beaches all the time. 1387 01:03:26,284 --> 01:03:29,034 And we see her again and she's running with the dog, 1388 01:03:29,034 --> 01:03:31,904 of course, is off leash again, jumping all over us. 1389 01:03:32,214 --> 01:03:33,654 And we're like, Hey, how you doing? 1390 01:03:33,654 --> 01:03:34,134 And stuff. 1391 01:03:34,134 --> 01:03:37,304 And so we told her the story about the violet beach 1392 01:03:37,324 --> 01:03:38,744 glass and the violet dog. 1393 01:03:39,004 --> 01:03:41,024 And she was so thrilled about it. 1394 01:03:41,374 --> 01:03:44,644 And she started to tell me how her son and her. 1395 01:03:45,074 --> 01:03:46,914 They used to watch Gone with the Wind. 1396 01:03:46,914 --> 01:03:48,174 It was their favorite show. 1397 01:03:48,174 --> 01:03:51,024 They like had one of these big screen TVs and they 1398 01:03:51,024 --> 01:03:54,834 just, they loved it and they loved Scarlett O'Hara and her 1399 01:03:54,834 --> 01:03:59,824 sassiness and and Brett Butler gave her this big violet dress 1400 01:03:59,834 --> 01:04:04,154 at one point that she wears and it's beautiful and she 1401 01:04:04,154 --> 01:04:08,054 decided to name the dog Violet but instead of spelling it 1402 01:04:08,054 --> 01:04:11,524 like Violet, she spelt it the way Scarlet spells her name. 1403 01:04:12,804 --> 01:04:15,834 She lost her son just a few months before 1404 01:04:15,834 --> 01:04:16,174 that. 1405 01:04:19,384 --> 01:04:21,634 And we became very good friends, and we're 1406 01:04:21,634 --> 01:04:23,984 both struggling with so many of the same issues 1407 01:04:24,034 --> 01:04:26,494 and like, how does that happen? 1408 01:04:27,114 --> 01:04:28,274 Like, how does it happen? 1409 01:04:28,484 --> 01:04:32,794 Violet Beach Glass, Violet Dog, Mom Loses Baby. 1410 01:04:33,034 --> 01:04:36,294 Young son like my son, and we're brought together at 1411 01:04:36,294 --> 01:04:39,454 such a critical time in the world is that a coincidence? 1412 01:04:39,484 --> 01:04:40,174 Really? 1413 01:04:40,464 --> 01:04:41,054 Really? 1414 01:04:41,064 --> 01:04:42,344 Is that a coincidence? 1415 01:04:42,804 --> 01:04:45,944 And that's really what's, what sold me is that I started 1416 01:04:45,984 --> 01:04:47,744 to believe that, no, really? 1417 01:04:48,024 --> 01:04:49,134 There is spirit. 1418 01:04:49,384 --> 01:04:50,284 We are spirit. 1419 01:04:50,334 --> 01:04:51,464 We're all connected. 1420 01:04:51,754 --> 01:04:52,864 This is all real. 1421 01:04:52,874 --> 01:04:54,444 My experience was real. 1422 01:04:54,694 --> 01:04:58,184 Life is real, and we have to go out and enjoy it and make 1423 01:04:58,184 --> 01:04:59,734 the very best of everything. 1424 01:04:59,964 --> 01:05:03,534 Laugh, cry, and just as we opened up our discussion, 1425 01:05:03,714 --> 01:05:06,244 if I could leave people with just this one thought, 1426 01:05:06,244 --> 01:05:09,714 it's that Life is good, and people are good, even when 1427 01:05:09,724 --> 01:05:11,184 very sad things happen. 1428 01:05:11,504 --> 01:05:13,444 And in so many ways, these are just silly 1429 01:05:13,444 --> 01:05:15,044 words that Stevie says. 1430 01:05:15,294 --> 01:05:18,634 But, if you could find out why, for your own self, 1431 01:05:18,634 --> 01:05:22,214 in your own way, why this is true, I'm certain you 1432 01:05:22,214 --> 01:05:25,194 will find peace in this world, and any other world 1433 01:05:25,194 --> 01:05:26,324 that comes afterwards. 1434 01:05:26,474 --> 01:05:28,404 I've found a way to be happy again. 1435 01:05:28,614 --> 01:05:31,714 I've found a way to share my experience, not only with 1436 01:05:31,764 --> 01:05:34,804 people who are interested in near death experiences, and 1437 01:05:35,094 --> 01:05:38,424 that this perhaps isn't a one and done thing, and that 1438 01:05:38,424 --> 01:05:41,634 we have so much to learn and grow, but also those people 1439 01:05:41,634 --> 01:05:45,174 who are suffering from loss, who understands that when 1440 01:05:45,174 --> 01:05:47,824 you say there's something else, there really is. 1441 01:05:48,154 --> 01:05:50,924 And it's beautiful and there's a meaning towards 1442 01:05:50,924 --> 01:05:54,274 everything is that I didn't see Jesus and I didn't see 1443 01:05:54,304 --> 01:05:57,794 pretty clouds or flowers and all those wonderful things 1444 01:05:57,794 --> 01:05:59,009 that many other peoples did. 1445 01:05:59,799 --> 01:06:02,419 But the beauty I felt was the bliss. 1446 01:06:02,459 --> 01:06:06,369 The bliss of understanding is that a lot of times people 1447 01:06:06,369 --> 01:06:09,179 believe there's perhaps two paths to enlightenment. 1448 01:06:09,429 --> 01:06:12,689 One is one of devotion and the other one is one of 1449 01:06:12,739 --> 01:06:15,959 understanding and I'm more of the understanding type. 1450 01:06:16,239 --> 01:06:18,769 And and it just so happens, I think I had that 1451 01:06:18,769 --> 01:06:21,699 experience at the right time and I'm very grateful. 1452 01:06:21,909 --> 01:06:25,379 And without the, with the exception of losing my son is 1453 01:06:25,379 --> 01:06:28,249 that I wouldn't have changed a bit about anything of my life. 1454 01:06:28,279 --> 01:06:29,759 And I'm so happy now. 1455 01:06:29,989 --> 01:06:31,099 And I feel very blessed. 1456 01:06:31,954 --> 01:06:33,634 Rod Bland: Thanks for sharing your story, Steve. 1457 01:06:34,014 --> 01:06:37,544 If anyone's got any questions are you open 1458 01:06:37,544 --> 01:06:38,114 to answering those? 1459 01:06:38,114 --> 01:06:39,784 And what's the best way for people to get in touch 1460 01:06:39,784 --> 01:06:41,684 with you and find out what else you've got going on? 1461 01:06:42,049 --> 01:06:43,389 Stephen Weber: Yeah one of the best things. 1462 01:06:43,429 --> 01:06:46,059 First off, my book is the place between here and there. 1463 01:06:46,239 --> 01:06:47,969 It's available on Amazon. 1464 01:06:48,139 --> 01:06:49,249 It's in Spanish. 1465 01:06:49,269 --> 01:06:52,419 It's an audio book in Kindle, and it's really 1466 01:06:52,419 --> 01:06:53,679 a beautiful story. 1467 01:06:53,849 --> 01:06:57,679 It's about love and life and there's some tough spots in 1468 01:06:57,679 --> 01:07:00,949 the book, but you'll leave feeling happy and refreshed. 1469 01:07:00,949 --> 01:07:01,929 You really will. 1470 01:07:02,189 --> 01:07:04,809 It's a beautiful story and I recommend it highly. 1471 01:07:04,809 --> 01:07:08,659 Of course I do, but but also is that we have a Facebook 1472 01:07:08,729 --> 01:07:14,804 page and my email address is steve, S T E V E at S Between 1473 01:07:14,804 --> 01:07:19,774 here and there.org, Steve, at between here and there.org. 1474 01:07:20,014 --> 01:07:22,944 And I'm sure you'll put our social media 1475 01:07:22,944 --> 01:07:25,759 in the description of the of the video and 1476 01:07:25,759 --> 01:07:27,189 please reach out to us. 1477 01:07:27,189 --> 01:07:30,969 We talk to a lot of people and we share, really it's a 1478 01:07:32,589 --> 01:07:35,439 . That means I honor the honor inner teacher and student 1479 01:07:35,439 --> 01:07:38,559 inside each of us, and we all have something to share. 1480 01:07:38,559 --> 01:07:42,024 It's just like, The lady with the violet dog is that 1481 01:07:42,134 --> 01:07:43,214 we're brought together. 1482 01:07:43,274 --> 01:07:45,964 And in that situation, we were both teachers and 1483 01:07:45,964 --> 01:07:47,264 students of each other. 1484 01:07:47,544 --> 01:07:49,054 And that's really the path. 1485 01:07:49,054 --> 01:07:52,704 The story, it's a beautiful story and and then since 1486 01:07:52,704 --> 01:07:55,354 then is that right now as I'm living in Florida, 1487 01:07:55,384 --> 01:07:58,084 we had mentioned this, I live in paradise. 1488 01:07:58,174 --> 01:07:59,994 This is paradise here. 1489 01:08:00,214 --> 01:08:02,174 Every day is a beautiful day. 1490 01:08:02,374 --> 01:08:04,764 There's palm trees all over the place. 1491 01:08:05,014 --> 01:08:05,944 And um, yeah. 1492 01:08:06,199 --> 01:08:07,159 You know, It's so odd. 1493 01:08:07,159 --> 01:08:10,289 I came here for the weather, but I realized 1494 01:08:10,479 --> 01:08:11,319 it's the people. 1495 01:08:11,779 --> 01:08:12,649 It really is. 1496 01:08:12,979 --> 01:08:15,489 People are just so kind here and just being 1497 01:08:15,519 --> 01:08:16,869 part of a community. 1498 01:08:17,149 --> 01:08:19,399 And it's just, life is good. 1499 01:08:19,399 --> 01:08:21,869 I can't ride motorcycles anymore. 1500 01:08:21,869 --> 01:08:26,099 I put my family through enough trauma, although I would love. 1501 01:08:26,549 --> 01:08:30,859 to ride motorcycles and maybe someday, but I have 1502 01:08:30,859 --> 01:08:33,429 these electric e bikes and I just love them because 1503 01:08:33,429 --> 01:08:36,459 I go off roading all the time and I have all these 1504 01:08:36,529 --> 01:08:40,619 scooters and unit cycles and so I have all my toys 1505 01:08:40,619 --> 01:08:42,039 that I do and I still work. 1506 01:08:42,039 --> 01:08:43,009 I work remotely. 1507 01:08:43,009 --> 01:08:43,879 I'm an engineer. 1508 01:08:44,169 --> 01:08:45,149 So I love that. 1509 01:08:45,189 --> 01:08:47,749 But but my real passion in life right now is 1510 01:08:47,799 --> 01:08:50,759 I teach a yoga class, a meditation class. 1511 01:08:50,759 --> 01:08:53,279 I called it Mantras, Meditations, and Good 1512 01:08:53,279 --> 01:08:56,299 Vibrations, and I teach another class 1513 01:08:56,339 --> 01:08:57,699 called Kundalini Kriya. 1514 01:08:57,699 --> 01:09:00,989 It's a type of yoga, it's like a celebration where we 1515 01:09:00,989 --> 01:09:04,719 just really enjoy a lot of different music, different 1516 01:09:04,729 --> 01:09:06,319 asanas and exercises. 1517 01:09:06,539 --> 01:09:09,709 I have this huge gong that's It's this immense gong. 1518 01:09:09,709 --> 01:09:13,619 I have it on wheels and I live about 50 yards from the venue. 1519 01:09:13,619 --> 01:09:15,519 So I just roll it out my front door. 1520 01:09:15,709 --> 01:09:18,489 I bring it to the venue and I play the gong and 1521 01:09:18,589 --> 01:09:19,879 it's just so much fun. 1522 01:09:19,879 --> 01:09:21,409 And I just I'm really enjoying it. 1523 01:09:21,409 --> 01:09:22,639 I truly am. 1524 01:09:22,934 --> 01:09:24,294 Rod Bland: I bet that makes you well known in the 1525 01:09:24,294 --> 01:09:25,284 neighbourhood, the gong. 1526 01:09:26,389 --> 01:09:27,969 Stephen Weber: No it's the best advertisement 1527 01:09:27,969 --> 01:09:29,629 because I walk, I push it down the block. 1528 01:09:29,639 --> 01:09:31,369 Everyone says, Oh, Steve, where are you going? 1529 01:09:31,549 --> 01:09:33,509 Like, come on, Come on down. 1530 01:09:33,779 --> 01:09:36,569 And I get like 50 to a hundred people each time. 1531 01:09:37,034 --> 01:09:40,264 Each time 50 to 100 people show up and either for the 1532 01:09:40,264 --> 01:09:43,754 yoga and the meditation or just the meditation class, and 1533 01:09:43,754 --> 01:09:46,654 it really makes a difference because we truly are all 1534 01:09:46,654 --> 01:09:49,814 connected and everyone has the same desires and wants 1535 01:09:50,104 --> 01:09:53,264 and need to just get a break from this crazy world. 1536 01:09:53,569 --> 01:09:55,079 Rod Bland: Uh, it's funny you should mention Kriya Yoga 1537 01:09:55,079 --> 01:09:57,239 because one of my previous guests, who was also a near 1538 01:09:57,239 --> 01:10:00,259 death experience with Peter Panengor, is into Kriya Yoga. 1539 01:10:00,259 --> 01:10:01,379 Is he someone that you know, Steve? 1540 01:10:03,589 --> 01:10:06,269 Stephen Weber: Yes, as, you know, I was really 1541 01:10:06,269 --> 01:10:09,549 struggling when I had first wrote the book, 1542 01:10:09,579 --> 01:10:12,219 The Place Between Here and There, because 1543 01:10:12,339 --> 01:10:14,929 people would come to me as I was knowledgeable 1544 01:10:14,929 --> 01:10:16,369 about spiritual matters. 1545 01:10:16,779 --> 01:10:17,529 And really... 1546 01:10:18,169 --> 01:10:21,979 I took a shortcut, you know, because that it wasn't all I 1547 01:10:21,979 --> 01:10:26,479 did was survive, people study all these years and have all 1548 01:10:26,479 --> 01:10:31,099 these letters after their name and all I did was survive and 1549 01:10:31,149 --> 01:10:33,829 I felt so awkward at times when people would come and 1550 01:10:33,829 --> 01:10:36,669 tell me, you know, share their stories with me and it was 1551 01:10:36,669 --> 01:10:37,969 really weighing heavy on me. 1552 01:10:38,219 --> 01:10:41,259 And I was really depressed about it because I felt 1553 01:10:41,269 --> 01:10:42,509 like I was an imposter. 1554 01:10:42,889 --> 01:10:44,979 And so I reached out to this one guy. 1555 01:10:45,149 --> 01:10:49,789 I think it was on HBO or I saw him on like a, uh, you know, 1556 01:10:49,809 --> 01:10:51,269 some sort of major outlet. 1557 01:10:51,599 --> 01:10:55,369 I found him on Facebook and I sent him an email message 1558 01:10:55,409 --> 01:10:58,189 and I just asked him, you know, I told him what I was 1559 01:10:58,189 --> 01:11:01,179 going through and I, Tom, I felt very uncomfortable and 1560 01:11:01,179 --> 01:11:03,639 he seemed like he was a guy who had his stuff together 1561 01:11:03,899 --> 01:11:08,549 and he was counseling people and so I began this pen pal 1562 01:11:08,549 --> 01:11:11,649 relationship and his name was Peter, Peter Paragon 1563 01:11:11,889 --> 01:11:12,449 Rod Bland: Yeah. 1564 01:11:12,579 --> 01:11:14,939 Because he used to have a mainstream television show 1565 01:11:14,969 --> 01:11:17,239 on a TV network for like 15 years or something. 1566 01:11:17,239 --> 01:11:17,989 I think it was, yeah. 1567 01:11:18,949 --> 01:11:21,849 Stephen Weber: and And he responded right back. 1568 01:11:21,849 --> 01:11:24,559 And I had this pen pal relationship with him 1569 01:11:24,559 --> 01:11:25,939 for several months. 1570 01:11:25,939 --> 01:11:28,089 He was walking me through spending a lot of time. 1571 01:11:28,439 --> 01:11:30,269 And it was walking me through and helping me 1572 01:11:30,269 --> 01:11:34,319 come to terms with things because he felt the same way. 1573 01:11:34,579 --> 01:11:36,809 Because I think that's the way it connected was 1574 01:11:36,809 --> 01:11:39,179 the whole idea of taking the spiritual shortcut. 1575 01:11:39,579 --> 01:11:42,499 And he really he got me into a good place and so 1576 01:11:42,529 --> 01:11:46,269 when I told him goodbye and I said, Peter, I said, if 1577 01:11:46,429 --> 01:11:51,029 someday a guy comes up to a stranger and gives you a big 1578 01:11:51,029 --> 01:11:53,069 hug, you'll know it's me. 1579 01:11:53,519 --> 01:11:55,439 And he laughed and that was that. 1580 01:11:55,839 --> 01:11:59,569 And so roll it forward to this year there's this group called 1581 01:11:59,579 --> 01:12:03,149 the International Association of Near Death Studies. 1582 01:12:03,559 --> 01:12:06,229 They had invited me to speak at their conference. 1583 01:12:06,499 --> 01:12:08,899 And this was a surreal experience for me because 1584 01:12:09,109 --> 01:12:12,339 other than seeing a small clip by Peters, I never even 1585 01:12:12,389 --> 01:12:14,799 talked to anyone who's had a near death experience. 1586 01:12:14,989 --> 01:12:16,699 I never listened to anyone's stories. 1587 01:12:16,699 --> 01:12:18,029 Part of it was that. 1588 01:12:18,609 --> 01:12:23,189 I had my own experience and I, it's complicated, but I 1589 01:12:23,199 --> 01:12:26,979 just, wasn't a part of anyone else's stories and, but 1590 01:12:27,189 --> 01:12:28,909 that conference was great. 1591 01:12:28,909 --> 01:12:30,819 All of a sudden, I met all these people 1592 01:12:30,869 --> 01:12:32,089 and it really changed. 1593 01:12:32,279 --> 01:12:34,049 Help me come to terms to things. 1594 01:12:34,399 --> 01:12:37,479 But I look at the very first day before everyone 1595 01:12:37,489 --> 01:12:40,489 gets there, Peter Paragon is speaking and he's 1596 01:12:40,489 --> 01:12:42,079 speaking about Kriya Yoga. 1597 01:12:42,529 --> 01:12:44,209 I was like, I'm going to his thing. 1598 01:12:44,599 --> 01:12:46,149 And and so I go to him. 1599 01:12:46,169 --> 01:12:47,959 I never saw him in person before. 1600 01:12:48,229 --> 01:12:51,219 And he's sitting there, he's talking in front of the group. 1601 01:12:51,469 --> 01:12:53,669 And at the end, he asked for questions. 1602 01:12:54,039 --> 01:12:56,169 And then everyone asks questions and I wait 1603 01:12:56,169 --> 01:12:59,549 until it's the very sticklers about time there. 1604 01:12:59,549 --> 01:13:00,919 So I knew they were going to, you know, 1605 01:13:00,929 --> 01:13:01,979 when the time was up. 1606 01:13:02,199 --> 01:13:02,719 So I wait. 1607 01:13:02,719 --> 01:13:03,959 I was the last question. 1608 01:13:03,959 --> 01:13:04,929 I raised my hand. 1609 01:13:04,929 --> 01:13:06,039 He called on me. 1610 01:13:06,344 --> 01:13:09,524 And I told him, I said, and he mentioned shortcuts again 1611 01:13:09,524 --> 01:13:11,454 in his speech that day. 1612 01:13:11,654 --> 01:13:14,204 And I said, Peter, I said, you mentioned shortcuts, 1613 01:13:14,214 --> 01:13:17,054 spiritual shortcuts, and you're not feeling worthy 1614 01:13:17,074 --> 01:13:18,524 to explain these things. 1615 01:13:18,574 --> 01:13:19,514 And that kind of brought you to Kriya 1616 01:13:19,884 --> 01:13:21,014 Yoga and other things. 1617 01:13:21,014 --> 01:13:24,014 I said, I share a very same experience is that 1618 01:13:24,014 --> 01:13:26,524 I, I felt like I took a spiritual shortcut. 1619 01:13:26,704 --> 01:13:28,704 In fact, it was causing me a lot of trauma. 1620 01:13:28,984 --> 01:13:31,344 And I explained to him the story, how I reached 1621 01:13:31,344 --> 01:13:34,534 out to this fella online and and they counseled me. 1622 01:13:34,534 --> 01:13:36,784 They really gave me some really good advice and made me 1623 01:13:36,784 --> 01:13:38,174 through a really tough time. 1624 01:13:38,674 --> 01:13:40,714 And I said, you know who that person was? 1625 01:13:41,299 --> 01:13:42,309 And he said, no. 1626 01:13:42,389 --> 01:13:44,599 And I asked him, can I, could I approach you? 1627 01:13:44,609 --> 01:13:45,279 He said, yeah. 1628 01:13:45,639 --> 01:13:46,949 And I walked up to him. 1629 01:13:47,299 --> 01:13:50,259 I gave him a big hug and then he reached out with 1630 01:13:50,269 --> 01:13:52,629 both hands and yelled at this top of his lung. 1631 01:13:52,629 --> 01:13:54,279 He said, Steve. 1632 01:13:54,369 --> 01:13:54,629 Rod Bland: Ha. 1633 01:13:55,879 --> 01:13:56,349 Ha Ha. 1634 01:13:57,489 --> 01:13:59,349 Stephen Weber: So that's, that's a great guy. 1635 01:13:59,349 --> 01:14:01,379 And I really learned the lesson not only about 1636 01:14:01,379 --> 01:14:02,819 Peter being a great guy. 1637 01:14:03,069 --> 01:14:03,929 Absolutely. 1638 01:14:04,079 --> 01:14:06,489 And someone gives to the community and a wider 1639 01:14:06,759 --> 01:14:10,379 community, not only yoga, I'm a yoga person but 1640 01:14:10,539 --> 01:14:13,569 also just being there talking to other people. 1641 01:14:13,819 --> 01:14:15,279 It was just a great experience. 1642 01:14:15,279 --> 01:14:16,109 I'll never forget it. 1643 01:14:16,509 --> 01:14:17,729 Rod Bland: Yeah, that's a great story. 1644 01:14:17,859 --> 01:14:18,139 Yeah. 1645 01:14:18,239 --> 01:14:19,279 He's a good guy, Peter. 1646 01:14:19,749 --> 01:14:22,739 My last guest said, had this saying, life is to be lived. 1647 01:14:22,809 --> 01:14:25,239 And I think that you're a great example of that, 1648 01:14:25,629 --> 01:14:27,989 Steve, despite what happens, life is to be lived. 1649 01:14:27,989 --> 01:14:30,349 And it's the joy that you have for living 1650 01:14:30,379 --> 01:14:31,529 really stands out to me. 1651 01:14:32,079 --> 01:14:33,429 So let's wrap it up. 1652 01:14:33,429 --> 01:14:36,469 Do you have one final message for people before we finish 1653 01:14:36,469 --> 01:14:37,789 off our conversation today? 1654 01:14:38,689 --> 01:14:39,829 Stephen Weber: Yeah, I would just say, 1655 01:14:40,439 --> 01:14:43,309 I just have to reiterate is that so as long as you 1656 01:14:43,309 --> 01:14:45,619 have breath in your body, you can make a difference. 1657 01:14:45,619 --> 01:14:49,939 You could find happiness and sometimes is some of the worst 1658 01:14:49,939 --> 01:14:52,299 things that have happened to you really can be the 1659 01:14:52,299 --> 01:14:54,219 greatest gift they really are. 1660 01:14:54,459 --> 01:14:56,559 And you could really agonize over. 1661 01:14:56,779 --> 01:14:59,349 terrible decisions you've made or other people have 1662 01:14:59,349 --> 01:15:03,499 made against you, but really there's a there's a 1663 01:15:03,499 --> 01:15:05,249 mantra which I love a lot. 1664 01:15:05,259 --> 01:15:08,884 It's called the Mool Mantra, and it says uh, uh, Ekankar 1665 01:15:08,884 --> 01:15:14,139 Sathan, Kata purak nirvo nirver, and that means 1666 01:15:14,349 --> 01:15:15,959 life is about awareness. 1667 01:15:16,434 --> 01:15:19,714 And raising your awareness, and you raise your awareness 1668 01:15:19,714 --> 01:15:21,224 through your experiences. 1669 01:15:21,484 --> 01:15:24,964 So never have hate or animosity towards those people 1670 01:15:25,034 --> 01:15:26,894 who bring you bad experiences. 1671 01:15:27,104 --> 01:15:29,604 Don't allow them to do it, because you have to learn. 1672 01:15:29,614 --> 01:15:31,234 No, don't allow people, be smart. 1673 01:15:31,554 --> 01:15:34,624 When those things come, take them in stride 1674 01:15:34,674 --> 01:15:35,654 and learn from them. 1675 01:15:36,094 --> 01:15:38,914 And don't hate or have jealousy towards others 1676 01:15:38,924 --> 01:15:41,134 or yourself, and you'll really, you'll find 1677 01:15:41,134 --> 01:15:42,134 bliss in this world. 1678 01:15:42,414 --> 01:15:45,784 No matter what, how crazy the world is, so many times, 1679 01:15:45,794 --> 01:15:48,774 one's prison bars are but their own construction. 1680 01:15:50,294 --> 01:15:53,254 Break free, and you do that from right here. 1681 01:15:54,269 --> 01:15:55,279 Rod Bland: That's a great message. 1682 01:15:55,559 --> 01:15:57,339 Steve, it's been my great pleasure to have 1683 01:15:57,339 --> 01:15:58,219 you on the show today. 1684 01:15:58,219 --> 01:15:59,579 I really appreciate you being my guest. 1685 01:16:00,734 --> 01:16:01,734 Stephen Weber: Thank you so much. 1686 01:16:01,924 --> 01:16:03,184 Best of success to you. 1687 01:16:03,234 --> 01:16:05,884 I'm inspired by your journey and your message, 1688 01:16:06,084 --> 01:16:09,384 and you bringing this this information to your audience, 1689 01:16:09,664 --> 01:16:11,384 and just best of success. 1690 01:16:11,384 --> 01:16:11,904 Sat Nam.