The Divine Council: Connecting with Higher Beings Through Guided Meditation
Rich Martini, author and filmmaker known for his work on the afterlife, recently conducted a groundbreaking experiment involving participants from around the world, including respected scientists. Rather than using hypnosis, Martini employed guided meditation techniques to help participants connect with their personal guides and access what many traditions refer to as Divine Councils—groups of beings that oversee individual life journeys. Through visualization exercises and specific questioning, participants were able to make remarkable connections despite having no prior knowledge of Martini's work.
Key Takeaways
Guided meditation offers an alternative to hypnosis for accessing afterlife connections and personal guides.
Divine Councils appear across religious traditions and can be accessed through specific visualization techniques.
Asking consistent questions across multiple sessions creates objective data from subjective experiences.
Exploration of the Afterlife
The researcher's journey into afterlife studies began after experiencing frequent visits from their deceased partner. This prompted them to document people's experiences through hypnotic regression to better understand what happens after death. While filming subjects under hypnosis yielded remarkable insights, they wondered what would happen if they worked with individuals who had never undergone hypnosis and knew nothing about their research.
They decided to conduct an experiment with participants from around the world, including scientists like Akira Sakura, a Harvard researcher and Bigelow prize winner. Unlike many participants who prefer anonymity, Sakura felt it was scientifically important to use his real name for this research.
The concept of Divine Councils appears across numerous religious traditions. The Book of Job mentions God's council, and similar concepts exist in Celtic mythology. Their research suggests that rather than one universal council, each person has their own spiritual advisory team that guides them throughout their lifetime.
For this experiment, the researcher used a simple guided meditation technique rather than formal hypnosis. Participants were asked to picture themselves in a boat on a river—inspired by the Beatles song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds." This visualization exercise creates a foundation for deeper exploration:
Visualize yourself in a boat
Note details about the boat and surroundings
Invite a guide to appear
Establish communication with the guide
Request to visit your Divine Council
When guides appear, they sometimes manifest as light, but the researcher typically asks if they can take human form to facilitate conversation. Often, participants see deceased relatives or other figures. Communication can be verbal or through simple gestures like nodding or shaking heads when direct answers aren't forthcoming.
The guides frequently recognize the researcher and their work, even when the participants themselves have never met them. One guide even called the researcher "the troublemaker" during a session. After establishing contact with the guide, they request permission to visit the participant's Council.
Council settings vary dramatically. Some appear in buildings or cathedrals, while others manifest in outdoor settings or even outer space. The number of council members typically ranges from 3 to 15 individuals. The researcher approaches each council respectfully, explaining that they're not there to disrupt the participant's journey.
To gather consistent data, they ask each council member the same questions:
Who are you?
How did you join this person's council?
How long have you served on this council?
Do you serve on other councils?
Do you have your own council and guides?
This methodical approach transforms subjective experiences into objective data. As Dr. Grayson noted in his near-death experience research, individual accounts may be subjective, but patterns emerge when questioning numerous people about similar experiences.
Hypnosis Experiments
The researcher conducted unique studies involving hypnosis sessions with individuals from diverse backgrounds. Instead of working with people familiar with their research, they deliberately selected participants who had no prior knowledge of their work on the afterlife or Divine councils.
This approach included scientists like Dr. Akira Sakura, a Harvard researcher and Bigelow prize winner. Unlike many participants who prefer anonymity, Dr. Sakura allowed his name to be used, believing in the scientific importance of this work.
The sessions began with simple guided meditation rather than formal hypnosis. Participants would imagine themselves in a boat on a river, describing their surroundings in detail. This visualization exercise created a foundation for deeper exploration.
The researcher then asked them to bring forward a guide. Some participants initially saw nothing, while others perceived lights or figures of deceased relatives. Communication methods varied - some guides spoke directly while others communicated through nods or gestures.
The most fascinating part came when asking to visit the participant's "Divine council" - a concept found across various religious traditions. These councils typically consisted of 3-15 members who oversee an individual's life journey.
Participants described these councils in remarkably diverse settings:
Cathedral-like structures
Outdoor natural environments
Cosmic or outer space locations
During these sessions, the researcher asked consistent questions to each council member:
Who are you?
How did you join this council?
Do you serve on other councils?
Do you have your own council or guide?
This methodical questioning allowed for collecting objective data from subjective experiences, similar to how near-death experience researchers compile consistent information across multiple accounts. The structured approach revealed fascinating patterns in how people perceive their spiritual guidance systems.
By working with people unfamiliar with their research, the researcher eliminated potential bias that might come from participants already versed in afterlife concepts or Divine council terminology.
International Collaborations
Exploring the afterlife requires a diverse range of perspectives from around the world. Recent research has brought together scientists, meditation practitioners, and experts from various disciplines to examine concepts like Divine councils and guides that exist across cultural boundaries.
One notable collaboration included Dr. Akira Sakura, a Harvard scientist and winner of the Bigelow prize, who participated in studies examining afterlife experiences. Unlike many participants who prefer anonymity, Dr. Sakura allowed his name to be used publicly, believing scientific transparency was essential for this type of research.
The collaborative approach extends beyond academic circles. Meditation practitioners from multiple countries have contributed to these investigations, bringing their expertise in guided visualization techniques. These international participants help demonstrate how certain afterlife concepts appear across cultural boundaries.
During these collaboration sessions, participants from diverse backgrounds are guided through a visualization exercise where they imagine themselves in a boat on a river. From this starting point, they report interactions with guides and councils. The consistency of responses across cultural backgrounds provides compelling cross-cultural data.
The concept of Divine councils appears in traditions worldwide:
Book of Job: References to God's council
Celtic mythology: Council structures in the otherworld
Various major religions: Similar council concepts under different names
This international research approach allows for collecting objective results from subjective experiences. By asking consistent questions to participants from different backgrounds and cultures, researchers can identify patterns that transcend geographical boundaries.
The methodology involves non-hypnotic guided meditation where participants:
Visualize a specific scene (often a boat on water)
Describe their environment in detail
Report interactions with guides or council members
Answer structured questions about these encounters
These cross-cultural collaborations continue to expand, with upcoming projects being submitted for consideration in the current round of Bigelow research funding.
Notable Participants in Research
The research into afterlife and Divine councils has attracted a diverse range of participants from various backgrounds and expertise levels. Dr. Akira Sakura, a Harvard scientist and winner of the Bigelow prize, has openly contributed to this work, lending scientific credibility to the investigations. Unlike many participants who prefer anonymity, Dr. Sakura chose to be identified publicly, believing in the importance of scientific transparency in afterlife research.
Another significant contributor was Dr. Drew, who participated in sessions exploring his own council despite initially being unfamiliar with the concept. The research also included individuals experienced in guided meditation from around the world who had attended professional conferences.
These sessions involved participants from different backgrounds who had never undergone hypnosis before. The diversity of the participants was intentional—including people who had no prior knowledge of "flipside" research or council concepts—to test whether the ability to access guides and councils was universal rather than limited to those with prior beliefs or experiences.
Scientists, academics, and meditation practitioners formed the core group of study participants. Their varied backgrounds provided rich data points while allowing researchers to observe whether consistent patterns emerged across different individuals' experiences regardless of their prior beliefs or knowledge.
Divine Councils in the Afterlife
Every person has a personal Divine Council that watches over their life journey. This concept appears across many religious traditions and historical texts, from the Book of Job mentioning "God's counsel" to similar references in Celtic myths. Rather than one universal council, research suggests each individual has their own group of guides.
These councils typically consist of 3 to 15 core members who oversee a person's life path. Council members can be visualized through simple meditative techniques, where individuals might see them in various settings—from cathedrals to outer space. The guides sometimes appear as light forms or manifest as recognizable figures like ancestors.
When accessing these councils, people report different arrangements. Some see their council members seated in chairs, while others describe them standing or positioned in unique formations. These guides serve specific roles in an individual's spiritual development.
Remarkably, council members themselves report having their own guides and serving on multiple councils simultaneously. This creates an interconnected network of spiritual guidance across different planes of existence. By asking consistent questions to different council members across multiple sessions, researchers can gather meaningful patterns from these subjective experiences.
Scientists and researchers, including award winners from the Bigelow contest, have begun documenting these council experiences. Their work helps validate what many have experienced through both hypnotic and non-hypnotic states, showing these councils can be accessed through simple guided meditation rather than requiring deep hypnosis.
Experiment Methodology
The investigation involved a novel approach to explore afterlife connections without traditional hypnosis methods. Participants were recruited who had no prior exposure to the researcher's previous work on "flipside" or council concepts, creating an unbiased sample pool.
Scientists and individuals from diverse backgrounds participated, including award-winning researchers. Rather than hypnosis, guided meditation techniques were employed, beginning with a simple visualization exercise where participants imagined themselves in a boat on a river or body of water.
Through specific questioning about the environment they visualized, participants were gradually led to deeper states of awareness. The facilitator then encouraged participants to bring forward a guide—which manifested differently for each person, sometimes as light or as familiar figures from their past.
A structured interview process was implemented where participants communicated with their guides through verbal responses or non-verbal cues like nodding or head shaking. Questions followed a consistent pattern: whether the guide recognized the facilitator, if participants could access their "council," and details about these council meetings.
Councils appeared differently to each person—some visualized buildings, outdoor settings, or even cosmic locations. The number of council members varied, typically ranging from 3 to 12 individuals, though sometimes as many as 15.
The methodology included standard questions asked to each council member:
Their identity and role
Duration of their council service
Participation in other councils
Their own guides and councils
This approach allowed for collecting objective data from subjective experiences, similar to near-death experience research methods. By asking identical questions across multiple participants, patterns could be identified despite the personal nature of each experience.
The process remained respectful throughout, with the facilitator emphasizing that they weren't there to disrupt the participant's journey but rather to gather information through structured, consistent questioning.
Guided Meditation and Visualization
Meditation serves as a doorway to connect with deeper parts of consciousness. Through simple visualization techniques, individuals can access guidance and wisdom that may not be available in everyday awareness.
The process often begins with a relaxation exercise where participants imagine themselves in a peaceful setting, such as floating on water. This creates a mental environment where the conscious mind can step aside, allowing deeper connections to form.
When properly guided, individuals may begin to perceive guides or helpers during these meditative states. These guides sometimes appear as light forms or as familiar figures like ancestors or loved ones who have passed on.
Communication with these guides can be established through simple yes/no questions. Visual cues like nodding or shaking heads can facilitate this exchange even when verbal communication seems difficult to establish.
Many spiritual traditions reference the concept of councils or groups of wise beings that offer guidance. These councils typically consist of 3-15 entities who appear to have specific roles in overseeing an individual's life journey.
The setting of these council meetings varies widely in people's experiences:
Cathedral-like structures
Outdoor natural settings
Cosmic or space-like environments
Formal meeting rooms or chambers
During guided sessions, participants can be directed to interact with specific council members by asking:
Their identity and purpose
Their relationship to the individual
Their roles on other councils
How long they've been serving in this capacity
This methodology creates consistency across subjective experiences. By asking the same questions to different participants and different council members, patterns emerge that provide more objective insights into these metaphysical encounters.
Even people with no prior experience in meditation or hypnosis can access these visualized realms when properly guided. Scientists and skeptics have participated in these exercises with surprising results.
The practice doesn't require special abilities—just willingness to relax, visualize, and remain open to whatever experiences might unfold.
Interactions with Guides
When exploring connections with spiritual guides, the visualization process can be remarkably straightforward. Individuals often begin by picturing themselves in a boat on a body of water—whether a peaceful river or serene lake—as a starting point for deeper exploration. This simple meditation technique creates a mental space where communication becomes possible.
Guides may appear in various forms. Some manifest as familiar figures like deceased relatives, while others appear as unfamiliar entities or simply as points of light. When direct verbal communication seems challenging, guides can communicate through basic gestures—nodding, shaking their head, or shrugging to indicate yes, no, or uncertainty.
These guides demonstrate awareness beyond what the individual consciously knows. They often recognize the questioner's intentions and methods even when the person being guided has no prior knowledge of such practices. This suggests guides operate with independent awareness rather than as projections of the individual's conscious mind.
The process of accessing one's spiritual council follows naturally from guide interactions. These councils appear in settings ranging from formal cathedral-like spaces to open cosmic environments. The number of council members varies—typically between 3 and 15 figures who oversee aspects of an individual's life journey.
Questions directed to council members follow systematic patterns to establish consistent data points. Typical inquiries include:
How long they've served on this particular council
Whether they serve on other councils
If they themselves have guides
Their specific role in the individual's life journey
This methodical questioning creates opportunities to gather consistent information across different sessions with diverse individuals. Even people with no prior experience in hypnosis or meditation can access these guide relationships through simple visualization techniques.
Remarkably, guides and council members respond to questions with independent personalities and perspectives. They sometimes describe the questioner in unexpected ways—as "the troublemaker" or "the guy who asks annoying questions"—suggesting autonomous viewpoints rather than mere reflections of the individual's expectations.
Identifying and Communicating with the Council
Reaching out to your personal Divine Council doesn't necessarily require hypnosis. Many people can connect through simple visualization techniques similar to guided meditation. Begin by picturing yourself in a boat on water—whether that's a river, lake, or ocean. Notice the details of your vessel and surroundings.
Once settled in this visualization, invite a guide to appear. This guide might manifest as light or take human form, often appearing as someone familiar like a deceased relative. If communication seems difficult, ask your guide to use simple gestures—nodding or shaking their head—to answer questions.
Always verify that your guide recognizes your intentions by asking directly if they understand what you're doing. Their response provides clarity about the connection you've established. Some guides may even have humorous reactions, calling you "the troublemaker" or mentioning your "annoying questions."
Next, request permission to visit your Council. Not every guide will grant immediate access, as timing matters in these spiritual journeys. When permission is granted, you may find yourself in various settings—buildings, outdoor spaces, or even cosmic environments where Council members gather.
Council configurations vary widely. While some people perceive large assemblies of 40-50 members in cathedral-like settings, most identify a core group of 3-15 individuals who directly oversee their life journey. Take time to notice how they're arranged—seated, standing, or positioned in specific formations.
Begin communication with individual Council members by addressing the person on the far left first. Approach with respect, acknowledging that you're not there to disrupt anyone's path. Ask straightforward questions about their identity, role, and connection to other councils.
This methodical approach of asking consistent questions across different Council members helps gather meaningful patterns from what might otherwise seem like purely subjective experiences. Important questions include how long they've served on your Council, whether they serve on other councils, and if they themselves have guides.
By following this process, you create a framework for communication that respects the wisdom and authority of your Divine Council while establishing clear channels for meaningful exchange.
Questions for Council Members
When approaching your Divine Council members during a spiritual journey, have clear inquiries ready. These questions can help deepen your understanding of their role in your life path.
Ask each council member how they joined your specific council. Their answers may reveal surprising connections to your current or past lives. The duration of their service on your council can vary significantly, with some serving for a single lifetime and others for millennia.
Request information about their participation on other councils. Many council members serve multiple individuals simultaneously, creating an interconnected spiritual network. This overlap may explain unexpected synchronicities in your life.
Consider these essential questions for council members:
Do you have your own council or guides?
What is your specific role on my council?
Are you familiar with my life plan?
How do you communicate with other council members?
The physical arrangement of council members often holds significance. Note whether they appear in a semicircle, straight line, or other formation. Their positioning might indicate their relationship to each other and to you.
Pay attention to how council members manifest visually. Some appear as light forms, while others take human-like appearances that feel familiar. Their chosen form may convey information about their function or your connection to them.
Analyzing Subjective Experiences
In the exploration of afterlife communication, subjective experiences can be systematically approached to yield meaningful patterns. These experiences often emerge when individuals enter relaxed states similar to guided meditation, where visualization becomes a doorway to deeper insights.
The visualization process typically begins with simple imagery like picturing oneself in a boat on a river. Participants describe specific details about their surroundings, creating an anchor point for further exploration. This technique doesn't require hypnosis, making it accessible to newcomers who have never attempted such practices.
During these sessions, many individuals report connecting with guides who appear as recognizable figures or sometimes as sources of light. Communication can be established through various means:
Verbal responses
Visual cues (nodding, shaking head)
Direct impressions
Most participants eventually describe encountering their personal councils - groups of beings that appear to oversee their life journeys. These councils typically contain between 3-15 members who gather in settings ranging from buildings to outdoor spaces or even cosmic environments.
Questioning across multiple sessions reveals consistent patterns in these subjective experiences. By asking the same questions to different participants' council members, researchers can identify commonalities:
Council composition and structure
The relationship between guides and councils
How council members are selected
Whether council members serve on multiple councils
This approach transforms individual subjective experiences into analyzable data. When the same elements appear repeatedly across diverse participants who have no prior knowledge of the research, patterns emerge that warrant further investigation.
Working with scientists and skeptics provides additional validation to this methodology. Their willingness to participate and document their experiences offers a more balanced perspective on phenomena that might otherwise be dismissed as purely subjective.
