"How much of this you say you want mr." "McCauley?" "50 cents worth, please." "50 cent worth." "We got 52." "On the money." "50 cent, cash." "Miss Brackley, would you put this purchase on my account, please?" "Certainly, mr." "McCauley." "Thank you." " Afternoon, ma'am." " Bye bye." "How come nobody pays cash anymore?" "Times are tough." "People can't always pay." "Leave it to me." "I'll make them pay." "Don't you talk like that." "He doesn't stiff the electric company." "They'd cut him off." "Why can't we do the same?" "Because we're better than that." "'Cause you was raised better than that, boy." "Yes, sir." "Deliver these groceries over to Rose Hills." "Oh, daddy." "Rose Hills, land of the living dead." "I hate going near that..." "They got to eat." "You do what i tell you, boy." "Dog." "Come on, lady." "Give or go." "Give or go." "Come on." "Don't spill your apple juice there, old man." "Uh, where's the manager?" "Okay, here's your invoice." "And that's including the last three months" "You owe us." "We're having a few financial problems." "I knew it." "This is a private home, and right now money..." "You don't think my family has to eat too?" "Well, yes, but y'all own a whole grocery..." "You can't just take home groceries" "'Cause you own the store." "Get me the money." "Get me the money." "Give me a minute." "Eddie." "Eddie." "Eddie, I need to borrow" "Whatever money you have." "I need to pay him today." "I'll make sure it gets back to you." "Thank you." "Lady, this ain't even half." "That's everything we have." "I'm sorry." "That's all I can do right now." "Well..." "What are you doing?" "Okay, see y'all next week." "Ah, damn." "I'm going to kick somebody's ass." "Afternoon, pretty lady." "Afternoon." "What can we do for you today?" "T-Bones." "For my husband's dinner." "He just loves t-Bone steak." "I'll pick you out a couple of nice ones." "Oh, better make it three or four." "Big eater, huh?" "Oh, my, yes." "And just as good." "Looking as anything." "I bet iI could whip him with both hands tied behind my back." "I'd like to see you try." "I'm going to want something special for picking out my best t-Bones for you." "Well, I shouldn't, but I suppose I..." "Now, Dannion don't you know better than to go kissing the customers?" "You're a married man, you know." "Don't I know it?" "What time will you be home for dinner?" "6:00." "Sharp." "See you then." "Bye, mrs." "Brackley." "Bye, hon." "Mr. Brackley." "Take care now, sweetie." "She's a fine girl." "How you doing?" "All right." "Let's see what we got here." "That'll be ten dollars." "Ten dollars?" "For peanuts?" "For all of it." "Now, you got three choices:" "you either pay up, put it all back... or run." "Get over here." "Look at this." "You're stealing from my family." "Hey, Tom." "Hey, Kenny." "How you guys doing?" "Let him go, Dannion." "What we got here, officers is a case of shoplifting." "And I'm about to tell this shoplifter how crime does not pay." "Let him go." "Let him go." "All right." "Ain't no justice in this world for nobody." "Maybe you're going to get yours one of these days." "Yeah, maybe I will, Kenny." "Maybe I will." "Hey, Tom." "Let's go." "Here you go, daddy." "Bread, crackers, tuna sardines, aspirin." "Basic things." "It's a shame somebody has to steal just to eat." "Well, life ain't fair, mama." "I thought I raised you with a heart." "You did, but sometimes it just gets in the way." "Well, maybe it's trying to tell you something." "Whose side are you on?" "You're not in the war anymore." "There aren't sides." "There's always sides, mama." "Stop this violence, Danny." "It's like a virus that comes back to you" "From somebody you don't even know." "I'll be ready for them." "You better be, boy." "Danny boy." "See you later." "Hey, Tim, ain't you got your priorities backwards?" "Hey, sweet things." "Ain't you just the prettiest girls in town?" "Yeah, boy, I like that brunette." "You must be new around here 'cause I'd have known about you." "Come on, Dannion let's go get a cold beer." "I'm going to take these boys and get them embalmed" "But I'll be right back." "Don't tell me this ain't war." "Evening." "What can I do for you?" "Fix my car." "What's the matter with it?" "Something in the fuel line." "Well, the mechanic won't be here" "Until the morning." "He can look..." "It's broken now!" "I want it fixed now." "The mechanic won't be here until tomorrow." "The sign says "mechanic on duty."" "We just never take the sign down." "I don't know how to fix anything." "I just pump the gas." "I want you to figure it out" "And fix it." "Dannion, leave the boy alone." "Get up, boy." "Goddamn." "Get up, boy!" "I don't know how to fix anything." "Come on." "Let's get that beer." "Come on." "Let's go." "Leave this kid alone, man." "Casey." "Casey, honey." "Hey, baby." "Where you been?" "Oh." "You've been drinking." "Well, don't get all worked up about it." "Got your t-Bones fixed for you." "Good." "I am starved." "Fed them to the dogs, an hour ago." "I don't know why I even try." "I'm sorry, baby." "I got sidetracked a bit." "And you've been fighting again." "Casey, honey the whole world's mad at me today." "Be my friend just a little while." "Please." "Sometimes I have to try and remember" "Why it is I love you." "Don't blame me for the way other people are." "I didn't start it." "You did, Dannion." "I did not." "You started it years ago." "The night i first met you 12 years ago." "Your knuckles were all cut and bloody." "Same as now." "We were just kids." "Then you went and wrote me a poem." "Worst damn poem anybody ever put down on paper." "Couldn't even make it rhyme." "But you gave it to me anyway." "It's the bravest thing you ever did." "I knew I loved you right then." "Well, there you are." "You remembered, huh?" "Sorry about those steaks." "It's all right." "The dogs deserve them more than me." "And besides, s'ghetti is my favorite food." "It is not." "It is too." "And you make it so tasty." "What is this stuff on here?" "Butter." "No kidding." "Damn, it's good." "I'll get it." "It's probably Tim." "Let it go then." "All right." "It must be important." "I'll make it short." "Hello." "Tim?" "Hello!" "Dog." "Hold on!" "Dog." "Oh." "Ha ha." "Uh, Tim." "Hello!" "Hello!" "Ah, Dog." "Boy, that was a close one." "Danny?" "Danny." "Oh, my baby." "What happened?" "Oh, please..." "Oh, please, baby, no." "Oh, God." "Oh, baby, please..." "I got to call for help." "Oh." "Oh, baby." "Ah!" "Tim!" "Tim, are you there?" "Oh, God." "Danny's been struck by lightning." "Call for help now." "Come on, man, breathe." "Come on, Danny." "He's gone." "No." "No, he's not." "Come on, Danny." "Don't do this." "How long has he been down?" "About ten minutes." "How long you been doing C.P.R.?" "No, no, no!" "No, no, no." "Stay." "Stay." "Dannion, feel a way you done to others." "Get off of him!" "Get off!" "No!" "I don't... want to..." "do it anymore..." "Mama, daddy." "I'm sorry." "Who you are it's a difference love makes." "Still got a flatline." "Intercardiac epinephrine, now." "No good." "Let's shock him and see what happens." "Clear." "Look at a future without love." "It need not happen, for you are a powerful, spiritual being." "Nothing." "Stop compression." "I think we should call it." "He didn't make it." "Oh, God, no." "...a powerful spiritual being and love makes the difference." "Yes." "I understand." "Now you must go back." "No." "No, I'm, I'm, I'm not, I'm not ready." " Go back!" " No... no, I'm not..." "Ready." "I'm not..." "Oh, dr." "Brown?" "She says to me" ""Pumpkin, if that's the way you like it."" "Excuse us." "Sorry." "He's alive!" "No, it..." "It hurts." "It hurts everywhere." "I know, baby." "I know." "What day is it?" "You've been going in and out for a couple of days now." "Oh, I thought I lost my baby." "You know what happened to you?" "I saw it all." "You missed me." "You cried." "I think I went to heaven, Case." "Was it beautiful?" "They made me look at my life." "Well, just try not to think about it." "Morning, honey." "You hungry?" "Starved." "Oh, look at you." "You got all cattywompus here in your bed." "There you go." "Now, that looks good." "How you feeling, honey?" "Well, I feel good at night, you know, when I sleep." "It's like I keep going back." "Yes?" "Going back where?" "They keep talking to me." "Teaching me..." "Reminding me." "Hey, cousin Alice." "Knock knock." "Anybody home?" "We're in here." "How'd you know that?" "Bobby doesn't want to come in." "You just get in here, Bobby." "Howdy-Do?" "Hey, Alice." "Hey, Alice." "Bobby." "Hello." "Hey, Bobby." "Damn." "Light is killing my eyes." "Why don't we get him some patches?" "Here take these." "Thank you, Jenkins." "You keep 'em." "Those will do just fine." "Good luck, Dannion." "Thank you, dr." "Hodge." "Hey, Dannion..." "How'd it feel?" "You know - getting hit?" "Felt like God burned me at the stake." "The lightning's caused a great deal of damage to his nervous system." "It'll be a while before we know how much is permanent." "Until then... you can expect memory lapses... respiratory and cardiac distress..." "Fainting." "Just..." "Make him comfortable." "I'll do better than that." "Fixed you some breakfast, honey." "I'm going to run out of wall space pretty soon." "What are these ones of?" "I don't know, just in my head." "Now what you doing there?" "This is a list." "Of the future things that are going to happen." "Real exciting." "Yes." "Here, baby." "I can do it." "Oh, let me help you." "I can do it." "Now, darling..." "Oh, now, it's all right." "It's all right." "Now, it's all right, it's all right." "It's all right." "I don't... i don't..." "i don't know" "What's happening to me." "I'm afraid I can't stop thinking about it." "You will." "You will." "Don't worry." "I don't want no food." "Well, baby, everything will be better." "You should go to work." "You need anything before I go?" "Have to go to the boys' room or anything?" "All right then." "I'll be back at 6:00." "There's a sandwich in the icebox, okay?" "All right." "Worm..." "Wood." "Wormwood." "Worm..." "Wood." "I just don't understand this behavior, sweetheart." "These, these light people..." "Beings of light's what I call them." "But... this list of yours." "What good does it do you?" "You're acting crazy." "I'm not crazy." "I just..." "What's your name?" "What's my..?" "Why..." "I'm your mother, sweetheart." "I knew that." "I mean, I know that." "Everything's going to be all right." "Everything will come back." "Your memory..." "You remember tomorrow's your birthday?" "No kidding?" "How old am I?" "Okay, everybody, birthday time." "All right." "Yeah." "Hey, Dan." "How's it feel to be another year older?" "Thank you." "Happy birthday, sweetheart." "All right." "Speech, Danny boy." "Uh..." "I just..." "I just, uh..." "We are all powerful, spiritual beings... and love is the difference." "Love is the difference." "That's all." "That was so sweet, darling." "I'll cut your cake for you." "Hey, Danny..." "How about you and me going out" "And getting a beer, have some fun?" "I can't." "I don't know what I am anymore, Tim." "I'm just, I'm just not what I was." "It's a nice party." "It's a nice party." "Okay?" "Thank you." "Thankyou." "Enjoy it." "We have to pay the bills, Dannion." "It's all right." "I didn't need it anyway." "I understand." "No." "Tell me." "Tell me what to do." "Tell me what to do." "Dannion, don't." "Isn't there something else you can do?" "You mean now or what?" "I mean this is just crazy, Danny." "It's been months." "Nothing's changed." "Maybe you can go back to the store." "Just for a couple of days." "Maybe you'd feel different about things." "Sure." "Maybe i could do that." "Maybe you're right." "Oh, God." "What?" "No, hold it up." ""Can people die and live to tell about it?" ""Dr. Raymond Moody, author oflife after life" ""Will be speaking at the university" ""Of South Carolina, thursday, 4:00 p.M." "About the near-death experience."" "Doggone!" "That's it." "Son of a God..." "That's it." "What's it?" "I was dead." "I went where you go when you die." "I had one of those." "Oh, hell, Dannion, this guy's just another phony." "He's selling books is all." "I got to go see him." "Oh, God, Dog." "Okay." "What's the worst thing that could happen?" "Well, he could tell you you're not crazy." "Thus the vast majority of subjects" "No matter what their religious or their cultural background may be all report strikingly similar experiences." "Now, while i have met no single individual" "Who reports all of these components" "These elements recur again and again in these experiences:" "The out-of-body experience the tunnel moving toward the light in the most extreme cases meeting dead relatives and loved ones and even a kind of all - powerful benevolent being." "And there you have it." "That's what I call" "The near-death experience." "Yes, professor?" "I'm not a professor." "I had one." "I was struck by lightning." "I was dead for 28 minutes, and while I was dead" "These beings made of light ... they showed me my whole life." "and then I went to this city" "It was a crystalline city and I went into this cathedral, and there was more of them" "There was 13 of them these beings." "They showed me, like, movies..." "These things from the future." "These terrible things." "If I may, sir." "Dr. George Trumbaugh" "Professor of medicine here at the university." "This is all easily explainable." "When the human organism is dying" "The cortex is deprived of oxygen." "In fact, this oxygen deprivation" "Begins along the outer cortex" "And, in effect, moves inward" "Explaining the tunnel effect." "Now, with all due respect to our friend here" "While I am sure that he had a harrowing experience" "I doubt that he paid a visit to heaven." "Well, doctor, you are certainly entitled to your doubts." "That's your job." "It's mine as well." "But my hobby's believing." "Have you ever had a near-death experience yourself, doctor?" "No." "Excuse me!" "Excuse me." "Struck by lightning, Damn." "Listen, is everything you said in there true?" "I don't know what's true anymore." "Because... if it is, you've possibly had the most extensive experience that I've come across" "And...so, what do you say to a beer?" "You drink beer?" "I'm going to tell you something." "I liked what that guy said in there." "I liked it 'cause I came here to ease my mind" "And if none of it ever happened, like he claims" "Then I got what i came for." "So I can just go home and forget about it." "That's just exactly what i'm going to go and do." "No, you won't." "Oh, look at that." "That's a nice alley they got." "Where is that?" "Atlanta." "It's brand-New." "Look at that wood." "It's nice wood." "Got a good polish to it." "That still ain't worth beans." "Probably pull a 4/9 split." "Hello." "Dannion?" "What?" "It's that dr." "Moody on the phone again." "Tell him I'm not home." "4/9 split - one to pick up." "He'll pick this one up off the floor." "He says he knows you're here 'cause I'm talking to you." "Tell him I died and went to heaven." "...And he picks it up off the floor." "You don't see that often." "He says, that's all right." "Would you like to tell him about it?" "Hang up." "God..." "Strike." "No." "8-Pin will be" "Left standing." "And jones knocks..." "oh, look at that." "Looks like the 8-Pin's left standing." "You know, I do believe" "We ain't been out to the horse track in ages." "Winner, winner..." "Oh, look at that!" "Oh, yeah!" "And me... me... me!" "I told you it's not for sale." "Look, look, it's my car." "It's my car." "I bought it." "I don't care." "Look, if you don't sell me the car, I..." "You'll what?" "Just name your price." "Name it." "Hey, Dannion." "That's a swell house you have." "Yeah, and what are you doing at it?" "Well, I was just in the neighborhood and..." "And Casey." "She's real sweet by the way." "Says you're doing well." "She call you?" "Yes, Dannion, she did." "So, you're doing well." "Uh, did you have any incidents?" "Such as what?" "Well, you know, prescient incidents?" "Psychic..?" "Not to speak of." "Dannion, I'm going to cut to the chase with you, all right?" "Your near-death experience is..." "I'll tell you something about my experience." "All right?" "I just paid a guy $10,000 for a car I paid six for and the only reason i didn't kill the s.O.B." "is 'cause the lightning took all the strength out of me." "But when i get my strength back" "I'm going to beat the life out of him." "So get yourself another guinea pig, doctor." "I got a life, and I like it." "You don't like it, Dannion." "You didn't beat that guy up because you couldn't" "Because you knew you shouldn't." "That's a whole new feeling for you and you don't know how to deal with it." "Have any dreams lately?" "What are they about?" "Cars?" "I don't think so." "Just what the hell do you want with me?" "I want to understand, and you need to understand." "I think that would work well, Dannion." "Thanks, but no thanks." "All right." "Remember, you came to me." "Oh, you..." "A little brown man from the islands can sure change the way you think" "Okay, this one is for you." "How many of these can we drink, Dannion?" "Well, you better drink it all up 'cause there's a prize for you at the bottom." "Nothing says "i love you"" "all over again like diamonds." "I don't want it." "You don't want what?" "I just..." "All these things, Dannion." "All your gambling money." "What do you think" "I been doing?" "You been doing more than playing horses" "But it's..." "it's like stealing, Danny" "With your..." "with your power." "It just isn't right, and I don't want it." "Well, you didn't want me crazy, either and you didn't want me a cripple and now... and now my money isn't good enough for you." "Why is that, Casey?" "Why is it that i'm the one hobbling" "Like some kind of freak" "Eating with my hands, passing out" "And I'm the one feeling guilty?" "Why is it that everybody wants me to be something different" "But they don't tell me what?" "Give me a reason, huh?" "What?" "I want it the way it was." "The way it was when?" "Hey, you ain't never been happy with the way I was." "Things ain't ever going to be the way they was, Casey... ever." "Come on, let's go!" "Post time!" "Dog." "All right!" "Hey, need some help with that?" "No, I can handle it." "I don't bite." "It's one of those old caps." "Somebody jammed it on there, so you push... just like..." "You got it." "Ho!" "You all..?" "Hey!" "Hey!" "Let's go!" "Let's go!" "Hey!" "Hey!" "What was all that about back there, Dannion?" "Something terrible, terrible, was about to happen." "What's going to happen, Danny?" "I stopped it." "Oh, no." "Oh, no, no, no." "Dannion..." "Hey, Dan." "What's cookin'?" "Come on." "I got to talk to you." "I made it happen." "What I saw was what I was going to make happen." "It's not true, Dannion." "You didn't make..." "I did!" "And the girl is dead." "Now, you wanted to help me?" "You wanted to "study" me?" "Okay, start with that." "You can't change the future because you can see it" "You can only try and change people." "You can try and change their hearts, their perceptions" "Set them on the right path" "But it is up to them to follow it." "What are you?" "What are you going to tell me" "That's going to make me feel any different" "About being some kind of freak?" "How you going to fix that?" "A freak is only one person that's different." "There are a lot of people like you." "How many?" "I'm still counting, but from what i've seen" "Maybe millions." "Millions." "Millions" "Of near-death survivors." "And then they show me these events" "You know, from the future." "And you don't remember any of them?" "Oh, yeah." "Here." "Right here." "The collapse of communism." "Mideast war." "Wormwood." "What's Wormwood?" "Don't know." ""Cowboy actor with initials R.R. Becomes president."" "Who's that?" "That's ronald reagan?" "Can't be." "Must be Robert Redford." "Who'd vote for an actor?" "Now, what do other people who live say?" "Dannion, you're the first one that's come back with a list." "Well, they told me..." "they said that" "All of us - everybody" "We're not from here." "We're from there and that we're all on the earth and doing God's work" "You know, trying to fix it" "And we're all..." "we're all like soldiers" "I like that, being like a soldier and that, you know... some succeed and some fail, but that..." "We're all heroes just for being here." "That's what they said." "Bull?" "And then they said something about love." "About what?" "About love." "You know, love being important to everybody and..." "What am I supposed to do with that?" "Well, what do you think you should do about that?" "Well, I don't know." "I was thinking maybe I might give it a try." "Hi, sweetie pie." "What's going on?" "What are you doing?" "Living with love." "What do you think?" "You need a new suit to do that?" "Well, I wanted to look my best." "All right, now." "What's wrong?" "I don't know." "I just do not know." "Where you going?" "Well, I thought I'd..." "I thought I'd walk around town and..." "Try to love thy neighbor." "Lord." "No one in this town wants your love." "What makes you think you've been forgiven" "For all you've done?" "Not one person in this town hasn't been hurt by you." "Now you decide it's time for love." "Haven't you done enough to humiliate us?" "It's not about us, Case." "Damn right it's not about us, Dannion and it hasn't been about us for a long time." "It's all about you." "I didn't choose this, you know." "But I don't do something about it" "I'm going to lose my mind." "And here I thought you already had." "All right." "Hey, Leonard!" "Leonard." "Hey!" "Leonard!" "What do you want?" "I was thinking that maybe you and me" "Could get us a beer." "That'll be the day." "Now, why don't you just get on out of here" "Before I take these clippers to you." "Just a beer, Leonard." "I don't want no beer with you." "Oh, come on." "I'll pay." "How's that?" "And then maybe we can bury the old hatchet." "I know I can." "Then I can tell you what happened to me and you can tell people." "You can spread the word, 'cause everybody listens to you." "I only wish they had sense enough to bury you when they had opportunity." "Isn't it at least fair to give me a chance, Leonard?" "Is that too much to ask for?" "When did you ever give anybody else a chance?" "Even when they were begging." "Never." "Hi." "Ain't you the guy that robbed my family's store?" "Hold on, hold on." "Hey, hey, hey." "Where you going?" "Don't hurt me." "I ain't going to hurt you." "I'm a different man now." "See?" "I've changed." "Hey, you got a name?" "Sure i do." "What is it?" "It's David." "David what?" "It's David Jack Armstrong." "You hungry, Armstrong?" "Always." "Let me feed you." "Come on." "Come on." "I ain't going to hurt you." "There you go." "What can I get for you boys this afternoon?" "Hey!" "How are you doing?" "Just fine now that you're here, Grace Ann." "Ain't you sweet?" "What can I get for you?" "Just your smiling face." "Aw, now, you..." "I'll have a couple of eggs, sunny-side up hash browns, order of toast." "Same for him." "Excuse me?" "Can I have my eggs over easy?" "What do you think?" "I think we can arrange that." "All right." "Now, don't fill up on crackers." "Hey, baby, you want to go out?" "You want to go out, honey?" "Here you go, sweetheart." "Well, you're not happy at all." "Let go of me." "Why you so sad?" "Let go of me." "Don't be sad." "Let go." "I'm just fine, thank you." "Just fine." "I'm just fine." "Excuse me." "Uh..." "I'm going." "No, you stay here." "You stay here." "You eat them both, all right?" "All right." "Well..." "That's that." "Oh..." "I got a problem." "Let me come home." "Ow." "Oh, that..." "Ow." "Oh, that..." "Take me home." "Take me home, take me home" "Take me home, take me home..." "Take me home!" "Take me home!" "Take me home!" "Bring me back!" "Bring me back!" "Yeah!" "Bring me back..." "Damn." "Guess I missed the train." "Does the number - six bus come by here?" "What happened?" "They told me to love" "And I tried, Raymond." "They gave me the power to see and I hated everything I saw." "People in this town..." "they're never going to forget and they sure as hell won't forgive me." "I'm a mess, raymond." "I'm just a mess." "Oh..." "I need you to help me." "What do you want?" "God almighty." "I have hurt people all my life." "I got so much making up to do and I don't think I'm going to have the time to do it." "I want to help people." "I need to know what that feels like." "But they just won't let me." "Okay." "Okay what?" "I'm going on a speaking tour in a few days." "Come with me." "Why?" "The well is poisoned for you here, Dannion." "You come where some people are willing to believe" "People that want your help." "I just don't understand why you have to go to cincinnati." "I'm not going to cincinnati." "I'm going to all kinds of cities" "All over the country." "Hey, baby, I'm only going to be gone a few weeks" "And I'll call you every single night, I promise." "What are you looking for, Dannion?" "I'm looking to get up in the morning and find out where i fit in." "This is where you fit in." "Right here." "Right here with us." "You're going to be so proud of me." "Perhaps, one day, people will come to accept" "That there is another dimension of existence" "To which the soul passes after death." "Meanwhile, to paraphrase a friend of mine" "People who've had these experiences know." "People who haven't" "Will just have to wait." "Please, answer one question for me..." "Excuse me." "Damien?" "Dannion." "I need to know if my wife is cheating on me." "Mr. Brinkley?" "This is my son." "He's been missing a year." "Can you tell me where he is?" "Anything." "Dannion, I need to know." "Please." "That little boy is dead." "What?" "The one in the picture?" "He's dead." "How do you know that?" "Same way you do." "What did that picture feel like in your hands?" "It felt like ice." "Welcome to the world of knowing things" "You'd rather not know." "You were dead." "As a doornail." "Yeah." "Lineman for the power company." "I grabbed on to a thousand-Volt line." "It's a pleasure to meet you." "You want a beer?" "Oh, yeah." "Come on, man." "All of these people." "All of them." "It's like a damn a meeting." "Hey." "Dannion Brinkley." "How do you do?" "Dead 28 minutes." "Lightning bolt." "I decided not to tell anybody because they'd probably think I was crazy" "So i just told my wife." "How'd she react?" "Thought I was crazy, but it's not a big deal to her." "It was a big deal to my husband." "I couldn't stop talking about it" "And he didn't want to hear about it anymore" "So i got a divorce." "Oh, wow." "Did you love him?" "Yeah." "Yeah, I thought I loved him." "For the longest time, he was all I wanted." "Well, then why'd you divorce him?" "We grew apart." "How about you, Dannion?" "You're married?" "Oh, yeah." "Her name's Casey and she understands." "Sure, she does." "Hey, Casey?" "Casey, honey, is that you?" "Hi, baby." "It's me." "Look, I want to tell you something." "I love you more than anything." "We're going to make it work." "I'll be home real soon and we will make it work." "We been at this for three weeks and eight cities" "And everywhere we go, people..." "People keep treating me like I'm some kind of swami." "They all want something from me that I can't give them." "What's that?" "They all want me to make them think" "It ain't as bad as it seems, and i can't." "I'm beginning to feel like Moses without a burning Bush." "He was still Moses." "Yeah." "Something I been meaning to ask you, Raymond." "Why doyou believe in all this death stuff?" "I mean, I went through it and I'm not so sure." "You never did, and you're totally convinced." "What's in it for you, Raymond?" "I have my reasons." "Maybe I just want to believe." "I ain't buying that." "Got to be more to it than that, Raymond." "I want to believe that death isn't just blackness." "Isn't that what everyone wants?" "That there's just..." "There's got to be another chance... to make amends to, uh..." "see people you've lost." "maybe more important, have them see you and know..." "Know how much you miss them." "You lose someone." "I got to tell you, Raymond." "I'm calling it quits." "I'm going home." "I don't want to think about nothing except Casey." "You know, I'm losing her and i don't even know what for." "Okay." "Turn this up." "...details are sketchy" "At this point, but we do know" "That the Chernobyl plant is one of the soviet union's largest" "Consisting of four reactors." "Would you look at that?" "It's a matter of time, those old plants." "The Chernobyl plant is located in the settlement of pripyat ten miles northeast of the city of Chernobyl in the soviet Ukrainian republic." "It is a desolate area and, in fact" ""Chernobyl," literally interpreted means "wormwood," a wild scrub plant that grows abundantly in the area." "Worm..." "Raymond..." "Raymond..." "My burning bush." "Yeah?" "Hey, daddy, how you..." "Well, how long you been trying to get ahold of us?" "Yeah, we've been traveling a lot." "Yes, sir." "Yes, sir." "I'll be right home." "Daddy?" "You all right?" "There's my boy." "Here I am, mama." "We didn't know where you were." "There's a minister outside, mama." "Do you want to see him?" "No, I do not." "For 40 years they've told us we're all going to hell" "And they think they're going to comfort me?" "Aw, you're the best, mama." "The best." "Now, what are you crying about?" "I'm not going to go anyplace." "Now, don't you worry, sweetheart." "Dannion?" "I'm proud of you." "Why?" "For being the boy I always knew you were the one I raised you to be." "I..." "Mama?" "I'm afraid, Dannion." "Well, don't be afraid, mama." "You're going home." "Back to a place you've forgotten all about." "The most beautiful place you ever dreamed of." "Where there's no fear, no pain, no heartache..." "Only love." "Oh, wouldn't that be nice." "Look, Dannion." "Look there." "What, mama?" "Don't you see her?" "You mean that little dark-haired girl?" "You know who that is?" "No, mama." "Who is that?" "I never told you about her." "That's Marion, my little sister." "She passed on when she was only 15." "She used to follow me everyplace." "I just couldn't get rid of her." "Now, what do you suppose she's doing here?" "I don't know, mama." "Why don't you go to her?" "Go to your sister, mama." "Yes..." "I think I'll just do that." "Well..." "She went real peaceful." "It was like a..." "A gift that Dannion gave her." "I suppose i should thank you..." "But sometimes I wish that Dannion had never met you." "Where you been?" "Oh, just riding around... thinking." "You coming in?" "No." "I already said my good-byes." "Well, how about helping me say good-bye?" "Casey..." "I can't, honey." "I need..." "I need, too, sometimes just so you know." "Want some company?" "Yeah." "Get in." "Ain't a soul on the street." "They're all at the funeral." "That's real nice." "Hey, look here." "Hey, you!" "What you doing?" "What's it look like?" "Well, you look hungry to me." "Why don't you get in?" "Come on, I ain't going to bite you." "What about this hombre here?" "He ain't half as dangerous as he looks." "Come on, get in." "Help yourselves." "Come on." "Dig in, dig in." "Come on, dig in." "Here's the plate." "You got any egg rolls?" "Got any egg rolls?" "Come on, take two." "That's why we got lots of them." "Come on, eat up." "Try this." "This is good." "I don't know what it is, but it's good." "How you feeling?" "I feel alive." "Dannion, dinner's ready." "Hurry up now." "You're late." "Dannion." "Damn, it smells good." "What is it?" "One of your favorites." "S'ghetti and butter." "Damn, girl." "All right." "To... us." "Damn, he's early." "Where you off to?" "Denver." "You just got back from Denver this afternoon." "Check mail and you tell me." "Damn it." "All your fan mail." "That ain't fair, honey." "It's from people needing help." "It isn't fair to me." "I never see you anymore." "You're never here." "I'm here." "No." "You're here." "Here or here." "You're answering letters or packing for your next trip" "Or your interview but you are never here, Danny." "Maybe I'm being selfish for wanting you all to myself when you could be out helping other people but I loved you before any of them did." "I loved you when no one else did." "What do you see for us?" "What's in our future?" "You got to say something." "You just got to." "I don't know." "You don't know or you won't say?" "Go." "Oh, God." "I love you, Casey." "I know." "We're on a roll." "Come on, baby." "There it is." "Yeah, all right!" "All right, all right." "Dannion." "Dannion." "I saw you last month, but my father's become ill." "I'm sorry." "He just wants to know what it's like to die." "Is there a tunnel of light?" "Please sign my shirt." "Sure." "Oh, Dannion, thank you so much." "I love you, Dannion." "I mean, like, I really love you, you know?" "I love you too, but I..." "I, uh..." "Hey, hey, hey, hey." "No, no, no." "I can't..." "Excuse me." "Excuse me." "Where you going to be?" "Bathroom." "Excuse me." "This is the bathroom." "This is the bathroom." "Gosh." "Five dollars a reading" "Young man." "Here's five dollars." "Sit down." "And now, my friend, what do you need to know?" "Uh..." "I need to know what'll happen with Casey." "A woman?" "Wife." "...whom you married." "I see this could be a real problem." "Yes, exactly." "But don't worry" "I see that all is well." "All will be forgiven" "And love will triumph over all." "All will be well?" "Yes." "No." "I've seen it and all will not be well." "But you have to have faith." "You don't know what faith is." "Faith is being here" "Instead of with the one person who loves me." "That's faith." "You don't deserve to use the word." "Keep the five dollars." "Excuse me." "Look, baby, I got some good news." "I talked to a psychic today and she told me everything is going to be fine." "She said we're going to work everything out." "Isn't that something?" "That so?" "What?" "Casey, honey, please." "I'm sorry, Dannion." "I'm so sorry." "It's just..." "It's just easier not to have you at all than to...to have it like this." "If that's what you got to do..." "All right." "Hey, honey." "Come on." "Let's get out of this goofy place." "Let's go hit the casino." "Excuse me." "I got to go to the bathroom." "How you doing?" "Dannion Brinkley." "Bob Weldon." "Do you mind?" "Excuse me." "My wife usually comes to these stupid things alone but I couldn't resist a trip to Vegas." "Yeah." "Who could?" "You're the guy that got hit by lightning, right?" "You got e.S.P. And all that crap?" "Yeah, that's me." "You're the guy I'd like to have at the blackjack table." "So what do you think, huh?" "Feel like making some money tonight?" "Come on." "Right." "Ten of hearts, ace of clubs" "Seven of hearts, king of diamonds." "Damn." "I'm hot." "Let's get us a table." "Sure." "Would you excuse me for one minute?" "Bathroom." "All right." "I'm going to kill him." "I'm going to kill him." "Just give me the strength not to do it." "Hey, Buddy." "Let's get to it." "I'm going to do you one better." "I'm going to teach you" "How to use the power yourself without me." "Aw, man, that's bull." "You want some money?" "You want a wad of cash to choke a horse?" "Hell, yes." "Then shut up and listen to me." "Only catch is this-- using e.S.P. to gamble, it's sort of like cheating." "Know what I mean?" "Well..." "So, if i teach you this power" "And you win, say, a hundred, $200,000" "What you got to understand is that" "When you die..." "I mean, when you die you will have to pay for what you've done." "you will answer for it, you understand?" "but... not until I die, right?" "Oh, right." "All right, let's go for it." "I thought I might see you again." "Come on in." "Come on." "Now..." "Why did you do this?" "Because I wanted to be free." "I wanted to just..." "go to sleep" "And have blackness, nothingness." "They found me, but I beat them." "I was dead for over ten minutes." "You were there." "Not exactly." "I had what you would call a bad trip." "I went to hell." "I was burned alive and..." "and dogs tore me apart" "And ripped my skin and I never died." "I felt all of it." "I couldn't even escape in death." "Oh, honey, death is not an escape." "It's a reward and it chooses you when the time is right." "Please." "Please help me." "Oh, you've already been helped, honey." "You lived." "Now..." "Where can you go to stay away from him?" "I don't know." "Hmm?" "I got my mom." "She lives in Utah." "I just..." "I don't know what I'd say to her." "Does she love you?" "Yeah, sure." "Well, then you say, "mama, help me."" "Hey, Brinkley." "You know how much money I lost because of you?" "!" "and you, you whore." "Now you go on." "Get your things and get out of here." "Don't hurt me, man." "I ain't going to hurt you." "I'm going to kill you." "No, please." "You ever go near her again, I will hunt you down." "Don't let me do it." "Don't let me do it." "God... oh, my trigger finger." "Ow." "Here you go." "Keep the change." "Hey, look at that." "It's a beauty, huh?" "Huh?" "Oh, yeah, yeah." "Packard." "Looks like a '48." "Don't seem like there's much to talk about these days." "I don't know." "Hell, we could talk about beer." "I still drink beer." "Yeah, you do." "You've been known to." "So what happens now?" "We still friends?" "Friends?" "Hell, we're more than that." "I love you." "Better get that finger looked at." "Ah, it's all right." "You sure?" "You're starting to look a little green." "I'm fine." "I just need some air." "I'm going to take a walk, think a while." "All right." "Go easy on me." "Ahh." "Oh, God." "Hey, sweet thing." "Ain't you pretty?" "Are you okay, sir?" "Well, darling..." "Darling, to tell you the truth..." "This is a compound fracture." "How long have you had this?" "I don't know." "A few days." "Why didn't you have it fixed?" "I didn't get around to it." "What has that got to do with anything?" "Because it is badly infected and the infection has spread and damaged your heart." "My heart?" "Yes." "It was already badly damaged by the lightning." "You're fast approaching cardiac arrest, Dannion." "I'm afraid you're going to need surgery." "Aw, no." "Hey, beautiful lady." "We're going to need you to sign this." "What is it?" "A surgical release form." "Nobody's going to keep me from going this time." "Just leave it over there." "We'll give Dannion some time to think about it." "I ain't going to change my mind, doc." "I ain't going to change my mind." "Doctor Raymond Moody." "Ain't nothing you going to say is going to change a thing." "I heard that people who have died aren't afraid to do it again." "It's my time, Raymond." "I'm going back." "They can fix you up." "No way, Ray." "Are you killing yourself, Dannion?" "Didn't you say you're supposed to let death choose you?" "The chances of you dying on that table in there are pretty damn good, anyway." "If you don't die maybe you got some work left to do." "The world's a better place with you in it, Dannion." "Shoot." "Give me the papers." "Of course, you realize you'll have to sign them yourself, don't you?" "I'm going to be putting you under." "Don't worry about a thing." "I'm not worried." "I got twenty says he won't make it." "No!" "I..." "I don't..." "Want to... do it anymore." "Who you are is a difference that love makes." "I'm so proud of you Danny." "Danny, Danny." "Over here!" "This is my little sister, Marion." "You can do more." "You are still strong." "No." "I... no." " You must go back." " I don't... no." "Breath." "Breath." "Clear." "Clear." "Hey, you, come sit here" "And eat with me." "You know, that's not really good for you." "I been struck by lightning" "And had open heart surgery." "You think I'm afraid of a cheeseburger?" "Here." "This is for you." "What's that for?" "You bet on me." "Oh, hey, I'm sorry." "I was just kidding." "Oh, don't be sorry." "I died on that table." "You won that money fair and square." "But you didn't..." "I know, I know." "I had to come back again." "Ain't no rest for the weary." "All right, there you go." "Yes, sir." "Hey." "What, exactly, do you do here?" "I help people with the last five minutes." "When the end comes everybody wants five more minutes." "They want to say things left unsaid." "They want to maybe love one more time." "And I'm able to give them those five minutes." "Then I let them go." "You smell that smell, tim?" "Yeah." "It smells like..." "Death." "No." "It's fear." "People are afraid of death." "And when I get through here it's going to smell like roses." "See you later." "Hi, Dorothy." "How are you?" "I'm fine." "So they showed me." "They showed me that if I hurt someone" "I felt their pain." "But if I helped someone" "I would feel how good they felt." "And." "And the people I helped well, they would go away and they would help somebody else." "so the only true power in life is the power to love someone." "You are all" "Every one of you..." "You are all powerful, spiritual beings." "Thank you very much." "Mr. Brinkley?" "Harold Thomason, ph.D." "Yes, dr." "Thomason?" "Just for the record of the proceedings here" "What is your academic qualification" "And medical standing?" "I'm Dannion Brinkley" "D.O.A." "Aren't you Dannion Brinkley?" "Hey." "Yes." "I was in town and heard you were speaking." "Thought I'd drop by." "It seemed kind of like fate." "Did you like it?" "Yeah." "Yes, I did." "How you been?" "Good." "You know." "Good." "You?" "I been all right." "I died again." "I heard, I heard." "Sorry I wasn't there." "It's all right." "You were there the first time." "You know, Danny, when you died" "I missed you so much." "I even told god I'd take you back with all your anger." "All your fighting." "But when you did come back" "I missed you even more." "You understand that?" "Yeah." "Yeah, I guess I do." "Life's kind of funny, isn't it?" "Well..." "You got to be careful what you wish for." "Yes, you do." "That was a wonderful speech." "Thank you." "...overwhelmed by your speech." "I'm so proud of you." "My proteges would like to talk with you." "The industry's head over heels over what you just told us." "Oh, hey, boy." "What can I do for you, pretty lady?" "You can listen." "I wager you like to drink every now and again, don't you?" "Every now and again." "You probably like the girls, too, don't you?" "Yes, ma'am, I sure do." "Well, all I got to say is" "When God was looking for prophets" "He was scraping the bottom of the barrel to have found you." "Yes, ma'am, He was."