Life After Death Before Death – Guest Appearance on The Dream Journal

I recently had the privilege of being a guest on The Dream Journal, hosted by Katherine Bell on KSQD 90.7 FM, Santa Cruz. This episode, titled “Life After Death Before Death with Nirakara Vani,” explores how a near-death experience can change the trajectory of a life, and how both death and dreams can serve as gateways to awakening.

Ways to listen

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🌐 Or visit the episode page on KSQD: Life After Death Before Death with Nirakara Vani

Themes We Explored

In our conversation, Katherine and I spoke about:

• How my own near-death experience dissolved the ego-identity of Matthew Mansfield and gave rise to Nirakara Vani, “the formless voice.”
• The parallels between dreams and near-death encounters as doorways into self-discovery and spiritual rebirth.
• The way trauma, memory, and surrender shape our awakening.
• The seeds we plant in ourselves and others, and how those seeds—whether of hurt or of love—beget more of their kind.

Listeners also called in to share their own experiences, including near-death through plant medicine and powerful early childhood encounters with mortality. These moments reminded us of how universal these thresholds are, and how deeply they affect the course of our lives.

About The Dream Journal

Produced at KSQD Santa Cruz, The Dream Journal is a weekly show hosted by Katherine Bell, founder of Experiential Dreamwork. Each episode dives into the world of dreams—how they inform, heal, and transform us.

Katherine has spent over 20 years leading dream groups, and she brings warmth, insight, and wisdom to every conversation. You can explore more of her work at ExperientialDreamwork.com and follow The Dream Journal archives here: KSQD.org/the-dream-journal.

Reflection

Dreams, like death, invite us to step beyond surface layers of the ego and encounter what lies within. They offer us a register of balance and imbalance, a way of reverse-engineering our waking lives. This episode was a chance to share my story, but also to remind us all that in every ending, and in every dream, there is an opening to awaken.

As Ram Dass said, “We’re all just walking each other home.”

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