What if grief is the door? Stephen Berkley on loss, after-death communication, and finding your mission He went to law school. He worked for MTV. He never expected to become a grief advocate. Then his father died—and a neighbor named Ethel changed everything. How feeling like an outsider as a child quietly shaped Stephen's openness to the unknown. The pivotal chain of events—an injury, his father's death, and neighbor Ethel—that led to a seven-year investigation. What after-death communication actually is, and why a grief counselor's dismissal sent Stephen down a research rabbit hole. The Dewey Reese study: 50,000 people, 24 countries, 112 years of data—and what it says about how most people actually experience grief. Why Stephen resisted the "Lightworker" label—and what changed. How his film Life with Ghosts grew into a podcast, courses, and a community of pioneers. The role of GLU in giving creators and advocates a place to belong. Stephen's daily gratitude practice—and his life-changing reframe of "life doesn't happen to you, it happens for you." Stephen Berkley is a writer, director, and producer with over 30 years in media. His work, Life with Ghosts, grew out of a deeply personal experience after his father's passing when his mother began reporting ongoing contact with his spirit. What started as a film became a seven-year investigation into love, loss, and after-death communication, and has since expanded into a podcast and a series of courses. Stephen is also a member of the Global Lightworkers United Wisdom of Light Council. Find his work at: lifewithghosts.com Film: Life with Ghosts (film, podcast, courses) Study: Dewey Reese’s research on after-death communication. Wendy Zammet: Friday Afterlife Report. Community: globallightworkersunited.org/join-glu Global Lightworkers United is a nonprofit spiritual community built for healers, teachers, and conscious creators who are ready to walk this path together. If this episode stirred something in you, you belong here. We reinvest every dollar into what matters — scholarships, emergency support, and resources that keep our community resourced and resilient. If this episode stirred something in you, you belong here. Join us: globallightworkersunited.org Instagram: @globallightworkersunited Connect with us: linktr.ee/globallightworkersunited Chapters (00:00) Podcast opening and introduction (01:28) Welcoming Stephen Berkley (07:35) The chain of events that began it all (09:18) Automatic writing with a late husband (12:13) Filming begins for Life with Ghosts (13:51) A grief counselor's dismissal (14:49) Dewey Rees's 1971 research (17:30) The reluctant lightworker (18:48) Life with Ghosts today (21:12) Wendy Zammit and stepping into flow (22:34) Building a community of like minds (23:37) Pioneers in a movement (24:28) 50,000 people across 24 countries (26:42) Joining the GLU board (28:34) A daily gratitude practice (30:01) Life happens for you, not to you (30:24) Closing thoughts and benediction
