Dr. Raymond Moody, played by Don McManus, is a real doctor that in 1975 published his best-seller book "Life After Life" about Near-Death Experience, about people that they were dead during a brief time and later they could live again. Exactly the same that happened to Dannion Brinkley.
At a point of the movie, Dannion and Dr. Moody talks about Dannion's visions of future, both comment about an actor turning in president of USA. When Moody theorizes about Ronald Reagan, Dannion replies "Must be Robert Redford". A Joke partially repeated in Watchmen (2009).
Dannion Brinkley had a NDE, short for Near-Death Experience. This is a term established for the first time by doctor Raymond Moody in his 1975's book "Life After Life". In it, Moody compiled real stories about patients who by a brief time had died and later lived again. The different stories had several common points:
-To be out of the physical body.
-Float around the rooftop of the room, seeing the own body in the bedroom.
-X-rays senses, with capability to see and hear people (familiar, friends...) in the next rooms, or even long-distance senses, with capability to see and hear people far away from their own location.
-Travel by a tunnel to high speed, with a great white light at the end.
-Meet in the light parents and friends previously dead.
-See a retrospective about the own lifeline, like movie frames.
-Feel a great peace and tranquility while standing in the light.
-Feel (not see) the presence of a powerful entity look-a-like a god.
-A voice saying "It's not your time" or something similar, and return from the light.
-Have a great feeling to fall from a high altitude, returning to the physical body and finally back to life.
-To be out of the physical body.
-Float around the rooftop of the room, seeing the own body in the bedroom.
-X-rays senses, with capability to see and hear people (familiar, friends...) in the next rooms, or even long-distance senses, with capability to see and hear people far away from their own location.
-Travel by a tunnel to high speed, with a great white light at the end.
-Meet in the light parents and friends previously dead.
-See a retrospective about the own lifeline, like movie frames.
-Feel a great peace and tranquility while standing in the light.
-Feel (not see) the presence of a powerful entity look-a-like a god.
-A voice saying "It's not your time" or something similar, and return from the light.
-Have a great feeling to fall from a high altitude, returning to the physical body and finally back to life.
When Dannion is speaking on the National Forum on the Near Death Experience, previously can be seen an ad poster announcing the names of all speakers: Eugene Slattery, Tom Fallon, Vincent Cresciman, Dannion Brinkley, Meche Farah, Brian Hyckox, Peter Wooley and Vera Mills. Although supposedly the other seven names should must be fictitious, all them coincide with real people:
-Eugene Slattery - He was an activist for the Rights' Victims after the rape and assassination of his 14-years-old daughter Karen, in 1984. He died in 1989 in a plane crash.
-Thomas Fallon - He was the location manager of the movie (appears credited as Tom Fallon).
-Vincent Cresciman - He was the production designer of the movie (appears credited as Vince Cresciman).
-Meche Farah - Michelle "Meche" Farah is a creative decor from Jacksonville, Florida.
-Bryan Hickox - He was the line producer of the movie (appears credited as S. Bryan Hickox).
-Peter Wooley - An English watercolor painter, although his last name is "Woolley".
-Vera Mills - A play on words of Vera Miles, Psycho (1960)'s star.
-Eugene Slattery - He was an activist for the Rights' Victims after the rape and assassination of his 14-years-old daughter Karen, in 1984. He died in 1989 in a plane crash.
-Thomas Fallon - He was the location manager of the movie (appears credited as Tom Fallon).
-Vincent Cresciman - He was the production designer of the movie (appears credited as Vince Cresciman).
-Meche Farah - Michelle "Meche" Farah is a creative decor from Jacksonville, Florida.
-Bryan Hickox - He was the line producer of the movie (appears credited as S. Bryan Hickox).
-Peter Wooley - An English watercolor painter, although his last name is "Woolley".
-Vera Mills - A play on words of Vera Miles, Psycho (1960)'s star.