J.R. Martinez is a burn survivor (over 40% of his body) and Army veteran who, after many surgeries and months of healing, went on to win Dancing with the Stars, become a New York Times best-selling author, star in the television series All My Children and become a keynote speaker at events all over the world. Dude’s on quite a ride.
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Intro music: “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range; “Take a Ride” by The Vegabonds;
Wonderful conversation. If JR’s ‘trial by fire’ wasn’t a true shamanic initiation, then I don’t know what it is.
BTW his mentioning of how right after the explosion in Afghanistan he had a vision of his dead sister (which I’m definitely gonna use for an article at The Daily Grail) is a very common phenomenon known as the “3rd Man Effect,” in which climbers buried by an avalanche or people who are alone in a life-or-death situation report a sort of ‘presence’ that is not only comforting but can sometimes guide them out of danger, or at least accompany them until they are rescued. Psychologists would say this is an illusion created by the brain in order to ensure the survival of the individual, but personally I’m totally in agreement with JR’s mom, and suspect her sister was looking out for him.