Next Level Soul Podcast with Alex Ferrari

Episode: BONUS MONDAYS: What She Saw Before She Was Born Will Leave You SPEECHLESS!
Guest: Diane Brandon
Date: September 29, 2025

Episode Overview

In this thought-provoking episode, host Alex Ferrari sits down with Diane Brandon, author and spiritual counselor, known for her research and personal experience as a "born aware" individual—someone who retains conscious memories from before and during birth. The conversation explores the seldom-discussed realm of pre-birth memories, the soul’s journey, intuition, the nature of the divine, and the cosmic drama of human existence. Together, they unpack how these mysterious experiences can shape one’s purpose and perspective on life, weaving Diane’s story with broader research on spiritual consciousness.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Born Aware: What Does It Mean?

• Definition: Diane explains the concept she coined, “born aware”, referring to individuals who remember their consciousness and thoughts at the moment of birth and sometimes before (03:41).
  • "I use the term, I coined the term born aware to refer to people who have always remembered what they thought when they were born. I've always remembered what I thought when I was born… I know scientists think that babies are basically blank...I know that that's not true." – Diane (03:46)
• Memories differ in type:
  • Some recall the experience of being born or even the delivery room environment.
  • Others remember pre-birth spiritual states or “being with the divine.”

2. Varieties of Pre-Birth Memories

• Examples from Her Research: Diane recounts others’ memories:
  • Choosing between potential lives or parents before birth (07:09)
  • Being an angel or cosmic worker on the “other side” (07:44)
  • Memories of conception, or being present with divine beings during pre-birth (09:18)
  • "One woman in my book remembers being taken by guides to visit other planets for training. She remembers picking out her father." – Diane (05:43)

3. Diane’s Own Memories of the Divine

• Description of God/The Divine:
  • “This massive energy that at the same time has a sense of a being…You can never mistake the energy for anything else.” – Diane (11:29, 13:46)
  • “It’s not an old man with a long white beard…being in the form limits, and this is beyond limitation.” – Diane (11:29)
• Her core memory is of being with the Divine, feeling safe and whole, but also knowing she had to leave for a purpose—without choice.

4. Birth, Awareness, and Adjusting to Earthly Life

• Double Consciousness: Diane describes feeling “schizophrenic” as a child—simultaneously connected to the higher, spiritual self and learning to navigate human existence (21:07).
  • "When you come here as a soul and you get into the body of a human being, it's like being schizophrenic. You've got your true orientation towards the other side, your true home. And then you've got this human part." – Diane (21:07)
• Loss and Return of Memories:
  • Many “born aware” people don’t know their memories are unusual until adulthood (20:35).

5. Soul Planning & Life's Blueprint

• Soul Blueprint: Both Diane and Alex discuss the possibility that every soul has a blueprint for each incarnation, developed or reviewed with higher beings before birth (41:19).
  • "I’m a firm believer in it...our lives are planned. This does not preclude having free will because it was always known what our choices would be." – Diane (41:19)
• Free Will vs. Destined Events:
  • Even when diverging from the supposed path, it often becomes part of the plan at a higher level (43:22).
  • “Even diverging from what we think the plan is, is part of the plan.” – Diane (43:22)

6. Perspectives on Life’s Challenges

• Shifting Perspective: As we age, our viewpoint on past hardships changes, recognizing them as necessary (33:07).
  • "When we go through something negative and we come out the other side and if we can look back and see some of the benefits, then we have transmuted that negative experience into something positive." – Diane (33:15)

7. Intuition: Nature and Practice

• Sources of Intuition: Diane views intuition as multi-faceted:
  • Derived from unconscious brainwave activity (delta waves).
  • May be “guided” by spiritual sources, but not always—sometimes, it's information sussed out at the deepest unconscious level (52:11).
  • Physical basis for “gut feelings” is now recognized by science (53:30).
• Developing Intuition: Meditation and similar practices can foster deeper access to intuition and higher awareness (40:13, 55:56).
  • “It is a matter of tuning into the right frequency or a part of our sensing, our consciousness that senses being able to get to the right target.” – Diane (57:46)

8. Accessing Universal Knowledge

• Information Fields: Parallels drawn between the Akashic Records, quantum field theory, and the omnipresence of all information (59:40–61:50).
  • "I don't tend to think of it as akashic records because it's information and it's everywhere all at once. We live in this information, we live in it, it is everywhere." – Diane (60:51)

9. Death, Transition, and the Afterlife

• Process Upon Death: The soul transitions by shedding its earthly persona and gaining greater objectivity (67:26, 71:37).
  • "We basically...lose our orientation to the three dimensional. We still have access to it, but our consciousness, our soul is freed up, is no longer bound." – Diane (68:05)
  • Immediate life review and connection with loved ones and higher beings or councils may occur.

10. Psychedelics, Meditation, and Spiritual Experience

• Opening Doors: Diane compares the altered states from psychedelics to the states certain yogis attain naturally after years of training—both can remove perceived barriers temporarily or permanently (62:29–66:59).
  • Importance of preparation and integration is emphasized.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Divine:

  • "The energy is unmistakable. You can never mistake the energy for anything else. So you have this sense of a being and this, this, this massive, massive energy that is beyond description."
    – Diane (13:46)

• On the purpose of born-aware memories:

  • "I feel that for those of us who have these memories, we're allowed to have them because they are to serve a purpose for what we are to do while we're here. It's not like, okay, it's a free ride. There's responsibility in it depending upon what each of us is here to do."
    – Diane (26:36)

• On perspective and life events:

  • "If we can look back and see some of the benefits, then we have transmuted that negative experience into something positive."
    – Diane (33:15)

• On intuition:

  • "There's a physiological basis for gut feelings. They're real. There's a knowing...So there's a base, there's a physiological basis for gut feelings. They are real, science knows this now."
    – Diane (53:30)

• On the complexity of life and the universe:

  • "The complexity, I feel, is beautiful. And we may not be able to grasp it all at once, but we can be in awe of the fact that it exists."
    – Diane (75:03)

Important Timestamps

• 03:18 – Diane defines "born aware" and discusses what it means to remember pre-birth.
• 07:09 – Varieties of pre-birth experiences shared.
• 11:29 – Details of Diane's own memory of being with the Divine.
• 21:07 – Navigating the double consciousness of spiritual and human experience.
• 41:19 – Discussion of soul blueprints and predestined life paths.
• 52:11 – Exploration of intuition: sources and development.
• 59:40 – Accessing universal knowledge, Akashic records, and the quantum field.
• 67:26 – 74:10 – What happens after death, shedding the earthly persona, and higher soul awareness.
• 75:03 – The wonder and complexity of life and being in awe.
• 77:04 – Diane’s definition of fulfillment.
• 79:05 – Diane describes God and the purpose of life.

Diane Brandon’s Closing Message

“There is so much more within you. Allow yourself to explore your depths. Embrace your true self, your essence...develop your potential. Sometimes it’s hidden within you. Work on healing and removing any blocks to your fulfillment and allow yourself to live vibrantly and lead a purposeful life.”
– Diane Brandon (82:55)

Resources

• Diane Brandon’s website: dianebrandon.com

This episode provides a deep dive into consciousness, the soul’s journey, and how remembering “before we were born” can shape our lives with greater purpose and humility. Through candid storytelling and broad-minded inquiry, Diane and Alex Ferrari invite listeners to consider a reality where spiritual memory, intuition, and destiny are interwoven, and personal growth is intricately tied to the vast cosmic play.