Reprinted from Inner Michael’s Mirror at Michael Jackson Tribute Portrait:
It takes one to know one. That is what “they” say and sometimes “they” are right. There is a deeper “knowing” that doesn’t come from a cerebral place. It is not intellectual nor verbal nor visual. It is corporeal, and when finely tuned it borders on telepathy. The human body is not just a bag of flesh that serves to carry around our organs. It is an amazing biological antenna that gathers and processes information on levels that we can’t even identify yet.
Much of what we process, and how we interpret situations and our response to them goes on in the unconscious realm of this antenna. The information is taken in, filtered, assimilated and acted upon almost without recognition or acknowledgement on the part of the individual. Even employing these innate abilities escapes our awareness. There is a new area of study regarding this whole newly discovered communication, and it involves blind studies being conducted about intention, distance healing, retro-focusing the linear concept of time, the non-local reality of quantum fields, and a study of muscle testing for information the body has processed unconsciously—called Kinesiology.
The human laboratory apparently recognizes truth when it is encountered, and the body does not know how to lie. The human body knows and tells the truth even when the mind and mouth are lying. The flesh knows. When there is a dissonance between the non-verbal communication of the body, and its motion and its verbal communication, the receiver of that communication knows that something doesn’t match. A silent systemic alarm that goes off, and says something isn’t quite right here because the words and body language don’t match. It is a gentle alarm most of the time, hardly perceptible to some, but in an amplified situation the response is “loud” and often accompanied by an intense flood of adrenalin.
When you are walking down a dark street at night and hear footsteps, your body has a reaction. And this “radar” is deployed in all directions—and especially turns up its volume in the space behind you groping for more information. Because we don’t work at developing it, that radar is almost imperceptible as is the feedback it “pings” back. We are actually able to tell “friend” or “foe” without a word being spoken and from a distance. We just don’t deliberately hone that ability because we culturally don’t value it; in fact our culture often ridicules that radar as “unscientific.” The aboriginals, indigenous peoples, medicine men, shamans and some artists deliberately develop those abilities because they have learned their accuracy, and value of auxiliary information when available after being honed through discipline.
Empaths feel with their whole body and whole system. They literally feel other people’s feelings and they experience them as real energy in their own bodies. They know how others feel because they feel it themselves- acutely. And it takes one to know one. I know Michael Jackson was an empath. I know it because I see it in his work, hear it in his music, sense it in his persona, read it in his writing, experience it in his lyrics, and know it in who he was being in the world, but mostly I feel it. An empath will recognize another empath by the feel of their life and work—a form of “it takes one to know one.”
We have all had that feeling that makes the hair stand up on the back of our necks as we “sense” that something is terribly, terribly wrong. Or we may find ourselves puzzled by a sense of impending doom that confuses because there is no evidence that anything is wrong. Or we may think of a loved one in a moment that intrudes out of nowhere, and we feel a sense of danger or alarm. Only to find out later that what we were feeling is borne out as accurate—because something tragic has indeed occurred. How many mothers have known instantly when their sons died in a war? How many twins know that something has happened to the other sibling? How many woke up on 9/11 of 2001, or 6/25 of 2009, with a sense of impending doom or heaviness even before the event? And some felt a sense of anxiety, confusion or loss after the event but before they learned about it. And some still later when they did know. I know there are many because they wrote to me. Some of you felt it. Some of you still acutely feel the vacuum Michael left behind.
You sense that Michael stood for something that is no longer present in the world, and his leaving has left behind a big empty space. I think he left that space for us to fill. Especially for the children to fill. I think the biggest favor we can do for the world, is to introduce our children to the real truth about who Michael Jackson was and to his work. Children “get” that vibe. They know Michael. They know what Michael means. They feel him and they feel his message.
Children have that kind of empathy and radar at birth. They have an inherent ability to pick up on “vibes” and an uncanny means of interpreting those vibes. Children are brutally honest and do not censor themselves or their thinking. They often blurt out staggering truths. Their body language tells the story of magic and joy, and unencumbered and shimmering being-ness. They feel no need to weigh what they say on the cultural scale of what is acceptable or politically correct. They just scan the environment, glean the requisite information and act on it.
There is a natural exuberance and magic in children. There is an innocent belief in the world being a safe place, as well as the creatures that inhabit it. Why would it be otherwise? It is not in our true nature to do or be other than divinely created humans. Isn’t it obvious that the world is a treasure as are the people in it? Isn’t it a given that we are all part of the same human family? That our feelings are a synchrony and symphony—what happens to one happens to all. Isn’t it self evident that humans live in an interconnected web of life? Children know this. Michael knew it. Not only did he know it in the child part of himself that he preserved and protected from contamination, but he felt it as an empath.
Michael Jackson wanted to heal the world because he felt the world. Michael was an empath. When he spoke of saving the children and saving the earth, it was from a place of acute familiarity; he felt the sting of the other pole of that—of not acting out of our humanity— of not saving, of doing nothing, of apathy, of indifference. He felt all the “isms” of the world that adults set into motion when they forget who they are during the mission of growing up. He felt the absence of expressed human glory. And he knew we were capable. He reminded us and he believed in us. His life itself was an act of faith—in us. He kept singing that very song.
Children know truth, beauty and purity of intention because they know nothing else. They know love—they spend nine months in an embrace within a rich and nurturing environment that cradles, nourishes and rocks them while they grow and develop. They feel vibes. They feel people’s vibes and their auras. They intercept intentions with their antenna. They know who is friend or foe. They know instinctively who to trust and they know who to avoid. They know what feels good and what feels creepy and they naturally gravitate toward or avoid. And they trust themselves until they are taught not to. They look at the world through the eyes of awe and wonder. And they think everybody must see it that way. Does it sound like Neverland? Do you remember that Neverland?
As children age and grow up something happens. They become acclimatized to the culture. They begin to develop a protective skin—the more unfriendly the environment, the thicker the skin. The world is not a good or nurturing medium for the future beings who will take charge of the planet and its ecosystems—physical, material, financial, psychological, emotional and spiritual…
Children are an accurate barometer and prediction for the future of the planet and for the race. Children are the future. That is what Michael knew to be true. That is what he was saying—over and over. Michael was right. And Neverland was more than a playground for Michael or for children; Neverland is a metaphor for something else and for much, much more. That may be why we find ourselves gathering now in his absence; we may be filling the void he left behind. Perhaps we are meant to set something in motion—a rediscovering of that metaphorical Neverland? Together.
6 Comments
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and your knowledge with us. I was born in 1972 when Michael Jackson was about to turn 14. I can say I am part of his generation as each of us who were privileged to have been born in the same century and knowing him. I was ten when I knew MJ for the first time and when thriller was a success. I remember everybody saying, ‘look at that black guy who sings and dance spectacular, who is he? What’s his name?’ Since that time we have witnessed historic changes: the end of the Cold War, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the birth of new countries in Europe. We have witnessed social changes: the end of communism, movement toward racial equality at least in the Occident in favor of equal opportunities and recognition of capabilities. Proof of this change is that the most powerful nation in the world is currently directed by a man of color. Who would have thought 25 years ago? When a black man shockingly became the most famous of the earth waking up jealousy, denial, greed and discrimination arose because the world was not ready to accept that a man of color could be the most famous, most admired, the most talented man on earth? That made him the perfect target for the tabloid media who didn’t see him as a sensitive and talented human being, but a target for making money. The rest of the story we already know. As Lady Diana was persecuted to death, Michael was also persecuted, harassed, injured and destroyed in complicity with a world that did buy the magazines, and who believed the lies that feed the monster. And it goes on…
But who would have imagined 25 years ago you could have a friend thousands of miles away with whom to share your feelings, your pain, the loss of this extraordinary human being? Who would have thought that there would be a cell phone, the internet. These technological changes allow us to stay close and be united in a sense. When, through your computer, you find many people who love the same person and share your feelings and sentiments and ideals embodied by MJ, we’re a family. We all know and love the real, unique MJ and we share a sense of loss and unfulfilled justice. We want a better world and we work for it, to heal the world, because we do not want his dreams to die. Because we want the perception of the world about who he really was to change. We want to see the media distortion and the deep hatred to change. We wish for the recognition of his greatness and nobility and inner beauty that the world is just beginning to discover. Each MJ fan is part of an army for change. We will not be insulting to others, we will not be intolerant, dividing, but including and giving love like he did. We will reach out to those who need it and preserving the world for those who come after us.
Finally, I’m glad I’ve met others who share my feelings and deep love for MJ. No matter that they are so far away; we are joined by the love of a man who now blesses us from heaven and expects us to do our part. God bless and keep Michaeling.
Thank you, Rev. B, for this series on empaths. I have always believed this of Michael, from the time he was a small child. If he were not an empath, how could he deliver such heartfelt lyrics with such depth at the tender age of 11 years. And how could he never give up teaching us and giving of his soul to all of us, if not for that knowledge that we all needed his love and messages? Those of us who love him may not be true empaths, as you are and he was, but we have a spark of it — that empathy is what allows us to SEE AND HEAR him and each other. You are correct, we are filling the void and becoming a family. I believe in my heart that the heavens “are linin’ up” and a new world is coming, and children will lead the way – young lives, but also those of us who heard Michael and protected that “magical child hiding inside.” Thank you, Rev. B, for feeling our pain and giving of your soul for our healing these many months. Love and peace, sue.
Thank you Revrend Kaufmann for the beautiful article. When I was reading about the children being honest, I realized that I see so much wisdom in my grandchild of only 2 years and 3 months. It really is because of studying Michael, and also your posts, that I see this. There are so many things that catch my attention now. I feel blessed for that. If it was not for Michael, it would all have passed on me without notice. I have always felt empathy for others, but it is different now. I really feel so much pain because of what is happening in Japan at this very moment. Children are our future, and we are all responsible for the world they live in. It is such a pity that Neverland was taken away. It seems some people who engineered that did not care about children, and still do not seem to care. I hope they will change for the sake of our children. They deserve only the best, all of them in every country. A long way to go…. Beautiful post Dalia; could not agree more. Looking forward to the moment that children will lead the way, as you say Sue.
Yes Michael was right. He was right from the beginning. Thank-you for describing beautifully what very many of us know to be true about him but cannot express as accurately or eloquently. Your insight into the who and what of Michael Jackson may be an even greater gift than the talent with which you express it. When the brutish world depletes me I come here and am restored enough to push back at despair. We were given a great gift in Michael and it is soul-soothing to come here and find I am not alone in that realization. He pointed the way, he was right and we are right in recognizing it. Good for us, I don’t mind saying.
Vivo en Argentina ,Buenos Aires .Cuando empece a conocer a Michael,no imaginaba esta tecnologia que hoy me permite conectarme con personas que siguen el legado de este hombre,a tantos miles de kilometros .Michael esta en el mundo “por algo”.Solo los que conocemos su obra ,lo sabemos.Es demasiado grande ,amado y seguido ,por eso tanto daño se le hizo ,hasta lograr que diga “this is It “.Pero EL sigue con nosotros impulsando su obra.Neverland deberia ser lo que su creador queria :un mundo de magia y ensueño para todos los niños del mundo .Y los adultos que desean continuar su TAREA HUMANITARIA.!Amor y paz ! como Michael deseaba.I love you Michael ,forever !
My Spanish is rusty and I don’t always have time to translate but I think Julia is saying she lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina. When she first began knowing of Michael Jackson she could not have imagined that technology would allow her to connect with people who are/follow the legacy of this across so many thousands of miles. She believes Michael was in the world for a reason. She says the work his contribution and the work was huge and that is why so much damage was done to him up to “This Is It.” He or it continues—impelling us to work. Neverland should be what its creator wanted: a world of magic and daydreaming for all the children of the world and the adults who wish to continue his humanitarian work. She says love and peace as Michael wanted.
Gracias Julia. Usted está en lo correcto. Gracias por tu corazón del grande y tus comentarios. ~ Rev B.