Those who contribute most “monstrously” to the world with their art live in an alternate reality, breathe rarefied air, bump up against agony or insanity regularly and “dance to a different drummer.” Their lives are often as Robert Frost’s also “The Road not Taken–” Michaelangelo’s Sistine prayer in paint; Pythagoras’ world of in vivo mathematics; Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture of sacred ratios; Cenline’s melancholy madness of man; Lord Byron’s poetic and satirical tongue; Mishima’s mask that masquerades; Sarah Bernhardt’s mask of the actor… and the modern monstre sacre`… Bob Dylan, Elton John, Lennon…
And… Michael Jackson.
The “Monstre Sacre`” among us seem to wear humanity’s cloaks of polarity and embody the schizophrenic world of duality that governs our human experience. Their art seems to bring out the magnificent beast in both subject and object. In particular, dedicated and inspired artists seem to rankle the fabric of human sensibilities, reality itself, and that disturbance impels us to both love and hate them either at the same time or in the same lifetime.
It is the fate of those who stand out and away from the crowd and dare to first notice the creative spark within, then stoke the internal fire to a blaze that must then erupt as an internal volcano as it can no longer be pushed back into from where it escaped, it cannot be extinguished nor contained. The only destiny for them, then, is to be consumed by the flames. So, they must dance in the fire and on the edge of madness for their allegiance is to something invisible to others, that only their ears can hear, and demands obedience. That is not an easy dance. Without a soft place to fall, they often waste away or perish before our very eyes in some way. A “soft place to fall” might mean having their art appreciated, their sensitive natures embraced, their genius asknowledged but mostly, just loved. It would certainly not mean being bullied relentlessly or becoming the world’s whipping boy.
Others, making their beds in the mundane, afraid to leave the ordinary– first envy the extraordinary or revered, then become jealous and finally seek to destroy that which they believe they cannot do or be or have. It’s a suicidal fantasy, a death wish, and an elegant impulse toward self and soul sabotage. That impulse can be witnessed in modern celebrity cultism– the golden calf and clamoring for the ultimate shiny object– what the celebrities du jour are or have. Often there is little mention and even less understanding of sacrifice for the sake of art. Great art hovers in regions of the unmanifest until some foolish sensitive creature opens the channel and allows it to come through him.
Poet Kahlil Gibran says “Sometimes it feels as though ideas or feelings or thoughts or revelation comes through you but not from you, and though it is with you, it belongs not to you.” It’s the same thing Michael Jackson said many times in many ways. And it is a form of slavery but an ecstatic slavery, a revelatory ecstasy:
“…I know my fate is to show others that this silence, this light, this blessing is my dance. I take this gift only to give it again. “Quick, give!” says the light. As never before, I try to obey…” ~Michael Jackson, “Dance of Life” from Dancing the Dream
“Some people spend their lives looking for love outside themselves. They think they have to grasp it in order to have it. …When (love) is allowed to be free, love is what makes life alive, joyful, and new. It’s the juice and energy that motivates my music, my dancing, everything. As long as love is in my heart, it’s everywhere.” ~Michael Jackson, “Love” from Dancing the Dream
Jonathan Sugarfoot Moffett: “All the time, every time I am around him. That’s why you know you are in the presence of greatness. That’s why you know you’re in the presence of somebody special. Just count the number of fans and people and the multitude that love him around the world. He’s one man loved by– CNN said that over one billion people mourned Michael from all the remote areas of the world—as well as all the known areas. What other human being can draw that much sympathy and that much hurt from their loss? Michael had something special, a radiance, and when you were in his presence the whole room changed.
People would say, “Michael’s coming,” and everybody got nervous. As soon as you had the vision of him, even just knowing he was coming, you felt something, like a tingle happening. Just to watch him walk through the door, it’s like all the molecules in the air stop and you can pinch them with your finger; pick them up. It’s like you could see the smallest speck; you could see the molecules in the air when Michael walked in the room. He changed them; the molecular structure of the air. And that’s the equation of what happens when Michael enters, and everybody in the room felt it and knew it. Then their attitudes and personalities would change. They would perk up their attention, but they would always say, “There’s something with him. When he came in I got nervous. I felt something!” And I would hear that over and over again and I would say, “I know, I know. I’ve been feeling it for thirty years.”
Musician, percussionist and Michael’s drummer for more than 30 years, now drummer for Cirque du Soleil’s “Immortal” Tribute to Michael Jackson
Marcel Marceau
“One can feel the urge, the need to give, coming from within him. He is such a pure and true person. … It’s my deepest, most heartfelt conviction that Michael Jackson is a good person, a fine young man with an incredible burden – responsibility – to carry on his shoulders.”
Marcel Marceau, Performer and Mime
Jennifer Batten “This is one of the most beautiful creatures on Earth” [ first thought when she saw Michael Jackson]
Michael’s Guitarist for more than 10 years
Akon: “He’s a genius. Just to be in the same room with him, I felt everything I wanted to accomplish in life has been achieved. That aura…That’s how incredible that aura is. We’re about to shake the world up, man. You know how you’d be with somebody and you can’t even explain the feeling? I used to sit and think, ‘How does somebody sell so many records and dominate a whole business genre, to a point where nobody can’t be a part of that without associating with you?’ The way he thinks…Some artists think regional, some think national. I was thinking international. He thinks planets. It’s on another level.”
Recording artist and collaborator
Will i Am: “I’m grateful to have worked with the King. He was a gift to the world, he is a bright light.”
Recording Artist and collaborator
Don Pedro von Hellmann
“The first time I heard his voice in the radio when I was driving my car. It electrified me at once: This is an angel, an angel! I hardly screamed it out. This unbelievable strong vibration – it was a very highly developed soul! … Unfortunate most people cannot see the spiritual light of a person – but who could see Michael Jackson’s light would fall down to his knees.”
Don Pedro von Hellmann, spiritual teacher & author, 2003
M. Assheuer-Steiger
“I had to listen to ‘Speechless’ about 50 times before I was able to continuously follow him on this emotional level where he already is all the time! Many people will not even understand this …”
M. Assheuer-Steiger, psychologist/educator, 2002
Diana Ross: “I ‘m crazy about Michael and I love him a lot. He’s been my inspiration. He’s a very gentle, wonderful human being, one of the special ones in this universe, and I don’t even know if he knows how special he is. So whenever I can be around him, I like it. I like to rub shoulders with talent. He’s got good vibrations. His aura is only about love. So I like being with him.”
Friend, mentor recording artist, actor [“The Wiz”] and collaborator
Brett Ratner: “He doesn’t really belong on this planet. He’s the most important figure in the history of music. He’ll be remembered far longer than George Bush will. 200 years from now, people will be talking about Michael Jackson, and no one’s going to mention George Bush.
It’s not even that. [the “fame”] It’s like the people who create something. Mozart is much more famous than Napoleon, for instance. Mozart is creating something that’s lasting forever in music. Michael does not even belong. It’s like God is channeling through him. Even if he sits here with us, and just sings like three notes, it’s like, “Oh my God.” It’s beyond anything. I’ve worked with a hundred of the biggest artists in the world, from Madonna to Mariah Carey, and he is just beyond. He’s at a whole other level, spiritually. He’s got the God spot. Everyone has it, everyone has that God spot, but it’s just the way he’s in tune with it. He has it. It’s right there, and when he starts to sing, God has just opened it up for him. That’s why he’s not comfortable around people and things, because he’s just such a unique—he feels blessed just to be himself. “I can’t believe I’m Michael Jackson.” [Laughs.] That’s what it is, really. He is one of the most unique people. I’ve spent a lot of time with him, so has Chris. Just sitting in the back of a car, and music playing, and then him, he moves like God is going through him. Not to knock Usher or anybody else, but you see when they’re dancing, they’re like, “One, two, three, four.” He’s just like, natural. He’s amazing, he really is amazing. He’s got a bad rap, but the truth is, he’s a child. Michael Jackson never grew up, but that’s what makes him so special.
There’s a purity to it. He’s a pure person. There’s no malicious intent in him at all. He’s a kid. That’s the true essence of a kid. There’s nobody more kid-like than Michael Jackson. People may say, “Oh, he needs to grow up, he’s a 40-something-year-old man,” but the truth is, that’s what makes him special. He sees the world in a different way. He can read the mind of an adult better than an adult can read his mind. That’s what makes him so special. Mike has the mind of a kid, and when you have the mind of a kid, you’re smarter than an adult. You see through all the BS. Kids, you know how they are? They just say the truth.”
American Film Director, Producer and Music Video Direct
Isiah Lord Thomas III
“When I see him dance and sing, it touches me, like a spirit; it moves me inside, sort of like the Holy Ghost. But it’s more than singing and dancing; he manages to touch your soul.”
Isiah Lord Thomas III, American former professional basketball player and coach, currently the president of basketball operations for the NBA’s New York Knicks
Patti LaBelle: “I´ll always remember how he wasn’t a man of many words but he didn’t have to, because his energy and spirit would totally light up a room.”
Recording artist, Female Vocalist
Gottfried Helnwein, “He is extremely beautiful, fragile and totally unearthly. I always had the feeling that he is not standing on the floor but slightly floating on air. Michael Jackson knows that he appears like that on others and he also knows how to employ it.
Austian artist and collaborator
Steven Spielberg: “He’s sort of a fawn in a burning forest. It’s a nice place where Michael comes from. I wish we could all spend some time in his world.”
Filmmaker
Chris Tucker: “Michael is a genius, a creative being in a whole other reality… ”
Actor, Comedian and friend
Sir Bob Geldof : “When Michael Jackson sings it is with the voice of angels, and when his feet move, you can see God dancing.”
Singer, songwriter, actor, activist
Frank Cascio: “He was a human being, but don’t get me wrong, he was just definitely touched by God. He had something a little more than the average person. Yes, he was a human being and he had his faults, but he was different—he was almost like an angel living on earth. He would walk in a room and captivate everyone. We would go out in disguise, shopping or to have dinner, and he’d be all wrapped up, nobody could see his face, but he had this aura about him and people knew it was him. Just his aura and presence was so strong and captivating.”
Friend of Jackson’s since age 5 , personal manager, author of “My Friend Michael”
Uri Geller: “This, I promise, is how you will react when you meet Michael Jackson: you’ll stare, you’ll start, you’ll step up and you’ll freeze. Everyone does the same thing – fans, celebrities, journalists, children, parents, shoppers, waitresses, prime ministers, prime ministers’ bodyguards …
First you look. Michael has the most arresting appearance of any man I ever saw. It isn’t only the face, and the clothes. It’s the aura. But before you have taken that in, you’ll start to move towards him. Instinctively.
You take a step or two, and freeze. It’s like being hit by a wave of awareness, first of all pushing you forwards and then stopping you cold in the backwash. ‘Oh my God it’s Michael Jackson’ and then ‘Oh! My God. It’s Michael Jackson …’
I’ve been in the massive lobby of an international five-star hotel when Michael walked in, and I’ve seen the wave sweep over 70 people – not only the super-rich and the professionally cool, but the porters and receptionists and bell-boys. The people nearest him moved, and then froze. Further away, people turned, and moved, and froze, while some of those nearest began to move again. It was like a century-old fragment of celluloid, the lobby suddenly silent and the air flickering, crackling, as people moved in jerks and lurches. Michael simply smiled and pressed his hands together in greeting.”
Magician, mentalist, performer and on-time friend
Dee Pffeifer: “He is the most humble, caring, sensitive, caring man you could ever imagine. What you hear about him from much of the media is either speculation or fabrication, but what you hear from those who have met him is absolutely the truth. Most will tell you, he has an aura that radiates warmth, love and tenderness, and most never ever forget such meetings. When meeting or even around Michael, there was certainly an aura. It was quite incredible. And it wasn’t just when meeting him, it often continued afterwards too. I distinctly remember after a meeting with him in Tenerife, I just had this tremendous sense of love for everyone. I just wanted to love people. Michael hadn’t spoken directly about this to me, but it was almost as if that aura around him had somehow rubbed off on me, if that makes sense?
When I went to the US for the Memorial, I just wept on seeing so many notes and cards outside each of places of significance. From the Hollywood Star to Neverland; from Carolwood Drive to the Staples Centre, people from all over the world had come to place their condolences. And what an amazing impact he had on people’s lives – every other note seemed to be thanking him for what he had done, how much he had inspired them to live their dreams, how much he had taught them. And, in amongst the notes and cards in every place were crucifixes and references to God. I was on my knees in tears. I had always, always known that this was a man of God, but I had never fully appreciated just how many ordinary lives he had changed.
Even those fans who never met Michael often felt a deep connection with him. He had that capacity to draw you close, to mesmerize you with his love and compassion, but also with his aura, which he always acknowledged was from God Almighty Himself.”
TV and film Actress
Karen Faye: “I could be having a bad day, but once I enter[ed] the room, where Michael was, I was immediately bathed in energy. He was constantly giving energy.
He was not doing anything, but being there. He didn’t have to dance or sing. You could also see, everyone in the room was affected by this energy also. I never left a job working with Michael depleted. I left inspired.Michael taught me to choose a seat next to someone who has built a wall around them, and try to break through it with the energy of love.”
Karen Faye, Michael’s friend and hair/makeup stylist for 3 decades
Lisa Marie Presley: [I fell in love with Michael] “because he was an incredibly dynamic person. If you were in his vicinity and he showed you who he was, if he was willing to do that, in any way, man I’ve never felt so high in my life. He had something so intoxicating about him. I felt like I just always wanted to be around him. I always wanted to be part of it. I felt so high. I’ve never felt that way around another human being except for one… which is my father.”
Michael’s friend and wife, singer, songwriter and recording artist
Oprah Winfrey: “When I first met him before the interview in 1992, it’s like he shines his light upon you. When he opens himself up and lets that light through, you just want to be in that, you want to be around that.”
Talk show host and Interviewer, Actress
David Nordahl: “He had that inner light and he always considered himself to be extremely ugly. He said he’s ‘not a handsome man. That’s why I don’t do interviews and I don’t go on talk shows. First of all, I don’t lead an interesting life, I work all of the time.’ And that’s what he did; he worked all of the time.
He never did really understand that he had that inner light. Sitting and talking to Michael I would look into his eyes and I could see for 1,000 miles. He had these most incredible eyes. They come off good on film, but nothing like in person. When you’re actually sitting across there looking at him. Those eyes were unbelievable. There were times it would just stop me in my tracks and there were times I’d be around him where I’d kind of forget who he was and then it would dawn on me….’I’m sitting here next to Michael Jackson.’ I never really got over that.
I remember we were in Toys R Us one time and he was in disguise shopping, browsing through the store. I turned around and there were a trail of kids behind us. They had discovered him; they knew who he was. We could hear them giggling as they followed him like the Pied Piper, but they never gave him away. That’s the effect he had on people.”
Artist, friend and Collaborator for more than 20 years
Ruska Bergman: “The more I watched him the more I loved him. He was simply magic. He was the most noble person in the world. No man on Earth can compare to his inner and outer beauty. I met so many stars, talked to them, worked with them, but no one was even close to Michael’s charisma. [..]”
Michael´s hair stylist and friend from 2000
Stephanie Mills: “I really don’t think this world was ready for the kind of person Michael was. You know what I’m saying? He was love. That’s all he knew. He loved children because children are innocent, they’re not tainted, and they don’t judge you, they don’t want anything from you. And that’s why he felt comfortable being around children.”
Actress
Christian Marks: “I have seen Michael Jackson for the first time in Duisburg, on stage of ‘Wetten Dass’. His music only interested me marginally, therefore I was quite calm while standing next to the lifting ramp on which Jackson was supposed to sing ‘Earth Song’. But that was to change within the next eight minutes. I felt Jackson before I saw him. You feel such a presence/aura within a human being only a few times in life. His music hit me like a hammer, his voice hit me like light. The man is a carnal experience, such as pain or overwhelming joy.”
Michael’s biographer, 2001
Deepak Chopra: “When we first met, around 1988, I was struck by the combination of charisma and woundedness that surrounded Michael. He would be swarmed by crowds at an airport, perform an exhausting show for three hours, and then sit backstage afterward, as we did one night in Bucharest, drinking bottled water, glancing over some Sufi poetry as I walked into the room, and wanting to meditate.
“That person, whom I considered (at the risk of ridicule) very pure, still survived — he was reading the poems of Rabindranath Tagore when we talked the last time, two weeks ago. Michael exemplified the paradox of many famous performers, being essentially shy, an introvert who would come to my house and spend most of the evening sitting by himself in a corner with his small children.”
Author, teacher, workshop leader, Holistic Health M.D., spiritual guide and Michael’s personal spiritual teacher for many years
Sophia Loren: “When I first met him it was really love at first sight. When you get to know Michael, you understand his nature of charisma. … He looks at the world with the innocent eyes of a child.”
Cal Gill Street “I tell you, to know Michael was to love him. When I was around him, I felt as though I was in the presence of greatness! He emitted a special aura, and he was very aware that all eyes were upon him in certain settings.”
Singer, The Velvelettes
M. Aileen : “He was like a MAGNET attracting the public wherever he went. He was incredible! It was only after I got to know his real character and who he really was that I understood people’s enthrallment towards him.”
Michael Jackson’s childrens’ tutor
Gregory Peck: “He’s what the French call a ‘monstre sacre’, a ‘holy monster’ – someone who is absolutely unique.”
Actor, Michael Jackson’s neighbor
You: “I love Michael Jackson.”
Of course you do. He loved you and he invited you to love yourself. The cynical will deride you because their contaminated and indoctrinated minds must explain your admiration away, for it makes them uncomfortable. They will sardonically accuse you of loving your “idol” or turning him into a messiah. The bitterness comes from a very deep place of fear, disappointment and despair. They hurt and they are trapped in that cycle. Your job is to help awaken them. That is why you’re here (if you are still with me in this section that the cynical will miss because they gave up far above this point in the discussion.) Yes, they didn’t like Eden and they left (and stay out now) because they thought it wasn’t for them; they relied on “knowledge” of worthiness instead of the inner intuition of their hearts.
The cruel irony in the “Michael Jackson Story” is that Michael was right and he was nobody special except when he embraced his divine (“god given”) talent and that everyone carries that spark; all can touch that genius; all can be consumed by a fire that is the flame of the soul that brought you here. Everyone can touch their “Inner Michael” or the inner artist, genius, soul’s blueprint and reason for being.
We are all huge antennas or receivers that are plugged into the energy that powers something larger than ourselves. We are all privy to that divine madness, to the self-aware creature gradually or suddenly startled awake, now alert to its connection to the intelligence that powers the Universe. An awakening within to an umbilical cord-connected self (metaphorically: the Inner Michael) capable of pondering its origins that have led somehow to self-organizing molecules now capable of reflecting on its purpose for being. A miracle evolutionary twist, or not. That purpose just may be the ultimate mirror: the Universe knowing itself or God knowing itself, if you prefer. It may well be encoded in the “Inner Michael” space as an individual blueprint of divine design. Who then is the architect? And who is the carpenter? It may be that human destiny is to allow the cosmos to speak through the larynx of the human; allow its sensitive creatures to bring forth its art that brings its mirror to the knees, the self-organizing molecules of the human organism now mirrored in the divine. It’s what the mystics have been trying to tell us for millennium.
And if an artist can understand the code, de-cipher that inner cypher, follow the blueprint, modify the receiver to specifications and function as a transformer, what would that make him? Or her? And if that divine union (plugged in self) described by the mystics were allowed to dominate that individual life mission forsaking all else, how might this unusual being be perceived? What is that fire? A monstre sacre`? The temporarily blind and cynical will see and condemn a monster. They will do that until they love themselves enough to revitalize their own molecules (nobody is born cynical; cynics are made.) You cannot hate someone awake; hate does not inspire molecules to sparkle. But you can love them back to their real self. It’s curious how man seems to condemn and therefore sabotage his very destiny while arrogantly expecting it to arrive in a particular form it personally finds acceptable and pleasing. What– you didn’t find the Garden of Eden to your liking either? Those who already navigate the world with their heart (LOVE) will mirror the heart of the artist divinely inhabited and find him sizzling and crackling the very air, the very molecules…
30 Comments
Rev B, This post is truly sacred. Words such as these are why I live and breathe and love. Why I am sitting in the shade in a corner of our yard, an intensely blue sky above, dotted here and there with a fluffy white cloud. Cicadas are in full throat, the corn in the garden growing straight and true, straining for their share of the love and light. Tomato vines laden with bright red fruit. Magic!
Also magic are the words of so many who have had the opportunity to be close to Michael.It is balm to the heart and music to the ears. It is heart-breaking that so many of humanity have closed their hearts and are unable to comprehend such joyous truth.
Michael’s quote from “Dancing the Dream” took me back to the beginning of my journey. Before I knew how universal my feelings were. Where he realises what a gift he has received and wants to pass it on “quick”. That was my intuition from the start,though at that stage I had no idea how profound this gift was. Of course to refer to Michael as ‘a hot potato” is not ideal, and I would never do that. It took over two years for me to find a place to “keep him,” where I was satisfied he would be loved, safe and protected. This place of course is right where I am now and where I will forever be. My gratitude to you and all the other beautiful people on Inner Michael is incalculable.
Namaste to all,
Lynaire
Ditto L. It’s not just Michael and Michael’s people; it’s many awakened and awakening everywhere. Michael’s people, however, are the latest to arrive en masse. Welcome to the dream and the dance! ~B
Oh my goodness! This post left me in tears. Don Pedro Von Hellman “This unbelievable strong vibration was a highly developed soul” M. Assheuer-Steiger “I had to listen to Speechless about 50 times before I was able to continuously follow him on this emotional level where he already is all the time! Many people will not even understand this.”
How many of us have ever lived in such a state that everything we see, hear, touch and feel is graced by the Divine? This is the gift Michael gave, the ability to believe in ourselves and aspire to see that same beauty that radiated from him. He was well aware of his life mission and the fact that he was a highly developed soul all of his life, even in childhood. From the moment his eyes first opened to greet the Indiana dawn, he was destined to be a stranger in a strange land. Maybe one day when humanity reaches beyond the shadows of their own demons, and comes to see what some already do, we will finally be worthy of Michael Jackson.
Until that day I will dance the dance and celebrate the light he brought to me gift wrapped in such love as we are rarely priviledged to experience. Thank you Rev. Barbara, this post I will revisit time and time again. God bless you, for your insight and inspiration. Love and blessings from Scotland.
Michael said many times “he loved people” and he “sees God in children.” Children, when born are pure souls coming directly from the light of creation, from a place of love and peace and beauty. They shine with beauty, innocence, love and guile-less complete abandonment, inspiration and hope. They enter the world and even if well loved, meet an onslaught of violence– cynicism, greed, manipulation and gradually they betray and forfeit their inner light completely in favor of, and service to, the ego.
Innocence and something magical is lost in that process. Those who cannot see light in another- have lost sight of it in themselves. They have allowed the world to move in where the spirit once lived. More than being seduced by the darkness, the “shadow demon” is a forgetting of one’s own light and thus becoming blind to the light in another. Or being so disturbed by being confronted with someone embodying the light and innocence that was lost in one’s own world, that the unconscious impulse is to mock, harm, destroy. Those feelings do not usually translate to children because humans are protective of children, but put an adult in front of them… well, you know what happens. MIchael fought all his life to hang on to his inner Michael; those who forgot themselves wanted him to give it up or wanted to take it from him by force. Children helped to remind him of the light; those who forgot twisted it into something sinister. Michael aside, (that’s the way he would want it,) how sad for them and how sad for the world. ~B
Dear Barabara,
Yes, he was all that and more. I watched the Grammys last night. With all due respect to today’s artists, it left me uninspired. Then I went online and watched Michael’s 1988 Grammys performance and I realized that there will never, ever be anyone like him again. He was captivating, mesmerizing. Even on a small computer screen, his passion for his art, his originality, his uniqueness. My God, the standing ovation he received after performing “Man In The Mirror”. I am sure that there was a lot of envy in the recording industry and there still is. That is why MTV has not aired any tributes to Michael except when he died in 2009. He MADE MTV what it is today. I contacted them and, well, the only way radio stations and TV stations will air Michael’s short films and play his music (not just “BillieJean” or “Thriller”) will be if fans request them en masse. I am worried that Michael’s music will fade in time. That is what many, many envious producers, artists, etc. want. They want Michael to just go away. I don’t mean to sound negative, but the evidence is clear.
One more observation. You know that book “the secret”? All these books being written about the power of intention, etc. Michael was the original. He told Frank Cascio that if he wanted something, one must envision it first then believe in it, repeat it to oneself and it will happen. That is how he created his art. I wish more people such as OPRAH would know who Michael really was. It saddens me, Barbara, that the only way is through a documentary with all those quotes, interviews and of his philanthropic works. People still think (critics) that he was only a pop star or that he was crazy (eccentric = crazy in their minds). For example John Landis was interviwed (youtube) after Michael died and he was speaking and crying at the same time. He practically called Michael “nuts” partly in an affectionate way, but that is because he did not get who Michael really was. too shallow.
Hi All,
Woke this morning to the news of the Pope stepping down.I am not Catholic
but I admire this humble man. He is citing ill-health but I feel he is probably heart-sick over the historic issues the church has never satisfied with true courage. My excitement lies in the fact that they are
speculating on his successor (of course)And maybe, just maybe, he will be much younger with a black and noble face. We are, indeed, well in the midst of spiritual revolution.Yippee!!!
Namaste,
Lynaire
“The Secret” is relatively new but these teachings are not. Michael was not the first but he defintely studied the art of manifestation. The teachings are both ancient and esoteric. What you are seeing is a resurrection of ancient teachings. I think Landis meant “crazy” in terms of the “eccentric artist” and remember, Michael was way ahead of his time. Very few understand because very few understood or had access to the knowledge he accumulated through reading. Michael definitely was inspired and had unique vision. Not everybody is on that wavelength- one is only going to recognize in someone else that which lives also in self. The more exposure, the more layers unfold and the more understanding. Landis was very affectionate toward Michael; they had a comaraderie in their collaborations. Very few are able to see the depth. But they will– we are all on the same journey.
Michael Jackson’s place in history is secure. He is one of the greats and his family is the black first family of music. I felt too that the Grammy’s were uninspiring except perhaps for Bruno Mars– there’s something about him and his music. There will never be another Michael Jackson. I also watched the recent Super Bowl halftime progam and saw Michael in all of Beyonce’s work. I thought: ‘Everything she is doing is something Michael has done. Everything is MIchael except for grabbing the crotch.” And then she grabbed her crotch. Michael Jackson’s not going away.
Rev B-Thank-you for this truly amazing, moving post.I agree with all the previous comments-in regards to Beyonce’s halftime performance I felt her song “Halo” was also a tribute to Michael.
I agree about “Halo” and wondered how many people “caught” that. You did! ~B
I wonder how much influence he will have in choosing his successor. I think it takes great wisdom to know when the time has come… ~B
“On November 13, 1987, Michael Jackson meets 4-year old wounded Angela Darlington and her mother, Helen, in Melbourne Children’s Hospital during a stop from his BADconcert there at the Olympic Park Stadium. The mother has this to say on the visit 21 years later: “My daughter, Angela, was in hospital with head injuries after being hit by a car. One day we were told by the nurses that Michael Jackson was coming to visit. We had to keep it a secret, so the hospital wasn’t overwhelmed with fans. There was a big flurry, as his assistants handed out T-shirts and signed copies of his Bad album to everyone on the ward. Then he just walked around and talked to the patients. […] I said hello. He said he was pleased to meet me. I was gobsmacked. He was very gentle and seemed shy. I got the sense he had a deep love for children, especially those who’d been hurt. Then he crouched down and said ‘Hello, Angela’. She couldn’t talk, because she’d just come out of a coma, but she started smiling. After that day, she started to get better. I think of him as an inspiration. We’d been having a terrible time – Angela was in hospital and I’d been ringing Lifeline to keep myself together, but he was a total inspiration for the whole ward. I thought: ‘Thank God for sending him’. He just had a presence about him – this great empathy with people who needed to get better. Now, Angela is 25, at university and full of life. There was another boy on the ward who was about 15 and was a huge fan. After Michael’s visit, he started getting better too. His mom thought it was a miracle. I believe many of the children got better after meeting him. I think people should know about this side of Michael. I’ve never believed he was anything but a good person.”
“On November 18, 1987, he [Michael Jackson] visits the Sydney Children’s Hospital in Randwick, Australia. Natasha Lang, mother of a child committed in the hospital at the time, offers her account of his visit there years later: “[…] I will never forget that day as long as I live, when Michael came to the hospital with an abundance of stuffed animal toys, so generously given, to all the children in the children’s ward. He went around the ward and visited each child personally and quietly spoke words of comfort to them and I will never forget the delight of these children, the medical staff and the parents who visited on that day. My son now is a grown man and I wish to share this with the whole world because it shows Michael’s selfless and generous nature. My son, unfortunately, lost his eye in a school accident that week and, as you can imagine, it was a real tragedy for the whole family, but that day he gave us all some joy, great pleasure and an abundance of happiness.”
The difference between Michael and pretty much every other performer is, they may all love performing as he did, but additionally, VERY additionally, Michael loved US and that love was mighty and powerful and absolutely no one else gets there. Not that I have witnessed at least.
When I first saw “Live at Bucharest” on dvd a few years ago, I was of course stunned, but also felt completely challenged to discern just WHAT on earth he was doing that could nail me to my place – from a DVD no less! – and what he was doing that made so many at that concert so fixated on, and fused with him they looked like all else was excluded from their awareness, not to mention an average of 7000 faints per concert. So I watched the concert repeatedly until I could jump up and yell ‘I know what it is! He’s letting God out!’ He let God-love come through him to such an extent that people became frenzied with ecstasy. A Michael Jackson concert was a baptism of passion that I’ve seen from no one else, not even the other greats.
THAT, I feel, was his greatest genius, even though his genius was so advanced in so many areas, creative and otherwise, that we have not and I believe will not see his like for a very, very long time – if ever. It is my personal belief that we get a soul like his once every millenium or so – if we’re lucky. And I believe “This Is It” was a prophecy. I sense it strongly that he really was IT, and we are not going to get another. It is now US, combined, who must look to where he pointed and take the reins, if we are to continue as a species. We are now the Soldiers of Love. God be with us, because if we don’t unite and turn humanity around, it’s looking too much right now like this really will be IT. And I do feel that it is highly significant that so many of us are very cool WOMEN.
A last remark: I trained and performed as a classical musician for a large share of my youth, and became educated and proficient enough to reach a grade 8 level qualifying me to teach, I played a French Horn and a Trumpet in a Symphonic band and a youth Orchestra simultaneously at times, for several years. I knew the work of almost every composer of that genre well enough that I could recognize a composition of their’s that I had never heard before without being told who composed it. I studied operatic composition in university – what I’m saying is, I have been able to recognize what it takes to put a musical compostion together and what it takes to make a GREAT one. To this day, when I listen to “Invincible” album as well as so much of Michael’s other work, I am blown away EVERY time by the masterpiece of it.
All other truly knowledgeable, gifted or otherwise, musicians and composers of every genre that I know, recognize and experience the same awe at Michael’s work. “Invincible,” for example, is stunningly layered and intricate and brilliantly balanced. When I hear or read someone dismissing that and Michael’s other work, I know I am listening to an ignorant person. For decades I have been involved with artists and performers of every genre imaginable. Its been a spectacular education. These are the people among us who KNOW what making art takes and what genius is. And those that I know bow to Michael Jackson. BOW to him. Unless he re-incarnates, I think THAT really was IT.
Thank-you for this beautiful composition Rev B. You’ve made my heart sing.
I too saw something in “This Is It” that I have only seen in Satsang with Sri Sri and in taking a vow with H.H. Dalia Lama during audience. I glimpsed something in an instant and then dismissed it because I had gone to the theater only to say “farewell” to an iconic “pop star” whose life was anything but easy and to say “thanks” silently for “We are the World” and for marking the milestones of my children’s lives. And to send off his soul without judgment and to wish him rest– God knows he didn’t have any here.
And what happend was totally unexpected and came from somewhere else entirely, so I know that place of discovery well: “What WAS that?” … “There– right there! What is he doing?” … “Whoa, wait– rewind! What the heck is happening here? How is he…” … and… “Oh my god, that is not coming FROM him; it’s coming THROUGH him.” And I tell you this– I never dreamed I would be where I am now: Here.
But I ask you this… after a lifetime of humanitarian work, of holding faith in humanity and holding space for their evolution to unity consciousness:
How can anyone stumble upon perhaps the greatest injustice of a century, the greatest misguided campaign against one singular human being that this planet has ever seen, the greatest opportunity to look, really LOOK at this species we’ve become and ask “is that really who we want to be?” And to GRAB the biggest opportunity the modern world has ever had to LOOK at humanity and decide we just don’t meet our standards, don’t live up to our potential, don’t honor the brilliance we harbor within and by failing to do that we spit on our creator and its crowning creation and NOT do something? Now THAT is unthinkable. ~B
UNTHINKABLE.
It’s fascinating in an important way how many of us never dreamt we’d be here. If anyone had said to me that after June 25, 2009 I’d be advocating for Michael Jackson AND to raise the conciousness of HUMANITY, I’d have told them: “I’m a girl from a steel town who has to practice her drawing and the cha-cha-cha, so call me when you’ve sobered up.”
WOW. There is no way we didn’t all somehow contract to do this long before we incarnated in this lifetime. Something just revealed itself to be real; I’m done with apologies for mysticsm.
That’s some holy fire you’ve started here Rev B.
Again.
Astounding. Simply astounding. I never imagined I would be here either, almost 4 years later, still in awe, still dumbfounded, still trying to piece together what, in God’s name, has happened to me, to us, to the world? And where was I and what was I doing all those years that we had him? Why did we have to lose him to finally get the message? And yes, I saw it too; I saw it moving through him and let me tell you that in that moment I sat right up in my seat- and was forever changed.
“You and I must make a pact, we must bring salvation back, where there is LOVE, I’ll be there.” After reading this magnificent post and all the comments above, this is the one line that kept repeating itself, over and over, in my mind. It is his anthem and I do believe that what you are doing here Barbara, with Inner Michael, is unprecedented.
He WAS there all along, singing his heart out to all who would listen. The way he felt about those who came to listen to him was GENUINE he offered everything he had and it was pure, unconditional love, the love that children are capable of, something RARELY EXPERIENCED in today’s world. But there he was, singing to us all along. And always with “the Love,” as he would say, because he knew that this common denominator connected us to the divine, with “the Love” being the universal thread. “And the greatest of these is Love”.
I guess that is why his concerts were spectacular it was the energy field of Love and he was there, holding the center for us so that all could experience in those few hours what life on Earth would actually be like if we lived it through the eyes of Love, through the eye of the Creator. Which, in actuality, is a totally altered state. I know it because I lived it. And still am. I will never be the same, and I am glad for it. And I know that it is “the Love,” the consciousness of the Divine that has been unleashed.
“I’ll reach out my hand to you, I’ll have faith in all you do, just call my name and I’ll be there…..”
Keep shining.
Blessings
Just when you think Michael couldn’t possibly know more about what he was doing, you discover he did. Listening to a music station playing the kind of music Michael would listen to to soothe himself, today, Valentine’s day, I heard the announcer say the studies have been done, and it has been discovered that music has the same effect on the brain as … LOVE. For some reason I tear up at this.
Thank you Rev. Barbara. Your words are very thought provoking. I can feel it. Simply amazing.
Thank you Rev. Barbara for this piece. I can totally understand what all those people, and we, felt and feel, because I experienced it after June 25, and it is still there, even stronger every day. Nobody can ever be the same after an encounter with Michael, especially when he is able to touch your soul. That is what he did and does. And I am so happy for it, and it is of great comfort that we are so many touched by him, and we understand it. I can Imagine Rev. that you did not have the slightest idea to be here and now, neither did I. But thank you, thank you all. We can only “live” “The Love” now.
Rev B,I also shared your feelings while watching This is It.One example,when Kenny Ortega stopped to correct him-Michael said he was”sizzling”and then Kenny asked-how will you know when the sign of the marquee changes over-Michael replied “I will feel it!”
Exquisite….thank you so much Rev B. Every step of this journey with Michael is sacred to me.
I have loved Michael for years. His early demise devastated me, but I know, without a doubt, that he is back home, in heaven, with the God who created him, gave him so much talent, so much love, so much understanding.
Michael touched me in ways I cannot explain. I constantly search to learn about him; I am trying to exemplify him in my own life. I will never be able to match him, but his spirit, I feel daily. I believe his purpose on earth was fulfilled so he can forever shine!
Thank you, Rev. Barbara, for this beautiful piece. I especially loved all those quotes from people who genuinely “felt” Michael. Gregory Peck’s words caused goosebumps! Becoming acquainted with Michael Jackson’s otherwordly spirit has awakened in me feelings and desires that were always there but struggled to be released from the burdens and tethers of our sometimes harsh and far too judgmental world.
There are times when I look at pictures of Michael and I really do feel that aura. You can see such love and gentleness in his eyes. The videos magnify his aura a thousand times. One can scarcely imagine what being in his presence was like. You continue to expand upon his spiritual effect on people and I love your writing. The efforts being undertaken and completed in his memory are remarkable. So manys hearts touched by him. So many quietly and anonomously working to change the world. He left an indelible mark on us. We are indeed privileged to have lived here and been a part of such a glorious soul.
I read all the comments and I ask myself, how is it that I a grown woman still grieve for what this amazing man endured. I read something negative and every nerve in my body gets enraged by ignorant, malicious comments. Especially by the media. As you, I became a fan after his death. I watched the memorial and was awed by the showing of grief globally. And yet, Barbara, please explain. The day he died, all the while on ALL tv stations the anchors could not put aside for ONE DAY the “allegations”, the “bizarre behaviour”…What I am saying is that Michael’s legacy will always be tainted unless people who love him (family, real friends) put together a documentary film of who Michael really was. Reading about his aura is lovely but how many out there know this? It has to be revealed and shut the media in the U.S. and the U.K. down. Bashir had some unlovely things to say about MJ fans. Yet I find that although flawed, MJ fans are the most loyal in the world.
Beyonce is having a documentary made. Why cannot the same be done for Michael? Just saying.
Barbara,
I was wondering if you ever want to do some more interpreting of Michael’s songs, i.e. “Stranger in Moscow” with all those images. I would love if when you have the time. I read an awesome interpretation on another website that wowed me. Thanks for the work you are doing. Also, I read what Joe Vogel wrote about BAD25 and that the critics belittled it, especially Rolling Stone and that MJ rarely made the cover of their magazine. I wish Joe was more vocal and visible to spread the genius of Michael’s work. His music was not just beautiful (lyrics, vocals) but were message filled. Yes, Bruno Mars has a lovely voice and has passion, but there will never be the complete package that was Michael Jackson. He had it all in one persona. My God what a gift he was to the world and as you always said, he was unappreciated. I saw his son Prince Jackson acting as co-host of Entertainment Tonight. My God, the kid just turned 16. I wish he and his sister would get an education, college like Michael envisioned for them instead of being so visible. Don’t get angry at me, but I attribute that to the lack of supervision by the Jackson family. Katherine is too old and still in grief. I am rambling so i will sign off. Let us all keep shining.
I am going to assume that the questions are an invitation to give honest feedback. I believe I have already answered that “yes” more deconstructions as well as other projects are in process. And I think I requested patience as with intuitive artistic work one must listen to the promptings of spirit as things unfold, unravel and being to reveal themselves. Art in spirit and service to the world is different and in “flow” rather than “pushing the river.” An important new clue just revealed itself and had I been in a great hurry, it would have been missed. And it’s a BIG clue!
There are people working behind the scenes to “spread the word” but as Michael taught “timing is everything.” I am glad you were wowed as it means people are catching on.
I rather like Bruno Mars for his special quality. Not sure I can define it yet. And yes, Michael Jackson, he’s not. No one ever will be. I did see Prince on ET and thought he did a good job. I am thinking he is perhaps more savvy than given credit. (Any toddler who can play chess might be a strategist.) It was quite the coup to snag him for ET, was politically adept and programming genius. Unfortunately entertainment shows often take advantage of celebrities for the sake of ratings. I’m thinking his dad probably had that conversation with him. The rhetoric on those programs about Mindy McCready’s “TRAGIC” death and Vanessa Banks’ murder was shameful. The “downward spiral” of the “tragic ending of McCready’s life” is tabloid-speak code for sensationalising a story. And publishing sexy photos to announce a model’s murder by her boyfirend is not just sexist but extremely poor taste. Would you announce the death of a popular male model accompanied by a beefcake photo? It’s an obituary for god’s sake.
Attributing things to a “lack of supervision” is an unexamined assumption. If you do not personally know the situation, then you cannot speak with any factual authority. As the children of Michael Jackson, those souls have a mission here. We don’t know what that mission is, but you can bet there is one. Saying someone is “too old” can be interpreted as a form of prejudice- another “ism.” (Ageism) Old does not mean senile or careless. Katherine has been a matriach a long time and has lots of experience at it and is quite graceful at it, actually.
Fans do not make decisions for the Jackson family; it’s not their place. When fans are invited to the Jackson kitchen table or family meetings, that is the place to say these things directly to Katherine Jackson. Just sayin…
I don’t consider myself a fan, more a researcher. I am fascinated by the whole process and outraged of course. We as a society and a planet have much to atone for and much to learn. If this is just one example– albeit a hugely visible one, we have a ways to go to reach enlightenment. And this is all in service to exactly that.
What you cite: “allegations” and “bizarre behavior” is a meme. It is an entrenched meme. I am amazed by how entrenched it is and how naive and easily led people are; it’s cause to be very, very frightened while keeping your equillibrium- not easy. It begs the question: what else is going on right under our noses that we do not see? What else are we believing that is sheer propaganda? And it should have everybody sitting up and taking notice about how important education is to a culture. And that education MUST include critical thinking skills.
“Shutting the media down” is a scortched earth policy. Requesting and demanding better journalism and media and ethical practices is the answer and practicing them while making that demand. Keep on keeping on…
The time will come… and when it does, it will be the perfect time. Guaranteed.
Reading all this awe-inspiring piece and the comments have left me with a warm glow of love inside me. I shall go and watch ‘This Is It’ and the ‘Live In Bucharest’ concert again with new discerning eyes. The words of a Sky News reporter caught my attention recently; twice he used the phrase ‘blood on the carpet’ within a few minutes. He meant it as an expression of dramatic licence, not a description. Those were in ‘Smooth Criminal’, of course. I thought it was very interesting, and made me wonder why.
Thanks for updating us, Nina. The “blood on the carpet” comment is curious. Can you tell us the context? And keep us in the loop with any new developments. We were all disgusted with the phone hacking scandal last year and to find police, Scotland Yard and officials involved. And to find that Murdoch had access to the back door at 10 Downing. The return of ethics as well as justice lends hope to a world infected with the virus of cynicism. It’s enforcement is cause for celebration. In a sense, it’s a restoration of hope. Dare we?