This haunting Michael Jackson video captures the essence of my take on his “inner child ” fixation. As an emotional-energy healer the concept of healing the “inner child” is key to my work. Damage from parents and toxic “care-takers” or older siblings when we were impressionable youngsters can “run or ruin your life NOW.”
My own journey of healing began in my 30s when I discovered a book by Robin Norwood called “Women who Love Too Much”. I was shocked to realize I was a typical “Adult Child of an Alcoholic” with symptoms including over-controlling, simmering anger, emotional neediness and a desire to mask my pain with addictions like over-eating and over-spending.
Isolating and approval-seeking are two symptoms of “Adult Children” which I had.
I believe Michael Jackson’s unorthodox upbringing with a strict controlling – even abusive father – could go a long way to explain his troubled adult life. Adult children of addicted – or dysfunctional – parents, often grow up stunted emotionally – frozen in a “lost childhood” with the longing of song Jackson is singing.
BEING BEATEN AS A CHILD
Michael Jackson’s father Joe admitted to the BBC in 2003 that he whipped his son as a child.
When you review Michael Jackson’s life you may notice that his early adult years were enchanted with brilliant success, creativity and humanitarism – he gave millions to “heal the world and make it a better place for you and me and the whole human race.”
CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER
But from his 30s onwards, Michael Jackson portrayed bizarre eccentricities including forays into plastic surgery to change his appearance which some call “self-mutilation”, referring to his destructive nose jobs as making him a “nasal cripple.”
PETER PAN
You could say building his Neverland ranch with its zoo and theme park for kids was Michael Jackson’s attempt to re-discover and recover his “lost childhood” like Peter Pan. The dark shadow side of this was the “evil” of child molestation (which tainted him forever despite his acquittal) – and you could say it was downhill as he ended up addicted to pain-killers, thin as a rake (anorexic?) and overwhelmed with legal and financial troubles.
Could Michael Jackson’s demons have been healed?
Yes, I believe so, with the right guidance and of course, willingness by him.
The sobering lesson for each one of us is – heal yourself and your childhood – before you attempt to “heal the world.” There is a saying in the self-help movement: “Everyone is guilty – but no one is to blame.” This means our parents were passing onto us the lessons they grew up with – often toxic and damaging. We have a choice – dig deep and heal the damage in ways I describe in my book “You Can Break-Free Fast.” Or stay “victims” and risk progressive self-destruction and wasting of our “golden years” like Michael Jackson.
