Seeking to understand my Near-Death Experience, I met mystic scholar Rabbi Jonathan Omer-man, who, after listening to my intense journey, told me: “Meditate on a feather.” Meditate on a feather?! OK, feathers are strong, flexible, light weight, ancient (dinosaurs had them) and they are, of course, the source of flight. Birds fly because they are full of joy. You can’t soar burdened by sadness. Feathers are actually a dead substance like our fingernails and half of them is space. And quills from feathers were writing instruments for Shakespeare, and the Torah. The rabbi could see I was still struggling, and with a twinkle, he said: “Lighten up.” Suddenly, I got it. Let go of unneeded emotional and psychological brain baggage that weigh you down. His smile encouraged me to be easier – on myself and others. To lighten up.
Jeremy Kagan is an award-winning filmmaker, professor, author and artist. www.visualresponsestotorah.com
