The Feast of Tabernacles has been a vital and central part of Zambian culture. This event is celebrated every year in corporation with International Christian Embassy Jerusalem. It is believed that celebrating the Feast each year honours the Lord. This event has gained much popularity with the passage of time and lots of pilgrims take flight to Lusaka Zambia to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, to worship the lord, and to bless Israel in this time of regathering. The celebrations are span over fifteen days. And during all days of celebration a daily program of seminars and teaching is offered and each evening concludes with a time of worship. Whenever you go anywhere with a vehicle, you will always be taking someone in that direction during the days of event. It is one of the three biblical Shalosh regalim that last late September to Late October. You may face traffic problem after taking Lusaka flights as this is the time for public holidays in the country.

Although all celebrations are worth enjoying but evening celebrations are especially noted for their pageantry in music and dance. An International orchestra and choir lead the people for pray and worship. This is such a spiritual festival for Christians that each year up to 5,000 Christians from over 100 countries take flights to Lusaka with flights to Lusaka to join these celebrations. The Feast usually opens in an outdoor worship celebration. This event takes place at international convention center and other places each year. The special feature of this event is the worship and prayers led by international singers, musicians, dancers, and other artists. This event compels all types of visitors to take cheap flights to Lusaka and to attend this event as this is not only an event of celebrations but it also include; balanced teaching from carefully selected teachers, scholars, and public figures.

The celebrations of this feast event starts with an outdoor worship event where newly arrived pilgrims share a meal together under a full moon. Afterwards a spectacular stage presentation enhanced by worship in dance starts. Subjects and themes are presented during this event. Visitors may go to explore a number of exhibits where Israeli and international craftsmen display their products after taking cheap flights to Lusaka from UK. It is proudly claimed that worship reaches new heights as the pilgrims from many different countries partake of the bread and the wine, and submit their will to the Lord’s

They are assigned to watch over us and protect us throughout our life. They are with us even when we don’t recognize them and they go to war for us to get our prayers answered. They are special messengers from God and they are our angels.

When we speak about angels, it is a topic that raises many questions.

What are angels and are they real?

Do I have angels watching over me?

Can we see angels?

What Are Angels

Angels are real spirit beings created by God. They are heavenly messengers who seek to do God’s will as they hearken to His voice and His Word. God uses His angels to rescue and protect His people and to bring honor, praise and worship to His name. There are many different types of angels with different ranks and authority. Contrary to what some believe, there are both good angels and there are evil angels.

Good angels are holy angels who seek to do God’s will and who worship only God. Evil angels are demons or what we call fallen angels. These are angels who seek to deceive you and lead you away from worshiping God. They seek glory and worship for themselves and their desire is to exalt themselves above God.

Angels are assigned to us by God to watch over us and protect us, but we must put angels in their proper place. Angels are not gods and they are not our spiritual guides. Angels are never to be worshipped, prayed to or called upon for spiritual guidance. God alone is to be worshipped and praised. When we pray, we must always direct our prayers to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. When we need guidance in our life we must call on the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth and righteousness.

Holy angels always direct worship and praise back to the God. An example of this is in the Book of Revelation when John was given a vision by the angel. Revelation 19:9-10 says, “And the angel said to me, Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb. And he added, These are true words that come from God.” Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said, No, don’t worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers and sisters who testify about their faith in Jesus. Worship only God. For the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus.

Psalm 103:20-21 says “Praise the Lord, you angels, you mighty ones who carry out his plans, listening for each of his commands. Yes, praise the Lord, you armies of angels who serve him and do his will.”

This scripture reminds us that praise for God’s angels is given to the Lord, not to the angels. It tells us that the mighty angels in heaven carry out God’s plan as they listen for His commands, which is His Word. Finally it shows us that this mighty army of angels serve only Him as they seek to do the will of God.

Angels Watching Over Me

God has assigned angels as His special messengers to each of our lives to watch over us and to protect us. They keep us from harm and they are even sent to warn us about danger. The Bible says the Lord will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.

The Book of Matthew describes to us how angels even ministered to Jesus when He was led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. He had fasted forty days and nights and was very hungry. It was during that time the devil came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. “

Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone. Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.

Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. He said to Jesus I will give it all to you, if you will kneel down and worship me. Jesus then replied “Get out of here, Satan, “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God

and serve only him. Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.

Jesus showed us the perfect example of how we are to use the Word of God to war against Satan, demonic voices and attacks. It is only through the Word of God that we can win the war. Each time Satan came with a temptation, Jesus used the Word of God against him. It was then that the angels of God came and ministered to Jesus as they heard the Word spoken. The angels hearkened to God’s commands.

1 John 2:15-16 says ” Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life-is not of the Father but is of the world.”

Can We See Angels

The Bible tells us to keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters and not to forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! God will send His angels among us here on the Earth to carry out His assignments.

In Genesis 28:11-22 we read about Jacobs dream. Jacob left Beersheba and was traveling toward Haran when at sundown he arrived at a good place to set up camp and stopped there for the night. Jacob found a stone to rest his head against and laid down to sleep. As he slept, he dreamed of a stairway that reached from the earth up to heaven. And he saw the angels of God going up and down the stairway. During this dream God confirmed His promises to Jacob Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it!” But he was also afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! It is none other than the house of God, the very gateway to heaven!”

Jacob’s dream was a vision and insight into what happens in the spirit realm. God allowed Jacob to see the angels going up and down the ladder leading from heaven to earth. God confirmed to Jacob His word and His promises that He had given to his grandfather Abraham and to his father Isaac. All these promises were being fulfilled and the angels were going between heaven and earth carrying out God’s promises.

Angels On Assignment

The way we put our angels on assignment is by speaking the Word of God. They are waiting for the Word of God to be spoken during our prayers and our spoken word. We must be careful by putting a guard over our mouths and speak forth only what God says not what we think or feel. God’s Word is the only authority in our lives. Begin to speak and declare the promises of God over your life. When you pray, pray God’s Word and when you stand, stand firm in faith and watch God’s angels begin to move on your behalf.

The name “Jezebel” is banned among Christian mothers because uttering it is synonymous to spelling out “Judas Iscariot.” True to its namesake, “Jezebel” seems to ignite a wave of negativism, not just among mothers, but the whole populace as well. Why is there such an instant prejudice about this infamous name? What lies behind her history and origin?

Jezebel was in reality a Queen from Phoenicia, way back 9th century B.C. She was given in marriage to King Ahab of Northern Israel. So in a way, their marriage was one of convenience-a political alliance. Because of their unlikely union, Israel had an easy gateway to Phoenicia’s maritime exploration and trade and vice versa.

The big problem set in when Jezebel brought along with her-her entourage of 850 Baal-worshiping priests to the land of Jezreel. Naturally she expected the Israelites to join her in her homage to pagan worship and sexual exploits. She could not understand the monotheistic religion of Israel-which was the worship of Yahweh alone.

Eventually, her willful husband Ahab, succumbed to her whims and welcomed the pagan deities. He himself began to worship Baal. Soon the deceived Israelites began to eat of the food that was offered to Baal and partake of its female prostitutes.

The latent pagan worship angered God the most and He sent the prophet Elijah to confront the evil Queen Jezebel. Elijah challenged the Baal priests for a duel in Mt. Carmel. The deity who would be able to put fire into the sacrificed bull would be pronounced as the true God. The Baal priests danced and chanted to their hearts’ content but there was no fire from the sky. When it was Elijah’s turn to pray, behold, the bull was destroyed by instant fire!

Jezebel was mortified by the open duel and cursed Elijah and all of God’s prophets.

Her reaction to the contest at Mt. Carmel served the first point I garnered about her character.

1. JEZEBEL WAS THE MOTHER OF FEMINISM.

She wasn’t intimidated by Elijah’s pronouncement that he was God’s prophet. Instead Jezebel screamed, “IF YOU ARE ELIJAH, THEN I AM JEZEBEL!”. Elijah was so fearful of Jezebel that he ran for the hills. This scene was actually very hilarious-a man hiding and walking away from a venomous woman!

Another stigma to the male psyche was King Ahab’s sudden despair over the vineyard of Naboth. Back then, the Israelites honored the farmlands inherited from their ancestors so these lands couldn’t be sold to the public. But Ahab pinned for the vineyard so he could convert it to a vegetable garden.

Entered Jezebel and what did she do? She orchestrated a mob wherein she spread the lie that Naboth was blaspheming God! So this mob stoned Naboth to death. End result? The vineyard was given to Ahab by his wife’s scheming ways. Ahab was such a cry baby. And Jezebel was so downright cunning. She seemed to echo, “Don’t worry husband, I’ll take care of it.”

The rest of Biblical female characters were all voiceless creatures, who followed their husbands’ instructions to the core. But Jezebel refused to condone Ahab’s childish tantrums over the vineyard and dealt with him in a more straightforward manner. She refused to bow down to his inanities and senseless musings. She solved his problem the best way she could.

2. JEZEBEL WAS TRUE AND DEDICATED TO HER OWN TRADITIONS.

Now Jezebel’s father, Ethbaal of Tyre, whose ancestors were Canaanites, was the original Baal worshiper. His paganism was a direct influence to his daughter, who in turn, perpetuated the ancestral form of worship. From birth, to childhood down to her adult years, Jezebel was exposed to the witchcraft and harlot ways of her pagan religion.

Come to think of it, If Jezebel had been born and raised a Christian all her life, I don’t think she would resort to Baal worship.

3. SHE REMAINED DIGNIFIED UNTIL HER DEATH.

Jezebel had a very untimely and violent death. Elijah prophesied that she would be thrown off the walls of Jezreel and eaten by dogs. A more sinister version happened after this prophecy because Jezebel was unrecognizable upon her death. When Jehu, the military commander recently appointed as King of Israel back then, commanded his soldiers to look for Jezebel’s disembodied body, they were shocked to find only spare parts of her legs, arms and skull spread to the ground. She was dehumanized.

This woman was no coward. She faced her own imminent demise. She even prepared for her own death by painting kohl to her eyes, dressing her hair with the crown and positioning herself before the open window as she awaited the arrival of Jehu. Her bravery shone when she had an upfront bickering with Jehu.

Jehu ordered the eunuchs to throw Jezebel off the window. And she was no more.

What an unforgettable wicked woman indeed- but very amusing amidst her burning passion and solid beliefs.

by: KIM R. REALUBIT

This 384-page book features a detailed review of the major religions of the world, exploring the various ways of worship, cultural background, lands and peoples. It reviews the seemingly instinctual and universal need to worship, that seems to be present in all cultures, as well as the various forms through history in which that need has manifested itself.

Primitive religions such as animism, as well as the history to modern day practice of Hinduism, including Yoga are considered, as well as Hinduism development into Buddhism. Other Oriental religions such as Taoism and Confucianism are also considered. A small section also describes the Sikh religion. The various forms of Judaism are discussed, with a history that goes back some thousands of years to the first Jew, Abraham, as well as the other two major monotheistic religions, Islam and Christianity. The Christian section considers both the background and life and ministry of Jesus Christ, as well as the primitive and developed practice of Christianity, the Dark Ages and the development of the Roman Catholic Church, as well as the Reformation, Protestantism, and modern day Christianity.

There is a chapter which considers the historical development of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and a section on modern day disbelief which touches on both Darwinism, and worship of the state in socialist countries. The book is factual, non-judgmental, accurate, and it is a complete reference that is equal to an advanced college course on world religion. The only thing lacking in Mankind’s Search for God is information on some of the smaller Christian religions in modern times, that is Later Day Saints and Seventh Day Adventists, as well as more details on the present state of 21st Century Evangelicals. Other than that, one can consider it to be both a complete and authoritative guide on world religion. (The writer of this article passed a college test worth 3 credits on world religion, only from knowledge derived on the subject from this book.)

It is important to have a feel for world culture, in today’s melting pot of society that exists in most developed countries. Gaining an understanding or world religion gives one a basis for examining his or her own belief system, in a broader context. This also is of much value. The other benefit of reading Mankind’s Search for God is that it helps to document the continued and historical, almost instinctive need that humans have for worship, that seems to be a universal part of nearly every culture, and despite many who have turned to science, almost as another religion, or others who have worshiped the state, in certain countries which have or had almost deified their leaders, the majority of mankind continues to cling to both a belief system and some form of worship. This is an important cultural phenomena and a reflection of the essence of one of man’s greatest needs, the desire to search for a higher purpose in life, for the “great cause” of this awesome universe, and how we fit into that grand purpose.

More information on Jehovah’s Witnesses can be obtained at the public relations site of Jehovah’s Witnesses website.

Music does and always has played an important part in people’s lives. People have always used something to create music, as a means of entertainment. Music is not only an entertainment but also a way for people to relax and motivate and even worship.

Some think music and other forms of art are made for nothing but participating in it, whatever the motivation. Music can help you relax and concentrate and loud music can help raise the energy level when you are tired or to help set a particular state of mind such as meditation or worship..

Gospel music is set apart from other Christian music because of its message. Other music may simply be praising God, but this music praises God while telling about what he’s done.

Gospel music is certainly music with a purpose. It praises God and preaches the Gospel. Psalms 150 lists every major type of musical instrument and ends with, “Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord.” Gospel music gives every instrument and every voice the medium to obey that command. – “Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord

Gospels are songs that talk about what the Lord has done in a person’s life. It may be about being saved, or how the Lord has blessed them, or about their trials and how the Lord helped them through it all. Gospel songs usually are very upbeat and/or are associated with the southern sounds of music.

The bottom line is that the purpose of this music is, at least tri-fold. It is to uplift and encourage the Body of Christ; preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ through music with the hope of bringing salvation to non-believers; and entertain all people with positive messages and values.

If you are a submissive man, interested in mistress foot worship, the next few paragraphs will explain how you can avoid wasting your time and money on “alternative lifestyle” sites and where you can go online to find a dominant woman who requires attention given to her feet.

In 2009 it was estimated by Internet Trends that two new alternative dating sites were being opened each month. The average price for premium (all-feature) membership was $39.95. The most common reason for joining was to find a dominant woman to serve and the most common fetish among over 11,000 submissive men interviewed was that of “feet”.

The trouble with many new fetish dating websites is they are overly expensive and, upon joining, you find out they have very few members in your area; a waste of time and money. The two most expensive new sites I investigated this month charge a monthly membership fee $65.50 and $110, respectively. This is”needless” expense.

I will now give you my simple mistress foot worship method of online dating.

The popular “vanilla” dating communities tend to offer free membership (that includes all premium features) to women. Although these sites are mainstream, they do in fact tend to have very large communities for those of us interested in alternative lifestyles. This combination encourages thousands of dominant women a month to join such sites. According to internet trends the biggest groups within mainstream dating services are for foot worship and dominant and submissive relationships.

My method aimed at submissive men is simple. You should select a popular mainstream dating community. Make a profile and write about your fetishes and your desire for meeting a dominant woman whose feet you wish to worship. These sites employ intelligent matching software that will link your interests and desires to your target matches. So, right away, you have improved your chances of hearing from these type of women.

After making your profile, you should put in a search for local women, but filter your search with certain keywords. Some of these sites actually allow you to filter by keywords. What you can do is use words like “mistress”, “feet”, “foot fetish”, and so on. You will now see a list of your target demographic.

All you need to do now is begin sending them friend requests. Within a very short time they will begin accepting and you will have a list of friends attached to your profile who are female, dominant, and in need of a submissive to lavish attention on their feet. This is how you find your mistress foot worship partner.

Dealers of sex toys rake in billions of dollars every year. Their products are so diversified and today are available in every part of the world. Now, it looks like this business of artificially or technologically satisfying sexual desires is in vogue. The single, married, old, young today patronize sex toy shops and the manufactures, wisely too, are steadily churning out more alluring and sophisticated ones. It seems like there will be no end to their innovative ingenuity to inventing these new instruments of sexual pleasure. Today some of these toys act and behave exactly like opposite sex partners in the act. True. But here, we want to look at the origin, intentions and effects of these toys on the users, especially the spiritual and psychological implications.

Sex toys are not new. They have a long history that started with the use of carved objects that represented the penis. The ancient Roman, Greek, Chinese, Asian, Indian had these objects carved out of stones, iron, gold, wood and other materials that were used to drive masturbation. Some of them (like the Greek) also had worship of sex gods and goddesses were these objects were displayed, used and other sexual immoral acts were extensively promoted, including sex with demons and spirits. So, we can rightly say that the foundation of sex toys was that of the desire for ‘unlimited’ pleasure and the worship of demonic gods. This invention metamorphosed into other objects and in the 20th century we saw the first electric vibrator invented. Since then, it has been a deluge of these manual and later sophisticated instruments of sexual pleasure. Some of them winking and talking! Wow!

Now, is sex toy in the original plan of God? And since sexual relationship is a physical, emotional and spiritual connection, does it have any spiritual and emotional side effect? First, sex toys were not in the original plan of God. The word of God made it clear the God made them a man and a woman to relate, satisfy themselves and procreate. All we will need to sexually satisfy our partners have been put in place. Yes. But Satan introduced this toys, idols (like all other sexual sins: homosexuality, anal sex, lesbianism, sex with demons, masturbation, etc) to corrupt and divert man’s obedience to God’s word and wish. The bible said that those who crave for this kind of sinful pleasure outside the will of God are dead. True. Walking corpses! Not all pleasurable practices are permitted. We must seek to please God before our own pleasure. Yes, God wants us to enjoy life, but it must be within the limits of His divine intentions and provisions. Sex toys were invented by demons and are totally against the word of God and the spiritual well-being of man. It’s an instrument for the worship sex demons and Satan.

Using these instruments, masturbation and all other forms of sexual immorality as we earlier mentioned automatically opens one up to demonic possessions. You cannot use these toys without contacting the spirits behind them. It is not possible. It’s like worshiping an idol. There is always a demon spirit behind an idol. Those stones, woods, objects, animals represent spirit beings. That’s where they derive their powers. So, every sex toy and sexual immorality has a demonic spirit behind it. And this is why it is always very difficult to leave such acts or be free from bondage while practicing them. The bible also made it very clear that the person that practises idolatry or adultery becomes spiritually bonded. Will they ever tell you their encounters with those sex demons that visit them regularly in their dreams, and also those strange happenings around them, especially in their relationships? When next you are tempted to indulge in this act, please remember to see the demon standing behind that toy. We will elaborate more on this later. God bless! https://www.amazon.com/Sex-Toys-Good-or-Evil/dp/B07P6YHN3T/ref=sr_1_14?qid=1607227395&refinements=p_27%3AGabriel+Agbo&s=books&sr=1-14&text=Gabriel+Agbo

How do you find tall, dominant women online? This article answers that question. Submissive men, like yourself, are particularly aroused by this special type of woman. The trouble is, no specific niche dating sites exist to satisfy your desires. Luckily, there is a clever little technique that you can use.

You can choose to join an alternative lifestyle dating community or a conventional mainstream dating community. I would advise the mainstream variety because they tend to be a lot cheaper, have millions more members, and my method will work just as well on them.

What you need to do is twofold.

Firstly, you create a specific type of profile. In the text of this profile, I want you to write down exactly the kind of woman you desire (a tall, dominant woman); include everything you require from her. This is hugely important. Modern dating sites use “advanced matching technology” that will scan your profile and connect you with appropriate matches. You can sometimes make a profile for these types of women and, minutes later, have emails from them.

Secondly, I want you to conduct a search on the site. In the same way they have clever matching software, these websites also offer advanced search facilities. You can filter your search results based on many things. Now, for our purposes, we can (on most such sites) filter for height and interests and gender and location. So you want to filter for tall women who are dominant or interested in alternative lifestyles and who live in your vicinity.

If you follow these two simple steps you will soon have a growing list of women who are both tall and dominant and (more than likely) in need of your submissive worship.

As one of the oldest religions in the world, Hinduism carries a broad set of traditions, rituals and worship. Hinduism in the real sense is a way of righteous living and professes the unity of worship and the concept of a formless divine. But these are abstract concepts for many and the best way to help relate is through images. Over time, this was how the concept of various ‘Gods’ and ‘idol worship’ was developed, giving the free choice of worship ultimately to the individual. In this regard, Panchaloha idols play a key role in this regard.

Silpa Shastra is an ancient Hindu text dealing with arts and crafts and contains various design rules and standards. All idols whether stone or of metal have to be sculpted and manufactured according to these rules and prescribed rituals have to be followed both during manufacture and installation in order to obtain the correct benefits. Panchaloha idols are traditional idols of Gods fashioned from an alloy of 5 metals (silver, gold, copper, zinc and iron). The percentages in which these metals are used in the alloy varies between different regions in India.

The idol manufacturing process involves 2 steps. The first is the construction of the mould and the second is the actual creation of the idol. Initially, an image of the deity is created in wax with all the details. This wax is prepared by mixing paraffin wax, resin from the tree Damara Orientalis, and ground nut oil. Since wax produced by this method is quite hard, softer bee’s wax of high purity is mixed to make it easier to bring to life finer details.

To create a mould, the wax model is covered in layers of fresh clay and soil and then allowed to dry. Once the clay dries, it is heated to melt the wax and create a hollow mould. The melted Panchaloha metal alloy is then poured slowly into this mould to allow air bubbles to escape. This is then allowed to cool and solidify into the idol or deity. The cooling period varied between a few hours to a few days depending on the size of the statue and is judged based on experience. Finally, the craftsmen break the clay mold starting from the head of the statue to get the preliminary image. This image is then worked on to produce the final product.

The process has remained the same since the time of ancient dynasties like the Chera and the Chola and it is heartening to note that the art continues to thrive in various corners of India even today.

Michael Jackson’s death is a reminder of the vitality of America’s (and the world’s) cult of celebrity. The intensity of the global public response moves one to ask: why is society so deeply affected by the death of a person who was known for bizarre behavior and questionable judgment? Evolutionary psychology provides a helpful perspective.

When evolutionary psychologists observe that a behavior is widespread and common in a particular species, they first seek to find out whether such behavior is “adaptive,” meaning, beneficial from a reproductive point of view. Hero-worship is interesting in this respect because we find versions of it in all societies. Our earliest recorded literature, the Epic of Gilgamesh, was concerned primarily with the lives of two heroes. From Odysseus to Elvis, great performers have evoked veneration. Why?

Public performance can be understood as a form of genetic signaling. This is one reason why young animals play. When puppies frolic and run about playfully, they are sending very serious messages to future competitors and future mates about their genetic fitness. A puppy that is especially big or fast in play is communicating with competitors (“you won’t want to mess with me when I grow up”) and future mates (“my genes are the best – you’ll have great kids with me”).

It makes sense, therefore, for youngsters to enjoy play (they do) and to be great “show-offs” (they are). In fact, the whole purpose of play, from an evolutionary perspective, is precisely to “show off” our exceptional genetic fitness. As we grow older and mature into sexually active adults, we don’t really stop playing. Instead, our play becomes deadly serious (we begin to call it “work” or “art”), and many of us become even more extreme “show-offs”. We’d better. Our “performances” on the job or in social occasions are the most likely indicators of whether or not we will succeed in the reproductive marketplace.

Although there are many ways of displaying genetic fitness, humans appear especially attuned to verbal, musical or athletic performance. Our top politicians, actors, musicians and sports stars receive overwhelming adulation. Verbal and musical displays likely evolved as a form of competitive play meant to signal intelligence. “Playing the dozens” and hip-hop dissing contests probably have roots in human behavior stretching back hundreds of thousands of years. As humans evolved into more intelligent creatures, the pressure of sexual selection put a premium on displays correlated with intelligence.

Thus, when musical superstars perform in public, they are inserting an ancient evolutionary key into a special lock in our brains. When the key turns, we receive an exhilarating blast of dopamine, the brain’s own version of cocaine, the ultimate feel-good drug.

The fascinating thing about public performance is that it feels good to the performer as well as to the audience. Again, from an evolutionary perspective, this is to be expected. The performer’s brain is being rewarded because evolution has provided a great stimulus (a dopamine fix) for us to show off successfully whenever we can get away with it. Doing so maximizes our chances of attracting a desirable mate. Showing off feels good. Showing off in front of a large audience feels great.

The audience also finds its brains rewarded by evolution as well, but for different reasons. Why do we enjoy watching exceptional performances? There are three reasons. First, spectacular performances are in a sense “instructive”. Humans are the most imitative species on earth. Much of our intelligence has to do with our ability to model and mimic adaptive behavior. It makes sense for us to be especially attentive to superior performance of any kind – the more we enjoy it, the closer we will pay attention to it, and the more likely that we will learn something from it. Second, if we feel that we are somehow socially or emotionally linked to the performer, we are encouraged by the increased chance that we or our offspring will share in the genetic bounty represented by that performer. Third, the more we ingratiate ourselves with the performer, as by displaying submissive and adoring behavior, the more likely we are to earn the performer’s esteem, and with it, a chance to mate with the performer and endow our offspring with the performer’s superior genes.

It seems likely that humans have been programmed by evolution to turn either into rock-stars or groupies (or both). Which path we take depends on our location within the competitive space of our generation’s gene-pool. If we are the best singer or dancer of our generation, we will be tempted to perform: the rewards, both in terms of our brain’s dopamine revels and in the attention of sexually-attractive mates, could be huge.

Unfortunately, while it makes sense – from an evolutionary perspective — for members of our species to be attracted to musical genius, it does not necessarily make sense from an individual perspective. Many people have learned this in the most concrete way, by marrying musicians (I did). My eldest son inherited exceptional musical talent, so my genes are happy. My genes were never concerned with my wife’s operatic temper (she’s a mezzo-soprano), that’s been purely my affair. Evolution promises us adorable children; it doesn’t promise us a rose garden.

Michael Jackson’s fans have to some extent been tricked by evolution. Watching the Gloved One’s uncanny gyrations and masterful crooning released entire oceans of their cerebral dopamine, but that did not change the fact that their hero was a very weird man.

Indeed, Michael Jackson’s life represents the very opposite of wisdom, the opposite of what one should admire or seek to emulate in a role-model. Dopamine-rushes can be addictive, exactly like cocaine. Young Michael’s success as a child prodigy may have destroyed his chances for happiness as an adult. He was never able to improve upon the Peter Pan-like ecstasies he achieved as a child star, so he spent his life in a perpetual attempt to remain a child. This is already very unhealthy at age 20 or age 30. At 40 or 50, it is a sign of mental illness.

Evolution has left our brains vulnerable to deceptive evolutionary keys. Fortunately, it has also endowed us with an alarm system called “reason.” We can learn to recognize our ancient evolutionary triggers for precisely what they are – stimuli to do things that may or may not be good for us. Nothing can stop that dopamine from flowing once our fingers start snapping to “I’m Bad,” but our reason can stop us from taking the whole thing too seriously. And it should.

We should not disparage the pleasures and delights of participation in spectacles. Whether we find ourselves cheering in a sports stadium or at a jazz concert, our delight is deep and real. We should indulge in this joy – it is one of the highlights of human experience. However, we should look for role models in the people we really know and trust around us, not in musical superstars, no matter how gifted.