Who was the man in the photo?
The person in the photo was John Brown, the antislavery militant. He was born in 1800 in Connecticut, US and died in 1859, in Virginia.
Many people picked up on the idea that there were two sides to him. One side seemed gentle and kind, the other inspired revulsion or fear.
The good: John Brown was completely dedicated to the cause of abolishing slavery.
The not so good: he believed it would only happen through violent means…
Violence
In 1859, Brown went to a proslavery town in Kansas and oversaw the brutal murder of five settlers there.
He also organised and led a raid on a government arsenal in Virginia, with the aim of inspiring an uprising among slaves. This did not happen, and he was wounded and captured. There were deaths on both sides. He was sent to trial for treason and murder and was executed by hanging.
(Some people picked up on this detail!)
To some people, he was an antislavery ‘saint’ – they felt that the violent acts he organised were in retaliation for violence that had already come from those who were proslavery (there was violence on both sides in Kansas at that time).
Henry David Thoreau said of him:
“…No man in America has ever stood up so persistently and effectively for the dignity of human nature…”
The general consensus is that his ideals were correct, but the way he implemented them were not.
Other facts about his life
He had 20 children (11 survived into adulthood) and was married twice (his first wife died).
He almost became a clergyman but failed his training and became first a farmer, then a wool merchant, tanner, and real estate speculator. He was unsuccessful in all his business endeavours and was declared bankrupt once, facing financial difficulties consistently throughout his life.
He moved around a lot from the 1820s to the 1850s.
You can find out more about him here and here.
Well done to those who took part – there were lots of great hits.
A Tip for Using Your Clairsentience
I just wanted to give a tip to clairsentient readers who took part. It seems that many people picked up on a ‘bad feeling’ that they were having about him.
Clairsentience on its own will give you a basic sense as to whether you like or trust someone, or not. In order to receive more details, you need to use your claircognizance or clairaudience. So, my challenge to those of you who picked up on ‘a bad feeling’, is to next time dig a bit deeper and see if you can work out why you feel that way.
Ask a direct question, when you get this feeling, and see if you get a response.
I hope you enjoyed the experiment and thank you for taking part.
How did you do? Please leave a comment below.
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Wow, I can’t believe I was one of the few who got the impression he was hanged. So much of everything else was wrong, though. 😛
This was fun. I can’t wait for more of these! 😀
Like several of the people who left comments, I got ‘Magician’ and ‘Doctor’. Any clue why? There’s nothing to explain why I should have perceived this in the description of his life.
Hi Vanessa,
I noticed that a few times. Medicine/Doctor. One way to look at it is to examine how you received that information and your process. Is there anything you would have done differently?
Another thing I’ve noticed is that those who get correct information often concentrate first on who he is as a person, really going deep into the photo. It’s easier to pick up information about character so best to start there, and maybe restrict yourself to character at first. Then that might lead to you possibly picking up objective facts about what he did, for example. Hope that helps.
Wow, I didn’t get his job title accurate, but did say he was “a highly intelligent man – a pioneer, an innovator. Out of the box thinker. Not traditional – caused controversy that led to his death. I get a pain around the base of my neck when looking at him”. I did in fact think he was hanged. I wasn’t afraid of him – so picked up on the saint part 🙂
Well done, Candice!
Wow, I didn’t get his job title accurate, but did say he was “a highly intelligent man – a pioneer, an innovator. Out of the box thinker. Not traditional – caused controversy that led to his death. I get a pain around the base of my neck when looking at him”. I did in fact think he was hanged. I wasn’t afraid of him – so picked up on the saint part 🙂
I also said ‘I feel like we have learnt a lot from him’.
Great experiment! 🙂
All I got was “magician/trickster/con-man”
I had two thoughts. First was “preacher” but I dismissed that some since lots of people in suits look that way. Then I thought “one who passes judgement” which I also thought might fit preacher or possibly a judge.
Hi Anna, I was one who had that “bad” feeling. I could feel fear just from looking at his picture and the back of my neck hurting. I am going to take your challenge and ask questions next time. Will also take one of your courses in the very near future! I learn more and more from every experiment. Please keep them coming 😀
This is very interesting. I picked up ‘slavery’ but I couldn’t tell whether he was a slave owner or whether he fought against it because what I did sense was, he did have both sides to him. One side was very kind and the other was scary as though you should never mess with him…he has a sadistic nature to him.
On another note, I also had a sense that he fancied younger women – this made me cringe because I felt that a lot of the women he messed around with were underage.It doesn’t come to a surprise that he fathered 20 kids.
Dylan – Good job! His second wife was 16 years old when they married.
Well_i knew there was someting devious about him, and pointed out ‘lust’saying I wouldn’t want to be in the same room with him…….after all, he did father 20children!!!lol!!that alone says alot*:)
Hi Anna,
This is My first time participating, and at first glance…He felt of some Importance. After looking into His eyes for less than a minute, I felt an Great Sense of Love, Kindness, but a deep feeling of Sadness. After reading His Story, and looking back at His Photo, I felt the same, I did not pick up on Murder or any Negativity. Is there any reason why I didn’t pick up on the rest. I am Highly Sensitive Physically, but have only had a several Classes with a Shaman.
I think in those times it was not uncommon for a man to father many children. It was perhaps down to lack of birth control rather than promiscuity.
Vanessa- it’s very much to do with practice and having a good technique. The more you do, the better you become at it.
Hmmm, I ignored the fact that he reminded me of someone. I did delve into that feeling and asked myself why. If I would have stuck to the similarities I felt I would have been spot on with what I initially felt. But I got distracted and started thinking about the other person. Could my perceptions work by picking up on similar energies of people I know?
It was my first time doing this – didn’t pick up any negative vibes and first thought was doctor. I also said he reminded me of david hasslehof from bay watch. After reading through his bio I think this had to do with his trying to save people element – perhaps this is why so many people thought doctor too?
Would love to hear people’s comments on my thoughts and further advice on how to improve. When I was doing the exercise I can honestly say I didn’t feel anything – I just wrote whatever came to mind.
Two of the images I received intrigued me.
Thick tan leather suitcase. John Brown and his father ran a tannery but I am more intrigued by this connection from the Battle Hymn of the Republic:
John Brown’s body lies a-mouldering in the grave; His soul’s marching on!(Chorus)Glory, glory, hallelujah! Glory, glory, hallelujah! Glory, glory, hallelujah! his soul’s marching on!He’s gone to be a soldier in the army of the Lord! His soul’s marching on!(Chorus)John Brown’s knapsack is strapped upon his back!
The second image was my last – a white horse. John Brown was led to his hanging by two white horses. Interestingly, a white horse and black horse also were prominently displayed together at his hanging – perhaps symbolic of his dual nature.
An eyewitness account of the hanging:
“The whole enclosure was lined by cavalry troops posted as sentinels, with their officers–one on a peerless black horse, and another on a remarkable-looking white horse, continually dashing round the enclosure.”
Why did I not see the black horse? Perhaps in judging his true nature, I was intentionally led to the white horse.
My question is, what is the symbolism of a white horse at a hanging? Is this presence normal?
Catherine – may be something to do with the racial issue? You were focussing more on him so you only see the white horse. The black horse is the superficial cause of his death – he caused his own death by his actions…
Hi Maria-Adriana,
Well done!
Did you notice how you received the information that was wrong?
One of the things that’s common when you first go within and try to get info, is to receive a bunch of images clairvoyantly, and if you’re not really ‘tuned in’ energetically, you can be picking up on the equivalent of white noise. Sometimes that can happen, so it’s best to make sure you’re properly tuned in, or dowse on the images you receive, asking is this relevant?
i will have to dig a little deeper on the feeling but evrything was right i had said even when i left a second comment about him being hanged 🙂 thanks Anna
When I saw his photograph, I was instantly repelled.
One word that did run through my head was “slavery”. As John Brown was quite a famous figure, it is possible that I had seen this before and it was my subconscious retrieving the information that he was linked to slavery.
I’ve been meaning to try one if these experiments and received the end today so I thought okay real quick lets see…… Would I trust him “hell no” two words to describe him ……. Clergyman and violence.
Not too bad for 10 seconds ! Thanks Anna I should really do more of this.
Smiles and Hugs
Hi Anna,
Thank you for your feedback! Yes, I don’t think I was in exactly the right state when I “picked up” on most of the information that came to me. I just wrote down immediately what came to mind. I tried to relax myself and my whole body, and breathe a bit beforehand, but I didn’t quite achieve the state.
I got the impression twice about injury to his neck, though, but the second time, I felt an uncomfortable sensation around my neck, and had forgotten that I’d already written down “hanging”, and guessed something cutting into his throat. I am pretty sure clairsentience is my dominant clair.
I did not ask for verification for any of the information, but I will next time, though!
I think I will try dowsing as well. I’m on the dowsing section of your Psychic Awakening course, it would be good practice for me. (I have used some variation of that technique to figure out where I’m living next year, though… got the same answer in 3 other different ways that I asked for verification, so I’m curious to see what this will bring.)
Whoops, I meant “throat”, when I said I felt the uncomfortable sensation the second time.
Wow! I love these so much! I never thought of myself as ‘psychic’ before, moreso sensitive, an empath, but these experiments blow me away how much I pick up!
I felt a softness from his face for a second, but then I felt dark, dark evil in his eyes – and fear, horror, tragedy. So much darkness. I saw an aura of red all around his body, I saw him get stabbed in the back, and then a hanging popped into my mind. I felt this and saw all this kind of repeat for a bit. I scrolled down to remind myself of your questions and cues to ask and then bank popped in my head (I had more of a Western thing running in my head, so I assumed bank robbery, but I don’t pay much attention to my ego-thoughts, rather just to the claircognizant ones). Once all the terror, horror, and evil faded away, I saw the softness in his face again, and grandfather popped in my head – yup, he was a ‘grand’ father having 20 kids, holy moly!!
Thank you so much Anna, these are so much fun, and really helpful too!
x
Hi Anna,
In one of your prompts, you asked who the image might remind one of and that there is often a connection. I mentioned Abe Lincoln, but said that I wasn’t feeling honesty from him, but I didn’t think of the antislavery angle. Was right about him being a murderer and having two sides. I think the impression of a doctor may have just been the attire and having seen many movies of that era where the doctors dressed in that manner.
Hi Anna,
I got the role of Dr. as well. In his “job” he put himself in with the slaves, he did play Dr. to the, he also has to bury many of the deceased. I saw him as a thief, he did steal and rob, so one can look at truths of what was written about him, or the truths of what they chose NOT to write about him. It does not make what we saw as wrong, just that we saw Dr. and thief in a different way than the tradition definition of it. I saw the death all around him and said he walked in two different worlds. I think I did pretty good on my interpretation, however, some may disagree because it is not written the exact way as I saw it. Your replies are positive and interesting.
Thank you
Anna,
I don’t think any of your other experiments provoked such conflict in me! I revisited his photo on various days. Some days the image was almost revolting and hit in my solar plexus. Other days, I got a more enevolent feeling (though always undercast by a little darkness).
“Preacher” was the only idea I got, but he looked kind of dandy-ish, so I was less certain. I did get an undercurrent of deeply repressed sexuality.
Although highly energized against racism in my current life, I’ve been told that I was a “bad” slave owner in another, so not surprising that I might have been in denial re. the slave thing . . . 😉
Thanks for another very interesting experiment!
This was interesting! This is the first one I have commented on publicly. I was right about how this man was somehow respected, but was dark and threatening at the same time. I picked up the word author, and after reading further about Brown I discovered that in 1858 Brown wrote a constitution for the revolutionary state he hoped to create. (Records of the Adjutant General’s Office, 1780’s—1917). I think that validates the information I received.
I’m new to this so I will certainly take your advice Anna to ask questions about the information I feel I am receiving! Thanks Anna!
Boy, everyone did really well on this! One thing that many people got (not me) was “magician”, so I wonder if it is symbolic or if maybe he enjoyed fiddling around with magic even though it wasn’t in his bio (that I oculd see).
For myself, I clearly saw him working a farm. But what Im learning about myself is that I rush it. I’m not patient enough to sit and let the information continue to come. I feel I got through (the earlier) years on a farm and I get distracted and maybe never went further to see the slavery and imprisionment later. I’ll have to work on that!
Is getting an overview of the subject through the years ,youth to death, is it a “normal”/ common way to receive psychic info? Or better asked, do you think that’s possible
Thank you Anna! So fun!!!! More please! 🙂
This was really interesting for me in trusting my strongest impressions enough to participate. After reading what you wrote about him, I understand why I felt these things from him. I didn’t do too badly but will definitely take your advice and ask questions. I didn’t even think about his family life or death, I just felt what I felt which gave me internal pictures and missed all of that.
I really appreciate these, thank you Anna
Wow this was really interesting for me.. this is what i wrote, it all felt quite jumbled like i couldnt fully express what came to me.. i think of myself as an empath so can read sense energy but haven’t done this with a picture before.
Thankyou so much
I got a rush of words,
a visionary before his time…
truth sayer,a full soul, strong sense of righteousness, his eyes have seen and committed darkness but the light remained…
lived a true and honest life to his soul contract…
blood mixed with chains..
two sides a person capable of taking life.. violent but peaceful/ righteous..(only comparison is modern day freedom fighter ? )
perhaps dies for his righteousness, important person in history but perhaps unknown..
guarded, connected….
As always, I love these psychic experiments. I got the bad feeling when I looked at him so much so that my stomach turned. I couldn’t really look him in the eye, which is where I normally look to get the whole story. I guess I was looking at him from the outsider, the victim point-of-view.
I still wonder where I got the color blue from. Not just any blue, it’s like an aqua-near-turquoise color…
I knew he had children, but thought 2… I guess I didn’t wait long enough for the 0 to come to me lol.
Anyway, this is a lot of fun and I really like to test myself. So, thank you so much 🙂
Well, if I had payed attention to the color of his aura, I think I would’ve picked up a lot more.
Crazy!!
Thanks again!!
hi Anna, I’m truly grateful for the exercises. this one is my first serious attempt and I’m kind of shocked of my accuracy. at first glance I saw someone calm, loving, filled with sadness who’ve lost loved ones. wow! I guess I’m on the right track.