NEW YORK — Carlos Santana isn’t letting the painful experiences of his past, including the sexual abuse he endured as a child, dictate his view of those responsible.
The Santana frontman, 75, recently told People about his view that “acceptance and forgiveness are really spiritual” and how that has impacted the way he’s able to forgive. That even extends to the friend of his parents who abused the musician on a near-daily basis during a period of his adolescence.
“I learned to look at everyone who ever went out of their way to hurt me, demean me or make me feel like less, like they’re 5 or 6 years old,” said the 10-time Grammy winner, who is promoting the documentary, “Carlos,” which premieres Saturday at the Tribeca Film Festival.
“Instead of sending him to hell forever, I visualized him like a child, and behind him there was a lot of light,” said Santana.
The visualization tactic allowed Santana to feel “understanding and compassion” for the man who groomed and abused him when he was aged 10 to 12.
“‘Hurt people hurt people,’” continued the guitarist, who first spoke about the abuse with Rolling Stone in 2000.
While he would “go with him” if he sent his abuser “to hell,” Santana said the same applies if he were to “send him to the light.”
“It’s my pain. It did happen to me. But if you open your hands, and you let it go, then you don’t feel that [pain] anymore,” concluded Santana.
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If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can confidentially contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.
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