November 3, 2010---JOHN OF GOD

John of God

John of God does his healing work on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. The other days he is at his ranch, minding his cattle. For the next 3 days we dress in white as we go before “the Entities.”  Before you scratch your head in bewilderment, let me explain---at least how I understand it. John of God is a medium who has devoted the last 54 years of his life to helping those who suffer. He asks for no payment for his healing services. 

As a charismatic, Catholic teenager from a poor farming family, he would go into a spontaneous and unbidden trance-like state during which time he was able to heal those who came to him for help. During these states, he channels disembodied spirits. The spirits, referred to as “entities” were famous doctors and healers who had died, the most prominent one being Don Ignacio de Loyola from 15^th Century Spain, a nobleman who gave over his life to healing the poor and the sick.

Eventually, word spread about John of God’s healing abilities. Over the last few decades he has seen thousands of people each week from all around the globe and has been described as the most powerful medium alive today. I would estimate from what I have heard and read that about 10-15% of the supplicants receive complete healing on the physical plane while they are here. But the majority of all the seekers receive some level of healing on the spiritual/emotional plane which, at a minimum, can make their physical burdens more tolerable, and at most can create conditions favorable to healing.


It's truly amazing that this man, John of God, has given up ordinary life and devoted himself entirely to the alleviation of suffering of humankind----a bodhisatva in the truest sense of the word.  

Hundreds await their turn to appear in front of John of God

Today hundreds of white clad visitors gathered at La Casa, awaiting their turn to stand in front of the  “Entities.” Since there are about 30 different entities that are channeled  through John of God, one never knows who will be doing the healing at any particular moment. Some of the entities are playful, some stern, some very loving and compassionate. The people who have been with John of God for many years can often guess who the entity is that is being channeled based on John of God’s behavior. During an interview with ABC in 2005, I remember John of God saying that he has no idea what happens and what he said while he channels. He said it’s as though he’s asleep. There is absolutely no recollection of what transpired.  

We have been told that we can write down up to three requests for healing. We each are holding the piece of paper with our three requests which have been translated into Portuguese. It was challenging for me to decide which of my ailments to list. I finally decided to ask for help with the residual structural brain damage, double and blurred vision, and the insomnia. I reasoned that the chronic anxiety and diarrhea and food allergies would improve when the other impairments healed. Next week I’ll ask for healing for my friends, family, and patients. I was told to focus on myself this week.

When it was my turn, I kneeled in front of John of God, took his hand and looked into his eyes. For an instant it was like looking into deep pools of love, but then his eyes rolled back in his head. He looked like he was completely “gone” and not in his body. He seemed not to listen as the translator started to read my list. Within a few seconds he scribbled something on a piece of paper and handed it to the translator. I was told I needed “surgery” and special herbs as I was escorted out of the room. 

My translator was Heather Cumming, author of a book about John of God  (http://www.healingquests.com/pages/book.htm) and a guide for people making the trip to John of God for the first time.  I met her ten years ago when we stayed in the same pousada with the group that she was leading from the States. She’s a Scottish woman who was raised in Brazil and has devoted her adult life to service related to John of God. She actually remembered me. “Oh, you’re the doctor.”  I also ran into Emma Bragdon, another guide I had met on that same trip ten years ago. She had interviewed me for her book about John of God, called “Spiritual Alliances.”              (http://emmabragdon.com/eb/books-2/spiritual-alliances-the-book) We had a lovely reunion. Emma made a short movie about John of God which is excellent in conveying what happens here in Abadiania. (http://www.johnofgodfilm.com/reviews.htm)

Visible surgery 

John of God, while incorporating entities who were  former surgeons, spends sessions on stage doing "visible" surgery in a trance-like state. Ten years ago when I was first here, I was asked to "assist" with this so-called surgery because John of God wanted doctors and scientists to witness what he was doing so that they could observe and see for themselves that there was no sleight of hand involved. The surgery was symbolic, in the sense that it was done simply to strengthen the patient's faith in the power to heal and was not anything that could be considered "real" surgery. Yes, patients were cut open and then stitched up, but nothing like what takes place in the operating room. Some of you remember my surprise and horror at witnessing from a few inches away while a man had his eyes forcefully scraped with a simple kitchen paring knife that was not sterile. The man experienced no pain. And then there was the woman who had 8 inch long Kelly clamps rammed up her nose all the way. She experienced no pain. I had no explanation why that "procedure" did not penetrate her brain and kill her. No one I talked to who had these "procedures" experienced any pain. They all said the experience was profoundly healing to them, although the "surgery" had no relationship to the particular problem they were asking help for.  For example, someone with multiple sclerosis might end up getting a surgical cut on her belly (without anesthesia and without pain). This demonstration seemed to strengthened their belief in a higher power that could heal them.


I have to confess, as open-minded as I profess to be, I find the whole concept of entities quite foreign to my constructs of reality. Yet, something is definitely going on here in terms of various energies having their own unique properties and abilities for healing.  Although for many people around here, being surrounded by entities is quite "normal" for them, for me, we're heading deep into the paranormal.

That afternoon I went back for the “invisible surgery,”  also known as a spiritual intervention. I opted for the "invisible surgery" since the visible surgery had no appeal for me...in spite of my insatiable curiosity. Besides, I was told that either kind of surgery was equally effective. 


All the surgical candidates were escorted into a special room where we heard prayers. We were asked to pray for what we wanted and to put our hand on the place that needed healing. If there were many places that needed healing, we were told to put our hand on our hearts. I put one hand on my heart and one hand on my eyes and head. After about a half an hour we were told the surgery was over and that we needed to stay in our rooms for 24 hours and not go anywhere and to respond as though we had real surgery. I was amazed at how thoroughly exhausted I was, as was everyone I spoke to who had surgery. I slept off and on as though in a stupor which is totally out of character for me. Food was brought to my door at mealtimes.