Another dynamite contribution, VenusDarkly. Thank you!

A new article has appeared in the Brisbane Courier Mail:
[m.couriermail.com.au]

'Esoteric healer' Serge Benhayon plans College of Universal Medicine in Goonellabah
Josh Robertson From: The Courier-Mail September 15, 2012 12:00AM

SERGE Benhayon, the former bankrupt tennis coach turned multimillionaire "esoteric healer", plans to open a college where he is chairman for life so his teachings can't be "bastardised".

Mr Benhayon, who has been accused of running a new-age cult that offers "six levels of initiation", has registered his College of Universal Medicine as a tax-exempt charity and is seeking $750,000 in donations.

His supporters include St Andrew's Hospital chest surgeon Samuel Kim, who says therapies including "esoteric breast massage . . . work in great partnership with traditional medicine".

But an academic who researches alternative medicine groups said Universal Medicine's "prophetic aspect and its over-reliance on a personality rather than a transparent set of techniques" were concerning.

University of Queensland Associate Professor of Sociology Alex Broom said a "key attraction" of such groups was their ability to help people make lifestyle changes, such as around diet, which could be beneficial.

"(But) any whole system of healing that is overly personality-driven risks edging towards a kind of totalitarianism," he said.

"For (some), they can be very harmful, unravelling their relationships, costing their savings and ultimately not fulfilling the promise of healing."

Mr Benhayon agreed Universal Medicine was "a good business", with its reincarnation workshops particularly popular.

He conceded the Therapeutic Goods Authority forced it to withdraw unscientific claims about products sold on its website.

When pressed for the health aspect addressed by the "esoteric breast massage" offered at UniMed's Brisbane clinic, Mr Benhayon told The Courier-Mail: "Disconnection to their bodies".

It treated "disconnection to themselves and the fact that a lot of women have complained that for them the breasts were more to breast-feed their babies, more for men to sexualise, but they'd never really endorsed their own bodies as being beautiful", Mr Benhayon said.

Universal Medicine material describes Mr Benhayon doing "EDG readings" of students' advancement on his "path of initiation".

"As usual, Serge's/the hierarchy's predictions will come true," it says.

Cult Counselling Australia director Raphael Aron said his organisation had a researcher working full-time on the group after counselling former clients who were concerned about its influence on their children.

He said Mr Benhayon "seems to be toning down his belief that he is the reincarnation of Leonardo Da Vinci which doesn't wash well with other people".

Mr Benhayon said he was surprised a cult exit group had treated his ex-students.

"I don't know how to brainwash people."

Universal Medicine, which claims about 2000 students worldwide, grossed $36,000 in a single "relationship workshop" last year. But families of followers blame Universal Medicine for the breakdown of 42 marriages from Brisbane to Britain.

The College of Universal Land, to be built on Goonellabah land Mr Benhayon owns, will be non-profit, but its constitution allows directors' companies to sell it services and products.

"The idea of the college is to eventually inherit all that I've got . . . I will hand over all the rights to the books and everything I've done," he said.

Being chairman for life meant he "would be able to retain the integrity of the work so it doesn't get bastardised", he said.

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Amazing post VenusDarkly - thank you for the extremely detailed description of the workshop. Practitioners everywhere who have allied themselves with Universal Medicine should take special note of your conclusions.

From the latest article in the Courier Mail:

The College of Universal Land, to be built on Goonellabah land Mr Benhayon owns, will be non-profit, but its constitution allows directors' companies to sell it services and products.

"The idea of the college is to eventually inherit all that I've got . . . I will hand over all the rights to the books and everything I've done," he said.

Being chairman for life meant he "would be able to retain the integrity of the work so it doesn't get bastardised", he said.

I wonder if the 'integrity' that Serge intends the 'College Of Universal Land' to retain includes sexual indiscretions, ripping off business partners, and lying to thousands of vulnerable people?

Cult Counselling Australia director Raphael Aron said his organisation had a researcher working full-time on the group after counselling former clients who were concerned about its influence on their children.

He said Mr Benhayon "seems to be toning down his belief that he is the reincarnation of Leonardo Da Vinci which doesn't wash well with other people".

Mr Benhayon said he was surprised a cult exit group had treated his ex-students.

"I don't know how to brainwash people."

Universal Medicine, which claims about 2000 students worldwide, grossed $36,000 in a single "relationship workshop" last year. But families of followers blame Universal Medicine for the breakdown of 42 marriages from Brisbane to Britain.

The College of Universal Land, to be built on Goonellabah land Mr Benhayon owns, will be non-profit, but its constitution allows directors' companies to sell it services and products.

"The idea of the college is to eventually inherit all that I've got . . . I will hand over all the rights to the books and everything I've done," he said.

Being chairman for life meant he "would be able to retain the integrity of the work so it doesn't get bastardised", he said.

I am starting to believe Serge doesn't believe he is brainwashing people just like the members don't realize they are brainwashed. It is a perfect marriage. Or they are both perfect liars.
This story tells us ( ie. non cult members) Serge is a liar and self interested, however it ends on a high not for followers.
This is why the got confused with the last story because the vapid Rachel Hall ended with her stupid "women hide behind Serge's words' remark and she was left with the last word.
And due to the massive power of combined mob stupidity all the cult members could ignore the fact that serge was exposed as a two time liar; for pretending to be rich in the past when he was poor and poor in the now when he is rich..

Oh lest I forget, the hapless Josh mentioned breasts (oh, ah!) and all hell broke loose because cultified women took offense because Serge and his young-charge Natalie have spent years telling them that 'the world objectifies your breasts' ( let me read your ovaries...!) and men are fascinated by them ( not me [says Serge]) and some total BS about breast feeding....oh hang on, Serge says it again here...go figure.
Josh, do us a favour and don't leave it hanging with Serge's or one of the zealots odd-ball assertions.
For your average Joe it reads "whoa..." but for Sergio Benbrainwash- Cult aficionados it reads " yes, that is right old chap... I say! what's the problem?" " Onto the business of defending a man we know nothing about!"
cheerio.

Here are some observations about Serge’s female following based on my experience several years ago. Plus some concluding remarks and questions. Then I'm going to bed! It's past 9 pm and getting close to 3 am and the entities are out to get me:

Serge has a brilliant skill for making women feel special. He’s clearly relaxed around them, gives them his full attention, listens, takes an interest, and behaves with an appearance at least of caring, compassion, sensitivity and love. His deification of the feminine principle also has appeal to many women. Individually, he shows appreciation of each woman’s abilities and is keen to allow them to put their various talents to use in the service of his idea of the greater good, which basically consists of bolstering his ego. With all of that charisma he comes across as the ultimate S.N.A.G.TM, and this is an alluring mix for women who might be disillusioned or dissatisfied with their relationships with men.

As I mentioned previously, he flagrantly exploits the enduring communication gap between the sexes, particularly in his separation of masculine and feminine principles, where, as ‘Words from the Families of Universal Medicine Students’ [wordsonsergebenhayon.blogspot.com.au] so accurately puts it, he portrays the feminine principle as divine and pure, while the masculine is base and aggressive. In terms of the break down of relationships, he uses such characterization to emphasize the points of difference between partners, which expedites the rift, rather than doing what is therapeutically responsible and encouraging the partners to use their common points of attraction and affection – beyond primitive and patronizing stereotypes – as a foundation for building a bridge and healing the rift. Healing, of course, requires a willingness from both parties to improve the relationship, sustained effort to improve communication, time and compromise. In some ways I agree a man needs permission to intimately touch a woman, but in my experience, most men when approaching the woman they love usually begin subtly with a kiss or embrace. I mean really, how many men walk up to their partners or wives, grab them by the breast and then manhandle them into submission when they resist? It happens, but not to the extent Serge likes to project. The way Serge puritanically frames it, rather than encouraging negotiation for a healthy and enjoyable exchange of affection between partners, he encourages women to deflect all physical displays of affection from their men. In doing so Serge perpetuates inane and archaic patriarchal gender stereotypes – women as pure and innocent creatures who need protecting from their own desires, and men as abusive ruffians. His thinking insults us all. Ugh. Again, we can’t put him in jail for it, but in a therapeutic context his teachings on intimate relationships are divisive and destructive.

On putting women to use, I noticed at the workshop his inner circle talking about their hectic schedule and how Serge had called ‘another meeting’ for them the following evening. I detected among those women a real dedication to the greater good of UM and a sense of gratification that Serge depends on them and values them. I don’t know if any or all of them were remunerated. From my own experience, I was in a similar situation where I did copious amounts of unpaid and often unnecessary work for a guru figure and what I thought was a ‘good cause.’ The good cause ended up amounting to nothing more than the establishment of his prestige. He ended up rolling in money, and I ended up on the bones of my proverbial.

So, I got the impression the core women of UM were running to and fro in service of Serge and the organization, and in the case of the Brisbane natural therapist, driving for two hours each way to Goonellabah however many times a week. The yoga cult I was briefly involved with also operated this way, with the guru ordering his staff (coincidentally medical professionals) to commute between Warwick, Toowoomba and Brisbane several times a week (hours of driving), often separated from family for days at a time. All of this keeps followers so busy they have difficulty in critically evaluating what’s going on in the group. In the case of the yoga group, even his inner sanctum of medical professionals weren’t aware of the guru’s participation in fraud, lies, bastardry and even his own terminal illness. For those interested in that story and its parallels with UM: [www.religionnewsblog.com]

I’m not sure women are more likely to enslave themselves this way. In the groups I was in, men were doing the same. However, women seem better suited to providing a protective buffer zone for the guru. One has to approach the buffer zone in order to access the leader and if the zone is populated by women, critics are less likely to approach aggressively. I mean, 8 female assistants at his healing workshop? Incidentally, Colonel Gadaffi had female body guards.

Lastly, and crucially, women give legitimacy to Serge’s perversions. I’ve already argued that ‘ovarian readings’ have no therapeutic value and no place in ethical practice. The same goes for Esoteric Boob Fondling and its claims to assist in healing a bunch of reproductive and breast disorders, as well as emotional problems. The fact that those claims are impossible to prove are beside the point. The real point is that it’s never appropriate in a therapeutic context to massage a woman’s breasts. Never. Not by a woman or anyone, not only because there is zero medical value to it, but because such action can be too easily misconstrued by both practitioner and patient. Therapeutic guidelines and standards about touching patients exist not only to protect patients from abuse, but to protect practitioners from litigation.

Interestingly, Serge’s Advanced Level 1 Esoteric Healing Workshop manual from 2004/5 states on page 34 under ‘Ethics and Code of Conduct’:

CAUTION! – Particularly to male practitioner treating women. As the breasts (nurturing centre) are so close to the heart at no time must inappropriate contact be made with the breast during Heart Chakra treatment. Absolutely Never! Nor should heart work be an excuse for this. Be very clear on this. This also applies for female practitioners.

So Serge can’t feign it isn’t an unethical practice. Yet, somewhere along the way he’s changed his tune. He must have figured out he could legitimize – or is it sublimate – his breast obsession by lumbering his female assistants with it. I’ll firmly reiterate it has no therapeutic value. I have several close friends who practice traditional Chinese Medicine and they assure me they treat breast and gyne disorders, with demonstrable results, completely non invasively, as in NEVER needing to touch the breast or any genital area. Even emotional issues and issues with femininity are regularly dealt with via counselling without touching breasts – without touching! And without prying into a patient’s sexual history. No excuses UM!

Apart from the excuse of course that it allows Serge to sublimate his sexual fantasies and exercise his power to influence women of integrity to behave unethically. Just as the complicity of his former wife lends legitimacy to his subsequent marriage. Miranda was of age when she married Uncle Serge – but it’s another malodorous arrangement. He is so blatantly and audaciously straining the bounds of acceptable, ethical and lawful behaviour, as if it’s some kind of game to see how much he can get away with. All the while, the breast fondling, the fishing for sexual disclosure and the grooming of an impressionable young woman to become his eventual bride are given a veneer of respectability they don’t deserve by all those nice, gentle, attractive, intelligent and professional women in his immediate vicinity, who apparently also have no shame.

To conclude, several of you on this thread are doing a brilliant job of dismantling Serge’s teachings. I don’t have the time, the patience or the intestinal fortitude to read the stuff. For me the therapeutic indiscretions, the sickening paternalistic relationships with women and the strong evidence that people/families are being harmed by UM are sufficient cause for concern.

I notice many critics of UM are mostly looking to Serge’s teachings for the answer to the riddle of his ability to attract such a big following. Personally, I’d attribute the attraction to his charisma, but even his charisma is now secondary to the tremendous pulling power of the purported ‘healing’. I wouldn't underestimate the intoxicating and persuasive power of hands on healing, which is unfortunately too easy to abuse. It appears he did the hard yards in establishing the group through his charisma. By now, however, he’s gathered enough legit practitioners to have amassed a certain credibility, and he uses all the right catchwords to maintain the aura. And of course the monetary success of the group then contributes to its appeal.

I don’t believe the teachings are any major factor in recruitment. Rather Serge uses his teachings as a tool to perpetuate submissiveness among his flock. They contain just enough sense to make them attractive to ‘seekers’, but are so inconsistent, convoluted and saturated with his invented and nebulous terminology, they’re impossible to rationally evaluate, impossible to debate and therefore impossible to truly grasp. As he frequently shifts his philosophical goalposts his followers are constantly striving (and in some senses competing with each other) for the Esoteric knowledge, but the relentless shifts make it impossible to attain.

The arguments from his apologists saying he doesn’t tell anyone what to do are laughable considering he insists on regularly making dogged, prescriptive statements about what is and isn’t good for his followers – from advice on diet and intimate relationships, to what time to go to bed, what sports not to play or watch or whatever, all of which compromise individual decision making and encourage dependence.

Another cultist characteristic of his schtick is his overemphasis of persecution and attack, urging his followers to reject those outside the group to instead cling to each other – and him. He pushes an ‘us versus them’ attitude. You’re either for or against him/UM, everything is either astral or divine, and he makes a big deal of how corrupt the world is without ever acknowledging the countless people outside his group who are constantly engaged in worthwhile and selfless actions which not only don't harm people but benefit many more than he ever will, and who are able to carry out their work without seeking attention or riches, or blessings from him.

Finally, Esoteric Medicine doesn’t work. Serge looks ill. Someone here mentioned he has an eye disorder requiring surgery, but I sense it goes beyond that. Compare his photo in the Courier Mail article, which was taken a few years back to the recent photos in the Good Weekend. The CM shot was how he looked when I last saw him, with a nice healthy glow about his skin, so I was shocked to see the recent shots in the SMH and the Echo. He’s gaunt, his expression is severe and he has the complexion of a very sick or at least an extremely malnourished man. He ought to eat a bit of dairy, it might perk him up.

Now, some questions if anyone would be kind enough to answer.

Does anyone know what has happened to the blogs critical of UM? Why have they disappeared? And don’t tell me the bloggers saw the light and the error of their ways etc. I imagine there is coercion going on, but we desperately need to know the extent of it.

Concerned Partner seems to think there’s less catharsis going on in the healing? Can anyone update me on that? Does Serge still do private sessions? (Out of curiousity only. I don’t want one, thanx for asking)

Are the Esoteric healers still burping up a storm when the astral energy is released? If not, you had to be there to believe it, lol.

Thankyou to the blog 'Words from the Families of Universal Medicine Students'. Keep up the fight and the great research and writing! And thanks Herbert for getting this started, and to the interesting input from all the contributors.

And I’ll tack this on the end: when I started googling Serge again after reading the David Leser article I was surprised to see there was very little out here in cyberspace describing what goes on in Serge’s treatment room and in the workshops in any real detail. To understand how this cult is pulling these decent and vulnerable people it’s essential to know the precise techniques and machinations being used, even more so than trying to get our heads around the tricky philosophy. The philosophy is a smokescreen. I just now received a moving personal message which made me realize my instinct even back during my involvement to observe, and eventually put in writing everything I know about the group was correct. I’m pleased and gratified to know it has already helped at least one person in some small way.

I really hope more followers will feel compelled to come forward and provide more of the missing pieces. Perhaps together we can avert some harm.

Cheers and good health to you all.

If anyone makes a wrong move and loses a post, it might be possible to retrieve it.


Use the Undo command. Hit the Control button and then the letter z

(Cntrl + Z is how it is abbreviated in manuals)

Venus Darkly wrote:

Quote

I was fascinated to find the students, including myself, able to induce hot and cold running catharses time after time, with each technique. It was a spectacular experience in many senses – in a dark room, forty or so people gradually building to a crescendo of hysterics. Reactions varied in intensity. Some people had subtle reactions, where they might shift on the treatment table a bit and alter their breathing patterns, while others launched into full convulsive thrashing, hyperventilating, sobbing, screaming and vomiting. Again I surrendered to the experience, jumped around a fair bit, spoke in tongues etc.

Serge bustled excitedly from table to table, observing and commenting. He carried on a lot about the persecution and torture of our past incarnations – archangels and monads being burned at the stake etc. and him helping to pull imaginary swords out of people or healing wounds where their angel wings had been hacked off in a past life. Also a lot of divisive and paranoid ravings about how good people like us, his followers, are constantly under attack from the corrupt and evil members of the astral world. Etc.

Jean-Marie Abgrall, a French psychiatrist published a book about methods of recruitment into high demand groups.

Quote

Technique from Reverse Psychiatry

Techniques based on the theories of those who are against psychiatrists (Laing, Cooper and Rosen) or those reading from Moreno's psychodrama, result in meetings of group cathersis (in the Aristotelian sense) colored by directed interpretations.

The goal of such groups is creating "communities" of people with similar problems, set up and run like a cult. These techniques are particularly effective because the only way the "community" can fail is if a participant behaves particularly immaturely or rebels unacceptably around the other members of the group.

From Abgrall, Soul Snatchers: The Mechanics of Cults, page 170. Algora originally published in 1996 as La Mechanique des Sectes, 1996

On page 187, Dr Abgrall notes this about diets

"Adopting abnormal dietetic practices accentuates the break with the outside world. While stopping short of true marginalization, food choices alone can lead to the formation of micro-movements equipped with rites and doctrines...

"Moreover, certain food regimens can be found to weaken resistance because of vitamin or protein deficiency. A glucose deficiency can cause headaches and a loss of energy...

"A hypocalcemic diet, combined with hyperventilation through voluntary hyperapnea (during ritual breathing) cause a tingling feeling on the lips and hands. The onset of these feelings, close to the symptoms of spasmophila, may be interpreted by the cult as a demonstration of shared energy waves or the presence of a spirit."

Apgrall, page 187

We should look at the foodstuffs that are recommended by UM and examine whether these have sufficient calcium. (dairy is rich in calcium and so are the green leafy vegetables and cruciferous ones.)

If the U recommended diet is low in calcium and the banned foods tend to be richer in calcium, this might be interesting pattern. I put the emphasis on might.

We gotta examine the UM recommendations on food from a dieticians perspective.

Thanks again for the very interesting and detailed post, VenusDarkly.

Regarding the 'burping up a storm' you mentioned, these sort of effects don't seem to be as common in the workshops anymore. You hear the occasional one perhats, but that's about it. Likewise, the vomiting and convulsing no longer seems to happen anymore. At least it didn't at the workshops I attended, but I do know others who have experienced it firsthand. I wonder how much of it may have been psychosomatic? If people have considerable unresolved emotional and/or psychological baggage stemming from past trauma, combined with a level of fascination (or belief) in the ideas Serge presents, them submitting to the 'healing' techniques could pssibly produce such effects.

Excellent point on the following, btw:

"Interestingly, Serge’s Advanced Level 1 Esoteric Healing Workshop manual from 2004/5 states on page 34 under ‘Ethics and Code of Conduct’:

CAUTION! – Particularly to male practitioner treating women. As the breasts (nurturing centre) are so close to the heart at no time must inappropriate contact be made with the breast during Heart Chakra treatment. Absolutely Never! Nor should heart work be an excuse for this. Be very clear on this. This also applies for female practitioners.

So Serge can’t feign it isn’t an unethical practice. Yet, somewhere along the way he’s changed his tune. He must have figured out he could legitimize – or is it sublimate – his breast obsession by lumbering his female assistants with it. I’ll firmly reiterate it has no therapeutic value. I have several close friends who practice traditional Chinese Medicine and they assure me they treat breast and gyne disorders, with demonstrable results, completely non invasively, as in NEVER needing to touch the breast or any genital area. Even emotional issues and issues with femininity are regularly dealt with via counselling without touching breasts – without touching! And without prying into a patient’s sexual
history. No excuses UM!"

I have to wonder, in cases of women who have experienced sexual abuse in their lives, whether this sort of 'treatment' (and the questionable ideas behind it) might actually be compounding the core issues instead of addressing them, especially if legitimate psychological counseling is being forsaken in favor of EBMs.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/15/2012 04:57AM by MacReady.

In reply to VenusDarkly, this is very true:

Finally, Esoteric Medicine doesn’t work. Serge looks ill. Someone here mentioned he has an eye disorder requiring surgery, but I sense it goes beyond that. Compare his photo in the Courier Mail article, which was taken a few years back to the recent photos in the Good Weekend. The CM shot was how he looked when I last saw him, with a nice healthy glow about his skin, so I was shocked to see the recent shots in the SMH and the Echo. He’s gaunt, his expression is severe and he has the complexion of a very sick or at least an extremely malnourished man. He ought to eat a bit of dairy, it might perk him up.

He looks terrible. It interesting that no other pictures of him exist on the internet - that I can find - apart from the one they constantly use. The CM guys did him a favor by not sending a photographer up there. All the other recent TV and press pictures of him, he looks the same, very ill and very dark.

Quote
HerbertKane178
In reply to VenusDarkly, this is very true:

Finally, Esoteric Medicine doesn’t work. Serge looks ill. Someone here mentioned he has an eye disorder requiring surgery, but I sense it goes beyond that. Compare his photo in the Courier Mail article, which was taken a few years back to the recent photos in the Good Weekend. The CM shot was how he looked when I last saw him, with a nice healthy glow about his skin, so I was shocked to see the recent shots in the SMH and the Echo. He’s gaunt, his expression is severe and he has the complexion of a very sick or at least an extremely malnourished man. He ought to eat a bit of dairy, it might perk him up.

He looks terrible. It interesting that no other pictures of him exist on the internet - that I can find - apart from the one they constantly use. The CM guys did him a favor by not sending a photographer up there. All the other recent TV and press pictures of him, he looks the same, very ill and very dark.

Totally agree. He looks like a cancer patient or longtime drug user. If he indeed lives on his magic 5 hours of sleep per night, he needs to start getting some genuine slumber. A serious dietary overhaul is clearly in order, too.

Or perhaps the years of deception, criminal and immoral conduct are just starting to take their toll on his physiognomy?