I'm just curious if others on this board are in Massage Therapy or aware of the changes going on there. As the first American profession with a Trinity, there's a lot of strange things going on.

I would like to reenter Massage, but am very nervous about it. Essentially, in my area it had become very cult-like, with members of the civil massage board claiming 'spiritual authority" over the beliefs of those who practiced massage.

I just wonder how widespread this is. I've been warned off from trying to relicense in two states, being told by Massage Therapists that this problem is there as well.

I'm just wondering if anyone on the list has encoutered these problems.

Rand

The American Medical Massage Association has published a position paper about the growing fanticism in Massage, along with the use of fraudulent credentials by many in that profession.

[www.americanmedicalmassage.com]

But this article only touches the surface of what is happening in massage. Essentially Unbelievers (called "secular" therapists) are being forced out by the "spiritual" therapists, with the help of the Professional Organizations of Massage. Freedom of Spirituality is NOT mentioned in the Constitution, we have been told by the Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals, one of those organizations.

And the American Massage Therapy Association, the real power behind this "spiritual" takevoer, has asserted the Holistic beliefs "all good massage therapists practice... contain antidotes to Judeo-Christian doctrine and western philosophy."

That led to an open movement to force Jews and Christians, as the "carriers of religious poison," out of massage. I spoke out for their rights, and was targeted for my lack of "correct" beliefs. I lost my licence to practice massage as a direct result of that.

Now my loss of licensure is used as a threat to enforce "Spiritual Oneness" in massage. Sounds nice, until you realize it is spiritual conformity being enforced by civil massage boards and the political organizations that control massage.

A professional organization being taken over and run by what is essentially a religious movement is unbelievable, but in Massage that is a reality. Now other groups are flocking to repeat that experience and protect the devastating legal precedents Massage Therapy has set.

Rand

Quote
randomfactor
The American Medical Massage Association has published a position paper about the growing fanticism in Massage, along with the use of fraudulent credentials by many in that profession.

[www.americanmedicalmassage.com]

But this article only touches the surface of what is happening in massage. Essentially Unbelievers (called "secular" therapists) are being forced out by the "spiritual" therapists, with the help of the Professional Organizations of Massage. Freedom of Spirituality is NOT mentioned in the Constitution, we have been told by the Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals, one of those organizations.

And the American Massage Therapy Association, the real power behind this "spiritual" takevoer, has asserted the Holistic beliefs "all good massage therapists practice... contain antidotes to Judeo-Christian doctrine and western philosophy."

That led to an open movement to force Jews and Christians, as the "carriers of religious poison," out of massage. I spoke out for their rights, and was targeted for my lack of "correct" beliefs. I lost my licence to practice massage as a direct result of that.

Now my loss of licensure is used as a threat to enforce "Spiritual Oneness" in massage. Sounds nice, until you realize it is spiritual conformity being enforced by civil massage boards and the political organizations that control massage.

A professional organization being taken over and run by what is essentially a religious movement is unbelievable, but in Massage that is a reality. Now other groups are flocking to repeat that experience and protect the devastating legal precedents Massage Therapy has set.

Rand

Interesting. Yes, I'm aware of some of the weirdness around the massage scene, but only thought of it on the fringe. Can you provide us with more specifics as to what happened to you? What was their basis for taking away your license? Was there a specific cult philosophy that you were commanded to adopt (Scientology, EST, etc.)

Also, where is this quote coming from, is it an official Massage book or something?

"And the American Massage Therapy Association, the real power behind this "spiritual" takevoer, has asserted the Holistic beliefs "all good massage therapists practice... contain antidotes to Judeo-Christian doctrine and western philosophy."

I have friends who are massage therapists in NY and TX and I've never heard anything about this. What state(s) did this happen in?

The quote is from the AMTA's official publication, the Massage Therapy Journal. The article appeared in the Summer 2000 edition, in an article by Dawn Jordan.

The problem in massage varies widely, depending on the area. In some places, it's pretty much a normal profession. In others, hard-liners have gotten on the massage board and are enforcing what they term the "Spiritual Law" of Massage.

Holism, as it is practiced in Massage, traces it's roots to Theosophy. And the beliefs of Theosophy are basically unquestionable truth in Massage. Theosophy itself is deeply involved in both pushing this test and protecting it from questioning.

But other groups are very aware of this as well. I met a wide variety of people who had flown into Reno to support the bringing of this new Massage Law into Nevada. All saw this as enabling a single belief system to take over a civil profession. So such groups as Scientology and EST are very aware of this situation, as are the Maharishi's people and followers of J.Z. Knight.

Lest you make assumptions, extremist Christian groups are also aware of this test. And very strongly support it.

The biggest problem is the emergence of racism, which was taught in my massage school as "enlightened" thought. The Root Race theory of Theosophy, that the Aryan Race is the Master Race, was covered there, along with it's connection to the swastika, the "enlightened" symbol of Aryan Unity.

The reason I hesitate to talk a lot about this is because racist groups see this as the emergence of White Supremacy under law. And that's made it a dangerous thing to talk about.

A lot of Massage Therapists are very good people, trying to ignore the problems and work on their own practice. But that's getting increasingly hard to do, with the constant barrage of "spirituality" that is being generated by the Massage Magazines.

And the out and out fraud is a big problem, as the AMMA points out. Pressure to refer to these "doctors" is immense, even as their unethical behaviors are increasingly hard to ignore.

It's hard to see from the outside and even hard to grasp when you are in there. The misinformation and deception is rampant in Massage School, especially concerning the reality and usefulness of "Energy Work." We were constantly told (and it was backed up in the massage magazines) that the reality of the spiritual realm was scientific fact and unquestionably proven. Chi is a real energy (which led to attacks on beliefs who were not "enlightened" enough to know that). The Chakras have a scientificially demonstrable reality, and cause illness if not working correctly.

Massage is a magnet for the fringe, and mainstream therapists are being forced out. We have to bring "our truth" to our professional lives, and work against what is called "religious fraud," which is any belief that does not conform to Theosophical doctrines.

I want to be clear here: I got a lot of assistance researching this from both Theosophists and Anthroposophists, who are dismayed to see this happening. A lot of people in various groups are pretty upset over this, even as more hard-line members of groups are jumping in to protect this test and "Learn how it's done."

I don't think a lot of outsiders can comprehend the problems opened up by "Whole Body" healing, in Body Mind and Spirit. To many unscrupulous people, this means the ability to psychologically and spiritually manipulate people under the guize of "healing." My thought patterns and beliefs were immediately quiestioned and "corrected," even if all I had was a cold. That constant pressure to conform spiritually and mentally to "Holistic" thought and belief is throughout the system of Massage.

It's VERY cult-like and is spinning off imitators like mad. Expect to see cult introduction and indoctrination masquerading as "Alternative Medicine," because it's already happening.

Rand

I have been doing massage for 9.5 years in Seattle, WA--the crunchiest, new- agey-est, massage saturated place in the country--aside from Big Sur, CA( and all those nekkid Esalen types ).

I have mainly massage therapist friends and have been steeped in the massage therapy world for a long time. I did a huge "wahhhhh...???" when I read this thread because I have no--NONE--ZIP experience of what the heck you are talking about.

And you have to understand--I have been to cult hell and back in my own history--so I am a little gun shy around new agey shit and cult behavior to even put up with any so called spiritual mumbo jumbo bullshit.

No one in my massage community behaves or believes the way you describe--sure there are wacky pushy new agey types that want to clean your aura with a frickin' pendulum, but every profession has its weirdos.

The school I went to --The Brian Utting School of Massage-- is the best in the region--and NEVER presumed to indoctrinate us in new age bullshit. It was all clinical injury treatment and deep tissue therapy training. Brian Utting himself is about the least new agey, non-spiritual elitest person you'll ever meet--and he's got major massage world cred.

So, I have no idea what the heck you are talking about--and Jews and blacks being run out of the profession??????? Where are you getting that story???? My husband is Jewish--a massage therapist too--and people have to wait to see him because he is so popular. And other therapists send people to him too--even the new agey types.

Below is a link to the core ideology of the AMTA:

[www.amtamassage.org]

I see no mention of spiritual purity there. Dude--we are about muscles and soft tissue! Show me some proof and maybe then I will entertain that you may have a point.....

I do some reiki and am on reiki mailing lists. Legislation is moving in completely the opposite way to that you suggest.

'Real' massage therapists have the upper hand. There are laws now in Florida and other places that mean effectively reiki cannot be done unless you have a massage qualification.

The reiki folk are up in arms about it as they say it limits their freedom to practice.

But arguably it is so not just anyone can sell new age 'treatments' with no qualifications or regulation.

Quote
kath
'Real' massage therapists have the upper hand. There are laws now in Florida and other places that mean effectively reiki cannot be done unless you have a massage qualification.

I've never heard that before. I have friends who do reiki and friends who are massage therapists, but I don't know anyone who does both.

Quote
nobody
I have mainly massage therapist friends and have been steeped in the massage therapy world for a long time. I did a huge "wahhhhh...???" when I read this thread because I have no--NONE--ZIP experience of what the heck you are talking about.

Show me some proof and maybe then I will entertain that you may have a point.....

I am glad you said this, because I am also wondering what states this is taking place. Randomfactor has said it's happening in at least 4 states, but he/she won't say which ones. I'm very curious as to where this is taking place.

That is what I mean. Massage practictioners are actually limiting what new agers can do (or so the reiki-ists believe) not the opposite as the bloke who started this thread said. Hope it's clear what I'm on about when reading the quote below:-
----
[www.reikipeacenetwork.com]

'"Reiki Is Not Massage" by author Richelle Jarrell first appeared in edited form in the February issue of Massage Magazine. The article [i:eba3299da3](see link above[/i:eba3299da3]) is the complete unedited text which was originally submitted for publication.

Florida Reiki Master Richelle Jarrell, (with her husband, David Jarrell) has worked diligently to free Reiki from unfair regulatory practices in their state. Richelle has organized and headed Floridians For Reiki and Fairness for the past several years in an effort to secure U.S. Constitutional First Amendment rights and guarantees to practice and teach Reiki and other forms of spiritual laying on of hands healing in the state of Florida.
Please note: the Florida Massage Board has voted to require a massage license for Reiki practitioners and teachers in Florida, in spite of the fact that:

1. Reiki healing does not fit the legal definition of massage under Florida state law.
2. To require Reiki healers to obtain massage training and licensure constitutes a monopoly in restraint of trade by the Florida massage school industry. '