Page 17 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper March/April 2018 Edition

John of God: Healing by Entities? 17

‘John of God’: Healings

by Entities?

by Dr. Joe Nickell

Known as “John of God,” a Brazilian faith
healer claims spirits take control of his body to
enable him to perform surgeries without
anesthesia and other healing procedures. The
spiritual center he founded, located in the little
town of Abadianian Brazil’s remote central
highlands, has been dubbed “the Lourdes of
South America” (“Controversial” 2006), while
he himself has been called a charlatan and
worse (“Is” 2005).
First alerted by a CNN producer to a
John of God healing service in Atlanta, I
determined to go undercover to get a close look religious movement, overlayed onto Shrewdly, João’s entities avoided
at what was transpiring. I worked with National Catholicism. It may involve mediumistic performing “visible surgeries” in Atlanta, where
Geographic Television and Film on a segment searches for past lives and even so-called he might have been arrested. I was chosen for an
for their Is It Real? series program, “Miracle “psychic surgery” (Bragdon 2002, 14—20; “invisible” procedure as I hobbled by with a
Cures,” which included an analysis of the John Guiley 2000, 360—362). cane, wearing the requisite white outfit that, I
of God phenomenon. Supposedly, psychic surgeons open the was told, “helps maintain a higher vibrational
body paranormally—without surgical frequency” (“John” 2006a; 2006b). I also wore a
John of God instruments or anesthetic—and heal diseases by minor disguise since frequent media
manipulating vital organs. Typically, they have appearances have made me more recognizable
Known in his native Portuguese as João de involved fraudulent practices including sleight (see figures 1 and 2).
Deus—“John of God”—João Teixeira de Faria of hand. For instance, “tumors” have proved to As I would discover, João is an unlikely
was born in 1942 to poor parents. He grew up be pieces of chicken intestines and blood that of miracle worker. A grade-school dropout, he was,
unable to stay in school or hold a job. At a cow (Nickell 1998, 159—162). reports an admirer, “forced to live as a wanderer,
sixteen, he reportedly discovered his miraculous John of God, however—styled “João-in- traveling from city to city healing the sick and
ability when, in a vision, a woman directed him Entity” when supposedly possessed—has a living from their donations of food” (Pellegrino-
to a nearby church. There, although he different style. He performs dubious “surgeries” Estrich 1995). Because, in Brazil, it is illegal to
maintains he does not remember what that are either “visible” or “invisible.” The practice medicine without a license, he has been
happened, having been entranced, he allegedly former may involve twisting forceps up a charged and fined—even jailed briefly. A district
performed a miraculous healing. person’s nostrils or using a knife to scrape an attorney who investigated him has reported that
He thus began a career that impresses eyeball or slice open a fleshy abdomen—all João sent her—indirectly, through a relative—
the credulous. Claiming to be a medium (one without anesthesia. According to a pro-João death threats. John of God denies that, along
who communicates with spirits of the dead), he book, “In over thirty-five years of the Entity’s with an accusation that he took advantage of one
insists he is guided by more than thirty surgery, it has been extremely rare for there to woman who had come to him for healing.
entities—although, curiously, João speaks only be any infections” (Bragdon 2002, 11). “There is a lot of jealousy. People talk,”
Portuguese, regardless of which entity is With “invisible surgery,” the entity du he says defensively. “What dictates is the
possessing him at a given time. King Solomon jour gives a prayer, after which thousands of conscience toward God.” Noting his apparent
was his first entity. Others followed, including “healing entities” busy themselves, allegedly, wealth, some critics say his “healings” are
Ignatius Loyola, the Spanish noble who by operating on an organ, revitalizing a muscle, merely a front to make him a rich man (“Is”
founded the Jesuit order in 1540; João’s center or otherwise “simultaneously attending to the 2005).
is named for him: Casa de Dom Inácio de problems of the people in the room” (Bragdon Certainly, his procedures are a sham. The
Loyola. Oswaldo Cruz, a physician who helped 2002, 11). Augmenting the sessions are twisting of forceps up a pilgrim’s nose is an old
eradicate yellow fever, is another alleged entity, encouragements to meditate, drink water circus and carnival sideshow stunt, explained in
along with other past healers, in a sort of blessed by the entities, and take prescribed my book Secrets of the Sideshows (Nickell
spiritist pantheon (“Controversial” 2006; “Is” herbal remedies. 2005, 238—241). Looking far more tortuous
2005). than it is, the feat depends on the fact that,
Spiritism is essentially spiritualism, a Investigation: unknown to many people, there is a sinus cavity
belief that one can communicate with spirits, that extends horizontally from the nostrils over
but with the added conviction that spirits I had already obtained a ticket to the John of the roof of the mouth to a surprising distance—
repeatedly reincarnate in a progression toward God event in Atlanta when I was contacted by enough to accommodate a spike, icepick, or
enlightenment. In Brazil, which is steeped in National Geographic Television. We then other implement used in the “Human
superstition and has a climate of belief in worked together on an investigation that shed Blockhead” act.
African spirits, spiritism has become a powerful new light on the Brazilian’s claims. (Continued on Page 18)