Cult doctor, Maxine Szramka sells fraudulent Esoteric ‘integrity’
Late last year NSW State Parliament’s Health Care Complaints Committee called for public submissions to an inquiry into the promotion of false and misleading health related information and practices. The aim was to examine the government’s response to organizations providing health services and misleading members of the public in ways that pose a risk to their health. The Universal Medicine cult’s hierarchy of investors, including the cult doctors, made two submissions proudly advertising their persistent delivery of false and misleading information, luring vulnerable patients into their commerce in harm.
The submissions covered a small amount of the information I examined in my 50 page entry, and without irony portrayed Universal Medicine as the model of integrity and sound health care. They omitted discussion of their practice of inappropriate touching, privacy invasion, the Glorious eating disorder, the entity possessions, insurance fraud, stupidity, lies, bullying and death worship.
The Esoteric Practitioners Association Submission/Advertisement
The EPA sets a standard of professionalism and integrity that is exemplary in the healthcare industry, and its respect for and work alongside conventional medicine is an example to all healthcare providers. Esoteric Practitioners Association submission
Apart from offering to make some cherry picked testimonials available to the Committee, she also talked up the EPA’s ‘highest code of conduct in the world’ but didn’t mention that OAMPS cancelled their professional indemnity insurance when informed of UM’s abusive practices. The cult’s psychologists and physiotherapists writing up Esoteric modalities to Medicare and private health funds also constitutes insurance fraud.
And she left out that the EPA selling practitioner ‘accreditation’ is fraud as well. It’s not a registered training organization.
The UM submission
The UM *Facts* team also placed an advertisement in the inquiry. The authors listed were Alison Greig and embattled College of UM director, Charles Wilson. Other signatories included UM messiah, Serge Benhayon, his trusty pet lawyer, Paula not on the payroll Fletcher, serial UM company director and lawyer, Serryn O’Regan, Noddy Anne Cummings who takes her kids to Benhayon’s rape and circumcision rants, and a few others. Lung specialist, Dr Samuel Kim, also put in a submission, a facsimile of the dishonest silliness described here.
The propaganda team’s effort is a dazzling concoction of obfuscatory self promotion. It takes them eleven pages to admit their shared devotion to everything Benhayon. They don’t mention their religious adherence to Serge’s business, or their financial involvement, and they don’t address the purpose of the inquiry. Instead, they use it as an opportunity to promote UM, portray the inquiry as an attack on complementary medicine and disparage public health activists who’ve criticized their exploitative nonsense.
From the outset the inquiry committee stated the ‘inquiry is not focused on…alternative health care remedies’ used as ‘supplementary health care’ and that it is not intended to inquire into ‘legitimate discussions and studies…about appropriate treatments, along with the diversity of health options’.
The inquiry is looking at how the regulator deals with complaints of harm and potential harm to people lured by false and misleading promotions. Predictably, the state’s most notorious shonks went into paranoia overdrive and took it to mean the government was going to assemble a goon squad and throw Esoteric healers, woo artists and anti-vaccination chiropractors into a gulag for peddling bullshit. Greig and Wilson jumped on that bandwagon and the UM submission was devoted to trying to convince the committee that complementary medicine really works, and Emeritus Professor John Dwyer doesn’t know what he’s talking about when he says Esoteric Breast Massage is an unacceptable practice deceptively marketed with bogus health claims.
The facts team reckons ‘there was no scientific rigour’ in his critique of EBM. The same people support Benhayon’s scientific claim that ‘evolution isn’t true‘.
[Professor Dwyer] asserts (with no evidence to back up his claims) that the alleged benefits of Esoteric Breast Massage are “ludicrous” and is clear that this fits within his directive to attack any complementary therapies that do not satisfy the extremely limited paradigm of evidence-based medicine…
Dwyer had not investigated the Esoteric Breast Massage or applied scientific methodology to his theory. He specifically did not:
- interview women who had received Esoteric Breast Massages;
- develop a series of case studies on those women who have had Esoteric Breast Massage;
- develop population studies on the hundreds of women who have had Esoteric Breast Massage;
- analyse the technique himself.
They then accuse him of not being aware that breast massage can be used for lymphatic drainage, but Esoteric Women’s Health Pty Ltd has never advertised it for that purpose, or that women can massage their own breasts free of charge and without an earful of Esoteric bullshit and a sales pitch for an eternal subscription to Sergio’s workshop and death cycle.
Alison doesn’t mention Professor Dwyer was criticizing marketing that claimed EBM could assist gynaecological disorders such as polycystic ovarian syndrome, endometriosis and menopausal symptoms. She didn’t mention UM erased those unsupportable claims and the rest of the original website, and have not repeated them.
Nor did she mention that if a study took place, UM would seek to control it by selecting model subjects, drilled to tell the Esoteric ‘truth’. A legitimate study would insist on an accurate sample, including the significant proportion of women who tried EBM and found it to be offensive, ineffective and abusive rubbish and never returned.
UM then used a Science Daily article reporting that compression inhibits malignant breast cancer cells to reference a quote implying that breast massage would prevent breast disorders. The quote isn’t found in the article. What the article does say is:
It should be noted that the researchers are not proposing the development of compression bras as a treatment for breast cancer. “Compression, in and of itself, is not likely to be a therapy,” said Fletcher. “But this does give us new clues to track down the molecules and structures that could eventually be targeted for therapies.” Science Daily
I’ve analysed Esoteric Breast Massage, including the bogus therapeutic claims, the hard sell and the sexist and occult indoctrination that accompanies it. The only people who don’t think it’s an abusive affront are UM’s religious investors, who’ve bought the whole brainwashing program, and think it’s okay to send little girls to stay at Serge’s house. And what are the chances victims will complain, given the fervent bullying and intimidation of those of us who speak out? The inquiry committee has received evidence of this.
Testimonials and exploiting cancer patients
Registered practitioners in Australia are prohibited from using testimonials in their advertising, but anything goes for healthcare con artists and the health professionals who promote them. Accompanying UM’s submission was a bunch of testimonials, including from cult GP and Esoteric Women’s Health Pty Ltd promoter, Dr Jane Barker.
Other testimonials are provided by cancer patients including a revealing one from Judith who tells us Serge was practicing ‘Esoteric acupuncture’, in spite of the cult insisting that Serge’s rip off, Esoteric Chakra-Puncture is not acupuncture. If they marketed it as such, the unqualified numbskulls practicing it could be prosecuted for not fulfilling the registration requirements. It proves that patients don’t know the difference, think they’re receiving acupuncture, and that the name was changed to circumvent regulation.
She also indicates how Serge goes about preying on cancer patients to harvest bequests.
I saw Serge in early August before the second surgery. I talked to him about death and how I had been living my life for others rather than for myself. I could see how I had squandered my life energy and made myself vulnerable to cancer in spite of my ‘healthy’ lifestyle…
He told me that he was willing to see me throughout my cancer treatment and that other cancer patients who came to him usually did very well with their treatment…
I was seeing Serge weekly for counselling and esoteric acupuncture and began to feel so well physically that I could take longer and more lively walks than I had been able to do for many months before my diagnosis…
Again, he gave me support through counselling and acupuncture and taught me to “rest deeply” as I went into my chemo sessions, fully choosing to be there since I had decided that I would have it.
Universal Medicine provided me with a beautiful and nurturing space in which to stay within a short distance of the hospital so that I was able to drive myself to the treatment even though I was still tired and became more so. This accommodation and much of my sessions with Serge have actually been free of charge…
The accommodation is UniMed house, across the street from UM headquarters in Goonellabah. Pilgrims stay there so they can receive the full menu of UM’s money for nothing services in intense bursts, and in most cases they pay for the privilege to stay close to the clinic so they can shell out cash – ranging from $35 to $90 per night according to the ad below from 2012.
UniMed House – advertising removed from UM site – remains in web archive
Judith passed away in 2014. Benhayon personally received a total of $1.3M+ shortly before her death and then from her estate – at the expense of her children and grandchildren.
Serge favours cancer patients because they can be talked into a lot of consumption and he can hit them up for bequests. For Serge to give away some accommodation and a few of his healing sessions is similar to the dodgy real estate developers who fly interstate investors to the Gold Coast to sell them over priced property. The value of Serge’s ‘generosity’ amounts to a minuscule fraction of the revenue he reaps from selling repeat consumption of his worthless products and schmoozing victims into donations and bequests.
As much as UniMed profits from false and misleading advertising and promotions, and attempting to avoid transparency, even their most dishonest public statements are perfectly see through.
*
Questions for the Universal Medicine cult doctors
Ripped off by Universal Medicine? Report to NSW Fair Trading 133 220.
UNIVERSAL MEDICINE ACCOUNTABILITY 
“An extraordinary claim requires extraordinary proof”. Said Carl Sagan, and others.
Yet commonly, purveyors of hocus-pocus therapies demand that others provide the proof it doesn’t work. That’s crazier than the original claim.
There are two ways to approach medicine. With the scientific method or with confirmation bias.
Karl Popper, describing the scientific method basically said..” you formulate a hypothesis, try to prove it wrong, and, from your results, formulate a new hypothesis” Science tries to prove things wrong, because it moves them towards more predictive hypotheses by eliminating bad ideas, poor assumptions and stupidity. When observations start to have predictive power, science is working. For example, when Einstein (who never said everything is energy) hypothesized that energy, matter and momentum and are interchangeable values, he and other scientists spent a long time trying to disprove the details of that claim. Not to prove the person wrong, but to beat the theory* into shape. And while his equations have had amazing predictive powers- enabling modern technology and the world we take for granted- it’s inability to predict everything led to quantum mechanics and uncertainty theory, which has led to insights about the cosmos our forebears could never have dreamed as they left the savanna’s of Africa (oh yes they did) 100,000 years ago. (yet this totally escapes 99% of the population. For example, members of cults who believe in “ancient wisdom”)
Now imagine if the science community had simply stopped and ‘believed’ everything Einstein said? Or if they had stopped with Newton before him? We’d be frozen in time, worshiping some dusty tomes and calling people blasphemers for challenging their revelations.
“Confirmation bias, also called myside bias, is the tendency to favor information that confirms one’s beliefs or hypotheses. People display this bias when they gather or remember information selectively, or when they interpret it in a biased way. The effect is stronger for emotionally charged issues and for deeply entrenched beliefs. People also tend to interpret ambiguous evidence as supporting their existing position”
We wouldn’t be too happy flying in an Airbus designed by someone with confirmation bias, or plugging in a computer designed by someone who didn’t use the power of the scientific method to check his or her calculation about the power supply. Would we? But even a cult leader trusts science when they want to fly first class to London to run energy healing courses. His followers do too, as they cram down the back on cheap tickets having just forked out $1800.00 like lemmings to their woo-master.
The submissions made by these misguided doctors on behalf of Serge are confirmation bias on steroids- taken from the drugs locker when no one was looking. They should hold themselves to higher standard. Just because Serge has said ” Please consider science is sponsored” doesn’t give them a free pass to abandon their (previously) tax payer subsidized training and the uncommon sense that is supposed to have given them.
Rather than asking others to prove Serge’s ludicrous claims wrong (which is exceedingly easy. He’s wrong- about everything) They need to prove them using the methodology they allude to. Double blind test, control groups, impartial analysis, peer reviews. Then get it published and allow others to try and falsify the results.
Otherwise, go away. Or at least be honest that you’re just peddling snake oil and stop trying to pretend it is something more than it is.
Hi Lance, while I kind of agree with that Sagan quote, I find an even more powerful philosophical concept is that for something to be true possible to disprove it.
I think I just put that in a clumsy way. What I mean as an example is that to accept gravity as truth you could let go of a pebble at some distance from the ground. If it hovers there or floats off then gravity is not true. But if you can’t find a way to disprove gravity, you can’t say it is true. Obviously that example has some holes if you introduce novel environmental conditions, but hopefully you get the jist.
I forgot which philosopher came up with that idea first (head like a seive) so I can’t atrribute it properly right now. I do remember that shortly after I first read it and it had really impressed me I told a UMer about it at a childs birthday party. I don’t think I have ever seen such an extreme look of rage in anyone’s eyes! He snarled “You make my head hurt” and stormed off. After about a half second of shock I couldn’t help laughing.
So this is obviously the way around the whole “disprove it” challenge: “Tell me how I can disprove it”.
It’s called testing for failure and if there are no failure modes then it’s probably not worth considering.
I was really surprised at his behaviour because I was used to the gentle version, but then this was before I really knew anything about the esoteric way beyond it being another over priced fundamentalist new age fad that I had hoped would pass sooner rather than later…
Sorry Lance, missed the Karl Popper bit… but I’m sure it was someone else…
Hi Max, agreed. That’s the idea. Nothing is ever proven it is just the best working model there is. In science it is called a theory- meaning a well tested, predictive model that has withstood many falsification tests. Something is a “law” when it is an absolute, such as the laws of thermodynamics or mathematics. Pseudo-scientists don’t get these bedrock concepts. They throw science into question because by it’s very nature it is always trying to falsify its assumptions and findings. Observed from the outside, this looks like prevarication, when in fact it is a never ending refinement of theories to increase their predictive power.
Pseudo-science appeals to people because it claims absolutes. Serge uses it all the time. It’s an appeal to authority. In this case, god via him. Of course, this is the weakest form of knowledge, but one of the most appealing to people because it removes uncertainty. By their very nature, Serge’s claims cannot be disproved. His claim to be a fifth level master, a member of the hierarchy, know everything about energy, or be the reincarnation of anyone famous he’d like to claim (because he is not a narcissist) cannot be disproved. On the other hand he can’t prove it either .
It’s confounding to Joe blow, or in this case Joanne Blow. They either believe these claims or not. If they choose the former, they have to abandon any desire for falsification.
Hence, our passive-aggressive members and the cartel of compromised doctors who refuse to examine the contents of their own minds and the contradictions that bounce around in them.
One test we could apply to Serge’s ancient wisdom, is its predictive power. He’s somewhat aware of it himself, and made claims of certain things. His ‘predictions’ are increased natural disasters (from prana) increased illness (from poor energetic choices) contagious cancers, and even the discovery of some gland which will prove that he knows more about the human body. In around 50 years.. He’s even predicted specific events in the past. Of course, none of them have materialized. Like all pseudo-scientists, he just uses false statistics and anecdotes to support his claims and discards everything else that informs him or others it is errant nonsense.
I was thinking last night after writing that reply, how the members and Serge aren’t even aware of basic human psychology. That includes the so-called psychologists involved. All the while ironically believing they are enlightened. While we all have flawed thinking, self-reflection and intellectual honesty must be a prerequisite to any form of enlightenment, as would be empathy.
Empathy is the ability to mind-read, to imagine being in someone else shoes. It’s why we are so successful as a species. And our empathy has improved over generations. it’s why we now care about what happens in the Gaza strip to children in a UN school, or kids in Africa who are starving. It’s that capacity that has liberalized the world and brought rule of law and urgency to concepts of equality, fairness and liberty. Where it doesn’t exist or is minimized, human (and other) suffering flourishes.
Conversely, Serge teaches empathy- “en-joining, constellating” is ‘pranic” or evil. The members “observe but don’t join”. He’s taught them that charity in the sense we know it is ‘evil’, and to avoid people who are depressed, sad, emotional, or in need. And even those who show strong feelings towards you. Serge’s so called “religion of livingness” is about reduced empathy. That’s why it is is called, without reflection, ‘self-care’ and ‘self-love’. That’s why he has a ‘true-charity” and all others are pranic.
In other words-The “work” now known as the “livingness” is really anti-empathy and anti-enlightenment. Its comparison to the Taliban might seem unfair or extreme, but in fact the mechanisms are the same. Knowledge by revelation, fundamentalism, prejudicial thinking, false dilemma’s, intellectual militancy, low empathy, and a desire to live in the past or in some other plane of Utopian existence.
Last night Serge and the team sent another missive out describing me as a menace. Naturally, as Serge is prone to doing, he used my wife as a shield and justification for his righteous indignation. How dare anyone question him? Or a member for that matter! Again, this is the behaviour of someone with low empathy and not a lot of consideration of others, such as my wife. Why keep using her for justification? The answer is obvious. He has none, and like all compromised thinkers and bullshit artists the only defense he has is to vilify his critics or those who seek answers.
Walking around feeling good about yourself is not enlightenment. Especially if it comes at the expense of others. In fact, if it has, then by definition you are in an anti-enlightenment movement. And we all know he attempted destruction of critics and non-investors is the manna that keeps UM fed. Just check out their love blogs for ample proof.
I’ll end by posing the question. What is more likely; Serge is a member of the hierarchy, or he’s not separated his own interests from the ‘true-charity’ sufficiently? I know where I would put my money. We certainly can’t falsify Serge’s grandiose claim, but we may be able to prove the other.
The link they sent out last night went up last week. They’re recycling the same rubbish to try and max their pageviews.
And yes, your family is collateral damage in Sergio’s propaganda war.
Along with cancer patients, sexual abuse survivors, people with eating disorders and mental illness, children, the elderly…
So Serge’s church of molestation, quackery and rip offs can continue it’s expansion.
I find it hard to imagine the Dalai Lama sending out midnight emails about a critics relationship with his wife, and how it proves he is enlightened and will be vindicated. But then, Serge is one initiation point above him so he must have his own rules. More the vengeful, old-testament, god type I think. I’m waiting for the flood to deluge the loveless.
Why it doesn’t dawn on members that only a very small minded man would conduct themselves like that is beyond me. Even if we are evil, misguided, driven by malice or loveless, someone as resplendent as he claims he is, would certainly take the higher road. It’s more proof that he’s just a hateful ratbag hiding behind a few words about “love” and a gaggle of middle aged women with a penchant for ball-busting.
And he still hasn’t worked out it won’t stop us speaking our truth. Smart, he is not.
You’re wasting your time talking about science and reason when you’re up against SERGE SAYS SO
How do they get away with it?
Surely they are on thin ice now. Do the politicians get to read these submissions?
Another money for nothing UM con I found out about…
I suppose this is what they view as charitable works!! and $80.00 for the privilege.
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The parliamentary committee has read their promotional submissions and are enjoying the comparison with the information and quotes provided in mine.
A few UM related submissions haven’t been published yet as they name names, and the committee has to decide on redacting sensitive material. The cult reckons it’s because we didn’t fulfil the terms of reference, but if that was so, and it’s not, we’re in good company – the submissions criticising the Australian (anti) Vaccination Network haven’t been published yet either.
I thought I’d read Alison and Charlies submission. In a nutshell, science “may be wrong” therefore complementary medicine is right. And please don’t hold us to the same standards by which we are judging conventional medicine. We’re multidimensional! It’s basically a waffle trying to make out they are pro-conventional medicine while poo-pooing science and its methodology. They haven’f offered any proof of their claims, other than good ol’ anecdotes. The stuff of pseudo-scientists the world over.
Laughably, they insist that the current legislation binding the HCCC is adequate. Well, they’d be happy to know it is so inadequate that they can get away with just about anything. You’d have to carry a dead body into their office with a picture of the practitioner administering the needle and a signed confession before it would meet the HCCC’s threshold for investigation. Even then, they’d probably hum and hah and try to ask the corpse for a written complaint. Before they could even consider it.
Don’t worry Alison and Charlie, there’s virtually no risk of the HCCC doing anything. Carry on with witchcraft and occult magic. No one cares.
You’re right.
The gist of their submission is that complementary medicine really works for something or other, therefore there are no dishonest operators, no false and misleading promotions and no victims. Professor Dwyer doesn’t approve of quackery therefore he has no right to advocate for patients who are ripped off by charlatans portraying themselves as health services.
He told me that he was willing to see me throughout my cancer treatment and that other cancer patients who came to him usually did very well with their treatment…
I bet they did. Convenient isn’t it? If a cancer patient doesn’t do well, you can blame the cancer. If they survive – Serge is a miracle worker.
Weekly sessions of counselling and chakrapunkture – over servicing with treatments that do fuck all. I bet he tells them they’re going to come back as an Esoteric saint with no disease and a higher initiation. Free accommodation near the clinic to impress with Serge’s amazing generosity and so he can say ‘oh, and we need gifts of donations to help me continue my soul-full healing service…’
How many bequests has UM received?
A counsellor or other practitioner who answers to a professional association breaches their codes of conduct if they seek donations from patients.
Where does that sit with the EPA Pty Ltd and their highest code of bullshit.
UM are parasitial, dishonest predators, and they need to be legislated out of business.
There’s placebo effects, and a feeling that you are being cared for. That probably did give her a sense of comfort, along with the adult fairy tale about reincarnation and blah de blah blah. But it would have come at a big price. Nothing happens without a reason or payoff in Sergio world, even if the zealots choose to believe otherwise.
I reckon Serge or Serge – ites do the writing for your wife. OMG the day your wife realises what really is going on.
Maybe what this ugly situation needs is for those of us who have been patients of these UM cult affiliated doctors to go to the press.
Maybe we need to tell our story. Our GP’s referred us to these Dr’s in good faith, they did not know that these Dr’s belong to and promote support and sanction UM. We have been blatantly told to see Serge and other UM quacks.
Have any other readers experienced this.
If Serge didn’t not have the support of these Doctors he would be nothing.
It is appalling what UM does to anyone to is a whistle blower including the press.
If UM had nothing evil to hide they would welcome the publicity. Their repetitive ugly reaction/action speaks of guilt guilt and more guilt.
UM forbids followers reading alternative viewpoints, blocks challenging opinions / questions on their mushy “love” blogs (perpetuating bizarre distortions of reality & defensive psychological lies), dismisses concerns raised, self righteously vilifies critics & targets the vulnerable. Then wonders why the pressure doesn’t let up??
Answering a question with a straight answer is against their ‘religion’. As Serge demonstrated in his ludicrous response to Jane Hansen’s perfectly reasonable questions.
How hard is it to answer some simple questions … unless of course the answers are incriminating, immoral or insane!
Even though the authorities are abysmally limited (& / or apathetic) in bringing exploitive cults, religions or business into account, at least sites like this facilitate searchers to make a more informed decision (preferably before they commit).
That’s true. And we have heard ample anecdotal evidence that people that may have been recruited into UM have avoided it, and some people in it have left, in part due to the information on the various sites. So kudos to Esther for having the temerity to take on a well funded, hate filled cult masquerading as ‘loving people in service”.
The way I see it, the problem with cults is two fold. First, hardly anyone knows what constitutes a cult. Just talk to anyone and you have to start with “like Jonestown?” or “the Catholic church is a cult” and a bunch of other (understandably) lazy impressions. The members I would image, make similiar comparisons, and because they ‘feel’ like they have adopted the ideology freely, and they ‘feel’ like they are impinged, they ‘feel’ like they are not in a cult. So if you don’t know you’re in a cult, how can you possibly analyze it, and then perhaps get out? A corollary to those superficial arguments is that members of cults, just like UM, claim brainwashing is not possible.
But there’s a simple test of that- If they had not encountered the group, and been persuaded by its ideas of it and the other members, would they have reached those same conclusions and adopted those ideologies and accompanying ‘lifestyle’?- the answer, manifestly, is no. Call it persuasion, call it thought reform, call it want you want, but the reality is that it is by encountering and interacting with the group the worldview and ‘beliefs’ of members is shaped. Not the other way around. The “truth” does not exist independently, and it is not something that would ‘reveal’ itself to someone who had not encountered the group.
No UM member could claim seriously that they would have ‘felt’ the truth of the ‘hierarchy’, the evils of dairy and gluten, and that people were ‘love-less’ had it not been for their unfortunate encounter with the delusions Serge has introduced to them.
Ergo, in the popular, if not pejorative vernacular- brainwashing. Of course, they’ll call it karma or the ‘law of attraction’.
Secondly, and flowing on from above, recruitment is always by stealth. You are not offered a choice. The process is one of slow immersion, with powerful group conformity instincts at play. (try and stand in a room with 100 people and not raise your arms when instructed to do so)
Information is fed from bottom up. If you walked into a meeting and Serge was ranting about the ‘astral cult’ and ‘persecution of the media’ and the ‘dark lodge’ your critical faculties, no matter how alert or not normally, would start sounding alarms. If you hear words about love, gentleness, vibrancy, empowerment, the alarms bells are dormant. In fact, it accords with what you want to hear. The trouble is, what you hear over time, and then accept, shifts drastically. That’s called reality shifting. And all cults do it.
Soon you’re accusing the people you used to love of being evil (or ‘love-less’ if you want to euphemise your judgements and hatred) when they become alarmed (having come to the party belatedly and hearing the crazy talk) and start asking questions.
There are new members of UM, who no doubt have read these blogs. The ‘power’ of the group and the emotional/ideological contagions is immense. Through the lens of that thinking, these blogs are dangerously subversive.
There’s a broader problem than just UM. It’s the focal point of our attention, but it’s just one group of perhaps 10 in Northern NSW alone. The deleterious effects and cost to the public are underestimated. Suffice to say, the ‘authorities’ are unaware, and don’t care.
It’d probably help if someone did a study on the true costs to families, the courts, mental health and ultimately productivity. If it could be reduced to dollars and cents maybe they’d start to take notice. Until then, they’ll keep handing out subsidies and tax free status- ex gratia.
“Dwyer had not investigated the Esoteric Breast Massage or applied scientific methodology to his theory. He specifically did not:
interview women who had received Esoteric Breast Massages;
develop a series of case studies on those women who have had Esoteric Breast Massage;
develop population studies on the hundreds of women who have had Esoteric Breast Massage;
analyse the technique himself.”
And nor did they!
Or do a double blind trial and compare the results of woman getting EBM’s to control groups to eliminate bias. The sort of glaring bias the group shows when promoting this ‘treatment’.
Let’s not forget that this ‘treatment’ is mostly conducted on women without any particular breast problems- other than the impositions of men sexualizing them and breastfeeding. So what would you best testing for? And Serge made noises about litigating against the medical observer and Northern Star for suggesting he was treating cancer. So it’s not for that, by inference in any form. (although there is ample evidence this is what is suggested) So what does this treatment do? What would one be testing for? The removal of energy that can’t be detected?
Nothing. It’s just a strange treatment dreamed up by a strange man. If there wasn’t a movement around it, and some other random guy was doing this in the backstreets of Byron Bay, the HCCC might be moved to send him a warning letter. It’s more likely because the ‘client’ wouldn’t be laying there compliantly thinking “Wow, I am clearing the energetic imposts of that guy who looked at my cleavage”. And yes, we know Serge say’s he’s never done them. Except on his wife.
Don’t get me started on Esoteric Uterus Massage. What is going on in those minds?
On the Women in Livingness blog site, Jane Keep and others claim it cured their endometriosis and other gyne issues. The same Jane Keep who was a UM UK company director, and is now a Sound Foundation trustee, and reckons she controls the universe with her self-loving choices.
It’s why registered health practitioners are prohibited from using testimonials in advertising, and why they are required to adhere to research protocols – but Kate Greenaway and Dr Sam Kim ignore that. Peer review is Astral.
Abysmal research methods & delusions of grandeur …
Good to see the recently released HCCC report contains a section on Universal Medicine:
Universal Medicine
3.27 Universal Medicine is a Lismore-based organisation which offers a number of unique treatments purportedly for the health and wellbeing of its clients. These treatments include: esoteric breast massage; esoteric chakra puncture; and esoteric connective tissue therapy, amongst others. The treatments claim to be able to help with a variety of conditions through the manipulation of the body’s energy.
3.28 The founder of this organisation does not have any medical qualifications, nor have any of the treatments been proven effective by evidence-based, scientific research.
3.29 The treatments offered were devised by the organisation’s founder and while the organisation provides courses and qualifications for practitioners, they are not accredited. The Friends of Science in Medicine explained that:
… patients are subjected to a whole series of nonsense therapeutic approaches… they claim they can massage your back and actually massage your lungs if you have lung conditions; the practitioners say they have the power to talk to a woman’s ovaries and learn about that; and they explain that all illnesses are due to past misdeeds in previous incarnations of your life.33
3.30 While there is little anecdotal evidence to suggest actual harm caused by these treatments, concerns were raised that patients may forego seeking proper medical advice and care. Two patients who were undergoing therapies at Universal Medicine were independently diagnosed with cancer and bronchiectasis respectively, and required proper medical intervention in order to be properly treated.34
3.31 The Committee has received assurances that the Commissioner is aware of the activities of Universal Medicine and that he has received complaints concerning the treatments being offered.
Source: HCCC report Nov 2014 “The Promotion of False and Misleading Health Related Information and Practices”, page 15.