What People Should Know about Spiritual Healer John of God

This is a 2014 photo of John of God at his spiritual center in Brazil.  The photo is from the December 23, 2018 article by Lia Timson in The Sydney Morning Herald.  (photographer Tim Elliott)

 
 

News articles about João Teixeira da Faria in recent weeks have routinely made no mention of the fact that he is a trance healer (or 'channeler'); instead, reporters have used such terms as psychic, medium, healer or faith healer.  Journalists appear to be ignorant about the subject of 'channeling,' as may even be some of the people who've traveled to his healing center in Brazil for treatment over the years.  The plethora of mindless news articles found online reflects the spiritual consciousness of a predominantly entertainment-oriented society.  One recent article that mentions channeling albeit in an irrelevant way was published in The Sydney Morning Herald.  The article (like many of the recent articles) shows some prejudicial information and begins with the following sentences:

 

He is illiterate, humble and always deferential to others whom he considers truly divine.  Brazil's Joao de Deus, or John of God, was born poor, accepted his "gift" of supernatural powers at 16 years of age and has since healed large numbers of people, millions perhaps, by channelling entities more powerful than himself.

Or so the narrative goes.

 
The documentation of John of God (João de Deus) is probably the best documented trance healing case on record, chronicled in many books and YouTube videos (as mentioned in previous blog articles 1, 2, 3).  In December João was a subject of news articles concerning sexual abuse claims against him although it is unclear about how knowledgeable are the accusers about channeling.  The United States media coverage shows that most journalists in this country seem to have no personal familiarity with João's circumstances and career.  The articles focus on claims similar to those associated with what has come to be known as the 'Me Too' movement — something far more familiar to journalists.  One AFB article summarized the background of the "#METOO" hashtag:

 

This hashtag campaign encouraged women to speak up about sexual harassment and assured them they were not alone on their road to recovery.  The phrase “me too” was first used by social activist Tarana Burke nearly a decade ago, when she tried to build solidarity among survivors of sexual harassment, it gained worldwide recognition when actor Alyssa Milano tweeted this on Oct. 15, 2017: “If you've been sexually harassed or assaulted write 'me too' as a reply to this tweet."

Over the following night, more than 30,000 people used the hashtag and it quickly gained local versions, like the French #BalanceTonPorc. The #MeToo movement, which came at a time when Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein was accused of assaulting several women, has subsequently become critical in denouncing violence against women.

 

As someone who has seen many documentary videos and read several books chronicling João's life and career, I now can only wonder how the achievements of such a well-known healer can be so widely overlooked throughout the mainstream media.  There have always been questions of  media regulation.  One 1977 article was "The Spies Who Came In From The Newsroom" (PDF file) by Joe Trento and Dave Roman.  In more recent times there are questions about how journalists who work for corporations are influenced by company executives along with there being the potential of commercial motivations influencing the assumed imparatives formulated by each news writer. 

An English translation of how João expressed his spiritual orientation is presented in an interview transcript from the 2007 book John of God: The Brazilian Healer Who's Touched the Lives of Millions by Heather Cumming and Karen Leffler:

Medium João: I know I have God with me, and also the Compassionate Spirits.  No one walks alone.  Christ did not walk alone, for there were not only  the Twelve Apostles, there were 120 who accompanied him.  [Medium João removes his glasses and appears to incorporate.]  Christ proved there were another 4,000 accompanying him at the time he distributed the bread and the fishes.  All were the Apostles of Christ.  The Helping Spirits never walk alone.  It is a phalange, a group of Compassionate Spirits who work together from the spiritual realms.  I believe in Jesus, and I believe in God, for he is my Father.  All that I do, all of my work, is for the Father.  The Father gives me everything I need.  For this reason I am a happy man.  The heart of God watches over me.

 

On January 4 of the new year, a Lancaster University lecturer made a few brief comments about her own encounter with "Brazil's Accused Faith Healer".  The lecturer Laura Premack referred to João as "the most famous medium in Brazil" and "spiritual surgeon — a role at the intersection of folk Catholicism and  Brazilian Spiritism."  She wrote:

 

Teixeria’s “spiritual hospital” in the small town of Abadiânia, halfway between the major cities of Brasília and Goiânia, is called the Casa de Dom Inácio de Loyola after Saint Ignatius who founded the Jesuits, one of the 37 spirits Teixeira claims to incorporate into his body during trances.  A benefactor secured land for him there in 1979, and the small town of 19,000 now receives 10,000 visitors a month, most of them foreigners.

 

The recalled details related about Premack's own interaction with João are somewhat general and I can't be sure she is being serious; after all, what could have induced an acknowledged one of "the sceptical" to visit João's healing center.  (She mentioned in the article "the sceptical, lke me . . .")  Concerning the reported "more than 600" abuse claims, one may only wonder how something like this could be thinkable considering 76-year-old João's expressed spiritual awareness and dedication to helping with the facilitation of all the phenomenal healings that have occurred.
 

The sceptical Laura claimed that she "watched him scrape a man’s eyeball with a scalpel" and fainted.  Then: "When I came to, the soft-voiced people looking after me told me I’d had a 'spiritual surgery.'  What if I’d passed in front of him again, and what if he’d invited me for a private consultation, and what if I’d said yes?"

At least Laura didn't jump to the conclusion that something may have happened to her while unconscious.  Left unstated is any manner of cogitation regarding the subject of supernormal aspects of healing.  As previously mentioned in an article, it seems evident that some of the women now suspicious that they could have been abused may not understand João's circumstances as a trance channeler.  João himself is not conscious while 'in entity' and therefore will have no memory of channeling intervals.

Consulting with 'the Entity' (controlling João's body) is described in Emma Bragdon's 2002 book Spiritual Alliances:

 

It is suggested that you continuously meditate on the problem you are experiencing as you wait in line to see the Entity.  When your turn comes, the Entity will first look at you, without having heard your question.  As he looks at you, he sees your condition on all levels: physical, spiritual and emotional.  This is referred to as "seeing your blueprint."  Sharon, who tells her story in Part Four [of Spiritual Alliances], explains, "The entities can read everything — your thoughts, past lives, karma, intentions and current activities.  When you come before the entities, you literally open your soul."

João, the man, was asked, "Do the entities know everything about us?"  He responded, "If they work with the energy of God, then they know everything."  The entity then is in a position to prescribe herbs or treatments as well as answer your questions.  Questions can resolve around any issue which is important to you.  After giving you your prescription, which may include surgery, you are typically invited to sit in the first or second current room to meditate.  The consultation generally lasts a matter of seconds.  More time is taken when surgery is performed, but the procedures are usually brief.

The Entity deals with each person in a very individual way, according to the problem, the intention of the visitor, and what he feels called to do.  João, the man, recently said, "Everyone who passes in front of the Entity will receive exactly what they need.  If your spiritual treatment is not finished when you leave the Casa, distance will not separate you and the work will continue, wherever you are."

People who have little intention to follow the Entity's advice are sometimes dismissed quite quickly.  For example, an Australian woman and her daughter had a very negative attitude toward the whole Casa.  They were concerned they would be given herbs, and would be asked to discontinue their habit of drinking alcohol.  The Entity first looked hard at them, prescribed nine bottles of herbs (a supply lasting three months), and then waved his arm, indicating they go to the current room — without any further explanation.  By sitting in meditation, surrounded by the positive energy of the other mediums, they would hopefully confront themselves and understand that they needed to participate actively in their healing.

 

Personally, this blogger finds it difficult to fathom the perspective of anyone who has personally interacted with John of God and not found the experience beneficial in some way.  Beyond the question of physical improvement, each patient has experienced a rare psychic phenomenon that is instructive about the nature of life on Earth.  The Spiritism tradition may have made this possible, just as American cultural traditions have resulted with such an individual associated with healing as Kathryn Kuhlman, whose 'miracle services' are documented in books and videos.  (example video)

Another extensively documented trance healing case is that of Ray Brown in England.  'Paul' speaking through him has explained about the purpose of life on Earth:

 

You are here because the Infinite Spirit, the source of all life, God, has allowed you to experience life.  You are born into this world for the same purpose, to gain an identity and to have an Earth experience that will allow you as a perfect[ed] soul, to bring your pure light and love to the Earth plane and help change it for the better.  But unfortunately this is rarely achieved due to life on Earth.

 

Anyone who has experienced a visit to João's healing center and believes there is no improvement in physical well-being may not have considered that all factors relating to one's health may not be known or recognized by a recipient of spiritual healing.

A person knowledgeable about transcendental dimensions of life will be conscious that everyone has spiritual sources of potential help in life.  Traditional terms expressing these helpers are that of 'guardian angel' and 'spirit guide' or 'control.'  A previous blog article shared one perspective of a channeled entity on this subject:

 

From the moment of conception and even before that, there is attached to the incarnating soul someone who volunteers to act as his guardian.  "He has given His angels charge concerning thee, to keep thee in Thy ways" is a literal truth.  The guardian will maintain to the best of his or her ability the function assumed until the time comes for you to cross the border.  The task becomes easier when you are aware of the guardianship; it becomes difficult when you are unaware of it.  There is only one guide, but many helpers.  The guardian angel knows before he assumes his task what lies ahead of him and does not have a free choice in the matter either.  Not everyone can say I will be the guardian to this or that person.  Ours is a very organised world.

 
2021 Update at www.healingguidance.net:
 

15 September 2021 — Update

Claudio Pruja, one of the long-term diligent and dedicated volunteers at the Casa de Dom Inacio (we first met him at our first Casa visit in 2005), writes in his Facebook page: "Medium Joao will get out of prison and will return to his house in Anápolis to serve home arrest."  Within a few hours of this posting, there were over 100 "like" responses and many dozens of enthusiastic comments . . .