Could John of God be a sex abuser and a sex addict?
Dec 8, 2018: Twelve women stepped forward to report that an internationally known healer, referred to as “John of God”, is a sex abuser. He had sexually abused them, they said. A major Brazilian newspaper, Folha, did a 17-minute TV expose. Within 3 days 187 more women reported being sexually abused by John inside his healing center in Brazil. Total complaints on Dec 12 numbered 458.
As of Dec 11, John of God (real name: João Teixeira de Faria) says he didn’t do it. His lawyer says the same.
However, for years there have been illustrations of John’s abuses in the media. Australia 60 minutes reported it on TV in 2014. The reporter warned Australians of the dangers of going to John of God’s clinic.
A Spiritual Healer?
John began healing people as a teenager. As a young boy he was able to make valid predictions of the future. More than 44 years he has been available to the public as a spiritual healer, working for free. A kindness to others you would think. Many believe they have been healed by John’s work at his spiritual hospital. Before he passed away in 2002, Chico Xavier, considered a saint in Brazil, was a teacher and counselor to John.
But even the best of teachers cannot save us from our own demons. Ultimately, each one of us has to do the work.
What are the stresses he has faced? John has been an “unconscious medium”. That means he goes into a trance while channeling discarnate beings and has no memory of what has happened when he “wakes up” from the trance. He has thus been completely dissociated from his personality (ego) and has allowed discarnate beings to take over his body, counsel the afflicted, even do physical surgery. For three full days a week when he works with the afflicted—often more than a thousand each day–his life is not his own. Sometimes, spontaneously, spirits come to him, disturbing his sleep, intervening when he is talking to a friend—even grabbing his attention during his own wedding ceremony.
His gifts as a healer did not come with an instruction manual about how to stay balanced as a human being. Even if there was one to be found: He is illiterate and can’t read. He came from a poor family. His schooling took him up through 2nd grade. He has no medical training. He has not had psychotherapy or coaching to help him integrate his gifts and lead a balanced life.
Evidence of his imbalance: He has trouble sleeping. He’s had 11 children by 11 different women. He gets no exercise and has a sedentary life-style, eats a heavy diet, suffered stomach cancer…and now there’s a strong possibility that he is a sex abuser.
A Spiritist?
John clearly believes in the existence of disembodied spirits and believes there are benefits in communing with spirits; but that does not make him a Spiritist.
Spiritists are followers of a very particular philosophy created by a French academic, Allen Kardec, in the mid 19th century. Spiritists believe that the goal of life is spiritual evolution. A follower is encouraged to be ethical and respectful in all their relationships. That’s the chorus to their song. Support for growth and healing is offered at Spiritist Centers through classes, talks, free energy work and interventions by highly trained medical intuitives; however practitioners never work alone, only in groups.
Training for Spiritist therapists is available for free and trainees are always being watched by those more experienced. It is considered essential to study the five foundational books of Kardec and to discuss the principles with other followers of Spiritism. Being in a position to get supervision when one is a medium is of the essence. Maintaining a balanced, moral life is the grounding for all Spiritist work.
The successes of Spiritist therapies have been measured by academics and medical doctors. For example, some centers claim 60-90% success curing addicts and the suicidally depressed.
John could not study Kardec’s books because he cannot read. He works alone and without supervision of any kind. His center also offers no training or study for others aspiring to be healers or mediums. John commands the spotlight as the only medium at his spiritual hospital. John is thus, by definition, not able to be a Spiritist and follow Spiritist principles.
The Federation of Brazilian Spiritists denounces John of God. They do not recommend anyone go to John’s spiritual hospital in Abadiânia for treatment.
#Me Too
The #Me Too movement is raking through the landscapes of all cultures, exposing the dirt of those who abuse power (spiritual, physical, political and/or financial). No sex abuser is immune. The Catholic Church has had to face reports of its priests involved with child sexual abuse. There have been thousands of reports in many countries. All of the bishops of Chile offered to resign as a demonstration of the need to clean up this gross aspect of the Church that has been swept under the rug for decades—possibly longer. Famous Hollywood stars and wealthy CEOs have been jailed for their abuses. Congressmen and Senators have been called out to surrender their positions of power. Even the US President is being exposed for his transgressions.
Denials and cover-ups are burning up in the bonfires of the #Me Too movement. Hopefully a culture of mutual respect will arise from the ashes.
Courage and Compassion
John of God has been a phenomenon: An energetic healer whose work has inspired thousands. If the stories now being told prove true and he is a sex abuser–I hope he will come clean about his abuse of women and youngsters. I hope he can obtain the help he may need to work through the shadow land of being a sex addict and one who has abused power.
May he have the courage to make amends and face justice.
May we have appropriate compassion. May we recognize each of us needs to do the work of facing our addictions.
Emma Bragdon, PhD, is the author of “Spiritual Alliances: Discovering the Roots of Health at the Casa de Dom Inácio”, a series of interviews with medical doctors and healers who were impressed with the work of John of God in 2002. Dr. Bragdon takes groups of healthcare providers once a year to Brazil to visit a Spiritist Psychiatric Hospital and Spiritist Community Centers to witness, experience and learn from medical doctors and practitioners who work there. She has published 2 books on Spiritism. https://imhu.org/brazil-spiritist-hospitals/. She is producing a series of films on “spiritual emergency”: https://imhu.org/mental-health-awakening
Thank you, Emma! I was searching for guidance, and here you are. I am a Subud sister in Santa Cruz, and saw you several times in Abadiania…I am a friend of Catherine’s. For 10 years, I have facilitated a “Casa Meditation” here here in SC, and it is lovely. Our group welcomes the entities, and I have always seen a separation from John of God, though some members of the group deify him. I love the Spiritist materials, and have appreciated your work regarding spiritual emergence. I am so glad that I looked at your website…and thrilled to have your words to share.
Thank you, Emma.
Frieda Krieger
[email protected]
So ??
I believe the me too is an important movement that can open up discussions about sexual abuse – boundaries internal and external – the way sexual abuse is passed on from generational sexual abuse. It can explore how many fathers as well as mothers abuse their small children that later become the abused or abusers themselves. Blaming churches people of power almost never looking at the instinctual part of women is not acknowledging how both female and male are placed for sexual abuse to arise
Many many people were helped by John and many many people helped themselves financially through John. It’s the normal dilemma of greed. Parasitical behaviour – so many guides so many posadas – all gaining personal gain.
Is it possible that this one human man was pushed to his limit by others who wanted what had started as a incredible gift. Illiterate uneducated easily manipulated. Sexual drive goes hand in hand with power – men are wired differently women need to respect that. I am sure he did not push them into s private room. It’s like the alcoholic who keeps drinking and blames others for his transgressions.
How is he going to clean up his act – at 76 years of age. What must he do ? He will now spend the rest of his life in jail. What a sad and a useless way to end a life. I sincerely hope that he can leave this planet and go to a place where sex is not the issue as Jesus Christ mentioned and he can be rewarded for at least the good that he has done and can work through his issues in a non judgemental way on a different plane
Some of the mediums that I met were Spiritist – I was introduced to Spiritism there in the infirmary. I bought my first books of Allan Kardec there. There were baptisms into the Spiritist doctrine every week. There were books on Spiritism in his bookshop- Spiritism teaches the doctrine of Christ .
We cannot reach the level of spiritual growth that we are seeking by blaming sick people for how they behave
I have had to look to the history of my own family
For instance my dear mum – from my new understanding her boundaries were fractured – she was the abandoned illegitimate daughter of a well known man. She taught morals but behaved in a different way. Blaming and shaming me for sexual transgressions that could have left me scarred for life. A personal spiritual emergency at 15 yo and a spiritual emergence at 33 yo allowed me to blamelesly overcome these traumatic difficulties my mother continued to carry the guilt of her abortion projecting her despair on to me.
My father – I did not know him as he died when I was very young – from the photographs I saw he was a handsome man Erol Flynn type man – women loved him – their boundaries around him were loose a behaviour pattern of women not men . Another good example is Rudolf Valentino – women committed suicide so smitten were they with his magical charm. John was no Rudolf Valentino but he had power and that in itself changes the dynamics between women and himself – perhaps he was unable as a human being to resist. Putting human beings before God has never worked for any of us
My prayer is that we turn to Jesus Christ in my case or who ever else you believe in and pray. If all the thousands of people who now condem him – started to pray for him – I feel sure that we would get closer to solving an ageless problem that starts in the family constellation and puts a stop to the sexual abuse of innocent children and violent sexual acts towards women.
I have been to the Casa with healing myself. I’m saddened by the accusations and also reflect on the Casa, the people, the love and pure dedication of that place. I only know that the answer lies in love and compassion for all of us villains, victim’s, and heroes. We are all just children of God and I know for John of God he will have his own conscious to deal with whatever that may be for the rest of his life.