Search Engine Terms
Aside from the fact that WordPress allows me to blog for free, there’s another perk that I’m a big fan of: “Site Stats”. Every now and then I like to glance through it to see how many hits I get per day/week/month. But perhaps the best category on the site stats page is the one entitled “Search Engine Terms”. There I can see what search words led them to my blog.
Generally, the most searched for terms are “theta healing scam”, “vianna stibal”, “thetahealing”, ”theta healing fraud” followed by a random assortment of things like “vianna stibal fake”, “Vianna stibal hoax” ”does theta healing actually work” and “thetahealing truth.” I chuckle to myself when I get searches for ”Marshall Applewhite Hale Bopp” and “James Arthur Ray trial“, feel like people are ‘getting it’ when I see searches like “thetahealing doesn’t work” and “theta healing no results”… and my heart aches when I see searches like “using theta healing to cure HIV” and “healing cancer with theta healing.”
Comments From Real People
On the right hand side of this blog you can find the most recent comments left by ‘you’. I publish nearly every one (I explain the ones I didn’t post in Personal Attackers Need Not Apply), but I’m not sure how many of those comments are actually viewed by passers-by. That’s one thing I can’t tell on WordPress… I wonder if I can beg them for that capability? Sorry, back to the point. I get some seriously incredible comments, and I’m always honored when someone takes time out of their day to leave meaningful remarks for others, and me, to read. Furthermore, and you may not believe me (which is fine) but I also appreciate the Pro-Theta comments, as long as they are constructive and aren’t flowing in my direction for the sole purpose of throwing stones at me as an evil ThetaNaysayer.
3 Real People
The following first excerpt is from a comment that can still be seen on this blog. I was blown away by it and, after communicating with its author, I asked permission to not only use it as a focal point for a post- but also to quote a personal email that he wrote me. I believe that you will understand why I knew it was vital to include this ‘story’ in a more highlighted way, and not just as a nearly ‘hidden’ comment. I wanted to also add two other comments which follow, so you can get a little more of a view of the others, like me, who see that ThetaHealing isn’t as magical as it appears to be.
1. “[ThetaHealing] will delay proper treatment“
“Greetings from the UK! I came across your website when I was arranging a date with a guy I’d met. When he told me what he did for a living he said ‘Reflexologist and Theta Healer’. Now I already knew Reflexology was a load of unproven BS but I had no idea what Theta Healing was so I googled it and found your site, (and others). These people sound almost as crazy as the Scientology bunch! I cancelled the date, and will be referring anyone else who mentions Theta ‘Healing’ to me over to your site. Personally as someone with HIV, I find Miss Stibal’s claim that it can be cured with her method as insulting as it is stupid. Good work debunking this crap.”
I thanked “Joe” via email, and this is an excerpt from one of his replies…:“A positive HIV diagnosis can put people in the vulnerable, stressed, and weakened state that makes them all the more susceptible to the kind of ambiguous but cleverly worded and manipulative mumbo-jumbo peddled by these people who dare to call themselves healers, when people should be listening to a qualified Doctor and taking proven drugs.
In the UK the view that HIV can be treated by ‘alternative methods’ – like changes in diet and nutrition seems to me to be more noticeable in recent years, and this ThetaHealing BS is no different – it will delay proper treatment, and suggests that the virus is somehow less serious than it is. All in all, they’re a nasty piece of work. If I hear anyone refer to, or consider TH, I shall send them over to your blog.” – “Joe”
2. The Rat
My marriage broke up after I fell out with my ex-wife over this woman while she was attending one of her courses in India. Both of us were complementary therapists and I am quite open minded but smelt a rat quite quickly. I could not get my wife to see that Vianna was a fraud. I also tried to argue with this Vianna Stibal, saying that if she were so good why wasn’t she out in the streets curing people instead of entertaining westerners for thousands of pounds.
3. Heart-less and Cold
I recently lost hard earned money through attending a ‘seminar’ (what a joke). I am 76 years old. Alone. I live on $865 a month I do not have a bank account, I do not own real estate, stocks, bonds, jewelry or a savings account. I explained this to them and they assured me I would be healed and could teach others to heal and make a living doing so. All that happened is i was beat out of my grocery money. How heart-less and cold. I wish i had read this earlier.
This is Real Life, Not Fantasy
I’ve read these three examples many, many times leading up to posting them here. The most difficult part is knowing that behind these 3 comments are real people, and for each of these 3 people there are dozens more who have contacted me in private, and whose privacy I’ve sworn to uphold. These 3 people, and the other unnamed, unposted people who have been hurt or damaged by ThetaHealing are REAL. It hurts me to hear their REAL stories.
I’m just the voice of this blog…
I’m not one to hide my sarcasm on this blog because I’m being true to my own personality in my regular, everyday life. But staying true to me, I openly admit to being quite hurt! When I get the personal letters which speak a very different story than the testimonials (which give the impression that ThetaHealing is the miracle of all miracles), it hurts. When I read the devastation, emotional and financial, i’m filled with angst for the men and women of different ages and races who once believed and longed for help and answers… and who now realize that it was all in vain… it hurts.
I knew that when I received the message from “Joe” that I had to specifically express my concern for those with the ‘popular’ diseases- like cancer and HIV- and the way that ThetaHealers (specifically Vianna) flippantly toss those terms around. This is no joke… this is real life. The way that Vianna expresses her “I healed my car!” attitude is not funny- not when people’s lives are on the line, not when people put their trust in someone who claims to have healed herself…
But Vianna didn’t heal herself. If she did, she’d show us the proof.
And the quest for miracle healing, through ThetaHealing, never ends… because in reality, it never actually began.
Those who have already fallen for the trickery of ThetaHealing, and made their way out, already know these basic concepts: One session leads to more sessions. One set of “Belief Work” leads you to believe that just another set of Belief Work or “Downloads” will be the final answer- the key to the freedom from sickness (however that sickness is manifest) that you need. One class leads to the next class, to the next invented miracle class. One thousand U.S. dollars leads to the next thousand, or many thousands, because “what if” the next chunk of money is THE money that will finally get you the answers you need? What if your AIDS really can be cured by the ignorant woman in Idaho Falls, who said she healed her own cancer?? What if your life savings is all it will take to free you from the pain you’ve had for the past 20 years? What if ThetaHealing really does work, but you just need to do it a little bit longer to finally see the benefits? And all the while, there is never any proof offered that Vianna’s miracle cancer cure ever even took place at all.
Friends, please don’t waste your precious time.
If you’re ailing, if you’re in need of physical or emotional pain relief, if you’re dying or just looking to improve your life… PLEASE put your trust in those who are trustworthy. I have experience with this group, I knew them personally and I’ve done the research (and written a book) on who they are. I don’t expect you to read this blog or my book, and take my word, but I do suspect that when you do your own research that you’ll come to the same conclusions that I have made. Being a guilt-driven person, I would die slowly of guilt if I swallowed what I know about Vianna and ThetaHealing and walked the other way, simply because it’s not the popular step to choose- or simply because those involved in ThetaHealing will always accuse me of being hate-filled, anger driven, miserable, sad, or whatever description best fits at the moment. In reality, I’m just a normal person, a normal mom, a normal wife, friend and daughter who cannot hide what I know.
The destructive reality is that Vianna Stibal, and many of her “high up” teachers, are themselves ailing. Many are overweight, many are sick, many are divorced many times over, many eat horribly, and many eventually leave ThetaHealing. I see them leave all the time now, and I take no blame nor do I take credit. The truth speaks loud enough on its own when you’re willing to look at the facts.
Simon
October 13, 2011 at 11:10 am
Hi Lindsey, as always thankyou for your campaign for truth.
I appreciate what you are trying to achieve. However I feel that Joe (your story number 1) has lead you astray.
Are you trying to warn people about Theta, or are you against complementary healing in general? I believe that it’s the former, but Joe’s agenda is the latter.
Have a read of Joe’s comment. He has ZERO experience of Theta. He has absolutely zero right to complain. His only association was being invited out on a date by some guy who has done a course somewhere. He goes on a rant about not delaying medical treatment (he’s absolutely right about that), but this guy never told him to. No one told him to delay treatment. No healing practitioner with a brain would do that.
I’m so put out by the irrelevance of Joe’s comment that I’m even going to go out on a limb and defend Vianna. (I know … hell must have frozen over.) Back when I did Theta (2004-08), Vianna always said always tell your sick client to go to the doctor.
Joe said
> I already knew Reflexology was a load of unproven BS
Unproven by whom? The fact that it isn’t featured in the drug-company owned Western medical journals does not mean it’s unproven. There’s many years of Chinese medical research (including using modern testing techniques) that prove the efficacy of reflexology as a detoxification technique. Does it cure HIV? No. But nor would they claim it.
Joe appears to be anti all complementary therapies. I presume there’s some trauma there. Maybe some other modality wronged him. But it wasn’t Theta and it’s not relevant here. I really hope Joe clears this trauma because, as a man with HIV, he could benefit from alternative therapies (the ones that work).
The fact is that many people with cancer HAVE been healed by alternative methods. I have personally seen this with my own eyes. (I have also met someone who claimed to have been healed of HIV but I did not personally see blood tests.)
Lindsey, your blog is awesome. You have made a real contribution to public health and safety. Please don’t let your blog (or your personal time) be hijacked by people with a vendetta against alternative therapies in general. The people who read your blog are already seeking / needing healing. There ARE good healing techniques out there. It just takes some skill to find the ones that actually work.
Keep up the good work
Simon
Simon,
Thanks for the comment!
Okay, I realize this is a touchy subject in many ways, on both sides of the “argument,” but I don’t think it’s something to be upset about. I also do not believe that Joe came to my site to hijack it, like some sort of terrorist.
I’m going to try to not put words in Joe’s mouth, but I’d like to clarify my own stance. With dis-eases like cancer/HIV/AIDS, time is invaluable and intervention is paramount. If someone hears from a ThetaHealer something like, “Vianna Stibal healed herself from cancer instantly!” it’s VERY easy to hope for, or even just wonder if, healing with that modality is possible. ‘If it worked for them, maybe it can work for me, without all of the awful drug side effects’ syndrome. First of all, we don’t know the specifics of what Mr. ThetaHealer told Joe- he didn’t go into details about it- but if Joe did research and discovered that ThetaHealing claims the ability to heal HIV, you can see where he’d run as fast as he could from Mr. Theta.
Regardless of your belief about drug companies and your obvious distaste in them (and in many, many cases- rightful distaste!!), you’ve got to at least respect the fact that spending time “trying out” and “testing” alternative methods may lead to a dangerous game of russian roulette, healing modality style.
Coming to the defense of Vianna and her stance that people should see a doctor is a little strange… or something… The problem with this is that in the 8+ years that I was in Vianna’s family, I was aware that she saw doctors on a constant basis. There were times when everyday she, or someone in the family, was at the doctor- for things like ear infections, strep throat and even meningitis. Vianna teaches people that everything can be healed in an instant, yet clearly doesn’t believe it herself. So, on one hand, she’s saying “come to ThetaHealing, we can help you cure your cancer/HIV”, and yet her actions say, “the doctor is who will actually fix you.” And furthermore she says “I recommend a doctor for the serious things!” It’s just wacky. So what does this mean for someone who is really ailing- who googles healing and finds ThetaHealing and decides that it sounds like a perfect way to get past chemotherapy or the intense assortment of pills prescribed for HIV?
What I believe Joe was drawing attention to is that when people are desperate for help, such as in cases like HIV/AIDS or most cancers, when time is limited, that they should be extremely hesitent to trust their VERY valuable time to groups claiming to heal them.
I also must add that I don’t edit people’s comments. And honestly, it’s easy for anyone to go off on tangents which may not be relevant or that I may not agree with. I didn’t want to go the route of having to put a disclaimer on this site, that “comments may not reflect my personal beliefs”, I figured that people would just assume that. I also think that there should be a certain amount of leeway when reading others’ comments. I didn’t see you get offended that Joe said that ThetaHealing sounds almost as crazy as the Scientology bunch- see what I mean?
I think Joe is just legitimately skeptical. I’m thankful that I’m not in his situation, and I hope and pray that he’ll be in the best health possible, as soon as possible! And honestly, like we’ve said before, if ThetaHealing, or reflexology, or religion, or salt and pepper shakers are what get him there- then great! I just don’t want to see people lying and promising the world when it isn’t theirs to promise.
Thanks for chiming in, Simon! I’m sure others felt the same way you did.
Lindsey
Marea
December 1, 2011 at 6:43 pm
Hi Simon,
Reading all the pros and cons about Theta Healing is no different to reading same about various other healing formats over the years.
Hypnotherapy was once considered weird. Then there was ‘Aura healing through photos’, ‘Reiki’ healing through meditation , healing with mushrooms, finding your self through Biorhythms, etc etc. They all cost hugely to learn and to practice.
I am always being asked to friends to help write ads for their ‘new course’ they are teaching, and when I get there, it is the same ‘old’ thing … trying to change how you think by getting rid of the old ways of thinking that don’t help. But the earnestness and channel-vision is frightening. And I am so angry about the prices vulnerable people are charged.
I agree that Theta healing has some good and positive aims. But it so unproven and then dissolves into money, products and more courses.
I wanted to share my experience about another mind-altering way. which is so simple and can achieve what all of the above try. This is ‘Lateral- thinking’. Being a copywriter in Advertising I always needed a ‘new’ angle. One fun and funny seminar ($25) and … and bang .. I was thinking out side the square and seeing all the possibilities. Once you get it, you can find your own solutions without having to go anywhere or pay anyone. It has been ‘proven’ to be effective because you sure find out if you were right or wrong in a nano second.
My point is that ‘changing your way of thinking’ is now big money. But there are such simple and easy ways to give people a positive and healing outcome .’Lateral thinking’, ‘Power of Positive thinking’ and just counseling usually can get you there.
‘Theta healing” contains all of the above,none of the fun and will hurt your mind at how much you paid.
Thanks for the site
Jeanne
December 6, 2011 at 5:59 pm
Lindsey, I just finished reading your book, and just had to comment on the TH technique in general. I was actually sort of surprised that you didn’t address the THETA issue. Unless they teach something totally different from what’s in her book, I seriously doubt if many–if any at all–actually reach the theta brainwave state using that technique. It really is a specific state, and one I can readily recognize, having worked with this type of meditation for many years (no, my teacher wasn’t Adam or Eve, but close, LOL). Those who are new to this type of meditation/prayer might have an especially difficult time reaching theta quickly. For most, it takes a good deal of practice to get to the point of instant theta (or alpha for that matter). Still more practice to maintain it. Something as simple as a thought can pop you right back into beta. If you aren’t really in alpha or theta, you’re just thinking, not meditating, praying, or doing serious healing work.
Additionally, as I read Vianna’s books, I realized the tremendous similarity to Robert B. Stone’s techniques in some of his books. It might be a coincidence, but in one book (circa 1978), Stone wrote about how to do almost the same thing (or maybe the same?), and those books, although out of print, are still available on sites like amazon.com, for far, far less than what is being charged in Idaho. If you combine some simple alpha or theta training drills (one is as simple as counting backwards from 50-1) before applying Stone’s techniques, it’s very powerful.
I appreciate the information in your book, and plan to pass it on. Blind faith is a dangerous thing, and you’ve provided a valuable service by writing the book.
Jeanne,
Thank you for chiming in on the ‘theta’ subject. As you said, I didn’t get into the theta subject in my book. My goal with the book was to specifically point out things that I had to uncover, for lack of a better term. I didn’t get into the scientific or meditational aspect of why ThetaHealing doesn’t work. There was a lot of investigative-type information that already made the book pretty long… I have tried to make this blog the place to put things that can be discussed openly, like the brain wave behind ThetaHealing, whereas the book addresses the fraudulent and otherwise “shadyhealing” issues.
I have no personal experience with that kind of meditation that you discuss- but I can tell you that having been around Vianna for years, if staying in that state is as difficult as you (and others) suggest, then there is NO way that Vianna or most (or all?) of her followers ever hit it. She was notorious for saying “Let me work on you”, while covering the phone and having a side conversation with someone in the room, then returning to the phone to say, “There you go, you’re all taken care of.” Shady.
Thank you for getting into the theta state, though! If you’ve got more information that you think should be posted on this blog, then I’d be happy to do so. I’m not knowledgeable about it and, quite honestly, don’t have the time currently to research much! Thanks again for chiming in… and thanks for taking the time to read my book! Please do pass it on
All my best,
Lindsey
Jeanne
December 12, 2011 at 8:17 am
Lindsey,
I just found the passage in question–as there are copyright issues here, maybe it would be best not to actually post this–this is mostly for your info.
This is from “The Power of Miracle Metaphysics” by Robert B. Stone–typically odd title for those days in the 70s, but the book has more depth than the title would suggest. Stone was once a trainer in Jose Silva’s “Silva Method”, and has written many books besides this one. Prior to this particular exercise, the book tells how to get into the proper state, and back then, alpha was always the state of choice. Now, the Silva people and many others suggest using theta, although alpha is still very useful.
This one is on p. 72. and begins:
”
1. Relax very deeply, …. (*my note: this would be alpha at that time)
2. Visualize yourself surrounded by a beautiful blue sky. The blue was never so intense, never so mangificent…
3. You reach upward with your mind, your consciousness seeking to embrace the blue sky, to enfold it in love.
4. As your consciousness ascends upward to embrace the blue, it gradually becomes a brilliant white. This brilliance is even more attractive to you but in a different way. It is like the brilliance of a great person you yearn to be near. You continue your ascending to enfold this greatness.
5. A great feeling of love comes over you. The brilliant whiteness seems to dissolve in it. You sit immersed in it for several minutes.
6…
*More notes from me–any typos or misspellings are mine, I’m typing directly from the book but sometimes my fingers miss a few.
The “count of five” part has to do with slowly bringing yourself back to regular, beta-type consciousness–earlier, he shows you how to enter the alpha state, and he expects people to use that to enter the blissful, etc., state. This is also how the Silva Method guides people into alpha and later theta.
—-
So there it is–not word for word, but by golly, it sure looks to me like she lifted it from Stone.
Jeanne
Jeanne,
WOW. That’s all I really can say right now. That is exactly how Vianna teaches to go up to the 7th Plane of Existence, supposedly where God resides. Thank you so much. This is just insanity…
PS I did use some of your quotations, because I can use a small amount of quoted information under copyright laws.
Lindsey
Lisa
February 15, 2012 at 10:23 am
I have no understanding of TH however I do show a huge interest in the world of the unknown, When i say unknown i merely mean those things that people seem unable to understand because it is to different to the norm. There are many others who have been put in similar situations as Vianna and who have become a target i.e Doreen Virtue and David Icke for instance who because they have the guts to stand up and try help people to open their minds (just to new possibilities), not to control or brow beat anyone, but to simply encourage people to think out of the box that we have all been conditioned to think from and stay stuck within. I mean what is normal? what is real? everyone has a different prespective. Personally I think we can stay in our own little bubble, or we can explore the many possibilities with an open mind but either way it is down to our individual choice. Just as every experience in life is down to individual choice. Rather than spend your time trying to add hate and negativity and placing this on others by trying to change other peoples minds about an individual person who has obviously upset you on a personal level, and maybe who you have a vendetta against, I suggest you spend a little time discerning how you could help your own life in a positive way, because by doing so you will also be attracting more positivity your own way. Honestly by doing what you are doing now is adding negativity to the whole situation which in effect has a way of attracting negativity to your own life. I dont know you personally Lindsey and I dont know the situation between you and the lady in question but she obviously has her own issues to sort out and it would serve you well to concentrate on your own life. Forget about what’s happening in her or anyone elses lives for that matter, but rather look to a positive future for you darlin’. I dont mean any of this in a hurtful way at all, rather a helpful way. I don’t expect you to post this on the blog although I don’t mind if you do as it might help others in similar situations. I pray that you can let go of all this and be happy <3 <3 <3 xxxxx
Lisa,
I appreciate your time to comment, and I understand your view. You’re certainly not the first one to write such a comment, and I admit that about 12 years ago I felt the similarly.
BUT.
There is a MAJOR difference between “opening your mind to positivity” and Vianna Stibal blatantly lying to customers, by saying that she healed herself of cancer that never existed. How is that positive? How is is helpful for those whose bodies are filled with cancer, to invest money and time (a LOT of both) because Vianna teaches that you can heal cancer in an “instant” like she CLAIMS she did… when she never even had cancer, let alone healed it!… and people are duped in such a desperate time? Does “the universe” think that’s helpful? Does positivity come from fraud? Does negativity come from me calling them out on it?
You asked, “What is normal?”
The question of ‘what is normal’ is not best posed when talking about a cult who teaches that people can fly if they do enough “Belief Work”, or that they can regrow people’s limbs, or reform people’s DNA to rid them of Down Syndrome or retardation. Seriously. I’m with you that there are mysteries that we don’t yet know, but ThetaHealing is NOT one of those mysteries. Well, I take that back. The mystery is how it has gone on for so long.
New Age thoughts of ‘everything you do pulls negativity or positivity to you’ and ‘you’re completely in charge of getting everything you want, exactly like you want it, in exactly the time-frame you want it to be in’ is not within my beliefs. I am thankful for, and welcome, your and other people’s input, thoughts, advice and even criticism. But telling me that the problem with my website is that I’m drawing negativity to my life is simply wrong. Maybe it’s in your beliefs, but not mine. And isn’t the whole point of all of this to live by what’s within our beliefs? I saw fraud, I lived with and around fraud, I was married to fraud, I was hurt by fraud, I had a mother-in-law preaching fraud, I lost precious things/money/credit due to fraud… And all of ThetaHealing’s junk gets to minds of people who are desperate for help, and that’s where I draw the line! I will not live in a world where I see fraud, things hidden from paying customers, etc. and say nothing about it!!
Teaching people that they can fix EVERYTHING in an instant (which, btw, is what TH preaches…) is simply wrong. Saying that “God” is the one who endorses ThetaHealing is simply blasphemy. If you don’t believe in God or the things that I declare on here, then this blog is simply not for you. However, I’m not going to be scared away by people telling me that I’m full of hate or anger or negativity. That, my friend, is simply not true. (that’s a lot of simply’s)
Thanks for the comment, and for the prayers! I will gladly take them all! I’m happily married with a beautiful baby girl with my gorgeous new husband, and my 4 other treasures (aka kids) are insanely wonderful! Trust me, the amount of time that I “focus” on Vianna is less than the amount of time that I spend eating brussel sprouts. Ew.
My best to you as well,
Lindsey