Holfordwatch was initially concerned that Life’s 4 Living was unaware of the chequered history of The Barefoot Doctor Stephen Russell in his dealings with his clients. However, it now looks as if some vulnerable young people and their families are invited to accept treatment and support from an organisation that is staffed by people who believe that their energy therapy can treat and mitigate cancer, Aids, Cerebral Palsy and a variety of chronic or terminal illnesses as well as disabilities. And who are willing to work with people such as Barefoot Russell who manifest a shaky sense of appropriate sexual boundaries with clients and vulnerable people.
Barefoot Doctor Stephen Russell is, at best, a celebufreak-enabler; at worst a Rogue Healer-someone who shows no minim, scruple or iota of conscience when it comes to the sexual exploitation of the vulnerable. So, when someone told Holfordwatch that Barefoot Russell is the patron of a charity for terminally-ill children and children with disabilities,[1] we felt a little uneasy. Would a charity really want vulnerable young people (ages up to 24) and their families in the charisma tractor beam of someone who has been displaying “sexually predatory behaviour“? However, what we have learned about people associated with the Trust has added to our unease and raised some further issues about who is working with some of the most vulnerable young people in the UK. Our concern has only been heightened by learning of the links to bona fide organisations and apparent corporate endorsements.
Holfordwatch wondered whether the directors and the trustees of Life’s 4 Living had been bedazzled by the Barefoot Doctor’s celebrity and his continuing status as an expert on holistic medicine.[2] Maybe they were reassured by the fact that Barefoot Russell has been extensively featured in lifestyle sections and on the television; so much so that they were not aware of this unsavoury yet relevant part of his recent history.[3]
But when we checked the Charity Commissioner’s listing and saw the list of trustees, the names rang a bell. After some more investigation, so did the names of the directors. The names piqued our interest beyond the role of Barefoot Russell as a patron of the charity.
Life’s 4 Living (L4L) shares the same charity registration number as the World Education Foundation for the Disabled (WEFD). WEFD has several interesting associations that are outside the scope of this post. For now, Holfordwatch is concentrating on the energy work that is being promoted in the UK and its origins. The corporate wing for this work is the Energy Clinic in London, formerly Energy Bank.
Inevitably, of course, there have been claims of efficacy for treating Aids. In 2003, BBC2 broadcast Annie Kossoff’s Kill or Cure series. Warwick Powell worked with Energy Bank to attempt to counter Aids. Powell eschewed conventional treatment because it offered disease management rather than a cure. After following the Energy Bank programme for some time, Powell has a blood test and is distressed to learn that his T-cell count has not improved.
Warwick’s cell-count result cut him up because - as the film shows - he had spent several months being bled of £30,000 by an organisation called The Energy Bank. Founded in New Zealand by a Chinese woman now styling herself Grand Master Aiping Wang, the Bank claims to cure terminal illness through eight hours a day of twirling around and chanting with arms in the air.
The patient worries that people will laugh at him for spending the entire savings of an ebbing life on what looks like late 60s fringe theatre.
Thomas Sutcliffe reviews the programme. He argues that Powell is using this treatment as his preferred mental opiate and that that is his right as an autonomous adult. Nonetheless, Sutcliffe has particularly harsh words for Sarah McCrum.
A useful rule of thumb when presented with something that looks too good to be true is that it almost certainly isn’t. But the Energy Bank, an alternative healing centre founded by a Chinese “Grand Master” called Aiping Fulepp, has taken good care to insulate itself from its clients’ potential disappointment. Rule one, drummed into those who pay through the nose for energy-channelling, is that It’s All Your Fault. They had guaranteed Warwick that if he gave up sex and his conventional medicine, and committed himself to six months of intensive treatment costing around pounds 30,000, then his T-cell count (a crucial measure of the body’s ability to fight off infection) would not only recover but actually be enhanced. There was a sub-clause, though. “It depends on my own energy and commitment,” explained Warwick. In other words, should the treatment fail, that would merely be evidence of Warwick’s sad lack of dedication. As Sarah McCrum, the brainwashed manager of the Energy Bank’s London branch, put it: “It’s not the process itself that’s wrong. It’s always us that have to change.”…
I hope Sarah McCrum is brainwashed, because if not, she is profoundly wicked - guilty of duping the ill and the addicted to pay for fraudulent treatment with extravagantly false claims (isn’t this a criminal offence in this country, and if not, why not?). However, it seems more likely that she’s just a fool, parroting quasi- mystical rubbish about “blockages” and energy flows in a way that very efficiently separates other fools from their money - including city businesses, who can hire out the Energy Bank’s feng-shuied meeting rooms for corporate gatherings.
Sarah McCrum is one of the trustees of L4L. She offers Life Education in the UK, in addition to her L4L work. It is eye-opening to learn that Masters and Grand Masters in her healing art are capable of both diagnosing and curing cancer, unencumbered by the diagnostic or therapeutic techniques of modern medicine. E.g., McCrum shares some extraordinary case-studies. She claims that ‘Master Ding’ diagnosed cancer - apparently without any proper tests, and in one case despite a qualified doctor having found a diagnosis of cancer to be inappropriate - and then brought about an improvement in health and remission of symptoms. McCrum doesn’t say that Ding cured cancer, but this is strongly implied.
Problem
Vomited every evening after coming home from work for 1 year. Felt very weak and heavy. Arms painful all the time. Couldn’t lift anything. Extreme effort to do anything.
Doctor’s diagnosis
Couldn’t find anything. Said it was psychological.
Master Ding’s diagnosis?
Initially unclear, but suspected stomach cancer.
Results
After 1st treatment he didn’t vomit and slept well. No pain…
5th day Master Ding found the negative energy on his stomach and removed it. All problems disappeared and he has now been completely fine for a week. It turned out that the problem had started jut after a very close friend had died – this is where he picked up the negative energy. [Emphasis added.]
Ditto for uterine tumours, 2nd stage prostate cancer (extraordinarily specific diagnosis) and liver cancer (albeit, we are only told that it is “improving”, not that it has disappeared).
These case-studies are offered in all seriousness and despite an earlier critical television documentary in New Zealand that investigated the Phenomena Academy. Sarah McCrum is the complainant, Sarah Dujmovic, who is the manager of the Phenomena Academy. Among other matters, the programme discusses the fate of two students who attended the academy to learn to be healthy. The students rejected conventional medical treatment, one for breast cancer, the other for melanoma. Both students died.
The programme examined:
the concerns of…four former students, including that:
- the Academy and Ms Wang made fanciful claims about what it could teach, including teaching the ability to fly and see into the future
- students paid large sums of money to be taught, feeling that if they left the Academy they would come to harm or even die
- students rejected conventional medical treatment, believing that the “universe energy” could heal any diseases…
[The programme makers investigated:]
- Whether the teaching of the Academy was dangerous in encouraging students to reject conventional medicine in favour of natural healing techniques, even in life-threatening situations;
- Whether Ms Wang exerted some degree of undue influence over her students, and “brainwashed” them;
- Whether the fees charged by the Academy were in some cases excessive, and Ms Wang was exploiting vulnerable and gullible people for financial gain.
- Whether the Academy was a “con” and ought not be accredited as an educational institute.
The adjudication makes interesting if somewhat disturbing reading and raises too many issues for a single post.
However, the above information does provide some context for Sarah McCrum’s claims and her role as a trustee for L4L. Claire Sutton.[4] was also involved in the Phenomena Academy with Sarah McCrum. Claire and Joel Sutton were named as the owners of the Takaro Lodge that housed the academy. Claire Sutton is one of the directors of L4L. So, inevitably, a new context suggests itself for her optimistic wishes for the extended L4L-facilitated “journey of healing and discovery” that she proposes for young people:
We expect to see nothing short of ‘phenomenal results’ for all participants.
The programme adjudication alluded to the (not unnatural) concern that Phenomena Academy, Takaro Lodge, and some of the associated organisations resembled a cult. Holfordwatch really doesn’t know enough to comment on this aspect.
Holfordwatch was initially concerned that L4L was unaware of the chequered history of Barefoot Russell in his dealings with his clients. However, it now looks as if if some vulnerable young people and their families are invited to accept treatment and support from an organisation that is staffed by people who believe that their energy therapy can treat and cure cancer, Aids, Cerebral Palsy and a variety of chronic or terminal illnesses as well as disabilities. And who are willing to work with people such as Barefoot Russell who manifest a shaky sense of appropriate sexual boundaries with clients and vulnerable people.
However, we should stress, that as long as the L4L staff have CRB clearances, their involvement with young and/or vulnerable people is entirely legal. The CRB is evidence of no record of criminal convictions within the area of search[5] - it is not a Cognitive Reasoning Baccalaureate. We have no idea, however, whether the staff have CRB clearances, or whether they have a validated Child Protection Policy. Of course, the UK provisions for CRB clearances for staff and Child Protection Policies do not apply in other countries, so there is no need for them to be in place (understandably) for the people working with the children and young adults in China. But…given the association with Barefoot Russell, this might not feel right to a number of readers.
In an alarming echo of the “It’s Your Own Fault” exhortations in Powell’s story, we learn from the notes for the Rejuvenation programme (pdf) that is being so heavily publicised, that:
The healing programme is intensive and can eliminate disease very quickly with the full cooperation of participants… (pg. 7)
The eastern approach to health is totally different from ours in the west, to fully benefit from this experience, you will need to embrace this programme with a totally open mind. (pg. 8 )
It seems that this programme of activities is currently in progress. L4L claims to have an advisory board that is made up of “eminent consultants and doctors” (pg. 2) although none is named except for Professor Kim Jobst (he of the notoriously quack Q-link). Holfordwatch hopes that some appropriately-qualified people have oversight of the medical, emotional, psychological and ethical aspects of their work, in particular, the current project that is being filmed (as above).[6]
Given the gravity of the illnesses the L4L offers to treat or palliate, this raises questions that are not readily answered by the usual response of Where’s the harm?[7]
L4L has some well-known sponsors; e.g., The Energy Clinic, The Barefoot Doctor, and The Rainforest Cafe (Hamley’s) amongst others. It is also illuminating to read the number of high profile corporations that have used the Energy Clinic venue and its trainers. The client list includes, e.g., the BBC, KPMG, Habitat, Puma, Ernst and Young, RBS, BUPA, Sony, Ikea, UBS, Boots. It is a little dispiriting to think that some parents who are conducting their research into L4L might be comforted by what looks like the imprimatur of endorsement and respectability from these well-known and in some cases, trusted, organisations.
There are times when the seeming reassurance of the (assumed) CRB checks and the advice of caveat emptor seem strangely inadequate. This is one of those times.
Notes
[1] Barefoot Doctor Stephen Russell has the following message on Life’s 4 Living:
We agree that life’s worth living…
This is especially so if you’re the mother of a child suffering from a condition which is beyond current medical help or results in a seriously debilitating lifestyle. For the parents of these children dealing with all aspects of everyday life poses a major challenge.
If life’s worth living, it’s worth living for everyone, especially families facing such a challenge.
-The Barefoot Doctor, 2007-11-20
And this text is repeated in the brochure promoting the film of the MS programme (pdf).
[2] E.g., the Guardian offers The Barefoot Doctor on Richard Dawkins’ The Enemies of Reason and calls him “an expert on holistic medicine” (however, see some interesting comments on this story at Richard Dawkins). For some comedy moments, it is worth reading The Barefoot Doctor’s webchat from when he was at the Observer and some charming gossip about the editor’s influence upon it, here and here. Stephen Newton offers his own irreverent take on the Barefoot Doctor’s spiritual insights.
[3] Margaret McCartney interviews The Barefoot Doctor for the FT:
Why did he stop seeing people? “It drained me, it was too much.” I manage to stop myself from asking him why he didn’t use some of that “limitless power” he mentioned earlier.
It’s unfortunate that Dr McCartney didn’t ask Barefoot Russell if the inadvisability of continuing in practice after an admission of inappropriate sexual relationships with some clients had played any part in his decision.
[4] If it were not for the other associations, we would ordinarily think it splendidly eccentric that the Suttons espouse the belief that healing energy can be transmitted down a phone line and provide relief from a sore throat. It is with some sense of inevitability that we realise that there is a What’s the bleep connection.
The first thing they tried was having a master from China lead an energy session over the phone for a class in London. “We spoke to people afterwards and they said they felt absolutely fantastic. Someone with a sore throat said it immediately disappeared. And we thought ‘Wow, this is working.’ Energy transmission doesn’t have to be hands on.”
[5] When you obtain a CRB clearance, it is regional rather than something that confirms that you have no criminal convictions throughout the UK. Supply teachers are frequently irritated that they may need to have CRB clearance in (say) 5 different regions to work in their geographical area. The fact that you do not have a CRB flag in Yorkshire (say) is not of itself proof that you don’t have a conviction elsewhere. There are additional problems of verification when individuals have been out of the UK for some time, as have some of the people associated with L4L.
[6] L4L is trailing that it hopes that C4 will broadcast their films.
[L4L has] been asked to film a documentary about the healing methods their Chinese colleagues use to achieve the significant results experienced. The Producers anticipate that the documentary will be shown on Channel 4 Television although they have not yet had confirmation of this.
[7] Skepdic briskly rebuts Where’s the harm? and Skeptico examines the argument: What’s The Harm?
37 responses so far ↓
susiequatro // February 23, 2008 at 11:30 pm
I wish I had read this before my vulnerable child and others had been taken to China on a so called healing trip. All the above we had just worked out for ourselves but rather late. These people are dangerous.
dvnutrix // February 24, 2008 at 12:48 am
If it is something that you can discuss whether revealing more details about yourself or any children involved, it would be useful to know more.
tbh, I don’t think that we know whether there is any reason to believe that there is jeopardy for anyone involved. It just seems that there are a number of open questions to which parents and their children deserve answers. Similarly for any young or vulnerable adults involved with them.
Claire // February 24, 2008 at 12:25 pm
A bit off-topic, apologies, but something that is common to many alternative/complementary therapists is the belief that patients should ‘take control’, especially where chronic conditions are involved. The implication being, I suppose, that conventional medicine turns them into passive drug takers imprisoned by their illness. This recent study (on conventional treatment, not CAM) reports a counter-intuitive finding:
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/538014/?sc=rsmn
“Highly involved patients don’t always see better health outcomes”
…”The intuitive assumption is that the more involved people are with their health, the better they’ll be at managing chronic conditions. We found evidence to the contrary,” Baldwin said. “Those who preferred a more ‘patient-centered’ or active role actually had higher blood pressure and lipid levels. Those who preferred a ‘provider-centered’ approach, in which the doctor is more authoritative, did better at managing their blood pressure and lipid levels…
…The research team offered a couple potential explanations for the results.
One possibility is that patients who wanted an active role were dissatisfied with the relatively passive treatment of taking medication to control their conditions, and therefore may not have followed doctors’ orders as well.
“They were presumably provided advice and guidance about modifying their lifestyle, but all of these patients were on hypertension medication, and many were on lipid-lowering medications,” Baldwin said. “For those who want more control over their treatment, a relatively passive treatment like taking medication may not be a good match.”
One aspect of the study gave traction to this explanation. Some patients were diabetic. While those who preferred an active role did worse at managing blood pressure and cholesterol, they did slightly better at managing blood sugar (although the effect on managing blood sugar was not statistically significant). Researchers believe that’s because managing blood sugar is a more hands-on treatment involving blood sugar tests, diet regulation and sometimes medication.
Another potential explanation is that the patients’ role preferences didn’t match their doctors’ role preferences. While this study did not assess providers’ preferences, previous research suggests that a mismatch between patients’ and providers’ role preferences impacts adherence to treatment recommendations…”
Maxine Love // February 24, 2008 at 11:08 pm
CHECK OUT THE FOLLOWING SITES, about the Life’s 4 Living, Eden Phenomena, World Foundation for The Education of the Disabled CULT:
http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?12,6617
http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?12,6617,page=2
Sarah McCrum, Claire Sutton, Life’s 4 Living and Aiping Wang have a lot to answer for. It is a money making scam, plain and simple.
What is scary is the fact they have been doing this, not quite with impunity, for over a decade.
All the so called “healers” need to have a long hard look at themselves. Many people have lost their jobs, their partners, their houses, their money and in at least 4 cases, their jobs.
Poor Warwick Powell. Does anybody know if he is still with us?
This Aiping Wang cult is strong in New Zealand, Arizona, Croatia, UK, Switzerland and a few other countries. There is a lot of information on the web, if you have the time and the inclination.
I think HOLFORDWATCH should take it upon themselves to look into this, after inadvertently stumbling on this.
Maxine Love // February 24, 2008 at 11:17 pm
There are many horror stories on the internet about this cult. It is led by a self styled Grandmaster called Aiping Wang.
She was the topic of a 20/20 documentary on TV3 (New Zealand) entitled GRANDMASTER. She was also the topic (along with Sarah McCrum and The Energy Clinic) of a BBC documentary (Kill or Cure). After reading all the various stories and hearing directly from a string of people that have found themselves embroiled in this cult, it is ever so clear. They change names, locations and sometimes people, but the methods and the madness REMAIN THE SAME.
SEARCH TERMS: Aiping Wang, Lele Sun, Phenomena Academy, Peace Club, Takara Lodge, Blind, Energy, Shen Qi, Cult, Eden Phenomena, Life’s 4 Living, World Foundation for the Education of the Disabled, Energy Clinic, Energy Bank.
jonhw // February 25, 2008 at 12:00 am
Thanks Maxine - some interesting links and ideas. We will be looking into this some more, but this is really something that could do with being picked up by journalists or similar - basically, by someone with more resources than we have, and a more prominent outlet for what we find.
I should say, we have not seen evidence that this is just a “money making scam”. I actually imagine that many of those involved really believe that they are doing the right thing. Such organisations often work very efficiently because so many of those involved are genuinely committed to ‘the cause’.
Finally, it’s nice to see the kind words about HolfordWatch on this forum. However, we should clarify by saying that we are not Patrick Holford: instead, this blog takes a critical look at Holford’s work.
Life’s 4 Living: bizarre energy-medicine ‘cure’ for MS « Holford Watch: Patrick Holford, nutritionism and bad science // February 25, 2008 at 8:02 am
[...] 25, 2008 · No Comments Another break from Patrick Holford, to look some more at Life’s 4 Living (L4L). They are offering a “unique opportunity” for young people with Multiple [...]
BobP // February 25, 2008 at 7:51 pm
Always remember that L4L is a charity, and as such the Charity Commissioners have the power to force it to change its practices or to shut it down.
If anyone has hard evidence that it is a moneymaking scam (…and I know that’s a tough one) then please consider presenting it to the Commissioners and/or the police. More here -
http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/publications/cc47.asp
Maxine Love // February 25, 2008 at 8:44 pm
I’m going to keep looking, but since I delved into it, and had a look around the internet, it has become pretty apparent that this is a money making fraud, whether they are labouring under delusions or not.
The articles in the New Zealand herald (5 of them), the article in the Guardian, The Times, The Observer… they all draw the same conclusions, as does the documentary GRANDMASTER (broadcast on TV3, by 20/20), as did the TO CURE OR KILL (BBC3 documentary).
There are plenty of people out there who have lost their loved ones, lost their homes, racked up credit card debts and remember more than 4 people have died after discontinuing their medication.
The Croatian press has some really disconcerting stories. There are also some available in Slovenian, if you care to dig.
It is a multi tiered pyramid scheme (MLM) with AIPING WANG at the top, she has earnt millions, literally, millions. She’s bought a large ranch in New Zealand and one in Arizona. She owns the ENERGY CLINIC (formerlly the ENERGY BANK). She has various outlets and boutiques in China and in Europe (particularly Croatia and Switzerland).
I don’t know about you guys, but when people are being brainwashed to work for free, and to continuously find new “recruits” who also work for free (after “donating” all their money in exchange for “energy”).
The charity angle is very dubious, first as the World Foundation for the Education of the Disabled, and now as Life’s for Living. They are GROOMING people to come and work in their new clinics… with an eye to rolling these out as far and wide as possible… and of course, the money all goes rolling back to AIPING WANG and SARAH MCCRUM.
The article in the Observer was absolutely right, these people are either BRAINWASHED or EVIL. End of story.
First you get “healed”, then you stay in constant contact with Aiping (read top up brain washing), then you work for her (either at an already existing clinic) or in a new clinic.
One of the Blind Hospitals in China is her brain child and they have various clinics, operating names and places all over the world.
The information is out there, if you choose to dig.
E30,000 euros for a month with Aiping Wang.
E1,000 for a packet of “essence of food”
E5,000 for a personal session with Aiping Wang
Or, have a skype conference with Sarah McCrum, she can give energy in a session, over the internet… for this EACH person (6 at a time) will pay a measly £140.
Not bad.
The desperate will pay for anything.
They prey on the needy and the desperate, they then work on them psychologically, until they are fully indoctrinated, then they take everything they can.
Warwick Powell is not the only one.
The two deaths covered in the GRANDMASTER documentary are not the only ones.
Search and the truth will be revealed.
The internet is a powerful resource.
dvnutrix // February 25, 2008 at 9:28 pm
As this is only a blog, we are obliged to comment that we have no evidence of dubious financial dealings etc. We are presenting some interesting links that we have come across about L4L and associated organisations and people involved with them.
Maxine, do you have a link for Sarah McCrum’s prices, please or the other prices that you cite?
We are interested in receiving more information so that we can pass it on to people who have more resources to investigate matters further than we do.
Maxine Love // February 27, 2008 at 9:45 am
I will email you directly with more information. I have lots.
Wildwind // February 29, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Hi Maxine. It seems we have the same information - and probably more. I don’t like talking to faceless people. How do we get in touch.
Life's 4 Living // March 1, 2008 at 6:29 pm
This has been a vicious, sustained and unprovoked attack on this charity, Life’s 4 Living. Over the next days, Life’s 4 Living will refute each and every allegation contained in this spurious document. Please keep watching the Life’s 4 Living website ( http://www.lifes4living.org ) for developments. If anything needs further investigation it is the cowardly and anonymous author(s) of this wholly untrue piece of shoddy, so-called investigative journalism.
brainduck // March 2, 2008 at 3:45 pm
On note 4 - my understanding of CRBs was that they had to be applied for for each organisation - they are non-transferable between organisations, not regionally. So your teacher would have to get a new CRB to work in a different bit of the country because they would have a different employer, but I have been able to get a CRB in Yorkshire & use it near Bath because I was working for the same church organisation. I think the rules on this may have changed since the conviction of Ian Huntley.
IIRC the rules are slightly different for education to healthcare (education gets ‘List 99′ too), though it’s all going to change again next Autumn.
Scuse me rambling, have just spent several evenings trying to understand CRBs, & could be entirely wrong on all this!
dvnutrix // March 2, 2008 at 7:36 pm
Note 5 I think? Sorry if it wasn’t clear - we were trying to convey the idea that you sometimes have to apply for a CRB in each area that you work in. E.g., there are supply teachers who have CRBs for 5 different areas because they might be sent to schools in different areas because they are on the register for several organisations - and indeed, your personal CRB is not transferable across organisations.
And, it is very difficult to run a Enhanced CRB on people who have been out of the country or living in other countries. Depending on the country, and your status within that country (visa, whether you were moving around) it is very difficult to track your status.
jonhw // March 3, 2008 at 3:40 pm
[MODERATOR EDIT: Life's 4 Living posted an identical (long) comment on three of our blog posts. To keep things tidy, I have deleted duplicates - you can see their comment here.]
Fiona // March 5, 2008 at 10:15 pm
Life’s 4 Living. Imagine all the happiness there is to be enjoyed.Helping people is the best thing possible and there are so many people to help. We all need support sometimes and this team of highly dedicated young people are giving absolutely everything they have and more to help. Can you? This Charity is founded on Faith in Life itself and all the people involved in this charity,from the directors and trainers and tin shakers have a positive passion for life and health through peace and happiness. Nothing complicated. Get a Life, Be Happy :))
Andy Lewis // March 5, 2008 at 11:49 pm
Fiona. No one doubts the good intentions of people involved with the charity. But, we all know that the road to hell…
What is being questioned is how organisations like L4L engage with questions of probity. And, more importantly, engage with the ethical issues of subjecting children to wildly questionable medical techniques and beliefs. I would hope that we could stick to the issues.
Johny // March 6, 2008 at 12:24 am
to Andy Lewis:
None of the kids are put in this treatments without permission of parents. Also, the whole healing procedure is explained to the parents and they have been prepared for that by having special educational sessions before the start.
Every kid is going on the trip with one of the parent and the whole healing procedure is exposed to parents. If they decide during the treatment to stop they will get all the necessary help to go back home.
The method it self is absolutely harmless. I talk with hundreds of people who tried these treatments and none of them complain that they were damaged, misused or similar. Actually, I would say that 95% of them are highly surprised of simplicity and high effectivity of the treatments.
Holford Watch is building a huge case around few cases which didnt get expected results. What about thousands of others who went home with positive results and experience?
Is HW interested to find out about these people?
I dont think so. Its too boring to publish positive news.
Better just be depressed and negative.
And regarding the money part of the story, I would ask HW is it a shame to charge the service which brings this kind of health results.
If you are a shrink and you are charging 800€ per session everybody would say that this is normal. But when you have a successful healer with appropriate price than its a scam.
And one more thing. Why people get so allergic if somebody claims that they can cure cancer or aids. Is this that impossible?
Did we really lose all the faith and became poor in our visions of the bright future?
So many famous people cured cancer by using just alternative ways of healing. I would just mention in this case Steve Jobs from Apple and Slovenian President, Janez Drnovsek.
These tools are wide spread and are not unusual.
To find out more about this I recommend 2 very good documentary. What The Bleep - http://www.whatthebleep.com and The Secret - thesecret.tv
People who talk in these movies are not some Hocus-Pocus wizards or whatsoever. There are scientists, theologists, business people etc. who bring this interesting topic to public.
I would sum up this in only one discovery which is made by some top scientist.
In only 1 cubic centimeter of space there is enough energy to boil all the oceans on our planet.
How we can use this energy? What is this? What we could do with it?
This is the point where spirituality and science finally meet up after so many years of separate theories.
And because of that possibilities are endless…..
We just have to open our vision and became curios. Answers will come by it self.
jonhw // March 6, 2008 at 5:55 pm
[MODERATOR EDIT: A lengthy comment from Life's 4 Living was pasted both here and on another post. I have deleted the duplicate - go here to read Life 4 Living's comment, and some responses]
gimpy // March 6, 2008 at 6:06 pm
Lynton, repeating your post without addressing criticisms is not a wise course of action. People might assume that you seek to obfuscate and prevaricate because you have something to hide.
Nutritional therapist // March 6, 2008 at 8:31 pm
hello
jonhw // March 7, 2008 at 5:33 pm
[MODERATOR EDIT: Life's 4 Living appear to have reposted their two lengthy responses here. I have deleted these (and already had to delete them once before). You can find the responses here and here. If L4L would like to reference their responses from other threads please just link to them - once - and people will follow the links if interested. It is not necessary to repost in full.
This type of behaviour is spamming. I know that Claire Sutton has previously spammed an MS messageboard on Life's 4 Living's behalf, but we do not tolerate spam here. If this behaviour is repeated, anti-spam measures will be deployed.]
Nutritional therapist // March 8, 2008 at 8:58 am
Anti spam.. i would have thought you liked a bit of spam
Autism Blog » Concerns about charity Life’s 4 Living: an autistic child told that his “negative energy smelled so bad that the doors of the room had to be opened” : » Autism news and opinion // March 13, 2008 at 2:28 am
[...] 4 Living have – until recently – had blogs on their site. These were removed after HolfordWatch and Quackometer raised some concerns about the charity, but are still available in google cache. [...]
Sir Alan Sugar’s The Apprentice features a visit to The Energy Clinic: do Sugar and the BBC really believe in this stuff? « Holford Watch: Patrick Holford, nutritionism and bad science // May 15, 2008 at 7:57 pm
[...] we noted on this blog, at the Energy Bank there were claims of efficacy for treating Aids. In 2003, BBC2 broadcast Annie [...]
brainduck // June 24, 2008 at 9:53 am
I spotted a L4L bucket collector outside Angel tube station in London yesterday. Hmmmm.
jonhw // June 24, 2008 at 1:46 pm
Interesting - I wonder if they’re using paid staff or volunteers…
Mike // July 9, 2008 at 1:03 pm
I can categorically say that Sarah McCrum is not evil, and has made no money from any of these schemes in the 10 years that she has been with Aiping. She is at worst foolish and has suspended her judgement. She has also given Aiping hundreds of thousands of her money in order to follow and take courses with her. Aiping is a charistmatic guru and very attractive to those in need. It makes me laugh to see that people think that anyone else in this organisation is making any money from these courses apart from Aiping. Warwick Powell is alive and well and living in New Zealand.
dvnutrix // July 12, 2008 at 3:54 pm
Mike, you are obviously acquainted with her to know such things. Has anybody from Sarah’s family or circle of friends spoken to her about all this as it must be very distressing for them to see that this is happening and yet do nothing to intervene?
Drawing on your comments, might it be more accurate to say, “She is at worst foolish and has suspended her judgement in such a way as to enable Aiping’s continued exploitation of others”?
gabby // July 12, 2008 at 5:43 pm
brainduck, charities are allowed ONE street collection a year. The Met. Police are aware of Life’s4Living blatant disregard of the rules and have reminded them of this. Obviously they are still at it. As for are the collectors paid, see
http://part-time-job.vivastreet.co.uk/part-time-job-ads+london-e1w/cash-paid–immediate-start/5595268
Seems a little - er -strange to promise street collectors ‘£30 - £40 a day’ for collecting for a charity!
Charity? Or a business?
gabby // July 12, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Oops, penultimate sentence of my post should read ‘… £30 - £80 a day …’
Nice work if you can get it!
dvnutrix // July 12, 2008 at 6:06 pm
Gabby, I suppose that it doesn’t look good if the Met refers a charity to the CPS for repeated violations and some charities might take advantage of that.
gabby // July 13, 2008 at 6:45 am
Life’s4Living were rattling their buckets on a DAILY basis outside a large store at the Angel, to the annoyance of most shoppers. After complaints to the Police and the Charity Commissioners, they disappeared for a while from the store … but one of their collectors was approaching people at nearby bus stops - and he became very aggressive when I pointed out he was not supposed to be doing this. He then had the nerve to tell me that ‘Oxfam collected all the time’ which is absolute rubbish - Oxfam obeys the law completely re street collections.
What sort of ‘charity’ offers to pay its collectors ‘£30 - £80 a day’? Who is getting the money collected and what do they do with it? Anyway, if they are still rattling their buckets more than ONCE A YEAR they are breaking the law. Report them to the Met. Police, the Charity Commissioners. By doing this, they are being unfair to real charities.
Mike // July 13, 2008 at 8:07 pm
To dvnutrix. Yes many friends and family have expressed their view on this, but ultimately the people who are involved in this process are adults and are therefore free to do what they like within the letter of the law.
As for whether Sarah suspending her judgement has enabled Aiping to continue in her activities - I would say that it makes absolutely no difference. Aiping completely believes that she is doing the best she can for humanity, as do her followers. The biggest problem is that - as with many groups like this - there is no-one to pick Aiping up on her more ‘dubious’ dealings as everything is justified as a means to reach a higher goal. There is no argument that’s going to persuade people until they want to be persuaded which is why there has been no forceful intervention from friends and family. I would say there is nothing malevolent about this group - they really do believe in what they’re doing. Hopefully something will happen that will disband them.
dvnutrix // July 14, 2008 at 4:51 pm
Mike, yes, competent adults have full autonomy but sometimes, it doesn’t stop the frustration for friends and family. Particularly where such large sums as you mention are involved. And, I should also say that I know people who are familiar with Sarah’s excellent work that made such a substantial contribution to the way in which media interview and interact with children - I don’t know why, but that just seems to make this involvement the more regrettable and poignant.
Unfortunately, believing in what you are doing doesn’t preclude the possibility of harm. There was the sad case of the woman with breast cancer who died in NZ. Plus, I can’t think it is harmless to ‘diagnose’ cancer in the manner that Sarah outlines, that sort of information needs to be handled sensitively and appropriately when it is true - never mind the harm it can do when the diagnosis is not justified. Plus, there is the possibility of this diagnosis being used to convince people that they need to purchase energy healing that seems to be quite costly.
Mike // July 15, 2008 at 10:42 am
dvnutrix, I couldn’t agree with you more. Particularly the ‘diagnoses’ of cancer which are made without any substantiated evidence and then miraculously cured. And believing in what you are doing is not a justification for misleading, others as has been illustrated countless times through history. Self deception is a deeply human trait and something that we all suffer from in one form or another. As to whether it’s the job of friends and family to wake someone up - I don’t know. It hasn’t worked so far: in fact it only seems to strengthen the attachment to the ‘process’.
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