Mark from Dublin has this question: "What does a kinesiologist, or a healer who offers kinesiology, actually do? Is it a diagnosis or a form of treatment?"

Kinesiology is a branch of alternative medicine. The term kinesiology comes from the classical Greek and roughly translates as “study of movement”.Kinesiology uses terms and teachings from traditional Far Eastern medicine (meridians and elements without the use of acupuncture needles), the neurology and brain research fields and many approaches taken from psychology and paedagogy. In texts on kinesiology, for example, the term energy is used not in the sense of electrical energy but in the sense of oriental healing arts.

Kinesiology is a method which treats the patient wholistically, i.e. in their entirety, not only observing symptoms but also taking into account the body-mind-spirit connection and treating the root of the symptoms. Kinesiology is mainly studied and practiced by alternative medicine practitioners and naturopaths and alternative healers, but increasingly also by doctors using wholistic methods of treatment.

One of the most frequently used tests is the medicine test. A muscle test is performed to try and find out which medicines the body requires and at what dosage. For this, samples of the substance in question are laid at the centre of the body (the test zone). Then the body is asked for its response by testing the muscles. Either the arm reacts weakly and gives way or the delta muscle “locks” in. Using this method (and the relevant test materials) it is possible to discover the presence of poisoning due to environmental toxins, heavy metals, allergies (to food or pollen, for instance) and more.

Created: 10:42 AM | Author: Jörg Dahlmann | Category: Card readings  |  Comments [0]

Mary from Ipswich has this question: "What are near death experiences and what significance do they have for us? Can they help us understand our lives better? Are they helpful in other ways to the living?"

A near death experience is a phenomenon which can happen to people during an operation, for instance, or a traffic accident or in the early stages of drowning, when they slip into a clinically dead state and report on this experience in similar ways.
People who have firsthand experience of a near death experience say that they were able to leave their physical body; that they passed through a sort of tunnel where they saw a bright light, met with the deceased, saw their whole past life in fast forward and experienced boundless love in the form of a luminous figure, which they identified with Christ, God or a ball of energy.

People who are reanimated after being declared clinically dead also report a ongoing sense of their own identity, a feeling of an all-encompassing understanding and the universal awareness or certainty that they are a part of the universe, of visions of wonderful landscapes, an altered sense of time and feeling of gravity, the impression of high speed, the vision of a boundary and a phase of return to waking life.

In medical terms, the causes of near death experiences can be explained by brain cells dying off or a change in the blood supply to the brain during the dying-off phase. The experiences are interpreted as hallucinations produced by the lack of oxygen to the brain of the clinically dead person. Pilots and astronauts who often undergo high acceleration and thereby lose consciousness report similar “perceptions”. Similar hallucinations are experienced under the influence of LSD.

Based on a representative poll of 4000 Germans, just under 5% of the population have had a near death experience. The 5000 year old epic of Gilgamesh contains such reports, although there were no methods of reanimation then. At the International Association for Near Death Studies (IANDS) reports of near death experiences from all over the world are examined by experts in different fields. The German representative, the doctor, neurologist and psychiatrist Dr. Michael Schröter-Kunhardt, maintains that it is very possible that NDEs indicate the existence of a life after death.

Created: 01:01 PM | Author: Jörg Dahlmann | Category: Current questions  |  Comments [0]

Created: 12:00 PM | Author: Jörg Dahlmann | Category: Current questions  |  Comments [4]

Stella from Lancester wants to know: What is the oldest record of oracles being in use? And how long have tarot cards been in existence?

Archaeological finds testify to magic practices and oracles having been used for thousands of years. In Peking in 1997, for instance, 4000 year old bones were found with characters carved into them. These were used by the rulers to assist them in making decisions: questions about the future were carved into them after which they were heated, and the resulting cracks and fissures caused the letters to change. These letters were then used to provide answers.

There are conflicting opinions as to the subject of tarot. One plausible theory is that in the mid 15th century an artist, Bonifacio Bempo, designed and painted a card game called “Tarocchi” for the aristocratic Milanese family Visconti. It consisted of four suites of 14 cards each and 22 “Triomphi” (trumps) depicting scenes from everyday life and the prominent figures of the time (e.g. Pope, Emperor, etc.).

Other sources trace the origins back to an Italian pictorial encyclopaedia from 14th century Venice which has links to Spanish pip cards.

Created: 01:58 PM | Author: Jörg Dahlmann | Category: Card readings  |  Comments [0]

Sally from Liverpool: Where did the voodoo cult originate? Is it evil (voodoo dolls)? What has been written on the subject?

Voodoo was originally a West African religion. The word “voodoo” comes from an African word for spirit or divinity and has probably been around for several thousand years. The word is often used as a blanket term for a great variety of Afro-American religions. Voodoo is traditionally practiced by the Yoruba people. Nowadays it is mainly practiced in Benin, the Dominican Republic, Ghana, Haiti, Louisiana and Togo. Other religions closely related to the Yoruba tradition are practised in Cuba (Santeria) and Brazil (Umbanda, Macumba, Candomblé). Voodoo is recognised as an official religion on Haiti. In Benin it is the national religion and celebrated annually as a religious festival on January 10th.

Voodoo is often seen as so-called “black magic”. This view is nurtured by the existence of a cult of the dead and the belief in reanimation of the deceased. There have also been rumours of child killings. Voodoo sorcerers were said to have used the blood of children in secret ceremonies. Nowadays there are ceremonies involving the ritual slaughter of animals. The practice of animal sacrifice itself is not contested; what is, is whether or not this is done as a magic practice. On the other hand, accusations of practices such as child sacrifice abound in the history of religion and are almost always little more than propaganda.

Created: 11:48 AM | Author: Jörg Dahlmann | Category: Card readings  |  Comments [0]

Lizzie form London: "Some people claim that “money powder“ can make you rich: but what is it? Does it really work? What goes into it and can anyone prepare it?"

There are some healers who work with certain powders and do indeed claim success with them. Whether this is due to the powder itself or to the raised consciousness which results from using it is another matter. According to old traditions, money powder is made from pine needles, myrtle twigs, woodruff, oak moss, ginger, hyssop and orange peel. In principle, anyone could grind up this mixture in a pestle and mortar.

Created: 10:56 AM | Author: Jörg Dahlmann | Category: Card readings  |  Comments [0]

Miriam from Manchester asks: There’s a custom of telling tiny rag dolls one’s worries and hardships and putting these overnight under the pillow: where does this come from?

The so-called "worry dolls" were originally used by the traditional peoples of Guatemala. Being very superstitious, they believed that they had problems and worries because the gods wanted to punish them for their wrong doings. Legend has it that when you put the little doll under your pillow at night, your problems and fears will have dissipated by morning. You can buy worry dolls nowadays in specialist esoteric shops; they are only a few centimetres long and cost approximately 4 euros for a bag of six

Created: 10:28 AM | Author: Jörg Dahlmann | Category: Card readings  |  Comments [0]

What must one be aware of when burning incense?

The advantage of incense sticks is that they are very easy to use. The lower end is placed in a special plate or container made for the purpose. If none is to hand, then a potato, vase etc. will do. Whatever you use, be sure that the stick cannot fall over. A fireproof mat should also be used to rule out any potential fire risk. The incense stick is lit and after it has been burning for a few seconds, blown out. An incense stick should not be left burning; after being blown out it should glow until it has been used up.

If you have a negative reaction to incense, try a milder one next time – fortunately there is a wide selection of scents. You should remember to air the room well before and after using incense sticks.

Created: 11:40 AM | Author: Jörg Dahlmann | Category: Current questions  |  Comments [0]

Mike from London: "So-called dove’s blood is used in certain magic rituals: what exactly is it?"

“Dove’s blood“ is a certain kind of magic ink; other inks have mystical names like dragon‘s blood and bat‘s blood. They are all definitely only of vegetable origin. The name of the ink tells us something not only about its colour but also the intended effect. Dove’s blood is used in witch mythology in rituals concerning love and harmony.

Created: 11:09 AM | Author: Jörg Dahlmann | Category: Current questions  |  Comments [0]

"There’s something called Raga music; when you dance to it, you can apparently put yourself into a trance. What’s it like?" A question from Claire from Blackpool.

Raga is a classical Indian music form. The word “raga” means tone, feelings and mood, and also joy and pleasure. This is why it is said that that which colours (the spirit with joy) is a raga - "Ranjati iti Ragah".

In classical Indian music, the various melodies and tone sequences with which the musician improvises are known as ragas. The outward form of a raga is composed of three elements. The first movement is called “alap”. In this movement the structure of the raga is developed: slowly, tone by tone, starting with at a lower pitch then progressing to higher ones. In the second movement, the “gat”, the percussion instruments come in.

The piece ends with a fast “jhala“. A raga performance can last several hours, during which trances and ecstatic states are quite likely.

Created: 04:37 PM | Author: Jörg Dahlmann | Category: Current questions  |  Comments [0]