In an effort to understand the place of Spezzano and Associates Ltd. Psychology of Vision (SALPOV) in the universe of frauds, perverts, loonies, egotists, and crooks as exposed by NAFPS, I took a stroll through the entire "Fraud" section to do some comparison measuring. This exercise was not super in-depth at all, so I am sure I missed a few other connections.
SALPOV very rarely works with or even praises other scamsters unless they are products of the SALPOV assembly line. Once they held a workshop in partnership with Guru Singh, and for several years they sang the wonders of Oneness University, but basically in New Age terms, SALPOV is a Hermit Kingdom like North Korea. So much for "Oneness."
But they do have a lot in common with the rather sordid parade of characters in NAFPS. Germany seems to be a particularly lucrative market for many of these spiritual capitalists. Although the Spezzanos use a lot of "sciency" lingo, probably more so than the others on this list, there is no real science in their theology. And the fact they appeal to an overlapping market with the crazies and the crooks should tell you something about how "professional" SALPOV really is.
As I compiled this list it is striking just how rinky-dink the whole SALPOV corporation really is. And antiquated. And dying. Since it is so small and just another tiny tidbit in the mountain of New Age crap this has enabled the Spezzanos to escape major and continued notice from the media and law enforcement. If they had grown any bigger they might have been shut down long ago.
Scanning through this forum has been a real educational eye opener and I have even more appreciation for all you out there who are devoting your time to educating the public about cultural theft, psychocolonisation, and "healers" who take advantage of vulnerable people. Thank you.
Here are my notes:
Bennie LeBeau aka Blue Thunder: Charles Lee Spezzano and LeBeau are both honoured contributors to the
Magical Melody website, 2004. Long before I knew about NAFPS, I knew about LeBeau and what an egotist he is.
http://www.newciv.org/nl/newslog.php/_v76/__show_log/_p3/Steven Farmer: A business rival with Spezzano's targeted audience for oracle/Tarot cards. Spezzano and Farmer have both been speakers hosted by Alternatives at St. James Church in the UK. Spezzano administered a Oneness University-type Deeksha blessing there in 2007 (I have the DVD) and Farmer talked about connecting to the spirit world in 2005. Like Spezzano, Farmer apparently also has an APA-unaccredited Ph.D., and uses the title "Dr." liberally.
Peace Mother Geeta Sacred Song: The Spezzanos share a bibliographical listing under the category of "Inspirational Themes" with Peace Mother Geeta Sacred Song in the Dreamwalker Group website. Some of the listings are confused with another author named Charles Spezzano. Someone didn't do their homework.
http://dreamwalkergroup.com/subjects/inspirational.htmAlberto Villodo: I found more than one example of people citing training from both SALPOV and Villodo on their resumes. Villodo is a contemporary of the Spezzanos, and his career has a few parallels, except instead of going up and down the North American West Coast posing as a psychic like Charles Lee Spezzano did in 1980-1982, Villodo went into academics and established some professional-looking credentials. He also founded The Four Winds Society, "Where Modern Science Meets Ancient Wisdom." Villodo and the Spezzanos turn up in the same New Age catalogs of crappy nonsense for sale, and in the same lecture circuits for the gullible affluent class. The difference is, Villodo's marketing is slicker and he is in
Wikipedia, while-- sorry Charlie-- Spezzano was rejected as not being "notable" enough. However, Villodo apparently shares the same sort of bogus APA unaccredited Ph.D. that Charles possesses, so they have that little facade in common. In using the "healing" scam they are all going after the same customer base, but it would appear the Spezzanos can only watch Villodo from afar and salivate with jealousy at being outclassed by a more accomplished con artist.
Angaangaq Lyberth: Looks like this character was part of the Affinity Fraud feeding frenzy along with SALPOV.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liijgHmbBzghttps://www.psiram.com/en/index.php/Jens_LyberthBernard Perona AKA Drunvalo Melchizedek: Another personality that can be considered Spezzano business competition for the same customer base. Perona and the Spezzanos overlap in some resumes and New Age catalogues merchandising spirituality. Once you become familiar with Perona's theories and practices, this association is not a compliment to the Spezzanos and highlights just how wacky Lenora Kay Spezzano's "downloading" claims really are.
Braco: Lenora Kay Spezzano and her right eye have nothing on this guy, "The Gazer." He doesn't even have to make contorted faces and babble about junk science in his medicine show. In addition to having his own
Wikipedia entry, Braco has cultivated a following in the USA, something the Spezzanos have not achieved. Braco and the Spezzanos share admirers from the Central European New Age flock.
Michael Harner: Academic rationalisations, going down to Latin America, ingesting drugs, and banging on drums does not a shaman make. This guy is a septic system of New Age crap. Harner shares more website mentions with Spezzano than I can count. It figures.
Brant Secunda: Appears to travel the same lecture circuit throughout Germany as Charles Lee Spezzano.
Sun Bear: Another popular "healer" with a German customer base. Sun Bear shares resume space with the Spezzanos for several New Age business people, and was even quoted in a review of one of Spezzano's ersatz Tarot card sets.
Serge King: King's appropriation of Hawaiian culture is match for that of the Spezzanos. As such their names intermingle among the uncritical praises of those who live in the lifestyles of the rich and easily led.
Charles Storm/Wolf Storm: Storm is truly a repulsive character. At least one German site mentions him in glowing terms alongside Charles Lee Spezzano.
Cleargreen Cult: Just last April an ad for a Castaneda-inspired event was published side by side with Charles Lee Spezzano hustling his wares in a German publication aimed at the same New Age audience (attached). The Spezzanos appear to be giving up on the English-speaking world. It's all about the money.
David Carson: Carson's "Medicine Cards," yet another Tarot ripoff, has been endorsed by Spezzano spinoff astrologer Pam Carruthers. Carson's and Spezzano's merchandise compete for customers in many of the same catalogues.
http://www.healingstars.com/march-moon-swimming-ocean-pisces/Denise Alvarado/"Cherokee Pipe Carrier": Her book,
The Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook, frequently turns up on the same German language Amazon lists as Spezzano's works. It figures. Voodoo is quite the cheesey industry if you visit New Orleans. It contributes to Bourbon's Street's carnival atmosphere which, don't me wrong, is a lot of fun. Amusingly, the following title also frequently appears with Alvarado and Spezzano, published by "Hypnotic Marketing, Inc."--
Spiritual Marketing: A Proven 5-Step Formula for Easily Creating Wealth from the Inside Out.
Diane Fisher AKA Dhyani Ywahoo, Black Indian Inn: Lots of high-interest overlap with the Spezzano scam in, yes, you guessed it-- Germany! Starting to pick up a pattern here? Karl May must be smiling in his grave.
Ed McGaa: Published works appear alongside that of the Spezzanos for the same target audience in New Age catalogues for the feeble-minded or for those who are blinded by their wounds. Lots of money is required for the toll. Easy pickings for the sociopaths.
Eliot Cowan: Another fraud who was hosted by Alternatives in the UK, just like Spezzano. Cowan also is promoted on the same German-language New Age merchandising webpages as the Spezzanos.
Erick Gonzalez: Gonzalez, the drugpushing lowlife scumbag who is Spezzano's closest competition for capturing the soul of Haida Gwaii, shared the spotlight with Spezzano and Associates Ltd. Psychology of Vision in the APTN scandal-exposing documentary broadcast about cult activity on the island last year as reported by Rob Smith. Gonzalez has lately given himself the comical name of "Spirit Jaguar." It is fitting a greedy criminal like this should be coupled with the Spezzanos in a documentary expose. According to my close sources the Spezzanos actually met with Gonzalez on Haida Gwaii several years ago. Two words. Frog venom. The stories have it that Erick emerged from the meeting as the alpha cult leader and his influence grows as the Spezzanos retreat from British Columbia and focus their money making activities instead on Asia and Central Europe. Haida leader Babs Stevens appears to accept whatever New Age fad comes down the pike and isn't too critical thinking about them, so as long as she holds office whatever idiotic cult is dominant will hold sway.
Eva Maria and Michael Mora: They are in a race with the Spezzanos to pick the pockets of rich Europeans, especially Germans.
Francis Talbot AKA Medicine Story AKA Manitonquat: Another rival of the Spezzanos for the German customer base. I probably saw this clown at one of the Rainbow Gatherings in the 1970s, events that were filled with mostly idealistic American white kids-- easy prey for "spiritual" con artists. Talbot's connection with the notorious sexual predator Harvey Jackins is especially disturbing. By their very nature these "healing" New Age scam groups like Spezzano and Associates Ltd. Psychology of Vision are predatory, all you have to do is simply watch Lenora Kay Spezzano's expression on her "downloading" YouTubes to witness that. But if you add the element of sexual predators-- which is apparently quite common with the parade of sleazeballs highlighted in NAFPS, the element of Evil multiplies. I knew one of Jackins' rape victims and got to hear from her in some detail how he manipulated his flock for his own gain.
Gillian Eva Sheer AKA Gilly Colledge AKA Solara An Ra: From her website-- "Solara An-Ra is a world renowned channel who has been transmitting en-lightening information from Ascended Masters, Earth-keeper ancestors, Babaji and Star Beings since 1998. She works primarily with the ‘Councils of Light’ – a collective of Andromedan, Sirian, Pleiadian and Arcturian Star Beings who tell us repeatedly 'The Time Is Now!'" This nutcase shares quite the YouTube and Facebook fanbase with Charles Lee Spezzano. You'd think it would be with Lenora Kay Spezzano, given her wackjob video presentations, but no. However when you view videos such as Charles'
The Year 2010, where he gifts the world with his profound prophecies, then it makes perfect sense he would be lumped in with Solara An-Ra.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alS2eFMGG_4&list=LLaztcKASr6l8mMmJgXqQvew&index=76
James Arthur Ray: Yes, the same Ray who was a darling on Oprah's show and later served hard time for those sweat lodge deaths in 2009. Ray and the Spezzano's names overlap quite a bit in the online world among those who distribute merchandise dealing in the Law of Attraction or/and Magical Thinking (or "Manifesting," as Charles calls it). Given a few of the stories we have been told about the conditions under which SALPOV conducts some of their long brainwashing sessions (overcrowding in the "The Barn," uncontrollable quivering, vomiting, freakouts, intimidation, etc.), the shared Ray fanbase is a public health risk to be taken seriously. Unlike Charles Lee Spezzano, Ray does have an entry in
Wikipedia, but it is the kind of coverage any New Age capitalist would want to avoid.
Jamie Sams: Another erstaz Tarot card seller who competes with Spezzano for the same customer pool. She also publishes books. Former SALPOV trainer Pam Carruthers seems to be particularly enamored with Sams' cards, citing them numerous times on her astrology website.
http://www.healingstars.com/scorpio-power-transformation/Jane Ely: Actually, I am surprised not to find much of a connection between Ely and the Spezzanos, but I list her here for other reasons. Like Charles Lee Spezzano, she possesses a bogus Ph.D. not accredited by the APA (or anyone else), but likes to tout that credential. She lives in Hawaii. She is a "healer" who has appropriated the jargon and icons of FN and Hawaiian cultures. She charges obscene fees for her services. Where Spezzano talks about the "split mind," Ely's technique "synchronizes the two hemispheres of the brain." She started a program that issues diplomas. Multi-day "workshops" are common, isolating the client from outside influences. There appears to be some kind of ranking system. The mirror image goes on and on. But she lives on a different island and has cultivated clients in the mainland United States, where she has other bases of operation. So perhaps in spite of their similarities, they operate in different geographic locations, just like how the Mob would divide a city into territories in those old gangster movies.
Jaya Becker AKA Jaya Bear: Her published work appears in the same German-language online catalogues as Spezzano.
John Cali: This character claimed, among other things, to channel the spirit of Chief Joseph. Cali and Spezzano appeared on the same websites by their mutual admirers in 2007, during the year the Spezzanos were fresh from their attendance as enthusiastic students of Oneness University.
http://www.keen.com/CommunityServer/UserBlogs/Unicorn_Healers/Horse--ense-and-other-natural-ideas/default.aspx?p=7http://findingmywaytowellbeing.blogspot.com/2007/07/resources-for-well-being-coaches.html
John of God: Y'know, if you look at this guy's claims, and think of his name in crude slang terms, then you realize that he is just full of ... well, you get the idea. Although John and the Spezzano's names appear frequently together on many New Age websites, catering to the same nominees for the Darwin Awards, the former has had many things the latter can only fantasize about-- promotion by Oprah,
two entries in
Wikipedia, a South American client base, and lots more money changing hands.
Karin Tag: German author, channeler, and keeper of a crystal skull. Like Charles Lee Spezzano, her "Ph.D." does not qualify her even remotely to engage in any healing activity. Her works appear alongside the Spezzanos in many New Age catalogues aimed at German-language readers. Somewhere I recall reading Lenora Kay Spezzano expressing belief in the mystical powers of "ancient" crystal skulls.
https://www.psiram.com/en/index.php/Karin_Taghttp://www.world-science.net/othernews/080523_crystal.htm
Leo Rutherford: UK "shaman," drugpusher, and ripoff artist. Earned the title "Twinkdork" on this forum. Has lectured at Alternatives, just like Spezzano. Leo competes with the Spezzanos for the same New Age reading audience in both English and German catalogues. SALPOV trainer Louise Magee, who served the Spezzanos from 2008-2011, also was a student of Rutherford's in 2009. In her 2009 SALPOV profile, these choice passages can be found: "i am currently in the process of writing an infertility program based on the principles of POV and energetic chakra healing, i hope that this will be available shortly." and "As a POV trainer I offer coaching, am a teacher of Steps to Leadership and regularly facilitate process led workshops in Brighton and the UK. I have a particular interest in the POV Canadian First Nations Indigenous population and support workshops and trainers in this particular area."
http://www.hummingbirdhealing.co.uk/page32/index.htmlhttp://web.archive.org/web/20090425084518/http://www.pov-int.com/en_uk/trainers/4516 Lobsang Rampa: An English plumber named Cyril Henry Hoskin who claimed to channel the wisdom of a Tibetan lama called Tuesday Lobsang Rampa wrote several books based on this fantasy.
Wikipedia describes Hoskin's last years: "Lobsang Rampa went on to write another 18 books containing a mixture of religious and occult material. One of the books,
Living with the Lama, was described as being dictated to Rampa by his pet Siamese cat, Mrs Fifi Greywhiskers. Faced with repeated accusations from the British press that he was a charlatan and a con artist, Rampa went to live in Canada in the 1960s. He and his wife, San Ra'ab, became Canadian citizens in 1973, along with Sheelagh Rouse (Buttercup) who was his secretary and regarded by Rampa as his adopted daughter. Lobsang Rampa died in Calgary on 25 January 1981, at the age of 70." The Spezzanos base their cult on
A Course in Miracles, which was dictated by Jesus to Helen Schucman, so they have something in common with Hoskins in terms of having a wacky theological foundation. Also, the Spezzanos and Hoskins share the same fanbase, as evidenced by personal websites and catalogues.
Hunbatz Men AKA Cesar Mena Toto: The supposed "Mayan Elder" who apparently based part of his teachings on the lunatic fringe world view of José Argüelles. It would seem, based on SALPOV writings, that the Spezzanos also tried to cash in on the "2012" nonsense. Both Hunbatz Men and the Spezzanos attracted the same kind of followers and commercial distributors. I was actually acquainted with Argüelles (a creative fellow) in the 1970s and I suspect even he would have rejected the Spezzanos as total frauds-- and that is saying a lot.
Lynn Carol Eggers AKA Lynn Andrews: This Beverly Hills, California fraud has produced card sets and books that appear alongside Spezzano's works in New Age catalogues. Also, they share a fanbase and a few hypnotherapy types who count both of them in their list of trainers on their resumes.
http://skepdic.com/andrews.htmlMarkus Wider: This European ceremony seller shares the same German-language book merchandising catalogues as Spezzano while pandering to the New Age market.
Meg Blackburn Losey: Another American New Age author who, like Spezzano, has an APA unaccredited degree and, again like Spezzano, enjoys using the "Ph. D." suffix or the "Dr." prefix as if this is supposed to impress us. Losey and Spezzano compete for the same pieces of the New Age pie, frequently bumping into each other on websites and catalogues as they reach into the wallets of European and Asian consumers of nonsense. Also, she has a program offering "certification" and some kind of ranking system, similar to SALPOV. Losey posts photos of spirits, orbs, UFOs and marks made on alien abductees. This is really no more ridiculous than Spezzano's assertions regarding "astral forces," "demons," and the ability to increase the size of female breasts.
Miguel Ruiz: Going after the same fad-based fanbase as the Spezzanos, except Ruiz is much more successful at it. He also merchandises ersatz Tarot cards, DVDs, CDs, books, and, something the "cutting edge" SALPOV has yet to market, iPhone apps.
Pablo Russell: This guy is a real sleazy piece of work. Russell and Spezzano are both engaged in extracting large sums of money from a European New Age customer base, and as such their names are frequently linked on the lecture circuits.
https://www.psiram.com/en/index.php/Pablo_RussellPeter Aziz: His website says, "I have spent my whole life training in shamanism, yoga, magick, and metaphysics, and learning from the faery kingdom. I live in Devon, UK, and have written three books. Explore this website to find out about the shamanic trainings, spiritual empowerments, magickal protection, shamanic healing and magickal items I provide." And, "People contact me after they have tried other approaches to healing but have found that their problem persists. Some blocks to healing can only be resolved on the shamanic or magickal level. I am trained and initiated in many powerful shamanic healing traditions including Body Electronics, Javanese Magick, Egyptian Magick and Vodou. I have received direct spiritual transmissions which bring even greater power to my shamanic healing work. I am also a homeopath, herbalist, Reiki Grand Master, highest level Vodou priest, and Javanese sorcerer." Naturally Aziz turns up frequently with Spezzano in German-language New Age catalogues. It stands to reason since the Aziz claims are no less fanciful than the Charles Lee Spezzano/Janie Ticehurst
Healing Metaphors A-Z/Healing Keys, or Spezzano's embrace of magical thinking, which he calls "manifesting."
Kiesha Crowther - "Little Grandmother": Another American fraud who appears to have done a better job of cleaning out the pockets of Europeans than the Spezzanos as they appear on the same catalogues, websites, and lecture circuit. Of course we'll never really know for sure since all the account books for both are closed. The only "transparency" here is how transparent the con game is. Crowther's theology appears to be much wackier than SALPOV's at first blush, but when one really examines the theological foundations of the Spezzano scam (A document authored by a channeled Jesus, astral attacks, downloading, demons, etc.), they are really not too far apart. The more all these clowns talk about "love," the more you need to watch your wallet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uu2algeRaUhttps://www.psiram.com/en/index.php/Kiesha_Crowther Reuben Ortiz AKA J Reuben Silverbird: There's no business like show business. Yet another joker from the States playing up the European stereotypes of North America for personal gain. He jostles with the Spezzanos for catalogue and lecture space. Strangely enough, Ortiz apparently also serves the Unification Church.
https://www.psiram.com/en/index.php/J._Reuben_SilverbirdRosalyn Bruyere: She shares many traits with the Spezzanos, including the appropriation of Hawaiian culture as well as FN. They also share and compete for the same German-language retail spiritual consumer demographic. And, of course her Healing Light Center Church is filled with just as much silly blather as SALPOV. German "healer" Peter Herion has studied under both systems. I know I am diverting here, but the English translation of his website has an interesting take on the Spezzanos: "The cornerstones of this work are the systemic methods of "Psychology of Vision" as well as the knowledge and applications of the Hawaiian Huna philosophy and Hawaiian shamanism, as I Dr. Serge Kahili King (Hawaii)'ve learned. In addition come optionally NLP, hypnosis and developed by Lency Spezzano Joining method used." -- Interesting that "Joining" is lumped with hypnosis by a former SALPOV student, eh?
http://americanloons.blogspot.com/2013/05/539-rosalyn-bruyere.htmlhttp://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://peterherion.de/heilpraktiker-leistungen/&prev=searchSharon White-Elk Woman: Star beings, crystal skulls, and spiritual healing. She markets her own version of Tarot cards like Spezzano and as such is a business rival for the wounded and vulnerable.
Omnec Onec: She came to Earth from Venus in 1955 to spread a message of love. Her books and CDs have been marketed with German-language consumers as a target, so her titles frequently appear alongside Spezzano's in catalogues. Many of her little sound bites could be right out of Spezzano's Card of the Day. Makes perfect sense, don't you think?
Simon Buxton: The Bee Apprentice and yet another one who shares German-language catalogue space with Spezzano. Both assume a "professional" stance, but Buxton is to anthropology what Spezzano is to psychology.
Starr Fuentes: Miracle worker, healer, studied with shamans, internationally acclaimed, channeler-- no I am not describing Charles Lee and Lenora Kay Spezzano. This is Starr Fuentes, another Big Ego. A gentleman in Singapore named Vincent Chia, who at one time called himself a SALPOV trainer, also gave allegiance to Starr. Best to cover all bets, I guess.
Taisha Abelar: Although this Castaneda "witch" is out of circulation, her work is still gobbled up by the same European audience that falls for the pablum dished out by Spezzano.
http://www.salon.com/2007/04/12/castaneda/Philip Young aka Philip Kansa aka "Spirit Bear": Young and his partner, Elke Kirchner, aim for the German-language customer. A Google translation of their website includes: "Phillip has studied psychology with a Bachelor of Science.Elke Kirchner is clairvoyant and goes the way of the shaman. You are channeling Uriel, the angel beings and communicating with beings of light and angels in touch. Elke f navigation use leads people to their true selves, l & ouml; st with them blockages and H & uuml; rden lovingly. Zus & auml; USEFUL inspire the authors L. Hay and C. Spezzano in their work. Both seminar leaders are intermediaries between the earthy material and the luminous spiritual world." In other websites both Philip and Elke mention their training with the Spezzanos. They are no less crazy than their mentors.
ManKind Project: It very interesting that this nonprofit cult-like organisation which is for men only, including a "New Warrior Training Adventure," shares a fanbase with SALPOV, particularly on Facebook. This especially unusual since the SALPOV demographic appears to be mostly female-- in fact SALPOV's population brings to mind that quote from Ron Swanson, “I’m surrounded by a lot of women in this department. And that includes the men.” After male cult members are ground up, emasculated and vilified in SALPOV, they can go to the ManKind Project to heal from the experience.
Vladimir Antonov: Has swiped doctrines, fads, and theologies from many sources and cobbled them together into his own little cult (sound familiar?), competing with Spezzano in the same catalogues for German-speaking seekers.
Yellow Horse Man: A healer who uses crystals, sells drums and CDs, and holds workshops. He is listed on many websites alongside the utterly bogus Spezzano/Ticehurst
Healing Adventures nonsense, which proved so embarrassing to SALPOV devotees that it was pulled from public viewing earlier this year, away from the eyes of thinking people.
It's all bullshit. All of it.