Dr. Joe Dispenza

[bigsteiny]

Gday, i've read a couple of this guys books, and even went to one of his seminars because he claims to be trying to marry science and some old age belief systems (paraphrasing).  He has some pretty outrageous claims. One that particularly sprang to mind because it mentioned the mechanics of how his process works:

As you breath, your spine moves and causes your spinal fluid to circulate. This is caused by a rocking of your sacrum back and forth due to the breathing action.

By holding your breath, and contracting muscles in your perineum and thereabouts, you can cause an increase in pressure on the pineal gland, which will in turn cause an increase in ... eletrical activity (?). (i'm sorry, much of this is from the seminar and from my memory).

The goal here apparently is to increase the 'field of energy' that your body generates, which in turn can somehow have a quantum effect on reality and your future, and your emotional state affects this signature.

Of course, it's all very hocus pocus type of stuff - however, i'm curious as to whether there are truly ways to effect your eletromagnetic (?) signature from your body... are they reliably detectable?

He makes mention of using a team of russian scientists with high tech measuring instruments to reproduce all of this, however i'd have expected a series of scientific, peer-reviewed studies if that were the case. Still, i'm curious as to whether anyone has done any research on this guy? I read some articles on someone about Greg Braaden's claims which were really interesting, and Joe Dispenza associates with this guy sometimes.

He also claims to have self healed from a horrific spinal accident, and found many people who have done the same, with doctors exclaiming it just shouldn't be possible. He relies very heavily on the placebo effect proving that the body can heal itself, and since the placebo effect seems to be quite well accepted (i'm not sure we understand why it works, but i think we all know it does). So, is this guy a fraud?

Thanks.

[Sparks]

I remember him from this 2004 film, which New Agers so loved, and where another myth about Native Americans is cooked up:

In the film, during a discussion of the influence of experience on perception, Candace Pert notes a story, which she says she believes is true, of Native Americans being unable to see Columbus's ships because they were outside their experience.

Here is a review of the film, Mr. Dispenza not unmentioned: http://www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/04-10-01/

"Dr." Dispenza is dispensed of here, with words I tend to agree to:

Encyclopedia of American Loons

It’s … The Encyclopedia of American loons!
Our new and exciting series presenting a representative sample of American loons from A-Z.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013

#627: Joseph "Joe" Dispenza

Joseph Dispenza is an author of several fluffy New-Age snowflake bullshit self-help books, and is particularly notable for his appearance in the deranged piece of pseudo-science delusion “What the Bleep do we know”. Dispenza, who presents himself as "Dr. Dispenza", is the proud possessor of a “Doctor of Chiropractic degree” from Life University, and currently seems to be in the “miraculous healing” business. He is also a follower of Ramtha’s School of Enlightenment, and has produced several Youtube videos in which he talks about quantum physics the way he sees it, which has nothing to do with quantum physics (Dispenza really doesn’t even have the faintest idea what quantum physics is), but a lot to do with gibberish centered around various ridiculous forms of woo and crackpot spirituality crap.

If you enjoy torturing yourself with fluffy fogbanks of pink-tinged drivel, you may check out his DVD series “Your Immortal Brain,” which allegedly “looks at the ways in which the human brain can be used to create reality through the mastery of thought” – which does not mean anything (alludes to the Secret), but that doesn’t seem to matter much to Dispenza; like quantum physics linguistic meaning appears to be just whatever Dispenza fancies it to be at any given moment.

Diagnosis: Pretentious, delusional puddinghead who is apparently convinced that what he thinks becomes reality in virtue of him thinking it. Otherwise Dispenza doesn’t care too much about reality.

[bigsteiny]

Thanks for the quick reply. I remember watching that movie too, and thinking it was a little far fetched. I did some more research into it and read about this school of Ramtha's as well - and apparently Joe and her had quite a disagreement about her beliefs, but (if memory serves), he had to keep his mouth shut for legal reasons. So i give him a pass on that one, and the information he presents in that movie is also 10 years old, so i try not to judge him for that either!

I'm also very hesitant to put much stock in a review that degrades into name calling (though i did laugh at puddinghead, havent heard that one before!). The review doesn't really offer any scientific analysis at all - they just claim he is uneducated on quantum physics and leave it at that.

It's no more than a game of baseless finger pointing so far. I'm not interested in that... i'm more curious about how delusional the idea of measuring fields in the human body is (thats a smaller step of faith for me). Obviously your emotions have a direct biological, measurable affect on you... what about energy you give off?

In his books, he does actually cite a lot of references to papers on spontaneous remissions and the like, figured somebody, somewhere might've done some digging.

Thankyou again for taking the time to reply.

[duper]

Hi bigsteiny and anyone else looking for an honest review of JD's progressive workshop,

 I just participated in a workshop with JD, that I hesitate to name cause it seems that his team Encephelon cleans up the Internet with impeccable detail! (no Wiki page, or anything less than flattering anywhere...) So what "Joe" dispenses in his  new age message is done with a typical motivational marketing team that should be off-putting to the average person with a grain of discernment and a meditation practice. 

In general, in his last book his newer line of thinking sells the idea that the human mind can change the manifestation of reality and change his fate; all this can be done by a certain personal discipline including meditation . Until now it sits well with the newer current of ideas.  I like the idea of meditating and love the idea of manifesting too!  About the science facts, I'm not sure, but it sounds interesting and I'm willing to suspend disbelief and try it out.

What pains me though, is the method of delivery of this so called Workshop ...where there never was a schedule handed out, we were left at the mercy of JD. In particular, he proceeds to claim to have witnessed spontaneous remissions of serious illnesses in his workshops, and I noticed several participants in wheelchairs or on crutches ... not counting all the participants with undetectable disease in the hall ... these people are especially vulnerable to false hopes  that healing is instantaneous and about to happen ... ! At no point does he show any real testimonies of miraculous healings ... his anecdotes should suffice to make us believe in a better tomorrow ...

Then, his workshop was fairly expensive, and it is said that this cost is justified since it included videos (about 5 hours) of a previous workshop that no longer exists but which must be watched before you attend the progressive workshop ... the majority of the workshop I attended (progressive)  was the verbatim repetition of that video!!! ... is it brainwashing or lack of imagination or information ? I would say that this is the recycling of old stock. They also strongly encourage us to read his latest book BHBY which again a rehash of the same thing..? (Enough already!)  Even his anecdotes are the same!   He seems to have learned his text very well.  But don't expect him to interact directly with the participants; he can't go off script.

In addition, the meditations (which I find interesting) of the 2.5-day workshop are the same as those he sells online ... but it appropriates some ancient techniques of meditation (among others Kundalini ) claiming that enlightenment is imminent and easy to obtain if you follow to the letter his instructions ... ex. you have to push the energy of the first chakra to the seventh with forced breath holding - a bit like self-asphyxiation -which can cause particular sensations ... pffft!
However, I appreciate the fact that he encourages his "disciples" to install a daily meditation practice.  But to judge as wrong or right the personal practice of a meditation, and to expect some kind of magical effect is not right.  Meditation takes many forms and is individual...and is not a result oriented practice...it should be a journey.  Pushing for results is not the way...

I especially hated the obvious marketing in the workshop where he plugs advertisements for the upcoming workshops, publications, at all times; and where the electoral campaign/pep rally  style is used by encouraging the participants to dance and clap after the breaks to lively music for no apparent reason except to make promotional videos (looks like you're having fun here -! artificial enthusiasm for a meeting where calm should be nurtured...)
I also noticed that JD does not care entirely about our questions on site (you could ask questions at his paying webinars I guess), or our learning ( no leader came to our table to guide, there were no group activities) ... he seems to be more interested in our wallet ...
He also seems to use a type of communication with his technical team by pretending to make us interact (ex. - «poke your neighbor» and «discuss what you understand») that are not often logical since he did not give enough info for discussion and he obviously seeks a break for some reason ... perhaps he needs to blow off some time during these pauses ....or hear his next line in his earbuds.

He also makes an unnecessary use of Youtube videos to so-called "spark our enthusiasm and inspire the imagination of our emotions" ... I think even here he gets a small break on stage ... all these videos were  "déjà vu" for any subscriber to FB! Is it perhaps because the average age of the participants was more boomers and pre-boomers and they are not all subscribers to social media?

Finally, I come out disillusioned and annoyed to have spent to attend a workshop with such manipulation techniques and lack of concern for the participants! I love all the same some of his ideas, and I come out a little more aware of the dangers of this kind of workshop. I have compassion for some of his "fanatical groupies" and even some exalted shouters during the meditations ... (could these be the hired actresses?)

I hope my reflections and questions will spur discussion or at least  "enlighten" a few ... I wish I had read this kind of criticism before spending ... but I think his team is efficient at digital scrubbing .

[Sparks]

I read some articles on someone about Greg Braaden's claims which were really interesting, and Joe Dispenza associates with this guy sometimes.

Gregg Braden (Greg Braaden is an incorrect spelling of his names) has a topic here:

http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=2414.0 (Greg[g] Braden)

I plan to add new comments there.

[Crowspeakheart]

hello,
i am new to this platform and english is not my first language. joe dispenza keeps on selling new meditations and makes events out of this where you can buy online the new meditation directly coming from his workshop so if you cannot go there, you end up buying the newest mediations since it is promoted so strongly, hoping for cure and improvement of the personal life situation. i have been pushed by a friend to buy like three of those workshop meditations and it is quite relaxing but already in the second meditation i realized it was just like the other ones i had bought and attended too and his voice and the whole manner of the "meditation" ist very spooky, has nothing to do with meditation or becoming attentive to inner turmoil, to inner subconscious blockages etc. he makes people think, that by doing the meditations you can erase any problem and blockages to manifest health, wealth, luck etc, which is complete bullshit and in the end you end up meditating and trying to forget everything that is traumatic without adressing the issue. what i find very problematic, is that he is being featured on many many trauma conferences like the trauma super conference from breathwork. it makes people believe, that all they need to do is do the mediatioins and listen to his endless bullshit talks. he is very dangerous, he takes a lot of money for his meditations retreats and his ship trips ... he is also a follower (or used to be) a follower of some guy called rhama, which promotes wine drinking.
his overall demeanour is one of a complete narcissist that thinks he is truly he acts like a self-confident narcissist and tells stories of how his daughter manifested a shopping trip in which she spent a lot of money on clothes, created the money for it through his meditation and convictions. it abuses the hopes of many people who are sick, in pain, have personal problems, have been abused or want to overcome chronic illnesses. he is a little narcisstic napoleon and his meditations are very manipulative und his meditations work with hall
 sound effects are manipulative and artificial, moreover, he pretends that it is the human problem when nothing changes that pushes particularly traumatizing people further into a victim's corner and puts them under pressure. one can loose a lot of money and time with this crap instead of truly healing or just enjoying life and accepting the life situation...

[fairbanks]

Here's a recent podcast from Conspirituality (great journalists investigating nuage influencers) about "Dr" Joe Dispenza.

https://www.audible.com/pd/98-Placebo-Joe-Dispenza-Podcast/B09XGVJX37

If you get treated by someone who says they’re a doctor, but they’re not, can they still have a placebo effect? That’s the question we’d like to ask Dr. Joe Dispenza, who’s not a doctor, but who plays one on the internet, treating one and all with the placebo of his bafflegab about Quantum healing and TimeSpace.

Placebo Joe. Who is he? How do you take the measure of a Quantum Man? We’ll shine our browsers into the slit experiment and observe a particle here, a wave there. The particles of video clips, the waves of affiliate links. We’ll run our signature experiment: Schrodinger’s Influencer, to find out just how many parallel Joe Dispenzas are populating the multiple universes he is trying to crack back to alignment with his chiropractic panache. There’s the Joe of the Ramtha School of Enlightenment, Joe who starred in “What The Bleep Do We Know?” There’s faith healer Joe, and Joe who now headlines, alongside David Icke, for the Netflix of conspirituality, Gaia TV.