I remember seeing this video over 10 years ago. I was already leaning towards a completely naturalistic worldview, and I remember being taken aback by it. How did he do that? Is this proof of something more than the material world? Well, since then, I’ve discovered that it’s quite common to use electricity with acupuncture. If he had some sort of hidden electrical device, it would explain most of this video. He could also justify his deception by convincing himself that he’s helping people to believe, and it’s probably good for his “medical” practice. Needless to say, I’m not that impressed with the guy’s “powers” anymore – but he does have enough showmanship to convince a few skeptics. What do you think? Any other theories on how he’s doing this?
Chi Master?
November 19, 2008 by tinyfrog
it would be interesting to get Derren Browns view on it.
I’m not sure how I would explain it, but that doesn’t lead me to jump to a supernatural conclusion. He is either very good at deception, or is on to something that needs more in depth studying.
I remember a video from a few years back where a “chi master” was shown knocking out his students without even touching them. Then to further prove his powers he went up against a MMA fighter and proceeded to get destroyed. the Chi power did not help him. Easy conclusion in my mind. I’ll see if I can find that video.
That video is hilarious.
Did you notice how the presenter said he had received treatment from him for an eye infection (as had his deceased brother) and when he is narrating at a later point, he is wearing an eye patch, as though he has had proper medical treatment or has suffered more extensive damage and is hiding it. It may be a coincidence, but I thought it curious.
It is very easy to watch something like this and be skeptical. However to conclude that what we see in this video is fake is based on a lack of knowledge what is actually possible of the human body and mind.
if you think about it could it really be that fare off. As humans we have what is called bioelectrical magnetic energy. If you dont believe in that look it up. So now we must ask ourselves would it be possible to magnify this bioelectrical magnetic energy, just as a weightlift builds his muscles.
When you think about it its not that fare fetched. I think what our biggest issue is that we tend to disbelieve anything that we as westerners and western medicine have not come up with or experianced first.
This issue then becomes a matter of humbling ourselves and opening our minds to the possibilities. If we test these things for ourselves and find them to be fake then lets make a conclusion. But until you experiance the reality for yourself we shouldnt make assumptions.
I really dig your post and I agree on many points, but I don’t understand why you hate the work “far.”
Re: Dalton Reid
And, at the same time, we have to be aware of the fact that people often misattribute things. For example, I’ve heard that monks can (through meditation) achieve various feats, including resisting pain or slowing their breathing and heartrate to very low levels. We should not, however, make the mistake of concluding that this is some kind of supernatural phenomena or that it points us to some deeper supernatural reality. In all cases, their power was limited solely to controlling their own bodies. That makes them a little more like physical contortionists and less like ‘magic men’. Is it possible that he’s doing this like an eel produces electric charge? Yes, I suppose that’s possible. I don’t think that points us to any deeper supernatural ‘reality’. The problem is that many people overestimate the conclusions you could draw from this.
It reminds me of [this video] where a Filipino martial-artist convinces himself that he can supernaturally harden his skin against the strike of a sword. Poor guy ended up with a really nasty cut. Such is the danger of over-estimating the power of what you’re doing.
Further, acupuncture (both the ‘normal’ and electroacupuncture kind) was failed miserably in rigorous studies to have any medicinal benefits – with the possible exception of pain management. That alone should give you pause – and make you think that maybe a lot of Eastern medicine claims are overblown. Similarly, the practice of “fung shui” – which is supposed to help people attract health and wealth – has failed miserably in making China a healthy and wealthy nation. It was only when they started doing it more rationally that things improved there.
All of this points in the same direction: a bunch of people convincing themselves that Eastern beliefs are true, when they aren’t.
I think what our biggest issue is that we tend to disbelieve anything that we as westerners and western medicine have not come up with or experianced first.
Well, I think too many people think the East is ‘mysterious’ and ‘wise’ and tend to defer too much to their ideas. We can and do devise tests to determine if Eastern claims have any validity to them. Very often, they fail. It’s not simply a case of “not come up with or experienced first”. You might frame it as ‘conceit’, but the West has done a good job of using science to drive out their own superstitious, pre-modern beliefs (bloodletting, vitalism, etc). The East still needs to drive out their own superstitious beliefs in chi, acupuncture, etc, just as Africa needs to drive-out their beliefs in witchdoctors.
This issue then becomes a matter of humbling ourselves and opening our minds to the possibilities.
Actually, I see that sentiment as paving the way for every sham anyone could think of. (Want to by a talisman? I can sell one to you. What? You don’t believe me? Open your mind, man! How about faith healing? Could you send me some money to my evangelical ministry? God will bless you!) I agree that your statement has a grain of truth in it. I disagree in how far you take it. We don’t have minds closed to the possibility. We require evidence, and very often the sham treatments fail on rigorous testing. There comes a time when you really do need to discard some hypothesis.
Dalton,
if these ancient ways are so great, why is the lifespan in these countries lower than ours. Worse than that, why was their lifespan so abysmally so until western medicien finally made inroads into their culture in the 1940s. In 1956 the average lifespan in china was 35! That is up from 25 a decade or so earlier. Our ‘horrible’ medicine and medicinal theories were keeping us alive over 45 year back in the 1900’s
This whole apeal to ancient ways and other ways of knowing is so old and ridiculous. Nothing has ever been better than following the scientific method. Pretendin old wives tales work and that we have superpower only makes us weak as a society.
More here:
http://techskeptic.blogspot.com/2007/11/ancient-chinese-secret.html
I dont know how that dude set that paper on fire. i dont know the motivations of the producer. I also dont understand the motivations of the great global warming swindle, but i presume they both made money off the video. But every time we actually try to do real studies on this it turns out to be nonsense. There is a good reason for that.
if these ancient ways are so great, why is the lifespan in these countries lower than ours. Worse than that, why was their lifespan so abysmally so until western medicien finally made inroads into their culture in the 1940s.
This was because in china the people were working very hard in very bad conditions.
You don’t need western medicien to live long, look at ancient Greece for example. In ancient Greece they didn’t have western medicien yet the average lifespan was 70 years.
So looking at it this way, you don’t need western medicien to live long, you only need good care and a clean environment, ”these ancient ways” provided that and maybe more.
What an interesting and wonderful movie!! 🙂
It reminds me of the trainer of my trainer! 😉
Osamu Aoki who founded the Aoki Bio Energy school in Europe. (He comes from Japan)
My trainer here in Germany is Christoph Leyendecker – and I can say, everything in this movie is not only true – but also possible for everybody!! 🙂
I practice the Aoki Bio Energy (Which is a form of meditation in movement) for 5 years now and I know from my own experience that is possible to heal people. I have done that. 😉 It’s a question of contant traing/meditation… 😉 and of course you have to have a trainer who is capable to transmit and control his chi .. 🙂
So I know that this is possible – because I experience it… 🙂
Have an awesome day and be happy!!! 🙂
André Loibl
I am not a scientist or anythn special….but i have had certain experiences and some knowledge that cause me to believe this healer is for real…
We are made up of energy (light and sound)….and the more in tune we are to it, the more able we are to control its intensity (much like on a radio or a light adapter)…and the more power we have to act as a catalyst for transformation etc.
If u really did your research and put things to the test honestly and thoroughly…then u would be amazed at what you would find….
Please forgive me for saying this, but all the scientists chosen near the end of this video to study this man’s activities are unqualified to do so.
They may or may not be qualified in their own individual fields, which were mentioned during their introductions, but in DJ’s field, they were all definitely unqualified lay persons.
Any and all conclusions that they may reach in regard to DJ’s talents are lay conclusions (unscientific speculation), just as Dawkins’s conclusions regarding God are definitely unscientific speculation, as Dawkins is a lay person in the field of Theology.
The energies that DJ controls in this video are real. The Chinese call it chi, and the Vedic scientists call it prana. Every person uses this energy every day for movement in the body. Some people can extend this energy into other bodies and objects, after years of training.
There is also fire in every human body, and with proper training, it can also be controlled and extended.
This is not spiritual; these are both material energies. This is not to say that spiritual energies also don’t exist; they certainly do.
This man is an amazing person, and he is by no means tricking anyone.
Also, the human body is an imperfect machine destined to break down, and just because this man’s power to help the body heal is limited does not mean that he’s tricking anyone; it just means that he’s not God. Still, his talents are definitely authentic, though limited.
Well, if there’s anything to this, we’d be very interested. James Randi has been offering a psychic challenge to people for years (prove you have supernatural powers under close scrutiny, and you can win a million dollars). After decades of having the offer out there, no one has been able to collect. I hear that Randi wants to free up the money though (rather than having it sit in the bank), so there’s a limited time to collect on the offer – it might already be finished.
Information on the James Randi challenge: http://www.wired.com/print/science/discoveries/news/2007/01/72482
James Randi exposing Uri Gellar and James Popoff:
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9w7jHYriFo]
James Randi exposing James Hydrick:
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlfMsZwr8rc]
And, to remind everyone – here’s a few videos of people demonstrating their “chi” abilities:
This video involves a “chi master” who can hit his students at a distance. The problem is that it doesn’t work on anyone except his students. (Hmm, maybe because it’s all psychological and his students are playing-along, fooling themselves.)
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEDaCIDvj6I]
And here’s a video of a martial artist using chi (or whatever the Phillipinos call it) to harden his skin against the edge of a blade. Or .. uh, I hope you don’t mind seeing blood.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlybPPTAvx4]
Read “The Magus of Java” by Kosta Danos which outlines the teachings of an authentic Taoist Immortal.
As an acupuncturist and a student of Tai chi all I can say is bunk. Pure bunk. Notice he never takes off his shirt and he never shows his back. He never does the same trick twice either.
The fire starts at the inside of the newspaper, not at the top as if he put something inside it.
Misdirection is all part of the shaman’s deal. I am surprised people are so naive to be taken in by it.
Tai Chi and acupuuncture can do amazing things…this kind of garbage sets us back years.
Qi is real, and so is qigong. Infared heat and infrasound levels have been measured from qigong masters while they channel qi, at much higher levels than from untrained people, although it seems to be within the ability of anyone to achieve. Looks like the meters may have been looking for electricity rather than other measures. Within the body qi seems to involve the movement of protons through hydronium ions, in the intracellular fluids- proticity, not electricity.
While I don’t know whether lighting paper on fire has anything to do with qigong, and it may possibly be trickery, I couldn’t say for sure what it is. It isn’t electricity that acupuncturists use- that involves stimulation akin to TENS with a visible device clipped to needles, so he isn’t using that to light the fire.
The LEDs however are lit by body electricity- you can buy an egg shaped light that glows from bioelectricity. Doesn’t need a qigong master, although one might channel more than someone untrained.
I have seen an elderly lady qigong master push (unrelated) large men away when she concentrates her qi- but she does need to turn on her focus. If someone trained fails at it, they may be distracted or their opponent may be doing the same thing.
Martial artists learn to drive their hands through layers of boards by aiming below, and concentrating their energy in hands- possibly the straw is a similar effect.
The effect that makes bodies twitch is just a matter of pressing on physiological points and seeing the result either down the channel, or down the nerve or muscle. That isn’t very esoteric but it can help break through blockages due to scar tissue, thickened blood or fluids, etc. and provide relief.
As an acupuncturist, who has seen clear cures (a stroke victim with a 45 degree tongue deviation straighten within one session, after a year and a half without treatment and it is straight ten years later, accelerated healing of bone fractures, etc.) I know that my needling is more effective if I concentrate my qi and focus, even in the same spots with the same depth and angle. And I have limited training in qigong.
I met a scientist in China who was studying meridians, the fluid-filled areas along muscle bellies and through spaces between organs. He tracked them with sound, with radioisotopes and they have been seen by scientists in the US with SQUID radiology. It is real physiology, and movement occurs along the channels which were discovered by people who practiced qigong millenia ago.
So we need more study. But we shouldn’t be surprised if someone feels they betrayed their training by showing off. It took the Dalai Lama to get monks to agree to allow testing during meditation- otherwise the research wouldn’t have been done.
I think it’s a gift that you are born with. And it seems it’s decendants come from the chinece. Maybe that’s why they invented acupuncture in the first place. I think it’s very real. I think it should definetely be studied but are we ready to accept the truth; that there are people that have “super powers”? Maybe that’s why the chinece are hiding any information about it. Or Maybe it’s just a gift like those people that can predict the future, or the people that can read your hands to see your future(My mom had her hand read and all her predictions have come true so far), or those people that can see ghosts like in the series A Haunting.
Just because this cannot be explained scientifically doesn’t mean it’s supernatural. That’s what I hate about most western minds, they believe that everything is supernatural because it has no current basis in science. As if somehow we’ve come to pinnacle of understanding all things scientific.
I watched that Dynamo Jack’s video awhile back, and if he’s hiding something somewhere, he’s very good at concealing it. A bunch of American scientist even took him out of his place and asked him to perform feats with chi somewhere that was foreign to him. That man was nearly naked, as stated in the video “he doesn’t stand on his dignity”. Where would he have been concealing something?
Does that mean I jump to the supernatural? No. I don’t believe anything is “supernatural”. I don’t think anything supersedes nature, but rather our understanding of nature.
What about all the failures in western medicine. My mom spent a year of her life in some strange coma no doctor could explain. Not one of doctor knew what was wrong with her. Suddenly, a man comes, prays for her, lays hands on my mom’s forehead and she awakens. Sure it could be coincidental, maybe she would have awoken at that moment. Or maybe subconsciously she believed it would work and heard the man praying and woke herself up. There is surely a scientific explanation as to why it happen, but no one could give us one.
I’m not saying this man is actually using chi, or that God healed my mom. I’m merely saying the word “supernatural” shouldn’t be thrown around so freely. Instead we should work for a way to explain such phenomenon in the natural and not just call everyone who can do something uncanny a liar. We also shouldn’t call anything we don’t understand false because they fail numerous western test. Especially when westerners came to test him and he passed that test.
I mean, come on. They used a metal detector,they took him to a neutral place and he still performed with those same results.
The only way I can see this being a lie, is if the entire video is a lie. The narrator, the scientist, everyone, all paid actors to concoct a clever ruse. I’m willing to entertain that notion, but that begs the question as to why, but I digress…
I understand why he did not want the “scientists” to do “further testing”.
Takes his pants off but not his shirt?
They wave the metal detector only over his belly?
They fly halfway round the world to do their investigation and only have a $10 radio shack multimeter which they don’t know how to use?
This is all very funny.