My first NAET treatment in Taiwan, from a volunteer therapist and his team of friends

ˬ˯vᐯ˅ˇ⌣ᘁ᥎ᨆ⏝ࡍ   ⩗  ᨆ⌣˘ˬ᥎ᐯᨆ⌣ᘁ⩗ᨆࡍ˯

This post is from Mésange, my weekly ‘popup’ newsletter, from October 2022 to March 2023. < Previous | Next >

A couple of years ago, in Taiwan, Hsiao found an alternative therapy practitioner, to try to help me with my many and growing number of allergies.

An interesting experience, that I am going to tell you…!

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First impressions

It is 9:00 am, on Saturday morning. On the doorstep, a series of about 20 pairs of shoes, meticulously lined up. Mimicking the previous visitors, we remove our shoes and enter.

As we step into the living room, I observe, in front of me, an unusual scene.

Many people are, apparently, separated into three groups. On one side, sitting on small stools, some are receiving massages on their arms and legs. On the other side, sitting on chairs, some are religiously holding some kind of glass sticks in their hands. At the back, sitting on a couch, a man. A guru? Surrounded by three ladies and a second man, they all seem very focused. His disciples?

Hsiao and I are invited to sit and wait. I continue my observations.

From time to time, the man says a few Chinese words that I don’t get. Then, two of the ladies get active. Moving around a few small cases, they seem to look for something. After an instant, as a precious trophy, one extracts a small glass vial that she holds towards the third lady. Then, some movements, some words, very fast. When the man on his couch speaks again, he seems to have understood something. Quickly, the second man is given the small vial and asked to join the 1st group, the massage group.

A subtle diagnosis process

Oh, I start to realize that I am testifying a kind of diagnosis process. Among the four people surrounding the mysterious man on the couch, the three ladies are assisting him, and the other man is simply a patient. Not really a guru then, but rather a therapist, with his dedicated assistants, and a patient!

As soon as the patient stands, I hear my Chinese name — 白樂藍! It is my turn. Hsiao and I walk to the couch, and sat. The diagnosis starts.

The therapist mentions numerous items that I get only partially. “麩質, milk, 五穀, soy, 動物, mites…”. For each of these words, two of the lady helpers look into their small cases, and take out a small vial filled with a transparent liquid. “I see, I reflect in my head, each vial corresponds to one antigen, one potential cause of an allergy”.

While the two ladies are still collecting vials, I am asked to put my hands on my knees, palms up. Then, the third lady, sitting between the therapist and me, takes one of the vials in her right hand, and lays down this hand on my left hand. Then, she takes a curious position. She suddenly lifts her left arm horizontally, right in front of the therapist. An ancient ritual?

Unlike me, the therapist doesn’t look surprised by this strange behavior. Instead, he immediately tries to push her arm down. Unlike me, the lady doesn’t look surprised by this strange behavior. Instead, she immediately changes the vial to the next one, lifts back her arm horizontally, the therapist pushes it down, and so on, again and again.

Vial after vial, I gradually understand. We are testing if my body reacts to each antigen, one at a time. When her arm resists well to the pressure, they conclude that I am not allergic to the vial’s content. When her arm falls easily, they conclude that I am allergic to the vial’s content. It is called ‘muscle testing’, or ‘applied kinesiology’. This is not really a ritual then, but rather a subtle diagnosis method!

Interestingly, in this case, we don’t do this muscle testing directly on me, but on my kind neighbor lady, who hence plays the role of an intermediate. Probably because she and the therapist, working as a team every Saturday, can be faster and more accurate than if every patient would need to be taught what to do.

Overall, in just a couple of minutes, the diagnosis is done. Many sensitivities and allergies are identified. It is time for the treatment. A treatment against allergies? Is that really possible, I think?

An unusual treatment

I am given my first vial for today’s treatment — grains —, and they show me the next step: the massage group.

There, a welcoming man explains to me the next steps: “While you will hold the vial and do this breathing exercise, I will quickly massage your spine from top to down”. This takes about 1 minute. Then, he shows me the next step: the stools.

There, while I am still holding the vial, a kind lady starts to massage some points on my arms and legs, one after the other, using a massaging pencil. This takes about 5 minutes. Then, she gives me an alarm clock and shows me the next step: the chairs.

There, like other patients, I sit quietly, religiously holding my precious “grains” vial. The alarm is set for 15 minutes.

While waiting on my chair, I continue my analysis. According to the number of cases and their sizes, I estimate that, in total, they have about 1500 such precious vials. But where did they get them? What actually is in the vials? How can my body feel the antigen inside the vial without direct contact? And what mechanism allows the diagnosis to be made through an intermediary person?

Everything is fast, well organized. Hsiao is around, helping me to understand when I need, and observing this unusual scene.

No medical secret here, everyone in this living-room-medical-office can hear the symptoms of other patients, as well as the diagnosis! I like it! I learn a lot. The knowledge is not restricted to privileged people, it is shared with everyone, in a caring atmosphere. I watch carefully… What is the therapist exactly doing? Why this breathing exercise? And why such precise massages on my arms and legs?

But I am stopped in my questions by my alarm. My treatment is finished. I bring back the vial. The lady tells me: “From now, you don’t eat food containing grains for 25 hours, then you can eat them again, your allergy will have disappeared”.

A swirl of thoughts and emotions

Hsiao helps me to take an appointment for next Saturday. We don’t pay anything, everyone here is working for free. We greet a few people, go out, take our shoes, and walk away…

While walking in the streets of Taipei, dozens of thoughts start to swirl in my mind.

Am I eventually going to be free of allergies1, after 36 years of trying to explore solutions2? Is it really possible to remove an allergy like this, in just 30 min of treatment and 25 hours of waiting3?

After listening patiently to many helpless and often arrogant medical doctors, after spending so much money, am I going to be cured with the help of a bunch of happy and caring friends, without any medical training, providing such simple and free care?

Too many contradictions. Dozens of emotions start to swirl in my chest.

I cry.


Notes

  1. I followed this technique every Saturday, for a few months, observing very carefully any detail about the technique, until confinement stopped us. I documented the results along with my self-treatment explorations. Overall, this mysterious treatment works. In some complex cases — like mine! — it needs a deeper investigation and mastering than what I describe above. In the future, if I succeed to understand better the mechanisms, I may write more on this topic!

  1. I also documented about 30 other techniques I tried over 36 years, to cure my “incurable” diseases. I haven’t updated this article for some time, though, and I think it should be closer to 35 techniques now, haha!

  1. The diagnosis and treatment applied by this bunch of honorable friends are derived from the NAET technique.



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Lénaïc Pardon
Lénaïc Pardon

I am a kind of researcher-explorer. I am French, introverted, and hypersensitive. I value a lot freedom, creativity, and altruism. I am curious about almost anything, but I do have a preference for topics around simple living: permaculture, nature, craftsmanship, autonomy, philosophy, the mysteries of life… More about me and my work >