CR writes: “I was at an introductory workshop (free) teaching a few TKM® procedures. It seems a little new age to me, but it is also based on research and espoused by a Christian institute. Do you know anything about it?”
The TKM® method is indeed New Age, although the founder claims it’s “Christian-founded.”
Here’s how this site describes a typical TKM session: “The application of TKM® is gentle and non-invasive. By placing the finger pads or palms of the left (negative charge) and the right (positive charge) hands-on two precise but different locations (Energy Spheres) on the body, a revitalizing and stimulation of the energy occurs. This improved conductivity allows the energy to flow in the proper pathways and decongest the afflicted Energy Spheres and pathways. A TKM® session takes about an hour to complete. But the process has truly just begun.”
The founder of this technique is Glenn Thomas King, who holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Health Science from Pacific Western University and a Master’s Degree in Acupuncture. Various websites claim he studied a variety of natural health methods which including nutrition/diet and herbology, eastern medical practices such as acupuncture/acupressure, shiatsu, and jin shin jyutsu® and the very New Age reflexology and B.E.S.T. method.
King claims the roots of TKM® come from the writings of Jiro Murai, a Japanese energy healer who died in the early 1960s. Murai supposedly ruined his body from excessive living and when no one could heal him, decided to climb up to the top of a mountain to die alone. While there, he went into a meditative state and was “guided” [by whom?] to do some simple “finger holds”.
As this site explains, after receiving a diagnosis of serious illness at the age of 26, Murai retreated to his family’s mountain cabin. “There he turned inward to center himself, to gain peace and tranquility as he faced the end of his young life. As he was waiting to die, he began to contemplate various philosophies and spiritual practices. He sat in Zen meditation, focused on breathing, fasted, and practiced mudras. As he sat in meditation over the course of seven days, he went in and out of consciousness. His body became progressively colder. On the seventh day this cold was lifted and he experienced intense heat, like a stream of fire coursing through his body. When this tremendous heat subsided, he felt no more discomfort. Quiet, calm, and peace encompassed his entire being. He stood up and was able to walk.”
Dr. King claims that his method has nothing to do with the spiritual energy forces and meridians that Murai was referring to, but is rather based on the body’s natural energy system. However, there is no scientific evidence of so-called “Energy Spheres“. He insists that he’s referring to “bio-electromagnetic” energy – which is a legitimate and scientifically proven kind of energy – but has neither subjected his technique to any scientific testing nor published any peer review articles about it. This is a big red flag!
If it’s proven science, why not let science prove it?
Further, his technique, which is based on keeping the body’s electrical currents flowing through its “established circuits” by relying on the positive and negative polarity of the hands to stimulate the body’s energy is much more associated with New Age “energy” healers than modern medical techniques. The idea that our hands have a negative and/or positive polarity is a belief found in theosophy and the New Age.
I don’t want to wander too far into the weeds on this one, but the bottom line is that there is a good reason why Quackwatch includes Dr. King’s Institute on its list of questionable practices.
It also explains why his website includes a very long and detailed disclaimer to avoid lawsuits, thereby stripping the consumer of any recourse should they spend money on this technique and get no relief.
I’m sure he is sincere in what he’s doing, but consumers have a right to more than just user testimonials when it comes to medical practices that claim to be able to heal them of potentially life threatening conditions such as those mentioned on this page.
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