Saturday, May 28, 2011

Jerry Hicks on chemo: Abrascam gets a little help from Western medicine

Those of you who have been hanging around this blog for a while -- or who have been following New-Wage scams via other forums -- are probably pretty familiar with Jerry and Esther Hicks, whom I've called the George and Gracie of the New-Wage world. (The main difference between the Hicks and Burns & Allen is that the latter were intentionally funny.)

Esther and Jerry -- whom Joe "Mr. Fire" Vitale has credited with inspiring him in his own "spiritual marketing" shtick (he says he even wrote the intro to the original edition of their first Sara book) -- have had a smashingly successful imaginary-friends scam going since the late 1980s. As many of you may also recall, they were big stars of the original version of The Secret. Then when The Secret got too big for its bitches...I mean, britches...Rhonda Byrne got greedy and had her lawyers try to manipulate the Hicks into signing away more rights than they were comfortable with signing away. They refused, so she cut them out of the moviemercial entirely and released a new version sans Abe-Hicks. I blogged about this back in December 2006. And on his old blog, Mr. Fire himself wrote that despite the elimination of his dear friends, the new version of The Secret was even better than the original.

At any rate, being ousted from The Secret was no skin off the Hicks' backs. Their initial public proclamations about the incident were the typically "loving" -- that is, euphemistic but secretly seething -- New-Agey pap you might expect, but as time went by they got a bit snippy about it. They even released a revenge DVD. (I may have doctored that cover a little, but not much.) I don't blame them for being p.o.'d at Rhonda, but in the larger scheme of things I also don't think it's as outrageous for scammers to get scammed as it is for regular people to get scammed.

In any case the Hicks continued to rake it in with Gracie's... I mean Esther's... hammy Abe performances. They churned out books and frauducts, they presented workshops, they hosted lavish cruises for their faithful following of seagullibles. And the money just kept streaming in, often surprising even them, according to some of their own comments over the years. Of course I would always read between the lines: "Jeez, we can't BELIEVE we're getting away with this crap." "Jeez, we can't believe we're STILL getting away with this crap." And so on.

But all good scams must come to an end...or must they? Some people are predicting the end of the Abraham-Hicks empire in light of the fact that Jerry Hicks, who first pushed Esther into channeling -- um, I mean "receiving" -- has been undergoing chemotherapy to correct an "exaggerated" white blood cell count. I was first alerted to this by my friend Kyra, who runs a couple of Abe-skeptic sites. She pointed me to her blog post about the matter: http://kyrasdiary.blogspot.com/2011/05/jerry-hicks-undergoing-chemotherapy.html

The problem -- and the point that threatens to shake the Abe-Hicks community to its core (or not) -- is that "Abraham" has consistently advised against resorting to doctors and conventional medical treatment. While some of the "teachings" of Abe seem to take a neutral stance towards medicine, the overall message is that the body knows how to heal itself, and that the Abe teachings can help you prevent or cure any ailment by getting your vibes in tune with health, abundance and joy -- all without medical intervention, thank you very much. To many Abe followers, this apparently translates into a mandate to stay away from doctors and medicine altogether.
Kyra shares a revealing quotation at the beginning of her blog post:
"In reality, we have never encouraged Jerry or Esther to take any sort of medication or medical treatment because we know it is easier to teach them with what they know how to find their vibrational harmony with energy." - Abraham Hicks 03/02/1997 San Francisco, CA
It isn't Schadenfreude that motivates Kyra to write about this matter, and while you may find it hard to believe, that's not my chief motivator in this case either. Let me make it clear: I don't wish illness on anyone, not even a professional scammer like Jerry Hicks.
 
I do think it's a bit premature to talk about the end of a good scam like Abe-Hicks. On a recent Squidoo conversation Kyra wrote, "I think Jerry and Esther will run out of steam before their gimmick does." And I think she's right. For now, Jerry and Esther seem to be doing what they can to keep the scam alive by framing the entire chemo incident in a casual, lah-de-dah tale of a possible spider bite that may have occurred while the Hicks were camping next to a yacht marina in Florida. (Yep, those foreign yacht spiders will get ya every time. Yet another argument in favor of arachnophobia.)

In a recent update Jerry Hicks wrote -- or, more likely, had someone write for him:
On March 12, 2011 we flew from Del Mar to Boca Raton, Fl where we slept next to the dock with many yachts from many different parts of the world in the slip right outside our window. When I awakened the next morning I had a large welt on the inside of my wrist that looked like a giant fire ant bite. The most unusual thing about it was instead of the usual circular puss-like head that comes up from many insect bites it was a strangely cube-like head. It looked more like a spider bite. I put a Band-Aid on it and we continued the Panamanian cruise. It seemed to resolve into itself as time went along forming a pea-shaped nodule on my wrist. On April 18, I showed it to a dermatologist in Del Mar and she immediately decided to scrape it off and sent it in for a biopsy. We continued our seminar tour and returned to San Antonio getting ready for our spring East Coast run when we heard back from the biopsy results that there was something amiss relative to my white blood cell count and she put us in touch with a dermatologist in San Antonio who was an old school friend of hers. The subsequent blood test in San Antonio showed that my white blood cell count was extremely exaggerated and the physician insisted that I undergo immediate treatment with no delay. He pointed out a number of options, one of them was to use the “big guns” (heavy chemotherapy) and so we decided to go along with that and checked into the hospital on May 6th.
We were swept up in such an obvious current of amazing “path of least resistance” events unlike anything we’ve ever experienced before. The strong feeling that we were proceeding in exactly the right direction continued as my response to these “big guns” was a week of no discomfort and none of the highly forewarned side effects. Everyone around us at the hospital kept speaking their surprise at my unusually comfortable experience. We are now in day 18 of a 28 day regimen of bringing my blood counts back into perfect balance...

...P.S. One of the most wonderful things that I’ve experienced was the following revelation that I had while in the hospital with all of those wonderful people taking care of us: Every person with whom we seemingly have a chance encounter while here upon this planet has the potential of exerting a purely angelic influence upon us if we will but allow it.
There's a good discussion about this matter on this Squidoo forum hosted by another Abe-Hicks critic, Dave Stone: http://www.squidoo.com/death-of-abraham-hicks-esther-and-jerry-hicks-creation
I am not nearly as familiar with the teachings of Abe as Kyra and Dave Stone are. But there does seem to be a disconnect between "Abe's" teachings on conventional medical treatment and Jerry's decision to pursue same -- and many might see this as hypocritical. Even so, true believers will always find a way to rationalize. F'rinstance, there's this comment, from Dave Stone's Squidoo page linked to above:

Crumb Bukowski May 27, 2011 @ 6:22 pm
Jerry said in his blog that the chemo trip was a path of least resistance for him. This only implies if he didn't treat the condition with medicine he would've perhaps worried that he couldn't recover his well-being by just aligning his energy. The dude is 80 or older and must've figured he would take the chemo AND do his best to stay in the vortex in order to recover his well-being ASAP. Just because Abraham would not recommend medical treatment doesn't mean either Jerry or Esther or anyone else need follow their recommendation. I admit I was taken aback when Jerry didn't say "Screw the chemo, I'm just gonna chill out from the workshop schedule and do some fishing and trust that the white cell count will return to normal in proportion to how easygoing I make things inside my head." But he sort of emphasizes that the decision was a path of least resistance and that is quite respectable. Who is anyone to criticize or sneer at someone basing a decision on the path of least resistance? Esther and Jerry only ever claim to do their best to benefit from the teachings; they have never claimed to be the ultimate ultra-shining examples of said teachings. Cheers.
Dave replied:
Uh, yes, they did. They have access to Abraham, if such an entity exists 24 X 7, and they quote them every step of their lives. Esther has been quoted, posing as Abraham, as saying that the prognosis could be changed in a single afternoon session with Abraham. I can give you the quote, if you insist, but maybe you should wonder why they just didn't do that.

More importantly, you might ask yourself why Jerry doesn't just come clean, instead of dancing evasively all around the point. He has a teaching opportunity here, a chance to genuinely help others. Instead, he's staying on the money track. And, oh, by the way, if you are not one of the A-H emissaries they occasionally float my way in disguise, you are a sucker, ready to concoct rationales to excuse them of questionable conduct.
But people who want to believe will continue to believe. As Kyra wrote on Dave's forum:
...I don't think that in the end this will matter to Abers... Seth supporters managed to excuse Jane Robert's slow, painful death and Christian Scientists found ways of diffusing Mary Baker Eddy's morphine addiction. I'm sure that the same thing will happen here. I do have to say, though, I'm relieved because I think this will encourage people who listen to Abraham's teachings to seek traditional medicine when something goes wrong (rather than intending to rely on Abraham processes). At the least, they won't beat up on themselves so much when they get sick. They'll say, if it can happen to Jerry, it can happen to anyone. And that's good to know because one of my biggest worries about the teaching was with people who were trying to use Abraham processes because they didn't want to go the path of traditional medicine.
One point seems clear, whether you believe in LOA and Abe or not: Jerry and Esther's long-running imaginary-buddies scam has earned them millions of dollars -- more than enough money, I'd imagine, to buy the very best in medical treatment and after-care. Thanks to thousands upon thousands of gullible souls, Jerry Hicks, former Amway exec and current pimp for Esther's folly, is able to afford to take that "path of least resistance" and employ all of the "big guns" he needs to help him maintain or regain his health, and perhaps even buy him a few more good scamming years.

The same probably cannot be said of many, if not most, of his followers, and, for that matter, millions of other people who can't even afford basic medical care. So in that sense, I guess LOA and imaginary pals work very well indeed for some folks, not so well for others.

Something about that just doesn't seem right.
PS ~ For those who want to wear their Abe-Hicks skepticism, there's this T-shirt. Click on the pic for a slight enlargement, and here's the link to order.
(Note: I am not an affiliate -- just a sympathizer.)






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230 comments:

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JesusMelchizedek said...

The Hicks are frauds. Yes, yes, yes, it's me,*The Big J* and I AM here with Father Abrahm and St. Peter. We invite you to visit our facebook page for more information. with kindest regards, Jesus Melchizedek

JesusMelchizedek said...

We have been monitoring the hIcks for several years. Please visit our Facebook page for additional information. with kindest regards, Jesus Melchizedek

KOR said...

So from all I am reading here, it seems like 'faith' is not something anyone here believes in...because reality is, that is all that the Hicks are professing, is it not? How many of us, even the Hicks', can claim unwavering faith in a higher power? We are human and we have our weaknesses. Jesus Christ Himself,who was only human, had his lapses in faith. Sure, Jerry and Esther are making boat loads of money teaching faith and the power of positive thinking, at least they are making money by giving an uplifting message. The politicians you all vote for are raping the world in the name of 'liberty' and 'freedom' when in reality it is for the billions they line their pockets with...and hardly anyone seems to even notice or rant. Politicians and diplomats are treated like royalty! Instead you get on here and spend your time ranting against people who make money from sending a message that, at it's base, is truthful. Just because we all can't make it work for us in every instance, only means we are human rather than non physical, spiritual entities. The message is about what we should aspire to, not what we can do at the drop of a hat. If some take it the wrong way or take it beyond what their faith can allow them to achieve,that is ignorance-- should you censor in order to protect the ignorant? Esther and Jerry are benefiting from this little 'show' for sure, and wouldn't you all just love a nice big chunk of that pie. Give me a break...get off the hate wagon and focus on something good, rather than tearing others down, especially those who are gravely ill. How many of you are so gullible that you fall for what 'your' president tells you??????????? I wonder. And if you don't fall for it, why not spend your rants on something as evil as that? Or is the state of the world just something you would all rather just not think about...which would be rather Abrahamish, don't you think?

Cosmic Connie said...

Red herrings, KOR. First off, there are already way too many "political" blogs, and my area of interest happens to be New-Wage scams and scammers. Just because I don't spend a lot of time ranting about politicians on this blog doesn't mean that I think pols are perfect or that I don't recognize the evil done by those in power.

And just because many politicians are evil doesn't mean Jerry and Esther aren't fakes.

Like I said: red herrings.

I'm sorry for Jerry that he is gravely ill. But as others -- including those who were once Abe-Hicks fans -- have pointed out here, the way Jerry and Esther have chosen to deal with his illness seems incongruous with their teachings. You can rationalize all you want, but your words sound to me like the desperate grasping of someone whose faith has been shaken and who isn't willing to consider that Jerry and Esther's entire body of work has been based on a made-up story.

KOR said...

My words sound like desperate graspings of shaken faith? Where did you get that from what I was saying? And you say Jerry and Esther's entire body of work is based on a made up story? The teaching themselves are based on the teachings of some of the greatest masters the world has known, including Jesus and Buddah. If you are referring to 'Abraham' as the made up story...I simply see it as a vehicle to describe how Esther is tapping into the inner knowledge that we all have...that she has always told us we all have, which is connected to the collective consciousness. Abraham is a symbol. Why you think my faith has been shaken I have no clue...why I sound 'desperate' to you I have no clue either, but if that is what you got from my comment, then your reaction to the wonderful message being offered by Jerry and Esther does not surprise me at all.
How Jerry and Esther have chosen to deal with their own personal situation, which is a grave one...is not to use it as part of the 'show' as you call it. I cannot fault them for that. I am sure Esther is spending every moment she can with Jerry to help him realize that he can get well. For you to be so offended by the fact they are keeping it private surprises me. They do not seek out ill people to exploit them, people come to them or buy their CD's for guidance and comfort for a multitude of reasons, and that is what they give...for the small price of a cd or book. Perhaps you believe that all you are is this physical existence you are living, and that is fine and in that light, I can see your anger and frustration feeling legitimate to you. And to align yourself with someone like David Stone makes it even more obvious. I choose to align myself with positive thinking people who try their best to face the world with love and appreciation, rather than spending so much time writing negative comments about those who teach us or remind us how to have a happier, more fulfilling life by thinking more deliberately the thoughts that bring us more of what we want in this life.
If your accusations and seeming anger toward the Hicks feels so good to you, Cosmic Connie, then continue and enjoy. Whatever brings you Joy is what you should reach for. Just be sure, when you do it, it really does feel good in the deepest part of your heart and you cannot go wrong. I wish you all the best. KOR

Cosmic Connie said...

Hey, KOR, *I'm* not the one scrambling for explanations and justifications for the Abe-Hicks shtick.

I'm not "offended" by the Hicks' decision to keep Jerry's illness private (although they have made public statements about it, starting with that spider-bite story). I am just observing what appears to me to be inconsistencies. I don't have any emotional stake in the Abe-Hicks empire at all, and you apparently do. My only "alignment" with Dave Stone is to quote his blog posts.

I am, however, sorry if I misinterpreted your rationalizations as a sign of shaky faith.

And I am agnostic and do not have any particular attachment to Jesus or Buddha, though I am willing to consider that there might be other dimensions of existence beyond the physical that we experience.

Have fun with your "positive, loving" friends, and thank you for stopping by my cesspool of hatred. :-)

KOR said...

I did not realize I was 'scrambling', it felt like natural 'musings' to me.

And don't be so hard on yourself...I wouldn't call this a cesspool of hatred! ;O)

Take care Cosmic Connie! I found the exchange rather fun! Thanks!

Cosmic Connie said...

You take care too, KOR. You know you always have my Whirled available as either a guilty pleasure, or as a refuge when/if you finally get fed up with Abrascam. ;-)

Kayu said...

Both Hicks and Wayne Dyer have CLL, the most common form of leukemia. It is quite common in older men and in fact, many men live the final decades of their life with this disease untreated. If Hicks was treated soon after diagnosis it means one of two things: 1) Hicks has an aggressive form of the disease or 2) He fell for the oncologist's line "You need to do something right away" which is seldom true with any cancer and rarely ever true with CLL.

Most CLL patients are able to take the "watch and wait" approach like Dyer.

How do I know all this? I was diagnosed with CLL in February of 2005 and am still untreated.

Unknown said...

I guess there has to be people who have to make fun or mock things and those they dont understand, its your right, to the person selling all the dvds or cds Ill take them all.

Anonymous said...

Boy, you people sure have a lot of negative energy, and ctiticism for others. I guess you don't believe in anything like karma and what you give out you might get back in some way, whether you are aware of this or not? If nothing else, you are wasting a lot of time on something you claim you don't believe in and want in your life. According to Law of Attraction, this will create MORE of it in your life by your attention to it. Oh yeah, you don't believe in anything like that. Guess you don't have anything better to do in your petty little lives.
No one ever forced anyone to believe, buy, or even listen to Abraham. A lot of people get something good from it, even if they never pay a cent for it.
If you listened to it more you'd learn Abraham says "there is no death" it's just changing form, no longer in the physical. And, they never said NOT to go to doctors and use medicine. Just whatever feels right (positive) to the person. Though of course, in hindsight, taking chemo didn't work for Jerry, overall. But then, he was 84 or so, and had a long, interesting, sucessful life, and maybe had done all he wanted to do in this lifetime?
I'm kind of a amazed at all the people who feel so strongly (in a mean, negative way) about Jerry and Esther Hicks. If you don't like it/believe it, why bother with it? Oh, I guess you are trying to warn other people about the "scam". Well, it's YOUR LIFE and your time to throw away... LIke waste of my time writing this. Not trying to change your mind (doesn't matter to me what you believe) just adding my thoughts and opinions, overall.
Just seems like the ctirics of the Hickses and Abraham are just plain jealous. And they will create a life for themselves, based on this. Guess I am now trying to warn you LOL

Anonymous said...

Just as you think what you think, and feel what you feel. I think you are an ugly asshole, that is not funny. Thank you for causing in my the desire for more. This world would be a better place if everybody simply minded their own fucking business. People who believe in the teachings of Abraham, know that they can have everything they want regardless of what others do. Unlike peolple like you, that think somebody has to move their shit, in order to evewn get their life started. You are not funny,

Anonymous said...

ugly bitch. Be happy for someone when their dreams come true. Fucking follower. Go ahead live like your ancestors. Stupid old tired beliefs....why dont you go digging in the dirt for 2000yr old answers to now questions. I hate you. And i did it on purpose. I am not closer to wealth because of hating you. Bitch

Anonymous said...

maybe someday I will laugh at your choices in life, create a web-post about it, and use a flattering photo of you-maybe with a dick on you forehead.

Anonymous said...

Guys, how desperate for money you must be:-) , well, if one day you become succesfull, you'll discover that after a certain level , it doesn't matter anymore, but on another hand , somebody like you, will spend their whole life searching for scammers, obsessed by all the money they might have amassed)) At least, make your home work properly.
And "Kyra", by now should be able to look back at her sad life, and may be even admitt that she deserved every little bit of it)

Cosmic Connie said...

Goodness, Anon, we're a little defensive, aren't we? That's okay; you're going through a stage many people go through when their belief system is shattered. My Whirled will be here for you when you're evolved enough for it. ;-)

RevRon's Rants said...

idlismocI'm feeling the love, big time, from these highly-evolved LOA muckets! LOL! :-)

If one does ascribe to the existence of some Karmic influence, the most recent Anon has been kind enough to more than clear whatever you've accumulated with your snarking, Connie. You should thank him.

Anonymous said...

Sending you some good vibes, Connie. I'm all out of hooch!

kyra said...

Well, I hope for this most recent Anon's sake that there is no Law of Attraction. If there is, they need to start doing some processes to get themselves to a better-feeling place. I recommend the focus wheel or book of positive aspects. Both can be found in Jerry and Esther Hicks' Ask and it is Given (perhaps Anon has heard of this little gem).

Cosmic Connie said...

Thanks, Ron, Scuzzaman and Kyra! It's amazing how all that Aber love and light can fly out the window when a little bit of harsh truth comes in the door. :-)

Anonymous said...

Well Jerry died, so I guess you can't make fun of him anymore. What a shame, it seemed you were having sooo much fun! Maybe one of these days you'll actually grow up and stop making fun of people and things that you don't know anything about.

kyra said...

Anon,

Well Jerry died, so I guess you can't make fun of him anymore.

Hmmm...I don't think you've seen CC's latest post on Abraham Hicks. There's a wonderful pic that I think will show you that CC doesn't seem to be shying away from poking fun at Jerry just because he's (as Abraham would say) "croaked."

Cosmic Connie said...

Anon Monday, November 28, 2011 6:59:00 PM, I've never claimed emotional or spiritual maturity as my strong suits, but I suspect I know more about Abe-Hicks than many believers do. And as long as Esther continues her Abe-Hicks shtick in any form, there will be material for me to make fun of.

Maybe someday *you* will outgrow your need to fawn over, and perhaps try to model your life upon, hammy stage performers with imaginary friends.

Cosmic Connie said...

LOL, Kyra, and thanks. If I'd had more time to mess with it yesterday I would have presented a pic of the other side of that "Postcard from the Vortex." I still might, when I get a moment. Anyway, I appreciate your support!

John said...

I wonder how it feels to be so deficient in your humanity that you have nothing better to do than to tear down other people. You must be very intelligent to have picked out all the New Agey Crap that apparently has not or never worked for you. Have a wonderful day.
JV The FireGuy
I see that all comments must be approved..We'll see, I guess.

Anonymous said...

The Principle is by far the best book to debunk the LoA because it uses the actual source documents the LoA was founded upon, all the way back to 1906. And, it offers a $1,000,000 cash prize to anyone who can prove the LoA exists. To date, no one has even attempted to "attract" a million dollars. But the best part of The Principle is that it advances the idea that there is a universal force of manifestation, known as emergence, or spontaneous order, that creates everything from galaxies to human consciousness. For debunkers The Principle can set LoA cult members straight, for others, it has some interesting ideas on how the universe and humans actually create reality. www.the-principle.com

Cosmic Connie said...

John (Sunday, December 04, 2011 1:34:00 AM): "Deficient in [my] humanity?" Surely you can come up with something better than that. I must have struck a nerve, though. Could it be that you suspect I might be right? Oh, my.

Cosmic Connie said...

Thanks for your input, TrueIndigo, but aren't you replacing one set of New-Wage "laws" with another? Interesting philosophy, though, and you seem to be a much deeper thinker than the jokers in "The Secret."

Anonymous said...

I feel so terribly sorry for all you bitter people who spend their lives picking fault and finding the worse in everyone. Whatever happened to make you so inhumane and your existence such a waste of space is a tragedy. Your evil negativity will haunt you and I feel ashamed to count you among the group we call 'human beings'. Your soul is a poisoned swamp. Get a real job and quit the lame-ass blogging about other people. perhaps if you HAD a worthwhile life, you wouldn't feel it necessary to comment on any one else.

Iha777 said...

Thank you Cosmic Connie, and thank to all those who are keeping the information/exposure about the Abraham Hicks Teaching fraud on-line and until today. It has been mind opening or better said mind-blowing information for me. As a matter of fact, I am still quite literally recovering from the post-traumatic shock after discovering all the lies and all the rotten things that go on in this cult. I was able to somehow figure out by myself about the contradictions in the teachings, but to read about, for example, the control that goes on in the Abe forum or how the Hickses were trying to cover up Jerry’s illness made me feel sick to the stomach.

I just feel so sorry for the believers, as I was until recently a true believer myself. I know there was nothing somebody could say or do to make me not believe, but the truth is, like Clarity said, that the teachings affect some (if not many!) people in a very negative way. I myself honestly thought I found the truth and quite literally put all eggs in one basket. I’ve followed the teachings to the letter. I put my life on hold and waited and waited for these millions (actually it was billions!) to drop in my lap. I stopped looking for job, and to watch the telly, and basically to engage in any negative (which in the real world seem all of them) conversation. I lived in a self-imposed state of paranoia – a fear that was not possible to escape because the ‘danger’ was in my own head, my own thoughts! However, the worst moment was when I realized that what I believed in was a lie. The difference between the fantasy world, the houses on the beach, the yachts, the luxury, the success, and the real one was so big that, if it wasn’t for my supportive and loving partner, I would spin into depression so deep that I doubt I could ever come back up, if stay alive at all.

It is time that somebody put stop to this! I honestly believe that this forum and perhaps a similar few, will go down in history with uncovering these New-Age lies and scams!!! The absolutely more disturbing thing and the reason why the Hickses are the most vile of all the other ‘teachers’ I cam across is, that they extort and parasitize on the purest part of human beings – love itself. Esther and Jerry, this is for your:

“Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.” Matthew 12:32

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