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Bradley Nelson (the emotion code, the body code)

Bradley NelsonBradley Nelson is a chiropractor and craniopath who calls himself a "renowned holistic physician and lecturer" and calls his special secrets of healing "the Emotion Code" and "the Body Code." He bases his healing methods on an eclectic union of energy healing, Kirlian photography, applied kinesiology, magnet therapy, and a belief that the unconscious mind records everything one ever experiences and is the key to perfect health and happiness. Like many other healers whose imaginations seem to be their main driving force, Nelson believes there is only one cause and one cure for all illnesses.

Nelson claims to have gained his healing knowledge from a "higher power" through some sort of silent prayer. He begins his webinars and healing sessions with 15 seconds of silence to invoke the help of something "upstairs." He claims his healing crosses many borders. He can heal depression, relationships, and bodies--all with one magical system that can take place in just a few minutes and can be done at a distance.

Here is what you can do with Nelson's Body Code:

Feel more emotionally connected with others than ever before!

Experience the lightness of releasing your trapped emotional baggage.

Be empowered to communicate with your own subconscious.

Learn the hottest techniques to tap into your own internal computer!

Acquire amazing tools to help your friends and loved ones!

Discover the unseen causes of illness most doctors aren't aware of.

Internalize and practice healing methods known only to a few.

Discern your real health challenge and know what to do about it now!

Learn to communicate with and heal your animals and pets!

I'm pretty sure that my doctor doesn't know how to use magnets or his subconscious mind to heal pets or "release trapped emotions."

Many of Nelson's claims are preposterous. For example, he claims that we inherit trapped emotions from parents and ancestors and that the subconscious stores every detail of every experience we've ever had. Even so, some preposterous claims may resonate with many broken-hearted people:

Perhaps the most important discovery that Dr. Nelson has made is that trapped emotional energies will often gather around the heart, creating a "Heart-Wall" that may block you from giving and receiving love freely.

If he were speaking metaphorically, I think I'd agree with him but I'd have to point out that this isn't a scoop. But Nelson means it literally. Energy is not a metaphor. It is literally surrounding the heart, which apparently is the literal seat of giving and receiving love. To which one can only say: Nelson, you should take some lessons in anatomy, physiology, and neurology to learn more about the emotions and the chemicals involved in feelings.

Some of Nelson's claims are popular myths among the "holistic," anti-scientific medicine crowd. For example, he passes on the tale that has been a favorite among this crowd for many years that prescription drugs are the third leading cause of death. For those who care, this is a lie. Bradley's contribution to the lie is to claim that normal use of prescription drugs is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control--a much better source than Nelson Bradley--report that in 2007 the number three cause of death in the U.S. was stroke with 135,952 deaths. Number one was heart disease with 616,067 deaths and number two was cancer with 562,875.

I don't doubt that Nelson has some satisfied customers and can whip up a frenzied page of testimonials should he so desire, but his healing methods are not based on solid science. I would be a bit suspicious of anyone who claims he knows something the entire scientific community has missed. Anyway, there is no reason to believe that energy healing of any kind is anything but placebo medicine. There is no justification for belief in muscle testing (applied kinesiology) as valid for anything. Kirlian photography does not prove energy fields exist around all living things. There is no evidence that magnets can "untrap emotions," whatever that might mean. All in all, I would have to say that if you seek treatment from Nelson, you are a believer in faith healing. Anyway, I wouldn't see a chiropractor for emotional problems. Make sure you read his disclaimer:

The statements on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The products found within are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent diseases. Nothing on this website is intended to diagnose, treat or cure any physical or medical conditions. If you have a physical or medical condition, you should seek the advice of your medical professional immediately.

See also acupuncture (for more on an energy medicine that is placebo medicine and for a breakdown of the differences between placebo and false placebo effects), Kirlian photography, magical thinking, placebo effect, therapeutic touch, vibrational medicine, the New Age page of links, Energy Healing: Looking in All the Wrong Places and my review of the "documentary" Something Unknown is Doing We Don't Know What.

further reading

reader comments

websites

Reality Check: The Energy Fields of Life by Victor Stenger

Human Energy Fields? by Eric Krieg

Why woo wins by R. T. Carroll

Last updated 12-Sep-2015

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