Universal Medicine
EPISODE DETAILS
Written, Researched and Hosted by Sarah Steel
Music by Joe Gould
October 16th, 2019
1 hr 17 mins 36 secs
Season 3
Season 3 presenting partner:
ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Universal Medicine teaches that entities known as The Four Lords of Form rule over 9-foot-tall spirits that are all around us, and that most people have lived at least 2,300 lives before.
Former student Matt Sutherland told Sunday Night journalist Matt Doran that he would describe Universal Medicine’s founder Serge Benhayon as “a human wrecking ball.”
CORRECTION: In the list of jury findings at the end of the episode, the 'groping' allegations were found to be conveyed by the publication but the court did not find that Esther Rockett had proven them true. Defences of honest opinion and qualified privilege were upheld for these allegations. This episode has been updated to remove these points. Also, Esther Rockett named herself "Darkly Venus" and "Pranic Princess", it was not Serge Benhayon who did so.
EPISODE LINKS
- The Cult: International investigation into Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine — by Matt Doran, Sunday Night, Channel 7, 17 February 2019
- Australian cult leader Serge Benhayon targeted in international investigation — by Matt Doran, Sunday Night, Channel 7, 15 May 2019
- The Da Vinci Mode — by David Leser, Good Weekend, 25 August 2012
- Universal Medicine follower's daughter releases private emails between mother and 'cult' leader — by Josh Robertson, ABC News, 10 November 2017
- Universal Medicine cult founder exposed as ‘charlatan’ — by Rhian Deutrom, news.com.au, 18 February 2019
- Universal Medicine 'cult' received hundreds of thousands in charity donations from prominent donors — by Josh Robertson, ABC News, 14 September 2019
- Universal Medicine Facebook page — accessed September 2019
- Universal Medicine website — accessed September 2019
- Serge Benhayon’s website — accessed September 2019
- Unimed Living website — accessed September 2019
- The Truth about Universal Medicine — blog by students of Universal Medicine, accessed September 2019
- Universal Medicine Exposed — website by students of Universal Medicine, accessed September 2019
- The College of Universal Medicine — website accessed September 2019
- Esoteric Breast Massage website — archived in March 2012 by the Wayback Machine
- Self-styled healer Serge Benhayon leads 'socially harmful cult': jury — by Michaela Whitbourn, The Sydney Morning Herald, 15 October 2018
- Esther Rockett’s blog — accessed September 2019
- Benhayon v Rockett (No 8) [2019] NSWSC 169 — Supreme Court of NSW final determination, 6 December 2018
- Benhayon v Rockett (No 9) [2019] NSWSC 172 — Supreme Court of NSW costs determination, 28 February 2019
- Parliament of NSW Legislative Assembly Hansard — 21 August 2019
- How one hippie town became the anti-vaxxer capital of Australia — by Tim Elliott, The Sydney Morning Herald, 8 June 2019
- Australian Charity Register listing for College of Universal Medicine — accessed on 27 September 2019
- 'Cult' cures on Medicare — by Heath Aston, The Sydney Morning Herald, 22 July 2012
- Controversial health provider under investigation — by Samantha Turnbull and Bruce MacKenzie, ABC North Coast NSW 23 July 2012
- Rick Ross Cult Education Institute Forum — thread started by Herbert Kane, 15 January 2012
- Jane Hansen: How Universal Medicine bullied me — by Jane Hansen, The Sunday Telegraph, 15 March 2015
- Lance Martin’s blog — accessed September 2019
- Doctor rebuked over 'spiritual healing' group touting 'esoteric breast massage' — by Joshua Robertson, The Guardian, 31 May 2017
- Doctor who gave patient medical history to Universal Medicine 'cult' stands down from AMA — by Josh Robertson, ABC News, 9 May 2018
- 'Cult' Universal medicine practices promoted by researchers, UQ launches investigation — by Josh Robertson, ABC News, 2 May 2018
- Michael Benhayon’s IMDb biography
- Girl to Woman Festival website — accessed October 2019
- Charity Commission hands action plan to health charity — by Chloe Stothart, Third Sector UK, 25 November 2013
- Esoteric Teachings & Revelations: A New Study for Mankind — by Serge Benhayon, UniMed Publishing, 2011
- Quacks in the System — Private Eye, Number 1359, 7-20 February 2014, archived on Esther Rockett’s blog
- Way of the Livingness fails to obtain charitable status — by Kaye Wiggins, Third Sector UK, 12 September 2011
- Decision: The Way of the Livingness, The Religion of the Soul Trust — Charity Commission for England and Wales decision, 24 August 2011
- Your right to know: how Australia's defamation law stifles public-interest journalism — by Richard Ackland, The Guardian, 30 November 2018
- Benhayon v Rockett (No 10) [2019] NSWSC 792 — Supreme Court of NSW referral to Legal Services Commissioner determination, 26 June 2019
- 'Cult leader' ordered to pay blogger's legal costs — by Michaela Whitbourn, The Sydney Morning Herald, 28 February 2019
- NSW healer tells of 'spirits', past lives — 9News, 5 September 2018
- 'Discarnate spirits' in the courtroom as 'healer' is cross-examined — by Michaela Whitbourn, The Sydney Morning Herald, 5 September 2018
- The Man Who Says He Was Leonardo Da Vinci In A Past Life Does Not Run A Cult, His Lawyer Says — by Lane Sainty, BuzzFeed News, 3 October 2018
- No Universal Medicine Girl to Woman Festival at Lennox Head Community Centre — petition started by Mimi Turner in November 2018
- Universal Medicine follower's daughter hopes jury verdict stops 'dangerous cult' recruitment — by Josh Robertson, ABC News, 5 November 2018
- NSW child protection agency advocated 'harmful cult' activities in girls' care plans — by Josh Robertson, ABC News, 22 November 2018
- Reincarnation evidence given by NSW healer — by Margaret Scheikowski, Newcastle Herald, 6 September 2018
- A very upper crust cult: Run by a wealthy old Etonian in deepest Somerset, it claims you can burp out bad spirits and disabled children were evil in a past life. Ridiculous? Tell that to the husband who lost his wife to its clutches — by Antonia Hoyle, The Daily Mail, 16 March 2019
- Channel Islands 'among worst tax havens' worldwide — BBC News, 29 May 2019
- Benhayon’s ‘loss will be felt’ by Lismore chamber — by Chris Dobney, Echonetdaily, 31 October 2018
- Council candidates support website attacking ‘cyber bully’ — by Hans Lovejoy, Echonetdaily, 31 August 2016
- Universal Medicine client says her sessions felt ‘sleazy’ and she was being ‘groomed’ — by Jane Hansen, The Sunday Telegraph, 21 June 2014
- Universal Medicines Serge Benhayon controlled every aspect of our lives — by Jane Hansen, The Sunday Telegraph, 22 June 2014
- Doctor sent woman for two years of new age healing in a galaxy far, far away for a cough — costing her $35,000 — by Jane Hansen, The Sunday Telegraph, 30 August 2014
- New age 'medicine' of Serge Benhayon leaves trail of broken families — by Josh Robertson and Liam Walsh, News.com.au, 8 September 2012
- Serge of interest — Private Eye, Number 1360, 21 February - 6 March 2014, archived on Esther Rockett’s blog
- Esoteric “Messiah” figure inherits bulk of woman’s million-dollar estate — Women in the World, 29 December 2015
- David Millikan: Night of the Inquisition — post by UM student Sue Kira, The Truth About Universal Medicine blog, 4 November 2012
- The Way it is: A Treatise on Energetic Truth — by Serge Benhayon, UniMed Publishing, 2009