Healer or husler - how to tell the difference.

BULLSHITOMETER

Healer or Hustler: HOW TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE

BY IBU KAT

Once upon a time there were very few foreigners in Bali. The local people sought out balians, or local healers/ shamans, to cure their illnesses, contact their ancestors, clear black magic and address other spiritual housekeeping matters. There were (and are) thousands of balians; some good, some ordinary, some who work on the dark side. People would pay what they could, often just a few rupiah folded into an offering.

A handful of these balians who were gifted healers began to be known to the foreign community. Over time visitors would make pilgrimages to see them, with interpreters because English was rarely spoken. The standard fee for a foreigner to see the famous Cokorda Rai was Rp 200,000, which was a lot of money at that time.

An insidious shift toward the commodification of healing began.

Combining Bali’s undeniable ambient energies with the anxieties of Westerners and their willingness to pay for a quick fix created a lucrative and unregulated ‘healing’ industry. Balinese and foreign practitioners began to sell their services to the increasing number of tourists flocking to Bali.

The menu is diverse and esoteric. The exchange is for hard currency. Some of these practitioners are authentic. Some are predators. No industry can exist without a market to support it. The healing industry in Bali exists because of the assumption that there’s a short cut to fix anxiety, depression and other imbalances. Surely someone can make it go away, at a price and preferably before Tuesday. There’s a tendency to view Bali as a Disneyland where everything is beautiful and nothing bad can happen. Sadly, this is not so.

Many of these seekers are vulnerable and naive young women who are easy prey for the men (rarely women) who claim to be healers. Again, some of these guys are authentic and helpful. Others are eager to get into their clients’ souls, wallets and/or underwear. I personally know foreign women who have been sexually abused, emotionally manipulated and separated from large sums of money by so-called ‘healers’ who talk the talk and look the part. Some of these ‘healers’ were foreigners and some were Balinese.

So we have a product and we have a market. Shop wisely.

Most of us were raised to respect our conscious, judging, rational minds and mistrust our intuition. But our intuition, our gut feelings, are the remnants of our ancient survival instincts.

Learning to listen to and trust this inner wisdom can spare us a lot of grief. It’s very important to develop firm boundaries and learn to say NO. That can mean overriding our conditioning, our training to be nice and to please others. If a situation feels uncomfortable, get up and walk away. Even if the ‘healer’ tells you that discomfort is part of the process, walk away if it does not align with what you know to be your truth. Be alert to attempts to control you, demands for money or suggestions that you leave the group for a oneon-one session unless that feels very comfortable. Don’t do the polite thing. Honour that little red flag. You don’t owe anyone an explanation or excuse. Just walk. And never let anyone judge you.

How to avoid these predators in the first place? Personal, first-hand referrals are usually a good indicator. Check online reviews. Find a close-up picture of the face and look into it deeply. Whether your experience was positive or negative, always leave a review.

At the end of the day, there is no magic bullet. Yes, we’ve been harmed, traumatized and wounded. But there are no Healers except ourselves. The best practitioners will hold space for you, share their skills and compassion without ego and support you to do your work. This can be scary and uncomfortable. You have to do that work yourself, no one can do it for you. There are no short cuts. But when you choose this path and walk it with a safe and caring helper, you can indeed find and keep your joy and balance in this increasingly chaotic world.