Faradarmani, or the Pseudo-Scientific and Superstitious Ring around Mysticism's Neck

Faradarmani, or the Pseudo-Scientific and Superstitious Ring around Mysticism's Neck

Author: Dr. Kiarash Aramesh

Foreword

This writing aims to demonstrate that the claims of the "Erfan-e Halqeh" (Circle Mysticism) school in scientific and medical fields fall under the category of pseudoscience. That is, they falsely claim to be scientific, but in reality, they possess no scientific credibility.

Of course, the "Erfan-e Halqeh" school itself falls within the realm of superstition. That is, a collection of myth-making claims that have no valid reason or reliable documentation. The medical and therapeutic claims of this discipline are also rooted in those same superstitious beliefs. But where they try to provide research documentation for their assertions by claiming to conduct research and produce articles, they enter the realm of pseudoscience.

Mr. Taheri's claims are so fantastical and myth-making that they inherently do not require serious critique or response. The somewhat satirical tone of parts of this writing is also for this reason. Of course, this satire neither approaches the realm of insult, nor has it diminished the substance or strength of the argument. But the reason for writing and publishing this piece is not the internal solidity or importance of Erfan-e Halqeh's claims, but rather the massive public appeal of this school. That is, the weight it has gained socially and, of course, economically, and the harm and danger it poses to countless patients who pin their hopes on its alleged treatments. Therefore, clarification must be made on this matter.

Erfan-e Halqeh, when it begins to make scientific claims, especially when speaking of treatment and health, presents a full-fledged example and a textbook case of pseudoscience.

An Important Point Before a Brief Introduction to Erfan-e Halqeh

A significant and prominent point in all the conceptual innovations of the founder of Erfan-e Halqeh is the constant, repeated, and sustained presence of two characteristics (of course, the presence of these two characteristics is also common in many other types of superstition and pseudoscience. But Erfan-e Halqeh is a maximal and complete example of possessing these characteristics):

First, the repeated and consecutive use of bombastic and technical terms, including terms belonging to mainstream science and fabricated terms, without providing a clear, understandable, and testable definition of these terms.

Second, the use of scientific terms in senses other than their correct meanings.

For example, one of the most fundamental concepts of Erfan-e Halqeh, which also plays an essential role in Faradarmani, is the concept of "Consciousness" (Sho'ur). The CosmoIntel site, the main internet source of Erfan-e Halqeh's pseudoscience, introduces Consciousness from the outset as follows:

"One of the most mysterious, unknown, and wondrous subjects facing humanity is the topic of Consciousness. From this perspective, 'Consciousness' is neither energy nor matter. Therefore, Consciousness cannot be expressed and demonstrated with physical concepts and equations, etc. However, although it is an immaterial factor, it is considered the basis for the formation and creation of the 'Frequency (Energy-Matter) Universe.'

"Consciousness," through planning and management of the "time-variable force" and so on, forms the "fundamental vibration" and creates "wave and anti-wave." Then, simultaneously with the condensation of these waves, "matter and antimatter" and the inverse of these energies, that is, dark (hidden) energies which are in fact another state of energy, are formed. In principle, the fundamental vibration can also be called the "fundamental motion." Thus, the material and cosmic universe we know is created from motion. A motion that itself results from a "fundamental contradiction" is the agent and originator of such motion (the duality of the general types of energy, regardless of energy and anti-energy, whether of the light or dark type, are the agents creating this fundamental contradiction). In other words, the main key behind the scenes of this cosmos is "contradiction and bipolarity," which from the root places all material pillars (wave and anti-wave) in the form of duality and twoness, and through this creates motion and shapes the components of the cosmos. This design is also under the program and management of "Consciousness" in order to thereby bring the bipolar world into existence. In fact, this cosmos (one of the infinite possibilities of the manifestation of pure and absolute science, for which such science has no end, and this cosmos is only a negligible part of its manifestation) is apart from the independent parallel worlds and so on, to which there will never be a technological path, and the only possible way is through finding the paths of consciousness."

Four points are contained in the above definition:

First, the entire text is incomprehensible. The provided definition offers no clarification or illumination of the concept being defined, namely consciousness.

Second, it uses a chain of bombastic words without clear meaning. In fact, instead of a definition, a salad of vague or imaginary words is fed to the reader.

Third, numerous words have been invented that have neither a definition nor a meaning, such as: "fundamental vibration," "frequency realm," "pure and absolute science," "anti-wave," "anti-energy," "dark energy," and so on.

Fourth, a large number of words are used that have specific meanings and definitions in science, but in Taheri's word salad, they are employed outside their scientific meaning and concept. Such as: "cosmos," "matter," "antimatter," "energy," "vibration," and "consciousness" itself, which belongs to the domain of biology and psychology.

Therefore, we clearly see that in the intellectual world of the founder of Erfan-e Halqeh, the audience is confronted with a parallel and imaginary world built with a multitude of high-sounding but hollow words.

A Brief Introduction to Erfan-e Halqeh, Faradarmani, and Psymentology

The founder of Erfan-e Halqeh, Mohammad Ali Taheri (born 1956), says that Erfan-e Halqeh was inspired to him. This event occurred during an intuitive experience on November 1, 1978. He says that from that time onward, his work has been the explication and teaching of the concepts he received in that intuitive experience.

Erfan-e Halqeh and Mr. Taheri's teachings are tied to his name. Concepts such as Taheri Consciousness are among the most fundamental concepts of this school. His teachings are also currently offered at the Taheri Academy.

Circle mysticism claims intuitive awareness of the software-like reality of the universe. Followers of Circle mysticism state their goal as connecting to the "multiple rings of the cosmic consciousness network." Matter, energy, and consciousness constitute the structure of the universe. As noted above regarding the concept of consciousness, the sources of Circle mysticism do not provide a clear, comprehensible, or measurable definition of their core concepts. Mohammad Ali Taheri considers understanding Circle mysticism—like tasting food—to be contingent upon joining the circle and the practical experience of "connection." In other words, to assess and critique the circle's claims, you must first have faith in it! This is a trick as old as mystical charlatanism, its history tracing back to the first swindler who, in the era of early humans, invited the first simpleton to "have faith" without reason or evidence.

Circle mysticism says that the reality of the world, which is the result of motion, is what is seen. But the truth of the world is of the nature of consciousness or awareness, and the origin of the universe's motions is the "cosmic consciousness network." Using terms like cosmic consciousness and dark matter and energy, Mohammad Ali Taheri invents a kind of fantastical physics, chemistry, and cosmology that bears no relation to these sciences in today's academic and scientific world. Even words like consciousness, matter, energy, cosmos, and software are used in meanings other than their scientific ones. In fact, Circle mysticism presents new and novel concepts and laws for physics, chemistry, and cosmology. The result of this method is a hodgepodge that he calls "Sciencefact." According to the contents of the Circle mysticism reference site: "The science of Sciencefact deals purely with a part that is neither matter nor energy and looks at the cosmos and its components from the perspective of the 'primacy of software,' seeking to create a software revolution in the research perspective across all disciplines."

As you can observe, a salad of bombastic words without any specific meaning: as Rumi says:

The road is smooth, and beneath it are traps,

A famine of meaning amidst the names.

According to the claim, it is by connecting to this very "cosmic consciousness network" that Circle mysticism enters the field of healing. Two branches of Circle mysticism's healing practices include Psymentology and Faradarmani. In these disciplines too, although the words resemble those of conventional science, they are used in completely different meanings.

Psymentology, or "holistic mind-psychology," claims to treat mental and psychological illnesses. Word coinage and the presentation of new definitions for scientific terms like mind and psyche are abundantly seen in this branch of mystical medicine! Terms such as institutional mind; perceptual mind; physical, psychic, mental, and astral bodies; cellular consciousness; and molecular frequency.

Faradarmani is also introduced as a branch of alternative medicine. In Faradarmani, it is claimed that connecting to the cosmic consciousness network has a therapeutic effect. In this way, claims of treating countless diseases are made, from genetic diseases to cancer and infectious diseases.

Why are Psymentology and Faradarmani considered superstitions and pseudoscience?

Many various branches of so-called alternative and complementary medicine are counted among pseudosciences. These branches, with all their diversity, share two main characteristics, and it is these two characteristics that demonstrate their pseudoscientific nature:

First: In their theoretical foundations, they are either alien to credible science or in contradiction with it. They invent novel and strange laws for the universe, nature, and the human body. They have their own specific vocabulary that lacks scientific meaning, or they use scientific terms in ways other than their correct meaning. In general, they replace the world that credible science introduces to us with an imaginary, unscientific, and mythical world. This imaginary and mythical world is not subject to objective investigation or measurement. (Just as is true for other types of pseudoscience. For example, no one can see the chakras of Ayurveda or the energy circuits of Reiki, or show a single gram of the phlegm claimed by traditional medicine in a laboratory, and so on.) Rather, one must have blind faith in it.

Second is that their medicines and treatments have either not undergone credible research at all (or their effectiveness and safety have been refuted in the research conducted). In these cases, pseudoscience practitioners cite research they have conducted themselves within their own environments and published in their own journals or conferences. This research does not follow scientific methodology, is not subject to scientific critique and review, and is in no way endorsed or cited by the scientific community. It is solely for internal consumption by the members of that group!

Faradarmani is a complete and perfect example of these two characteristics. That is, one would be hard-pressed to find another branch of medical pseudoscience that possesses these two features to this extent.

As mentioned, the edifice of the theoretical foundations of Erfan-e Halgheh and Faradarmani is built with the bricks of highfalutin but hollow and meaningless words. Consciousness, cosmos, energy, awareness, samentology, Faradarmani, and dark life are a handful of the many bombastic but meaningless (or incorrectly used) words employed by the founder of Erfan-e Halgheh and his followers.

The amusing point is that alongside this unrestrained use of scientific terms, Mr. Taheri also has the concept of "mysticism" in his toolbox. Whenever a critic says, "You use words like cosmos, molecule, motion, and so on in a sense other than their correct meaning," as the esteemed host of Pargar also stated, Mr. Taheri comes back with, "Well, our work is mysticism, not science!" This is the old ostrich fallacy, where, to escape a definitive answer, they oscillate between being a camel and being a bird, depending on expediency and circumstance! Mr. Taheri has an interesting name for this fallacious method of reasoning: "Everything-Thinking!"

Among the bombastic words Mr. Taheri has borrowed from science and uses in an incorrect sense, in my opinion, the prize for being amusing goes to the "Taheri Uncertainty Principle," which is adapted from Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle, and it is clear, of course, that there is no correct or even nearly correct understanding of Heisenberg's Uncertainty in it. In an interview, he waves his hand rapidly and tells the interviewer (paraphrased): "How many hands do you see? You see ten hands. But in reality, there is only one hand moving. I, like this hand, both am and am not. I am a virtual volume. This is the Taheri Uncertainty Principle, that everything is composed of motion, so we both are and are not."

Of course, for your amusement regarding this principle, you do not need to be a physicist. A high school education and common sense, in the non-Taheri sense of the word, are sufficient to see what childish and laughable wordplay you are faced with.

Overall, the fantasy world that Mr. Taheri constructs (and for its proof, he cites his own intuitive experience and that of his followers) is devoid of content, superficial, and without any connection to credible, scientific physics, chemistry, cosmology, physiology, and pathophysiology.

Research in Isolation

But does a medical practice based on imaginary and false hypotheses have any therapeutic benefit in "practice"? It is clear that the scientific community does not take such baseless theories seriously enough to conduct clinical research on them. (Sellers of Islamic medicine also object that the scientific community does not take medicines like camel urine seriously and does not research them. The answer is simple. Scientific research is costly, and the subjects on whom research is conducted endure inconvenience and risk. Therefore, it is a basic ethical principle that research should only be conducted on sentient animal or human subjects if it possesses a minimum of rationality and scientific and intellectual validity.)

The founder of Erfan-e Halgheh (Circle Mysticism) and his followers, however, claim to treat a wide range of diseases. From genetic diseases to cancer, infectious diseases, and psychiatric conditions. Of course, they know that to demonstrate that the therapeutic effect of the methods used in Faradarmani (or any other claimed branch) exceeds the effect of suggestion (the placebo effect), valid research must be conducted.

No matter how many individual testimonials are presented to promote any superstition or pseudoscience, they are useless. Because what can be documented and credible is properly conducted scientific research.

The quiver of the Erfan-e Halgheh proponents is completely empty of methodical and properly conducted scientific research. Instead, the founder and a number of followers of this discipline claim to have conducted research demonstrating the effectiveness of their methods. But these studies were neither conducted by specialists in scientific fields, nor did they follow a valid scientific methodology, nor have they been peer-reviewed, nor have they been published in reputable journals and conferences, nor have they been cited and referenced by specialists in scientific fields.

In fact, they are the "tail" that the fox of superstition presents as its evidence, and with its own artistry, it tells the tale and laughs at it itself!

In an interview with the BBC, Mr. Taheri claims to have 8 scientific journals and that 70 scientific studies have been conducted at his institute. About a year prior to that, in an interview with Iran International, he mentioned the number of their scientific studies as 40. Apparently, the climate of Toronto has caused an explosive growth in research!

But a look at these so-called scientific journals reveals how incompatible they are with the basic characteristics of scientific work.

The primary journal of Erfan-e Halgheh in the field of Faradarmani is a journal called the Journal of Cosmointel. Before delving into the content of the journal's articles, a look at the contents of the journal's website reveals some telling points:

In the "Ethical Considerations" section, there is no mention of the ethical principles of clinical research work. Nor is it stated how the ethical review process and obtaining ethical approval for the research—especially research as serious as cancer treatment—is carried out! Instead, it states: "From the perspective of the researchers in this field, the results of these experiments are considered definitive and proven, and confirm the theories of the Fields of Consciousness (T)." The (T) refers to Taheri.

People familiar with the ABCs of scientific publishing know what this claim indicates. A journal, in its very initial introduction, introduces the results of its articles as "definitive and proven" and also states that its work is the confirmation (not the scientific examination) of a specific theory. This resembles a religious promotional journal established for the propagation and promotion of a specific religion more than a scientific journal whose foundation is unbiased examination and research.

But a look at the articles of this journal reveals even more interesting points:

Each issue of the journal contains one editorial and several research articles. The first author of all his articles is Mr. Taheri (this, of course, contradicts the authorship criteria for scientific papers, but the work of this journal is more problematic than to address an issue like this.) Other authors are also frequently repeated across the articles.

Mr. Taheri himself is the first author of other scientific articles on Erfan-e Halgheh in their other scientific journals! as well, which, since the work is on what they call "Taheri Consciousness," is no surprise. But other authors have also written articles in various fields. As an example, Ms. Sara Torabi is both a co-author of the article "The Effect of the Faradarmani Consciousness Field on the 4T1 Mouse Breast Cancer Model" and a co-author of the article "Investigating the Effect of Consciousness Fields on Laser Light Behavior Passing Through an Aperture and Observing the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle"! That is, simultaneously a specialist authoring research articles in oncology, lasers, and theoretical physics to the extent of observing the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle!

Of course, a cursory reading of these articles reveals their irrelevance to the world of credible science. For example, an article titled "The Effect of the Faradarmani Consciousness Field on the Survival and Death of MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells: An Optimization Perspective" has been published in this journal. In the methodology, which is the most crucial part of a research article, no explanation is provided about the method of accessing "Cosmic Consciousness" except that individuals can connect to the Cosmic Consciousness network by registering a request on Mr. Taheri's website and use Faradarmani Consciousness. That's it! One could not find a better example of presenting the "Emperor's New Clothes." Furthermore, the methodology section of the article provides no information about the time and place of the research!

The article claims that the cancer cells connected to the Cosmic Consciousness network lived longer (which, assuming it is true, means the Cosmic Consciousness strengthened the cancer!). But the performers, recorders, and reporters of this observation are disciples of Erfan-e Halgheh, and their goal from the outset was to prove the efficacy of Faradarmani.

The article was published without peer review in a journal belonging to Erfan-e Halgheh, and for God's sake, not a single person in the scientific and research community outside of Erfan-e Halgheh has taken it seriously or cited it.

The same story holds true for the other Persian and English articles by the proponents of Erfan-e Halgheh and Faradarmani.

The amusing part is that Mr. Taheri, in an interview with BBC's Pargar, explains why their articles are not published in reputable scientific journals. He says (paraphrased), "When you want to submit an article to a scientific journal, for example, an ISI one, you must have a methodology." So far, he is correct. Essentially, the touchstone of science and its distinguishing factor from pseudoscience and superstition is precisely this methodology. Mr. Taheri knows well that the quality of his claimed science also falters precisely in this methodology. It is precisely for this reason that specialists in credible science do not take him seriously, and he and his group of jack-of-all-trades specialists remain on the dark fringes of pseudoscience. It is with this point in mind that he continues: "But we have a new methodology called Science fact, which they are unaware of. That is why they do not accept our articles and do not cite them. But we write these articles, put them there, and firmly present them. Science lags behind us, and the scandal remains for them. We do not go after scientists."

This is the textbook, perfect definition of working in pseudoscientific isolation and accusing science.

But our answers are more complete!

Sellers of all kinds of superstitions and pseudoscience, exactly like Mr. Taheri in the BBC interview, say that science does not have answers to many questions. Therefore, since we answer those questions, we are superior to science.

He is correct in the first part of his speech. Science has made astonishing progress and achievements and has answered many questions. Yet it still lacks answers to many questions. For example, a clear and complete scientific answer has not yet been obtained regarding the origin of existence and its end, essences, fundamental particles, even the preservation of youth and the treatment of some difficult diseases, and many other great questions and desires. Moreover, science constantly revises, corrects, and critiques even the answers it does have, and discards many after a while. All of this is true.

But the incompleteness of science's answers—which it itself emphasizes realistically and humbly—does not mean that any claimant who wants to feed the audience "complete" answers of a mythical nature is superior to science and sits above it. Merely having a sack full of confident answers is not in itself a sign of truthfulness and superiority. What matters is the "method" of arriving at those answers. Thousands of answers based on myth-making and demanding blind faith without reason or evidence are not worth even half an answer obtained through a valid scientific method.

Science continues to advance slowly and steadily. It has transformed the world and will transform it further. Yet the sellers of superstition and pseudoscience will continue to try to exploit people's fear, ignorance, illness, and vulnerability, selling their magical pseudoscientific answers and treatments, and tailoring the emperor's new clothes for the simple-minded from beguiling names like mysticism, consciousness, and the cosmos! But what follows with a sieve is humanity's critical reason.

The Founder

Mohammad Ali Taheri makes numerous extravagant claims in physics, chemistry, cosmology, psychology, and medicine. As mentioned, he is the primary author of all the articles in the Sciencefact journals on all these areas, from molecular structure to the behavior of lymphocytes. This is despite the fact that he has no expertise or degree in any credible scientific field.

His academic degrees in the medical field consist of an honorary doctorate from the University of Traditional Medicine of Armenia in 2010, which, of course, records another honor for traditional medicine. With the obvious clarification that this so-called university is a private institution that has no external existence on the official list of Armenian universities. In the world of word abuse, one of the most oppressed words is "university." And one of the most shameful abuses of this word is the establishment of universities of traditional medicine and other types of pseudoscientific medicine. From Eastern medicine to homeopathy and so on. These universities will have a hard time finding a more qualified individual than Mr. Taheri to award an honorary doctorate.

Therefore, it is no surprise that he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Traditional Medicine of Armenia. The surprise is why other universities of traditional medicine have not yet awarded him an honorary doctorate.

The Tenth of Aban, Fifty-Seven

He has called the event that he says happened to him on the tenth of Aban, fifty-seven [November 1, 1978] (presumably at a quarter past three in the afternoon), a "mental spark."

Mr. Taheri says that anyone who enters his circle will, to some degree, experience that same mental spark, and in his own words, "this happens for everyone and has no failures." In this respect, Erfan-e Halgheh resembles the "Astra exam," which, as Mash Qasem, Dear Uncle Napoleon, says, "has no flunkers!"

With amusing pride, Mr. Taheri tells the host of the Pargar program: "Isn't it a pity that scientists don't understand this subject?!"

Why Is Enlightenment about Erfan-e Halgheh and Faradarmani Important?

Some ask: what harm is there in a group of people gathering around a mystical school, forming connections and friendships, and improving their own and each other's well-being? Why should these false and superstitious beliefs be criticized when, in practice, they bestow a pleasant state upon their followers?

The answer is that the harms and dangers of superstitious and pseudo-scientific beliefs are countless and have been addressed in detail elsewhere. Here, only two points are mentioned:

First, the spread of faith in superstitions, baseless claims, and unfounded myth-making, such as Erfan-e Halgheh, is precisely the opposite of what Iranian and Persian-speaking society needs to liberate itself from its deep and long-standing suffering and affliction: critical thinking and reliance on reason and science. The struggle against Erfan-e Halgheh is, in fact, a defense of common sense, critical thinking, and the ethics of belief. And all of these are essential for having a free and prosperous society.

Second, medical pseudoscience, such as Faradarmani, inflicts countless harms on its purchasers and consumers. The least of these is the cost that leaves their pockets for receiving futile treatment. And the greater, irreparable costs include losing the opportunity for effective and necessary treatment. For example, a patient with a cancer that is at a treatable stage pins their hopes on Faradarmani and misses the treatment opportunity, and by the time they think of credible, scientific treatment, it is too late, the cancer has spread throughout the body, and scientific treatment can no longer do much.

Both the grand historical experience and everyday individual experiences tell us that it is a great and catastrophic mistake to underestimate the danger of those who come bearing the banner of mysticism and demand our unquestioning faith and obedience. Even if their baselessness is as clear and laughable as Mr. Taheri's.

References

For the introduction and critique of Erfan-e Halgheh and its therapeutic derivatives, this article has cited solely and exclusively the statements of Mohammad Ali Taheri himself and the contents of his official books, websites, and educational resources. No claim, concept, definition, or theory has been attributed to him in this writing unless it has been clearly and explicitly stated by him or recorded in the official resources of Erfan-e Halgheh during the time of his presence, freedom, and management.

Among the most principal of these resources, the following can be named:

The BBC Persian program Pargar's interview with Mohammad Ali Taheri in the solar year 1401, accessible at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYYKrYktUqQ

Iran International TV's interview with Mohammad Ali Taheri in the solar year 1400, accessible at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsZvgxYPEkk&t=15s

Mohammad Ali Taheri's YouTube channel, containing educational videos and documentaries of Erfan-e Halgheh, accessible at:

https://www.youtube.com/@MohammadAliTaheriOfficial

The Cosmointel website, containing numerous educational resources about Erfan-e Halgheh and Faradarmani, including journals containing Faradarmani research articles, accessible at:

https://cosmointel.com

The Taheri Academy, containing the curricular and educational resources of Erfan-e Halgheh, available at:

https://erfanhalghehacademy.com/

And the reference website for Erfan-e Halgheh, available at:

https://erfanehalgheh.com/