Michael Bailot
Author, Artist, Songwriter, and Spiritual Raconteur
Ilumina Books
New Release
CULT of JOHN
The Secret Life of João de Deus
Spiritual Healer and Serial Rapist
Oprah Winfrey and New Age icons billed João de Deus (John of God) as the world's greatest psychic healer. He is now recognized as the worst serial rapist in Brazilian history. João claimed to be possessed by dead doctors—performing “surgeries” with actual incisions requiring stitches. But backstage at his spiritual hospital, a secret world was hidden from the public, where black magic masqueraded as healing and charity. Blood sacrifice posed as surgery.
João’s history journeys through Brazilian trance cults and clandestine torture camps during the military dictatorship. It zigzags into Indian genocide and a lifetime of illegal gold mining. Murder for hire, incest, and human trafficking are strewn along its path.
His reputation as a healer eventually attracted tens of thousands of visitors a month to his center, including many politicians and celebrities. His promoters hailed him as a selfless saint who did this work for free—a poor farmer. That man was a multi-millionaire. In 2018, at the pinnacle of his fame, his house of cards collapsed.
Nearly 800 women have accused him of rape committed inside his healing center during the past forty years—under the guise of spiritual healing. This has resulted in 489 years of prison sentences. He is currently under house arrest in his mansion with his new wife, who is thirty years his junior.
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Praise & Reviews
A masterful and unflinching revelation.
Dr T. Edmunds, Clinical Psychologist, London
“Bravo, this is a really powerful personal and thoroughly researched exposé. It’s both illuminating and disturbing in equal measure.
“Some books inform, some books expose—few manage to do both with the precision, depth, and courage found in this work. A personal and masterful account, it takes readers on an unflinching dive into a dark underworld of João de Deus that had been carefully and systematically concealed for so many years.
“As powerful as it is disturbing, the book weaves together an intricate narrative of Brazil, João, and the forces that shaped his practice. The author does not shy away from the complexities of the story, instead presenting a brave account that demands to be read with both an open mind and a critical eye.
“The fact that João was once endorsed by Oprah Winfrey serves as a stark reminder of the level of deception that can operate in plain sight. It underscores how easily charisma, power, and influence can be mistaken for virtue—often at a devastating cost.
“This book is not simply a story about one man from Brazil, but rather a story for our time, a cautionary tale about the dangers of blind faith in authority figures and the need for personal discernment. In an era where we are increasingly encouraged to outsource our own power, this book serves as a necessary wake-up call.”
— Dr T. Edmunds, Clinical Psychologist, London
“A brilliantly written historical account, this harrowing story of João de Deus not only exposes the shocking events but also immerses readers in the rich and complex society and culture of Brazil. At times difficult to read but even harder to put down, it is a gripping and deeply detailed ex-ploration of power, deception, and the forces that shaped a nation.”
—Debra Lynne Katz, PhD, author
I found Cult of John to be powerfully compelling,
at turns scary and enraging.
Dereck Daschke, PhD,
Professor of Philosophy & Religion
“The tragedy of John of God - spirit healer, multi-millionaire, violent criminal, serial rapist - begs for explanation. How could a man blessed with such gifts and charisma, who clawed his way out of dire poverty, with such a capacity to do good for his fellow Brazilians, have so fully betrayed those who trusted him and, indeed, his lifelong legacy?
“Weaving together a thorough understanding of Brazil's complex colonial, military, and religious history, Michael Bailot paints a damning portrait of religious power corrupted and unchecked. Bailot writes from a unique, personal perspective, having had a relationship with John's healing Casa, but finding himself dangerously in the crosshairs of John's criminal enterprise. He brings comprehensive context to the enigma of John of God. It’s an important book and well done.
“I found Cult of John to be powerfully compelling, at turns scary and enraging. It's well written and told with a good ear to engage the audience. I can see this being a true resource for anyone who wants to have the full picture of João. I've already been recommending it to friends.”
—Dereck Daschke, PhD, Professor of Philosophy & Religion
An impassioned, revealing account of the dark side of a “miracle worker.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Bailot explores João’s background, from his birth in 1942 in a desolate part of Brazil to his possible involvement in clandestine operations with the military in the 1960s. The early pages of the book provide a wide swath of in-formation: The text addresses subjects from the history of Brazil’s capital of Brasilia to a crash course in Spiritism to the locations of João’s postings while he was in the army.
“The story hits its real stride when the author gets to his personal account—his narrative of falling into João’s orbit is vividly populated with people desp-erate for cures and others more than willing to exploit them. He pulls no punches in his criticism, noting that one woman who worked with João 'could easily be cast as a Nazi prison guard.' This is a brutal and honest telling, and altogether unsettling."
—Kirkus Reviews
More by Michael Bailot
THE SUTRA of the INEVITABLE
The Channeled Teachings of John Kimmey
Purchase e-book
WHO WAS JOHN KIMMEY?
John Kimmey passed away on Easter Sunday, April 24, 2011, at 11:11 pm. He was my dearest friend. I called him my elder brother. When I learned of his death, I passed the day crying unconsolably. Throughout these tears John dictated his Sutra to me. In time, he dictated five books.
For forty days I received daily messages from John. I have never channeled written messages before. John was fastidious in his dictation and rewrote many lines until they sounded perfect. It is poetry and it is something else. Some of these messages are probably directed to family and friends, but as they unfolded, I understood them to be universal messages for all folks. John wants these words shared.
John always had a story. Each one of us who knew and loved him, have guarded some of his stories. It was a big life and many stories. Maybe twelve lives, nestled inside each other like a Russian babushka doll. Who knows how many people it would take to tell John’s entire story?
For my part, John and I were close friends for about 25 years. I attended several of his Hopi Prophesy "deliver-ances," participated in peyote rituals, kiva dances, and sweat lodges with him, camped with him in Indian reservations, and met several of his Indian grand-mothers and grandfathers. We cut a hell of a lot of fire-wood as well. We talked a lot. We had some adventures together. We understood each other--one in heart.
In December 2010 I visited John. I had not seen him in ten years. He was not in good health and asked me to do some spiritual healing work for him. He had cancer, again. I “saw” that John couldn’t be cured, and that he would die very soon. I didn’t tell John this, but I think he knew. It took all I had not to reveal my feelings at the time. I am haunted by those beautiful last days with John. I knew I would never see him again.
One thing we did talk about was death, and John promised to visit with me after he passed away. I asked him, if it was allowed, to tell me what it’s like when you are dead. I had forgotten about his promise, but later it all came back at me like a tsunami. When you commune with the deceased, the language is spoken in tears. Tears of joy and tears of sobering reality.
These channeled messages answer my question, “What is it like when you are dead?”
FROM THE SUTRA of the INEVITABLE
☼
WHEN YOU PASS OVER
IT IS LIKE A VERY STRONG LSD TRIP.
YOU REMEMBER THE TRUTH,
AND YOU ARE INCREDULOUS
THAT YOU COULD HAVE FORGOTTEN.
YOU ARE DISTRACTED
BY ALL THE WONDERS AND SIGHTS.
EVERYTHING IS SO INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL,
AND THIS BEAUTY REVEALS ITS MYSTERIES.
YOUR TEARS DRY FAST IN THIS PLACE,
AND WHAT A DELIRIOUS RELIEF
TO ESCAPE THAT TIRED OLD BODY!
OH, AND TO REALIZE THE ME,
WHO WITNESSES AND FEELS,
ESCAPED THE DEATH OF JOHN,
NEVER TO BE DIMINISHED OR FORGOTTEN.
I AM THAT I AM, ETERNALLY MURMURS HERE.
☼
WE CAN WRITE
ONE LONG HISTORY OF OUR LIFE
WHEN WE DIE.
BUT AS WE GO THROUGH
THE TRANSFORMATION OF UNDERSTANDING,
THIS HISTORY GOES THROUGH A SERIES
OF RUTHLESS REWRITES
UNTIL THE TRUE STORY
STANDS NAKED AND ALONE.
IT’S LIKE SIFTING SAND FOR GOLD SPECKS.
YOU KNOW THEY ARE THERE,
BUT THEY SURE ARE TINY!
PLEASE TRY TO UNDERSTAND.
☼
WE ALL WILL DIE.
IT IS A WISE MAN INDEED,
WHO REMINDS HIMSELF OF THIS
UPON THE HOUR HE ARISES
AND THE HOUR HE GOES TO SLEEP.
About Michael Bailot
I took my first acid trip on my sixteenth birthday. I was shown what my life's work would be: a musician, an artist, and an author. I took care of the first two. These books are my efforts in the third medium. There's more to come.
If you'd like to listen to my music, you will find it at: www.michaelbailot.com
And about me? I'm a pilgrim. I'm approaching the end of a very long journey on the mystic's path. It took me to Babylon and back. I travelled on the Silk Road, the Inca Road, the Anasazi Road and the Karakoram highway. I travelled Route 66 when gas was 28 cents a gallon. I've hitchhiked way out on highway 64. I was an American for fifty years but have lived in Brazil the past twenty-five years and my friends assure me I am Brazilian.
If you enjoy my books, I encourage you to write a short review and rating. Thanks! I have more books in the queue--inshallah.