Jerry Sargent, a former bank fraudster and reformed drug smuggler, says he developed a talent for “healing” after having an “alien encounter” during a car crash.
A convicted ‘psychotherapist’ who claimed he could cure cancer has charged people nearly £900 at events promising to ‘treat trauma and illness’.
A two-day seminar held in Edinburgh this weekend has been described by critics as a “sham” and put seriously unwell people at risk. Jerry Sargent, a con artist who founded Star Magic Healing and claims to be a reformed former bank fraudster and drug smuggler, developed a talent for “healing” after “encountering an alien” during a car accident. The Daily Record reported.
This weekend’s event includes ‘group healing’ sessions at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Edinburgh, and costs participants £555 for one six-hour workshop or £888 for two. Star Magic claims the session is sold out.
But medical experts have warned that the self-proclaimed healer is a danger to the public and advised people not to take medical advice from Mr Sargent. Video footage taken from Sargent’s healing sessions shows him placing his hands on people’s heads as they tremble, convulse and sometimes fall to the ground.
Professor Edzard Ernst, Britain’s first professor of alternative medicine, has warned people with serious illnesses to avoid self-proclaimed healers. He said it was “no surprise” that “the worse the NHS provision becomes, the more desperate patients will consider using cures and other quackery”.
The professor claimed that psychic therapeutic “energy fields” do not actually exist and have not been proven “beyond a placebo effect.” He added: “The danger is that seriously ill patients may trust the claims of their therapists and ignore or not take seriously treatments that are sufficiently effective for their symptoms.” he added.
Meanwhile, Sargent said he is a “facilitator who empowers people to heal themselves” and “never encourages people to discontinue treatment.” He also claimed that he never claimed that he or his group could cure cancer. Consumer protection laws make it illegal to make false claims that a product “can treat a disease, malfunction or deformity”, and cancer laws make it illegal to suggest a treatment for cancer or give advice about treatment. There are limits on advertisements that can be used.
Mr Sargent, from Cheltenham, was convicted under the act in 2017 after Trading Standards flagged claims on his website that he could cure diseases, including cancer. He was fined £1,200 and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £3,487.25 and a victim surcharge of £60, totaling £4,747.25. His UK-based company was dissolved in the same year, according to Companies House.
However, Sargent continues to offer healing sessions online as well as in other countries, including the United States. Services include a “DNA Upgrade,” which uses “quantum physics” to “change the karmic blueprint” and remove “blocks” that prevent customers from living their “most extraordinary lives.” Although his website for Star Magic includes a disclaimer, multiple experiences include testimonials from people who claim their cancer is gone, their Parkinson’s disease and other life-threatening or limiting conditions cured. The story is still published.
Online private healing sessions with Sargent start from £1,000, with ’emergency’ sessions costing £1,500. UK Healers, the professional body that regulates spiritual healers, estimates that there are around 12 to 18,000 people across the UK, and a further 90 to 95 per cent do not charge for their services. A spokesperson for the organization confirmed that Sargent is not a member.
Sargent told investigators on the Ferret website that it was a “huge coincidence” that a stage 4 cancer patient who “did nothing but do our job” found that his “cancer simply disappeared.” He said there is a possibility.He added: “Whether someone is on symptomatic treatment or not. [mainstream] It doesn’t involve drugs, alternative medicine, healing, nutrition, breathing exercises, intermittent fasting, meditation, good sleep, cold treatment, etc. If it can be cured, it can be cured. It’s positive and beautiful. One does not negate the other. ”
According to a report by Business Gateway, the alternative therapy market is projected to grow to £5.9 billion by 2027-28. The report cited pressure on the NHS and long waiting lists due to an increase in people seeking alternative or private services.
The sergeant said he was given the gift of healing after surviving a car accident with his family in Romania, seeing the woman he was with die and her soul leaving her body. He previously promoted energy healing for cancer treatment on his own website. The ad said readers had come to the “place where you can find the best cancer treatments,” adding: “Exclusively developed treatments.” [Sargeant]” had been “proven” to effectively treat cancer.
