Energo-Chromo-Kinese, also named ECK, is a

pseudo-scientific Pseudoscience consists of statements, beliefs, or practices that claim to be both scientific and factual but are incompatible with the scientific method. Pseudoscience is often characterized by contradictory, exaggerated or unfalsifiable cl ...

and

esoteric Western esotericism, also known as the Western mystery tradition, is a wide range of loosely related ideas and movements that developed within Western society. These ideas and currents are united since they are largely distinct both from orthod ...

-oriented

new religious movement A new religious movement (NRM), also known as a new religion, is a religious or Spirituality, spiritual group that has modern origins and is peripheral to its society's dominant religious culture. NRMs can be novel in origin, or they can be part ...

founded in October 1987 in

Villefranche-sur-Mer Villefranche-sur-Mer (, ; ; ) is a resort town in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the French Riviera and is located southwest of the Principality of Monaco, which is just west of the French-Italian ...

by Patrick Véret, a former

acupuncturist Acupuncture is a form of alternative medicine and a component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in which thin needles are inserted into the body. Acupuncture is a pseudoscience; the theories and practices of TCM are not based on scientifi ...

History and organization

ECK uses many associations and societies (including Connaissance ontologique universelle et recherche biologique énergétique (COURBE), Energo 8 international, Energo conseils, Jéricho 3000, Association pour la recherche en médecine énergétique and SOS Spasmophilie) and is particularly active in the

therapeutic A therapy or medical treatment is the attempted remediation of a health problem, usually following a medical diagnosis. Both words, ''treatment'' and ''therapy'', are often abbreviated tx, Tx, or Tx. As a rule, each therapy has indications an ...

and

medical Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...

fields. Centers and schools were subsequently established to teach the beliefs of the group, which won over business executives and major corporations, but especially doctors, dentists and

kinesiotherapist Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is a healthcare profession, as well as the care provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through patient education, physical intervention, disease prevention, ...

s. Customers who attend these four-degree courses become "kinergists". The doctrine is a "

gnostic Gnosticism (from Ancient Greek: , romanized: ''gnōstikós'', Koine Greek: �nostiˈkos 'having knowledge') is a collection of religious ideas and systems that coalesced in the late 1st century AD among early Christian sects. These diverse g ...

pantheism Pantheism can refer to a number of philosophical and religious beliefs, such as the belief that the universe is God, or panentheism, the belief in a non-corporeal divine intelligence or God out of which the universe arisesAnn Thomson; Bodies ...

" and is explained in two books written by Patrick Véret: ''La Médecine énergétique'' and ''La spasmophilie enfin vaincue'', respectively written in 1981 and 1985. According to French cult consultant

Jean-Marie Abgrall Jean-Marie Abgrall (born 12 April 1950) is a French psychiatrist, criminologist, specialist in forensic medicine, cult consultant, graduate in criminal law and anti-cultist. He has been an expert witness and has been consulted in the investiga ...

, ECK doctrines "represent an amalgam (or a synthesis, according to its proponents) of various theories referring to human "energy" — mainly Chinese medicine and Vedic medicine. According to ECK, the human body has seven energy centers that vibrate on the same frequencies as certain colors or certain sounds." On 22 February 1993, the French branch of the organization was dissolved by a court decision of the

Tribunal de commerce In France, the ''tribunal de commerce'' (plural ''tribunaux de commerce'', literally "commercial courts") are the oldest courts in the French judicial organization. They were created at the end of the Middle Ages. The commercial court has jur ...

of Paris and the founders split off. Véret founded the Nutrition énergétique des organes et des méridiens (NEOM), led the Ordre du temple de la Jérusalem céleste (OTJC). The movement is currently active in France, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Canada, the United States, Portugal, Australia... In France, the group seems to be in the decline.

Reception

ECK was listed as a

cult Cults are social groups which have unusual, and often extreme, religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals. Extreme devotion to a particular person, object, or goal is another characteristic often ascribed to cults. The term ...

in the 1999 parliamentary report established by the

Parliamentary Commission on Cults in France The French National Assembly, the lower house of the Parliament of France, set up a Parliamentary Commission on Cults in France (), also known as the Guyard Commission, on 11 July 1995 following the events involving the members of the Order of th ...

and also appeared in the 1997 Belgian parliamentary report. It was considered as dangerous because of its pseudo-medical speech which could be harmful to members' health, exaggerated requests for money, and indoctrination of the members who became dependent to the group. It was also criticized by anti-cult groups and former members. In 2007, an academic thesis about the dangers of cults for health contained a large analysis of ECK beliefs and practices.

Bibliography

*''Nutripuncture: Stimulating the Energy Pathways of the Body Without Needles'' by Patrick Veret M.D. Cristina Cuomo Fabio Burigana, Antonio Dell'Aglio, Healing Arts Press; *''Vital impulses and human relations, applications of nutripuncture'' by Patrick Véret, Cristina Cuomo, Fabio Burigana;

References

{{reflist, 2 Religious organizations established in 1987 New religious movements in France Pseudoscience New religious movements established in the 1980s