Voodoo and Addictions: Bali

By Barrie | July 25th, 2007 | No Comments

Going cold turkey, slapping on a nicotine patch, chewing gum and acupuncture are just some of the ways smokers have used in their attempt to kick the health-damaging habit.

Advice for most smokers keen to be clean is to steer away from cigarette hot spots — easy in many countries where smokers have been reduced to social outcasts, puffing miserably in damp alleyways along with the junkies and the drunks.

But cutting smoking friends from the social circle is trickier in a country like Indonesia, where smoking is a national pastime and giving up the gaspers is almost treason.

Give up, and you will be running a lonely race from every warung (roadside cafe) and club in town. A smoke-free becak pedicab glide under the moonlight is also out; the driver is bound to be puffing.

Quit cancer sticks and your only option is to stay home under the blankets until the cravings pass.

Enter voodoo. Balinese voodoo monk I Made Mastresna of the Taksu Foundation in Celuk, Bali, believes his voodoo system of addiction release works as well or better than the above — and he has a money back guarantee to back up his claim.

“By combining voodoo and Balinese healing methods, I can immediately stop people smoking, corruption, even narcotics through voodoo magic,” said Made, who was baptized in 2006 into the Asian chapter of the voodoo association.

However, succeeding depends as much on the addict as the voodoo, and Made stressed his methods only worked when people were committed to ridding themselves of unwanted addictions.

His hefty fee of Rp 1.5 million for addiction release voodoo is not a bad example of a client’s commitment.

“The key is that people must open their hearts and want to stop smoking or other addictions. I can’t pressure them — I can only give help,” he said.

To date, Made claims he has successfully treated around 150 people, including gamblers, by shifting the subconscious response to keys in the addiction.

“An example is people addicted to gambling with dominoes. After treatment, if people see or think about dominoes they become uncomfortable. I create negative responses in the subconscious brain to turn off the addiction.

“Lots of therapies around the world do this, but most last only one or two months and the addiction returns. With voodoo, it’s one time only and permanent,” said Made.

“If the voodoo does not work, there is a money back guarantee. That’s fair.”

Trisha Sertori