Here at the Bovine we’re forever banging on about rogue regulators and oppressive corporate agendas. So when we stumbled upon a truly radical therapeutic modality that promises to enable one to effect change in the world merely by working on oneself, we were intrigued. Here are some excerpts from material describing this “method”. First off, here’s a bit from “The World’s Most Unusual Therapist” by Joe Vitale:
Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len -- looks like a regular guy, no? So if he could do it, why couldn't we?
“Two years ago I heard about a therapist in Hawaii who healed people but never saw them.
He worked in a mental hospital for criminals. Patients there were sedated and often even shackled. Staff called in sick a lot because they hated their job, the patients, and the environment.
But this therapist turned all that around. He did it solely by working on himself, doing an updated ancient Hawaiian healing method called Ho oponopono.
It took me two years to accept this story. I was fascinated but thought it was an urban myth. After all, how could a therapist cure anyone by working on himself and not even seeing the actual patients? It didn’t make any sense.
I heard about this therapist again this past summer. The story began to bug me so I began to research it. It seemed to take forever to find the man, but I did. I emailed him, asked if I could interview him, and he agreed.
We spoke on the phone for an hour. He’s now elderly, lives in California and Hawaii, and teaches people how to do this updated old healing method in private seminars.
He told me that he worked at that mental hospital for two years. He said it’s true that he never saw a client. What he would do was look at the patient’s file and then look within himself, trying to clear what was in him that created the patient and his condition.
Huh?
The therapist said everything in your life is created from within you. When you change you, the outer world changes.
I’ve heard this before, of course. I’ve even written about this in my book, The Attractor Factor. But this unusual therapist was taking the idea of total responsibility into unknown territory. He was claiming that he could heal people — even mentally ill criminals — by healing himself.
He went on to tell me that in a few months of doing his inner work at that hospital, patients began to improve. Many that needed sedated no longer needed sedated. Many that were in chains could be freed. And many that had been in the mental hospital for seven years, were actually being released.
Even the staff started to get better, beginning to love their job and joyfully showing up to work every day. In fact, so many patients got better, that the hospital closed.
Incredible. Simply incredible.
I wanted to know more. I kept probing to find out how this therapist actually heals himself to heal others. What was he doing inside himself, anyway?
“I just keep cleaning,” is all he could say.
Well, I’m leaving today to go see this therapist. I’m catching a plane to LA in just a few hours. I’m attending his seminar. I’ll do my best to report what happens at his workshop when I get back next week.
For now, check out this unusual therapist, named Ihaleakala Hew Len, and the updated ho’oponopono process at http://www.hooponopono.org
If nothing else, be sure to read the mind-expanding article at http://www.hooponopono.org/Articles/self_i-dentity.html
Towards the Light,
Joe Vitale
http://TheSecretOfHooponopono.com
Isn’t that a fascinating story?
You will find more articles on Ho’oponopono here:
Want to learn more? Joe Vitale has an excellent book on the subject, “Zero Limits”.
Here’s another presentation of the subject, by Saul Marany titled “Interview with Dr. Hew Len”:
“….Dr Hew Len worked at the Hawaii State hospital in the high security ward for the criminally insane from 1983 to 1987, where he cured and entire ward of criminally mentally ill patients using the simple ancient Hawaiian healing method of Ho’oponopono.
During that time, Dr Hew Len didn’t do any therapy on the patients. He would walk through the ward, and review the patient’s files, not for the purpose of therapy but to see what there was there for him to clean up.
So if Dr Hew Len didn’t work on the patients, how was it that he was able to cure the entire ward of criminally mentally ill patients?
Dr Hew Len always kept in mind that every one, including the patients in that ward were all really creations of The Divine. And in being so, they were all perfect beings with perfect minds in that they all were an exact replication of The Divine; represented by the Void and Infinite.
How do we start incorporating Ho’oponopono into our own lives?
As the Chinese proverb says: “A Journey of 1000 miles begins with one step.” Dr Hew Len always drinks blue solar water. As he drinks, he is petitioning Divinity to cancel memories he shares with other people. As he petitions Divinity, he doesn’t know which memories are being cancelled.
Ho’oponopono has cleaning processes which include food, breathing and exercise. Dr Hew Len says that his whole life is geared to fulfill the purpose for which he came to fulfill – and that is to clear his mind of problems (memories) so that he can be what The Divine created him to be – pure in heart.
Dr Hew Len pointed out that the word Aloha is a profound word which means: Be in the presence (Alo) of The Divine (ha). He says that when we say Aloha to someone, we are acknowledging that that person is Divinity personified.
Dr Hew Len wants to lead the Ho’oponopono lifestyle, so he continuously cleans, acknowledging that everything in his life is Divinity personified.
Dr Hew Len confesses that Ho’oponopono is tough to do. He says there isn’t a day that goes by that he isn’t annoyed, irritable, saying how come?, or thinking, but at least he is aware of it, and as soon as he realizes that he has slipped, he gets back into the cleaning. He says that there isn’t a day that goes by that he doesn’t stumble.
Strawberries and blueberries are wonderful problem solving processes that petition Divinity to cancel our problem causing memories. The “I love You” prayer and the blue solar water are all used in conjunction.
Dr Hew Len also pointed out that the word Hawaii means “The breath and water of The Divine”. Dr Hew Len says that the “Ha” process is a canceling process and is simple to do.
The process is done by breath In – mentally count to 7, Hold for 7 mental counts , Exhale – mentally count to 7, Hold – mentally count to 7. Repeat the process 7 times.
Dr Hew Len says that Ho’oponopono is a process where we say to The Divine: “I’m sorry” (repentance); “Please forgive me” (forgiveness); and “Thank You” (transmutation).
Only The Divinity can reach down into the sub-conscious mind and take the problem memories and neutralize them, and then remove the memory into storage, and leave the mind blank. And now that the mind is at peace again since there is no memory or problems.
Once the mind goes into this state of emptiness and peacefulness, Divinity comes through with inspiration, and as the inspiration comes in, the canceling / transmutation of memories takes place – which only The Divine can do.
Ho’oponopono is all about being 100% responsible.
With all these processes, I am saying to The Divinity; “I’m sorry for whatever is going on in me that I am experiencing the world to be a certain way.” The Divinity receives the petition, and then it is at The Divinity’s discretion to then send down spiritual and mental energy into the sub-conscious mind and begin to neutralize the problem memory. The neutralized energy is then pulled out and stored, and the mind is left empty, and is then ready to receive inspiration from The Divinity.
Dr Hew Len says that we are all Divine Beings, but the mind can only serve one master at one time. It can either serve memories replaying problems, or it can serve Divinity which is inspirations.
With Ho’oponopono, we are taking responsibility for common memories we share with other people.
Research shows that at any given moment, there are more than 11 million bits of information going on, and yet, we are only aware of 15 bits of them. And those are the bits that we make judgments on. But we do not know what is going on. So we say to The Divinity: “If there is something going on in me that I am experiencing people in a certain way, I would like to let go of them.”
By letting go, we change the world in us, and that in turn causes the whole world to change.
Being 100% responsible is a tough road to travel, because the intellect is so insistent. Whenever a problem comes us, our intellect always looks for someone or something to blame. We keep looking outside of ourselves for the source of our problems.
But the source is always inside us.
Dr Hew Len’s teacher, Morrnah Simeona taught that: “We are only here to bring peace to our own life, and if we bring peace to our own life, everything around us will find its own place, its own rhythm and peace”, and that is what Ho’oponopono is all about.
When ever Dr Hew Len deals with the clients that email him from all over the world, he only looks within himself, and asks himself: “What is going on in me that they should express / experience this problem?” He asks himself: “What is it in me that I have to cancel?” He points out that he does not know what to cancel in him, but The Divinity in him, who created him and knows everything does. Dr Hew Len appeals to that Source in him to cancel what ever is going on in him that he experiences as problems.
Dr Hew Len says that Ho’oponopono teaches us not to be intrusive in other people’s lives, and give them advice, but when we experience other people as problems, we must ourselves: “What is going on in me that I am experiencing this?”
Dr Hew Len makes the point that the mind never understands things as they are, but rather gets a replication of it. He says that the mind has a model of the way things work, but that is not what is really going on, because if the mind really knew what was going on, it would not experience problems.
Dr Hew Len continued by saying that decisions are made for us before we ever decide them, because there are millions of unconscious memories going on in our sub-conscious minds all the time, and that these memories make decisions for us. And since we are not aware of the memories, we need to talk to Divinity who is aware of them, and is the only one who can cancel them.
So moment by moment, as we practice the Ho’oponopono process, we are canceling the memories in our sub-conscious mind by saying to The Divine: “I don’t know why I am experiencing this, but if I have a common problem with other people, I would like to make amends for it.”
It is imperative to realize that the person who practices the Ho’oponopono process is not doing the healing, rather the Ho’oponopono is the process of allowing The Divinity who created everything and knows everything, to cancel the memories that we experience as problems.
What we are doing with the Ho’oponopono cleaning is putting everything back into its natural order.
Dr Hew Len says that if we are prepared to be 100% responsible first, and get 100% at peace with ourselves, everything else will get into perfect alignment with themselves and The Divinity.
Given that information: What is a problem?
According to Ho’oponopono, a problem is a memory replaying in the subconscious mind.
When Dr Hew Len did Ho’oponopono in the hospital, he would ask himself: “What is going on in me that I experience the hospital / situation in such a way?” – Being that Dr Hew Len knew that in essence he was perfect, and that the criminals in essence were also perfect – he asked himself: “What is this problem going on?”
Dr Hew Len used the following analogy to explain was the problem was:
“Imagine the mind is like a canvas, and on that canvas of the mind is painted a stain, and that stain is a memory.” – “The stain is left there on the sub-conscious mind, and when it gets triggered, it replays a past experience.”
So a problem is a memory replaying a past experience.
Ho’oponopono is an appeal to The Divinity to cancel the memories that replay as problems. And as Dr Hew Len would move through the ward, he would ask himself: “What is going on in me that I am experiencing these problems?”
Dr Hew Len would continuously clean the memories in his sub-conscious mind that would come up as he want through each patient’s file, looking within himself at what came up, and what he needed to let go of.
When Dr Hew Len arrived at the hospital every one of the seclusion rooms were occupied with violent patients, but as he let go the memories and feelings in him, within a year and a half, all of the seclusion rooms had been shut down, and patients were starting to be able to take care of themselves.
Knowing that all memories are shared, Dr Hew Len worked on what ever was going on in him that he experienced as the criminals being the way they were. As Dr Hew Len asked Divinity to erase those memories, he got clear, the patients got better, and over the four years that he was at the hospital, many of the patients went home, and eventually the ward was actually shut down.
As Dr Hew Len incessantly did his cleaning on what ever was going on in him, the shared memory he had with the patients, that he experienced as problems in the ward, they got cancelled in him, he got clear, and the patients in the ward stayed for much shorter periods of time.
Dr Hew Len points out that that a major problem with therapists is that they keep thinking that they are in practice to save people, when actually; they are in practice to get clear themselves. Dr Hew Len says that as we heal the memories that we share with other people, those people get cancelled, and people just get better.
Before Dr Hew Len came on board in that ward, the psychologists would last for approximately one month, and then they would be quit. But Dr Hew Len just worked on himself, and what ever was going on in him before he went in each day to the ward, while he was there, and after he left each day. He constantly worked on the common data that he shared with the patients and that he experienced as problems.
About a year later, people started asking: “What is going on that the ward is so quiet?”
It was because Dr Hew Len was only interested in being 100% responsible for what ever was going on in his life. He was only interested in being clear so that his life was peaceful, with less stress and less confusion.
And today, that ward is no longer in use.
Dr Hew Len points out that the bottom line is that when ever there is a problem that we notice, we are always there. So Dr Hew Len constantly asked The Divinity to make amends for whatever he had in the common, and that he was experiencing as problems with the patients in that ward.
Dr Hew Len says that the only reason that he exists is because “peace begins with me” , and although he still stumbles a lot, that is what he practices.
We all have common shared histories, which are all inter-connected.
The Ho’oponopono process only takes one person: – “Peace begins with me, and no one else.” At that hospital in Hawaii, because Dr Hew Len cleaned himself, everyone got well and as he did the Ho’oponopono process, patients were able to take care of themselves.
Dr Hew Len says that what everyone wants is to be in tune with themselves, and only when they are, will they be able to fulfill the destiny for which they came.
Dr Hew Len stresses that we need to be clear that the mind is perfect. – What is not perfect is the data and memories that our mind carries, and with Ho’oponopono, that is what we are working on. We are working on canceling common memories.
Whenever Dr Hew Len talks to people, he only looks for the common memory that they share, that he may not even be aware of (remember, our conscious mind is only aware of 15 bits of information out of 11 million bits). And it only takes one person prepared to be 100% responsible to erase the shared memory.
Ho’oponopono is only about looking at ourselves by cleaning the garbage we share in common with other people that creates problems for us.
Dr Hew Len said that he enjoys when people are being rude to him, because he knows that it is the data which is causing them to be that way, and he is looking for data to erase, and the best data to erase is bad data.
The definition of Ho’oponopono is to correct and error, and the error is corrected by saying: “I Love You”, “I’m sorry”, “Please forgive me” and “Thank You” to The Divine, in order to allow The Divinity to void and cancel the data (memories in the sub-conscious mind) that we experience as problems.
By doing the different Ho’oponopono processes, I am asking The Divinity to cancel programs (memories) in me, so that they too get cancelled in other people. I only need to look at what is going on in me, which I have in common with other people. I am willing to be 100% responsible, because I can only depend on myself to bring peace to my own life, because that is my responsibility.
Dr Hew Len says that if we are not doing our cleaning all the time, then someone who is already unhappy may show up in our existence, and that may cause us to be stuck with their grief.
If someone shows up angry in my experience, I take 100% responsibility by asking myself: “What is going on in me, that I need to let go of, that this experience is coming up?” I look at what is the problem (memories) in me that is causing this situation that I can have cancelled by The Divinity?
I need to always be cleaning, because I want to prevent any problems from surfacing, if it is correct that they are prevented.
However, Dr Hew Len points out that some problems have to show up. Why? That is something that only The Divinity knows, but the Ho’oponopono process is about preventing.
Ho’oponopono is about letting go and trusting, because outcomes are the job of the intellect, and according to Dr Hew Len, intentions are what kills people. Dr Hew Len says that all expectations are just memories replaying, and that nothing in life happens by accident. It is The Divinity who is orchestrating events, and our job is to be at peace.
Dr Hew Len said that if we insist on setting goals we need to be constantly cleaning so that we will be willing to let go and allow our life to go in the way it needs to go.
If we are inflexible, and have our mind set on only one goal, then we will miss many opportunities (inspirations) that shows up from The Divine.
The only way I can be at peace is by tuning into myself, and by doing that, I am contributing to the welfare of all the people around me.
I do Ho’oponopono for myself, because I want to be at peace, and because I know that as long as I am at peace with myself, I will notice that everyone around me is peaceful. So whenever I notice anything that I perceive as a problem, I say to myself: “What is going on in me that I need to let go of?”
Dr Hew Len teaches that people only show up in our lives to show us that we are either on track (or not) in our own lives. Most of the time we don’t know if we are (or not), so we constantly need to clean.
Dr Hew Len says that trying to help people by talking to them doesn’t help. With Ho’oponopono I bring peace to myself, so that everyone around me can be at peace with themselves.
Before Dr Hew Len eats anything, he says in his mind to the food: “I love You…If I am bringing anything to this situation that would cause me to feel ill as I am eating you; – it is not you. It is not even me. It is something that triggers that I am willing to be responsible for.”
Dr Hew Len says that when there is a memory replaying, and we are in grief, we do things that we ordinarily wouldn’t do, but if we are willing to work on that memory, we can cancel it.
Dr Hew Len practices Ho’oponopono during every breath that he takes. He says that he is willing to work on his memories, because if he doesn’t, he will be sick, unhappy, confused and blameful, and that is not a place where he wants to be….”
Read the whole interview here.
Some more background on Ho Oponopono
“Ho’oponopono originated from Hawaii and was originally taught by Morrnah Nalamaku Simeona. Morrnah was a healer and in 1983 she received a great honor by being designated as a living treasure of Hawaii. She was teaching Ho’oponopono to small and large groups of people as well as to hospitals, colleges and even to United Nations personnel. She also founded “The Foundation of I” to promote principles of Ho’oponopono around the world.
Historically Ho’oponopono healing system required the presence of mediator – senior qualified practitioner who would guide a healing process for practitioner. It is often that the group of people need be to interacting with each other in a certain way for the process to take place.
Morrnah updated Ho’oponopono in a way that healing and transformation process no longer required presence of any other person but the practitioner himself. Neither any specific interaction is required between practitioner and other people.
The miracle powers of Ho’oponopono self-healing and self-improvement practice would still be unknown to the world at large if not for the works of Joe Vitale, published as “The Attractor Factor” and especially his exceptional quality “Zero Limits” book.
Joe Vitale is best known as internet marketer, writer and speaker on the subject of self improvement. While internet marketing is something that perceived by many (including myself) with a great degree of skepticism – Joe Vitale’s experience on the subject of self improvement as well as his in-depth research about Ho’oponopono deserves the highest marks. It’s from Joe Vitale’s “Zero Limits” book that the world found out about true miracles and powers of Ho’oponopono as well as about Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len.
Morrnah Simeona, Dr. Hew Len's teacher
Dr. Hew Len was the most avid student of Morrnah Simeona and practitioner of updated Ho’oponopono technique. He was the first person who got documented and confirmed proof of the healing miracles initiated by the Ho’oponopono process. Dr. Hew Len observed Hooponopono healing powers himself when Morrnah Simeona healed his daughter from painful bleeding shingles (skin disease) that she suffered from for more than a decade without anyone or anything helping.
Being traditionally educated university-trained physician he decided to look deeper into the process that Morrnah Simeona was using. He signed into her seminar in 1982 and not without certain degree of struggle (”…she was talking to spirits and sounding nuts!…” – ‘Zero Limits’, page 42) managed to complete the training. She was staying and learning from Morrnah all the way till 1992 when she passed away. Paying utmost attention to her teaching and practices Dr Hew Len managed to simplify and improve Ho’oponopono process even more and with amazing results.
From 1984 till 1987 he worked as a staff psychologist for Hawaii State Hospital overseeing high security unit housing male criminally insane patients. Now, to make things clear – these are the type of guys you don’t want to turn your back on. These guys committed murders, rapes, assaults and due to their degree of “insanity” were locked into psychiatric high security facility. Violence against each other and staff members were common.
Fast forward to 1987 (3 years later) wrist and ankle restraints were no longer used in this facility. Violence almost ceased to exist, only involving mostly new patients. New off-site activities were introduced to former violent patients. The spirit and order in the unit was greatly improved and eventually the whole unit was closed because there was no need. People just got improved, healed and released or moved into other non-violent wards.
This all was documented, described my multiple witnesses and personnel.
How did such miraculous change took place in the hospital?
According to Dr. Hew Len:
- He did not do any therapy or counseling with patients
- He did not attend any staff conferences on patients
- He practiced updated Ho’oponopono process on a daily basis that included accepting 100% of responsibility for everything being experienced by him.
(Zero Limits, page 142)
Dr. Hew Len improved and practiced updated Ho’oponopono process every day and this process caused the most miraculous transformation within the most challenging environment. Within 3 years
So what exactly is Ho’oponopono and how does it work?
When Joe Vitale met with Dr. Hew Len and asked him how exactly did he manage to heal these violent patients without actually seeing each of them in person, his answer was:
“I didn’t heal them. I healed part of myself that created them”. To me that was the most fundamental revelation to date. That phrase alone explains the most important presumption of Ho’oponopono:
You are 100% responsible for everything. Everything and everywhere! And it means not only your personal screwups and your personal successes. If means if someone somewhere did something and you became aware of that – you are 100% responsible for that.
Ho’oponopono is not your free ticket to guilt trip. Being 100% responsible is not the same as feeling infinitely guilty for miseries. It’s reminder of your creative powers and gentle welcome to return back to your inner nature. That is to Zero. Joe Vitale wrote a great book on the subject called Zero Limits. When you returning back to your most inner nature – to Zero – everything becomes available to you effortlessly and you are being driven by inspiration from Divinity, not by petty ego wants. Ho’oponopono’s Zero is the same thing that Eckhart Tolle names Unmanifested.
Back to practical reality – let assume that Zero is the next great thing after sliced bread. Or even before sliced bread. Whatever. How do we get to that “magical” state? What exactly needed to be done?
This is achieved by constant cleaning process. Cleaning is the actual Ho’oponopono practice. Cleaning what? You clean yourself from subconscious garbage – programs that run your life without your participation.
Apparently Ho’oponopono process is very simple. Actual Ho’oponopono cleaning process consists of repetitions of the following phrases:
- I Love You
- Please forgive me
- I am sorry
- Thank you
These phrases repeated will ignite the self transformation process for the practitioner. This is exactly what Dr. Hew Len did to invite divine transformation powers for his surrounding during his work at Hawaiian mental hospital.
Who do you say these phrases? Essentially you just say them. No need to feel anything special, imagine anything, or otherwise to complicate this process. As Dr. Hew Len often says “just do it”. The process is as simple as breathing. When you breath in and breathe out – you clean your body from processed “polluted” air and enrich it with fresh, oxygen rich, good energy air. And all this happens without you mixing breathing process with any esoteric or complicated practices. It just happens and your body gets constant supply of oxygen.
Same with ho’oponopono. You repeat these phrases just like a mantra and the cleaning process happens. You may clean life situations, places, relationships and of course financial situations. When something comes to your awareness – you accept 100% responsibility for that and repeat the cleaning process. No guilt trips. No intellectualizing. No judgements. You clean. Divinity does the rest.
Divinity == God == Infinite Intelligence == ______________ <- insert you favorite term for “higher” power here.
Ho’oponopono cleaning is letting go and letting God.
Sincerely I never been a big fan of mantras and procedural practices. I been a few times at a local buddhist center for their meditation sessions. I like group meditation but their mantras about dragons and evils to me was a an utter nonsense.
With ho’oponopono it’s drastically different. I am very practical person and had to try everything on myself. I don’t mind to accept 100% responsibility for stuff or doing mantras as long as I’d see a positive results in my life. I don’t buy promises of salvation in the next life. I want to see results here and now – and better sooner than later or I’ll say “thank you” and move over to the next teaching. And ho’oponopono practice literally did a magic to me, my life, my family and my surroundings.
I stumbled over Dr. Hew Len’s saying “I didn’t heal them, I healed part of myself that created them…” at one of the lowest points in my life. This phase grasped my attention and forced me to read everything about Ho’oponopono. It just made such perfect sense to my miserable depressed mind. And of course I tried to practice it. What followed for me was literally miraculous…”
The story above and the pictures in this post are from this webpage.
The Bovine 