אהיה אשר אהיה
-Exodus 3:14
I'm doing research on The Holocaust. In 2013 the world will mark the 80th anniversary/memorial of one of the greatest tragedies in human history. I was asked to compose a monologue or short play in honor of this sacred time and have been trying to find something that struck my attention. In the past I've researched and written about Holocaust, Russian pogroms, and even the Spanish Inquisition for various theatre and museum project. The enormity of the tragedy and the ocean of information can some times make me think 'do I even have a voice in this?' As someone who can't claim to be Jewish what is my right to this history and the people? That's when I ran across the name: Jack Schwarz.
Jack Schwarz survived the Holocaust and went on to transform many lives. I've only known about Mr. Schwarz for a few weeks. He was footnoted in a book I was reading. Thanks to the modern miracle of the internet, a quick mention lead me down a rabbit hole of information and confirming sources about this amazing man.
Jack Schwarz was a Dutch Jewish writer who was captured by the Nazis and sent to a concentration camp like millions of others. He was beaten and tortured beyond comprehension. And it was at that point that something unusual happened according to Schwarz. He realized he could control and regulate the pain he endured. He undertook a practice of meditation and prayer. He sharpened his mind to the point where he could withstand torture and horror.
At the end of WW II, Schwarz started speaking out about the power of love and prayer with a higher self. To demonstrate he would go around Europe and demonstrate on himself. Schwarz would press lit cigarettes into his flesh and no burn marks would show up. He would knives and needles through his organs and the holes would close up without bleeding or pain. He would press himself on to a bed of nails and speak on the power of prayer.
Schwarz wasn't trying to say he was exceptional. In fact he was making a point that his mind was the same as everyone else and it is there from which he was able to tap into that power. The power he was taping into was, according to him, God.
MY BACKGROUND
The past two years I've been fascinated with scientific anomalies and quantum physics theories. From Michael Talbot to Dr. Richard Bartlett, to Dr. David Hawkins I've been bouncing around reading about energy and holographic planes, morphic fields, and zero-pt energy concepts. In the course of this everyone has some pretty unusual stories. These are studies, surveys, and anecdotes from physicists, neurologist, psychiatrists, and researchers that don't match 'typical' science. In fact there is a mountain of evidence from Stanford University to Princeton University's PEAR (Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research). I find this helps ground my Buddhist practices and meditation by giving it a scientific and Westernized explanation. My understanding of chakras and auras is enriched by reading Western research about the fields of energy emitted from the body and at energy centers.
One of my favorite stories is of the Jansen Miracles. In Michael Talbot's "The Holographic Universe" In the 18th century there was a Jansen deacon named Francois de Paris who was in a power struggle with the Catholic Church and French King Louis XV. Abbe Paris was known to perform miracles among his followers but few believed the claims outside of the sect. When he passed away many followers flocked to his tomb and thus began one of the widest recorded continuation of miracles in human history. The Paris parliament and the Catholic Church began documenting volumes of miracles. People cured on the spot of debilitating illnesses, cancers, blindness, as well as hundreds of people who began convulsing in seizures of rapture. These seizures were contagious and would spread through the streets.
Hundreds of people caught up in convulsing who -once under the spell- had supernatural powers. Some were forcibly lifted into the air and could not be put back down on the ground, while others were impervious to any sort of torture or pain. Volunteers were drafted to corral these followers who would number in the hundreds. Volunteers would strike the spellbound with hammers, blunt objects but nothing would happen. They would try to stab and gouge them with knives and swords but the instruments would merely break. King Louis XV eventually had to shut down the tomb of Abbe Paris because the miracles were getting out of hand. And still people flocked for years afterward to see these abnormalities which continued on for 20 years!
Catholic Church, French government, and scientist from around the world recorded these happenings with certified witnesses. A century before that King Louis XIV ran into his own miracle problem with a sect of Huguenots. When he sent troops to Cevennes to kill the Camisard Huguenots, his army officers reported back that they stumped as to how to kill these people. When shot, the bullets would be flattened against their bodies, When lit on fire, the people did not immolate. One of the colonels Jean Cavalier wrote a book about the experience (A Cry From the Desert). And the head of the Camisards was set on a blazing pyre and merely continued preaching.
Which brings me to Jack Schwarz and the Holocaust. Schwarz was tested at University of California and many other institutes. He would subject himself to a full battery of examinations by scientist to make sure he wasn't a hoax. And then would proceed to stab himself with needles and knives with no discernible effect.
SCHWARZ'S CLAIM
Despite his supernatural ability, Schwarz looked at his abilities as a power derived from being connected to God. His torture awoke his understanding that he could control his mind. He could set his mind on an object with increasing intensity. And he realized that LOVE was the best meditation object for improving health, wellness, and protecting against violence. He realized that love IS the name of God. And by meditating on this aspect he could withstand Nazi torture, concentration camp living conditions, and living after the war with no feelings of hatred toward Germans.
Schwarz's story is not of freak-show abilities or the triumph of will power, or even an extraordinary man. it is a story of love's transcendental effect on our bodies and our world. In my own spiritual practice we have mantras (words invoked under meditative concentration) which endow the practitioner with energy. But really it's an energy which is coming from within that's being cracked open by these prayers and mantras.
The power of words is profound then. Words are merely keys that unlock the heaven or hell that lies within every mind. The very thing that starts off the Torah and many other books is true: it began with the word.
"I AM THAT I AM"
So what are some powerful words that a man like Schwarz could use in a concentration camp? In the Torah one of the powerful names of God is in the second book but it's often overlooked. When Moses goes to the Burning Bush he's told to remove his shoes because he's on sacred ground. He's given his lesson and mission from this voice. And when Moses asks for a name, the reply comes back: I am I am.
What if the highest name of God is how we identify ourselves in our minds and in our words every day: I am. Wayne Dyer speaks on this in many of his books and I can hear his voice in my head: what do I put after the name of God?
I am stupid.
I am ugly.
I am not good enough. Not smart enough. Not quick enough. Not in a good position.
I am anger.
I am crazy.
I am enraged.
All day and night, what are the words that I place after that declarative statement? And in this holographic model what is the power of doing this?
But what would be more appropriate?
I am smart.
I am gifted.
I am love.
As someone who has experience in mantra meditations, I can personally attest to the power of words spoken aloud and in thought. My mantras are in Tibetan and Sanskrit, but it's really just exotic-looking set of keys unlocking the same door.
I'm thinking about Jack Schwarz and the many others like him who endured through the power of the word. They had the keys to unlocking God within.
In recent weeks I've become even more careful about my words, especially how I identify myself and others. After all, in a quantum physics universe it's all coming from my holographic plate (Buddhist would call these plates, 'chakras'). So when I see someone and say 'they're crazy' I'm becoming aware that I'm -on some very subtle level- saying "I'm crazy" which then just unlocks the door to more of the same.
And when I say 'they are light. They are love. I am love,' then the door is unlocked to that as well. Can it really be that simple? As I read about Schwarz and all these cases of so-called 'normal people' I have to believe that, yes, it is REALLY that simple. It is, in fact, so simple that my mind looks for complications.
I'm cleaning up my words. I can still joke, go on Facebook, tweet, text, and be a contemporary person. But I can also step over to the side of light and love in all my actions and words.
7 NAMES OF GOD (in Torah)
- Eloah (God)
- Elohim (God)
- Adonai (Lord)
- Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh (I am that I am)
- YHWH (I am that I am)
- El Shaddai (God Almighty)
- YHWH Tzevaot (Lord of Hosts)
19 comments:
Just another con artist, I hope shwarz is forgotten soon. He destroyed my father's life.
So how did Schwarz destroy your Father's life ?
Well, not in a direct way, but of course the way all scammers do. My father had property and sold it for the sake of taking Jack's courses, every dime he had saved went to following jack. They became "friends" and, unfortunately, my father still idolizes jack. My father was born in 1950 and had a number of chances to make something of himself, but due to childhood issues, bad luck, and bad judgement (jack) he has failed to live a life he finds worth in. It's not an uncommon story and I don't believe that my father's problems are Jack's fault alone. In fact, jack did produce some good effects via placebo and my father's experience has made me particularly cautious about such schemes. Unfortunately, I still can't say that the fellow misguiding my father was anything but a con artist. A talented one, pherhaps, but a frustrating individual nonetheless. I'm still forced to deal with Jack's "teachings" in my everyday life, my father still spews them on a frequent basis. Jack used cold reading's, nonspecific predictions, preset scenarios and a surprisingly adept knowledge of the human body and behavior to take advantage of people like my father. Sigh... Evidently, I haven't managed to forget him, I wish my brain would let me.
Just taking a quick glance at your article and in the spirit of accuracy, if my Dad was Jewish I'm not aware of it. As far as I know his parents were Dutch Protestant, as was my father and later spent a bit of time as Roman Catholic before embracing a more "spiritual" take on things (rather than organized religion). Other than that what I read was fairly accurate. I don't believe it diminishes his experiences in concentration camp, but that would be true of anyone's concentration camp experience.
Obviously, its uncomfortable and disappointing to read Mr. Rivers comments about my dad and probably just as obviously, was not my experience and knowledge of him.
As a matter of fact, one of the first things I learned from him was to be skeptical and always question---including with him. In other words, he encouraged the inspection and advised me to make up my own mind. I never knew him to "con" anyone or attempt to.
At any rate, still sorry to read Mr. Rivers take.
All the best, rob Schwarz
Fair enough. The truth is that you're his son, how he interacted with you will undoubtedly have been different from others. It is true that I am only speaking from an indirectly affected perspective. Maybe he wasn't a con artist, maybe he just had an unexpected negative effect on one person (my father). My father said Jack helped thousands of people, maybe that's true. Maybe it's not.
This may be helpful to your studies - http://www.allaboutheaven.org/sources/1388/124/schwarz-jack, he was no fraud and Rob Schwartz has shown remarkable restraint and dignity in his reply considering the accusations made - a credit to his Dad in fact.
There are videos on youtube where he demonstrates his abilities, you can find them via the link I have given as 'observations'. Good luck with your work - a good article.
Regarding Joseph River's comments . . .
I find that a lot of people take courses.
Take lots of courses. Spend a LOT of money on those courses.
But, do they APPLY what they learned?
Do they practice and practice until they can DO what they learned?
Usually no.
Often they are just course junkies. Loving they high in the moment, but unable to sustain any real work on themselves.
And when they they end up with nothing they (or in this case, the son) blames the teacher.
True, there are some obvious, and not so obvious, frauds out there and folks need to be careful, but I'd be curious to know how many hours a day, everyday, did this gentleman practice what he had learned?
How hard did he work to perfect what he practiced?
Basic questions to ask in such an instance.
@DarkPool my father still practices what he "learned" from Jack, he constantly quotes the man and while he did take a lot of Jack's courses he didn't take many courses that weren't related to Jack Schwarz. The reality is that Jack taught what was basically a belief system that took elements from various religions that sounded very good and did basically nothing. Oh, it had some positive tenets, absolutely, but what Jack did was moderately cultish, using various tricks to Garner belief. Now, that said, some issue lies with the inherent gullibility of folks like my father and the very human wish to believe in something more. From my understanding, Jack had rather a rough life if I'm understating things and it is possible that he believed everything he taught because it was his self defense mechanism. Which is arguably worse, a conman that rather passively takes people's money? Or a mentally damaged individual spreading questionable material as a result of trauma? Anyways, I'm ranting some, the point is that Jack had a very negative effect on my father's life and it wasn't because he didn't "learn" anything or fail to apply what he "learned". He's still applying it...
Joseph, I had enough personal experience of Jack Schwarz to know that he DID possess very developed aura-reading abilities, and that he was psychic in other ways, too. He made a very accurate prediction about a friend of mine that could never have been guessed or predicted using any 'normal' route. He also discerned a specific detail about my musical ability through looking at my aura that was impressively accurate. I'm not claiming he was necessarily wholly perfect etc. (Who is?!) But I can confirm that he had the abilities he claimed to have.
The problem when we encounter a uniquely talented person such as Jack is that we may turn him into a God-like figure in our minds, and give away our self-authority along the way. Perhaps THAT is what happened to your dad?
Ironically, one of Jack's oft-repeated thoughts was that we must follow our own inner knowing, rather than the seeming authority of another. I once heard him say, "I don't want you to believe a word I say!" His point then was that for anything he was saying to be of any use, it had to be discovered for oneself rather than be blindly followed.
Whatever Jack was or wasn't, he most certainly was NOT a con artist.
@B. Smith, prediction or educated guess. And if you're musical, do you mean playing piano or guitar? Hey, I can see auras too, it doesn't mean I'm psychic. Hell, it doesn't mean anything. Lots of people can see "auras" which as far as I can tell is just electromagnetic wave interference that our brains convert into visual feedback. Maybe it means something, but since there hasn't been marked scientific study, I doubt it has ever had enough worth to matter.
Anyways, Jack made predictions about my birth and life, arguably true or false. One of the most difficult things about "psychics" is that they say reasonable things such as: "...but don't believe me, just believe yourself." Or something else misleading in it's statement. It supports your belief while seeming contrary. Something that is open-ended that leads an answer while stated like knowledge.
Regarding my father, yes, he does regard Jack as larger than life, but the root of the issue is not something solved in victim blaming. People who get conned are likely to get tricked often, it's part of the reason why the contact information for gullible people can be purchased. The names and numbers of people who have been tricked get cycled through various nefarious individuals.
Anyways, I'll just say this: Jack had an ill effect on multiple lives because of his teachings, whether they were true or false, con or delusion.
Joseph, you may be coming from your own fear. None of us can judge the true effects of these teachings on your dad. What we perceive or think we see in someone else's experience is but interpretation, not fact, no matter what we think we see happening. Projection makes perception. Only your dad can vouch for his experience, you can't experience for him.
perception is our reality, so none of what you say means much.
I sure I have plenty of fear, not sure this is related, though.
You're right, as I'm a different entity to my old man, I cannot share his experiences. That doesn't mean I can't have an understanding of the effects or knowledge on how con men (or the delusional) work, though.
You don't need to know the exact process to see the results.
@Joseph Rivers,
In my experience, there is no substitute for having a sense of self-worth. It is the glue that holds together the construction of a life that we “find worth in.” I’m from the same generation as your Dad; we Baby Boomers were essentially taught by our post-WWII culture that self-worth derives from building a career or following some special path or playing the electric guitar better than anyone else. Boomers, in general, seek to be recognized for our accomplishments. When we believe that self-worth generates from living according to someone else’s beliefs or values or rules, we pretty much knock ourselves out trying to prove that someone else was right. There are even times when we unconsciously cause our own failure in order to hold onto our teacher or friend or spouse or community. You, Joseph, you have an opportunity here. You can help your Dad see that he has real worth in his relationship with you. Somehow in his life, he cultivated a relationship, while probably not perfect, but good enough to have someone love him as much as you do. There is something very good in your Dad for that to come about. And that may be the part of himself he needs to recognize as very worthwhile rather than the trappings of success that our society touts as important.. No one lies on their death bed and recalls the beliefs of who they admired as a teacher or friend. What we hold onto in those final moments are the people we have shared love with. And in that love, knowing we gave it and received it, is where we find self-worth.
I happened upon this thread when looking up something else I saw the name Schwarz and it reminded me of Jack Schwarz and so I googled his name. I have not thought of Jack Schwarz for many years but long ago (yes I too am a baby boomer) at about the age of 25 I took a course he was teaching in Vancouver Canada. It was not a long or expensive course and shortly after I emigrated to another country so had no further contact (no www then). I had taken notes and used to practice the chakra exercises now and then. He impressed me as a very sincere and knowledgeable person and his lessons were quite deeply embedded in my being: that there is more to this world, this life, this body/mind than we can imagine, that common sense is only one sense and there are others, that you can change your life. That continues to motivate me still at the the age of 73 and in the midst of a world on fire. No where near as on fire as the one that confronted Jack Schwarz as a teenager and I remind myself of that over and over. In terms of life experience what we are going through is pretty mild. I value what I learned from him. I am sorry that the gentleman who thought Jack was a con has so little value for anything other than his own scepticism that he ignores gifts that have been given him such as the ability to see auras as of little account. That is sad. As George Ohsawa once said: 'I can cure any illness except arrogance'.
@chips, I'm glad that you continue to benefit from your experience.
I don't ignore the ability to see auras, it's just not terribly interesting. I've seen no evidence that it has a particular use, certainly none that match any kind of preconceived utility.
I have other gifts that are actually useful and I don't have the interest to explore what equates to minor difference in perception for unfound purpose.
Hello! Someone can I help me to find ay course of Jack Schwartz? I check youtube but only find 3 or 4 short videos. Thanks!
Hello Anonymous,
It appears that all that remains of my father's work is available online through Amazon & perhaps other places that I'm not aware of...and the videos you already have come across. I did run across an online version of the article in 1972 Esquire Magazine, but it is really more of a typical "human interest" story about the tests he participated in at the Menninger Foundation in Topeka, Ks concerning Mind over Matter, as I recall.
I wish you luck, and apologies for not being able to provide any more information to you.
All the best,
rob Schwarz
P.S. when searching.... spelled--Schwarz (not schwartz)
I hear the son speak of his disappointment in his Dad and his Dad's "friend"....can the son speak to the disappointment in himself? I venture to say, "yes"....to what end, right? If his Dad is still alive maybe he can forgive him for not having what he "needed"...or maybe go get what his Dad did not have and give it to him? Jack mentioned this... something like... Life is for-giving and not for-getting. Get it? Give it!
Speaking of Holocausts, would you consider doing a piece on Palestine ?
I find the lens of intergenerational trauma is helpful for making sense of how secular, even atheist people of Jewish origins have subverted the Holocaust in order to perpetuate the Nakba.
See Yoav Litvin for some inspiration.
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