It is claimed that sleep therapy is a form of ‘self-healing’ that improves blood circulation and removes toxins from the body.
But this seemingly painful practice has been linked to a number of deaths worldwide, with practitioners left with deep cuts and huge, swollen bruises.
Hongchi Xiao was today convicted of the grossly negligent manslaughter of Danielle Carr-Gomm, a 71-year-old grandmother from East Sussex who has diabetes and a fear of needles.
She attended two of Xiao’s workshops, first in Bulgaria and then in Wiltshire, and each time became seriously ill as she was told to stop taking the important drug insulin that regulates her blood sugar.
Ms Carr-Gomm described Xiao as ‘a messenger from God’, but she was left alone in her room as her serious condition deteriorated, despite Xiao herself saying her worsening symptoms were part of the healing process.
It came a year after a six-year-old diabetic boy died under similar circumstances in Australia, for which Xiao was later jailed.
Hongchi Xiao (pictured) claimed that sleep therapy could cure people of immune diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, and even cancer and autism
Many medical professionals have criticized this practice, saying it causes bruising and results in broken blood vessels, which can lead to horrific injuries like the one pictured above.
Hongchi Xiao claims that these horrible marks on the skin indicate the presence of toxins in the body
He claimed that this type of therapy, also known as paida laijin, could cure people of immune diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, and even cancer and autism.
In this practice, participants beat certain parts of the body with their hands until they swell and turn red. This is said to remove so-called toxins from the blood that cause organs to ‘become sick’.
It has acquired a cult following all over the world, with one website claiming that there are “millions of practitioners in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Bulgaria, Germany, Indonesia, India, South Africa and Australia.”
Paida laijin claims that it is a more effective form of cupping therapy, where people attach special cups to someone’s back for several minutes. This is said to increase blood flow and improve circulation.
Those who practice paida laijin believe that it can remove blockages of toxins, also called ‘sha’, in the ‘microcirculations’ present in all internal organs.
These blockages are said to be too small to be detected with traditional medical techniques and can prevent nutrients from being ‘imported’ into the body.
If these blockages persist, they can cause the organ to malfunction, it is claimed.
Paida laijin is said to help remove these blockages and help the body heal itself and get rid of illness.
The term paida refers to the repeated striking of the hands on certain parts of the body, while laijin involves stretching the limbs and joints to make them flexible.
Practitioners like Xiao beat their patients all over the body to dispel all the ‘sha’. Then they stretch their bodies to allow the ‘smooth flow of energy’.
Often the beating is performed with only a person’s hand, although some also use special “slappers” with large, protruding bumps.
Two women perform paida on a woman by hitting her on her arms while she lies down
A person’s beaten chest is covered in purple and red markings as it appears as if he is being continually beaten by a ‘slapper’
A person shows his injuries after a clap therapy session, with a huge black spot on the right side of his lower back
A person covered with red spots on the back of his legs after participating in paida lajin
Many doctors criticize this practice, claiming that it causes bruising and broken blood vessels.
But Xiao, who has no medical qualifications or training, disputes this, claiming instead that black or red spots are in fact ‘sha’ leaving the body and are ‘good healing responses’.
He also claims that it can lead to complete recovery in 90 percent of cases, including people with diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and even cancer and autism.
The former Wall Street banker previously said at a seminar in South Africa: ‘The more pain and bruising there is from being hit, the more poison there is in the body.
You can be your own doctor.
“We are all born with the ability to heal ourselves, but we just ignore it and spend millions of dollars on medicine.”
His website continues: ‘If we think outside the box of ‘medical intervention,’ we will find that these non-medical methods can be used to prevent, diagnose and even cure many so-called ‘incurable’ diseases.’
“This has been proven repeatedly by millions of people over the past five years. We have online and offline statistics and clinical reports from medical institutions to support this claim.”
Despite this sentiment, Xiao has repeatedly claimed that he is “not a doctor” and advises people to “go to a doctor” if they are actually sick.
A few people perform the clapping exercises on a lying participant
Bruises on the forearm from being hit repeatedly
A person lifts his T-shirt to reveal a grim pattern of bruises in the shape of an open palm
Danielle Carr-Gomm, 71, who had diabetes, eventually died as a result of Xaio’s unorthodox methods
In 2019, Xiao was found guilty of the death of a seven-year-old boy with diabetes who died after Xiao asked his parents to stop giving him insulin.
His parents took their son to Xiao’s workshop in 2015 to try to cure his type 1 diabetes.
Xiao told the boy’s parents to stop giving him insulin, telling them it was just a “detox treatment” when in fact their son was dying, the court was told.
The boy later died after being found unconscious in a hotel in Hurstville. Paramedics tried to revive him, but he could not be revived.
Just 17 months later, he again told one of his followers, Mrs. Carr-Gomm, to stop taking insulin. This occurred during a four-day retreat where he performed paida lajin.