by Dr. Iain Corness
It
is not every day of the week I meet a ‘healer’, but this week I did.
Uschi Aep-Iam came with a huge reputation, including first hand
experiences recounted to me by people who believe that they were a lost
cause to conventional medicine, but then healed by Uschi. She also came
with her husband Thatsana, and it was so obvious that they complemented
each other, it seemed natural somehow to have them both in the photograph.
In fact, Uschi began the interview by saying, “We met 20 years ago in
Wat Po in Bangkok. I was a tourist interested in Thai massage and Thatsana
was the Wat Po massage teacher. It wasn’t only love – it was an
earthquake! We knew we had met again!”
Uschi was born in a small town near Dusseldorf in
Germany and her father was a concert pianist. Raised as a Catholic, she
finished her education in a Catholic convent run by nuns, and she accepted
the biblical teachings at that time in her life.
It was not until she was 21 and married an Egyptian
Muslim that she began to think outside of her religion’s parameters.
“I met some wonderful Muslims. I started thinking, if they all go to
hell because they weren’t born Catholics, there must be something wrong
with the system.”
Harboring these doubts about her spiritual direction,
she continued on in the marriage, which unfortunately only lasted seven
years. “It was a peaceful divorce,” said Uschi. “We are still good
friends. I learned a lot from him.”
However, that phase of her life was now over and she
moved to Dusseldorf to study dermatology and skin care, with a view to
opening up a cosmetic salon, which she did after receiving her diploma.
She continued in that occupation until something that sounded like a
mid-life crisis occurred. She was 42 years old and spoke of “difficult
times. The ones you can’t run away from.” A lady healer and psychic
she knew helped her, getting her ready for the next momentous milestone in
her life. “The spirit will break through,” she said simply.
I asked her how did she feel this happening? Was it
like falling in love? “It opened a complete new dimension. I cannot
describe it. It is so overwhelming. Your whole body is shaking with joy.
For me it was proof that these things are real. It is much deeper than
falling in love. It consumes your whole system.”
We sat down to explore this side of her life a little
further. She found that her ability to be a healer came to her in
meditation. “I am the channel. I activate people’s own healing system
that everyone has inside. I don’t know how – but the people are
cured.”
I asked whether she felt drained after a healing
session, but she said no. “It does not take energy from me. I am always
re-filled,” she said with that disarming smile that could melt the
hardest of hearts, or the greatest of skeptics.
Uschi also feels that she heals herself through her own
positive attitude. “I don’t let one negative thought touch me.” She
is also a non-smoker, virtual teetotaler and a vegetarian, so she has
everything going for her (from my side of the medical fence too).
In western medicine, we like to have long series of
trials to ‘prove’ whether any particular treatment actually works. I
asked Uschi if she could give me a percentage figure of successes in her
healing. She paused for reflection and then said, “I cannot give you a
percentage, but nearly all. Though sometimes it is the end of the road –
then we just have to accept it.”
Uschi also believes in a divine creator, “I think it
is all planned, I am sure, right from the very beginning. The divine
creator is the ‘pure’ spirit.” Uschi also firmly believes in
reincarnation, and that our lives are predestined, and it was following
that path that brought her to Thailand and to Wat Po and Thatsana. “We
work as a team. My husband for the body and I am for the soul. That’s
why we were put together. It was part of the divine plan,” she said
simply.
With her beliefs in reincarnation and the strong
influence of our karma (from previous lives) this has brought her towards
Buddhism, though she does not profess to be a Buddhist. However, she did
say that “Buddha is the nearest to my heart.” Immediately after saying
that, she drew my attention to the fact that she had several icons on her
wall covering Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. “We are all children of
the universe. ‘Country’ has no meaning. It doesn’t matter.”
We explored the Christian concepts of heaven and hell.
“Everything is in your inside. You make your own hell and you make your
own heaven.” In that concept, I had to agree with her.
As a healer she does not charge a fee, but will accept
donations which keep them going but they both admitted that sometimes they
have to tighten their belts a little. “The happiness is when someone is
healed and with tears in their eyes says, Thank You.”
As far as hobbies are concerned, both Uschi and
Thatsana immediately said, “Healing! Our work is our hobby.” However,
the daughter of a concert pianist did admit to enjoying music, especially
the great composers she grew up with, such as Mozart and Beethoven.
Uschi was a most interesting (and entertaining) subject for the local
personality interview. She possesses a quiet and reassuring manner, and a
sincere belief in herself and her position in the world (or the overall
grand scheme of things perhaps). I asked her whether she had any aims or
unfinished business left that she wanted to do before her next life. She
did not. “I’m ready any minute!” I hope the “any minute” is not
soon. Today’s troubled world needs many more Uschis and Thatsanas –
right now!
