“There are numerous reasons why a baby may have neurological dysfunctions. They can be due to genetic differences, in-uterine problems, birth trauma, trauma after birth, nutritional difficulties, and environmental /social factors.” — Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen

I was just reading an interview with the seasoned, famous and well-versed embodiment-worker and somatic education pioneer Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, when I came by the paragraph I just quoted. I was quite surprised to see her listing reasons for neurological dysfunctions but NOT mentioning vaccines. In fact, there was no mention of adverse vaccine reactions, even if rare, in any of her interviews that I’ve read (and none in the lectures of Moshé Feldenkrais either.)

It might be that some are convinced that adverse reactions from vaccines are extremely rare, however, there’s also people who are under the impression that such events are not as rare as one might think, and given the amount of cumulative shots administered nowadays, more likely to happen than in the past.

The truth may be one or the other, yet I’m surprised that such a big topic is excluded from discussion altogether. 

One of the reasons why I’m personally concerned, is the safety of my own brain. Aren’t the brain and nervous system the cornerstones of somatic education, of The Feldenkrais Method, and all related methods? I was especially shocked to read about a recent Review by Janet Kern, 2020, in Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology, “Examining the evidence that ethylmercury crosses the blood-brain barrier”: 

And further, 22 studies from 1971 to 2019 show that exposure to ethylmercury-containing compounds (intravenously, intraperitoneally, topically, subcutaneously, intramuscularly, or intranasally administered) results in accumulation of mercury in the brain. In total, these studies indicate that ethylmercury-containing compounds readily cross the blood-brain-barrier, convert, for the most part, to highly toxic inorganic mercury-containing compounds, which significantly and persistently bind to tissues in the brain and [..] degenerative, inflammatory, and necrotic alterations were seen [..]

In fact I was not just “shocked”, but was properly alarmed—as all of my doctors always told me that vaccine ingredients such as methylmercury or aluminium will be expelled by the body, without a trace, and I need not worry. So far the consensus was that after a fortnight at the very longest, there’s no such ingredient (adjuvants) to be found in the body anymore; not in the blood, not in the liver, not in the lymphatic circulatory system. It just never occurred to the researches to look inside the brain. That was, until recently (1971 apparently.)

Well, you might argue that most modern vaccines don’t use methylmercury or aluminium anymore. And that, either way, the topic of vaccinations doesn’t have a place in somatic education and embodiment practices. And I can’t argue about that, since vaccines are indeed not my field of expertise.

However, this here is a personal blog, and not a lifestyle magazine and advertisement platform. I want to be able to discuss the topic of somatic education, learning, developmental delays, et cetera, openly, without deliberately ignoring vaccines for whatever reason, and not be hushed and losing a good part of my clients when raising concerns or asking questions. After all, it’s for the safety of my own brain and my own nervous system. Shouldn’t I be aware of dangers, risks and consequences when making decisions? And shouldn’t I be able to think of my client’s past decisions (and consequences thereof) when working with them on their current problems?

Re-reading and flipping through his books, it seems to me as if Moshé Feldenkrais has failed in some areas he wrote about the most. For example, about fostering independence and maturity, including sexual maturity, and encouraging critical thinking rather than blind acceptance of authority. To quote him verbatim, “not taking other people’s sayings for divine and immutable truths,” or from a paragraph written in more recognisable Moshé Feldenkrais style: “Only children must do things just to obey orders no matter how unreasonable; this is called, by some, learning discipline. But grown-up people must not treat themselves as if they were children.”

However, looking at the past few years, which have been dominated by harsh mandates, inhumane actions and disconcerting government spending, I have seen a widespread tendency to unquestioningly accept and act upon sayings from authoritative sources, including news reporters and government-appointed experts. This was especially notable among many of my fellow Feldenkrais teachers, including high-ranking trainers, all of whom I had indeed expected to display greater fortitude. Furthermore, issues surrounding sexual identity and maturity continue to create significant turmoil in society, and the positive educational reforms envisioned by Moshé Feldenkrais have still to materialise.

And yet, Moshé Feldenkrais continues to inspire us. Through his successive generations of practitioners and courageous, independent, do-it-yourself students, he’s still helping tens of thousands of people to improve their well-being, and thus live better lives.

This is just a short, personal blog post and not a comprehensive analysis, and on top of that it might seem presumptuous for me to call out Moshé Feldenkrais’s shortcomings. Nevertheless I want to write about two—probably premature and controversial—observations:

1. Limited access to Feldenkrais’s original materials and legal limitations

Moshé Feldenkrais’s legacy, his life’s work, is largely in private hands. Access to most of his original materials such as audio and video recordings and transcripts is largely limited to members of their membership organisations (headed by the IFF, International Feldenkrais Federation.)

Membership is tied to undergoing a lengthy and expensive so called “training,” with comparatively high yearly membership fees to maintain membership. Their license for members to view, distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon his work is very restrictive.

There is no “Moshé Feldenkrais Society” 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that I am aware of, that would allow the general public to access, study, discuss and build upon the large legacy of his, while striving to keep membership fees affordable and accessible to a diverse range of individuals and organizations.

For example, it is stated in the IFF End User License Agreement that:

• You are expressly NOT ALLOWED to use the materials in the following ways: Any broadcast or distribution of the materials (for example: on radio, broadcast television, cable television, film, or by webcasting, streaming audio or video over the Internet, podcasting and all other forms of distribution), except with specific written permission of the IFF.
• As an individual Feldenkrais Method teacher, practitioner or trainee you are expressly ALLOWED (licensed) to use the materials in the following ways: Private viewing for private study purposes, Limited exhibition for educational purposes (for example, Feldenkrais professional training programs, professional and public workshops.)

To my mind these are some of the main reasons why you see almost nothing original from Moshé Feldenkrais on Youtube (and other social media), why there’s little to no research on his original materials, and why his legacy is falling more and more into oblivion.

On the upside, such restrictions might encourage some “Certified Feldenkrais Method Teachers” to create their own brands, courses and materials, inspired by Moshé Feldenkrais, rather than just copying and pasting. I’m thinking of students who published their own Feldenkrais-inspired lessons on traditional publishing platforms, such as Stephen Shafarman, Thomas Hanna, or Frank Wildman, but also of the many hundreds of less famous practitioners (including my own books, audio-recordings and videos, in this regard.)

These properly published, new materials, in turn, can be quoted under Fair Use and be used by the general public in accordance to whatever license they have been published under. They might not always be branded as Feldenkrais, and might not always be in accordance with Feldenkrais’s original message, yet, in this sense we can observe how the essence of Moshé Feldenkrais’s teachings, little by little, finds its way to soak through society and inspire all generations to come… and make life on Earth a little bit better for everyone.

Which is a bit like saying in the 8th century BCE, “You can’t just keep copying and pasting from Homer’s epic poem Odyssey, you need to write your own.” And look how many millions of books have been published since then!

2. Steep hierarchical, organisational structure

These membership organisations have a steep hierarchical structure and the compulsory training to become a member might cement dependency relationships, and require learning obedience in the image of traditional schooling environments, which might be the opposite of what Moshé Feldenkrais envisioned in his books regarding individual growth, independence, and maturity.

Furthermore, since Moshé Feldenkrais’s passing in the year 1984, a lot has changed in the fields of pedagogy and educational sciences, and often new findings take many (many) decades to be properly evaluated and incorporated in large organisations.

Maybe I could end today’s blog post on a quote from the book “Dumbing Us Down” by John Taylor-Gatto:

“Children learn what they live. Put kids in a class and they will live out their lives in an invisible cage, isolated from their chance at community; [..] ridicule them and they will retreat from human association; shame them and they will find a hundred ways to get even. The habits taught in large-scale organizations are deadly. Individuality, family, and community, on the other hand, are, by definition, expressions of singular organization, never of »one-right-way« thinking on a grand scale.”

Or maybe I shall end on a more empowering note, by paraphrasing the final words from Moshé Feldenkrais’s final book, “The Potent Self”, which was published posthumously in 1985. These might have been the very last words he had to give to us all:

“Make your life an occupation in which overcoming difficulties is an essential part of the pleasure of living. Learn from those who know how to live. And do all you can to make the road for those who follow smoother and less treacherous.”

John Taylor Gatto, in his book “Dumbing Us Down,” delves into the topic of compulsory schooling:

“Children learn what they live. Put kids in a class and they will live out their lives in an invisible cage, isolated from their chance at community; interrupt kids with bells and horns all the time and they will learn that nothing is important; force them to plead for the natural right to the toilet and they will become liars and toadies; ridicule them and they will retreat from human association; shame them and they will find a hundred ways to get even.”

This is one of the quotes that stick with me forever, it seems like. To me, John Taylor Gatto is one of the most brilliant, incorruptible speakers for humanity. He was born in his beloved Monongahela, Pennsylvania, US, lived from 1935 to 2018. For the longest part of his life he was celebrated for his achievements as a school teacher, was honoured as New York City & New York State Teacher of the Year, several times… and then shunned by the establishment, as soon as he turned on them. He died penniless, as far as I know. He tells about this turn in Chapter 4, “I Quit, I Think,” in his book “The Underground History Of American Education.” He barely got it published, lack of funding.

Contrariwise, just for example, Kevin Simler and Robin Hanson played it by the book and wrote the much acclaimed international bestseller “The Elephant in the Brain: Hidden Motives in Everyday Life.” The promotional text says:

“Our brains are designed to help us get ahead socially, often via deception and self-deception. But while we may be self-interested schemers, we benefit by pretending otherwise. Our unconscious motives drive more than just our private behaviour; they also infect our venerated social institutions such as school.”

From my perspective, this turns a blind eye on one key aspect: It didn’t infect schools. According to John Taylor Gatto schools are designed to teach deception and self-deception. But of course, who’d dare to say that part out loud? Apparently not Robin Hanson, who has tenure. “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you,” is not just cautionary advice but more like Survival 101. Despite the widespread acclaim for the book, many reviewers noted the absence of a solid explanation or scientific foundation for its claims, leaving readers without actionable suggestions or guidance. And for good reason.

Looking at the originator of my own field of expertise, Moshé Feldenkrais, he too spoke extensively about dependency relationships, their origins and persistence, and called it childish in adults. But Moshé Feldenkrais fell short, too, and like most thought leaders, even today, he looked for the elephant only within the family, or was waving his fist of Goethe’s Prometheus against society as a whole.

As I understand, Moshé Feldenkrais’s early years were marked by unstable political situations and adventures, frequently moving houses, and focused studying, but there was little of compulsory, large-scale, institutional schooling. And even though he earned a diploma at an engineering school in Paris, France, around 1930 at age 26, in sum total, as I understand, he just didn’t do enough years in institutional schooling to have been able to say anything of substance against it; he lacked those emotional wounds and the humiliation, the thousands of hours of having to sit still and shut up, don’t move, don’t eat, don’t drink, don’t have critical thoughts, read only from the poorly written, heavily censored and haphazardly formatted books that were pre-selected for you, and listen to whatever was presented, by whomever, however badly, yet stay alert and respond to arbitrary questions when addressed, in exactly the way expected. Actually, well over 10,000 hours of that in your first 12 years of basic education. How do you remember that time of your life? Did you frame that as a pleasant, carefree, happy time? And filed it away into the darkest corner of your body & soul, to never be bothered again? After all, it wasn’t all that bad?

As I understand, Moshé Feldenkrais didn’t have to live through that. Mark Reese’s Biography on Moshé Feldenkrais, “A Life In Movement” describes a day at school like this (heder is a traditional Jewish school):

“In the morning I wake up, wash, get dressed, go over my homework to remember it well. Then I drink a cup of tea and go to the heder. The teacher has not yet arrived, and I review the homework for the third time. When we see the teacher coming, all the boys immediately sit down around the table. During the lesson there is silence. But there is one boy that tells a joke or makes a face and all the boys laugh. Then there is a very short break. We hardly get to take a book in our hands and the break is over. When I come home, I read in the book for half an hour. Then I do my homework for about three or four hours. The oral homework I leave for the evening. At the sixth hour all the boys who study with the same teacher get together and we go into the woods. When we are between the tall bushes I stand still and look at the sky like a dreamer. I dream pleasant dreams. When I return I drink tea or read or chat a little and then go to sleep.”

They sat around a table. No dark, airless corridors. No cell-like rooms with chairs in rows where students, as well as their assigned teachers, were confined to from one ring of the bell to the next. None of the ordinary madness we call good schooling. Good for him, good for us.

“America’s first national commissioner of education, eminent Hegelian scholar William Torrey Harris, said in a long essay in 1906 entitled »The Philosophy of Education,« that a prime purpose of the new institutional schooling was to teach self-alienation, and that this could be best accomplished in dark, airless corridors. It never fails to amaze me how people can hear words like that — and the school trail is littered with them — and ignore them, as if they were only idle talk.” – John Taylor Gatto, Weapons Of Mass Instruction

Regarding the twist on the metaphor “the elephant in the room”, The Elephant In The Brain, there’s no need to point fingers at Kevin Simler and Robin Hanson, or any other such thought leaders. They’ve been out on their profitable safari since their early school days, and we don’t know if they’ll ever want to find their way back. John Taylor Gatto warned us, compassionately. He laid it all out, the entire history of compulsory, institutional schooling and where it’s heading, and even included a roadmap for a way out. It’s just… we don’t listen. We’re too busy ignoring the elephant in the brain. Or maybe, considering how strongly these issues captivate our attention, I might suggest to inverse the metaphor, akin to the biblical cautionary tale of the golden calf, and call it The Golden Calf In The Brain.

In the past 6 decades (or so) people have come to accept looking at their childhood and their relationship with their parents, if necessary; maybe change their own attitude and behaviour accordingly, or maybe even establish strong boundaries. But institutional schooling? A textbook case of a blind spot. 200+ years ago the state still had to take children from their parents at gun point in order to tear the traditional family structure apart and put children through the schooling system. How times have changed, haven’t they? Nowadays parents will sue if schools refuse to process their children for them.

Well, what can I say. Maybe I could end today’s blog post on a quote by Charles Bukowski, from his novel “Pulp.” The main character, Nick Belane, best dick in L.A., seemed to be able to maintain a level head in the face of existential challenges and uncertainties of the modern world. I quote Chapter 40, back at his office:

“So, there I was the next day, back at my office. One assignment left: locate the Red Sparrow. Nobody was beating at my door with new work for me to do. That was fine. It was a time for a tabulation, a tabulation of myself. All in all, I had pretty much done what I had set out to do in life. I had made some good moves. I wasn’t sleeping on the streets at night. Of course, there were a lot of good people sleeping in the streets. They weren’t fools, they just didn’t fit into the needed machinery of the moment. And those needs kept altering. It was a grim set-up and if you found yourself sleeping in your own bed at night, that alone was a precious victory over the forces.”