Josip Grbavac (born in November 1967), better known as Braco (),
["Hundreds flock to Miami Beach to feel rare power of man's gaze on 1-11-11"]
by David Smiley, January 10, 2011 ''The Miami Herald
The ''Miami Herald'' is an American daily newspaper owned by the McClatchy Company and headquartered in Doral, Florida, a city in western Miami-Dade County and the Miami metropolitan area, several miles west of Downtown Miami.[The Palm Beach Post
''The Palm Beach Post'' is an American daily newspaper serving Palm Beach County in South Florida, and parts of the Treasure Coast. On March 18, 2018, in a deal worth US$42.35 million, ''The Palm Beach Post'' and ''The Palm Beach Daily News'' ...]
''; also online a
"Spiritual healer Braco packs ballroom at Miami Beach Convention Center"
at the '' Sun-Sentinel''. Retrieved 2013-04-03.[ sometimes called "The Gazer",]["Some Say Man Heals With A Gaze"]
''Inside Edition
''Inside Edition'' is an American news broadcasting newsmagazine program that is distributed in first-run syndication by CBS Media Ventures. Having premiered on January 9, 1989, it is the longest-running syndicated-newsmagazine program that is no ...
'', airdate January 19, 2011. Retrieved 2013-04-03. is a Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
n self-styled " healer". He does not touch, speak to, diagnose, or treat the people who come to see him — rather, he stands on a platform and gazes.["Stare Way: A Gaze on World Tour"]
by Daniela Forte, ''Housatonic Times'', New Milford, Connecticut, October 22, 2010. Retrieved 2013-04-03. He avoids direct claims to have the ability to help people with his eye contact, but it is strongly implied and supporters report it causing improved well-being.["Braco brings his healing gaze to Arlington"]
by Tom Jackman, ''The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'', October 12, 2012. Retrieved 2013-04-03.
Early life
Braco was born Josip Grbavac in Zagreb
Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital and largest city of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb stands near the international border between Croatia and Slov ...
, SR Croatia
The Socialist Republic of Croatia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Socijalistička Republika Hrvatska, Социјалистичка Република Хрватска), or SR Croatia, was a constituent republic and federated state of the Sociali ...
, Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
on 23 November 1967.["Biography of Braco"]
, official site. Retrieved 2013-04-03. He earned a degree in economics
Economics () is the social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.
Economics focuses on the behaviour and interactions of economic agents and how economies work. Microeconomics analyzes ...
in Croatia, married and started a family. He began practicing "healing" after the 1991–1995 Croatian War of Independence.["Staring at the man who stares"]
, by Nadine Kam, '' Honolulu Star-Bulletin'', Retrieved 2013-04-03. Braco's mentor was Ivica Prokić, a Serbian economist, whom he met in the autumn of 1993.[ Prokić suggested the name Braco, meaning "little brother." Prokić died in 1995]["Braco the Gazer"]
by Karen Stollznow, April 26, 2011, Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. Retrieved 2013-04-03. while on holiday. The two were alone on a beach in South Africa, when Braco says a "rogue wave" swept Prokić away after he had first taken off all of the gold jewelry he traditionally wore along with his socks and wallet.[A New Age Guru with Nothing to Say]
/ref> After Prokić's death, Braco initially saw people one on one, however, due to the large number of people who started coming to see him, he began gazing at groups.
Gazing
At public events, Braco stands on a podium following a ten-minute period of introduction and silently looks at the members of the audience for a period of five to ten minutes.[ Afterwards, during a period called "meditation and reflection" by supporters, believers have claimed to experience life changes, healings and positive experiences.][ According to supporters, during the "gaze time" they feel tingling, see energy or a golden aura, or experience peace or relief from pain. Braco reportedly does not call himself a healer or claim to have spiritual powers.]["Croatian healer sports extensive following for stop in Gaithersburg"]
, by Alex Ruoff, '' Maryland Community News'', May 2, 2012. Retrieved 2013-04-03. Braco reportedly "has not spoken to the press or in public since 2002",cancer
Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
and respiratory disease
Respiratory diseases, or lung diseases, are pathological conditions affecting the organs and tissues that make gas exchange difficult in air-breathing animals. They include conditions of the respiratory tract including the trachea, bronchi, bro ...
.["South Floridians Hope for Healing from Braco's Gaze"]
by Gilma Avalos, NBC Miami
WTVJ (channel 6) is a television station in Miami, Florida, United States, airing programming from the NBC network. It is owned and operated by the network's NBC Owned Television Stations division alongside Fort Lauderdale–licensed WSCV (chan ...
, Jan 19, 2013. Retrieved 2013-04-03.
When not touring, Braco holds gazing sessions at his center in Zagreb, Croatia.[
]
Criticism
In her column for the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, Karen Stollznow
Karen Stollznow (born 12 August 1976) is an Australian-American writer, linguist, and skeptic. Her books include ''The Language of Discrimination'', ''God Bless America: Strange and Unusual Religious Beliefs and Practices in the United State ...
wrote that since all reports of healing are anecdotal and that Braco's alleged healing abilities have never been proven under test conditions, she writes there is no scientific evidence that Braco's gazing has any benefits at all. The article also disagreed with Braco's statement that he makes no claims of healing abilities, saying: "However, the 'no claim' claim is disingenuous; whether the claims come from the public or his crew, the claims are promoted by and therefore made by Braco."[
]
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Braco
1967 births
Folk healers
Faith healers
Living people
People from Zagreb