Gabriel (born May 14, 1943) is an American

homeopath Homeopathy or homoeopathy is a pseudoscientific system of alternative medicine. It was conceived in 1796 by the German physician Samuel Hahnemann. Its practitioners, called homeopaths, believe that a substance that causes symptoms of a dise ...

, rabbi and practitioner of

holistic medicine Alternative medicine is any practice that aims to achieve the healing effects of medicine despite lacking biological plausibility, testability, repeatability, or evidence from clinical trials. Complementary medicine (CM), complementary and alte ...

. In 1976, Cousens legally changed his name from Kenneth Gabriel Cousens to Gabriel. Cousens advocates live foods therapy, a

nutritional Nutrition is the biochemical and physiological process by which an organism uses food to support its life. It provides organisms with nutrients, which can be metabolized to create energy and chemical structures. Failure to obtain sufficient nu ...

regimen which he says can cure

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

,"Diabetes is curable - Dr Cousens"
(3 August 2011)

Ghana News Agency The Ghana News Agency (GNA) is the official news agency of the country of Ghana. It was founded in 1957 by President Kwame Nkrumah, Mr. Donald Wright, who was seconded by the Reuters News Agency set up the Ghana News Agency and in 1961 President N ...

. Retrieved 28 March 2012. depression and other chronic

degenerative disease Degenerative disease is the result of a continuous process based on degenerative cell changes, affecting tissues or organs, which will increasingly deteriorate over time. In neurodegenerative diseases, cells of the central nervous system stop wor ...

s. He is the founder of the "Essene Order of Light", a spiritual organization based upon teachings from the Jewish

Kabbalah Kabbalah ( he, קַבָּלָה ''Qabbālā'', literally "reception, tradition") is an esoteric method, discipline and Jewish theology, school of thought in Jewish mysticism. A traditional Kabbalist is called a Mekubbal ( ''Məqūbbāl'' "rece ...

, the

Torah The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the s ...

, and modern interpretations of the

Essenes The Essenes (; Hebrew: , ''Isiyim''; Greek: Ἐσσηνοί, Ἐσσαῖοι, or Ὀσσαῖοι, ''Essenoi, Essaioi, Ossaioi'') were a mystic Jewish sect during the Second Temple period that flourished from the 2nd century BCE to the 1st c ...

. The Essenes are a mystical group from the second century B.C.E. who lived in community, eschewed materialism and grew their own food. The modern Essene movement was founded by Edmond Bordeaux Szekely, a religious scholar who promoted a simple holistic lifestyle of meditation and raw vegan eating and published several books on the Essenes in the early 20th century. Essene Order of Light is taught by Cousens at "Tree of Life Foundation," an organization directed by Cousens and headquartered at its "Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center" in

Patagonia, Arizona Patagonia is a town in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 913. It developed in the mid-19th century as a trading and supply center for nearby mines and ranches. In the 21st century, it is a t ...

. Melton, J. Gordon, et al, eds. (2009) ''

Encyclopedia of American Religions ''Encyclopedia of American Religions'', renamed ''Melton's Encyclopedia of American Religions'' in the eighth edition, is a reference book by J. Gordon Melton first published in 1978, by Consortium Books, A McGrath publishing company. It is curren ...

''.

Gale A gale is a strong wind; the word is typically used as a descriptor in nautical contexts. The U.S. National Weather Service defines a gale as sustained surface winds moving at a speed of between 34 and 47 knots (, or ).Innes, Stephanie. (18 July 2004
"Feeding the Hungry Soul"
''

Arizona Daily Star The ''Arizona Daily Star'' is the major morning daily newspaper that serves Tucson and surrounding districts of southern Arizona in the United States. History L. C. Hughes was the Arizona Territory governor and founder of the ''Arizona Star'', ...

''. Cousens has authored nine books and tours internationally promoting his ideas on food and his spiritual beliefs.

Early life and education

Cousens grew up in

Highland Park, Illinois Highland Park is a suburban city located in the southeastern part of Lake County, Illinois, United States, about north of downtown Chicago. Per the 2020 census, the population was 30,176. Highland Park is one of several municipalities located o ...

. As a freshman at Amherst College, he designed a heart lung machine and spent two summers doing leukemia research. He graduated from

Amherst College Amherst College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts. Founded in 1821 as an attempt to relocate Williams College by its then-president Zephaniah Swift Moore, Amherst is the third oldest institution of higher educatio ...

in 1965 with a B.A. in biology, where he was a football lineman/guard/middle linebacker and co-captain of the 1964 football team. That year he received a

National Football Foundation The National Football Foundation (NFF) is a non-profit organization to promote and develop amateur American football on all levels throughout the United States and "developing the qualities of leadership, sportsmanship, competitive zeal and the dr ...

National Scholar-Athlete Award. He earned his

medical degree A medical degree is a professional degree admitted to those who have passed coursework in the fields of medicine and/or surgery from an accredited medical school. Obtaining a degree in medicine allows for the recipient to continue on into special ...

from

Columbia Medical School Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (VP&S) is the graduate medical school of Columbia University, located at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. Founded i ...

in 1969, and he completed his residency in

psychiatry Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mental disorders. These include various maladaptations related to mood, behaviour, cognition, and perceptions. See glossary of psychiatry. Initial psych ...

in 1973.autobiography
''Dr. Cousens' Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center'', Gabrielcousens.com. Retrieved 8 April 2012. Cousens says he switched to a

vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter. Vegetarianism m ...

diet around age 30, after which he began teaching meditation. In 1974 he went to India to study with the swami

Muktananda Swami Muktananda Paramahamsa (16 May 1908 – 2 October 1982), born Krishna Rai, was a yoga guru, the founder of Siddha Yoga. He was a disciple of Bhagavan Nityananda. He wrote books on the subjects of Kundalini Shakti, Vedanta, and Kashm ...

(1908-1982), staying for seven years. He returned to the United States in 1981 and studied Kabbalah and the Essenes, becoming ordained in 1988.

Tree of Life Foundation and Rejuvenation Center

Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center restaurant

Cousens founded the Essene Order of Light in 1992, and the following year he established the Tree of Life Foundation as a federal tax-exempt religious organization. The Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center, located in

, was founded in 1994 as a health retreat which offers raw food education, fasting, and nutrition. Cousens is an ordained

Rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

and offers workshops on spiritual Judaism. His newest book, ''Torah as a Guide to Enlightenment'', published through North Atlantic Books, is a commentary on the Torah from a

Kabbalistic Kabbalah ( he, קַבָּלָה ''Qabbālā'', literally "reception, tradition") is an esoteric method, discipline and Jewish theology, school of thought in Jewish mysticism. A traditional Kabbalist is called a Mekubbal ( ''Məqūbbāl'' "rece ...

perspective. Cousens founded a not for profit organization called the Essene Order of Light which teaches "modern

Essene The Essenes (; Hebrew: , ''Isiyim''; Greek: Ἐσσηνοί, Ἐσσαῖοι, or Ὀσσαῖοι, ''Essenoi, Essaioi, Ossaioi'') were a mystic Jewish sect during the Second Temple period that flourished from the 2nd century BCE to the 1st c ...

living". He outlined his philosophy in his book ''Creating Peace By Being Peace''. Cousens has advocated a

raw food diet Raw foodism, also known as rawism or a raw food diet, is the dietary practice of eating only or mostly food that is uncooked and unprocessed. Depending on the philosophy, or type of lifestyle and results desired, raw food diets may include ...

for babies and children. He instituted a study of the medical history of infants and children and advocates for raw food education. A 2009 documentary, ''Simply Raw'', followed six people with

who go through a thirty-day raw vegan program in an attempt to cure their disease with a raw food diet and without drugs. Surgeon and alternative medicine critic

David Gorski David Henry Gorski is an American surgical oncologist, professor of surgery at Wayne State University School of Medicine, and a surgical oncologist at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, specializing in breast cancer surgery. He is an out ...

said that Cousens and the film both grossly misrepresented the modern medical approach to diabetes. Gorski described Cousens works as promoting

vitalism Vitalism is a belief that starts from the premise that "living organisms are fundamentally different from non-living entities because they contain some non-physical element or are governed by different principles than are inanimate things." Wher ...

and other discredited principles.

Legal actions

In 1994, California revoked his license to practice for "excessive prescribing", but based on a form of plea bargain this revocation was stayed for three years probation. In consequence of the California decision, New York also required him to return his license. Cousens' license in California was later reinstated, but not in New York. Because of this, he is not eligible for a

medical license A medical license is an occupational license that permits a person to legally practice medicine. In most countries, a person must have a medical license bestowed either by a specified government-approved professional association or a governme ...

in Arizona. In 1998, 57-year-old Charles Levy of New Jersey died after being treated at the center over a five-day period. The cause of death was determined by the Santa Cruz County Medical Examiner, who along with the Arizona Medical Board attributed the death to a

gas gangrene Gas gangrene (also known as clostridial myonecrosis and myonecrosis) is a bacterial infection that produces tissue gas in gangrene. This deadly form of gangrene usually is caused by ''Clostridium perfringens'' bacteria. About 1,000 cases of gas g ...

infection caused by "bovine adrenal fluid" injections given by Cousens as part of a treatment for

fatigue Fatigue describes a state of tiredness that does not resolve with rest or sleep. In general usage, fatigue is synonymous with extreme tiredness or exhaustion that normally follows prolonged physical or mental activity. When it does not resolve ...

. The autopsy also found that Levy had

hepatitis Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver tissue. Some people or animals with hepatitis have no symptoms, whereas others develop yellow discoloration of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice), poor appetite, vomiting, tiredness, abdominal pa ...

encephalomyelitis Encephalomyelitis is inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. Various types of encephalomyelitis include: * ''Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis'' or ''postinfectious encephalomyelitis'', a demyelinating disease of the brain and spinal cord, p ...

, and

coronary atherosclerosis Atherosclerosis is a pattern of the disease arteriosclerosis in which the wall of the artery develops abnormalities, called lesions. These lesions may lead to narrowing due to the buildup of atheromatous plaque. At onset there are usually no sy ...

. Levy's son said that his father was healthy, able to run three miles, not overweight, and had no

high blood pressure Hypertension (HTN or HT), also known as high blood pressure (HBP), is a long-term medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is persistently elevated. High blood pressure usually does not cause symptoms. Long-term high bl ...

at the time of his visit to the spa, and the family sued for

malpractice In the law of torts, malpractice, also known as professional negligence, is an "instance of negligence or incompetence on the part of a professional".Malpractice definition, Professionals who may become the subject of malpractice actions inc ...

. Cousens settled the suit for an undisclosed amount paid to the family. The case came up before the Arizona Board of Homeopathic Medical Examiners in 2001. Despite the medical examiner's report and testimony, then Board Chairman Bruce Shelton said he "found no medical fault with Dr. Cousens' care of" Levy and the board found "no violation of homeopathic law" in Cousens' treatment. Cousens argued that the medical examiner had misdiagnosed the cause of death, which he said was toxic shock unrelated to the injections, a claim that the Levy family attorney called "outrageous".

Works

* ''Conscious Eating''. Vision Books International, 1994 ::2nd edition North Atlantic Books, 2000 * ''Tachyon Energy: A New Paradigm in Holistic Healing'', with David Wagner.

North Atlantic Books North Atlantic Books is a non-profit, independent publisher based in Berkeley, California, United States. Distributed by Penguin Random House Publisher Services, North Atlantic Books is a mission-driven social justice-oriented publisher. Founded ...

, 1999 * ''Depression-Free For Life: An All-Natural, Five-Step Plan to Reclaim Your Zest for Living'', with Mark Mayell. William Morrow & Co., 2000 * ''Rainbow Green Live-Food Cuisine'', North Atlantic Books, 2003 * ''Spiritual Nutrition: Six Foundations for Spiritual Life and the Awakening of Kundalini''. North Atlantic Books, 2005. * ''Creating Peace by Being Peace: the Essene Sevenfold Path'', North Atlantic Books, 2008 * ''Torah as a Guide to Enlightenment'', North Atlantic Books, 2011 * ''There is a Cure for Diabetes, Revised Edition: The 21-Day+ Holistic Recovery Program'', North Atlantic Books, 2013 OCLC 799024775 * ''Conscious Parenting: The Holistic Guide to Raising and Nourishing Healthy, Happy Children'', with Leah Lynn. North Atlantic Books, 2015

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cousens, Gabriel 1943 births 20th-century American Jews American homeopaths Fasting advocates Living people Physicians from Chicago American psychiatrists Pseudoscientific diet advocates Spiritual teachers American veganism activists 21st-century American Jews