© Janie Barrett
"The One" ... Serge Benhayon.
His followers call him The One. They say he's the reincarnation of Leonardo da Vinci. He claims massaging women's breasts can prevent cancer. And his growing business empire, built on spiritual healing, is being funded in part by Medicare.
Serge Benhayon, a former tennis coach from Maroubra, has up to 1000, mainly female, devotees to his movement, Universal Medicine, based in the hills outside Lismore on the north coast of NSW.
Mr Benhayon told
The Sun-Herald he had no medical qualifications but stood by the effectiveness of his treatments, including ''esoteric breast massage'' - administered only by women - and ''chakra-puncture''. His daughter, Natalie, 22, claims to be able to talk to women's ovaries - for $70 an hour.
Mr Benhayon defended himself against claims a personality cult had built up around him, with dozens of relationships from Brisbane to Byron Bay and Bangalow breaking down as a result.
The Sun-Herald spoke to nine men who blame Mr Benhayon for their break-ups.
But Mr Benhayon said his female students had merely discovered the ''livingness of love'' from his ''esoteric way of life''. There is concern in the medical fraternity that certain treatments provided at Universal Medicine's Lismore headquarters are being subsidised by Medicare.
A physiotherapist, Kate Greenaway, and a psychologist, Caroline Raphael - both decade-long followers of Mr Benhayon who work at Universal Medicine - encourage patients to seek GP referrals for treatment. Medicare will reimburse two-thirds of the cost for long-term injuries.
