Martina Castro, Part 1 - Psychic Surgeries & John of God's Spiritual Celebrity
From Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation by Exactly Right and iHeartPodcasts
February 18, 2026 · 50 min
About this episode
Martina Castro discusses the history and practices of John of God, a Brazilian self-proclaimed healer, in the first part of a two-part series.
This week’s guest is Martina Castro, creator of podcast Two Faced: John of God, Exactly Right’s new podcast series about John of God, the Brazilian self-proclaimed healer and “psychic surgeon.” In part one, Martina explains John of God’s history and mythology, how he became internationally famous for his alleged healings (amplified by celebrities like Oprah), and the carefully primed environment he created called “the Casa.” Everyone dressed in white! Crystals! Waterfalls! And of course, lines of pilgrims watching him channel “doctor spirits” to supposedly heal the town's many visitors. They discuss how his “free healings” weren’t as free as promised, his so-called “invisible surgeries” that supposedly worked from across the globe, and the in-person healings he did that involved putting objects up uncomfortably far up people’s nasal cavities. And next week, we’ll get into the explosive allegations that came out during the #MeToo movement. SOURCES Two-Faced: John of God Dos Caras: Juan de Dios See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
People in this episode
Guest: Martina Castro
Topics covered
- psychic surgeries
- John of God
- healing
- celebrity influence
- cults
- spirituality
Keywords
- psychic surgery
- John of God
- healing
- cults
- spiritual celebrity
- Oprah
- Casa
- invisible surgeries
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Two Faced: John of God, Exactly Right
Places: Brazil, the Casa
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