Cover Story: Controversial Mind-Body Therapy Attracts Over 1 Million Chinese Seeking Miraculous Cures

Marketed as low-cost healing, the therapy is drawing scrutiny over unproven claims, emotional manipulation and suspected abuse of public insurance

For three years, Zhou Xing watched in rising panic as her mother, diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer, refused the surgery her doctors urged. Instead, she placed her faith in a popular but controversial wellness program, Mongolian mind-body interactive (MBI) therapy, that involves attending daily classes to listen to songs, perform exercises and hear testimonials of miraculous cures.

“She firmly believes in stories shared by fellow patients and thinks that mind-body interaction can achieve anything,” Zhou said, exasperated. “She thinks Western medicine, especially surgery, is overtreatment.” After a long and difficult struggle, the family finally persuaded her to undergo the life-saving surgical procedure, but the ordeal left lasting emotional scars.

Zhou’s family struggle is emblematic of tensions being stirred throughout China by Ajitai Health Group, the operator of a sprawling wellness empire that provides MBI therapy, which combines modern psychology and traditional Chinese and Mongolian medicine. The company, founded by