My experience at the Casa de Dom Inácio in Abadiânia – a world-famous healing place 🇧🇷

Before you start reading, take a look inside the Casa de Dom Inácio in Abadiânia:

 

I didn’t really know anything about Abadiânia before we arrived there. Probably we would have never visited if our new friend Jutta hadn’t invited us to meet her at her Pousada in this small town close to Brasilia.

 

Already one year before, Jutta saw through my Youtube videos that I was traveling in Brazil and reached out for the first time. Due to limited time and the large distances in Brazil I didn’t manage to make it there. However, this year we would finally make the trip to meet Jutta and her family in Abadiânia. 

 

Abadiânia – a small town of international fame?

 

Arriving there we noticed the diverse mix of people from all different countries. Besides Brazilians we saw tourists on short visits and expats from all over the world. How come this little town has so many visitors?

 

On our first night at Jutta’s Pousada Octogono we had a long chat about life and what brought us to Brazil. Paul and I had just come from a busy week in Brasilia and were happy to wind down and enjoy some peace and quiet. Abadiânia was the perfect place for that. But besides that it is also home to a world-famous sanctuary that is visited by numerous international people.

 

The Casa de Dom Inácio in Abadiânia

 

We learned about the well-known spiritual healing center in Abadiânia. Years ago it was home to the Medium Joao Teixera de Farias, also known as Joao de Deus (or John of God.) Millions of people had visited the place to seek cures for their ailments ranging from cancer and AIDS to fractures and vision problems. 

João de Deus, a Brazilian spiritual healer, was once a major draw for international visitors. He was later convicted of sexual abuse and is now serving his sentence under house arrest. The scandal significantly impacted local tourism. Nevertheless, people still visit this place since the Casa de Dom Inácio is believed to house healing entities.

 

Joao de Deus is said to be a powerful mediumship in which benevolent spirits or entities use his body to perform healing. In extreme cases he would also perform surgeries on stage. As merely the host to these spirits he would always claim that it is not him that offers healing to the people, but God himself. 

 

While on a typical day during John of God’s time he would treat around 1000 people per day, now the Casa sees significantly less people. Nevertheless, the healing energies are still supposed to be present. And people can seek healing there. 

 

 

The Casa is only open to the public Wednesday to Friday. But through our contact we were allowed in to take a look around on a Sunday. 

 

Can healing still happen here?

 

The claims are remarkable—a healer said to have restored millions, a room stacked with discarded crutches and wheelchairs, countless testimonials and photos. Yet, how much of this truly holds up as evidence?

 

 

I had been living with chronic back pain for over five years. Despite consultations with multiple physical therapists and a diagnosis of persistent back strain, no treatment provided lasting relief. Over time, I had resigned myself to managing the condition, uncertain of any further options. I had no idea that Abadiânia was known for spiritual healing until I arrived there. Jutta suggested we visit the Casa de Dom Inácio, explaining that the place itself is believed to carry healing energies. Since entry was free, I decided to give it a try. At that point, I was unaware that João de Deus had practiced there or that the site carried a controversial history.

The dim side of Abadiânia 

 

People told us different stories about why Joao de Deus is not actively working at the Casa anymore.

The fact is that, in 2018, after hundreds of accusations of sexual abuse, he turned himself in to police. Some people claim that he abused his power, mistreating patients that came to him. Others think he was a danger to Western medicine because of the healing of incurable illnesses. Personally I cannot say if he was the real deal. But I do believe in the power of the mind. And if a visit at the Casa can give you a more powerful mindset, no matter if an actual person is present there or not, I think it’s worth trying.

 

Inside the Casa

 

Being inside the Casa, I got the impression of it being a mix of church and hospital. There was an area labeled “pharmacy“, a bigger room with seats to watch the stage, a nice garden, a soup kitchen etc.

 

 

The most interesting part was closed off. It was the area where people who ask for healing usually get in line. It’s only open Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Even though that Sunday I was there it was all empty, I still felt a strange tension.

I experienced a pronounced pressure on my chest during my stay, though it was unclear whether this stemmed from my own anxious breathing or from an external sensation.

Preparing a letter to the spiritual entities requesting healing for my back felt unfamiliar; I questioned whether a written note could genuinely influence the outcome. Following the guidance provided, I placed the letter on the triangular altar symbolizing faith, love, and charity, and focused on visualizing my back, the pain, and its resolution in a manner similar to meditation.

 

 

 

 

How will the entities find me?

 

I smirked while providing contact details—long-term travel means no fixed address—so I wrote down our car’s license plate. We’ll see how the healing entities track me there. I still didn’t expect any real help, but since I’m mindful and have meditated before, I committed to staying aware of my back in the days ahead. For the next days I should stay aware of any changes in my back area. I tried doing that every night before I went to sleep.

Two days later, while Paul was driving, I was suddenly hit with intense breathing difficulties and struggled to calm myself, which made him visibly concerned.

In that moment, I gained a clear realization of why I had been having back problems for so many years. I felt like someone was telling me what went wrong and what to do to get rid of it again.

 

It all sounds logical but why have I not seen it earlier?

 

Without sharing specifics, I’ll say the insight touched on patterns I’d long carried—ones that, once seen, felt ready to release.

The link between mental and physical strength clicked into place; just recognizing it shifted something inside. For the next six days, I was free of pain—able to sit in cafés, eat out, and move without limitation, a freedom I hadn’t known in over five years.

Interestingly, on day number 7, I had a stressful situation on the road. Immediately my back pain was back. Ouch!

However, I remembered my time at the Casa and being aware of my body and back. So I tried to regain my mind power and could get some strength back step by step. 

 

How is life today?

 

Ever since my visit in Abadiânia, I can say I have achieved a good balance of what I felt the last years and a now pain-free life. It is dependent on my mindset.

 

I guess I could have achieved a pain free back in another way but the Casa and positive energies around it made me more aware of it. Being there helped me control my mind and consequently my feeling of pain.

 

It showed me that you don’t need medicine to get rid of backpain. It’s all in the mind. The Casa Dom Inácio offered to people a powerful change of mindset and well-being. And this is what the secret of Casa might have been over the last decades. No matter if with or without the well-known medium Joao de Deus. 

 

Btw read my second blog post about my return to the Casa in Abadiania!

 

Learn more about Casa de Dom Inacio in my Video:

 

 

PS: This blog is a sneak peek into my upcoming book about my three years of non-stop travel through Latin America. Know a publisher interested in such stories? Reach out here!

 

3+ years of non-stop travel

300+ homes tested

Travel journalist specializing in reporting on the best places for travelers in South America.

 

📩 Email: [email protected]

 

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