Gabriel Cousens

Gabriel (born May 14, 1943) is an American homeopath, self-proclaimed rabbi and practitioner of holistic medicine. In 1976, Cousens legally changed his name from Kenneth Gabriel Cousens to Gabriel. Cousens advocates live foods therapy, a nutritional regimen which he says can cure diabetes, depression and other chronic degenerative diseases. He is the founder of the "Essene Order of Light", a spiritual organization based upon teachings from the Jewish Kabbalah, the Torah, and modern interpretations of the Essenes. 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. 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. As a freshman at Amherst College, he designed a heart lung machine and spent two summers doing leukemia research. He graduated from Amherst College 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 National Scholar-Athlete Award.

Cousens says he switched to a vegetarian diet around age 30, He returned to the United States in 1981 and studied Kabbalah and the Essenes, becoming ordained in 1988. was founded in 1994 as a health retreat which offers raw food education, fasting, and nutrition. Cousens is an ordained Rabbi 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 perspective. Cousens founded a not for profit organization called the Essene Order of Light which teaches "modern Essene living". He outlined his philosophy in his book Creating Peace By Being Peace.

Cousens has advocated a raw food diet 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 diabetes 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 said that Cousens and the film both grossly misrepresented the modern medical approach to diabetes. Gorski described Cousens works as promoting vitalism 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 in Arizona. The autopsy also found that Levy had hepatitis, encephalomyelitis, and coronary atherosclerosis. 2nd edition North Atlantic Books, 2000 Tachyon Energy: A New Paradigm in Holistic Healing, with David Wagner. North Atlantic Books, 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