Powers of Your Inner Mind

Powers of Your Inner Mind

By Jonathan Aquino

Saturday Stories

July 27, 2019

I

My first time to talk to Jaime Licauco was through text. That was many years ago when I was still in Manila and my radio could reach the station. Licauco is a bestselling author and the leading parapsychologist and paranormal researcher in the Philippines. It was on his Sunday night program Inner Mind On Radio with the Superman theme as the intro. His co-anchor during that time, the late hypnotherapist Frances Gloria, read my message.

II

I asked him if it is possible to be vulnerable to witchcraft if you don't believe in it. He said you can dismiss weak spells, but can be very dangerous when you deal with powerful black magic. That was so wise and nice of him. Since then, he and his next cohost Charmaine Cruz have read my texts and answered my questions through the years. I haven't met him in person, but I added him on Facebook and he was nice enough to accept. I just got the notification yesterday that it was his birthday. 

III  

All this came to mind as I recently found a ebook copy and re-read his classic "Exploring The Powers of Your Inner Mind," first published in 1986, and composed mostly of his articles from his first Inner Mind column at the Times Journal. Then in 1987, Inner Mind began to be published at the Philippine Daily Inquirer. His Inner Mind On Radio show first aired on June 1992 at DZMM, the AM station of ABS-CBN.  

IV

His first guest was Lucresia Kasilag, National Artist For Music, who also wrote the book's foreword. Coming full circle, my favorite story about Jimmy Licauco is about witchcraft. He was talking to a friend who said that it's not real. So Jimmy played a psychological game. He said, "Very well, why don't we conduct an experiment? I have a friend who is a good mangkukulam (witch). I'll ask him to get your stomach bloated for one day..." But his friend vehemently protested – "Of course not! Don't let him do anything to me!" 

Photo courtesy of Goodreads