BRACO’S CAPTIVATING GAZE
By Vincent Lyn
According to his official website, Braco (pronounced braht-zo) is a gentle Croatian man with a remarkable gift: a silent gaze that induces “transformative changes” and “profound experiences” in the hundreds of thousands who attend his “gazing sessions.
Josip Grbavac (born in November 1967), better known as Braco sometimes called “The Gazer”, is a Croatian self-styled “healer”. He does not touch, speak to, diagnose, or treat the people who come to see him — rather, he stands on a platform and gazes. He avoids direct claims to have the ability to help people with his eye contact, but it is strongly implied and supporters report it causing improved well-being.
When dear friend Ciro Orsino (internationally known restauranteur) told me about him I was like WTH, it must be a satire, I thought. No way this could be serious! After having the pleasure of meeting and having dinner with Braco and his family along with some of his followers including Dr. Matthias Kamp, MD. who has written the book “Braco and his silent Gaze”. I started doing some research into Braco and his metaphysical manifestations. The idea that people only use 10% of our brains and could use more is not really true. This persistent myth may have originated as early as 1908 when William James wrote, “We are making use of only a small part of our possible mental and physical resources. Ultimately, it’s not that we use 10 percent of our brains, merely that we only understand about 10 percent of how it functions.
When Ciro told me that Braco was giving one of his ‘gazes’ at the College of Psychic Studies in London I was all in. Braco has given these five-minute gazing sessions to upwards of 1,200 people at a time so to be seated in the front row of an intimate group of 50 people would be eye-opening to say the least. While we sat awaiting Braco’s entrance we were given a ten-minute introduction of what we were about to experience and then watched a very brief video of some of his incredible miracles that are quite unexplainable. Braco does not claim to be a faith healer, and Braco never speaks in public, but merely gazes — his form of spiritual expression. Some call it “soul gazing.” I call it, “what the hell?” because what else could this be? But one must always empty their cup and be open-minded. There have been literally hundreds of testimonies and miracles of gazing with Braco. So, what do I have to lose?
Braco entered the room and stood on a podium and then slowly and methodically started gazing throughout the room at us. He never ever blinked which was odd but he had a very serene and tranquil gaze but with intent. When he gazed at me I started feeling my heart beat increase and I was doing diaphragmatic breathing, but it was a pleasant calming and relaxing feeling. We were told in the introduction that if we had photos on our iPhone of friends who were ill we could just show the photo in the direction of Braco. Yes, I know what you are thinking. Ciro’s sister is very ill lying in a hospital bed in Italy. He displayed the photo and while Braco was gazing a ring of white light hallowed around his sister on the iPhone. Okay, now that is freakin bizarre. A friend of Ciro also saw the ring of light on the iPhone, so we aren’t all going out of our minds.
Interestingly having arrived in London my left knee had been hurting a lot to the point I was limping on it. Something I’ve never ever experienced in my life. I was thinking maybe it was the flight over being in one position, or not drinking enough water or maybe decades of martial arts training had finally caught up to me. I applied tiger balm on my knee but the following day it was still bothering me. And I had a lot of walking to do and being on the underground walking stairs was no fun. I got back to the hotel and started stretching which always helps me and yes it did help but the annoying twitch I felt was still there.
When we left the event we picked up a sandwich and walking down the busy streets of Knightsbridge we couldn’t help but talk about what we just witnessed or felt. Ciro has known Braco for more than ten years so he’s experienced his gazes before. He had brought a woman who had lost the ability to talk and her jaw and facial muscles were frozen as if she had lockjaw. She had been in a frozen state for six months and the doctors couldn’t do anything for her. In one gazing session she experienced, sitting in the back of the room she started screaming in joy with the return of her voice. One can’t make heads or tails of it. But, with all of this I started thinking about my knee and noticed there was no pain at all not even a twitch. Go figure. I don’t have one answer for all of this. For example the usefulness of psychics in police investigations is controversial, but psychics have long been and will undoubtedly continue to be involved in unsolved criminal investigations. From Albert Einstein to the Amazing Kreskin we all must be broad-minded, receptive, accepting and flexible.
Braco was born Josip Grbavac in Zagreb, SR Croatia, Yugoslavia on 23 November 1967. He earned a degree in economics in Croatia, married and started a family. He began practicing “healing” after the 1991–1995 Croatian War of Independence. Braco’s mentor was Ivica Prokić, a Serbian economist, whom he met in the autumn of 1993. Prokić suggested the name Braco, meaning “little brother.” Prokić died in 1995 while on holiday. The two were alone on a beach in South Africa, when Braco says a “rogue wave” swept Prokić away after he had first taken off all of the gold jewelry he traditionally wore along with his socks and wallet. After Prokić’s death, Braco initially saw people one on one, however, due to the large number of people who started coming to see him, he began gazing at groups.
At public events, Braco stands on a podium following a ten-minute period of introduction and silently looks at the members of the audience for a period of five to ten minutes. Afterwards, during a period called “meditation and reflection” by supporters, believers have claimed to experience life changes, healings and positive experiences. According to supporters, during the “gaze time” they feel tingling, see energy or a golden aura, or experience peace or relief from pain. Braco reportedly does not call himself a healer or claim to have spiritual powers. Braco reportedly “has not spoken to the press or in public since 2002”, Participants and event organizers claim that his gaze has cured physical diseases such as cancer and respiratory disease. Believers claim Braco’s physical presence is not necessary, and gazing at a picture or video of him can be sufficient for healing. When not touring, Braco holds gazing sessions at his center in Zagreb, Croatia. Braco’s Croatian events draw thousands of people, totaling to over two hundred thousand annually.
“Your brain and mind (brain=physical/tangible, mind=emotional/ ephemeral) is wonderfully powerful…if it’s open for business — and /or pleasure. Once you partner with yourself to open your mind you also open a universe of possibilities both internal and external.” Ric Meyers
Vincent Lyn
CEO & Founder of We Can Save Children
Deputy Ambassador of International Human Rights Commission (IHRC)
Director of Creative Development at African Views Organization
Economic & Social Council at United Nations (ECOSOC)
Editor-in-Chief at Wall Street News Agency