Body & Brain (Korean:단월드;RR:Dan Woldeu;MR:Tan Wŏltŭ; also known as Dahn World, Dahn Hak, or Dahnhak), formerly called Dahn Yoga, is a corporation founded in 1985 by Ilchi Lee that teaches a Korean physical exercise system called Brain Education, which is considered pseudoscience. In Korean, dahn means "primal, vital energy", and hak means "study of a particular theory or philosophy". Body & Brain is taught through for-profit studios as well as community centers.
Training methods
People practicing yoga at a Body & Brain Center.
Body & Brain draws upon traditional notions of ki, also known as chi or qi. A typical class begins with what is called "Meridian Stretching" exercise and follow a sequence of postures which include elements of meditation.
An article from Weill Cornell Medical College published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine concludes that participant reported "moderate improvements after 3 months of practice" with increased scores "in all [of the surveyed] domains of health-related quality of life, fewer depressive symptoms, less trait anxiety, and greater self-efficacy".
Brain Wave Vibration
Brain Wave Vibration is promoted as a mental and physical health technique. As part of CNN's investigation into Dahn Yoga, Neurosurgeon Dr. Sanjay Gupta was asked about testimonials that Brain Wave Vibration "lowered blood pressure, corrected lazy eyes, [and] even reduced symptoms of multiple sclerosis" and stated that the notion of vibrating the brain or other parts of the body to turn parts of the brain on and off is not grounded in science and that anecdotes are not empirically verifiable.
In 2010 a study sponsored by Ilchi Lee's Korean Institute of Brain Science (KIBS) and published in Neuroscience Letters showed subjects who engaged in Dahn Yoga led meditation reported lower levels of stress compared to the control group, which did not practice any sort of meditation. Another KIBS-sponsored study published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine showed that Brain Wave Vibration meditation reduced stress similarly to Iyengar Yoga and Mindfulness meditation.
Brain Education
The tradenames ''Brain Education'', and ''Brain Education Systems Training'' (or BEST), refer to a system of exercises, breathing, and stretches developed and promoted by Ilchi Lee. Dr. Ben Goldacre of the U.K. criticized Ilchi Lee's brain education claims as pseudoscience in his Guardian column "Bad Science" in 2004.
In 1985 the first Dahn Yoga Center opened in downtown Seoul. By 1990, fifty locations were teaching Dahn Yoga in South Korea. In 1991, the first U.S. Dahn Yoga Center was opened in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1997 the Sedona Ilchi Meditation Center (SIMC) was established in Sedona, Arizona.[citation needed]
Lee cohosted a conference in Seoul, South Korea, on June 15, 2001, called the New Millennium World Peace Humanity Conference. A document outlining Lee's vision, titled the "Declaration of Humanity," was signed by attendees, including Maurice Strong and Seymour Topping.[citation needed]
The Dahn Yoga Foundation was created in 2006, offering classes at senior centers, community centers, churches, public parks, offices, schools and hospitals. Dahn Yoga Foundation volunteers participate in community service projects.
In 2015, Dahn Yoga changed its name to Body & Brain.
Controversy
There have been accusations that the organization operates a manipulative "cult" that uses coercive persuasion and thought reform methods to create deeply devoted Dahn masters (teachers) who persuade others to devote all their time, energy, and money to Body & Brain programs, events, and ceremonies, and to become loyal Dahn masters themselves.
On January 5, 2010, CNN broadcast a critical report about the organization with interviews of former Brain & Body members alleging severe physical, mental and financial abuse by Brain & Body personnel and staff, including one former member stating she was coerced into donating funds to the organization by taking out student loans totaling over US$40,000. Allegations were dismissed in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona August 25, 2010.
Rolling Stone Magazine published an article in March 2010 entitled "The Yoga Cult" alleging that "Dahn's calling itself 'yoga' is just a marketing ploy to enhance its appeal to Americans;" that instead it is a mind control cult designed to part people from their money. According to the article, the group brought in $30 million in the U.S. in 2009 and charges as much as $100,000 for a seminar.
An article in Forbes magazine in July 2009 contained similar allegations against Body & Brain. It reported allegations by former members that they were pressured to train to become paid "Dahn Masters," paying up to $10,000 each for workshops that lasted as long as three weeks. If students could not afford the training, the article states, they were encouraged to take out loans and carry credit card debt. Plaintiffs in a suit against the group claim that once they became "Dahn Masters" they were then given recruitment and revenue quotas that had them working up to 120 hours per week.
The "Brain Training Center", formerly "Dahn World", was reported on by Korean magazine Religion and Truth for deceptive advertising, targeting seniors over 60 with claims of reversing aging by 30 years. It operates a high-cost program called "Jangsaeng School (Kindergarten)," charging up to 5 million KRW, and promotes exaggerated claims such as drinking "Hwangjasu" water to regain youth. Investigations revealed that the products in question were manufactured in residential homes or warehouse-like facilities. Additionally, inventions developed by disciples were patented under Ilchi Lee and his family's company, allowing them to collect royalties.
Wrongful Death Suit
Among other media reports, a 2006 CBS news report and the Village Voice described a wrongful death lawsuit filed against Body & Brain's founder and related entities. According to the lawsuit, Julia Siverls, 41, died in 2003 from heat stroke and dehydration during a master training hike at the Ilchi Meditation Center in Sedona. The lawsuit also accuses the Lee of "breaking wage and immigration laws, evading taxes and sexually abusing female disciples." According to a document filed by the Southern District of New York of the United States District Court, the case was dismissed on August 1, 2008.
↑Jung, Ye-Ha; Kang, Do-Hyung; Jang, Joon Hwan; Park, Hye Yoon; Byun, Min Soo; Kwon, Soo Jin; Jang, Go-Eun; Lee, Ul Soon; An, Seung Chan; Kwon, Jun Soo (26 July 2010). "The effects of mind-body training on stress reduction, positive affect, and plasma catecholamines". Neuroscience Letters. 479 (2): 138–142. doi:10.1016/j.neulet.2010.05.048. PMID20546836. S2CID207131522.
↑Oh, Myung Ok (11 March 2025). "노인상대 회춘상품 판매하다 걸린 'K-명상'의 사기술... '브레인트레이닝센터'(구, 단월드) 수차 고발되고도"['K-Meditation' Scam Exposed for Selling Anti-Aging Products to Elderly… 'Brain Training Center' (Formerly Danworld) Repeatedly Reported]. Religion and Heresy (in Korean). Retrieved 12 March 2025.
