Ali Taheri

Mohammad Ali Taheri (born 1956, in Kermanshah, Iran) is an alternative medicine practitioner and cognitive researcher who is the founder of Erfan-e-Halgheh, also called Interuniversal Mysticism, a version of Iranian mysticism Irfan.

He is also the founder of the Erfan Halghe Cultural Institute.

Taheri has founded two complementary medicine treatments Faradarmani and Psymentology and has been honored with doctorate degree for his research.

He is currently based in Canada after the grant of asylum by the Government of Canada.

Mohammad Ali Taheri was born on 1956 in Kermanshah, Iran and received his primary education from his hometown.

Later, they moved to Tehran for better opportunities.

Described as a child prodigy, Taheri was very curious since childhood and loved staring at the stars at nights.

He wanted to know about the universe, secret of creation, and purpose of life.

Due to his desire to know about the stars and their cause, he designed and made airplanes to get closer to them during his adolescence, in Tehran.

At the age of sixteen, he built a helicopter in the courtyard of his house.

This invention created various problems for his family as the Security and Intelligence Service of Iran (SAVAK) believed that it is impossible that a schoolboy can design such a thing and suspected a foreign hand.

Finally, after a long investigation and presentation of the Dictionary of Aviation Technical Terms written by him, they were convinced and changed their mind.

Tahiri studied environmental engineering.

Meanwhile, he continued his investigation about stars and started studying cosmology, influenced by Persian mystic, Rumi.

Later, he went to Turkey where he studied briefly at the Middle East Technical University.

As a professional, he is trained as a mechanical engineer.

Upon his return to Iran, he founded an engineering firm, Tiva Kian Engineering and Design Company, and designed mushroom production and flour factories.

During the Iran-Iraq War, he designed two machine guns and made a list of innovations in military technology which were praised by Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani in his memoir.

According to Taheri, he has never followed any specific Sufi path or particular religion.

He used to find answers to his questions through books and documents.

He also used to meditate deeply.

During his self-study of cosmology, he began to believe that science and spirituality can converge in a single quest.

Therefore, found two ways to healing exclusively based on a path of self-understanding Faradarmani and Psymentology.

As his quest for knowledge and desire to find truth of life intensified, Taheri started receiving intuitions which he used to explore and reflect upon.

After receiving intuitions, Taheri started to rationalize these in the first decade.

Afterwards, he started the work to test the intuitions he received.

Based on work and testing, he started teaching about his knowledge to his friends and family in private.

To cure different types of diseases, Taheri introduced a new healing method which was later called Faradarmani.

According to Taheri, Erfan-e-Halgheh reveals mysteries of the Quran and of the Persian poetry written by legendary poets such as Mowlana and Hafez.

In the 2000s, he founded Erfan-e-Halgheh (Circle of Mysticism), an arts and culture institute located in Tehran, which promotes healing concepts.

It is part of Inter-universal Mysticism, a spiritual movement or school of thought, which he started about forty years ago to promote mental wellness and physical health.

The movement became wildly popular in urban centers of Iran.

At its peak, the movement had more than two million followers.

Erfan-e-Halgheh movement promotes self-help style therapeutic spirituality and understanding of the universe.

It is particularly influential among the educated Iranians and its seminars and clinics are spread across Iran and in California.

Based on his work and research, Taheri initially started teaching about his knowledge to his friends and family in private.

Later, after developing Erfan-e-Halgheh, he publicized his knowledge by teaching it with structured lessons.

Initially, classes were small with few students.

In 2001, classes were transferred to the official institution and later at University of Tehran, a top-ranked university in Iran.

Meanwhile, Taheri was also giving interviews to further dissipate his knowledge.