Controversial mind-body therapy attracts over 1 million Chinese seeking miraculous cures

(By Caixin journalists Fan Qiaojia and Han Wei)

For three years, Zhou Xing watched in rising panic as her mother, diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer, refused the surgery her doctors urged. Instead, she placed her faith in a popular but controversial wellness programme, Mongolian mind-body interactive (MBI) therapy, that involves attending daily classes to listen to songs, perform exercises and hear testimonials of miraculous cures.

“She firmly believes in stories shared by fellow patients and thinks that mind-body interaction can achieve anything,” Zhou said, exasperated. “She thinks Western medicine, especially surgery, is overtreatment.” After a long and difficult struggle, the family finally persuaded her to undergo the life-saving surgical procedure, but the ordeal left lasting emotional scars.

Zhou’s family struggle is emblematic of tensions being stirred throughout China by Ajitai Health Group, the operator of a sprawling wellness empire that provides MBI therapy, which combines modern psychology and traditional Chinese and Mongolian medicine. The company, founded by Nagon Bilig, a 61-year-old former doctor from Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, has attracted more than a million patients with promises of low-cost remedies for ailments ranging from cancer to infertility.

Ajitai runs more than 100 treatment centres through partner hospitals in Inner Mongolia, other Chinese cities and Singapore. The company has invested over 1 billion RMB (US$139.4 million) in four wellness retreats in Inner Mongolia that serve tens of thousands of patients annually, according to disclosure statements. Its mobile app boasts nearly 1 million users and more than 20,000 daily active participants.

With a blend of group therapy, hypnotic lectures and slick marketing, MBI therapy has spurred clashes between faith and science, pitting desperate patients against their families and the medical establishment, and raising urgent questions about its unverified claims and the potential dangers for those who forsake conventional care.

Nagon previously led the psychosomatic medicine department at the Inner Mongolia International Mongolian Hospital, a top-rated public medical institution in Hohhot. Nearly two decades ago, he developed the Mongolian MBI therapy by fusing psychotherapy with theories from traditional medicine. The treatment sessions, whether viewed online for a few dollars or attended in-person for hundreds of dollars, follow a set format. They begin with music and light exercise before moving to the core element: hours of testimonials by fellow patients.

Nagon writes in one of his books that he discovered storytelling to be one of the most accessible and effective forms of psychotherapy, allowing patients to overcome emotional barriers and feel understood.

Traditionally, psychotherapy incorporates group narrative therapy, where patients share personal stories of illness and recovery to foster mutual support and confidence. In Nagon’s practice, however, these narratives are often framed as miraculous cures, shifting the focus from therapeutic benefit to promotional spectacle.

In a session observed by Caixin, a stream of seemingly credible figures — retired professors, doctors and civil servants — touted transformative recoveries. One elderly couple, who claimed to be retired professors from Minzu University of China in Beijing, said a 21-day course had dramatically improved the husband’s prostate condition and chronic pain. A woman, who claimed to suffer from the rare disease neuroblastoma, said her white blood cell count tripled within a week of sessions and that she now feels “healthier than ordinary people”.

Central to the therapy is the concept of “energy”. Followers are told that in-person participation produces a therapeutic magnetic field, and that Nagon himself can channel “supernatural energy”. Lecturers describe the therapy as a “scientific, effective, and specialised” medical method with outcomes surpassing conventional drugs.

But the explanations veer into pseudoscience. A lecturer claiming to be a PhD in physics attributed the treatment’s effects to the manipulation of dark matter. Physical discomfort during sessions was characterised as a “conditioning reaction”, a sign that healing had begun.

Nagon said he has formed 11 research teams exploring conditions like psoriasis, tumours, hypertension and diabetes since 2014. He said research faces funding challenges and that he was seeking state support for the projects.

Ajitai and its partner institutions offer a range of services from online classes priced at nine RMB to in-person sessions costing up to 300 RMB. Access to the most coveted live events with Nagon often require weeks of attendance and are highly sought after.

Critics are questioning whether the reported recoveries stem from psychosomatic symptoms or reflect bias rather than genuine improvements. During one session, Nagon celebrated the case of an infertile woman with polycystic ovary syndrome who became pregnant after attending classes as a “miracle”. Medical studies, however, show that while the condition can make conception difficult, it does not make it impossible, and many women conceive naturally or with treatment.

While the therapy appears to provide psychological comfort to patients, proponents often position it as a substitute for evidence-based medicine. “If it weren’t effective, there wouldn’t be so many people,” said Zheng Aiying, a breast cancer survivor who travelled from Yunnan to Inner Mongolia to attend Ajitai’s classes.

Still, the line between comfort and potential harm remains blurry. One woman, whose lung cancer story is highlighted as a success case, died from her illness in February, a fact not mentioned in the testimonials.

For many families, the therapy can result in deep conflicts with terrifying outcomes.

Although Nagon claims his therapy merely provides emotional support and is no substitute for medical care, the message many of his followers receive is quite different, said Li Qian, a resident of Ordos, whose parents are fervent fans of Nagon.

“The rumour is people can be healed just by listening to lectures,” she said. “Many stop going to hospitals because they believe this is enough.”

Nagon began promoting his MBI therapy in the late 1990s. He registered the Ajitai trademark in 2003, which gradually grew into the Ajitai Health Group, a sprawling enterprise encompassing medical care, wellness retreats and tourism.

According to Li Ming’s interview-based book, Nagon was born in 1964 in Otog Front Banner, Inner Mongolia. He studied at Inner Mongolia Medical College and later dabbled in qigong, a traditional Chinese medicine involving movement, breathing and meditation, which he believed to be mostly psychological in nature.

After short stints in medicine and trading, he opened a clinic in 2002 that evolved into the Ajitai Elderly Wellness Home and eventually Ajitai Health Group. The facility grew from 28 to 700 beds within a year.

In November 2010, Nagon was recruited by the then-under-construction International Mongolian Hospital, where he established its first Mongolian psychosomatic medicine department in 2012. Since then, he helped more hospitals establish similar departments and spearheaded a medical alliance that now includes 119 treatment centres across China and Singapore.

MBI therapy is not a new concept. In mainstream medical institutions, psychosomatic departments have become increasingly common to treat physical illnesses in which psychological factors play a significant role. For patients hesitant to enter a psychiatric clinic, these departments offer a balanced alternative. However, many patients still resist the idea of having a mental problem and are often deterred by the high cost of psychotherapy.

Nagon’s therapy offers a much broader scope of treatment with simpler methods and a more acceptable price tag compared to standard psychological counselling.

Ajitai’s first major wellness park opened in Otog Front Banner in 2016 with a 300-million RMB investment. Within two years, it had welcomed 200,000 visitors and generated nearly 100 million RMB in revenue. Other locations in West Ujimqin Banner and Zhenglan Banner followed. Its most ambitious project, the Ajitai Health City in Ejin Horo Banner, involves a 900-million-RMB investment and will combine a hospital, wellness centre, housing and lecture halls.

The group’s partnership model with hospitals involves Ajitai providing therapy sessions while hospitals supply the venues and staff. For instance, Ordos Mongolian Medicine Hospital in March disclosed a plan to purchase 7-million-RMB services from Ajitao. In May, Alxa League Mongolian Medicine Hospital signed a one-year service deal with Ajitai, with revenue split roughly 47% to Ajitai and 53% to the hospital.

Ajitai has diversified into tourism and beverages. Business records list 15 affiliates, though six have closed. The company’s main entity, Inner Mongolia Ajitai Mongolian Medical Hospital Co. Ltd., operates both physical and online hospitals. Nagon’s wife and daughter hold controlling stakes in most subsidiaries.

Ajitai is now targeting juveniles and adolescents for care. During the national college entrance exam in early June, Ajitai Health City in Ordos held a special treatment session for children. Participants include young parents and children ranging from infants in strollers to toddlers and teenagers. In one session, a doctor told Caixin that children are brought not to understand the lectures but to “listen to the magnetic field” and absorb its “energy”.

MBI therapy’s inclusion in state-backed medical insurance propelled Ajitai’s growth. Official reimbursement, which began in 2013 and became formalised in Inner Mongolia in 2019, lent legitimacy and reduced patient costs. Some 72 hospitals offered MBI therapy reimbursement by 2023, according to Nagon.

This support led to mass participation. One Ordos hospital reported 84,000 visits in a year. Average reimbursements covered 70% of costs, saving patients millions of RMB.

Li Xue said her father was initially sceptical but was drawn in by the low cost. “He went because he could use his insurance and not spend much.” For his first 29-day hospital stay to attend the classes, he paid just over 700 RMB out-of-pocket after reimbursement. For a second 21-day stay, his cost was only 500 RMB. He soon convinced his sister to go, and now, Li says, six of her elderly relatives “go to the hospital in Ulanqab for a stay whenever they have nothing else to do”.

The consequence of this faith can be devastating. Ai Mi’s mother is a firm believer who was diagnosed with terminal cervical cancer and stage-four uremia. Checking her mother’s phone, Ai discovered that her mother had ignored medical advice after discovering MBI through a friend. Despite symptoms, she was told the pain was a sign of healing.

“All the testimonials are implicitly or explicitly saying Western medicine is ineffective, or even that it harms the body,” Ai said.

In response to rising alarm, families began lodging complaints in February. By March, provincial authorities had taken notice. The Inner Mongolia’s health authorities issued a circular requiring a suspension of medical insurance fund settlement for psychosomatic treatments.

The regional medical insurance bureau told Caixin it had received complaints of hospitals using the therapy to induce unnecessary hospitalisations and had found an “abnormally large amount of suspicious data” during a special inspection.

By April, most hospitals had halted reimbursements. Still, some continue to support the sessions due to their ability to draw traffic and revenue, Caixin found.

In April, a magazine affiliated with the China Behaviour Law Association published a letter accusing Ajitai of defrauding the state of 1 billion RMB annually. Nagon has denied the claim. He and Ajitai did not respond to Caixin’s requests for comment.

(The names of the patients and family members in this article are pseudonyms.) 

Xu Jiayang contributed to the story. 

This article was first published by Caixin Global as “Cover Story: Controversial Mind-Body Therapy Attracts Over 1 Million Chinese Seeking Miraculous Cures”. Caixin Global is one of the most respected sources for macroeconomic, financial and business news and information about China.

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