Seven Doctors and a Citizen Familiar with Instinctotherapy Speak Before the Magistrates in Melun

Excerpt from Instincto Magazine, No. 73, April-May 1996, reporting on the trial of Guy-Claude Burger, March 25, 1996

Dr. Guy Morvezen: And Healing Comes as a Bonus

A neuropsychiatrist in Lyon, Guy Morvezen describes his gradual journey toward Instincto. Initially very reluctant, he doesn’t hide his first reactions to this “nonsense.” But the logic of Instincto strikes him; he develops a growing interest in G-C Burger’s theories, while trying to refute them:

One could sense the physicist-mathematician behind these remarks. And I finally thought to myself: but he’s not some crackpot, nor a fringe idea, as I initially thought…

The presiding judge then asked him to talk about his stays at the Montramé Center and, in particular, about the treatment of patients. There, he observed remissions in various illnesses, and a marked improvement in his own health! Even his return to a traditional diet had an educational value: it reminded him of the benefits of instinct. Regarding this dietary approach, which some consider a medically prescribed regimen, he added:

The charge of practicing medicine without a license doesn’t hold water, because it’s a new way of eating that he discovered, and if a cure happens as a bonus, well, it happens as a bonus.

Dr. Guy Morvezen was careful to clarify, with precision, the defendant’s objective. Guy-Claude Burger cannot be blamed for the fact that some illnesses disappear or regress when one changes their diet. Nor can nature be blamed for the fact that respecting its laws leads to health! Dr. Morvezen’s testimony is perfectly timed to clarify the scope of instinctotherapy and highlight that the accusation is based on irrational elements.

Transcribed by Benoit

Dr. Isabelle Grauer, nutritionist and mother

It was Isabelle Grauer, a nutritionist, who opened the second part of the trial. Her calm and gentle manner did not detract from the power of her testimony:

Regarding the illegal practice of medicine, I have never noticed Guy-Claude Burger engaging in that type of activity. On the other hand, I think that, from a medical standpoint, the dietary theory he advocates is absolutely irrefutable, I would even say brilliant, and should be taken into account by the medical community.

Isabelle Grauer discovered Instincto through Guy-Claude’s book; she was immediately won over by its logic and the intelligence of his reflections. She decided to attend a workshop right away. There, she realized that it was definitely not quackery. A mother, she has each of her six children benefit from it, and she says they are doing wonderfully.

Madam President: *When you were doing your workshop, were there any very sick people among the participants, and did you get the feeling that they were abandoning their traditional treatment? Dr. IG: I have the example of a young diabetic woman on insulin. This young woman saw her insulin needs decrease significantly after a few days, but no one told her to stop taking it. She was the one who had to reduce her dosage because her diet meant that instead of needing fifteen units, she only needed four. “Mr. Burger, at no point, and I’m sure of this because I was with this woman very often, did he advise her to reduce her insulin.”

The Chairwoman continued, expressing concern about whether, according to the witness, other doctors gave credence to Mr. Burger’s theories:

Dr. IG: Most doctors aren’t really aware of it, or haven’t looked into it in depth. But, on the other hand, what struck me was that I saw in all the conferences or articles I read, a lot of things that actually supported the elimination of milk, dairy products, and grains. The Chairwoman: So, you’re not aware of any research by doctors that has actually confirmed Mr. Burger’s findings? Dr. IG: No, I think medical training means that we always have a kind of reluctance towards this type of approach. Modern medicine is often based on basic medicine; if you don’t… In terms of basic medicine, your medicine is considered worthless. Yet, basic medicine often wastes a lot of time doing things that, sometimes, could be avoided with simple common sense.

Transcribed by Malvina

Dr. Patrick Fontanaud, general practitioner: A very coherent system

Dr. F: Personally, I’ve known Guy-Claude Burger since 1983. Knowing that I was quite open to new ideas, one of my patients, suffering from a tumor, invited me to her table. This is how Dr. Patrick Fontanaud, a general practitioner, recounts the path that led him to instinctotherapy.

He continues:

I agreed to testify to say that what Mr. Burger was accused of—namely, practicing medicine illegally—is, in my opinion, completely false. He simply teaches his theory of instinct, based on the idea of ​​seeking out food through smell, and provides the technical explanation of the chemical mechanisms that allow the human body to control the amount of food consumed. At no point, during any of his workshops, has he ever offered anyone any special treatment. Madam President: During her instinctotherapy training, did your patient in any way interrupt her treatment? Dr. PF: No, I prescribed a treatment for this woman, and she continued it throughout. There is no incompatibility with this lifestyle. On the contrary, her health improved, and she tolerated the treatments much better. I remember that at the time, people vomited constantly when they underwent chemotherapy. This person, every time she had chemotherapy, never vomited; it’s extraordinary. Madam President: From a scientific standpoint, did you question the system’s coherence? Dr. PF: The system is very coherent, particularly Mr. Burger’s innovative theories on viral disease, which are entirely compatible with current scientific knowledge. Mr. Voyer: Doctor, aren’t you deliberately using the term “lifestyle” to differentiate it from a diet? In your opinion, what is a diet? Dr. PF: A diet is a prescription given by a doctor for a specific illness. Mr. Voyer: In Mr. Burger’s case, can we talk about a diet? Dr. PF: A diet is a Cartesian approach. You’re told you have to do this: you have diabetes, you cut out sugars. In the case of instinctotherapy, the day the patient needs a food for their illness, they will find it themselves. So it’s not a diet: it’s a way of eating, a lifestyle!

Transcribed by Jean-Jacques

Dr. Jacques Borie: I’ve gained thirty years of life!

In his spontaneous statement, Dr. Borie mentions how beneficial instincto-nutrition has been to him, both in terms of his health and his work:

I’m sixty years old, and I can tell you that by applying Burger’s method for about ten years, I’ve gained thirty years of life!

He then endeavors to demonstrate that the method falls within the framework of strictly scientific research. Having studied the subject particularly well, he cites Dr. Fantino’s thesis on gustatory alliesthesia, which masterfully confirms G-C Burger’s hypotheses. Then, regarding the true meaning of viral illnesses, he recalls a thorny question that the accused had been led to ask himself from the very beginning of the instincto experiment, upon observing that the illness could exist without symptoms. And Dr. Borie quotes Pasteur:

The microbe is nothing, the terrain is everything.

He then concludes firmly:

Unfortunately, the medical profession believes that it is the aggressors who make people sick. Until I was fifty, I believed that one could ingest anything one wanted and that the body was capable of metabolizing everything completely. Most illnesses may not be directly caused by diet, but they are induced by a terrain that is itself deficient due to diet.

The first question from the Chairwoman surprises no one:

Does this mean, then, that advocating, as Mr. Burger does, “instinctotherapy,” since that is the name he has given it, constitutes a form of medicine? A treatment?

A little further on, he adds:

If, in about fifty years, the medical community manages to fully understand Burger’s theories, that would be wonderful! But it would be very good if this were at least a little more accepted because, if only 10% of the French population ate a slightly more raw diet, at 60 or 70%, there would already be no more social security reimbursements. I’m sorry, but we have to see things as they are! Those who eat raw food get sick much less often than others! But how do you expect doctors, average doctors, to understand that diet can cure 50% of people??? I’m sorry, I’m a bit impassioned, excuse me.

Regarding Christophe Dechavanne’s show “Ciel mon Mardi” from April 1989, in which he participated, Maître Voyer questions the witness:

After this show, were you led to discuss instinctotherapy with other participants—Dr. Fenot, whom we’ll hear from in a moment, and Dr. Gouffier, who filed the first complaint? Can you tell us what Dr. Gouffier told you? While Mr. Burger was being taken in another direction… (laughter in the room)(AP: he was being taken to prison), I went to meet Fenot and Gouffier again, and we walked to a bar, which was still open despite the late hour. And, as we were discussing it, we were saying:

But what is it in this case that Mr. Burger is being accused of? Mr. Gouffier told me: There’s nothing there, actually, this case is empty. So I said to him: But then, why did you file your complaint? He replied: I wanted to know what was going on… It was to get to the bottom of this.

Then comes Maître Vergès’s lesson in logic:

Isn’t there a logical contradiction in wanting to equate all healthy lifestyle habits, physical activity, outdoor activities, sports, and intuitive nutrition—all of which strengthen the body’s natural defenses—with the illegal practice of medicine? Isn’t that a completely illogical line of reasoning?

A logic lesson that ends with one of those touches of humor that Master Vergès is so good at:

One last question. In France, there are many centers called “La Vie Claire” or something similar, where they sell natural products designed to boost the body’s defenses. Have you heard that Mr. Tapie was prosecuted for practicing medicine without a license? - No!

Transcribed by Bernard C.

Doctor YYY: Revolutionary Synthesis Between Freud and Jung

YYY, a psychiatrist, has known Guy-Claude Burger since 1988 and has stayed in Montramé several times. There, she was able to see patients and talk with Guy-Claude from her very first visit. He never asked people to stop their treatment, I can guarantee you that, she asserts. She explains that, in her opinion, Guy-Claude made a discovery about the food instinct, that he developed a theory and put it into practice, his original goal not being to treat illnesses, but to re-educate the instinct: Everyone can see the effect it has on them!

Mr. Vergès: Does the witness believe that a diet excluding certain unnatural substances could, since you are a neuropsychiatrist, produce beneficial effects in cases of nervous excitation? YYY: Yes, absolutely. I’m thinking, in particular, of cooked cereals. There have been American experiments on this subject. Cooked cereals are stimulants of the nervous system. Ms. Vergès: So, you, as a psychiatrist, consider Mr. Burger’s thesis on metapsychoanalysis to be a serious one? YYY: It’s a thesis that interests me greatly because it incorporates all of Freud’s work. It achieves a synthesis between Freud and Jung that no one has been able to accomplish until now. That is to say, he manages to propose a theoretical model of human psychic functioning, integrating the spiritual and sexual dimensions. So far, I haven’t found any contradictions in metapsychoanalysis. (AP: This theory isn’t currently available online, although Burger believes it’s an even more important discovery than instinctotherapy.)

YYY adds that, in her opinion, Guy-Claude has made discoveries that, like Freud’s exactly a century ago, touch on taboos deeply rooted in our unconscious and are, therefore, the subject of criticism and attacks. Nevertheless, she says, Freud ultimately prevailed over his discoveries, which proved to be a decisive step in the evolution of humanity. And she adds that she is firmly convinced that Guy-Claude Burger’s discoveries will follow the same path.

Ms. Vergès: Finally, one last question. We live in a curious era, where we talk about solidarity and selflessness. And when we encounter selfless people, we suspect them. There are volunteers who work at the Château de Montramé because they are passionate about this research. And immediately we ask ourselves: But why did they give up a brilliant situation (brilliant in quotation marks), to devote themselves to this research? And finally, the word comes out: they are followers, and behind the followers, what do we see appearing? The stake of the Inquisition. So, you who have seen Montramé, who have known these people, can you tell us who these volunteers of Montramé are? Enlightened followers of an enlightened guru? Or good people committed to a quest, a minority view today, but which may be accepted tomorrow? YYY: I don’t consider Guy-Claude Burger a guru at all, in the sense that a guru tries to gain psychic control over his followers. Not him at all. People who come to instinctotherapy come because, very quickly, thanks to instinctotherapy, they achieve a remarkable psychological well-being. Something akin to a joy of living. I believe that’s what motivates these people, who are finally finding another dimension: society isn’t necessarily a haven of happiness for young people right now. Me Vergès: Thank you.

Transcribed by Malvina

Dr. YYY wrote to me on April 24, 2001, asking me to remove his name from the Instincto website. I received his letter on the 26th, and the name was removed on April 27, 2001.

Louis Boudesseul: He brings us nothing but good

Mr. Boudesseul’s testimony is like a breath of fresh air for everyone. From his very first words, the atmosphere relaxes, the aggression dissipates. The common sense and humor of a man who once tried Instincto quickly won over the audience.

Without any hint of passion or bias, Mr. Boudesseul recounts his approach to instincto, through the various workshops he attended in Montramé. A fruit and vegetable wholesaler, he readily declares: I’m a gourmand by nature, and despite his adherence to traditional diets, he doesn’t fail to mention his first raw indulgence: egg yolks! Intrigued, the presiding judge asks him to explain, in minute detail, the practice of instincto. And just like that, the atmosphere of the Montramé dining room, with its colors and aromas, is conjured up for the three judges… Mr. Boudesseul explains his personal journey, undertaken in connection with his daughter who has practiced this method from the beginning, an experience he can only be proud of today, in retrospect.

This led him to share his personal thoughts on Guy-Claude Burger:

A person like him, with his sense of truth, I think he brings us nothing but good. But perhaps it will be in fifty years, when we are no longer here, that we will realize the value of his discovery.

Knowing how to appreciate instinct for what it is, Mr. Boudesseul doesn’t hesitate to take short breaks to improve his physical fitness and health:

Eight days in the spring and eight days in the fall, that’s my real vacation.

Everyone in the room felt Mr. Boudesseul’s infectious joy and good humor. This undoubtedly made a favorable impression on the judges.

Transcribed by Benoit

Dr. Jean-Paul Fenot: [I don’t understand why they’re giving him trouble…][Q]

Dr. Fenot was mentioned several times during the chronology of events, and for good reason: he is the local doctor for the Château de Montramé. His testimony was largely informed by questions from the presiding judge, the prosecutor, and finally, the lawyers. Indeed, Dr. Fenot’s position is particularly strategic in that he is impartial. On the contrary, he is rather skeptical of the “instincto” theory, but he respects it because he has seen firsthand what was happening at the Montramé Center:

Nothing extraordinary has ever happened at Montramé. And yet, I live there, I’m three kilometers from their house.

Dr. Fenot, with the perspective afforded by his position, readily explains and analyzes the origins of the accusations against Guy-Claude Burger. It is true that seriously ill patients came to the Château, but at no point was Dr. Fenot hindered in the practice of his profession or in prescribing treatment by any resistance or observations from Guy-Claude Burger or his colleagues. He rightly points out that some dying patients came there of their own accord, were received in good conditions, and died peacefully.

He specifies that their stay was in no way inferior to the palliative care they could have received in a hospital.

For Dr. Fenot, the reality of hospitals is that when there’s nothing more to be done medically, they close the door on the room and come back later…

Is it out of humanism or simply because he knew the staff of the Center well that Dr. Fenot formed his conviction? He understands what happened and is astonished that such people could be condemned.

My brother died two years ago from a serious illness. If I could have, I would have advised him to come to Montramé.

Dr. Fenot also explains the position of his colleague and friend, Dr. Gouffier from the Provins Hospital Center. According to him, Dr. Gouffier complains that patients from Montramé arrived too late, but in reality, he didn’t know that even before arriving in Montramé, these patients were already in the same critical, sometimes irreversible, condition. He explains to the Prosecutor that the instinctive diet has no contraindications and that even seriously ill patients can follow this method of eating alongside medical treatments.

Well, I’m a little surprised: I’m not a follower of Burger, but I don’t understand why he’s being harassed!

Then, responding to a question from Maître Vergès, Dr. de Gouaix concluded with a reductio ad absurdum argument:

Besides, it’s illogical. You don’t ask for a doctor to come—me, in this case—as has happened many times at the Château de Montramé, when you intend to consult in their place, and you don’t ask for a prescription when you intend not to fill it.

Common sense, a spirit of observation and tolerance, and a concern for objectivity constitute the essence of Dr. Fenot’s testimony.

Transcribed by Benoit

Dr. Jean Seignalet Because I was able to verify his theories…

Mr. Jean Seignalet is a medical doctor, biologist, and lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine in Montpellier. He takes the stand at 8:30 p.m. He is the last witness, the one who will make the greatest and final impression. The eminent researcher explains his relationship with the defendant:

I studied Guy-Claude Burger’s work solely through his writings. I met him only once, thirteen years ago at a conference he gave in Montpellier. This is the second time I’ve seen him today. His theories struck me as very sound from the outset, consistent with everything we know in biochemistry and immunology. Then, I spent three years trying to find a flaw, but I found none. I then began experiments on patients with degenerative diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, with more than convincing results that encourage me to continue and expand these experiments to other diseases. I was thus able to demonstrate the impact of diet on degenerative diseases.

Then, the presiding judge asks Dr. Seignalet how a non-physician can be of interest to the medical profession. Why then are more scientists not interested in his work? For Dr. Seignalet, it is clear that a medical degree is not essential to find interesting theoretical foundations in medicine. Mr. Burger has a scientific background in physics. He points out that Pasteur was not a doctor, nor were the inventor of penicillin and many other discoverers. In any case, it is very difficult to get the medical community to accept avenues of investigation that fall outside the conventional framework. He himself notes that the articles he writes for specialized journals are rarely published, especially when they contain new ideas.

As if to absolve herself of guilt, the Chairwoman then asks whether it is easier to disseminate new ideas within traditional medical circles abroad. Dr. Seignalet replies that it depends on the administration and laws of each country.

Chairwoman: How would you describe the so-called instinctotherapy method? Is it a therapeutic diet, or a lifestyle?

And Dr. Seignalet concluded:

It’s not a diet. It’s a holistic method that slows down aging and helps prevent certain diseases. Mr. Prosecutor: You were, I believe, summoned to appear before the medical board to explain yourself for writing the preface to Guy-Claude Burger’s book. You admitted then that you had acted somewhat imprudently… Dr. Seignalet: Indeed. Mr. Prosecutor: Would you say the same thing today? Dr. Seignalet: No, because since then, I’ve been able to verify these theories. Question from Mr. Vergès: For you, is Mr. Burger’s dietary method a lifestyle, or a treatment? Dr. Seignalet: It’s a dietary approach with beneficial effects on health. Ms. Vergès: That is to say, it’s a dietary approach that has the drawback of healing without being a treatment… Can you tell us if this dietary method poses any danger, or if it’s incompatible with any treatment whatsoever? Dr. Seignalet: This diet doesn’t cause any deficiencies; it can be practiced alongside any treatment. Mr. Vergès: Do you realize that you could be prosecuted for complicity in the illegal practice of medicine, by virtue of having written the preface to Mr. Burger’s study? Dr. Seignalet: I am fully aware of that. But I am convinced I acted correctly. Mr. Vergès: Thank you.

After all the witnesses had taken the stand, the presiding judge, following customary procedure, asked the defendant if he had anything to add. Guy-Claude spoke one last time:

The situation I found myself in was, in fact, very difficult to accept. Knowing that medicine had neglected the fundamental issue of genetic incompatibility with traditional diets, could I let people suffer or die when I had a way to help them that, in my opinion, did not violate the law? I now trust the justice system to define the limits of the law, as it deems necessary.

Transcribed by Hélène

See here useful excerpts from Dr. Jean-Seignalet’s book Food and the Third Medicine supporting his conclusions on the benefits of the ancestral diet in the case of incurable diseases (among others).