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VOLUME 13 • NUMBER 3 |
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A Window to the Soul
with Ellen Tart–Jensen
If you have attended our conferences or studied iridology with CCNH, then you probably recognize the name Ellen Tart–Jensen. She is a popular return presenter at our annual conference, and together with her husband, Art Jensen, they are continuing to advance the field of iridology developed by her late father–inlaw, Bernard Jensen.
Tart–Jensen has been keeping busy practicing and researching iridology, presenting at conferences, and writing her book, Understanding Iridology — Its History and Current Use. CCNH is excited to be able to share a few “sneak–peek” excerpts from the book, due out this winter. She also took a few moments out of her busy schedule for a quick interview.
Tart–Jensen first discovered iridology in 1981 when she found and read Dr. Bernard Jensen’s book, The Science and Practice of Iridology. Having undergone two spinal surgeries for scoliosis, Tart–Jensen was thrilled to learn that iridology was a non–invasive form of analysis. “The first person who analyzed my eyes was an herbalist who was part Cherokee. She could tell I tended to have a very weak digestive tract and suggested a bowel cleanse. This helped a great deal with my overall health and energy levels. She could also see that I had a tendency for lymph congestion,” says Tart–Jensen.
“The next iridologist I saw was a European iridologist who could see from the emotional standpoint that I was a harmonious person and would make a good counselor,” she continues. Tart–Jensen’s experiences with iridology have also been consistent, further convincing her of the science’s validity. “When Dr. Jensen read my eyes, he could also see the digestive weakness, deficiencies in the spinal areas of my irises, and also a heart lacuna.
“He asked if anyone in my family had had heart trouble, and, of course my mother does, her mother did, and so did her brother,” says Tart–Jensen. “This means that I must do all the right things to prevent the genetic tendency I have toward heart problems from developing. So I take vitamin E, CoQ10, and hawthorn. These have proven very helpful over time, especially when I’m under severe stress. It’s great to know what my tendencies are from my irises in order to take preventive measures,” she says.
Tart–Jensen had the good fortune to study directly with Dr. Jensen, the pioneer in the field of iridology. “I was studying natural healing and working in Switzerland and decided to write to Dr. Jensen. He invited me to his class in California. After the class, he hired me,” exclaims Tart–Jensen.
“The work was wonderful, but there was a lot of it. I learned to operate an iris camera and took hundreds of people’s eye pictures. I sat and did iris analyses all day long — sometimes 80 to 100 in a day! I went with him on his lecture tours and assisted him.
“After a few years, I began to lecture with him as well and finally in his older years, I did most of the lecturing and he would just make an appearance for an hour or two,” she says.
Tart–Jensen did a lot of writing while she worked with Dr. Jensen. She wrote several iridology and nutrition courses for him, articles for Iridologist International Magazine, and helped him with writing some of his books. She also designed several educational charts for him after he described what he wanted. She also assisted him with his clients and was able to observe first hand how he practiced.
“ Iridology has evolved greatly since those days,” Tart–Jensen observes. “Now we have digital cameras and don’t have to use film and slides. I no longer have to load slides into carousels for my classes — they are all on PowerPoint. I can take the iris pictures with my camera, transfer them directly to the computer, and e–mail them to anywhere in the world. Iridologists can collaborate quite quickly now with one another about iris signs because of the new high tech equipment,” she explains.
Tart–Jensen is a bridge between the past and future of iridology. She studied with the pioneer, learned from him, and now contributes new knowledge to the field. “I learned a lot from Dr. Jensen about people. I learned a lot about nutrition and the chemical elements of the body. I learned a lot about finding the genetic weakness in the body through the iris and knowing what nutritional approaches to suggest to that person in order to strengthen the weakness,” she says. “I learned through Dr. Jensen that iridology is a master science for being able to detect genetics. There is no other science that can show the genetic tendencies of the body like iridology can,” Tart–Jensen concludes.
“I practice a lot like Dr. Jensen did, but there is new research now that he was not aware of. For example, we know now that the pigment in the iris doesn’t necessarily mean that the person has taken drugs. We no longer call those pigments psora, because the term psora came from the old days when people had mite infestations and itched. They thought the taint from the drugs taken for the mites became the pigments and they called them psoric itch spots,” she explains.
“We know today that those pigments are caused by melanin. Some pigments come because of an imbalance in the liver, pancreas, gallbladder, or kidneys. The imbalance in the particular organ causes the color of the pigment — for instance, a liver imbalance would cause a brown pigment. Whether drugs have disturbed the liver or other organs to cause those pigments to form is still questionable,” says Tart–Jensen. A lot more research needs to be done. Some people have pigments and have never taken drugs, others have no pigments and have taken lots of drugs.”
Overall, Tart–Jensen believes she practices iridology much like Dr. Jensen did when it comes to working with people. “He gave me such a wonderful foundation in iridology,” she says. “I have added new information as I have learned it to build upon what I learned from him.”
At CCNH’s 2006 natural health conference, Tart– Jensen offered a session called “Emotional, or Spiritual, Iridology” that examined the psychological component of the science, a special area of interest to her. “We are whole beings, not just physical. We are also emotional and spiritual,” she asserts. “The iris shows all areas of beings, physical, emotional, and spiritual.”
Tart–Jensen gives a great deal of credit to Denny Johnson for founding emotional/spiritual iris analysis. “With this form of iris analysis, we can learn if a person is right brain intuitive or more left brain analytical,” she explains. “This makes sense because the eyes are connected directly to the brain hemispheres. We can also tell if a person is more introverted or extroverted. We can tell if they are more dramatic and outgoing or withdrawn and detail oriented. This has great ramifications for helping children in schools as well as helping people find jobs that are right for them,” Tart–Jensen says.
Tart–Jensen believes the future for iridology is the brightest in the United States it has ever been. She credits iridology’s growth to the International Iridology Practitioners Association (IIPA), which has brought standards to the science.
The organization is helping to train educators properly and accredit institutions like Clayton College with the most up to date iridology methods. “We bring highly trained iridologists in from all over the world to help us keep abreast of the latest developments and to give us practical tools to use with our clients. We know when we say a person is IIPA certified that they have gone through rigorous training and we feel good about recommending them to help people,” says Tart–Jensen.
CCNH advocates joining the reputable organizations associated with one’s profession and scope of practice. “Becoming a member of IIPA is a must so that one can stay abreast of the latest research through the research journal as well as get the newsletters to keep up with all the latest happenings in the field. IIPA encourages people to join, participate on a committee and write articles. IIPA holds a wonderful educational symposium every year as well and I would highly encourage iridologists to attend. It also affords the opportunity of meeting others of like mind and forming valuable friendships.
“IIPA is helping to ensure that iridology stays alive and well, that training continues, and that the recipients of iridology out there are seeing well–trained iridology practitioners,” concludes an enthusiastic Tart–Jensen.
Click here for excerpts from Ellen Tart–Jensen’s upcoming release: Understanding Iridology — Its History and Current Use.
Tara Brown • Editor
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