What is Access Bars?
Access Bars is a technique involving gentle touch on 32 specific points on the head that practitioners claim release the electromagnetic charge of thoughts, feelings, and beliefs stored in the body. A typical session lasts 60 to 90 minutes and feels like a gentle head massage. The practice emerged from the Access Consciousness movement, a self-help organization that blends elements of energy therapy, personal development techniques, and prosperity gospel principles. Practitioners claim that touching these points dissipates accumulated mental and emotional patterns related to specific life areas such as money, relationships, creativity, control, and body image.
Origins & lineage
Access Consciousness was founded by Gary Douglas in 1990 in Santa Barbara, California, initially called Access Energy Transformation, and Access Bars was created that same year as the first element of the movement. After a failed real estate business and subsequent bankruptcy in 1993, Douglas claimed to begin channeling spirits, including Russian mystic Grigori Rasputin (whom he called “Raz”), from whom he claimed to have learned about Access Bars—points on the head purported to help with energy, health, and wealth. Douglas also claims to have channeled an ancient Chinese man named Tchia Tsin, aliens from another world called Novian, and a 14th-century monk named Brother George.
In 2001, Dain Heer, a former chiropractor, joined the movement, moving in with Douglas and becoming second in command. In 2003, Australian Simone Milasas was hired and as of 2024 is the worldwide business coordinator for the organization and the developer of the Access Consciousness courses. When Access began in 1990, “The Bars” was all that was offered, and to this day it remains the foundation and first building block of all of Access Consciousness. By 2020, Access Consciousness was available in 170 countries around the world.
How it’s practiced
The 32 points used in Access Bars are located across the head, from the front of the skull to the back and along the sides, with each point claimed to relate to specific life areas and the thoughts, feelings, and beliefs associated with them. During a session, the recipient typically lies down in a relaxed position while a certified practitioner lightly touches pairs of these points in a specific sequence. Unlike massage, which works with muscles and tissues throughout the body using varying pressure, Access Bars focuses exclusively on specific points on the head using only light, static touch, with the intention to facilitate release of mental and emotional patterns rather than address physical muscle tension.
Authentic Access Bars require physical touch on specific head points and cannot be done remotely or online—any practitioner claiming to offer “remote Access Bars” is not actually practicing the technique, though Access Consciousness offers other processes that can be facilitated remotely. Pricing varies widely based on location, practitioner experience, and session length, with sessions in the United States typically ranging from $60 to $150 or more, with some practitioners offering introductory rates or package deals for multiple sessions.
Access Bars today
To become a practitioner requires one day of training, while subsequent training to become a facilitator includes a minimum of twelve courses plus regular teleconferences, with continuous training required annually. As of 2024, the cost for facilitator training was AUD 30,000, with a license renewal costing AUD 17,000, and there were approximately 3,000 licensed facilitators. Access Bars classes are taught globally, both in-person and online (with partners for practice), and participants learn the locations of all 32 points during a single-day workshop.
Research was conducted in 2015 by neuroscientist Dr. Jeffrey Fannin examining neurological effects, discovering that Access Bars has a positive neurological effect on recipients similar to those experienced by advanced meditators and produces these results immediately. Dr. Terrie Hope published research in the Journal of Energy Psychology in 2017 finding that the Bars reduced stress and anxiety by 85% and depression by 82% in as little as one session. However, the research is limited in scope, has not been peer-reviewed in mainstream scientific journals, and was produced in close collaboration with the Access Consciousness organization. All of these studies were conducted by Access-affiliated researchers or presented through Access channels, and independent replication hasn’t followed.
Common misconceptions
Access Bars is not a form of traditional Chinese medicine, despite claims that the points relate to meridian lines. Access Consciousness is described as a combination of phrenology and energy therapies such as reiki and Therapeutic Touch that have their origins in Traditional Chinese medicinal Tui na, though the leaders claim the 32 Access Bars relate to ancient Chinese meridian lines but in this system erroneously represent such things as creativity, gratitude, memories, emotions, and money. The practice is not based on acupuncture points or craniosacral therapy points, though there may be superficial similarities in location.
Access Consciousness is a pseudoscientific New Age movement, with the organization promoting a mix of energy therapy, elements of phrenology, and prosperity gospel principles, and has faced significant criticism with skeptics denouncing its practices as pseudoscientific and allegations of abuse, cult-like behavior, and exploitation surfacing over the years. The scientific evidence supporting its efficacy remains contested and has not undergone rigorous independent peer review. Practitioners should be aware that the channeling origin story and the lack of traditional anatomical or energetic basis distinguish Access Bars from evidence-based bodywork modalities.
Proponents claim that there are studies proving the therapy’s effectiveness, though science communicator Jonathan Jarry states in his article “Rasputin, Phrenology, and Dark Allegations: The Madness of Access Consciousness” that these studies are poor.
How to begin
Those interested in experiencing Access Bars typically start by booking a session with a certified Access Bars practitioner, which can be located through the Access Consciousness website directory. For a session, one should wear comfortable, loose clothing (remaining fully clothed, though possibly asked to remove shoes) and avoid wearing strong perfumes or fragrances as some practitioners and clients are sensitive to scents.
For those wishing to learn the technique themselves, the primary entry point is attending a one-day Access Bars class taught by a certified facilitator. During this class, participants both give and receive Bars sessions twice and leave certified as Access Bars practitioners, able to perform sessions on others. The Access Consciousness organization offers books, DVDs, and online courses that explain the philosophy and demonstrate the hand positions, though attending a live class is required for official certification. Individuals should research the organization thoroughly and be aware of both proponent claims and critical perspectives before investing time or money.