Bernard Jensen: Father of Western Iridology, Visionary and Healer of Ages
We stand on the threshold of a great new age of healing. No longer is it enough to treat symptoms; we must treat causes. And the ultimate cause lies not just in diet, nor in environment, but in consciousness. When man’s thoughts are aligned with truth, his body will follow. Nature has always been the healer, and when we return to her wisdom — her foods, her rhythms, her simplicity — we begin to regenerate. Healing is not a trick, nor a pill, nor a formula. It is a return to God, through nature, through love, and through self-responsibility. That is what iridology has shown me: that every eye holds the story of a soul on its journey home.
Bernard Jensen, Iridology: The Science and Practice in the Healing Arts, Volume II
Bernard Jensen, Iridology: The Science and Practice in the Healing Arts, Volume II
Dr. Bernard Jensen (1908–2001) was a pioneering healer revered as the father of Western Iridology and a founding figure of holistic health (1). Across a career spanning over 70 years, he cared for hundreds of thousands of patients and students, teaching that true wellbeing arises from living in harmony with nature in body, mind, and spirit (2). Jensen’s life was a remarkable odyssey in natural healing – one that combined practical nutrition and detoxification therapies with a profoundly spiritual, nature-centered philosophy. He became a teacher of teachers, beloved by many for his gentle wisdom, and in turn he honored the many guides and traditions that inspired him. His story is one of devotion to vitality, compassion, and the higher path of health that he believed was each person’s birthright (3).
Early Life and Natural Inspirations
Born Jørgen Bernard Jensen in Stockton, California, in 1908, he grew up with a fascination for health and nature. He reflected, "I have always felt close to nature... Nature’s ways are my ways, her laws are my laws. In her wisdom, nature is always right" (Bernard Jensen, Iridology: The Science and Practice in the Healing Arts). In 1929, at just 21, he earned a Doctor of Chiropractic degree and soon turned to nutrition and natural therapies to solve his own health challenges (4). An early incident tested his faith in the body’s healing power: as a youth, a cactus spine accident left one eye deflated and doctors urged its removal, but Jensen “fought like a tiger” and refused – within a year, the eye healed completely (5). Such experiences forged his core belief that the body, when supported, has an almost miraculous capacity to regenerate. Jensen sought out wise mentors, studying with figures like Norwegian homeopath Victor Rocine, and exploring diverse healing arts from reflexology to color therapy (6). By the 1940s, he was running natural health sanitariums in California, where he began refining the art and science that would make him famous – Iridology, the analysis of health through the iris of the eye.
Bernard Jensen: Father of Western Iridology
Jensen is best known for bringing Iridology to prominence in the West, earning him the title “Father of Iridology” in America (7). Iridology to him was both an art and a science – a way of reading the body’s inner terrain through the unique intricacies reflected in the fibers and features of the iris. Jensen taught that "the iris reveals all the constitutional strengths and weaknesses of a person's body... the eye is truly a map to health" (Bernard Jensen, Iridology: The Science and Practice in the Healing Arts). In an era when this practice was little known outside Europe, Dr. Jensen’s tireless work elevated American iridology to new heights, with refinements to iris charts and techniques that practitioners still use today (8). Over his lifetime he examined over 350,000 irises (8), carefully correlating iris markings with his patients’ conditions to map out a comprehensive iris chart of the human body. Jensen’s iris chart, still widely used today in its original, unedited form, remains one of the most authoritative references in the field, serving as a foundational template from which many contemporary iris charts have been developed. Colleagues described him as perhaps “the world’s foremost master” of this subtle diagnostic art, and many traveled from around the globe to learn iris analysis under his guidance. By the time he published his masterwork, Jensen had firmly established iridology in the West’s holistic health community, bridging old-world knowledge with modern zeal.
Nature as the Master Healer
At the heart of Jensen’s teachings was a profound reverence for nature as the master healer. He often quoted the ancient maxim, “Let food be thy medicine,” and taught that “nutrition is the only remedy that can bring full recovery... food is our best medicine!” (9). He wrote passionately: "We have forgotten that we are part of nature, and to heal ourselves we must return to nature's simple truths" (Bernard Jensen, Iridology: The Science and Practice in the Healing Arts). Jensen’s philosophy was deeply holistic; he emphasized that true healing must engage the body, mind, and spirit together (2). “Humanity needs a formula for living successfully, healthfully and peacefully,” he wrote, blending physical care with mental optimism and spiritual faith in his teachings (2). Jensen encouraged people to cultivate gratitude and “walk the path of the higher life,” finding that a clean body and a clear mind open the door to spiritual growth as well (12).
The Cleansing Crusader: Colon Health and Detoxification
Perhaps no aspect of wellness was more central to Dr. Jensen’s work than detoxification and colon health. He became a passionate crusader for what he called “bowel consciousness,” insisting that a well-cared-for digestive system was the foundation of vitality. “In the 50 years I’ve spent helping people overcome illness... it has become crystal clear that poor bowel management lies at the root of most people’s health problems,” Jensen wrote (13). Having treated hundreds of thousands of patients, he found again and again that the gut – particularly the colon – must be healed first “before any effective healing can take place” (13). This core insight led him to develop comprehensive cleansing programs to eliminate toxins and restore digestive balance. At his Hidden Valley Health Ranch in Escondido, California, he supervised juice fasts, herbal detox regimens, colon hydrotherapy, and nutrition classes, witnessing seemingly miraculous recoveries as people’s internal systems were purified.
Dr. Jensen often lamented that in modern times “bowel wisdom got lost” – what earlier generations knew about keeping the colon healthy had fallen out of conversation (13). In his view, many chronic ailments stemmed from what he termed autointoxication: the self-poisoning of the body by a clogged, poorly functioning colon (14). He revived old nature-cure remedies and combined them with new ideas, ever guided by a simple motto: “Be thou clean.” The success of his approach made him a legend of detoxification. His book Tissue Cleansing Through Bowel Management became a classic, inspiring countless practitioners in the art of internal cleansing. With characteristically colorful imagery, Jensen liked to remind people that we each have a “sewage system” within that must be kept clean to avoid the “grip of disease and sickness” (14). But his message was ultimately empowering and hopeful: by clearing out wastes and nourishing ourselves with living foods, we allow the body’s natural healing power to shine. Patients left Hidden Valley not only physically renewed but often emotionally and spiritually lighter, having experienced what Jensen called “the efficient, regular cleansing action of a loved and well-cared for bowel”, which he saw as integral to living a higher, happier life (12).
Dr. Jensen often lamented that in modern times “bowel wisdom got lost” – what earlier generations knew about keeping the colon healthy had fallen out of conversation (13). In his view, many chronic ailments stemmed from what he termed autointoxication: the self-poisoning of the body by a clogged, poorly functioning colon (14). He revived old nature-cure remedies and combined them with new ideas, ever guided by a simple motto: “Be thou clean.” The success of his approach made him a legend of detoxification. His book Tissue Cleansing Through Bowel Management became a classic, inspiring countless practitioners in the art of internal cleansing. With characteristically colorful imagery, Jensen liked to remind people that we each have a “sewage system” within that must be kept clean to avoid the “grip of disease and sickness” (14). But his message was ultimately empowering and hopeful: by clearing out wastes and nourishing ourselves with living foods, we allow the body’s natural healing power to shine. Patients left Hidden Valley not only physically renewed but often emotionally and spiritually lighter, having experienced what Jensen called “the efficient, regular cleansing action of a loved and well-cared for bowel”, which he saw as integral to living a higher, happier life (12).
A Legacy of Learning, Light, and Love
Dr. Bernard Jensen’s influence in natural health is truly enduring. He authored over 50 books and booklets on nutrition, iridology, and healing, spreading his insights to readers around the world (15). A “true legend in the field of natural health,” he received numerous honors for his contributions (2) – including a knighthood in the Order of St. John of Jerusalem (Malta), international peace awards, and recognition from royalty (3). Yet those who knew him recall a humble, ever-curious man who viewed himself as a lifelong student of nature. Even into his late 80s, Jensen continued to travel, teach, serve humanity, and learn – “what an example for citizens of Earth today to follow!” one admirer wrote of his indefatigable spirit (3). He respected and drew from many teachers: the ancient wisdom of Hippocrates and Ayurveda, the Nature Cure traditions of Europe (he incorporated Father Kneipp’s water therapies at his ranch), as well as contemporary pioneers in herbology, homeopathy, and nutrition. In turn, he mentored a new generation of healers who carry forward his light. One of his protégés, the herbalist Dr. Robert Morse, fondly recalls their close friendship and the shared mission that bound them. Jensen himself once praised Morse as “one of the greatest healers of our time,” and Jensen’s wife Marie would later remark that the two men “were close friends and ... spent their entire lives bringing truth to a toxic planet” (16). Such was Bernard Jensen’s gift: to inspire and uplift others in the healing community, creating not just patient cures, but teachers, friends, and torch-bearers who spread natural health wisdom far and wide.
Nearly a quarter-century after his passing, Dr. Jensen’s legacy continues to blossom. Holistic clinics, iridology institutes, and nutritionists across the globe still use his iris charts and follow his nutritional principles. Countless individuals who never met him in person have been touched by his teachings through his books and the practitioners he trained. On a spiritual level, many feel that Jensen’s presence lives on in the very ethos of modern holistic health – the now-common understanding that “food is our medicine,” that detoxification can spark renewal, and that healing must care for the whole person, soul and body. He helped catalyze a movement that restored dignity to ancient healing arts and integrated them with science and personal spirituality. Those who walk into a health food store or practice a cleanse today owe a debt to this gentle, cosmic-minded doctor from California who blazed the trail.
In reflecting on Bernard Jensen’s life, one sees the portrait of a man guided by faith in life’s natural goodness. He often said that if we live correctly – in tune with nature’s rhythms – illness will diminish and vitality will flow. He taught by example, tending his garden, praying with gratitude, and greeting each new day as an opportunity to learn something that might help another. “Right rights itself,” he was fond of saying, meaning that when we align with what is right and natural, balance returns on its own (3). Dr. Bernard Jensen walked that talk; his higher path was one of service, simplicity, and love. His legacy shines on, reminding us that the body’s inherent wisdom and nature’s healing gifts are ever-present, just waiting for us to embrace them. In the words of the man himself, “Remember, food is our best medicine!” (9).
Nearly a quarter-century after his passing, Dr. Jensen’s legacy continues to blossom. Holistic clinics, iridology institutes, and nutritionists across the globe still use his iris charts and follow his nutritional principles. Countless individuals who never met him in person have been touched by his teachings through his books and the practitioners he trained. On a spiritual level, many feel that Jensen’s presence lives on in the very ethos of modern holistic health – the now-common understanding that “food is our medicine,” that detoxification can spark renewal, and that healing must care for the whole person, soul and body. He helped catalyze a movement that restored dignity to ancient healing arts and integrated them with science and personal spirituality. Those who walk into a health food store or practice a cleanse today owe a debt to this gentle, cosmic-minded doctor from California who blazed the trail.
In reflecting on Bernard Jensen’s life, one sees the portrait of a man guided by faith in life’s natural goodness. He often said that if we live correctly – in tune with nature’s rhythms – illness will diminish and vitality will flow. He taught by example, tending his garden, praying with gratitude, and greeting each new day as an opportunity to learn something that might help another. “Right rights itself,” he was fond of saying, meaning that when we align with what is right and natural, balance returns on its own (3). Dr. Bernard Jensen walked that talk; his higher path was one of service, simplicity, and love. His legacy shines on, reminding us that the body’s inherent wisdom and nature’s healing gifts are ever-present, just waiting for us to embrace them. In the words of the man himself, “Remember, food is our best medicine!” (9).
"I may have been a pioneer into all of this, but of this I have only one wish: gratitude to life and society, and the professions, in general, will again gather this spiritual momentum into new paths to health and lead a person on to healing and a better way of life."
Bernard Jensen, Iridology: The Science and Practice in the Healing Arts, Volume II
Bernard Jensen, Iridology: The Science and Practice in the Healing Arts, Volume II
Resources & Recommended
Additional Sources Cited
(1) Jensen, B. The Science and Practice of Iridology
(2) Bernard Jensen, Visions of Health
(3) Bernard Jensen Memorials and Legacy Tributes
(4) Come Alive: Stories of Natural Healing
(5) Jensen Autobiographical Notes and Interviews
(6) Jensen’s Global Healers Logbook, unpublished
(7) American Iridology Institute Archives
(8) Iridology Simplified, Jensen & Bodeen
(9) Bernard Jensen, Foods That Heal
(10) The Chemistry of Man, Jensen
(11) Notes from World Longevity Tours, Bernard Jensen
(12) Bernard Jensen, Tissue Cleansing Through Bowel Management
(13) Jensen, B., “Colon Health – The Forgotten Key,” Hidden Valley Papers
(14) Jensen, B., Autointoxication and Detoxification
(15) Jensen Bibliography compiled by Bernard Jensen International
(16) Marie Jensen Letters and Robert Morse Testimony
(2) Bernard Jensen, Visions of Health
(3) Bernard Jensen Memorials and Legacy Tributes
(4) Come Alive: Stories of Natural Healing
(5) Jensen Autobiographical Notes and Interviews
(6) Jensen’s Global Healers Logbook, unpublished
(7) American Iridology Institute Archives
(8) Iridology Simplified, Jensen & Bodeen
(9) Bernard Jensen, Foods That Heal
(10) The Chemistry of Man, Jensen
(11) Notes from World Longevity Tours, Bernard Jensen
(12) Bernard Jensen, Tissue Cleansing Through Bowel Management
(13) Jensen, B., “Colon Health – The Forgotten Key,” Hidden Valley Papers
(14) Jensen, B., Autointoxication and Detoxification
(15) Jensen Bibliography compiled by Bernard Jensen International
(16) Marie Jensen Letters and Robert Morse Testimony