“Huna Investigated and How It Really Came About”

by Rev. James Vinson Wingo, DD

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Huna actually refers to the Metaphysical Theory developed by Max Freedom Long along with a number of respected Kahunas which was primarily based on the Ancient Hawaiian Psychological, Religious, and Philosophical traditions of the Kahuna, rather than as many people mistakenly think Huna was the religion in Hawaii or the “teachings of the Ancient Hawaiian people”.

Huna refers to the underlying assumptions upon which individual Hawaiian traditions are based. Individual practices like Hoomana, Hooponopono, Hula, Chanting, or Lomi Lomi.

In fact, over 2,600 of these separate Hawaiian belief systems have been discovered and researched. Though they differ from island to island, from village to village, from clan to clan, from family to family, and from individual to individual, there are certain key principles upon which they all agree.

It is these most fundamental and universal principles, upon which all traditional Hawaiian Healing methodologies are based, that comprise Huna.

Huna may be called a philosophy or a system of psychology, because it contains elements of philosophy, science, and religion.

During the last century investigations were made into native magic in Africa, India and other parts of the world. Spiritualistic phenomena have been certified as genuine and studied painstakingly by many recognized scientists. Spiritual and psychic phenomena have been verified and are gaining wider acceptance in the Western World.

Huna history

Around 1880, in Hawaii, an investigation began which, after seventy years of research, produced a general theory that promises to provide answers for a host of puzzling questions.

This investigation was begun by Dr. William Tufts Brigham, long-time curator of the Bishop Museum in Honolulu.

In Hawaii there were, up to about 1900, many kahunas, or native priests, who, although outlawed, worked among their fellow Hawaiians as healers or practitioners of the dreaded “death prayers”. Some fire-walked over lava overflows, a few demonstrated instant healing, and the young Dr. Brigham was fortunate enough to observe and study a case in which a boy, dead from drowning for sixteen hours, was brought back to life through a use of “native magic”.

Dr. Brigham came to the conclusion that, behind these and similar activities, there must be a single basic scientific system which explained all such native phenomenon.

He postulated …

1. There must be some form or entity or consciousness which the kahunas were able to contact through ceremony or prayer.
2. This unidentified consciousness could use an unidentified force in such a way as to control temperature in fire-walking or make changes physical matter in instant healing.

As these conclusion pointed inevitably to a system of Metaphysics, it was necessary to include research into Psychology and Psychic Science. This secret and mysterious system was not a matter of empty words and theorizing because it clearly worked magic.

Until the introduction of Huna around 1945, there was never any definite basic system, philosophy, theory, or psychological-religious science which would explain, even in the most general terms, the phenomena of the various fields.

In due time it was possible to explain a part of the basic theory and its methods of application. Because of the major contribution made by the Kahuna (“keepers of the secret”) of Hawaii, this new theory of Metaphysics was given the name Huna, in honor of the “Secret” of the kahunas.

Max Freedom Long continued doing research along with the Huna Research Associates until his death in 1971, when he turned his work over to my father, Dr. Otha Wingo.

Beginning in the mid-1960′s some authors began using Max Freedom Long’s Huna to justify calling themselves Kahuna. Others began presenting a variety of Hawaiian and pseudo-Hawaiian systems as if they were “Huna” … all without a thorough knowledge of Max Freedom Long’s more than 50 years of painstaking research, most of which was never published in book form, or what the true history and meaning of Huna is.

This trend is still going on today, but everyone who uses the word Huna got it from studying Max Freedom Long.

Meanwhile, the Huna Research Associates quietly continued studying and perfecting the system through a world-wide network, meeting annually to share, teach, learn, and explore new territories.

Around 1979, with the assistance of Morrnah Simeona, the Scientific world of Huna Research began merging with the Ancient Traditions of Hawaiian Spiritual Beliefs to form a comprehensive whole which out-shines anything else.

Lanakila Brandt, Nelita Anderson, Sam Lono, Charles Kenn, Dr. Abraham Piianaia, Kekuni Blaisedell, Leinani Melville, Pali Lee, Koko Willis, and many more too numerous to mention have contributed to updating and expanding the theory and practice of Huna which we began revealing in October of 2008.

This was actually predicted in the Kumulipo.

How do I know all of this?

I grew up in Huna, learning at my father’s feet … helping-out in the office and at the yearly conventions … meeting and absorbing everything I could from the “who’s-who” of Huna and paranormal research throughout my entire lifetime. I am eternally grateful to every one of the great Teachers, Kahuna, and Elders who guided me through the first 40 years of my life.

Since being elected President of Huna Research in 2007 I have personally dedicated my life to making “that which is unknown become known,” and I am truly standing on the shoulders of giants!

Nana I Ke Kumu!

–Vince — [ http://huna.blogspot.com/2010/04/what-is-huna.html ]