Investigation: morphopsychology, this pseudo-science which does damage to recruitment firms

White shirt, sparkling smile, Frédéric* receives me in what looks like it is mistaken in a doctor's office.On his examination table, he artists me with a professional air, pushing the vice to draw a stethoscope and a brassard of tension.However, he has absolutely no medical training.He then takes out a rule and begins to measure the distance between my nose and my mouth, then the size of my chin.He scrutinizes me in the smallest detail, scratching frantically on his little capin.The implementation of my hair, the symmetry of my cheekbones, the shape of my ears, everything goes there.With a plastic schoolboy rapporteur, he even calculates the tilt angle of my eyebrows.Finally, he asks me to bite into a piece of plasticine to have the imprint of my teeth.

He probably read this information on my false Facebook profile

Frédéric is morphopsychologist, and I consult him about breast cancer that I invented.While I am about to approach my chemotherapy with him, he interrupted me with a gesture of the hand: """"""""I know all that!"""""""".Sure of him, he continues: """"""""I can also tell you that you do dance, that you are Sagittarius and that you have lost a loved one recently.A grandmother maybe """""""".However, he has not read this information on my face, but probably on the false Facebook profile created for him.In reality, I make boxing, my astrological sign is virgin and granny Jeanine is doing like a charm.

According to our morphopsychologist, what is wrong, at home, is my mouth.My cupid bow, that is to say the hollow of my upper lip, is far too pronounced.Apparently, this is the undoubted sign of trauma.He also focuses on my left dimple slightly more dug than the right.In order to understand the causes, he questions me about my childhood.I am inventing an absent father often gone on a business trip.Immediately, he rushes into the breach.What is the very first memory I have of him?Did he come to my room?Why did he leave the house?In less than 10 minutes the diagnosis fell: I was raped by my father and my cancer is the response of my body to this trauma.And obviously, all that can be read in my features.

A method used by the third Reich

Frédéric has everything to prove that he is someone serious.He has a diploma, a website and the science he defends is old.Morphopsychology is in fact a derivative of phrenology, a pseudo-science born in the 1800s which claimed to be able to determine the personality and the degree of intelligence of a person by observing the shape of his skull.This theory was used in particular to legitimize slavery, some arguing that the skull of black people was similar to that of animals.During the third Reich, the method is used by the Nazi diet to identify the Jews, supposedly recognizable by their hooked nose.At that time, we were talking about physiognomonia.

The term morphopsychology did not appear until 1937, invented by the psychiatrist Louis Corman who wished to emancipate himself from the sulfurous reputation of physiognomonia by developing his own method.In fact, only the name changes, the two theories remaining rigorously identical.To support what he presents as a new science, Dr..Corman relies on what he calls the universal law of dilation-retraction: according to him, any organism living in fulfilling conditions tends to see his physical features expanding himself.On the contrary, people evolving in an unfavorable environment would have the smaller and retracted organs.A theory that remains scientifically validated and decried by most biologists.

A complementary CV tool for recruiters

Today, morphopsychology can be used for everything.Some are formed to communicate better, understand their interlocutors or simply get to know each other better, as with any personal development technique.For others, it will be a business, which hurts only on the portfolio as long as it does not move away from conventional medicine.

Isabelle*, guidance councilor in a high school in the Paris region, formed has formed to help her students: """"""""I consider morphopsychology as an additional professional asset in order to better guide my students.In addition to the traditional guidance questionnaires, I rely on their physical characteristics to decipher their personality and offer them more fulfilling training """""""".

In recruiters too, the method makes followers.In Paris, a firm specializing in human resources systematically forms its staff to this practice.Katia is one of them.HR director, she was placed as a consultant in a large cosmetics group and she systematically uses this technique in her recruitment process: """"""""I see it as a complementary tool for CV.When I receive a person in interview, I do their morphopsychological analysis, it allows me to learn more about them and its personality """""""".Thanks to this method, Katia is convinced that he can find better employees.""""""""For example, I will avoid recruiting people with small falling eyes because they are often manipulative and petty.On the contrary, a person with a fleshy mouth will inspire me.""""""""In 2021, it is therefore possible to be denied a position because you have too dug cheeks.

Here the currency

It was because she was weakened by the death of her father that Brigitte, 61, fell into the panel.In less than six months, a morphopsychologist managed to extort him more than 4000 euros by making him believe that her recurring migraines were caused by the toxic link that she had with her brother.""""""""According to him, it was a narcissistic pervert who tried to manipulate me to recover the inheritance"""""""".All this, he understood it just by looking at Brigitte's face.""""""""I tend to blink a lot because of my migraines.He interpreted it as a threat from the inside, that is to say from my family circle.As my left eyelid is naturally more drooping, he associated this with my brother.""""""""

Little by little, Brigitte cuts herself from her family and has eyes only for her guru.After the diagnosis, he imposed fasting, sessions of shamanism and even spiritualism to speak with his deceased father.Over the months, it is becoming more and more pressing and always claims more money, € 150 per consultation.Financially strangled, Brigitte wants to stop everything. Il devient alors agressif et la menace : """"""""J’ai été obligée de changer de numéro de téléphone, il n’arrêtait pas de me harceler.He said he could still save me """""""".

On the same subject ⋙L'Emdr, the therapy that treats trauma with eyes

⋙""""""""Mon cerveau était programmé"""""""" : Il raconte l'enfer des thérapies de conversion pour """"""""devenir hétéro""""""""

Frédéric, my morphopsychologist, does not work for glory either.In addition to charging € 100 per session, he tries to convince me of the need to purify my soul...and my apartment. Voilà donc que deux """"""""bioénergéticiens quantiques"""""""" débarquent dans mon salon, bâtons de sauge à la main, afin de chasser les énergies négatives.

On the program of rejoicing: fumigations, incantations and magic crystals.The highlight of the show?When they use my broom to push evil spirits by the window.Via hands -on, they then connect me to my double quantum for, I quote, re -enteen my dissonant information and grant it to the vibratory field of the universe in order to make my cancer cells disappear.And all this for the modest sum of 60 euros. Heureusement qu’ils me font profiter de leur """"""""tarif étudiant"""""""".

Un diplôme """"""""officiel"""""""" et beaucoup de flou

Didier Pacoud is president of the Gempi (group of study of thought movements for the protection of the individual), an association which fights against false therapists and helps victims of mental manipulation.For him, morphopsychology flirts with sectarian drift. """"""""Il ne s’agit pas seulement d’escroquerie, on est dans la définition même de la secte.It is an organized network with the aim not only to extort money from you but in addition to embrying yourself.""""""""

Mais si l’Etat français ne reconnait aucun diplôme officiel (tout le monde peut se décréter morphopsychologue), la discipline, pourtant, a son temple avec pignon sur rue : la Société française de morphopsychologie (SFM), qui s’est autoproclamée comme étant la seule institution """"""""habilitée"""""""" à décerner le diplôme, après 120 heures de formation. Janine Maréchalle, responsable de l’enseignement, m’assure de leur plus grand sérieux : """"""""Nos élèves suivent un cursus très rigoureux.In addition to theoretical courses, they are exercised on many practical cases.They are supervised by approved teachers and must take an examination which certifies their skills before they can exercise """""""".

Among the apprentices: salespeople, lawyers, HR managers ...

Each year, the SFM welcomes 30 new apprentices to various profiles. """"""""Il y a des naturopathes, des commerciaux, des avocats, des responsables RH.Some want to convert to become full -time morphopsychologists.Others intend to use these new skills without changing jobs.""""""""

The morphopsychology taught at the SFM is still based on the doctrine of 1937. Pour Janine Maréchale,""""""""les fondamentaux mis en évidence par le Dr.Corman still remain valid.If these laws have not been demonstrated on a scientific level, it is simply because no one has wanted to finance such studies."""""""" Interrogée sur le cas de Frédéric, elle s’insurge : """"""""Lui, c’est un charlatan qui s’est autodésigné morphopsychologue.What he does has nothing to do with us.Of course you cannot diagnose and treat cancer thanks to morphopsychology!"""""""""

However, Frédéric is well graduated from the SFM.And if the institution reserves the right to harm members who do not respect the ethical rules, in fact, it never happened.It is therefore always a graduate that Frédéric continues to send me dozens of messages per week since the end of my survey.Apparently, he still failed to read on my face that I was a journalist.

* These first names have been modified.

Article published in Neon magazine in June-July 2021