Desiré Dubounet

Desiré D. Dubounet
Dubounet in 2010
Born
William Charles Nelson

(1951-06-19)19 June 1951
Died26 December 2025(2025-12-26) (aged 74)
CitizenshipAmerican
Alma materYoungstown State University
Southeastern Louisiana University
Known forDesigning and selling Radionics devices
Scientific career
FieldsRadionics

Desiré D. Dubounet (born William Charles Nelson; 19 June 1951 – 26 December 2025) was an American alternative medicine inventor, filmmaker and performer who lived in Budapest, Hungary.[2][3] Dubounet developed the pseudoscientific Electro Physiological Feedback Xrroid, an energy medicine device that is considered to be dangerous to health and has been described as a scam.[2][4]

Life and career

Dubounet was born in Warren, Ohio, on 19 June 1951.[1] She developed the pseudoscientific EPFX device in the late 1980s which supposedly claimed could diagnose and eliminate diseases including AIDS and cancer.[2][5] The EPFX device is described as balancing "bio-energetic" forces; bio-energetic forces do not exist.[4] Some people died after using the EPFX system instead of seeking or continuing medical care.[6]

In 1992 the United States Food and Drug Administration ordered Dubounet to stop claiming that the EPFX could diagnose or cure diseases, but she did not; in 1996 she was indicted on nine counts of felony fraud, though none were in relation to the EPFX.[2] Dubounet later left the United States.[2][7] Dubounet was also involved in homeopathic medicine; she received a patent for a process for manufacturing homeopathic "remedies" in 1997.[8] At least 10,000 EPFX devices have been sold in the United States.[9]

She lived in Budapest,[10] and performed at the nightclub Bohemian Alibi.[11] and produced and starred in the English-Hungarian comedy The Story of F***.[3][12] Dubounet also directed the erotic comedy Paprika Western.[13][14]

Dubounet died on 26 December 2025, at the age of 74.[15]

References

  1. ^ a b "Professor of Medicine Desiré Dubounet's Bio" (PDF). desiredubounet.net. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 1, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d e Willmsen, Christine (18 November 2007). "How One Man's Invention is Part of a Growing Worldwide Scam That Snares the Desperately Ill". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  3. ^ a b "Félnek tőlem, olyan jó filmeket csinálok" [They’re scared of me, I make such good movies]. Index.hu (in Hungarian). 31 July 2008.
  4. ^ a b Barrett, Stephen (12 July 2009). "Some Notes on the Quantum Xrroid (QXCI) and William C. Nelson". Quackwatch. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  5. ^ "Miracle Makers or Money Takers?". Marketplace. Season 36. Episode 4. January 30, 2009. CBC Television.
  6. ^ Schwarcz, Joe (2011). Dr. Joe's Health Lab: 164 Amazing Insights into the Science of Medicine, Nutrition and Well-being. Doubleday Canada. p. 205. ISBN 978-0385671569.
  7. ^ "USA v. Nelson" (PDF). U.S. District Court District of Columbia. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  8. ^ US patent 5603915, Nelson, William & Kiely, Carmel, "Process for Manufacturing Homeopathic Medicines", issued February 18, 1997 
  9. ^ Berezow, Alex; Campbell, Hank (2012). Science Left Behind: Feel-Good Fallacies and the Rise of the Anti-Scientific Left. New York: PublicAffairs. pp. 121. ISBN 9781610391658. william nelson epfx.
  10. ^ "Historia del Dr. Nelson y el SCIO". www.holistica-cuantica.com. Archived from the original on 2016-02-17. Retrieved 2016-03-16.
  11. ^ Horwitz, Jeff (18 November 2007). "Miracle Machines: William Nelson". The Seattle Times. Associated Press.
  12. ^ "Győzike megy csak Cannes-ba?" [Is your victory just going to Cannes?]. Index.hu (in Hungarian). 8 December 2007.
  13. ^ "Magyarországi transzvesztita lett a sydney-i melegfesztivál győztese". hvg.hu (in Hungarian). 8 March 2007.
  14. ^ Hajnal, Hudák (12 May 2006). "Csöcsvillantás a köbön". velvet.hu (in Hungarian).
  15. ^ Transzvesztite előadóművészként a budapesti szórakoztatóipar megkerülhetetlen alakja volt (in Hungarian)