(Minghui.org) Johan, a 39-year-old music producer and music engineer in Västerås, Sweden, looks happy, and relaxed, with a smile as bright as the sun. It’s hard to believe that he struggled with addiction for almost 20 pain-filled years. Only those who have known Johan for a long time have witnessed how he was seemingly reborn by practicing Falun Dafa (also called Falun Gong).

Johan does the second Falun Gong exercise, the Falun Standing Stance.

Johan showed talent as a musician at a young age. He played the piano beautifully and composed music. However, when his parents divorced when he was young, he was traumatized. Influenced by friends, Johan became addicted to drugs, smoking, and alcohol as a teenager and couldn’t pick himself up.

“Thinking of the past makes me feel guilty. I used to suffer a lot from my addictions and tried all kinds of ways to get off them, but nothing worked. I didn’t know why life was so hard. I felt empty until one day in 2011, a friend of mine introduced me to Falun Dafa. I began to see a light in the darkness,” Johan recounted.

“The first time I read the main book of the practice, Zhuan Falun, the words ‘Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance’ jumped into my mind. I could feel an energy flow in my body while I read. Though I couldn’t completely understand the book, it changed many of my incorrect notions. I was very aware that the book was teaching me how to become a good person—and that’s what I wanted to do. But would I be able to? I didn’t have enough confidence.”

After Johan read Zhuan Falun, hope blossomed in his mind. However, it wasn’t easy to give up years of relying on drugs; it was as if they were blocking him from contacting local Falun Gong practitioners. He couldn’t study the Fa teachings diligently or do the exercises on his own. It was a tough journey. He ended up spending another seven years painfully struggling along.

By the fall of 2018, Johan was exhausted. His girlfriend left him, which made things worse. Then his health went downhill.

Johan reading the main text of the Falun Dafa practice, Zhuan Falun

One day, Johan felt that he couldn’t go on, that he’d reached the end of his life. A voice seemed to cry out from the bottom of his heart, “What shall I do? What shall I do?” As he begged for a way out, a thought suddenly came to him, “I want to read Zhuan Falun. I want to practice Falun Dafa.” He recounted, “The moment I had this idea, all my anxieties, all my frustrations, all my fears, and all my feelings of restlessness disappeared.”

With a smile on his face, Johan said, “I realize now that Master has always been protecting me. It was Falun Dafa that was the beacon of light in the darkness. Self-cultivation was my only way out. I thank Master Li very, very much!”

“I picked up Zhuan Falun again and finished reading the whole book. I found clear answers to many of the issues I was confused about. I wanted to read it again, so I continued reading for hours. The more I read, the deeper the meanings of what I read and the clearer my mind became. It unlocked my heart and gave me endless strength. I finally overcame my mental obstacles and contacted local practitioners.”

Two weeks after he resumed practicing Falun Dafa, Johan easily overcame his addiction to drugs, a battle he’d fought for almost 20 years! Soon after that, he quit smoking and drinking; even his allergies were gone before he knew it.

“I personally experienced the miracle of Falun Dafa! I’m happy, full of energy, and enjoying a renewed life! Falun Dafa is so amazing!” he said smiling.

Johan also did his best to change his old ways of life and live by Falun Dafa’s principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. His relationships with his family, friends, and colleagues continued to improve. Those who knew him were happily surprised by his metamorphosis.

Wherever he goes, Johan always tells people about the amazing benefits of Falun Dafa. “Falun Dafa gave me the courage and strength to pull myself up when I’d reached a dead end. I’m fortunate to know Dafa. I’ll never give it up. It’s incredibly sad that people like me in China are imprisoned and even killed for their organs.”

Johan’s parents were thrilled to see him change for the better so quickly. They even found his music more beautiful than before. It was incredible to them.

His parents sympathize with persecuted Falun Gong practitioners in China. While praising the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, they condemn the Chinese Communist Party for its brutal persecution of good people.

Johan wants to tell people around the world how great Falun Dafa is: “I sincerely recommend the book Zhuan Falun. It tells you how to be a good person. Falun Dafa is responsible for countless miracles. I’m one of them. If you can spend just a little time finding more about it, you will know who is righteous and who is wicked. Don’t be deceived by the Chinese Communist Party’s lies.”