Sociologist Marilyn Ferguson “prophetically” penned in The Aquarian Conspiracy, “The impending transformation of medicine is a window to the transformation of all our institutions.” Ferguson, herself a proponent for the advancement of new age spirituality in culture, was not engaging in idle speculation. Only a few years before her book, so-called holistic medicine and philosophy was relegated to a marginalized group of quacks, kooks, Indian medicine men and “witchdoctors.” But then a few respected doctors and social commentators like Dr. Jonas Salk (polio vaccine inventor) and Norman Cousins began to promote some radical new techniques for healthcare which quickly gained a following and has since grown into a surprisingly strong movement today.
The holistic health movement first began to make inroads into the mainstream through the nursing profession and chiropractic. The nursing profession in particular was receptive because techniques like therapeutic touch gave nurses a sense of empowerment. Now they, like doctors, could assume a position as a healing agent, not merely their traditional support role. But the facts are that therapeutic touch is based on occult premises and has no scientific evidence of effectiveness.
Chiropractic originated with the occult theories of D.D. and B.J. Palmer which were based on magnetic healing, mysticism, and a form of energy manipulation called “sublaxations.” They believed that their techniques could cure almost any disease and condition. Later some chiropractors sought a more scientific approach and have been effective in spinal pain syndrome treatments. Nevertheless, …chiropractors are not medical doctors and there are diverse opinions among chiropractors as to which manipulation techniques work, on what basis they work, and to what extent they are to be applied.
Apart from these two non-conventional practices, holistic or alternative medicine made little headway—that is, until [in 1992 when congress created the Office of Alternative Medicine (OAM) which later became the National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine, which now has a budget of a quarter Billion dollars per year.]
Oprah Winfrey is a prominent celebrity who plowed the ground of public receptivity for AM. Oprah has given lots of airtime on her show to many new age and AM proponents. Oprah herself has embraced and communicates many new age beliefs. Two other new age personalities who the media (especially PBS) featured during these formative years for alternative medicine were Andrew Weil, author of the bestseller Spontaneous Healing, and Deepak Chopra, proponent of Transcendental Meditation and Ayurvedic healing.
[Other] prominent spokespeople and leaders in the AM movement are Andrew Weil, Deepak Chopra, Maharishi Mehesh Yogi, Carolyn Myss, Larry Dossey, John Barnes, Bernie Siegel, Kevin Trudeau, and Herbert Benson.
AM practitioners put an emphasis on a combination of biology, psychology (which often includes spirituality), social science, behavioral factors, and nutrition. This “holistic approach” is much more appealing to patients. And if people have inadequate or even harmful experiences with scientific medicine, they naturally will be open to other approaches. Pain or desperation can trump common sense or facts in many cases.
The terms frequently used today to describe many ancient and sometimes new methods and modalities for healthcare are “Alternative Medicine,” “Complimentary Medicine” or “Integrative Medicine.” Many of these approaches are based in new age [spirituality] and occult mysticism.
The central belief of new age spirituality is monism, the belief that everything is a vast, undifferentiated, impersonal unity. The essence of this unity is energy which goes by different names such as Universal Consciousness, Life Energy, Prana, God, the Force, etc.. As it applies to health, new age spirituality involves the recognition that sickness occurs when our true perfect Self is out of balance with this cosmic energy. Overcoming sickness, then, is a matter of aligning the flow of our own individual energy with the flow of the universal life energy.
(arcapologetics.org)
Related to its occultic nature, holistic health methods are frequently found to depend upon some form of “energy” channeling. Many of these treatments claim to “balance” or “restore” or otherwise manipulate alleged invisible energies which supposedly exist or circulate within the human body. These energies are frequently associated with the mystical energies of occultic religion; e.g., the Hindu prana, Taoist chi, shamanistic mana, etc. Proponents claim that the real cause of illness and disease is an alleged disorder of this energy’s “natural flow” and that unless the flow is properly restored, health cannot be maintained. In other words, in most of the New Medicine, the manipulation of occult energies and [maintaining quality] health are inseparable. Unfortunately this manipulation of mystical energy is often an open door to spiritism under another name. It is difficult, if not impossible, to distinguish the use of “energy” manipulation and transference in many holistic health treatments from the manipulation of “energy” found among occultists in their various practices.
Holistic health therapists incorrectly interpret this energy as a natural or divine energy bringing physical and spiritual health when, in fact, it is an occultic, spiritistic energy detrimental to physical and spiritual health. We freely concede that “energy balancers” might be doing nothing at all, but involvement with genuine occultic powers cannot be ruled out.
When the New Medicine claims to “work,” it works for none of the reasons characteristically cited by its promoters. Things can work and still be dangerous, such as car bombs. Things can work and still be both wrong and dangerous, such as practices that rely upon occultic methods. Finally, things can be false and only seem to work. Innumerable holistic treatments may at first appear to work on the basis of their claimed principles, but in reality work only for reasons relating to human psychology (the placebo effect) or time (the natural healing ability of the body).
(Dr. John Ankerberg)
There are a number of reasons why we should be concerned about the growing use of Alternative Medicine (AM). First, AM can be dangerous and deceptive both spiritually and medically. Though there are some alternative remedies that have genuine medical efficacy, some kinds of AM can draw people into the occult and can often cost time, money or even lives in the pursuit of bogus cures. Second, AM’s growth reflects the acceptance of a worldview with a penchant for the irrational and purely experiential, and can produce resistance to the objective truth claims of Christianity.
With the continuing expansion of postmodern relativism and the retreat of the Church from engaging the culture, there has been created an intellectual greenhouse to aid the growth of the new age movement, and its offspring, AM.
(arcapologetics.org)
Holistic medicine is founded in ancient medical practices with its roots deep in religious ideas. Whereas holistic therapies are grounded in religious practices, traditionally western medicine is not. (christianinformation.org)
Both the popularity and confusion surrounding this movement is enhanced by (1) a culture whose number one priority is personal health and fitness, (2) [the general willingness to accept] a less than perfect scientific medical solution to illness, (3) a cultural of universal pluralism, postmodern relativism, and new age spirituality which reduces both discernment and resistance to deception, and (4) the fact that a few AM practices do have some medical efficacy can mislead the undiscerning to think that all of them do. (arcapologetics.org)
A Time magazine article reports that 62% of individuals who had not been helped by conventional medicine would consider alternative medicine for help. 84% said that they would go back to an alternative doctor. The momentum is clearly in the holistic therapist’s favor. A growing number of people are disturbed by the inability of conventional practices to bring relief to their suffering. As a result, we find ourselves being exposed to religious ideas that are contrary to the Judeo-Christian worldview. (christianinformation.org)
In January 2011, Rick Warren (author of the Purpose Driven books) Pastor of Saddleback, the eighth largest church in USA, introduced three New Age doctors and their occult healing methods to his twenty eight thousand Californian congregation, including his forty thousand Purpose Driven Life satellite churches worldwide. The loud and clear message from Saddleback’s Daniel Health Program was that its OK for Christians to be involved in Eastern mystical “health” alternatives for the body and soul. Between them, the three New Age doctors, Dr. Oz (a Muslim), Dr Hyman (a Jew) and Dr. Amen (a New Age Christian Mystic) promoted, among other occult spiritual techniques, Tantra Yoga, Transcendental Meditation, Satana Prayer invocation, Reiki (Japanese healing) and Ayurvedic Medicine and Herbal remedies. (Geopolitika Magazine Interview – April 2012)
There are several categories of holistic medical therapies that we need to understand:
Natural Therapies – those which are not man-made or technological in nature.
¾ Ayurveda – an ancient healing methodology from India that blends herbal treatments with Hindu religious teachings. An Ayurvedic Proverb states, “without proper diet, medicines are of no use, with proper diet, medicines are of no need.”7 Ayurveda prescribes vegetarianism exclusively.
¾ Chiropractic – the use of the inherent healing properties within the body by the manipulation of the spine and muscles to treat disease. Chiropractic work is an open door for many into [experimenting with occultic practices since there is no nationally accepted ‘health care supervising body’ overseeing Chiropractor care. They are at great liberty to try modalities that modern scientific medical research would solidly reject.]
¾ Homeopathy – a system of diagnosis and treatment founded on the belief that “like cures like” in minimum dosage. [It employs using small amounts of the actual poison(s) that might be causing the person’s malady.] This practice implies that universal energy is the foundation of health.
¾ Macrobiotics – a rigid diet and lifestyle. The diet consists primarily of whole grains and vegetables. Macrobiotics becomes an all-consuming life-style that pulls the individual into Oriental philosophy where meditative altered states of consciousness are encouraged.
Mind Therapies – those practices that put the power of the mind over illness. The real work is done in the mind. The inner self brings about whatever results the conscious mind desires. As a result man creates his experience (healing or health) through his beliefs about himself and the nature of reality. In other words, one creates his own reality of health.
¾ Biofeedback – a technique to gain control over bodily functions by the use of visual or auditory practices. This practice can open one up to other methodologies that use the mind as a tool in the healing process which, in reality, use occultic mind over matter therapies.
¾ Yoga – a meditative technique to establish a union between the practitioner and the Hindu god, Brahma. Yoga is an entryway into the occult world.
Energy Manipulation Therapies – those practices that use universal or life energy (chi or prana) to strengthen the weakened body. These therapies encourage a belief in the oneness of all life, including plant, animal, and human.
¾ Acupuncture – a Chinese system of treatment where needles are inserted into specific points of one’s body to manipulate energy (chi or prana) and restore proper flow of chi to maximize one’s health.
¾ Applied Kinesiology – a form of chiropractic treatment that tests muscle strength or weakness to diagnose illness. The manipulation of chi is primary for wellness.
¾ Iridology – a system of diagnosis where the iris of the eye is read to identify disease and establish treatment.
¾ Crystal Work – a shamanistic technique to manipulate chi. Crystals are used to diagnose and treat illness. Crystals are traditionally used in muscle testing, dream work, visualization, divination, and spirit channeling.
¾ Reiki – the manipulation of the life force, chi, to bring healing and well- being to the individual. It is a precise way of using ‘light energy’ to restore and balance your own vital energy – physically, emotionally, and mentally – and to connect with your inner self – your spirit.
¾ Therapeutic Touch – the channeling of psychic energy from the practitioner to patient to bring about healing.
Herbal Remedies – Whereas Eastern cultures have exclusively used herbs for medicinal purposes, Western medicine evolved into synthetic compounds utilizing chemicals. Synthetic compounds allow pharmacists to regulate dosage and set standards, thereby protecting the patient. [Herbal treatments often have little or no scientific studies backing up their claims, and have little or no ‘standardizations’ performed on the ‘herbal supplement’. There is a greater increase health risk with herbal ‘medicinals’ compared to standard ‘pharmaceutical medicinals’. Belladonna is ‘natural’ but in high doses it can kill you; same with natural substances such as Arsenic, Opium, THC, and Cyanide. Just because something is known as ‘natural’, doesn’t mean that it is ‘safe’ and ‘good for you’.]
As a result of the growing interest in alternative medical practices there is likewise growing concerns about the use of holistic methods. The following represent some of the concerns shared by many in the medical community:
¾ Attempts to make the patient solely responsible for his or her health.
¾ Uses therapies unknown to the medical establishment.
¾ Claims that the therapy is a cure-all.
¾ Claims an extremely high cure rate.
¾ The primary proof of healing is totally from testimonials.
(christianinformation.org)