EG writes: “I am willing to accept that the 12 step programs are new age with the “God as you understand him” placed in the steps. My husband got over an addiction to alcohol in 1981 through Alcoholic Anonymous and remained sober till his death in 1998….One of the things I have noticed is that the program members are getting involved in the “Course in Miracles”, and I know of members who are starting Self Help Seminar programs that are using some AA materials but without “that god stuff”. Could I get some clarification on this as I find it confusing.”
Category Archives: Self Help
Congressman’s Wife Dies After Ingesting Supplement
Lori McClintock, the 61-year-old wife of U.S. Rep. Tom McClintock, died from dehydration due to gastroenteritis that was caused by “adverse effects of white mulberry leaf ingestion.”
Science and the Church
MS writes: “If western science shows that practices such as acupuncture work, will the practices become ok to use?”
Dry Needling vs. Acupuncture
Photo by Antonika Chanel on Unsplash
CC asks: “Can you tell me if ‘dry needling’ is a New Age practice? I have heard a couple of people mention having had it done by their physicians in recent months and had never heard of it.”
A Tale of Acupressure, Toe Rings and Weight Loss
MB asks: “My friend bought an acupressure ring and swears that it helped her lose weight. Is this possible?”
Functional Diagnostic Nutrition: A Cautionary Tale
AV asks: “Have you heard of something called Functional Diagnostic Nutrition? If so, is this program compatible with the teachings of the Catholic Church?”
What Makes a Motivational Speaker New Age?
LL writes: “How do I know if a speaker is New Age or not? There are so many of them out there, and they make some very enticing promises. How do I know who is legit and who isn’t?”
Why the Polyvagal Theory is so Controversial
SMJ: “My therapist recently suggested that he’d like to employ a theoretical therapy based on the polyvagal theory. However, when I looked it up online, a lot of the practitioners were very New Agey and Wikipedia called it ‘unproven’. Is this something I should get involved in?”
Bad Vibes from the Sterling Institute for Relationships
Photo by Headway on Unsplash
We recently had a request to look into a motivational training program known as The Sterling Institute of Relationship and what we found was quite a bit controversy surrounding this outfit.
The Problem with Iridology
The is the second of a two-part question from AR: “ . . . (M)y mother is very much into alternative medicine and healthy eating, etc, and I grew up going to an iridologist and have been amazed at some of the things she picked up on in my body. For instance, she noticed “irritation” in my lower back, and a few years later, due to strenuous activity, I thought I had developed a seriously problematic spinal condition, but doctors said I was either born with or it happened when I was a baby and was just aggravated by the activity. Anyway, even if you think iridology is bologna, it doesn’t seem to be problematic with our faith, as it’s not like its reading palms or anything whacky like that…it is looking at the iris and seeing if something is not quite right. BUT, I still wanted to check with you all.”
