MV writes: “Would you please warn others about Christiane Northrup, MD the obgyn new age goddess worshiper? I was very disappointed to see her medical expertise clouded by new age quackery.”
I would be more than happy to set the record straight about this doctor who mixes science with New Age and occult beliefs.
The infamous Dr. Northrup, an OBGYN, is best known for an appearance on the Oprah Winfrey show in which she directed women to use Qi Gong to direct “qi” to the vagina, which she claimed could cure all kinds of female ailments. Viewers claimed even Oprah was embarrassed during the episode.
For those who have never heard of her, Northrup describes herself as “a visionary pioneer and a leading authority in the field of women’s health and wellness, which includes the unity of mind, body, emotions, and spirit.”
She’s a board-certified OB/GYN who served as an assistant clinical professor of OB/GYN at Maine Medical Center for 20 years.
She is also the author of numerous best-selling books such as Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom, The Wisdom of Menopause, Mother Daughter Wisdom and her latest, Goddesses Never Age.
Unfortunately, Northrup doesn’t rely on just her excellent medical training when treating women – she loves to mix it up with New Age and occult practices such as astrology, tarot, feng shui and a variety of other practices.
For example, in this article about Northrup which appeared on the Science-Based Medicine blog, we read about the time Northrup was on a morning walk when she developed an ache in her throat that radiated up into her jaw. A classic symptom of a heart attack, instead of heading to the nearest hospital she called a medical intuitive who came over and “took out the Motherpeace tarot cards to try to get some clarity.” The two decided the pain was from the heartache she was suffering over her family situation.
Why would a doctor seek out an intuitive instead of real medical care at such a dangerous moment in her life? It’s not surprising when you read her books which profess nonsense such as how we have “seven emotional centers” which correspond to the seven chakras.
She describes how her divorce occurred during her Chiron return (an astrological event) when she was under the influence of an astrological configuration known as a “yod” which has the purpose of moving a person out of their old life.
Even though her books are filled with good information about health, they are also laced with this kind of ridiculous drivel.
For example, “Northrup gives some excellent conventional suggestions for treating insomnia, like avoiding caffeine, getting regular exercise, establishing a routine, etc.,” the article states. “But then she throws in the recommendation to cover your bedroom mirrors at night, because the reflections in them can make you feel jumpy and unsafe. According to feng shui, mirrors enliven a room and increase the energy flow, which would keep you awake.”
She also tells women that their thyroid dysfunction develops because of energy blockages in the throat region which are caused by a lifetime of “swallowing” words they wanted to say.
Northrup’s writings are “a disconcerting mixture of good science, misinterpreted science, unproven and irrational treatments, recommendations that are actually dangerous, pop psychology, mysticism, and superstition,” the article summarizes. “If she’d left out the nonsense, she could have written a very helpful book. But then I don’t suppose Oprah would have wanted her on the show. Science-based medicine doesn’t make for good television.”
The bottom line is that physicians such as Northrup, who mix genuine science with New Age tomfoolery, are actually more dangerous than outright quacks because people are more likely to take them seriously.
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