The following letter is an excellent practical example of how the New Age can infest what are otherwise perfectly acceptable practices.
DB writes: “I studied aromatherapy massage in 2000/2001, but then had children so never pursued it. I studied around 50 essential oils; their chemical components, their properties, which ones should not be used with people who have seizures or high blood pressure, which ones should not be used in pregnancy, etc. Also, all TRUE and authentic (non-adulterated) are antiviral and anti-bacterial. Now, is this wrong? For example, Tea Tree oil is one of the most anti-viral and anti-bacterial essential oils and kills specific bacteria. To me, this is just another type of medicine. Another oil, (cedarwood??) helps to stop bleeding of a cut.
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“However, I found that my teachers and practically every book out there mixes in energy talk and talks of how these oils can heal you emotionally, how they can create feelings of well-being, etc. Indeed a few of the oils do boost serotonin levels in the brain, just like an antidepressant.�
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“So, my question is, is the use of essential oils for pain, arthritis, acne, dry skin, nausea, etc. part of the New Age category or is it just when one starts believing they can alter our energies, etc.?
“After all, some are the distillation of the leaves, twigs and branches of trees, such as the orange tree. Some come from the steam distillation of orange blossoms or flowers, such as Jasmine and rose petals. Others, such as frankincense I believe are solvent extracted and claim to boost meditation (and the church uses Frankincense during special rituals, too such as Benediction).”
This blog on essential oils should answer some of the main questions posed in this letter; however, I’d like to add a few comments.
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Thanks to the Holy Spirit, DB was able to notice that all the books on this subject mention energy and how these oils can do things that are not scientifically supported. It is very irresponsible to mislead the public into thinking oils can do things that they can’t because it could result in someone opting to use an oil for a serious ailment which could potentially cause themselves and their loved ones additional suffering. Even if this is done unwittingly, a seller has the responsibility to know what they’re selling. Almost all sellers have published disclaimers and the buyer should take note of these because they will probably have to pay their own damages in the case of any adverse effects.
Of equal importance to Christians is to know that this field has been almost totally hijacked by New Agers and I have no doubt that they are attributing the natural reaction of higher serotonin levels mentioned in DB’s memo to this fictitious energy that they are selling to an unsuspecting public.
Although it is absolutely okay for a Christian to use these oils, be careful where you buy them. Try not to support the New Age by purchasing these products from the purveyors of this false spirituality. Peruse websites and stores for any indication of New Age beliefs before buying. Look for claims such as this ad which asserts that their massage oils can “enhance the frequency of the harmonic magnetic energy field that surrounds us.”
But don’t be surprised if you have to look far and wide for a “clean” supplier. I did a random search the other day of dozens of online suppliers and only found one that seemed to pass the smell test – http://lebermuth.com/ . Even though some of the images on the site look very New Agey, the content seemed okay.
If anyone out there knows of clean suppliers, please send me their information and I’ll post it on the blog.
