BS write: “I read your article that stated the Vatican considers Chiropractic new age. You give the history of chiropractic treatment and it’s definitely a concern to me after reading it. Do you really consider Chiropractic dangerous? My Chiropractor is a practicing Christian and never talks about any energy fields or healing touch which would have definitely been a red flag for me. I have been helped so much by Chiropractic. But want to know if you really think I am playing with the occult.”
Tag Archives: Energy Medicine
What’s so Bad About Chakra Therapy?
JS writes: “I was baptized Catholic as a child. For the last 10-15 years, I disregarded the faith and favored eastern philosophy, even though I never stopped believing in God. I became a massage therapist about 7 years ago and also do chakra therapy. I do chakra workshops where I basically categorize life issues with the chakras and look at their psychology. . .
If God is Pure Spirit, Why Can’t We Call Him an Energy Force?
ST writes: “Why can’t we regard God as an ‘energy force’? If He’s pure spirit, then wouldn’t He be more of a force than a Person?”
Nine Ways to Spot Non-Christian Healing Techniques
LV writes: “I’m so tired of trying to figure out if an alternative is related to the New Age or not. Are there any guidelines Christians can use to help them discern what’s okay and what isn’t from a spiritual perspective?”
Why People Believe Alternatives Work…Even When They Don’t
Have you ever wondered why people are so convinced that therapies work, even when there is no science to prove it? Almost every New Age alternative has a website full of testimonials from people who really believe the technique worked. Are these people lying or just deluded?
Is Reflexology New Age?
JV asks: “Is reflexology New Age?”
Energy Medicine: 21st Century Snake Oil
(Image courtesy of Wesley Fryer at Wikicommons)
People write to us all the time with questions about the various energy medicine techniques – from Reiki to tai chi and everything in between – so I decided to write a general overview of energy medicine that can provide additional details for those who wish to learn more.
A Pseudoscience Known as Craniosacral Therapy
PT asks: “I am writing you about craniosacral treatment. It is a kind of massage, physical therapy variant. In the Vatican document it is not referred to directly but I understand that it is based on oriental “energy” belief system. Would it be possible for you to enlighten me about this some more. People have been asking me.”
Nine-Year-Old Girl Proves New Age Energy Fields Don’t Exist
Emily Rosa at age 11, the year she published the study in JAMA (photo courtesy of her mother, Linda Rosa RN and Wikicommons)
New Age energy workers insist that the cause of all of mankind’s ills are related to imbalances in an alleged universal life force energy known as chi, qi, prana, vital force, etc. Thanks to the sophistication of modern science, it was easy to prove that this energy doesn’t exist, so easy, in fact, that a nine-year-old girl thoroughly debunked the claims of these “energy workers” in a fourth-grade science fair project!
Understanding the Difference Between Complementary and Alternative Medicine
The field of health care has a lot of new players these days – and many of them have little or nothing to do with conventional medicine. There’s complementary medicine, alternative medicine, whole medical systems, mind-body medicine, integrative medicine, etc. These fields are inundated with New Age practitioners, so it’s a good idea to learn what they are and what to watch out for.
