When most people hear the term ‘Alternative Medicine’ they tend to think that it is used to describe something that offers a tested, tried alternative to mainstream systems of medicine. In India we have three types of systems of treatment and diagnosis- the recognized evidence based one - the scientific system, the recognized but not evidence based ones under the acronym AYUSH- Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy, and the third has a list that is almost never complete but contains common ones like electrohomeopathy, reiki, pranic healing, aromatherapy, music therapy, gem therapy, etc. The term ‘alternative medicine’ perhaps describes best the last class. (Note: Technically all those systems of treatment and diagnosis that are not science-based are designated as ‘Alternative Medicine’, but in the Indian context there are three categories because of the government’s endorsement of AYUSH.) The third class labeled ‘Alternative Medicine’ in India seems to be the favourite hunting ground for quacks of all types. Read the full story

My first contact with astrology must have been soon after my birth, because a horoscope is a must-have for every child born in my parents’ community. This horoscope must have also been drawn up by my maternal uncle, himself an astrologer of no mean repute, though in the last decades of his life he used to tell me, “it is not for unbelievers like you!”. My first conscious contact with this ’science’ occurred when I was a schoolboy. A cousin of mine, S.S. Kamath, was interested in investigating astrological claims. He told me of an incident where he had copied Jawaharlal Nehru’s (the then Prime Minister of India) horoscope from a magazine and showed it to an astrologer telling him that it was the horoscope of a salesman in a cloth shop. The astrologer made his calculations and told him that it was that of an ordinary man who would be leading a routine humdrum existence. On being told that the horoscope was actually that of the Prime minister of India, the astrologer wiggled out of the situation making up some excuse. Read the full story

Long before the arrogant West coined the term “pseudoscience”, the ancient Indians already knew about it. It is an art that is inherent in the self and manifests through inner pro-activeness, yogic leverage and spiritual actualization. Unfortunately, the modern mind which has been corrupted by western thought, cannot comprehend the sublime supremeness of the ancient art. So I, who is dubbed “Sri Sri….∞ ” Anantananda Swami, will explain the divine art in modern terms, using the science of Gayatri Mantra as an example.

The Gayatri Mantra is a primal force in the Universe. The scientific nature of it has been explained by an ecstatic soul sometime back in the incoherent past. Allow me to demonstrate how the art of pseudoscience was put to use in the creation of that exalted piece of literature. Read the full story

The political space in India seems to be as large as the country itself. We have parties advocating everything from communism to capitalism, Hindutva to Islam, though not publicly, since the constitution prohibits it. We have the Manuvadi parties, the Dalit parties, parties of the OBCs, parties proposing an atheistic government and so on. Into this cacophony a new entrant has arrived, throwing his hat into the ring! All beware, the incorruptible, the squeaky clean, unmarried, physically fit superhero is here- step aside all, here is the man for whom the country has been waiting since independence- the messiah has finally arrived on the scene. Ram Kishen Yadav, aka Baba Ramdev who keeps churning his abdominal muscles on the stage, thumbing his nose at people and collecting millions in the name of yoga. If one watches his TV program one can see him jumping about, performing contortions, panting for breath, and as soon as he gets it back, uttering platitudes about everything under the sun,moon and stars! Read the full story

This question was sent in by Roope Kasvi and has been selected for this month’s Q & A.

Hi,

I’m an openminded sceptic from Finland. One of my friends (also Finnish) is an Ayurvedic consult and spreads all kinds of crazy stuff in Facebook.

Recently in the comments section of one of his rants he said that there are many diseases that Ayurveda can cure or treat better than modern medical science. Needless to say, I am sceptical about this claim and wondered if you guys knew of any studies that could point me to any direction at all. Read the full story

As the accompanying blurb (the text-box below) containing the image of the ad from Care Plus (a non-invasive medical center) says that cancer is the third leading cause of death worldwide. Care Plus has listed the causes for it! I am particularly interested in cures for cancer because two people who have influenced me the most in my life have had cancer. My mother died from it about 15 years back, while Premanand whom I consider as my ideological guru is suffering from it. Since the disease is dreaded and its occurrence is wide-spread, there are many lines of treatment for it which are recognized and approved. But, a number of unscrupulous elements have tried to exploit this and have lined their pockets with the hard-earned money of the patients and their relatives. The treatments may vary from anything to specially consecrated water to secret remedies unknown to modern science but are the result of “research” and also supernatural powers! Read the full story

One may be surprised to note that a new life is beginning for the citizens of Mangalore, in a small stall at the Karavali Utsav. It is in two fronts- one the program for the improvement of health and the other for the improvement of mileage- both available in the same stall. The “latest technology” in each has the same basic intention- improvement of energy level- one in the human body and the other in the internal combustion engine.

The body first: This is the quantum science bio tech optimum energy program for you. As the blurb promises, energy medicine is the future of medicine. The nanotechnology revolution as promised by Fusion Excel international and promoted by Surana Enterprises India and their website being fusionexcel.com. The introduction starts with what is energy and then goes on to promote the quantum science scalar energy pendant created from a mixture of “more than 70 kinds of energy releasing mineral materials selected from Volcanic rock”. It also promises of scalar energy which can do miracles like increasing oxygen supply to blood stream, cleansing of blood of unwanted dirt like fats and cholesterol, pain relief, fighting cancer cells etc. Besides that it also balances both sides of the brain, promises better sleep, freedom from fatigue etc. In short it is the panacea that mankind has been waiting for from a long, long time.

Read the full story

Phrenological Measuring Device

pic by: A.M Kuchling

The efficacy of the scientific method and the hierarchical character of human social organization have ushered in a widespread acceptance of the authority of science in the public sphere

Read the full story