Healing Words

I never imagined that my article about the West's fascination with alternative medicine would generate somany comments. Nevertheless, I am sure I have benefited by reading your opinions.

I had no intention to disparage a healing system devised by peoples smarter than I who did their best in ahostile world to heal and find causes of disease without the aid of modern instrumentation. Yet I don't seehow questioning purported "Ayurvedic" cures based on astrology and claims of levitation minimizesthe efforts of those who performed simple surgeries with moderate success hundreds of years ago. I marvel atsuch advances.

Likewise, I don't see how my mentioning Chopra and Mahesh Yogi minimizes "traditional" or purerforms of Ayurveda when some of these ancient cures (still to this day) call for saliva eye washes, animalurine and feces, and mercury. Ayurveda promotes sound diet and exercise, and the system has uncovered amultitude of useful herbs. Right on.

But some of it is, indeed, questionable. Look at what gets touted as Ayurveda: 'Mars is related to bloodand the liver, Venus is related to sexual function. If the planetary alignment is not right, the cure won'twork. Disease is a result of a natural flow in the universe, so planetary positions become important,' thetheory goes. Need one even say anything in response?

As far as the comment that we only use 10% of our brain's potential, as opposed to 10% of a physical part,this is silly too. First of all, the 10% number was invented. It's not based on anything. So as we see withmuch of alternative medicine, we start with a fallacy or mistake and build a science on top of it.

(Think homeopathy: The dilution is proven implausible with the concept of the atom, so homeopaths dream ofnew concepts, such as vibrations and quantum physics and other scientific buzz words they don't understand.)

Clearly many of us waste our lives, numbed by television or trivial concerns or narcotics. But putting anumber on "potential" -- that is, quantifying it -- implies that once we reach 100% potential, wecan no longer excel. How much of its brain does a monkey use? All of it, half of it, or maybe only 10%? Arehumans the only animals that only use 10% of the brain? If so, why? Does a monkey using, say, 87.5% of itsbrain outsmart a human using 10%?

The worst of alternative medicine always reveals flawed logic if you think it through. Holistic healers saydiseases, such as cancer, are a mind/body manifestation; viruses or bacteria are results of disease, notcauses. Yet why do they prescribe organic foods if the mind (and not a carcinogen) is the cause of the cancer?

(By the way, Aveline Kushi, co-founder of the macrobiotic food movement said to cure cancer, contracted anddied of cancer in her 60s. Nice woman; met her on several occasions.)

Or, why do holistic healers avoid the radio waves and not the more abundant infrared and optical radiationfrom the sun? Why? Because they don't think it through.

The point of my article is that we should be proud that humans have learned as much as they have over theyears. Let's keep moving forward. Let's not worry about the change in planetary configurations; it won't cureyour impotence. Nor will ground tiger penis, for that matter, though Viagra just might.

Christopher Wanjek is the author of BadMedicine (Wiley & Sons, New York).