An original poster advertising the services of F. M. Alexander
JC writes: “Can you tell me whether the Alexander Technique is New Age? I am a musician and my teacher recommended it for ‘body awareness.’ Apparently, it is popular among professional, classical musicians. The idea of “body awareness” sounds very New Age to me!”
EB writes: “I have been seeing a certified acupressure therapist. Does this pertain to the New Age category like chiropractors?”
One of our readers sent an e-mail describing a bad experience she had with BodyTalk – a kind of “therapy” that can supposedly locate broken energy circuits in the body and resynchronize them by “tapping” the patient on the top of the head. We felt this e-mail would serve as a warning to anyone who is considering this kind of therapy.
SH writes: “I am interested in knowing if magnet therapy is new age? Such as wearing a magnet braclet or using magents. Also what about magentic hematite jewelry? Thank you for your help.”
Castor oil seeds
The latest TikTok craze is calling for the application of castor oil in the belly button, a so-called “ancient” practice that will do everything from detoxification and improving your digestion to enhancing bowel movements and even making you more fertile. So what is this all about?
JM writes: “I just read the blog question and answer on homeopathy. This is a very serious matter to me as my family and I have been using homeopathic remedies very successfully over the past three years. I was introduced to them by a very conservative Roman Catholic group of ladies. In doing my own research, I was not troubled about the “vital force” that Dr. Hahneman refers to because anyone who does not know the Christian faith would of course grasp for some kind of word to describe the human soul and the life of that soul as given and designed by God, and the soul’s inter-connectedness to our physical bodies. . . .”
The New Age has made huge inroads into the healthcare industry, especially in the area of self-help “cures” in the form of everything from pills to chi machines. However, New Age miracles are usually more hype than fact, which is why consumers would be wise to review new guidelines from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on how to spot a fraud before it costs them their money – and their health.
What should a Catholic do when they encounter a wellness organization that presents itself as Catholic and yet promotes Eastern meditation techniques, naturopathy, homeopathy, and other New Age modalities? Can a Catholic healthcare provider really have it both ways?
DD writes: “I just heard about the Cefaly band that is being used by doctors in Europe to help cure migraines. Is this based on real science, or is it just another one of those New Age shams?”
(Image courtesy of Wikicommons, Yeza, CC BY-SA-4.0)
PW writes: “Could you please tell me if the Tens Machine is any way a New Age modality? I have severe chronic pain, and it has been suggested that I use this, but I have felt instinctively that it is New Age and I thought I once saw you wrote or said something about this.”
