MB asks: “My friend bought an acupressure ring and swears that it helped her lose weight. Is this possible?”
Category Archives: Self Help
Functional Diagnostic Nutrition: A Cautionary Tale
AV asks: “Have you heard of something called Functional Diagnostic Nutrition? If so, is this program compatible with the teachings of the Catholic Church?”
What Makes a Motivational Speaker New Age?
LL writes: “How do I know if a speaker is New Age or not? There are so many of them out there, and they make some very enticing promises. How do I know who is legit and who isn’t?”
Why the Polyvagal Theory is so Controversial
SMJ: “My therapist recently suggested that he’d like to employ a theoretical therapy based on the polyvagal theory. However, when I looked it up online, a lot of the practitioners were very New Agey and Wikipedia called it ‘unproven’. Is this something I should get involved in?”
Bad Vibes from the Sterling Institute for Relationships
Photo by Headway on Unsplash
We recently had a request to look into a motivational training program known as The Sterling Institute of Relationship and what we found was quite a bit controversy surrounding this outfit.
The Problem with Iridology
The is the second of a two-part question from AR: “ . . . (M)y mother is very much into alternative medicine and healthy eating, etc, and I grew up going to an iridologist and have been amazed at some of the things she picked up on in my body. For instance, she noticed “irritation” in my lower back, and a few years later, due to strenuous activity, I thought I had developed a seriously problematic spinal condition, but doctors said I was either born with or it happened when I was a baby and was just aggravated by the activity. Anyway, even if you think iridology is bologna, it doesn’t seem to be problematic with our faith, as it’s not like its reading palms or anything whacky like that…it is looking at the iris and seeing if something is not quite right. BUT, I still wanted to check with you all.”
The Power of Sound: Can it Really Cure Autism, Dyslexia, ADD and Other Learning Disorders?
(Photo courtesy of Wikicommons images – Travis Isaacs CC BY 2.0 DEED)auditory inte
PR writes: “About ten years ago, my daughter who had some signs of autism was referred for Tomatis Therapy by her Speech Therapist. We had her in this type of therapy, as well as auditory integration therapy for several months. The therapy did terrible things to her brain, and we eventually stopped. (Ialso did some kind of sound therapy, which I realize now I should not have done). Is this a type of New Age practice? I am so thankful to EWTN and your program. I have always tried to be a faithful Catholic, but It is almost impossible without the proper resources. This is not information we typically get from our parish priests. Thank you for any information you can give me on this.”
A Closer Look at the Big Pharma Conspiracy Theory
Between the price gouging and scandalous profit margins, Big Pharma has become the most loathed industry in America. Their sins have not only driven millions into the alternative market where consumers are being exposed to a whole new slate of misdeeds, but they have also spawned a phenomenon known as the Big Pharma Conspiracy Theory. Just how much of this theory is fact, how much is fiction, and how should Catholics regard it?
The Questionable Opinions of Anthony DeMello, S.J.
KK asks: “I noticed on your website that you have a new age section and was wondering if you considered Anthony DeMello and his book Awareness to be new age?”
Beware of Therapies That (Secretly) Require a Religious Conversion
One of the greatest threats to Christians in the burgeoning field of alternative health care is when these therapies require a person to adopt a belief system that is not compatible with the faith.
