Quantum healing

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Quantum healing
Alternative medicine
ClassificationQuantum mysticism
Claimsquantum phenomena are responsible for health and wellbeing
Original proponentsDeepak Chopra

Quantum healing is a pseudo-scientific mixture of ideas which purportedly draw on quantum mechanics, psychology, philosophy, and neurophysiology. Advocates of quantum healing assert that quantum phenomena govern health and wellbeing. There are a number of different versions, which allude to various quantum ideas including wave particle duality and virtual particles, and more generally to "energy" and to vibrations.[1] Quantum healing is a form of alternative medicine.

Deepak Chopra coined[when?] the term "quantum healing".[2] His discussions of quantum healing have been characterised as technobabble - "incoherent babbling strewn with scientific terms"[3] which drives those who actually understand physics "crazy"[4] and as "redefining Wrong".[5]

Quantum healing has a number of vocal followers, but the scientific community widely regards it as nonsensical.[6] The main criticism revolves around its systematic misinterpretations of modern physics,[7] especially of the fact that macroscopic objects (such as the human body or individual cells) are much too large to exhibit inherently quantum properties like interference and wave function collapse. Most literature on quantum healing is almost entirely philosophical, omitting the rigorous mathematics that makes quantum electrodynamics possible.[8]

Physicist Brian Cox argues that misuse of the word "quantum", such as its use in the phrase quantum healing, has a negative effect on society as it undermines genuine science and discourages people from engaging with conventional medicine. He states that "for some scientists, the unfortunate distortion and misappropriation of scientific ideas that often accompanies their integration into popular culture is an unacceptable price to pay."[7]

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  1. ^ Alexander Dunlop. "Quantum Healing: Transforming Who You Are - Spiritual Life Coaching". Spiritualnutrition.org. Archived from the original on 2012-12-29. Retrieved 2012-12-15.
  2. ^ "The Work of Andrew Weil and Deepak Chopra-Two Holistic Health/New Age Gurus: A Critique of the Holistic Health/New Age Movements". doi:10.1525/maq.2003.17.2.233. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ^ Strauss, Valerie (2015-05-15). "Scientist: Why Deepak Chopra is driving me crazy". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2018-05-19.
  4. ^ Burkeman, Oliver (2012-11-23). "This column will change your life: pseudoscience". Retrieved 2018-05-19. [Chopra]'s the guy behind Ask The Kabala and 'quantum healing', which involves 'healing the bodymind from a quantum level' by a 'shift in the fields of energy information', and which drives crazy people who actually understand physics; his critics accuse him of selling false hope to the sick.
  5. ^ Plait, Phil (2009-12-01). "Deepak Chopra: redefining "wrong"". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved 2018-05-19.
  6. ^ Francis, Matthew R. (2014-05-29). "Quantum and Consciousness Often Mean Nonsense". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved 2018-09-21.
  7. ^ a b Cox, Brian (2012-02-20). "Why Quantum Theory Is So Misunderstood - Speakeasy - WSJ". Blogs.wsj.com. Retrieved 2012-12-15.
  8. ^ "'Magic' of Quantum Physics". Aske-skeptics.org.uk. Retrieved 2012-12-15.

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