Friday, April 27, 2012

A Paradigmatic Example of New Age Medicine and How to Expose and Analyze it, part 1




What is below is an adjusted version of a real letter by someone on this subject, pertaining to an actual chiropractor named Jay Fox, a practicioner and advocate of muscle testing/Applied Kinesiology, homeopathy, and traditional chiropractic techniques.  Minor changes have been introduced, and the name of the individual visiting Chiropractor Fox changed to “Judy,” representative of “Judy Doe,” wife of “John Doe.”  The author of this letter is, thus, “John Doe,” writing to another family member.  The letter is paradigmatic for methods of New Age medicine and quackery, and, I believe, you will also find it both informative and entertaining.

For a number of months in the past, Judy had been going to Chiropractor Fox for the purpose of benefiting her health.  In light of her frequent visits to him, and my God-given role as protector and provider of our household, I thought it well to join her on one of her visits and see what was going on.  Thus, a few months ago, I did so.

The office was clean and nice in its appearance.  Chiropractor Fox appeared to be a cordial and friendly man.  Seeing that I was in the office, he explained the basis upon which he performed back manipulations, and also explained his process of muscle testing.  Some of these declarations began to raise serious questions in my mind, as did other features of the office and his chiropractic practice.

First of all, the practice of muscle testing should be noted.  What Chiropractor Fox did was place the substance to be tested in a certain location on Judy’s body, and then move her arm to see if her muscles “tested” strong or weak on the basis of where she was holding the substance.  For example, to see if she should take a particular vitamin supplement, Fox would have her hold it in her hand, or under her chin, and then, Judy having stretched out her arm, Fox would move her arm.  If her arm moved down, then this was evidence that the substance being tested was harmful.  If her arm did not move down, then it was fine.  If it was deemed fine through this method of testing, Fox would then say numbers out loud and move her arm.  At whatever number her arm moved down after he spoke the words, he would declare that this was the number of pills that Judy should consume of the substance in question.  Chiropractor Fox also tried muscle testing on me, and it seemed to me like what made my arm move down was how hard he was pushing on it, not whatever his alleged mechanism was for discovering if what he said was really good for me or not.  When we left the office, Fox employed muscle testing to determine how long it was until Judy needed to come back. He said, “two weeks,” and pushed on her arm, and it did not go down.   He then said “four weeks,” pushed on her arm, and it again did not go down.  This process was repeated until he said “fourteen weeks,” at which time her arm went down upon his pushing upon it.  Thus, it was determined that she needed to come back to see him in fourteen weeks.

Muscle testing, otherwise called Applied Kinesiology, was invented by Chiropractor George Goodheart.  Goodheart, a “Michigan chiropractor . . . worked out elaborate charts showing the effects of specific nutrients and herbs upon specific organs, teeth, acupuncture meridians, and muscles.  These are extremely elaborate, and a major question is raised as to how such complex interrelationships could possibly be validated without the efforts of numerous researchers and the production of a great deal of published research [which does not exist]. . . . Goodheart was psychic (personal communication) and developed his charts by this means. . . . Goodheart combined the occultic philosophy of early chiropractic theory concerning the body’s supposed Innate Intelligence with ancient Eastern practices designed to regulate supposed mystical life energies within the body. . . . Applied kinesiology is thus a blending of the theory and/or practice of chiropractic and ancient Chinese Taoism. . . . [V]arious occultic and spiritistic books . . . employ [muscle testing] toward that end . . . [t]hat applied kinesiology is used in occult practice is not surprising given the fact that Goodheart himself is a psychic who developed his system by psychic methods.”[1]  That my wife was having things done to her that came from a psychic, from the occult, and the things that were supposed to contribute to her health were actually revealed by evil spirits, was extremely disturbing to me, since we are to “Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God” (Leviticus 19:31).  Furthermore, there was clear evidence that Chiropractor Fox was indeed employing the occult techniques developed by Goodheart, for on his wall is a chart stating that he employs “Neuro-Emotional Technique,” and the chart, on the bottom, indicates the development of this system of “medicine” from George Goodheart.

In addition to the fact that the “medicine” Fox is employing developed out of demonic influence from George Goodheart, other clear signs of pagan and occult influence are readily apparent from Fox’s self-professed practice of “Neuro-Emotional Technique” (NET).  The NET chart on the wall of his office attempts to connect diseases to the Yin and the Yang—pagan concepts from devilish Eastern religion.  If one calls the “Neuro-Emotional Technique” hotline, as this writer did, he will be told that NET cleanses “toxins” from one’s body.  Upon asking what these “toxins” are, this writer was not told that NET somehow removed extraneous uranium atoms, or lead atoms, etc. from the body, but was told that the “toxins” are an imbalance in one’s chi.  As this writer can testify from actually making the phone call and finding out, one will be told that the body is made out of chi energy.  The Technique “rebalances” one’s chi, and this is what the removal of “toxins” signifies.  One finds the acupressure point that corresponds with the unbalance in chi, then taps on it, and this rebalances the chi.  Homeopathic remedies are also recommended to balance chi.  The statements on the phone by an official NET counselor are also confirmed on the NET website, which states that the NET method, professedly developing and expanding on the work of George Goodheart, “tests the chi” of someone and is based on “Chinese Medicine, acupuncture, and the Meridian System.”  The NET website advertises “free hypnosis” MP3’s, claims to have “found the royal road to the subconscious,” and makes other occult and spiritually dangerous claims.[2]  It also claims that “the body consists of water and electricity,” promotes homeopathy, and affirms other unscientific and false notions. The idea of chi comes from Eastern paganism, and there is no scientific evidence for it whatever, nor, even more importantly, the slightest indication in Scripture that such a thing exists.  Acupressure points and acupuncture are similarly a development of occult religion.[3]  (Homeopathy will be dealt with below.)  The fact that Fox’s “Neuro-Emotional Technique” (NET) claims to rebalance chi is further evidence for its demonic nature.

A “medical” technique that was revealed to a man by devils through occult means will not be good for our health.  God killed people for getting help from devils (Leviticus 20:6; 1 Chronicles 10:13), and devils are responsible for causing sickness in Scripture (Luke 13:16)—although, of course, not all sickness is directly caused by demonic agency (John 11:4).  Demons do not have an agenda to make people, especially God’s people, healthier.  Going to Chiropractor Fox can be exposing ourselves to the occult, and funding him is contributing to occult practices.  His chiropractic office should be avoided for this reason, and we should warn those who might want to go to him of the occult nature of his practice, and of muscle testing in general.

-TDR


[1] Pg. 157, 167 “Applied Kinesiology (Muscle testing),” chapter 11 (pgs. 155-167) in Can You Trust Your Doctor? The Complete Guide to New Age Medicine and Its Threat to Your Family, John Ankerberg & John Weldon.  Brentwood, TN: Wolgemuth & Hyatt, 1991.  It should be mentioned that all the books and Internet articles cited below in this analysis that approach the subjects treated from a Biblical and scientific perspective provide further bibliographical sources and documentation of their claims for one who wished to test their validity.
[3] Cf. pgs. 109-143, Can You Trust Your Doctor? This chapter also provides evidence that acupuncture/pressure has no more scientific benefit than a placebo (cf. also “Be Wary of Acupuncture, Qigong, and ‘Chinese Medicine,’ Stephen Barrett, http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/acu.html.).

1 comment:

  1. Amen! I think we all could stand to be more reliant on God alone.

    ReplyDelete