Alternative Medicine

Archer Welch H02

Alternative Medicine

Alternative medicine became increasingly popular in the 60s and 70s as many people entered the “hippie” era. With this in mind, people experimented in ways to better their physical and mental health in ways that have often been disproven. Although this is the case, many people still look toward alternative medicine as a way to heal themselves. With the most recent uprising of the idea that vaccines cause mental issues and autism in children, many people have turned back to these alternative medicines in order to heal themselves and others around them.

Practices like acupuncture, herbal remedies, and energy healing gained popularity as their allure lay in their promise of personalized care, empowerment, and a departure from the cold, clinical approach of conventional medicine. Although not all alternative medicine is laid in falsities, there are many alternative sources that are shown to be false. It is these sources that reveal the dangers in alternative medicine. In the book Defiled: The Spiritual Dangers of Alternative Medicine, they discuss the spiritual harm that believing in alternative medicine can have on a person. They talk not only about the mental strain that false hope can give but also the vast amounts of exploitation that is had on the victims of alternative medicine.

Exploitation is by far the largest reason many don't trust alternative medicine as well as the reason that many alternative medicines are discredited. Many have used the fears of society to hurt and use them for their own gain. People such as Charlatans exploit people’s vulnerability, peddling unproven cures and miracle treatments. This continues to blur the lines between well-intentioned healers and those who prey on desperation. Likewise it is a popular saying that someone is a snake oil salesman. This is the fraudulent practice of selling something that has no value or will not help whatsoever. This being such a common phrase only aids in the fact that many who sell these alternative medicines do not have your best interest at heart. A famous case of this exploitation is through Suzanne Somers of whom used a media platform in the 70’s and 80’s to promote bioidentical hormones as a treatment for her cancer This lead to many trying out the hormones and in the end it lead to extremely dangerous results in women who previously had hormone-fueled cancer. Likewise, there was the idea of Dr. Oz and Scientology.





Tom Cruise Scientology video leaked

591K viewsJan 16, 2008

YouTubeOn Demand Entertainment

Along with physical exploitations we see many other types of mental and spiritual exploitation where they tell the ill that they have spoken to someone on the other side who makes promises or there are magical healing crystals that physically do not do anything. A very relevant case of someone influencing others that mental thinking alone can heal them, is the tiktok creator known as Shanin Blake, who has sung about healing a kidney infection and moving consciously moving DNA with her mind. This has led Many to try and follow in her ways in healing themselves spiritually and with their mental powers' ' alone.

With this in mind, it has been widely discussed that the powers of believing alone may be able to heal. With the idea that crystals may heal you or the belief that whatever remedy you have created may actually help has been proven to do something. Maybe not heal all but it usually works in keeping the illness at bay for a while. Magical thinking has often led to many alternative medicines such as homeopathy and energy fields. Physically big pharma and individuals have put placebos in place of actual medication. Placebos reveal the mind’s ability to influence physical health. This ritual of taking a pill can trigger healing responses. Likewise, if someone seriously believes that they are taking medication that seems to show improvement it may actually show signs of improvement even when on the placebo. Many scientists and studies have been conducted to help study the effect including Harvard University. Likewise, there has been a rise in something known as the Shamanic Healer of which blends science with magical thinking. These healers do not wear feathers or chant incantations, but they harness the placebo effect, intuition, and empathy. Their “magic” lies in connecting with patients on a deeper level, addressing emotional and spiritual needs alongside physical symptoms.

With all the discussion of the possible aids to alternative medicine there is also the more credible alternative medicine. This can include acupuncture, and some even consider chiropractic practice as an alternative. Acupuncture, when done right, has increased the function of life in many. With the practice being shown to relax muscles that may not be acting the way they should as well as relieving stress in headaches and pain. This was a very common practice in the Chinese culture of Acupuncture. Likewise, chiropractic services are often claimed as a mix between “real” medicine and alternative. Due to the nature being that they are manipulating the muscles and skeletal position of someone instead of prescribing medications or conducting surgery. Although this is considered alternative it is not an argument that chiropractors have a following for a reason. Plenty of people see Chiropractors in order to adjust their spine or to try to relieve pain in joints and neck. Treatments that standard physicians can not take part in.




Although there are many kinds of alternative medicine there is always fear. There is the initial fear in traditional medicine that has led many to try alternative medicine and then there are those who have tried everything to get better and nothing helps so they get desperate. Although it is not to shame those who reach out and look for other sources, it is dangerous to outright reject traditional medicine altogether. This fear is what many exploit and it leads to what is called “Magical thinking” where people try anything and everything no matter how harmful it may be to themselves and others around them even when there is an easy solution. The reenchantment of medicine should complement—not replace—scientific advancements.



In the text FantasyLand, by Kurt Anderson, he discusses the use of alternative medicine and widely believes that the use of alternative medicine is strictly fantastical thinking. He states that it is a pathway to society to believe in fantasies that have no evidence behind them. Anderson introduces many of the topics mentioned above such as the Shamanic healer also called the “blue-chip witch doctor”. He also warns against abandoning evidence-based treatments in favor of magical thinking alone. Anderson, although not completely opposed to the idea of alternative medicine warns that it should not be the strict pathway that anyone takes.



So how should medicine be approached in the future, if there are credible sources of alternative medicine such as chiropractic, who is to say that there are not our ways that we simply haven't explored? Or even that there is more to magical thinking than we may see on the outside? Who are we to say?