Here is the article to which Stephen was referring: http://www.epaperoheraldo.in/epaperpdf/2212014/2212014-md-hr-17.pdf
Crystal healing is just another example of many forms of quackery that are practiced in the world today. Quackery is almost as big a business today as modern medicine. Indeed, it is to the practice of modern medicine (when ethically conducted) what black market and fraud are to legitimate business. The trouble however is that a fraudster or an unethical medical doctor can be prosecuted under well-defined laws. But this is not the case with quacks who peddle nonsense like crystal healing. They are not only free to fool and fleece the public, but as in the present case, they get free publicity through the popular media, the members of which are more often than not scientifically illiterate, or worse, anti-science in their ideological stance. There is a stereotypic modus operandi followed by all quacks, which is easy to recognize. They prey upon the gullibility of the lay public, especially those who are desperately looking for any respite from sickness and pain. They say that they are performing miracles, believing that they are privileged individuals who are blessed with the rare heavenly gift of healing. After merely attending some New Age workshop or reading a Self-Help book they claim that literally overnight they have become great healers. They dispense selectively remembered anecdotes that feed their confirmation bias while conveniently forgetting those that crap on it. Without retaining any understanding of basic high school physics, chemistry and biology, nor the slightest clue about the difficult concepts of modern science they use scientific sounding terms such as energy, vibrations, frequency, resonance, electromagnetic waves, electric charge, cells, etc. One surefire weapon in their arsenal is an appeal to religious feelings and to the popular misguided reverence towards ancient wisdom. Prescientific faith-based or superstitious beliefs, such as karma, chakra, chi, soul, spirit, and so on, figure prominently in their self-promotional shtick. Having absolutely no idea of what it entails, they tell others that they have conducted extensive research into whatever quack remedy that they are peddling at any given moment. They also pose as universal experts on all types of quack remedies. If you read the Herald interview in question you will detect all the above signs of a quack’s sales pitch. The truth is crystals and stones have no physical effect on the human body. The use of scientific terms such as frequencies, vibrations, etc. is totally nonsensical in the context of disease and treatment. As far as science is concerned, whether it is basic physics and biology, or medicine, itself, the verbiage in the answers to the reporter’s questions may as well have been muttered by an inebriated person in a drunken stupor. No scientific theory or experiment supports any of the assertions made in the interview. It is really unfortunate that newspapers deceive their readers in this manner. Here is a nice article by a science writer in a recent issue of Skeptical Inquirer exposing the absurdity of crystal “healing”: http://www.csicop.org/specialarticles/show/diamonds_a_doctors_best_friend/ Here is a quote that sums it all up: QUOTE But instead of having the answer to all our maladies stuck in stone beneath our feet, crystals, while something to look at and study, have no biological or physical mechanisms through which they could affect human health. Perhaps a glittering diamond would make you happy, and therefore alleviate stress or give you calm, but it certainly does not tap into a yet undiscovered “human frequency” like someone searching for a radio station. Nothing about the natural world suggests that a certain arrangement of a mineral’s atoms will do anything for the human body other than please the eye. Can we reduce crystal healing to the absurd? UNQUOTE Cheers, Santosh > On Friday, January 24, 2014 7:13 PM, Santosh Helekar <[email protected]> > wrote: > > Can you please send me the article to which you are referring? Perhaps, I > > will > be able to offer the feedback that you seek. I share your concern about > quackery > being spread through the internet and by the popular press. > > Cheers, > > Santosh > > > > >> On Friday, January 24, 2014 1:46 AM, Stephen Dias > <[email protected]> wrote: >> > Ref; Article on Herald Café appeared on dated 22th January 2014 titled >> HEALING WITH CRYSTALS >> >> In an interview with Patricia Ann Alvares with Crystal Haler Tarminder >> Manchanda she highlights the curative value of crystals while >> debunking myths >> >> I, Dr Joe D’Sousa ex-professor of Microbiology at Goa University and >> reader of Herald found this article weird and query which would take >> people for a ride and could do more harm than good. I would like the >> reaction from our Medical Practitioners and physicians in Goa in the >> interest of people of Goa who may have to suffer adverse consequences >> of this false cure as I do not see any scientific proof of this new >> system of medicine. I want you all to guide the public so that people >> of Goa are not led astray by dubious methodlogy of cure. >> >> I would like to get the feedback from the medical practitioners and >> advice the public by writing articles in the public interest and also >> request to inform me via this mail Id of my friend. >> >> Thank You >> >> Dr. Joe D’Sousa >> Panjim >> >
