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There has been lots of talk recently in the Australian media about CAM in universities. A new lobby group known as Friend of Science in Medicine was recently established to get the discussion going about whether this is a good thing. (Full disclosure, I recently added my name to the 400-long list of doctors, scientists and concerned citizens who are worried about pseudoscience creeping into universities).

The discussion has ruffled some feathers and I think this is a good thing. As I said in a comment on The Conversation, what is wrong with us looking at these courses and determining if what they are teaching is evidence-based? If we find there is nothing wrong, then we can carry on our merry way.

Yet, some CAM peeps don’t seem to see it this way. Some have been behaving as if they are being persecuted. Some are claiming that taking CAM out of unis puts the public at risk as practitioners are more likely exposed to shonky teaching (I haven’t seen any evidence for this, but as usual I’m willing to look at it if it’s true).

But this misses the point that it doesn’t matter where you teach it, if it’s nonsense outside of a university it remains nonsense when taught in one. Teaching homoeopathy or tactile therapy in a university environment won’t make it work. To see how homeopathy works, go here.

The argument got rather heated on Twitter recently with Prof Kerryn Phelps jumping in the mix. I had quite a long conversation with her, which remained mostly civil (if not a little strained) until I suggested we weed out the stuff we know doesn’t work or exist, such as subluxations in chiropractic and homeopathy.

The response I got was odd to say the least and I’m still unsure exactly what she was getting at. See the screen shot below (read from bottom up).

Some people suggested this was an example of the No True Scotsman fallacy, which I kinda agree with. More simply, it appears to say “don’t mention homoeopathy, even we’re embarrassed by that”. If you have another idea, please leave a comment.

Someone else called “SkepNurse” also posed the question to Prof Phelps regarding which CAM she would unequivocally say was not worth pursuing any more, either because it can never work or has been proven not to. She posted these tweets on Jan 26th and is still awaiting a direct answer.

Anyway, I’d been poking around for information on whether homeopathy was taught in universities as a stand alone course, and I hadn’t found any evidence. CAM practitioners had confirmed this as well, pointing out that it was a requirement to enter Bachelor of Health Science (Complementary Medicine) at Charles Sturt University but was not taught as a separate subject.

Well, they were wrong.

Homeopathy is taught as a stand alone course subject at a publicly funded university in NSW as part of Southern Cross University’s Bachelor of Clinical Sciences. They offer introductory homeopathy and clinical homeopathy. It is also offered as a service in the health clinic

There is even a prize offered at SCU.

The Warren Brauer Memorial Prize – Homoeopath Dispensary to the value of $500

Awarded to the Naturopathy award graduate who has exhibited a high level of proficiency in the understanding and application of homeopathy.
Donated by Brauer Natural Medicine Pty Ltd

SCU is a publicly funded university who received $32 million of federal funding in 2011. Thus, public funding is going towards the teaching of nonsense in Australian Universities.

When I’ve previously written about public funding for homeopathy in Australia the most I could do was speculate about how much it might cost the tax payer. It’s complicated because our public health system does not directly fund homeopathy as health care, but it does supplement private health funds (which do cover homoeopathy) and also some doctors/gps will prescribe recommend it.

This is the first evidence I have found that tax payers funds directly fund this nonsense. And what a waste of money it is.

I’ve written to SCU to ask for their course outlines for both classes. Let’s hope I get them so I can get a better idea of exactly what they teach.

With continued pressure from FSM, this conversation will likely continue for some time. I would like to see the first casualty be these courses at SCU.

This comment on The Conversation has really summed up this debate for me so far. It’s from Didier Nave, an ex-herbalist of 25 years and the following excerpt speaks volumes;

Time to face the facts. The data is coming in and its not looking good. It’s clearly showing that what we do is not much better than placebo. So the question is do we have the humility to accept the evidence and dump these theories. I doubt it….Have i seen the industry contest or reject its own stupidities like live blood analysis or “detoxing” when it can’t name one toxin that its methods supposedly detox? No, it embraces them instead.”

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To see how The Dean of the School of Health, Professor Iain Graham, defends woo in his uni, see Mick Vagg’s post here.

There’s more info on woo in public and non-public facilities here.

Thanks to Loretta Marron for assisting with research.

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More interesting reading on the current debate (and for healthy discussion in comments) see two recent articles from The Conversation;

Alternative Medicine Can Be Sientific Say Besieged Academics

Pointing The Bone At Chiropractic Quackery Lessons From the UK

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To see the investigation of woo in universities from The Skeptic magazine (and written by Tim Mendham with research from Jo Benhamu) go here (pdf).

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The backlash from the BCA decision to sue Simon Singh back in 2009 resulted in a huge Streisand Effect for the profession. Attempting to silence Singh with legal chill had many knock-on effects including one in every four chiropractors in the UK being investigated for making false claims in their advertising. To avoid prosecution, the McTimoney chiropractors emailed all their members and instructed them to take down their websites and “remove information leaflets that state you treat whiplash, colic or other childhood problems in your clinic..”.

Here in Australia we haven’t seen anything as hysterical as this, but our paranoid friends over at the AVN were clearly worried, issuing a warning in their Nov 2010 newsletter that sceptics were posing as clients and reporting chiros to the authorities.

To me, this seems like a silly way to go about reporting chiros – paying them. It’s much simpler to just take a look at their websites or promotional material. Just like the anti-vax handouts I was given by Nimrod “I’m not anti-vaccine, i just don’t recommend it” Weiner, whom I’ve blogged about previously.

Of course, none of this would be a problem if they simply operated within their code of conduct and stuck to cracking backs.

So I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised to see this claim in a leaflet sent to me by a friend earlier today:

The text says; IQ – A study demonstrated an increase in visual perception, motivation, performance and 100% of the sample group showed an increase in IQ.

One hundred percent of the sample group showed an increase in IQ? Wow, what an extraordinary claim! You’ll note there is no reference provide for this “study”, but if you want one, why not contact them through their website. (The page above is taken from a newsletter from October 2007).

As @cactopos suggested on Twitter; “I guess you could argue that alternative medicine increases everyone else’s IQ thru a process of natural selection?”. Touche Cactopos.

I’m soon to trek back to the US (for the third time this year) to attend a conference on BMAA and MND, a project I am enjoying working on immensely. I’ve written about this before over at Skeptic Zoners and talked about it on ABC Radio if you are interested to hear more details. No doubt I will have more to report from the picturesque Jackson Hole in Wyoming in early October when I meet with collaborators for the 7th Annual BMAA conference.

In the meantime, I have several manuscripts on the cusp of being returned for final review, after additional experiments were completed to satisfy reviewers’ comments. For a humorous take on how (not to) respond to these critiques, see PhD Comics Addressing Reviewers’ Comments, a copy of which is permanently taped in close proximity to my laptop.

I’m currently also in the midst of doing some research for another unrelated project (the details which I am unable to reveal just yet) and as such have been sorting through my stash of pamphlets, flyers and brochures collected from multiple trips to Mind Body Wallet festivals.

I just came across this one and simply had to share it. It’s a derivative of the old adage of “Things your doctor won’t tell you!!!” or “What the pharmaceutical industry is hiding!!!”. You know the type of screed that steals all the exclamation marks from the internetz.

It’s from a photocopied document entitled “Know Miracle II” which contains some garden variety woo about alkaline water curing everything. It then details how amazing this stuff is, and all the things it can cure. You know the phrase you couldn’t make this shit up? Well don’t worry readers, you don’t have to cause it’s already written here for you!

Okay, I won’t keep you in suspense any longer.  Enjoy. My comments follow in blue.

• Human bodies that have been been on Miracle-II (M-2) have been checked through esoteric programs via MD and naturopath….with the report, “Best results of any tests, regardless of age!”

Esoteric? Best results? Wha?

• Radionics machines find M-2 off the chart

Jibberish

• Independent university testing by NE Louisiana University five years ago determined that M-2 neutralizer neutralizes cobra venom and anthrax.

Citation needed

• World governments have contacted the formulator, taking samples home, in an attempt to break the formula….North Korea, China, the President and Health Minister of Liberia, and most recently, a team from Israel.

Jebus, all these scary governments have scary water with an alkaline pH? ARGHH.

But this one truly takes the cake.

• US Biological and Germ Warfare has contacted the formulator demanding he reveal the formula. His answer. “God told me not to tell anyone” still stands.

WTF.

There’s more, but I’m on the floor and unable to breathe.

Sadly, this is not the first time I have reported on deaths associated with the use of homeopathy. Recently there was the case of the untreated eczema death of toddler Gloria Sam, for which her parents were convicted of manslaughter.

Penelope Dingle died in 2005 from untreated bowel cancer aged 45 after being diagnosed in 2003. She first presented with bleeding from the bowel in 2001. Following a colonoscopy, she was advised by doctors to have surgery to remove the cancer. She declined conventional cancer treatment, instead deciding on following a regimen of alternative treatments including special diets, vitamins and homeopathy.

Her husband is Dr Peter Dingle, a prominent Professor of Environmental Toxicology at Murdoch University in Perth and a media personality and author. Modelling himself as a kind of Aussie Joseph Mercola, he has a flashy website and has written such titles as “Is your home making you sick?”, “Improve your memory, your thinking and your life” and “The six week healthy eating planner”, the latter co-written with a naturopath (read: not a doctor).

The inquest was conducted at the request of the family following Mrs Dingle’s death in 2005. According to evidence given at the inquest from friends of Mrs Dingle and from her diaries, she and her husband made a pact with homeopath Francine Scrayen to not take any conventional treatment including pain relief. Dr Dingle also planned to write a book about how to cure cancer with homeopathy and alternative treatments once his wife was cured. A friend of the couple testified they were “enthralled and entrapped” in the spell of Ms Scrayen.

A report from the West Australian newspaper described;
“….Pen had so much faith in Francine. She was totally in her control”.

The friend described how Mrs Dingle has called the homeopath “at least a dozen times a day” and would only consume homeopathic medicines prescribed by her.

She came to visit Mrs Dingle in 2003, and was shocked to see how emaciated she was, since she had been assured by the couple that Mrs Dingle was responding well to the treatment. When the friend spoke to the homeopath, who consulted exclusively by phone, her concerns were dismissed, with the homeopath saying Mrs Dingle’s pain “was in her head” and she merely had constipation. She would not allow Mrs Dingle to take any other forms of medicine.

The friend also described how Mrs Dingle moaned in pain every night she was there, and even a visiting nurse who rated her pain nine on scale of ten was unable to convince her to take pain relief. Eventually she did succumb, receiving morphine in hospital and emergency surgery. This was only after she was advised by doctors that she would vomit feacal matter and die an excrutiatingly painful death within 24 hrs if she did not. Her bowel was completely obstructed by the tumour at this stage and she had not had a movement for 12 days.

It was too late for Mrs Dingle by this stage as the cancer has metastasized after such a long period of neglect and she died in 2005.

The question now is will the homeopath be held accountable for contributing to the death? I am not familiar with the legislation in WA, but in NSW it is illegal to claim to be able to cure incurable diseases, in accordance with the Code of Conduct for Unregistered Practitioners, legislated by the HCCC. But technically, homeopaths are actually not unregistered practitioners since they do have a regulatory body, the Australian Homeopathic Association which has a code of conduct of their own.

It seems you don’t need to dig very deep to see where Mrs Scrayen has breached the code (mind you on looking through it, it is not particularly specific about harm or seeking conventional medical advice when necessary).

Section 1, part 1 under general principles of professional conduct, states that:
“the welfare of patients…..shall take precedence over a member’s self interest and the interests of employees and colleagues.”

Section 2, part 2 also states:
“Members shall not …cause undue harm to patients.”

The only other section that is relevant in this case is Section 2.4:

“Patients whose state of health is deteriorating shall not be attended indefinitely without the member in charge suggesting or insisting upon a consultation with at least one other practitioner to confirm the assessment and treatment.”

But by stating “at least one other practitioner” does suggest another homeopath, not like a proper doctor or anything, you know the ones who are qualified to treat cancer for example.

The HCCC Code of Conduct is not so ambiguous. Section 5 states:

“Health practitioners not claim to make claims to cure certain serious illnesses. (1) a health practitioner must not hold him or herself out as qualified, able or willing to cure cancer and other terminal illnesses.”

Now I don’t know if the homeopath claimed she could cure Mrs Dingle’s cancer – this information has not been revealed as far as I know. It might be the case that the couple made the decision to only use homeopathy and not conventional medicine. But even of this is true, the homeopath did apparently forbid Mrs Dingle from using conventional pain relief and surely this breaches either code of conduct for responsible behaviour.

We will wait and see. In the meantime, this is yet another sad case to add to the hundreds on the What’s the Harm website. It makes you wonder what exactly motivates people to shun science based medicine, and especially in this case, where the alternative was just water and the desire to pursue this line of treatment even after it became obvious the magic vibrating water was not helping.

Add to this, the fact that Dr Dingle has a PhD? None of it makes sense.

A jury deemed them to be sentenced to a minimum of 6 years for the father (Thomas Sam) and 4 years for the mother (Manju Sam).

This story came to the attention of the public earlier this year, when we heard about the tragic death of Gloria Sam aged 9 months, from complications as a result of an allergic skin condition, eczema.

Gloria died as a result of a lack of conventional treatment for eczema, a skin disorder that makes the skin dry and itchy and when scratched, weep and bleed. The common treatment is hydrocortisone cream for mild cases but in severe cases, oral steroids in a tablet form are prescribed. As a result of the associated wheeping with severe cases of eczema, dehydration is often a problem, with patients losing large amounts of fluids.

I myself suffer from eczema and have had to take oral steroids on occasion. Eczema has a genetic link and accordingly, my mum suffered attacks so debilitating that she was airlifted from Papua New Guinea in the late 60s to Australia and spent extensive time in hospital, coated in hydrocortisone creme and wrapped in plastic to restore her fluids. She came very close to dying.

My Mum was advised to soak in baths of salt water, and these days pine tar is also touted, but in my experience none of these work. I have been tested for allergies to strawberries, wheat, the usual suspects, but it appears my IgE response is to blame. I even visited a naturopath, who told me to stop eating dairy. Guess what? No change.

During the hearing for this case there was evidence presented from observers on a Qantas flight on which Gloria was a passenger, describing her cries for lengthy periods, indicative of a serious problem. One passenger described her covered in red blotches and appearing as if she were burned.

Fortunately, I have not had a flare of eczema of late but I know when I do, I have conventional medicine to relieve my pain, at least temporarily. However, when I am out of Diprosone (the commonly prescribed cortisone cream) I am in much pain. The worst thing is scratching in your sleep and waking up with bloodied bedding not knowing what you did. This is why my Mum often slept with gloves to avoid tearing her already tender skin away. Years of steroid application also increase the likelihood that your skin becomes thinner and more prone to breakage.

Being the beast that a hypersensitivity disorder is, I need to manage it with lots of sleep, not too much stress and avoiding late nights. These things are not always easy to correct. But as an adult, I make the decision about when and where I receive treatment.

Unfortunately, Gloria did not have that option.

The edited version has the libelous sentence removed, but is reproduced to allow the public at large to understand the intentions of Simon’s original post. Given the current legal action currently in progress by the British Chiropractic Association against Simon, this provides insight into the claims for all to see.

Spearheaded by Sense about Science, the intention of campaign is to alert the public to the potential implications  of libel or defamation as it pertains to free speech and journalism, not only in the UK but also across the globe.

Below is the article produced in full, as approved by Simon and Sense about Science.
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Beware the spinal trap

Some practitioners claim it is a cure-all, but the research suggests chiropractic therapy has mixed results – and can even be lethal, says Simon Singh

You might be surprised to know that the founder of chiropractic therapy, Daniel David Palmer, wrote that “99% of all diseases are caused by displaced vertebrae”. In the 1860s, Palmer began to develop his theory that the spine was involved in almost every illness because the spinal cord connects the brain to the rest of the body. Therefore any misalignment could cause a problem in distant parts of the body.

In fact, Palmer’s first chiropractic intervention supposedly cured a man who had been profoundly deaf for 17 years. His second treatment was equally strange, because he claimed that he treated a patient with heart trouble by correcting a displaced vertebra.

You might think that modern chiropractors restrict themselves to treating back problems, but in fact some still possess quite wacky ideas. The fundamentalists argue that they can cure anything, including helping treat children with colic, sleeping and feeding problems, frequent ear infections, asthma and prolonged crying – even though there is not a jot of evidence.

I can confidently label these assertions as utter nonsense because I have co-authored a book about alternative medicine with the world’s first professor of complementary medicine, Edzard Ernst. He learned chiropractic techniques himself and used them as a doctor. This is when he began to see the need for some critical evaluation. Among other projects, he examined the evidence from 70 trials exploring the benefits of chiropractic therapy in conditions unrelated to the back. He found no evidence to suggest that chiropractors could treat any such conditions.

But what about chiropractic in the context of treating back problems? Manipulating the spine can cure some problems, but results are mixed. To be fair, conventional approaches, such as physiotherapy, also struggle to treat back problems with any consistency. Nevertheless, conventional therapy is still preferable because of the serious dangers associated with chiropractic.

In 2001, a systematic review of five studies revealed that roughly half of all chiropractic patients experience temporary adverse effects, such as pain, numbness, stiffness, dizziness and headaches. These are relatively minor effects, but the frequency is very high, and this has to be weighed against the limited benefit offered by chiropractors.

More worryingly, the hallmark technique of the chiropractor, known as high-velocity, low-amplitude thrust, carries much more significant risks. This involves pushing joints beyond their natural range of motion by applying a short, sharp force. Although this is a safe procedure for most patients, others can suffer dislocations and fractures.

Worse still, manipulation of the neck can damage the vertebral arteries, which supply blood to the brain. So-called vertebral dissection can ultimately cut off the blood supply, which in turn can lead to a stroke and even death. Because there is usually a delay between the vertebral dissection and the blockage of blood to the brain, the link between chiropractic and strokes went unnoticed for many years. Recently, however, it has been possible to identify cases where spinal manipulation has certainly been the cause of vertebral dissection.

Laurie Mathiason was a 20-year-old Canadian waitress who visited a chiropractor 21 times between 1997 and 1998 to relieve her low-back pain. On her penultimate visit she complained of stiffness in her neck. That evening she began dropping plates at the restaurant, so she returned to the chiropractor. As the chiropractor manipulated her neck, Mathiason began to cry, her eyes started to roll, she foamed at the mouth and her body began to convulse. She was rushed to hospital, slipped into a coma and died three days later. At the inquest, the coroner declared: “Laurie died of a ruptured vertebral artery, which occurred in association with a chiropractic manipulation of the neck.”

This case is not unique. In Canada alone there have been several other women who have died after receiving chiropractic therapy, and Edzard Ernst has identified about 700 cases of serious complications among the medical literature. This should be a major concern for health officials, particularly as under-reporting will mean that the actual number of cases is much higher.

If spinal manipulation were a drug with such serious adverse effects and so little demonstrable benefit, then it would almost certainly have been taken off the market.

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Simon Singh is a science writer in London and the co-author, with Edzard Ernst, of Trick or Treatment? Alternative Medicine on Trial. This is an edited version of an article published in The Guardian for which Singh is being personally sued for libel by the British Chiropractic Association.

It was entitled “OUR RELATIONS WITH HOMEOPATHY”

and was in response to speeches previously published regarding “..prevailing professional laxity and charlatanry, in connection with the homeopathic quackery”.

Dr McCormack had some pretty scathing things to say about homeopathy and its use by “…shallow men and women…able to lure lucre by every imaginable wile from the sick and the silly”.

He went on to say;

“When patients are once secured, they are, ….retained by the combination of every current medical novelty which may at the time be most in favour with the moneyed throng of quack-fanciers“.

“..homoeopathy…is truly a combination of any and every available charlatanic trick,…..and therefore all that remains for us, as men of science and men of integrity, is to give notice, that we exclude from all professional intercourse practitioners who are in any way engaged in using or upholding a system which we think bears upon its very face fraud as well as absurdity“.

Wow, pretty serious stuff. One might imagine you could now get sued for saying things like this, ala, the BCA and Simon Singh.

But McCormack went further than this by listing a series of guidelines desscribing how clinicians who used or practiced homeopathy should be received by their medical colleagues;

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“1. That it is the opinion of this (Provincial) Association, that homoeopathy as propounded by Hahnemann, and practised by his followers, is so utterly opposed to science and common sense, as well as so completely at variance with the experience of the Medical Profession, that it ought to be in no way or degree practised or countenanced by any regularly educated medical practitioner.

2. That homoeopathic practitioners, through the press, the platform, and the pulpit, have endeavoured to heap contempt upon the practice of Medicine and Surgery as followed by members of this Association, and by the profession at large.

3. That for these reasons it is derogatory to the honour of members of this Association to hold any kind of professional intercourse with homoeopathic practitioners.

4. That there are three classes of practitioners who ought not to be members of this Association, viz.-lst, real homeopathic practitioners; 2nd, those who practise homoeopathy in combination with other systems of treatment; and 3rd, those who under various pretences meet in consultation, or hold professional intercourse with those who practise homoeopathy”.

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Finally;

“To adopt resolutions setting forth that the homeopathic dogma and the doctrine of infinitesimal doses have no truthful basis, and are, in fact, mere nonsensical delusions…The worst part of homeopathy, is in my opinion, the DISHONESTY of the majority of those who live by it”.

So there you go, homoeopathy, declared bullshit as early as 1851.

You can find the full reference here.

Tip o’the hat to Jo Benhamu.

But according to the website Alternet Detox, who are flogging detox foot patches, “The sole of the feet, where acupuncture points are concentrated as a reflected area of the whole body, has a great influence on the circulation of the blood as to be called “a second heart”.

These little pillows of woo are allegedly from Korea, and clearly the people at Alternet Detox didn’t bother to translate the Chinglish (Koringlish??) that came with the product. Here’s an example.

The Sap Patch is originated from a folk remedy. Its spirit of trees absorbs accumulated wastes and toxic materials in the body as ointments in oriental medical science do, and radiates negative ion, promoting the circulation of the blood to make your body refreshed and light.

And there’s more

Human beings are destined to have waste-accumulated feet, which support the body. You can see that by daily experiences like stained socks at night and swollen feet when tired. Accumulated wastes in the body can lead to dropsical legs, fatigue, and even disharmony of the body when metabolism doesn’t work well.

They then go on to contradict themselves by saying you must apply it to the sole of the foot for it to work…

In order to enhance the effect of Sap Patch, it is necessary to apply it on the sole of the feet regardless of symptoms…..Toxic matter often stagnates in the feet, and thus the sole of the foot is the best area to apply to experience the effect.

…but show this picture:

After which, things just get a little confusing…

It is ideal to apply it every night until it doesn’t get wet, but, for those who have a serious symptom or took medicine for a long time in the past, SAP Patch tends to get wet continuously. Although the toxic matter is thought to be eliminated when Sap Patch doesn’t get wet, it is better to use Sap Patch once or twice a month even after it doesn’t get wet because toxic matter keep stagnating

And then, just ridiculous…

Ingredients: Tourmaline. This is natural ore produced in Brazil, which forms anion and improves blood circulation of human body by generating infrared rays.

Right…Infrared rays hey? Hmmm, sounds sciencey (read: bullshit) to me!

I dunno, but if you can’t even be bothered to translate your product information correctly, do you really expect me to spend $22.85 on your credulous product? Sorry Alternet Detox, you’re just not trying hard enough.

By the way, in case you were wondering detox foot pads are a scam. To get a full explanation into why, see my other blog here.

A fine example is recent plans by the Australian Government to censor the internet. Insane and likely impossible. And in New South Wales, stupidity occurs on a daily basis. Some of you may recall the recent foot-in-mouth by the Premier Nathan Rees, when he suggested we may wish to further investigate the existence of the mythical Penrith Panther.

Well, this one might just top the lot. An article which appeared in the Courier Mail this week reported that The Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Campbell Newman has called for a feng shui make over of the Chinatown Mall in Fortitude Valley. According to the report dated December 17 th, the Mayor said the aesthetics of the mall are apparently “draining its wealth, prosperity and luck.”

Further, he explained that according to feng shui principles, the design of the Chinatown Mall meant valuable visitor dollars were being washed away with the site’s qi, or energy, every day into nearby Wickham Street. Hoping to rectify the situation, Cr Newman yesterday unveiled plans for an $8 million feng-shui approved revamp of the mall which will include three terraced zones split into Chinese dynasty themes.

The revamp has been prompted by safety issues surrounding the pagodas and other decorations in the mall. A legitimate reason for upgrading sure, but is it really necessary to include feng shui nonsense in this upgrade? Although there is no mention in this article of the cost of consulting a feng shui professional, I assume the council either has, or plans to do so. And exactly what will these so-called professionals actually do? Charge the council thousands to “make-shit-up” mostly likely.

Perhaps this is an example of the council pandering to the Chinese community. But need I remind Cr Newman that it’s engineering which enables buildings to stand up, not some namby-pamby ancient wisdom, feng shui bullshit.

If I were a Brisbane resident, I would certainly be asking questions as to why my council is wasting my precious taxes on this brand of nonsense.

‘Nuff said.

Mind Body Spirit happens every 6 months in Sydney and the description on the website is as follows; “…Australia’s largest event for personal growth, natural therapies, alternative healing, self development, spiritual awareness and much more. See, try and buy hundreds of products and services for your total wellbeing: physical, mental and spiritual”.

This is a woo festival on a huge scale! With over 190 exhibitors, spiritual cinema, free seminars, free performance stage, free positive thinking a meditation centre, and of course it wouldn’t be the same without the psychics and clairvoyants. Accordingly, there is a psychic reading room with over 60 of the best clairvoyants, who will sting you $40 for a 25 min reading or $80 for 50 mins. This room is always packed and you are advised to book ahead. Back in May, this room was constantly buzzing. This year there are several seminars from the psychics featured on “The One” but before I delve into that, I want to bring to your attention, some of the more weird and wonderful exhibitors.

Weird

Ouch!

Noseworks are suppliers of a product known as Neti Pot (also known as Nasal Cleansing Pot or Jala Neti). This thing looks like a tea pot with an inverted spout. According to an instructional video on the website, you fill it with warm salty water and then flush your sinuses by pouring it up your nose!

And another website proclaims this process to be a “….simple solution to asthma, sinusitis, snoring, hay fever, blocked noses, sneezing, sinus headaches”. And even better, “It has a cooling and soothing effect on the brain and is therefore beneficial for headaches, migraine and general mental tension”. What? How does it get into your brain???

And there’s more… “Regular cleansing helps the eyes, ears and mind become clearer” and “It helps clear the mind giving you a sense of lightness and clarity which aids better concentration”

Go ahead and shove this thing up your nose if you wish. I know one thing, you will most certainly look silly, but as for the rest of the claims? Dubious to say the least. And the part about clearing your mind and cooling your brain? There is no basis in science for this. But wait, why listen to me? Apparently this thing has featured on Oprah, but then so has Tom Cruise and Jenny Macarthy…..

More weirdness

Nana Mays Magic Hands and Tea Cup Readings with Betty? Doesn’t this sound like a lovely old lady, straight out of the 1950s who makes you a “nice cuppa tea” and reads your leaves? I thought this stuff went out of fashion years ago. Hasn’t Betty heard of the “Coffee Oracle” by Stacey Demarco? We’ve gone espresso now my dear…As for Nana Mays Magic hands? No idea but I’ll be certain to check this one out.

[youtube=http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=BwMI9wOLrZ4]

Wrong

All across the festival there are stalls and seminars espousing the benefits of drinking “alkaline water”. One is entitled “How water can cure incurable diseases” (grrr, misleading in the extreme), but when I did some further digging it’s just alkaline water again. And another; “Food intolerances, digestive enzymes and alkalisation”, which apparently will report on two new digestive enzymes that will greatly boost your digestive power? Digestive power? Sounds like a washing powder to me.

Proponents of this stuff claim;

Looks just like water to me

“The negative ions in alkaline water are a rich source of electrons that can be donated to …free radicals in the body, neutralising them and stopping them from damaging healthy tissues”.

Nonsense, when you drink alkaline water, its alkalinity is quickly removed by the highly acidic gastric fluid in the stomach. And the body regulates it’s pH by buffering with bicarbonate ions and breathing off CO2. This is pure pseudoscience nonsense

Supernatural

Of course it wouldn’t be MB$ without the usual collection of psychics and this year there is a contingent from “The One – the search for Australia’s most gifted psychic” giving seminars such as, “Connecting with Spirit”, “Messages from Beyond” and “You too can be The One – how to develop your own psychic gifts”. These sounds decidedly normal stacked up against “Sonic re-birthing through sound therapy”, “The Atlantian pathway to Isis” and “Psychic spoon bending and Egyptian Alchemy”.

And folks, this is just the beginning of four days of the strange, the supernatural and the silly. Combined with the usual suspects, being the iridologists, chiropractors, Chinese medicine, reflexologists, aura capturers, angels, orb spotters, ear candles, etc. we are certainly in for an interesting experience.

I have an accompanying blog about MB$ on scepticsbook.com. Thanks to everyone who has been emailing me, I appreciate your feedback, comments and suggestions.