When Strangers Come Knocking---Part 19

 

This is the next installment of my series to be published the first Monday of each month.

There are members of false sects, like Jehovah's Witnesses, that come knocking door-to-door hoping to convert you. Instead of ignoring them, it is we who should try and convert them. In 1 Peter 3:16, our first Pope writes, "But in thy hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks thee to give the reason for the hope that thou hast. But do this with gentleness and respect,..." Before the Great Apostasy, the Church would send missionaries to the ends of the Earth to make as many converts as possible. 

Those in false religions don't always come (literally) knocking at your door. It may be a Hindu at work who wants you to try yoga. It could be a "Christian Scientist" who lives next door and invites you to come to their reading room. Each month, I will present a false sect. Unlike the Vatican II sect, I do not see them as a "means of salvation" or possessing "elements of truth" that lead to salvation. That is heresy. They lead to damnation, and the adherents of the various sects must be converted so they may be saved.

In each month's post, I will present one false sect and give an overview of: 

• The sect's history
• Their theology
• Tips on how to share the True Faith with them

The Chopra Center for Well Being

A religion is usually considered by sociologists as having "a creed (beliefs), a code (ethical standards), and a cult (way of worship)." Some add a "fourth C" for "community structure." Many sects are obviously religions, such as Islam, Mormonism, etc. Other sects are not so obvious. They don't claim the status of a religion or have formal clergy. Nevertheless, they have devoted followers who believe what they teach, and follow what they're told to do. The followers may even claim to belong to a formal religion, but the sect shapes their views in spite of such membership. 

Such is the case of Deepak Chopra (b. 1947), an Indian medical doctor who has become, what I consider, a quasi-cult leader. Chopra abandoned traditional medicine for so-called "alternative medicine," and spouts gibberish that won him admiration, followers, and lots of money. His net worth has been estimated by some at $150 million, and by other sources at $80 million. (See, e.g., therichest.com/celebnetworth/celeb/authors/deepak-chopra-net-worth/). In either case his blathering has made him a fortune. 

Read this quote of Chopra: "Research has shown that the best way to be happy is to make each day happy." Compare: "Our consciousness is mirrored in descriptions of potentiality." While both are equally asinine, the former is real (See brainyquote.com/quotes/deepak_chopra_453953), while the latter comes from a satire site wisdomofchopra.com which states:

It has been said by some that the thoughts and tweets of Deepak Chopra are indistinguishable from a set of profound sounding words put together in a random order, particularly the tweets tagged with "#cosmisconciousness". This site aims to test that claim! Each "quote" is generated from a list of words that can be found in Deepak Chopra's Twitter stream randomly stuck together in a sentence.(N.B. While I agree that Chopra is no profound thinker, and the website makes that point in a very clever manner, the site owner is antithetical to all religion---calling himself a "skeptic"---and my use of the quote generator is not be be considered an endorsement of said website---Introibo). 

In this post, I will expose Chopra's blend of New Age thought, Hinduism, and pseudo-science, which had caused more than one person to accept his false version of Christ. 

The Medical Guru

Deepak Chopra was born in New Delhi, India to a wealthy Hindu family. His father was a respected cardiologist at the time and encouraged his son to follow the same path. Chopra, however, had other ideas: he wanted to become a journalist or actor. Ultimately, he chose to become a physician like his father. In 1964, he entered medical school in India, and became a village doctor. He got married to his wife, Rita, in 1970 and came to the United States. In 1973 he became a licensed physician and Board Certified endocrinologist. 

Dr. Chopra rose quickly in his profession. By 1980, New England Memorial Hospital named Deepak Chopra Chief-of-Staff. His life would change forever in 1981 during a trip back to his native India, when Chopra was introduced to ayurveda, an ancient Indian "folk medicine" (i.e., pagan) tradition. Ayurveda would prove to provide the basis for Chopra’s future theories. As a result of stress tied to his role as a physician, Chopra reports drinking and smoking heavily while on staff at New England Memorial Hospital. Having become skeptical of traditional medicine, he turned to ayurvedic medicine to combat these problems. (See Hans Baer, “The Work of Andrew Weil and Deepak Chopra – Two Holistic Health/New Age Gurus: A Critique of the Holistic Health/New Age Movements.” Medical Anthropology Quarterly 2:233-50).  

Upon his return to the United States, Chopra read a book on Transcendental Meditation  (aka "TM") which was sweeping the nation during the 1980s. Fascinated by this pagan form of meditation, Chopra attended a seminar conducted by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (b. Mahesh Prasad Varma in 1918, d. 2008), the so-called “father of Transcendental Meditation.” Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was dedicated to the demon "gods" of Hinduism. His rise to fame and fortune began in the late 1960s when he taught his system to the evil rock group The Beatles and later to the also infamous group, The Beach Boys.

Allegedly, the combination of TM and Ayurveda caused a dramatic personal transformation. (Ibid)

In 1985, he left traditional medicine to open the Maharishi Ayurveda Health Center for Stress Management in Lancaster, Massachusetts. (As of this writing, Chopra is still licensed to practice medicine in both Massachusetts and California).  Deepak Chopra published his first book, entitled Quantum Healing, in 1989. The book describes ways in which to heal the body from within using "quantum mechanics." The next book published was Unconditional Life: Discovering the Power to Fulfill Your Dreams. These writings took off and made Chopra a household name after Chopra appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show in 1991 to promote them and his esoteric pagan ideas. 

In 1993, Chopra left Maharishi’s company and began working for Sharp Health Care as the Executive Director at their Institute for Human Potential and Mind-Body Medicine, only to leave three years later to found his own organization, The Chopra Center of Well Being. Chopra's whacky beliefs will be examined next. 

A "Well Being" That is Dangerous to Mind, Body, and Soul

 “Ayurvedic medicine” is a method of diagnosis and treatment based upon a Hindu approach not only to the body but to life in general. The word ayuvedic comes from two Sanskrit words that roughly translate as "knowledge of life." Chopra is the most infamous and ardent medical pro­moter of this uniquely Hindu approach to medical care. Physically, the approach of ayurveda can be divided into three basic categories:

•  well-established health principles (adequate rest, sleep, exercise, nutrition, etc.)

• use of “natural” remedies such as herbs and plants which are codified in numer­ous ayurvedic texts

• ideas, concepts and treatments that can only be consid­ered unscientific or occultic

Since the first two categories are unobjectionable, and even make good sense, traditional medical doctors don't care about the spiritual implications of the third category which pervades the whole system. Occult practices in medicine have now infiltrated even the best places in traditional medicine. The prestigious Johns Hopkins Medical Center has this to say:

 In India, Ayurveda is considered a form of medical care, equal to conventional Western medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, naturopathic medicine, and homeopathic medicine. Practitioners of Ayurveda in India undergo state-recognized, institutionalized training. Currently, Ayurvedic practitioners are not licensed in the United States, and there is no national standard for Ayurvedic training or certification. However, Ayurvedic schools have gained approval as educational institutions in some states.  (See hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/ayurveda; Emphasis mine).

Johns Hopkins apparently sees no problem with this:

The concepts of universal interconnectedness, the body's constitution (prakriti), and life forces (doshas) are the primary basis of ayurvedic medicine. (Ibid). 

Also:

Many Ayurvedic materials have not been thoroughly studied in either Western or Indian research. Some of the products used in Ayurvedic medicine contain herbs, metals, minerals, or other materials that may be harmful if used improperly or without the direction of a trained practitioner. Ayurvedic medicines are regulated as dietary supplements rather than as drugs in the United States, so they are not required to meet the safety and efficacy standards for conventional medicines. These medicines can interact, or work against, the effects of Western medicines. Investigate the training and background of Ayurvedic practitioners whom you intend to use. (Ibid; Emphasis mine).

Here, we clearly see that the non-scientific and non-medicinal concepts ("prakriti," doshas," etc.) are glossed over, while it is admitted that (a) much of ayurveda has not been thoroughly studied; (b) some products used can be harmful; (c) the materials are not required to meet the safety and efficacy standards of traditional medicine; (d) ayurvedic "practitioners" have no license and objective measures of education and training; yet you, the patient, are somehow expected to "investigate the training and background" of people who are basically on the same level as the Native American "medicine man." People should be warned to stay away, and would have been so warned only thirty years ago. 

Proof of ayurvedic dangers is plentiful:

This is illustrated by the case of Rauwolfia serpentina, one of the few Indian medicinal herbs to find its way into Western medicine. Beginning in the 1950s, the main active component of the herb, reserpine, was used to treat psychosis and high blood pressure. Careful studies since then have shown that the drug can cause depression, headaches, nightmares, irregular heartbeat, diminished libido, aggravation of ulcers, and a variety of other adverse effects. At the same time, safer and more effective drugs were developed for treating psychosis and hypertension. The turnaround took place over a decade or two. Ayurvedic physicians, on the other hand, have used the herb for hundreds of years without a thorough understanding of its dangers and limitations. Because they don’t evaluate the effects of their prescriptions in a systematic, scientific manner, the same is probably true for most of the herbs they use

(See Kurt Butler, A Consumer’s Guide to “Alternative Medicine” [1992], pg. 111). 

Since Ayurveda attributes many diseases to demons and astrological influences, it is not surprising that incantations, amulets, spells, and mantras are commonly used remedies. Goat feces washed with urine is prescribed for alcoholism and indigestion, milk mixed with urine for constipation. Enemas of animal blood are recommended for hemorrhage. Enemas of urine and peacock testicles are used to treat impotence. Hundreds of such remedies are codified in ayurvedic texts such as Caraka Samhita, translated and edited by P. V. Sharma. (Ibid, pg.112; Emphasis mine). 

How can Dr. Chopra, a Board Certified endocrinologist in the United States, take this pseudo-medicinal and dangerous practice seriously? It is because his pagan-New Age ideology has led him to believe that people can stop aging and disease--possibly even cheating death itself. That's what makes him so popular among the masses. 

Chopra in His Own Words

The ancient doctors of India were also great sages, and their cardinal belief was that the body is created out of consciousness…. Theirs was a medicine of consciousness, and their way of treating disease pierced the body’s matter and went deeper, into the core of mind. When you look at ayurveda’s anatomical charts, you don’t see the familiar organs pictured in Gray’s Anatomy, but a hidden diagram of where the mind is flowing as it creates the body. This flow is what ayurveda treats.(See Quantum Healing pgs. 5-6). 

Hence, ayurveda is thus not based on the scientific disciplines or on traditional anatomy but upon the theory that the physical body is part of the “flow” of the mind. 

In ayurveda, each and every symptom of disease, from a minor neck pain to a full-blown cancer, is under the control of attention [divine consciousness]. However, between us and the symptom lie barriers—the veils called Maya [Hindu for illusion]—that prevent us from exercising our attention [divine consciousness] in a therapeutic way. All mind-body medicine attempts to remove these obstacles so that healing can take place….[It is important] to have a science of awareness. Ayurveda supplies just that…. When I teach people Maharishi’s ayurvedic healing techniques…. I am trying to let them realize that their own awareness [divine consciousness] creates, controls, and turns into their bodies…. Together, meditation, the bliss technique, and primordial sound are the practical application of all that I have been building up to, the tools of quantum healing. (Ibid, pgs. 237-239).

The pantheistic-Hindu concept of the world being "part of the Divine" is clearly shown. In his 1994 book Ageless Body, Timeless Mind: The Quantum Alternative to Growing Old, Chopra informs his readers who desire “true health” that they must discard ten false and harmful assumptions con­cerning who they are and the world in which they live. These “dangerous” assump­tions include such ideas as:

There is an objective world independent of the observer, and our bodies are an aspect of this objective world…. Materialism is primary, consciousness is secondary…. Our perception of the world is automatic and gives us an accurate picture of how things really are…. [We are inevitable victims of sickness, aging, and death.] (See Ageless Body, Timeless Mind: The Quantum Alternative to Growing Old pgs.4-7)

Chopra proceeds to argue that such false ideas are part of the passing “old paradigm” and are inaccurate reflections of true reality. In fact, he offers the incred­ible explanation that such ideas “are inventions of the human mind….”! Suppos­edly, the only reason that we accept anything as objectively or phenomenologically real is because of the “tyranny of the senses.” Even time and space are them­selves mere “products of our five senses.” (Ibid) He claims we have a "quantum mechanical body" and if we make our reality ageless and disease-free, we can be cured of every ailment, stay healthy and remain forever young. It is ludicrous for a trained medical doctor and former chief of staff at a major hospital to even assume there is such a thing as a “quantum mechanical body,” let alone to base an entire system of healthcare upon it; further, to tell people that aging and disease can be prevented by adopting occult beliefs and practices is pure quackery.

Chopra asserts his views are clearly supported by quantum physics and for years he refers readers to the book The Cosmic Code: Quantum Physics as the Language of Nature by eminent physicist Heinz R. Pagels. Ironically, Pagels himself denounces Chopra’s claims as “nonsense.”  (See Andrew A. Skolnick, “Maharishi Ayur-Veda: Guru’s Marketing Scheme Promises the World Eternal ‘Perfect Health,’” Journal of the American Medical Association, October 1991, p. 1749).

Chopra's False "Christ"

How are those who allegedly profess Christianity taken in by Chopra? They buy his books and live by his advice seeing no conflict between his teachings and Christ. A true deceiver, Chopra wrote two books on Our Lord Jesus Christ; Jesus: A Story of Enlightenment (2008), and The Third Jesus: The Christ We Cannot Ignore (2009). The Indian doctor informs us Christ is God in the same pantheistic sense we are all "God." He claims, like the Buddha, Christ was especially "enlightened." How did He become so? Between the age of 12 when He was found in the Temple by His Blessed Mother and St. Joseph, and before His public ministry at age 30, Christ traveled to India and "became wise from their (occult)  teachings" (just as Chopra did in 1981). 

He bases this claim on the Gnostic so-called "gospels" which were universally rejected by the early Church as false. In the Gnostic "Gospel of St Thomas," Jesus is falsely said to have stated, "I am the light that is over all things. I am all: from me all came forth, and to me all attained. Split a piece of wood; I am there. Lift up the stone, and you will find me there." (See Jesus: A Story of Enlightenment, pg. 77). This is used to promote his pantheism blasphemously using Jesus as "proof." The assertion that Jesus went to India is actually based on a book written in 1894 by Nicholas Notovitch entitled The Life of Saint Issa, in which he claims to have seen an ancient document in a Himalayan monastery that describes Christ studying Buddhism in India. When journalists went there, not only was there no evidence of any such document, it was proven Notovich was never there. It was all a hoax that made him money.  

Proselytizing Followers of Chopra

Since Deepak Chopra combines Hinduism and New Age ideologies (along with pseudo-medicine) the best way to reach his followers is by attacking aspects of those beliefs. 

• Chopra asserts that people who believe in a world external to their senses are caught in the grip of an illusion, because "all is one." How does Chopra know it is we who are deceived by our common sense experience and not himself for thinking that "all is one;" contrary to what reason and sense experience tells us?

• The burden of proof is clearly on Chopra to tell us why we should abandon our common ability to distinguish between fact and fantasy. We should believe what our experience tells us is true unless or until we have good reason to think otherwise. Chopra reverses this and would have us believe what is counter-intuitive is true despite the lack of evidence. This is absurd.

• How can you believe a man who claims his theories of medicine are based on quantum physics, yet no physicist, including the one he cites, has ever supported him but actually dismissed his claims as nonsense?

• He makes claims about Jesus Christ (such as traveling to India) which are demonstrable lies. His information also comes from Gnostic texts, which were long ago proven false.

• If we create reality, who created us? Do other minds exist, or are other people just "reality we create"? Chopra replaces God with YOU. Do you really think you are "god"? 

Conclusion

People who desire “true health” will discover their best odds can be found through a healthy lifestyle and a responsible application of scientifically sound medi­cine, not in ancient occult paganism rooted in pantheistic concepts. Christ is God Incarnate, not an enlightened "god among many" Who studied Buddhism in India. It is to such paganism that Chopra and ayurveda would have us devote our souls. In a sane world, he would be stripped of his licenses to practice medicine. Worse than his damage to bodies, is his leading of souls to eternal death.

If it were ever made a cause of action, Chopra should be sued for "theological malpractice."