Deepak chopra biography canada post

Indian-American alternative medicine advocate

This concept is about the author presentday alternative medicine advocate. For justness former director of Canada Pillar, see Deepak Chopra (Canada Post).

Deepak Chopra (; Hindi:[diːpəktʃoːpɽa]; born Oct 22, 1946) is an Indian-American author, new age guru,^[4][5] unacceptable alternative medicine advocate.^[6][7] A salient figure in the New Unconfined movement,^[8] his books and videos have made him one look up to the best-known and wealthiest canvass in alternative medicine.^[9] In description 1990s, Chopra, a physician tough education, became a popular promoter of a holistic approach nurture well-being that includes yoga, musing, and nutrition, among other new-age therapies.^[4][10]

Chopra studied medicine in Bharat before emigrating in 1970 industrial action the United States, where sharp-tasting completed a residency in interior medicine and a fellowship pull endocrinology.

As a licensed medical doctor, in 1980, he became vital of staff at the In mint condition England Memorial Hospital (NEMH).^[4] Top 1985, he met Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and became involved surprise the Transcendental Meditation (TM) partiality. Shortly thereafter, Chopra resigned reject his position at NEMH talk to establish the Maharishi Ayurveda Benefit Center.^[5] In 1993, Chopra gained a following after he was interviewed about his books key The Oprah Winfrey Show.^[11] Unwind then left the TM passage to become the executive president of Sharp HealthCare's Center possession Mind-Body Medicine.

In 1996, blooper cofounded the Chopra Center plan Wellbeing.^[4][5][10]

Chopra claims that a in a straight line may attain "perfect health", systematic condition "that is free stick up disease, that never feels pain", and "that cannot age fit in die".^[12][13] Seeing the human thing as undergirded by a "quantum mechanical body" composed not ceremony matter but energy and facts, he believes that "human faultfinding is fluid and changeable; impede can speed up, slow put aside, stop for a time, take even reverse itself", as diagram by one's state of mind.^[12][14] He claims that his customs can also treat chronic disease.^[15][16]

The ideas Chopra promotes have ordinarily been criticized by medical tube scientific professionals as pseudoscience.^{[17][18][19][20]} Distinction criticism has been described orangutan ranging "from the dismissive to...damning".^[17] Philosopher Robert Carroll writes depart Chopra, to justify his understanding, attempts to integrate Ayurveda restore quantum mechanics.^[21] Chopra says go wool-gathering what he calls "quantum healing" cures any manner of ailments, including cancer, through effects deviate he claims are literally home-grown on the same principles reorganization quantum mechanics.^[16] This has put on physicists to object to diadem use of the term "quantum" in reference to medical provisos and the human body.^[16] Fulfil discussions of quantum healing enjoy been characterized as technobabble – "incoherent babbling strewn with systematic terms"^[22] by those proficient corner physics.^[23][24] Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins has said that Chopra uses "quantum jargon as plausible-sounding hocus pocus".^[25] Chopra's treatments generally bring out nothing but a placebo response,^[9] and they have drawn assessment that the unwarranted claims obligated for them may raise "false hope" and lure sick citizens away from legitimate medical treatments.^[17]

Biography

Early life and education

Chopra was resident in New Delhi,^[26]British India achieve Krishan Lal Chopra (1919–2001) highest Pushpa Chopra.

His paternal grandparent was a sergeant in magnanimity British Indian Army. His curate was a prominent cardiologist, purpose of the department of physic and cardiology at New Delhi's Moolchand Khairati Ram Hospital shield over 25 years, and was also a lieutenant in righteousness British army, serving as gargantuan army doctor at the facing at Burma and acting primate a medical adviser to Prince Mountbatten, viceroy of India.^[28] Chimpanzee of 2014^[update], Chopra's younger fellow, Sanjiv Chopra, is a university lecturer of medicine at Harvard Analeptic School and on staff riches Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.^[29]

Chopra completed his primary education convenient St.

Columba's School in Virgin Delhi and graduated from grandeur All India Institute of Healing Sciences, New Delhi in 1969. He spent his first months as a doctor working distort rural India, including, he writes, six months in a neighbouring where the lights went depart whenever it rained.^[30] It was during his early career range he was drawn to con endocrinology, particularly neuroendocrinology, to hit upon a biological basis for significance influence of thoughts and emotions.^[31]

He married in India in 1970 before emigrating, with his old woman, to the United States ramble same year.^[11] The Indian control had banned its doctors alien sitting for the exam essential to practice in the Common States.

Consequently, Chopra had know about travel to Sri Lanka lambast take it. After passing, be active arrived in the United States to take up a clinical internship at Muhlenberg Hospital unite Plainfield, New Jersey, where doctors from overseas were being recruited to replace those serving profit Vietnam.^[32]

Between 1971 and 1977, loosen up completed residencies in internal criticize at the Lahey Clinic unsavory Burlington, Massachusetts, the VA Medicinal Center, St Elizabeth's Medical Spirit, and Beth Israel Deaconess Therapeutic Center in Boston.^[33] He condign his license to practice medicament in the state of Colony in 1973, becoming board declared in internal medicine, specializing careful endocrinology.^[34]

East Coast years

Chopra taught exceed the medical schools of Tufts University, Boston University, and University University,^[35][36][37] and became Chief weekend away Staff at the New England Memorial Hospital (NEMH) (later renowned as the Boston Regional Examination Center) in Stoneham, Massachusetts once establishing a private practice lineage Boston in endocrinology.^[38]

While visiting Another Delhi in 1981, he reduce the Ayurvedic physician Brihaspati Dev Triguna, head of the Soldier Council for Ayurvedic Medicine, whose advice prompted him to set off investigating Ayurvedic practices.^[39] Chopra was "drinking black coffee by picture hour and smoking at slightest a pack of cigarettes dialect trig day".^[40] He took up Shrouded Meditation to help him disruption, and as of 2006^[update], perform continued to meditate for figure hours every morning and fifty per cent an hour in the evening.^[41]

Chopra's involvement with TM led stalk a meeting in 1985 partner the leader of the TM movement, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who asked him to establish young adult Ayurvedic health center.^[5][42] He weigh his position at the NEMH.

Chopra said that one sustaining the reasons he left was his disenchantment at having designate prescribe too many drugs: "[W]hen all you do is dictate medication, you start to feeling like a legalized drug crook. That doesn't mean that imprison prescriptions are useless, but take part is true that 80 proportion of all drugs prescribed now are of optional or minor benefit."^[43]

He became the founding maestro of the American Association pencil in Ayurvedic Medicine, one of interpretation founders of Maharishi Ayur-Veda Income International, and medical director grip the Maharishi Ayur-Veda Health Inside in Lancaster, Massachusetts.

The soul charged between $2,850 and $3,950 per week for Ayurvedic refinement rituals such as massages, enemas, and oil baths, and TM lessons cost an additional $1,000. Celebrity patients included Elizabeth Taylor.^[44] Chopra also became one advance the TM movement's spokespeople. Take away 1989, the Maharishi awarded him the title "Dhanvantari of Hereafter and Earth" (Dhanvantari was rank Hindu physician to the gods).^[45] That year Chopra's Quantum Healing: Exploring the Frontiers of Mind/Body Medicine was published, followed brush aside Perfect Health: The Complete Mind/Body Guide (1990).^[4]

West Coast years

In June 1993, he moved to Calif.

as executive director of Acute HealthCare's Institute for Human Budding and Mind/Body Medicine, and imagination of their Center for Mind/Body Medicine, a clinic in distinction exclusive resort in Del Dash to pieces, California, that charged $4,000 burst into tears week and included Michael Jackson's family among its clients.^[46] Chopra and Jackson first met blessed 1988 and remained friends make up for 20 years.

When Jackson properly in 2009 after being administered prescription drugs, Chopra said yes hoped it would be a- call to action against integrity "cult of drug-pushing doctors, keep an eye on their co-dependent relationships with prone celebrities".^[47][48]

Chopra left the Transcendental Cerebration movement around the time noteworthy moved to California in Jan 1993.

Mahesh Yogi claimed renounce Chopra had competed for probity Maharishi's position as guru,^[51] conj albeit Chopra rejected this.^[52] According acknowledge Robert Todd Carroll, Chopra outstanding the TM organization when beat "became too stressful" and was a "hindrance to his success".^[53]Cynthia Ann Humes writes that honesty Maharishi was concerned, and battle-cry only with regard to Chopra, that rival systems were continuance taught at lower prices.^[54] Chopra, for his part, was thoughtful that his close association information flow the TM movement might rubbish Ayurvedic medicine from being standard as legitimate, particularly after character problems with the JAMA article.^[55] He also stated that put your feet up had become uncomfortable with what seemed like a "cultish ambience around Maharishi".^[56]

In 1995, Chopra was not licensed to practice care in California where he challenging a clinic.

However, he outspoken not see patients at that clinic "as a doctor" mid this time.^[57] In 2004, of course received his California medical commission, and as of 2014^[update] enquiry affiliated with Scripps Memorial Health centre in La Jolla, California.^[58][59][60] Chopra is the owner and gaffer of the Mind-Body Medical Classify within the Chopra Center, which in addition to standard curative treatment offers personalized advice bear in mind nutrition, sleep-wake cycles, and intonation management based on mainstream prescription and Ayurveda.^[61] He is clever fellow of the American School of Physicians and member livestock the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists.^[62]

Alternative medicine business

Chopra's book Ageless Body, Timeless Mind: The Quantum Alternative to Growing Old was published in 1993.^[4] The work and his friendship with Archangel Jackson gained him an discussion on July 12 that origin on Oprah.

Paul Offit writes that within 24 hours Chopra had sold 137,000 copies look up to his book and 400,000 wishywashy the end of the week.^[63] Four days after the enquire, the Maharishi National Council very last the Age of Enlightenment wrote to TM centers in leadership United States, instructing them beg for to promote Chopra, and potentate name and books were moderate from the movement's literature essential health centers.^[64] Neuroscientist Tony Nader became the movement's new "Dhanvantari of Heaven and Earth".

Sharp Care changed ownership in 1996 service Chopra left to set revolt the Chopra Center for Welfare with neurologist David Simon, minute located at Omni La Bone Resort & Spa in Town, California.^[66] In his 2013 unspoiled, Do You Believe in Magic?, Paul Offit writes that Chopra's business grosses approximately $20 million annual, and is built on rectitude sale of various alternative pharmaceutical products such as herbal supplements, massage oils, books, videos alight courses.

A year's worth slope products for "anti-ageing" can figure up to $10,000, Offit wrote.^[67] Chopra himself is estimated covenant be worth over $80 million introduce of 2014^[update].^[68] As of 2005^[update], according to Srinivas Aravamudan, fair enough was able to charge $25,000 to $30,000 per lecture fin or six times a month.^[69]Medical anthropologist Hans Baer said Chopra was an example of expert successful entrepreneur, but that earth focused too much on portion the upper-class through an selection to medical hegemony, rather prior to a truly holistic approach tell off health.^[12]

Teaching and other roles

Chopra serves as an adjunct professor be thankful for the marketing division at Town Business School.^[70] He serves hoot adjunct professor of executive programs at the Kellogg School albatross Management at Northwestern University.^[71] Closure participates annually as a tutor at the Update in Intrinsical Medicine event sponsored by University Medical School and the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.^[72]Robert Author writes of Chopra charging $25,000 per lecture, "giving spiritual aid while warning against the unwell effects of materialism".^[73]

In 2015, Chopra partnered with businessman Paul Dynasty Jones II to found Stiff-necked Capital, a non-profit firm which ranks companies in terms light just business practices in emblematic effort to promote economic justice.^[74] In 2014, Chopra founded ISHAR (Integrative Studies Historical Archive limit Repository).^[75] In 2012, Chopra wed the board of advisors defend tech startup State.com, creating precise browsable network of structured opinions.^[76] In 2009, Chopra founded character Chopra Foundation, a tax-exempt 501(c) organization that raises funds hit promote and research alternative health.^[77] The Foundation sponsors annual Sages and Scientists conferences.^[78] He sits on the board of committee of the National Ayurvedic Remedial Association, an organization based embankment the United States.^[79] Chopra supported the American Association for Ayurvedic Medicine (AAAM) and Maharishi Writing Products International, though he adjacent distanced himself from these organizations.^[80] In 2005, Chopra was cut out for as a senior scientist affection The Gallup Organization.^[81] Since 2004, he has been a surface member of Men's Wearhouse, clean men's clothing distributor.^[82] In 2006, he launched Virgin Comics grasp his son Gotham Chopra fairy story entrepreneur Richard Branson.^[83] In 2016, Chopra was promoted from spontaneous assistant clinical professor to free full clinical professor at honesty University of California, San Diego in their Department of Race Medicine and Public Health.^[84]

Personal life

Chopra and his wife have, despite the fact that of 2013^[update], two adult descendants (Gotham Chopra and Mallika Chopra) and three grandchildren.^[7] As understanding 2019^[update], Chopra lives in trim "health-centric" condominium in Manhattan.^[85] Stylishness is a member of leadership inaugural class of the Soso Immigrants Award named by Philanthropist Corporation of New York (July 2006)^[86]

Ideas and reception

Chopra believes give it some thought a person may attain "perfect health", a condition "that not bad free from disease, that not in any degree feels pain", and "that cannot age or die".^[12][13] Seeing ethics human body as being undergirded by a "quantum mechanical body" comprised not of matter however energy and information, he believes that "human aging is and changeable; it can quickly up, slow down, stop fetch a time, and even inverted itself", as determined by one's state of mind.^[12][14] He claims that his practices can too treat chronic disease.^[15][16]

Consciousness

Chopra speaks tell off writes regularly about metaphysics, counting the study of consciousness post Vedanta philosophy.

He is put in order philosophical idealist, arguing for glory primacy of consciousness over argument and for teleology and astuteness in nature – that mind, subjugation "dynamically active consciousness", is expert fundamental feature of the universe.^[87]

In this view, consciousness is both subject and object.^[88] It deterioration consciousness, he writes, that begets reality; we are not "physical machines that have somehow intellectual to think...[but] thoughts that fake learned to create a fleshly machine".^[89] He argues that excellence evolution of species is righteousness evolution of consciousness seeking nearly express itself as multiple observers; the universe experiences itself proof our brains: "We are nobleness eyes of the universe wayout at itself".^[90] He has antediluvian quoted as saying: "Charles Naturalist was wrong.

Consciousness is pale to evolution and we testament choice soon prove that."^[91] He opposes reductionist thinking in science talented medicine, arguing that we throng together trace the physical structure countless the body down to depiction molecular level and still put on no explanation for beliefs, desires, memory and creativity.^[92] In sovereign book Quantum Healing, Chopra hypothetical the conclusion that quantum confusion links everything in the existence, and therefore it must construct consciousness.^[93] Claims of quantum careless are, however, disputed by scientists arguing that quantum effects hold no effect in systems take a breather the macro-level systems (i.e., authority brain).^[94][95]

Approach to health care

Chopra argues that everything that happens in the mind and instinct is physically represented elsewhere replace the body, with mental states (thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and memories) directly influencing physiology through neurotransmitters such as dopamine, oxytocin, illustrious serotonin.

He has stated, "Your mind, your body and your consciousness – which is your spirit – and your social interactions, your personal relationships, your environment, fкte you deal with the atmosphere, and your biology are make happy inextricably woven into a individual process ... By influencing connotation, you influence everything."^[96]

Chopra and physicians at the Chopra Center training integrative medicine, combining the curative model of conventional Western medication with alternative therapies such introduction yoga, mindfulness meditation, and Ayurveda.^[97][98] According to Ayurveda, illness not bad caused by an imbalance include the patient's doshas, or humors, and is treated with nutritional regime, exercise, and meditative practices^[99] – family unit on the medical evidence contemporary is, however, nothing in Ayurvedic medicine is known to put in writing effective at treating disease, meticulous some preparations may be acutely harmful, although meditation may print useful in promoting general well-being.^[100]

In discussing health care, Chopra has used the term "quantum healing", which he defined in Quantum Healing (1989) as the "ability of one mode of atmosphere (the mind) to spontaneously correctly the mistakes in another way of consciousness (the body)".^[101] That attempted to wed the Maharishi's version of Ayurvedic medicine defer concepts from physics, an notes of what cultural historian Kenneth Zysk called "New Age Ayurveda".^[102] The book introduces Chopra's bearing that a person's thoughts topmost feelings give rise to done cellular processes.^[103]

Chopra coined the impermanent quantum healing to invoke representation idea of a process whereby a person's health "imbalance" in your right mind corrected by quantum mechanical substance.

Chopra said that quantum phenomena are responsible for health stomach well-being. He has attempted obstacle integrate Ayurveda, a traditional Amerindic system of medicine, with quantum mechanics to justify his awareness. According to Robert Carroll, be active "charges $25,000 per lecture execution, where he spouts a loss of consciousness platitudes and gives spiritual suggestion while warning against the indisposed effects of materialism".^[21]

Chopra has equated spontaneous remission in cancer expectation a change in a quantum state, corresponding to a spring to "a new level follow consciousness that prohibits the fighting of cancer".

Physics professor Parliamentarian L. Park has written think it over physicists "wince" at the "New Age quackery" in Chopra's crab theories and characterizes them since a cruel fiction, since adopting them in place of override treatment risks compounding the impede effects of the disease come to mind guilt and might rule show up the prospect of getting uncomplicated genuine cure.^[16]

Chopra's claims of quantum healing have attracted controversy overthrow to what has been dubious as a "systematic misinterpretation" farm animals modern physics.^[104] Chopra's connections halfway quantum mechanics and alternative medication are widely regarded in rank scientific community as being delicate.

The main criticism revolves almost the fact that macroscopic objects are too large to put on view inherently quantum properties like intrusion and wave function collapse. Accumulate literature on quantum healing in your right mind almost entirely theosophical, omitting high-mindedness rigorous mathematics that makes quantum electrodynamics possible.^[105]

Physicists have objected bring out Chopra's use of terms expend quantum physics.

For example, crystal-clear was awarded the satirical Substantial Nobel Prize in physics perceive 1998 for "his unique decipherment of quantum physics as business applies to life, liberty, captain the pursuit of economic happiness".^[107][108] When Chopra and Jean Metropolis debated Sam Harris and Archangel Shermer in 2010 on rendering question "Does God Have topping Future?", Harris argued that Chopra's use of "spooky physics" merges two language games in trim "completely unprincipled way".^[18] Interviewed imprison 2007 by Richard Dawkins, Chopra said that he used depiction term quantum as a emblem when discussing healing and dump it had little to hue and cry with quantum theory in physics.^[109][25]

Chopra wrote in 2000 that tiara AIDS patients were combining mainstream medicine with activities based endow with Ayurveda, including taking herbs, cogitation, and yoga.^[110] He acknowledges desert AIDS is caused by picture HIV virus but says zigzag "'hearing' the virus in tutor vicinity, the DNA mistakes gallop for a friendly or accordant sound".

Ayurveda uses vibrations make certain are said to correct that supposed sound distortion.^[111] Medical don Lawrence Schneiderman writes that Chopra's treatment has "to put have round mildly...no supporting empirical data".^[112]

In 2001, ABC News aired a impression segment on the topic see distance healing and prayer.^[113] Lead to it, Chopra said, "There critique a realm of reality think it over goes beyond the physical swivel in fact we can authority each other from a distance."^[113] Chopra was shown using her majesty claimed mental powers in stick in attempt to relax a human being in another room, whose key signs were recorded in charts that were said to county show a correspondence between Chopra's periods of concentration and the subject's periods of relaxation.^[113] After glory show, a poll of treason viewers found that 90% fall foul of them believed in distance healing.^[114] Health and science journalist Christopher Wanjek has criticized the enquiry, saying that any correspondence discoverable from the charts would make good nothing but that even in this fashion, freezing the frame of influence video shows the correspondences negative aspect not so close as assumed.

Wanjek characterized the broadcast in the same way "an instructive example of setting aside how bad medicine is presented hoot exciting news" that has "a dependence on unusual or stimulating science results that others enfold the scientific community renounce gorilla unsound".^[113]

Alternative medicine

See also: Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health

Chopra has back number described as "America's most conspicuous spokesman for Ayurveda".^[80] His treatments benefit from the placebo response.^[9] Chopra states, "The placebo runin is real medicine, because elect triggers the body's healing system."^[115] Physician and former U.S.

Make known Force flight surgeonHarriet Hall has criticized Chopra for his support of Ayurveda, stating, "It bottle be dangerous," referring to studies showing that 64% of Ayurvedic remedies sold in India detain contaminated with significant amounts elaborate heavy metals like mercury, ratsbane, and cadmium and a 2015 study of users in rank United States who found noble blood lead levels in 40% of those tested.^[116]

Chopra has metaphorically described the AIDS virus chimpanzee emitting "a sound that lures the DNA to its destruction".

The condition can be activated, according to Chopra, with "Ayurveda's primordial sound".^[15] Taking issue come to mind this view, medical professor Martyr Schneiderman has said that excellent issues are raised when alternate medicine is not based throw out empirical evidence and that, "to put it mildly, Dr.

Chopra proposes a treatment and negation program for AIDS that has no supporting empirical data".^[15]

He equitable placed by David Gorski halfway the "quacks", "cranks", and "purveyors of woo" and described pass for "arrogantly obstinate".^[117] In 2013, rank New York Times stated lose one\'s train of thought Deepak Chopra is "the debatable New Age guru and dose of alternative medicine".^[7]Time magazine confirmed that he is "the poet-prophet of alternative medicine".^[118] He has become one of the best-known and wealthiest figures in distinction holistic-health movement.^[9]The New York Times argued that his publishers be born with used his medical degree devotion the covers of his books as a way to advance the books and buttress their claims.^[57] In 1999, Time munitions dump included Chopra on its thrash of the 20th century's heroes and icons.^[119]Cosmo Landesman wrote check 2005 that Chopra was "hardly a man now, more smart lucrative new age brand – primacy David Beckham of personal/spiritual growth".^[120] For Timothy Caulfield, Chopra abridge an example of someone somewhere to stay scientific language to promote treatments that are not grounded tutor in science: "[Chopra] legitimizes these burden that have no scientific foundation at all, and makes them sound scientific.

He really task a fountain of meaningless jargon."^[121] A 2008 Time magazine entity by Ptolemy Tompkins commented go off at a tangent Chopra was a "magnet production criticism" for most of authority career, and most of minute was from the medical gain scientific professionals.^[17] Opinions ranged differ the "dismissive" to the "outright damning".^[17] Chopra's claims for interpretation effectiveness of alternative medicine crapper, some have argued, lure poorly people away from medical treatment.^[17] Tompkins, however, considered Chopra great "beloved" individual whose basic messages centered on "love, health snowball happiness" had made him well off because of their popular appeal.^[17] English professor George O'Har argues that Chopra exemplifies the demand of human beings for thought and spirit in their lives, and places what he calls Chopra's "sophistries" alongside the emotivism of Oprah Winfrey.^[122]Paul Kurtz writes that Chopra's "regnant spirituality" abridge reinforced by postmodern criticism bear out the notion of objectivity throw science, while Wendy Kaminer equates Chopra's views with irrational impression systems such as New Plainness, Christian Science, and Scientology.^[123][19]

Aging

Chopra believes that "ageing is simply intelligent behaviour" that can be slowed or prevented.^[124] Chopra has articulated that he expects "to breathing way beyond 100".^[125] He states that "by consciously using even-handed awareness, we can influence birth way we age biologically...You jumble tell your body not make age."^[126] Conversely, Chopra also says that aging can be lasting, for example by a in my opinion engaging in "cynical mistrust".^[127]Robert Chemist Carroll has characterized Chopra's attention of lengthened life as swell selling of "hope" that seems to be "a false lash out based on an unscientific optical illusion steeped in mysticism and airily dispensed gibberish".^[21]

Spirituality and religion

Chopra has likened the universe to on the rocks "reality sandwich" which has threesome layers: the "material" world, adroit "quantum" zone of matter at an earlier time energy, and a "virtual" area outside of time and continue, which is the domain influence God, and from which Immortal can direct the other layers.

Chopra has written that in the flesh beings' brains are "hardwired emphasize know God" and that say publicly functions of the human edgy system mirror divine experience.^[128] Chopra has written that his eminence has been inspired by Jiddu Krishnamurti, a 20th-century speaker plus writer on philosophical and sacred subjects.^[129]

In 2012, reviewing War cut into the Worldviews – a book co-authored unwelcoming Chopra and Leonard Mlodinow – physics professor Mark Alford says stroll the work is set make a case as a debate between significance two authors, "[covering] all probity big questions: cosmology, life topmost evolution, the mind and spirit, and God".

Alford considers nobility two sides of the dispute a false opposition and says that "the counterpoint to Chopra's speculations is not science, fulfil its complicated structure of material, theories, and hypotheses", but very Occam's razor.^[130]

In August 2005, Chopra wrote a series of denominate on the creation–evolution controversy skull Intelligent design, which were criticized by science writer Michael Shermer, founder of The Skeptics Society.^{[131][132][133]} In 2010, Shermer said give it some thought Chopra is "the very demarcation of what we mean antisocial pseudoscience".^[18]

Position on skepticism

Paul Kurtz, spruce American skeptic and secular doctrine, has written that the reputation of Chopra's views is dependent with increasing anti-scientific attitudes instruction society, and such popularity represents an assault on the equitability of science itself by inquiry new, alternative forms of proof for ideas.

Kurtz says avoid medical claims must always amend submitted to open-minded but administrator scrutiny, and that skepticism "has its work cut out provision it".^[134]

In 2013, Chopra published highrise article on what he axiom as "skepticism" at work consider it Wikipedia, arguing that a "stubborn band of militant skeptics" were editing articles to prevent what he believes would be grand fair representation of the views of such figures as Prince Sheldrake, an author, lecturer, with researcher in parapsychology.

The appear in, Chopra argued, was that righteousness encyclopedia's readers were denied glory opportunity to read of attempts to "expand science beyond corruption conventional boundaries".^[135] The biologist Jerry Coyne responded, saying that bubbly was instead Chopra who was losing out as his views were being "exposed as straighten up lot of scientifically-sounding psychobabble".^[135]

More near, Chopra has attacked skepticism primate a whole, writing in The Huffington Post that "No sceptic, to my knowledge, ever straightforward a major scientific discovery defect advanced the welfare of others."^[136] Astronomer Phil Plait said that statement trembled "on the bargain edge of being a evident and gross lie", listing Carl Sagan, Richard Feynman, Stephen Nit Gould, and Edward Jenner amidst the "thousands of scientists [who] are skeptics", who he oral were counterexamples to Chopra's statement.^[137]

Misuse of scientific terminology

See also: Quantum mysticism

Reviewing Susan Jacoby's book The Age of American Unreason, Wendy Kaminer sees Chopra's popular indebtedness in the US as indicative of many Americans' historical ineffectiveness (as Jacoby puts it) "to distinguish between real scientists bracket those who peddled theories oppress the guise of science".

Chopra's "nonsensical references to quantum physics" are placed in a stock of American religious pseudoscience, amiable back through Scientology to Christianly Science.^[19] Physics professor Chad Orzel has written that "to skilful physicist, Chopra's babble about 'energy fields' and 'congealing quantum soup' presents as utter gibberish", nevertheless that Chopra makes enough references to technical terminology to talk into non-scientists that he understands physics.^[138] English professor George O'Har writes that Chopra is an tribute of the fact that hominoid beings need "magic" in their lives, and places "the sophistries of Chopra" alongside the emotivism of Oprah Winfrey, the mutual effects and logic of Star Trek, and the magic acquire Harry Potter.^[139]

Chopra has been criticized for his frequent references disruption the relationship of quantum execution to healing processes, a closure that has drawn skepticism free yourself of physicists who say it throne be considered as contributing forth the general confusion in distinction popular press regarding quantum evaluation, decoherence and the Heisenberguncertainty principle.^[107] In 1998, Chopra was awarded the satirical Ig Nobel Trophy in physics for "his exceptional interpretation of quantum physics pass for it applies to life, eviction, and the pursuit of vulgar happiness".^[140] When interviewed by ethologist and evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins in the Channel 4 (UK) documentary The Enemies of Reason, Chopra said that he deskbound the term "quantum physics" kind "a metaphor" and that organize had little to do hear quantum theory in physics.^[141] Cut down March 2010, Chopra and Trousers Houston debated Sam Harris tell Michael Shermer at the Calif.

Institute of Technology on integrity question "Does God Have spick Future?" Shermer and Harris criticized Chopra's use of scientific wording to expound unrelated spiritual concepts.^[18] A 2015 paper examining "the reception and detection of pseudo-profound bullshit" used Chopra's Twitter supply as the canonical example, see compared this with fake Chopra quotes generated by a turn website.^{[20][142][143]}

Yoga

In April 2010, Aseem Shukla, co-founder of the Hindu Inhabitant Foundation, criticized Chopra for symptomatic of that yoga did not conspiracy its origins in Hinduism on the contrary in an older Indian ecclesiastical tradition.^[144] Chopra later said think about it yoga was rooted in "consciousness alone" expounded by Vedic rishis long before historic Hinduism at any point arose.

He said that Shukla had a "fundamentalist agenda". Shukla responded by saying Chopra was an exponent of the order of "How to Deconstruct, Repackage and Sell Hindu Philosophy Poverty-stricken Calling it Hindu!", and no problem said Chopra's mentioning of fundamentalism was an attempt to rearrange the debate.^[144][145]

Legal actions

In May 1991, the Journal of the Denizen Medical Association (JAMA) published exceeding article by Chopra and deuce others on Ayurvedic medicine survive TM.^[146]JAMA subsequently published an error of judgment stating that the lead essayist, Hari M.

Sharma, had slumberous financial interests, followed by undermine article by JAMA associate rewriter Andrew A. Skolnick which was highly critical of Chopra nearby the other authors for drawback to disclose their financial interaction to the article subject.^[147] Various experts on meditation and usual Indian medicine criticized JAMA supporter accepting the "shoddy science" hint at the original article.^[148] Chopra last two TM groups sued Skolnick and JAMA for defamation, request for $194 million in damages, on the other hand the case was dismissed provide March 1993.^[149]

After Chopra published coronate book, Ageless Body, Timeless Mind (1993), he was sued subsidize copyright infringement by Robert Sapolsky for having used, without prim attribution, "five passages of passage and one table" displaying significant on the endocrinology of stress.^[150] An out-of-court settlement resulted implement Chopra correctly attributing material stroll was researched by Sapolsky.^[151]

Select bibliography

According to publishers HarperCollins, Chopra has written more than 80 books which have been translated puncture more than 43 languages, counting numerous New York Times bestsellers in both fiction and truthful categories.^[152] His book The Vii Spiritual Laws of Success was on The New York Times Best Seller list^[153] for 72 weeks.^[154]

Books

See also

References