Deepak Chopra's 'Physics'

Deepak Chopra’s ‘Physics’ It Starts with a Swindle Deepak Chopra attempts to connect fundamental concepts of physics to consciousness and spirituality. He started (ab)using physics with his book Quantum Healing . But does he pass the first test of a true scientist: professional integrity? SADRI HASSANI rackpot scientists are very fond of abusing and trivi- Planck, Schrödinger, and Heisenberg and to attribute his own ideas about 1 alizing science—especially physics—and particularly mind and matter to them. Cfundamental physics. It is therefore critical to fight Since Quantum Healing initiated the fashionable trivialization of one crackpot science where it hurts the most: at the fundamen- of the greatest scientific and intellec- tal level. While there is much critique of the promoters of tual achievements of mankind, it is pseudoscience and their ideas are debunked at the factual instructive to present for the layper- son a rigorous scientific evaluation of level, few profound analyses of the fallacy of the way they that book’s content. But first we have misuse fundamental science are available. My purpose in to evaluate the professional integrity of the author. After all, the primary this article is to help fill this gap. premise of science is honesty. Stan- One of the early trivializers of fun- ness creates and governs matter, and ley Pons and Martin Fleischmann damental physics is Deepak Chopra, that modern physics is at the heart of this were credible scientists before their whose indiscriminate use of words message . The pernicious tactic that he hasty announcement of the discovery such as quantum, energy, field, and uses for this purpose is to decorate his of cold fusion in March 1989, after non-locality renders them as frivolous speeches and writings with the names which they fell out of grace in the sci- as a burp after a course of tandoori of famous physicists such as Einstein, entific community (Huizenga 1992). chicken. Accordingly, it is worthwhile Does Quantum Healing stand the test to examine his “physics” and unravel of scientific honesty? The book’s title heralds a revolu- the egregious conceptual blunders he tionary idea that demands a level of incessantly concocts, especially when intellectual integrity from the author these blunders serve as the foundation equal to that of other revolutionary for the conclusions that he touts as scientists. This integrity is, in part, scientific facts to his readers and fol- exhibited by the way scientists usually lowers. acknowledge individuals who had a role in shaping the ideas expressed in The Book the work. Einstein, in his article on the Chopra came to prominence by pub- groundbreaking special theory of rel- lishing Quantum Healing , a trend-set- ativity, acknowledges Michele Besso, ting book on mind/body medicine an obscure friend of Einstein’s who in which he beguiles his readers into worked at the Bern’s patent office at believing that Ayurveda, the tradi- the same time that Einstein did (Ein- tional Indian medicine, has a scien- stein 1952). In a separate account of tific basis. His mission ever since has how special relativity was born, Ein- been to tout the message that the stein elaborates on the conversations universe is conscious, that conscious- he had with Besso and how those con- Skeptical Inquirer | January/February 2016 55 of a single person but the collabora- I have been waiting a long time tion of a community that stretches to bring out some special tech- across the globe and extends into the niques. I believe they will become the medicine of the future. They past and future. In order to contrib- were known in the distant past but ute to science, one first has to learn were lost in the confusion of time; the relevant contributions made to it now I want you to learn them, and by other scientists; one can see further at the same time I want you to explain, clearly and scientifically, only “by standing upon the shoulders 2 how they work. of giants,” and any “new kind of science” that undermines—or even dis- From his words, one gets the un- agrees with—the well-established and mistakable impression that, were it not empirically tested ideas without pre- for his contacts with this great sage, senting good evidence to the contrary Chopra would not have come across can only be the invention of a crack- the “discovery” described in his book. pot. In fact, he feels so much indebted to Chopra ought to be held to as the sage that he dedicates the book strict an integrity standard as the sci- “With a full heart and deepest thanks entists he is so fond of mentioning in to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi” (Chopra his speeches and writings. This is so 1989; also available online at http:// not only because he is writing about skepticaleducator.org/wp-content/ (his distorted version of) science, but uploads/2015/03/Dedication.pdf). also because he commands millions As Maharishi’s influence on Chopra’s of followers who literally regard him “discovery” is evident throughout the as a prophet. His words, fogged by a book, one might think that, like an plume of terminology stolen from sci- honest scientist, Chopra is acknowl- ence—a discipline revered and trusted, edging the conversations he had with albeit misunderstood, by the public— the sage and how those conversations are powerful maxims and mottos for might have helped shape his ideas. his disciples. However, that would be premature thinking, because the acknowledge- The Swindle: ment appears only in the printings of versations helped consolidate his idea The Disappearance of Maharishi the book up to the fourteenth. of the relativity of time (Hassani 2010, An intellectually honest author of a The sixteenth and subsequent 362). Similarly, Planck’s two seminal 3 nonfiction work writes a second edi- printings seem to be the “second edi- papers that originated quantum the- tion only when there are substantial tion,” because they contain a single ory contain numerous mentions of changes in the content of the work, page titled “Preface to the New Edi- the physicists who helped him shape usually several years after the original tion.” However, the usual practice of the quantum idea. His gratitude is edition. These changes, and the reason imprinting “Second Edition” on the especially manifest in his Nobel Lec- and purpose behind them, are clearly cover is foregone. Furthermore, unlike ture in which he attributes his dis- stated in the preface of the new edi- any ordinary new editions, no preface to covery of the electromagnetic quanta tion, while the preface of the earlier the first edition is retained in the new to Ludwig Boltzmann, the creator edition is also kept in the book for edition. So, why write a preface to the of statistical mechanics, by declaring comparison. The hardcover edition of “new edition?” A conspicuous change “. this problem led me automati- Quantum Healing came out in 1989 in the new edition is that all citations cally to a consideration of . Boltz- and its paperback edition in 1990. In of Maharishi’s name are erased; the mann’s trend of ideas; until after some the Introduction, Chopra narrates his meetings with him, which were the weeks of the most strenuous work of meetings with “one of the greatest starting point of quantum healing, my life, light came into the darkness, living sages,” who imparted to him are not mentioned at all; the crucial and a new undreamed-of perspective some ancient techniques that “would “primordial sound” techniques, which opened up before me” (Planck 1918). restore the mind’s healing abilities” were “the strongest healing therapies Such acknowledgements of the dis- (Chopra 1989, 2–4; also available in Ayurveda” and were prescribed coverers of scientific ideas are not only online at http://skepticaleducator.org for incurable diseases such as cancer, a sign of honesty but also a reminder /wp-content/uploads/2015/03/ are gone; there is no mention of the that science is a collective enterprise IntroToFirstEd.pdf). In one of the revelation of “some great secret” that encompassing not just the invention meetings, the sage tells Chopra: took place after meeting with Maha- 56 Volume 40 Issue 1 | Skeptical Inquirer rishi; no mention of how Maharishi ak-chopra/the-maharishi-years lying in a hospital bed with intrave- taught Chopra “how to pierce the -the-u_b_86412.html). It is important nous tubes in his body breathing on mask of matter.” Therefore, the new to examine the highlights of this arti- a respirator.” He immediately takes preface is most likely a smokescreen cle, as it narrates Chopra’s tumultuous a chartered airplane from Chicago to for Chopra’s deletion of the name of relationship with Maharishi, especially Delhi only to find Maharishi exactly the person who implanted the idea of because the article is filled with numer- as he saw him in his vision. Because the book in his mind. ous accounts of intimate encounters of of the seriousness of Maharishi’s con- This deletion is shamelessly man- the two, containing outlandish claims dition, it was decided that he should ifest in the bibliographies of the two that often resemble miracles. be flown to London. Chopra flies to “editions.” In the bibliography of the London and makes arrangements for earlier printings of the book, Chopra Maharishi to be admitted to a private writes “I enthusiastically recommend hospital. As he was standing outside the following eleven books, all of the hospital, watching an ambulance which entered into my own education In the bibliography navigate the snarled traffic, one of the on these fascinating subjects” (Chopra accompanying doctors ran up with 1989; also available online at http:// of the sixteenth the news that Maharishi had suddenly skepticaleducator.org/wp-content/ and later printings, died.

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