It’s been a recurring theme on this blog tonight to discuss and dissect the infiltration of the quackademic practices of James Hyman and his so called "Quantum Theta Energy Healing." Whether it be called “quantum theta energy healing” (QTEH), "deep emotional release bodywork, (DERB) or “integrative medicine” (IM), its infiltration into society, primarily in the utilization of free portals on the world wide web and internet with the intent to separate some naive, unsuspecting and perhaps vulnerable consumer from his or her money has been one of the more alarming developments I’ve noted over the last several years. The reason is that “integrative” medicine is all too often in reality nothing more than “integrating” pseudoscience with science, quackery with medicine. The most popular modalities that unsuspecting and naive consumers can’t seem to resist are acupuncture and various forms of “energy” healing, such as reiki, qigong, the aforementioned "quantum theta energy healing" and therapeutic touch. Unfortunately, when you “integrate” something like these "practices," which basically assert that there is mystical, magical energy source (called the “universal source” by reiki practitioners, for example) that practitioners can tap into and channel into patients for healing effect, you are in essence integrating a prescientific understanding of the world with science, religious faith healing (which, let’s face it, is all that QTEH,DERB, qigong or reiki is), and magic with reality.
Overview
“Quantum Theta Energy Healing”(QTEH pronounced Kew-Tee) is usually used to refer to a method that does not actually involve touching the patient. James Hyman who is credited by his wife Barbara on their own web site as being a “shamanic healer” has created QTEH. These new age hucksters who call themselves "Quantum Theta Energy Healers" (QTEH) have refined this preposterous method so they can now access our wallets in so called "telephone session." The amazing thing about this is that the healer need not even touch the patient. In fact, the healer need not even be in the presence of the patient. "Integrated Quantum Theta Energy Healing" is so powerful, according to "the practitioner," a Mr. James Hyman that Mr. Hyman need not even be in the presence of the "subject" or "patient" he is treating.
Quantum Theta Energy healing (QTEH) has roots in the pseudoscientific philosophy of James and Barbara Hyman. Mr. Hyman is the so-called “founder” and “practitioner” of “quantum theta energy healing.” (QTEH), Ms. Hyman has coined the phrase "practice manager" of QTEH for herself.
The practitioner moves hands near the patient to assess imbalances in alleged “energy fields,” then carries out “unruffling” movements to smooth out the fields and clear out “blockages”and “congestion.” Healing energy is allegedly transmitted to correct imbalances.
Scientific assessment
“Quantum Theta Energy Healing” (QTEH) is inconsistent with scientific knowledge. There is no such thing as a human “energy field” as envisioned by the “Quantum Theta Energy Healing” (QTEH) practitioner. Science has the ability to detect incredibly small amounts of energy, far smaller than anyone could detect through any human senses, yet there is no evidence for such a field.
Numerous other questions arise. How could someone detect the alleged “energy field” with their hands? How could they manipulate it? How could changes in the field influence health? There are no known or imaginable anatomical structures that could be involved in such things. There is no plausible explanation of what the “quantum theta energy field” could be, let alone answers to these questions.
The claims of “Quantum Theta Energy Healing” (QTEH) are extraordinary claims, conflicting with scientific knowledge, and therefore require evidence of very high quality before they can be taken seriously. There are no known published studies supposedly demonstrating benefits of “Quantum Theta Energy Healing” (QTEH), and the claims of the so called “founder” and “practitioner” a Mr. James Hyman are very weak in quality, and have not been repeated by independent investigators.
“Quantum Theta Energy healing” as “practiced by Mr. Hyman is simply this shysters take on an age old scam known as Therapeutic Touch (TT). A great deal of publicity accompanied a science fair project by Emily Rosa showing that TT practitioners could not detect her energy field. Neither QTEH or TT practitioners have ever shown that they can detect such a field, let alone manipulate it in such a way as to improve health. The burden is on them to demonstrate their abilities, not on skeptics to disprove them. Anyone who can demonstrate, under controlled conditions, the ability to detect the human energy field proposed by TT can win a $1 million prize!
In 1996, the James Randi Educational Foundation offered $742,000 to anyone who could demonstrate an ability to detect a "human energy field" under conditions similar to those of our study. Although more than 80,000 American practitioners claim to have such ability, only one person attempted to demonstrate it; Dolores Krieger, Ph.D., R.N., a faculty member at New York University's Division of Nursing. She failed, and the offer, now at $1 million, has had no further takers despite extensive recruiting efforts, including a direct appeal to Mr. Hyman as well as to Ms. Krieger. That's not surprising, of course, because QTEH’s & TT's proponents have nothing to gain by submitting to honest testing of their most basic assumption.
While some people receiving “Quantum Theta Energy Healing” (QTEH) treatment may feel better, this is merely a placebo effect.
Recommendations
Hospitals and other providers of health services should not include “quantum theta energy healing” or “therapeutic touch” in their programs, and it should not be covered by health insurance. Any benefits are due to the placebo effect and can be better provided by legitimate methods of mind-body medicine. Since QTEH & TT are based on mystical, pseudoscientific ideas which are contrary to medical knowledge, encouraging belief in QTEH or TT undermines critical thinking and science education.
If it is such earth shattering “medicine,” why don’t more trained scientists or even educated consumers advocate its use?
If you see auras, you may not be psychic; you may have a brain or vision disorder. Please see your physician ASAP.
If you are on the staff of a hospital in which TT is practiced, please lodge a protest.
The word “frequency” ranks right up there with “quantum” and “energy” as a pseudoscientific buzzword. It is increasingly prevalent in product advertisements and in CAM claims about human biofields and energy medicine. It doesn’t mean what they think it means.
Note: My spell checker didn’t like the word bioenergy any better than I do. (There is a legitimate use for the word, but this is not it.) The spell checker suggested I might want to substitute “beanery” or “baboonery.” I confess to being sorely tempted by the latter.
Recommendations of WiKiLeax are based on our assessments of the scientific literature concerning unconventional approaches to health care. For specific recommendations concerning your medical condition, we urge you to consult your physician.
Thanks goes out to David H. Gorski, MD, PhD, FACS for the first paragraph of this summary. Dr. Gorski is a surgical oncologist at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute specializing in breast cancer surgery, Dr. Gorski also serves as the American College of Surgeons Committee on Cancer Liaison Physician as well as an Associate Professor of Surgery and member of the faculty of the Graduate Program in Cancer Biology at Wayne State University.
For further information, as well as further thanks, please see:
Stephen Barrett M.D.
http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/tt.html
The Skeptic's Dictionary; http://www.skepdic.com
Harriet Hall M.D; The SkepDoc; http://www.skepdoc.com
David H. Gorski, MD, PhD, FACS;
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/index.php/editorial-staff/david-h-gorski-md-phd-managing-editor/
