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Deepak Chopra descends: Hasn’t Detroit suffered enough?

Well, well, well, well, well.

Look who’s coming to blight my hometown, and look who’s doing it hot on the heels of my having directed some not-so-Respectful Insolence at him. Yes, it’s Deepak Chopra himself showing up on Saturday to bring his woo to one of the places that least needs it, downtown Detroit:

Excitement and diversity is coming to the Metropolitan Detroit community this Summer! Chene Park Amphitheater is bringing an entirely new experience to the City on Saturday, June 18th, 2011: The “Music & Mastery Holistic Festival”.

The “Music & Mastery Holistic Festival” is a full-day event consisting of healing, enlightenment and pure energy! Festival goers can embrace the art of live music, holistic products & services, nutrition, crystals/jewelry, Yoga, massage therapy, Thai Chi, free health screenings, and more.

This unique event will feature a special message by Internationally acclaimed spiritual teacher: Deepak Chopra at 5:00pm. Chopra is a global leader in the field of mind-body medicine. Chopra is known as a prolific author of nearly sixty books with eighteen New York Times best sellers on mind-body health, spirituality, and peace. Deepak also serves as a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle and Washington Post on Faith and contributes regularly to http://www.Oprah.com, http://www.Intent.com, and Huffington Post.

In addition, The “Music & Mastery Holistic Festival” will feature an electrifying, live concert performance from Grammy Award winning recording artist: India.Arie at 8:00pm.

“Music & Mastery”? Mastery of what? It is interesting that Chopra chose that term, though. It’s emblematic of the search for control that his quackery seems to tell people they can have, as in humans being able to control their own evolution consciously.

Marvelous. The source of all Choprawoo is about to descend upon Detroit. I wonder if he can get his “universal quantum consciousness” to pull my town out of the doldrums. As a native Detroiter, I can only answer: Hasn’t my hometown suffered enough?

By Orac

Orac is the nom de blog of a humble surgeon/scientist who has an ego just big enough to delude himself that someone, somewhere might actually give a rodent's posterior about his copious verbal meanderings, but just barely small enough to admit to himself that few probably will. That surgeon is otherwise known as David Gorski.

That this particular surgeon has chosen his nom de blog based on a rather cranky and arrogant computer shaped like a clear box of blinking lights that he originally encountered when he became a fan of a 35 year old British SF television show whose special effects were renowned for their BBC/Doctor Who-style low budget look, but whose stories nonetheless resulted in some of the best, most innovative science fiction ever televised, should tell you nearly all that you need to know about Orac. (That, and the length of the preceding sentence.)

DISCLAIMER:: The various written meanderings here are the opinions of Orac and Orac alone, written on his own time. They should never be construed as representing the opinions of any other person or entity, especially Orac's cancer center, department of surgery, medical school, or university. Also note that Orac is nonpartisan; he is more than willing to criticize the statements of anyone, regardless of of political leanings, if that anyone advocates pseudoscience or quackery. Finally, medical commentary is not to be construed in any way as medical advice.

To contact Orac: [email protected]

20 replies on “Deepak Chopra descends: Hasn’t Detroit suffered enough?”

I love how Tai Chi is spelled wrong. In a press release publicizing this event, no less. Buncha yutzes.

Mastery of what, you ask? Why, mastery of woo, of course.

Is Thai Chi served with peanut sauce?

I just had a brief exchange with Chopra on twitter where I said he understood science like my cat understands knock-knock jokes. He sent me a link to reviews for his new book (a debate with Leonard Mlodinow) on Amazon. He really latches onto legit scientists to try and gain some credibility in the real world.

Funny that Stephen Hawking didn’t even mention Chopra in his review.

I’ve been to fairs similar to this one: I even helped set up a skeptic booth a couple times (that was fun.) One of the frustrating things is that this sort of event often has some very good food, interesting art, likeable people, and lovely music peppered here and there among the most cringe-inducing bullshit. So at least part of the reason I wanted a table giving away stuff like Beyerstein’s 10 Warning Signs of Bogus Science was that doing this allowed my conscience to relax enough to enjoy the fun stuff: so ok, there was at least one pool of reason out there trying to make some sense — time to dance to drums.

“Pure energy”??? So, that’s good, I guess… anyone that attends will have their body mass converted into pure energy.

Which would probably be sufficient energy to destroy the entire world.

I get it! Chopra is DR. EVIL!!!

If it means “Free Energy” why do they charge through the nose for it?

Yeah, my apologies about the pun.

All the nuts will be gathered in one place. Seize the day!

Wait until they’re all inside, then erect a big fence round the entire area, then build a very high wall just outside that fence, then dig a moat just outside that fence. Add sharks. Then put an electrified fence outside the moat, just in case.

Once a week, catapult a few cases of mung beans over the barrier, just so you can’t be accused of inhumane treatment or anything.

Problem solved.

Actually, I think Tai Chi is usually free. Certainly there are people who hold free Tai Chi classes in parks.

Sadly, I have heard that Chopra is also being invited to address the Heart Failure Society of America at their annual meeting. I am not a heart failure specialist or a member of the Society, but if I were, I would consider this sufficient cause to terminate my relationship with the organization forthwith.

Sadly, I have heard that Chopra is also being invited to address the Heart Failure Society of America at their annual meeting.

That really leads me to question if they are ‘pro’ or ‘anti’ on heart failure.

A little over one hundred years ago Detroit mastered steel.

Now comes Deepak Chopra who has only recently mastered fluff.

Detroit physically moved people and things to their intended destinations. Much to everyone’s profit.

Chopra moves what? Mostly dollars, that’s all. And the people and the things don’t move at all. Much to his profit.

*gee, that’s a familiar MO*

Chai Tea @8:

Actually the word ‘Tai’ and the word ‘Thai’ Both mean ‘Free’ as in ‘Tai Chi’ – Literally ‘Free Energy’.

Actually, it does not. I don’t know Thai language and don’t know what is the exact meaning of the ‘thai’, but I know enough Chinese. ‘Tai’ is adjective meaning ‘highest’/’supreme’/’senior’ etc. Nothing to do with ‘free’. Also, Tai Chi doesn’t mean ‘free energy’. Please, don’t spread misinformation.

Every time that bogus, pompous windbag says “quantum” I get an urge to push his face in. Chopra wouldn’t know quantum physics if it bit him in the ass.

BigHeathenMike:

I just had a brief exchange with Chopra on twitter where I said he understood science like my cat understands knock-knock jokes.

I listened to a podcast a while back which mentioned that Chopra will block tweets from people asking questions he does not like. It happened to enough of them (a bunch of skeptical Australians) that they sell this tee-shirt:
http://www.zazzle.com.au/ratcap/twitter+gifts

Wait until they’re all inside, then erect a big fence round the entire area, then build a very high wall just outside that fence, then dig a moat just outside that fence. Add sharks. Then put an electrified fence outside the moat, just in case.

The funniest Chopra comment to date is on PZ Meyer’s ‘blog:

“Quantum Zeno effect. A continuously observed particle will never decay. We all need attention to stay alive…”

First, if Chopra thinks that observed particles don’t decay (even radioactive or unstable particles), he is mistaken. This alone invalidates the rest of his claim.

Second, it has been reported innumerable times that people do die while being “continuously observed” (see: death watch, ICU, etc.).

Finally, people who live in complete isolation (e.g. hermits, people living alone in the Alaskan bush) do not immediately die, nor do they die from causes that do not occur in people who live under constant observation (e.g. prison inmates, pop stars, residents of Manhattan Island).

I realise that this is stating the obvious, but Deepak Chopra understands quantum physics as well as a snail understands the poetry of Goethe. Maybe not even so well.

Prometheus

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