Pseudoscience Archives - Page 2 of 3

What Is… Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT)

February 14, 2020 / Pseudoscience, Psychology, Therapy / 21 Comments

In this series, I dig a little deeper into the meaning of psychology-related terms. This week’s term is Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT). Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) incorporates a number of different alternative healing approaches, including neuro-linguistic programming, acupuncture meridians, and energy medicine. It’s not generally accepted within mainstream psychology, and it’s been described as a […]

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Colon Cleanses: Is a Coffee Enema Good for You?

February 6, 2020 / Alternative Treatment, Health, Pseudoscience / 41 Comments

There are a lot of weird alternative health interventions out there, but colon cleanses, also known as colon hydrotherapy or colonics, have got to be among the weirder ones. Apparently, this has been around since the time of the ancient Egyptians; however, it only appeared on my radar a few years back when a colonics

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Essential oils: placebo or something more? - graphic of oil bottle and flowers

Are Essential Oils a Placebo or Something More?

January 20, 2020 / Alternative Treatment, Health, Mental Health, Pseudoscience / 17 Comments

I’m a big fan of aromatherapy. I have a diffuser and use a variety of essential oil blends, and if they’re just a pleasant placebo, I’m good with that. Essential oils smell nice and they’re a great way to practice self-care. But do they live up to the various health claims that people make about

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Is Astrology Based on Science or Pseudoscience?

January 13, 2020 / New Age, Pseudoscience, Science / 30 Comments

For thousands of years, people across multiple cultures have looked to the stars to predict events on earth. But is there actually any substance behind astrology? The short answer is no, but let’s talk about that a little more. Western Astrology The current system used in Western countries is based on the work of the Greek

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lightbulb surround by math and science symbols

How to Spot Pseudoscience

November 25, 2019 / Health, Law of Attraction, Pseudoscience, Science / 27 Comments

One of my major pet peeves is pseudoscience, which Google defines as “a collection of beliefs or practices mistakenly regarded as being based on scientific method.” There’s a lot of pseudoscience out there in the world that can spread easily and quickly via the internet, and it often astonishes me what people will believe. There’s

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Is Reiki Legit or Bullshit?

November 4, 2019 / Alternative Treatment, Health, Pseudoscience / 38 Comments

A couple of people commented on a recent post about my take on reiki. Essentially, their question was: is reiki bullshit? Ask and ye shall receive. What is it? First, what exactly is reiki? The International Center for Reiki Training (ICRT) says that reiki “is based on the idea that an unseen ‘life force energy’ flows

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The Dopamine Fasting Myth

October 29, 2019 / Addiction, Brain, Pseudoscience, Science / 29 Comments

I have an issue with pseudoscience masquerading as science. Whether these ideas have any associated value or not isn’t my concern. My problem is when science-like concepts are used to trick people into believing that an idea is something that it isn’t. My current rant is about dopamine fasting. I recently heard about this from

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Do thoughts vibrate? What the law of attraction says vs what science says

Do Thoughts Vibrate as the Law of Attraction Claims?

May 28, 2019 / Law of Attraction, New Age, Pseudoscience, Toxic Positivity / 22 Comments

I regularly read or hear someone talking about vibrational frequencies and how thoughts vibrate and all that jazz. This is often in relation to the so-called law of attraction. This concept doesn’t stay in the metaphorical realm; instead, it’s not uncommon to see quantum physics being used to justify these kinds of ideas. It annoys

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Homeopathy: it's a whole lot wackier than you might think

Homeopathy: A Whole Lot Wackier Than You Might Think

March 26, 2019 / Alternative Treatment, Health, Pseudoscience, Science / 18 Comments

I’ve recently come across some news articles about homeopathy that have caught my eye. One was about claims that homeopathy could prevent measles (homeoprophylaxis is the fancy term for this); another was about the Canadian government funding an aid mission to Honduras involving a delegation of homeopaths claiming to cure Chagas disease and other infectious diseases.

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Book Review: The Handbook for Highly Sensitive People

January 23, 2019 / Alternative Treatment, Personality, Pseudoscience / 5 Comments

The Handbook for Highly Sensitive People is written by Mel Collins, who describes herself as a counsellor, spiritual healer, and reiki master, as well as a highly sensitive person (HSP). The book begins with a description of the characteristics of HSPs. The author explains that they process emotions on a deeper level than others, and tend

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