Alastair Hay BSc (Hons) LCH RSHom | M: 07940 525495 | E: al@homeopathical.com
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the skeptics agenda - part 6 - conclusions and solutions

11/10/2013

5 Comments

 
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The skeptics agenda, first and foremost is to have homeopathy banned. The basis of which is not sound evidence, but an aversion to ‘homeopathy’, a prejudice, by definition.

The etymology of skepticism implies enquiring and reflection, not dismissiveness. A true skeptic doesn't make pre-judgements. This actually makes them ‘pseudo’ skeptics. We all have prejudices, we are all biased. Our beliefs taint the way we judge and validate new ideas. The thing is, as is aptly explained in this blog, we don’t want to be wrong and we will strongly defend those beliefs.

The impression a skeptic, or indeed pseudoskeptic gives, is that they are right and you are wrong. They are wise and learned and you are not. They are the group that should decide whether you have access to homeopathy and not you. The ultimate result is a denial of your choice. If homeopathy was as insignificant as it’s made out to be, do you think they’d be gunning for it? The problem is, it’s viable ‘competition’.

For some, it’s really important to know ‘how’ something works, and for others it’s more important to see it work. My job, as a homeopathic practitioner, or ‘homeopath’ is actually to make homeopathy work, rather than to find out how it works. For example, the mechanism of action of the painkiller, paracetamol is still poorly understood, yet we know and accept that it works. However, you can analyse a paracetamol tablet and find ‘active’ chemical constituents in it. How about electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) though? No tablets, no chemistry, poorly understood, and still used in some circumstances to manage mental illness, with effect, yet we have little understanding how it works. I’m sure that if this fell under the banner of ‘homeopathy’, the skeptics' opinion of it would differ.

Summary of The Skeptics Agenda


Part 1 - Skeptics claim homeopathy is unscientific

Some elements of homeopathy are scientific, Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of homeopathy was a scientist. Some elements of homeopathy are ‘artistic’. Medicine is not based purely on science. Many practices in medicine are based on inference, theory, the fact that it’s always been done that way and the knowledge of observable favourable reaction without fully understanding the mechanism of action.

Medicine ≠ science.

Solution – Do patients / clients derive benefit from it? Focus on the results.

Part 2 - Skeptics claim homeopathy is dangerous

Homeopathy isn’t dangerous but homeopaths can be. The lack of integration and animosity between medical disciplines and pride is a stumbling block.

Solution – Train homeopaths well, and regulate appropriately.


Part 3 - Skeptics claim homeopathy is merely placebo

The placebo ‘effect’, is still an effect. Understanding placebo is science. Conventional and non-conventional medical methodologies utilise placebo. There is no significant difference between the beneficial interventions of conventional medical treatments compared to the positive evidence for homeopathy. Animals respond to homeopathic medicines.

Solution – Focus on the word ‘effect’ and not ‘placebo’.

Part 4 - Skeptics claim homeopaths are bare-faced lying snake-oil sales people

Within the realms of homeopathic practice, we don’t have sales reps promoting their medicines to homeopaths. Homeopaths are not ‘incentivised’ to prescribe particular homeopathic medicines over another homeopathic medicine and when a new homeopathic medicine is formulated, it costs the same as one that’s been available for 200 years. Furthermore, the information about new discoveries in homeopathy is shared amongst homeopathic pharmacies freely.

Solution – Understand how homeopaths make a living and how the pharmaceutical industry and medical profession works.


Part 5 - Skeptics claim homeopathy is witchcraft

'Homeopathy is witchcraft' is a statement based on observing that homeopathy works but having no idea how.

Solution – Accept homeopathy works and that we have a limited understanding of how.



Conclusion

Be a skeptic, but be a real skeptic, not a pseudo-skeptic. Base your understanding of the world on what you actually see, feel, hear, smell, touch and taste for real; not what you read in the news or what someone tells you, but what you experience. Question everything. Never accept anything as unquestionable since that is where dogma starts, and progress stops.

Who actually benefits if homeopathy is banned? It's unlikely to be you.

Next week...

Al's Agenda
5 Comments

the skeptics agenda - part 5

1/10/2013

1 Comment

 
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Homeopathy is witchcraft
Witches are bad
Witchcraft is dangerous



....Ban homeopathy

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To claim that homeopathy is witchcraft makes at least a couple of leaps of faith. Yes, faith.
  • The existence of witchcraft, and Satan(ism)
  • ...and the acceptance that there’s something in homeopathy... yet no idea what it is. 
Paradoxically, every skeptic I know is atheist or at least agnostic, which deems them ‘faithless’ or perhaps ‘faith-free’ depending on which side of the fence you sit.

I’m prepared to accept that favourable responses that people experience from a homeopathic treatment can indeed appear like witchcraft.

‘Witches’ weren’t so impressed when a skeptic turned the statement on its head and claimed ‘witchcraft is homeopathy’

Banning something since some perceive it as witchcraft is somewhat antiquated don’t you think? What year is this? “It’s the witches work... Burn the witch!” I mused over this and it got me thinking...

The majority of my homeopathic contemporaries are women, yet most of the sceptics I’ve engaged with, all bar one in fact, have been men. Is there some kind of disdain for ‘women who heal’ going on here? I don’t know, but it’s food for thought.

Does it sound so offensive to call homeopathy ‘magic’, or ‘wizardry’ instead?

But, does it really matter?


Here’s a testimonial from a former client of mine, a carpenter:

“I approached Alastair with an open mind and in desperation! By chance, I met a former client of Alastair who highly recommended him.
Some say it's witchcraft!
I don't care...
It works!”


Essentially, no, it doesn’t matter. People are getting well again.


References and further reading:

Homeopathy is witchcraft, say doctors
British Medical Association: homeopathy is witchcraft
UK gov’t condemns Prince’s homeopathy is witchcraft
Homeopathy is witchcraft, say doctors- The noose tightens

1 Comment

the skeptics agenda - part 2

4/9/2013

0 Comments

 
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Homeopathy is dangerous, ban homeopathy.

People have died whilst having treatment from homeopaths... Homeopathy killed them.

I find these statements an interesting paradox:

Skeptics, using a purely chemical paradigm, will tell you that there’s nothing in a homeopathic medicine... yet it can be dangerous.

I don’t believe that homeopathy is dangerous, but I will concede that homeopaths can be.

Our current UK laws allow pretty much anyone to set themselves up as a homeopath. The title 'homeopath' is not a 'protected title', so some calling themselves a homeopath may have no training, no licence to practice, no insurance, or belong to any governing body or register of homeopaths. So, choose your homeopath wisely!

I feel it’s vital that homeopaths receive adequate training and supervision both working towards becoming a practitioner and being a practitioner. It’s essential to recognise our limitations and liaise with other practitioners including medical practitioners, in our quest to help our clients work towards ‘wellness’.

What do I mean by ‘adequate training’?...

Well, there are some ‘disciplines’, that you can be a ‘master’ of after a weekend. Homeopathy isn’t one of them. The major governing bodies of homeopathy only endorse courses that are either 3 year full-time or 4 year part-time courses. Furthermore, whilst I was at college nearly 20 years ago , it was felt that it would be a great idea to integrate homeopathic teaching at universities, with the scope to further increase the calibre of training, qualifications, and ultimate safety and effectiveness of the practitioners graduating from them. Unfortunately, this caused umbrage amongst some noteworthy skeptics due to the department ‘homeopathy’ was allied to, and the subsequent Bachelor of Science (BSc) qualification awarded. It appears to me, that they would prefer you not to have adequately trained homeopaths... and increase the likelihood of homeopathic malpractice.

There have been some well-publicised cases of homeopathy being ‘dangerous’. In drawing your conclusions from such articles, do some detective work –

  • Was it actually the homeopathic medicine that was dangerous?
  • Was the medicine actually a ‘homeopathic medicine’?
  • Was the ‘homeopath’ actually a fully qualified, licensed, registered homeopath?
Inevitably, some practitioners have been negligent in either recognising their limitations, failing to understand the implications of interfering with medications prescribed by someone else or indeed both. The main governing bodies of homeopaths in the UK have and will strike people off their register for these breaches of their code of ethics.

Find a qualified homeopath

http://www.findahomeopath.org.uk/TheRegisters

Find a homeopathy course.

http://www.findahomeopath.org.uk/Courses

I would like to reiterate:

I don’t believe that homeopathy is dangerous, but I will concede that homeopaths can be. Choose your homeopath wisely!



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