ThetaHealing (also Theta Healing) is the registered

trademark A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a form of intellectual property that consists of a word, phrase, symbol, design, or a combination that identifies a Good (economics and accounting), product or Service (economics), service f ...

for a method of

meditation Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique to train attention and awareness and detach from reflexive, "discursive thinking", achieving a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state, while not judging the meditat ...

created by Vianna Stibal in 1995. ThetaHealing claims to change a practitioner's brain wave pattern to the theta pattern, allowing them to explore how " emotional energy" affects their health, and develop "natural intuition". ThetaHealing is a

pseudoscientific Pseudoscience consists of statements, beliefs, or practices that claim to be both scientific and factual but are incompatible with the scientific method. Pseudoscience is often characterized by contradictory, exaggerated or unfalsifiable cl ...

practice and is therefore criticized for its esoteric approach to meditation.

Meditation Process

ThetaHealing is usually administered in the form of individual sessions in which the practitioner sits directly opposite the person, and initially attends to the person by listening and using probing questions. They may conduct a session long-distance through telephone or over the internet via webcam and voice. The ThetaHealing technique is based on the idea that the beliefs in a person's conscious and

unconscious mind In psychoanalysis and other psychological theories, the unconscious mind (or the unconscious) is the part of the psyche that is not available to introspection. Although these processes exist beneath the surface of conscious awareness, they are t ...

directly impact their emotional well-being, which may impact their physical health.

Philosophy

ThetaHealing's philosophy is what Vianna Stibal, an American

naturopath Naturopathy, or naturopathic medicine, is a form of alternative medicine. A wide array of practices branded as "natural", "non-invasive", or promoting "self-healing" are employed by its practitioners, who are known as naturopaths. Difficult ...

, calls "the seven planes of existence". According to her, these levels of existence build a framework to show the importance of the "Creator of all that is” (whose upper level is also described as the "Place of perfect love"). In addition, practitioners and instructors of the technique are open to everyone, regardless of the person's origin or religion. The Theta Healing technique, according to founder Vianna Stibal, is always taught to be used in conjunction with

conventional medicine Medicine is the science and practice of caring for patients, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care practic ...

Criticism

The philosophy of ThetaHealing has been criticized due to its esoteric and faith-based nature as well as an overwhelming lack of evidence of the effectiveness of the methods. The ThetaHealing method has also been criticized as "criminal" and "not supported by any kind of evidence" by

Edzard Ernst Edzard Ernst (born 30 January 1948) is a retired British-German academic physician and researcher specializing in the study of complementary and alternative medicine. He was Professor of Complementary Medicine at the University of Exeter, the wo ...

.''The faith healers who claim they can cure cancer''

BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...

, 22 June 2011, accessed on 5 June.2018 The

McGill University McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...

Office for Science and Society pointed out that ThetaHealing did not increase theta wave activity, but that "It did the exact opposite. Theta activity overall went down". ThetaHealing often employs the method of applied kinesiology, after putting patients into a deep meditation. Even the practice of applied kinesiology has been highly criticized and studies have shown that it lacks clinical value. ThetaHealing also has been widely criticized, notably by

Jonathan Jarry Jonathan Jarry is a Canadian scientist and Science education, science communicator working in Montreal, at McGill University's Office for Science and Society (OSS). He is frequently quoted by news media on topics such as misinformation. Educatio ...

at the

Office for Science and Society The Office for Science and Society (OSS) is an organization dedicated to science education, operating from Montreal's McGill University. Its staff and contributors use courses, mass media, special events and books to debunk Pseudoscience, pseud ...

, as being motivated by money rather than wellness. In order to enroll in a ThetaHealing course that teaches how "money is an illusion", enrollees must pay $750.00. Other ThetaHealing courses include classes which teach how to "activate the 12 strands of DNA within each participant", despite the fact that DNA is not separated into 12 strands. ThetaHealing has made false and unsubstantiated health claims about curing cancer.

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1995 introductions Alternative cancer treatments Concepts in alternative medicine Energy therapies Meditation Health fraud Spiritual practice Supernatural healing

Meditation Process

Philosophy

Criticism

See also

References

External links