Journal Article

The Work of Andrew Weil and Deepak Chopra-Two Holistic Health/New Age Gurus: A Critique of the Holistic Health/New Age Movements

Baer, Hans A.

2003

Overview

Despite the popular roots of the holistic health/New Age movements, a growing number of biomedical physicians have become proponents of holistic health as well as New Age healing. Over the past two decades, Andrew Weil and Deepak Chopra, two biomedically trained physicians, have emerged as the visible and financially successful spokespersons of the movement. This article provides brief biographical sketches of Weil and Chopra and compares and contrasts their respective views on health, illness, healing, and health care. It also considers the response of various biomedical parties to these holistic health/New Age gurus who have attempted to integrate biomedicine and various alternative healing and metaphysical systems. Finally, this article argues that Weil and Chopra both epitomize the limitations of the holistic health/New Age movements, albeit in different ways.

• Publisher: Blackwell Publishing Ltd,American Anthropological Association
• Subject: 20th century / Age / Age differences / Alternative approaches / Alternative medicine / American literature / Andrew Weil / Ayurvedic medicine / Biomedicine / Chopra Deepak / Complementary therapies / Complementary Therapies - economics / Complementary Therapies - history / Complementary Therapies - methods / Consciousness / Diseases / Entrepreneurship / Gurus / Healing / Health / Health care / Health problems / Health services / Health Services Accessibility - trends / History, 20th Century / History, 21st Century / Holistic Health - history / Humans / Illnesses / Indian literature / Meditation / Mysticism / New age culture / New Age movement / Physician's Role - history / Physicians / Public Health - trends / Social movements / Subcultures / Trends / United States / Values / Weil Andrew / Weil disease