Deepak Chopra
Deepak Chopra is a prominent albeit controversial Indian-American author, new age guru, and well-known figure in the fields of alternative medicine, spirituality, and holistic health.
Born on October 22, 1946, in New Delhi, India, Chopra initially trained and practiced as a medical doctor in India before emigrating to the United States in 1970. There, he completed residencies in internal medicine and endocrinology and in 1980 became Chief of Staff at the New England Memorial Hospital.
In the 1980s, Chopra began to explore the intersection of Western medicine and Eastern philosophy, particularly drawing from Ayurveda, a traditional Indian system of medicine. He met Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and got involved in the Transcendental Meditation movement.
Chopra resigned from NEMH to establish the Maharishi Ayurveda Health Center where he promoted holistic health practices.
In the 1990s, he gained popularity as a proponent of holistic well-being, emphasizing practices like yoga, meditation, and nutrition. He co-founded the Chopra Center for Wellbeing with David Simon in 1996, which focuses on teachings and practices that integrate mind-body healing, meditation, and Ayurveda.
He has authored numerous books and videos, which have contributed to his fame and wealth. He once said, “Thinking happy thoughts literally creates a positive chemical change in the brain, stimulating both physical and psychological benefits.”
In 1993, he gained widespread recognition after being interviewed about his books on The Oprah Winfrey Show. He has written over 80 books published in over fourty languages with 22 of his works in both fiction and non-fiction being New York Times best sellers. Some of his body of works include:
The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success – a practical guide to fulfilling your dreams and achieving success.
Buddha: A Story of Enlightenment – a fictional account of the life of Siddhartha Gautama, the historical Buddah.
Ageless Body, Timeless Mind: which explored the quantum alternative to aging and maintaining a youthful mind and body.
Quantum Healing – which discusses mind-body medicine and the frontiers of healing.
Chopra’s books are filled with wonderful quotes:
He says, “Our consciousness is our contribution to reality. What we perceive as real becomes real.” Chopra believes that the pathway to happiness is within ourselves, saying: “If you want to be happy, make someone else happy. If you want to find the right person in your life, be the right person. If you want to see change in the world, become the change you want to see. Be happy for no reason, like a child. If you are happy for a reason, you’re in trouble, because that reason can be taken from you.”
He urges teamwork and caring for others, teaching that: “Success comes when people act together; failure tends to happen alone.” And: “The gifts of caring, attention, affection, appreciation, and love are some of the most precious gifts you can give, and they don’t cost you anything.”
After he left the TM movement, Chopra became the executive director of Sharp HealthCare’s Center for Mind-Body Medicine and in 1996 he co-founded the Chopra Center for Wellbeing. He believes that a person can attain “perfect health” – a state free from disease, pain, aging, and death. He views the human body as a “quantum mechanical body” composed of energy and information. His practices aim to treat chronic diseases and promote well-being.
Chopra’s advocacy for alternative medicine, including Ayurveda and mind-body practices, has been met with both support and criticism. Some merely view these practices as complementary to conventional medicine, while others see them as unproven or potentially harmful. Chopra’s ideas have faced criticism from medical and scientific professionals as pseudoscience. His blending of quantum physics with spiritual concepts has been met with great skepticism. Critics argue that his claims lack empirical evidence and scientific rigor.
Chopra’s prolific writing and media presence have led some to accuse him of commercializing spirituality and self-help. They argue that he capitalizes on people’s desire for personal growth and well-being.
But we believe that the path to well-being is a personal one and if Chopra’s books and beliefs help someone find their own path there is nothing wrong with it. In our writings, we are constantly open to out-of- box ideas and teachings — as we search for truth. We see no harm and potential good in keeping our minds open to those who suggest alternatives to conventional wisdom.
The very title of our debut novel, Adam in Taoland is inspired by the ancient teachings of Taoism and conformity with God’s nature. Traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture are rooted in Taoism — and we firmly believe that they have been proven helpful to many millions.
In Homeland Rescued we introduce shamans and medicinal magic and the Esoti – a cave dwelling species who have special healing powers and control the production of a natural healing ointment called nisifix. We do not include these elements to promote alternative thought — but to suggest it for personal exploration and if someone finds such things in our world parallel to this we think they should be free to try it.
Each of us journey to discover truth. Nobody should ever assert he/she has all the answers and that is not what we are doing with our works. Some teachers may be charlatans who promote ideas for their own personal gratification or material reward. Others? Who knows. What if at least in part they are correct?
