Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

cleanhippie

(19,705 posts)
Fri Jan 30, 2015, 12:19 PM Jan 2015

Deepak denies that HIV causes AIDS

Well, if Chopra ever had any scientific credibility, it’s now in shreds. Listen to the part of this video (laughably labeled “Two great minds question HIV/AIDS—Scam/Hoax?”) that starts at 22:15. Chopra is interviewed by Tony Robbins, wealthy lifestyle guru and “self help” author. Here’s a bit of the interchange:

Chopra: HIV may be a precipitating agent in a susceptible host. The material agent is never the cause of the disease. It may be the final factor in inducing the full-blown syndrome in somebody who’s already susceptible.

Robbins: But what made them susceptible?

Chopra: Their own interpretations of the whole reality they’re participating in.

Robbins: Could that be translated into their thoughts, their feelings, their beliefs, their lifestyle?

Chopra: Absolutely. . .


It goes on and gets worse as Chopra discusses what he calls “so-called AIDS”

Let’s look at the facts. If you don’t have the virus, regardless of your interpretation of reality, you won’t get AIDS. If you do have the virus, you’re certain to get a disease that is highly likely turn into full-blown AIDS without medical treatment. I don’t know of any studies showing that an “interpretation of reality” is 100% correlated with the presence of the disease (although the presence of the virus is). So which one of these is the more likely “cause”?

I suppose that, according to Chopra, no disease is “caused” by a microbe.

Chopra is reprehensible, suggesting that you can avoid AIDS by not using condoms, but by having the right interpretation of reality. So far his quackery has been either amusing or mildly harmful. Here it becomes dangerous, as Chopra denigrates drug treatments like AZT. (As we’ve long known, the drug slows the replication of the virus, and prolongs life, but is not a “cure”.)

When both Chopra and Robbins laugh at AZT, Chopra suggests that it was promulgated by drug companies because they were interested in money. Now if that’s not a pot/kettle moment, I don’t know what is!

https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2015/01/29/deepak-denies-that-hiv-causes-aids/
18 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Deepak denies that HIV causes AIDS (Original Post) cleanhippie Jan 2015 OP
"Their own interpretations of the whole reality they’re participating in." trotsky Jan 2015 #1
Think yourself thin! n/t Orsino Feb 2015 #16
! Adsos Letter Jan 2015 #2
Wow. Just Wow! Warren Stupidity Jan 2015 #3
What a colossal idiot! AlbertCat Jan 2015 #4
"their thoughts, their feelings, their beliefs, their lifestyle?" Lordquinton Jan 2015 #5
Deep Derp. GeorgeGist Jan 2015 #6
So what?...he is talking about things you don't understand. zeemike Jan 2015 #7
Uh? uriel1972 Jan 2015 #9
Well you don't understand fault and confuse it with condition. zeemike Jan 2015 #10
But there's no rational basis for Chopra's views EvolveOrConvolve Feb 2015 #12
Not to ignore you but I posted here by accident. zeemike Feb 2015 #13
I'm confused - I didn't ask you to leave EvolveOrConvolve Feb 2015 #14
I didn't take it any further as... uriel1972 Feb 2015 #15
Disgusting LeftishBrit Jan 2015 #8
So, if Deepok were punched in the face... progressoid Feb 2015 #11
PKD addressed something similar in VALIS Orrex Feb 2015 #17
Adults certainly say the darndest things when they're unencumbered with facts! LeftishBrit Feb 2015 #18

trotsky

(49,533 posts)
1. "Their own interpretations of the whole reality they’re participating in."
Fri Jan 30, 2015, 12:23 PM
Jan 2015

Don't forget - we have DUers who embrace this "people are sick because they choose to be" hateful nonsense.

 

AlbertCat

(17,505 posts)
4. What a colossal idiot!
Fri Jan 30, 2015, 01:28 PM
Jan 2015

Like he believes his own malarkey...

His contempt for his own "followers" is staggering!

And the egotism! Astounding!

Lordquinton

(7,886 posts)
5. "their thoughts, their feelings, their beliefs, their lifestyle?"
Fri Jan 30, 2015, 01:30 PM
Jan 2015

Their lifestyle? Really? I don't know if he intended it, but he just jumped on the homophobe bandwagon with that remark, though a decade or two late...

zeemike

(18,998 posts)
7. So what?...he is talking about things you don't understand.
Sat Jan 31, 2015, 01:10 PM
Jan 2015

Like the nature of reallity...and of course the materialist will not understand because matter is the only reality that they believe in...
But I am not surprised that they would attack him because it conflicts with their view of things.

uriel1972

(4,261 posts)
9. Uh?
Sat Jan 31, 2015, 06:27 PM
Jan 2015

Yes, he is talking about things I don't understand, the inner workings(?) of the Chopra mindset where all bad things are the sufferers fault.

Blaming the victim is a very nasty thing to do.

zeemike

(18,998 posts)
10. Well you don't understand fault and confuse it with condition.
Sat Jan 31, 2015, 06:52 PM
Jan 2015

There are lots of people saying and believing stupid things but it is not their fault but their condition. If you smash a window it is your fault, if you like and justify smashing windows it is your condition.
But that is a whole other discussion which I don't wish to have here.
I posted in the group by mistake because the link was used as a reply to me in another forum.

EvolveOrConvolve

(6,452 posts)
12. But there's no rational basis for Chopra's views
Tue Feb 3, 2015, 09:31 PM
Feb 2015

The science doesn't back him up, the evidence doesn't back him up, and most of what he says is just word salad. His victim-shaming not withstanding, he's a con-man in it for the money. After all, what better way to part a fool and his money than by blaming him for things for which he is blameless, and promising a "cure" with a certain remunerative transaction.

http://www.wisdomofchopra.com/

uriel1972

(4,261 posts)
15. I didn't take it any further as...
Wed Feb 4, 2015, 05:00 AM
Feb 2015

the poster outlined their intention to leave. I was feeling a broadside coming on within myself, though.

progressoid

(49,969 posts)
11. So, if Deepok were punched in the face...
Tue Feb 3, 2015, 01:33 AM
Feb 2015

I wonder if his “interpretation of reality” could un-break his nose?

Orrex

(63,199 posts)
17. PKD addressed something similar in VALIS
Mon Feb 23, 2015, 01:40 PM
Feb 2015

I don't have the book in front of me, but at some point one of the characters declares that another character has developed cancer because of her mental state (i.e., her "own interpretations of the whole reality {she's} participating in&quot

Of course, VALIS is ultimately a work of fiction, so that kind of bullshit gobbledygook is relatively harmless, but when Chopra's acolytes actually start believing that shit, they're in for a world of hurt.


On a similar note, I wouldn't be surprised if someone were to chime in right now and spout some silliness about "Most parents force feed a world view onto their child from birth. 'Kids say the darndest things' when they're unencumbered with facts as you know them" or the like.

LeftishBrit

(41,205 posts)
18. Adults certainly say the darndest things when they're unencumbered with facts!
Tue Feb 24, 2015, 04:33 AM
Feb 2015

I get really upset when people imply that somehow people are 'choosing' to have illnesses or disabilities - it is really just a New Age version of the view of hard social and economic right-wingers that lots of people choose to live on disability benefit as a sort of addiction and that they could be cured by 'tough love' and forcing them to go off benefits and take jobs that unfortunately don't exist! (While such right-wingers also tend to think that many people are on benefits fraudulently, this is a separate issue.)

I only have one person on ignore, and it is because they have expressed the New Age variety of such views in a very clear and vile way, and I know that if I interact with them, I'll go nuts and/or get PPR'd.

Latest Discussions»Culture Forums»Skepticism, Science & Pseudoscience»Deepak denies that HIV ca...