Introduction

In 1980 a book, The Aquarian Conspiracy, made its debut upon the American scene.  It quickly became a hit, especially with a special group of people with similar beliefs and worldview, yet they were  little known to each other.  Author, Marilyn Ferguson, was the publisher of  a bi-monthly journal—Brain/Mind Bulletin (circulation 10,000) which encompassed research, theory, innovation relating to learning, health, psychiatry, psychology, states of consciousness, dreams, meditation and similar related subjects. Her position as editor and publisher brought her into contact with voluminous information that had not previously been collected and brought together to be shared with those interested.

She had contact with people from many various professions and vocations.  As she received, filtered, analyzed, and published information in her bi-monthly bulletin a mental picture began to slowly form in her mind as she observed a change, a transformation taking place in the core belief system of many people.  This change was occurring in individuals and in society at large.  It was slow at first, starting in the 60’s but picked up momentum in an accelerating manner with each decade.  The movement was without hierarchical leadership, organization, or funding.  It seemed to be arising everywhere spontaneously by small net-working individuals and groups.  This change was seen in medicine, education, social sciences, hard science, and even the government.

This change appeared to follow the aftermath of the social activism of the 1960’s and 1970’s and was moving toward a “historical synthesis,” i.e. a social transformation coming from a personal transformation—a “heart change” then forming into a worldwide society change. With the publishing of The Aquarian Conspiracy the massed information Marilyn had collected, now organized and placed out into the open for all to see, stimulated with even greater speed widespread acceptance and promulgation of these changes of worldview and transformation.

I am sure the reader by this time is asking what is changing in individuals and society as a whole?  Answer: a change in a person’s core belief system—one’s worldview!  Such as Where did we come from?  What are we doing here?  What is the future?  A change from a Western worldview formed mostly from Judeo-Christian concepts of our origin, purpose, and destiny, toward an Eastern pantheistic perspective of “divinity within,”— “the godhood of man.”

Ferguson proceeded to bring out into the open the methods by which transformation within an individual is initiated then more fully developed.  Health and healing is a dominant avenue and a vast array of techniques have been developed to “heal  body and mind.”  The Christian believes that choosing to follow the Eastern pantheistic pathway separates him from his Savior Jesus Christ the Divine Son of God.  Pantheistic healing techniques are presented with an exceedingly deceptive philosophy and explanation as to how they are believed to effect healing.  To accept Satan’s counterfeit healing modalities gives him homage and worship.

The purpose of this book is to present information which facilitates making an intelligent choice as to whether or not the reader would choose to participate in a particular healing therapy. Many different methods of healing are promoted as being of true value but are founded on pagan doctrines originating from a counterfeit story of creation.  This book further explains why these different therapies that carry occult or pagan principles in the explanation as to their power to heal, cannot be separated from their attachment to such religions.

On the back side of the cover of this book, Exposing Spiritualistic Practices in Healing are listed some popular quasi-healing methodologies that have come into our culture in the past 35-40 years.  Most of them are of ancient origin and are only new to us. The concern I present in this text has more to do with the spiritual danger imposed from accepting and using those techniques than from a strictly medical concern.  In short, it is my contention that accepting the concepts promoted in the explanation for the power behind their healing capabilities might well separate us from eternal life.

Since publishing the book Spiritualistic Deceptions in Health and Healing in August 2007, I have encountered individuals who have asked me why I had not written on certain other practices in health and healing that they considered affiliated with spiritualism.  I also recognized from personal contacts with people who read the book and from contacts in seminars I conducted on the subject of spiritualism in healing that certain topics mentioned in the book needed more information and explanation.

It has been more than seven years since I started writing Spiritualistic Deceptions in Health and Healing and five years since its publication.  These years have given me time to contemplate these requests and the effect of the book in bringing an understanding of spiritualism’s encroachment into the healing arts.  During this time, use of alternative and complementary medicine has rapidly increased and been accepted as if it were part and parcel of general medicine.  Less and less do people have concern as to whether there may be any reason that one should question the value or spiritual safety in accepting and using a particular healing method that at one time was considered suspect.

This book, Exposing Spiritualistic Practices in Healing includes all the information found in Spiritualistic Deceptions in Health and Healing, and much additional information has been added to several  chapters.  This book has 11 new chapters, eight additional appendixes, which include a copy of the 1987 report of the Biblical Research Institute of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists on the New Age Movement and Seventh-day Adventists, also doubling of the glossary and index .

Additional information is given on the  subjects of meditation, yoga, yoga exercises, cleansing therapy, acupuncture, Reiki, cranio-sacral therapy, mystical herbology, essential oils, aromatherapy, visualization, crystal and gem healing, psychology, relaxation response, mindfulness meditation,  Satan’s ground,  a counterfeit definition, questions pertaining to  particular steps of  12 step recovery programs, and an introduction to a well known author in health and healing subjects.

Many different methods of healing are being promoted as of true value but are founded in pagan doctrines originating from a counterfeit story of creation.  This book further explains why these different therapies that carry occult or pagan principles in the explanations of their power to heal, cannot be separated from their attachment to those religions and one’s use of, could present spiritual danger.

Edwin A. Noyes M.D. MPH