Lynne McTaggart: The Field

[Shrinker]

My dearly beloved is currently enjoying this book "The Field" [Amazon link: http://tinyurl.com/l8ryj]. I glanced at a random page, and saw some words about using advanced theoretical physiscs to prove the science behind homeopathy. I searched the contents at Amazon, and found over 90 pages with the word Quantum. (Like a good skeptic I then searched for "=" and got nothing - no math proofs then.) Randi gets a mention as an unqualified observer of Beneviste's experiments.

She's got an apparently antivax article here: http://www.whale.to/m/mctaggart.html and has another book "What Doctors Don't Tell You" [http://tinyurl.com/j5h6t]

Her book was followed up by a $100 "Living Field Masterclass" ("Learn how to heal yourself and others, forecast from your dreams, carry out remote viewing, fine out the effect of geomagnetic energy...") and she appears at conferences with the likes of Gary Schwartz [http://www.merrynjose.com/artman/publish/article_720.shtml]

So, naturally I laughed heartily and cruelly at the merest hint of anyone believing anything this "resepected journalist and speaker" had no say on matters healthy. And now I'm in the dog-house, and my penance is to read the damn thing and open my mind. Anyone got any good ammunition to get me out of this? I've got a Dan Brown I'd rather be reading. Bear in mind, my good lady refuses to dimiss homeopathy, an MMR/autism link, medical conspiracies, or any old hack's right to use the word quantum, so what sets off alarms for us, looks perfectly reasonable to her.

For example I found evidence of McTaggarts campaign against the EU's stricter regulation of vitamin supplement claims, and wondered if the woman has any financial interest in this issue. I predicted she'd have talks, workshops and newsletters in advance of any evidence so I may score a point there. Anything else would be great.

 

[meg]

http://www.badscience.net/?p=216 discusses Ms McTaggart's opinions about the bird flu "scare".

from http://www.eighty.btinternet.co.uk/page50.htm :

..."So how has it surfaced that the psychics are on bin Laden's trail, perhaps via a leaked memo, a spy agency whistleblower, investigative journalism? No, the news was broken by an author called Lynne McTaggart in a Welsh newspaper. She, who coincidentally has a new book on psychics that needs plugging, "believes the CIA is using psychics to track down Osama Bin Laden." A true professional, she does not reveal her sources, but the accuracy of her assertion can perhaps be judged by reference to her other activities. Her new book, The Field, came about "as a personal quest to see if any new scientific theories could explain how homeopathy and spiritual healing work." They do? She is also involved in the Health Freedom Movement - "Imagine if flowers essences like Rescue Remedy were illegal? If you couldn’t buy high dose vitamin C when you had a cold? If you couldn’t buy St John’s Wort over the counter any more?" - which champions the right of the consumer to buy worthless medicines. She also edits what the uncharitable might call a scaremongering newsletter, What Doctors Don't Tell You, with the "truth" about the MMR vaccine and the revelation that arthritis can be reversible. (80 cannot say more as the link about this particular breakthrough merely repeats the scant information on the main page and pushes "The Arthritis Manual" for just £29.95.) McTaggart is involved in many more activities, including the discovery of a link between quantum physics and homeopathy. So, rest easy, if she says bin Laden is being hunted by CIA psychics you can be sure this information is as reliable as the rest of her output."

Her "living in the field" course is most certainly not cheap:
https://secure.succeedsystems.co.uk/wddty/thefield/course_form.asp

Her "What Doctors Don't Tell You" website is full of links to more expensive books and magazines.

My personal opinion? Lynne McTaggart is nothing more than someone who's figured out that woo is big business, and she's cashing in on it.

Meg

 

[Arkan_Wolfshade]

I assume reading it, and debunking it would only further your couchsleeping status?

 

[The Don]

Well, searching online I found that:

- She doesn't like vaccination
- here's an old interview from The Independent
- She likes the idea of "big pharma" only being interested in palliatives not cures - from the above article

'The greatest reason that medical research is tainted is that the majority of it is funded by the very companies who stand to gain by certain results. These drug companies not only pay the salaries of researchers, but they can often decide where - indeed, whether - they get published. It's wise to keep in mind that this industry, in a sense, has a vested interest in ill health: if drug companies found cures, rather than lifelong "maintenance" therapies, they'd soon be out of business.'

 

[Shrinker]

http://www.badscience.net/?p=216
Her "living in the field" course is most certainly not cheap:

Aw Meg, don't be so mean, you get a free binder with issue lesson 1. Given that I don't see anywhere to purchase more matching binders, I'm guessing your £200+ buys you enough leaflets to barely fill the one.

Great badscience link. Exactly what I'm looking for - drawing together the various ridiculous nonsense.
ETA: I didn't read it properly - that's a fantastic link! What a bunch of morons!

 

[Shrinker]

I assume reading it, and debunking it would only further your couchsleeping status?

No, my gf is smart, she's just not exposed to all the information we get here. If I can catch this woman out in a demonstrable lie, a gross misquote or an obvious money-making scam then she'll take it on the chin, and I'll be restored to Full Resident with All Privelidges.

 

[Shrinker]

here's an old interview from The Independent

Ugh, it's nauseating. Professional scaremongerer...

To give just one big example: ultrasound screening for pregnant women is now standard practice. It was never subjected to one single study. There are now some studies looking at ultrasound that are not definitive but disturbing, but we have to stop and ask the questions before we use this technology.

Nice way to plug your books, websites, newsletter & correspondence course

 

[meg]

http://www.calphysics.org/zpe.html

has some very interesting articles about the zero point field, if you or your lovely wife are interested in reading some stuff by actual scientists.

While I have not read every article listed in all the links, I've read quite a few of them. They are fascinating. I have yet to find one, though, that makes any kind of connection between the zero point field and e.s.p, or homeopathy, or any of the junk Ms McTaggart seems to think this proves.

Just trying to help.
Meg

 

[scotth]

I would just turn the tables.

"Honey, you can hang with me as soon as you figure out that your new author is full of it", I'd say.

I'm sure that wouldn't go over too well. But, I'd live with it.

Edited to add: And have her read this post on "open mindedness".
http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=54849

 

[sionep]

So, naturally I laughed heartily and cruelly at the merest hint of anyone believing anything this "resepected journalist and speaker" had no say on matters healthy. And now I'm in the dog-house, and my penance is to read the damn thing and open my mind. Anyone got any good ammunition to get me out of this? I've got a Dan Brown I'd rather be reading. Bear in mind, my good lady refuses to dimiss homeopathy, an MMR/autism link, medical conspiracies, or any old hack's right to use the word quantum, so what sets off alarms for us, looks perfectly reasonable to her.

For example I found evidence of McTaggarts campaign against the EU's stricter regulation of vitamin supplement claims, and wondered if the woman has any financial interest in this issue. I predicted she'd have talks, workshops and newsletters in advance of any evidence so I may score a point there. Anything else would be great.

Here is another link from her web site, with different wierd topics including some physics and science.

http://www.wddty.co.uk/thefield/board/mw_index.asp

 

[sionep]

Here is another link from her web site, with different wierd topics including some physics and science.

http://www.wddty.co.uk/thefield/board/mw_index.asp

I hope that Penn & Teller's Bullsh1t show will be on to this money making woman.

 

[Shrinker]

I would just turn the tables.

"Honey, you can hang with me as soon as you figure out that your new author is full of it", I'd say.

I'm sure that wouldn't go over too well. But, I'd live with it.

Edited to add: And have her read this post on "open mindedness".
http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=54849

My position on open-mindedness, is that I'm open-minded to all these wonderful dreamy and un-erringly positive possibilites, but unlike many I'm also open-minded to the unsettling possibility that our existence is precisely the gray and irritating thing it initially appears to be. Now, having established the panoply of possibilities, I'm working on which is most likely.

 

[Ririon]

This is precisely why we love skepchicks.

Have you considered drinking?

 

[sionep]

http://www.calphysics.org/zpe.html

has some very interesting articles about the zero point field, if you or your lovely wife are interested in reading some stuff by actual scientists.

While I have not read every article listed in all the links, I've read quite a few of them. They are fascinating. I have yet to find one, though, that makes any kind of connection between the zero point field and e.s.p, or homeopathy, or any of the junk Ms McTaggart seems to think this proves.

Just trying to help.
Meg

McTaggart is just using technobabble words to get suckers to buy her book. Zero point field is a topic that is taught at final year papers in both Quantum Physics and Nuclear Physics. So, nothing is new here except McTaggart sensationalize it to make a quick $ out of the gullibles out there.

 

[Shrinker]

Here is another link from her web site, with different wierd topics including some physics and science.

http://www.wddty.co.uk/thefield/board/mw_index.asp

Crop Cirles, REG machines, The Force?!!? Actually maybe I want to read this book after all!

 

[Shrinker]

McTaggart is just using technobabble words to get suckers to buy her book. Zero point field is a topic that is taught at final year papers in both Quantum Physics and Nuclear Physics. So, nothing is new here except McTaggart sensationalize it to make a quick $ out of the gullibles out there.

I hate to call 'evidence' on ya, but do you have any links where I can confirm this? Online syllabuses or something. I wouldn't mind reading up on that, checking my facts. etc If you don't it's cool.