No. The title is not a typo. I recently visited an annual trade show here in Red Deer which is called World of Women. But as I walked around I noticed that tucked in between the booths hawking cookware, make-up and spices were many purveyors of woo and I believe my new moniker may be a more apt description. As a female, I was distressed that these scams were so blatantly directed mostly towards women. I have a sneaking suspicion that had the show been entitled "World of Men", there would have been much less woo. Or at least the woo would not be so overtly geared to just women. Why are women the targets? Is my gender just more gullible? All of the woo products were somehow related to health and wellness. I think it's because women tend to take on the role of caregiver more than men. They are the ones usually in charge of making sure their families are happy and healthy. This draws them to anything and everything that holds a promise of curing or preventing ills. And I can see the appeal. I played the part of the curious and credulous consumer to find out what the snake oils could do for me and I can understand why the women not familiar with critical thinking would fall for a lot of what was offered.
So a nice man took a picture of my eyeball. He then examined the picture and compared it with an eyeball chart which was labeled with body parts which corresponded to certain parts of my eye. This is of course known as Iridology and their notion that areas of your eyeball have any correlation to various parts of your body has absolutely no scientific basis. So according to my eyeball I have neck pain, stress, liver, pancreas and thyroid problems, low iron, a hormone imbalance and there is something apparently worrisome about my rectum. That sucks, just shoot me now. I think he mentioned a few more things but it was clear that they were common generalities that any female my age and body type may have problems with and it appeared that he was doing some unknowing cold reading as well. He then gave me his card and I was instructed to make an appointment if I wanted said problems alleviated. I'm guessing through the orthotics, herbs, kinesiology and vitamins as stated on his card.
Next I wandered past the Aromatherapy booth and sniffed a few of the open jars of scents. According to one website:
"Aromatherapy is the practice of using the natural oils extracted from flowers, bark, stems, leaves, roots or other parts of a plant to enhance psychological and physical well-being.
The inhaled aroma from these "essential" oils is widely believed to stimulate brain function. Essential oils can also be absorbed through the skin, where they travel through the bloodstream and can promote whole-body healing."
Yeah, I'm just thinking "mmmm.....smells nice" but whole-body healing is a bit far fetched. The efficacy of aromatherapy has yet to be shown in any scientific studies and any perceived benefits would stem directly from the placebo effect as opposed to an actual physiological change. Any success stories are just that, stories, and as we all know (say it out loud now), anecdotes are not evidence. So as I'm inhaling a lovely jasmine which is said to help with apathy, listlessness, indifference, and depression, I overhear a young lady talking with who I guess is her mother. She says "what do you think? There's no harm in trying it. After all, nothing else has helped." She seemed uncertain but at the point of spending some of her hard earned money on crap so I leaned over and said, "don't bother, it doesn't work." Well, the aromatherapy saleslady overheard me and I was certain that she was going to throw a jar of lavender at my head. But at $28.00 a jar, I guess she reconsidered.
The picture at the beginning of this post is me about to get my neck scanned by a computer. This is what they do at Hoffman Chiropractic & Wellness Centre to determine how best to crack your neck. There were at least four chiropractor booths there. I guess I should say "only" four as there are what seems like hundreds in Red Deer. The scan of my neck correctly determined that I have very tense muscles and pain. But he was wrong about the headaches and other symptoms he was sure I would have along with my sore neck. Now this is where I can see people falling for the hype. My neck has been sore for as long as I can remember and massage therapists or physiotherapists alike have been unable to alleviate the tension. When I rotate my shoulder, I can create a marvelous crunching, cracking sensation and while this makes for a neat party trick, it's also very uncomfortable and I would love for it to be fixed. The chiropractor said that he has had many patients extol the virtues of his healing subluxations. "I thought I would have to live with this forever," they exclaim, "who knew it would be so easy to fix." Very tempting if you don't know it's all woo. And that's just a sore back. I can imagine people with fatal ailments or having children with awful illnesses. I can certainly see why folks would want to try anything. His website has a "for skeptics only" section where you can find out exactly how chiropractic is completely scientific. Thoughts?
On the way out I stopped at a booth selling pretty shiny necklaces and bracelets. But this wasn't ordinary jewelery. Oh no! It was magical, magnetic jewelery with super healing powers. From their flier: "Here is a partial list of some of the many conditions that have been relieved, improved, increased, enhanced, reduced, and helped clear up, by using magnetic therapy: Acne, Allergies, Arthritis, Asthma, Back Aches, Burns, Broken Bones, Bursitis, Diabetes, Carpal Tunnel, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Colitis, Cramps, Earaches, Fibromyaglia, Frozen Shoulder, Gout, Irregular Bowel Movements, Heel Spurs, High Blood Pressure, Infections, Insomnia, Menstrual Cramps, Migraines, Osteoarthritis, Poor Circulation, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Sciatica, Sinus Congestion, Strep Throat, Swelling Tendentious, Tennis Elbow, plus many more. In addition, magnets increase energy and vitality in many people." And that's just a PARTIAL list? Get outta town! Again, magnetic therapy has never been proven to help with any of these conditions. It is considered pseudoscientific due to both physical and biological implausibility. Magnets are good for holding those pretty pictures your kids draw for you on the fridge but don't count on them to cure your allergies. To their credit though, the flier also stated "The use of magnets should not replace treatment of a qualified medical professional."
The healing properties of gemstones were also highlighted at this booth and I shall provide you with this amusing and sad website for your viewing pleasure. Have abandonment issues? Just carry some garnet in your pocket. Accident prone? Tiger Eye is what you need. Enjoy.
There were other booths galore filled with nonsense (detox, magic juice, weight loss) but these are about as much as I can talk about in one sitting without losing my mind. One thing was certain, every snake oil salesman appeared absolutely sincere. They had bought hook, line and sinker into their own little fantasy land and no one was about to talk them out of it. I wonder how an anti-bullshit booth would go over at next year's show. Hmmmmm.......
So a nice man took a picture of my eyeball. He then examined the picture and compared it with an eyeball chart which was labeled with body parts which corresponded to certain parts of my eye. This is of course known as Iridology and their notion that areas of your eyeball have any correlation to various parts of your body has absolutely no scientific basis. So according to my eyeball I have neck pain, stress, liver, pancreas and thyroid problems, low iron, a hormone imbalance and there is something apparently worrisome about my rectum. That sucks, just shoot me now. I think he mentioned a few more things but it was clear that they were common generalities that any female my age and body type may have problems with and it appeared that he was doing some unknowing cold reading as well. He then gave me his card and I was instructed to make an appointment if I wanted said problems alleviated. I'm guessing through the orthotics, herbs, kinesiology and vitamins as stated on his card.
Next I wandered past the Aromatherapy booth and sniffed a few of the open jars of scents. According to one website:
"Aromatherapy is the practice of using the natural oils extracted from flowers, bark, stems, leaves, roots or other parts of a plant to enhance psychological and physical well-being.
The inhaled aroma from these "essential" oils is widely believed to stimulate brain function. Essential oils can also be absorbed through the skin, where they travel through the bloodstream and can promote whole-body healing."
Yeah, I'm just thinking "mmmm.....smells nice" but whole-body healing is a bit far fetched. The efficacy of aromatherapy has yet to be shown in any scientific studies and any perceived benefits would stem directly from the placebo effect as opposed to an actual physiological change. Any success stories are just that, stories, and as we all know (say it out loud now), anecdotes are not evidence. So as I'm inhaling a lovely jasmine which is said to help with apathy, listlessness, indifference, and depression, I overhear a young lady talking with who I guess is her mother. She says "what do you think? There's no harm in trying it. After all, nothing else has helped." She seemed uncertain but at the point of spending some of her hard earned money on crap so I leaned over and said, "don't bother, it doesn't work." Well, the aromatherapy saleslady overheard me and I was certain that she was going to throw a jar of lavender at my head. But at $28.00 a jar, I guess she reconsidered.
The picture at the beginning of this post is me about to get my neck scanned by a computer. This is what they do at Hoffman Chiropractic & Wellness Centre to determine how best to crack your neck. There were at least four chiropractor booths there. I guess I should say "only" four as there are what seems like hundreds in Red Deer. The scan of my neck correctly determined that I have very tense muscles and pain. But he was wrong about the headaches and other symptoms he was sure I would have along with my sore neck. Now this is where I can see people falling for the hype. My neck has been sore for as long as I can remember and massage therapists or physiotherapists alike have been unable to alleviate the tension. When I rotate my shoulder, I can create a marvelous crunching, cracking sensation and while this makes for a neat party trick, it's also very uncomfortable and I would love for it to be fixed. The chiropractor said that he has had many patients extol the virtues of his healing subluxations. "I thought I would have to live with this forever," they exclaim, "who knew it would be so easy to fix." Very tempting if you don't know it's all woo. And that's just a sore back. I can imagine people with fatal ailments or having children with awful illnesses. I can certainly see why folks would want to try anything. His website has a "for skeptics only" section where you can find out exactly how chiropractic is completely scientific. Thoughts?
On the way out I stopped at a booth selling pretty shiny necklaces and bracelets. But this wasn't ordinary jewelery. Oh no! It was magical, magnetic jewelery with super healing powers. From their flier: "Here is a partial list of some of the many conditions that have been relieved, improved, increased, enhanced, reduced, and helped clear up, by using magnetic therapy: Acne, Allergies, Arthritis, Asthma, Back Aches, Burns, Broken Bones, Bursitis, Diabetes, Carpal Tunnel, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Colitis, Cramps, Earaches, Fibromyaglia, Frozen Shoulder, Gout, Irregular Bowel Movements, Heel Spurs, High Blood Pressure, Infections, Insomnia, Menstrual Cramps, Migraines, Osteoarthritis, Poor Circulation, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Sciatica, Sinus Congestion, Strep Throat, Swelling Tendentious, Tennis Elbow, plus many more. In addition, magnets increase energy and vitality in many people." And that's just a PARTIAL list? Get outta town! Again, magnetic therapy has never been proven to help with any of these conditions. It is considered pseudoscientific due to both physical and biological implausibility. Magnets are good for holding those pretty pictures your kids draw for you on the fridge but don't count on them to cure your allergies. To their credit though, the flier also stated "The use of magnets should not replace treatment of a qualified medical professional."
The healing properties of gemstones were also highlighted at this booth and I shall provide you with this amusing and sad website for your viewing pleasure. Have abandonment issues? Just carry some garnet in your pocket. Accident prone? Tiger Eye is what you need. Enjoy.
There were other booths galore filled with nonsense (detox, magic juice, weight loss) but these are about as much as I can talk about in one sitting without losing my mind. One thing was certain, every snake oil salesman appeared absolutely sincere. They had bought hook, line and sinker into their own little fantasy land and no one was about to talk them out of it. I wonder how an anti-bullshit booth would go over at next year's show. Hmmmmm.......
Comments
It's well-known, and pretty uncontroversial that physical surroundings influence us, especially psychologically.
Bright colors, cheerful music, pleasant temperature, sunlight and friendly surroundings can all contribute to a better mood. Similarily, I think we've all felt that a rainy windy dark november, can contribute negatively to our well-being.
Similarily, smells also influence our emotions, often without us consciously noticing it. There's a -reason- that taking freshly baked bread out of the oven shortly before potential buyers come to look at your house, is a good idea. (few things say /home/ as strongly as fresh baking, nearly everyone have positive associations from it)
Offcourse the connection from this, and to the wild claims typical made by aromatherapits, is extremely weak. And the claims that relate to curing of all sorts of physical ills, are pure bunk.
But if you tone it down 11 notches and leave it at: "the right smell, can help set the right mood", then I think it's basically sane.
Offcourse you don't need mega-expensive tiny jars of "essential oils" for that.
BTW, I managed to find this blog via a link from an article at James Randi's.
I noted that every time I viewed a house when I was house hunting, they "just happened" to be baking bread. Or muffins. So, yes, smells work. There is a down side of course....the perfectly valid and pleasant flavors of wintergreen and almond have been ruined for me because they smell like a hockey locker room. Liniment and washroom air freshener respectively. I think it is all in the association.
I dislike aroma-therapy for that reason....though some associations are pleasant, some are unpleasant, and how would the so called "therapist" know the difference? Lavender, for instance, smells like that stuff they use in funeral homes to cover the odor of the body. So I have a rather powerful aversion to it being used under a pillow.