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Janet wrote:

Hi, guys —

I would like to know what Catholics think of this new age healing therapy — BodyTalk.
This was taken from their web site:

"The BodyTalk System™ is a unique health care system that uses biofeedback to communicate with the body and discover its healing needs and priorities. Using no manipulation, diagnosis or remedies, the body is brought gently back into its natural individual balance. The extraordinary results achieved by this method have made BodyTalk one of the world's fastest growing health care systems."

I am a Catholic and my husband is a convert. He's beginning to be interested in this BodyTalk healing but I am apprehensive.

  • Is it something against our Catholic preaching?
  • What are your views?

Thank you.

Janet

  { What does the Church think of this New Age healing therapy — BodyTalk; Should I be concerned? }

Eric replied:

Hi, Janet —

I doubt the Church has made any statement on BodyTalk itself (which I've never heard of myself) because it is probably too new. She has made general statements on the New Age movement.

Read and review these documents:

  • Jesus Christ, The Bearer Of The Water Of Life
    from the Pontifical Council for Culture and Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue
    A Christian reflection on the New Age [Vatican] [EWTN]

    and

  • Letter To The Bishops Of The Catholic Church On Some Aspects Of Christian Meditation
    from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
    [Vatican]|[EWTN]

Looking at the BodyTalk System web site, I see that it is based on the principle that:

"Every single cell, atom, and system is in constant communication with every other cell, atom, and system within the body-mind complex at all times."

This is just factually untrue. While it is true that what happens to one part of the body often impacts other parts of the body, it's not like there is a direct link of communication between my toe and earlobe such that they are communicating with each other at all times. The article also refers to communications through meridians and the electromagnetic frequencies that are produced by the body through its functioning — this is a big tip-off to me, because these alternative medicine frauds love to invoke electromagnetic energy to explain their treatments.

Meridians is a spiritual concept that ties in with the alleged interconnectedness of the body. They also talk about energy-based techniques, which is another red flag. The whole things sounds very New Agey to me. You yourself seemed to recognize this. If it's New Agey, I would avoid it.

For more details, you might call into a Catholic Answers Live radio show with Sharon Lee Giganti who is a New Age expert. She is next up on Monday at 3:00 pm (PDT) or 6:00 pm EDT, EWTN Radio.

The call-in number is (1-888-31-TRUTH) 1-888-318-7884. She has a website at:

Eric

Mike replied:

Hi, Janet —

I found this posting in the Catholic Answers Forum which confirms what Eric has said:

  • YOGA...ooer!

In it, Pope Francis is quoted as saying this: Do not seek spiritual answers in yoga classes.

A priest went on to say:

"When you take up those practices from other cultures, which are outside our Christian domain, you don't know what you are opening yourself up to. The bad spirit can be communicated in a variety of ways. I'm not saying everyone gets it, or that it happens every time, and people may well be doing yoga harmlessly. But there‘s always a risk and that's why the Pope mentioned it and that's why we talk about that in terms of the danger of the new age movement and the danger of the occult today. That's the fear."

I hope this helps,

Mike

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