Exploring the debate: Science, alternative medicine, and open minds
1. The controversy at IIT-Bombay
The “Garbha Vigyan” seminar to be held at IIT-Bombay sparked frictive resistance. The seminar aims to focus on the “science of begetting a good progeny” and includes discussions on the influence of ancestors, pregnancy preparations, and Ayurvedic practices like “Garbh Sanskar.” While some students were intrigued, many labeled it pseudoscience, arguing that such events undermine scientific rigor on an engineering campus.
Saif Ali Khan Health Update
However, this raises a larger question: is it wise to dismiss alternative ideas without examination? By rejecting such talks outright, are we inadvertently closing ourselves off from expanding our minds?
2. Integrative medicine: Bridging science and tradition
Critics of alternative approaches might benefit from considering integrative medicine, as practiced at globally renowned institutions like the Mayo Clinic. Their department of Integrative Medicine and Health includes non-conventional practices like meditation, acupuncture, aromatherapy, herbal remedies and supplements, mindful movement, lifestyle medicine, mind-body therapies. As they explain, these therapies complement conventional medicine, leveraging growing evidence of their safety and effectiveness. Notably, an Indian meditation teacher hosts classes at the Mayo Clinic, charging $2,000 a pop each, reflecting the willingness of affluent Americans to explore alternative practices. Even science titans like Google have hosted talks by spiritual leaders like Jaggi Vasudev, recognizing the need for mind expansion and openness to diverse perspectives.
3. Faith and healing: A perennial perspective
Modern medicine often relies on double-blind studies and rigorous testing, yet it dismisses anecdotal evidence and experiential knowledge. Faith, however, plays a significant role in healing. Christ said, “Your faith has cured you.” Whether it’s a grandmother’s remedy or a spiritual practice, the power of belief is undeniable. Love and faith in a grandmother’s cure can result in healing, highlighting the unquantifiable yet transformative power of trust and love.
There is no doubt that there isn’t a single durgah, mosque, gurudwara, church, or even a streetside temple that has not cured illnesses where doctors failed. These faith-based cures, rooted in belief, have transformed countless lives. However, modern medicine is not practiced this way. Modern medicine relies on double-blind studies, involving thousands or even tens of thousands of participants, conducted over multiple years. This rigorous approach contrasts with anecdotal evidence that “this cured X person of Y illness.” Both systems, however, offer unique value and insights into the healing process, and both have been successful in their own ways.
4. The science-philosophy divide
Science, by its nature, is mercurial and evolving. What was once considered absolute truth is often revised or replaced. In contrast, philosophy stands as a perennial science, enduring for millennia without needing upgrades. Philosophy (ie ontology, or gyaan) is the foundation from which vigyaan (science) arises. While science helps us navigate the observable universe, it cannot answer deeper, eternal questions about creation and existence. As Indian philosophy teaches, knowledge of prakriti (ie of the material world, also called phenomelogy) is transient and ever-changing. Only from the platform of gyaan can one truly comprehend vigyaan. However, the reverse is not true: science alone cannot unlock philosophical truths, ie a Creature cannot know the Creator.
Even a Nobel Prize winner, with immense fame and recognition, typically achieves mastery in only a narrow vertical within phenomenology. This vertical specialization brings wealth and prestige, as the world rewards hyper-specialization, but this person remains confined to a single domain. Gyaan, by contrast, is horizontal—it transcends disciplines, embracing the interconnectedness of all knowledge.
5. Upadhi Rog: The disease of a title
Limiting oneself to a single identity—whether as an engineer, a doctor, or a scientist—is a condition that can restrict growth. This condition, often referred to as “upadhi rog” (the disease of titles), afflicts those who define themselves solely by their profession or expertise. True growth requires transcending such labels and embracing a multidisciplinary approach to learning, of keeping one’s mind open.
6. Polypathy in Indian healthcare
India has long embraced polypathy, where individuals consult multiple systems of medicine—modern, Ayurvedic, homeopathic, or even spiritual. This isn’t limited to uneducated populations; even medical professionals often adopt this practice for themselves – some in the closet, and some even recommending it to patients. The coexistence of diverse schools of thought in healthcare reflects India’s openness to exploring various paths toward well-being.
7. The unobservable universe
Science itself acknowledges its limitations. The observable universe is only a fraction of existence, and the laws governing the unobservable universe remain unknown. Could gravity work differently there, allowing apples to float skyward? Could healing occur in ways beyond measurable parameters? The unobservable universe could very well be under our nose, interwoven with our reality, in the very air we breathe, but its truths remain experiential and beyond the reach of double-blind studies.
8. The Sidhu controversy: Critiquing or dismissing?
The criticism surrounding Navjot Singh Sidhu’s comments about alternative cancer remedies working for his wife, reveals the tension between modern medicine and other practices. Tata Memorial Hospital and AIIMS experts were quick to dismiss his claims, citing the dangers of unproven remedies. However, the rhetoric could have been more measured—acknowledging the lack of evidence without outright rejecting alternative approaches. The statement could have been, “We cannot recommend this approach as faith healing lacks replicability.” This would leave room for exploration while maintaining scientific integrity.
9. Learning from global practices
The USA, often seen as a pinnacle of modern science, has over 350,000 alternative healthcare providers, one-third the number of medical practitioners. California, a hub of modernity, hosts many of these practitioners, indicating a willingness to integrate traditional and alternative practices into everyday healthcare. IIT-Bombay students might reflect on how global institutions, including Google, engage with spiritual leaders and alternative ideas to foster open-minded dialogue. Dismissing such perspectives without examination, as some critics of the “Garbha Vigyan” seminar did, risks closing the door to growth and understanding.
10. Expanding minds, not rejecting ideas
Rejecting ideas without understanding them stifles intellectual growth. To truly learn and grow, one must be willing to explore all influences, absorb them, and critically evaluate their validity. Modern medicine and traditional practices can coexist, complementing each other to provide a more comprehensive approach to healing.
11. Conclusion: Beyond the observable
Science is an incredible framework for understanding the observable universe, but it is not the be-all-end-all. Philosophy, faith, and traditional knowledge systems offer insights into aspects of life that science cannot yet explain. By embracing open-mindedness and humility, we can bridge the gap between science and tradition, fostering a more inclusive and holistic understanding of health and well-being.
We recognize that any college is a place not only for comely debate, but for frictive resistance, gheraos, dharnas and demonstrations. It’s the playground where democratic rights reign, within the laws of each country, with the playout of thesis, antithesis, synthesis. We hope this note will add a view, without negating the friction (ie, the resistance is also a valid point of view). Everybody is right, from their POV, under the principle of anekantvad. This allows democracy to be king in infinity.
This debate highlights the importance of balancing scientific rigor with curiosity and respect for other paradigms. Science ends where the observable universe of a hundred billion trillion shiny objects in the sky ends, but philosophy and faith invite us to explore the unknown. We should not have a closing of the Indian mind. Only by opening our minds can we truly grow.
Colleges should indulge in diversity and inclusion (D&I), by allowing multiple external speakers, each strutting their stuff, at hangouts.
PS: “Closing of the Indian Mind” is a title inspired by “The Closing of the American Mind”, by Allan Bloom
PS 2: We are not endorsing alternative medicine, or criticizing it; That’s not the point of this article.
