Category: N

Quack medicines, also referred to as patent or proprietary medicines. Nostrums emerged in the modern world of commerce from the folk remedies of the past. As early as 1692, a Boston newspaper advertised a product called “Aqua anti torminales” which was sup¬ posed to cure the “Griping of the Guts and the wind Cholick” and…

Sixteenth-century French physician and mystic known today for his cryptic poems that purported to foretell many future events. Born in to a well-educated Jewish family who later converted to Roman Catholicism, Nostradamus had a wide and deep education in languages, science, religion, and Astrology. A gifted healer, he saved many patients from the ravages of…

A contemporary term, derived from the Greek nous (“mind”), for the science of consciousness and its alterations. The term was first used in this manner by Madame Blavatsky, co-founder of the Theosophical Society, in an article in a theosophical magazine in 1890. She compared “noetic” to “manasic” (from the Sanskrit manas or “mind”) in her…

The invention of Joe W Newman who designed what he claimed was a free-energy machine a massive direct-current motor driven by a large set of batteries. The idea of a “free” source of energy is a chimera that has attracted many inventors for obvious reasons. Newman said that if his idea were implemented, “there would…

An umbrella term covering a variety of beliefs and practices, but all having the common denominator of stemming from a mystical paranormal mental set. The thinking that distinguishes this mind-set is the belief that there is no difference between material, physical reality and imaginary reality. Some go so far as to deny the existence of…

A theory and therapy for achieving greater health, emphasizing the mind-body connection. “Neuro” refers to the workings of the brain and to consistent, detectable patterns of thinking. “Linguistic” refers to verbal and nonverbal expressions of the brain’s thinking patterns. “Programming” implies that these patterns are recognized and understood by the mind and that they can…

A treatment that claimed to correct various learning and neurological disorders. Neural Organization Technique was developed by Carl A. Ferreri, a New York practitioner of chiropractic medicine and of applied kinesiology. Ferreri suggested that such conditions as dyslexia, learning disability, minimal brain dysfunction, and related conditions that become noticeable during school years were caused by…

The name given to a late 18th-, early 19th-century theory of geology that proclaimed the aqueous creation of all rocks; this theory was opposed to Plutonism or Vulcanism, which argued that granite and many other rocks were of igneous origin. The disagreement between the two schools of thought was one of the great geological arguments…

A modern form of Paganism, adapted to the beliefs and mores of the 20th century. The term “pagan” comes from an Ancient Roman word for a civilian or villager, “paganus” as opposed to “miles,” a soldier. After the Roman emperor Constantine (274-338 C.E.) converted to Christianity, his soldiers came to the faith with him, leaving…

An updated version of Astrology, claiming to put the subject on a scientific basis. Traditional astrology has been under attack for a long time. In recent years the main attacks have come from science. In the face of these attacks, those who firmly believed in astrology turned to science and used the critics’ own weapons…