Many years ago, in 1986, a musician friend, before he was famous, once said the reason he chose to return to Australia from Europe and make his career here was because he’d been to a fortune-teller, who told him to do that. As a scientist, I was mortified, and as I became aware of views people had of him behind-the-scenes, views that, shall we say, reflected on his intellectual abilities and not in a kind way, as a friend, I advised him against making such statements in public. He had stated an interest in Eastern philosophies, which was fine, not unusual and one aspect of him that originally gained my attention. Even Oppenheimer quoted the Bhagavad Gita; I had a copy of it myself, as well as two of the Dhammapada, one in Pali and one in English. This musician’s appreciation of music from non-western cultures I also thought a commendable quality in him. Initially, I had assumed more an astronomical, rather than astrological leaning. However, from the fortune-telling business and other comments he made, it became apparent that, for his musical ability, intellectual philosophical scholarship was not his forte. I didn’t think that should reflect on his musical promise and as the comments regarding his intellect gained momentum, as a friend, I filled in a few gaps in his education relating to some basic philosophical concepts in an effort to steer him toward a more educated perspective and successful career. He was a musician, not a philosophy academic and I considered a fine musician’s career shouldn’t be thwarted by unwise utterances unrelated to his talent. Due to his appreciation of “cosmic” concepts, I steered him toward Spinoza and made the same comments any scientist does and I always had and always did, pointing out the lack of scientific basis to such things as “fortune-telling” and “magical power” claims, never with personal comment, merely as well-meaning enlightenment. Fortunately, he took my advice not to speak of his private beliefs publicly, and when he died of an AIDS-related illness some years later, I’m sure it would not have been with the great reverence he had gained within his musical career, had he not. As it happened, being in Australia at that time had been fortuitous and with other incentives to stay and good public support as a local figure, unlike many of our talented own, he enjoyed an excellent, if unfortunately, brief career.

Oddly, a party took great exception to the advice I gave, people who perhaps had much to gain from exploitation of gullibility and ignorance, and they responded to it with malicious attack on my character, spreading all kinds of rumours about myself, but behind-the-scenes in ways I couldn’t do anything about and which led to literal attack on my person. Even more oddly, the instigators had never met me or made any attempts to, and nor have I spoken with them of these matters. In fact, this is the first I’ve ever addressed the topic with anyone, anywhere, confirming that, for all their “readings”, these parties really are just “reading in”, or in relation to me at the time, at any rate, as the musician himself put it, “they’re guessing”. The musician himself recognised my benevolent intentions. He assured me it wasn’t him doing it and he and I stayed friendly against all attempts to poison our friendly regard.

Of course, such extremism is the exception. Just as with my very religious friends, other friends, past and present, have been “into” esoteric beliefs and, needless to say, our lively discussions over wine and good food do not end with bodies strewn around the room! Nor, I suspect, were “philosophical differences” the real motives behind the attacks. The “readings” of other “mystics” are as “extremely” favourable toward myself, so there are occasions when I place great faith in such obviously more insightful diviners. 🙂

For the record, it didn’t deter me from my more scientific ways. If anything, it confirmed my resolve against those exploiting ignorance, superstition, licentiousness, improper methods and false information as means by which to take advantage of others. When such practices are more about power and money than genuine well-being, all such applications are as much prey to unscrupulousness as any other business.

Alarmingly, at the same time in the ’80s, a rumour was circulating that another musician, at the time, even more well-known than my friend, was refusing treatment for a life-threatening illness due to his religious beliefs. The rumour may have been unfounded, but it was a major alert to the dangerous ideologies that were gaining traction and which I considered it necessary to counter in the interests of those who may have been influenced by them against their better interests and the interests of those who cared for them.

Importantly, again, in our time, medical science is in danger of a regression to the Dark Ages. As the attack on medical science is regaining momentum, it’s all the more important to address dangerous misinformation drawn from ideology or ulterior motives rather than fact. Not everything about science and technology is great, but it was science that warned of the major issues we now face, and while modern medicine may not have all the answers and even fails occasionally, it’s because of scientific medical advances that people are enjoying longer and healthier lives than at any other time in history. Do take vaccines, do get treatment for serious and life-threatening illnesses beyond prayers and faith healing. Importantly, take care with medicines that are more magic belief than genuine cure. “First Do No Harm” is indeed a code that must be observed. That includes not doing harm by way of promulgating dangerously ignorant misinformation that could deter people from accessing life-saving treatments. Yes, drug companies are unscrupulous *******s, but even more so are those manipulating people into buying their snake-oil instead of medicines that provably save lives and improve the quality of daily life for millions of people around the world. Paracetamol, for example, is a totally safe drug when used responsibly and those pushing hype to the contrary are those posing the real danger to your health. Doing no harm also includes that done to animals. Aspirin may have been refined from willow bark and there are many similar plant sources of potential, all the more reason not to destroy the natural environment and to pay attention to native peoples, but rhino horn, tiger tooth and bear bile do nothing but torture animals. There’s nothing environmentally friendly or nature-loving about “medicines” that inflict cruelty on animals or destroy entire species, which only increases the danger of deadly virus creation. It’s not a matter of throwing all things “non-western” or “non-modern” under one roof without discernment as though “they all look alike”. On a planet of billions of people on several continents with thousands of years of history, they really don’t. And, yes, I do disapprove of vivisection in modern medicine as unnecessary cruelty, especially today when science has provided its own alternatives and there’s no need for live experimentation, which has no more scientific value than any practices whose “value” is invisible, while its damage is not.

Ironically, or rather, hypocritically, for those supposedly rejecting all things scientific, as technology has evolved, so too, have the means by which unscrupulous parties enact their craft. So, as I imparted to my friend at the time and still do to everyone, by all means, do Tai Chi and meditate, go on retreats, love nature, enjoy the wonders of the cosmos at a deep and spiritually-meaning level, but don’t entrust life-affecting decisions to what is really only ever charlatanism, whatever new tools are employed to enact it with. Don’t listen to them, however much they claim to know you or others better than you do yourself by way of “higher powers” they claim to have. Whatever they do know, they most likely have it by way of the extensive data-mining technologies now prolifically available. In earlier years they played parlour tricks with hidden microphones and binoculars. Now, they can access a person’s entire history and habits just by buying advertising lists held by online agencies. They excel at exploiting elevation of the unknown and belief in the powers of “Lady Luck” but are no more insighted than any gambling agency that operates on the same principles. Remember that before you get as fleeced as if you were throwing away your money at the track or on the pokies.