in this multi-part Naturocrit Podcast Episode 015, aka s02e05, retitled from “The JACM 2019 Special Issue on Naturopathy” to “A Qualitative Content Analysis of Curated World Naturopathic Federation Publications and Reports Employing the Online Misinformation Engagement Framework Within a Paradigm of Methodological Naturalism,” I'll be sharing a study I've recently written in an semi-scholarly manner.
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In this first part of Episode 015 Part C, I'll cover the context of that conversion in terms of the study or project, what I've termed naturopathy's methodological con-fabulation, and naturopathy's vitalistic / supernaturalistic oncology through the institutional structures of healthcare publishing, the law, and academics.
[The Naturocrit Podcast - Episode 015c1 [s02e05c1] Script and Annotations post 4 of 4]
[01.41.05]
Promise, promises.
The vitalistic equations there are:
energetic = subtle energetic = juice = qi = enlivening force = life force = spirit = vital energy.
The book mischaracterizes science as well, and the modern physician-patient relationship, categorically stating:
“the ‘scientific’ method assumes that each person will manifest a particular disease in the same way [I think that’s bullshit…] perhaps the most dangerous aspect of the conventional medical paradigm is the way in which the practitioner views the patient - uninformed, powerless, obedient and childlike, respectful of the greater knowledge amassed by the scientific doctor/god.”
So, it is quite ironic, that a deification and disempowerment criticism is coming from someone actually preaching a certain kind of spirituality, which supernaturalizes quite mundane physiological processes, which preaches a certain kind of belief that employs science terms and labels in inappropriate ways, and does not distinguish acts of belief from objective scientifically-derived facts.
It smacks of, dare I say, treating people as if they are uniformed, deserving of being disempowered with what’s false, seeking to be obedient, childlike, and ruled-over.
Vitalism as supernaturalism, essentially – and epistemic conflation -- as demonstrated by ND Boice, is not out of the ordinary, as demonstrated by ND Pizzorno.
In Pizzorno's 1996 book "Total Wellness: Improve Your Health by Understanding the Body’s Healing Systems," ISBN 0761504338 – Pizzorno is an NUNM graduate like Boice, incidentally -- he writes:
"live in harmony with your life-force [...] each of us needs to become more aware of the activity of the vis medicatrix naturae (life-force) deep within us [...] seven underlying, health-sustaining systems of our body must function effectively to ensure our well-being, prevent disease, and allow a full life: the immune system, the detoxification system, the inflammatory system, the metabolic system, the regulatory system, the regeneration system, and our life-force (or spirit). Weakness in any of these seven systems results in susceptibilities that allow most common diseases to develop. Follow the recommendations below, strengthen all of these seven systems, and total wellness is yours."
And, of course, of note, Pizzorno states naturopathy is categorically “science-based natural medicine […] grounded in scientific research” on his book’s dust jacket.
Yeah, because subsumed within science is supernaturalism -- which is not true – but it is true that such is as an essential feature of the naturopathic.
Placing the supernatural within science is so essential to naturopathy that it can be found within the Textbook of Natural Medicine 4th edition from 2013 edited by NDs Murray and Pizzorno.
There, Chapter 48 -- authored by ND Pizzorno’s non-naturopath wife Lara Pizzorno, master’s in divinity as in religion – states on page 414:
“recognize that the life force in the form of the vis medicatrix naturae is at work in your patient […] the vis medicatrix naturae, the healing power that naturopathic philosophy recognizes is life's fundamental impulse towards health [...] spirit […] the most intimate and the most universal aspect of our being. How do we tune in to and draw from this inner source of our life in which we are all joined as one, this source that manifests as the drive to an ever-fuller unfolding of life, this source that is the pervasive loving intelligence, which is the vis medicatrix naturae and the dynamic pattern that encompasses both the widest spans of rational thought and the intuitive nonrational aspects of our being? How do we open up our awareness to and align with this power, which has been called spirit, mother/father god or abba, atman, brahman, qi, the tao, the Christ — so many names for one reality; of which the life force is one demonstration, this reality which is the core of healing, of health? How do we tune in?”
Interesting synonyms, wherein healing power of nature is, amongst other things, Christ.
That sounds like religion.
Now, the claim upon all of naturopathy -- inclusive of what I just read, by way of this textbook’s dust jacket -- is through the statement:
“now in its fourth edition, [the] Textbook of Natural Medicine is the gold standard in science-based natural medicine.”
So, yeah, supernaturalism within science by way of someone acting with some kind of ministerial expertise.
Golden?
A better question is:
why is such a false portrayal considered best?
Is that not destructive of science and a callous disregard for the sanctity of freedom of belief?
This supernaturalism within science doesn’t seem to have come about through scientific processes, after all, since we’re also told in the textbook:
“'science-based natural medicine' […was] coined by Dr. Pizzorno.”
Yet, what is maintained as a position in the Textbook of Natural Medicine is that the science-ejected vitalistic is scientific and scienceable, through such statements within the naturopathy philosophy chapter as:
“the criteria of the scientific method can be met by vitalistic medicine [...] vitalistic medicine proves to be both verifiable and reproducible and, thus, scientific” as written by ND Bradley who neither has credentials as a philosopher nor a scientist.
It strikes me as authoritarian, as in ‘because I say so.’
How really really not true no matter who says it.
At ND Bradley’s Nebraska practice bio. page, we’re told she’s an NUNM graduate who did a residency at Bastyr and who specializes in homeopathy at heartlandnaturopathic.com.
In spite of vitalism happening within her Textbook of Natural Medicine chapter scores of times explicitly, the practice homepage codes it all as:
“the body/mind has an incredible ability to heal itself […] the goal of treatment is to stimulate the self-healing of the whole person […] this goal of self-healing.”
Her homeopathy page states she is board certified by the Homeopathic Academy of Naturopathic Physicians (HANP) and that her residency was in homeopathy.
We’re told on that page too:
“the focus is always on stimulating self-healing.”
Which is, of course, more coded vitalism.
There is a referral page at HANP for ND Bradley at hanp.net and there their homeopathy page even codes homeopathic-naturopathic essential vitalism.
Her naturopathy page at her practice states that naturopathy is distinct and comprised of a blend.
We’re told naturopathy’s principles – including vitalism and supernaturalism -- are “based upon the objective observation of the nature of health and disease and […] continually reexamined in the light of scientific advances.”
We’re also there told of CNME accreditation, examination,
licensure, and of such naturopathy therapies as homeopathy and acupuncture.
We’re told:
“naturopathic medicine […] is based on the timeless philosophy of vis medicatrix naturae, ‘the healing power of nature.’ This means that all true healing is the result of the body/mind’s natural ability to heal itself. Naturopathic physicians help to remove the obstacles to cure and employ natural therapies that strengthen and stimulate the body/mind’s own healing processes.”
We’re told homeopathy is “powerful.”
And we’re referred to the AANP.
The ND Bradley page “Definition and Principles of Naturopathic Medicine” tells us again that naturopathy is distinct and comprised of a blend, and that it is based on scientifically vetted objective observation.
The healing power of nature is defined as:
“vis medicatrix naturae. The healing power of nature is the inherent self-organizing and healing process of living systems which establishes, maintains and restores health. Naturopathic medicine recognizes this healing process to be ordered and intelligent. It is the naturopathic physician’s role to support, facilitate and augment this process by identifying and removing obstacles to health and recovery, and by supporting the creation of a healthy internal and external environment.”
So again, a science veneer and coded vitalism.
We’re told on a history page that natural medicine is vitalistic medicine and that naturopathy engages in “the appropriate use of science” which I am in total disagreement with, obviously.
The reference for that page is a 1996 chapter by ND Pizzorno.
The State of Nebraska provides a referral page to ND Bradley’s practice through their nrrs.ne.gov site.
The page is titled “Rachelle S. Bradley, ND Heartland Naturopathic Clinic.”
The citation “Textbook of Natural Medicine” occurs in the WNF material the study will be sharing 16 times, particularly for the statement:
“vitalism is a central tenet in the philosophy of naturopathic medicine.”
A 2015 supplement company article, recently updated 2022, featuring Lara Pizzorno “Lara Pizzorno Shares Her Personal Story” has her stating:
“my husband, Dr. Joe Pizzorno, is the founding president of the world’s more highly respected and fully federally accredited university of natural medicine. It’s called Bastyr University and it’s in Seattle, Washington where we live. For more than 40 years, he has been a key leader in the development of science-based natural and integrative medicine worldwide.”
By combining ND Boice’s vitalistic equations with those of the Pizzornos’ -- therein spirit, divinity, theology, and supernaturalism equals vis medicatrix naturae – I come to the conclusion, as stated in the title to this section, that naturopathic oncology is, oddly in this day and age, supernaturalism-focused.
Because that’s what vitalism is, in type.
Then such is falsely categorized as science.
Scary.
Is this the year 1630 and one is being visited by a plague doctor who is warding off ‘the miasmas’ with a perfumed beak mask?
Therein, I return to my introduction’s language, my elevator pitch that starts each podcast episode or episode part:
“naturopathy’s ultimate achievement is a profound erosion of scientific integrity and freedom of belief.”
Naturopathy’s vitalism, all in all, can be demonstrated as sometimes covert, coded, hidden and sometimes overt, not coded, unhidden.
It is very secular when they cast a wide net for business externally, but quite sectarian, late New Age, and supernaturalism-centered internally.
I think the study will determine, finally, naturopathy’s commitment to an overarching vitalism from the top of the pyramid downwards, globally – no matter how expressed.
I often muse about NUNM, the trunk of the North American naturopathy tree and an AANP Alliance member, of the “naturopathic medicine rests on a scientific foundation” claim as earlier mentioned.
Indeed, it is at NUNM, ND Boice’s alma mater, wherein vitalism is:
claimed to “continually” survive ongoing “scientific analysis” in their ND principles, to this day;
also, wherein such Oregon Board of Naturopathic Medicine approved continuing education courses are offered as “Introduction & Vitalism, Naturopathy, Ayurvedic, and Chinese Medicine: Roots & Legacy, Panel Discussion” which includes a “professional panel discussion on naturopathy, ayurveda, and Chinese medicine as it applies to vitalism and spirituality”;
and wherein degrees are offered within their “College of Classical Chinese Medicine.”
Within that NMI Boice article, two categories are highlighted and discerned or positioned as different, therein – science, spirituality – but, then they are mashed together as if one is a supporting subset of the other, as “the science of vitalism.”
Indeed, at NMI, there’s also “vitalogy: the science of the life force […within the section] therapeutic rationale” within the AANP and OBNM continuing education approved course “Vital Gathering 1 Recordings.”
But they are not, in the sense of each category, related in that way: one supporting or subsumed within the other.
They are different, discernible.
After all, it is the Next Generation Science standards – in 2012, now 13 years ago – which states:
“science is replete with ideas that once seemed promising but have not with-stood the test of time, such as the concept of the ‘ether’ or the vis vitalis (the ‘vital force’ of life).”
And that’s the National Research Council hosted, most recently as an upload, at the State of Arizona Department of Education at azed.gov.
The paradigm undoes itself: the knowing which contains the unknowable, the mystery that is known.
These are not intersupporting.
They are different, they are discernible.
Science particularly is eroded and shut-down when one
declares “ineffable mystery” about a phenomenon within its processes.
That act is a giving up on inquiry and a filling of the area
with a placeholder that says ‘do not enter.'
Such is a fake answer because, historically, particularly in biology, what vitalism deemed unknowable and ineffable has quite often yielded to scientific processes and vitalism, as that placeholder declaring the mysterious unknowable, has had to retreat with wondrously insightful results occurring about the world and how it works.
Also, I would argue that the characterization of science as certainty is not accurate.
Science contains mystery in terms of why it is done, in the sense of inquiry, in the sense of pushing its boundaries, and it is ameliorable to better data at any time.
The argument, the vitalistic paradigm, is not rational and of course, is essentially a mixing of religion with science – we did just hear ND Boice speak of spirit and soul -- when looked at granularly as I’ll show in a moment.
And yet, all this is termed one thing – the science of vitalism – while actually a mixture of the physical and the metaphysical or whatever, of the attainable and the surrendered in empirical terms.
This paradigm is expressed by the ND [Boice] as:
“both the human body and the planetary body are informed by this ‘vital force,’ an indwelling wisdom that orchestrates complex processes and systems to restore, maintain and build health.”
Now, I’m all for ecology, I’m all for climate science as sciences.
A vital force running the planet, so she believes.
But it is not known, in the sense of science information.
It is believed in the sense of metaphysics and perhaps a certain set of values.
So, for further connection of naturopathy’s basic premise to the supernatural and therein something mildly religious, there’s the 2017 vimeo.com video "Interview with Dr Judith Boice and Dr Charley Cropley" -- still up this 2025 -- wherein we’re told:
"[ND
B.] in naturopathic medicine, we talk about the healing power of nature
[00.27.30...] and that healing power is innate in us and we're engaging
it. But that healing power of nature is also really spirit […] the same
life force that inhabits everything [...] that incredible universal force
[...ND C.] this universal healing power."
That blending of science and faith, basically, in a categorical sense returning to ND Boice’s distinction that then subsumes its polarities as “the science of vitalism,” I believe, greatly tramples upon both the integrity of science and the sanctity of freedom of belief.
Cancer Treatment Centers of America, CTCA, is an interesting nexus for both ND Alschuler and ND Boice, who both list that employer on their resumes.
Currently, this 2025, at cancercenter.com, the page “Naturopathic Support” -- noted as reviewed by MD -- medical doctor -- Markman “president, medicine and science” there and last updated in 2022 -- states:
“among the supportive therapies City of Hope offers is naturopathic support, which focuses on using natural, non-toxic techniques to support the self-healing process […] our naturopathic providers choose from a wide variety of natural therapies, including herbal and botanical preparations, dietary supplements and homeopathic remedies.”
So, coded vitalism and all them modalities.
A global search of cancercenter.com yields no 2025-02 results for “vitalism” and the only result for “life force” is a 2019 article written by a member of the clergy which states:
“at the core of the human soul is a life force.”
Telling.
Yet, within the multi-site system of CTCA there is such naturopath bio. pages as that of ND Edwards, who tells us she:
“earned a doctorate degree in naturopathic medicine from National University of Health Sciences in Lombard, Illinois.”
So, a very strong science categorization atop that coded vitalism.
Comparatively, in the past, CTCA had up the 2012 page "Naturopathic Medicine for Melanoma" which stated:
"listed below are some of the founding principles of naturopathic medicine [...#3] the healing power of nature: naturopathic medicine (also known as naturopathy) applies the healing power of nature and the body's inherent ability to establish, maintain and restore health. The healing process is ordered and intelligent; nature heals through the response of the life force. Your naturopath's role in melanoma treatment is to facilitate and augment this natural healing process [...] homeopathic medicine [...] clinical observation has shown that, by using minute doses of natural materials that simulate the symptoms of a disease, homeopathic medicine can work on a subtle, yet powerful, energetic level to strengthen the immune response and trigger a healing process."
Yet, at cancercenter.com, in the document “25 Years of Illuminating the Way to Cures – FY 2016 Annual Report” ND Alschuler is listed within the section “board of scientific counselors.”
And in the document “2015 Annual Report” ND Boice is listed as giving the 2014 lecture “Boosting Your Immune System.”
Presently, at ND Boice's practice, there’s the article “Flu-Proof: 8 Steps to Boost Your Immune System” at drjudithboice.com.
Meanwhile, “Can You Boost Your Immune System? Body Stuff With [immunologist] Dr. Jen Gunter” at TED Audio Collective on YouTube.com states:
“the truth is you can't boost your immune system. The immune boosting myth preys on our fear of getting sick and completely misrepresents how the immune system works.”
A google.com search > naturopathy boost "immune system"< is quite producing of results which are ND practices and ND schools.
Probably my favorite right now is ND Wiggins’s “Homeoprophylaxis - Using Homeopathy to Educate the Immune System” at terrainnaturalmedicine.com.
She is an NUNM grad who practices alongside fellow NUNM grad ND Rosendhal.
In their article “Building Your Care Team” we’re told:
“acupuncture and Chinese herbs support the appropriate flow of life force energy/chi through the different meridians in the body. By addressing imbalances and blockages in the organ systems of the body, vital nutrients and circulation is restored and harmony is brought back to the system.”
Sure.
Easing into My
Study: Other Sonoran Academic Vitalism as Belief,
Naturopaths of the
Hidden Oncology Vitalism, WNF Vitalism in Full-Throated Brilliance, and NPLEX Core
Clinical Science Vitalism.
The ND that Alschuler is replacing at SUHS as President and CEO is ND Mittman, who, similarly, has a place where he is transparent about naturopathy’s vitalism and a place where he is not.
For transparency, ND Mittman tells us on both the SUHS page as captured by Archive.org in 2007 “Naturopathic Medicine This I Believe by Dr.Paul Mittman” and at the still live thisibelive.org ‘Essay 23060’ page “This I Believe Paul - Mesa, Arizona”:
"I believe in the healing power of nature [...] something inside me coordinated the healing and repair, without me even thinking about it, completely involuntarily. Hippocrates, the father of western medicine, described that 'something' as the vis medicatrix naturae -- the healing power of nature. It is that same force that helped my wife's broken leg mend and grow straight when she was a teenager, and my father heal from coronary by-pass surgery last year. Nearly every culture has a name for it — the Chinese call it chi, in India they refer to it as prana, the Japanese call it ki. Present when we are born and gone when we die, this animating force exists in every living plant and animal, including humans [...] this powerful, healing force in people [...] therapeutic lifestyle changes remove obstacles to cure, permitting the vis medicatrix naturae, the healing power of nature to flow freely and help us regain that equilibrium we call health."
The SUHS page also states:
“Dr. Paul Mittman essay for This I Believe, the NPR media project intended to create a national discussion about beliefs and values.”
How about them beliefs and values, which are being distinguished.
In terms of opacity or coding, there is the 2022 uploaded SUHS video at Vimeo.com "University History - Our Beginnings as SCNM" wherein we’re told by ND Mittman:
“and that relates to the healing power of nature, which is the medicinal properties of plants."
Quite a difference, such a non-distinction and ruse.
Oh, the weavers of the tangled webs…
ND Alschuler has been at the University of Arizona.
Coincidentally, their School of Journalism has the course “GLO 465: Science Misinformation, Disinformation, Media & the Public” at journalism.arizona.edu which states as its description:
“in this course we will explore science disinformation,
misinformation, the media, and the public. We will begin by examining the
hallmarks of science (as compared to pseudoscience and non-science) including
the concept of falsifiability. Next, we will discuss the ‘public understanding
of science’ and why it is important. We will also study historical examples of
science mis/disinformation including the ill-informed 19th century theory of
climatology called ‘rain follows the plow,’ the early twentieth century
eugenics movement, the Andrew Wakefield autism/vaccine controversy, and other
instances of pseudoscience or non-science masking as real science. You will
learn about the science of science communication and why people are vulnerable
to science mis/disinformation. You will read about and discuss modern problems
that impact our understanding of science including the use of pre-print servers
where scientific information that has not yet been peer-reviewed is published.
We will discuss why some members of the public do not trust experts and
expertise and you will learn for yourself hallmarks to look for in
distinguishing scientific experts from non-experts. You will also learn how to
speak to science deniers and others who question the reliability and accuracy of
scientific information. You will cultivate scientific habits of mind and
develop a toolbox of tips, tools, and skills with which you can arm yourself
against science dis/misinformation.”
Hear, hear.
Simultaneously, the University of Arizona hosts the PDF "Improving Access to Quality Medical Care Webinar Series" by SUHS ND graduate Hoover at telemedicine.arizona.edu which tells us:
"[via ND Hoover] naturopathic medicine: a distinct primary health care profession […encouraging] individuals’ inherent self-healing process […] they help facilitate the body’s inherent ability to restore and maintain optimal health […] Hippocrates, a Greek physician who lived 2,400 years ago taught the concept that ‘nature is the healer of all disease’ […] principles of naturopathic medicine. The healing power of nature. Naturopathic therapeutic order […] stimulate the vis (natural healing power of nature/the body). Use the healing power of nature to stimulate internal natural vitality. This creates homeostasis and balance between systems. An increase in vitality is an increase in health […] and other modalities are used to restore vitality.”
The therapeutic order slide credits veritas-medical-solutions.com as its source, which was SUHS ND graduates Clough and Leone as saved at Archive.org from their FAQ page.
And they do match.
That is to say, specifically, coded vitalism.
Speaking of coded vitalism, ND Alschuler’s credentials at the University of Arizona “Department of Medicine” are listed as “Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians” and its ”American Board of Naturopathic Oncology.”
The OncANP tells us in “Frequently Asked Questions” at oncanp.org that naturopathy is “a system of practice based on the natural healing capacity of individuals.”
A global search of the site yields no hits for ‘vital force, life force, or medicatrix.’
Because why be transparent with cancer patients?
Their principles of care guidance, published in the journal Current Oncology ironically, in 2019,
[Marsden, E., Nigh, G., Birdsall, S., Wright, H., & Traub, M. (2019). Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians: Principles of Care Guidelines. Current Oncology, 26(1), 12-18. https://doi.org/10.3747/co.26.4815]
authored by NDs Marsden, Nigh, Birdsall, Wright, and Traub don’t even go as far as a coding of naturopathy’s prime fixation/obligation.
Yet, they do state:
“a primary role of the ND Onc is to assure that the patient makes fully informed decisions about treatment […] patients have the right to receive information […] ensure that the patient was adequately informed.”
At ND Marsden's Ontario practice, naturopathy is described as centered on:
“the body’s natural ability to heal from the inside out” at marsdencentre.com.
At ND Nigh's Oregon practice immersionhealthpdx.com and at gregnigh.com, global searches yield no coded or explicit vitalism as a stated premise or focus.
At ND Birdsall's practice in Alaska, avantemedicalcenter.com, again…zilch.
At ND Wright’s Pennsylvania practice, goodapplewellness.com, the naturopathy page there states:
“naturopathic doctors (NDs) are the leading experts in the use of evidence based natural medicine.”
At ND Traub's practice lokahihealthcenter.com also, zilch.
As best as I can presently tell.
I guess some information is…withholdable.
Which is quite a tell.
Because, of course, there is a good reason to code or completely erase the vitalism truly at the heart of naturopathy, broadly.
Cui bono?
That’s me murdering Latin.
Aka who benefits…
Comparatively, the study that I’m here going to detail is based upon World Naturopathic Federation communication documents and they state, regarding vitalism, and this is just a morsel of what’s stated as an obligation, definition, and I’d argue fixation – it is after all in their oath:
“vitalism and holism are the core naturopathic philosophies that guide every aspect of naturopathic care” while also stating regarding cancer “naturopathy/naturopathic medicine is a system of healthcare that is an exemplar of the type of care applied within the burgeoning field of integrative oncology – ‘a patient-centered, evidence-informed field of cancer care’ […] the guidelines outline principles of integrative oncology that are based on sound ethical and evidence-informed approaches for naturopaths/naturopathic doctors who provide care to patients diagnosed with cancer.”
All those quotes were from 2021’s “Naturopathy Practice, Effectiveness, Economics & Safety” WNFM document.
I shit you not.
When Google search is presently asked “why does vitalism fail as an explanation”, it tells us:
"vitalism fails as an explanation because it postulates a non-physical ‘life force’ that cannot be scientifically tested or measured, making it essentially unfalsifiable and unable to provide concrete predictions about biological processes; as science has progressed, explanations for previously mysterious life phenomena have been found through established physical and chemical mechanisms, rendering the concept of a separate vital force unnecessary."
Now, if you are interested in current state government legislative kerfuffles, the AMA recently sent a letter to the State of Connecticut Joint Public Health Committee which oversees requests for increases in scopes of practice within the state, wherein AMA's MD -- medical doctor -- Madara stated -- regarding naturopathy’s request and naturopathic training -- at cga.ct.gov:
“the curriculum and all coursework are guided by principles rooted in beliefs around the healing power of nature, vitalism, and the body’s own 'healing wisdom' - principles that are not derived from evidence-based medicine.”
Agreed.
The footnote for that was a CNME web page titled “Naturopathic Medicine” at cnme.org which actually codes naturopathy’s essential vitalism.
There are presently actually no hits of any significance this January 2025 at CNME for ‘vitalism, vitalistic, vital force, or life force’.
How not educating.
Oddly, the document "University of Bridgeport 2018-2020 Catalog” which was at cnme.org live and stated “Principles and Practice 722. Philosophy of Naturopathic Medicine II […] students will gain an important perspective of the vital force and its role in the healing process” has disappeared.
There are though a couple of saves at Archive.org.
Oh, what a tangled web…
Speaking of modern tangled problems, the CNME facilitates the licensure in Connecticut of NDs through the NPLEX Sonoran mentioned, the Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Examinations.
The NPLEX states that within “clinical sciences” is homeopathy in the 2025 blueprint for the NPLEX titled “Part II - Clinical Science Examinations: Blueprint and Study Guide” at nabne.org.
The term >homeopath< is within the document at least 23 times, and the term >scien< at least 30 times.
Another great bellwether of how not-science the science of naturopathy is, is that within this blueprint >qi< occurs at least 27 times.
This is within the section “NPLEX Part II – Clinical Elective Examination Acupuncture Competencies, Syndromes, and Blueprint Weightings.”
We’re told:
“a minimally competent entry-level naturopathic physician who will be providing acupuncture as part of a naturopathic practice should be able to demonstrate knowledge in the following competencies: 1. diagnosis: diagnose zang-fu syndromes.”
On page 68, those syndromes are listed and they employ “qi” at least 17 times.
An example question is provided:
“C. Identification of the pattern of zang-fu disharmony according to: 1. Eight principles (interior/exterior, hot/cold, deficiency/excess, yin/yang); 2. Vital substances (qi, blood, body fluids, jing/essence, shen/mind); 3. Five elements (earth, fire, metal, water, wood); 4. Channels/meridians (lung, large intestine, stomach, spleen, heart, small intestine, bladder, kidney, pericardium, triple energizer, gall bladder, liver, conception vessel, and governing vessel); 5. Organ functions; a. zang/yin (solid) organs (heart, liver, lungs, spleen, kidney, pericardium); b. fu/yang (hollow) organs (stomach, small intestine, large intestine, ball bladder, triple energizer).”
Now, all that claimed as within science is quite incompetent.
But, by way of that 1978 NUNM catalog I detailed earlier, persistently naturopathic.
And I mean incompetent in a pedagogical or educational sense and I also mean that in quite the psychological sense.
And in an institutionalized sense.
Yet, all in all, the State of Connecticut claims that such is part of the “mechanical and material sciences of healing.”
Along the lines of the inherent propaganda that envelops naturopathy, on March 5, 2025, the web article at Women in Academia Report "Lise Alschuler Will Be the First Woman President of Sonoran University of Health Sciences" appeared which states:
"Lise Alschuler has been appointed the first woman president and chief executive officer of Sonoran University of Health Sciences in Tempe, Arizona. She will begin her new role in July. Sonoran University of Health Sciences is a graduate school focused on naturopathic medicine, nutrition, and mental health. The university enrolls about 550 students, 86 percent of whom are women. Currently, Dr. Alschuler serves as associate director of the fellowship in integrative medicine at the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona. A full professor of clinical medicine, she is an expert on integrative cancer approaches and natural health. She is the co-author of two books: The Definitive Guide to Cancer […] and The Definitive Guide to Thriving After Cancer. ‘I am thrilled to lead Sonoran University into its next exciting chapter. I am committed to elevating our institution as the premier destination for natural health sciences education […] my vision is to foster innovation and forge dynamic collaborations across healthcare disciplines, enhancing our educational programs, expanding our clinical services, and advancing cutting-edge research. Together, we will shape the future of health sciences education rooted in the healing power of nature,’ said Dr. Alschuler. Dr. Alschuler received her bachelor’s degree in medical anthropology from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, and her doctorate in naturopathic medicine from Bastyr University in Kenmore, Washington."
What I see is institutionalized misinformation and disinformation, legal abuse of power and injustice, a tangled web of deceit and incompetence.
And I have studied such, so here goes…
[end]
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