38 International Journal of Cultic Studies ■ Vol. 10, 2019
CAM practices suggests practical magic is
working its way throughout society, and, like
any other consumer product, its potions and
spells may be purchased and exchanged.
Although some consumers may acknowledge the
spiritual or religious dimensions of homeopathy,
it is not necessary for them to invest in the
religious character of the remedies to make use
of them for healing. In other words, homeopathy
does not represent merely the reemergence of an
early protoscientific practice such as, say, the
humors of medieval medicine (Craig, 2017).
One may discard homeopathy’s origin story and
dismiss the vitalistic elements, leaving the
medical toolkit behind.
Magic’s invasion of the healthcare space is a
return to form when one considers the history of
medicine. The difference lies in the approach.
Wherein past peoples may not have been able to
distinguish medicine from religion or magic, our
contemporaries are perhaps more aware of the
differences (or just do not care) and become
generalized seekers, looking for particular
solutions to everyday problems. Although many
of the spiritual commodities “occulturalists”3
draw from are decades and even centuries old,
the relationship between the user and the magic
has changed in concert with processes of
postmodernization that include the decline of
traditional ecclesial structures and the
individualization of religious belief and practice.
Personal autonomy, empowerment, and
preferences for holism all play a role in
homeopathy’s popularity. However, social
scientists should look beyond homeopathy and
other forms of CAM as mere health solutions
and instead recognize that many patients do not
turn to nonorthodox treatments because of their
scientific credibility (or purported usefulness),
but because of their magical utility.
References
Barrett, B., Marchand, L., Scheder, J., Appelbaum, D., Plane,
M.B., Blustein, J., … &Capperino, C. (2004). What
complementary and alternative medicine practitioners say about
3 Those involved in the occulture, that is, the enchanted and often
magic-infused versions of reality.
health and health care. The Annals of Family Medicine, 2(3), 253–
259.
Banerjee, K., Costelloe, C., Mathie, R. T., &Howick, J. (2014).
Homeopathy for allergic rhinitis: protocol for a systematic
review. Systematic Reviews, 3(1), 59.
Beyerstein, B. L. (2001). Alternative medicine and common errors
of reasoning. Academic Medicine, 76(3), 230–237.
Boyle, E. W. (2013). Quack medicine: A history of combating
health fraud in twentieth-century America. Santa Barbara, CA:
Praeger/ABC-CLIO.
Brown, C. (2013). The healing gods: Complementary and
alternative medicine in Christian America. Oxford, England/UK:
Oxford University Press.
Brien, S., Lachance, L., Prescott, P., McDermott, C., &Lewith, G.
(2010). Homeopathy has clinical benefits in rheumatoid arthritis
patients that are attributable to the consultation process but not the
homeopathic remedy: A randomized controlled clinical
trial. Rheumatology, 50(6), 1070–1082.
Caulfield, T., &Rachul, C. (2011). Supported by science?: What
Canadian naturopaths advertise to the public. Allergy, Asthma &
Clinical Immunology, 7(1), 14.
Chadwick, A. M. (2015). Doorways, ditches and dead dogs:
excavating and recording material manifestations of practical
magic amongst later prehistoric and Romano-British communities.
In C. Houlbrook &N. Armitage, The materiality of magic: An
artifactual investigation into ritual practices and popular beliefs
(pp. 37–64). Oxford, UK &Philadelphia. PA: Oxbow Books.
Clarke, B. (2001). Energy forms: Allegory and science in the era of
classical thermodynamics. University of Michigan Press.
Craig, L. A. (2017). Describing death and resurrection: Medicine
and the humors in two late medieval miracles. In Linda Migl
Keyser (Ed.), The sacred and the secular in medieval healing (pp.
103–115). London, UK/New York, NY: Routledge.
Donnelly, L. (2018, June 5). High court backs NHS decision to
stop funding homeopathy. The Telegraph. Retrieved from
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2018/06/05/high-court-backs-
nhs-decision-stop-funding-homeopathy/
Eleta, P. (1997). The conquest of magic over public space:
Discovering the face of popular magic in contemporary
society. Journal of Contemporary Religion, 12(1), 51–67.
Ernst, E. (2002). A systematic review of systematic reviews of
homeopathy. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 54(6),
577–582.
Greenlee, H., &Ernst, E. (2012). What can we learn from Steve
Jobs about complementary and alternative therapies? Preventive
Medicine, 54(1), 3.
Evans, M., Shaw, A., Thompson, E. A., Falk, S., Turton, P.,
Thompson, T., &Sharp, D. (2007). Decisions to use
complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by male cancer
patients: Information-seeking roles and types of evidence
used. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 7(1), 25.
Flamm, Bruce L. (2004). Faith healing confronts modern
medicine." Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine, 8(1), 9–14.
Greasley, P. (2010). Is evaluating complementary and alternative
medicine equivalent to evaluating the absurd? Evaluation &the
Health Professions, 33(2), 127–139.
Greil, A. L., &Robbins, T. (Eds.). (1994). Between sacred and
secular: Research and theory on quasi-religion, Vol. viii.
Greenwich, CN: JAI Press.
CAM practices suggests practical magic is
working its way throughout society, and, like
any other consumer product, its potions and
spells may be purchased and exchanged.
Although some consumers may acknowledge the
spiritual or religious dimensions of homeopathy,
it is not necessary for them to invest in the
religious character of the remedies to make use
of them for healing. In other words, homeopathy
does not represent merely the reemergence of an
early protoscientific practice such as, say, the
humors of medieval medicine (Craig, 2017).
One may discard homeopathy’s origin story and
dismiss the vitalistic elements, leaving the
medical toolkit behind.
Magic’s invasion of the healthcare space is a
return to form when one considers the history of
medicine. The difference lies in the approach.
Wherein past peoples may not have been able to
distinguish medicine from religion or magic, our
contemporaries are perhaps more aware of the
differences (or just do not care) and become
generalized seekers, looking for particular
solutions to everyday problems. Although many
of the spiritual commodities “occulturalists”3
draw from are decades and even centuries old,
the relationship between the user and the magic
has changed in concert with processes of
postmodernization that include the decline of
traditional ecclesial structures and the
individualization of religious belief and practice.
Personal autonomy, empowerment, and
preferences for holism all play a role in
homeopathy’s popularity. However, social
scientists should look beyond homeopathy and
other forms of CAM as mere health solutions
and instead recognize that many patients do not
turn to nonorthodox treatments because of their
scientific credibility (or purported usefulness),
but because of their magical utility.
References
Barrett, B., Marchand, L., Scheder, J., Appelbaum, D., Plane,
M.B., Blustein, J., … &Capperino, C. (2004). What
complementary and alternative medicine practitioners say about
3 Those involved in the occulture, that is, the enchanted and often
magic-infused versions of reality.
health and health care. The Annals of Family Medicine, 2(3), 253–
259.
Banerjee, K., Costelloe, C., Mathie, R. T., &Howick, J. (2014).
Homeopathy for allergic rhinitis: protocol for a systematic
review. Systematic Reviews, 3(1), 59.
Beyerstein, B. L. (2001). Alternative medicine and common errors
of reasoning. Academic Medicine, 76(3), 230–237.
Boyle, E. W. (2013). Quack medicine: A history of combating
health fraud in twentieth-century America. Santa Barbara, CA:
Praeger/ABC-CLIO.
Brown, C. (2013). The healing gods: Complementary and
alternative medicine in Christian America. Oxford, England/UK:
Oxford University Press.
Brien, S., Lachance, L., Prescott, P., McDermott, C., &Lewith, G.
(2010). Homeopathy has clinical benefits in rheumatoid arthritis
patients that are attributable to the consultation process but not the
homeopathic remedy: A randomized controlled clinical
trial. Rheumatology, 50(6), 1070–1082.
Caulfield, T., &Rachul, C. (2011). Supported by science?: What
Canadian naturopaths advertise to the public. Allergy, Asthma &
Clinical Immunology, 7(1), 14.
Chadwick, A. M. (2015). Doorways, ditches and dead dogs:
excavating and recording material manifestations of practical
magic amongst later prehistoric and Romano-British communities.
In C. Houlbrook &N. Armitage, The materiality of magic: An
artifactual investigation into ritual practices and popular beliefs
(pp. 37–64). Oxford, UK &Philadelphia. PA: Oxbow Books.
Clarke, B. (2001). Energy forms: Allegory and science in the era of
classical thermodynamics. University of Michigan Press.
Craig, L. A. (2017). Describing death and resurrection: Medicine
and the humors in two late medieval miracles. In Linda Migl
Keyser (Ed.), The sacred and the secular in medieval healing (pp.
103–115). London, UK/New York, NY: Routledge.
Donnelly, L. (2018, June 5). High court backs NHS decision to
stop funding homeopathy. The Telegraph. Retrieved from
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2018/06/05/high-court-backs-
nhs-decision-stop-funding-homeopathy/
Eleta, P. (1997). The conquest of magic over public space:
Discovering the face of popular magic in contemporary
society. Journal of Contemporary Religion, 12(1), 51–67.
Ernst, E. (2002). A systematic review of systematic reviews of
homeopathy. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 54(6),
577–582.
Greenlee, H., &Ernst, E. (2012). What can we learn from Steve
Jobs about complementary and alternative therapies? Preventive
Medicine, 54(1), 3.
Evans, M., Shaw, A., Thompson, E. A., Falk, S., Turton, P.,
Thompson, T., &Sharp, D. (2007). Decisions to use
complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by male cancer
patients: Information-seeking roles and types of evidence
used. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 7(1), 25.
Flamm, Bruce L. (2004). Faith healing confronts modern
medicine." Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine, 8(1), 9–14.
Greasley, P. (2010). Is evaluating complementary and alternative
medicine equivalent to evaluating the absurd? Evaluation &the
Health Professions, 33(2), 127–139.
Greil, A. L., &Robbins, T. (Eds.). (1994). Between sacred and
secular: Research and theory on quasi-religion, Vol. viii.
Greenwich, CN: JAI Press.
