Quantum healing
Quantum healing is a pseudo-scientific mixture of ideas which purportedly draw on quantum mechanics, psychology, philosophy, and neurophysiology. Advocates of quantum healing assert that quantum phenomena govern health and wellbeing. There are a number of different versions, which allude to various quantum ideas including wave particle duality and virtual particles, and more generally to "energy" and to vibrations. Quantum healing is a form of alternative medicine.
Deepak Chopra coined the term "quantum healing". His discussions of quantum healing have been characterised as technobabble - "incoherent babbling strewn with scientific terms" which drives those who actually understand physics "crazy" and as "redefining Wrong".
Quantum healing has a number of vocal followers, but the scientific community widely regards it as nonsensical. The main criticism revolves around its systematic misinterpretations of modern physics, especially of the fact that macroscopic objects are much too large to exhibit inherently quantum properties like interference and wave function collapse. Most literature on quantum healing is almost entirely philosophical, omitting the rigorous mathematics that makes quantum electrodynamics possible.
Physicist Brian Cox argues that misuse of the word "quantum", such as its use in the phrase quantum healing, has a negative effect on society as it undermines genuine science and discourages people from engaging with conventional medicine. He states that "for some scientists, the unfortunate distortion and misappropriation of scientific ideas that often accompanies their integration into popular culture is an unacceptable price to pay."
