Rudraksha

[murthymail]

Dear all, I'd first like to draw your attention to the following article that appeared in Today's Times of India, bangalore edition, please note the bold lines.

-----------------------------------------

RUDRAKSHA FOR ALL

From time immemorial, people have been taking shelter under Rudraksha, a symbol of spirituality and power. But no one tried to find the scientific explanations for the power of these beads. The first initiative in an organised manner came from Rudralife, in 2005,and several projects were sponsored at Mumbai University (Department of Pharmacology).

Research has shown the effectiveness of Rudraksha in controlling various diseases like blood pressure, diabetes, cardiac disorders and mental power. Rudralife’s contribution to this symbol of spirituality is therefore, unique. Today Rudraksha is provided to the wearer with an ISO certified laboratory’s test report; something which was unimaginable before Rudralife came into existence. Rudralife has conducted exhibitions and seminars in all major towns in the country. Today, personalities from all walks of life trust and rely on Rudralife for their requirements of Rudraksha and seek guidance on suitability of Rudraksha beads for growth and success. Due to Rudralife’s reliability, Siddhivinayak Temple of Mumbai procures Rudraksha from Rudralife for their own counter as well.

Rudralife is conducting an exhibition at The Infantry Hotel, 66, Infantry Road, behind Gem Plaza, near Safina Plaza.
The exhibition is on till June 29, from 9 am to 9 pm. On spot making of malas shall be done by trained artisans. Entry is free.
For enquiries call 09320077017


-----------------------------------

I did a little 15 minute google (re)search on the "Effectiveness" of Rudraksha and all of it seems to be the well known Hindu-pseudo-scientific-woo-woo. I am still skeptical and not being dismissive. I wish to find out more:

Quote:The first initiative in an organised manner came from Rudralife, in 2005,and several projects were sponsored at Mumbai University (Department of Pharmacology).

What exactly was the study and if there's any scientific consensus. Basically there's a need to dig up the specifics.

Quote:Research has shown the effectiveness of Rudraksha in controlling various diseases like blood pressure, diabetes, cardiac disorders and mental power.

This is a huge thing to say. Just by wearing some beads, how can one control BP and diabetes. How could the study have led to this kind of revolutionary findings which seem to be unknown to the vast majority.

Quote:Today Rudraksha is provided to the wearer with an ISO certified laboratory’s test report; something which was unimaginable before Rudralife came into existence

This is appalling statement and very very misleading. I am pretty sure the ISO certification is for quality maintenance i.e how consistent are the consumer products, whether or not products meet the quality standards. The ISO certification, as far as I know, has absolutely nothing to do with medical efficacy. This can be easily mistaken in this context.

Being in bangalore, I plan to visit the exhibition and find out more on 29th, i..e. Tuesday. The location details are in the article. Anyone else interested (I suspect if anyone else will be) would make for good skeptic company.

[murthymail]

http://www.rudralife.com

Some of the broken links (not accessible directly from the link above):

http://www.rudralife.com/articles.asp

http://www.rudralife.com/testimonials.asp

http://www.rudralife.com/faq.asp

http://www.rudralife.com/exhibition.asp

[Ajita Kamal]

I haven't read the article that you posted yet, but here's an article Manoj TV wrote on the subject:

http://nirmukta.com/2008/11/25/vibhuti-r...-of-india/

I did some research when we published that article, and apparently Rudraksha is huge business.

[murthymail]

Many thanks ajita.

[Ajita Kamal]

(28-Jun-2010, 08:04 AM)murthymail Wrote: Many thanks ajita.

Thank you for posting this story!

It seems to me that we may have to target TOI for their systematic perpetuation of pseudoscience.

[nick87]

Sorry for joining the party late, but I found a Rudraksha "Therapy" Center in Central Purasawalkam when I was passing through the area on a bus.

I checked out a website
All text in quotes are copied verbatim from the website. Italics, bold lettering are mine;added for emphasis, unless otherwise stated. My succinct comments follow.

Let's start busting this pseudoscience.

Quote:"The traditional method of healing, as revealed in the Shiva Puranam, is the ONLY authentic way of drawing on the power of the divine rudraksha beads for the benefit of mankind. Rudraksha Therapist, Prabhat Kumar Srivastava, who operates out of his office in Mumbai, Real Rudraksha Centre′ is the only known proponent of the therapy in its pure and unadulterated form."

- No mention of what the actual therapy or healing procedure is mentioned. Appeals to the public by citing the name of an ancient text. And as stated earlier on these forums, early practices are not necessarily valid or good practices. The medical qualifications of Mr. Prabhat is not mentioned. And he holds monopoly of this "therapy", because everyone else peddles out adulterated forms of the therapy (detect sarcasm)

Quote:"We do NOT sell dreams… we do NOT promise miracles… but we DO deliver results within the realm of possibility… and that IS a promise. What the therapy seeks to achieve is to put you in control… put you on top despite life’s setbacks, hindrances and problems, so that your ability to cope with life comes easy and natural. What, therefore, you can expect the therapy to do for you can be answered in a word with the help of an aphorism that aptly says it all. Completely. Without further elaboration."

What results exactly? The realm of possibilities are governed by statistics and as expected no statistics are provided and no controlled tests with placebos are done. Control in life can be easily achieved through self -discipline and by hiring a secretary. And observe how they explain the benefits without actually explaining anything.

Quote:"Strict confidentiality is maintained at all times, hence requests for references are not entertained whatsoever.

Typically, therapy begins with a one-on-one interview of the subject to enable the therapist to gain a deep insight into the case history and the underlying problem. The history/problem is documented by the therapist, after which a bead(s) suitable for the specific problem is selected by him and given to the subject. Instructions on how to use the bead(s) are given. Thereafter, the client is asked to visit the therapist again after about 45 days. Results usually begin to manifest within 45 days of using the bead. It may sometimes be necessary to change a bead or beads depending on the feedback received from the subject.

It is commonplace for people to relate their experience of the first interview with the therapist as elevating and cathartic, bringing with it a sense of lightness and hope. The positive shift that starts as a trickle turns into a shower by the end of about 45 days from the start of therapy.

Most importantly, the therapy is totally harmless and without adverse side effects whatsoever. Interestingly, there have been instances when unexpected beneficial results have been obtained even in those areas where help from therapy was neither sought nor anticipated. And that comes as a pleasant surprise to the subject."

Ever heard of psychological therapy? Add a randomly picked rudraksham and we get "Rudraksha Therapy".

[Ajax]

I also came across this facebook page pertaining to Rudraksha. Though whenever i try to visit the website mentioned, it gives me an error "Forbidden - Access denied". If someone could access the site then may be he/she can throw some light on stuff therein.

However the facebook page quotes somethings like:

"Change the Face of Your Future and lead an Empowered Life by Balancing your Chakras"

"Importance of 3 mukhi rudraksha
Agnidev is represented with 3 mukhi rudraksha .It makes the wearer pure from inside. Past sins are removed.People with Inferiority complex are highly benefited.Self hatred feeling is minimized.Mental strain or stress is minimized after wearing. Brings energy and also removes the laziness within. Makes the soul pure. Brings success in life.Problems in life are solved. All type of diseases are minimized.It cures all problems related to ladies.
Heals stomach and lever ailments."

"Rudraksha Beads have unexplained and amazing powers. Everyone who wears the Rudraksha Beads finds that it enhances peace of mind, tranquility, better health, success, and prosperity and good luck. Depression and melancholia is something the Rudraksha Beads can tackle outright. They are also known as 'worry beads'.
Merely holding the Rudraksha beads in hand or wearing them even for few hours one can very clearly feel the heightened energy levels, deep state of relaxation and tranquil feeling. We do feel much better and different when Rudraksha beads touch our body."

-- See the words "EVERYBODY", "OUTRIGHT", "MERELY HOLDING", "VERY CLEARLY" above.