Evidence-Based Medicine or Quackery?
Self-hypnosis without self-knowledge creates delusions.
Are we practising evidence-based medicine or quackery when dealing with mental illness?
On 23 January 2026, the Australian Doctor published the following article online: “A study in quackery—one journal’s entanglement with homeopathy.”
It is summarized here by ChatGPT:
“The article critiques a now-retracted study published in the European Journal of Pediatrics that claimed homeopathic treatment improved health outcomes in Indian infants. The study followed 108 newborns, comparing those who received homeopathy alongside conventional care with those who received conventional care alone. It reported dramatic benefits for the homeopathy group, including fewer sick days, fewer illnesses, reduced antibiotic use, and lower costs, and concluded that homeopathy was a safe, effective, and cost-efficient primary care option.
However, the article explains that the study was deeply flawed. Both groups received conventional medical treatment when needed, meaning homeopathy was only an add-on rather than a true alternative. The trial was not blinded, had no placebo control, and used questionable outcome measures, making the results highly vulnerable to bias. After a post-publication review, the journal retracted the paper, stating it had lost confidence in the reliability of the findings.
The controversy was amplified in India, where homeopathy is government-supported and widely practiced. The paper went viral and was used to promote homeopathy and anti-vaccine sentiment. Indian hepatologist Dr Cyriac Abby Philips publicly condemned the study, calling it scientifically meaningless and dangerous, and welcomed the retraction after months of investigation. He argues that homeopathy is pseudoscientific, misleads the public, and should not be treated as legitimate healthcare.”
This prompted me to make the following comment:
“Interesting article. Is the pot calling the kettle black? Are we practising evidence-based medicine? The psychiatrists label people with mental illness, yet they have no understanding of how hypnosis works. I have pointed out my observations that the ego is a product of self-hypnosis and that our thinking process is hypnotic. The ego is a deluded entity. When we think, we are hypnotising ourselves. Most people are not aware that they are already hypnotised. How can we treat people without understanding hypnosis?
Do you know that our subconscious mind is a neutral field of energy? It controls all our vital and immune systems. Our thinking is linked to our subconscious mind. We use hypnosis all the time to go in the direction we want. Our physical and mental health are directly linked to our thinking process. Are we not interested in finding out how it works?”
Two doctors responded to my comments.
Doctor A: “Best retired. This article is about media manipulation and editorial stupidity in allowing it to occur and hence amplifying it. The analogy drawn here is fatuous.”
My reply to this was, “Yes. Keep living in a world of delusions.”
Doctor B: “WTF! What a rambling lot of nonsense”
To which I replied with the following comment: “You may not understand what I am on about. The medical profession is ready to criticise others for not following scientific methods and call them quacks. The deluded ego-trippers in medicine do not like it when I point out they are not practising evidence-based medicine. When you are thinking you are hypnotising yourself. They have no idea what hypnosis is, and yet doctors are treating mentally ill patients by labels. As a doctor who deals with mental illness, you should ask yourself, “WTF am I doing in medicine if I do not have insight into my own thinking process?”
My reason for writing this article is to make people aware that we live in a hypnotic world and we are hypnotising ourselves through our thinking process all the time. We should learn more about self-hypnosis so that we can learn to manipulate our subconscious mind positively. When people have a mental illness, they are manipulating their subconscious mind negatively. Pills are only a symptomatic treatment.
About the Creator
Mal Mohanlal
I am a family physician who graduated in medicine from the University of Queensland in 1966- retired from General Practice in 2021. As a clincal hypnotherapist, I try to give you insight into your mind so you can help yourself. Please hear.
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More stories from Mal Mohanlal and writers in Education and other communities.
The Medical Profession and Hypnosis
Do you know we live in a hypnotic world, and that most people are unaware they are already hypnotised? It is because most people do not understand hypnosis, and their only knowledge comes from watching stage hypnosis. Even the mighty medical profession is uncomfortable whenever I use the word 'hypnosis'. They do not understand hypnosis. They put labels on people with mental illness and treat them symptomatically without understanding how mental illness results from negative self-hypnosis.
By Mal Mohanlal3 months ago in Education
Comments (2)
Vaccines may be tested by using a control arm that is another vax that was previously the standard of care. Why would it not be acceptable to trial homeopathy plus standard vs standard? This kind of study is done all the time for other new treatments. Why are "fewer sick days, fewer illnesses, reduced antibiotic use, and lower costs" considered questionable outcome measures? Arent these measures of improvement that we would all want to see in our health care? This might not be the definitive study we might want to see, but I cant see any reason to retract it. Repeat it with more subjects addressing any complaints. Just like we are asking that all the weak, underpowered, short term, no or poorly controlled vax studies be repeated addressing the same failings.
Actually, because you didn't link to whatever article you claim exists, I wonder if this article is a "placebo." Does it exist? I ask this because the European Journal of Pediatrics published THIS article: Frei, H, Everts R, von Ammon K, Kaufmann F, Walther D, Hsu-Schmitz SF, Collenberg M, Fuhrer K, Hassink R, Steinlin M, Thurneysen A. Homeopathic treatment of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a randomised, double blind, placebo controlled crossover trial. Eur J Pediatr., July 27,2005,164:758-767. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16047154 As you will note, it is double-blind AND placebo-controlled AND randomized. It was even a "cross-over" trials (which makes its results even more convincing!): At the beginning of the trial and after each crossover period, parents reported the CGI and patients underwent neuropsychological testing. The CGI rating was evaluated again at the end of each crossover period and twice in long-term follow-up. At entry to the crossover trial, cognitive performance such as visual global perception, impulsivity and divided attention, had improved significantly under open label treatment (P<0.0001). During the crossover trial, CGI parent-ratings were significantly lower (this means the child was “better”) under homeopathic treatment (average 1.67 points) than under placebo (P =0.0479). Ultimately, the CGI and parent ratings showed a 37% and 63% improvement over the long-term observation period of 14 weeks (P<0.0001). The teachers also found an improvement in the homeopathic treated group vs. placebo in the CGI by 28% and in the teachers’ rating scale by 37%. For the record, even the Russian Academy of Sciences no longer claims that homeopathy is a "pseudoscience." https://danaullman.substack.com/p/russia-reconsiders-homeopathic-medicine Perhaps it is time for you to catch-up on your science!