Quantum Body: The New Science of Living a Longer, Healthier, More Vital Life

Bestseller Chopra (Living in the Light) partners with University of Alberta physicist Tuszynski and endocrinologist Fertig (Metabolism and Medicine) in this nonsensical treatise that promises far more than it delivers. Improving oneself physically and spiritually, the authors argue, requires getting in touch with one’s “quantum body,” a concept they fail to define coherently that apparently alludes to the fact that all matter and energy, including humans, arise from quantum fields. Despite the ostensible focus on physics, there’s very little science here, with the authors instead putting forward unsupported assertions they don’t bother to explain, such as “the ego’s fundamental insecurity... is inescapable,” and “at the level of the quantum body, existence is perfect. A flow of creative intelligence organizes everything without making any mistakes.” Even more baffling is the anodyne health advice, which has nothing to do with quantum physics; chapters on the importance of eating an “organic whole-foods diet” (lots of lentils, fruits, and vegetables) and reducing stress by getting enough sleep don’t mention any connection to quantum phenomena. The overabundant use of “quantum” (quantum worlds, horizons, events, healing, and metabolism are all referenced) obscures more than it reveals, making this sound like dialogue from a late-period Marvel film with the scientific rigor to match. Readers will be left scratching their heads. (Dec.)