I’ve been thinking about alternative medicine.

A broad general review would likely find that alternative medicine is clearly superior to Western medicine in two specific areas: (1) its practitioners are more attentive and spend more time with their patients and (2) although Western medicine does rely to some extent on the placebo effect, alternative medicine seems to have better placebos and get more out of them.

On the other hand, alternative medicine doesn’t actually work and it tends to be rather expensive.

My conclusion from this is that if you value a lengthy interaction with your therapist, your ailments are adequately addressed by a suitable placebo, you can suspend disbelief enough to ignore science and give it a go, and you don’t mind paying for the privilege, then alternative medicine might just be the thing for you.

If you a disease and you just want it treated so you can get better, then stick to the real thing.

Critics of alternative medicine (including the redoubtable Richard Dawkins) attack it purely on the basis of its lack of efficacy, as if that were the only measure. The herbal pills and such junk are obviously worthless, but it is important to consider the role of the therapist, regardless of the kooky stuff.