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Life coaching

Religion and spirituality in the United States

Andrew Weil

The 1990s in America

Deepak Chopra

by Jan Hall

Identification Holistic health doctor and New Age teacher

One of the foremost mind-body theorists, Chopra has intrigued many people with his observations on the relationship between physical health and the mind. His books have offered advice on living well in a world of increasing pressures.

Carrying on the family tradition of medical practice, Deepak Chopra graduated from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in 1969. The next year, he began his career in the United States, eventually working in private practice in endocrinology and internal medicine, as well as teaching at Tufts and Boston University and serving as chief of staff at Boston Regional Medical Center. After promoting transcendental meditation in the 1980’s, he began to take an interest in how to treat the mind as well as the body. In 1996, Chopra and David Simon founded the Chopra Center for Wellbeing in San Diego, California, which offers various healing therapies for the mind and body.

Deepak Chopra.

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(AP/Wide World Photos)

In 1991, Chopra wrote Unconditional Life, about how to achieve one’s ideal life. His influential and prolific writings reached many readers seeking answers to their suffering. Offering wisdom about self-awareness, Chopra pointed to the power of the mind to heal oneself. Altruism and compassion are pathways to reduce the world’s suffering. With the publication of Perfect Health (1991), Chopra introduced readers to Ayurveda, an ancient Indian system of medicine. His next book, Ageless Body, Timeless Mind (1993), tackled the problems of aging, and Creating Affluence (1993) addressed “wealth consciousness.” He then published The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success (1994) and The Way of the Wizard (1995). Later in the decade, he wrote books on love and spirituality, including Everyday Immortality (1999), a work focusing on sutra study. He published two novels, The Return of Merlin (1995) and Lords of Light (1999), and produced a CD of love poems and two videos on spirituality. He was also drawn to such diverse creative projects as scriptwriting, a Web site, novels, editing poetry volumes, and comic books with spiritual and cultural themes.

Impact

Deepak Chopra’s works have helped to convey ancient teachings in a contemporary style to a worldwide audience. His books and lectures have offered traditional Indian medical wisdom merged with advice on practical topics ranging from aging to financial success to happiness. His books have been translated into more than thirty-five languages.

Further Reading

1 

Chopra, Deepak. Perfect Health: The Complete Mind/Body Guide. New York: Harmony Books, 1991.

2 

Chopra, Deepak, David Simon, and Leanne Backer. The Chopra Center Cookbook: A Nutritional Guide to Renewal. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons, 2002.

Citation Types

Type
Format
MLA 9th
Hall, Jan. "Deepak Chopra." The 1990s in America, edited by Milton Berman, Salem Press, 2009. Salem Online, online.salempress.com/articleDetails.do?articleName=1990_1111.
APA 7th
Hall, J. (2009). Deepak Chopra. In M. Berman (Ed.), The 1990s in America. Salem Press. online.salempress.com.
CMOS 17th
Hall, Jan. "Deepak Chopra." Edited by Milton Berman. The 1990s in America. Hackensack: Salem Press, 2009. Accessed October 22, 2025. online.salempress.com.