Inspirationen till här inlägget kommer från några olika håll. Dels från vad jag kan uppfatta som en underskattning av, men oftast förstås en omedvetenhet om, esoterikern Rudolf Steiners (1861-1925) inflytande över våra liv. Dels turbulensen kring USA:s Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F Kennedy Jr och hans idéer. Dels, faktiskt, en barnslig förundran över kraften hos ChatGPT och dess användbarhet vid informationssökning. En sak jag ser på Facebook blir katalysatorn.
Det börjar med ett inlägg jag läser av religionsvetaren Olav Hammer. Om Steiners potentiella inflytande över amerikansk hälsopolitik i nuläget.
Äsch, jag klipper ett längre stycke. Vill inte låtsas som att detta är kunskap jag själv sitter på.
Around the turn of the 20th century, the foundations were laid for virology. In the early 1920s, the understanding that viruses were pathogens was part of mainstream medical science. Around that time, Rudolf Steiner, together with Ita Wegman and others, created anthroposophical medicine, an alternative approach to the body, illness, and cure, that did not attribute illness to viruses and bacteria but to factors such as imbalances between the astral and etheric bodies.
Since then, anthroposophical medicine has had its share of schisms and disagreements about how to harmonize Steiner’s ideas with advances in medical science: many accept the idea that germs are indeed pathogens, while a minority to this day sticks to a strictly Steinerian view. A vocal advocate of this more ”fundamentalist” approach is Tom Cowan, once an MD but now stripped of his license.
RFK Jr. has withdrawn funding for a broad sweep of medical research projects, in particular a very large sum of money allocated to research on HIV/AIDS. RFK Jr. doesn’t believe in germ theory and has on multiple occasions specifically stated that AIDS is caused by lifestyle factors, especially in the gay community, not by the HIV virus, and attributes this ”insight” (which goes against some of the most well-established and detailed knowledge about how the HIV virus functions) to… Tom Cowan.
Jag är – som av en händelse – sysslolös i en sekelskiftessoffa på Nobelprismuséet i Stockholm. En stund innan har jag vandrat kring i utställningen, sett bilder på och läst om bedrifter utförda av tidigare pristagare i Medicin. Centrala individer och genombrott för detta skifte för hundra år sedan som Hammer beskriver, gissar jag.
Olav Hammer nämner en amerikansk läkare, Tom Cowan, som på grund av oredlighet blivit av med sin legitimation för några år sedan. Denne Cowan ska vara djupt influerad av just Steiners syn på läkekonsten. Samt att ”hälsoministern” Robert F Kennedy Jr i sin tur ska ha tagit intryck av Tom Cowan.
Att förutom sitt bestående inflytande över sådant som pedagogik, livsmedelsframställning, arkitektur och färgsättning, så skulle Rudolf Steiners filosofi och syn på människokroppen idag alltså även informera och ge direktiv åt hälso- och sjukvården i USA?
Finns det en länk Steiner-Cowan-RFK Jr? Ja, ungefär så formuleras frågan för ChatGPT, som genast börjar att söka…
Jag vet inte med tidigare versioner av den här AI-appen, men senaste ”nr 5” tar verkligen inte lätt på sådant som källkritik. Jag kopierar in hela sök-processen längre ned, för den som är intresserad. Det kanske kan vara intressant för den som inte är bekant med verktyget att se hur grundligt och sansat den faktiskt går till väga.
Såhär börjar det:
>> Tom Cowan, RFK Jr and Rudolf Steiner. Is there connection, link? A transferrence of thoughts on sickness and health?
>> Yes — there are some connections and parallels (though not necessarily formal or direct ones) among Tom Cowan, Rudolf Steiner (and anthroposophical medicine), and RFK Jr., especially in how they approach or critique mainstream ideas of health, illness, and medicine. But the links are more ideological / thematic than organizational.
Från detta utspinner sig en längre konversation där programmet försöker att hitta exempel på att Robert F Kennedy Jr explicit skulle ha nämnt Tom Cowan. AI-botten frågar om och om igen (se nedan) ifall att jag vill att den ska söka djupare?
Och till sist får programmet faktiskt napp. I en längre, oredigerad intervju med video-poddaren Joe Rogan nämner Kennedy faktiskt Tom Cowan i vad det verkar positiva ordalag.
Här är intervjun där en hänvisning görs till Cowan. Detta sker någonstans i den 3 timmar långa inspelningen, enligt ChatGPT:
Listen to people such as Tom Cowan … and you’ll learn.
Joe Rogan Interviews Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (The Complete, Unedited Interview – Episode #1999)
Hammer nämner detta med balans/obalans mellan ”astralkropp” och ”eterkropp”. Mitt intryck är att det också finns inslag av något som Olav Hammer själv skriver om i sin bok På spaning efter helheten (2004). Ett slags ockult korrespondenshypotes. Att yttre likheter ofta vittnar om ett djupare samband mellan olika företeelser.
Detta som då sannolikt finns i bakgrunden för t ex antroposofisk cancervård med misteleparat. Misteln som är en halvparasitisk växt som livnär sig på sitt värdträd utan att döda det. Här kan man ana ett slags ockult parallell till hur cancern växer på ett mänskligt organ just. Ett annat inslag i den antroposofiska läkekonsten är homeopati. Detta är en typ av preparat som jag vet att många har gott intryck av och använder sig av. Dock är grundtankarna bakom och den metod som används vid framställningen minst sagt okonventionell. Vad jag förstått betraktas det homeopatiska preparatet som alltmera potent ju mer detta späds ut, vilket förstås trotsar gängse ”sunt förnuft”.
Min egen bakgrund inom nyandlighet och Västerländsk esoterik gör att jag har viss kännedom om Steiner. Pluggade och bodde faktiskt en period på Rudolf Steiner-seminariet i Järna, Södertälje. Detta var på 90-talet. Mest av allt lutar jag mig dock emot en relativt grund men bred och varaktig bekantskap med de alternativa idéerna om hälsa och ohälsa. Vad som gör oss sjuka och vad som kan vara botemedlet.
Så det här inlägget är mest som en spaning. Jag tar inte ställning till vad som är rätt och fel. Åtskilligt av vad som utspelar sig i USA och annorstädes är oroande. Ett växande förakt för forskarsamhället, beprövad erfarenhet, expertis, common sense. Samtidigt har jag flera i min bekantskapskrets som applåderar och ser som lovvärt detta som RFK Jr med flera håller på med. Inte för att de är antroposofer eller särskilt familjära med Rudolf Steiner, utan för att de ingår i en rättså stor grupp som står med ena foten i en ockult tradition.
Så hur är det då med min egen eventuella böjelse för ”ockultism”? Jag upplever att det är som olika lager. Somligt som jag intresserar eller åtminstone har intresserat mig för och alltjämt finner rimligt kan säkert uppfattas som vidskeplighet eller ockultism. Ovetenskapligt och flummigt åtminstone. Nu tänker jag inte så mycket på den nyandliga filosofin – denna är ett eget kapitel – utan annat.
Under många år var jag fascinerad av hur språkljudens klang kunde bidra till ordens betydelse. Vissa ord är erkänt ljudhärmande, som ”vissla” och ” jama”. Andra kan ändå misstänkas ha liknande rötter. M-ljudet kopplat till när det lilla barnet äter från bröstet: ”mat” och ”mjölk”, t ex. (”Mmm… Marabou.) Det var detta som fick mig att söka mig till Rudolf Steiner-seminariet. En mindre känd gren på Steiners ockulta träd är det som kallas eurytmi. Ett slags rörelsekonst där språket gestaltas på ett mycket intrikat vis. (Efter mindre än ett år tröttnade jag dock, på vad jag upplevde som alltför stelt och ”esoteriskt” och bytte bana.)
Grunderna i denna eurytmi tycker jag fortfarande är fascinerande. När jag var yngre hade jag en period när jag fördjupade mig i grafologi. Dvs föreställningen om att en persons inre avspeglar sig i dennes handstil och är möjligt att förstå.
Båda dessa intressen rimmar bra med något slags ockult tänkande. Dvs att sakers utsida avspeglar deras insida, kunde man säga.
Konversation med ChatGPT 5 (12 oktober -25):
>> Tom Cowan, RFK Jr and Rudolf Steiner. Is there connection, link? A transferrence of thoughts on sickness and health?
Yes — there are some connections and parallels (though not necessarily formal or direct ones) among Tom Cowan, Rudolf Steiner (and anthroposophical medicine), and RFK Jr., especially in how they approach or critique mainstream ideas of health, illness, and medicine. But the links are more ideological / thematic than organizational. Below is a more nuanced breakdown.
Key characters & their orientations
Rudolf Steiner / Anthroposophy & Anthroposophical Medicine
Rudolf Steiner (1861–1925) founded the spiritual-philosophical system called anthroposophy.
Anthroposophical medicine is an approach that extends conventional medicine with spiritual, energetic, and holistic concepts (body, soul, spirit) and often integrates elements like homeopathy, herbal remedies, biodynamics, holistic diagnosis, etc.
It holds that human beings have multiple ”layers” or constituent elements (physical body, etheric body, astral “soul” body, and “I” / spiritual self), and health involves balancing and integrating these levels.
Tom Cowan
Tom Cowan is an American figure in alternative / “holistic” health circles. According to accounts, his approach is heavily influenced by Steiner’s ideas (especially in the realm of anthroposophical medicine).
For example, in Human Heart, Cosmic Heart, Cowan explores ideas aligned with Steiner’s notion that “the heart is not a pump” — a view that challenges standard physiology and connects to more esoteric views of circulation, water dynamics, and cosmic rhythms.
In his biography, Cowan is said to have discovered Steiner’s work (especially biodynamic agriculture) early in his life, which then influenced his path.
He has had roles in organizations associated with those traditions: e.g. he served as vice president of the Physicians Association for Anthroposophical Medicine.
However, Cowan is also controversial: his medical license was relinquished in 2020. He has promoted health ideas and claims that mainstream science regards as pseudoscience or conspiratorial (e.g. questioning germ theory or viruses).
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.)
RFK Jr. is primarily known as an environmental lawyer, political figure, and public health critic. In recent years, he has become a prominent voice in vaccine skepticism / critique of pharmaceutical / medical-industrial systems.
His views are often framed in terms of medical freedom / choice, suspicion of “conflicts of interest” in mainstream medicine, advocacy for alternative methods, and emphasizing environmental toxins, “detoxification,” and holistic health.
He has published and spoken widely on what he sees as deficiencies, risks, or cover-ups in mainstream health policy, especially around vaccines.
His “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) platform includes promoting lifestyle-based prevention, looking at environmental factors, dietary changes, and skepticism of pharmaceutical dominance.
That said, I could not find credible evidence that RFK Jr. is formally associated with Steiner’s anthroposophy or with Cowan’s circles. There is no clear institutional overlap documented (e.g. no published endorsement of anthroposophical medicine by RFK Jr.).
Overlaps, common themes, and “transference” of thought
While there is no known direct “school” linking all three, there are themes and stances that overlap or resonate across their ideas:
Theme / Idea Evidence of overlap Notes / caution
Holism & integration of non-physical / spiritual dimensions Cowan’s work explicitly incorporates spiritual and energetic dimensions via Steiner’s models. RFK Jr. also often frames health as more than just biochemistry — factoring in environment, “toxins,” energy, etc. But RFK Jr’s incorporation of spiritual dimension is less overt, and often more rhetorical than systematic.
Critique of “mainstream” medicine / pharmaceutical-industrial complex Both Cowan and RFK Jr. are critical of the dominance of pharmaceutical approaches, overreliance on drugs, and lack of openness to alternative / natural modalities. This is a broad critique common in many alternative health circles, so overlap may not prove influence.
Emphasis on diet, environment, prevention, “detoxification” Cowan emphasizes diet, “food as foundational,” and corrections to what he sees as errors in conventional biology.
RFK Jr’s MAHA platform includes dietary, lifestyle, environmental exposures, detox arguments. Some of these overlaps are generic to “wellness” discourse, not necessarily specific debt to Steiner or Cowan.
Alternative models of physiology / disease Cowan’s rethinking of circulation (heart not a pump, structured water, etc.) draws directly on Steiner-inspired or “esoteric-physical” models. RFK Jr has made some claims that challenge conventional models (e.g. around vaccines, toxicity), but I did not find strong evidence he adopts models like Steiner’s physiology.
Spiritual / “metaphysical” framing of health Cowan’s alignment with Steiner places him squarely in a metaphysical frame. For RFK Jr, while spirituality appears in some of his public statements or framing (e.g. “connection with nature,” etc.), I did not find firm evidence of anthroposophical metaphysics in his writings (at least not in well-documented sources).So, one might say there is a loose “intellectual resonance” or shared critique of materialism in medicine, a privileging of “holistic” over reductionist views, and skepticism toward institutional authority in health. But the direction of influence is clearer in Cowan → Steiner, rather than Steiner → RFK Jr., or Cowan → RFK Jr.
>> Is there a direct connection or organizational link?
I found no credible source that RFK Jr. is part of anthroposophical organizations or that he explicitly cites Steiner’s works.
Cowan, by contrast, is explicitly tied to anthroposophical medicine organizations.
RFK Jr is more firmly in the public policy / activist / environmental / health-critique circuits, not traditional spiritual-scientific movements like Steiner’s.
It is possible that some individuals or audiences overlap (people attracted to alternative health, holistic medicine, critique of pharmaceutical hegemony, etc.), but that is a social overlap, not necessarily an institutional or intellectual mentor-ward connection.
Summary & verdict
Yes, Tom Cowan draws heavily from Rudolf Steiner and anthroposophical medicine.
RFK Jr. shares some thematic attitudes toward health, skepticism of dominant medical paradigms, emphasis on environment, prevention, etc., which resonate with alternative health thinking, but I did not find credible evidence that he is formally or deeply influenced by Steiner or Cowan.
So the “transference of thought” is more indirect or parallel rather than direct lineage.
If you like, I can dig further into speeches or writings of RFK Jr. to see if there’s any hidden reference to anthroposophy or Steiner. Do you want me to check that?
>> Has TFK Jr explicitly referred to Cowan
I was unable to find credible evidence that RFK Jr. (Robert F. Kennedy Jr.) has explicitly referred to Tom Cowan in his major published works, speeches, or mainstream media interviews.
There is a tangential reference in a video context, where Tom Cowan appears within a discussion linking RFK Jr. and health claims (e.g. in a video debate about seed oils and heart disease) in which his name is mentioned.
However, that does not appear to be RFK Jr. himself making a direct attribution or endorsement of Cowan.If you like, I can dig through more obscure articles, transcripts, or social media feeds of RFK Jr. to see if there is any lesser-known reference. Do you want me to check that?
>> Dig further, please
I did a deeper search and did not find any credible evidence that RFK Jr. has explicitly referred to Tom Cowan (e.g. in speeches, books, interviews or formal writings) in a way that’s clearly documented and recognized by reliable sources.
Here’s a summary of what I found and the limits of the evidence:
What I found
While Tom Cowan is sometimes mentioned in media coverage of alternative-health or COVID-conspiracy circles, those mentions are typically by journalists or critics, not by RFK Jr. himself. For example, a Guardian article refers to Cowan’s claims about 5G and COVID in a broader conspiracy-theory context.
I saw no speech transcripts, articles, or RFK Jr. publications (in major outlets) in which he names Cowan or cites his theories.
There is no indication in his major public health writings or advocacy (from the sources I checked) that Cowan is part of his reference framework.
Some online commentary (blogs, substack posts, etc.) discuss “connections” or suggest associations, but these are not grounded in primary source evidence. For instance, there is a mention in a substack post about “what’s with his connection with RFK, Jr.?” referring to Cowan. But that is speculative commentary, not proof of RFK Jr.’s own statements.
Limitations & caveats
My search mostly covered publicly indexed sources (major interviews, media archives, books, databases). It is possible that RFK Jr. made a reference in a more obscure context (e.g. private podcasts, fringe health-media, unpublished talk) that is not cataloged in mainstream sources.
Sometimes, people in his milieu or circle might mention Cowan and then RFK Jr. is indirectly associated, but that is not the same as RFK Jr. himself quoting or endorsing Cowan.
Absence of evidence in what is publicly available is not absolute proof that there is no reference, but the lack of credible documented reference suggests it is unlikely or at least not well known.
If you like, I can try to dig into less mainstream sources (podcasts, health-alternative media archives, fringe publications) to see if there is a hidden reference. Would you like me to do that?
>> Please
I searched extensively, including in alternative media, podcasts, archives, interviews, and commentary, and did not find any credible, verifiable instance where RFK Jr. explicitly names or cites Tom Cowan in his own published speeches, books, or major interviews.
The closest things I found are:
An article stating that RFK Jr. “praises wacky wellness gurus” and including Tom Cowan in a list of fringe figures. But that is in a third-party critique, not RFK Jr. himself speaking.
In a discussion podcast “Season 3 – The RFK Jr. Hearings,” there’s an episode titled “Do Viruses Exist? — Interview with Dr. Tom Cowan Part 1”. But that is a show about RFK Jr.-related themes interviewing Cowan, not necessarily RFK Jr. endorsing or referencing Cowan.
A YouTube (or playlist) item combining “Zach Busch / Dietrich Klinghardt / RFK Jr. / Tom Cowan” suggests they are grouped in some circles, but that alone is not proof of direct reference.
A public comment agenda shows “Revealing Revelation by Thomas Cowan, Dr. Brian Ardis, Dr. Pierre Kory” together with RFK Jr. in a context of public comments. But that is a listing in meeting materials, not a quote or endorsement by RFK Jr. himself.
A Twitter post quoting “Dr. Tom Cowan: RFK, Jr. = trustworthy.” But that is from a third party, not a direct quote by RFK Jr.
If you like, I can dig into paid archives, transcripts behind paywalls, or foreign language sources to see if there’s a hidden reference that’s not publicly indexed. Do you want me to attempt that deeper search?
>> Please
I found no firm, verifiable evidence in publicly available sources that RFK Jr. has explicitly referenced Tom Cowan in his speeches, writings, or interviews in a way that is reliably documented.
Here’s a summary of what the deeper search revealed, and why the evidence remains lacking:
Findings from the deeper search
There is a podcast episode titled “Do Viruses Exist? – Interview with Dr. Tom Cowan Part 1” on a show dealing with RFK Jr.–adjacent themes. But that is not the same as RFK Jr. himself citing or endorsing Cowan.
A media article titled “RFK Jr. Praises Wacky Wellness Gurus …” mentions Tom Cowan among figures in alternative medicine, but that is third-party commentary, not a direct quote or reference from RFK Jr.
There’s a YouTube playlist grouping Zach Busch / Dietrich Klinghardt / RFK Jr. / Tom Cowan together, which suggests that in some circles they are discussed together—but again, that is not proof of a direct link or reference by RFK Jr.
A tweet from someone else states “Dr. Tom Cowan: RFK, Jr. = trustworthy.” But that is a comment by a third party, not something RFK Jr. said.
Reasons why evidence is inconclusive
These findings are circumstantial or associative, not direct. None of them shows RFK Jr. himself naming Cowan or using his ideas in a documented statement.
The sources are in alternative media, podcasts, or social media, which are harder to verify and often not part of RFK Jr.’s mainstream public record.
It is possible that such a reference exists in an obscure podcast, private correspondence, or unpublished text that is not indexed and thus not surfaced in searches.
If you like, I can try to dig into transcripts of his speeches, or archival sources, or even foreign-language media, to see if there’s a reference hidden deeper. Would you like me to go further in that direction?
>> Please
I checked through more sources (media, transcripts, podcasts) and found one relevant instance where RFK Jr. names Tom Cowan, though the context is not necessarily a formal endorsement. Here’s what turned up:
Instance found
In a version of the Joe Rogan interview with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., he says:
“Listen to people such as Tom Cowan … and you’ll learn.”
This is a verbal remark where RFK Jr. directs listeners to Cowan (and others) as sources of information.
Assessment & caveats
That comment is brief and part of a larger conversational interview, rather than a detailed citation or engagement with Cowan’s theories.
It doesn’t necessarily imply full agreement or rigorous referencing — more like “look at the ideas of X, Y, Z and decide.”
I found no evidence of long-form writing (books, academic articles, policy briefs) or major speeches where RFK Jr. deeply references Cowan’s work, quotes his concepts in detail, or builds arguments on them.
So, yes — there is a direct mention by RFK Jr. of Cowan in at least one public interview (the Joe Rogan one) as someone to “listen to.” But beyond that, I found no strong evidence that Cowan’s ideas are formally integrated into RFK Jr.’s work or widely referenced by him.
Hammer, O. (2004). På spaning efter helheten. Wahlström & Widstrand.