Marit Tuisk

Confession: I grew up where doctors rolled their eyes at herbs… but my mom still had a psychic on speed dial. Let’s talk about it.

I was raised in the Estonian SSR, where the official vibe was very “trust science, ignore the mystical, and definitely don’t talk about your aura at dinner.” The system leaned hard into what we’d now call an allopathic mindset, clinical, structured, evidence-first.

And yet… behind closed doors? Whole different story.

There were herbal teas for everything, mysterious tinctures in recycled jars, and at least few Russian-speaking fortune tellers who somehow knew exactly when things were about to go sideways. My mom trusted them enough to keep them on quick call, but heaven forbid an Estonian neighbor found out. Apparently, privacy > enlightenment.

Looking back, it feels like living in two parallel realities:
- Public: “That’s nonsense.”
- Private: “Just in case… drink this.”

Fast forward 20+ years and I land in the heart of capitalism, where the real universal law seems to be: whoever has resources shapes the narrative.

Here, I learned something surprising: There isn’t just one “truth”, there are markets of truth.

Yes, there’s Big Pharma, powerful, influential, and rooted in research, regulation, and results. But right alongside it? A booming universe of holistic practices, meditation, energy work, plant medicine, breathwork, you name it.

And the twist? They’re not even hiding from each other anymore. Luxury spas in the U.S. are blending science-backed treatments with sound baths and chakra balancing. Hospitals, actual hospitals, are opening doors to Reiki and guided meditation as complementary care.

So what changed? Maybe nothing… except we stopped pretending one cancels out the other.

Because whether you grew up with lab coats or tea leaves, one thing seems consistent: Humans don’t just want to survive, we want to feel whole.

And that’s where things get spicy. Because the real question isn’t: “Which one is right?”

It’s: How much truth can we hold at once before someone decides we’ve picked the wrong side?