History of Deepak Chopra in Timeline

Deepak Chopra is an Indian-American author and a prominent figure in the New Age movement, known for advocating alternative medicine and a holistic approach to well-being. A physician by education, he gained popularity in the 1990s by promoting practices such as yoga, meditation, and nutrition, alongside other new-age therapies. His books and videos have established him as a well-known and wealthy figure in the realm of alternative medicine.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

1919: Birth of Krishan Lal Chopra

In 1919, Krishan Lal Chopra, Deepak Chopra's father, was born. He later became a prominent cardiologist.

October 22, 1946: Deepak Chopra Born

On October 22, 1946, Deepak Chopra was born in India. He is an Indian-American author, new age guru, and alternative medicine advocate, who became a prominent figure in the New Age movement.

Others born on this day/year

1969: Graduation from All India Institute of Medical Sciences

In 1969, Deepak Chopra graduated from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, marking the completion of his formal medical education.

1970: Emigration to the United States

In 1970, Deepak Chopra emigrated from India to the United States after studying medicine. He later completed a residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in endocrinology.

1970: Marriage and Emigration to the United States

In 1970, Deepak Chopra married in India and emigrated with his wife to the United States that same year.

1971: Residency at Lahey Clinic

In 1971, Deepak Chopra started his residency in internal medicine at the Lahey Clinic in Burlington, Massachusetts.

1973: Licensed to Practice Medicine in Massachusetts

In 1973, Deepak Chopra earned his license to practice medicine in the state of Massachusetts.

1977: Completion of Residencies

In 1977, Deepak Chopra completed his residencies in internal medicine at various medical centers in Boston.

1980: Chief of Staff at New England Memorial Hospital

In 1980, Deepak Chopra became the chief of staff at the New England Memorial Hospital (NEMH), marking a significant step in his medical career.

1981: Meeting with Ayurvedic Physician

In 1981, while visiting New Delhi, Deepak Chopra met the Ayurvedic physician Brihaspati Dev Triguna, whose advice prompted him to begin investigating Ayurvedic practices.

1985: Involvement with Transcendental Meditation

In 1985, Deepak Chopra met Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and became involved in the Transcendental Meditation (TM) movement.

1985: Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Requested Chopra to Establish Ayurvedic Health Center

In 1985, the leader of the TM movement, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, asked Deepak Chopra to establish an Ayurvedic health center. Consequently, Chopra left his position at the NEMH.

1988: First Meeting with Michael Jackson

In 1988, Deepak Chopra first met Michael Jackson, beginning a 20-year friendship.

1989: Definition of Quantum Healing

In 1989, Deepak Chopra defined "quantum healing" in his book Quantum Healing as the "ability of one mode of consciousness (the mind) to spontaneously correct the mistakes in another mode of consciousness (the body)." He attempted to blend Maharishi's version of Ayurvedic medicine with concepts from physics.

1990: Publication of Perfect Health: The Complete Mind/Body Guide

In 1990, Deepak Chopra's book "Perfect Health: The Complete Mind/Body Guide" was published.

May 1991: JAMA Article on Ayurvedic Medicine

In May 1991, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published an article by Deepak Chopra and others on Ayurvedic medicine. An erratum was later issued, citing undisclosed financial interests of the lead author.

January 1993: Departure from the Transcendental Meditation Movement

In January 1993, Deepak Chopra left the Transcendental Meditation movement, around the time he moved to California.

March 1993: Defamation Lawsuit Dismissal

In March 1993, Deepak Chopra and two TM groups' defamation lawsuit against Andrew A. Skolnick and JAMA was dismissed. The lawsuit sought damages related to criticism of their JAMA article on Ayurvedic medicine.

June 1993: Executive Director at Sharp HealthCare

In June 1993, Deepak Chopra moved to California to become the executive director of Sharp HealthCare's Institute for Human Potential and Mind/Body Medicine, marking a shift in his career focus.

1993: Interview on The Oprah Winfrey Show

In 1993, Deepak Chopra gained a wider audience after being interviewed about his books on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

1993: Copyright Infringement Lawsuit

In 1993, Deepak Chopra was sued for copyright infringement by Robert Sapolsky for using text and a table from Sapolsky's work without proper attribution in his book Ageless Body, Timeless Mind. An out-of-court settlement resulted in Chopra correctly attributing the material.

1993: Publication of Ageless Body, Timeless Mind

In 1993, Deepak Chopra's book "Ageless Body, Timeless Mind: The Quantum Alternative to Growing Old" was published.

1995: Not Licensed to Practice Medicine in California

In 1995, Deepak Chopra was not licensed to practice medicine in California, where he had a clinic, though he did not see patients "as a doctor" during this time.

1996: Cofounded Chopra Center for Wellbeing

In 1996, Deepak Chopra cofounded the Chopra Center for Wellbeing, furthering his focus on holistic approaches to health.

1996: Establishment of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing

In 1996, Deepak Chopra left Sharp HealthCare and set up the Chopra Center for Wellbeing with neurologist David Simon.

1998: Ig Nobel Prize

In 1998, Deepak Chopra was awarded the satirical Ig Nobel Prize in physics for his "unique interpretation of quantum physics as it applies to life, liberty, and the pursuit of economic happiness".

1999: Time Magazine's Heroes and Icons

In 1999, Time magazine included Deepak Chopra on its list of the 20th century's heroes and icons.

2000: Use of Ayurveda for AIDS Patients

In 2000, Deepak Chopra stated that his AIDS patients were combining mainstream medicine with Ayurvedic practices such as herbs, meditation, and yoga. Chopra acknowledged that AIDS is caused by the HIV virus, suggesting that the virus mistakes DNA for a friendly sound, which Ayurveda can correct.

2001: ABC News Segment on Distance Healing and Prayer

In 2001, ABC News aired a segment on distance healing and prayer, featuring Deepak Chopra claiming the ability to influence others from a distance using mental powers. He was shown attempting to relax a person in another room, with vital signs recorded. The segment was criticized for presenting "bad medicine as exciting news."

2001: Death of Krishan Lal Chopra

In 2001, Krishan Lal Chopra, Deepak Chopra's father, passed away. He was a prominent cardiologist.

2004: Received California Medical License

In 2004, Deepak Chopra received his California medical license.

2004: Board Member of Men's Wearhouse

Since 2004, Deepak Chopra has been a board member of Men's Wearhouse, a men's clothing distributor.

August 2005: Articles on Creation-Evolution Controversy

In August 2005, Deepak Chopra wrote a series of articles on the creation–evolution controversy and Intelligent design, which were criticized by Michael Shermer.

2005: Lecture Fees

As of 2005, Deepak Chopra was able to charge $25,000 to $30,000 per lecture five or six times a month.

2005: Senior Scientist at The Gallup Organization

In 2005, Deepak Chopra was appointed as a senior scientist at The Gallup Organization.

July 2006: Great Immigrants Award

In July 2006, Deepak Chopra was a member of the inaugural class of the Great Immigrants Award named by Carnegie Corporation of New York.

2006: Continued Transcendental Meditation

As of 2006, Deepak Chopra continued to practice Transcendental Meditation for two hours every morning and half an hour in the evening.

2006: Launch of Virgin Comics

In 2006, Deepak Chopra launched Virgin Comics with his son Gotham Chopra and entrepreneur Richard Branson.

2007: Quantum as a Metaphor

In 2007, Deepak Chopra said in an interview with Richard Dawkins, that he used the term quantum as a metaphor when discussing healing and that it had little to do with quantum theory in physics.

2008: Magnet for Criticism

In 2008, Time magazine commented that Deepak Chopra was a "magnet for criticism" for most of his career, with opinions ranging from the "dismissive" to the "outright damning".

2009: Founded the Chopra Foundation

In 2009, Deepak Chopra founded the Chopra Foundation, a tax-exempt organization promoting and researching alternative health.

2009: Chopra's Response to Michael Jackson's Death

In 2009, after Michael Jackson died from prescription drugs, Deepak Chopra expressed his hope that it would serve as a call to action against the "cult of drug-pushing doctors".

March 2010: Debate on God

In March 2010, Deepak Chopra and Jean Houston debated Sam Harris and Michael Shermer at the California Institute of Technology on the question "Does God Have a Future?". Shermer and Harris criticized Chopra's use of scientific terminology to expound unrelated spiritual concepts.

April 2010: Criticism from Hindu American Foundation

In April 2010, Aseem Shukla, co-founder of the Hindu American Foundation, criticized Deepak Chopra for suggesting that yoga did not originate in Hinduism but in an older Indian spiritual tradition. Chopra responded that yoga was rooted in consciousness alone, pre-dating historic Hinduism.

2010: Debate on "Does God Have a Future?"

In 2010, Deepak Chopra and Jean Houston debated Sam Harris and Michael Shermer on the question "Does God Have a Future?". Harris argued that Chopra's use of "spooky physics" merges two language games in an unprincipled way.

2010: Definition of Pseudoscience

In 2010, Michael Shermer said that Deepak Chopra is "the very definition of what we mean by pseudoscience".

2012: Joined Board of Advisors for State.com

In 2012, Deepak Chopra joined the board of advisors for tech startup State.com, a browsable network of structured opinions.

2012: Review of War of the Worldviews

In 2012, Mark Alford reviewed War of the Worldviews, a book co-authored by Deepak Chopra and Leonard Mlodinow, describing it as a debate covering cosmology, life, evolution, the mind, and God.

2013: Family Information

As of 2013, Deepak Chopra and his wife had two adult children, Gotham Chopra and Mallika Chopra, and three grandchildren.

2013: Criticism of Skepticism on Wikipedia

In 2013, Deepak Chopra published an article criticizing what he saw as "skepticism" on Wikipedia, arguing that a "stubborn band of militant skeptics" were editing articles to prevent a fair representation of certain views. Jerry Coyne responded, saying Chopra's views were being "exposed as a lot of scientifically-sounding psychobabble".

2013: Controversial New Age Guru

In 2013, The New York Times described Deepak Chopra as "the controversial New Age guru and booster of alternative medicine".

2013: Book Do You Believe in Magic? by Paul Offit

In Paul Offit's 2013 book, "Do You Believe in Magic?", it is mentioned that Chopra's business grosses approximately $20 million annually through the sale of alternative medicine products.

2014: Affiliation with Scripps Memorial Hospital

As of 2014, Deepak Chopra was affiliated with Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, California.

2014: Estimated Net Worth

As of 2014, Deepak Chopra's estimated net worth was over $80 million.

2014: Sanjiv Chopra at Harvard Medical School

As of 2014, Deepak Chopra's younger brother, Sanjiv Chopra, was a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and on staff at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

2014: Founded ISHAR

In 2014, Deepak Chopra founded ISHAR (Integrative Studies Historical Archive and Repository).

2015: Founded JUST Capital

In 2015, Deepak Chopra partnered with Paul Tudor Jones II to found JUST Capital, a non-profit firm promoting economic justice by ranking companies based on their business practices.

2015: Criticism of Ayurvedic Remedies

In 2015, Harriet Hall criticized Deepak Chopra for his promotion of Ayurveda, stating that studies showed a high percentage of Ayurvedic remedies are contaminated with heavy metals. A study of users in the United States found elevated blood lead levels in a large percentage of those tested.

2015: Pseudo-profound Bullshit

In 2015, a paper examining "the reception and detection of pseudo-profound bullshit" used Deepak Chopra's Twitter feed as a canonical example, comparing it with fake quotes from a spoof website.

2016: Promotion at University of California, San Diego

In 2016, Deepak Chopra was promoted to voluntary full clinical professor at the University of California, San Diego in their Department of Family Medicine and Public Health.

2019: Residence in Manhattan

As of 2019, Deepak Chopra resided in a "health-centric" condominium in Manhattan.

July 2023: Co-hosted "We the Future" event

In July 2023, Deepak Chopra and the Chopra Foundation co-hosted an event titled "We the Future" with Kenneth Cole, focusing on the future of AI and its positive impact, featuring speakers like Craig Hatkoff, Eddie Ndopu, Sian Proctor, Jerry Wonda, and Gabriella Wright.