'Very disturbed': Novak Djokovic slammed over 'dangerous' new claims

Novak Djokovic has been slammed by the tennis community for some ‘disturbing’ theories about changing the molecular composition of food and water with thoughts.

The World No.1 has been at the centre of controversy in recent weeks after saying he probably wouldn’t get a vaccination for coronavirus.

However his latest comments have sparked major backlash.

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In an Instagram Live chat with Chervin Jafarieh for a series called The Self Mastery Project, the two discussed how ‘toxic’ food and water can be made healthy through the power of positive thoughts.

“This is something that is not linked to any form of official way of presenting nutrition and how you should eat and drink,” Djokovic started.

“I know some people that, through energetical (sic) transformation, through the power of prayer, through the power of gratitude, they managed to turn the most toxic food, or maybe most polluted water into the most healing water, because water reacts.

“Scientists have proven that in experiment, that molecules in the water react to our emotions to what has been said.

“I truly believe that we should continuously every single day remind ourselves when we sit, that we sit without cameras, without phones, without watching things and stuff.

“Or even worse, having nervous [and] conflicting discussions at the table with your close ones during your meal.”

Jafarieh nodded in agreement as Djokovic also claimed having arguments at the dinner table can cause food to lose nutrition.

“They saw if you had specific thoughts, specific emotions onto the water, if they were happy thoughts, if they were good thoughts, they created a molecular structure that had a geo-prism based on sacred geometry meaning there was symmetry and balance,” he said.

“On the opposite end when you give water pain, fear, frustration, anger, that water will break apart.”

Djokovic slammed over ‘dangerous’ claims

Even more concerning than Djokovic’s thoughts was the enormous amount of viewers who tuned in to watch.

Tennis writer Ben Rothenberg posted a screenshot that showed the video had nearly 500,000 views on Thursday.

“Novak Djokovic continues to give his big platform over to some truly nutty pseudoscience blabber,” he tweeted.

“Not as potentially dangerous as being anti-vaccines, but NO, you cannot change the molecular structure of water with your emotions.

“Look at these numbers Djokovic has already gotten for this content. That’s why it matters what he puts out and espouses and endorses.

“Djokovic himself was the one who first introduced this stuff about water changing from emotions into the conversation on his Instagram, saying that mindfulness can make unhealthy food more nutritious, and that dinner table arguments can make good less nutritious.”

Former player-turned-commentator Mary Carillo described Djokovic’s comments as “disturbing”.

“We know that he believes in meditation, in prayer, in holistic healing,” she said during a discussion on Tennis Channel.

“He hated that he had to get his elbow cut, he tried to stave that off for a long time because he genuinely thought he could heal his own body.

“I’m very disturbed that Djokovic and that other guy are saying you can change toxic water to drinking water.

“This is dangerous stuff and when I looked at it … it already had half a million hits. I really hope he backs down from that.”

Tennis writer Jon Wertheim agreed, saying Djokovic was going way beyond “challenging conventional wisdom”.

“He really needs to be careful, there are consequences to this,” Wertheim said.

“It’s a very short jump to these conspiracy theories which now, more than ever, are really dangerous.

“So I was disappointed, like you Mary, to see that because I think there’s a real responsibility that comes with being No. 1 and that includes respecting science and objective truth.”

Djokovic’s wife Jelena was also at the centre of controversy recently when Instagram deleted a video she shared about a widely debunked conspiracy theory about coronavirus.