Religion, self-help theories, and mainstream healing modalities share one common objective. They all seek to alleviate human suffering and move individuals and society toward a more desirable state in which a perception of happiness is achieved. Nevertheless, they differ in their basic approaches. Religion focuses on belief and faith; mainstream healing, on evidence-based scientific research, and self-help, on a combination of both - albeit with a focus on wishful thinking and the charisma of the author or presenter.
