By now, fans of Nine Perfect Strangers are privy to the wellness trends used at Tranquillum House. Some, like acupuncture and meditation, are pretty normal. Others might be beneficial when done under the right circumstances. Many of the trends implemented at Tranquilllum, however, go too far. Nicole Kidman plays Masha, Tranquillum’s eccentric owner. Masha is no doctor. She takes her inspiration from actual wellness trends but is way out of line with her execution.
Fasting
Various forms of fasting have become popular for fans of wellness. One form, intermittent fasting, involves restricting meals to certain hours of the day. Some wellness centers take fasting to a new level. TrueNorth Health Center is the largest facility globally that specializes in “medically supervised water-only fasting.” The fasts can last anywhere from 5 to 40 days.
In the episode “Earth Day”, Masha’s guests are told that they will be fasting. They will have nothing but smoothies and anything they can find in nature to eat all day. This ends in the guests slaughtering a goat for their meal. While an all-day fast isn’t the most extreme thing going on at Tranquillum, it’s not a great idea for Masha to require fasting while encouraging her food-deprived guests to wander the wilderness. It’s especially risky without the presence of a well-trained medical staff.
Psilocybin
Using psychedelic drugs as a form of therapy is not an unheard of practice. The Buena Vida Psilocybin Retreats in Mexico uses psilocybin mushrooms to help guests “heal past traumas, unveil creativity and inspire gratitude.” The resort promises a “legal, safe, and most of all caring group of leaders trained to guide you through this epic journey.” It features live music, calming meditation, and healing massages. Most importantly, guests are well aware of what they are signing up for before they arrive at the retreat.
Recently Nine Perfect Strangers revealed that Masha has been microdosing her guests with psilocybin in their smoothies. She champions the healing properties of magic mushrooms, telling Yao that other facilities in the world are doing the same thing. Yao points out that the other facilities have their guest’s consent. Masha does not, and obviously giving guests any kind of drug without their knowledge is not right.
Diagnostic testing
Some health resorts use blood draws and other medical tests to specialize their guests’ wellness journey. Pritikin Longevity Center + Spa offers state-of-art blood panels, complete medical physicals, and personal consultations with physicians to achieve guests’ goals. Importantly, there are board-certified physicians on-site to give their expert advice.
Fans have noticed by now how much Masha knows about her guests’ physical health. Her staff collects the guests’ medical records before arrival. They are also constantly running blood tests, sometimes without warning. They control when the guests take their medication and even confiscate alcohol from the facility. However, Masha’s tactics are downright invasive, and she isn’t a medical professional with enough knowledge to be treating anyone.
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