He is one of the most recognizable faces of alternative medicine, so well known that he appeared this summer in the movie “The Love Guru.”

Deepak Chopra, called “one of the top 100 heroes and icons of the century” by Time magazine, was born in India and moved to the United States in 1970 to practice medicine. He soon developed a philosophy of wellness that focuses on the mind, body and spirit.

Q: In your new book – “Why Is God Laughing?” – you say it is important to laugh even in times of turmoil. Are you always happy?

A: I have divine discontent. In the absence of discontent, you’re not creative and you’re sure of everything. I think we need an element of discontent to get things done.

Q: This book is written differently from the others. You write about a fictional unhappy comedian who finds the path to hope and joy.

A: This is a simple book, one of the simplest I’ve ever done. People have complained to me that my books are not easy to read. Yet people buy them and say they’ve changed their lives. I don’t understand.

Q: There are lots of jokes in the book. Who wrote them?

A: Some I made up, some I heard, some I found on the Internet.

Q: In November, your 53rd book will be published. How do you keep up such a pace?

A: I’m a compulsive, obsessive writer. I have fear that I’ll lose my creativity, so I might as well do it as fast as I can. I travel a lot, so I’m constantly writing on planes, and I e-mail what I’ve written back to the office.

Q: You were raised a Hindu. Do you consider yourself Hindu?

A: No, there’s a lot of wonderful insights, but I believe religion is divisive, quarrelsome and idiotic.

Q: Aren’t you considered a religious figure?

A: I’m an explorer of spirituality. Spirituality is inclusive, unifying. It does not contradict what we know of evolution. If you take a look at the world, most fervent believers are fundamentalists, and they’re making a mess of the world. This morning I had a dream that species from another highly evolved planet were looking at us and thinking, “These people are going to self-destruct in a short time.”

Q: What is your own spiritual practice?

A: I meditate two hours every day. I also do a reality check several times a day. I ask myself, “Am I in the being mode, thinking or doing mode?” I also think about experiences that evoke feelings of love and compassion. It’s important not to be burdened by the past and go with the moment. All problems are in the past or future.

Q: You appeared in the movie “The Love Guru.” Do you think of yourself as a celebrity?

A: No. Neither does my wife, nor do my children.