The breath is taken after a gentle exhalation.
•   T he b reath is  held until the breathing muscles first begin to
move. Y ou are n ot measuring the maximum time that you can
hold your breath.
•   If you do not feel the first involuntary movements of yo ur
breathing muscl es, then release your nose when you feel the
first definite ur ge or first distinct stress to resume breathing.
•   The BOL T is not an exercise to correct your breathing.
•   R emember th at measuring your BOL T involves holding yo ur
breath only until you feel the f irst involuntary movements of
your breathing muscles. If you need to take a big breath at the
end of the breath hold, then you have held your breath for too
long.
How the Body Oxygen Level T est (BOL T) W orks
When you hold your breath, yo u prevent oxygen from entering your lungs
and prevent carbon dioxide from  being expelled into the atmosphere. As the
breath h old continues, carbon dioxide accumulates in the lungs and blood
while oxygen levels slightly dec rease. Since carbon dioxide is the primarystimulus for breathing, the length of your breath-hold time is influenced by
how mu ch carbon dioxide you are able to tolerate, or your ventilatory
response to carbon dioxide.
A s trong ventilatory response to carbon dioxide means th at your
threshold will be reached sooner, resulting in a lower breath-hold time.
Conversely, a good tolerance a nd reduced ventilatory response to carbon
dioxide results in a higher breath-hold time.
When your BOL T score is lower, your breathing receptors are especially
sensitive to carbon dioxide, and your breathing volume will b e greater as
the lungs work to remove any carbon dioxide in excess of p rogrammed
levels. However, when you have a normal tolerance to carbon dioxide and a
higher B OL T sc ore, you will be  able to maintain calm breathing  during rest
and lighter breathing during physical exercise.
Y ou may find that the first time you measure your BOL T score,  you are
surprised that your score is low er than expected—but rememb er that even
elite athletes can have a low BOL T score! The good news is that your
BOL T score can easily be increased with a series of simpl e breathing
exercises incorporated into your  existing way of life or exercise regimen. A
common starting BOL T score for an individual who exercises regula rly at a
moderate intensi ty will be approximately 20 seconds. If your BOL T score is
below 20 seconds, depending o n genetic predisposition, you will probably
find you  experie nce a blocked nose, coughing, wheezing, disrupted sleep,
snoring, fatigue, and excessive breathlessness during physic al exercise.
Each time that your BOL T score increases by 5 seconds, you will feel
better, with more ener gy and reduced breathlessness during physical
exercise. The aim of the Oxygen Advantage program is to increase your
BOL T score to 40 seconds, and this can be realistically achieved.
Improving your BOL T score is an important key to attaining greater
physical endurance. As we have already seen, having an improved tolerance
to carbo n dioxide means you are able to achieve a higher VO 2  max and
improved performance. The Oxygen Advantage program is all about
increasing your BOL T score and maximizing your potential!
How Y our BOL T Scor e Relates to Br eathlessness During
SportsThe ideal BOL T score for a he althy individual is 40 seconds. In the book
entitled Exer cise Physio logy: Nutrition,  Ener gy, and Human Performance
by W illiam McArdle and colleagues, the authors observe: “If a person
breath holds after a normal exhalation, it takes approximately 40 seconds
before the ur ge to breathe increases enough to initiate inspiration.”
What is accepted  in theory is not always evident in practice. The truth is
that the vast majority of individuals, including athletes, have a comfortable
breath-hold time of about 20 seconds, often less. However, to achieve your
full potential, a BOL T score of 40 seconds should be the goal.
Breath-hold mea surements have also been used to study the on set and
endurance of breathlessness (dyspnea) and asthma symptoms. The result
that com es up again and again is that the lower the breath-ho ld time, the
greater the likelihood of breathlessness, coughing, and wheezing during
both rest and exercise.
Over the  past thirteen years I have worked with thousands of children
and adults with asthma. Althoug h breath-hold time is not gener ally used by
doctors to evaluate asthma severity, it is an excellent measurement to
evaluate respiratory condition and symptoms such as coughing, wheezing,
chest ti ghtness, breathlessness, and exercise-induced asthm a. If you
experience breathlessness or asthma symptoms when you exercise, you may
find tha t your athletic performance is limited and hampered by your
condition. By implementing the Oxygen Advantage program and tracking
your progress with your BOL T score, you will be able to quickly and easily
improve your performance and eliminate symptoms of exerc ise-induced
asthma. The overall goal of the Oxygen Advantage program is  to increase
your BO L T sco re to over 40 seconds, but every time you improve your
BOL T s core by 5 seconds you will find that symptoms such a s coughing,
wheezing, chest tightness, and breathlessness reduce drastically. More on
eliminating exercise-induced asthma can be found in chapter 12.
BOL T Scor e and Br eathing V olume
At this point, it can be useful to perform the following experiment:
•  Sit down with a pen and paper.•   Bring your attention to your breathing and follow both the rate
and depth of each breath.
•   As you observ e your breathing, draw the rate and depth across
the sheet of paper.
•   D o this for a bout half a min ute or so, then check how your
drawing relates to your BOL T score and the illustrations on the
following page.
The fol lowing image is an example of the relationship between
breathing volume and a BOL T score of 10 seconds.
When a BOL T score is 10 seco nds, breathing is noisy, loud, i rregular,
lar ge, heavy, erratic, and ef fortf ul, with no natural pauses betw een breaths.
If y our BOL T score is 10 seconds or less, you will often experience a
hunger for air, e ven when you are just sitting down. Habitual upper -chest
breathing and mouth breathing  is also expected. The number  of breaths
during rest per minute can be anything from 15 to 30 breaths.When a BOL T score is 20 secon ds, breathing is heavy but regul ar. Both
the rate and size of each breath is less than when a BOL T score is 10
seconds. A natural pause of between 1 and 2 seconds occurs at the end of
each exhalation. The number of breaths per minute during rest will vary
from between 15 and 20 moderately sized breaths.
When a BOL T score is 30 se conds, breathing is calm, gentle, soft,
ef fortless, and quiet. The rate and size of each breath continue to reduce as a
BOL T score increases. The natural pause between each breath lengthens.
The num ber of breaths during rest per minute will be about 10 to 15
minimal breaths.When a BOL T s core is 40 seconds, breathing is ef fortless, calm, gentle,
quiet, soft, and minimal. At a BOL T score of 40 seconds, it is  dif ficult to
see breathing movements. Th e natural pause between each breath is
generally about 4 to 5 seconds. The number of breaths during rest per
minute varies from 6 to 10 minimal breaths.
BOL T and Sports Performance
During physica l exercise, breathing volume increases, but so too does
production of carbon dioxide. When your BOL T score is higher than 30
seconds, there is a reasonable match between the production of carbon
dioxide from increased muscle  movement and the elimination of it by
breathing. A BOL T score of between 20 and 30 seconds indicates that there
is room for improvement. However, a problem arises when a BOL T score is
less than  20 seconds, as exces sive breathing will eliminate more carbon
dioxide than the amount that is produced through exercise, lead ing to a net
loss of CO 2, r educed oxygen delivery, and c onstriction of blood vessels and
airways. The result is poor sports performance and a variety of negative
implications for your overall health.
A gener al rule for the relationsh ip between BOL T scores and breathing
volume is as fo llows: The lower the BOL T score, the poorer the match
between breathin g volume and metabolic activity, hence the need to control
breathing during rest and physical exercise. The closer the BOL T score is to
40 s econds, the better the matc h between breathing volume and metabolic
requirements. W hen your breathing volume matches the amount of carbondioxide produce d, it will be much easier to exercise at


 perfection, the body chemistry could support healthy teeth andgums until death. By healthy here Page means free of cavities, no bone lossaround the teeth (no wobblers), no long-in-the-teeth mouths from receedinggums, no gum diseases at all. But when empty calories or devitalized foods ormisdigestion cuts our nutrient intake we begin experiencing tooth decay, gumdisease and bone loss in the jaw. How are your teeth?
I suppose you could say that I have a food religion, but mine is to eat so that
the equation Nutrition = Health / Calories is strongly in my favor.
Back to my daughter’s teeth. Yes, I innocently fed her less than ideally
nutritious food, but at that time I couldn’t buy ideal food even had I known what I
wanted, nor did I have any scientific idea of how to produce ideal food, noractually, could I have done so on the impoverished, leached-out clay soil at GreatOaks School even had I known how. The Organic doctrine says that you canbuild a Garden of ‘Eatin with large quantities of compost until any old clay pit orgravel heap produces highly nutritious food. This idea is not really true. Sadly,what is true about organic matter in soil is that when it is increased very muchabove the natural level one finds in untilled soil in the climate you’re working with,the nutritional content of the food begins to drop markedly. I know this assertionis shocking and perhaps threatening to those who believe in the Organic system; Iam sorry.
But there is another reason my daughter’s teeth were not perfect, probably
could not have been perfect no matter what we fed her, and why she willprobably have at least some health problems as she ages no matter how perfectlyshe may choose to eat from here on. My daughters had what Dr. G.T. Wrenchcalled “a poor start.” Not as poor as it could have been by any means, butcertainly less than ideal.
You see, the father has very little to do with the health of the child, unless he
happens to carry some particularly undesirable gene. It is the mother who has thejob of constructing the fetus out of prepartum nourishment and her own body’snutritional reserves. The female body knows from trillenia of instinctual experiencethat adequate nutrition from the current food supply during pregnancy can notalways be assured, so the female body stores up very large quantities of mineralsand vitamins and enzymes against that very possibility. When forming a fetus thesereserves are drawn down and depleted. It is virtually impossible during thepregnancy itself for a mother to extract sufficient nutrition from current food tobuild a totally healthy fetus, no matter how nourishing the food she is eating maybe. Thus a mother-to-be needs to be spending her entire childhood and heradolescence (and have adequate time between babies), building and rebuilding
her reserves.
A mother-to-be also started out at her own birth with a vitally important stock
of nutritional reserves, reserves put there during her own fetal development. If that“start” was less than ideal, the mother-to-be (as fetus) got “pinched” andnutritionally shortchanged in certain, predictable ways. Even minor mineral fetaldeficiencies degrade the bone structure: the fetus knows it needs nutritionalreserves more than it needs to have a full-sized jaw bone or a wide pelvic girdle,and when deprived of maximum fetal nourishment, these non-vital bones becomesomewhat smaller. Permanently. If mineral deficiencies continue into infancy andchildhood, these same bones continue to be shortchanged, and the child ends upwith a very narrow face, a jaw bone far too small to hold all the teeth, and inwomen, a small oven that may have trouble baking babies. More importantly,those nutrient reserves earmarked especially for making babies are also deficient.So a deficient mother not only shows certain structural evidence of physiologicaldegeneration, but she makes deficient babies. A deficient female baby at birth isunlikely to completely overcome her bad start before she herself has children.
So with females, the quality of a whole lifetime’s nutrition, and the life-nutrition
of her mother (and of her mother’s mother as well) has a great deal to do with theoutcome of a pregnancy. The sins of the mother can really be visited unto the thirdand fourth generation.
This reality was powerfully demonstrated in the 1920s by a medical doctor,
Francis Pottenger. He was not gifted with a good bedside manner. Rather thanstruggling with an unsuccessful clinical practice, Dr. Pottenger decided to make hisliving running a medical testing laboratory. He earned his daily bread performing arather simple task, assaying the potency of adrenal hormone extracts. At thattime, adrenaline, a useful drug to temporarily rescue people close to death, wasextracted from the adrenal glands of animals. However, the potency of thesecrude extracts varied greatly. Being a very powerful drug, it was essential tomeasure exactly how strong your extract was so its dosage could be controlled.
Quantitative organic chemistry was rather crude in those days. Instead of
assaying in a test tube, Dr. Pottenger kept several big cages full of cats that he hadadrenalectomized. Without their own adrenals, the cats could not live more than ashort time By finding out how much extract was required to keep the cats fromfailing, he could measure the strength of the particular batch.
Dr. Pottenger’s cats were economically valuable so he made every effort to
keep them healthy, something that proved to be disappointingly difficult. He kepthis cats clean, in airy, bright quarters, fed them to the very best of his ability onpasteurized whole milk, slaughterhouse meat and organs (cats in the wild eatorgan meats first and there are valuable vitamins and other substances in organmeats that don’t exist in muscle tissue). The meat was carefully cooked toeliminate any parasites, and the diet was supplemented with cod liver oil.However, try as he might, Pottenger’s cats were sickly, lived short and had to befrequently replaced. Usually they bred poorly and died young of bacterialinfections, there being no antibiotics in the 1920s. I imagine Dr. Pottenger wasconstantly visiting the animal shelter and perhaps even paid quarters out the backdoor to a steady stream of young boys who brought him cats in burlap sacks fromwho knows where, no questions asked.
Dr. Pottenger’s assays must have been accurate, for his business grew and
grew. Eventually he needed more cats than he had cages to house, so he built abig, roofed, on-the-ground pen outdoors. Because he was overworked, he wasless careful about the feeding of these extra animals. They got the samepasteurized milk and cod-liver oil, but he did not bother to cook theirslaughterhouse meat. Then, a small miracle happened. This poorly cared for cageof cats fed on uncooked meat became much healthier than the others, suffering farfewer bacterial infections or other health problems. Then another miraclehappened. Dr. Pottenger began to meditate on the first miracle.
It occurred to him that cats in the wild did not cook their food; perhaps cats
had a digestive system that couldn’t process or assimilate much out of cooked
food. Perhaps the problem he had been having was not because the cats were
without adrenal glands but because they were without sustenance, suffering a sortof slow starvation in the midst of plenty. So Dr. Pottenger set up some cat feedingexperiments.
There were four possible combinations of his regimen: raw meat and
unpasteurized milk; raw meat and pasteurized milk; cooked meat and raw milk;cooked meat and pasteurized milk, this last one being what he had been feedingall along. So he divided his cats into four groups and fed each group differently.The first results of Pottenger’s experiments were revealed quickly though the mostvaluable results took longer to see. The cats on raw meat and raw milk did best.The ones on raw meat and pasteurized milk did okay but not as well. The ones oncooked meat and raw milk did even less well and those on all cooked foodcontinued to do as poorly as ever.
Clearly, cats can’t digest cooked food; all animals do better fed on what they
can digest. A lot of people have taken Pottenger’s data and mistakenly concludedthat humans also should eat only raw food. This idea is debatable. However, themost important result of the cat experiments took years to reveal itself and is notpaid much attention to, probably because its implications are very depressing. Dr.Pottenger continued his experiments for several generations. It was thetransgenerational changes that showed the most valuable lesson. Over severalgenerations, the cats on all raw foods began to alter their appearance. Their facesgot wider, their pelvic girdles broader, bones solider, teeth better. They began tobreed very successfully.
After quite a few generations, the healthiest group, the one on all raw foods,
seemed to have improved as much as it could. So Dr. Pottenger took some ofthese cats and began feeding them only cooked food to study the process ofnutritional degeneration. After three “de”generations on cooked fodder the grouphad deteriorated so much that the animals could barely breed. Their faces hadbecome narrow, their teeth crooked, their pelvic girdles narrow, their bones and
body structure very small, and their dispositions poor. Mothers wouldn’t nurse
their young and sometimes became cannibalistic. They no longer lived very long.
Before the degenerating group completely lost the ability to breed, Pottenger
began to again feed them all raw food. It took four generations on a perfect, rawfood diet before some perfect appearing individuals


, Freire,
Illich, et al.). Agencies other than those mentioned
IX X THE LEIPZIG CONNECTION
in the book also played major roles. Foremost among
these undoubtedly is the august and hyperactive NEA
with its National Training Labs, publisher of the
Journal of Applied Behavioral Science. Special mention
should also be made of UNESCO's International
Bureau of Education (formerly the Institut Jean-Jacques
Rousseau), born in 1925 of a generous grant from the
Rockefeller Foundation.
These initial and somewhat unexpected findings,
however incomplete, are released in order to help others
analyse more clearly this tragic transformation of the
national character. Further research has simply
substantiated and enlarged upon the thesis of this work.
The ongoing debasement of philosophy and ethics,
and its social consequences, is a tangled tale and, where
references are not pursued or fully detailed, it is not
because of an unwillingness to answer the questions
raised rather is it from a desire to suggest a broader
context within which the story unfolds. Those who
contend, with Wilhelm Wundt, that history and its
processes are responsible for the formation of
individuals and their views (rather than the reverse) will
undoubtedly find this approach unpalatable; then again,
not everyone would want this tale untangled.  1. A New Domain
WILHELM Maximilian Wundt was born in
1832 in Neckarau, a small town in southern Ger-
many.1 Wundt entered the un iversity at Tubingen
when he was 19, transferred to Heidelberg after
half a year, and graduated as a medical doctor from
that university in 1856. He stayed on at Heidelberg
for the next seventeen ye ars, working first as a
professor's assistant, and later as a professor him-
self, in the field of psychology. Psychology, at that
time, meant simply the st udy (ology) of the soul
(psyche), or mind.2
1. Perhaps the best descriptive biography of Wundt is contained in
Professor Edwin G. Boring's A History of Experimental Psychology, 2nd ed.
(New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, Inc., 1929). See, also, Schultz, Duane
P., A History of Modern Psychology (New York: Academic Press, 1969),
and Murphy, Gardner and Joseph K. Kovach, Historical Introduction to
Modern Psychology, 6th ed. (New York: Harcourt Brace, 1972), for
excellent overviews of the develo pment of experimental psychology.
2. See, for example, A Standard Dictionary of the English Language
(New York: Funk & Wagnalls Co., 1895), which notes the intrusion of the
new German definition of the word in a reference note inserted by Wundt's
student James Mark Baldwin.
1 2 THE LEIPZIG CONNECTION
In 1874, Wundt left Heidelberg to take a position as
professor of philosophy at Zu rich. He stayed there for
only a year, and then accepted a chair in philosophy at
the University of Leipzig, in Germany. He was to
remain at Leipzig for the rest of his academic career,
eventually being appointed rector of the university.
Wundt died in 1920.
Those are some of the vital statistics. What they omit
is that Wundt was the founder of experimental
psychology and the force behind its dissemination
throughout the western world.
To Wundt, a thing made sense and was worth
pursuing if it could be measured, quantified, and
scientifically demonstrated. Seeing no way to do this
with the human soul, he proposed that psychology
concern itself solely with experience. As Wundt put it:
...it truly appears to be a useless waste of energy
to keep returning to such aimless discussions
about the nature of the psyche, which were in
vogue for a while, and practically still are,
instead, rather, of applying one's energies where
they will produce real results.3
3. Shipley, Thome, ed., Classics in Psychology (New York:
Philosophical Library, 1961), 52-3, extracted from Wundt, Wil-helm,
Contributions to the Theory of Sensory Perception, trans. A New Domain  3
Germany was the center of civilization: its scientific
and technological advances were well-known. The
Germans excelled in the application of scientific terms
and procedures to previously non-scientific areas.
Hegel, at the University of Berlin, had proposed to
make of history a scientific subject; he became
Germany's leading philosopher, emulated by a
generation of students. Karl Marx injected Hegel's
theories with economics and sociology, developing a
"philosophy" of "dialectical materialism." Herbart and
Fechner applied mathematical principles to learning4;
Muller and Helmholtz grafte d physiology to behavior;
Fritsch and Hitzig applied electrical stimulation to the
brain to determine the relati onship of brain functions to
behavior. Throughout the revolutions and revolts of
1848 across Europe, the rise of the Socialist
Internationals, and the forced unification of the new
Germany by Otto von Bismarck, Germany was a
flourishing center of culture and the
from Beitrage zur Theorie der Sinneswahrnehmung (Leipzig: C.F. Winter,
1862).
4. Herbart and Fechner are perhaps th e direct lineal antecedents of Wundt
in the area of education. See Boring, op. cit., 250-260 and 275-296. Herbart's
psychology, as it applies in particular to  education, is lucidly described in
Paul Monroe's A Brief Course in the History of Education (New York:
Macmillan, 1927). See also Dunkel, Harold B., Herbart & Education (New
York: Random House, 1969) and DeGarmo, Charles, Herbart and the
Herbartians (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1912), for good
discussions of the impact of Herbart's views on education.  4 THE LEIPZIG CONNECTION
sciences, each of its universities a magnet for the
ambitious intellectual youth of Europe and the United
States. Leipzig was no exception and one of its
principal attractions was Wundt, who was attempting to
place his ideas within the mainstream of German
scientism by redefining psychology as a physiological
rather than a philosophical subject.
Soon after his arrival at Leipzig in 1875, he had
established the world's first psychological laboratory.
Initially small and primitive, it soon increased to eleven
rooms. He supplemented his new laboratory with a
journal, Philosophical Studies, which became the
official organ of both the new laboratory and the newly
redefined "science" of psychology. Wundt stated his
overall intention in clear terms:
The work which I here present to the public is an
attempt to mark out a new domain of science.5
Wundt's basic approach was to gather data con-
cerning physiological responses in order to clarify how
the individual experienced feelings and sensations. He
was convinced that perceptions and experiences could
be understood through measurable
5.   Schultz, op. cit., 45. A New Domain  5
physiological reactions. Wundt noticed that reactions
began with stimulation, followed by (1) perception, in
which the experience exists within the individual; (2)
"apperception," in which the body (or so he thought)
identifies the stimulus and combines it with other
stimuli, and (3) an act of will which results in (4) a
reaction to the stimulus. What was will? For Wundt,
will was the direct result of the combination of
perceived stimuli, not an independent, individual
intention as psychology and philosophy had, with some
notable exceptions, held up to that time.6
It seems, at times, that Wundt was the kind of
person who is particularly likely to be under-
estimated. His personality was not sufficiently
picturesque to make him stand out on that
account; and his work shows no single, brilliant
contribution to knowledge that can be readily
circumscribed   and  labeled  with  a
6. Here, Wundt was condensing a nd organizing the work of his
contemporaries, with primary em phasis on the works of Herbart.
Psychologist R.I. Watson, in The Great Psychologists (Philadelphia:
Lippincott, 1963), p. 257, describes Wundt as a:
...great synthesizer of research findings, both of the work that
preceded him and of that carried on by his students. Wundt's forte
was not luminous ideas lighting upon the dark corners or giving us a
new dazzling perspective on the old picture. Rather, he worked over
a thousand details, cleaning here, repairing there, filling a crack
here, so that psychology leavin g his hands was an improved, more
coherent picture, but still a familiar one.  6 THE LEIPZIG CONNECTION
phrase. His great achievement was the bringing
into effective relations of many things which, it
is true, had ex isted


 Earthlings. From all outward appearances they seemed
to be.
I decided to select one of these Uranus people to interview in depth; if he
or she turned out to be exactly like all the Earthlings I’d met, I would return
home immediately and develop the ability for travel beyond  our solar
system. I hadn’ t come billions of miles simply to see my own world. I had
begun this project with a desire for adventure and excitement. The prospect
of fitting myself into a new world of people identical to those I had left
behind was not particularly exciting.
I settled into my room at one of Uranus’ finest Holiday Inns, flipped on
the television, and began to ponder how I could learn about the inhabitants
of this world that was at one and the same time alien and familiar to me.
The irony of my predicament did not escape me. I was in a strange land,
and yet I felt as if I’d never left home. Even this hotel room was like those I
had seen a thousand times before—miniature soap bars, a tiny ounce of
shampoo in a brown plastic bottle, a kind of soiled cleanliness to the
bedspread, and an unread copy of the Gideon Bible in the dresser drawer.
My mind was filled with questions, and yet I found myself struggling
with the “How-to-go-about-it” thinking that I often employed to avoid
taking any action. I had learned a long time ago that the way to make sure
that something got done was to start it. But I’d also learned how to combat
that notion, which required ef fort, sweat, and all those qualities I loved to
observe in others and to eschew in myself. Instead of taking char ge, I used
my predicament to keep my mind focused on what I should or shouldn’ t do.I moved to a more advanced form of evasiveness. I considered the questions
I would want to ask. Do you have wars? Are you preoccupied with rules?
What about cancer, and how do you see this mystery we call death? Do you
have schools and do they emphasize grades and obedience? Do you wear
designer jeans, and if so, why? Do you have the same history as we do on
Earth? Do you know about us? W ill you ever visit, and if you did, would
you be friendly? Do you have nuclear weapons and a Jane Fonda? Are you
really the same identical creatures as we are inside as well as outside? Do
you have emotions, fears, anxiety, and tranquilizers? The questions were
bombarding my consciousness almost as fast as I could record them on my
miniature portable tape recorder. (Could I replace the batteries here? I
wondered.)
As I said these words to myself into the tape recorder, the word “anxiety”
was repeated in the room. I couldn’ t believe it. Until then I had been
ignoring the television reporter, who looked exactly like all those I’d seen
across America. The Aryan model with “television good looks,” who could
have slid into the vacant seat of any local television newscaster in Seattle,
Minneapolis, Atlanta, or T oronto without anyone knowing the dif ference,
had been reading his lines so vacuously that I had tuned him out while I
pondered the enormity of the task that lay ahead. But just when I was
saying into the tape recorder, “Do you have emotions, fears, anxiety, and
tranquilizers?” I heard the first words on the newscast that made me realize
that everything on Uranus was not exactly as it was on Earth. It was almost
as if I had been slapped in the face.
Segueing into the next segment, before going into a commercial, Mr.
Aryan Good Looks had said, “That concludes the national news, stay tuned
for the local stories, to be followed by sports, weather, and the anxiety
attack reports.”
I had half listened to the national news, which, peppered with empty
phrases like “leading economic indicators,” “student protest
demonstrations,” and “presidential study commissions,” sounded much the
same as on Earth. The local news, weather, and even Joe Jock sports reports
were also familiar, and I now listened to the chronology of useless, dreary
information with unabated ennui, as I waited to hear the one facet of the
evening report that would give me my first clue to these people on Uranus
who had built a culture which, until now, seemed just like mine.“Stay tuned, after this report from a light beer, for tomorrow’ s anxiety
attack report.”
An anxiety attack report on the newscast! I felt a flurry of excitement.
What the hell was an anxiety attack report, and what was it doing as a
regular feature on the evening news?
The report was brief and to the point.
“Hello, this is Eykis, with your evening anxiety attack report. Chances of
anxiety attacking are high in the upper altitudes, with a diminished
possibility within the city limits. There is an 80 percent chance of anxiety
on Friday, with a decreased likelihood on the weekend. By Monday the
forecast is for almost zero anxiety, even in the upper ranges 6,000 feet
above sea level. However, tonight’ s anxiety attack risk is exceedingly high,
so I would ur ge each of you to check your stock of preventive medicine
right away. You probably won’ t need it over the weekend, but by mid-week
the likelihood of a new anxiety front moving into the area is exceedingly
high. This is Eykis, signing of f. This report has been brought to you by
Nopain, the only product of its kind containing 850 milligrams of anxiety
prevention, to help you when you need it most—that is, when an
unexpected anxiety attack appears out of nowhere. Remember: Y ou get the
most value from Nopain when anxiety is attacking.”
I sat there in shock. An anxiety attack report on the evening news! This
was something I would never have imagined even in my craziest moments.
Fortunately, I had had the presence of mind to tape the report as it came
through the television. I put my tape recorder into rewind and played the
report again, and again. On the third replay, I timed the message. The report
had lasted one minute. I listened to it over and over thinking that probably it
was a joke. Perhaps this Eykis person was an evening news satirist, similar
to characters on our newscasts who posed as social critics and made fools of
themselves, shouting into the camera with phony anger at some politician or
social evil that they found particularly of fensive. Y ou knew that if they
really believed in what they said, they would be doing something actively
about what they pretended to dislike instead of shouting aimlessly at their
enemies over the airwaves. I have always felt that by taking refuge in what
others are or are not doing properly, critics show that they themselves are
not doers.
Eykis was nothing like that. She was direct, she appeared to be serious,
and she communicated personal concern about her anxiety attack report.The signal she sent me was very special; I simply couldn’ t believe that it
was a put-on. Nonetheless I decided to tune to the next newscast and see if
what I had watched was a trick or the real thing. Sure enough, thirty
minutes later on a competing network program, another anxiety attack
report was featured, with almost identical warnings to the populace.
I made the decision right there that I was going to seek out this Eykis
person whose sincerity had touched me so deeply. I needed a sensitive
Uranus resident whom I could trust with my own identity. Something deep
within me said, “This is the person. She is committed to helping and she
speaks the truth in clear, simple terms.” I was certain about her because I
was already obsessed. Somewhere in the core of my being I always know
when someone is right and in this case I knew it instantly. Long ago I had
trained myself to ignore the rules under which most Earthlings operate, and
to consult only my inner voices. If anyone ur ged me to act, feel, or think in
a specific way, I simply ignored all of the “I don’ t know if I shoulds,” and
listened to my inner voice. Early in my life I’d learned that the only thing I
ever regretted was what I failed to do out of some self-inflicted fear or
prohibition originating in the rules of others. T o be sure, I did many things
which I disliked or which turned out wrong, but I never felt any painful
regret for what I did. I simply vowed to avoid repeating such behavior.
Consequently, I learned a great deal from my errors. Regret came in lar ge
doses only when I wanted to act but did not out of fear of rejection or, even
worse, failure.
Everywhere I went as a youngster I found adults following rules that had
been passed down through the generations. Many of them had no basis at
all in what was real. For example, I heard it said thousands of times that “It
takes a long time to really know someone, and even longer to know if you
love the person.” But my own inner voices always told me quite the
opposite. I could tell in a few moments that I loved a person and I knew that
I didn’ t need the “test of time” to verify it for me.
Nevertheless, I was always being criticized for


 millivolts. The electrical·
Jy short circuited sites of 1he subcutis are indicated by
(X) in Table VI: 3. A "tunnel" of relatively less nega·
tive values of pOtential than in the surrounding subcu·
ris was found to bridge the two ekctrically connecled
sites (..\') in the subcutis.
A second part of the experime nt was performed one
hour after the previous short circuil connections had
been removed. Four new sites in the subcutis were
grounded, two amcriorly and rwo pOSieriorly along the
Fig. VI: 10. Three-dimensional display of electric p01entials
to dog subcutis after shor• circuiLing of Lhe subcutis across
many sites. Polentials were measured btrween the exploring
electrode and a grounded subcuraneous refe.rence electrode
(jn Lhe tail). As seen in Table VI: 5, very small negaLivc and
56 Electric potentials ~5 ~ 14 ·2 ·2 2 0 0 0 •2 1 • •• 0
••... •• • I 0 •• 0 2 •2 0 • I ·2 0
.. ·2.'·2 ~ 0 0 0 •• 0 • > • • • 0
0 •• •• •2 0 0 0 2 •5 •'0 0
10 •> •• •l 0 I •2 0 •• 5 • 0
•• •5 •• •l 2 0 •2 5 •• 0 •
•• ·• ·• •5 •• 0 2 +4 +10 • • 12 20 •,, •> 0., 0 0 0 ·2 ·2 8 5 12 5
•l •8 ·8 •• 0 0 •• 0 ·> B +10 12 15
•7 •9 •7 •• •2 ·2 •8 2 •• 4 +10 10
+1 +10., ••., t8 ~12 •5 0
mid pOrtion of the long side of the examination area.
The short circuit was again maintained for 30 minutes.
Thereafter, the electric pOICmial was measured be·
tween each of 1he 276 si1es and 1he reference electrode,
as above. The results of this part of 1he experiment are
seen in Fig. VI: 9, while the correspOnding numerical
values of pOtential and sires of grounded short circuit
connections appear in Table VI:4. Two new "runnels"
Qf )Qwcred negative values of pOiential have appeared
somewhat obliquely across the middle of the area of
examination, correspOnding to the regions between the
sires of the short circuits.
A third pan of the experiment on the same dog was
even positive potentials were ob1a.ined. The zero level is here
indicated by small pieces of while plastic rubi.ng. Fig. a re·
presems a view of the long and b a view of the short side of
the display of s1rings. performed after additional short circuiting of the sub
cutis across many sites (Fig. VI: 10, Table VI: 5). In
this situation the potential differences were found to
be either slightly negative or even positive. In the
display seen in Fig. VI: I 0 the zero level is represented
by small pieces of plastic tubing on the strings. At
autopsy, examination of the subcutis revealed only a
few minor blood stains but no large haemorrhages.
Similar results of the three parts of the experiment
were also found in the two other dogs tested.
The experimental results in these 3 dogs indicate
that the average level of potential of normal subcutis
may be changed by external short circuiting of two or
more regions of the tissue. The effects of such a
measure are mostly regional and localized, as might be
expected, to the tissue most immediately between the
electrodes. As illustrated in Figs. VI: 8 and VI: 9,
which were performed in the same animal, a recovery
of the levels of potential took place between the first
two parts of the experiments. This capability shows
that the produced changes may be reversible.
These effects on subcutaneou s electric potentials
indicate that electrical transport developed preferen
tially in the tissue between the short circuited elec
trodes. This difference of potential then appeared to
tend to equalize after 30 minutes in a closed circuit. A
change of the distribution of electrical charges between
dc:.,;Lrud.t:~ {.;an thcn::fure be autldpalcd tu iuOucm.:c
function of the tissues near the electrodes, resulting in
a change in an electropositive direction of electronega
tive potentials between the electrodes. This finding
may be regarded as an interference with the electrone
gative potential normally generated physiologically in
the tissue. In Chapter XVIII, these experimental re
sults will be utilized to explain acupuncture.
C. Induced levelling of
the electric potential
of pulmonary lesions
When an exploring nonpolarizable Ag-AgCI electrode
or polarizable metal electrode is moved through the
lung into a focal lesion, reproducible profiles of elec
tric potential are usually obtained in relation to a
grounded reference electrode in the subcutis. Imped
ance of the recording instrument must be sufficiently
high, (>10 megohms. See also Fig. XIII:9).
When a recording instrument of "low" impedance
(e.g., 1-2 megohm) is used, current can be demon
strated to leak through the instrument, thereby dimin
ishing the pOtential difference of the tissues. Fig.
VI: II shows such a tracing of pOtenti21 while the
exploring electrode touched many times against the Fig. VI: II. Local discharge of a bronchogeniccarcinoma
with elevated surface potential in relation to surrounding
lung over a low impedance (2 megohm) voltmeter. Grounded
reference electrode in the subcutis. The tip of an exploring
electtode was moved repeatedly against the surface of the tu
mour. The surface potential of the tumour was initially ele
vated but proeressively decreased as current leaked throu2h
the recording instrument.
surface of a bronchogenic carcinoma which had an
elevated surface potential. The grounded reference
electrode was positioned subcutaneously about 25 em
from the lesion. Large deflections of potential are seen
on the left side of the tracing at the beginning. The
amplitudes of the deflections then diminish, as seen on
the right side of the tracing.
A similar experiment in tracing the profile of electric
potential in tissue is illustrated in Fig. VI: 12, when
picking movement s were made with the exploring
electrode against different parts of the surface of a
tuberculous granuloma. Large fluctuations of the elec
tric potential were seen initially at various parts of Lin:
surface of the lesion (top tracing). During a second
series of picking movement s of the electrode against
the surface (bollom tracing, left) and then a third
series of picking movements (bouom tracing, right),
the average amplitude of the deflections decreased.
The lowering of amplitudes was larger between the
first and second than between the second and third
series of picking movements.
An experimental analogue to this study will be pre-
Fig. VI: 12. Local discharge of a tuberculous granuloma
with elevated surface potential in relation to surrounding
lung. Grounded reference electrode in the subcutis. Repeat
ed contact of the tip of the exploring electrode against the
surface of the granuloma showed initially large potential dif
ferences (upper tracing). Later, these difiTerences diminish
ed in amplitude (on left and right oCiower tracing). For fur
ther discussion, see text.
~ I
Electric potentials 57 sented in Chapter XIII, Fig. 9, where the leak of
current through a low impedance recording system has
been studied and utilized for similar purposes.
The experimental levelling of the surface potential
of a lesion in relation to a reference tissue can be most
easily explained as a closed circuit discharge of tissues
which may be regarded as a conglomeration of biogal
vanic cells. If this hypothesis is correct, then it should
also be possible experimentally to charge and dis
charge specific tissues or regions of tissue.
D. Experimental charging and
discharging of tissue
Testing of the clinical observations on local discharge
of a tissue was carried out in five dogs in the following
way (see also charging of tissue in tumours of patients
in Chapter XVU).
A 1.8 mm thick catheter was introduced via a fem
oral vessel into the lumen of the aorta or the inferior
vena cava of the anaesthetized animal (


 A radiolucent "A" zone also
developed around the anodic neoplasm (Fig. XVII:
32/). 250 coulombs were delivered at 10 volts. The
flow of current vs. time is shown in Fig. XVII: 33.
The patient tolerated the treatment without difficul·
ties. Some fluid, however, was observed in the pleural
space during and after the treatment. It resorbed spon·
taneously within a few days. No pneumothorax or
other complications occurred.
Two other metastases in this patient, each in the left
lower lobe, were also treated with di.rect current. Their
sizes also decreased (Table XVII: 2). Comp uteri~ed
tomography proved useful in determining the pOSition
of these lesions (Fig. XVII: 34a, b). Each tumour, mA
60
..
\b
50 \j
40
30 •
20
101-IL---~---~----,~----,~--+
0 20 ~ 60 60 -
Fig. XVJJ: 27. Current supplied to the lung tumour of pa
tietu no. 1. Ar 10 v()lrs. currenr increased from tO to 20 rnA
during Lhe first 55 minutes, when gas, accumulaling at lht
electrodes, imerrup1ed the curreoc (a). Applied pocential
was elevated to 15 voles and flow of current resumed, in
creasing from 35 to 55 mA over 30 minutes, when a new in·
terruption occurred (b). After a few minures of waiting, ad·
ditional currenl could be supplied a1 15 volts. Tocal dose was
180 coulombs.
Fig. XVJJ: 28. Left pulmonary angiogram of patient no. l.
(a) Before treotmenc, tile pulmonary arteries show normal
size and calibre. (b) Immediately after t.reatmentche lingular
artery Is displaced medially and small vessel branches are less
prominent around the ·:a thode.
Treatment of cancer 299 Fig. XV II: 29. Serial radiograph s of mclaSI:IIic ovarian carci·
noma in the left lung of pa1icm no. I, before.m~..l af1cr dircc1
current treatment. (a) BcftJre 1n:atrncn1. (h).lO tla)'S after
treat..mem. The tumour and I he 1i~~ol!oUC at 1hc Mtc o( plucc:·
mcnt oft he en thode. arc Mlrrounded by rodhulng, pmbabl\•
300 Treatment of cancer fibrou), structures. (c) 60 days after Lrcauncnt. Regression is
dc:.arly observable. The Ubrotk st..rnmJs apJ)\.~r more promi·
ncm. (d} Af1cr 210 d•ys, (e)4SO d11ysun~ (/) 885 <lays, a very
small residual or scar" is seen a1 1he sitf of the 10mour (ar
row). Fig. XVl/:30. After direct
curr.ent treatment, decrease in
one diameter of the metastatic
ovarian carcinoma, patient
no. I, over a span of 2 yean;,
5 months. 20
10 Diameter
of tumour. mm
o+----------. ----------.----------.---------,r- -------
0 200
Fig. XVI/:31. Patient no. 2. Comparison between cytologic
samples obtained by screw needle biopsies from a pulmonary
metastasis (a, b) and hisrologic sections of primary mesen
chymal fibrolipOSarcoma of the uterus (c, tl). (a) Well differ
entiated sarcomatous cells. (b) Moderately well differentiated
b
-.
"5'
0 ••,... ~· •• 50J.1m 400 600 800 days
tumour cells. Observe numerous lipid granulations. Air
dried smear. The cellular morphology in (c) corresponds to
that in (a), that in (ti) to that in (b). May-Grunewald-Giemsa
stain (a, b). Haematoxylin~sin stain (c, tl).
Treatment of cancer 301 Fig. XVIJ: 32. Pulmonary metastasis, right lower lobe, pa
tient no. 2. (a) Before tre-•tment, (b) 380 days after, and (c)
1370 days after treatment. The tumour has diminished ro
less than one fifth of its previous volume. (d) Positions of an·
odic intrarumoura l electrode and cathodic parenchymal elec..
mA
50
•o
30
20 trode. (e) Immediatel y after treatment. Gas cavities at sites of
electrodes (white arrows). New parenchymal opacity (hydro·
pic "8" zone) in the cathodic region. (f) A radiolucent "A"
1.one around the anodic tumour is also evident immediately
after [teatment.
Fig. XVIJ: 33. Current supplied to the largest pulmonary
metastasis of patient no. 2. At 10 volts, a total of 250 cou·
lombs was delivered.
10+---------,---------,----------r---------.---------. ----------+ 0 20 40 60 80 100 min Fig. XVII: 34. Decrease in
size of two pulmonary me·
tastases, left lower lobe, pa·
tient no. 2, after DC treat·
mem. These two tumours
were 2 em apan in the left
lung close to the diaphragm
and stomach. Abdominal
contents hid them from
fluoroscopic view in the lat
eral projection. Computer
ized tomography (with pa·
tient in prone position) aid
ed planning che direction
and depth of imp!Jillration of
electrodes. (a) Computer ·
ized tomogram of the small·
er, more superior metasrasis
(thin arrow). (b)Computer
iz.cd tomogram of the larger,
more inferior tumour (thick
.a.rrow). (c) Implanted elec
trodes for treatment of the
smaller rumour. Radio·
graph, shallow righc anterior
oblique projection. (d) The
larger tumour (thick arrow)
before treatment. (e) De·
creased sil.es of the more su
perior tumour (thin arrow)
1290 days afcer treatment
and the more inferior tu
mour (thick arrow) I 020
days after rreatme.nt. The
centre of the more superjor
metastasis is now calcified,
indicating healing of injured
tissue.
13xl5xU nun (II} and 16Xl9Xl8 mm(UI) respec·
tively, was positioned deep in lung in the costophrenic
sulcus, near the diaphragm and gastric fundus. The
adjacent abdominal contents obscured fluoroscopic
viewing in the lateral projection. The computer-ized
tomograms, however, indicated clearly the sites of the
lesions. The most suitable direction and depch for the
insertion of each cle<:trodc could aJso be determined in
this way. Fig. XVII: 34r illustrates the positions oftbe
two electrodes during th~ treatment of the smaller of
the two metastases. The larger tumour (Til) is seen
before treatment in Fig. XVII: 34d. The smaller ru·
mour {II) received 100 coulombs at 10 volts. Its size
had decreased slightly and calcium accumulated in its
centre 3 years, 6 months after treatment (Fig.
23-814586 NOI'dntstriiM XVII:34e ). Tumour Ill received only 65 coulombs at
10 volts but its size also was clearly decreased 2 years,
10 months after treatment {Fig. XVII: 34e).
After each treatment the patient was hospitalized
only one or two days and then returned to work as a
nurse's assistant. She is in good condition and has
received no supplementary treatment. To date (after 4
years, 8 months) no new metastases have been ob·
se.rved.
Patient no. 4. A selective effect of the electric field
on multiple small tumours is suggested by observa·
tions in this patient.
An intrapelvic stromal sarcoma was resected from
chis woman in 1964 at age 46. Since 1970 she has been
treated for diabetes mellitus, systemic hypertension
Treatment of cancer 303 and atrial fibrillation. In May 1978, two tumours, each
appro><imately 1. S em in diameter, were found in the


,  feel  justified  in using  the subterfuge
of human  means  to supply  themselves.
Today,  I shall  acquaint  you  with  the conditions  which
exit in Europe  and  the World!  Mankind  over  the entire
World  is feeling  this  pressure.  With  a great  number  of the
people,  it is acting  as a sense  of fear;  and  their  fear  comes
from  their  desire  for supply.  I plead  with  you—all  of you
earnest  sincere  "I AM"  Students,  erase  that  from  your  feel-
ing world,  by the Call  to your  Presence.  Do not let the fear
of your  supply  enter  into  your  feeling  world.  If you  do, you
build  it up and  make  it most  difficult  for Us to give  you  the
Assistance,  which  will  bring  you  CONSTANT  FINAN-
CIAL  SUPPLY.
We know  quite  as well  as you  do, the need  of it today,
so long  as it is the means  of your  exchange;  but  there  are
perhaps  twelve  Individuals  in the World,  today,  who  have
millions  at their  command,  whose  fear  is the greatest  you
ever witnessed!  It seems  incredible;  but  I tell  you  it is
True;  and  that  is what  has brought  this  tremendous  pres-
sure upon  mankind;  from  the financial  standpoint  and  in
the industrial  world!  They  are trying  to concentrate  and
gather  all within  their  own  control!  I ask you  to watch  it!
All of a sudden,  you  will  find  it is like  an explosion,  and
they  will  find  their  hold  upon  mankind  forever  released!
That  is why  Beloved  Saint  Germain  has  brought  forth
This  "I AM"  Activity;  and  why  We are making  This  Tre-
mendous  Effort  to assist  mankind.  It is to give  the people
the Conscious  Understanding  of the Laws  which  are acting 258 THE  "I AM99  DISCOURSES
about  them;  so they  may  free  themselves  from  this  condi-
tion of fear  and  doubt,  which  bind  them  to all kinds  of
destructive  feeling.
I say to you as students,  you  have  been  affected  here  quite
the same  as other  places  in the United  States;  by vicious
false  gossip  concerning  the Reality  of This  Work,  and  con-
cerning  the Messengers;  but  if you  listen  to it, you  are the
ones  who  are deprived.  Because  some  vicious  Individual
spreads  false  gossip,  it does  not mean  that  it is true;  but if
mankind  accepts  it, then  the people  are deprived.  The  Mes-
sengers  will  go on doing  Their  Work,  because  It is Real!
It is True!  It is Mighty,  but  the  Individuals  who  allow
themselves  to be affected  by vicious  things,  are the ones  who
are the losers.
We cannot  say to Individuals  you  shall  accept  This  Won-
drous  Understanding!  Get  it clearly,  Dear  Ones!  During
this Class,  let Our  Light  anchor  you  so firmly,  that  not a
thing  in your  world  can affect  you  discordantly.  You  should
know  that  forever.  Bear  in mind  This  is not the Messenger
talking  to you;  but the One  who  has come  to be known  as
the Great  Divine  Director.  I Am  that  Cosmic  Being,  Who
is flashing  These  Words  before  him!  Now  hold  That  in
mind!  I Am  the One  who  is Authority  for the Law  of Life;
and if you  will  understand  It, you  will  see I speak  with  Au-
thority.  With  the  obedience  of mankind  to the  slightest
Request,  which  We  ask,  you  will  have  your  Freedom!
Without  obedience,  We cannot  give  you  the Assistance  re-
quired. DISCOURSE  XVIII  259
The rebellion  in a few  of mankind,  when  I sanctioned
the Group  Outline,  showed  they  did  not understand  the
need  of the people  or the mass  of the students.  The  need  of
the Protection  for America,  was  the reason.  Do you  think,
Beloved  Ones,  I would  attempt  to influence  you;  or at-
tempt  to govern  you,  when  I know  as no other  Being  does,
what  your  Free  Will  means?  Therefore,  it is with  the
Greatest  Loving-kindness  We present  These  Laws  for man-
kind's  use.  They  are here  for your  Blessing!
There  is not one  thing  of which  We  talk  that  is not con-
cerning  your  Life;  Its Law  and  Its Action.  There  is nothing
mystical!  Dismiss  every  particle  of such  nonsense!  Your
Life,  the Life  of the Universe  of which  you  are a part,  makes
It the most  practical  thing  in the whole  world  and  activity
of mankind.  There  is nothing  in the physical  world  today,
which  is as practical  as This  Great  Activity  of the Law  of
your  own  Life;  because  you  are dealing  with  Vibration  and
Substance;  and  every  feeling  which  goes  forth  from  you,  is
setting  a cause  into  action  to produce  results  for you.
That  is why  We  know  this.  We  went  thru  the human
experience  in gaining  Our  Freedom,  the same  as you  are.
Knowing  your  Requirements,  We  have  so kindly  offered
Our Assistance;  but if mankind  says  We do not exist;  it is
the Messenger's  own  activity,  which  is giving  this  forth;
then  you  have  lost  to a large  extent,  the Blessing  of Our
Vibratory  Action;  with  which  We  release  you  thru  your
Call,  from  all limitations.
In My  Privilege  to assist  the number  who  have  been  re-260 THE  "I AM99  DISCOURSES
leased  so far, could  you  see this  moment,  the Release  from
the Inner  Standpoint  for these  Individuals,  your  Joy would
be Boundless  forever.  Just  because  you  have  not seen  some
Miraculous  Out-picturing  thru  and  from  those  Individuals,
is not the slightest  reason  to think,  It has not been  accom-
plished.  This  is why  I say to you  today,  go on, and  on, and
on, in your  Application;  not worrying,  not being  definitely
concerned  about  the results.  If you  do, you  are so apt to fix
your  attention  upon  the results,  instead  of the Power  which
produces  them.  You  will  see at once  it is what  mankind  has
been  doing.  The  people  are fixing  their  attention  upon  the
result  out here  all the time,  instead  of Its Power  of Release.
In this  preparation  today,  for the coming  Class,  there  is
no one  thing  in which  We  rejoice  so greatly,  as the oppor-
tunity  to visit  the Groups;  and  to those  who  are present,
bring  a Certain  Attunement  for the Greater  Blessing  re-
leased  in the Class  Work.
Did it ever  occur  to you  why  these  Classes  became  ten
day Classes ? Why  was  it not  different ? Because  it repre-
sents  the  Balance  between  the  human  and  the  Divine.
Whatever  is more  than  that,  will  mean  an added  Power,  to
the Accomplishment  of Balancing  for all mankind.  You  do
not know  outwardly


hygiene. If you have a dry mouth when you wake, it is likely that you
mouth breathe during your sleep. It is also likely that you have a buildup of
plaque on your teeth and tongu e.19 Fortunately, it is easy to restore nasal
breathing durin g sleep simply by taping your mouth with MyoT ape—
though you may want to wait until after you’ve had a cuddle to apply the
tape.
WHY STRESS IS A BIG TURN “OFF”
While nasal breathing directly enhances sex drive and performance due to
increased blood flow to the penis and clitoris, functional breathing also
helps reduce stress and promote better sleep, which, of course, impacts
sexual function. Despite the once widely held belief that most sexual
dysfunction has its roots in mental health, it’s now known that sexual
problems such as erectile dysfunction are caused by physiological factors in
more than 80% of cases.20 Nevertheless, chronic stress can and does create
emotional and cognitive changes that prevent us from responding to sexual
cues.21 Stress has a powerful negative  impact on all of the body’ s systems
and can cause many problems that show up as physical or biochemical
imbalances. If you are exhauste d, stressed out, depressed, or have a poor
body image, you will find yourself in the mood for sex much less often, and
this can impact your relationships and further undermine self-esteem.22
To understand the impact that stress can have on sex, we need to look
back to the autonomic nervous  system (ANS). Remember that breathing,
stress, and the ANS are interconnected, as we have already discussed
(Chapter Four ). The ANS controls functions that include heart rate,
respiratory rate, and sexual arousal. It consists of the two main branches,
the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, commonly known as
fight, flight or freeze, and rest and digest (or “feed and breed”). Ideally,
those two branches function in balance. However, when sympathetic
activation is too high or too constant, we experience chronic stress. In thatstate, the body’ s evolutionary mechanisms prioritize survival over sex and
sexual desire.
Under normal circumstances, sex can be a great way to relieve stress. It
causes the release of mood-enhancing hormones, including endorphins. It
can be great exercise, which is uplifting, in itself. However, stress can
create a vicious cycle. Imagine this scenario. You’ve been working hard all
week and want to enjoy some quality intimate time with your partner. Your
mind is elsewhere, still going over a problem you didn’ t manage to fix.
You’re too stressed and can’t get aroused or can’t get an erection. Your
partner asks what’ s wrong, but because you haven’ t realized how stressed
you are, you brush the question aside and push yourself to perform. You
can’t or it’s unsatisfying. The next time you want to be intimate,  the episode
replays in the back of your mind. Anxious not to repeat the embarrassment
and discomfort, the inevitable happens. The more you try, the worse things
get. Anxiety about your ability to perform in bed quickly becom es habitual,
causing erectile dysfunction, lack of arousal, or even aversion when you
think about having sex. This is one of the main reasons some men and
women begin to avoid intimacy altogether.
While many of the situations we discuss in this book are primarily
health-related, sex is more than just a physical experience. Any health
concern can impact quality of life, but sex has a unique place in our closest
relationships, as an emotional outlet and as a marker of personal identity. It
is hardly  surprising that we can form negative feelings around sex that
trigger automatic physical responses that prevent sexual function.
For many men, erectile dysfunction begins as a stress response. Stress
on top of stress triggers a vicious cycle of events. Unfortunate ly, because
sexual arousal is controlled by the ANS, it doesn’ t respond to attempts at
conscious contro l. However, there are ways to mediate the ANS to address
the issue  from a body-to-brain perspective. These include slow diaphragm
breathing exercises at six breaths a minute and mindful breathing—the
simple practice of paying attention to the breath.
It may be helpful to understand  what the ANS does when it comes to
sex and why it’s such a problem when things are out of whack or when the
ANS is affected by stress. First, the ANS is responsible for the dilation of
the blood vessels that cause erection of the penis or clitoris. In men, thisdilation is largely facilitated by nitric oxide.23 Erection depends on nerve
impulses from the ANS directin g blood flow to the penis. It also requires
the autonomic constriction of a circular muscle called a sphin cter, which
ensures that blood doesn’ t flow back out of the penis. The ANS also
controls stimula tion of secretions from the vagina or prostate. It mediates
smooth muscle contractions of the vas deferens during ejaculation, or
rhythmic contra ctions of the vagina during orgasm, and contractions of
other pelvic muscles that accompany or gasm in both sexes.23
The processes differ between men and women. The female sex hormone
estrogen  is associated with increased synthesis and release of
acetylcholine,24 the neurotransmitter produced by the vagus nerve. In
women, acetylcholine floods into the pudendal artery during vasodilation.
Relaxing this artery, which supplies blood to the genitals, is essential to
engor ge the clitoris and vagina during sexual stimulation. Researchers
believe that when relaxation of this artery is compromised, it can contribute
to female sexual dysfunction.25 Women who are stressed experience lower
levels of genital arousal, even when psychological arousal is high. Women
are reputed to be gifted with the ability to multitask, but researc h has found
that arousal decreases in wome n who are distracted due to stress.21 The
practice of mindful breathing can help with the ability to stay present during
sex and attend to physical and emotional sensations. Research has shown
that mindfulness enhances sexual arousal.26
When the ANS is out of balance and sympathetic activation is high, the
body is not able to function normally. Stress floods the body with cortisol
and disrupts other hormones. Cortisol is needed for the regulation of blood
pressure and the normal functioning of the body’ s systems, but too much of
it can affect the normal biochemical functioning of the male sex organs.27
Stress can affect testosterone production,28 resulting in lower sex drive,
erectile dysfunction, and impo tence. It can also negatively affect sperm
production, maturation, and make the body more vulnerable to infection.
Infection in the prostate, urethr a, and testes can all prevent normal sexual
function in men.27
In women, stress can affect menstruation, increase symptoms of PMS,
reduce sexual desire, negatively impact pregnancy health and postpartum
adjustment, and worsen symptoms of menopause. It contributes to theexacerbation of diseases such as polycystic ovarian syndrome and can
disrupt estrogen and progesterone levels, along with other hormones that
support fertility. Sexual arousal relies on a variety of functions, including
vaginal blood flow and engor gement of the labia, clitoris, and vestibular
bulbs. These physiological responses are triggered by neurons that are
controlled by the parasympa thetic nervous system,29 which can be
suppressed by stress.
Research, parad oxically, shows  that moderate sympathetic activation
may boost sexual arousal in women.30 The genitals are largely innervated
by a nerve that, rather unusually, contains both sympa thetic and
parasympathetic neurons31 (if you’re dying to know, it’s called the major
pelvic ganglion ). Scientists believe that this sympathetic activity may
increase arousal  by enhancing focus and attention on erotic cues, increasing
blood flow, decreasing digestio n, and directing more blood to flow to the
genitals.
Alessandro Romagnoli is an Oxygen Advantage Master Instructor in
Italy and France. He works as a psychologist, specializing in cognitive
neuroscience. He has a wealth of clinical and scientific experience that
allows him to help a broad range of clients, from people with severe
psychiatric conditions to high-level professional athletes. I asked him to
bring some insight to the topic of breathing and sex. He explained:
Breathing techniques can be helpful in the treatment of sexual
dysfunction because the breath can influence not only the
physiological aspect but also the state of mind, and even the quality
of the relationship. For example, slowing down the respiratory rate
before intercourse would be tremendously beneficial, reducing any
feelings of inadequacy and stress.
Ultimately, the ANS must be in balance to function optimally. Despite
the relationship between sympathetic activation and stress, both the
parasympathetic and sympathetic branches of the ANS contribute to sexual
arousal. The male sexual response, in particular, reflects a dynamic balance
between exciting and inhibiting  influences of the ANS.32 Interestingly, a
2002 study in Cardiovascular Resear ch found that the human heart is moregeared toward sympathetic mediated responses in men and parasympathetic
responses in women.24
VAGUS NER VE—SECRET T O DEEPER ORGASMS?
The parasympat hetic nervous system (PNS) plays a significan t role in in
sexual function, as


 must be no salt in it.
She also found it beneﬁcial to use diluted hydrochloric acid, diluted phosphoric acid, ammonium chloride, and tincture of iodine.
Earlier Are Waerland became famous for a successful diet that consiste d of sour milk and similar products, whole grains raw or only
partly cooked, as well as fruits and vegetables. There are still many active Waerland groups in Germany and Scandinavia. Bircher-
Benner advocated a similar lacto-vegetarian raw-food diet. He invented the by now famous but greatly deteriorated muesli. The
macrobiotic diet based on cooked brown rice and only a minimum of raw food is very different from all the other anti-cancer diets. It
has a mild cleansing action and some cancer victims claim to have been cured with a strict macrobiotic diet.
From 1951 Dr A. Ferenczi in Hungary used large amounts of beetroot successfully for tumor regression, up to 1 kg daily have been
used. The active ingredient is the purple coloring containing anthocyanin. It is now also available as a freeze-dried powder.
Home About Diseases Healing the Body Healing Foods Healing the Mind Healing the Emotions Energies Science & Spirituality Spirituality Contact10/30/24, 4:50 PM Health-Science-Spirit - The Diversity of Natural Cancer Cures
https://health-science-spirit.com/Diseases/Cancer/Diversity-of-Cures.html 1/4The Gerson Therapy
Best known is probably the Gerson therapy. Born in Germany, Dr Max Gerson immigrated to the US in 1938. His diet consists mainly
of fresh, preferably organic, fruit and vegetables. He stressed a high potassium content that is more in the skins or outer part of root
vegetables than in the centers. Sodiu m, on the other hand, was to be severely restricted - the diet was completely without added salt,
but with added potassium salts instead.
In addition, Gerson prescribed hydrochloric acid with pepsin, pancreatin, and high doses of Lugol's solution for iodine together with
freeze-dried thyroid, niacin, Royal Jelly and injections of vitamin B12 with crude liver. In addition, raw liver juice was used for its high
content of enzymes. Later, with increasing chemicalization of agriculture, the liver juice was omitted while linseed/ﬂax oil was
belatedly added to the list of supplements.
Liver detoxiﬁcation with frequent coffee enemas was another cornerstone of the Gerson Therapy; otherwise patients with advanced
cancer might die despite disappearing tumors. Gerson treated hundreds of so-called terminal cases of which about 50 % recovered.
Dr Issels used the Gerson therapy successfully in Germany. In addition, he realized the harmful inﬂuence of dead or infected teeth
and mercury amalgam ﬁllings on the outcome of cancer therapy. Therefore, his patients had to have all unhealthy teeth removed at
the beginning of the treatment.
The Kelly approach
Dr W. D. Kelly, an American dentist, was given only one month to live with multiple tumors of the liver, pancreas and other organs. He
cured himself with a vegetarian raw-food diet with the addition of various supplements, but especially with high doses of pancreatin.
Pancreas enzymes are very effective in destroying tumors and sometimes even too effective. Kelly, like Gerson and other holistic
cancer therapists, saw the greatest danger in a too rapid destruction of the tumor that can kill the patient with poisons generated by
the disintegrating tumor proteins. He recommended daily Epsom salts purges during the critical period and, if required, also coffee
enemas.
After helping thousands of patients by supplying individualized information to the patient's doctor, he believes that cancer can usually
be cured if there is at least one month, but preferably three months, of life expectancy when starting the program.
As a simple, but somewhat expensive self-test for the early detection of cancer before tumors can be found clinically, he recommends
taking six to eight pancreatin tablets after each meal for four weeks. If you feel worse after these four weeks with nausea, headaches
or fatigue, there is likely to be a cancerous condition. If you feel better instead, brighter and with more energy, the condition is pre-
cancerous. If there is no difference there is probably no early cancer, but there may already be a clinically detectable malignant tumor
present.
Kelley has an extensive documentation with 10,000 medically veriﬁed diagnoses. In one study all his cases of pancreas cancer were
investigated. With conventional treatment there were virtually no survivors after 5 years. He had 22 cases on record. Of these, 10
never started the treatment and survived for 67 days. 7 followed it partially and survived an average of 233 days, while the 5 who
followed the Kelley treatment completely all recovered completely.
Aajonus Vonderplanitz, in California, claims great success in overcoming advanced cancer with a raw-food diet that includes raw
(organic) meat, see his book W e Want to Live (1997).
REMEDIES & HERBS
I recently read that about ten thousand Americans a day cross the border into Mexico for medical treatment. Many of these have US
health insurance that is not valid in Mexico. For some the attraction may be cheaper treatment, and for others a more humane face of
medicine, but the most important draw card would be the fact that all holistic cancer clinics have effectively been eliminated in the
US, and are now just south of the border down Mexico way. While these clinics also give dietary advice, they rely mainly on speciﬁc
remedies, such as laetrile, ozone therapy, herbs and speciﬁc immune enhancing measures, but also visualization and meditation.
Many thousands of former cancer victims have attested to the beneﬁcial effects of laetrile in the treatment of their disease. While not
a cure in itself, laetrile has been found in clinical trials to reduce or eliminate cancer-related pain, improve the appetite with weight
gain in underweight patients, eliminate the typical nauseating cancer odor in terminal wards and induce a sense of well-being and
hope. In animal experiments also tumor inhibition was evident. Initially, laetrile commonly is injected, several grams daily, while oral
doses of similar amounts may continue for a year or more. Animal experiments showed similar beneﬁts to those from laetrile even
when just bitter almonds or apricot kernels were eaten. These are also commonly used in countries where the availability of laetrile is
restricted or where its use is illegal.
Garlic is frequently used as a supporting remedy in the treatment of cancer. It has proven anti-cancer properties. Not only does it
protect against the formation of tumors, including metastases, it also inhibits the growth of established tumors. In addition, it
strengthens the immune system and improves the detoxifying ability of the liver.
Two other remedies used widely in the Mexican and other cancer clinics are Vitamin C, and hydrazine sulfate. Linus Pauling and
Ewan Cameron pioneered Vitamin C treatment for cancer, and found greatly increased survival times for terminal cancer patients
with 10 g of Vitamin C daily. Now it is sometimes used in even larger amounts, just below the threshold where it causes diarrhea,
initially it may also be infused intravenously.
Hydrazine sulfate was discovered by Dr Joseph Gold for use in cancer treatment. It blocks a liver enzyme which converts the lactic
acid produced by a tumor back into glucose, a reaction which takes much more energy from the patient than it generates. It was
mainly used with ‘terminal’: patients who reported improved appetite, normalized weight, increased strength and less pain. However,
presently it is increasingly used in earlier stages and more and more patients claim that their tumors have disappeared.
Another group of remedies is speciﬁ cally designed to stimulate the immune system. In the 1950s Krebiozen made headlines in the
US, promoted by a respected scientist, Dr Andrew Ivy. Five hundred doctors used it, and 20,000 testimonials of cancer victims stood
behind Dr Ivy and his co-workers at their trial. They were acquitted, but the AMA  succeeded in blacklisting Krebiozen.
Dr B Coley was an early US cancer  pioneer who used a special vaccine to induce fever and inﬂammation in cancer patients. Out of
500 cases half remained free of malignancy during follow-up for 5-54 years.10/30/24, 4:50 PM Health-Science-Spirit - The Diversity of Natural Cancer Cures
https://health-science-spirit.com/Diseases/Cancer/Diversity-of-Cures.html 2/4Virginia Livingston-Wheeler, an US microbiologist, combined a vegetarian diet with a vaccine prepared from the patient's own body
ﬂuids. Most widely used, however, especially in Germany, are vaccines related to the tubercle bacillus that were developed by Prof
Enderlein.
In Japan, Dr Hasumi claims outstanding success in curing cancer with a vaccine made from the patient's own urine; however it works
only if the immune system is still sufﬁciently strong.
In addition to the successful homeop athic cancer treatment by the US doctor E G Jones before homeopathy was outlawed, Dr W F
Koch also gained the support of thousands of patients with his homeopathic oxidation catalyst. Mistletoe, too, is often given in
homeopathic form. A ‘folk healer ’ told me that he found Ammon. Carb. 30 excellent for cancers in animals as well as in humans.
Somewhat hard to take for many is urine therapy. J W Armstrong in his book The Water of Life relates many


 give offalotofcarbon dioxide, carbon monox-
ide,tarsandother toxic particulates. Ifyoucansmell anything, youcanbesure thatthe
airisbeing polluted. However,some gaseous pollution isodorless. Combustion within
homes isdangerous ontwocounts. Some ofthepollution thatoccurs hasjustbeen list-
ed.Theother count isthepartial useofoxygen from inside air.Partially deoxygenized
air may not furnish our oxygen needs suf ficiently.
Alcoholic drinks give offaneffluvia thatisunwholesome inthelungs. Ofcourse, it
isworse todrink alcohol. Alcohol, likethemustard oilofonions andallicin ofgarlic,
isnotused bythebody because itisindigestible. The lungs areutilized asoneofthe
avenues ofexcretion ofalcohol. This isobvious because youcansmell alcohol onthe
breath ofanyone who haspartaken ofit.Breathing alcoholic fumes isnothealthful and
canoccasion illeffects, especially forthose subjected tobreathing alcohol asinbrew-
eries.
Condiments, seasonings, spices, sauces andgravies arealmost alltoxic inthelungs.
Black pepper,forinstance, istoxic inthelungs, farmore sothan when inthestomach.
Allthese substances stimulate andirritate when raw.Butwhen heated their toxic compo-
nents areliberated intotheair,andsome very toxic effects canresult. Most condiments
intheintestinal tract occasion irritation, indigestion andother discomfiting effects, es-
pecially laxative ordiarrheal effects. These latter effects occur because theinflamed in-
testines rush thenoxious matters, including food inthetract, tothenearest exit—the
bowels. When condiments areintheair,duetodiffusion intheairorduetoheating, the
irritation to the lungs is similar.
Perhaps you’ve heard ofpruritus anus. This merely means itchiness oftheanal re-
gion. Itmay becaused bybody elimination oftoxic materials through theskin inthe
anal region. However,itismore than likely duetothetoxic components ofcondiments
irritating theskin attheexitpoint. These canbedeposited there byfecal matter before
itiscleared from thearea. Hotpeppers andblack pepper cancause thisbutsocanany
other condiment. Theamount ofirritation these occasion ontheskin andintheanal re-
gion is an indication of their toxicity in the intestinal tract.
Cooking, brewing, boiling andbaking offoodstuf fs,especially asconcocted inthe
average American home, occasions thepollution ofhome airwith gases, particulates,
tarsandother unwholesome effluvia. Cooking destroys foodstuf fs,andmuch oftheir
substance ispassed offintotheairduring theprocess. Cooked foods areharmful when
ingested. Their aerial by-products arealsoharmful inthelungs nomatter how much we
say savor their fragrance.Americans areinclined tobring allkinds ofchemicals intotheir homes. Chemicals
inthehome, wherever stored, slowly oxidize andvaporize, unless tightly capped. But
sooner orlater they areopened foruse. Some chemicals arequite common, notably
toothpaste, gar gles, lotions, cleansers, lighting fluids and antiseptics.
Antiseptics canalsobecalled antibiotics. They’re notinanyway anti-septic because
theterm means “against poison.” They’re actually antibiotics for,indeed, they arede-
structive oflife. They destroy bacteria wholesale. Likewise, antiseptics destroy living
cells ofskin, mouth andlungs. Ifanyodor canbedetected from so-called antiseptics,
the substance will be harmful.
Ifalltheforegoing sources ofhome pollution arenotenough, there arehuman
wastes andairusage tobeconsidered. Humans give offtoxic wastes from lungs and
skin throughout thedayandnight. These wastes include carbon dioxide, carbonic acid
andminute amounts ofother exudates. Also, theairexpelled from thelungs isoxygen-
depleted. Inclosed homes (asthey’re likely tobeinwinter) theairbecomes polluted
from ourown effluvia andde-oxygenized from breathing. We’re likely tobreathe and
rebreathe spent airanditsload oftoxic wastes. Allthis, coupled with themultitude of
other pollutants inhomes andtheoutside airtaken intohomes makes theaverage Amer-
ican home a very polluted place.
Asahealth practitioner,you will want torecognize allthedeleterious factors to
which humans arecustomarily subjected. Youwill belooking forcauses ofproblems
from allsources. Knowing thattheairquality inhomes, outdoors andinfactories can
contribute topathology isessential. Youmay take itforgranted thatmost areas ofin-
habitation in America are polluted to some extent.
3.2.7 What We Can Do to Insure a Constant Supply of Fresh Air
Bynow youmay beasking: “How canweinsure thatwegetasmuch pure airas
possible into ourlungs inthispolluted world?” Airthatdoesn’ thave more impurities
than normal in nature is automatically pure.
Ourmessage isthatitisreally impossible tohave really pure airinthisdayandage.
Wecanplace ourselves insituations where wehave thepurest airpossible. Togetthe
freshest possible airweshould keep ourwindows open. Weshould soliveandconduct
ourselves astokeep ourhome airfreeofallthose processes andproducts thatpollute it.
There isnoinsurance thatwe’ll have thebestairpossible nomatter what wedoorwhere
wegobut,relatively speaking, wecanhave pure airintheoutdoors farfrom civilization,
for nature is constantly cleansing the air.
Ifweliveincolder climates where wemust liveinclosed spaces forenergyconser-
vation, wecangetheat exchangers. Aheat exchanger brings infresh airfrom theoutside
andremoves airfrom thehousehold. Through adual piping andradiator system, theheat
of the outside air is transferred to the incoming air to the point of equalization.
Asanexample, let’ssaytheoutgoing airis72°andtheincoming airis32°. The
airwilltend toequalize atsome temperature inbetween. Theincoming airwilltend to
equalize atatemperature lower than their normal nominal midway point. This means
some additional energymust beexpended inheating incoming airtothedesired temper-
ature.
When youmeasure thebenefits ofheat exchangers interms ofhealth andtheenergy
conserved through their employment, thecost isagood investment. Inenergysaved
they’re worth their cost inafewseasons. Interms ofhealth they payforthemselves
many times over very quickly.
Using aheat exchanger isjustonething wecandotoinsure more fresh air.Most of
uscangooutandexercise orplay infresh airmost days. When weexercise heavily and
vigorously infresh air,wecompletely oxygenize oursystems (inaddition togaining a
multitude of numerous other benefits).Exercise ventilates ourentire body.Run, jogorwalk. Play anoutdoor sport. Any
sustained activity thatgreatly accelerates body function willventilate your system. Es-
pecially important istheoxygenation ofourcapillary system which results from exer-
cise. Faster andmore vigorous blood circulation insures better capillary health dueto
greater oxygen uptake andrejuvenation offunction. Stagnation ofthecapillary system is
aprimary contributor todeterioration anddisease. Theintake offresh airinconjunction
with exercise is of inestimable value.
Adevice forimproving airquality thatisbecoming popular isthenegative iongen-
erator.Research indicates thatnegative iongenerators may have positive benefits, es-
pecially inthearea ofhuman response. Humans experience euphoria andwell-being in
ionized atmospheres. Butlittle research hasbeen done todetermine whether theeffects
arebeneficial ordrug-like. Noevidence hasbeen developed tosuggest thateither neg-
ative orpositive ions areanymore oranylesshealthful than theother.What hasbeen
determined isthatnegative ions precipitate dust, participates andtoxic materials from
theair.Ifso,thisisapositive benefit. Iseriously doubt thationized airgives adrug ef-
fect. Inavery polluted home anegative iongenerator might behelpful. Aircleaners that
precipitate particulates, dust andother forms ofpollutants areofbenefit. Filters arealso
helpful. Ashealth practitioners, youvery well might have toliveinornear apopulation
center most ofwhich arepolluted, inorder toreach more people. When wemust place
ourselves inapolluted environment, wemust suffer theconsequences. Wecanreduce
theeffect byemploying allthetechnology wecanincleaning ourairsupply inpolluted
areas. Justasweareapttoclose upourhomes andpollute ourair,likewise wecanclose
upourhome and


 people areapttoconfuse thewords restandsleep asbeing synonymous. Rest,
aswehave seen; means cessation ofactivity.Sleep necessarily implies restduetothe
immobilization ofthebody,butthecondition ofsleep exists only when consciousness
hasceased. However,weshould note thatnotallforms ofunconsciousness aresleep.
Coma, catalepsy and stupor must not be confused with sleep.
15.3. What Is Sleep?
15.3.1 Why Should W e Sleep At All?
15.3.2 The Purpose of Sleep
15.3.3 Sleep As an Essential of Life
15.3.4 Some Current V iews of Sleep
Ourforemost sleep scientists have notsettled upon ananswer tothisquestion. Obvi-
ously sleep islossofconsciousness. Butwhat more isthere toit?Why should awareness
cease? Does notthebrain conduct millions ofprocesses continuously even though ithas
lapsed into unconsciousness?
Sleep scientists have several theories about what sleep is:One isthattheneurons be-
come fatigued andsimply lower their activities below thelevel required forconscious-
ness. Another is that the brain inhibits the reticular activating system.
Another theory isthatthebrain andnervous system operate onnerve energy,aform
ofelectricity.The body,likeanelectric car,needs toberechar gedatnight. Sleep isa
partial shutdown for rechar ging.
15.3.1 Why Should We Sleep At All?
Dr.Nathaniel L.Kleitman oftheUniversity ofChicago hasconcluded thatthebody
generates nerve energyduring sleep andthatwesleep forthispurpose. Allother writersandresearchers observe andattest totherestorative powers ofsleep butdonotsuggest
the physiological basis for these powers.
Among thetexts youhave isBetter Sleep foraBetter Life.This book details man
particulars onthewhyfore andconditions ofsleep. Weshall notrepeat them here. We
sleep because thebrain requires, wemay presume, astate ofunconsciousness forthere-
generation of nervous ener gy.
15.3.2 The Purpose of Sleep
Experiments with electrosleep indicate thatthebody generates low-level electricity
during sleep. Sofar,researchers have notdiscovered where thebody stores itselectricity.
Theprimary purpose ofsleep seems tobethegeneration ofnerve energy.That seems
tobetheonly reasonable explanation, formost researchers agree thatsleep isarestora-
tive. The vitality of the or ganism is restored under the condition of sleep.
Guyton’ sTextbook ofMedical Physiology takes theposition thatsleep occurs be-
cause ofneuronal fatigue. Hesays that, when oneofthemillions ofparallel neurons in
thefeedback circuits falls outofactivity,thelowered level ofexcitability ofother neu-
rons starts achain ofdepressed activity thatresults insleep. More particularly,wakeful-
ness isattributed totheexcitability ofthereticular activating system, which is,anetwork
of neurons, and sleep is attributed to lack of excitability.
Perhaps thisdoes chronicle themechanism ofsleep, butother passages inthesame
physiology textappear tonegate thisposition. Nerves orneurons perform twenty-four
hours daily,justastheheart muscles. They need norestorsleep. Only acertain partof
thebrain needs sleep, forthebrain andnervous system continue toconduct millions of
processes under the condition of sleep.
Itappears thatthefaculty ofwakefulness must cease insleep andthatneurons are
only partially inactivated. Moreover,itisknown thatthebrain isactive during sleep ex-
cept forthose areas ofthebrain involved with consciousness. Some body processes are
conducted more vigorously in sleep than in wakefulness.
Guyton isunable toexplain what causes fatigue inneurons since, intheory,they are
notsubject tofatigue. Hesays: “Westillneed toexplain thecause offatigue ofneurons
after 16hours ofwakefulness andtheir recovery ofexcitability after 8hours ofsleep.”
Perhaps the depletion of nerve ener gy causes fatigue in neurons.
Sleep isprimarily forthepurpose ofgenerating nerve energyorlow-level electricity.
Many other beneficial purposes arealso served during sleep. Thephysiological restob-
tained during sleep isextraordinarily valuable. During theprolonged restofsleep, the
body restocks itscells andorgans with fuel, replaces cells thathave losttheir vitality
andridsitself ofextraordinary toxins thatmay have been uneliminated theprevious day.
Thus, the value of sleep is manifold.
The benefits of sleep may be chronicled as follows:
1.The regeneration of nerve ener gy;
2.Refueling the liver and cells with glycogen;
3.Destruction ofoldcells andreplacement with new cells (Multiplication ofcells occurs
during sleep at a rate of more than twice that during waking hours); and
4.The body expels more debris and wastes during sleep and rest than when active.
Undoubtedly there areother benefits ofsleep, butthese irethesalient ones. Forin-
stance, the body uses less nerve ‘ener gy and generates less waste when asleep.
15.3.3 Sleep As an Essential of Life
Wecanaccept sleep asbeing absolutely necessary without question. But, aswell,
getting enough sleep isanessential oflife.Itisimpossible forahealthy person toover-sleep butundersleeping isanevil ofour,times—a transgression most ofuscommit
against ourselves.
When weundersleep, notenough nerve energyisgenerated tomeet needs. We
usemore nerve energywhen weareawake longer andgenerate less with less sleep,
other conditions being equal. When ournerve energyissquandered tomeet excessive
consciously-directed activities, then nerve energyforunconscious body activities isnot
available. This may mean poorer digestion, impaired elimination andsoon—the body
must suf fer generally.
Withadequate sleep enough nerve energyisgenerated tomeet ournormal needs.
Thequestion ofwhat constitutes adequate sleep andhow tobestobtain itisvery impor-
tant. Thebook, Better Sleep foraBetter Lifetreats thissubject indepth. Inthislesson
we’ll endeavor toexplore other materials toreinforce thewealth ofobservations inthat
book.
15.3.4 Some Current Views of Sleep
Tobesure, theviews offered onsleep intexts andbooks arefewandmostly non-
committal toanystance orposition. What scientists really know about sleep amounts to
very little, and their views or theories are rather timid.
Aview ofsleep thatisinteresting isexpressed inTheComplete Book ofSleep by
Diane Hales, asleep researcher who hashaunted many sleep laboratories looking for
revelations onthesubject. Herobservation about sleep isinstructive: “Wethink ofsleep
asbeing passive anduniform, butitactually consists ofcycles ofcomplex activity.We
think ourbodies andbrains restduring sleep, butinfactourmuscles tense, ourpulse,
temperature andblood pressure riseandfall; wearesexually aroused; oursenses evoke
aworld ofsights andsounds. Wethink thatinsleep weshed ourfears andfeelings, but
ourpersonalities setoursleep patterns, andoursleep shapes how wefeelandact.We
accept sleep ascommonplace, yetwhen wecannot sleep, weyearn foritmore fiercely
than fortherarest treasure. Weareable togowithout food orwater orcompanionship
more easily than without sleep.”
Ontheall-important question ofwhat sleep isorwhy wesleep, Ms.Hales issilent,
though thebook asks these very questions. One speculation ventured isthatnature in-
stituted sleep tokeep animals quiescent during darkness soasnottoinjure themselves;
soastosurvive theperils ofdarkness. Butamost compelling observation ismade by
Dr.Allen Rechtschaf fenoftheUniversity ofChicago. Heposes thequestion: “Ifsleep
doesn’ tserve anabsolutely vital function, then it’sthebiggest mistake theevolutionary
process ever made. How could sleep have remained virtually unchanged asamonstrous-
lyuseless, maladaptive vestige throughout thewhole ofmammalian evolution while se-
lection has, during thesame period oftime, been able toachieve allkinds ofdelicate
finely tuned adjustments in the shape of fingers and toes?”
What agood question! Toaskthequestion istoacknowledge thatnature does noterr
and has definite purposes in developing our faculties.
Other observations made byMs.Hales areworth noting: “But ifthere isatimeless
need for sleep, what is it?
This question remains one ofthemost perplexing biological riddles. Aristotle
thought thatwesleep because ofcooling ofthevapors ofthehead. Freud thought sleep
wasasymbolic journey back tothesecurity ofthewomb. Pavlov thought ofitasacon-
ditioned response. Others have argued thatwesleep torepair theravages oftheday,or
thepurgeourbrains ofextraneous information, ortoconserve ourenergy.Sleep may be
maintenance time for our bodies or a sort of dress rehearsal for our brains.
“Perhaps none ofthese explanations iscorrect. Perhaps they allare,foritmay well
bethatsleep—like waking—has many functions. Wemay bemaking anenormous and
costly mistake byassuming thatournights areanylesssignificant orcomplex than our
days,” says Ms. Hales.Ihave previously cited


 to eat it.JoyGross demonstrated (attheAmerican Natural Hygiene Society national conven-
tions) anattractive way toserve mangos. Withasharp paring knife; score theflesh of
thehalved mangos incubes, without cutting through theskin. Invert thetwohalves (turn
them inside out). Beautiful! And delicious!
Melons, ofcourse, will have tobecutimmediately before serving. Small melons
may be served whole.
Prepare pineapple immediately before serving inthefollowing manner: Cutathin
slice from thebottom. Cutinquarters lengthwise, either leaving thetoponasadecora-
tion, orremoving it.Prepare each quarter asaseparate serving byseparating theflesh
from theskin with asharp knife andslicing theremaining wedge intosegments. Serve
ontherind(pineapple boats). Serve with forks forremoval ofthesegments andserrated
grapefruit spoons forscraping outanyflesh remaining ontherind. Don’ tputtherind
toyour mouth—use aspoon. Theeyes oftherind arerazor sharp andcancutyour lips,
mouth and tongue.
Pomegranates may beserved whole, andmay either becutandeaten insections, cut-
tingintosegments asyoueat,orthejuice may besucked outthrough acarefully punched
hole (look out,it’llspurt allover you) after carefully kneading ituntil itisentirely soft.
Don’ t be too rough, you may inadvertently break it open.
26.3.1.2 Dried Fruits
Dried fruit may require some advance preparation.
Dates andraisins may bepresumed tobeclean enough toeatasthey come from a
sealed package. Forthose who doubt this, aquick rinse justbefore eating may allay their
misgivings.
Dried figsareusually softenough toeatwithout preparation. Rinse, ifdesired. Iffigs
are hard, they may be soaked in distilled water for several hours, or over night.
Dried apricots andpeaches aregreatly improved byovernight soaking. Infact, un-
sulphured apricots and peaches are almost inedible unless they are soaked.
Dried apples are very tasty—not too sweet. Soaking makes them too mushy.
Dried prunes, cherries and pears may be used either way—as they are, or soaked.
Dried bananas areexcellent asthey come from thepackage—soaking isnotneces-
sary or desirable.
Dried litchi fruit needs nopreparation—just crack open thenut-like outer skin and
find the raisin-like fruit inside.
Dried carob pods aresometimes toodrytobereally palatable, butusually aresoft
enough to chew on. I have not tried soaking them.
26.3.1.3 Fruit Recipes (Without Cooking)
Ideally,recipes (especially forfruit) arenotnecessary nordesirable. Weknow that
many people will want fruit recipes for a variety of reasons:
1.A nostalgic yearning for “mixtures”.
2.For variety.
3.As a replacement for junk foods (to satisfy “cravings”).
4.A desire to prepare something “fancy” or “convenient” to serve guests.
5.For reluctant family members.
6.For children (of any age).
These might also work outbetter forparties orgroups ofpeople, because they are
perhaps more economical, more convenient, or more “liberal” for conventional friends.Fruit Salad
Acid Fruit :Oranges, pineapple, strawberries andkiwi fruit. This canbeprepared an
hour ortwoinadvance toserve toguests. Thejuice from theoranges should keep the
other fruit from drying outordiscoloring. Usewhole strawberries, fairly largepieces of
fresh pineapple, andorange sections. Serve slices ofkiwi fruit alongside—don’ tputthe
kiwi fruit into the salad. Or use the decorative slices of kiwi fruit as a garnish.
This salad canbeserved toluncheon guests, along with nuts oravocado along with
asalad bowl ofromaine lettuce, buttercrunch lettuce andcelery.(Ofcourse, these same
foods could beserved more Hygienically byputting outbowls oforanges andstrawber-
ries, platters ofpineapple boats andkiwi fruit halves, along with thebowls ofgreens and
platters of avocados or nuts if desired.)
Other Acid Fruit Combinations :Winesap, Jonathan orother tartapples. Putcubes of
mild cheese ontoothpicks andarrange inacircle oneach apple. (Orjustserve trays of
apples and trays of avocados, nuts or cheese.) Serve with bowls of lettuce and celery.
Oranges, avocados andromaine lettuce—this combination isanexcellent meal any
time of the day.
Subacid and Sweet Fruit :Combine berries (blackberries, raspberries, etc.—not
strawberries) ordark sweet cherries ordark purple grapes with twoorthree ofthefol-
lowing: sliced papayas, peaches, nectarines, apricots, sweet plums, apples, pears.
Ifthiscanbeprepared immediately before serving toguests, arrange fruits attrac-
tively on romaine lettuce leaves, either on platters or individual service plates.
Ifitmust beprepared anhour ortwoinadvance, puttogether asafruit salad, and
moisten with apple, cherry orgrape juice. Forthispurpose, youmay have, tousebot-
tledjuice from ahealth food store, which usually does notcontain additives, andwill
beofquite good taste andquality,although, ofcourse, usually pasteurized. Oradddried
soaked cherries or apricots and the juice in which they have been soaked.
This fruit salad canbeserved with, ripeJapanese persimmons, whole ripebananas
(oryoucanaddsliced bananas tothefruit salad justbefore serving), andeither avocados
onthehalforquarter shell orplatters ofdates, figs, raisins orother dried fruit. Also set
out a salad bowl of two varieties of lettuce and some celery.
26.3.1.4 Papaya with Subacid Fruit Salad
Fillhalves oflargepapayas with subacid fruit salad foraparty buffet.Orfillwedges
oflargepapayas orsmaller papaya halves with subacid fruit salad forindividual servin-
gs.
26.3.1.5 Papaya, Avocado and Apple Salad
Arrange wedges ofpapaya, avocado andapple (sweet ortart) inacircle onabedof
romaine or Boston lettuce.
26.3.1.6 Party Melon
Avery attractive way ofserving melon buffetstyle with lessofthemess ofrinds is
tocutopen andshape awatermelon asabasket with ahandle. That is,instead ofcutting
itinhalf, make thecuts lengthwise alittle short ofthehalfway mark, toleave ahandle-
like section about three inches wide.
Melon balls canbemade oftheredflesh, butabetter way istocutsmall wedges
andarrange them inthewatermelon basket, along with wedges ofseveral other varieties
ofmelon, such ashoneydew,casaba, cantaloupe, etc.Don’ tmix anyother fruit inthe
watermelon basket. Instead, provide bowls andtrays ofother varieties offresh fruit for
those who don’twish topartake ofthemelon, orforthose who sometimes mixmelon
with other fruit at the same meal.This is excellent for an afternoon reception or evening party.
26.3.1.7 Other Entertaining “Tricks” with Fruit
(Sometimes combined with other uncooked foods)
Although thefollowing arenotcooked, their nutritional value hasbeen substantially
impaired byblending, freezing, etc.These recipes areprovided asalternatives tocon-
ventional cakes, pies, puddings, ice creams and other desserts.
Compote orPudding :Soak dried figs(ordried apricots) overnight. Remove stems
andblend with thesoak water.Add fresh (orfrozen) bananas andblend. Iftoothick,
adddistilled water—if notthick enough, addmore bananas. Serve topped with sliced
bananas. Thefigpudding willbequite sweet, theapricot pudding lesssweet. This may
alsobemade byblending bananas with anyother subacid orsweet fruit. Keep very cold
until served. This may beserved with fresh subacid orsweet fruit (not acid fruit orpro-
tein).
Apricot-Prune Whip :Soak dried apricots andpitted prunes overnight. Blend thenext
day with the soak water. Serve plain or with sliced bananas.
Frozen Banana Treats:Break ripe bananas inhalves orthirds. Dipincarob syrup
(carob powder mixed with distilled water) andthen rollingrated coconut, andfreeze.
These may beeaten without thawing—they donotfreeze hard. Remove from freezer
about ten minutes before eating.
Raw Applesauce :Wash,quarter andcore sweet juicy apples (donotremove skins).
Putinblender afewpieces atatime with asmall amount ofapple orgrape juice. Other
fruits maybe combined with theapples. This should beprepared immediately before
serving, to keep color and flavor, or keep very cold until served.
Banana “Ice