, pp. 321–22.
Chapter 3
Restful A wareness and Restful Sleep

STRESS
Cannon, W alter. V oodoo death. American Anthr opologist 44(1943): 168–81.
Selye, Hans. The Str ess of Life. New Y ork: McGraw-Hill, 1978.MEDIT A TION
Elson, B. D.; P. Hauri; and D. Cunis. Physiological changes in yoga meditation. Psychophysiology
14(1977):52–57.
Ghista, D. N.; D. Nandagopal; et al. Phys iological characterization of the “meditative state” during
intuitional practice (the Ananda Mar ga system of meditation) and its therapeutic value. Medical and
Biological Engineering 14(1976):209–13.
Glaser, J. L.; J. L. Brind; et al. Elevated serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels in practitioners
of the T ranscendental Meditation (TM) and TM-Sidhi programs. Journal of  Behaviora l Medicine
15(1992): 327–41.
W allace, R. K. Physiological ef fects of tran scendental meditation. Science 167, no. 92 6 (1970):1751–
54.
W allace, R. K.; M. Dillbeck; et al. The  ef fects of the transcendental meditation  and TM-Sidhi
program on the aging process. International  Journal of Neur oscience 16(1982):53–58.
SLEEP
Chopra, D. Restful Sleep. New Y ork: Harmony Books, 1994.
Czeisler, C. A.; and E. B. Klerman. Circ adian and sleep-dependent hormone release in humans.
Recent Pr ogr ess in Hormone Resear ch  54(1999):97–130; discussion 130–32.
Irwin, M.; A. Mascovich; et al. Partial sleep deprivation reduces natural killer cell activity in humans.
Psychosomatic Medicine 56(1994): 493–98.
Shochat, T.; J. Umphress; et al. Insomnia in primary care patients. Sleep  22, Suppl. 2 (1999):S359–
65.
Chapter 4
Nurturing Y our Body Through Healthy Food

Key, Tj; G. K. Davey ; and P. N. Appleby. Health benefits of a vegetarian diet. Pr oceedings of the
Nutrition Society 58(1999):271–75.
Segasothy, M., and P. A. Phillips. V egetarian diet: panacea for modern lifestyle dise ases? Quarterly
Journal of Medicine 92(1992):531–44.W alter, P. Ef fects of vegetarian diets on aging and longevity. Nutrition Reviews 55, no. 1 Pt 2
(1997):S61–S65; discussion S65–S68.
Chapter 5
Using Nutritional Complements W isely

For readers interested in the scientific basis of our nutritional complement recommendations, a
detailed reference list is provided below.
Bauliey, E.; G. Thomas; et al. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), DHEA sulfa te, and aging:
contribution of the DH EAge Study to a sociobiomedical issue. Pr oceedings of the National Academy
of Sciences  97(2000):4279–84.
Bell, K. M.; S. G. Potkin; et al. S-adenosylmethionine blood levels in major depressio n: changes with
drug treatment. Acta Neur ologica  Scandinavica Supplementum 154(1994):15–18.
Bressa, G. M. S-adenosyl-1-methanonine (SAMe) as antidepressant: meta-analysis of clinical studies.
Acta Neur ologica Scandinavica Supplementum 154(1994):7–14.
Cohn, L.; A. G. Feller; et al. Carpal tunnel syndrome and gynaecomastia during growth hormone
treatment of elderly men with low circulating IGF-I concentrations. Clinical Endocrinology
39(1993):417–25.
Crook, T. H.; J. T inklenber g; et al. E f fects of phosphatidylserine in age-associated memory
impairment. Neur ology 41(1991):644–49.
Emmert, D. H., and J. T. Kirchner. The role of vitamin E in the prevention of heart disease. Ar chives
of Family Medicine 8(1999):537–42.
Fine, A. M. Oligome ric proanthocyanidins complexes: history, structure, and phyto pharmaceutical
applications. Alternative Medicine Review  5(2000):144–51.
Glaser, J. L.; J. L. Brind; et al. Elevated serum dehyroepiandrosterone sulfate levels in practitioners
of transcen dental med itation TM and TM-Sidhi programs. Journal of Behavioral Medicine 15(1992):
327–41.
Grimble, R. E., and P. S. T appia. Modulation of pro-inflammatory cytokine biology  by unsaturated
fatty acids. Zeitschrift für Ernährungswissenschaft 37 Suppl. 1(1998):57–65.
Head, K. A. Ascorbic acid in the prevention and treatment of cancer. Alternative Medicine Review
3(1998):174–86.Huppert, F. A.; J. K. V an Niekerk; and J. Herbert. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) supplementation
for cognition and well-being. The  Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2(2000):CD000304.
Kroboth, P.; S. Firoozeh; et al. DHEA and DHEA-S: A Review. Journal of Clinical Pharmacology
39(1999):327–48.
Langsjoen, P. H., and A. M. Langsjoen. O verview of the use of CoQ10 in cardiovascular disease.
Biofactors 9(1999):273–84.
McAlindon, T. E.; P.  Jacques; et al. Do an tioxidant micronutrients protect against the development
and progression of knee osteoarthritis? Arthritis and Rheumatology 39(1996):648–56.
McAlindon, T. E.; M. P. La V alley; et al. Glucosamine and chondroitan for treatment of
osteoarthritis: a systematic quality assessment and meta-analysis. Journal of the American Medical
Association 283 (2000):1469–75.
Marcell, T. J.; D. R. T aaf fe; et al. Oral ar ginine does not stimulate basal or augment exercise-induced
GH secretion in either young or old adults. Journal of Ger ontolog y. Series A, Biological Sciences and
Medical  Sciences 54(1999):M395–99.
Martin-Du Pan, R. C. Are the hormones of youth carcinogenic? Annales d’Endocrinologie (Ann
Endocrinol [Paris]) 60(1999):392–97.
Meydani, S. N.; M. Meydani; et al. V itamin E supplementation and in vivo immune response in
healthy elderly subjects. Journal of the American  Medical Association 277(1997):1380–86.
Papadakis, M. A.; D. Grady; et al. Growth hormone replacement in healthy older men  improves body
composition but not functional ability. Annals of Internal Medicine 124(1996):708–16.
Perkins, A. J.; H. C. Hendrie; et al. Association of antioxidants with memory in a multiethnic elderly
sample using the Th ird National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. American Journal of
Epidemiology 150(1999):37–44.
Pryor, W. A.; W. Stahl; and C. L. Rock. Be ta-carotene: from biochemistry to clinical trials. Nutrition
Reviews 58(2000):39–53.
Richardson, J. S. Neuroprotective agents. Physical Medicine and Rehabili  tationClinics of North
America 10(1999):447–61.
Rigney, U.; S. Kimber; and I. Hindmarch. The ef fects of acute doses of standardized Ginkgo biloba
extract on memory and psychomotor performance in volunteers. Phytotherapy Resear ch 13(1999):
408–15.
Rimm, E. B., and M. J. Stampfer. Antioxidants for vascular disease. MedicalClinics of North
America 84(2000):239–49.
Rudman, D.; A. G. F eller; et al. Ef fects of human growth hormone in men over 60 years old. New
England Journal of Medicine 323(1990): 1–6.Salvioli, G., and M. N eri. L-acetylcarnitine treatment of mental decline in the elder ly. Drugs under
Experimental


her jawbone was cleaned up, shortly afterwards she had three normal pregnancies.
A father wrote to us to say that he was impressed by the report, published in our Newsletter,
on the damage caused by root canal treated teeth. It caused him to arrange a dental examination
for his son who had been suffering from schizophrenia for several years, without being helped by
the drug treatment he had received. When the young man’s teeth were checked and a root canal
filled tooth was removed, he gradually recovered and needed no further medication.
Fibromyalgia
This chronic condition is another eloquent example of the many kinds of ill-health caused
by the toxic condition of the body. Fibromyalgia causes severe chronic pain in muscles and
soft tissues surrounding joints. Efforts to control it with anti-inflammatories, including cortico-
steroids, have not been helpful, nor has any effective treatment been found for it so far. Pain
relieving drugs are used to help the patients sleep.
According to the conservative estimate of the National Fibromyalgia Research Association,
6 million people in the U.S. suffer from this disease.
In our experience, fibromyalgia is basically a toxic condition, caused by the combined impact
of polluted air and water, poisonous chemical residues in agricultural produce, and food additives
used in processed foods. There comes a point where the body can no longer excrete these harmful
substances; in order not to overload the liver and to keep the toxins ( enzyme inhibitors)  from
interfering with the functions of the essential organs, it releases them into the muscles and soft
tissues. Once there, the toxic irritants cause pain, which eventually becomes almost unbearable.
Like all conditions resulting from a high degree of toxicity in the body, fibromyalgia yields
very promptly to the organic, vegetarian, toxin-free diet of the Gerson Therapy, combined with
intensive detoxification via the coffee enemas. We have seen some cases in which it took only a
few days to ease and then banish the pain, enabling the patient to resume normal activity. In more
advanced cases, aggravated by the use of many pain relieving drugs, and also with bedridden
patients, it takes possibly several weeks to obtain lasting pain relief and healing.
We recall with wry amusement the experience of a seriously ill, mostly bedridden lady, who
arrived at the Mexican Gerson clinic from Germany. She had suffered from fibromyalgia for
Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007.  All rights reserved.
This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author.Page 7 9Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comseveral years and had eventually found the physician who was regarded as the top authority of
that condition. However, he himself was suffering from an advanced case of fibromyalgia and
was unable to help her. On the contrary: on one occasion, when she called him after a particularly
painful, miserable night, he replied to her complaint by saying, “Y ou are telling me!”
Part III
It must be remembered that despite its great healing potential in so many areas of ill health,
the Gerson Therapy is no panacea, and that there are conditions in which it can heal only partially
or not at all. There are sound reasons why the high-powered twin Gerson methods of hyper-
alimentation and detoxification don’t work under some circumstances, and in this chapter we set
them out briefly in two sections.
Diseases Difficult to Cure with the Gerson Therapy:
Brain Cancer:  We have seen total long-term recoveries of brain cancer cases—but also
failures. The problem is not the cancer itself, but the location of the tumor. In the course of a
healing reaction the body almost always produces an inflammation, which in itself is desirable,
since inflammation fluid usually destroys tumor tissue. However, it also causes swelling in regular
tissue. But a brain tumor is enclosed within the skull, where there is no room to accommodate  the
swelling.. Instead, the ‘healing inflammation’ with its swelling causes serious pressure, which is
likely to bring on seizures. These have to be handled carefully, reducing the swelling to decrease
the seizure activity—thus blocking the healing process! It is hard to find a middle way between
allowing inflammation, yet relieving severe headaches and seizures. Understandably the dilemma
also worries the patient. There have been several who gave up on the Gerson Therapy and returned
to orthodox treatment.
Bone Metastases:   Certain cancers can be counted on to produce metastases ( spreading of
malignancy)  into specific tissues. Thus a majority of prostate and breast cancers, if they spread,
are found to have migrated to the bone(s).
Bone tissue is difficult to heal. While a regular tissue lesion, sewed up, can be relied on to
heal within a week to ten days, a bone fracture will take many weeks, often even several months
to heal. As bone metastases are painful, the patient must remain determined and strong-minded,
knowing that the healing will take a long time.
Open Breast Cancer Lesions:  While Dr. Gerson warned that cancers within glands are more
difficult to reach, generally breast cancer has responded well to the therapy over many years.
The situation changes if and when the breast tumor breaks through the skin: open lesions leading
possibly to infections are much more difficult to heal, and require the best possible care and much
Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007.  All rights reserved.
This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author.Page 8 0Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.compatience.
Leukemias:  There are several kinds of chronic leukemia, usually of the age-onset type,
which do not present special problems. However, the rapid-advance childhood leukemias must
be stopped rapidly. This is far from easy. For various reasons, such as difficulty in administering
the complete intensive Gerson Therapy, the child’s resistance or other external problems, the
effectiveness of the treatment is hampered and slowed down. When this happens, an acute
leukaemia can possibly advance too rapidly for the therapy to stop and reverse it.
Multiple Myeloma:  Like leukemias, this condition does not belong in the class of solid
tumors. It is a disease of the bone marrow, with myeloma cells ‘forming multiple tumor masses.’
These infiltrate the surrounding bone, generally the blood-forming long bones of the upper leg,
but other parts of the skeleton as well.
The disease occurs more frequently in men than in women, by a ratio of 3:1. Since it damages
the blood-forming bone marrow, it causes anemia and renal (kidney) lesions. As explained above,
it is always more difficult to heal bone lesions, and this also applies to Multiple Myeloma. It
takes longer, and—according to Dr. Gerson’s observations confirmed by the latest research on
this condition, it also requires more Vitamin B 12 than other kinds of cancer. Due to the invasion
of bone by Myeloma tissue, it is also possible for pathologic fractures (weakened bone breaking
without external cause) to occur. On the Gerson Therapy we have seen such fractures heal, very
slowly.
Long Term Prednisone Treatment and/or Chemotherapy : All drugs are liver-toxic, hence
long-term use causes severe liver damage. Prednisone, a powerful steroid routinely prescribed
for Multiple Sclerosis, lupus, arthritis and many other conditions, depletes the body’s defenses
and causes considerable organ damage. If this damage becomes excessive due to long-term use,
it can be difficult or even impossible to truly heal, i.e., fully restore the liver and other essential
organs.
Chemotherapy is much more toxic. While we have seen many reversals of chemo-treated
patients’ disease, beyond a certain point the damage caused by powerful chemotherapy is no
longer reversible. As a general rule, patients treated for lengthy periods with toxic drugs are more
difficult to heal than those who were treated for only a short time or, preferably, not at all.
Diseases Not Curable by the Gerson Therapy:
The list of chronic degenerative diseases that are curable by the Gerson Therapy includes
some 1500 conditions. However, a very small number of diseases, mainly those affecting the
Central Nervous System, do not respond well, or not at all, to the nutritional healing approach. It
has to be understood that the Central Nervous System, comprising the brain and spinal cord, is
Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007.  All rights reserved.
This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author.Page 8 1Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comso highly specialized that it does not replace lost tissue; for that reason it is almost impossible to
heal serious damage afflicting this area.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, A.L.S.:   This is also known as Motor Neuron Disease
(M.N.D.), or popularly as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. While orthodox medicine considers its cause
unknown, in our experience all affected patients had had extensive exposure to pesticides.
Interestingly, while we were able to obtain healthy young calves’ livers and produce liver juice for
the treatment of these patients, a number of them showed considerable improvement. Since liver
juice


ined salt, I refer the reader to
Salt Your Way to Health.
WHY ARE PEOPLE DEFICIENT IN IODINE?
It has been assumed that since the iodization of salt was implemented, iodine deficiency disorders would be a thing of the
past. Due to the poor availability of iodine in salt as well as a
declining salt intake by the population, this is not the case. There are
additional reasons why iodine deficiency disorders are still present today.
Over the years, poor farming techniques have led to deficiencies of iodine and other minerals in the soil. Crops grown in
iodine-deficient soil will be deficient in iodine. Also, the stigma of salt causing high blood pressure has convinced many individuals
not to use salt in their foods. Many times the only iodine one will get from the diet is found in iodized salt. A low-salt diet can
naturally lead to an iodine-deficient state.
Radioactive iodine, used in many medical procedures, will further exacerbate an iodine deficiency problem. Also, exposure to
many chemicals that inhibit iodine binding in the body (e.g., bromide, fluoride, chloride—explained in
Chapter 11
) further worsens
the problem.
Certain diets and lifestyles can also predispose one to developing iodine deficiency. Some examples of these diets are listed in
Figure 4
 on the next page. Inadequate dietary iodine intake can cause many severe problems including thyroid problems, cancer,
intellectual decline, cretinism, and others.
The most significant change in the iodine status of recent times occurred with the changing of the food industry. In the 1960’s,
iodine was added to the commercial baking industry as a dough conditioner to aid bread and pastry manufacturers.
Figure 4: Diets That May Cause Iodine Deficiency
1
.
Diets without ocean fish or sea vegetables
2
.
Inadequate use of iodized salt including low-sodium diets
3
.
Diets high in the consumption of bakery products (e.g., breads, pasta) which contain bromide
4
.
Vegan and vegetarian diets
This single addition to baked goods significantly increased the iodine intake of the U.S. population, as one slice of bread
contained the RDA for iodine of 150μg.
13
 Articles from the NIH were published which questioned the safety of using iodine in
bakery products. Some researchers felt that this level of iodine in baked goods would cause a malfunctioning of the thyroid gland.
Ten years later, bromine replaced iodine in the baking industry. Bromine is a halide (as are iodide, fluoride, and chloride). All
halides compete with one another for absorption and receptor binding in the body. Bromine interferes with iodine utilization in the
thyroid as well as wherever else iodine would concentrate in the body.
14
Due to the interference of iodine binding in the body, bromine is a known “goitrogen”—it promotes the formation of goiter in
the body. Bromine is a toxic substance that has no therapeutic use in our bodies. Bromine also can bind to iodine
receptors in the
breast and is a known carcinogen to the breast. On the other hand, iodine has anticarcinogenic properties.
We now have two major reasons why iodine deficiency disorders have become much more common.
1
.
The substitution of bromine for iodine in the bakery process lowered the iodine utilization.
2
.
Bromine began effectively binding to and inhibiting iodine from binding to its own receptors.
The consequence of replacing iodine with bromine has been to make a bad situation worse. Iodine deficiency has been
accelerated and, due to increasing bromide levels, iodine is now being competitively inhibited from binding to its own receptors.
The medical consequences include increased thyroid disorders including autoimmune thyroid disorders (Hashimoto’s and Graves’
disease), and thyroid cancer. Furthermore, the rise of other cancers including breast, ovarian, uterine, and prostate may be related
to this phenomenon. This will be explained further in
Chapter 11
.
PERCHLORATE
Perchlorate is a substance that is found in nature and is also a man-made substance. Perchlorate is manufactured for rocket
fuel and many industrial uses. Perchlorate contains one
atom of chlorine and four atoms of oxygen. Chlorine is part of the halide
family (iodine, bromine and chlorine). Excess perchlorate levels can displace iodine in the body and damage the transport of
iodine into the cell. Perchlorate contamination of our water supply is widespread and increasing. Increasing perchlorate exposure
is another reason why iodine levels have fallen over the last 30 years.
Chapter 11
 reviews the details and consequences of
perchlorate exposure in much more detail.HOW DO YOU MEASURE IODINE LEVELS?
The generally accepted method of testing iodine is by measuring the amount of iodine in the urine. However, that is not a
reliable method in order to determine the whole-body iodine status.
Over 10 years ago, Dr. Abraham and co-investigators developed an iodine-loading test. It is based on the concept that
whole-body iodine status can be established by measuring the amount of iodine excreted over 24 hours after taking a 50mg
iodine tablet. Since over 95% of orally ingested iodine in an iodine-sufficient individual is excreted in the urine, following urinary
excretion levels of iodine can provide useful information about the body’s utilization of iodine. The iodine loading test is based on
a simple premise; the body will hold onto more iodine in a deficient state as compared to a sufficient state. In other words,
if the
body is deficient in iodine, you would expect more iodine to be retained by the body. Conversely, if the body has sufficient iodine
levels, you would expect the body to retain less iodine. This is exactly what happens with the 24-hour iodine loading test. It is a
functional test of whole-body iodine levels.
15
 In my experience, the iodine-loading test has been found to provide useful
information on the body’s iodine status.
Iodine binds to iodine receptors throughout the body. If the body’s receptors for iodine are sufficient in iodine, a large
percentage of ingested iodine will be excreted from the body. On the other hand, if there is an iodine deficiency present, ingested
iodine will be retained at a much larger percentage.
The iodine-loading test is performed after taking 50mg of an iodine/iodide combination. Urine is collected for 24 hours after
taking the iodine. In an iodine-sufficient state, approximately 90% of a mixture of a 50mg dose of iodine/iodide would be
excreted (i.e., 45mg), and 10% of the iodine would be retained (i.e., 5mg). Levels below 90% excretion would indicate an
iodine-deficient state.
FIRST LOOK AT IODINE LEVELS AT MY OFFICE
Twenty-four patients in my office were selected at random to have their iodine status evaluated. Each patient was instructed
to take 50mg of a combination of iodine/iodide (Iodoral
®
) and
collect 24 hours of urine. The urine was evaluated for the amount
of iodine excreted. The results (
Figure 5
) show that 91.7% of the patients tested low for iodine levels. Iodine sufficiency occurs
when the urinary excretion is above 90%.

FIGURE 5: IODINE LEVELS IN 24 PATIENTS

It is worthwhile noting that most of these patients were already on a holistic treatment plan which included vitamins, minerals
and herbs. However, they were not supplementing with iodine. Most of the patients studied had thyroid abnormalities, including
hypothyroidism, Hashimoto’s, or Graves’ disease. There was no difference in the iodine levels between the various thyroid
disorders; nearly all (22/24) were low. The results of this small study were the first clear indicators I had that iodine deficiency
was occurring in a large percentage of the population.
UPDATED RESULTS AT MY OFFICE
To the present date, we (Drs. Brownstein, Ng, and Nusbaum) have now tested iodine levels in over 6,000 patients. Our
results have been consistent; approximately 96% of patients test low for iodine. In fact, many patients initially test at severely low
iodine levels (via spot urinary iodine) as their results are reported as ‘below the detectable limits’. Dr. Jorge Flechas (the Dr.
Jorge Flechas (the owner of FFP labs) and Charles Hakala, RPh, (owner of Hakala labs) have been at the forefront of testing
people world-wide for their iodine levels. They have now tested tens of thousands of subjects and their results are consistent with
mine.
16
 Contact information for the labs that test iodine status is found in the appendix.
FINAL THOUGHTSIodine deficiency is a huge public health problem. The continuing and increasing exposure to goitrogens (substances that
promote goiter), including the halides bromide and fluoride, has exacerbated the iodine deficiency problem (more on this in
Chapter 11
). Iodine deficiency is one of the main underlying causes of many varied illnesses including thyroid disorders, chronic
fatigue, fibromyalgia, cancer (including


	death,
which	is	far	from	the	case.
“My	son	died	when	he	was	just	twenty-two,”	a	woman	told	me	recently.
“It	was	a	brain	tumor,	and	I	was	staying	at	his	home	the	day	he	passed	away.
With	me	were	his	sister	and	his	new	wife.	Tom’s	passing	was	peaceful,	and
that	evening	we	three	women	stayed	up	late	talking	about	him.	We	must	have
talked	too	late,	because	we	fell	asleep	together	by	the	fire.
“The	next	morning	his	wife	was	quite	excited	and	told	us	that	Tom	came
to	her	in	a	dream	and	reassured	her	that	he	was	all	right.	His	sister	blurted	outthat	Tom	had	also	come	to	her	in	a	dream	saying	the	same	thing.	They	turned
to	me,	and	yes,	I	had	had	the	same	dream.	We	all	felt	that	Tom	was	so	vividly
present	that	it	had	not	seemed	like	a	dream—it	was	really	him.”
In	this	example	one	sees	a	bleed-through	between	several	levels	of	the
subtle	world:	dreams,	departed	spirits,	and	collective	consciousness.	In	this
case	“collective”	means	an	awareness	shared	by	three	people,	although	the
term	can	be	expanded	much,	much	further.	This	kind	of	blending	is	more
common	than	we	think.	Boundaries,	after	all,	are	arbitrary.	Einstein,	whose
reputation	rests	upon	rational	thought,	declared	that	the	germ	of	the	theory	of
relativity	came	to	him	while	daydreaming.	Shall	we	call	that	a	dream,	a
vision,	or	inspiration?	Shall	we	call	Tom’s	reassurance	to	his	family	real	or
illusory,	inspiring	or	merely	a	projection	of	grief	that	needed	an	outlet?
Sorting	out	the	subtle	world	was	a	project	that	the	Vedic	rishis	set	for
themselves.	By	going	deeper	into	their	explanations	we	can	begin	to	navigate
this	level	of	reality	that	is	closest	to	the	soul.	We	have	arrived	at	the	suburbs
of	immortality,	as	it	were,	which	are	not	quite	eternal	yet	not	bound	by	time
and	space,	either.
The	Five	Koshas
Near-death	experiences,	Tibetan	Buddhism,	and	the	Book	of	Revelation	agree
on	one	thing:	when	we	die	we	will	look	beautiful.	The	“golden	body”	of	the
Tibetan	Bardo	and	the	perfect	body	rising	from	the	grave	at	Judgment	Day	are
untouched	by	age	and	decay.	When	people	are	visited	in	dreams	by	the
departed,	they	usually	appear	in	the	prime	of	life,	somewhere	around	thirty,
rather	than	as	children	or	disembodied	ghosts.	Apparitions	of	the	Virgin	Mary
never	seem	to	be	of	someone	in	old	age	but	of	a	luminous,	lovely	young
woman.	On	the	other	hand,	in	near-death	accounts	of	hell	(much	rarer	than
going	into	the	light),	the	damned	never	look	young	and	healthy.	They	are	old,
withered,	sick,	scarred,	deformed,	or	some	wretched	combination.	Visions	of
reward	and	punishment	deliver	totally	opposite	images.
The	rishis	weren’t	satisfied	with	such	simple,	idealized	images.	Seeing	the
entire	subtle	world	as	a	projection	of	consciousness,	they	focused	on	the
Koshas
,	or	divisions	of	pure	consciousness.
Kosha
	translates	to	mean	sheath,
layer,	or	envelope,	but	it’s	easiest	to	think	of	pure	consciousness	as	a	point
that	wraps	five	bodies	around	itself	like	layers	of	an	onion.	(One	can	also
think	in	terms	of	vibrations,	moving	from	grossest	to	highest.)	The	five	layers
are:
1
.
Physical	body
2
.
Prana	(subtle	breath	or	life	force)
3
.
Mind4
.
Ego	and	intellect
5
.
Body	of	bliss
The	five	Koshas,	operating	in	unison,	give	rise	to	the	self,	or	to	put	it
more	accurately,	the	self	system.	You	and	I	are	multilayered	because	we	are
inseparable	from	our	five	Koshas.	The	fact	that	each	sheath	has	its	own	rules
provides	us	with	a	structure	for	the	subtle
world
.	The	afterlife	is	a	journey
only	in	the	sense	that	a	dream	is—in	both	cases	we	are	taking	our	attention
away	from	one	Kosha	and	placing	it	on	another.	Our	travels	remain	within	the
self	system.
The	Koshas	are	also	shared.	The	universe	has	its	own	layers.	Experiencing
an	angel	or	departed	spirit,	for	example,	is	made	possible	by	the	countless
generations	that	helped	create	that	subworld.	Shared	reality	isn’t	mystical.
You	claim	your	physical	body	as	uniquely	your	own,	but	even	that	is	shared—
the	air	you	breathe	today	contains	millions	of	atoms	of	oxygen	that	were
breathed	out	in	China,	for	example,	just	a	few	days	ago.	You	absorb	ideas
floating	around	in	the	mass	media,	and	at	moments	you	may	have	an
inspiration	only	to	discover	that	someone	else	has	had	the	same	idea
simultaneously.	(As	a	writer	I	am	ruefully	familiar	with	the	occasions	when	a
brilliant	book	or	script	idea	was	anticipated	by	two	or	three	other	writers
within	days	of	one	another.)
So	the	analogy	of	the	onion	built	up	in	layers	breaks	down	at	a	certain
point.	A	Kosha	isn’t	an	individual	possession.	It’s	a	dynamic	realm	with	its
own	laws	and	experiences,	a	realm	we	can	enter	alone	or	with	others.
Annamaya	Kosha
	(
physical	body
)
:
	The	physical	body	is	the	most	separate
aspect	of	the	self	system.	At	birth	most	babies	are	very	much	alike
physiologically,	but	by	age	seventy	no	two	people’s	bodies	are	remotely	alike.
Time	has	made	each	of	us	unique.	This	material	fact	underlies	a	great	deal	of
the	separation	in	the	world,	as	people	struggle	to	grab	their	share	of	food,
money,	possessions,	and	status.	They	want	to	promote	the	well-being	of	their
physical	body,	to	enhance	its	charm	and	beauty,	and	to	protect	it	from	the
threat	of	injury	and	death.
At	this	level
	first	consciousness	is	biology.	It	operates	silently,	without	a
voice,	as	it	organizes	the	myriad	functions	of	the	body.	Yet	even	here,	if	we
look	at	what	is	happening	at	the	cellular	level,	it	turns	out	that	consciousness
transcends	boundaries.	Cells	cooperate,
communicate
,	exchange	functions,
perform	acts	of	self-sacrifice,	remain	in	balance,	keep	aware	of	their
environment,	adapt	to	change,	and	know	that	they	survive	by	being	part	of	a
greater	whole.
Every	Kosha	reveals	wholeness	and	separation	at	the	same	time.	If	we
look	upon
Annamaya	Kosha
	as	the	physical	world,	it’s	obvious	that	ourbodies	are	isolated	from	one	another,	which	keeps	us	in	separation	by	giving
rise	to	the	illusion	that	we	must	struggle	and	compete	with	every	other
isolated	body.	Yet	this	Kosha
brings	us	closer	to	wholeness
	through
cooperation


 This does not get
rid of the stored patterns—it actually reinforces your commitment to them.
Over time, they will continue to bother you.
Let’s say you feel lonely becau se you don’t have someone special in
your life. This sounds perfectly normal, but the truth is having someone
special in your life is your attempt to solve your loneliness.  It does not
address the cause of it. It’s just like if you eat poorly and have a
stomachache; you may start looking for the Pepto Bismol. If someone then
asks you why you have a stomachache, please don’t say it’s because you
can’t find the Pepto Bismol. Finding the Pepto Bismol is an attempt to
compensate for your stomachache—it is not related to the cause of it. The
Pepto Bismol may make you feel better temporarily, but unless  you changeyour eating habits, the stomacha che will return. You will find this is true for
many things you do to compensate for your discomforts.
Eventually, we wake up and realize that compensating for what’ s
wrong is not good enough—we must solve the root cause of why we are not
okay. There is a state within you that is always filled with love and a sense
of happiness. Yogananda called  it ever-new joy. It’s not a joy you get tired
of; it’s a constan tly upward-flowing, new experience of beauty. This is the
solution to every problem you’re having inside—make it beautiful in there.
Instead of thinking that the new job will do it, the new relationship will do
it, or more money and popularity will do it, do the necessary inner work to
make it beautifu l inside. Notice that your problems all start with, “I’m not
okay in here.” If you were  okay, you wouldn’ t be worrying and
complaining. You’d be in there enjoying the beauty of the experience you’re
having.
Enjoying your inner state doesn’ t mean nothing will happen outside.
Nobody is saying you don’t interact with the world. You just don’t interact
with the world in an attempt to solve your inner problems. The outside
cannot solve your inner blockages. All the outside world can do is
temporarily allow the energy to go around a blockage or not hit it as much.
This creates some relief, but it’ s not going to get rid of the blockage.
Working on releasing inner blockages, instead of struggling with life to
get what  you want, can seem like something is being taken away from you.
But if what is being taken away from you is causing suffering, this should
not be a proble m. If you’re eating something that makes you sick, and
someone wants to give you food that makes you healthy, you must first stop
eating what makes you sick. This is not an act of renunciation; it’s simple
wisdom. Taking on this inner work does not mean you don’t get married,
have a job, or fully put your heart into whatever you’re doing. You can do
all of that, but not for the purpos e of solving your inner problems. If you are
letting the avoidance of your inner problems define what you’r e doing, all
you’r e doing is expressing your inner problems outside.  Say a psychologist
held up a Rorschach inkblot and you got upset about what you saw in it. Is
the solution to tell them to stop holding up that piece of paper? That would
be ridiculous. You would not solve anything. Yet trying to solve inner
problems by rearranging the outside is exactly what everybody is doing.Chapter 27.
The Paradigm Shift
Everyone wants to improve  their experience of life. People are always
looking for more joy, love, inspiration, and meaning—the question is how to
achieve this. Let’s do an expe riment. Imagine an all-powerful force has
asked you to write down some things that need to happen for you to totally
enjoy your life. If you’re like most people, you will write down things like a
new house, a special relationship, a higher paying job, and perhaps a
yearlong vacation to your favorite spots around the world. When you’re
done, you will be so excited to turn in that list and get your wishes granted.
Unfortunately, you’ll have to wait a moment because we’re going to go
deeper with this experiment.
If you examine your list more closely, you will see that it’s not what
you really want. Let’s say you wrote down that you want to get married to
the person you love, and you want a wedding in Maui with birds-of-paradise
surrounding the ceremony. After the wedding, you want to live in a
beautiful, mortgage-free house overlooking the ocean with two fancy cars in
the driveway. It’s the dream you’ve had since childhood. The problem is
that’s not what you really want. Your mind has played a trick on you. Say
you have the wedding, the house, and the cars, just like you wanted them,
but your new spouse turns out to be a real jerk. You are treated terribly, and
it’s obvious right from the start that this is going to be the worst marriage in
human history. On top of that, you’re Catholic, so you can’t get divorced.
Do you still want that wedding? Unlikely. So, it wasn’ t really the marriage
you wanted. You wanted the beautiful experience that you thought the
marriage was going to give you. So why didn’ t you ask for that?
The same thing holds true for the new job, the million dollars in the
bank, and the respect of other people. Fine, you can have it all. But what if it
creates so much stress and worry that you’re miserable? You’d wish youcould have your old job back. You didn’ t really want the job, the money, or
the acceptance—you wanted what you thought they would give you. You
wanted happiness, joy, and a sense of total well-being. How about a constant
inner state of love, beauty, and inspiration at the highest level you’ve ever
experienced? Why didn’ t you ask for that?
What you did was allow your strongest past experiences to define what
you think will make you feel happy. It doesn’ t work that way. There are
plenty of people who have what you wrote down on your list, and they’re
not always happy. There’ s nothing you ever experienced that left you totally
fulfilled for any length of time. You have always needed more. Your entire
life you’ve been saying, “If I get this thing I want, I’ll be okay, and if I don’t
have to get what I don’t want, I’ll be fine.” For your whole life, there’ s been
a list. When will you realize that doesn’ t work? If you’ve been doing
something every minute of your entire life, and you’re still doing it,
obviously it doesn’ t work. Why not go directly to the root and say, “What I
want is to feel love and joy. What I want is every moment of every day to
feel complete well-being as high as I’ve ever felt before, and to be inspired
by everything I do.” Now there’ s a list. Let’ s turn that one in.
The interesting result of our experiment is that it has led us away from
worldliness and into the essence of spirituality. Not that worldliness is a
negative term— it just means you think the answer is in the world. You think
the answer lies in what’ s unfolding in front of you. It isn’t wrong to go to
the world for what you think you want—it simply doesn’ t work. You’re
trying to find something outside that matches your “samskara of the day.”
Once you get what you want, or avoid what you don’t want, that will no
longer be your major desire or greatest fear. Once that one’s out of the way,
there will always be the next issue coming to the surface.
Eventually, you wake up. You realize that you want to feel love. Not
that you want to love someone or have someone love you—you just want to
feel love all the time. If your love is not dependent on anything or anyone, it
can last forever. We call that unconditional love. The great yoga master,
Meher Baba, taught that love must spring spontaneously from within. It
cannot be coerced, and it cannot be dependent upon anything. That’ s what
pure love is. Otherwise, you have a temporary situation that just happens to
match your stored patterns. Unfortunately, this will not last. You’ve got lots
of samskaras in there. In addition, if you’re in a relationship, the other
person has lots of patterns of their own, quite different from yours. This iswhy relationshi ps are so complicated. Not only are each person’ s past
samskaras different, but both people have different experiences every day to
add to the collection. If somebody yelled at your partner at work, they’re
different when they come home than if somebody was nice to them. You, of
course, had your daily experiences. If your feeling of love is dependent
upon your partner behaving a certain way when they come home, you’re in
trouble and so are they. You have enough difficulty dealing with your own
samskaras; now you have to deal with theirs also.
Don’ t get scared. This doesn’ t mean you don’t have meaningful
relationships.


 soluble chemicals, but it is actually the repository of
every bit of knowledge pertaining to the history of life on Earth.
Creation looks like a process unfolding step by step, bit by bit,
but behind this appearance, one reality creates, governs, and
controls everything. Dividing life into its component parts—the
physical bits and pieces—is t otally artificial. Whether we go back
three b illion years or to the moment you were conceived  in your
mother’s womb, the same hidden message is present. The whole is
contained in the parts. Without the whole, the parts are
meaningless.
S e l f - R e g u l a t i o n :  T h e  G l u e  o f
E x i s t e n c e
If th e whole c reates, governs, and controls the parts, can we
observe it happening? Science doesn’t deny that the universe
operates as a w hole, but scientists maintain their insistence that
physical forces  glue everything together. As with everything else in
virtual reality, a story has been made up to satisfy the belief that
the universe must  be physical. The glue that really holds creation
together isn’t physical at all. It consists of self-regulation, or the
ability of every system to re main intact inside its own fe nced-in
world.
Self-regulation is why brain cells know that they aren’t
supposed to be liver or heart cells. Self-regulation is why your
body do esn’t fly apart into a  cloud of hydrogen, carbon, oxygen,
and nitr ogen a toms. Self-regulation has no physical prope rties—it
isn’t matter or energy—becau se it is a quality of wholeness itself.
To show  the exquisite delicacy of this invisible glue, consider how
the rise  in temperature of ocean water by only a few de grees inrecent decades  led to the destruction of coral reefs aro und the
world. (There are other reaso ns as well, including water pollution,
predators, and disease.) The phenomenon is known as a “marine
heat wave”; such waves began to assault Australia’s Great Barrier
Reef in 1998 and 2002, but created only limited damage.
When water temperatures suddenly rise, a reef undergoes self-
destruction through “coral bleaching”—the corals, which
symbiotically depend on algae inside them to survive, become
stressed and expel the algae, which also had given the reefs their
bright colors. When the algae leave, the coral becomes bleached
white and dies. The sudden death of huge portions of the Great
Barrier Reef occurred over nine months in 2016, when a marine
heat wa ve affe cted three-qua rters of the world’s reefs (su ch heat
waves had begun to inten sify starting in 2014). “We lost
30 p ercent of t he corals in the nine-month period between March
and November  2016,” said a spokesman for the study gro up that
monitors the reef. More mari ne heat waves came in 2017, affecting
all part s of the Great Barrier  Reef, including central sections that
had managed to withstand  previous destruction. The fastest-
growing corals  can replenish themselves in ten to fifteen ye ars, but
marine heat waves of destructive force are returning on average
every six years.
This has all been driven by our failure to keep o cean
temperatures from rising 2°C since preindustrial times, or roughly
two hundred years. A minute change in temperature you could
barely register by putting your hand in warm water was enough to
tip the balance of a complex system of self-regulation that goes
back 535 million years. But the lesson reaches much deeper. A
coral reef is a  megasystem  that encloses smaller systems: all
manner of fish and other marine creatures, sing le-celled
organisms low er down on th e food chain, the cells that  are the
basis of  life, and DNA itself. E ach system has its own rules of self-
regulation. They build up their own boundaries for survival. Yet
when viewed from the megasystem, encompassing the entire reef
community, wholeness dominates over separation.
We can bring this lesson home in our own bodies. When you
cuddle a baby, its warm, smooth skin feels nice, but it’s also the
sign of a potential threat if th at warmth starts to drop off. Startingat norm al body temperature, which is between 97.7°F and 99.5°F,
we start to feel chilly around 97°F, and hypothermia starts to set
in under 95°F, the same slight variance that threatens coral.
If a person’s c ore body temperature drops to 90°F, a medical
emergency is declared, and severe symptoms like delirium and
hallucinations set in. Below 88°F, the body becomes comatose.
Irregular heartbeat threatens death, which almost certainl y occurs
below 7 5°–79°F. At any given time, while healthy, we are barely
20 d egrees from dying—less than the temperature swing during a
summer day in the Rockies. How do we remain in che ck? The
basic q uestion was probably answered during the age  of the
dinosaurs. Current speculation is that, unlike reptiles, dinosaurs
were warm-blooded.
This ag ain was a creative leap with no pressing ph ysical
necessity. Cold-blooded creatures had existed for over a billion
years a s both single-cell and multicelled organisms. They
breathed, ate food, expelled waste, reproduced, and survived the
harshness of environmental assaults. This all happened, and
continues to happen, without  a key ingredient: converting some of
the ene rgy contained in food into heat, enough heat to keep the
body’s interna l temperature constantly high enough for survival,
even when the outside temperature fell too low.
Self-regulation is found at every level of Nature, beginning with
the atom, which keeps itself intact without either running down
like a wind-up toy or flying a part into its smaller parts (el ectrons,
protons, and neutrons). This is enough to prove th at self-
regulation is how wholeness operates without needing matter or
energy as its g lue. Moreover,  in a complex system like the human
body, e ach cell knows that it must live for the whole, not for itself
alone. C ells that opt to be selfish and multiply unchec ked are
cancerous, and the reward for their rampant division is death for
them and the body. Normal, healthy cells do everything—eat,
expel w aste, reproduce, heal, and die—with the surviva l of the
body as their main goal, not individual survival.T h e  S e n s e  o f  S e l f
This discussion  about self-regulation gives us a toehold on how
wholeness works. I’ve been insisting that everything in creation is
actually a mode of consc iousness. A cell is one m ode of
consciousness, bringing with it all the qualities of consciousness,
including know ing. It is literally true that a brain cell knows it is a
brain cell. Self-regulation isn ’t a mechanical process. It grows out
of a sense of self. As a person, you have a sense of self that
encompasses hundreds of self-regulating systems, just as a coral
reef doe s. You are the wholeness that the parts need to e xist. We
can cal l this a “top-down th eory,” because there can be no self-
regulation without the entire universe having a sense of self from
the very  beginn ing. The whole creates, controls, and governs every
event.
The opposite is a bottom-up theory, the mainstream scientific
view th at the parts came together to assemble the whole. But self-
regulation wa s never physically created. It is part of how
consciousness operates. But we’ve only gotten halfway in our
investigations. The discussion up to now is more than en ough to
prove th at you  are a wonder of self-regulation, as far as the body
goes. But waking up is abou t the mind, and, as everyone  knows,
our tho ughts can be wild to the point of madness; in any ev ent, the
next thought anyone has is totally unpredictable. You might think
of u s as unruly passengers, riding a perfectly assembled vehicle
through life, with the body o perating as a whole while the mind
roams recklessly from one  thought, feeling, sensatio n, and
emotion to the next.
The direct path is based on reality being one thing, a wholeness
we c an live in daily life. It see ms far-fetched to believe that we live
with a whole mind. Everyon e’s mind seems like a junk pile of
miscellaneous impulses tossed in a heap, from which we struggle
to extra ct reas onable, socially acceptable behavior. This d isparity
between an exquisitely regulated body and a recklessly
unregulated mind hasn’t gone unnoticed by neuroscience and has
created a baffling mystery. T houghts, according to neuro science,
are created by brain cells. B rian cells operate by fixed laws ofelectromagnetism that leave no wiggle room. Electrical i mp


	to	all	toxins	and	to	take	steps	to	support	the	body’s	detoxification
mechanisms.
A	Buildup	of	External	ToxinsChronic	exposure	to	small	amounts	of	seemingly	harmless	toxins	presents	a
problem	more	dangerous	than	people	realize.	Even	in	trace	amounts,	toxins	can
build	up	and	overload	our	cells,	causing	malfunction.	The	average	American	is
building	up	(bioaccumulating)	between	three	and	five	hundred	manmade
chemicals,	most	of	which	did	not	exist	prior	to	World	War	II	and	have	never
before	been	in	human	tissue.	Therefore,	the	combined	toxic	effects	of	these
chemicals	are	impossible	to	calculate.
Physicians	rarely	consider	toxic	buildup	as	a	primary	cause	of	disease	and
rarely	test	for	toxic	underlying	problems.	In	fact,	about	the	only	time	the	medical
community	will	cite	toxicity	as	a	primary	cause	of	disease	is	when	somebody
dies	or	becomes	obviously	ill	from	massive	toxic	exposure,	such	as	a	chemical
spill.	Subtle	and	gradual	toxic	exposures	typically	go	undetected,	which	explains
how	people	suffering	from	toxic	overload	can	go	to	their	doctors	repeatedly
(with	persistent,	if	vague,	complaints	of	“not	feeling	quite	right”)	and	never
receive	a	correct	diagnosis.
When	people	finally	do	become	sick	from	their	bioaccumu-lated	toxins,
following	the	path	of	their	illness	back	to	the	myriad	toxic	sources	is	nearly
impossible.	If	these	toxins	weren’t	so	insidious	and	if	they	made	us	sick	or	killed
us	quicker	and	more	straightforwardly,	we	would	understand	more	readily	the
need	to	avoid	them.	Instead,	we	expose	ourselves	unknowingly	and	we	lay	the
groundwork	for	massive	cellular	malfunction,	little	by	little.	Combine	these
external	toxins	with	those	generated	inside	the	body,	and	the	eventual	result	is
toxic	overload.
A	chilling	example:	Environmental	and	dietary	toxins	bioaccumulate	in	a
mother’s	fatty	tissues	throughout	her	life.	When	she	starts	nursing,	her	toxin-
loaded	fatty	tissues	produce	cancer-causing	breast	milk.	In	his	1987	book
Diet
for	a	New	America,
John	Robbins	notes	that	the	milk	of	most	American	mothers
is	so	contaminated	with	chemicals	(PCBs,	dioxins	and	various	pesticides)	that	“it
would	be	subject	to	confiscation	and	destruction	by	the	FDA	were	it	to	be	sold
across	state	lines.”	Robbins	also	says	“the	EPA	has	concluded	that	the	average
American	breast-fed	infant	ingests	nine	times	the	permissible	level	of	dieldrin,
one	of	the	most	potent	of	all	cancer-causing	agents	known	to	modern	science.”
Fortunately,	dieldrin,	which	was	used	on	crops,	has	now	been	removed	from	the
market,	but	the	average	mother’s	milk	(while	still	far	better	than	infant	formula)
remains	contaminated	with	numerous	toxic	chemicals.
No	One	Is	SafeAt	present,	toxic	chemicals	can	be	found	in	trace	amounts	in	the	tissues	of
virtually	everyone	in	America—including	you.	These	chemicals	include:	plastics
such	as	styrene	(disposable	Styrofoam	cups),	1,4-dichlorobenzene	(mothballs,
deodorizers),	sodium	lauryl	sulfate	(synthetic	detergent	from	soaps,	shampoos,
toothpastes),	pesticides,	PCBs,	dioxins,	phthalates	(plastics),	formaldehyde
(plywood,	particleboard,	permanent-press	clothing),	prescription	drugs	and
organic	solvents.	No	place	on	earth—and	no	modern	home—is	free	from	man-
made	toxic	contamination.	Molecules	of	the	pesticide	DDT,	for	example,	blanket
the	entire	planet.
Henry	Schroeder,	M.D.,	a	former	professor	of	medicine	at	Dartmouth	Medical
School	and	author	of
The	Poisons	Around	Us,
wrote	that	“five	toxic	trace	metals:
antimony,	beryllium,	cadmium,	lead,	and	mercury	are	involved	in	at	least	half
the	deaths	in	the	U.S.	and	much	of	the	disabling	disease.”	In	all,	more	than	one
hundred	thousand	chemicals	are	now	in	commercial	use,	at	least	25	percent	of
which	are	known	to	be	hazardous;	many	others	have	never	been	tested	at	all!
Even	when	chemicals	are	tested	for	safety,	studies	are	virtually	always	short-
term	and	tested	individually;	few	have	examined	the	long-term	effects	of
chemicals,	or	how	they	react	in	the	body	in	combination	with	each	other.	Yet
these	long-term,	combined	effects	are	the	reality	of	living	in	America	today.	In
other	words,	the	testing	programs	are	flawed.	Adverse	effects	are	not	necessarily
observed	in	small	groups	of	animals,	nor	do	experimental	animals	necessarily
react	to	toxins	the	same	as	humans.	Ultimately,	any	chemical	that	is	not	normal
and	natural	to	our	bodies	puts	a	load	on	our	detoxification	systems	and	may
damage	cell	function.
Most	people	make	little	effort	to	avoid	toxins	because	officially	established
tolerances	presume	that	toxin	levels	are	within	safe	limits.	Unless	you	make
special	choices,	you	constantly	eat	foods	with	trace	toxins,	you	constantly	drink
water	with	trace	toxins,	you	constantly	use	personal	products	with	trace	toxins,
and	you	constantly	breathe	toxic	air.	By	the	end	of	each	day,	these	toxic
contaminants	often	reach	a	substantial	cumulative	total.	EPA	scientists	found
that
the	total	toxic	residues	in	our	daily	diet	can	exceed	500	percent	of	the
recommended	daily	maximum,	even	if	each	individual	food	is	within	“safe”
limits!
A	Poison	Gas	Chamber	of	Her	Very	Own
Several	years	ago,	a	young	married	couple	from	Chicago	asked	me	to	help
their	three-year-old	daughter,	Anne,	who	was	experiencing	seizures.	Anne	hadbeen	examined	by	at	least	a	dozen	specialists,	but	their	only	recommendations
were	anti-seizure	medications	that	made	Anne	sick,	yet	failed	to	stop	the
seizures.	The	desperate	parents	called	me,	a	complete	stranger	two	thousand
miles	away.	They	begged	me	for	help,	even	though	I	am	not	a	physician.
Because	there	is	only	one	disease,	I	knew	that	Anne’s	problem	was
malfunctioning	cells.	But	why	were	they	malfunctioning?	Although	I	asked
many	questions	about	Anne’s	history,	nothing	seemed	unusual	about	her	birth,
background	or	development.	She	had	been	breast-fed	(a	good	thing;	even	though
breast	milk	is	toxic,	it	is	still	preferable	to	the	alternatives),	and	her	diet	was
actually	better	than	average.	In	fact,	she	had	been	remarkably	healthy	ever	since
birth—until	the	seizures	started.
I	began	to	ask	questions	about	her	environment.	As	it	turned	out,	during	most
of	her	young	life,	Anne	had	been	sleeping	in	a	crib	in	her	parents’	bedroom.
When	she	outgrew	the	crib,	her	parents	decided	s


 different from those he had observed outside the institution in
his private practice. He stated that he had noted continually that there was a tendency for the
tongue to be too large for the mouth. This is a constant characteristic of another group of mentally
injured, namely, the Mongoloid. This institution has a population of approximately four thousand
individuals. A high percentage of them gave marked evidence of injury in the prenatal period as
expressed in disturbances of facial form and the shape of the dental arches. In observing over half
the population at work or exercise, I did not see one with a typically normal facial development. In
Fig. 122 will be seen typical examples of this group. These show front and side views (see
Hooton's recent book. 15a ).7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 215/250FIG. 122. Criminals. Were their unsocial traits related directly
to incomplete brain organization associated with prenatal
injury?
    Newspaper daily illustrated reports of crimes committed by young criminals show almost
continually these evidences of prenatal injury. Note the two characters Bird and Nixon, Fig. 123.7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 216/250FIG. 123. Note the marked lack of normal facial development
of these notorious young criminals. Nixon is only 18. These
are typical samples seen frequently in the daily press.
    It is important to emphasize the fact that the disturbances in the development of the head, face
and brain may have a variety of expressions. In the more severe form characteristic of the
Mongoloid group, as seen in Fig. 124 the facial injury is typical and is associated with a mental
disturbance which, in turn, has been shown to be associated with typical brain lesions. The
individuals of that group, however, do not tend to be criminals. Indeed, their injury is too severe.
As a group they are apt to be docile, tractable and happy. Indeed, in the mentally backward and
criminal groups in their various stages, we find facial patterns typical of large numbers of individuals
we see on the streets, who are in school or in business, and entirely capable of maintaining a
respected and honorable position in society. Accordingly, it is not justified, and indeed would be
entirely unfair, to associate their disturbed facial and dental arch development with traits that would
be normally found in the grossly unsocial groups. We cannot by viewing the face evaluate the kind
or extent of brain injury that is associated with prenatal malnutrition of that individual. Indeed, these
various divergent facial patterns are accepted by our modern civilization as representative of the
many varieties or patterns constituting a normal population. It is not until we see primitive groups
living under a controlled natural environment that we see Nature's model and design of the human
physiognomy.
FIG. 124. This is a typical mongoloid defective. Note the
marked lack of development of the middle third of the face
7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 217/250and nose with the upper arch too small for the lower.
Individuals of this type look alike and act alike and all have
typical speech and behavior defects. These are now
associated with definite defects in the brain. Nearly all are
either a first or last child. A large percentage are born to
mothers over forty years of age.
    We are concerned to know the percentage in any typical colony of our modern civilization that
may be placed in the various classifications of normal, mildly backward mentally, severely
backward mentally, unsocial, delinquent, criminal, idiots, epileptic and insane. Tredgold (2) reports
two surveys in England and Wales which give figures on the proportion of the population that
could be identified with definite lesions. It would be fortunate if a survey could be made in the
United States that would indicate the extent of the increase in delinquents of various types,
including racketeers and criminals. It would be very helpful if these data could be related to the
degrees of prenatal injury. There are many phases of modern degeneration which lend themselves
to study from the standpoint of the probable role of progressive decline in the efficiency of nutrition
to the progressive increase in morbidity, mortality, mental deficiency and delinquency. This is
discussed in the next chapter on Soil Depletion, Plant and Animal Deterioration.
    From the point of view of this problem the differences between the modern white civilizations
and many of the primitive groups is interesting. Criminal tendencies in isolated primitives are so
slight that no prisons are required. I have referred to the Loetschental Valley in Switzerland, which,
until recently, has been physically isolated from the process of modernization. For the two
thousand inhabitants in that valley, there is no prison. In Uganda, Africa, the Ruanda tribes
estimated to number two and a half millions, had no prisons.
    Observation of Nature's normal facial patterns in the primitive racial stocks, establishes types
within the limits of normality. The readers of this text by observing the individuals in any given
families may see in how large a percentage of white families the progressive narrowing and
lengthening of the face in the younger members of the family as compared with the older occurs.
Further observations will enable one to recognize rapidly, even without experience and special
training in anatomy, these evidences of prenatal injury.
    I made a survey in the New England States, Quebec and Eastern Ontario, because the United
States death rate from heart disease as reported by the American Heart Association was shown to
be highest in Vermont and New Hampshire, followed closely by Massachusetts and New York. I
first visited the New York State Hospital for tuberculosis patients at Raybrook, near Saranac.
With the assistance of a member of the staff, I examined fifty young men and women in the wards.
In that group, only three were found with normal facial and dental arch development. These three
individuals were marble cutters who were suffering from silicosis. The forty-seven other individuals
examined (94 per cent) were found to have marked evidence of injury in the developmental
period. At the state fair at Rutland, Vermont, to which residents came from various communities
throughout the state, I was able to count, by observing and recording the individuals who passed,
that in each 100 people, three out of four gave evidence of injury in the developmental period.
Similar studies were made at the State Farm for delinquent boys and girls, almost all of whom had
been before the courts. 1 found that a very high percentage, approximating 100 per cent of those
observed, had received injuries in the prenatal period. I then went to Quebec and studied groups
of school children in the early teens. I observed groups in which a very high percentage gave
marked evidence of prenatal injury. This seemed aggravated in districts where the farms had been
abandoned, because the land was not producing as well as in the past. I studied Indians in two
Indian Reservations, also, and there again found marked evidence of injury typical of our
modernized communities. Similarly, a limestone district in Ontario was visited and critical
observations were made of the facial form of the new generation, in regions in which the fertility of
the soil had been definitely depleted through exhaustion. These again showed evidence of prenatal
injury through faulty nutrition. The prisoners in a jail were examined, and all of them except two
habitual drunkards showed marked evidence of prenatal injury.7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 218/250    If space permitted, it would be interesting to include here a discussion and illustrations of the
physical characteristics of the racketeers and criminals whose pictures are shown in our
newspapers almost daily. It is rare that a normal face is depicted in this group.
    As an approach to more detailed study of the available information regarding the processes that
are involved in the production of facial deformities, it will be helpful to think of the face as
constituting the floor of the anterior part of the brain. The pituitary body is situated on the
underside of the brain just back of the eyes. It is the governing body for the activity of growth, and
largely controls the functioning of several of the other glands of internal secretion. It is, as it were,
the master of the ship. We are, accordingly, primarily concerned with the role that it plays, and the
forces which control its own development and function. Its dependence upon vitamin E has been
demonstrated by many workers. For example, Dr. M. M. O. Barrie (3) has reported that an
inadequate amount of vitamin E produces marked disturbance in the growth of the offspring of
rats. He states:
    The changes observed are similar in several ways to those produced by hypophysectomy
(removal of pituitary gland). Marked degranulation of the anterior pituitary is found in both the
abnormal young and the adult sterile animals. Lack of vitamin E therefore produces a virtual
nutritional hypophysectomy in the young rat.
    The work recently done in this field by Dr. Hector Mortimer and his associates in McGill
University, Montreal, has included studies of skull development of rats. He has shown that the
surgical removal of the pituitary body at the base of the brain in very young rats produces regularly
a certain type of defect in skull development


 source of satisfaction. We hold that the source ofaddiction is a search for satisfaction. Alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs cause
untold damage, but their users derive some kind of pleasure from them, or
at least relief from the massive stress that they would otherwise feel.
Addicts maintai n their habits for want of a way out. Bouts of guilt, shame,
remorse, and self-accusation do very little to help.
But by exposing their minds to a greater source of satisfac tion, the
natural tendency would be to head away from the addiction, because the
greater satisfaction is more appealing. Support for this new view  has existed
for almost twenty years. Going back many years, studies in the United
States and Europe have repeate dly shown that when addicted people are
taught to meditate, their level of anxiety decreases, pulling down with it
their use of alcohol, cigarettes, and other drugs. If the addiction  is caught at
an early stage, a large proportion of subjects will stop abusing  substances
altogether. This is a very important point, because the early stage is where
most cures are possible.
By removing the distractions of stress, meditation renews the nervous
system’ s memory of balance. Repeated meditation, day after day, jogs the
memory again and again, until in time the cells return to a normal state,
exchanging their abnormal receptors for a more normal pattern. Once the
pathways of intelligence are repaired, the cells will automatically select the
body’ s healthy signals, as once they automatically accepted the distorted
ones. The circle broken by addiction has been repaired.
The various studies on meditation and addiction have led to the following
findings:
In 1972, physiologist Robert Keith Wallace and coworkers surveyed
1,860 meditators, mainly college students, about their use of all kinds
of drugs. After they began to meditate, the number of drug abusers
dropped significantly in all categories (marijuana, narcotics,
barbiturates, hallucinogens, and amphetamines). The longer the
students practiced meditation, the less their dependence on drugs, until
after twenty-one months, most had stopped abusing altogether.Marijuana was still used “very rarely” by 12 percent of the group; all
other categories were in the range of 1 percent to 4 percent.
A 1974 study on marijuana compared meditators with nonmeditators
and found that after one to three months of meditation, about half of
the meditators had decreased or stopped their use of the drug; by
comparison, less than one-sixth of the nonmeditators had stopped
using marijuana or decreased its use. These results improved
dramatically the longer meditation continued. Among two-year
meditators, 92 percent decreased their use of marijuana and 77 percent
gave it up entirely. A similar study found the same results with alcohol.
A high-school and college study asked 150 meditators and 1 10 controls
about their drug history and found significant decreases in marijuana,
wine, beer, and hard liquor in the meditators, while no decreases
occurred among the nonmeditators.
All of these findings were based on people who had had no involvement
in any sort of rehabilitation program. No one asked them to quit, followed
their progress, or rewarded them for abstaining. Most important, no one was
selected for having any motivat ion to abstain; indeed, in a college or high-
school environment, the pressure comes in the opposite direction, from
peers who abuse alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs. The decreases across the
board suggest that simply by reducing stress and anxiety and raising the
level of inner satisfaction, one can motivate addicts to stop their habits.
A stricter test of this principle occurs in institutions. A number of studies
have focused on the use of meditation among prisoners, who have little or
no motivation to quit their addictions. An overview of five such studies
found that the results were signi ficant enough to warrant placing meditation
in prisons as a major treatment for drug abuse. A study in Germany looked
at seventy-six drug abusers who enrolled in a drug rehabilitatio n program.
After twelve months of meditating, decreases were found in all classes of
drugs, including heroin, barbiturates, and amphetamines, which are among
the hardest habits to kick.By their very nature, statistical studies tend to be faceless. I like to return
to indivi dual stories, such as the one a veteran counselor in New York told
me. He had been seeing a teenage girl who had started to drink before she
was 12 and was severely alcoholic by the time she turned 15. She proved
extremely resistant to all conventional rehabilitation, and in the end, after
months of frustration, the counselor had to admit defeat. Just as he was
releasing her from his program, he happened to remark, “Why don’t you try
meditating?” She showed some interest, but he was not able to follow up
the case.
Some years later he noticed an attractive young mother in a local
shopping center. With a start, he realized that it was the same girl, but now
looking happy and even radiant walking her 2-year -old daughter. He went
up to congratulate her.
“What happene d to you?” he asked. As it turned out, she had begun
meditation soon  after dropping out of rehabilitation and stopped drinking on
her own within a few months. She credited the meditation, which she still
practiced, for saving her from deep addiction and probably for saving her
life. The counselor has since then incorporated meditation into his work,
starting many other addicts along the same road.
ADDICTION AND THE DOSHAS
All this indicate s that there is a self-correcting mechanism inside the
addict that can be triggered simply by allowing his mind to contact it. You
can also see this mechanism at work in terms of the doshas. People who
smoke or drink to excess, or who use drugs, have conditioned themselves
away from the body’ s natural desire for balance. In the beginning, the
ability to control their impulses may be fairly unimpaired; at this stage,
addicted people believe that they are still in control of their habit.
Then ensues a period, lasting months or years, when all three doshas
become chronically aggravated. Every addiction has its own profile of
symptoms, but among chronic abusers we have always found that Pitta isgrossly aggravated, giving rise to irrational moods of violence, flushed skin,
abnormal sweating and thirst, and various digestive disorders, among other
things.
Vata dosha seems particularly crucial, because its imbalance is
responsible for impulsive behav ior. When Vata is severely aggravated, any
impulse to drink or to smoke a cigarette or to take a fix has to be obeyed. As
impulse control starts to deterior ate, a huge amount of guilt is built up, since
the addicted person identifies with his lack of control. Not knowing that he
is following the command of Vata (as we all do, but in healthier forms), the
addicted person sees only that his resolutions to quit are failing miserably.
In essence, Vata dosha itself is addicted. The stages of this addiction
resemble those for any impairment of the central nervous system. That is
why a hand tremor that is due to lack of sleep, Parkinson’ s disease, mental
illness, or alcoholism all look basically the same to the untrained eye. Vata
will generally go through the following stages of decline:
Mild imbalance: restless, scatter ed thoughts; increase of worries; easily
startled; loss of memory and concentration; absence of inner fr eshness
Moderate imbalance: insomnia; loss of physical coordination; tremor in
hands; anxiety, nervousness; loss of appetite; disconnected thinking;
passing feelings of physical weakness and hollowness
Serious imbalance: chronic insomnia; impair ed perception (things look
distant and unreal); uncontr ollable shaking of head and hands; no appetite;
apathy, general loss of all desir es; delusions and hallucinations
At the very end of an alcohol or drug addiction, Vata is often so out of
control that the symptoms are practically indistinguishable from mental
illness. A termin al alcoholic in the throes of DTs and a schizo phrenic are
both examples of Vata taken to its furthest limits.
The early and middle stages of addiction are the most treatable, because
the body can be guided to rebalance itself. The catch-22 of all addictions is
that the same symptoms of distress are caused by the habit and by stoppingthe habit. This makes perfect sense once you look at Vata dosha, which has
become trained to accept the presence of the drug. As soon as the nicotine
or alcohol is withdrawn, Vata tries to shake off its bad training and return to
normal. When it heads back into balance, however, which requires throwing
off excess Vata buildup, the body is more Vata than ever, hence the
trembling, insomnia, and anxiety that accompany withdrawal.
When the nervous system has become chemically unbalanced, Vata has
no anchor, no normal daily rhythm of rest and activity to stabilize the
hundreds of other body rhythms that must be coordinated in a healthy
person. Regular  meditation provides the stability of deep rest alternating
with activity. That is why peop le in the early stages of cigarette smoking
and drug use find that they can drop their habits with no ef fort at all.
GIVING UP  CIG


	your	green	smoothies.
Sip	on	unsweetened,	diluted	cranberry	juice	with	water	as	a	refreshing
beverage.
Chop	and	throw	some	dandelion	greens	into	your	green	salads.
SOUR	FOODS
Sour	foods	are	another	important	group	that,	according	to	Ayurveda,	can	help
cleanse	the
liver.	Sour	foods	such	as	tomatoes,	lemons,	star	fruit,	tamarind,	and
fermented	cabbage	often	include	important	vitamins	like	A	and	C.
Incorporating	sour	foods	for	beauty:
Squeeze	lemon	juice	into	water.
Use	lemon	juice	as	a	primary	base	for	your	salad	dressings.
Add	tamarind	paste	to	soups.
Eat	half	a	cup	or	so	of	fermented	cabbage	(aka	raw	sauerkraut)	with	your
dinner.
MUSHROOMS
In	ancient	Chinese	medicine,	mushrooms	are	regarded	as	tonics,	which	meansthey	have	nonspecific	benefits	across	several	systems	of	the	body.	Mushrooms
are	one	of	the	few	food	sources	of	vitamin	D,	which	is	important	to	keep	your
bones	and	muscles	beautifully	strong.	Certain	varieties,	such	as	shiitake,	help
improve	immunity.
5
	Himematsutake	mushrooms	are	relatives	of	the	common
button	mushroom	that	is	found	at	nearly	every	grocery	store.	Very	popular	in
Japan,	himematsutakes	are	believed	to	help	improve	your	skin	and	hair.
6
	Eating
button	mushrooms	may	impart	the	same	benefits!
Incorporating	mushrooms	for	beauty:
Slice	raw	mushrooms	into	salads	(be	sure	to	source	organic	varieties).
Bake,	steam,	or	sauté	mushrooms	or	stuff	and	roast	Portobello	mushrooms
as	the	main	protein	in	your	meal,	or	as	a	side	dish.
Add	freshly	sliced	or	dried	mushrooms	to	your	soups.
Try	some	of	the	many	Beauty	Detox	mushroom-based	recipes	(see	Kimberly’s
blog,
kimberlysnyder.
com
).
BLACK	RICE
Like	brown
rice,	black	rice	offers	various	beauty	benefits,	such	as	fiber	and
minerals,	including	manganese	and	iron.	It	is	sometimes	referred	to	as	“purple”
rice	or	even	“forbidden	rice,”	because	in	ancient
China	it	was	reserved	for	the
emperors	and	nobles,	and	the	commoners	were	prohibited	from	eating	it.
Thankfully,	now	all	of	us	“commoners”	have	access	to	this	fantastic	food.	It
really	is	delicious,	and	it	has	some	striking	properties.	You	might	never	think	to
compare	black	rice	to	blueberries	or	blackberries,	but	if	you	put	them	side	by
side,	they	are	actually	nearly	the	same	gorgeous	purple	color.	That’s	because	the
bran	of	black	rice	contains	the	same	anthocyanin	antioxidants	as	these	berries.
Research	from	the
Department	of	Food	Science	at	Louisiana	State	University
reported	that	a	spoonful	of	black	rice	bran	contains	more	health-promoting
anthocyanin	antioxidants	than	a	spoonful	of	blueberries,	but	with	even	more
fiber	and	vitamin	E	antioxidants.
7
	This	makes	black	rice	wonderful	for	boosting
your	skin’s	natural	beauty.	As	with	all	rice,	be	sure	to	soak	it	overnight;	this	will
make	it	easier	to	cook	and	also	make	its	nutritional	benefits	more	readily
absorbed	by	the	body.
Incorporating	black	rice	for	beauty:
Add	black	rice	to	bean,	lentil,	veggie,	or	other	vegetarian	soups,	making	an
easy	and	delicious	entrée	with	just	these	two	nutritious	components.Stir-fry	black	rice	with	some	coconut	oil	and	veggies	for	a	healthy	“fried	rice.”
MICROGREENS
These	tiny	powerhouse	greens	not	only	help	you	look	more	beautiful	but	also
make	any	dish,	however	simple,	look	more	beautiful.	Just	sprinkle	them	on	top
of	any	meal.	They’re	one	of	the	healthiest	and	most	beautiful	garnishes	you
could	use.	These	young	greens,	including	red	cabbage,	cilantro,	and	broccoli,
are	harvested	less	than	fourteen	days	after	germination	and	are	about	1	to	3
inches	long.	They	contain	up	to	forty	times	higher	levels	of	vital	nutrients	than
their	mature	counterparts.	For	example,	red	cabbage	microgreens	have	forty
times	more	vitamin	E	and	six	times	more	vitamin	C	than	mature	red	cabbage.
Want	one	of	the	easiest,	most	space-effective	ways	to	nourish	your	beauty?	Add
a	handful	of	microgreens	into	your	diet	and	watch	your	skin	glow.
Incorporating	microgreens	for	beauty:
Toss	microgreens	into	your	salads.
Add	them	to	wraps	and	veggie	burgers	rather	than	regular	lettuce.
Top	soups	and	just	about	any	entrée	you	serve	with	them,	right	before
serving.
Blend	a	quarter	or	half	cup	or	so	into	your	Glowing	Green	Smoothies!
ALOE	VERA	JUICE
New	York	City’s
Memorial	Sloan	Kettering	Cancer	Center	has	studied	aloe,
including	the	plant’s	extracted	juice,	for	potential	effects	on	dry	skin,	psoriasis,
and	other	skin	issues,	along	with	internal	issues	like
constipation	and	diabetes.
8
The	center	also	notes	studies	indicating	aloe’s	potential	anti-inflammatory	and
antioxidant	effects.	Aloe	vera	juice	is	quite	different	from	topical	gel	versions,
so	make	sure	the	label	specifies	use	as	a	dietary	supplement	or	juice.	Some	side
effects	have	been	reported,	such	as	gastrointestinal	upset	with	long-term
consumption,	so,	as	with	any	new	supplement	or	food	you	are	unsure	of,	be
sure	to	check	with	your	doctor	first.
Incorporating	aloe	vera	juice	for	beauty:
Dilute	it	into	water	along	with	some	freshly	squeezed	lemon	and	sip.
Add	small	amounts	of	it	into	smoothies.
MACA	ROOTPacked	with	minerals	such	as	calcium	and	magnesium,	B	vitamins,	enzymes,
and	all	of	the	essential	amino
acids,	maca	is	a	Peruvian	root	that	has	been	used
for	more	than	2,000	years.	It	can	help	balance	hormones	and	stimulate	and
nourish	the	hypothalamus	and	pituitary	glands	(the	“master	glands”	of	the
body),	bringing	beautiful	balance	throughout	your	entire	system.	Working	as	an
adaptogen,	maca	is	a	“responsive”	food	that	helps	regulate	the	production	of
your	hormones	downward	or	upward,	depending	on	your	body’s	individual
needs.	Hormones	are	important	for	so	many	things	in	your	body,	including
your	mood	and	tissue	function.	Balancing	them	is	crucial	for	your	overall
beauty.	Maca	has	anecdotally	been	known	to	help	improve	skin,	increase
fertility,	and	even	help	with	premenstrual	syndrome	(PMS)	symptoms	and
libido.	Start	with	½	teaspoon	or	less	to	see	how	your	body	reacts	to	maca	if	you
are	new	to	it,	working	up	to	1	teaspoon	or	more	over	the	next	few	weeks.
Incorporating	maca	for	beauty:
Enjoy	a	delicious	smoothie


 or by injecting t he drug directly into the veins.

    The fallacy of attempting practical application of a theory of food selection based upon the senses of taste and smell alone is
easily demonstrable. The question resolves itself into one concerning the needs of the bo dy, but, however, after a fast, taste and
smell are restored to normal acuity and, so long as they are not abused and remain in this state, they may be used as partial
indicators. At this time all wholesome food gives delight and is desired with a hunger c reated in a clean and healthy system that
craves for nourishment and that fully enjoys its ingestion. Simple foods, properly prepared and correctly proportioned as to the
relative amounts of fats, carbohydrates, and protein, with the necessary mineral salt s, are what the dietitian and the subject should
endeavor to supply. The fast is ended, the system is cleansed, and the digestive organs are in full vigor, waiting to form pu re blood
and pure tissue from pure food.
Page 52 of  72     No detail further than that already disclosed is needed to show that mankind habitually overeats, and that, as a result, nutritive
material is absorbed into the general circulation in quantity beyond the requirements of the body, loading the system with an
unnecessary and harmful burden and hampering with poisonous waste the operation of its machinery. But, just as the liver stands
guard, in so far as it may, over matter absorbed, and just as it separates good from bad, so at the very inception of the dig estive
process, the mouth, with its ar mor of teeth and its salivary apparatus, determines in large degree the amount of food needed in
nutrition.

    The mouth holds the nerves of taste, taste is enjoyed in the mouth, and taste has its great purpose in deciding just when foo d has
been ground  between the teeth sufficiently to prepare it for subsequent processes. Taste virtually disappears when food has been
properly insalivated, and too thorough mastication cannot occur, for the benefits derived are immeasurable, even apart from t he
comminutio n of solids. The mouth easily accomplishes this work when the habit of mastication has been acquired, but, if it
perform it carelessly, the other organs of digestion cannot act in normal function, and perfect digestion cannot occur, since  one of
its proces ses has been omitted. And again, the only portion of the operation of digestion that can be voluntarily controlled is that
which is done in the mouth, hence the subject of the mastication of food is an all important one. Its value in the economy of  the
human body is excellently treated by the late Horace Fletcher in his A -B-C of Our Own Nutrition.

    Fletcher says:

    "When food is filtered into the body after having become liquefied and made alkaline or at least neutral by saliva, the appet ite is
given a chance to measure the needs of the body and to discriminate against excess. As soon as the point of complete sat uration of
any one deficiency is reached, appetite is cut off as short as possible, with no indication of stomach fullness. It will welc ome a
little of protein, and then turn to sugar or fat in some of their numerous forms. Thirst for water will assert its elf for a moment,
sometimes asking but a drop and again for a full glass; and afterwards, when near the point of complete saturation, appetite will
hesitate for a moment, as if searching around for some rare substance and may find its final satisfaction in  a single spoonful of
sweet, or of a sip of something in sight.

    "The appetite, satisfied by the infiltering process, is a sweetly appeased appetite, calm, rested, contented, normal. There i s no
danger from the flooding of intemperance for there is no t even toleration of excess, either of more food or of more drink, and this
contented appetite will remain in the condition of contentment until another need has really been earned by evaporation or
destructive catabolism.

    Fletcher uses in his descri ption the term, appetite, in the sense that the word, hunger, is employed in the text. In the conditions
that he so well expresses lies the solution of the problem of overeating. Mastication, carried to the degree that taste is ne utralized,
absolutely prec ludes eating save for the needs of metabolism. The supply is made equal to the demand, neither more nor less; and
intemperance in food or in drink is effectively prevented. The moral attached to the excerpt quoted makes of thorough mastica tion
a lesson to be taught in childhood, knowledge that should be transmitted from parent to offspring with more than the usual
concern.

    A scientific discussion of the question of diet is manifestly out of place in this text. Authorities differ widely and none h as de alt
with feeding from the viewpoint met after a fast, with a system, so to speak, rejuvenated. But it is no undue iteration again  to point
out that diet is largely a matter of special need, and that no fixed rules may be promulgated to apply in every insta nce. But certain
general principles require discussion, of which the first and most important deals with the use or non -use of meat. Flesh in any
form need never enter the dietary of normal man. Arguments for and against a meat diet have long been exchange d, and advocates
of the strongest will combat the non -flesh regimen for years to come. The syllogism in refutation contains among others the
following premises. First, dead animal tissue holds within it the products of metabolism. The process of change is suddenly
arrested when the animal is killed, and the juices of its body contain uneliminated toxic products that no process of cooking  can
destroy. For that matter, even though they were completely annihilated, flesh is still changed vegetable tissue with the waste of the
process of change and that of the living organism retained in its structure, a condition that Iogically suggests the consumpt ion of
the plant rather than of its creation. Armsby has shown that when we feed grain and other food to cattle an d to sheep and then kill
them for meat we recover only a very small percentage of the food values we fed them. Hence had we eaten the cattle and sheep
food ourselves, instead of feeding it to the animals, we should get approximately thirty times the food v alue that is obtained by
eating the beef and mutton supplied. In addition, decomposition of animal flesh begins at the moment of death, and by the tim e it is
consumed as food, decay has progressed sometimes to the point of putrefaction.

    Otto Carqué i n his Errors of Bio -Chemistry says:

    "There is also a marked physiological difference between plant and animal food. Animals are distinguished from vegetables by
incessant decay in every tissue, a decay which is proportional to animal activity. This i ncessant decay necessitates incessant repair,
so that the animal body has been likened to a temple on which two opposite forces are at work in every part, the one tearing down,
the other repairing the breach as fast as it is made. In plants no such incessa nt decay has ever been discovered. If it exists at all, it
must be very trifling in comparison. Protoplasm, it is true, is taken from the older parts of the plant, and these parts die;  but the
Page 53 of  72 protoplasm does not seem to decompose, but is used again for ti ssue building. Thus the eternal activity of animals is of two kinds,
tissue -destroying and tissue -building, while that of plants is principally of one kind, tissue -building. Flesh foods will, therefore,
impart less vitality to our system than plant foods, because the former always contain a quantity of substances which have
undergone the various stages of catabolism and have lost their vital force. We feel drowsy and indolent after a heavy meal of  meat,
while an apple, an orange, a bunch of grapes, instantl y refreshes us. The theories that flesh makes flesh, that blood is converted
into blood, that calf's or sheep's brain increases our mental capacity, that meat is predigested plant food, cannot stand in the light of
physiological chemistry."

    Experimen ts carried out most thoroughly by Irving Fisher, Professor of Political Economy at Yale University, show beyond any
chance of refutation that the physical endurance of the human body is increased to the utmost by a non -flesh diet. In the course of
these ex periments meat -eating athletes competed in test exercises with non -meat eaters, both sedentary and active in occupation.
The results were so largely in favor of the non -flesh dietary that the most ardent advocates of the opposite side can find no
loophole through which to escape from the facts.

    No adequate explanation is as yet available of the evident superiority of a vegetarian dietary over one of flesh as regards
endurance, save, perhaps, in the theory that a diet composed in greater part of protei d produces uric acid and other crystalline
substances, which in turn cause muscular fatigue in exercise. The facts are patent in the instances related, as well as in ex periments
made by the author along similar lines during the past twenty years. The resul ts obtained have invariably demonstrated that a non -
flesh dietary builds a consistently


 field of energy
surrounding my body was slowly drawn back into my
heart. I avoided touching anyone because I noticed that
contact seeme d to ground t he energy. Eventually, the
outer fi eld sub sided, but not the inner flow. A channel
had been opened in my heart, and a warm flow of energy
kept passing through it. Just as the powerful meditation
in th e fo rest ha d left a flow of energy always rising to the
point between my eyebrows, so the touch of Amrit’s hand
left a beautiful flow of energy  always passing through my
heart. It has b een more than thirty-five years now and
neither of these energy flows has ever subsided, not even
for a moment. Sometimes they are stronger than other
times, but they are always t here. The simple touch of
Amrit’s hand had permanently opened my heart chakra.
As the universe would have it, Amrit’s visit had
another lasting  influence on o ur lives. Just as Mataji had
brought up the topic of a t emple on my property, soAmrit encouraged people to come out to the Temple
regularly for daily meditations. He never discussed this
with me  beforehand, and I ju st about died when he kept
pushing people to do their d aily practices at my place.
This experiment in surrender was stealing my life. My
morning and evening m editation periods were
sacrosanct to me. I had no interest in sharing those
periods with others. Amrit not only invited  others out, he
specifically tol d me that I should support them in their
daily practices by meeting with them each morning and
evening. Once again, life was not asking me—it was
telling me.
I reminded myself that I had tried as hard as I could to
break free of myself for yea rs. I had resolved to find
another way that did not hav e my mind as my spiritual
adviser. Sharing my meditation time with others was just
the next step i n the unfolding dance with life. By now I
was seeing a pattern. I was continuously being pushed
headfirst into a life that centered on serving other
people’s spiritual growth instead of my own. I never
consciously would have decid ed to do this. I was not wise
enough or selfless enough t o make such a decision. It
was simply the fact that I had resolved to surrender to
life, and this is where life was taking me.
When I was building the Tem ple, my mind kept telling
me that it was a stupid thing to do. Coming out to my
place on Sundays was just a  fad that would fade away.
Soon I would end up with an empty building on my
property. I ignored all that ne gative chatter and just kept
building. I reflected back on those thoughts once the
Temple was being used every day, morning and evening.
Now, I reflect back on them  even more with the gift of
hindsight. Eve ry single Sunday for over thirty-five years,
seventy to eighty people have  found their way out to this
temple in the m iddle of the w oods. We never advertised
and don’t even have signs tha t show the way. Still people
come, every week. Likewise, people have always shownup f or my Mon day and Thursday night talks, as well as
for the rest of  our morning and evening programs. It
seems as though life knew ex actly what it was doing, and
as usual, my mind knew nothing.2 6.
G e t  T h e e  t o  a n  A s h r a m
M arch of 1976 marked the official formation of Temple
of the Universe as a federally recognized nonprofit
organization. To this organization, I signed over the
ownership of my ten acres along with the Temple
building, Donn a’s cabin, and my house. I was back to
owning nothin g but my van, and that was exactly the way
I wanted it. I was almost thirty years old, and my
financial life was very simpl e. I was earning less than
$5,000 a year, I had no ass ets or debt, and there was
nothing I longed for that mo ney could buy. I liked being
free fro m having to deal with  finances. I wanted to quiet
my min d, and keeping life simple was certainly a help.
Amrit’s group had offered the Temple 15 percent of the
retreat profits, but I refused. We had not made anything
from the other retreats, and there was something very
beautiful about keeping it that way.
Amrit’s visit was by no means the end of the retreats or
of visiting teachers. Our address and phone number were
now everywhere in the New Age community, and
whoever was touring Florida  tended to drop by for at
least an evening lecture.1 We ran annual retreats for
Mataji and Amrit for many years and ran two very large
retreats for Ram Dass, an immensely popular American
spiritual teacher.
By now, Donna had become an integral part of my life.
There w as way too much work for one person to do, and
she perfectly filled in the gaps. Aside from preparin g for
Sunday services, she handled all the kitchen
responsibilities for the retreats and even allowed me tomove m y phon e up to her house so that she could handle
the Tem ple calls. Donna and I ended up spending more
and more time together, and a tremendous love flowed
between us. The events of the preceding few years had
not just been happening to me; they had just as much
happened to her. That created a powerful bond between
us, and  in the summer of 1976 we decided to make it
official and get married.
The thought of getting married again was not
completely comfortable to me. I was still holding on to
the concept that all this exte rnal activity in my life was
temporary. I would soon be a llowed to return to my days
spent in meditation and yo ga. This relationship with
Donna was forcing me to surrender my concepts of what
I t houg ht should be going on. I had not been looking for
love or marria ge, but the po werful flow of life managed
to bless  me with both. Fortunately for me, Donna was
very spiritually oriented in her own right. We each
enjoyed our quiet time, and we had no intention of giving
up our separate houses once we were married.
As if things were not changing fast enough, returning
home from our July wedding trip to Amrit’s revealed that
another phase of our lives had already begun. It seems
that once we had started holding evening and early
morning servi ces in the Tem ple, periodically someone
would s pend the night in the Temple’s guest room. When
we r eturned, we found that n ot only had someone stayed
there the whole time we were gone, but a very sincere
seeker n amed Radha Kautz had stayed in my house. As
in the case of  Sandy a few years earlier, no one had
actually asked to move in; they just ended up living here.
Donna and I h ad just returned from visiting a spiritual
community—now it appeared we were supposed to live
in one.
The fact is, I never even dreamed of starting a spiritual
center. It all just happened by  surrendering to the flow of
life. Though there was at least some internal resistanceeach step of th e way, I just kept letting go. Sharing my
place of solitude certainly wasn’t what I thought I
wanted, but that’s because I didn’t understand that
serving others is much higher than serving yourself.
Nowadays, alm ost forty years later, people sometimes
ask me how the  Temple community got started. What am
I to tell them? I know perfectly well that I didn’t do it.
The best I can say is that I let go of myself and allowed
what was meant to be—to be.
1  An example of such a visit was when a Zen teacher was passing
through in the 1980s and asked to stop by for dinner. When I arrived, I
was stunned to find Philip Kapleau, the author of Three Pillars of Zen,
sitting at the table. The flow of life had magically given me the opportunity
to thank him for the great help he had provided on my spiritual journey.S e c t i o n  I V
The Business of Surrender2 7.
A  C o m p a n y  I s  B o r n
I n D ecember of 1976, the next event took place that
epitomized the  essence of my surrender experiment. Just
as th e direction of my life had  changed by my reluctantly
surrendering t o tutoring Alan Robertson, teaching at
Santa Fe, and i nviting Baba to Gainesville, so I was about
to again  be asked to do something that seemed askew
from m y chosen path but ended up perfectly aligned with
my life’s destiny.
I had just come home from teaching at Santa Fe and
was taking a q uiet walk in th e woods. I turned down the
narrow path that led in front of the Temple, and what I
saw made me s top in my tracks. A sheriff’s patrol car was
parked right in front of the T emple building. It was quite
intimidating