 of incredible suffering. He
identified something in his experience that was meaningfu l and then
immersed himself in that outcome. Frankl concluded the meaning of life can be found in every moment of
living and that life never ceases to have meaning, even in suffering and
death. He said that a prisoner ’s reactions were not solely based on the
conditions of his life but also the freedom of choice one alway s has in his
suffering. He noted that suffering ceases to be suffering when we find
meaning in our experience.4
What do Frankl’ s words mean to you? You have not been in a
concentration camp, but you have endured suffering. You have likely
questioned why you are in the situation you are in. Perhaps you’ve gone so
far as to questio n God and wonder why you have not found a miraculous
release from your pain. Know that there is purpose in your life, even in
spite of your circumstances. Chrysalis
I can remember  the first time I read about the chrysalis. I must have
been all of ten years old. I read with amazement.How could an insect enter into a tiny case for months and go through a
transformation, mer ging in the spring as a butterfly? This was impossible. I read more. It was true. I took a keen interest and actually watched the
transformation occur in nature. The caterpillar spun its chrysalis and
emer ged months later as a butterfly. The chrysalis has had special meaning
for me ever since. I believe we all can enter a “chrysalis season” and
emer ge as butterflies. Regardless of what happens in your life, it is imperative that you find
your purpose—the transformation needed. It is critical to discov er who God
has meant you to be so you can enter a change process and emer ge as
something entirely new. It is exciting to consider that you can discover your godly self
regardless of what is taking place in your life. You may feel exhausted from
your journey, but you still have a voice crying out to be heard. You have
gifts and talents to share with others. There is a new you ready to burst onto
the scene with bright colors. Take your eyes off your circum stances for a moment. Reflect on who
your godly self really is. Consider what moves you. Are you moved when you hear a story of a homeless person being given
food and shelter? Do you have an interest in helping those less fortunate
than you? This may indicate a passion and purpose. Are you moved when walking through an art gallery, viewing exquisite
paintings and sculptures? Time seems to stand still as your eyes are affixed
to the artistry before you. This may reveal some creativity within. Are you touched when hearing Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman
sing “Time to Say Goodbye”? Perhaps music has some special meaning to
you and signals something for you to attend to. You may long to be wealthy and able to give boundlessly to others, or to
be a painter, sculptor, or musician, but you can only be you. Still, you can
be the best you possible. This means finding your voice, your artistry, your
passion, and giving expression to it. Finding Y our V oice
Having learned that marriage can be a place to grow if there is a
measure of safety, and armed with a new mindset, it is critical to add yetsomething more. Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,
wisely decided there was an eighth habit needed for people to become all
they were meant to be: “Find your voice and inspire others to find theirs.”
In his last book, The 8th Habit, Covey passionately says,
The 8th Habit…is the voice of the human spirit—full of
hope and intelligence, resilient by nature, boundless in its
potential to serve the common good…
The power to discover our voice lies in the potential that was
bequeathed to us at birth. Laten t and undeveloped, the seeds of
greatness were planted. We were given magnificent
“birthgifts”—talents, capacities, privileges, intelligences,
opportunities—that would remain largely unopened excep t
through our own decision and ef fort.5
This is so true. There is within us a God-given desire to be all we can
be, to express the yearning to find our voice in life. We want to talk about
what is happening within us. W e want to be heard and to hear. What is it you want to say? Who is it you want to be? If you are like me,
you have a mess age you want to proclaim. You want to influence others in
some way, be it with your music, your art, your writing. Perhaps it is with
your service and acts of kindness for humanity. As you use your voice and speak out your truths, you will grow. As you
find your community of safety, your voice will become stronger. Choosing to Leave, Choosing to Stay
As you find your voice and discover your ability to make choices,
perhaps your greatest decision is whether you choose to leave or to stay. Perhaps you find you must leave to feel healthy and safe. Perhaps your decision to leave will be permanent. You have tried and
tried to single-handedly save your marriage, only to become more
exhausted and weary. Feeling utterly abandoned and mistreated, you have
decided you must leave.Perhaps, like many others, you have decided to stay for now. Yet you
recognize you must rediscover your passion for life. You must live, not just
survive. Perhaps like Jill, you decide to stay and to thrive. You have a sense you
can be healthy even as your mate attempts to become healthy. Regardless of
his actio ns, you have decided for a season you will focus on you and being
the person God designed you to be. You will experiment with life and see
where it takes you. Townsend and Cloud, in their book Safe People, note that the key to
deciding whether to leave or stay hinges on one last factor: Can the person
you’re with be safe?6
While they list numerous indicators of a safe person, one in particular
stands out that I would like to highlight. Unsafe people think they have it all
together rather than admitting weaknesses. Becoming your godly self means being vulnerable, open to others, and
influencing others. This cannot be done in a hostile, threatening
environment. Consider once more what Jill has discovered. “For me to stay meant having several very firm talks with Todd. I could
stay as long as he was working on himself. I could stay as long as he gave
me some room to explore mysel f, supporting my involvement in my groups
and my church. Those were prerequisites to me staying. I didn’ t need him to
be on the same path I was on, but he had to support my journey.”
Notice Jill needed room to explore herself. This will be different for
each person. For some it means  an absence of crazy-making behaviors. For
others it means knowing their mate is working to become healthy. For
others it means simply being given the freedom to be on their own healing
path without criticism for that journey. What do you need to feel safe? What do you need to explore who God
has designed you to be? All Things W ork T ogether for Good
You have undoubtedly wondere d why you are in the situation you are
in. Why  have you not been miraculously freed? Like the man sitting by the
pool of Bethesd a, you may have  wondered why you have not been healed. Why have your circumstances not changed?I cannot answer those questions. What I can do, however, is of fer hope. The apostle Paul offers a most perplexing yet hopeful message when he
says, “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love
him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). Does this mean that all things are good? Of course not. Bad behavior is
bad. Hurtful behavior is hurtful. God never approves of abuse. Yet there is a powerful and hopeful message in this for you and me. All
things—trials, losses, suf fering, mistreatment—can work together for good. How can good come from mistreatment and abuse? I have heard many testimonies from women in abusive relati onships. They have shared with me that their suffering has caused them to reflect on
God in a deeper way. Their abuse has caused them to drop to their knees in
pain and search for God. It has caused them to critically review their
perspective to see if there is something about themselves they need to
change. Mostly, these women have taught me the important lesson of trusting
God to guide them. They have learned lessons of being joyful always,
praying continually, and giving thanks in all their circumstances. Love Does
You are in a less-than-perfect relationship. In the midst of this, I
encourage you to embrace a truth: God loves you and encourages you to
love yourself and others. In Hosea 11 we read how God loved His children, Israel, even though
they turned away from Him. While Israel kept failing, God kept loving. God is a loving Father who desires His best for His children. This is a powerful image to bear in mind as you consider your situation
and make critica l decisions about your future. God persists in His love for


 the profound impact these words have on
me. It’s my vision that in this 21st century, our world must recruit future
leaders who are steeped in the importance of Lao-tzu’ s words. Our survival
may depend on understanding that the concepts of “enemy” and “war” can
cease to exist through living Tao-centered lives. Government will need to
retreat from regulating our personal lives, overly taxing our income, and
invading our privacy. Yet the lessons and truths of the Tao must be discovered and applied by
individuals. In this way, it can bring you to the enormous wonder of your
own being—yes, you are the Tao at work. Your Preface being came from,
and will return to, nonbeing. So for maximum enjoyment and benefit, make
reading this book a personal journey. First peruse one of the passages of the
Tao Te Ching and the essay that follows it. Next, spend some time applying
it, changing the way you’ve been conditioned to think and letting yourself
open up to a new way of conceptualizing these ideas. Finally, individualize
the verse  by writing, recording, drawing, or expressing yourself in whateverway you’re called to. And move on to the next verse with a rhythm that
suits your nature. The following is from 365 Tao: Daily Meditations by Deng  Ming Dao,
which I love to turn to each day. Read this excerpt and see the Tao coming
alive in you:
If you spend a long period of time in study and self-cultivation,
you will enter Tao. By doing so, you also enter a world of
extraordinary perceptions. You experience unimaginable things,
receive thoughts and learning as if from nowhere, perceive things
that could be classified as presci ent. Yet if you try to communicate
what you experience, there is no one to understand you, no one
who will believe  you. The more  you walk this road, the farther you
are from the ordinary ways of society. You may see the truth, but
you will find that people would rather listen to politicia ns,
performers, and charlatans. If you are known as a follower of Tao, people may seek you out,
but they are seldom the ones who will truly understand Tao. They
are people who would exploit Tao as a crutch. To speak to them of
the wonders you have seen is often to engage in a futile bout of
miscommunication. That is why it is said that those who know do
not speak. Why not simply stay quiet? Enjoy Tao as you will. Let other s
think you are dumb. Inside yourself, you will know the joy of
Tao’s mysteries. If you meet someone who can profit by your
experience, you should share. But if you are merely a wanderer in
a crowd of strangers, it is wisdom to be silent. Perhaps the overriding message of the Tao Te Ching is to learn how to
luxuriate in the simplicity of what you’re being told throughout this ancient
sacred text. As you put its ideas into practice, you’ll discover how profound
it all is—but then you’ll find yourself startled by its simplicity and
naturalness. The advice of this ancient master is so easy to apply that you
mustn’ t try to complicat e it. Simply allow yourself to stay in harmony with
your nature, which can be trusted if you just listen and act accordingly.I hope that you’l l feel joyously in love with Lao-tzu and his wondrous Tao
Te Ching, and that you’ll add your light and color to the Great Way. I offer
you my love, along with my commitment to a Tao-centered world. I can
think of no greater vision for you, for our planet, or for our universe. — W ayne W. Dyer
Maui, Hawaii
(Editor ’s note: Lao-tzu’ s name has been spelled many different ways over the years, so in order to
avoid confusion in this book, we’ll be using the spelling preferred by Merriam-W ebster ’s Collegiate
Dictionary, 11th Edition. ) OceanofPDF.comOf bir ds
I know that they
have wings to fly with,
of fish that they have fins to
swim with, of wild beasts that they
have feet to run with. For feet ther e are traps,
for fins nets, for wings arr ows. But who knows how dragons
surmount wind and cloud
into heaven? This day I have seen
[Lao-tzu] and he is a dragon. — from The W ay of Life Accor ding to Lao Tzu, translated by W itter Bynner
(This quote is attributed to Confucius, after he visited the elder Lao-tzu to seek advice on points of
ceremonial etiquette.) OceanofPDF.com1st Verse
The T ao that can be told
is not the eternal T ao. The name that can be named
is not the eternal name. The T ao is both named and nameless. As nameless it is the origin of all things;
as named it is the Mother of 10,000 things. Ever desir eless, one can see the mystery;
ever desiring, one sees only the manifestations. And the mystery itself is the doorway
to all understanding. OceanofPDF.comLiving the Mystery
In this opening verse of the Tao Te Ching, Lao-tzu tells us that the “Tao is
both named and nameless.” This sounds paradoxical to our Western
intellect—and it is! Paradoxical thinking is embedded in Eastern concepts
such as yin and yang or the feminine and the masculine, and where things
are comfortably described as both this and that. We in the West, by contrast,
tend to view opposites as incompatible concepts that contradict each other. Yet this book is asking that we change our ingrained ways of thinking and
see how our lives change as a result. The Tao is an unknowable, unseeable realm where everything originates;
while at the same time, the Tao is invisibly within everything. When we
desire to see this invisibleness (mystery), we attempt to define it in terms of
the outer world of form—what Lao-tzu calls “the 10,000 things.” He
counsels us that letting go of trying to see the mystery will actua lly allow us
to see it. Or, as I like to think of it, “let go and let God.” But how can we do
that? One way is to permit ourselves to practice more paradoxical thinking
by recognizing that desiring (wanting) and desireless (allowing) are
different and the same... rather like the mysterious ends of a continuum. Desiring is the physical expression of creating conditions that allow us to
be recep tive; that is, it’s in-the-world preparation for receiving. According
to Lao-tzu, wanting to know or see the mystery of the Tao will reveal
evidence of it in a variety of manif estations, but not the mystery itself. But
this isn’t a dead  end! From this ground of desiring, the flowering of the
mysterious Tao grows. It’s as if wanting transforms into effortless allowing. Desiring, one sees the manifest ations; desireless, one can see the mystery
itself. When we tune in to what Lao-tzu is telling us, it becomes readil y apparent
that our world produces abundant examples of this paradoxical process. Think of gardening and desiring those luscious homegrown tomatoes or
spring daffodils: Allowing them to grow is ultimately what happens. Now
think of the things in life that involve wanting and how they differ from
allowing: Wanting to go to sleep, for instance, rather than going to sleep. Wanting to diet, rather than dieting. Wanting to love, rather than loving. Inthis reference to the Tao, desireless means trusting, perm itting, and
allowing. Desire is both the beginning and the ground of desirel essness, yet
wanting is also the beginning and the ground of allowing. They are the
same, and they are dif ferent. Pay attention to times when you can feel in your body where you are on
the continuum between desiring and allowing (or trying and doing). Trying
to play the piano, drive the car, or ride the bicycle is the same as, and
different from, actually playing the piano, driving the car, and riding the
bicycle. Once those outer -world activities are desired and learned, there’ s a
time when allowing is what you do. The point here is to recognize the
difference in your body between trying and allowing, and to then become
aware of the effortless sensation of the latter. This practice will also lead to
a greater awareness of the invisible mystery and the 10,000 things, which
are the visible phenomena of our world. The 10,000 things that Lao-tzu refers to represent the categorized,
classified, and scientifically named objects of the earth, which help us
communicate and identify what we’re talking and thinking about. Yet for all
our technological expertise and scientific catego rization, we can never truly
create a human eye or liver, or even a grain of wheat for that matter. Each of
these things—along with the remainder that comprise the known or named
world—emer ge from the mystery, the eternal Tao. Just as the world is not
its name d parts,  we’re not exclusively the skin, bone, and rivers of fluids
that we’re physically made of. We


	don’t. This	is	because	we	aren’t
really	empty. There’s	an	invisible
something
	to	be	discovered	inside	us. “A	mysterious	force	is	holding	things	together	and	making	patterns	out	of
clouds	of	energy,”	Baba	told	me. “You’d	better	find	out	what	that	force	is.”
“Why?”	I	asked. “Because	it’s	everywhere. It’s	finer	than	the	finest	atom. It’s	subtler	than	the
subtlest	energy	It’s	more	real	than	anything	you	have	ever	seen. Don’t	even
compare	it	to	physical	forces	like	gravity	and	electricity,”	he	said. “Unless	an
invisible
something
	existed,	there	would	be	no	universe. And	no	you.”
So	that’s	how	it	started:	A	boy	and	an	old	man	set	out	to	hunt	the	invisible
something
	that	is	real	even	when	everything	else	vanishes. Only	years	later,
after	I	was	grown	up,	did	I	come	across	some	lines	that	perfectly	state	what
we	were	after. They	come	from	the	poet	William	Blake,	and	you	could	call
them	the	motto	for	this	book. To	see	a	world	in	a	grain	of	sand
And	a	heaven	in	a	wild	flower,
Hold	infinity	in	the	palm	of	your	hand
And	eternity	in	an	hour.You	Won’t	Believe	Your	Eyes
W
e’ll	never	find	anything	invisible	if	you	believe	your	eyes,”	said	Baba. “Most	people	do	that	all	the	time. Its	a	bad	habit.”	He	pointed	to	a	rock	lying
beside	him	on	the	ground. “Even	though	this	is	really	an	energy	cloud,	a	rock
looks	very	solid	and	heavy,	doesn’t	it?”
“Yes,	because	it	is. A	cloud	wouldn’t	hurt	if	you	dropped	one	on	your	foot,”	I
said. “Ah,	you	do	trust	your	five	senses,”	said	Baba. “Why	shouldn’t	you? After
all,	the	world	is	flat,	just	the	way	your	eyes	see	it.”
“Well,	no,	that’s	something	I	couldn’t	trust,”	I	said. “Oh,	but	the	sun	moves	across	the	sky	and	sets	in	the	west	at	night,	doesn’t
it?”	said	Baba. “No,	it	only	looks	that	way,”	I	admitted. “So	you’re	already	in	the	habit	of	not	trusting	your	eyes,”	said	Baba,	smiling
a	certain	way. I	came	to	call	this	his
I	know	a	secret
	smile,	and	one	could
never	quite	tell	when	it	was	coming. “Maybe	I	can’t	trust	my	eyes	all	the	time,	but	how	can	I	rely	on	what	I	can’t
see	at	all?”	I	asked. “Here’s	a	clue	wrapped	in	a	story,”	said	Baba. “One	night	while	you	were
asleep,	your	body	started	talking	to	itself. The	heart	spoke	up	first. Tm	sick	of
pumping	blood	all	day	for	the	stomach. Why	should	I? I	should	be	working
just	for	myself.’
“When	it	heard	this,	the	stomach	replied,	‘You	should	talk. I	digest	food	all
day	for	the	brain. It	takes	whatever	I	give,	and	frankly,	I	should	be	working
just	for	myself	too.’
“When	the	brain	heard	this,	it	said,	‘I	think	all	the	time	about	what	to	put	in
the	stomach. Do	you	realize	how	easily	it	gets	upset? If	anybody	should	be
working	just	for	themselves,	it’s	me.’“You	can	see	why	this	argument	is	silly,”	said	Baba. “In	reality	every	part	of
the	body	works	for	every	other	part. How	do	you	see	that? In	your	mind. Knowledge	goes	beyond	the	senses. I	will	teach	you	to	see	with	your	mind’s
eye. Then	you’ll	have	no	trouble	seeing	invisible	things.”
W
HAT
	I	L
EARNED
To	be	spiritual	you	have	to	believe	in	something	invisible. Baba	taught	me
this	at	the	very	beginning. First	you	have	to	stop	trusting	that	only	your	five
senses	are	right. It’s	a	hard	habit	to	break,	because	common	sense	says,	“I
want	to	see	it,	touch	it,	taste	it—then	I’ll	know	it’s	real.”	But	I	can	make	you
taste	something	right	now	that	is	totally	invisible. Close	your	eyes	and	see	a	bright	yellow	lemon	in	your	mind’s	eye. Now	see	a
knife	cutting	the	lemon	into	slices,	and	then	see	yourself	biting	into	one	slice. Did	you	notice	that	your	mouth	started	watering? This	happened	exactly	as	if
you	were	biting	into	an	actual	lemon. All	it	took	was	a	mental	picture,	which
you	produced	out	of	nowhere,	and	suddenly	your	body	went	into	action. Millions	of	cells	in	your	brain	formed	the	image;	a	signal	was	sent	along	the
network	of	nerves	inside	your	head	to	your	mouth;	your	salivary	glands
received	the	message	and	began	to	flow. Here	are	some	amazing	facts	that	follow	from	this	simple	experiment:
There	was	no	picture	of	a	lemon	inside	your	head
. When	you	thought	of	a
lemon,	your	brain	cells	didn’t	paint	an	image	or	project	one	on	a	screen. Your
brain	is	as	dark	as	the	blackest	cave—there’s	no	light	or	color	inside	it. So
where	did	that	picture	come	from? There	was	no	taste	of	lemon	in	your	mouth
. You	didn’t	actually	experience
real	lemon	juice. Your	salivary	glands,	which	you	may	think	need	food	to
react	to,	here	needed	nothing	at	all. So	where	did	the	sourness	come	from? Someplace	mysterious. Some	place	Baba	was	leading	me	to,	step	by	step.Everything	Is	Connected
N
ow,	let’s	say	you	believe	there	really	is
something
	in	the	universe	that	you
can’t	see,”	said	Baba. “What	does	it	do? If	it	had	nothing	to	do,	even	if	you
called	it	God,	our	lives	would	stay	the	same	as	they	are. People	probably
wouldn’t	bother	looking	for	it	in	the	first	place.”
“Probably	not,”	I	said. The	sun	was	rising	higher	in	the	sky,	and	we	were	comfortable	sitting	in	the
cool	shade	of	the	tree. Every	once	in	a	while	I	felt	a	darting	worry	about
missing	school,	but	as	long	as	I	kept	listening	to	Baba,	even	this	worry	was
far	away. “So	it’s	a	fine	puzzle	to	figure	out	what	this	invisible
something
	could	be
doing.”	Baba	took	in	a	big	breath	of	air. “Go	ahead,	do	that,”	he	said. “The
answer	is	right	here,	waiting	to	be	noticed.”
I	took	a	deep	breath. “I	don’t	notice	anything,”	I	said. “Isn’t	there	something
in	the	air?”	asked	Baba. “Spring. You	can’t	miss	it. When	the	birds	start
singing	and	the	buds	come	out	on	the	trees,	when	hearts	flutter	and	you	see
lovers	holding	hands	in	the	park,	isn’t	spring	in	the	air?”
“Sure,	but—”
“Well,	why	is	it	spring? There’s	no	reason	for	it. The	earth	tilts	a	few	degrees
on	its	axis—so	what? Yet	in	the	arctic	snow	a	polar	bear	knows	that	it	is	time
to	come	out	of	hibernation. Flowers	know	that	it	is	time	to	sprout	without	fear


 ulcer relapse, which is believed to be mediated by oxygen-
derived free radicals. 38 DMSO was given orally at doses of 500 mg four times daily,
allopurinol at 50 mg four times a day, and cimetidine 400 mg at bedtime to patients who had shown endoscopic healing from gastric mucosal infection with H. pylori. 38
Treatment of these agents continued for 1 year. During the follow-up endoscopy at 6 and 12 months, the cumulative relapse at 1 year was placebo 47%, cimetidine 24%, allopurinol 6%, and DMSO 6%. In the patients who relapsed, ulcer recurrence tended to occur early in those patients taking a placebo or cimetidine, while ulcer relapse tended to be evenly distributed over the year for the patients treated with DMSO or allopurinol. The conclusions from this study suggest that oxygen-derived free radicals are involved in the relapse of duodenal ulceration in patients infected with H. pylori. 38
P. aeruginosa  is a common opportunistic pathogen of humans, animals, and
plants. This bacterium can colonize the respiratory tract in hospital-acquired infec -
tions particularly in immunocompromised or mechanically ventilated people.39
Because it thrives on most surfaces, this P. aeruginosa  can colonize medical
equipment, including in-dwelling catheters, causing cross-infections in hospitals and clinics. It has been shown that several P. aeruginosa  virulence factors, both
cell-associated and extracellular products, are potent inducers of proinflammatory 107 DMSO in Basic Microbiology
mediators, such as the interleukins, a large group of cytokines mainly produced
by PMNs and leukocytes during inflammation. In particular, interleukin-8 (IL-8) overexpression has been shown to induce ulcer formation in the cornea through neu -
trophil recruitment. 40 Interleukin-8 is often associated with inflammation. IL-8, also
known as neutrophil chemotactic factor, has two primary functions. It induces che -
motaxis in target cells, primarily neutrophils but also other granulocytes, causing them to migrate toward the site of infection, and also induces phagocytosis once they have arrived. 41 Chemotaxis is a process whereby bacteria and other cells move
toward an object according to certain chemicals in their environment. This is fun -
damentally important for bacteria to move forward to find food or move away from a noxious source. A relationship has been found between massive accumulation of neutro -
phils, mainly due to enhanced IL-8 levels, to contribute to lung infections from P. aeruginosa. 42
The role of DMSO as an anti-inflammatory and free radical scavenger43 was inves -
tigated in the possible inhibition of IL-8-mediated neutrophil recruitment induced by P. aeruginosa  bacterial supernatant. 44 The test involved the question of IL-8 inhi -
bition in vitro induced by P. aeruginosa  in human bronchial epithelial cells. These
cells produce IL-8 induced by P. aeruginosa, a process that was blocked by 1%
exposure to DMSO as measured by the concentrations of RNA and protein  p resent. These findings were extended to examine whether DMSO prevented the recruitment of neutrophils and IL-8 production induced by P. aeruginosa
 in dog  t rachea. It was
seen that DMSO was able to prevent IL-8 production in the dog airway epithelial cells induced by P. aeruginosa. The mechanism for this inhibitory action by DMSO
is not known but may be due to its anti-inflammatory effects and hydroxyl radical scavenger activity of recruited neutrophils since it has been shown that airway epi -
thelial cells can form oxygen radicals and hydroxyl radicals after exposure to inflam -
matory mediators such as IL-8. 44
Aside from their effects on airway epithelial cells, production of reactive oxygen
species from bacterial toxins also contributes to the pathophysiology of intestinal inflammation. This is the case of the enterotoxic effects of toxin A generated by Clostridium difficile. C. difficile  is a slow-growing, spore-forming anaerobe that is found in the normal
gut flora in 80% of healthy neonates and in the majority of people. 45 C. difficile  can
remain in check in the gastrointestinal tract normal flora until its destructive power is unleashed following antibiotic treatment that can eradicate other competing bac -
teria from the intestine, disrupt the normal microbiome, and result in colitis and diarrhea. 46
Following antibiotic treatment and proliferation by C. difficile, two potent entero -
toxins designated A and B are released by C. difficile, causing an acute inflammatory
reaction and damage to the mucosal cells of the lamina propria in the large bowel.46
These toxins are responsible for the enterocolitis and diarrhea that results from C.
difficile  infection.46 After their release, toxin A or B or both can enter the cytosol
of target cells where pseudomembranous colitis develops, characterized by loss of appetite, fatigue, offensive-smelling diarrhea, fever, and abdominal pain. In severe cases, life-threatening complications can develop, such as toxic megacolon.108 Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) in Trauma and Disease
C. difficile  infection of the bowel in adults can be treated with oral vancomycin or
preferably, with oral metronidazole, 500 mg three times/day for 2 weeks.47 However,
both medications have side effects, and in particular, metronidazole can cause addi -
tional pseudomembranous colitis, hives, and swelling of the face, lips, and throat.48
Pediatric C. difficile  infection appears to be on the rise, and some cases can be life-
threatening.49 The search for more effective and safer treatments for C. difficile has
therefore become a medical priority.50
Infection with C. difficile  also poses a socioeconomic problem for health-care
costs. The estimated number of cases of C. difficile –associated disease exceeds
250,000 per year in the United States alone with total additional health-care costs
approaching 1 billion dollars annually.51
The search for alternative therapy to C. difficile  led Qiu et al.52 to test the action
of DMSO on reactive oxygen metabolites, which have been implicated in the patho -
genesis of experimental colitis in both animal models and idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease of humans. 53 Reactive oxygen metabolites are mainly free radicals that
appear to mediate damage to proteins and lipids in tissues targeted by C. difficile.52
These free radicals include superoxide, hydroxyl ion, and hypochlorite, which may be involved in toxin A production generated by C. difficle. 52 Rats were subjected to a
laparotomy, and two closed ileal loops were formed in each anima. Five microliters of toxin A was administered by intraluminal injection to each animal. Seven days prior to toxin A administration, rats were treated with 0.1%–5% DMSO or control buffer. Results of DMSO treatment are summarized in Figure 5.1. Results of DMSO treatment and partial inhibition of toxin A support the
assumption that hydroxyl and superoxide radicals contribute to the effects of toxin A–induced acute enteritis inflammation and microvascular injury to the rat ileum. 52
The finding that only partial inhibition of toxin A by DMSO was seen (Figure 5.1) suggests that other mediators such as prostaglandins and leukotrienes may also play a role in toxin A damage. 54
These findings could be useful in the treatment of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s
disease in humans since they are also characterized by reduced levels of antioxidant molecules that can neutralize inflammation generated by activated neutrophils and monocytes. Data to support this assumption have been reported showing oxidant damage in the inflamed mucosa of Crohn’s patients but not in patients with prior Crohn’s disease who had healing of the colon mucosa. 53
DMSO IN VIRAL AND FUNGAL PATHOLOGY
One of the first antiviral uses of DMSO was a formulation for the treatment of oral herpes simplex in humans. Herpes simplex is an infection caused by a herpes sim -
plex virus (HSV), which enters the body and forms blisters, itch, and pain and then heals and disappears. There are two types of herpes viruses: HSV-1 and HSV-2. Both types can cause lesions in the mouth and genitals, but HSV-1 is more predomi -
nant in cold sores of the mouth. Genital herpes affects the genitals, buttocks, or anal area. 55 Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease. Other herpes infections can
affect the eyes, skin, or other parts of the body. Once an infection occurs, the virus 109 DMSO in Basic Microbiology
spreads to nerve cells and stays in the body for the rest of a person’s life. It may come
back from time to time and cause symptoms or flares. Many antiviral preparations have been introduced to alleviate the pain and heal -
ing of oral herpes, some better than others, including DMSO.56,57
One of the better antiviral preparations for


arming	feeling	that	can	best	be	described	as
gratitude.It	is	also	important	for	us	to	express	gratitude—within	reason—for	all	those
things	that	challenge,	sadden,	anger,	or	frustrate	us. As	the	poet	Theodore
Roethke	writes,	“In	a	dark	time,	the	eye	begins	to	see.”	As	a	storytelling
artist,	I	have	encountered	many	myths	and	tales	that	vivify	this	idea. Many	of
these	stories	teach	us	that	serpents	and	toads—creatures	often	associated	with
the	repugnant—are	in	fact	the	guardians	of	precious	jewels	and	gold. Similarly,	painful	experiences	are	not	meaningless. When	we	crack	open
pain’s	shell,	we	almost	always	discover	spiritual	pearls. I	once	had	a	workshop	participant	whose	story	beautifully	illustrates	the
power	of	gratitude. This	woman,	Marisol,	bore	the	scars	of	inner-city	life. Despite	the	fact	that	one	parent	was	a	hard	and	steady	worker,	the	other	was
alcoholic	and	mostly	absent. The	abuse	Marisol	suffered	at	the	hands	of	this
parent,	when	combined	with	her	childhood	education	in	the	dog-eat-dog	mean
streets	of	the	city,	eventually	led	to	her	downfall. Her	soul	collapsed,	and	she
slid	into	the	hellish	underworld	of	drugs. When	Marisol	turned	30,	she	became	pregnant. She	also	learned	she	was	HIV
positive. Motivated	by	fear	and	imminent	motherhood,	she	suddenly	had	one
dream—to	change	her	life. Toward	this	end,	she	began	seeking	help. Because
she	expressed	profound	gratitude	to	the	administrators,	counselors,
facilitators,	clergy,	peers,	and	medical	practitioners	involved	in	her	case,
many	went	out	of	their	way	to	assist	her. Their	support,	when	combined	with
her	own	formidable	powers,	worked	a	miracle. As	of	this	writing,	Marisol	is	well	on	her	way	to	a	recovery	from	substance
abuse,	and	in	spite	of	the	HIV,	her	health	is	good. The	energy	she	once	freely
burned	in	the	bowl	of	a	crack	pipe	is	now	being	used	to	create	a	future—
however	long	or	short	it	may	be—for	herself	and	her	daughter—a	sparkly-
eyed,	chubby-legged	toddler	of	two. Feeling	and	expressing	gratitude	for	the	good	we	have	in	our	lives	doesn’t
give	us	permission	to	passively	accept	the	aspects	of	our	lives	that	are	not
working. However,	as	we	labor	to	spin	the	straw	of	lack	into	gold,	we	must
focus	on	our	wealth,	not	our	poverty. And	while	we	must	consciously	make
an	effort
not
	to	push	away	or	avoid	our	problems,	it	is	imperative	that	we
simultaneously	find	things	to	praise. Complaining	only	focuses	our	mind’s
attention	on	what	is	missing,	and	what	we	mentally	focus	on	gradually	takes
shape	in	the	outer	world. One	way	we	can	develop	our	sense	of	gratitude	is	to	pay	closer	attention	tothe	beauty	around	us. Even	seemingly	small	events	such	as	quenching	our
thirst	with	a	frosty	glass	of	water,	luxuriating	beneath	a	quilt	on	a	blustery
morning,	watching	the	breeze	undo	a	dandelion	puff,	or	listening	to	a	chorus
of	crickets	croaking	and	singing	on	a	moon-gold	night,	are	things	that,	if
respectfully	regarded,	can	summon	up	our	gratitude. Sadly,	our	lack	of	gratitude	manifests	itself	in	myriad	ways,	some	of	them	not
always	obvious. For	example,	too	many	of	us	rush	through	life—ignoring	its
splendors	as	we	plow	through	mind-boggling	lists	of	activities. We	pass
through	landscapes	exploding	with	color,	but	hardly	notice. We	wolf	down
our	food,	without	even	so	much	as	a	silent	thank	you	to	the	living	thing	that
gave	its	life	for	our	nourishment. Others	do	kind	or	helpful	things,	and	we
minimize	their	efforts	or	express	inadequate	appreciation	for	the	services
performed. We	fling	beautiful	books	to	the	floor,	taking	their	creamy,	crisp,
wisdom-packed	pages	for	granted. Wrapped	up	in	the	demands	of	our
personal	lives,	we	too	often	ignore,	or	speak	harshly	to,	the	web	of	friends,
family	members,	and	colleagues	who	support	us	in	our	journey	through	life. The	very	source	of	existence,	the	sun,	is	all	too	often	greeted	with	a	curse,	a
grumble,	and	a	groan;	it	is	seen	as	a	demanding	intruder	who	orders	us	to
throw	off	the	covers	of	sleep	and	begin	the	activities	of	an	unwanted	day. Many	Native	American	traditions	emphasize	the	importance	of	expressing
gratitude,	particularly	to	the	earth. Like	many,	I	am	drawn	to	the	solemn
beauty	of	the	Navajo	Blessingway	Chants. It	is	said	that	the	power	of	these
ceremonial	songs	is	so	great	that	they	can	bring	the	afflicted	individual	back
into	harmony	with	the	world. Not	long	ago,	I	saw	a	documentary	that	featured	a	Navajo	singer	reciting	a
version	of	the	Beautyway	Chant	to	an	elderly	woman. The	chant,	meant	to
quell	the	woman’s	anxiety,	described	the	patient’s	connection	to	the	spirit	of
the	mountains,	herbs,	evergreens,	morning	mists,	clouds,	gathering	waters,
dew	drops,	and	pollen. By	helping	this	person	feel	kinship	with	the	rich	and
wild	beauty	around	her,	the	singer	contributed	to	her	healing. In	a	similar	way,	the	act	of	feeling	and	expressing	gratitude
is
	good	and
powerful	medicine. When	we	feel	connected	to	the	richness	surrounding	us,
we	feel	blessed. And	although	life	and	suffering	are	intertwined—paired
together	as	rainbows	and	storm	clouds,	sunlight	and	shadow,	sickness	and
health—gratitude,	like	faith,	helps	us	understand	that	suffering	is	not	the
whole	picture.Gratitude	Prayer
by	Louise	L.	Hay
Deep	at	the	center	of	my	being	there	is	an	infinite	well	of	gratitude. I	now
allow	this	gratitude	to	fill	my	heart,	my	body,	my	mind,	my	consciousness,
my	very	being. This	gratitude	radiates	out	from	me	in	all	directions,	touching
everything	in	my	world,	and	returns	to	me	as	more	to	be	grateful	for. The
more	gratitude	I	feel,	the	more	I	am	aware	that	the	supply	is	endless. The	use
of	gratitude	makes	me	feel	good,	it	is	an	expression	of	my	inner	joy. It	is	a
warm	fuzzy	in	my	life. I	am	grateful	for	myself	and	for	my	body. I	am	grateful	for	my	ability	to	see
and	hear,	feel	and	taste	and	touch. I	am	grateful	for	my	home,	and	I	take
loving	care	of	it. I	am	grateful	for	my	family	and	friends,	and	I	rejoice	in	their
company. I	am	grateful	for	my	work,	and	I	give	it	my	best	at	all	times. I	am
grateful	for	my	talents	and	abilities,	and	I	continually	express	them	in	ways
that	are	fulfilling. I	am	grateful	for	my	income,	and	I	know	that	I	prosper
wherever	I	turn. I	am	grateful	for	all	my	past	ex


 robust, vital health comes from good
health habits! This book shows you how to turn away
from the damaging, unhealthy lifestyle habits that
careless, wrong living promotes. It is up to you to apply the wise intelligence that our
Creator gave you. W e teach simple, healthy living. Y ou
now have a treasure of knowledge of how to create a
healthier, more joyful life through living this simple,
healthy lifestyle. Have faith in yourself, start now! Your health depends on your total lifestyle, the way
162	you conduct yourself each hour, each day, each week,
each month and each year. Eat healthy the rest of your
life. Y ou are the sum total of your habits! It’ s true that
your body can take a lot of punishment from your bad
habits. Sure, you can smoke, drink, eat dead, devitalized
foods and apparently look and feel fine. Y es, for a while
... but sooner or later you will have to balance your
debts with Mother Nature! And when something breaks
and you have heart trouble or one of hundreds of other
life and health destroying miseries, it may be too late! It
may mean years of living death or may mean quick death. We have no supernatural power to pr event or cure
disease. That power is in your body. Your body is self-
cleansing and self-healing when given a chance. W e can
only come to you as health teachers, to tell you in a
simple way what living this healthy lifestyle will do for
you. Y ou have the knowledge; it’ s now up to you to apply
the intelligence that our Creator gave you! Living The
Bragg Healthy Lifestyle is simply good common sense. Knowing these teachings will mean true life and good health for you. – Proverbs 4:22 Earn Y our Bragging Rights
Live The Bragg Healthy Lifestyle
To Attain Supreme Physical, Mental,
Emotional and Spiritual Health! With your new awar eness, understanding and sincere
commitment of how to live The Bragg Healthy Lifestyle
– you can now live a longer, healthier life to 120 years! God bless you and your family and may He give you
the strength, the courage and the patience to win your
battle to re-enter the Healthy Garden of Eden while you
are still living here on Earth with time to enjoy it all! With Blessings of Health, Peace, Joy and Love,
and
Health Crusaders
Paul C. Bragg and
daughter Patricia
traveled the
world spreading
health, inspiring
millions to renew
and revitalize
their health. - 3 John 2
- Genesis 6:3
163
The Bragg books are written to inspire and guide you to health, fitness
and longevity. Remember, the book you don’t read won’t help. So please
read and reread the Bragg Books and live The Bragg Healthy Lifestyle! I never suspected that I would have to learn how to live – that there were
specific disciplines and ways of seeing the world that I had to master before I
could awaken to a simple, healthy, happy, uncomplicated life. – Dan Millman, Author of The Way of the Peaceful Warrior - www.danmillman.com
A Bragg fan and admirer since Stanford University coaching days. A truly good book teaches me better than to just read it,
I must soon lay it down and commence living in its wisdom. What I began by reading, I must finish by acting! – Henry David Thoreau
FROM GO
THE ORGANIC
AUTHORS
This book was written for Y ou! It can be your passport to the
Good Life. W e Professional Nutritionists join hands in one common
objective – a high standard of health for all and many added years
to your life. Scientific Nutrition points the way – Mother Natur e’s
Way – the only lasting way to build a body fr ee of degenerative
diseases and premature ageing. This book teaches you how to work
with Mother Natur e, not against her. Doctors, nurses, and
professional car e givers who care for the sick tr y to repair depleted
tissues, which too often mend poorly – if at all. Many of them
praise the spreading of this message of natural foods and methods
for long-lasting health and youthfulness at any age. This book was
written to speed the spreading of this tremendous message. Statements in this book are recitals of scientific findings, known
facts of physiology, biological therapeutics and reference to ancient
writings as they are found. Paul C. Bragg faithfully practiced the
natural methods of living for over 80 years with highly beneficial
results, knowing that they were safe and of great value. His daughter
Patricia Bragg worked with him to car ry on the Health Crusades. They make no specific claims regarding the effectiveness of these
methods for any individual, and assume no obligation for any
opinions expressed in this book. No cure for disease is offered in this book. No foods or diets are
offered for the treatment or cure of any specific ailment. Nor is it
intended as, or to be used as, literature aimed at promoting any
food product. Paul C. Bragg and daughter Patricia express their
opinions solely as Public Health Educators and Health Crusaders. Experts may disagree with some of the statements made in
this book, particularly those pertaining to the various nutritional
recommendations. However, such statements are considered to
be factual, based upon the long-time experience of Paul C. Bragg
and Patricia Bragg. If you suspect you have a medical problem,
please seek alternative health professionals to help you make the
healthiest, wisest and best-informed choices. 164
Bragg Blessings to Y ou, Our T reasured Friends
From the Bragg home to your home we share our years of
health knowledge – years of living close to God and Mother Nature
and what joys of fruitful, radiant, fulfilled living this produces
– this my Father and I share with you, your family and loved ones. With Love and Blessings for Health, Peace and Happiness. – Patricia 165 Recommended – W ater Resear ch Reading
Alhava, E. M., et al, The effect of drinking water fluoridation on
the fluoride content, str ength and mineral density of human bone,
Acta Orthop Scand 51:413-20, 1980. Arnala, I., Bone fluoride, histomorphometr y, and incidence of hip
fractur e, University of Kuopio, 1983. Avioli, L.V., Fluoride tr eatment of osteopor osis, Postgraduate
Medicine: A special r eport, pp. 26-7, September 14, 1987. Bryson, Christopher, The Fluoride Deception, (great expose,
&
resear ch on fluoride) Seven Stories Pr ess, 2004. www.amazon.com
Burgstahler, A. W. and Colquhoun, J., Neurotoxicity of fluoride,
Fluoride 29:57-8, 1996. Chlebna-Sokol, D. and Czer winski, E., Bone str ucture assessment
on radiographs of distal radial metaphysis in childr en with dental
fluorosis, Fluoride 26:3744, 1993. Cohn, P. D., A brief r eport on the association of drinking water
fluoridation and the incidence of osteosar coma among young males,
New Jersey Department of Health, November 8, 1992. Colquhoun, J., Disfiguring dental fluor osis in Auckland, New
Zealand, Fluoride 17:66-72, 1984.
Cooper, C., W ickham, C. A. C., Barker, D. J. R. and Jacobsen,
S. J., W ater fluoridation and hip fractur e, Journal of the American
Medical Association 266:513, 1991. Czerwinski, E., et al, Bone and joint pathology in fluoride-exposed
workers, Archives of Envir onmental Health 43:340-3,
September/October 1988. Danielson, C., L yon, J. L., Egger, M. and Goodenough, G. K.,
Hip fractur es and fluoridation in Utah’ s elderly population, Journal
of the American Medical Association 286:746-8, 1992. Diesendorf, M., T he myster y of declining tooth decay, Nature
322:125-9, 1986. Erickson, Mortality in selected cities with fluoridated and
nonfluoridated water supplies. New England Journal of
Medicine, 298:1112-6, 1978. 166 Recommended – W ater Resear ch Reading
Fejerskov, O., Manji, F. and Baelu, V., The natur e and
mechanisms of dental fluor osis in man, Journal of Dental
Resear ch 69:692-700, 1990. Foulkes, R. G., Case repor t: mass fluoride poisoning, Hooper Bay
Alaska, etc., Fluoride 27:32-36, 1994. Foulkes, R. G. and Anderson, A., Impact of ar tificial fluoridation
on salmon species in the U.S. Northwest and British Columbia,


 to admit patients who had received chemotherapy. There was no mention of it in A Cancer Therapy, which served as their exclusive guide. Later, as
they became more familiar with the treatment and saw its positive effects, they cautiously accepted
two chemo-pre-treated patients who begged for their help. At that time, realizing the additional
damage caused by the highly toxic chemo drugs, the doctors assumed that these patients should
also undergo the regular detoxifying treatment, to remove the accumulated poisons from their
bodies. Accordingly, they administered the strict intensive protocol, including the castor oil treatment,
and were shocked to see that the castor oil began to remove those poisons too rapidly, releasing
them into the blood stream, actually causing the patients to suffer from an overdose of chemo
drugs. They had to be transferred to intensive care; fortunately both survived. This incident
quickly taught the doctors not to give chemo-pre-treated patients any castor oil, moreover to
work out a somewhat reduced treatment program for them, in order not to over-stress the liver or
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 134Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comrelease toxins too rapidly. Since then we have seen a number of such patients making satisfactory long-term recoveries. But the results are achieved more slowly. Also, since the body is much more toxic owing to its
load of synthetic chemicals, the results are also somewhat less reliable. (see Chapter 27  for the
stories of patients who were unsuccessfully treated with chemo before being sent home to die—
yet recovered on the Gerson program). Chemo-pretreated patients also produce healing reactions (see Chapter 16.) These vary in
intensity during the first few months. However, as a rule a major chemo healing reaction occurs
approximately after six months on the Therapy, which is different from the standard flare-ups
experienced by chemo-free patients. The chemo-burdened patient excretes the toxic drugs still
stored in his or her organism and suffers disturbances that are similar, though less severe, than the
ones caused by the chemotherapy. They include some hair loss, nausea, mouth sores, pain, drop
in red- and white blood corpuscle counts, weakness, and changes in the test results. Some patients
can actually smell the chemicals being excreted through their skin. Often the enema returns also
smell of chemicals. Such a six-month chemo reaction can last up to three weeks, after which time
the patient is much improved. The chemo-caused symptoms clear, the blood picture improves
once again, the tumors regress more rapidly, hair re-grows and energy returns. After this major clear-out, one important procedure, namely the Castor Oil Treatment  can
cautiously be added to the protocol. The patient is started on the castor oil enema only. Instead
of the usual amount, (see Chapter 13, pg. 113 ) only two teaspoonfuls are added to the coffee
enema for 2-3 weeks, up to twice weekly. If the patient does not react too violently, this amount
is increased to four teaspoonfuls for another three weeks. Again, if this addition is well tolerated,
the patient should be given one teaspoonful  of castor oil orally, followed by the usual cup of hot
sweetened coffee; then, 5 hours later, by the castor oil enema—twice a week. After this again
slowly the amounts are gradually increased, together with the number of coffee enemas, until the
patient is able to take the complete regular castor oil treatment and restore the reduced Therapy to
its full intensive level, as used by regular patients. 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 135Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comHere are the details of the modified treatment for chemo-pretreated
and/or severely damaged patients :
A typical hourly schedule*
Enema MealFlax-
seed
OilAcidoll
CapsulesJuicePotassium
CompoundLugol’s
Solution
1/2 strengthThyroid NaicinLiver
Caps.Pan-
creatin
TabletsInjection
Liver &
B12
6:00
am
8:00
am 2Orange 2 tsp. 1 drop 1 gram 50mg2 3
9:00
am Coffee2 tsp. 9:30
am
10:00
amCarrot/
Apple2 tsp. 1 drop 1 gram 50mg
11:00
amCarrot NO21 daily
12
noonGreen 2 tsp. 1:00
pm1 Tbsp. 2Carrot/
Apple2 tsp. 1 drop 1 gram 50mg3
2:00
pmCoffee Green 2 tsp. 3:00
pm
4:00
pm
5:00
pmCarrot/
Apple2 tsp. 1 drop 50mg3
6:00
pmCoffee Green 2 tsp. 7:00
pmDinner 1 Tbsp. 2Carrot/
Apple2 tsp. 1 drop 1 gram 50mg3
10:00
pm
Make a blank schedule to be filled in later as the medications change and the frequency of enemas and liver with B-12
injections is reduced. Castor oil enemas: NO CASTOR OIL TREATMENTS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. *The exact treatment, specifying the number of juices, enemas, medications, etc. needs to be
adjusted by a Gerson trained practitioner. For easy reference, here is a summary of the items contained in the schedule:
10 glasses of 8 oz. each of a variety of juices (apple/carrot, carrot, green, orange) reduced in
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 136Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comseverely damaged patients to eight glasses; or to 10 containing four to six ounces each. For
such patients up to two ounces of strained oatmeal gruel can be added to each glass of juice to
ease digestion. (see Chapter 16, pg. 127 )
20 teaspoons of potassium compound (2 tsp. in each of 10 glasses)
11⁄2  to 3 grains thyroid
5 drops 1⁄2 strength Lugol’s solution
5 tablets of 50 mg. Niacin (omit if bleeding is present)
6 capsules Acidol Pepsin
6 capsules of Liver Powder
12 tablets Pancreatin
3 cc liver extract with 50 mcg B-12 (1 intramuscular injection daily)
3 coffee enemas
200 to 600 mg CoQ-10 starting cautiously with one tablet of 50 mg daily
The meals are unchanged, and include two tablespoonfuls of organic flax seed oil daily for one
month; then 1 tablespoonful daily for the rest of the treatment. 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 137Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comCHAPTER 19
The Gerson Therapy for
Non-Malignant Diseases
From his long clinical practice Dr. Gerson was able to establish that a patient suffering from a
non-malignant disease had a sick, damaged liver, while the liver of someone with a malignancy
was severely toxic (poisoned). Based on this difference, he adjusted the treatment accordingly,
creating a less intensive therapy for non-malignant conditions. At the same time he specified that
if patients in the latter category followed a stricter protocol, closely resembling the full intensive
therapy, they recovered faster. The less intensive therapy is less demanding and easier to follow, so that patients on this
regime can continue working. This is a great advantage, since most people depend on their earned
income and cannot leave their jobs for any length of time. 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 138Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comThis is a typical hour-by-hour schedule for patients on the less intensive therapy:
Enema MealFlax-
seed
OilAcidoll
CapsulesJuicePotassium
CompoundLugol’s
Solution
1/2 strengthThyroid NaicinLiver
Caps.Pan-
creatin
TabletsInjection
Liver &
B12
6:00
am
8:00
am 2Orange 2 tsp. 1 drop 1 gram 50mg 2 3
9:00
amCoffee 2 tsp. 9:30
am
10:00
amCarrot/
Apple2 tsp. 50mg
11:00
amCarrot2
12
noonGreen 2 tsp. 1:00
pm1 Tbsp. 2Carrot/
Apple2 tsp. 1 drops 1 gram 50mg3
2:00


’re solidly in the second stage. People ask, “If t hat’ s the second stage, what else is there?” W ell, the third
stage of  enlightenment happens  when you are able to get out  in front of
things. Y ou see them coming an d play them all out in thought, a nd then you
decide which of these is going to be brought into form. For example, let’ s say you’re in a relationship and your par tner says
something upset ting to you. Y ou know that if you respond in a certain way,
then she ’ s going to respond in kind. Then you’re going to say th is, and she’ s
going to say tha t—you can play that all out in thought, and you’re out in
front of it already. Y ou can even see how this could devolve into an absolute
blowout, with both of you really upset for two or three days, maybe not
talking, maybe storming out, or  doing any number of things that people do
to avoid being intimate. Again, you play that all out and  know you don’ t have to make it happen. Y ou don’ t have to make her wrong, which is a grea t step. Y ou don’ t have t o
make yo u right, an even higher  step. There’ s no right or wrong here. Y ou
play everything out, and as you do, you decide that you don’ t have to bring
this altercation into form. Y ou g ot out in front of it; it’ s gone. It’ s all been
played out in yo ur mind. Y ou use your mind to not  bring into form, into
your life, into action that which you know is not beneficial for e ither one of
you. In relatio nships, this means letting go of your need to be right and instead
celebrating the dif ferences in t he other person, and agreeing to disagree
about them for the rest of your life if necessary. I tell people that this is a
wonderful stage  to get to, because once you and your partner are both there,
you can still express your perspective. Y ou don’ t have to be a certain age to
get to this point—you can learn it at any time in your life.As you move across the levels of enlightenment, you go from being an
actor in the firs t stage, being directed by events, circumstance s, and other
people, to being the director you rself in the second stage. Then  in the third
stage, you become the producer too. Y ou are now the actor, the director, and
the producer of your entire life, and you’re doing it all with your mind. If
it’ s a career move that you onc e would have agonized over, y ou can see
how it’ s going to go. If you’re l iving in Atlanta but need to go to Houston,
you can  see yourself selling your home and driving to T exas to start this
new job or enterprise. When yo u play all this out, you can actually see how everything  is going
to w ork, because what you think about expands. Then you can d ecide. Y our
decision isn’ t based upon, My boss  is going to do this to me, and the world
is going to do this, and if these things don’ t work out... It’ s based upon
your pro jecting in your mind how you want things to be. If the picture
doesn’ t come out exactly the wa y you want it to be, then you’re  out in front
of it already, and you don’ t go to Houston after all. Or perhaps you do
choose t o move because you see it as an exciting, wonderful ad venture and
a t ime to do something new. And you can do these steps with anything that
you perceive to be coming at yo u but is really what you’re creating through
all the choices that you’re making. Y ou can  use your mind in exciting ways, as I said. On the job, you can
see how, if you react in a certai n way toward your boss or co-worker, you
know that If I say or do this, that that’ s going to set them off. I don’ t have to
go ther e  anymor e. Instead of behaving like A, B, C, or D, I’ve a lr eady done
it all in my mind, and I’ve seen the r esult. I don’ t want to go th er e. I don’ t
want my form to  have to follow  that anymor e, so I’m in fr ont of it. It’ s like
you’re producing your life through your mind. WIN-WIN SOLUTIONS
The totally awake and aware pe rson has almost moved beyond success. Success in W estern society tends to mean accumulation or winning rather
than achievement. It almost always means you have to outper form or get
more than the ot her guy. This is very much a part of our culture, and there’ s
nothing wrong with it. But now  you understand that success, a chievement,and performance all have built into them the notion that somebody else has
to lose in order  for you to win. When you are enlightened, y ou learn to
approach conflict from a win-win position. While this has become a popular
slogan and philosophy in business, it can also be used in any type of
interpersonal situation. I t hink very strongly that when you are in a romantic relation ship, you
fall in love with the things in another person that you don’ t have in yourself. After al l, to fall in love with somebody who has everything exactly the
same as  you is to  have a redundant relations hip. Y ou’ve already got that;
what do you need more of it for? Y et peop le will say, “Oh, we have so much in common. He says  this, and
I s ay the same thing; he likes to do this, and I like to do it t oo. He’ s an
athlete, and I lik e athletes.” They think it’ s such a wonderful thing that they
have all these th ings in common. I always think, Uh-oh, this one’ s doomed. W e’ve got some r eal pr oblems h er e.  But  wh en someone says, “Ah, she’ s the
exact op posite o f me,” I think that’ s almost always where the most intensity
is found. When this couple looks at each other, they realize, They ar e many
things that I am not and can’ t be, and I like that. I like having that ar ound
me. I need that passion ar oun d me. I need that person who talks a lot
ar ound me, because I’m very quiet. This is what endears them to each other. What of ten happ ens, though, is that as time passes in a relation ship, you
for get that the dif ferences are what give it spice. Then you turn those
dif ferences, whi ch are the very thing that attracted you to the p erson in the
first plac e, into areas of conflict or confrontation. Y ou begin to try to alter
the p erson you love. This does not make them think that you lov e them, but
rather that you want them to be dif ferent. Y ou have to remember to go back
to what you fell in love with. All relationship s are about an opposite. Y ou don’ t need a mirror of
yourself—you’ve already got th at. Even with your children, the things that
usually endear you the most to them are the things they do that are not like
you. Those are often the things you respect the most. Y ou admire, for
example, your child who will st and up for what she thinks is rig ht and take
the sling s and arrows that go al ong with such fearlessness. Of course you
don’ t want her t o be contrary an d disobedient, but there’ s a part of you that
says, “Y ou know, I never had the courage to do that myself. I don’ t want her
to ever not  do that.” When you ad mire such qualities, you can le arn from
them, and they become your teachers.Y ou can make something very positive and beautiful out of those
dif ferences. When you make conflict something to honor, to da nce with, to
celebrate, you become instant ly focused on solutions. Most often, the
solution to the d if ferences in any relationship lies in respecting, honoring,
and cele brating the very things t hat are dif ferent in the other person. Again,
you bring a win-win attitude to it. So when conflict crops up at wo rk, you have to take the same a pproach. Resist th e ur ge to be problem-oriented—that is, I’m going to make this
person wr ong, and I’m going to make myself right —or turn it into a contest. Y ou do not need  to feel threaten ed by the dif ferences in other people. Y ou
see t hat others a re on a dif ferent  part of the path than you are. Some people
are very ef ficient at getting things done, while others are slower. Instead of
making them wrong, you can refrain from being ego-involved in this at all. I


 Scandinavia, where they file the appetite tothe keenest of edges with the piquancy of the" Smoer Broed," or " Smoer Goes,"* theAmerican taste for very sweet things is notappreciated. Chocolates for that market aremore bitter than sweet, and so it goesthroughout the world where head digestion isimportant in determining the prescription offoods. At one time, during a year and a half of travel
in unusual countries where the French, Englishor American menu is not easily available, I
never missed an opportunity to study the effectof head prejudice on digestion. If the fortunateopportunity occurs to sample the sumptuous" ris tavel " of Java, there will be the best ofchances to confirm my observation in this
* Literally " Butter-goose"; a table set apart, with bread and
butter and a variety of snacks.regard. This dish is varied in sumptuousness, or
variety, but the humblest offering of it consistsof a large and deep soup plate piled high in themiddle with snowy rice with each individualgrain unbroken. This, to begin with, is atriumph of oriental culinary art. Surroundingthis rice mountain are dabs of every sort of a" relish " any one ever imagined. You selectthese from tiers of plates borne in each hand byas many as a dozen servants, following eachother in procession, and presentingopportunities of choice amounting to twenty ormore, perhaps even thirty or more inextraordinary cases. Hence it is the privilege ofthe guest to take much or little of any, or all, ofthe condiments according to the state of hisappetite or greed. All the colours and nearly thewhole food kingdom are represented, and thetemptation is increased by the art ofarrangement. There is no way of judging whateach sort of relish is : It may be fish, fowl,vegetable, tuber, side-meat, or a combination ofnuts or fruits, as far as the intelligence of theuninitiated goes. There were several members of the party offoreigners of different degrees of prejudice
against anything strange in appearance. To one,all of the comestibles were " utterly impossible,"and remained so to the end; while to otherscuriosity got the better of suspicion, and finallythe appetites looked forward to dinner-timewith especial cordiality, for the rice-mountainrelish-cordon and the complicated combinationwere digested with ease. The standard dish, however, of the Javan
dinner is boiled potatoes and beefsteakswimming in a pint of good butter gravy, so thateven the conscientious dietist with vegetarianpreferences may revel in something that smacksof home and mother, with such an abundance ofluscious fruits that nothing but gustatorydelight happens as a usual thing. Still, it is thesame in Java or Japan, in London, Paris,Berlin, Vienna, Rome or New York, thedigestion of food is under the control of the headand therefore may be called head digestion. PROFESSOR  FISHER 'S EXPERIMENT. The most important large experiment for the
testing of head digestion under conditions ofHORACE  FLETCHEK  IN HIS MASTER  OF ARTS ROBES. THE AUTHOR  ON HIS SIXTIETH  BIRTHDAY, PERFORMING  FEATS OF
AGILITY
AND STRENGTH  WHICH  WOULID  BE REMARKABLE, EVEN IN A YOUNG
ATLETE. strict scientific control was that inaugurated
and conducted by Professor Irving Fisher, ofYale University, in America. Professor Fisher occupies the Chair of
Political Economy at Yale, has made extensiveresearches into the factors that influence theeconomies or extravagances of living, and isPresident of the Committee of One Hundred ofthe American Association for the Advancementof Science on Health. Professor Fisher's interest in my revelations
and tests relative to the potency of headdigestion came primarily from a personal testwhich worked wonders for him in establishing afoundation for good health. He was notesatisfied with the later Chittenden experiments,because they substituted academic prescriptionfor natural selection in formulating the rules ofthe inquiry. Like myself, in conducting theoriginal researches, Professor Fisher realizedthat the practical value of my discoveries wasthat no one needed a biological chemist to orderhis meals for him or tell his appetite what hisbody needed in the way of food elements. The Fisher experiment worked with nine
healthy undergraduates who were ambitious totake high scholastic honours, and who had little
time for athletics or any form of physicalexercise, they being types of the averageUniversity undergraduate. A generous table was supplied them with
meat and every variety of food that usuallycomposed college fare. The only instructionswere that thorough mastication and especialattention to the enjoyment of the food asrecommended by me in my books should befaithfully performed. This course was pursuedfor half a year, and for the rest of the year, inaddition to the careful head treatment andenjoyment, preference was to be given to foodsknown to be low in nitrogen content; but not tothe extent of suppressing any distinct call ofappetite for them. In the first half of the experiment the men
held their own on about 40 per cent. less food,computed by cost, and increased their strength-endurance ability by something more than 100per cent., with the added felicity of feelingunusually fit all of the time, entirely escapingthe slack or sick spells they had beenaccustomed to, and improving greatly in theirgeneral studentability, that is: power of
concentration, memory, mental comfort,profundity of sleep, etc. During the second half of the experiment still
more improvement was secured owing to thereadiness of the body to accommodate itself tothe wish by favouring the economies. I have not a copy of the report at hand. It is
included in the publications of Yale Universityabout 1905. While all of the abundance of confirmatory
evidence which has accumulated since 1898 isvaluable and gratifying, the verdict of theunremitting observation since then is that theproblem of nutrition is always a personal one.After fifteen years of devotion to the study ofthe head-end question, with due attention to thetell-tale excreta and the product expressed interms of energy and general comfort, I amunable to predict what my body is going to wantto-morrow in the way of nutrition supply. I cansay with some confidence that if I go on doing asI have been accustomed to doing daily, and noshock of grief or surprise intervenes to upset allcalculations, I am likely to find nutritivesatisfaction as expressed by appetite among the
foods that are commonly agreeable to me. If I am compelled or impelled to do a great
stunt of walking or other unusual exertion, orreceive crushing news, all my presentpredictions may be useless. The body itself,from the hair on the head to each finger or toe-nail will know what it wants and will havegiven to the caterer Appetite its requisitioncovering the need. In the meantime each braincell and all of the bones have not beenneglectful of their sustenance requirements, norhave they been backward in letting Appetiteknow. It is fortunate that the common needs of
digestion may be supplied from a limited rangeof food varieties. Milk is all-sufficient always forgeneral supply of the nutritive requisites. In theplebeian potato, which has attained to royalrank as the result of the extensive experimentsof Dr. Hindhede,* of Denmark, in co-operationwith Madsen the Faithful, has been found full
* Dr. Hindhede, Protein and Nutrition: an Investigation. London, 1913, Ewart, Seymour & Co., Ltd., Burleigh Street,
W.C.nourishment for ten months, at least, when
supplemented by butter or margarine to furnishthe fuel supply. Even in this surprisingrevelation no academic prescription wasinfallible. Potatoes differ in nutritive value asmuch as 50 per cent. Fresh-cooked and well-cooked ones alone fill the bill of sufficiency, andfull head-work in assuring easy digestion wasmade the first rule of the test. For four months Iserved as a check test-subject and speak fromexperience. Nothing is ever accomplished except by a
division of labour and on the just division ofresponsibility depends the success of effort. Nature has given to us the head-end of
responsibility.CHAPTER IX
QUESTION PRESCRIPTION AND
PROSCRIPTION
The Protein Enthusiast—Doubting Thomases
THE only completely accurate prescriber of
nutrition for living creatures is Mother Natureherself, and if she does not prescribe anything
by the undoubted approval of appetite sheproscribes it. One of the rules which have governed my
quest for optimum human nutrition in themidst of the twentieth century food supply andother conditions, has always been to go toNature for final advice in the matter. When I say " Question Prescription and
Proscription " I mean that the most positiveprescribers of food have something in the foodline or advice to sell, and they proscribe aspositively anything that competes with theircommercial product. My eyes were opened to this possible snareand delusion by a great doctor of medicine,*
who is also one of the most ardent economists Ihave ever met—not a miser in any sense, but areligiously philosophical economist. He isalmost as righteously indignant against anywho use the trust which is placed in them byclients or patients for the selling of high-pricedfoods as he is at the makers


and
then
different
cereal
porridges
with
a
minimum
of
spices. Instead
of
porridge,
you
can
eat
nuts,
potatoes,
white
meat,
fish
and
other
natural
products,
but
only
separately. They
are
all
combination
foods. If
you
change
your
diet
(this
can
take
at
least
half
a
year),
you
will
find
that
your
urine
has
a
much
better
taste,
eventually
it
can
taste
like
freshly
milked
milk. From
such
urine,
you
can
prepare
evaporated
urine,
which
you
use
for
enemas. You
do
it
with
a
quarter
of
your
urine
every
other
day. Use
50
grams
the
first
time
(100
grams
for
those
who
are
braver),
increase
the
dose
by
another
50
to
100
grams
in
two
days,
and
so
on,
until
you
reach
250
or
500
grams,
respectively. Then
gradually
return
to
the
original
dose. This
will
take
you
about
20
days. These
mini-enemas
will
show
you
what
you've
been
growing
in
your
colon
and
how
easy
it
is
to
live
parasite-free. Now
that
you
have
familiarized
yourself
with
urine
therapy
and
relieved
the
excretory
systems,
proceed
to
the
third
stage,
which
again
timed
to
the
beginning
of
the
lunar
cycle. Now
start
drinking
the
middle
part
of
the
urine,
in
the
morning
on
an
empty
stomach,
an
odd
number
of
sips,
rinse
your
nose
and
rub
or
massage
your
body
with
evaporated
urine
once
or
twice
a
day. This
is
mainly
done
by
sick
people,
it
is
not
necessary
for
prevention. Also,
try
putting
urine
compresses
on
your
feet,
lower
back
and
neck
instead
of
a
massage. First
for
10
to
20
minutes. If
there
is
no
strong
response,
you
can
gradually
increase
the
time
of
compresses
to
two,
three
hours,
or
overnight. For
women,
washing
and
spraying
the
genitals
with
fresh
urine
will
be
an
excellent
additional
procedure. After
completing
the
six-month
course,
you
will
be
completely
different
people. If
you
are
sick,
you
must
go
through
cleansing
and
healing
crises
to
finally
gain
health
like
you
have
never
known
before. I
will
give
an
example
of
a
specific
dialogue
with
a
patient:
-
"When
did
you
start
urine
therapy? "-
"Two
summers
ago
and
I've
been
practicing
it
every
day
since
then." -
"What
made
you
do
that?" -
“Helplessness,
absolute
helplessness,
with
a
whole
range
of
diseases
and
lack
of
medical
care. So
those
diseases:
arachnoencephalitis,
chronic
pancreatitis,
chronic
cholecystitis,
duodenal
ulcer,
chronic
gastritis,
rheumatoid
arthritis. It's
hard
to
say
which
organ
didn't
hurt. I
had
a
terrible
allergy. My
whole
body
itched,
an
allergy
caused
by
an
overdose
of
medication
with
no
hope
of
relief. They
wanted
to
send
me
to
a
madhouse.'' -
"What
exactly
did
you
do
with
urine
therapy?" -
"I
started
drinking
urine
immediately,
as
much
as
I
could,
an
odd
number
of
sips
or
rather
gulps,
from
7
to
15,
so
I
drank
300
grams
at
once. I
drank
only
in
the
morning,
lubricated
several
times
a
day,
depending
on
how
I
had
time,
in
the
morning,
at
noon
and
in
the
evening. However,
I
stopped
in
the
evening,
I
was
very
upset. I
also
started
doing
enemas
right
away. For
the
past
year
I
have
only
been
drinking
evaporated
urine. I
changed
my
eating
habits
and
came
to
the
conclusion
that
urine
became
a
real
medicine
for
me. I
like
it,
it
smells
good,
it
doesn't
cause
any
problems. When
I
cook
it
at
home,
no
one
knows
anything. However,
I
have
a
hood
above
the
stove.' -
"What
are
your
successes
in
healing
the
organism?" -
"I
am
52
years
old
and
I
have
practically
returned
to
the
health
of
a
thirty-year -old
woman. I
run,
jump,
ski,
swim
in
ice
water
and
in
freezing
temperatures. We
enjoy
life. In
the
plexus
solario
area
I
feel
a
fire
that
warms
me. Mainly,
I
got
my
lost
health
back.”
-
"What
changes
do
you
observe
in
the
spiritual
realm?" -
"In
a
year
I
came
out
of
the
darkness,
I
started
to
understand
the
meaning
of
life. I
converted
to
faith,
I
was
baptized,
I
feel
cosmic
vibrations,
I
have
a
feeling
of
connection
with
the
universe,
which
fills
me
completely. I
try
to
help
people,
that's
what
I
see
as
my
purpose
in
life
now." -
"What
would
you
like
to
add?" -
"First
of
all,
people
have
to
believe. Clearly. Without
faith,
the
whole
system
cannot
function.”
-
"What
difficulties
did
you
have
when
taking
urine?" -
“Difficulties,
all
my
illnesses
that
I
had
since
childhood
were
incredibly
difficult
to
get
rid
of. During
the
kidney
treatment,
my
lips
turned
black
and
I
lay
as
if
dead. Pus
was
pouring
from
my
eyes. I
couldn't
open
them
in
the
morning,
they
were
stuck. But
everything
passed
within
a
week. For
example,
my
kidneys
hurt
for
three
days. I
had
high
blood
pressure,
my
bones
and
skin
were
angry,
there
was
no
organ
that
didn't
hurt. And
everything
took
place
in
a
very
sharp
form. Sometimes
I
couldn't
even
get
out
of
bed. But
faith
helped
me
overcome
everything. People
with
great
difficulties,
expecting
a
quick
turnaround
of
recovery,
must
strongly
believe,
not
be
afraid,
not
look
back. If
you
have
decided,
it
is
necessary
to
go
directly,
drink
urine,
rub
it
into
your
skin,
make
enemas
with
it,
all
in
one
complex. Drinking
urine
is
necessary
to
heal
the
stomach
and
intestines. Today,
a
person
is
poisoned
as
many
times
as
he
takes
food
and
medicine.' -
"How
do


 with saving many lives. All the while, blends of 30 percent carbon dioxide and 70 percent
oxygen became a go-to treatment for anxiety, epilepsy, and evenschizophrenia. W ith a few huf fs of the stuf f, patients who’d spent months or
years in a catatonic state would suddenly come to. They’d open their eyes,
look around, and begin calmly talking with doctors and other patients. “It was a wonderful feeling. It was marvelous. I felt very light and didn’ t
know where I was,” one patient reported. “I knew something had happened
to me and I wasn’ t sure what it was. ”
The patients would stay in this coherent, lucid state for about 30
minutes, until the carbon dioxide wore of f. Then, without warning, they’d
stop mid-sentence and freeze, staring into space and striking statue-like
poses or sometimes collapsing. The patients were sick again. They’d stay
that way until the next hit of carbon dioxide. And then, for reasons nobody quite understands, by the 1950s, a century
of scientific research disappeared. Those with skin disorders turned to pills
and creams; those with asthma managed symptoms with steroids and
bronchodilators. Patients with severe mental disorders were given sedatives. The drugs never cured schizophrenia or other psychoses, but they didn’ t
provoke out-of-body experiences or feelings of euphoria, either. They
numbed patients, and continued to numb them for weeks, months, and years
—as long as they kept taking them. —
“What’ s interesting to me is that nobody disproved it,” says Feinstein of
carbon dioxide therapy. “The data, the science, still holds today. ”
He tells me how he’d stumbled upon some obscure studies by Joseph
W olpe, a renowned psychiatrist who rediscovered carbon dioxide therapy as
a treatment for anxiety and had written an influential paper about it in the
1980s. W olpe’ s patients shared stunning and long-lasting improvements
after just a few huf fs. Donald Klein, another renowned psychiatrist and
expert in panic and anxiety, suggested years later that the gas might help
reset the chemoreceptors in the brain, allowing patients to breathe normally
so they could think normally. Since then, few researchers have studied the
treatments. (Feinstein estimates there are about five researching it now. ) He
just kept wondering if the early researchers were right, if this ancient gas
might be a remedy to modern ailments. “As a psychologist, I think, what are my options, what is the best
treatment for these patients. ” Feinstein says. Pills, he tells me, of fer a false promise and do little good for most
people. Anxiety disorders and depression are the most common mental
illnesses in the United States, and about half of us will suf fer from one or
the other in our lifetime. T o help cope, 13 percent of us over the age of 12
will use antidepressants, most often selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors,
also known as SSRIs. These drugs have been lifesavers for millions,
especially those with severe depression and other serious conditions. But
less than half the patients who take them get any benefits. *  “I keep asking
myself,” says Feinstein, “Is this the best we can do. ”
Feinstein had explored various non-pharmaceutical therapies; he’d spent
a decade learning and teaching mindfulness meditation. A wealth of
scientific research shows that meditation can change the structure and
function of critical areas of the brain, help relieve anxieties, and boost focus
and compassion. It can work wonders, but few of us will ever reap these
rewards, because the vast majority of people who try to meditate will give
up and move on. For those with chronic anxieties, the percentages are far
worse. “Mindful meditation—as it is typically practiced—is just no longer
conducive to the new world we live in,” Feinstein explains. Another option, exposure therapy, is a technique that exposes patients
repeatedly to their fears so that they become more accepting of them. It’ s
highly ef fective but takes a while, usually involving many long sessions
over weeks or months. Finding psychologists with that kind of time, and
patients with the necessary resources, can be a challenge. But everyone breathes, and, today, few of us breathe well. Those with
the worst anxieties consistently suf fer from the worst breathing habits. People with anorexia or panic or obsessive-compulsive disorders
consistently have low carbon dioxide levels and a much greater fear of
holding their breath. T o avoid another attack, they breathe far too much and
eventually become hypersensitized to carbon dioxide and panic if they
sense a rise in this gas. They are anxious because they’re overbreathing,
overbreathing because they’re anxious. Feinstein found some inspiring recent studies by Alicia Meuret, the
Southern Methodist University psychologist who helped her patients blunt
asthma attacks by slowing their breathing to increase their carbon dioxide. This technique worked for panic attacks, too. In a randomized controlled trial, she and a group of researchers gave 20
panic suf ferers capnometers, which recorded the amount of carbon dioxidein their breath throughout the day. Meuret crunched the data and found that
panic, like asthma, is usually preceded by an increase in breathing volume
and rate and a decrease in carbon dioxide. T o stop the attack before it
struck, subjects breathed slower and less, increasing their carbon dioxide. This simple and free technique reversed dizziness, shortness of breath, and
feelings of suf focation. It could ef fectively cure a panic attack before the
attack came on. “‘T ake a deep breath’ is not a helpful instruction,” Meuret
wrote. Hold your breath is much better. —
W e leave Feinstein’ s of fice and stroll through a labyrinth of elevators and
staircases until we enter through soundproofed double doors. This is
Feinstein’ s lair. Through the door to the right, he and his team conduct
research on floatation, a therapy that involves lying in a salt-water pool in a
dark, soundless room. Through the door to the left is Feinstein’ s newest
project: a carbon dioxide therapy laboratory. It’ s a tiny windowless box that
looks as if it might have held HV AC equipment at one point. W e squeeze
into the space like clowns in a phone booth. On a folding desk is the usual
array of monitors, computers, wires, EKGs, capnometers, and other stuf f
I’ve grown accustomed to wearing over the past few years. A beat-up
yellow cylinder that looks like a Cold W ar–era Russian missile sits in the
corner. Feinstein tells me it holds 75 pounds of pure carbon dioxide. For the past few months, as part as his NIH research, Feinstein has
brought in patients suf fering with anxiety and panic to this lab and given
them a few hits of carbon dioxide. So far, he tells me, the results have been
promising. Sure, the gas elicited a panic attack in most patients, but this is
all part of the baptism-by-fire process. After that initial bout of discomfort,
many patients report feeling relaxed for hours, even days. I’ve decided to throw my chemoreceptors into the ring. I’ve signed up to
see what a few heavy doses of carbon dioxide would do to my own body
and brain. Feinstein sticks a piece of white foamy material with a metal sensor on
my middle and ring fingers. This device, called a galvanic skin conductance
meter, will measure small amounts of sweat released during states of
sympathetic stress. On my other hand, a pulse oximeter will record my
heart rate and oxygen levels. The mixture I’ll inhale is 35 percent carbon dioxide, and the rest is room
air—about the same percentage of carbon dioxide once used to test
schizophrenics, sans the oxygen. Feinstein administered this same dose on
S. M., who panicked and hated it. He also tried it out on a few patients early
on, but they too suf fered heavy panic attacks. Some patients were so
freaked out they refused to take another hit, so Feinstein now reduces the
dose to 15 percent—enough to give the chemoreceptors a good workout,
but not enough to keep patients from coming back for more. Since I didn’ t
suf fer from panic attacks or chronic anxiety, not yet at least, he of fered to
crank up my dose to the S.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>
Q: What is the historical context of carbon dioxide therapy?,
A: Carbon dioxide therapy has been around for thousands of years, with the ancient Romans and French using it to treat various conditions, including gout and war wounds.
Q: Who is Dr. Feinstein, and what is his research focus?,
A: Dr. Feinstein is a psychologist who has been studying the effects of carbon dioxide on the body and is now exploring its potential as a treatment for anxiety and panic disorders.
Q: What is the concept of "prana" in ancient cultures, and how does it relate to modern medicine?,
A: In ancient cultures, "prana" referred to a vital energy or life force that is connected to the breath. This concept is no longer recognized in modern medicine, which focuses on pharmaceuticals and other treatments.
Q: What is the purpose of the carbon dioxide therapy laboratory in Tulsa, Oklahoma?,
A: The laboratory is a controlled environment where patients can experience and learn to control their breathing, which is designed


 fr esh spring herbs (see above)
1/4 tsp (1 mL) sea salt
pinch fr eshly gr ound pepper
3/4 cup (175 mL) extra-virgin olive oil or nut oil
In a small bowl,  whisk together the raspberry vinegar, champagne, mustard,
herbs, salt and pepper. Whisking constantly add the oil in a slow, steadystream until completely incorporated. Use: Drizzle over spring greens, cooked fiddleheads, artichokes and
asparagus. s p r i n g  s a l a d
Of c ourse, you c an make this sa lad in the spring using all fr esh ingr edients. But if you hav e asparagus and artichokes in the pantry in January,
February or Mar ch, you can cel ebrate spring early. The vinaigr ette is sweet
and sour at the same time, lending a crisp, tart balance to the fr esh tastes of
the asparagus and artichokes. This salad is r eason enough to want to
pr eserve some of spring’ s citrus gr een tastes for the long, dark winter
ahead. Use spinach and bok choy or cabbage gr eens in the winter. As you
can see fr om the photo, I leave the skin on fr esh baby potatoes, but in
winter, y ou can cook them in th e skins, then peel and slice them after they
ar e c ooked. So t ry this salad no w with fr esh ingr edients, then pr eserve your
own asparagus and artichokes and enjoy it again in six months. MAKES 4 SER VINGS
12 small new potatoes or fingerlings
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
1 cup (250 mL) baby spinach, sorr el or arugula leaves
1 pint (2-cup/500 mL) jar canned asparagus, drained
1 pint (2-cup/500 mL) jar canned artichokes, drained
1/2 r ed onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup (50 mL) coarsely chopped fr esh spring herbs
1 cup (250 mL) Champagne Raspberry V inaigr ette
sea salt and pepper
 1. In a s aucepan, cover potatoes  with water. Add 1 tsp (5 mL) salt and bring
to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes
or u ntil tender. R inse under cool water and drain. Quarter or sl ice potatoes
as desired.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>
Q: What is the purpose of the Wild Leeks or Ramps?,
A: There is no mention of Wild Leeks or Ramps in the provided text. The text discusses wild blueberries, blackberries, and cherries, but not Wild Leeks or Ramps.
Q: Can you use lemon juice in place of vinegar in the vinaigrette recipe?,
A: The text does not explicitly state whether lemon juice can be used in place of vinegar, but it does suggest that you can make a vinaigrette with lemon juice and oil.
Q: What is the purpose of the ginger in the Blueberry Conserve recipe?,
A: The text does not explicitly state the purpose of the ginger in the Blueberry Conserve recipe, but it does suggest that the ginger adds a unique flavor.
Q: Can you freeze blackberries, blueberries, and cherries separately?,
A: The text does not explicitly address freezing blackberries, blueberries, and cherries separately, but it does provide instructions for freezing blackberries, blueberries, and cherries in different recipes.
Q: How long do you need to keep the Blueberry Conserve in the refrigerator?,
A: The text does not provide information on the storage duration of Blueberry Conserve in the refrigerator.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Heat three 1-cup (250 mL) ja rs in boiling wate, and scald the lids, lifter,
funnel and tongs ( Boiling W ater Method, Step by Step ). 5. F ill hot jars, leaving a 1/4-inch (5 mm) headspace. Run a thin non-
metallic utensil around the insid e of the jar to allow air to escape. Add more
hot catsup, if necessary to leave a 1/4-inch (5 mm) headspace. W ipe rims,
top with flat lids and screw on m etal rings. Return jars to the hot water bath,
topping up with hot water if n ecessary Bring to a full rolling boil and
process jars for 10 minutes ( Boiling W ater Method, Step by Step ). 6. Remo ve cann er lid and wait 5 minutes before removing jars t o a towel or
rack to cool com pletely. Check seals, label and store in a cool place for up
to 1 year. Use: I am add icted to enjoying this catsup with a good ol d-fashioned
breakfast—eggs, bacon, home fries, the works—but it is so much more
useful than that. It tops baked meat loaf and brings a real home-style
finish to  any dish with which co mmercial ketchup might be served. I have
not yet tried it to make baked b eans, but I do believe the originator of this
recipe, who claims that it is very nice with them.b l a c k  f o r e s t  m e a t  l o a f
This is such a r etr o, comfort r ecipe, but with an updated twist. Wher e our
mothers and grandmothers might have thought that adding half a cup of
commer cial chil i sauce to their standar d gr ound meat and onion  loaf was a
daring step, our dazzling, jewel-flecked gr ound turkey mixtur e is taken to
another level with the addition of Black For est Jam. It’ s easy and very tasty. 9- x 5-inch (3 L) loaf pan, lightly oiled, lined on the bottom with
par chment paper
Pr eheat oven to 375°F (190°C)MAKES 8 SER VINGS
2 tbsp (25 mL) olive oil
1 cup (250 mL) chopped onions
1 r ed bell pepper, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1–1/2 lb (750 g) lean gr ound turkey
1/2 cup (125 mL) fine dry br ead crumbs
1 cup (250 mL) fr esh or fr ozen corn kernels
1/4 cup (50 mL) chopped fr esh parsley
1 tbsp (15 mL) fr esh thyme leaves
1 tsp (5 mL) gr ound cumin
1/4 tsp (1 mL) gr ound nutmeg
1 large egg, beaten salt and pepper
1 cup (250 mL) Black For est Fr eezer Jam, divided

1. In a skillet, heat olive oil ov er high heat. Add onions and sauté for 3
minutes. Add red pepper, zucchini and garlic and cook, stirring frequently,
for 5 minutes or until vegetables are almost soft. Set aside to cool. 2. In  a bowl, combine ground turkey, bread crumbs, corn, par sley, thyme,
cumin, n utmeg a nd egg. Mix we ll to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Add oni on mixt ure and 1/2 cup  (125 mL) Black Forest Freez er Jam. Stir
well to combine. Gently press th e mixture into prepared loaf pa n. Bake for
1 ho ur. B rush remaining Black F orest Jam over the top of the m eat loaf and
bake unt il the internal temperature reaches 160°F (71°C) on an instant-read
meat the rmometer, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let
stand for 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Pass extra jam. Serve cold the next day with a green salad and a dressing made with 1/4 cup
(50 mL)  Black Forest Freezer Ja m and 2 tbsp (25 mL) balsamic vinegar. It’ s
perfect for a luncheon, along with crusty country bread. Fr eezing Currants
1. Select Equipment:  Se lect suitable-size freezer c ontainers, bags or
Mason jars ( Freezing ). 2. D ry P ack, Un sweetened:  Fill  pint (2-cup/500 mL) or quart (1 L) freezer
containers with whole currants, leaving a 1/2-inch (1 cm) headspace. Seal,
label and freeze. OR
Dry Pack, Sweetened:  Fill  pint (2-cup/500 mL) or quart (1 L) freezer
containers with whole currants to within 3 to 4 inches (7 to 10 cm) of the
top. Pour dry granulated sugar over top; use 1/2 cup (125 mL) sugar per
quart (1 L) of prepared fruit. Squeeze out air; leave 1-inc h (2.5 cm)
headspace. Seal, label and freeze. OR
Crush:  Using a potato masher, crush currants in a non-reactive bowl. For
every qu art (1 L) of crushed cur rants, add 1–1/2 cups (375 mL ) granulated
sugar. Stir until the sugar is diss olved. Pack into freezer containers, leaving