is
placedonred-hotcoalsandleftthereforaslongasit
burnsintheflame.Assoonastheflamediesthe
leatherisplacedbetweentwoflatstonesandtheflame
extinguished.
GENERALSYMPTOMS
Anklesweak.Sweat:exhausting;profuse;smelly.
Thisisasmallremedywhichhasfewgeneralindi-
cations.Thesweatingisprofuseandwillbeworseat
night,orduring/aftereating.Theanklesofchildren
learningtowalkareweakandtheyspraineasily.
EMOTIONAL/MENTAL SYMPTOMS
Depressed.Desirestobealone.Dislikescompany
Uncommunicative.
Thisremedyisforanyonewhohasbecomedebilitated
byillness,butitisespeciallysuitedtoelderlypeople
whohavebecomewithdrawnandwornoutbecauseof
long-termillness.
PHYSICALSYMPTOMS
Exhaustion
Worseforwalking;duringamenstrualperiod.
Causesbreastfeeding; afteranacuteillness;lifting;
sweating.
ThetypicalCarboammalissweataccompanies this
exhaustion,whichoccursinpeoplerecoveringfrom
anillnessandalsoinnursingmotherswhobecome
exhausted,andareweepywhilstearingbecausethey
feeltootiredtoeveneat.Walkingacrosstheroom
seemstoomuch.Theymayalsohavepainful,lumpy
breastswhichhurtwhilsttheirbabynurses.Tiredness
canbecausedbyboutsofsweating(seegeneral
symptoms).
Flatulence
SymptomsBellydistended.
Causesabdominalsurgery.
Carboanimaliswillprovidesomereliefwherethebelly
isblownupwithwindthatisverydifficulttopassafteranoperationontheabdomen(suchasanappen-
dicectomyoralaparoscopy).
Foodpoisoning
Causesbadfish.
Strains
SymptomsStrains:ofmuscles;oftendons;ofwrist.
Thepersonstrainsmuscleseasily-ofthewristes-
pecially,althoughthebackcanalsobepulled-from
liftingevensmallweights;thestrainedmuscleisthen
madeworsebytheslightestexertion,andtheperson
willnotbeabletoliftanythingatall.
Carbovegetabilis (Carb-v.)
Commonname:woodcharcoal
Charcoalishalf-burntwoodorartificialcoal,ablack
amorphous(lackingacrystallinestructure)formof
carbonmadebyheatingwoodintheabsenceofair.
Carbonasanelementisfoundinalllivingmatter,
fromthehardcrystallineformofdiamondstothe
softerformofgraphiteandtheamorphousformof
charcoal.Therearesomanycarboncompoundsthat
theirstudyformsaseparatebranchofchemistry.
Charcoalissohardthatitisinsolubleinacidsandit
doesn'trotlikeordinarywood.Becauseofthisitwas
usedinancienttimesbylandownerstostakeoutthe
boundariesoftheirproperty.Nowadays, itisused
commerciallyasapolishforbrassandcopperplates,
asablackpigmentinartists'paintsandasartists'
charcoalpencilsamongstotherthings.
Charcoalisagreatpurifierandiscapableofrender-
ingarancidoilclearandsweetsmelling;anditissaid
tohavethesamepropertywithregardtoputrid-
smellingmeatandvegetables!Infact,Carbovegetabilis
illustrateswellhowthepropertiesofthenaturalprod-
uctaresimilartothecharacteristicsandsymptomsof
theclassicCarbovegetabilispicture(orperson):wood
charcoalabsorbsairandcontinuestodosoforalong
timeafteritismade,anditsvapouronburningis
harmful;theclassicpictureisofapersonproneto
incarceratedwindwhich,oncereleased, isalso
noxious!
Differentwoodsmakecharcoalswithdifferent
properties;thehomeopathicpreparation ismadefrom
thefinestbeech,whichisstrippedofbark,cutinto
piecesthesizeofafist,thenheateduntilredhotand
rapidlysmotheredinanearthenjarwithatightly
fittinglid.
NBSEEALSOPAGES203-26FORGENERALADVICE,DOSANDDON'TS.
68•Carbovegetabilis(Carb-v.) INTERNALMATERIAMEDICA
GENERALSYMPTOMS
Breathsmells.Complaintsfrom:measles;lossof
bodyfluids.Dischargessmelly.Facepale;sallowor
blue.Feelsfaintongettingup;onwaking.Sweat
cold;profuse.Taste:mouthtastesbitter.
Betterforfanning;forfreshair.
Worseforexertion;aftereatingrich/fattyfoods;for
humidity.
Carbovegetabilisisindicatedforchildrenwhohavenot
fullyrecoveredfromaseriousillnesssuchaswhoop-
ingcoughormeasles.Theyaresluggishandlowin
vitalityafterwardsandwanttoliedownandsleep.
Theslightestexertionexhauststhem;theyhaveto
forcethemselvestogetgoing.
Peoplerecoveringfromchestinfections,particu-
larlytheelderly,oftenbenefitfromtheremedy-
Patientsarechillyandtheirlegsespeciallyarecoldto
thetouch,buttheyfeelmuchbetteroutinthecool,
freshair,especially ifthereisabreeze,andtheyaskto
befanned.Becomingoverheatedmakesthemfeel
worseasdoeshumidity(warm,dampweather).They
mayfeelworseforlyingdowninspiteofbeingtoo
weaktodootherwise.Morningsandeveningsare
theirworsttimesofday.
Theothermainuseofthisremedyisfordealingwith
acuteindigestion,inwhichcasetheothermentaland
generalcharacteristicsmaynotbepresent.
EMOTIONAL/MENTAL SYMPTOMS
Anxiousduringtheevening;inbed.Confused.
Indifferenttoeverything.Irritable.Sluggish.
Thisisaremedyforinactive,sluggishfolkwhofindit
difficulttorousethemselvestodoanything. Itismore
ofamentalthanaphysicalstate.Theymaybecome
indifferenttothepointthattheydonotcareiftheylive
ordie.Theysufferfromanxiety,however,inthelate
afternoonthroughtotheevening,andthisintensifies
whentheygotobedandshuttheireyes.
PHYSICALSYMPTOMS
Commoncold
SymptomsNoseblocked.Sneezing:frequent;with
difficulty.Withhoarseness;itchingthroat.
Theticklinginthethroatmaybeacuteandthepatient
maynotbeabletosneezeattimesinspiteofwanting
to.
Cough
SymptomsCough:racking;infits;suffocative;viol-
ent;whooping.Breathing: fast;wheezing.Mucus
green.Voicehoarse.Withretching.Worseatnight;evening;beforemidnight.
Thecoughingfitsareworseatnight,especiallybefore
midnight,andareoftenaccompaniedbythecharac-
teristiccoldperspiration.
Exhaustion
SymptomsBreathcold.Breathingdifficult.
Betterforbeingfanned.
Causescarbonmonoxidepoisoning;foodpoisoning;
accident/injury; acuteillness;lossofbodyfluids;
diarrhoea;vomiting;breastfeeding;surgery.
Carbovegetabilisisusefulforextremeweakness,astate
whichmostcommonlyoccursasaresultofanaccident
oranoperation,afterseverevomiting,orduringcon-
valescencefromaseriousillness.Thisweaknessmay
besoacutethat'collapse'wouldbeamoreaccurate
label.ThecharacteristicCarbovegetabilisgeneralsymp-
tomsarepresent,thebreathiscold,thebodyfeels
icy-coldtotouchandthesweatisalsocold.Theperson
mayfeelhotinside.Theface,whichiscoldand
sweaty,maybedeathlypaleorevenblue,withbluish
lips.Theheadfeelsveryheavy.Idonotsuggestthat
youtreatpeoplewhoarethisseriously illwithout
help,butifyouaretheonlypersonavailableandthis
remedyfitsthecase,giveit.
Carbovegetabilismayalsobeindicatedtotreatforms
ofpoisoning:food;NorthSeagas,orpoisoningfrom
carexhauststhatmaycomeonaftersittinginatraffic
jamonahot,windlessdayforaperiodoftime.
Flatulence
SymptomsStomach/belly: bloated;rumbling.Wind
smelly.Withdiarrhoea.
Betterforpassingwind.
Thebelly(belowthenavel)isbloated,asitiswith
Lycopodiumflatulence.Passingwindaffordsmuch
relief.
Foodpoisoning
Causesrottenfish/meat.
Hairloss
Symptomshair


 fat breakdown
C
HOLECYSTOKININ
Stimulates pancreatic enzymes and contracts the gallbladder for bile
extraction
Duodenum Enzymes
P
EPTIDASE
Completes protein breakdown into amino acids
S
UCRASE
, M
ALTASE

AND
 L
ACTASE
(lactase only to age 3) Change complex sugars into monosaccharides or
simple sugars
It is important to understand that the small intestinal walls are made up of
circular folds (or
villi)
 called plicae circulares. The mucosa folds itself into
these villi or microvilli to increase the absorption surface of the intestines.
These appear like ripples or waves that allow the body maximum potential for
digesting and absorbing its nutrition.
There are glands called Lieberkuhns at the base of many of the villi (in
the duodenum), which secrete digestive hormones and enzymes.
Jejunum
The second portion of the small intestine is approximately 8 feet long. The
duodenum and jejunum make up two-fifths of the small intestines. Digestive
enzymes from the duodenum are now acting upon most of the food particles.
Absorption of vital nutrients is now taking place as the digestive enzymes
break down the food particles to their simplest form.
Ileum
The third portion is approximately 15 to 30 feet long and comprises the lower
three-fifths of the small intestine. Most of the by-products of digestion now
have become amino acids (building blocks), monosaccharides (fuels), fatty
acids (oil and fuel), glycerol, vitamins and minerals. These are now being
absorbed or mixed with water to continue on their way out into the colon.
This liquid mixture now passes into the first part of the large bowel known as
the cecum, which is the first section of the ascending portion.
PANCREAS

The pancreas is both an endocrine gland and an exocrine gland and is located
in a horizontal position behind the stomach in front of the first and second
lumbar vertebrae. The head of the pancreas is attached to the duodenum
(small
intestines) and the tail of the pancreas reaches to the spleen.
The body of the pancreas has many exocrine glands, which have their
own ducts all leading into the main pancreatic duct, which joins the common
bile duct. The common bile duct empties into the duodenum (the first portion
of the small intestines). All through the exocrine gland tissue are masses ofcells called Islets of Langerhans. These are the endocrine systems of the
pancreas.
This endocrine portion of the pancreas will be discussed along with the
entire endocrine gland system covered later in this chapter. Since we are
considering digestion now, we want to examine the exocrine portion of the
pancreas, the ducted portion. These glands supply the bulk of the digestive
enzymes needed to break down your food. They also supply sodium
bicarbonate, which is an alkalizing substance called chyme, which is
necessary to alkalize the stomach contents. This chyme is full of HCL
(hydrochloric acid) and pepsin. Sodium bicarbonate and bile from the
gallbladder join in the duodenum to activate the alkaline digestive enzymes of
the pancreas and intestinal wall. If the stomach contents cannot be alkalized,
then proper digestion is halted. Your food then ferments and putrefies,
causing excessive gas. You then have lost the nutritional value of your foods.
Pancreatic Juice and its Function
S
ODIUM
 B
ICARBONATE
Alkalizer and enzyme activator (neutralizes stomach acid).
T
RYPSINOGEN
An enzyme that is converted into trypsin in the duodenum.
C
HYMOTRYPSINOGEN
An enzyme that is converted into chymo-trypsin in the duodenum. (Trypsin
and chymotrypsin finish protein digestion, converting peptones to peptides.
From here, peptides are broken down [from the intestinal wall] by protease
into amino acids—the basic building blocks of protein structures.)
A
MYLASE
An enzyme which breaks down (hydro-lyzes) starch (maltose) or complex
sugars (di- and poly-saccharides) into monosac-charides, or simple sugars.
L
IPASE
An enzyme that emulsifies (breaks down) fats into fatty acids and glycerol.

This mixture of enzymes and sodium bicarbonate is called the pancreatic
juice. Pancreatic juice has a pH of 8.4 to 8.9, which is alkaline. Pancreatic
juice is stimulated by two hormones, se-cretin and cholecystokinin, which are
produced by the duodenal mucosa. This pancreatic juice flows through themain pancreatic duct to the common bile duct and then into the duodenum.
Pancreatic juice includes sodium bicarbonate (alkalizer) and the enzymes:
trypsinogen, chymotrypsinogen, amylase,
 and
lipase
.
Your pancreas is one of your vital organs. It is destroyed by acidosis and
harmful chemicals. What destroys the liver also destroys the pancreas.
Spiritually speaking, your pancreas is tied to your thought processes and how
they manifest.
LIVER

Your liver can be compared to a huge chemical factory that supplies a whole
city with its functional (metabolic) needs. It has been said that it would
require 500 acres of land to build such a factory. Your liver has so many
different functions that researchers still haven’t discovered them all. It is
enough to say that we should take care of this most precious organ.
The liver is the largest organ in your body and carries on the most
functions. It is situated mostly on your right side beneath your diaphragm,
level with the bottom of your sternum. The bottom of the liver is concave and
covers your stomach, duodenum (the first portion of the small intestines),
hepatic flexure of the colon (upper right turn), right adrenal gland, and the
upper portion of the right kidney.
Your liver has four lobes and is covered by a thick, tough, fibrous
membrane called the Glisson’s capsule.
All your blood vessels and hepatic ducts enter the liver at the hilus. There
are many small intrahepatic bile ducts running through the liver, all leading
into the main hepatic duct, which joins the cystic duct from the gallbladder,
which then forms the “common bile duct.” This common bile duct then enters
the upper portion of your small intestine, called the duodenum, at the papilla
of Vater. This is the main digestive area of the body.
The functional parts of your liver are the liver lobules, consisting of the
liver cells (hepatocytes), which are permeated by blood capillaries called
sinusoids. The sinusoids are lined with the Kupffer cells (macrophages),
which are the immune cells of the liver.
Four Basic TasksThe liver has four basic tasks, out of which arise a multitude of functions.
These tasks are:
STORAGE AND DISTRIBUTION
 — The liver stores various amino acids
obtained from digestion, then reconstructs them for essential body proteins.
The liver converts excess glucose into glycogen (stored fat), then converts the
stored glycogen back to glucose when the body needs extra fuel. The liver
also stores and distributes various vitamins, including Vitamin A, D, E, and K
(your fat-soluble vitamins). Your liver also stores various minerals, including
iron and copper.
CONVERSIONS, SYNTHESIS, BIOLOGICAL TRANSMUTATIONS
— The liver stores glycogen, and when your blood glucose levels drop, it
will convert this stored fat (glycogen) into glucose again. If our glycogen
reserves are depleted, it will convert other fats and even stored amino acids
into glucose. This shows you that the number one priority of your body is the
need for fuels for energy (glucose/fructose).
Liver Function
A
MINO
 A
CID
 M
ETABOLISM
Synthesis of non-essential amino acids.
Will convert amino acids into glucose (energy) if needed. (It is not
recommended to allow your body to get this far in its energy needs.)
Forms urea from excess amino acids and ammonia.
C
ARBOHYDRATE
 M
ETABOLISM
Converts monosaccharides (other than glucose) into glucose.
Excessive glucose is converted and stored as glycogen, and vice versa.
F
AT
 M
ETABOLISM
Cholesterol is synthesized for new cell growth and steroid production.
Lipo proteins, which are transporters of fat, are synthesized.
Fatty acids are converted to acetyl groups or ketones, which are used for
energy.
Bile pigments, including bilirubin, are formed from the hemoglobin of
old red blood cells.
Bile is synthesized for fat emulsifying and alkalizing stomach contents.
 The liver converts ammonia from excessive protein consumption into
urea, which is then excreted by the kidneys. Your liver synthesizes Vitamin K
and other various clotting factors,
including prothrombin and fibrinogen. It
synthesizes non-essential amino acids for growth and repair functions.
Cholesterol is


 gel.

There are over seventy-five known ingredients in the Aloe Vera leaf, divided into eight distinct
categories, and I suspect that there are still others to be discovered. However, there is some confusion
over the exact content of some of the fractions, so I will present a consensus opinion, gleaned from a
recent literature review. The solid fraction only forms some 0.5 - 1.5% of the plant so this is a relatively
small amount. Its average pH value is 4.55. In the next chapter we will look at how and where these ingredients work.

Lignin

A cellulose based substance found in the gel with no known specific medicinal properties, but it is thought to provide the property of penetration of the human skin in Aloe preparations that contain it.

Saponins

Glycosides are thought to comprise about 3 per cent of Aloe Vera gel. They are soapy substances capable of cleansing, and with antiseptic properties.

Anthraquinones and Derivatives

There are twelve of these in the complex listed below:

Aloin Barbaloin
Isobarbaloin Anthranol
Anthracene Loetic acid
Emodin Aloe Emodin
Ester of Cinnamonic acid Ethereal oil
Chrysophanic acid Resistannol

These compounds are found in the sap alone. Traditionally they are known as laxatives, and in high
concentration on their own, they can be toxic, but within the complex environment of the Aloe Vera plant
they are not. They are excellent analgesics, or pain killers, and they also possess powerful antibacterial, antifungal and virucidal activity.

 In order to obtain the painkilling benefit as well as the ability to enhance absorption from the gut, some
sap containing anthraquinones should be present in any Aloe drink. When present it is obvious, as
anthraquinones impart a bitter taste and add to the yellow or orange colour of the gel/sap mixture. Aloin
in high concentration is toxic to fibroblasts so too much Aloin in topical products would kill these cells in
the dermis and retard healing by lessening fibre production. However, they do have some beneficial skin
effects which will be described later.
Chemistry of Anthraquinones

The main anthraquinone found in the sap, latex or resin in Aloe Vera is Barbaloin which is synonymous
with Aloin. There are also the derivatives which are anthrones and chromones. These form the phenolic fraction of the sap.

Barbaloin is an anthrone - c - glycoside

After ingestion Aloin is converted by bacterial action in the large bowel to Aloe-emodin-9-anthrone. This is the active ingredient which causes an increase in water content of the large intestine by inhibiting
electrolyte absorption and stimulating electrolyte secretion. It may also stimulate peristalsis.

Minerals

Calcium Magnesium
Sodium Zinc
Iron Manganese
Potassium Copper
Chromium

There are about thirty vitamins, minerals and trace elements which are essential for good health and
should be consumed on a regular basis. Many of them work together and depend on others in order to
function properly. I have listed the more important properties and functions below.

Calcium

Primarily has a structural role in bones and teeth but it is also essential for cellular structure and nerve
transmission. It needs a balance of phosphorous and magnesium to work effectively and Vitamin D is
required for its absorption.

Manganese

 This is a component of many enzymes and is necessary for the activation of other enzymes. These
substances are complex proteins which act as biochemical catalysts thereby speeding up the route of
clinical reaction in the plant.

 Sodium

This is a very important mineral, responsible for preventing body fluids from becoming too acid or too
alkaline. It is also involved in the electrical conductivity in muscles and nerves as well as the uptake of
nutrients by individual cells.
Copper

Also a component of a number of enzymes and involved in enabling iron to operate as an oxygen carrier
in red blood cells.

Magnesium

This is intimately involved in calcium metabolism during the formation of bone and is needed by nerves
and muscle membranes to allow them to conduct electrical impulses.

Potassium

Like sodium, this is involved in the acid-base balance in the body and also electrical conductivity in
muscles and nerves.

Zinc

Is involved in major metabolic pathways contributing to the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates
(sugars) and fats. An inadequate intake would have an adverse effect on any tissue that dies and is
renewed rapidly such as skin, gut lining or the immune system. Recent studies have shown that the
desperate condition of schizophrenia may be associated with zinc deficiency.
Chromium

This is necessary for the proper function of insulin, which in turn controls blood sugar levels, so all
diabetics require a good intake of chromium.
Iron

It is the "haem" part of haemoglobin in red blood cells which enables the transport of oxygen around the
body as oxyhaemoglobin. Iron deficiency anaemia is very common in those with poor nutrition and in any
case where there is depletion through chronic blood loss e.g. excessive menstruation.

The Vitamins

Vitamin B1 Vitamin B12 Folic Acid
Vitamin B2 Vitamin C (Vitamin C)*
 Vitamin B6 Beta Carotene (Vitamin A) (Vitamin E)*
Choline Niacinamide (Niacin)

*Extra vitamins are often added to the natural ones in the plant extract as they form part of the stabilisation process which ensures that the commercial product remains as near to the natural juice as
possible, and also acts as a preservative.

Vitamins A, C and E

These are the important antioxidant vitamins, which are essential to fight the dangerous free radicals.
They influence the immune system and Vitamin C, particularly, assists in wound healing whereas
Vitamin A is required to maintain normal and night vision.

Free radicals are constantly being formed by normal body processes, but they are also produced by any form of combustion such as smoking, exhaust fumes, radiation and even the burning of food, such as on a
barbecue or in a frying pan. They will try to oxidise tissues and cause great damage triggering everything
from cancers to cataracts, arterial disease and premature ageing. Look what oxygen does to metal when it
oxidises it. It produces rust and eventually destroys it - powerful stuff.
 These oxidising free radicals must be neutralised by the antioxidants, (the main ones are Vitamins A, C
and E), but also by the mineral selenium and micro-nutrients called bioflavonoids, so I doubt whether you
can have too many antioxidants in your diet.

The B Vitamins, including Choline

These are associated with the production of energy and with amino acid metabolism, so associated with developing muscle mass.

Vitamin B 12

This is one of the few plant sources of this essential vitamin needed for making red blood cells, and deficiency will lead to anaemia.

Folic Acid

Is very important in the development of blood cells as deficiency will cause anaemia.
Amino Acids

The human body requires twenty-two amino acids for good health and all but eight can be made in the
body. The others, called essential amino acids, have to be taken in as food and together they form the building blocks of proteins from which we manufacture and repair muscle, etc.

I will not list all the amino acids but suffice to say that Aloe Vera provides twenty of the twenty-two
required and seven of the eight essential ones. The missing amino acid is tryptophan, although Bill
Coates, an American pharmacist and Aloe expert, claims it has this one too. I am not so sure, but to get seven out of eight has to be pretty good anyway.

 The Acemannan Story

Acemannan is a B - (1,4) - linked acetylated mannan. It possesses three pharmacological actions:

a) primary anti-viral activity b) secondary immunomodulating activity
c) tertiary activity in reducing opportunistic infections

It also acts synergistically with other drugs such as Azidothymide (AZT) and Acyclovir. These
effects have been used in the treatment of an onchogenic retrovirus, the feline leukaemia virus, which causes a multi-syndrome disease in infected cats and has been recognised as an animal model
for human immunodeficiency virus infection.
 Enzymes

Many enzymes have been identified in Aloe Vera. Some of the most important include:

Peroxidase Cellulase
Aliiase Carboxypeptidase
Catalase Amylase
Lipase Alkaline Phosphatase

These enzymes help to break down food and therefore aid digestion. Some break down starch and sugars,
for example, amylase, while others catalyse reactions to break down fats, for example, lipase. The
nutrients in our food therefore, can be more efficiently absorbed.

Sugars

Aloe Vera contains both monosaccharides such as glucose and fructose and polysaccharides of which
perhaps the most important are the polysaccharides. A most significant polysaccharide has been isolated
by Carrington Laboratories in the USA under the trade name 'Carrisyn'. This demands special attention in
relation to the immune system and will be discussed in a later chapter.
 This group of polysaccharides has been called gluco-mannans or polymann


remember!  Your  feeling  world—your  thoughts  and  your
feeling  go out to the periphery  of Life!  It goes  to the farthest
distance!  Therefore,  to the degree  that  you  are perfecting
yourself,  will  you  lift and  assist  in perfecting  all which DISCOURSE  XXIII  351
touches  your  world,  individually  or otherwise.  That  is how
far-reaching  your  World  can  become!
Further  than  that,  you  have  a Great  Privilege  in pouring
forth  your  Blessings  to Nature,  who  has had  the discord  of
mankind  poured  upon  her Great  Beauty  and  Perfection.  It
is time  now  mankind  awakened  to its responsibility;  and
poured  out Love  and  Blessings  upon  Nature.  Thus,  Nature
will come  back  and  produce  for Individuals,  the Limitless
Abundance  they  require  of every  good  thing.  Therefore,  co-
operate  with  Life!  When  Life  sees  the Individual  is ready,
It will  pour  out Its Limitless  Blessings  everywhere!
You are dealing  with  Life,  and  That  Dispenser  of Life
which  is your  Higher  Mental  Body,  knows  with  Great  In-
telligence  all requirements,  all demands  and  how  all an-
swers  are to come!  There  is no such  thing  in Life  as dealing
with  blind  Intelligence.  All Intelligence,  even  in Nature,  all
Activity  is governed  by a Great  Intelligence;  but mankind's
disobedience  to Life,  has caused  people  to believe  this  was
not True!  I say to you,  as One  in Authority  for the Earth:
"There  is no such  thing  as chance"!
Mankind's  earthly  activity,  if the attention  be given  to
Life,  will  be provided  and  directed  with  mechanical  ac-
curacy,  into  that  which  each  Life  Stream  demands!  Individ-
uals will  not find  any  chance  anywhere  along  their  Path-
way of Life;  but  since  mankind  had  forgotten  THE
SOURCE  OF  LIFE  WITHIN  NATURE,  people  have
believed  that  all from  the outer  standpoint,  must  be a form
of chance. 352 THE  "I AM99  DISCOURSES
When  you  understand  that  you  are the "Beloved  Mighty
I AM  Presence,"  the Individualized  Presence  of Life,  the
Greatest  Intelligence  in the Universe,  then  you  know  noth-
ing in your  experience—your  Life  Stream  can  be chance!
It is under  Great  Intelligent  Direction;  but if you  refuse  to
give obedience  to It, you  cannot  blame  Life  for not  pro-
ducing  Its Perfection  for you.  Life  is always  ready;  always
wants  to produce  Its Great  Perfection;  but  since  you  had
forgotten  Its Source,  how  could  you  have  all It contains ?
Beloved  Friends  of America,  you  are dealing  with  a Def-
inite  Law,  a Definite  Power!  It is your  Life  called  forth  into
action!  Search  out the Great  Truth  of Life  which  is in the
Saint  Germain  Series  of books!  There  you  will  find  the Ap-
plication,  the Understanding,  the Explanation.  Then  apply
It and  see what  Life  will  do for you!  There  is no mystery
about  It! Try  It! The  Messengers  who  have  carried  This
Light  forth  with  such  earnest  firm  determination,  have  said
that to thousands  and  thousands  of people!  From  Our  Rec-
ords,  which  We  have  in the Invisible,  there  are over  six
hundred  and  seventy  thousand  people  now  in This  "I AM"
Activity!
Therefore,  it is more  than  an ordinary  activity;  more
than  a human  activity;  for WE  HAVE  SO  PREPARED
THE  AIR  CURRENTS,  WHICH  THE  OUTER
WORLD  DOES  NOT  UNDERSTAND,  BY  WHICH
THE  FEELING  WORLD  OF  MANKIND  RECEIVES
THE  MIGHTY  RADIATION,  GOING  FORTH  IN
THE  WORDS  WHICH  THE  MESSENGERS  SPEAK DISCOURSE  XXIII  353
OR WE  SPEAK!  Therefore,  We  are rendering  a Service
to the Earth  unknown  and  quite  unbelievable  to a great
many  as yet;  but  This  Work  shall  go on, until  there  are
ten times  or more,  as many  people  as today  who  under-
stand  It; or at least  have  the opportunity  to understand,
there  is a Great  God  Presence  above  each  human  Being,
which  beats  each  Heart;  and  gives  Individuals  Life  and
Intelligence,  by which  they  can expand  the Fulness  of all
Life wishes  to express  or give  forth  thru  them.
Today,  you  stand  in the Fulness  of the Presence  of Life!
Why  do I say that  to you,  who  do not understand  yet This
Great  Law?  Because  by the Power  of the Cosmic  Light,
which  is acting  in the feeling  world  of mankind,  you  are
standing  now—this  moment—in  the Gateway  of Freedom.
Your  chance  to enter  in and  go forward  or turn  aside  and
go the human  way,  is quite  within  your  own  judgment
and privilege;  for that  remains  within  the  action  of your
Free  will  and  choice.
Since  I am speaking  to you  direct  from  the Cosmic  Law
today,  may  you  understand  and  feel the Great  Cosmic  Love
which  reaches  out Its Arms,  and  enfolds  you  in the Glory
of the Perfection  Life  wants  you  to manifest.  To the degree
you are willing  to accept  those  Enfolding  Arms  of Light,
that Out-pouring  of Divine  Love  into  your  Hearts,  will  you
be able  to understand;  there  is far more  on Earth  than  that
of which  you  have  thus  far dreamed.
Mankind  is awakening  to the Power  of the Light,  which
is within  the Individual.  For  centuries  and  centuries,  man-354 THE  "I AM99  DISCOURSES
kind  has  understood  that  God  was  within;  that  Christ  is
within.  Today,  the people  are going  to have  the opportunity
to prove  HOW  MUCH  OF IT IS THERE!  THIS  PROV-
ING  WILL  FIND  THAT  GOD  REALLY  IS THERE,
AND  THAT  CHRIST,  THE  ACTION  OF  GOD,  IS
REALLY  THERE!  CHRIST  IS NOT  JUST  A PRIN-
CIPLE.  CHRIST  IS THE  ACTION  OF GOD,  PEOPLE
OF EARTH!  THE  FULL  POWER  OF  ITS  MANI-
FESTATION,  WILL  BRING  PERFECTION  INTO
ANY  HUMAN  LIFE.  IT WILL  MAKE  THAT  LIFE
EVEN  IN  THE  HUMAN  OCTAVE,  DIVINE  IN-
STEAD  OF  HUMAN!
THEREFORE,  YOUR  HEARTS,  PEOPLE  OF
AMERICA,  ARE  DIVINE.  THE  POWER  WHICH  IS
THERE—THE  LIGHT,  GOD,  WHICH  IS IN YOUR
PHYSICAL  HEART  IS DIVINE;  SO  ONE  ORGAN
OF YOUR  BODY  IS DIVINE!  PLEASE  ACCEPT  IT,
AND  ALLOW  DIVINITY  TO  EXPAND  ITSELF
INTO  THE  FULNESS  OF  ALL  LIFE  HAS!  THEN
YOU,  TOO,  WILL  SEE  AS I DO,  THAT  GOD  IS THE
DOMINION  OF EARTH  AND  ALL  WHICH  IT CON-
TAINS.  YOU  CAN  PROVE  THIS!  YOU  CAN  FEEL
ITS MIGHTY  GLORY!  I ASK


 largely of white flour and sugar, does
not contain this much calcium. The conclusion reached by Dr. Bernheim is that calcium deficiency is universal in all civilized countries. Another important point brought out by
Dr. Bernheim is that different forms of calci um have different degrees of absorbability.
Some calcium salts are readily absorbable and are used in the body. Others are not
absorbable and pass through the gastrointestinal tract unchanged.
   It is well understood at the present time that the best forms of calcium are those which
have gone through some kind of animal metabolism. Ground bone is more easily
absorbed than other forms, and is properly used a good deal in baby foods. The forms of calcium that exist in milk and,cheese have been through the metabolism of the cow,
and therefore have been metabolized and are easily absorbed by the human animal. Milk
and milk products, then, furnish the best source of calcium. With a sufficient source of calcium, nerves are less irritable. Without a sufficient amount, pains may exist which completely disappear after a sufficient amount of calcium is taken. Some of the pains of advanced cancer may be completely relieved by giving calcium. This does not mean
that the nerves of the cancer patient have been obtunded as they would be by some drug, but that the pain has been simply a cry of the diseased nerves for calcium.
   Calcium is excreted from the body in the discharges which comes from wounds and
open sores, and ulcers. Cancer usually exists as an ulcerated area. Much calcium is lost in the fluid that seeps from the ulcerated cancer surface. The small bodily supply is
further depleted, therefore the giving of calcium by mouth or by intravenous use quiets the cancer pains.
   As calcium deficiency is one of our most widespread deficiencies, it shows up also in
the lack of resistance in our teeth. The mention of tooth destruction in pregnancy calls
to mind the direct robbing of calcium-bearing areas to furnish calcium to the child. But
old infections may also rob teeth and bones, as calcium may be needed to erect barriers against invading microorganisms. This takes place in the lungs in tuberculosis. A
tuburcular body being examined at postmortem will show many areas in the lungs
which resemble small marbles. These densely calcified areas are simply Nature's
method of trying to wall in the poisonous germs which are lodged in the lung.
   Calcification may take place in other parts of the body. It is not uncommon to find
calcified areas in fibroid tumors of the uterus, and in any old chronically infected area.
In all such conditions Nature's first call is on the normal body calcium, in the hope that it may be used as a defensive mechanism in the area where disease is going on.
Ordinary whole wheat bread, meat, fruit and vegetables contain some calcium; but the
amounts in ordinary diets are not sufficient to give the optimum needed by the body. There is no question but that calcium is one of our greatest body needs, as the bony
structures of the body are perhaps the greatest in bulk and weight next to the voluntary muscles. The optimum calcium supply is a surplus and a surplus does no harm.
   In order that physiological processes may be carried on in a normal, proper way,
oxygen must be carried to each individual cell. The oxygen is carried to the cells of the body by a compound which is made up partly of iron. Oxygen enters the lungs,
penetrates the wall of the air cells, and enters the blood. The iron containing
hemoglobin exists in the red blood corpuscl es and having combined with the oxygen,
carries it to the cells, where oxidation takes place. Without iron, no metabolism and no
oxidation would occur. The need for iron is constant, as much of the hemoglobin is being destroyed and excreted every day. As new supplies of calcium must be provided,
so new supplies of iron must come in by way of the gastrointestinal tract in order to provide for new hemoglobin daily.
   In the life processes of the ordinary individual, around 3 percent of the red cells are
being destroyed every day. This means that a certain definite amount of iron must be provided to make up for what is lost. Iron must be supplied and absorbed in the amount
of 10 to 25 milligrams every day. The diluti on of iron-containing foods be devitalized
carbohydrates makes this optimum impossible. We may measure the amount of iron in the blood by the amount of hemoglobin present (red coloring matter).* (* Much of the iron in the body is used over and over again but there is a steady loss of a few millgrams
a day.)
   In making blood examinations on large groups of individuals, it is very rare to find a
100 percent hemoglobin reading. This means readings on persons ordinarily considered
normal--life insurance examinations, soldiers, and examinations for entrance into
industrial positions, and of women entering hospitals for obstetrical work--all are found
to be more or less deficient in iron.
   Our best food source of iron is lean meat. The richest sources of iron among the
various kinds of meat are liver, heart, and kidney. The muscle meats which are
ordinarily eaten--steaks, chops, and cutlets--are also rich sources of iron and furnish this
element in a greater degree than any form of vegetable or fruit.
   One of the most important of the mineral needs is the need for iodine. Without iodine
the thyroid gland does not properly develop. In diets which contain quantities of iodine
below the normal amount, all the life processes are operating below par. The thyroid
gland contains the largest amount of iodine of any of the organs of the body, and as all
the blood in the body goes through this gland every 17 minutes, it evidently serves as a
trap for the filtering out of toxic material, the iodine acting as an antitoxin. A good deal of the toxic material in the blood stream is living material--that is, low-grade
microorganisms that gain access to the circulating fluids of the body. The iodine-
containing thyroid undoubtedly inhibits the growth of these invading germs. In cases where the amount of iodine in the diet is definitely small, the thyroid undergoes a
compensatory growth. It becomes many times larger than normal. This is evidently an
attempt to furnish more thyroid cells to more effectively to filter out and use what little
iodine there is in the blood stream. This function carried to excess produces the more poisonous types of goiter.    We may consider iodine, then, as a necessary part of the dietary intake for its
beneficial effect in cleansing the blood stream. Dr. Plummer and other workers in this
field have established the needs of the human body at around 10 milligrams a day. Iodine is to be found in grains, fruits, and garden vegetables. It is also to be found in
meats, eggs, and milk; but it is found in its greatest concentration in sea foods.
   The need for iodine is unquestionable. There is no doubt as to its value in providing
the body with the ability to resist infections in general. In some parts of the United
States, the soil contains larger quantities of iodine than in others, and these parts (South
Carolina) show a greater amount of iodine in the wheat, barley, corn, vegetables and
fruit. In parts of the country where there is a relatively small amount of iodine in the soil, the amount to be found in the crops is correspondingly less. In parts where the
iodine is practically absent from the soil, on account of having been washed out, there is
very little iodine in the grains and vegetables. In these parts, goiter and other thyroid
diseases are very common. In such areas as  South Carolina where the iodine content of
the soil is high, goiter is very much less frequent. There is no question but that there is a direct connection between the lack of iodine in the diet and the frequency of thyroid
disease.
   The lack of iodine in ordinary diet was one of the first recognized universal
deficiencies, and for several years iodine has been added to most commercial preparations of common table salt. The amount of iodine added to table salt does not change its appearance or its taste. The percentage of iodine is very small and much
below the optimum requirements but it has undoubtedly served to decrease the number of cases of thyroid disease in the country as a whole.
   There is no possible danger in the use of iodized salt, and it does help to maintain
something nearer of physiological mineral balance, so its beneficial effect is not
confined to the thyroid. The person consuming iodized salt will have better health and better resistance to disease in every way.
   Another very important fact that has been learned in connection with vitamin and
mineral deficiency is that where such a deficiency has existed over a long period of time, the dose that is given to correct the trouble must be several times larger than the
maintenance dose. In connection with iron and iodine and some of the vitamins, the
therapeutic dose is over one hundred times the maintenance dose. After a person has
been deficient in one of these elements for ma ny years, either his gastrointestinal tract
loses the power to absorb it in the normal way, or the cells of the body lose to a certain
extent the ability to assimilate it.
   In medical circles, iodine is known chiefly as a treatment for goiter. This element,
however, since it has to do with increasing the anti-bactericidal elements in the blood, is
of value in every type of goiter


 execute this alone
and must turn for help and guidance to the universal self and wait
patiently without doubting or impatiently pushing. This waiting
needs an open attitude about the way the help might manifest. The
fewer preconceived notions one has, the faster help will come forth
and be recognizable. Help from the universal consciousness may
come in an entirely dierent manner than your concepts may make
room for, and this might prove to be an obstacle. An open, waiting,
accepting, and positive attitude is also necessary, though
recognizing its absence, however, can also become a constructive
acknowledgment of where the self is at the moment.
The Reeducation of the Destructive Self
So far we have discussed two phases of the meditation process:
rst the recognition of the unconscious, destructive egotistical self
and then the understanding of the underlying misconceptions, the
causes and eects, the meaning and the price to be paid for the
present destructive attitudes. The third phase  is the reorient ation and
reeducation of the destructive part of the self. The destructive infant is
now no longer entirely unconscious. This infant with its false beliefs,
its stubborn resistance, its spitefulness and murderous rage, must be
reoriented. Reeducation, however, cannot take place unless you are
fully aware of every aspect of this destructive infant’s beliefs and
attitudes. This is why the rst part of meditation—the revealing,
exploratory phase—is so fundamental. It goes without saying that
this rst phase is not something one gets over with, so that then the
second, and later the third phase can begin. This is not a sequential
process; the phases overlap.
What I will say now must be taken with great care, other wise the
subtleties involved will not be communicated. Reeducation might
very easily be misunderstood and lead toward a renewedsuppression or repression of the destructive part that is beginning to
unfold. You have to take great care and deliberately aim to avoid
this, without, however, allow ing the destructive part to engulf you.
The best attitude toward the unfolding destructive part is one of
detached observation, of unjudging, unharried acceptance. The
more it unfolds, the more you must remind yourself that neither the
truth of its existence, nor its destructive attitudes are nal. They are
not the only attitudes you have, nor are they absolute. Above all,
you have the power inherent in you to change anything. You may
lack the incen tive to change when you are not fully aware of the
damage the destructive part of you does to your life when it goes
unrecognized. It is therefore another important aspect of this phase
of pathwork meditation to look deeply and widely for indirect
manifestations. How does unexpressed hate manifest in your life?
Perhaps by making you feel undeserving and afraid or by inhibiting
your energies. This is only one example; all indirect manifestations
have to be explored.
It is important here to remind yourself that where there is life,
there is constant movement, even if this movement is temporarily
paralyzed: Matter is paralyze d life-stu. The frozen blocks of energy
in your body are momentarily hardened, immobilized life-stu. This
life-stu can always be made to move again, but only consciousness
can do it. For life-stu is lled with consciousness, as well as
energy; whether this energy is momentarily blocked and frozen or
whether this consciousness is momentarily dimmed does not matter.
Meditation must mean, above all, that the part of you that is already
conscious and moving actual ly intends to make blocked energy and
dimmed consciousness moving and aware again. The best way to do
this is to allow the frozen and dimmed consciousness rst of all to
express itself. Here you need a receptive attitude, instead of a
reaction that what comes forth is devastating and catastrophic. The
panicky attitude toward one’s own unfolding destructive infant does
more damage than the destructive infant itself. You must learn to
listen to it, to take it in, to calmly receive its expressions without
hating yourself, without pushing the infant away. Only with such anattitude can you come to understand the causes of its underlying
destructiveness. Only then can the process of reeducation begin.
The denying, panicky, frightened, self-rejecting, and perfection-
demanding attitude you usually have makes every part of this
meditation impossible. It does not permit unfoldment; it does not
permit explora tion of the causes of what might be unfolded; and it
certainly does not permit reeducation. It is the accepting and
understanding attitude that enables the conscious ego to assert its
benign dominion over violently destructive and stagnant psychic
matter. As I have said many times, kindness, rmness, and deep
determination against your own destructiveness are necessary. It is a
paradox: Identify with the destructiveness and yet be detached from
it. Accept that it is you, but also know that there is another part of
you that can say the nal word if you so choose. For this you need
to widen the limitations of your conscious ego expressions to
include saying at any moment: “I will be stronger than my
destructiveness and will not be hampered by it. I determine that my
life will be at its best and fullest and that I will and can overcome
the blocks in me that make me want to remain unhappy. This
determination of mine will bring in the higher powers that will
make me capable of experien cing more and more bliss because I can
let go of the doubtful pleasure of being negative, which I now fully
recognize.” This is the task of the conscious ego. Then and then only
can it also call into play the powers of guidance, wisdom, strength,
and a new inner feeling of love that comes from being penetrated by
the universal self.
For reeducatio n, too, has to proceed through the relationship of
the three interactive levels, just as it was necessary for making the
destructive side conscious and exploring its deeper  meaning.
Reeducation depends on the eorts of both the conscious ego, with
its instructions to and dialogue with the ignorant egotistical child,
and on the intervention and guidance of the universal, spiritual self.
Each in its own way will eect the gradual maturing of this infant.
The ego determines its goal to change the consciousness of the
negative inner child by wanti ng this and committing itself to it. This
is its task. Full execution of this task is made possible by thespiritual inux from the deeper personality that has to be
deliberately activated. Here the consciousness must again adopt a
twofold approach: One is activity that asserts its desire to transform
the self-defeating aspects, leading the dialogue and calmly but
rmly instruct ing the ignorant child. The other is a more passive,
patient waiting  for the nal, but always gradual, manifestation of
the universal powers. It is they who bring about the inner change
when the feelings lead to new, more resilient reactions. Thus good
feelings will replace those that were negative or dead.
Rushing and pressuring the resisting part is as useless and
ineective as accepting its direct refusal to budge. When the
conscious ego does not recognize that there is a part of the self that
actually refuses every step toward health, unfoldment, and the good
life, a counteractive movement may be one of hurried, impatient
pressure. Both derive from self-hate. When you feel stymied and
hopeless, take it as a sign for you to search for that part in you that
says, “I do not wish to chang e, I do not wish to be constru ctive.” Set
out and nd this voice. Use the meditative dialogue here again, to
explore and let the worst in you express itself.
You can see my friends, how expressing the negative part,
exploring its meaning, cause and eect, and reeducating it must be
a constantly uctuating process, alternating and often simultaneous.
See how the three levels of interaction combine in the eort of
purication and integration. Meditation functions here as a constant
articulation of what was previously unarticulated. It is a threefold
communication and confrontation: from the ego toward the
destructive self and from the ego toward the universal self, so that
the universal self can aect both the ego and the destructive self.
Your own sensitivity will grow day by day to feel what exactly is
needed at any given point on your evolutionary path.
A Way to Begin Meditation
Each day brings forth new tasks, exciting tasks, beautiful tasks.
They should not be approach ed in a spirit of wanting to get it overwith, as if only then could life begin. On the contrary, the
meditation process is living at its best. You may begin each
meditation by asking yoursel f, “What do I really feel at this moment
about this or that issue? In what respect am I dissatised?  What is it
I may be disregarding?” Then you may request the universal spirit
in you to help you nd these  particular answers. Wait trustingly for
what may unfold. Only when some part of you unfolds can you have
a direct confrontation, communication, or dialogue with it and ask
it further questions, as well as instruct it. With patience and
determination you can remold the distorted part, but only after it
has fully expressed itself. You can


 fasting is the purest type of fast for the body and the only type of cleanse where the body is not getting any food at all.  For that reason, it can go deeper and is more powerful for healing.I believe water fasting is the best way to release toxins from the mind, body and spirit.  It’s that simple.  The body knows how to heal itself, it just needs a chance to do it.  When you fast, you are directing the body to takes it’s energy inward.  It can then start cleansing and healing itself. Through the industrialization of the world, we have decided as a species that we know what’s better for us than what nature provided.  We have man-handled our foods to the point where they are poisonous to us and we have lived a more chemical-based life than ever before.  No wonder why with all that ‘progress,’ we are sicker than ever before!The path to good health is so simple – trust that the body knows.  Feed it well, think positive thoughts, bring love into your heart, and cleanse and detoxify your body and you will begin to feel superior states of consciousness and well-being that you never even knew existed!Introduction to Water Fasting
!www.healthybliss.net!!!!!!!!!13Chapter 2Preparation for a Water FastPRE-FAST INTESTINAL CLEANSINGBefore you even consider a water fast, it is very important to have done some colon cleansing in the past.  And by that I don’t mean having an occasional colonic!  Personally, I recommend the Dr. Richard Anderson Arise and Shine 7-day cleanse as an absolute minimum.  It is important to have done several intestinal cleanses to ensure that your body has had a chance to release any substantial build-up of toxins, otherwise going straight into a water fast could make you feel quite unwell.  It would be a good idea for you to experience a 7-day juice fast as well.  Ideally, I would recommend a 7-day intestinal program with twice daily enemas, then 5-7 days of juice fasting as a way to gently ease into a water fast.  If done in this way, the body will have a much easier transition and any initial cleansing reactions will be greatly reduced.In my case, I had been doing the Arise and Shine cleansing program and juice fasting for 12 years before I ever did my ﬁrst water fast!  Your body will know when it has experienced all it can from intestinal cleansing and you will naturally be drawn to the idea of water fast when it’s ready.FINDING THE RIGHT LOCATIONOnce you have made the decision to do a water fast, the next step is to create the time and space in your life to do it.  Water fasting is more gentle on the body in a warm climate where you can expose your body to the sun every day and enjoy nice, clean fresh air.  I could not even imagine doing a water fast in the middle of winter in a city!  Think about these things in advance and perhaps even plan a holiday around doing your fast.  After all, it is the best gift you can give yourself, so ﬁnd a place where you will enjoy the experience the most.Keep in mind that if this is your ﬁrst water fast and if you do not have a lot of experience in cleansing and detoxing, you may want to consider joining a retreat that specializes in water fasting.  Of course you don’t need anyone to explain how to drink water, but what is important is to feel safe and supported during your fast.  Especially on an emotional level, it is very good to have others to talk to who understand what you are going through and who can guide you through your experience.If you are doing the water fast on your own, tell at least one person who is close to you what you are doing.  Ask them to check in with you every day just to make sure you are ok.  Explain to them, that if need be, they may need to bring you a juice or some fresh fruit, and make sure they can commit to that for the duration of your fast.  If it’s a good friend, they should be more than happy to provide support.Preparation For a Water Fast
!www.healthybliss.net!!!!!!!!!15SETTING ASIDE THE TIMETry to completely eliminate all work responsibilities during your fast or at least greatly reduce them.  You will need all of your energy for the healing process, and if you externalize that energy you will only be taking away from yourself.  Be mentally prepared to do as little as possible during your fast.  Resting, meditation, deep breathing, some time in the sun and more resting should be as busy as your days get!BE HUMBLE!Be careful not to tell the whole world what you are doing before you start your fast – for one, most people will think you are crazy and try to talk you out of it, and second, you will be setting yourself to live up to an expectation.  If you do break your fast early, you will surely get a lot of ‘See I told you it was bad for you,’ and really, that’s the last that you need to hear!  Be sure that this fast is for you, for your healing, not for your ego!PREPARING THE BODY NUTRITIONALLYIt is important to have a full reserve of vitamins and minerals in your body before starting a water fast.  If you have been eating de-vitalized foods and been under a lot of stress, it is likely you are deﬁcient in some essential minerals.  In the weeks before your water fast, drink plenty of fresh juices, eat as much raw food or lightly steamed veggies as possible and stay away from Preparation For a Water Fast
!www.healthybliss.net!!!!!!!!!16processed foods, meats, dairy and alcohol.  Personally I have a liquid mineral supplement that I also take during the pre-fast.  It is a full spectrum of colloidal minerals which is easily absorbed into the body.  I also take a lot of raw apple cider vinegar during that time to speciﬁcally increase potassium levels and start the process of gentle cleansing (1 Tbsp mixed with water, 3-4 times/day).  I think it is one of the best things to take in preparation for a water fast.  WATER – WHAT KIND, HOW MUCH & TEMPERATUREWater is the key element of your water fast, so take some time to get the best that is available to you.  As I mentioned in Chapter 1, many people will recommend distilled water for a water fast.  In my opinion, I would prefer to have live, natural mountain spring water straight from the source.  I couldn’t think of a better gift from Mother Earth herself!  During my fasts, I bought mineral water from the store in large containers and used that for drinking and enemas.Everyone will be a bit different in terms of how much water to drink during the fast.  Initially, I started drinking 6 liters per day, and I found that as the fast progressed, I naturally drank less, perhaps 4.5 liters per day.  I became full very quickly and did not want to drink large amounts.  I listened to my body.  If you feel thirsty, drink more.  Some people talk about heating the water during a fast and sipping it to give them the feel of something different on their palate. One Natural Hygienist wrote that warm water helps to break up catarrh and mucous Preparation For a Water Fast
!www.healthybliss.net!!!!!!!!!17better in the same way that hot water will clean grease from a cooking pan.  On my ﬁrst 2 fasts, I did not drink warm water, but on my long fast detailed below, I had 2 cups of warm water ﬁrst thing in the morning for the ﬁrst 10 days.It’s deﬁnitely not a good idea to drink cold water while fasting as your body will waste energy having to warm the liquid inside.One thing that I did to my water that I have not seen anyone else talk about is I energized my water before drinking.  I took a Tesla purple plate and a personal harmonizer and wrapped them around my water bottles so they increased the natural healing vibration of the water itself.  I also wore a similar device around my neck during the fast to increase the healing frequencies within my body itself.  I’ve written more about these items in Chapter 8.In addition, I added crystals to the water before drinking as explained earlier in Chapter 1.  I bought a glass pitcher and ﬁlled the bottom of the pitcher with several pieces of rose quartz, amethyst and clear quartz.  I would then transfer the mineral water from the plastic containers into the glass pitcher, and I would drink the water from there.  Crystals help to energize the water and  amplify a sense of calm, peace, clarity and love.ENEMASThere is a lot of debate as to whether or not to do enemas while water fasting.  I did one round of enemas every morning using a 2-liter bag.  I did 1 full rinse with the bag for a total of 2 liters.  During my ﬁrst 10-day fast,  I Preparation For a Water Fast
!www.healthybliss.net!!!!!!!!!18had almost nothing coming out, but I still did these ﬂushes because I think it does give the body a chance to release excess toxic build-up.  In my long fast as you will read below, I had worms released, so of course I am a believer in the daily enemas now! I do think most people would beneﬁt from daily enemas due to the increase of toxicity in our


 is very fine and ripe it may be
brought to the table whole. It is a pretty dish, and can be
served by digging out the eyes with a cheese scoop or pointed
spoon. The sections will be found to run clear to the center
and will split as easily as those of an orange. Pineapple thus
served should be eaten by holding it in the hand.

ORANGE BASKETS.
Cut as many oranges as will be required, leaving the peel
whole for the baskets, and a stri p half an inch wide for the
handles. Remove the pulp and juice and use the juice in
making orange jelly. When ready to serve put a spoonful of
whipped cream over the jelly in each basket. Serve in a box
lined with orange or laurel leaves.

GRAPE FRUIT.
This fruit possesses great medicinal property, and is
gaining in popularity every year.
To prepare for the table, th ey should be cut in half,
removing the hard pith and th e seeds in the center. Fill the
cavity and sprinkle the surface with powdered sugar, pouring
over each half a tablespoonful of grape juice. This should be
allowed to stand an hour before using. The abundant acid and slightly bitter flavor of this fruit
serves to quench thirst, and it is regarded by many as a
sovereign remedy for biliousness.  It is undoubtedly one of the
best liver tonics in the fruit kingdom; better results will be
obtained by not diluting it with sugar.

THE GUAVA.
This tropical or semi-tropical shrub yields an important
dessert fruit. It is, however, known to the inhabitants of the
cooler zones only through guava jelly—a rich, conserve
imported from the West Indies. The guava is cultivated in
Florida, but the manufacture of guava is chiefly confined to
the West Indies.

TO KEEP LEMONS.
Lemons may be kept for a time by running a string
through the nibs and hanging in a dry place.

MELONS.
Of all the fruits that grow in the balmy clime of the South
there is none so much appreciated as the watermelon. While
the watermelon contains over 90 per cent. water, it also
contains 10 per cent of carbohydrates, and other valuable
food properties.
We have given no recipes for the preparation of this, for
the very obvious reason that it needs none.
Those who have consumed the watermelon only in
diningrooms and fashionable cafes know but little about the
enjoyment there is in disposing of this article in the good old
Southern way. They should see two Southern cornfield
"niggers" on a hot summer's day, making for the shade of a
mulberry tree, laden with two large "millions" each, and
watch them go after the luscious contents of this fruit without
knife, fork, or spoon. This scene might whet up the
imagination of the aesthetic cityite until he perhaps could
gain some information as to how to eat and form some vague
estimate of the pleasure of consuming a melon as the Asiatics
did a thousand or two years ago.
The watermelon, cantaloupe and muskmelon compose a
triad of the best fruits known.
Their virtue consists largely in the fact that they contain
large quantities of pure non-acid distilled water and much
fruit sugar, which stimulates the activity of all the digestive
organs.
EVAPORATED FRUITS.

THE process of evaporation is merely the taking from fruits
enough water to keep them from decay. Therefore, in
preparing them for the table, all that is necessary is to restore
to them the water. This can be done by soaking them in pure,
spring water, preferably water that has been distilled. This
will give the nearest approach to ripe fresh fruit that can be
secured out of season. Cooking totally destroys and takes
from fruit its life and freshness.

PRUNES.
Take a quantity sufficient for two or three days, wash
thoroughly, put in a deep vessel or pitcher, adding just
enough lukewarm water to cover.  Let them stand over night.
They will be found thoroughly softened. The peeling can be
easily removed. Then serve with thick cream. This will be
found to be a delicious and healthful breakfast dish. The juice
or syrup should not be poured off; the unused portion can be
left in the vessel from 48 to 60 hours without injuring, if kept
in a cool place. The large fancy variety, running from twenty
to thirty per pound, are much better for preparing in this
manner.

PEACHES AND APRICOTS.
Take quantity desired. Place in deep vessel. Lay upon
them a light weight, and add a small quantity of water, not
quite enough to cover. Let stand six or eight hours. Then
remove fruit to another vessel. Take a few pieces of same,
remove the peeling and reduce to a pulp. Add this to water in
which fruit was soaked. Pour th is over the soaked fruit and
serve.
Recipe No. 2.—Prepare same as recipe No. I, only mix a
few seeded raisins with the fruit.  This will furnish a delicious
sweetening without the use of cane sugar, which is not
recommended to use with acid fruits.
The method employed in the foregoing recipes can be
applied to all evaporated fruits.

EVAPORATED APPLES WITH RAISINS.
Take the quantity of dried or evaporated apples desired,
and about half as many seeded raisins as apples. Wash apples
thoroughly, mix raisins with apples in a deep vessel, and
hardly cover with warm wate r. Let stand over night, when
they will be ready to serve.

NUT-FIG MARMALADE.
Cover a small platter with ground figs, one-quarter inch
thick. Cover this with a layer of blanched, sliced Brazil nuts,
about one-eighth inch thick, then a layer of seeded dates.
Over this place a layer of pecan meats, then another layer of ground figs, and cover this with sliced Brazil nuts. Press
firmly together and slice with  sharp knife. This is very
delicious served plain with whipped cream.

STUFFED PRUNES.
Soak prunes until soft. Remove pits and stuff with nut-
meats.

STUFFED DATES.
Select whole, firm dates, wash and remove stone and fill
cavities with any kind of nuts desired or with cream cheese.
Pack firmly and allow to dry before using.

PRUNE DESSERT.
Soak the prunes seven to eight hours, remove pits and
chop fine; cover bottom of pudding dish with prunes, over
this a layer of ground nuts, alternate layers until dish is nearly
filled. -Cover with the beaten whites of the eggs, a little
lemon juice and powdered sugar beaten very stiff; dot with
pecan nuts and serve.
CHEESE AND JUNKET.

JUNKET.
Into a quart of milk stir two tablespoonfuls of powdered
sugar, a teasponful of liquid rennet. In a warm room the milk
will soon become "set" like a custard, when it must be put on
the ice until needed. Serve with sugar and cream from the
same bowl in which it was formed. Any kind of fresh fruit
may be added to the junket before it has entirely congealed
and a portion of fruit given with each service.

CLABBER
Is nothing more than milk which has soured and turned
or thickened until it is of the c onsistency of baked custard. It
should then be set on ice, or in a cool place and not sent to the
table until ready to use. Some individuals prefer this as a
relish just as it is, but most people use sugar, cream and
grated nutmeg. The milk may be put in a glass bowl before it
turns. As a diet, however, better results will be obtained by
using it without sweetening or flavoring.

CREAM CHEESE.
Take thick cream and tie it in a wet cloth. Stir a
teaspoonful of salt into every pint of cream. Hang it in a cool
airy place for three or four days to drain. Then turn it into a
clean cloth, which must be put into a mold and under a
weight for about twenty-four hours longer, when it will be fit
for use.

CREAM CHEESE AND NUTS.
Cover a layer of cream cheese with dates sliced thin, and
on that, a layer of pecan nuts or sliced Brazil nuts, taking care
that the nuts form the top layer. Serve very cold.
CAKE, PUDDINGS AND PIES.

FIG AND NUT CAKE.
 Figs,  Nuts,
 Dates,  Cocoanut.
Make a layer each of ground figs, grated protoid nuts,
dates cut in halves with stones removed, and grated cocoa-
nut. Continue building these layers until the cake is of the
thickness desired, finishing with  the cocoanut; decorate with
crystallized cherries and nut meats.

SWEET POTATO PUDDING.
 Sweet Potatoes,   Eggs,
 Cream,   Nutmeg,
 Sugar,   Gelatine,
Milk.
Grate potatoes on a large grater and then drain


 it  looks nothing at all  like my past?
In order to consider this carefully, you should be aware that change does not occur in a
vacuum. Change does not take place in the universe for no reason. Change is not a random
act. Change is an announcement that someth ing is not working.
The change that has occurred in your life has happened because disharmony was
present. When disharmony is present, life becomes dysfunctional —and that condition
violates the first of the Basic Principles of Life (Life Is Functional, Ada ptable, and
Sustainable) and invokes the second.
Okay... now you might say, “If all things happen for the better... I mean, if that is really
true ... then someone needs to tell me what in blazes God has in mind, because things sure
don’t look any better to me!”
I know that I’ll be hearing that a lot during the Changing Everything Workshop that
we’re presenting in satellite TV “web casts” around the world, and in our twice -annual live,
in-person retreats. And this leads us to...
CHANGE #6:
Change  your idea about why Change occurs  Even if you accept that all change happens for the better, you do not know why this new
circumstance, situation, or condition is better. You don’t understand the nature of the
improvement. That’s because the improvement m ay not have to do with exterior
conditions, but with interior conditions. What you are not seeing is why  change occurs —
and who is causing it. When you see this and embrace it as your living truth, once again
everything in your day -to-day experience will... well... change.
So here comes another Actual Truth. Get ready.
Are you ready?
This is a tough one, so take a breath. Okay, here it comes...
Change occurs because you want it to occur.
Everything that changes changes at your direction.
Whoa, that  sure doesn’t seem true! Why in the world would you want  to have happen
what has just happened? No one in their right mind would choose that!
Are you saying this (or screaming it) inside your head right now?
Well, if you are you would be right. No one in th eir right mind would  choose something
like this. The mind does not make these choices. The soul does.
All of which gets us to the agenda  of the soul. First we established that you have  a soul,
yes? Now we need to look at why. Why do you have a soul? What’s  its purpose? What’s its
function? When you understand this (or freshly remember it), it will be very clear to you
why you would choose the change you have chosen just now.
Your soul’s agenda flows serenely with the larger energy of life itself. Life’s ene rgy
always moves toward synergy, harmony, glorious expression, and expansion. It seeks an
experience of itself, in fullness.
When I add my own human language to this understanding I find myself saying that life’s
energy always moves in the direction of wha t I call “love.” Love of self, love of others, and
love of life.
Your own individual energy moves in the same direction. Your soul and the “soul of the
universe” desire, seek, and produce at all times the same thing. It is when your mind  gets in
the way th at it seems as though it is not producing this, that something terrible has
happened, and that you’re going in the wrong direction.
I’m going to use an example now from Christian doctrine to illustrate what I am saying
here. The New Testament tells us that  Jesus went with his disciples to a garden in a place
called Gethsemane. There, he asked his followers to sit and wait for him and to pray. He,
too, he said, was going to go off to pray, but by himself.
And then, being alone, he felt a great heaviness come upon him, almost to the point
where he could die. And he knew what lay ahead. And he called out to God, “Father! You
can do anything! If there is any way that this can happen, remove this cup from my lips.... ”
Here Jesus’ mind had gotten  involved, and he wanted a change of direction in the way
things were going. But immediately his vibration was raised, through the sheer power of his will. “Yet not my will, but thine,” he said. And with those words his soul returned to
alignment with the soul of the universe —or, if you please, with God.
There is but One Soul, yet there are many expressions. These individuated aspects of the
One Soul seek synergy, harmony, glorious expression, and expansion. This is another way
of saying that life in all it s forms seeks the very same thing that Life itself seeks. How could
it be any other way?
Yet the soul and the mind are two different things. The “life form” that you have taken
has both a soul and a mind (as well as a body), and it is in this triune totali ty that it fully
equips itself to do what you came here —to physical life —to do.
The job of the mind is to make sure that the body —your physical instrument, or tool —is
kept safe, so that you may use it to do what you came here to do. The job of the soul is to
make sure that the mind always knows what you came here to do, and does not get caught
up in its own make -believe world.
It is like getting caught up in a virtual reality on the Internet. I’m sure you must know
that there are now entire “worlds” on the Internet into which you may enter, claim an
identity, and live an entire “life” —growing up, finding love, creating a career, buying a
home, having a family, experiencing success and becoming rich (or not)... you can actually
produce an entire experience  of life in these virtual realities, interacting with others,
entering into legal agreements —it’s all really quite detailed, sophisticated, and complex.
And none of it is real. Obviously, not a single bit of it is really happening to You. It is only
happen ing to the “you” that You created in that make -believe world.
To your soul, physical life on the earth is very much the same thing. The trick is not to
get “lost” in the make -believe world of your mind, but to use your body and your mind to do
what your so ul came here to do.
We are all doing that right now, but some people are doing it consciously and some are
doing it unconsciously. That is, without knowing what they are doing.
Now I know that some of this may be starting to sound a little bit far out, so maybe it
would be a good time to just take a little rest here and just kind of “be with” all that’s been
said. Try not to judge it or evaluate it. Just rest with it and let it be just what it is: merely an
idea, one person’s concept; something for you t o consider. Okay? So, for now, would you
like to
Take a break?
And when you’re ready, pick up the chapter at...
A QUESTION OF BALANCE
What happened to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane is what happens to all of us. I love
the fact that this story is in the Bible for that very reason. It gives us all hope if we know
that even Jesus was having to deal with the balancing of his mind and his soul as part of the
process by which he had the fullest experience of himself.  That’s what we’re talking about here in  this conversation. I’m wanting to assist you in
seeing that life is not exactly what you may think it is, and that there is a reason  that things
are happening the way they are happening, and that you are not a victim  to this reason, but,
rather, that you are at cause in the matter.
This idea would be difficult for you to embrace unless you had a clear understanding of
your true identity; of who you really are and why you are here on the earth in physical form
and what life is really and truly all about.
Absent such an understanding, none of life will make much sense. With  such an
understanding, all of it  makes sense. And when it makes sense to you, you no longer have to
suffer the pain and the frustration that you have known in your life so far. Changes can
come along right and left (and they will), and they will not discombobulate you, or draw
you into anger and sadness. You will have changed the way Change itself is experienced —
because you will have understood everything there is to understand about  Change,
including that...
All change is change for the better.
Change occurs because you want it to occur.
The mind rejects such notions, but the soul shouts them to high heaven. This is because
the soul knows what the mind cannot comprehend. And this is beca use the mind comes
from Past Data, while the soul comes from EverMoment.
EverMoment  is my name for the moment of now. It is the only moment that ever is.
There is no moment other than EverMoment


 book
must carry with it a warning to all, that it is not intended to be a cure, but rather a
program to be used in conjunction with the guidance of your own physician for the
resolution of degenerative disease. As the writer of this preface, I  can say that the
truth of Dr. Kelley's paradigm is both preventive and healing. I  wish you God's speed
and hope that the truth w ill set you free.
Greg Stirling,
Vancouver, British Columbia
March 1997
viii
Foreword
Health is a wonderful possession. It does not last forever, although most of
us assume it will. It is not until we lose our health that we seek diligently to
regain it. Often it is too late, and always too expensive.
It is the purpose of Dr. Kelley is to help those who desire and are willing to work
for their better health. It is ever the objective of Dr. Kelley to point out the metabolic
deficiencies in the metabolism of each person who has the malfunction, not to treat
the disease that has the person.
It is our desire to advise, teach, and counsel a person in such a way that he and
he alone is responsible for his or her health. A doctor cannot "cure" you of anything.
If you have a broken arm, the physician may set it — but only you — your own body
— may "cure" or heal the break. Of course, during your lifetime you w ill need the
help of many in the healing professions: The dentist, the osteopath, the chiropractor,
the naturopath, the biochemist, the nutritionist, and last but not least, the spiritual
counselor. Although these experts may give you aid, you must assume the
responsibility of accepting and following their advice.
In researching some of the more complex disease processes, it became more and
more evident to us that cancer is a simple deficiency condition. We have proven this
to our own satisfaction, and to the satisfaction of many counselees.
This publication is a simplified, condensed, practical application of our
investigations and findings. We present these findings because there have been so
many prayers unto God for a solution to this simple problem.
To successfully resolve cancer, however simple, is a tedious and lengthy
metabolic process. It is not expensive as compared to the "accepted" surgical,
radiological, or chemotherapy methods, and has proven very effective.
It is our desire that this booklet be a helpful aid to many who are themselves or
have lost loved ones afflicted with malignancy.
ix
In tro d u c tio n
A comprehensive defense program must recognize the existence of more than one
potential enemy. Metabolic Medicine can handle other enemies besides cancer. It is,
in fact, a lifestyle for peace or war — one that can keep you in an ideal state of
readiness.
Over the last 42 years or so, the medical profession and the medical community
have progressed to unprecedented heights and achievements in areas of
reconstruction and surgical procedure. They have worked hard and deserve every bit
of the respect and honor they receive. They have done remarkably well in applying
technological advances to their profession.
The medical community has centered its energies and advancement on the
infectious and traumatic cases. It has all but conquered infections of all types.
Surgical procedures and treatment of traumatic ills have advanced equally with
control of the infectious diseases. In short, what the medical community does, it does
well, unsurpassed in the history of mankind.
But the problems for which the medical community is so well trained and
equipped to handle account for only a percentage of the illnesses in our society. In
the balance of the cases involving degeneration or metabolic conditions, little hope is
received.
Down through the years, cancer patients have had such excellent results with
Metabolic Medicine that they have brought other family members and friends for
nutritional counseling. The range of diseases for which Dr. Kelley has planned
nutritional programs covers the complete gamut of degenerative and metabolic ills,
even some infectious diseases and structural conditions.
Dr. Kelley distinguishes between degenerative disease and metabolic disease in
this example: Adult-onset diabetes is degenerative; childhood-onset diabetes is
metabolic. Metabolic diseases can result from improper nutrition to the fetus due to
the faulty diet of the mother during pregnancy. (It is widely recognized among
medical authorities that birth defects have risen dramatically in recent years.)
Metabolic disease can result from injury or other trauma. Metabolic diseases are
those, which do not result from long-term physical degeneration.
Dr. Kelley's experience with over 33,000 benefactors led or leads him to believe
10
Winning The Cancer War
that balancing body chemistry through nutrition is a realistic approach, which should
be investigated on a larger scale. How long this w ill take, or whether it will be done
at all, is a matter of speculation. Many readers, or their friends, are desperately
seeking help for conditions that could be alleviated through nutritional balancing of
body chemistry. Cancer is just one of these conditions. A large part of Dr. Kelley's
Nutritional Counseling is devoted to planning nutritional programs for people who do
not have cancer. Whatever the specific metabolic-degenerative condition may be,
hope and encouragement is justified by the many favorable reports from those who
have already benefited from Metabolic Medicine.
11
Warnin g  &  Disclaim e r
The publisher and the distributors, Dr. Kelley Metabolic Nutrition, Inc., College of
Metabolic Medicine® www.DrWDKelley.com, www.AscitiesHelp.com.
www.drkelley.com.  Dr. Kelley International INC. do not endorse any of the views,
procedures or recommendations of Metabolic Support presented by Dr. Kelley. The
entire contents of this publication and the listed web sites, are based upon the
opinions of Dr. Kelley's 40 years experience. They are not intended to replace a one-
on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional or intended as medical
advice.
They are intended to share knowledge and information from the research and
experiences of Dr. Kelley and his community. Dr. Kelley encourages you to make
your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a
qualified health care professional. Publication and distribution are made solely to
inform readers who have a specific interest in alternative information for cancer and
health care. Readers are cautioned against following any procedure for any serious
disease without medical consultation. The views expressed herein are those of Dr.
Kelley solely. The Internet providers, publishers and distributors disclaim any
association with the author's views and comments.
Warning of Fraud
From Park Avenue in New York City to the motel clinics and marble palaces of
Northern Mexico, deception, misrepresentation, and out-right fraud are inflicted
upon a multitude of desperate cancer victims in unprecedented heights never before
known to mankind.
They are committed daily by fly-by-night promoters, the international multi-level
conglomerate giants, doctors who claim to be medical school graduates, and
"practitioners" who have bought mail-order doctorate diplomas. Orthodox physicians
as well as alternative and complementary health care doctors commit deception and
plunder in order to line their greedy pockets, a practice that might be considered
murder.
Many of these unscrupulous individuals claim they are using Dr. Kelley's program
or supplements formulated by Dr. Kelley. Many have the nerve to say that their
formula is an improvement over Dr. Kelley's concepts. These wicked, lawless
creatures make false claims that they are using Dr. Kelley's methods and/or have
studied with Dr. Kelley. Nothing could be further from the truth!
12
Winning The Cancer War
These dishonest individuals want you to think that their programs are as good as, or
better, than Dr. Kelley's Original Metabolic Medicine's Cancer Cure Program®. They
also try to deceive you by using Dr. Kelley as an authority figure when they do not
even comprehend his concepts. Most importantly, not one of them can approach Dr.
Kelley's cancer cure success rate. Unless Dr. Kelley endorses their programs or
supplements, the fact is that they are only guessing at what they are doing. Do not be
misled by these fakirs!
"Cancer" is Impossible to "Cure"
A. M alignant  Tumors  w ill develop which the medical communities, both
orthodox and alternative, in total error call cancer. Proper treatment of these
malignant tumors include:
1. Reduce the intake of heavy meat proteins like pork, beef, fish, and foul for
at least six months
2. Use and take pure pancreatic enzymes with their activators.
3. Add to the diet as much raw, organic fruits and vegetables and/or their
juice as possible.
4. Properly detoxify the body and increase blood circulation.
5. Remove as much of the enzyme inhibitors and blockers as possible and
preaxial.
6. Maintain a positive spiritual and mental attitude.
Note: When one has delayed in starting our natural metabolic program until
you have exhausted other forms of therapy or your tumor mass has gown
exceedingly large before diagnosis or has invaded the bone or you have
enzyme inhibitors preventing enzyme activity, you must address these
conditions in addition to following our program very carefully and completely.
When the normal cancer recovery metabolic pathway is blocked or inhibited from
resolving malignant tumors you must seek other more painful, drastic, devastating,
damaging and temporary methods of addressing these malignant tumors. These
methods are only temporary and the tumors always return, usually more vicious than
before unless you also use Dr.Kelley


asurable. How much more exciting and fulfilling to take charge
and master your own dental world environment than to hang on to
the old images and just endure.
Perhaps you’re skeptical. You may say something like, “I can think
all I want, but I still get unhappy when he starts to16 / Your Erroneous Zonesdrill.” Think back to the stick shift. When did you believe  that you
could drive it? A thought becomes a belief when you’ve worked on
it repeatedly, not when you simply try it once and use your initial
inability as the rationale for giving up.
Taking charge of yourself involves more than simply trying on
new thoughts for size. It requires a determination to be happy and
to challenge and destroy each and every thought that creates a self-
immobilizing unhappiness in you.
Choice—Your Ultimate Freedom
If you still believe that you don’t choose to be unhappy, try to
imagine this course of events. Each time you become unhappy you
are subjected to some treatment you find unpleasant. Perhaps you
are locked in a room alone for long periods of time or, conversely,
forced into a crowded elevator where you must stand for days. You
may be deprived of all food or forced to eat some dish you find
particularly distasteful. Or perhaps you will be tortured—physically
tortured by others, rather than mentally tortured by yourself. Imagine
that you were subjected to any one of these punishments until you
made your unhappy feelings go away. How long do you think you
would continue to hold on to them? Chances are you would take
control rather quickly. So the issue is not whether you can take
control of your feelings, but whether you will. What must you endure
before you’ll make such a choice? Some people choose to go insane
rather than take control. Others merely give up and succumb to a
life of misery because the dividend of pity received is greater than
the reward of being happy.
The issue here is your own ability to choose happiness or at least
not to choose unhappiness at any given moment of your life. A mind-
blowing notion perhaps, but one that you should consider carefully
before rejecting, since to discard it is to give up on yourself. To reject
it is to believe that someone else in-TAKING CHARGE OF YOURSELF  / 17stead of you is in charge of you. But choosing to be happy might
seem easier than some things which daily confound your life.
Just as you are free to choose happiness over unhappiness, so in
the myriad events of everyday life you are free to choose self-ful-
filling behavior over self-defeating behavior. If you drive in this day
and age, chances are you find yourself frequently stuck in traffic.
Do you become angry, swear at other drivers, berate your passengers,
take your feelings out on anyone and anything in range? Do you
justify your behavior by saying that traffic always sends you into a
snit, that you simply have no control in a traffic jam? If so, you are
accustomed to thinking certain things about yourself and the way
you act in traffic. But what if you decided to think something else?
What if you chose to use your mind in a self-enhancing kind of way?
It would take time but you could learn to talk to yourself in new
ways, to become accustomed to new behavior which might include
whistling, singing, turning on a tape recorder to write verbal letters,
even timing yourself with thirty-second postponements of your an-
ger. You have not learned to like the traffic but you have learned to
practice, very slowly at first, new thoughts. You have decided not
to be uncomfortable. You have chosen to substitute in slow progress-
ive steps healthy new feelings and habits for old self-defeating
emotions.
You can choose to make any experience enjoyable and challenging.
Dull parties and committee meetings are fertile territory for choosing
new feelings. When you find yourself bored, you can make your
mind work in exciting ways, by changing the subject with a key
observation, or writing the first chapter of your novel, or working
on new plans which will help you to avoid these settings in the fu-
ture. Using your mind actively means assessing the people and
events which give you the greatest difficulty and then deciding on
new mental efforts to make them work for you. In a restaurant, if
you typically get upset over poor service, think first of why you
should not choose to18 / Your Erroneous Zonesbe upset because someone or something is not going the way you
would like it to go. You’re too worthy to be upset by someone else,
especially someone who is so unimportant in your life. Then devise
strategies to change the setting, or leave, or whatever. But don’t just
get perturbed. Use your brain to work for you, and eventually you’ll
have the terrific habit of not being upset when things go wrong.
Choosing Health Over Illness
You can also choose to eliminate some physical sufferings which
are not rooted in a known organic dysfunction. Some common
physical ailments, which often do not have an origin in a physiolo-
gical disorder, include headaches, backaches, ulcers, hypertension,
rashes, skin eruptions, cramps, fleeting pains and the like.
I once had a client who swore she had a headache every morning
for the past four years. Each morning at 6:45 she waited for it to ar-
rive and then took her pain pills. She also kept each of her friends
and co-workers informed of how much she was suffering. It was
suggested to the client that she wanted the headaches, and had ac-
tually chosen them as a means of being noticed and as a means of
receiving sympathy and pity. It was also suggested that she could
learn not to want this for herself and to practice making the headache
shift from a point located centrally on her forehead to one on the
side of her head. She was going to learn that she controlled the
headache by making it move around. The first morning she
awakened at 6:30 A.M., and lay in bed awaiting her headache. When
it arrived she was able to think  it to another place in her head. She
had chosen something new for herself and ultimately she stopped
choosing headaches completely.
There is a burgeoning amount of evidence to support the notion
that people even choose things like tumors, influenza, arthritis, heart
disease, “accidents” and many other infirmities,TAKING CHARGE OF YOURSELF  / 19including cancer, which have always been considered something
that just happens to people. In treating what have been labeled
“terminally ill” patients, some researchers are beginning to believe
that helping the patient not to want the disease, in any form, may
be a means of ameliorating the internal killer. Some cultures treat
pain in this way, taking complete power over the brain, and making
self-control synonymous with brain -control.
The brain, which is composed of ten billion, billion working parts,
has enough storage capacity to accept ten new facts every second.
It has been conservatively estimated that the human brain can store
an amount of information equivalent to one hundred trillion words,
and that all of us use but a tiny fraction of this storage space. It is a
powerful instrument you carry around with you wherever you go,
and you might choose to put it to some fantastic uses which you’ve
never even considered up until now. Keep that in mind as you go
through the pages of this book and try to choose new ways of
thinking.
Don’t be too quick to call such control quackery. Most doctors
have seen patients who have chosen a physical malady for which
there is no known physiological cause. It’s not uncommon for indi-
viduals to become mysteriously sick when confronted with some
kind of difficult circumstance, or to avoid illness when being sick is
simply “impossible” at that time, and so postponed the effects, per-
haps the fever, until the big event is over, and then collapse.
I know of a case of a thirty-six-year-old man trapped in a horrible
marriage. He decided on January 15th that he was leaving his wife
on March 1st. On February 28th he developed a 104 degree fever
and began vomiting uncontrollably. This became a recurring pattern;
each time he built himself up, he got the flu, or an attack of indiges-
tion. He was making a choice. It was easier to be sick than to face
the guilt, fear, shame and the unknown that go with separation.
Listen to the advertisements we see and hear on television.
“I’m a stockbroker…. So you can imagine the tension and20 / Your Erroneous Zonesheadaches I must have. I take this pill to make it go away.” Message:
You can’t control how you feel if you work in certain kinds of jobs
(teachers, executives, parents) so rely on something else to do it for
you.
We are bombarded with messages like this every day. The implic-
ation is clear. We are helpless prisoners who must have someone or
something else do things for us. NONSENSE. Only you can improve
your lot or make yourself happy. It is up to you to take control of
your own mind, and then practice feeling and behaving in the ways
that you choose.
Avoiding Immobilization
As you consider your potential for choosing happiness, keep in
mind the word immobilization  as the indicator of negative emotions
in your life. You might believe that anger, hostility, shyness and
other similar feelings are worth having at times, and so