 defining its own object of
research: life. "We do not have a scientific definition of life," as Erwin Chargaff
states. And "indeed, the most precise tests are carried out on dead cells and tissues."15
This phenomenon is particularly virulent in bacterial and viral research (and in the
whole pharmaceutical development of medicines altogether) where laboratory
experiments on tissue samples which are tormented with a variety of often highly
reactive chemicals allow few conclusions about reality. And yet, conclusions are
constantly drawn-and then passed straight on to the production of medications and
vaccines.
Fungi: As in the Forest, So in the Human Body
It's ultimately impossible to find out exactly everything that microbes get up to
on a cellular and molecular level in living people or animals. To do this, you would
have to chase every single microbe around with mini-cameras. And even if it were
possible, you'd merely have little pieces of a puzzle, not an intricate blueprint of the
body in its entirety. By focusing on microbes and accusing them of being the primary
and lone triggers of disease, we overlook how various factors are linked together,
causing illness, such as environmental toxins, the side effects of medications,
psychological issues like depression and anxiety and poor nutrition.
If over a longer period of time, for instance, you eat far too little fresh fruits and
vegetables, and instead consume far too much fast food, sweets, coffee, soft drinks,
31 Chapter 1
or alcohol (and along with them, all sorts of toxins such as pesticides or preservatives),
and maybe smoke a lot or even take drugs like cocaine or heroin, your health will
eventually be ruined. Drug-addicted and malnourished junkies aren't the only
members of society who make this point clear to us. It was also tangibly presented
in the 2004 film Super Size Me, in which American Morgan Spurlock -the film's
director and guinea pig rolled into one-consumed only fast food from McDonald's
for 30 days. The result: Spurlock gained 12 kg, his liver fat values were equivalent
to those of an alcoholic, his cholesterol increased, he became depressed, suffered
from severe headaches and erectile dysfunction.
Despite its drastic effects, people still become addicted to this protein and fat
containing and simultaneously nutrient-d eficient fooqstuff. Certainly that has
something to do with the fact that fast-food corporations with an annual advertising
budget of over $1.4 billion, purposef ully and success fully target the smallest
consumers (while the US government provides an advertising budget of merely $2
million for their campaign "Fruit and Vegetables-five times a day").16 As laboratory
studies on rats and mice show, the contents of hamburgers and French fries can
cause reactions in the body that are similar to that of heroin addiction, 17 which has
been proven to have a destructi ve effect upon the immune system.18 Significant
components in the onset of addiction, according to researchers, are processed
ingredients. "A diet containing salt, sugar and fats caused the animals to become
addicted to these foodstuffs," says Ann Kelley, a neurologist at the Wisconsin Medical
School who observed alterations in brain chemistry in long-term test series that
were similar to long-term use of morphine or heroin.
Sugar "is in a position to be a 'gateway' to other drugs, legal or illegal," according
to Thomas Kroiss, president of the Austrian Society for holistic medicine. Sugar robs
vitamins from the body, which influences mood as well. Although it is popular in
Western cultures it doesn't exist at all in nature, and causes an imbalance when
regularly consumed.19
This prompted the journal New Scientist to write that fast foods, like cigarettes,
should carry a health advisory warning. 20 But instead of providing more information
and carrying out more research (not least into the influence of animal proteins on
health not just those found in burgers) 21 22 23 on the many dangers of fast foods,
McDonald's continues luring children with "Happy Meals" and even promotes the
brand by sponsoring large sporting events.
One such event was the Football World Cup 2006 in German y, which was supposed
to be all about sport-and by extension health. To to push its image as a promoter of
health, the fast food giant has founded a children's aid program, "McDonald's
Kinderhi lfe"-for sick children who, according to the fast food giant, "need one thing
above all: love and security." Super-celebrities such as athletes Michael Ballack,
32 Medicine Presents a Distorted Picture of Microbes
Henry Maske, Miroslav Klose and Katarina Witt, as well as supermodel Heidi Klum
and the world-famous vocal trio Destiny's Child functioned as brand-pushers.24 25
Corporate groups also receive political support. In late 2005, the EU commission
announced that they wanted to loosen TV advertising regulations, making even
more and more specifically targeted advertising possible, such as direct product
placement during programs. 26 If these measures had been carried out, European
cultures would undoubtedly have found themselves closer to US standards-and the
consumer would be even more heavily bombarded with advertising messages from
the food, pharmaceutical and other multi-n ational industries. Such partisan politics
certainly have nothing to do with targeted health precautions, although that kind of
public service is so urgently needed.
Preventive health care is generally neglected by the very government-sponsored
groups charged with protecting the health of citizens. A good and symbolically
appropriate example of this is that these bloated bureaucracies pay little attention to
intestinal function and health. Even organizations like the generally esteemed
Stiftung Warentest, a German consumer protection organization still earnestly holds
to the message that ''poor nutrition or a lifestyle that leads to constipation generally
has nothing to do with intestinal bacteria; candida fungi, for instance, can be found
in every healthy intestine." And in general, "shifts in the composition of the intestine's
microbes are merely symptoms [that is, consequences] of infections, inflammations
or antibiotic treatments, but not their causes. Under normal patterns of life, the
intestinal flora regulates itself on its own as soon as the cause of the disturbance has
been eliminated," the researchers say.27 28
Stiftung Warentest cannot, however, furnish concrete studies that prove this.
And there is also no reason to assume that their statements are well founded. Beyond
the allegedly sole causes (infections, inflammations) of a shift in the intestinal flora,
of course there are many factors to consider. A large proportion of the population
suffers from intestinal problems like constipation or abnormally high candida
fungus, so, it's absurd to assume that toxins and antibiotics should pass by the
intestinal flora's composition without leaving a trace.
We don't even know precisely what a "normal intestinal flora" is. We've yet to
become acquainted with all the microbes in the intestinal ecosystem, and it has also
been observed that different people have very different intestinal flora. 29 How, then,
could we possibly know what "normal" intestinal flora looks like? Or how it
constantly regulates itself toward a "normal" level? The individual microbe
composition might be very stable, as studies suggest, 30 but "stable" but doesn't
automatically mean "normal" or even "healthy."
It is certain that "artificial sugar, for example, constitutes a terrain for the wrong
fungi and bacteria," says physician Thomas Kroiss.31 Addit ionally, studies document
33 Chapter 1
that a diet with little to no fresh (raw) food is unsuitable for maintaining a properly
functioning intestinal flora.J2 Individual behavior (nutrition, activity, stress, etc.)
also influences intestinal flora, and can also lead to pathogenic candida fungi.
In this context, it would also be interesting to discover what kind of effect an
overly acidic diet has on the intestinal flora and on the health of an individual. After
all, studies on animals in factory farms show that the acids ingested with food, which
are said to speed up growth in pigs or poultry, affect intestinal flora negatively.33
But, how does it affect the human body?
The human body is like a forest with a buffer system of lungs, kidneys and sweat
glands, by way of which superfluous acids can be released. The German Nutrition
Society (DGE, Deutsche Gesellsc haft fur Emahrung) claims that an "excessi vely
basic diet brings no provable advantages to your health. Too much acid in the body
is nothing to fear in a healthy individual, since buffer systems keep the acid-base
level in blood and tissue constant."34 Still, the DGE cannot deliver any evidence for
its claim, and it is difficult to imagine that a "normal" diet, that only consists of acid
generating foods like meat, fish, eggs, cheese, bread, butter, refined sugar and pills
and few to no base-producing foods like fruit and vegetables can leave no trace in
the body.
Even if the buffer systems in a so-called healthy person (whatever that means!)
keeps the acid-base level in the blood constant, it cannot be ruled out that tissue
may be stressed or even damaged. Many experts, such as the American nutritionist
Gary Tunsky are of the opinion that "the fight for health is decided by the pH
values."35 It


 the mornings. You’ll awake feeling refreshed,
even-keeled, and excited about char ging forward into your day.
Myth 9
A plant-based diet is bad for childr en and pr egnant mothers.
Reality:  By the age of two (once of f mother ’s milk), every child is ready
for a plant-strong diet. Even renowned expert Dr. Benjamin Spock
recommends the practice in the latest edition of his classic bestselling book,
Baby and Child Care. If you start them young, your kids will develop a
palate that appreciates the subtleties of plant foods and will gain the healthy
rewards that accompany this diet as they grow.
Pregnant women, meanwhile, can get all the vitamins, nutrients, and
minerals that both they and their babies need to be healthy and well. My
wife, Jill, ate an all-plant-based diet throughout her pregnancy with no
morning sickness and no complications. She later gave birth to our very
healthy eight-pound, seven-ounce baby, Kole, the little love of our lives.
Myth 10
Everyone needs to take fish oil supplements to ensur e they’r e getting
essential omega-3 fatty acids.
Reality:  There are numerous ways to get essential omega-3 fatty acids
without subjecting yourself to the potential risks of fish oils—which,
according to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, are
highly unstable molecules that can break down and release dangerous,
disease-causing free radicals.
People are under the false assumption that taking a fish oil supplement
will negate the ef fects of all the cheese, meat, and processed foods they
throw down their throats. But fish oil is no panacea. It can actually raise
total and LDL  cholesterol levels, increases your chance of a hemorrhagic
stroke, and suppresses the immune system.
Instead of taking fish oil, rely on ground flaxseed meal, walnuts,
soybeans, and green leafy vegetables, all of which contain plenty of
essential omega-3 fatty acids.
If you are unwilling to transition to a totally plant-strong diet, then go to
a health food store and buy some plant-based omega-3 supplements thatcome straight from the mother source: plankton from the oceans, seas, and
lakes—which, by the way, is where fish get their omega-3s.
Myth 1 1
Real men don’ t eat plants.
Reality:  The fat and cholesterol in animal products clogs up the arteries
traveling not only to the heart and head but also to the extremities,
including the penis, where they can cause P AD (peripheral arterial disease)
and impotence, which research shows may be an early sign of heart disease.
So, men: There is a better way, and it doesn’ t involve taking Viagra,
Cialis, or Levitra. It involves eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and
beans.
In my father ’s research study, several of the men who had been impotent
for years regained their performance after changing to a plant-based diet,
making their wives quite happy. Many of the Engine 2 Study participants
also reported improved potency, including one who said that his erections
“are now like blue steel.”
Myth 12
Eating plant-based foods is joyless.
Reality:  Plant-based foods are delicious and satisfying.
The longer you’re on the E2 Diet, the more your palate will change.
Think about milk, for instance. Since it’ s well known that whole milk is not
good for you, you’ve probably cut back to 2 percent or skim. At first, I bet
that skim milk tasted like water. Then you became accustomed to it so when
you tried whole milk again, it tasted like liquid paint. Your palate had
changed.
It’s the same with adding oil to your foods. Anthony Salerno, one of the
E2 Pilot Study participants, is a fourth-generation Italian-American who
thought he couldn’ t live without his olive oil. But after six weeks on the E2
Diet, he found he enjoyed meals more without it—the oil, he realized,
disguised their true flavors. When he returned to using olive oil, he found it
tasted as though he’d poured synthetic goo on his food.
Brandon and Amy Marsh, 32, 29
TriathletesEven though we’re triathletes, we never paid much attention to our
diets. But when Rip was looking for volunteers for the Engine 2 Pilot
Study, we signed up—and it worked. After all, we pay attention to
everything else we do for our bodies, why shouldn’ t we also be
paying attention to everything we eat? The fact is, sometimes your
performance can start with your fork. Diet counts as much as training.
Foods taste better without being dunked in butter, drenched in
margarine, or saturated with sour cream. Plant-based foods are absolutely
glorious in their sublimeness. Without all the extra fat and processed flavors
drowning them out, you’ll finally get to taste nuances you might never have
noticed: the tang of a ripe red bell pepper, the zest of a cara cara orange, or
the zing of a plate of lacinato kale with roasted garlic—foods bursting with
flavors all their own.
OceanofPDF.com5
THE MEDICAL  PROOF BEHIND THE ENGINE 2 DIET
As a firefighter, I see the adverse ef fects of poor diet every day on the
job—because all firefighters in Austin are also EMT s (emer gency medical
technicians).
Firefighters are EMT s because more than 70 percent of our calls aren’ t
fires but medical emer gencies. Approximately another 15 to 20 percent are
car accidents, spills, and alarm activations. These statistics mean that if the
city of Austin has 100,000 calls a year, around 70,000 of them are medical
related.
To become an EMT, we have to attend a two-month mini–medical
school during our fire academy training. We learn how to handle myriad
accidents as well as to treat various acute illnesses such as cardiac and
respiratory arrest, heart attacks, strokes, seizures, diabetic emer gencies,
respiratory problems, and traumatic injuries including falls, fractures,
lacerations, stabbings, burns, and sprains. We’re also taught how to perform
a complete patient assessment and to obtain a medical history.
On a regular basis we conduct procedures such as cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR) and artificial ventilation; administering oxygen and
performing basic airway management (to make sure victims are breathing
properly); bandaging and splinting; and dispensing medicines, such as
aspirin and nitroglycerin (in two forms, one as a pill placed under the
tongue, the other as a chest paste). We administer glucose for diabetic
emer gencies, epinephrine for aller gic reactions, and albuterol in case of a
severe asthma attack.
The reason we go on so many medical calls is that, nine times out of ten,
we can arrive on the scene several minutes before Emer gency MedicalServices (EMS) shows up: Austin has forty-four fire stations compared with
twenty-eight EMS stations, and sometimes the dif ference between saving
and losing a life can be a matter of mere seconds.
Of course, when I first joined the department, I imagined we’d go racing
out to a big fire at least once a shift. I saw myself as a character in the
movie The Towering Inferno—climbing up fifty flights of stairs and then
coming down carrying little old ladies on my back, or scurrying
commando-style on my hands and knees under the smoke, finding a child
under a bed, handing him out the window to my partner at the top of a
twenty-four -foot extension ladder, then flying out a window onto a
trampoline.
The reality is that we can go a month without seeing a single fire, then
see two fires in one shift. They cycle in and out with no rhyme or reason.
Yet while fighting fires is a very inconsistent part of our job, making
medical calls has become very predictable.
Why? Because Americans are in dire need of emer gency medical
assistance. So instead of fighting fires, we fight the battle for America’ s
health. And there appears to be no end in sight to this battle.
Take a long hard look around you. Do you see what I see? Americans are
downing empty calories with reckless abandon, gor ging on vats of animal-
based products teeming with unhealthy fat, cholesterol, and acid-producing
protein; gobbling up refined and processed foods; drizzling, swathing, and
dumping concentrated vegetable oils into, over, and through everything and
anything without thinking twice.
We’ve become addicted to the taste, texture, and comfort these foods
give us. But unfortunately, what they also give us is a breeding ground for
the ailments and diseases that are tearing at the seams of our nation’ s health.
High blood pressure is the norm. Constipation and irritable bowel syndrome
are commonplace. Migraine headaches—and headaches in general—bring
tears to our eyes. Osteoporosis is breaking us down. PMS, aller gies,
infections, and eczema have increased in frequency and intensity. Kidney
stones and gallstones are more than a pain in the side.
All these conditions are influenced by a poor diet, and they add up to a
big mess. However, the crowning blow to American health is the lineup of
killer


 pressure  and blood chemistry
is also carefully monitored. Sit down with them to find out their
stories. Get a realistic picture of benefits and costs.
Pulse
The pulse reflects the heartbeat. A slow pulse  can give weird
brain symptoms besides great fatigue. The cause is usu ally a drug
that is being taken to correct a fast pulse! Check with the nurse.
Read the insert included with packaging for all drugs used. The
drugs responsible are usually “beta blockers ”,THE CURE FOR ALL DISEASES
290used for the purpose of smoothing out the heart  beat, that is,
making it regular. Often the drug can be changed.
Less than 60 beats per minute will lead  to trouble. For a
young person it is a good sign to be as low as 60, provided no
drug is involved. But for the elderly it does not reflect a strong
athletic heart  beat.
The heart  is made of four separate “chambers” or compart-
ments each pulsing in turn. They are like four horses pulling a
wagon. Unless they pull evenly, the wagon feels jerky, and ir-
regular. The wagon will wear out sooner with jerky pulling. To
smooth them out you simply slow them down. Apparently they
sense each other better and can pull evenly now.
A heart  that is beating 100 times per minute, not unusual for a
weak old heart, can be so irregular that it misses every fourth
beat. That creates a terrible deficiency of oxygen. Imagine your
four cylinder car or lawnmower missing one out of four engine
strokes! Beta-blockers have some quite undesirable side effects
but heart regularity has a higher priority. So drugs are the im-
mediate choice. Later, when heart health is improved, the heart
will beat regularly without drug  use. In the meantime, watch over
the pulse. When the pulse drops below 60 the new danger is
slowness. Take the pulse daily when a new drug has been added,
or when you are working on heart health, without getting your
loved one anxious about it.
Heart Health
To improve heart  health, the first steps of course would be to
go off caffeine  and to kill parasites and bacteria. This alone
could drop the pulse from 120 to 80 in a few days. Obviously,
the need for a drug  is gone. Cut the drug dosage in half immedi-
ately. Don't wait for a doctor's appointment to O.K. it. If you
waited another day the pulse could be below 60.PUSHING BACK AGE
291Many common bacteria, especially Staphylococcus  aureus,
choose the heart  as their favorite location. Their nesting place,
though, will be under a missing tooth in the jaw  (cavitation ).
Heartworm and Loa loa  are two very common heart parasites.
You can have all these killed in a day, without side effects and
your heart is once more free to beat regularly. Don't take a
chance on over-medicating. As soon as the beat is regular and
under 100 per minute, reduce your heart drugs. Stop them when
you are regular and under 80. Fatigue will leave and the brain
will work better.
Raising potassium  levels slows the pulse. Try to do this with
diet by eating more potassium rich food and by conserving on
potassium losses. The adrenals are in control of losses. Give
them a thorough cleaning. The adrenals are situated right on top
of the kidneys where all toxic things are being excreted. Being
this near to the urinary tract  will result in shared toxins. Urinary
tract bacteria, small kidney stones, moldy foods and metal from
dentalware are the chief offenders. Switch to composite  tooth
fillings. Use non-metal jewelry. Cook and eat with non-metal
ware. Don't handle metal unconsciously throughout the day.
Aluminum objects that must be touched should be wrapped in
masking tape: this includes walker, shower door, bathroom sup-
ports.
Door knobs, taped walker handles, and cane handles should
be wiped daily with a grain alcohol solution.
Treat the adrenal glands  to 5 supplements
1.Vitamin C : shake some into all foods that can absorb a bit
of the sour taste, even cooked cereal  and vinegar  water.
2.Pantothenic acid:  500 mg., one daily.
3.B6: 250-500 mg. daily.THE CURE FOR ALL DISEASES
2924.Folic acid:  800 mcg. daily.
5.B2: 150 mg. daily. These are minimum dosages.
If no capsules or tablets can be swallowed put a three day
supply in a heavy plastic bag. Pound with a hammer; then roll
finer with a big glass jar. Use about 1/3 of the mix each day. If
you are trying to do all this in a nursing  home, feed it to your
loved one while visiting. Put the powder mix in a plastic (not
styrofoam ) cup, add honey and stir until you get a paste. Feed the
paste directly by spoon. Often the elderly prefer it this way in
order not to bother with pill taking at meal time. Remind them it
will turn the urine yellow.
When the brain problems are corrected for an  elderly  person,
be sure to relate the improvement to him or her. Improve ments
should not be dismissed lightly. Keep notes. This encourages the
elderly, letting them know their existence and quality of life is
important to you. Improvements are not merely steps to yet
further improvements. Enjoy each bit of progress; it is often too
subtle for your loved one to notice even when it is glaringly
obvious to you. Before and after a chelation  treatment can show a
dramatic change in mood, energy, appetite  and communication
ability, yet get no comment from your loved one. Point it out
explicitly so your loved one can look forward to it, too.
Aging is no fun. The elderly long for a brisk gait, laughter,
and a picnic at a park again. They dwell on dying, though, be-
cause they know it isn't far away and wonder what to do about it.
They dare not talk about it because it is too painful a subject for
the loved ones. And the immediate problems are too press ing to
allow much contemplation of future problems. Talk about aging
in its positive aspects. Let your loved one express feelings about
it.PUSHING BACK AGE
293Incontinence
plagues most elderly persons. It begins to plague women
much earlier—after childbirth, for instance. Surgically shorten ing
the bands that hold the bladder  in position (called bladder
“lifting”) can give temporary relief, but the surgeon may be the
first to tell you that it is a temporary fix. Still, it is so shocking
not to be able to run a few steps or sneeze or cough without
wetting the underwear, that anything seems better than doing
nothing. Surgeons will tell you that the bands have been
“overstretched.”
The real reason why nothing, not even surgery, is permanent
is that the support bands are weak. Bacterial invasion causes
most of this weakness. Low potassium  levels (due to excess
potassium losses by the adrenals) causes more weakness. When
you kill bacteria (and Schistosomes  and Ascaris  and other para-
sites that bring in bacteria) and blood potassium levels go up, the
problem is solved. Overnight you may throw those pads away.
Even though you needed three pads to be “safe” you will not
need any. Whether you have killed bacteria permanently
determines whether you have permanently cured the condition.
Make sure all dairy foods are absolutely sterile. Ask that the milk
be boiled for ten seconds and other foods that can't be sterilized
are not on the menu, like sour cream. Sour cream has too much
tyramine  to be safe. Tyramine is a bacterial  by product that is
quite toxic; it is rather high in aged cheese, also. With the food
bacteria, Salmonellas  and Shigella, out of the way and parasites
being killed regularly, you can focus attention on the adrenals
which control potassium levels.
Be careful not to rave about the foods that your loved one
cannot eat.THE CURE FOR ALL DISEASES
294Eating more potassium  in food is a good nutrition project.
Bananas are the top choice. Fresh fruit salad and baked potatoes
and soup  also provides a lot. Mixing potassium salt with regular
salt, half and half, for the shaker is another easy trick, even if you
only use it in cooking where the taste cannot be detected.
Potassium by prescription is often used by clinicians  to conserve
body potassium during diuretic  use. This need not be stopped (if
the pills are not polluted) although taking potassium pills is less
useful than salting it in because the adrenals will let any big dose
escape anyway. A sign of too much  potassium is a slow pulse.
It may be necessary to wear some kind of incontinence  un-
derwear. Try to avoid them at night, though, so the skin can
breathe freely. Bring a commode near the bed for the night, rather
than diapering your loved one (but don't call them dia pers; say
“underwear”). Absorbent pants of all kinds are heavily
chemicalized. This is absorbed by the skin and adds to the toxin
level.


 us certain, without doubt.
Love is meant to oust all fear.
Love is meant to unveil immortality.
Love is meant to bring peace.
Love is meant to harmonize dif ferences.
Love is meant to bring us closer to God.
Even if this list strikes you as unrealistic, or wildly overblown,  I want you
to make  a bargain with love—a soul bargain— that any or all of these things
will come true for you.
Take a piece of paper and write down what you want from love. If it is a
real force, if it is attuned to who you are, love will respond. Make your listas comp lete and specific as you can. I suggest writing down every entry
from the preceding list and beside it just what you want. For example:
Love is meant to heal.
I want to heal my anger toward my father. I want to heal the love I
couldn’ t give to my children when they needed it. I want to heal my hurt
over losing my friend X.
Love is meant to r enew.
I want to feel renewed enthusiasm for my work. I want to renew the
sexual feelings I have for my wife. I want to renew my sense of being
young.
Love is meant to make us safe.
I want to feel safer with other people. I want to feel safe when I go
outdoors for my morning run. I want to feel safe from having X reject me if
I tell him I love him.
Love is meant to inspir e us with its power.
I want my love to be powerful. I want to use all my own power with love.
I want to express love when I feel it and not give in to lower emotions like
fear and anger.
Once you are satisfied that you have detailed everything you want—and
don’t feel afraid to ask too much—the bargain is complete. Put the piece of
paper away in a safe place. You have announced to your soul what you
want, and it is up to love to respond. Love is intelligent and aware; it knows
you better than you know yourself. Therefore it has the power to fulfill its
side of the bargain. Rest easy and be attentive over the next few months.
Don’ t dwell on your list or try to make it come true. There is nothing you
need to do except this:
When you feel love, act on it. Speak your heart. Be truthful. Remain open.This is how you align yourself  with love. At the end of a few months,
take out your list and read it over. Ask yourself how much has come true. I
won’ t say that you will be amazed at what love has actually done—although
many people are—but you will certainly be surprised. Actually asking for
love is one of the most difficult things for anyone to risk, and by risking it
first in your heart, you open a door that will never close again.
OceanofPDF.comIN OUR LIVES
There’ s Somebody Out There
“I KNOW WHA T you’re thinking,” Delaney said. “You think I’m too choosy,
right? But I don’t think I’m asking that much. It’s not that she has to be
drop-dead gor geous or a Ph.D.”
“You just have standards,” I suggested.
“Right. I think of it as a package. If the whole package is right, the details
don’t matter all that much.”
“Assuming that she, whoever she is, likes your package,” I said. Delaney
nodded. He was amazingly immune to irony, and I knew it wasn’ t fair for
me to aim it at him. He really did want to fall in love—it was his biggest
goal in life—and since Delaney had succeeded at all his other goals, it was
frustrating how elusive this one was turning out to be. Once he and I had
done a residency together in Boston, where he had been raised in a
working-class family, and we later moonlighted at the same suburban
emer gency room to make ends meet. It had been fifteen years since he set
up his cardiology practice, and only now, in his midforties, did Delaney feel
he could make time to find a mate. It was hard for him to hide how
confused about it he was in his own mind.
“Thank God I’m not one of those guys who’ s dumping his wife of thirty
years for a sexy twenty-someth ing girlfriend,” he said. “For me this is a
fresh start. I’m optimistic, I’m patient, but I guess—”
“What?” I asked.
Delaney looked away, a faint cloud of doubt on his face. “I don’t know.
Maybe I’m too old,” he muttered.
“Or too demand ing,” I said. “Isn’t a sexy twenty-something part of the
package you’re looking for? Be honest.”
He shrugged sheepishly. “A guy can hope.”I felt a sudden  uneasiness about Delaney and his newest project,
immediately followed by a wave of sadness. The fact that our culture
teaches us so little about love was staring me in the face. We had been
talking about a man’s “love life” for an hour, and yet we hadn’ t touched on
anything even remotely resembling love.
“Have you ever fallen in love before?” I asked. “Really fallen?” Delaney
looked startled,  apparently not expecting our conversation to get this
personal. He hesitated.
“Well; I’m not coming from nowhere on this thing,” he said. “I’ve had
some really sweet times, and lots of women want to go out with me.” I
nodded.
“Listen, we don’t have to go anywhere you don’t want to go,” I said
quietly. “But I think you’re feeling a little lost.” He stiffened, and I could
see him retreat inwardly. I said, “That wasn’ t an accusation. It’s natural to
feel lost. Especially if you’re not looking in the right places.”
“I hate the places where I go,” he said angrily.
“The bars? Ever yone hates those places,” I said. “But that’s not what I
meant. You’re not looking in yourself—that’ s the place where she is,
whoever you hope to find.” Delaney stared at me as if I was indulging in
paradox, but I pressed on. “You’ve had a lot of accomplishment in your life,
and basically you’ve used the same approach every time. You see a
challenge, you muster your resources, and with enough confidence and self-
assurance you win what you’re after. That’ s right, isn’t it?” He agreed.
“Accomplishing anything important involv es risk,” I said, “and therefore
fear. But if you let the fear dominate, you’d never take any risks, and
therefore you wouldn’ t accomplish anything.”
“Are you saying I’m afraid to fall in love?” he asked. “Then why would I
be looking for it?”
“No, I’m not saying that,” I replied. “But love and fear very often touch,
and people like you, who have undertaken very difficult thing s—going to
medical school on a shoestring,  opening your own practice, raising money
for expa nsion and new ventures—have to learn how to keep fear out of the
picture. And not just fear—self -doubt, confusion, despair, hopelessness—
most of the common human frailties, in fact. Keeping your frailties out of
sight becomes extremely impor tant if you want to amount to anything in
this world, but that is exactly the opposite of what love demands.”Delaney flinched. I could tell he didn’ t like the word demand. “I have
weaknesses, like everybody else,” he said grudgingly. “What do you want
me to do—go around parading how vulnerable I am so that some woman
will take pity on me?”
“You’re exaggerating because you hate the idea so much,” I said. “No,
you aren’t out to attract pity. What I’m trying to get at is that ‘normal’ life
requires everyone to appear as strong as possible, and this tactic, which may
work in other areas, fails miserably when it comes to love.”
Like most people, Delaney had never considered how his inner world
was constructed, but everyone creates psychological divisions as a means of
survival. We wall off inner compartments, and into them we shove all the
undesirable things about ourselves—our secret fears, weaknesses, and
flaws, our deep sense of doubt, our belief that we may be ugly or unlovable.
Everyone has these dark chambers of the soul.
“Do you think you’re lovable?” I asked Delaney.
“My God, what a question!” he blurted. “It’s not anything I think about. I
just want to get married, you know, like everyone else.”
“That question would take most people aback,” I said, “but why? Is it
embarrassing to feel lovable? The discomfort arises because love can feel
too personal, even for ourselve s; it pokes into those compartm ents where
our nega tive self-image is stored. Unfortunately, to fall in love means going
there—that’ s what love demands.”
True love is more dangerous than most people are willing to admit. It
arouses the same discomfort as in dreams where you find yourself naked in
a public place. If falling in love meant going into all the dark chambers of
the soul, none of us would risk


 Using this
information, the mind slightly changes its attitude, and when the
next report comes back, the news has changed.
Now more is possible, or less—the new nger position  on the
bridge of the violin allows better exibility or it doesn’t. In either
case, the mind has become renewed.The ability of the mind to extend its inuence seems limitless,
even when impossible obstacles confront it. In his last book,
Wisdom, Madne ss, and Folly, the renowned Scottish psych iatrist R. D.
Laing recounts the following remarkable story about Jacqueline du
Pré, the celebrated British cellist who died in her forties of multiple
sclerosis.
Tragically, du Pré was stricken by the disease when she was
twenty-eight and her musical career ended very quickly, as she soon
lost her ability to coordinate her two arms. A year passed during
which she had no contact with the cello.
One morning, however, she awoke to nd that she was
completely, inexplicably cured. Not just her muscular coordination
but her musical abilities had returned intact. She rushed to a studio
and recorded beautiful performances of music by Chopin and Franck
that, needless to say, she had not been able to practice for a year.
Her remission lasted four days, at the end of which she returned to
her former helpless state.
It is hard to deny that for these four days, du Pré was totally  free
of her disease, and yet that makes no sense medically. Multiple
sclerosis causes progressive organic damage to the nervous system;
the fatty sheat h covering each nerve cell, called myelin, becomes
destroyed in patches that are randomly scattered throughout the
brain and spinal cord. For some patients the degenerative process
takes up to fty years, while others are incapacitated within a few
weeks or months of onset.
Du Pré was already at the point where her damaged neurons were
physically dysfunctional. How did she recover? How did a nervous
system that could not move an arm one day sudde nly regain
mastery over the incredibly precise and delicate motions involved in
playing the cello? She did not think herself better, nor did courage
and willpower  seem to play a new part. Somehow she transcended
her illness so completely that reality simply changed.
As a capstone to this tale, Laing records that he helped a patient
create the same magical eect, although only for a moment. The
patient was a man in his late thirties who had been conned to a
wheelchair for some time. He “denitely presented the clinicalpicture of someone with well-established multiple sclerosis,” Laing
writes. “Just to see what would happen, I hypnotized him and told
him to get up out of his wheelchair and walk. He did—for a few
steps. He would have fallen if he had not been supported and helped
back to his chair.
“He might still be walking now,” Laing believes, “if I (and he) had
not lost nerve after those rst three or four steps—he had not been
supposed to be able to walk for over a year.” This argument implies
that for a moment Laing allowed his patient to enter a space where
his MS did not exist. The ravaged neurons either acted like healthy
ones or failed to count in some wholly mysterious way. Either
notion comes down to the same thing: the paralysis depended, to
what extent we do not know, on the patient’s state of awareness.
This conclusion would outra ge a hard scientist, but we would all
be paralyzed if thoughts did not have an invisible anima ting force.
This is poigna ntly evident in cases of autism. Autism, which is
derived from Latin roots meaning “self-centered” or “independent,”
is a rare infant disorder that was rst diagnosed as late as 1943; it
strikes fewer than 1 baby in 10,000, aecting four times more boys
than girls. Its cause is still debated. The older, psychological theories
blamed the child’s “refrigera tor mother,” but these have given way
to biological theories that hypothesize a chemical imbalance or
perhaps a physical lesion in the child’s brain.
Whatever the cause, an autistic child displays almost no response
to the outside world and other people. If he is placed in a swing and
pushed back and forth, he may appear to be slightly engaged in the
experience, but as soon as he is left to swing himself, he lapses into
apathy. If a ball is thrown at him, he will not lift up his hands either
to catch it or to fend it o. Much of his spare time may be spent in
repetitive, mechanical movem ents called “twiddling.” Somehow, the
spark of desire  has become lost in the dark, winding maze of self-
absorption.
It can sometimes be tricked into returning. I once watched a
videotape of autistic children  who at three or four years of age had
not yet learned to walk. Withdrawn in their sealed-o worlds, they
could stand up only if given a prop to lean against. Otherwise, theyimmediately fell down and did not try to get up again. To help these
children, an ingenious contrivance was devised.
First, two chairs were set up ten feet apart with a strong rope
connecting them. Each child was coaxed to hold on to the rope and
walk a few steps. After a while, this task was mastered, and the
child could make it from one chair to the next without falling. The
next time, a slightly thinner rope was substituted for the thick one.
Again the child leaned on the rope and made it from one chair to
the other. On each success ive day a slightly thinner rope was
substituted, but the child noticed no dierence. Finally, he was
walking “supported” by only a imsy piece of string.
Then came the stroke of brilliance. To release the children from
the mechanical routine of walking from one chair to the next, the
experimenters handed each of them a piece of string to carry around
in his hand. Feeling secure that he still had his support to lean on,
the child could now walk freely. That moment of letting go has
magic in it. Seeing these newly liberated children roaming their
playroom for the rst time, I wondered how many small gaps
separate me from freedom, gaps that seem like huge, impassable
gulfs because I do not have a piece of string to use as a bridge.
Bridging Two Worlds
So far, my defense of magical thinking has not strayed far outside
the tightly enclosed domain of the brain and the body it controls.
Yet people do at times believe that their thoughts inuence events
completely beyond the reach of nerve signals. The study of
parapsychology has staked out a shaky sort of credibility here. Most
people have had premonitio ns that come true, but as we noted
before, magical thinking goes beyond ESP and precognition by
apparently causing people or things “out there” to move according
to one’s will.
Since there is such fear and prejudice surrounding it, this is the
nal kind of magic that I would like to demystify. To have another
person enact a thought you have had does not mean that he must be
an automaton or that you have encroached upon his free will. Theseare reex fears that spring to mind, reinforced by the “rational”
belief that each person occupies a completely isolated portion of
space and time.
Let us suppose for just a moment that this is a prejudic e. If you
hold a small horseshoe magnet in your hand, its charge is extremely
tiny and apparently isolated.  But the magnet would have no charge
without the earth’s immens e magnetic eld; there is an invisible
connection between the two, and beyond. The earth could not be
magnetized without the magnetic eld of the sun, the sun depends
for its elds of force on the galaxy, and so on, expanding to innity.
The nal result is that the magnet in your hand is wove n into the
scheme of the entire universe.
The evolutionary sequence leading from the Big Bang to my mind
is just as continuous as that which leads to the horsesho e magnet.
Although each thought in my mind is tiny, it emerges from the
trillions of potential thoughts  a person might have, and they depend
on millions of years of human evolution leading up to the present
structure of the brain. Evolut ion in turn depends on the unfoldment
of the entire universe since the moment of the Big Bang. Therefore,
a single thought may be seen as a small outcropping in a universal
eld.
The crucial dierence, of course, is that the electromagnetic eld
can be measure d for millions of light years, while no one has proven
that the cosmos has a mind.  We prefer to believe that intelligence
arrived late on the scene, at the last minute of the eleventh hour in
the known life of the unive rse, and our intelligence is a special
outgrowth in that extremely isolated occurrence. Indeed, aside from
a handful of evolutionary biologists, science gets along very well
without having to confront  the thorny issue of where and how
intelligence began.
We are facing the issue here because magical thinking seems to
exhibit many of the characteristics of a


 the power structure, it
looks like they are about to finally have their day. As I write this book cutting -edge medical research companies are developing
therapies using concentrated animal proteins (protomorphogens) to treat arthri tis, multiple sclerosis, eye inflamations and juvenile
diabetes. The researchers talk as though they are highly praiseworthy for "discovering" this approach.
    Unfortunately, this development is likely to cut two ways. On one hand, it vindicates Dr. Lee; on the other, when these drug
companies find a way to patent their materials, they may finally succeed at forcing protomorphogens (currently quite inexpens ive)
off the non -prescription market and into the restricted and profitable province of the MD.
    I divide clients into two basic types: simple cases and complex ones. When I was treating mental illness, occasionally I had a
client who had not been sick fo r too long. I could usually make this client well quite easily. But if the person had already become
institutionalized, had been psychotic for many years, had received much prior treatment, then their case had been made much m ore
difficult. This sort had a  poor prognosis. A very similar situation exists with physical illnesses. Many people get sick only because
they lack information about how to keep themselves healthy and about what made them sick. Once they find out the truth, they
take my medicine withou t complaint and almost inevitably get better very rapidly. Some of these people can be quite ill when they
first come to me but usually they have not been sick for very long. Their intention when coming into my office is very positi ve and
have no counter i ntentions to getting better. There are no spiritual or psychological reasons that they deserve to be sick. If this
person had not found me, they almost certainly would have found some other practitioner who would have made them well. This
type of person ho nestly feels they are entitled to wellness. And they are.
    However, some of the sick are not sick for lack of life -style information; they suffer from a mental/spiritual malady as well, one
that inevitably preceded their illness by many years. In fact, their physical ailments are merely reflections of underlying problems.
This patient's life is usually a snarl of upsets, problems, and guilty secrets. Their key relationships are usually vicious o r unhealthy.
Their level of interpersonal honesty may be poo r. There are usually many things about their lives they do not confront and so, can
not change. With this type of case, all the physical healing in the world will not make them permanently better because the m ental
and emotional stresses they live under se rve as a constant source of enervation.
    Cases like this usually do not have only one thing wrong with them. They almost always have been sick for a long time; most
have been what I call "doctor hoppers," confused by contrary diagnoses and conflicting M D opinions. When I get a case like this I
know from the first that healing is going to be a long process, and a dubious one at that. On the physical level, their body will only
repair one aspect of their multiple illnesses at a time. Simultaneously, they m ust be urged to confront their life on a gentle gradient.
There is usually a lot of backsliding and rollercoastering. The detoxification process, physical and psychological, can take several
years and must happen on all the levels of their life. This kind of case sees only gradual improvement interspersed with periods of
worsening that indicate there remains yet another level of mental unawareness that has to be unraveled.
    Few medical doctors or holistic therapists really understand or can help this ki nd of case. To do so, the doctor has to be in touch
with their own reactive mind and their own negative, evil impulses (which virtually all humans have). Few people, including
therapists, are willing to be aware of their own dark side. But when we deny it in ourselves, we must pretend it doesn't exist in
others, and become its victim instead of conquering it. Anyone who denies that they have or are influenced by their own darke r
aspects who seem to be totally sweet and light, is lying; proof of this is that  they still are here on Earth.
    All this generalizing about diagnostic methods and clinical approaches could go on for chapters and more chapters, and writin g
them would be fine if I were teaching a group of health clinicians that were reading this book  to become better practitioners. But
I'm sure most of my readers are far more interested in some complaint of their own or in the health problem of a loved one, a nd are
intensely interested in one might go about handling various conditions and complaints, what types of organ weaknesses are
typically associated with them, and what approaches I usually recommend to encourage healing. And, most importantly, what kin d
of success or lack of it have I had over the past twenty five years, encouraging the healing o f various conditions with hygienic
methods.
    In the case studies that follow I will mostly report the simpler, easier -to-fix problems because that is what most people have;
still, many of these involve life -threatening or quality -of-life-destroying illn esses. I will tell the success story of one very
complicated, long -suffering case that involved multiple levels of psychological and spiritual handling as well as considerable
physical healing.

Arthritis
    Some years back my 70 years old mother came fro m the family homestead in the wilds of northern British Columbia to visit me
at the Great Oaks School. She had gotten into pathetic physical condition. Fifteen years previously she had remarried. Tom, h er
new husband, had been a gold prospector and general  mountain man, a wonderfully independent and cantankerous cuss, a great
hunter and wood chopper and all around good -natured backwoods homestead handyman. Tom had tired of solitary log cabin life
and to solve his problem had taken on the care and feeding of  a needy widow, my mom. He began doing the cooking and menu
planning. Tom, a little older than my mother, had no sense about eating but could still shoot game. Ever since their marriage  she
had been living on moose meat stews with potatoes and gravy, white  flour bread with jam, black tea with canned milk, a ritual
glass of brandy at bedtime, and almost no fresh fruit or vegetables.
    In her youth, my mother had been a concert pianist; now she had such large arthritic knobs on all of her knuckles that her  hands
had become claws. Though there was still that very same fine upright in the cabin that I had learned to play as a child, she had long
since given up the piano. Her knees also had large arthritic knobs; this proud woman with a straight back and long,  flowing strides
was bent over, limping along with a cane. She was also 30 pounds overweight and her blood pressure was a very dangerous 210
over 140, just asking for a stroke.
    Instead of a welcoming feast, the usual greeting offered to a loved one wh o has not been seen for a few years, I immediately
started her on a juice fast. I gave her freshly prepared carrot juice (one quart daily) mixed with wheat grass juice (three o unces
daily) plus daily colonics. She had no previous experience with these tech niques but she gamely accepted everything I threw her
way because she knew I was doing it because I loved her and wanted to see her in better condition. She also received a daily full
body massage with particular attention to the hand and knees, stimulatin g the circulation to the area and speeding the removal of
wastes. Every night her hands and knees were wrapped in warm castor oil compresses held in place with old sheeting.
    I did not use any vitamins or food supplements in her case. I did give her fla vorful herbal teas made of peppermint and
chamomile because she needed the comfort of a hot cupa; but these teas were in no way medicinal except for her morale.
    In three weeks on this program, Grannybelle, as I and my daughters called her, had no unsig htly knobs remaining on either her
knuckles or knees and she could walk and move her fingers without pain within a normal range of movement. The big payoff for
me besides seeing her look so wonderful (20 years younger and 20 pounds lighter) was to hear her  sit down and treat us to a
Beethoven recital. And her blood pressure was 130 over 90.

Breast Cancer
    I have worked with many young women with breast cancer; so many in fact, that their faces and cases tend to blur. But
whenever I think about them, Kel ly inevitably comes to mind because we became such good friends. Like me, Kelly was an
independent -minded back country Canuck. At the age 26, she received a medical diagnosis of breast cancer. Kelly had already
permitted a lumpectomy and biopsy, but had st udied the statistical outcomes and did not want to treat her illness with radical
mastectomy, radiation and chemotherapy because she knew her odds of long -term survival without radical medical treatment were
equal to or better than allowing the doctors to do everything possible. Nor did she want to lose even one of her breasts. She knew
how useful her breasts were because she had already suckled one child, not to mention their contribution to one's own self -image
as a whole person. I


penetration than almond, olive and soyaoils, and transports nutrients through the
outer layer of the skin to the deeper layers.
Who needs Botox when you have avocado
oil!
Avocados are also rich in leutein and
zeaxanthin, which help in the prevention
of age-related macular degeneration and
cataracts. In studies to determine the
estimated GI of various foods, it was
concluded that avocados have a low GI of
15.
Bananas
Compared to apples, bananas have twice
the amount of carbohydrates, three timesthe amount of phosphorus, four times the
amount of protein, five times the amount of
vitamin A and iron, and twice the amount
of other vitamins and minerals. They also
naturally contain three types of sugar:
sucrose, fructose and glucose. These
sugars give the body an almost instant and
long-lasting energy boost. Research has
shown that consuming two bananas
provides energy for a 90-minute workout.
Bananas have the added bonus of being
rich in potassium, an essential ingredient
in keeping the heart and nervous system in
good shape. Potassium is essential for
proper muscle contraction and thus plays
an important role in muscle-influenced
activities including the normal rhythmicpumping of the heart, digestion, muscular
movements, etc. Some studies have also
linked low potassium intake to high blood
pressure and increased risk of stroke.
Bananas are one of the highest sources of
naturally available vitamin B6. Vitamin
B6 plays an important role in converting
tryptophan (an amino acid which occurs in
protein) to serotonin, and it also helps the
body to produce haemoglobin. Vitamin B6
is essential for antibody production and in
maintaining a healthy immune system. It
also helps to convert carbohydrates to
glucose, hence maintaining proper blood
sugar levels.Beans
Beans are loaded with protein and dozens
of key nutrients, including a few most
women fall short of, such as calcium,
potassium and magnesium. 185g of beans
contains 13g of fibre, which is half of
what we need daily, with no saturated fat.
Studies also tie beans to a reduced risk of
heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood
pressure, breast and colon cancers. An
explanation of different types of beans
with their benefits follows.
Mung Beans
Mung beans, also known as bean sprouts,are part of the legume family and are a
good source of protein. When sprouted,
mung beans contain vitamin C that is not
found in the bean itself. They are rich in
folic acid, iron, zinc, potassium,
magnesium, copper, manganese,
phosphorus and thiamine. They are also
high
in fibre, low in saturated fat, low in
sodium and contain no cholesterol.
Because of the wide range of nutrients
contained in mung beans, they offer a
whole host of benefits for the immune
system, metabolism, heart and other
organs. Include mung beans in salads or
stir-fries.
Pinto BeansPinto beans’ contribution to a healthy
heart lies not just in their fibre, but in the
significant amounts of antioxidants, folic
acid, vitamin B6 and magnesium they
supply. Folic acid and B6 help lower
levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that
is an intermediate product in an important
metabolic process called the methylation
cycle. Elevated levels of homocysteine
are an independent risk factor for heart
attack, stroke or peripheral vascular
disease, and are found in between 20 to
40 percent of patients with heart disease.
Including pinto beans in diet may help
protect against cancer. In one analysis of
dietary data collected by validated food
frequency questionnaires in 1991 and1995 from 90,630 women in the Nurses’
Health Study II, researchers found a
significant reduced frequency of breast
cancer in those women who consumed a
higher intake of common beans or lentils.
Eating beans two or more times per week
was associated with a 24 percent reduced
risk of breast cancer. For people like me
who don’t like beans, this would take a lot
of getting used to.
Black-eyed Beans
Black-eyed beans have a smooth texture,
pea-like flavour and are good when mixed
with other vegetables. Like most beans,
black-eyed beans are rich in soluble fibre,
which helps eliminate cholesterol from thebody. They are a good source of folate,
potassium, copper, phosphorus and
manganese. As a high potassium, low
sodium food, they help reduce high blood
pressure. Not only are they low in fat but,
when combined with grains, beans supply
high quality protein which provides a
healthy alternative to meat or other animal
protein. Beans also contain protease
inhibitors, which slow the development of
cancerous cells.
Kidney Beans
Kidney beans, like all other beans
discussed above, are a very good source
of cholesterol-lowering fibre. In addition,
kidney beans’ high fibre content preventsblood sugar levels from rising too rapidly
after a meal, making them an especially
good choice for people with diabetes,
insulin resistance or hypoglycaemia.
When combined with whole grains such as
rice, they provide virtually fat-free, high
quality protein.
Kidney beans are an excellent source of
the trace mineral, molybdenum, an integral
part of the enzyme sulfite oxidase, which
is responsible for detoxifying sulfites.
Sulfites are a type of preservative
commonly added to prepared foods like
salads.
BerriesBerries contain phytochemicals and
flavonoids that may help prevent some
forms of cancer. Eating a diet rich in
blackberries, blueberries, raspberries,
cranberries and strawberries may help to
reduce the risk of several types of
cancers. Blueberries and raspberries also
contain lutein, which is important for
healthy nutrients.
Berries are packed full of vitamins,
minerals and fibre. Many of their
phytonutrients, such as anthocyanins,
quercetin and ellagic acid, have an
antioxidant effect. They counter the natural
oxidation in the body that contributes to
the aging of tissues and many degenerative
illnesses such as cancer, dementia anddamage to the arteries.
Berries tend to spoil quickly, especially if
they’re broken or stored in damp
conditions. Before buying, check them
carefully for mould or broken berries.
Also, don’t rinse your berries until you’re
ready to eat them. If you can’t eat them
within a day or two, either freeze them or
cook them into a sauce, which can be
refrigerated for up to a week. Freezing
and cooking do not damage most of the
phytochemicals in the fruit, although
cooking lowers the vitamin C content.
Bok ChoyMany of us probably omit this vegetable,
also known as Pak Choy, in favour of
more familiar forms of cabbage and
greens, mostly because we don’t know
what to do with it. However, overlooking
bok choy would be a mistake because this
super Asian vegetable has a number of
useful health benefits and is rich with
vitamins and minerals essential for healthy
living.
Also known as Chinese white cabbage,
among other names, it is frequently found
with wonton soup and many stir-fry dishes
offered in Japanese and Chinese
restaurants and it is crunchy when stir-
fried. Mildly flavoured with a tender
sweetness, it is a welcomeaccompaniment to many meals without
being overpowering. It can be found fresh
all year round.
This leafy vegetable is low in fat and
calories and has a low carbohydrate
content. It also contains potassium and
vitamin B6. The rich amount of beta-
carotene in
this super vegetable can help
to reduce the risk of certain cancers. Beta-
carotene, also found in cabbage and
carrots, has also been known to reduce the
risk of cataracts. It is also an excellent
source of folic acid and contains other
healthy nutrients such as iron.
Bok choy is a rich source of many
essential vitamins such as A, C and K.Vitamin A is essential for proper
functioning of the immune system,
improvement of vision and growth of
bones and teeth. Vitamin K plays a
significant role in the coagulation of blood
and also facilitates the absorption of
calcium and maintains bone density.
Vitamin C is well known for its natural
antioxidant properties, which protects the
body from harmful effects of free radicals.
It is a rich source of vitamin D, which
facilitates the absorption of calcium and
phosphorus, and thereby ensures healthy
bones and teeth. Bok choy provides
sufficient amounts of folate and vitamin
B6. Folate is mainly required for proper
development of tissues and cells and isassociated with lowering the risk of heart
diseases. Vitamin B6, on the other hand, is
crucial for carbohydrate, fat and protein
metabolism and formation of red blood
cells and antibodies.
Broccoli
Not only is broccoli an excellent source of
fibre, but half of its fibre is insoluble and
the other half soluble, helping to meet the
needs for both types of fibre. Broccoli
provides a health bonus in the form of
protective substances that may shield you


 is quiet, ef fortless, soft, through the nose, abdominal, rhythmic,
and gently paused on the exhale. This is how human being s naturally
breathed until modern life changed everything.
The comedian Lavell Crawford —who is, admittedly, quite a lar ge man
—got a laugh fr om his audience while telling the story of a young boy who
stopped him in the street to ask: “Y ou are so big—how many stomachs do
you have?” This inquiry was qu ickly followed by, “Why are you breathing
so h ard, you got asthma or something?” While the kid’ s m anners left
something to be desired—a fact  that Crawford observed in his act—he got
it right when he recognized the problematic nature of noticeable breathing.
The commonly used practice of taking big breaths is based on the
misconception th at taking in mo re air will increase the oxygen levels of the
blood. H owever, since arterial blood is already almost fully saturated with
oxygen (between 95 percent and 99 percent) during normal, healthy
breathing, “big” breathing is rendered totally unnecessary.
Authentic teachers are not adding anything new. Instead, they are
helping to counteract the ne gative ef fects imposed on breathing by
processed foods, stress, excessive talking, stuf fy air, and the fa lse belief of
the benefits of ta king big breaths. Authentic professional yoga p ractitioners
will hav e developed a high t olerance to carbon dioxide through their
practice—sometimes to the point of being able to sustain one calm breath
per minute for a  whole hour! This impressive breathing ef ficiency implies
quiet, ge ntle bre athing and a high BOL T score. This is exactly the goal of
the O xygen Advantage program : to bring your breathing back to basics and
to incorp orate the wisdom and time-tested principles of ancient m an that are
enshrined by authentic teachers.
What Is a Deep Br eath? Unveiling the MythSometimes the same word can conjure up dif ferent meanings for dif ferent
people. T ake the word deep  a s an example : “deep” can be defined as a
measurement that “extends far from the top,” but this explanation is not
always clear -cut. The bottom of the deep end of a swimming pool is
obviously farthe r from the sur face of the water than the bottom of the
shallow end, but when the word deep  i s used in the context of taking a deep
breath, i t can be open to many dif ferent interpretations. Such an instruction
is comm only given by stress counselors, yoga practitioners,  and sports
coaches, resultin g in the student taking a big breath of fresh air into the
lungs, b ut often  this is done through an open mouth while activating the
upper ch est. Such breathing is both big and shallow, but not dee p. This type
of b reathing is entirely the wron g thing to do if your objective is to deliver
more oxygen throughout the body.
If we use the de finition of “extending far from the top” in the context of
deep breathing, the “top” will refer to the top of the lungs or the upper
chest. A deep breath, therefore, means to breathe down into the full depth of
the l ungs. It also means using the main breathing muscle, the  diaphragm,
which separates  the chest from the abdomen. During rest, heal thy animals
and bab ies naturally take deep, silent breaths. W ith each inhalation and
exhalation the abdomen gently  expands and contracts. There is no ef fort
involved; the breath is silent, regular, and, more important, through the
nose. If you want to learn what constitutes good breathing, observe the
breathing of a b aby or a healthy  pet, whose breathing has not been altered
by the ef fects of modern lifestyles.Bell jar experiment showing “how we br eathe”
The bell jar di agram above illustrates the relationship betw een the
movement of the diaphragm and movement of the abdome n. As you
breathe, your abdomen moves in  the opposite direction. The rea son why the
abdomen moves outward with the in-breath is because the diaphragm
pushes downwa rd, exerting gentle force on the abdomen. As you exhale,
the d iaphragm moves upward, ta king pressure of f the abdomen and moving
the abdomen inward.
T o bring air do wn into the depths of the lungs, it is not actually
necessary to take a big breath, a s even the quietest of breaths will activate
the diaphragm. When you are practicing abdominal nasal breathing, you
should n ot be able to see or hear your breath during rest. In contrast,
overbreathing through the mouth, in an attempt to take a “deep” breath, will
be clearly audible and cause the chest to rise and fall, but will still not
manage to draw the breath deeply into the lungs.
The DiaphragmThe diaphragm is a dome-shaped sheet of muscle that separate s the thorax
(which houses the heart and lu ngs) from the abdomen (which houses the
intestines, stoma ch, liver, and kidneys). The diaphragm serves as our main
breathing muscle and, if used correctly, it provides deep and ef ficient
breathing. Poor breathing habits do not take full advantage of the
diaphragm and instead encourage inef ficient overbreathing from the upper
chest. T o  determ ine where your diaphragm is located, place your hands just
at the base of your rib cage and follow your ribs from the front of your body
to the sides. A good rule of thu mb is that the diaphragm is located about
four buttons down on your shirt.
Breathing in (inhaling)—abdomen gently moves outwardBreathing out (exhaling)—abdomen gently moves inward
Abdominal breathing is more ef ficient simply because of the shape of
the lung s. Since they are narrow at the top and wider at the bottom, the
amount of blood flow in the low er lobes of the lungs is greater than in the
upper lobes. The fast upper -chest breathing of people who chronically
hyperventilate does not take advantage of the lower parts of  the lungs,
limiting the amount of oxygen  that can be transferred to the blood and
resulting in a gr eater loss of CO 2. No t on ly this, but upper -chest breathing
activates the fight-or -flight response, which raises stress levels and
produces even heavier breathing.
Observe your own breathing when you are stressed, or watch the
breathing of anxious relatives, f riends, or colleagues—you will see that this
type of breathin g is generally located in the upper chest and go es at a rate
that is faster tha n normal. When we are stressed we tend to overbreathe and
resort to breathing through the  mouth. Stressed breathing is faster than
normal, audible, produces visible movements, and often involves sighs.
Many people habitually breathe in this manner every minute of every hour
of every  day, holding them in  a perpetual state of fight-or -flight with
adrenaline leve ls high. The work of even the best stress counselors,
psychologists, or psychotherapists will be limited unless they fir st help their
patients to address their dysfunc tional breathing. When oxygen delivery tothe brain is reduced, no amount of talking and reasoning is goin g to correct
this deficiency. Stressed and an xious patients can only make t he progress
they really need when their bad breathing habits are addressed.
On the other ha nd, healthy individuals who are relaxed and relatively
free from stress will exhibit brea thing that is abdominal: slow, g entle, calm,
regular, relatively unnoticeable, silent, and through the nose. T o achieve this
type of breathing and reduce the negative ef fects of stressed overbreathing,
it is important to activate the body’ s parasympathetic nervous system to
elicit the relaxation response. T o do this, you will need to adjust your
breathing habits in order to properly use your diaphragm. A void sighing,
panting, and breathing through t he mouth, and become accustomed to slow,
gentle, relaxed, calm, and quiet breathing through the nose. This is how we
should b reathe d uring rest every minute of every hour of every day. W ithin
a v ery short tim e you will find that you feel calmer and more en er getic and
are able to slee p better. The po sitive ef fects of abdominal breathing will
continue to transform every as pect of your health, including your sports
performance.
Another advantage of abdominal breathing is that it assists with
lymphatic drainage. The lymphatic system is ef fectively the body’ s
sewerage system, draining awa y waste materials and excess fluid. As the
lymphatic system  does not have  a heart to pump the waste thr oughout the
body, it is reliant on the motions of the muscles, including the diaphragm.
During abdominal breathing, lymph is sucked through the bloodstream,
neutralizing and destroying dead cells, reducing fluid retention, and
improving detoxification of the body.
By utili zing the natural benefits of abdominal breathing you will
improve the quality of


, hay fever,sinusitis, etc. Though one can then discover specific allergens and try to removethem from the environment or diet, often this case can be solved far more easilyby complete withdrawal from all salt. This rests the adrenals and they mayrecover their full function; almost certainly their function will improve. The asthma,allergies and etc., gradually vanish.
Most of us don’t need to eat salt as a nutrient. There’s enough sodium in one
dill pickle to run a human body for a year. There’s enough natural sodium in manytypes of vegetables to supply normal needs without using table salt. Perhapsathletes or other hard working people in the tropics eating deficient food grownon leached-out depleted soils, people that sweat buckets day after day may needa little extra sodium. Perhaps. Not having practiced in the humid tropics myself, Ihave no definitive answer about this.
Unfortunately, the average American is entirely addicted to salt and thinks food
tastes lousy without it. To please the average consumer, almost all prepared foodscontain far too much salt for someone suffering from exhausted adrenals.Interestingly, Canadians do not like their foods nearly as salty as Americans, andprepared foods like soups and the like in cans and packages that look just like theones in American supermarkets (though with French on the back panel) have tobe reformulated for our northern neighbors. I’ve observed that Canadians aregenerally healthier than Americans in many respects.
We would all be far better off consuming no salt at all. Those with allergies or
asthma should completely eliminate it for a month or two and discover if thatsimple step doesn’t pretty much cure them. The trouble is that bakery bread isroutinely two percent salt by weight. Cheese is equally salted or even more so.Canned and frozen prepared food products are all heavily salted. Restaurantmeals are always highly salted in the kitchen. If you want to avoid salt you almosthave to prepare everything yourself, bake your own bread, abstain from cheese
(though there are unsalted cheeses but even I don’t like the flavor of these), and
abstain from restaurants. My family has managed to eliminate all salt from ourown kitchen except for that in cheese, and we eat cheese rather moderately.
Sugar is a high-caloric non-food with enormous liabilities. First, from the
viewpoint of the universal formula for health, no form of non-artificial sweetenercarries enough nutrients with it to justify the number of calories it contains, noteven malt extract. White refined sugar contains absolutely no nutrients at all; the“good” or “natural” sweets also carry so little nutrition as to be next to useless.Sweets are so far over on the bad end of the Health = Nutrition / Calories scalethat for this reason alone they should be avoided.
However, healthy people can usually afford a small amount of sin; why not
make it sweets? In small quantity, sugars are probably the easiest indiscretion todigest and the least damaging to the organ systems. Although, speaking of sin, asEdgar Guest, the peoples’ poet, once so wisely quipped, (and my husbandagrees) “Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker.” Sugar is a powerful drug! Peoplewho abuse sweets set up a cycle of addiction that can be very hard to break. Itstarts when the body tries to regulate blood sugar. Kicked up to high levels byeating sugar, the pancreas releases insulin. But that is not the end of the chainreaction. Insulin regulates blood sugar levels but also raises brain levels of anamino acid called tryptophan. Tryptophan is the raw material the brain uses tomanufacture a neurotransmitter called serotonin. And serotonin plays a huge rolein regulating mood. Higher brain levels of serotonin create a feeling of well-being.Eating sugar gives a person a chemical jolt of happiness. Heavy hits of high-glycemic index starch foods are also rapidly converted to sugar. So don’t giveyour kids sweets! Or huge servings of starch to mellow them out. It is wise not tostart out life a happiness addict with a severe weight problem.
Now that the chemistry of sugar addiction is understood, there currently is a
movement afoot to cast the obese as helpless victims of serotonin imbalances andto “treat” them with the same kinds of serotonin-increasing happy drugs (like
Prozac) that are becoming so popular with the psychiatric set. This promises to
be a multiple billion dollar business that will capture all the money currentlyflowing into other dieting systems and bring it right back to the AMA/drugcompany/FDA nexus. The pitch is that when serotonin levels are upped, thedesire to eat drops and so is weight. This approach is popular with the obesebecause it requires no personal responsibility other than taking a pill that reallydoes make them feel happy. However, the same benefit can be had by strictadherence to a low-fat, low-carbohydrate diet. Eventually, the brain chemistryrebalances itself and serotonin levels stabilize.
Remember, the pancreas has another major service to perform for the body:
secreting digestive enzymes to aid in the digestion of proteins. When the dietcontains either too much protein or too much sugar and/or high-glycemic indexstarch foods, the overworked pancreas begins to be less and less efficient atmaintaining both of these functions.
Sometimes a stressed-out pancreas gets overactive and does too good a job
lowering the blood sugar, producing hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia is generallyaccompanied by unpleasant symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, blurred vision,irritability, confusion, headache, etc. This condition is typically alleviated by yetanother hit of sugar which builds an addiction not only to sugar, but to food ingeneral. If the hypoglycemic then keeps on eating sugar to relieve the symptomsof sugar ingestion, eventually the pancreas becomes exhausted, producing aninsulin deficiency, called diabetes. Medical doctors treat diabetes with insulinsupplements either oral or intramuscular plus a careful diet with very low andmeasured amounts of sugar and starch for the remainder of the persons inevitablyshortened and far less pleasant life. However, sometimes diabetes can becontrolled with diet alone, though medical doctors have not had nearly as muchsuccess with this approach as talented naturopaths. Sometimes, long fasting canregenerate a pancreas. It is far better to avoid creating this disease!
Glycemic Index
(compared to glucose, which is 100)
Grains Fruits V egetables
all bran 51 apples 39 baked beans 40
brown rice 66 bananas 62 beets 64
buckwheat 54 cherries 23 black-eyed peas 33
cornflakes 80 grapefruit 26 carrots 92
oatmeal 49 grapes 45 chic peas 36
shred. wheat 67 orange juice 46 parsnips 97
muesli 66 peach 29 potato chips 51
white rice 72 orange 40 baked potato 98
white spagetti 50 pear 34 sweet potato 48
whole wheat spagetti 42 plum 25 yams 51
sweet corn 59 raisins 64 peas 51
Nuts Baked Goods Sugars
peanuts 13 pastry 59 fructose 20
sponge cake 46 glucose 100
Meats white bread 69 honey 87
sausage 28 w/w bread 72 maltose 110
fish sticks 38 whole rye bread 42 sucrose 59
Dairy Products
yogurt 36 whole milk 34 skim milk 32
The dietary management of hypoglycemia requires that not only refined but
also unrefined sugars and starches with a high glycemic index be removed fromthe diet. (The glycemic index measures the ease with which the starch isconverted into glucose in the body, and estimates the amount of insulin needed tobalance it out.) This means no sugar, no honey, no white flour, no whole grainssweetened with honey, no sweet fruits such as watermelons, bananas, raisins,dates or figs. Potatoes are too readily converted into sugar. Jerusalem artichokesare a good substitute.
People with hypoglycemia can often control their symptoms with frequent
small meals containing vegetable protein every two hours. When a non-sweet fruitis eaten such as an apple, it should be eaten with some almonds or other nut orseed that slows the absorption of fruit sugar. Hypoglycemics can improve theircondition with vitamins and food supplements. See the next chapter.
Allergies to foods and environmental irritants are frequently triggered by low
blood sugar. Mental conditions are also triggered by low blood sugar levels,frequently contributing to or causing a cycle of acting out behavior accompaniedby destruction of property and interpersonal violence, as well as psychosis andbouts of depression. It is not possible to easily deal with the resulting behaviorproblems unless the hypoglycemia is controlled. Unfortunately most institutionssuch as mental hospitals and jails serve large amounts of sugar and starch andusually caffeinated beverages, with a high availability of soda pop, candy, andcigarettes at concessions. If the diet were drastically improved, the drugs given tocontrol behavior in mental hospitals would be much more effective at a lowerdose, or unnecessary.
The insulin-cycle overworked pancreas may eventually not be able to secrete
enough enzymes to allow for the efficient digestion of foods high in protein. Asstated earlier, poor protein digestion leads to a highly toxic condition fromputrefied protein in the intestines. This condition is alleviated by eliminating animalproteins from the diet and taking digestive aids such as pancreatin pills with mealsto assist in the digestion of vegetable proteins.
Food Combining And “Healthfood Junkfood.”
This brings


. The only
difficulty was that education, on the whole, wasn't in
bad shape. The indigenous American educational
system was deeply rooted in the beliefs and practices of
the Puritan Fathers, the Quakers, the early American
patriots and philosophers. Je fferson had maintained that
in order to preserve liberty in the new nation, it was
essential that its citizenry be educated, whatever their
income. Throughout the country, schools were es-
tablished almost immediately after the colonization of
new areas. Fine school systems were established by the
Quakers in Pennsylvania and the Midwest. The free
school movement in New York, under the aegis of
DeWitt Clinton and Horace Mann, was flourishing. A
large number of "normal schools" (so-called due to
their role in setting the norms and standards of
education) turned out thousands of well-trained teachers
each year. Major universities had been established early
in the country's history, and yearly graduated intensely
liter-  Molding Hands  51
ate and well-educated people who were to be the
leaders of our nation.2
Educational results far ex ceeded those of modern
schools. One has only to read old debates in the
Congressional Record or scan the books published in
the 1800's to realize that our ancestors of a century
ago commanded a use of the language far superior to
our own. Students learned how to read not comic
books, but the essays of Burke, Webster, Lincoln,
Horace, Cicero. Their diffi culties with grammar were
overcome long before they graduated from school,
and any review of a typical elementary school
arithmetic textbook printed before 1910 shows
dramatically that students were learning
mathematical skills that few of our cu rrent high
school graduates know anything about. The high
school graduate of 1900 was an educated person,
fluent in his language, history, and culture,
possessing the skills he needed in order to succeed.
Except in the rural South. The South had been
devastated by the Civil Wa r, and was undergoing a
2. For an excellent description of ed ucation in New York  at the turn of
the century, see Palmer, A. Emerson, The New York Public School: Being a
History of Free Education in the City of New York (New York: Macmillan,
1905). Sources of information about education in this country before the
growth of the new psychology are scarce; much, however, was written
critically about education once Columbia Teachers College was established.
For an overview of the philosophical b ackground to American education, see
Vassar, Rena L., ed., Social History of American Education, 2 vols.
(Chicago: Rand McNally & Co., 1965).  52 THE LEIPZIG CONNECTION
period of reconstruction  which broadly shifted
traditional values and institutions. Few schools
existed in rural areas, ev en for the white children,
much less for the children of parents recently freed
from slavery. It was in th is rural South that Gates
found the right circumstances for the implementa-
tion of his plans.
Some work had already been done in the recon-
struction and development of the rural Southern
educational system. The Pe abody and Slater Funds
had long been active in funding black schools, and
the Tuskegee and Hampton Institutes were offering
black children the benefits of industrial education,
suitable for their future jobs in industry and
agriculture.3 One of the leaders in Southern
3. The Peabody Fund was the philanthropic brainchild of George
Peabody, an American merchant who,  in 1837, had emigrated to London and
there founded a banking and brokerage house in partnership with another
American, Junius S. Morgan. George  Peabody & Co. did extremely well,
even by British banking stan dards (Rothschild, Baring, etc.). J.S. Morgan's
son, J.P., became the firm's New York agent. When Peabody retired, the firm
became J.S. Morgan & Co. (1864), with headquarters in London. On the
death of old J.S. in 1890, the son, J.P. Morgan, took over the firm and
removed the headquarters to New York, naming the American office J.P.
Morgan & Co. In 1883, however, George Peabody's son, the Rev. Endicott
Peabody, co-founded and became first headmaster of Groton Academy, the
prototypical anglophile prep  school for America's aristocracy, and a leader in
educational trends. J.P. Morgan was one of Groton's first trustees.
The John F. Slater Fund ($1,000,000) was established in 1882 by the
nephew of Samuel Slater, a British industrialist who came to America in
1789 to manufacture cotton machinery and came to be widely regarded as
the founder of the American cotton industry.  Molding Hands  53
education was Robert C. Ogden, a Northern merchant
(manager of Wanamaker stores) who had assisted in the
creation of Hampton Institute. Concerned about the
condition of rural education in the South, he initiated a
series of yearly education conferences and, in 1901,
hired a train to take 50 prominent men and women on a
grand tour of the schools of the South.4
John D. Rockefeller, Jr., who had worked at No. 26
Broadway for four years, saw the potential here and
went along. On his return, Junior met with Gates to
propose that his father's philanthropy be directed
toward Southern education. He also discussed the idea
with his father, and with the secretary of the Baptist
Home Mission Society, Dr. Wallace Buttrick, a man
who would wield considerable influence in education in
the coming years.
John D. Rockefeller, Jr. played a central role
4. See Raymond B. Fosdick's memorial  history of the General Education
Board and Rockefeller philanthropy in education, Adventure in Giving: The
Story of the General Education Board, A Foundation Established by John D.
Rockefeller (New York: Harper & Row, 1962), passim. Keep in mind that
the altruistic tone of Fosdick's tale is a public relations tool: this is the same
Raymond Fos-dick who, on JDR Jr.'s behalf, founded the eugenics-
promoting Bureau of Social Hygiene and the government-restructuring
Institute for Government Research (now part of the Brookings Institution),
and who took over the International Association of  Chiefs of Police in 1923
while overseeing the formation of Interpol (which was soon to be turned over
to the Nazis and was, as late as 1972,  directed by former SS officer Paul
Dickopf).  54 THE LEIPZIG CONNECTION
in the Gates-Rockefeller connection. As he put it:
Gates was the brilliant dreamer and creator. I
was the salesman—the go-between with father at
the opportune moment. Gates and I were
father's lieutenants, each  of us with a different
task, but acting in perfect harmony. Gates did
the heavy thinking, and my part was to sell his
ideas to father. Of course, I was in a unique
position. I could talk with father at the
strategic moment. It migh t be in a relaxed mood
after dinner, or while we  were driving together.
Consequently I could often get his approval of
ideas which others c ouldn't have secured
because the moment wasn't right.5
The younger Rockefeller was captivated by the
possibilities of a Negro Education Board. After
preliminary discussions, however, he decided not to
limit the educational "philanthropy" program to
one race.6 Thus, at a dinner party on January 15,
1902, Junior laid out his plans to an assembled
group of noted Southern edu cators, and received an
enthusiastic response. A mo nth later, the same group
assembled again, this time to charter a new
5. Ibid., 6.
6. It is also likely that both Rockefelle rs had, at this point, read Andrew
Carnegie's Gospel of Wealth, published the previous year; enlightened
paternalism was in the air. Molding Hands  5 5
organization called the Gene ral Education Board, for
"the promotion of education within the United States
without distinction of race, sex, or creed."7 It was to be
a philanthropic monopoly. In the words of Gates:
The object of this Association is to provide a
vehicle through which capitalists of the North who
sincerely desire to assist  in the great work of
Southern education may act with assurance that
their money will be wisely used.8
The new organization, after an initial donation by
Rockefeller, Sr. of over $1 million, quickly absorbed
the major existing philanthropic groups working in the
South—the Slater and Peabody Funds. The General
Education Board first assisted Robert Ogden's Southern
Education Board, established several years earlier, then
broadened its horizons to include other aspects of
education. The real motivation behind the General
Education Board, however, was perhaps best expressed
in the Board's Occasional Letter No. 1, written by
Gates:
In our dreams


armacologists keep track of medicines prescribed for illness, and of
vitamins and other aids for people on holistic programs for maximum levels
of vitality and health.”
This made some sense to me, and I didn’ t want to get bogged down in
having her “defend” her reality. But I still had one nagging question about
that evening news report.
“What viable reason could there be for all that military equipment? I saw
film clips of military academies where young men and women in uniforms
were training, and why did I see aircraft carriers and submarines along with
swarms of troops using what looked like artillery, if you have no concept of
harm in your world?” I was proud of my keen observations, and I almost
hoped I had found a discrepancy in her otherwise flawless logical
explanations of the behavior of her people.“My, my. Appearances are deceiving, aren’ t they? Y our descriptions are
most vivid—and, I’m delighted to say, truly inaccurate. Through science
we’ve controlled the instincts for territory, aggressive protection of the
species, and the need for combat as a proof of strength and power to select
the dominant leaders. That may have been important originally for survival
of the fittest, but in rational moments we know that it is not how we want
our society run today. To give the ‘inner animal’ a chance to express itself
without causing injury to others, we have war games, which are run like our
Urantian Olympics. The military academies you thought you saw are not
for training fighters but athletes. The aircraft carriers do carry aircraft. It
saves fuel in getting the equipment to the competitions. And some of those
planes are only good for short-range flights; they’d never make it across the
ocean.
“Submarines participate in undersea competitions, but the skilled crews
are really training for future employment at oceanic fish farms where subs
herd the schools of tuna the way cowboys herd cattle. Other marine crops
growing on the sea floor are cultivated and harvested by submarine. The
Games are very good and practical training grounds.
“As for the artillery troops, you may have seen shooting, but it was at
targets, not people. They take turns covering the same territory so the points
can be given fairly. The big artillery, pointing skyward, shoot fireworks
displays. They are judged on originality, variety of color and form, theme,
combined ef fects of sound and light, and so on. The finals are always at
night. Y ou must have seen a film clip on practice drills. The timing is so
complicated. It’ s really very technical, intricate, skillful…Why are you
laughing?”
“I’m just imagining what would happen at the next summit if we
proposed doing away with all nuclear arms and substituted a fireworks
display.”
Her thinking was always so impeccably sensible. W orry and guilt existed
on Uranus because they were useful. Inhabitants of Uranus did not harm
each other because it served no purpose. Anxiety attacked and therefore the
need for tranquilizers. W e moved away from all this talk of guilt and I
asked her about something I had noted everywhere on Uranus—people
talking about their phobias.
“Of course we have phobias. They’re a terrible problem, but we’ve
learned to tolerate them. It’ s part of our reality, if you know what I mean,”she said, referring to her reality in a cute manner with the slightest hint of a
smirk.
“I overheard someone on the bus say these exact words to her friend,” I
said. I reminded Eykis that I had recorded the conversation on tape so as to
be exact. “The lady said, ‘Elevators really frighten me, I’m afraid to ride in
them anymore.’ Now I ask you, how can anyone who is reality-based, as
you put it, say something so unreal? Obviously elevators don’ t scare
people.”
“Have you ever ridden in an elevator on Uranus that was programmed to
scare you?” There was not even a trace of a grin on her face as she spoke,
so I knew for certain that she wasn’ t joking.
“Programmed to scare you—why? For what purpose?” I asked.
“Here on Uranus elevators are built with speakers in them. When the
programming shifts to ‘scare,’ and it can do so without warning, the speaker
emits a frightening sound, sort of a creaking, high-pitched wail. It can really
give you the shivers.”
“So why not just eliminate the eerie noises and rid yourself of this
phobia?” I wanted to know.
“Because scary elevators are the antidote to that stupefying taped music.
Elevators are built that way and most people learn to adjust to them and it
isn’t really that bad. But for some, elevators really are terribly frightening.”
She looked puzzled again. “Don’ t people have phobias like fear of elevators
back on Earth?” she asked quizzically.
“Why yes, of course, but the elevators themselves don’ t scare people. It’ s
the attitude people have toward small, closed spaces,” I of fered, knowing
what was about to be asked and knowing also that I wouldn’ t have a
sensible answer, again.
“So that’ s why you were so surprised to hear our people say ‘elevators
scare me.’ Y ou never heard it stated like that, right?”
“Wrong, my friend Eykis,” I replied. “I hear it all the time.”
“But you just said that elevators on Earth are not programmed to scare
anyone, and if that’ s the case, why would anyone on Earth ever blame the
elevator for a fear of enclosed spaces?” she asked, almost dumbfounded at
the direction the conversation had taken.
I decided to ask about other phobias, since I had nothing to say that
would clear it up other than the same old safety clause that I had used too
many times by now. “You’ll see when we get to Earth.”“Let’ s forget about elevators for a moment. Do people on Uranus suf fer
from acrophobia?” I asked.
“Certainly,” she replied. “Heights really scare people here, it is a very
serious and common phobia.”
“Just how can a height frighten anyone?” I asked.
“Heights simply do not want people exploring them. It is our way of life
and everyone knows it on Uranus.”
“But how can a height want anything? It’ s nothing more than a high
place,” I insisted.
“Not on Uranus,” she snapped, “and you wouldn’ t be saying that if you
had ever gone too close to the top of a mountain or the edge of a clif f.”
“Are they equipped with scare programming like your elevators?” I
asked. I was beginning to feel stupid for even asking such questions.
“No, there is no programming for scare, but the tops of our mountains
and all our clif fs are on hinges,” she said.
“What!” I shouted from total disbelief.
“Now don’ t tell me that you don’ t have hinges back on Earth,” she said.
“Of course we have hinges, but mountains and clif fs certainly are not
hinged in any way.”
“Well, if they aren’ t hinged, how can they come of f?” she wanted to
know.
“Why in the world would a mountain top want to ‘come of f’?” I asked,
almost losing my patience with the silly direction in which the conversation
was headed.
“Didn’ t you tell me earlier that you had heard someone, several people in
fact, saying heights scare them?”
“Well, yes.” I admitted that I had heard it many times, and had even
recorded it in my log of things to ask about.
“So how would it ever be possible for anyone to say such a thing if the
cliffs and mountain tops weren’ t on hinges? When people get too close to
the top or the edge, their weight may activate the antiavalanche control
system and cause the peaks to swing out on hinges with a sudden whoosh.
That’ s how heights scare you. How else could it be done?” she asked.
“Has this ever happened to you?” I asked her.
“No, sir,” she said emphatically. “Heights have never frightened me, how
about you?” she asked of me.“Well, we don’ t have any hinges on our mountain tops and clif fs, that’ s
for sure,” I answered.
“Well then, we’re alike in this matter at least. I guess you’ve never heard
anyone say ‘heights scare me’ before,” she said.
“Ahhh, yes, as a matter of fact, I’ve heard it many times, but let’ s save it
for another day. I’m sure you’d be even more confused if we really dug into
the matter.”
All these wonderfully strange conversations had me smiling inside as I
contemplated what it was going to be like for Eykis back home on Earth.
All she understood was so insanely sensible. All she knew was her own
reality, and I was beginning to see how it was indeed, in so many ways,
light years removed from the reality I had learned about on Earth.
Back home I was considered a highly evolved, no-limit kind of person.
But here on Uranus I’m sure Eykis was beginning to think I was a genuine
Loony T unes