throughout	the	food,	not	just	the	part	you	cut	off.	In	general,
susceptible	products	such	as	fresh	berries	must	be	purchased	in	season,	freshly
harvested	from	local	growers;	otherwise	they	are	too	old	and	too	moldy—even	if
you	cannot	see	the	mold.	I	observe	people	in	my	local	health	food	store
purchasing	a	basket	of	“fresh”	berries	that	already	have	visible	mold.	Obviously,
they	have	no	idea	of	how	poisonous	that	is.
One	type	of	mold	that	grows	on	grains	and	nuts	(particularly	corn,	peanuts,
walnuts	and	pistachios)	produces	a	mycotoxin	called	aflatoxin,	which	is	known
to	cause	cancer.	Although	our	government	tries	to	regulate	aflatoxin	levels,
highly	contaminated	crops	are	constantly	finding	their	way	into	our	food	supply.
The	chilling	reality	is	that	aflatoxin	is	most	commonly	found	in	some	of	the
foods	that	we	most	frequently	feed	to	our	children—corn	flakes,	other	corn
products,	peanuts	and	peanut	butter.
Some	Cooking	Methods	Can	Create	Toxins
Once	we	obtain	high-quality	foods,	we	still	must	prepare	them	properly.	The
first	step	in	nontoxic	food	preparation	is	to	wash	or	peel	foods	in	order	to
remove	agricultural	chemicals,	bacteria	and	molds.	Waxed	foods	(such	as	most
cucumbers,	eggplant,	turnips	and	apples)	definitely	should	be	peeled,	becausethe	wax	often	is	covering	surface	residues	of	pesticides	and	fungicides	that	are
applied	before	the	wax	is	applied;	also,	questions	abound	about	the	safety	of
some	of	the	waxes.	For	foods	that	cannot	be	peeled,	washing	under	running
water	for	a	minute	or	two	does	a	relatively	good	cleaning	job;	using	a	pure,
liquid	castile	soap	(a	mild	soap	made	from	olive	oil	and	sodium	hydroxide)
cleans	even	better.	For	foods	like	lettuce,	discard	the	outer	layers	and	wash	the
leaves	separately.	Rinsing	briefly	in	a	vinegar	solution	lowers	bacteria	levels.
Few	people	are	going	to	eat	100	percent	of	their	diet	raw	(I	eat	about	80
percent	of	mine	raw),	but	whenever	you	choose	to	eat	a	raw	food	in	place	of	a
highly	cooked	or	processed	one,	you	obtain	better	nutrition	and	less	toxic
exposure.	Cook	foods	lightly.	Ideally,	food	should	not	be	cooked	at	temperatures
higher	than	boiling	water	or	steam.	Foods	change	fundamentally	when	they	are
cooked;	they	can	become	more	toxic,	less	nutritious	and	even	more	difficult	to
digest.
Avoid	browned	or	charred	foods,	which	are	highly	toxic.
Unfortunately,
many	Americans	have	developed	a	taste	for	charbroiled,	toasted	or	barbecued
foods,	which	develop	mutagens	that	contribute	to	cancer.
When	food	is	heated	above	375	degrees	(as	it	usually	is	in	toasting,	frying,
grilling,	broiling	and	barbecuing),	a	number	of	toxic	compounds	can	be
produced,	including	heterocyclic	aromatic	amines	(HAAs).	HAAs	are	among	the
most	powerful	carcinogens	ever	discovered,	and	even	minute	amounts	of	them
can	damage	your	DNA.
The	rule	of	thumb	is	that	the	higher	the	temperature	and	the	longer	the
cooking	time,	the	more	HAAs	are	formed.	Thus,	medium	rare	is	safer	than	well
done,	and	blackened	foods	are	absolutely	not	acceptable.	If	ever	I	am	served
food	that	is	black,	I	cut	off	the	blackened	parts.	Even	toast	is	dangerous.
Experiments	at	Lawrence	Livermore	Laboratory	showed	that	a	well-toasted
piece	of	bread	had	20	percent	of	the	cancer-causing	activity	of	a	well-done
hamburger.	Dosage	and	frequency	are	the	problems;	many	people	eat	several
slices	of	toasted	bread	or	bagel	every	morning	for	breakfast,	which	is	like	laying
out	a	welcome	mat	for	cancer.
Microwaves:	A	Fast	Track	to	Trouble
Cooking	food	is	not	a	good	idea,	especially	at	high	temperatures,	but	cooking
in	microwave	ovens	may	be	even	worse.	While	not	browning	or	blackening	food
like	conventional	cooking,	microwaving	changes	the	chemistry	of	food
fundamentally,	lowering	nutritional	content	and	producing	unique	toxins.	A	lot
more	goes	on	inside	a	microwave	than	just	making	things	hot.	Microwaves“zap”	food	with	enormous	amounts	of	energy—enough	to	break	apart	water
molecules	and	cause	them	to	react	with	the	food	in	ways	they	would	not	do
otherwise.	These	reactions	create	a	lot	of	strange,	new	molecules	that	are
unnatural	to	the	human	body;	some	of	them	are	toxic	and	carcinogenic.	Research
in	Switzerland,	the	former	Soviet	Union	and	the	United	States	all	suggest	that
eating	microwaved	food	may	promote	certain	types	of	cancers,	hormone
imbalances,	lymphatic	disorders,	digestive	disorders,	immune	and	blood
abnormalities,	emotional	problems,	permanent	brain	damage,	and	even	heart
disease.
In	1992,	at	the	Swiss	Federal	Institute	of	Technology,	volunteers	who	ate
microwaved	food	experienced	decreased	hemoglobin	content	of	their	blood	and
an	increased	white	cell	count.	Thus,	microwaved	food	decreases	the	amount	of
oxygen	available	to	our	cells	and	stresses	the	immune	system.	Also,	microwaves
have	been	demonstrated	to	damage	nutrients.	Research	at	the	Institute	of	Radio
Technology	at	Kinsk,	in	the	former	Soviet	Union,	found	that	microwaves	reduce
the	nutritional	content	of	food	by	60	to	90	percent.	When	reheating	food,	use	the
stovetop	or	oven.	Modern	foods	are	already	nutrient	deficient.	Why	make	them
worse	by	using	a	microwave?
Use	the	right	cookware.	The	best	pots	and	pans	are	those	made	of	glass	or
ceramics	such	as	Corning	Ware.	Other	materials	interact	with	foods	and
introduce	some	level	of	toxins	into	the	food.	Stainless	steel	contains	nickel—
both	an	allergen	and	a	carcinogen.	A	study	in	the
Journal	of	the	American
Dietetic	Association
found	that	toxic	chemicals	from	stainless	steel	pots,
including	nickel,	iron	and	chromium,	enter	food	during	cooking.	Aluminum—
from	pots,	pans	and	aluminum	foil—is	another	toxic	contaminant.	Teflon
coatings	on	cookware	also	present	problems,	especially	when	such	cookware	is
heated	to	higher	temperatures.
Of	course,	not	all	meals	come	from	your	own	kitchen.	Americans	eat	an
enormous	percentage	of	food	at	restaurants.	Making	optimal	food	choices	when
eating	at	restaurants	is	almost	impossible.	However,	with	care	in	menu	selection,
you	can	usually	do	fairly	well.	As	a	rule	of	thumb,	upscale	restaurants	usually
have	fresher	and	better	prepared	foods,	while	fast-food	restaurant	offerings	are
more	toxic	and	less	nutritious.	Many	restaurants	do	not	even	“cook”	for	you;
they	merely	serve	prepared	and	processed


, which are less severe than the above, are not
recognizable at birth and may not be until long afterwards. According to Harris, "During the fourth
week of embryonic life the head, brain and spinal cord are most susceptible to adverse
conditions." He traces the sensitive areas of the various structures through the various weeks in the
embryonic history. The deformities of the face among the primitive races which I have illustrated
extensively frequently are not revealed until the eruption of the permanent dentition and the
development of the adult features. While it is true that many children show deformity in facial7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 226/250development even in babyhood and childhood, those individuals are usually much more seriously
injured when the adult face is developed.
    Bloom (15)  has presented the anatomical and histological characteristics of a defective born to a
mother fifty-one years of age, whose general health was reported as good. The infant's facial
pattern was markedly divergent from normal and practically no brain tissues had been formed. This
expression of an extreme injury was entirely beyond that with which we are concerned in the study
of the mental and the moral cripples who constitute an increasing part of our society. This is
presented to emphasize Nature's inexorable requirement that each parent shall be individually
physically fit for the responsibility of producing the next generation. Several primitive races studied
have realized this responsibility.
    There are some phases of modern physical degeneration in which most of us take part with
remarkable complacency. We would consider it a great misfortune and disgrace to burn up the
furniture in our homes to provide warmth, if fuel were available for the collection. This is precisely
what we are doing with our skeletons by a process of borrowing, simply because we fail to
provide new body repairing material each day in the food. You are all familiar with the tragic
misfortune that overtakes so many elderly people through the accident of a broken hip or other
fractured bone. Statistics show that approximately 50 per cent of fractured hips occurring in
people beyond 65 years of age never unite. We look upon this as one of the inevitable
consequences of advancing age. In Chapter 15 I have referred to the small boy whose leg was
broken when he fell in a convulsion while walking across the kitchen floor. That bone did not
break because the blow was hard but because the minerals had been borrowed from the inside by
the blood stream in order to maintain an adequate amount of the minerals, chiefly calcium and
phosphorus in the blood and body fluids. He had been borrowing from his skeleton for months
because due to a lack of vitamins he could not absorb even the minerals that were present in the
inadequate food that he was eating. The calcium and the phosphorus of the milk were in the
skimmed milk that he was using but he needed the activators of the butter-fat in order to use the
minerals. Simply replacing white bread with these activators and the normal minerals and vitamins
of wheat immediately checked the convulsions.
    We have many other expressions of this borrowing process. Much of what we have thought of
as so-called pyorrhea in which the bone is progressively lost from around the teeth thus allowing
them to loosen, constitutes one of the most common phases of the borrowing process. This tissue
with its lowered defense rapidly becomes infected and we think of the process largely in terms of
that infection. A part of the local process includes the deposit of so-called calculus and tartar about
the teeth. These contain toxic substances which greatly irritate the flesh starting an inflammatory
reaction. Many primitive peoples not only retain all of their teeth, many of them to an old age, but
also have a healthy flesh supporting these teeth. This has occurred in spite of the fact that the
primitives have not had dentists to remove the deposits and no means for doing so for themselves.
Note particularly the teeth of the Eskimos. The teeth are often worn nearly to the gum line and yet
the gum tissue has not receded. Many of these primitive groups were practically free from the
affection which we have included in the general term of pyorrhea or gingivitis. Pyorrhea in the light
of our newer knowledge is largely a nutritional problem. While nutrition alone often will not be
adequate for correcting it, when established practically no treatment will be completely adequate
without reinforcing the nutrition in so far as deficient nutrition has been a contributing factor.
Nutrition plus the frequent removal of deposits, plus suitable medication will check and prevent
pyorrhea but not correct the damage that has already been done. The elements that are chiefly
needed in our nutrition are those that I have outlined as being particularly abundant in the menus as
used by several of the primitive races. These are discussed in detail in Chapter 15.
    Another important aspect of this problem of borrowing has to do with the progressive shrinking
of the skeleton as evidenced by the shortening of the stature. I have measured many individuals
who have lost from two to six inches in height in a decade or two. I have seen a few individuals
who have lost as much as ten inches of their height by this process of borrowing from the skeleton.
Our bodies need a certain amount of fresh minerals every day with which to manufacture blood.7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 227/250The days that these minerals are not provided in the foods they will be taken from our storage
depots, the skeleton.
    A particularly tragic phase of this problem of borrowing from the bone is seen in growing girls
and is chiefly due to their ambition to avoid enlargement of their bodies to keep down their weight.
The girls deprive themselves of body building material at a time when their bodies are growing and
are requiring considerable new mineral. Forming bone has a prior claim on minerals, which is
sufficiently commanding to induce the individual to borrow from bones that are already formed to
provide for the necessary lengthening and growth. By this process many of the bones of the body
are softened, particularly the bones of the spine. Curvatures develop, one of the expressions of
which may be round or stooped shoulders.
    Among primitive races this type of girl, so commonly seen in our modern civilization, is absent.
Probably not one of these girls has ever suspected the suffering and sorrow that is being stored up
for future life as a result of this bad management at a critical time in her development. Fig. 134
illustrates one of the tragedies of this borrowing process. Practically all of these physical evidences
of degeneration can be prevented and fortunately many of them can be relieved in large part with
an adequate nutrition. Even ununited fractures often can be induced to unite by an adequate
reinforcement of the nutrition. This is true not only for young people but for elderly people as well.
    In addition to the problems growing out of physical injuries through lack of development before
birth, which express themselves as facial and other deformities, there is increasing need for concern
for physical handicaps entailed in underdevelopment of the hips. The difficulty encountered at
childbirth in our modern civilization has been emphasized by Dr. Kathleen Vaughan (16)  of London.
In her book, "Safe Childbirth," she states that faults of development more than race modify pelvic
shape. In the Foreword to her book, Dr. Howard A. Kelly, Professor Emeritus of Gynaecological
Surgery, Johns Hopkins University, says:
    Dr. Vaughan presents such an array of facts and data that the book must impress every
reader. It is of vital importance that her conclusions be considered, for in my opinion our
methods of bringing up our girls and the habits of our women with many of the customs of
'civilized' life must be radically readjusted.
This important work should be made available for reference in the school libraries of the United
States. Further data from it are presented in Chapter 21.
    The great contrast in discomfort and length of time of the labor of modern mothers is to be
contrasted with ease of childbirth among primitive mothers. Many workers among the primitive
races have emphasized the vigorous health and excellence of the infant at birth. We have here,
therefore, emphasis on the need in the interest of the infant that the mother shall have an easy and
short labor. Both of these factors are directly influenced by the vitamin content of the mother's
body as supplied by her nutrition and also by the physical development of her body if her mother
at the time of gestation and prior to conception had adequate vitamins in her food to insure perfect
germ cells.
    The sensitivity of the brain to injury resulting from medication given the mother has been
emphasized by Dr. Frederic Schreiber of Detroit. In his paper before the American Medical
Association meeting in San Francisco, June, 1938, he was quoted as saying (17) that the analysis
showed that 72 per cent of the children had shown difficulty in breathing at the time of birth or in
the first few days following birth. He concluded, therefore, that this difficulty in breathing was the
cause of the brain damage.
    Difficulty in breathing would lead to a shortage of oxygen. An insufficient supply of oxygen in the
blood stream would have serious effects upon the tissues of the brain. In this connection, he cited
evidence found in post-mortem examinations that deficiency of oxygen caused microscopic
changes in the brain.
    X-ray photographs of some of the children examined by Dr. Schreiber showed various degrees7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h


 violence gets translated into unhealth y chemicals
in the body, leading to the buildup of ama in our thoughts as well as in our
cells. Everyone has a right to expose himself to any kind of influence he
wants, but the physician’ s role is to warn against those influences that
damage our well-being. Avoiding mental ama is therefore considered a
preventive measure against the imbalances that lead ultimately to disease.
You cannot force your body to make evolutionary choices. If you are
eating the wrong foods, chain-smoking, drinking excessively, or making
any other kind of unhealthy choice in your daily life, some block exists
somewhere in your pathway of desire. Some impurity is keepin g you away
from your quantum self. I have already given many techniques for
removing such blockages. All of these, from panchakarma to meditation to
the bliss technique, remove tremendous amounts of impurity every time you
use them.
After a while, as you continue using the Ayurvedic techniques, you will
see your sattvic side emer ge, no matter how blocked your system was to
begin with. When that happen s, you are approaching the place calledperfect health. Sattva lies closest to nature’ s heart, because everything in
nature expands, evolves, and grows. Sattva exists in us as our instinct for
balance, our life-enhancing attitudes, our innate dignity and respect for
others, and our love. As you increase in sattva, you effortlessly live in purity
and move in the direction of higher evolution. Then and only then does the
phrase “living in tune with nature” reveal its real meaning.
HOW  TO INCREASE SA TTV A
Ayurveda says that many different kinds of influences can increase
sattva, while at the same time keeping ama at a minimum. Some
recommendations are familiar to us: consuming pure food and water,
avoiding obvious toxins such as pesticides, and getting a full night’ s sleep.
Adequate rest is needed to bring out the clear, happy side of the mind.
Spend time outside in nature, walking in the woods and mountains or
beside the ocean, lakes, and streams; listen to the sound of the wind, the
rustling of the trees, and the songs of birds—all of these purify  the senses
and bring them back to their source in nature. In Ayurveda we consider
anything that is life-supporting to be sattvic, so nurturing positive emotions
and secure relationships is vital—the absence of love and care from your
life will damage sattva far more than any wrong diet.
In addition, the following pointe rs, established thousands of years ago in
the Vedic texts and echoed in the purest traditions of every culture, serve as
time-tested guides for increasing sattva in daily life:
Be pleasant and tolerant toward everyone.
Act on due reflection, not on impulse.
Refrain from anger or criticism, even when you feel it is justified
(sattvic people do not point out others’  weaknesses “for their own
good”).
Take time every day for play, humor, relaxation, and good company.Wake with the sun in the morning, watch the sun set in the evening,
and occasionally stroll in the moonlight, especially if there is a full
moon.
Eat light, natural foods, favoring milk, saf fron, rice, and ghee (clarified
butter)—a complete list of sattvic foods is given on page 307, along
with the deeper rationale for adhering to a pure diet.
Be generous with others in every way—giving presents and
compliments to people around you, pointing out the best in everyone,
letting others make you great instead of trying to be great yourself. To
a sattvic person, all relationships exist primarily as an opportunity to
give. The complement to this basic attitude is that nature will always
provide enough to fulfill one’ s needs. When this kind of generosity and
trust truly blossoms, a sattvic person has nothing to fear from life and
everything to receive from it; he can let life happen without forcing it.
OceanofPDF.comCHAPTER 11
DAIL Y ROUTINE—RIDING NA TURE’S WAVES
Every day the sun rises, the sun sets, and hundreds of different things
happen in between. Nature is so beautifully arranged that no matter how
different these things are, they fit into one rhythm. Actually, there are many
rhythms nestled inside one another, wheels within wheels. Modern
medicine has disclosed many of the more obvious cycles in our bodies—
the heart beating every three-q uarters of a second, the lungs swelling to
inhale air ten to fourteen times a minute. But many of the body’ s changes
remain mysterious. Why does a person typically weigh the most at seven in
the evening, as science has discovered? Why are our hands hottest at around
two in the morning?
Ayurveda’ s answ er is that there are “master cycles” in us governed by the
quantum mechan ical body. Every day two waves of change pass through us,
each bringing a Kapha cycle, then a Pitta, and finally a Vata cycle. These
three phases take place from sunrise to sunset, then again from sunset to
sunrise. The approximate times are as follows:
One of the most basic aspects of living in tune with nature is to respect
these master cycles that suppor t our physical existence. We are meant to
ride nature’ s waves, not to fight against them. In fact, our bodies are already
riding them, or doing the best they can in the face of our contrary habits.At dawn, the day begins in a Kapha period. It is easy to see why early
morning is considered Kapha—waking up, the body feels slow, heavy,
relaxed, and calm, all of which are Kapha qualities. The most physically
active time and also the peak of appetite occur at noon, in the middle of the
first Pitta period. Pitta is respon sible for metabolizing food, for distributing
energy, and for more efficient physical functioning in general. This helps
explain why factory work reach es a peak of efficiency at noon. This first
cycle ends with a Vata period beginning at 2 P.M. Vata controls the nervous
system, and in fact researchers have discovered that people do best in
mental tests during the afternoon. The times when you can add numbers the
fastest (3 P.M.) and exhibit the most manual dexterity (4 P.M.) fall into this
Vata period.
The day’s second cycle repeats the same sequence of Kapha, Pitta, and
Vata, but they take on a different complexion. The evening is relaxed and
slow, just like the early morning, but sunset brings the body back to a stable
resting place. Now Kapha inclines toward inertia. Similarly, Pitta appetite is
not as strong at night as at noon. Pitta digests dinner after you go to bed, but
since the body is asleep, the heat is expended to keep you warm  and to fuel
the rebuilding of tissues, which  occurs mostly at night. The Vata period in
the early -morning hours expresses itself through the nervous system, but
instead of thinking quickly as you do in the afternoon, you go into active
dream sleep (called REM, or “rapid eye movement” sleep), when brain
impulses are at their liveliest for the whole night. And thus the circle of the
day is complete.
ONE DA Y IN PERFECT  RHYTHM
If you learn to ride these large waves of Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, your
body will instinctively tune its subcycles, its many wheels withi n wheels, to
follow suit. What would it be like to live a day in perfect rhythm? Ayurveda
provides an ideal schedule called the dinacharya, or daily routi ne, that
shows us how to find out.DINACHAR YA: THE DAIL Y ROUTINE
Four pivotal times set the rhythm of the entire daily cycle:
The hours given are for starting an activity—the morning begins  between
6 and 8 A.M., lunch begins anyw here from noon to 1 P.M., and so on. These
times are approximate and chan ge with the seasons. Ayurveda would prefer
that you follow the sun and rise an hour before dawn every day of the year.
By gettin g up during a Vata period, you take advantage of Vata’s qualities of
lightness, exhilaration, and fresh ness. These are infused into your body just
before sunrise and last throughout the day.
Waiting too long into the Kapha period that follows (6 to 10 A.M.) causes
you to wake up feeling duller, heavier, and less fresh. These qualities will
also follow you all day; indeed, if you are a late riser year after year, you
will train these Kapha qualities into your doshas and you will feel
chronically “sleepy.”
If you wanted to map out the ideal day, it would arrange itself naturally
around the four pivotal points:
Rising: 6–8 A.M.
Wake up without an alarm clock
Drink a glass of warm water (to encourage regular morning bowel
movements)Urinate; move your bowels (without forcing)
Brush your teeth
Clean your tongue if coated
Massage your body with sesame oil (abhyanga)
Bathe (in warm water, not too hot or cold)
Exercise: Sun Salute (page 326)
Yoga positions


.	It’s	also	considered
to	be	anti-inflammatory	and	to	help	regenerate	skin	tissue.	The	sugars	and	natural
oils	found	in	rose	petals	trap	moisture	in	your	skin,	making	your	skin	look	smoother
and	softer—just	like	the	beautiful	rose	petals	themselves.	Plus	rose	water’s	natural
fragrance	can	help	soothe	your	nervous	system.	This	will	help	destress	you,
another	key	factor	in	keeping	your	skin	youthful	and	healthy.
Try	to	find	some	pure	rose	water	at	a	health	store	and	add	a	few	drops	to	your
cleanser	or	moisturizer.	You	can	also	try	using	it	as	a	toner,	either	pure	or	mixed
with	a	bit	of	witch	hazel,	gently	brushing	it	over	your	skin	with	a	cotton	pad	after
cleansing.
Bentonite	clay	is	derived	from	deposits	of	weathered	volcanic	ash.	It	absorbs
toxins	such	as	heavy	metals	and	other	pollutants	from	the	surface	of	your	skin
like	a	kitchen	sponge.	There	is	also	an	electrical	aspect	to	bentonite	clay’s	abilityto	bind	and	absorb	toxins.	Bentonite	clay	has	a	negative	electrical	charge,
attracting	positively	charged	molecules.	As	most	toxins	are	positively	charged,
clay	naturally	rids	the	body	of	toxins	as	it	pulls	and	holds	the	toxins	in	its
core.
11
Cosmetics	Safety:	Critical	for	Your	Overall	Beauty
Just	because	a	cosmetic	is	sitting	innocuously	on	the	shelf	at	your	local
pharmacy,	there’s	no	guarantee	that	it	is	safe	and	will	not	have	toxic
ramifications	on	your	body.	The	US
Food	and	Drug	Administration	(FDA)	has
no	authority	to	require	companies	to	test	cosmetic	products	for	safety,	and
most	products	and	ingredients	are	not	approved	or	reviewed	before	they	are
placed	on	shelves.	The	FDA	conducts	premarket	reviews	only	of	certain
cosmetics’	color	additives	and	active	ingredients	that	are	classified	as	over-the-
counter	drugs.
12
,
13
	It	also	has	no	authority	to	require	recalls	of	harmful
cosmetics,	and	manufacturers	are	not	required	to	report	cosmetics-related
injuries	to	the	agency.	The	FDA	relies	on	companies	to	report	injuries
voluntarily
14
	(yes,	you	read	that	right—
voluntarily
!).
Cosmetics	in	the
European	Union	are	far	more	strictly	regulated.	There,	over
1,000	ingredients	have	been	banned	from	use.	In	contrast,	the	FDA	has	only
prohibited	a	fraction	of	those	ingredients,	including	some	color	additives	and
other	prohibited	substances.
15
	Another	scary	fact	is	that	federal	law	allows
companies	to	leave	some	chemical	ingredients	off	their	product	labels,
including	those	considered	to	be	trade	secrets	and	some	components	of
fragrance	and	nanomaterials.
16
Since	the	FDA	does	not	play	a	big	role	in	regulating	the	safety	of	ingredients,
it	has	authorized	the	cosmetics	industry	to	police	itself	with	the	Cosmetic
Ingredient	Review	panel.	To	date,	in	its	thirty-plus-year	history,	the	industry
panel	has	declared	only	eleven	ingredients	or	chemical	groups	to	be	unsafe,
17
and	its	recommendations	on	restricting	ingredients	are	not	binding	on
companies.
18
	So	it	doesn’t	sound	like	much	real	“policing”	is	going	on.	Where
does	that	leave	us,	as	consumers?
Ingredients	from	cosmetics	not	only	are	absorbed	through	the	skin	but	are
also	often	swallowed	and	inhaled	from	sprays	and	powders.	Many	of	them	are
hormone	disruptors	that	can	create	developmental	and	reproductive	damage
and	allergic	reactions,	act	as	carcinogens,	and	create	other	kinds	of	damage	in
the	body.
19
,
20
	It’s	ultra-important	to	understand	labels	and	ingredients,	as	the
FDA	says	that	descriptions	such	as	“hypoallergenic”	or	“natural”	can	“meananything	or	nothing	at	all.”
21
	Don’t	assume	that	companies	or	any	prevailing
organizations—governmental	or	otherwise—are	necessarily	looking	out	for	your
best	interests.	It’s	important	to	scan	labels	and	look	into	the	ethos	of	brands
that	you	choose	to	use	in	and	on	your	body.	Ultimately,	we	have	to	look	out	for
our	families	and	ourselves	and	not	leave	our	safety	in	the	hands	of	anyone	else.
Toxic
Skin-Care	Ingredients	to	Avoid
There	are	countless	toxins	and	additives	in	commercial	skin-care,	makeup,
body-care,	and	other	personal-care	products.	It	would	fill	this	entire	book	(and
more)	to	list	and	describe	them	all.	But	there	are	some	common	offenders	that
are	worse	than	others.	For	more	information,	the
Campaign	for	Safe	Cosmetics
(
safecosmetics.
org/
)	and	the	Environmental	Working	Group	Skin	Deep
Cosmetics	Database	(
ewg.
org/
skindeep/
)	are	two	great	resources	to	consult
about	the	toxicity	of	specific	products	and	ingredients.	These	organizations,	as
well	as	certain	reports,	believe	that	toxic	ingredients	can	create	DNA	damage;
act	as	carcinogens;	create	brain,	liver,	kidney,	and	other	organ	abnormalities;
produce	allergic	or	other	reactions;	and	cause	eye	damage,	nervous	system
damage,	reproductive	damage,	and	birth	defects.
22
	The	list	of	these	possible
dangers	continues	to	grow	as	more	chemicals	are	introduced	and	studied.
Here	are	some	of	the	most	glaringly
toxic	ingredients	to	avoid.	Again,	this	is
like	a	drop	in	the	ocean,
not
	an	exhaustive	list:
•
Benzoyl	peroxide
•
Synthetic	(or	artificial)	FD&C	colors	and	dyes
•
Propylene	glycol	(PG)	and	butylene	glycol
•
Diethanolamine	(DEA),
monoethanolamine	(MEA),	and
triethanolamine
(TEA)
•
Methyl-,	butyl-,	ethyl-,	and	propylparabens
•
Sodium	lauryl	sulfate	(SLS)	and	sodium	laureth	sulfate	(SLES)
•
Dioxin
•
Polyethylene	glycol	(PEG)
•
Avobenzone
•
Phthalates
•
Triclosan•
DMDM	hydantoin	and
imidazolidinyl	urea
RADICALLY	TIMELESS	BEAUTY	MASK
This	nourishing	mask	will	leave	your	skin	feeling	moisturized,	smooth,	and	radiant.	Used	regularly,	it
can	help	ward	off	wrinkles	and	puffiness.	These	ingredients	are	rich	in	nourishing	enzymes,	vitamin
E,	and	beauty	fats	and	oils.
1	tablespoon	raw,	organic	honey
1	teaspoon	almond	oil
1	teaspoon	rose	water
Combine	the	ingredients	in	a	small	bowl.	Apply	to	your	face	and	neck	for	about	15	to	20	minutes.
Rinse	well.
Sunscreen	Ingredients:	Wading	Through	the
Toxic	and	the	Safe
It’s	well	established	that	sunscreen	can	help	protect	against	skin
cancers	and	sun
damage.	The	risk	isn’t	entirely	related	to	how	much	sun	hits	your	unprotected
skin,	since	exposure	when	you	were	a	child	can	lead	to	a	higher	risk	of	skin
cancer	as	an	adult,	and	the	exposure	doesn’t	need	to	be	drastic.	The	best	rule,
however,	is	to	protect	yourself	from	the	sun’s	ultraviolet	(UV)	radiation	as
much	as	you	can


    Case 3. A young married woman of twenty -four who, since maturity, had suffered fro m severe intestinal troubles and from acute
bilious attacks. Four years before her death she had been medically treated for alleged appendicitis, and at this time an ope ration
was advised to which she refused to submit. In this connection it is interesting  to note that the autopsy on this body disclosed an
appendix in normal condition with no signs of previous disease.

    Eight months before death the patient had undergone a fast of twenty -eight days and had convalesced into the most satisfactory
physica l condition she had known since childhood. During this fast she cared for her young baby and continued to do so until acute
hepatic hyperemia or congestion of the liver, with symptoms that denoted disease organic in nature, occurred. A fast was at o nce
Page 64 of  72 entered and continued for sixty days when the patient died. It was discovered then that the woman had been pregnant, and to this
condition may be attributed some of the complications that arose. From the beginning of the fast copious foul discharges, bla ck in
color, were evacuated, and there was a slight daily rise in temperature, which, however, was invariably reduced to normal aft er the
administration of the internal bath.

    Post mortem examination discovered the liver in an advanced condition of degeneration; the stomach exhibited an extreme
hour-glass contraction, and its pyloric opening would not permit the insertion of a probe the size of a lead pencil, while the wal ls
of its lumen were cirrhosed or hardened; the small intestines and the colon throughout their lengths displayed a series of
cartilaginous contractions. These structural defects were undoubtedly developed after arrival at maturity, since the unaffect ed
portions of the organs were normal in size and in condition. The fetus was removed from the uterus at the autopsy, and was found
to be in excellent state, exhibiting the normal development of an unborn child at four months.

    Case 4. This was a married wom an of thirty -five years, and the case is similar in many respects to the one preceding. The patient
fasted fifty -nine days from the beginning of illness until death. The entire adult life of this woman had been made wretched by
digestive impairment, biliou s attacks, and menstrual difficulties. Drugs, including patent medicines, had done their worst until
about two years before death, when, in hopeless apathy, the patient consented to undergo a fast, and completed one of thirty days
with such success that sh e experienced full relief from menstrual pain thereafter, and there was but little digestive distress unless
there had been carelessness in diet.

    The compelling cause that led to the second fast lay in the organic condition, later discovered, that ha d progressed to the point
that the digestive function became inoperative. Morbid degeneration of the liver must have existed for some time previous to the
beginning of abstinence, for from the first day of the fast black bilious discharge in quantity disco lored the fluid of the enemas.
The condition gradually became so aggravated that the thought of food tended to produce nausea, while its odor and even the
perfume of flowers could not be borne. Organic defect had without doubt been present when the first f ast took place, for its
symptoms were noted at that time, but the organs affected, recuperated to a degree by their enforced rest and assisted by gen eral
systemic purification, were enabled to continue partial functioning for some months longer.

    In the second fast pulse and temperature rose above normal register several points each day, but fell to average standard after t he
internal bath, which in this case was administered twice daily.

    As in the previous case pregnancy of some months complicat ed conditions. On the fifty -first day of abstinence it was discovered
that contractions of the uterus were occurring, and in a short while, with some manual assistance, a dead, misshapen fetus wa s
delivered with little or no distress or pain. General relie f was immediate, and it was so pronounced as to inspire the family with
hope of ultimate recovery; but the improvement was succeeded by a decline in vitality that ended in the death of the patient.

    During the latter days of this fast hiccoughs in sev ere form were present, and there was some vomiting of blackish bile. It was
useless to attempt feeding at any stage of the fast, for, from the first, the stomach refused even water, and the only manner  in which
the fluids of the body were renewed was throu gh absorption from the baths, both external and internal.

    Post mortem findings follow. The liver was so degenerated that but little functioning could have occurred for many days; the
gall sac was at least four times its normal in size and contained f oul, black, bilious fluid; the kidneys were hypertrophied or
enlarged, and pocketed with pus; the pancreas was so hardened in texture as to resist the knife; the spleen was degenerated t o the
degree that the organ was held together merely by its surroundin g membrane; the small intestines were normal in size, condition,
and position, as was the colon, excepting that the transverse portion of the latter organ had suffered malposition and in por tions
was no larger in diameter than the adult thumb; the right ov ary contained a cyst filled with fluid, while the right fallopian tube was
bent twice upon itself; the left ovary was in an atrophic or wasted state and was no larger than a lima bean in size; the hea rt and the
lungs were normal.

    Case 5 is that of a young man of twenty -five who had been syphilitically infected five years before death, and who had had his
symptoms treated by medical practitioners and by advertising quacks. At the time of consultation syphilitic sores still remai ned,
and other evidences  of the blood taint were present. There was a loss of mental control that necessitated constant attendance of a
nurse. About six months before death a fast of twenty -eight days was undertaken and successfully finished. At its completion the
syphilitic sore s had entirely disappeared, and relief in general was such that the patient was enabled to dispense with his attendant
and to care for himself. But several months later signs of serious organic breakdown, including loss of mental control, again  were
appare nt. One of the symptoms noted was that of copious discharge of watery mucus from the nasal passages and throat, together
with constant, profuse exudation of sweat about the face and head. The latter symptom was present in such degree that the hai r of
the p atient dripped moisture continuously and his pillow needed change every hour. Considerable solid feces and catarrhal mucus
appeared in the enemas, and for a month before death speech was impossible and no function could be performed without
assistance. No food was given during the last nineteen days of life.

Page 65 of  72     Post mortem findings showed a brain, the right hemisphere of which was much degenerated and pus laden; the left hemisphere
was structurally normal; the right jugular vein was occluded with a whiti sh deposit, not analyzed; the heart was normal; the right
lung was in a state of embolism, and was virtually a mass of clotted blood, useless for its purposes; the left lung was norma l; the
liver was partially degenerated. In this case no abnormality exist ed throughout the length of the alimentary canal, and the kidneys,
pancreas, and spleen were in condition that presumed ability to function.

    Case 6, that of a man forty -six years of age, presents a history of constant disease with intermittent acute crises. As the result of
an accident in childhood, by which the subject was injured internally, both youth and early manhood were punctuated with a
succession of severe illnesses, which were treated in orthodox: without permanent relief. About fifteen year s before death the
patient abandoned medicine and turned to natural therapeutics, with the result that the first lengthy relief from physical di stress
was obtained. Three years before he died, acute disease again appeared, and, because of uncongenial but u navoidable environment,
medical treatment was resorted to for a short time, again without benefit. Reverted to in finality, the fast and its accompan iments
succeeded in relieving conditions to the extent that the patient was enabled to resume his wonted wo rk. Although he suffered at
intervals from this time on, there was no return of acute distress until the month preceding death, when, after somewhat stre nuous
exercise followed by a heavy meal, severe intestinal pains developed. For thirty days no food was  given, the stomach rejecting
even water, and at the end of the period named, virtually in constant pain the while, the patient died.

    Post mortem examination showed an organic condition that was most abnormal. The lungs were adherent to the walls of the
pleural cavity and to the diaphragm; the heart was slightly enl arged but functionally capable; the stomach was dilated and
prolapsed; the gall sac was divided into three distinct pouches, two of which were filled with a total of one hundred and twe nty-six
stones, ranging in size from that of a pea to one four inches in circumference; the small intestines were collapsed and midwa y in
their lower


 this ordeal. I got word that he hadearned a “trusted-inmate” status at his new facility and was working in the
chapel. I lost touch with David after that.S e c t i o n  V
Something Priceless Is Born3 2.
F r o m  t h e  P e r s o n a l  S e l f  t o  t h e  P e r s o n a l
C o m p u t e r
I t was in the fall of 1978 when, without a clue, an event
took place that changed eve rything once again. It is so
inspiring to look back and see  how a handful of moments
in your life define your destiny. What if life had not
presented those moments to you, or if you had interacted
with th em differently? Over time, everything would be
different.
I thought I knew what was being asked of me by then:
run Bui lt with Love to the be st of my ability, and use the
funds to support the beautiful work being done through
the Temple. As usual, I was w rong, very wrong. What life
had in store for me was muc h grander in both size and
scope. How could I ever have  imagined that I would end
up run ning a $300-million -a-year computer software
company, with  twenty-three hundred people reporting to
me, all without leaving the woods of Alachua or putting
aside m y spiritual pursuits? How could the flow of life’s
events pull that off, especia lly since I had never even
touched a computer in my l ife and was totally content
with my  financ es? As I sit here today, if I were forced to
answer that question, I would utter the word surrender.
My experiment with surrender had taught me to always
be pres ent in the current moment and do my best to not
allow my personal preferences to make decisions for me.
Instead, I allowed the reality of life to determine where I
was goi ng. It had certainly le d me on a fantastic journey
up to that point, and it was about to do something
phenomenal with the next thirty years of my life. If youwould like to know how these phenomenal events
unfolded in a p erfectly choreographed sequence, I would
be very honored to share the story with you.
It all began one uneventful day when I walked into a
neighborhood Radio Shack store to pick up something
for Built with Love. On my  way out, I noticed what
appeared to be a plastic typewriter keyboard attached to
a tw elve-inch TV screen. Th e two items had a TRS - 80
COMPUTER  sign displayed above them. As fate would have
it, I  had just encountered one of the first personal
computers on the market. Being a curious person, I
walked up to th e display and punched a few keys. As if by
magic, the keys I touched appeared on the monitor
above. I had never experienced that in my life. I had only
taken an introduction to computers course in college,
and everything we did was on punch cards. We were
never allowed to go near the workstations that were
actually connected to the computer itself.
I was absolutely fascinated by this Radio Shack device.
It opened something inside  of me that can only be
described as love at first sigh t. I stood there playing with
the ma chine for a long tim e. I marveled at typing in
simple and complex math co mputations and seeing the
results pop up. I finally to re myself away from the
display, but I knew I’d be back. From the first time I
touched that machine, there was an inner calling from
the dee pest rec esses of my b eing. I had no choice but to
surrender to that calling. Wh en I returned to the Radio
Shack store a few days later to lay out $600 for their best
computer, I really had no id ea what I was going to do
with the thing when I got i t home. I just knew I was
meant to have it.
My first  computer was a Radio Shack TRS-80 Model I
with just 16k o f memory, a twelve-inch monitor, and a
standard cassette recorder for storage. That was all that
was ava ilable at the time. It  came with a simple user’smanual for the BASIC progr amming language, and that
was about it—you were pretty much on your own.
When I got th e computer home, I buried myself in
learning the programming commands and seeing what
they co uld do. For some reason, everything was so
natural to me. It wasn’t like I was learning something
new; it was like I was remembering something I had
always known. My mind became very quiet the moment I
sat d own at th e machine. It was very much like entering
meditation. T he energy would rise up and focus
beautifully at the point between my eyebrows, and a
peace would come over me. Apparently, I was meant to
be working with this computer. I didn’t question it—I
just continued to surrender to what was happening.
Before the computer showed up, I already had two
full-time jobs: Temple of the Universe and Built with
Love. T o find time for my new computer, I began to go
back to work a fter evening services. I would often work
into the wee h ours of the morning, getting only three or
four hours of s leep before rising for morning services. I
was so  passionately inspired while working with the
computer that I didn’t get tir ed. It was clear to me even
then that something very special was going on.
I played  around writing some programs just to get a
feel for what t he thing could do. Within a few weeks I
decided that I was ready to  write a real program. The
first ta sk I gave myself was to write a computerized
accounting system for Built with Love. I had to teach
myself everything. The salespeople at the Radio Shack
store knew nothing about p rogramming, and I didn’t
know an yone e lse to talk to. I just used trial and error as
my teacher.
Once I had co mpleted Built  with Love’s accounting
system, things progressed very rapidly with my
programming. I had made friends with the manager of
the Radio Shack store, and w henever I went in I would
show him printouts of the work I had done. He wasimpressed with what I had go tten the machine to do and
began asking if he could refer some clients to me. To my
surprise, he ended up sending me people who wanted
programs writt en. All of a sudden, I had a new business.
As unbelievable as it seems, this humble beginning was
the bi rth of what was to become Personalized
Programming, a nationwide, multimillion-dollar
software company.
As with everything else in my life since I decided to
follow the flow, Personalized P rogramming j ust started
itself. There were no mee tings, business plans, or
venture capitalists. Just as with the Temple of the
Universe and Built with Love, I simply accepted the
challenge of serving the en ergy that came my way. I
never left the w oods; all of this came to me unasked for
and unwanted. Fortunately, I really loved helping people.
I d idn’t  care if they were com ing to me to learn how to
still tha t voice in their head, to build them a house, or to
write them a program—it w as all the same to me. I
passionately loved programming, and I loved getting to
use that talent to help people.
At first the jobs were small, and I had no idea what to
charge for them. I wrote a grading program for a
University of Florida profess or for $300. I was such a
perfectionist that I just kept making it better and better
before I was willing to give it to him. From the very
beginning of my program ming career, my heart
demanded tha t every line of code had to be the absolute
best I could do. It didn’t ma tter what I was being paid;
everything had to be perfect.
During 1979, I began spending more and more time
sitting in a room programming by myself. When the
manager at Radio Shack as ked if he could refer his
customers to me, I had no idea what to expect. I started
getting calls from Radio Shack stores all around
Gainesville and from stores as far away as Jacksonville.
Soon I was getting more requests than I could handle.Being schooled in economics  and understanding the law
of supp ly and demand, I began raising my prices. It
didn’t help; the jobs just ke pt on coming. Around that
time, I began noticing that every job seemed perfectly
sequenced to advance me to the next level in my
programming career. Though I was sitting in the woods
working alone, let there be no doubt about it, life was
turning me into a professional programmer.
It di dn’t take lo ng for me to realize that writing custom
software took a lot of time, and I was better off selling
available softw are to satisfy my client’s needs. I became a
dealer of one of the top accounting software packages
sold by a company called Sy stems


.
EMOTIONAL/MENTALSYMPTOMS
Capricious.Indifferentinchildrentoplaying.
Irritable.
Rheumisforteethingchildrenwhoarecolicky.They
willbeirritable,difficultchildrenwhoarepeevishand
restlessandwhodon'twanttoplay.
PHYSICALCOMPLAINTS
Diarrhoea
SymptomsInteethingchildren.Stools:sour;
pasty.
Causesteething.
140•Rhododendron (Rhod.) INTERNALMATERIAMEDICA
Thechildmayeatalot,withoutappearingtoenjoyit.
Foodisnotassimilatedwellandthecolickypains
causethechildtocryandtossaboutatnight.
Teething
SymptomsPainfulinchildren.Withdiarrhoea
(seeabove).
Thegeneralandemotional/mentalsymptomsshould
alsobepresent.
Rhododendron (Rhod.)
Familyname:Ericaceae
Othernames:yellowsnowrose;rosebay;rosage
alpenrose;rhododendronchrysanthum; Siberian
rhododendrongatheredwhentheseedcapsuleshaveripened,anda
tinctureismadefromthem.
GENERALSYMPTOMS
Complaintsfromchangeofweathertostormy.
Betterformovement.
Worseforcold;forcold,wetweather;forstormy
weather;beforethunderstorms; forwind.
Rhododendrontypesareextremelysensitivetothe
changeinpressurethatprecedesastorm;theirsymp-
tomscomeonthenoraregenerallyworse.Theyare
alsosensitivetochangesintheweather,particularlyto
cold,wetandwindyweather,andareworseduring
theseasonsofchange-springandautumn.Their
symptomsmayabateeitherduringorafterthestorm
hasbroken.
Thisspeciesofrhododendron isindigenoustothe
mountainsofSiberia,andisnowcultivatedworld-
wide.Itisasmallbushthatgrowstoaheightof
1-1V2feet,andhasgoldenflowers.
Thoughnotwidelyknowningeneralmedicine, it
wasmuchusedinitsnativeSiberiaasaremedyfor
rheumatism,goutandsyphilis.Thegrowingcon-
ditionsoftheplant-itsurvivesthestovms,windsand
rainoftheSiberianmountains-indicateitskeynoteas
ahomeopathicremedy;thatis,asensitivitytostormy
andchangeableweather.
Forthehomeopathicpreparation,theleavesareEMOTIONAL/MENTAL SYMPTOMS
Fearfulofthunderstorm.
Thisisasmallremedywithveryfewstrongemotional
symptomsbuttheaggravationthatoccursbeforea
thunderstorm isemotionalaswellasphysical.These
peoplemayfeelapprehensive, fearfulorjust'unwell'
beforeand,toacertainextent,duringastorm.They
mayalsobeparticularlyafraidofthunder.
PHYSICALCOMPLAINTS
Backache
SymptomsPains:inlowerback;inneck;rheumatic;
sore,bruised.
Befferformovement.
Worseforwetweather.
Headache
SymptomsPainstearing.
Betterforgettingup;forwalking;forwalkinginfresh
air;forwrappingupthehead.
Worsebefore/during astorm;fordampweather.
Thepainsareinthefaceandeyesandarealways
worsebeforeandduringastorm.
Jointpain
SymptomsPains:inarms/legs/shoulders; drawing;
tearing.
Betterformovement;forstretchinglimb.
Worseforchangeofweather;forsittingdown;for
stormyweather;forwetweather.
INTERNALMATERIAMEDICA Rhustoxicodendron (Rhus-t.) •141
Toothache
SymptomsPains:spreadingtotheear;grumbling
Fefferaftereating;forheat;warmcompresses.
Worsebeforeastorm.
RHUSTOXICODENDRON (Rhus-t.)
Familyname:Anacardiaceae
Commonnames:poisonivy;mercuryvine;poison
ash;poisonvine;pubescentpoisonoak;trailing
sumach
Thisdeciduousshrubgrowsinfields,woodsand
alongfencesalloverNorthAmerica.Therootsends
upmanystemswhichdivideintowoodybranchesand
trailalongthegrounduntiltheymeetwithsupport-
forexampleawall,oratree-whichtheywillclimb.
Theplantproducesamilkyjuicewhichturnsblackon
exposuretotheairandishighlypoisonous.
Poisonivy'smedicinalpropertieswerefirstnotedin
1798byaFrenchdoctorwhoobservedthatafteran
accidentalpoisoningbytheplantapatientofhiswas
curedofalong-standing herpeticeruption(rash)on
hiswrist.Hewentontousetheivytocuresimilarskin
diseasesaswellastotreatparalysisandrheumatism
withsomedegreeofsuccess.
Inplaceswheretheplantgrowsfreely,accidental
poisoningsarecommon;symptomsbeginwithan
extremelynastyrash,oftenwithaviolentfever,lossofappetite,nausea,headacheanddeliriumfollowedby
swollenglandsandulcersofthemouthandtongue.
Therashishot,itchesviolentlyandblisterspainfully.
Forthehomeopathicpreparationthefreshleaves
arecollectedwhenthepoisonismostactive:beforeit
flowers,duringthenight(itisthoughttobealmost
innocuouswhenexposedtosunlight)andindamp
weather(seeGeneralSymptoms).Theleavesare
choppedandpoundedtoapulp,thenlefttostandin
alcoholbeforebeingstrainedandsuccussed.
GENERALSYMPTOMS
Complaintsfrom:gettingwet;changeofweather
tocoldtodamp;gettingchilled.Facered.Glands
swollen.LikesmilkLipsdryPains:burning;
pressing;shooting;sore,bruised.Sweat:worsefor
lvingdownanduncovering;worseforslightest
physicalexertion.Taste:mouthtastesmetallic.
Tonguered-tipped.
Betterforchangingposition;forfreshair;formove-
ment;forsweating;forwarmthofbed;forhotdrinks.
Worseintheautumn;forchangeofweather;for
cloudyweather;forcold;forcold/wetweather;
forfoggyweather;forcolddrinks/food;fordamp;for
draughts;onbeginningtomove;forlyingdown;
forbeinguncovered;swimmingincoldwater.
Rhusfarisoneofthemainmumpsremedies,indicated
bythehard,swollenglandsthatoftenfeatureinRhus
toxacuteillnesses.Thetongueiscoatedwhiteor
vellowvwhiteandhasatriangularredtiptoitthat
maybesore.
Thesepeoplefeelbettergenerallyforsweating,
especiallyduringafever,butgettingchilledwhilst
sweatingwillaggravatetheirconditionsandproduce
acoughorcold.Theyareextremelychilly-theyhate
thecoldinanyform:coldfoodordrink,swimmingor
washingincoldwater,andcoldandwetweatherin
anyform(cloudy,foggyordamp).Theyaresosensi-
tivetocoldthattouchingcoldthingscanaggravate,
andputtingahandoutofbedintothecoldaircan
makethemfeelworse.Eveneatingice-creamonahot
daywhenapersonisoverheatedcanbringonan
aggravationofsymptoms.Theyfeelasifthecoldness
isrunningthroughtheirbloodvessels,althoughthis
mayalternatewithafeelingofheatinthevesselsif
thereisanaccompanying fever.Notsurprisingly,they
feelbetterfortheheat,forwarm,drycompresses(heat
packs)andforhotbaths.
Theyarealsoverysensitivetothedamp,sothat
whenautumncomes,bringingadampatmosphere,
thosewithRhustoxrheumatism willstarttomoan
andcomplain.Thisisoneofthemostimportant
homeopathicrheumatic/arthritic remedies,solongas
thegeneralsymptomsagree.
NBSEEALSOPAGES203-26FORGENERALADVICE,DOSANDDON'TS.
142•Rhustoxicodendron (Rhus-t.) INTERNALMATERIAMEDICA
Rhustoxpainsaretypicallyaching,soreandbruised
withtearingorstitchingpainsthatareworseonfirst
movingafterarest.Theseeaseoffafterthejointhas
beengentlyexercisedby,forexample,gentlewalking.
Butafterawhilethepersonwillfeeltired,thepains
maystartupagainandtheywillneedtorestonce
more,onlytofeelthattheyneedtomoveafterashort
periodofsitting.Andsothecyclecontinues


 one of the main
differences between frugivores and herbivores.
Roughly between ages three and four most children lose the enzymes that
digest milk, especially lactase, which breaks down lactose— the main sugar in
milk. This is because, biologically, we are supposed to be weaned after three
or four years. Since we lack the proper digestive enzymes to break down
milk, we get an increased mucus production. Milk now becomes highly
irritating to the mucosa of the GI tract, which causes even more mucus. This
mucus mixed with starch can cause a heavy mucoid plaque to build up on the
intestinal walls.
Remember John Wayne? He was reported to have died with up to fifty
pounds of impacted fecal matter in his bowels. Such im-pactions cause
inflammation, pocketing (diverticulum), and tissue weakness of the intestinal
wall. This leads to bowel restrictions, ulcerations, lesions and cancers. Several
years ago, the now former U. S. Surgeon General, C. Everett Koop, M.D.,
told the world: “Dairy products are bad for you.”FROM ALKALINE TO ACID

Now, on top of all this, we cook (pasteurize) cow’s milk. Heat changes the
chemistry of the milk, as well as changing its nature from alkaline-forming to
acid-forming. In chemistry, if we want to change a chemical compound, we
add heat. Heating or cooking also destroys any water-soluble vitamins,
especially the vitamin C and B-complexes. It saturates the fats and binds
certain proteins to minerals, as well as binding minerals to minerals. What
happens to a baby calf if you feed it pasteurized milk instead of its fresh, raw
mother’s milk? It dies.
CONGESTION DECREASES UTILIZATION

Colds, flu, mumps or any lymphatic or respiratory condition can be largely
attributed to congestion from dairy products. Dairy products are highly
mucus-forming and constipating. When you have a cold or respiratory
problem, where do you think that clear, yellow, green, brown or black mucus
originally comes from? Where do tumors come from? Or lymph node
swelling, especially swelling of the tonsils?
The thyroid and parathyroid glands are located in the throat. They also
get congested with the mucus formed from dairy products, creating hyper- or
especially hypo-conditions of these tissues. The thyroid/parathyroid gland is
responsible for calcium utilization by the body. When these glands begin to
fail from the mucus congestion, toxins and inflammation that dairy products
create, your calcium utilization begins to fail—which is the opposite result for
why you consume these products in the first place. When a lack of calcium
utilization at the cellular level begins, a host of conditions including
depression, bone and tissue weaknesses, nerve and muscular weakness, and
connective tissue weakness can also begin. All are side effects from mucus
congestion that has built up in our tissues from the use of dairy products.
Calcium is an abundant mineral. The highest concentration of usable
calcium is found in sesame seeds and sea vegetables like kelp. Calcium needs
magnesium to be properly utilized. In fruits, and especially in vegetables,
calcium and magnesium are compatible. Dark green leafy vegetables are full
of calcium, magnesium and flavonoids, all of which need each other for
proper utilization. In cow’s milk, however, you have a lot more calcium thanmagnesium. This adds to the lack of utilization of calcium in milk. It has been
estimated that less than 20 percent of calcium in milk is utilized. We utilize
more calcium from fruit juice than we do from milk.
When milk is cooked, the minerals become ionized, changing its effect
from alkaline to acidic. This can create stone formation, muscular weakness,
GI tract inflammation, and other conditions. The truth of this can be seen in
that many people who drink milk and take extra doses of calcium through
supplementation are still getting osteoporosis. We must begin to think of
utilization
 within the body
rather than supplementation.
 High doses of
calcium are not the answer, proper utilization is.
The thyroid/parathyroid and the adrenal glands are mostly responsible
for calcium utilization within the body. I have found that when these glands
are healthy, the body is strong where calcium issues are concerned. If you
clean and regenerate these glands, your calcium utilization will be greatly
enhanced. Use the Basal Temperature Test (found in
Chapter 10
) to study and
check your thyroid function. Check your blood pressure to determine your
adrenal weaknesses. Remember, if your systolic is under 118 you always
have adrenal weakness.
PARASITES

Parasites are another result of milk drinking. Estimates are that 60 percent or
more of American dairy cows have one or more of the following: the
leukemia virus, salmonella and the tuberculosis virus. Furthermore, as milk
and dairy products are the most mucus-forming of all the foods we consume,
and refined sugar is the second most, both of these foods will cause excessive
congestion to build up all through our tissues. Yeast, fungi and worms love
to feed and thrive in this congestion. This causes Candida albicans and other
infectious conditions. After observing thousands of cancer clients, I am
convinced that milk and dairy products (even colostrum) cause and increase
tumor growth and lymphatic congestion. Many congestive (tumor) type
cancers, in my opinion, are initially started through the consumption of these
types of foods.
DIABETES
 Many studies have linked pasteurized milk consumption to diabetes. The
antibodies produced to fight these altered, harmful, milk proteins also attack
the beta cells in the pancreas. The beta cells are in the islets of Langerhans in
the pancreas and their job is to secrete insulin.
BOVINE GROWTH HORMONE

Another major problem we see in milk is the effects from rBGH—or
recombinant bovine growth hormone. The Monsanto Corporation created this
bovine growth hormone from the E-coli bacteria. This growth hormone was
initially created to increase milk production. Some studies have shown this
growth hormone (rBGH) to be a carcinogen. In many studies it has been
shown to proliferate (increase) the growth of cancer. I personally feel it
stimulates the endocrine gland system, especially the thyroid and adrenal
glands. This affects our growth, other developmental factors, and hormone
balance. As a society we are faced with these massive hormonal imbalances
that are destroying our health and our economy.
Learn the truth about the foods you consume. Don’t be dissuaded by the
media and other influences within our capitalistic society where money has
become more important than human welfare. It is vital that you detoxify your
body of all the built-up congestion from the many years of eating mucus-
forming foods.
INTESTINAL FLORA

Many health-conscious people today take aci-dophilus with lactobacillus, and
the like. Why? If you do not consume dairy products, why would you need
to supplement with these products? These are bacteria that are involved in the
breakdown of milk proteins and milk sugars. They can also be found in the
body where toxemia (toxins) from dairy products are formed, e.g., in saliva,
in the lymphatic system, in the vagina, etc. It is more important to your health
to clean these toxins and the bacteria that feeds upon them out of your body
entirely. It is also questionable whether these bacterial supplements survive
the gastric acids, as it is.
It is not difficult to establish intestinal flora. You can’t keep bacteria outof your body. This is pure nature. Bacteria are feeders, cleaning and feeding
upon your wastes, the by-products of digestion and metabolism. Remember,
your intestinal flora changes with your diet.
Success is
nothing more than a refined study of the obvious.
— Jim Rohn, success philosopher

MODULE 4.2
Proteins—The Whole Truth

Look back to Module 3. 3 in the previous chapter for an introduction to the
subject of protein and how it is metabolized. As you may recall, “protein” is a
word meaning a “structure.” Like a house, it’s already built. It has form to it,
like muscle tissue. However, like a house, it is built
from
 various types of
building materials. Protein structures are built from building materials called
amino acids. Amino acids therefore are the building materials that your body
requires and uses for building (growth), maintaining, and repairing itself. It
also uses proteins (amino acids) for immune factors, transporters, and cat-
abolic factors. A protein is also a general word for the total nitrogenous
substances of animal or vegetable matter, exclusive of the so-called
nitrogenous fats.
Proteins, or the total nitrogenous (nitrogen-based) substance of a food,
consist of a variety of chemical compounds of two main types: proteids and
non-proteids. Examples of proteids, both simple and complex, are
albuminoids, globulins, proteases, peptones, glutinoids, etc. Examples of
non-proteids, or simple compounds, would include creatine, creatinine,
xanthine, hy-poxanthine, amides


  Wording  and  the Application!  That  is
why  We  urge  you,  Precious  Ones,  to hold  closely  to the
OUTLINE,  which  I sanctioned  in the West  for your  Group
Activities.  Hold  closely  to the Books  and  the Application
they give  you;  because  that  carries  Our  Power  and  Action
into your  world,  which  will  bring  your  Freedom  most
quickly.
We are not trying  to deprive  you  of any  Individual  Ex-
pression  or anything  you  might  want  to do yourself;  but
We know  This  will  produce  the Quickest  Results  for you,
and that  is why  We  ask  you  to do it! You  are quite  Free 44 THE  "I AM"  DISCOURSES
to acquiesce  or not;  but it is because  We know  It is the Best
and Quickest  Means,  for you  to gain  your  Freedom  that
We have  asked  this,  and  no other  reason  in the  world!
Don't  make  any  mistake  about  that!
Because  the "I AM"  Students  will  not use the Violet  Con-
suming  Flame,  they  come  into  great  distress!  I tell  you,
Precious  Ones,  It was  released  for the  Freedom  of man-
kind.  It could  not harm  an unborn  infant  and  those  who
will not use It, will  not be Free!  Remember,  Beloved  Ones,
in your  attention  to your  Presence,  you  are AUTOMATI-
CALLY  releasing  Tremendously  Greater  Energy  than  you
did, before  you  knew  you  had  an "I AM  Presence."
Some  of you  still  do not FEEL  your  Ability  to release
These  Powers  from  your  Presence  to set you  Free.  Even
NOW  you—are  releasing  an hundred  fold  Greater  Power
and Energy,  than  you  did before  you  knew  This  Presence
three  years  ago!  That  is why  We plead  with  you,  Precious,
Precious  Hearts,  to hold  firm  in your  feeling;  because  as
this Greater  Energy  comes  forth  thru  you  and  into  your
world,  if you  continue  to charge  it with  discord,  don't  you
see, it becomes  tremendously  more  destructive ? You  cannot
help  it! It is the Law  of your  Life,  when  you  give  attention
to your  Presence,  Greater  Energy  has to flow  thru.  It is not
a matter  of anybody's  choice,  but  It is the Law  of your
Being!  It has  to come  thru!  Then,  think!  If you  continue
to qualify  it with  discord,  don't  you  see how  much  more
powerful  it becomes,  to act in your  world ?
That  is why  people  are constantly  swamped  with  dis-DISCOURSE  VIII  45
cord  in their  minds  and  bodies;  because  for one  reason  or
another,  they  have  charged  this  Energy  with  discord  or
unkind  feeling!  Precious  Ones,  can't  you  believe  Me,  when
I ask you  please  to not allow  suspicion  to begin  to act in
your  world;  or about  persons,  places  or conditions.  Please
do not do it! Suspicion  becomes  self-destruction!  Don't  do
it, if you  want  to be Free.  Don't  care  what  the other  person
is doing!  YOUR  PART  IS TO  HARMONIZE,  BEAU-
TIFY  AND  PERFECT  YOUR  OWN  WORLD,  IN
YOUR  CALL  TO  THE  PRESENCE;  AND  LET
EVERY  OTHER  ONE  TAKE  CARE  OF  HIS  OWN
WORLD;  except  to call  the "Mighty  I AM  Presence,"  to
bless  all mankind  and  that  is the Greatest  Thing  you  can
do!
We want  to make  this  so clear,  so definite,  so plain  to
you this time;  that  never  again,  can anything  in the world
trip you  up and  cause  you  to become  confused.  The  Per-
fection  of the "I AM  Presence"  is before  you,  Beloved  Ones;
and We  are  willing  to the  very  limit,  the  Law  of your
Being  permits,  to give  you  Assistance  unknown  and  un-
permitted  in the history  of the Earth.
During  the time  the Messengers  are here  in this  Class,
won't  you  tell all of these  blessed  ones,  they  are welcome  to
the class,  if they  wish  to come ? Tell  them  to forget  every-
thing  which  has  disturbed  them;  and  receive  the Blessing
which  We  want  to give  them.  They  will  have  great  cause
to rejoice  if they  will;  because  unless  Sufficient  Harmony
can be established  in New  York  this  time,  We cannot  come 46 THE  "I AM"  DISCOURSES
again.  The  Messengers  and  We  are pouring  forth  all the
Love  at Our  Command,  to bless  and  draw  to Our  Radiance
those  who  wish  to have  It; and  only  Love  and  Kindness
will ever  go forth  from  the  Messengers  to every  one,  re-
member  It!
Does  this  sound  strange  to you ? Until  We  meet  in Our
Octave  where  We dwell,  remember:  As you  go forth  from
this room  tonight,  you  are a Part  of Myself!  Don't  make
any mistake  about  that!  I mean  exactly  Those  Words!  My
Ray of Light  has  gone  forth  and  anchored  in each  one  of
your  Hearts!  Therefore,  you  have  become  a Part  of Me!
Will  you  accept  that  and  keep  yourself  reminded  of It?
Then,  as you  do so—refuse  any  longer  to accept  any  dis-
cordant  appearance,  as having  power  to disturb  you  or act
in your  world.
If you  will  do this,  then  My  Ray  of Light  and  Energy
which  has gone  forth  into  your  Heart,  will  do Its Mighty
Work  for you;  and  I am sure  there  is not one in this  room,
who  does  not feel My Immeasurable  Power  of Divine  Love,
flood  each  one's  world,  Being  and  body!  I am sure,  there
is not one  who  does  not feel  It definitely.  That  shall  con-
tinue  to act within  you,  Oh Precious  Ones;  and  Oh,  Our
Love  is so Great,  so very  Wonderful,  and  is the Eternal
Power  of the Universe  acting  within  you!
May  I remind  you  in preparation  for the Class,  remember
Beloved  Ones,  when  you  call your  "Mighty  I AM  Presence
into action,  It knows  no resistance  nor  interference  of any
kind!  Therefore,  It goes  forth  with  the Power  of the Uni-DISCOURSE  VIII  47
verse  to fulfill  your  requirements.  Do you  see then,  how
your  earnest  sincere  effort  could  not fail in any  way ? It is
the Supreme  Opportunity  of all your  human  pilgrimage
upon  Earth!
You know,  Beloved  Ones,  if I were  a human  Being,  you
might  accuse  Me  of sounding  egotistical;  but  you  know
better  than  that!  A Being  of Light,  Perfection  and  Freedom
does  not have  those  qualities  existing  within  Him  or Her.
Therefore,  when  I say to you,  the Great  Power  of My Love
is anchored  within  your  Heart,  I mean  it literally  and  phys-
ically,  as


–
WAYNE DYER66 THE MIRACLE OF BIO-IDENTICAL HORMONES  OSTEOPOROSIS—MYTH
VERSUS REALITY
chapter EIGHT
Not too long ago, osteoporosis was associated with fractured hips
and often led to permanent residence in a nursing home.Nowadays, the scenario is about the same, except that, because ofmodern surgical methods, nursing homes are rarely the patient’sfinal destination any more.
With the advent of DEXA scans, which measure bone
density, we can now measure the state of bone health andeasily measure the extent, if any, of bone loss. These studies canalso be used to assess the response (if any) to therapy. DEXAstands for dual-energy X-ray absorptionometry. The mostimportant measurement is called the T-score, a measure of thestandard deviation away from the “norm,” which is based onthe bone density in a 24-year-old person. A reading of -2.5below the norm is considered osteoporosis. A reading between-1.0 and -2.5 is designated as osteopenia.
The diagnosis “osteopenia” was created after DEXA scans
were put in use. Realistically, a person in their 50s or 60s is notlikely to have the same bone density as a person in their mid20s. So is this a condition that needs pharmaceutical interven-tion, or is it a natural condition of aging that simply requireshormonal balance and natural supplementation to maintain
67bone health? This question is important because doctors often
prescribe the same toxic medications for osteopenia as they dofor osteoporosis.
Again, this book is not intended as a diatribe against
conventional medicine. However, I feel patients should bebetter informed so that perhaps more healthful decisions canbe made.
TRADITIONAL TREATMENTS FOR
OSTEOPOROSIS AND OSTEOPENIA
The traditional approach to treating osteoporosis in women
was to give them estrogen, usually in the form of Premarin,along with a high dose of calcium. Improving bone healthwas touted as one of the major benefits of taking estrogen.The problem is, there has never been a single study indi-cating that estrogen has any benefit in reversing osteoporosis—in fact, in 1999 the FDA eliminated osteoporosis as an indicationfor giving estrogen. It is true that when a woman is still havingmenstrual cycles, and for several years after menopause, estro-gen does have a positive effect on bone health. But it will not pre-vent the eventual onset of osteoporosis.
The main classes of therapeutic drugs utilized for
osteoporosis (and, unfortunately, osteopenia) are calledbisphosphonates. They go by several brand names, such asFosamax, Actonel, and Binova. Bone is in a constant state ofregeneration, aided by cells that help resorb bone (the osteo-clasts), and then cells that build bone (the osteoblasts). Thebisphosphonates act in a way that prevents the osteoclasts fromresorbing bone but at the same time prevents the osteoblastsfrom forming new bone.68 THE MIRACLE OF BIO-IDENTICAL HORMONES  As a result, you wind up with old, brittle bone that looks
good on a DEXA scan but can actually be more easily fracturedthan an untreated bone. This is certainly not the desired effect.
In addition, bisphosphonates have serious potential side
effects. They are very similar to the same chemicals used toclear drain pipes and clean away bathtub residue. This is whyit is necessary to avoid lying down after taking these pillsbecause they can eat a hole through the esophagus. They canalso cause gastric erosions and severe diarrhea.
Other side effects include blindness and a condition referred
to as osteonecrosis—an eating away of the jaw bone leading tothe teeth falling out as well as other dental nightmares.
Bisphosphonates are the largest-selling drugs in the world
for osteoporosis and, unfortunately, osteopenia as well.Another fact to keep in mind is that these drugs have aten-year half-life, which means this is how long it takes toeliminate 50 percent of the medication from your body.
So what about taking calcium supplements—another
traditional approach that no one seems to question? Is it reallysafe and is it necessary?
Consider the fact that most of the foods we eat have
calcium in their makeup. In 35 years of practice, I have neverseen a patient with a calcium deficiency. Interestingly enough,Asians, who traditionally cannot digest milk products dueto a low level of lactase, have an extremely low incidenceof osteoporosis.
Another thing to consider: Is it possible that taking an excess
of calcium may enhance calcification (hardening) of our arteries?Doctors actually use calcium channel blocking agents to treatcoronary artery disease and lower blood pressure. Calcium stim-ulates gastric acid secretion, which possibly contributes to refluxesophagitis. There are other concerns as well. Calcium canpromote prostate cancer and can also promote kidney stones.69 OSTEOPOR OSIS—MYTH VERSUS REALITY My own feeling is that if one does take calcium, perhaps in
the form of calcium citrate, it is wise to limit the intake to onetablet per day. Magnesium is a lot more important thancalcium for building bones and should be taken in a quantitytwo to three times that of calcium.
A BETTER APPROACH TO BONE HEALTH
There are two points of view to consider with osteoporosis and
osteopenia—prevention and treatment. Since this book isabout hormones, and since hormones are important for bothprevention and treatment, let us start with them.
I, for one, suspect that the number one cause of osteoporosis
in both men and women is a low progesterone level.
The primary hormones involved in bone health are testos-
terone, progesterone, estrogen, and dihydroepiandosterone, orDHEA. There is a strong hereditary factor to osteoporosis, butwhat we’re really talking about is inheriting a hormonal predis-position to osteoporosis. If a person is aware that their motheror father has or had osteoporosis, then the primary concernshould be hormone balance. I, for one, suspect that thenumber one cause of osteoporosis in both men and women isa low progesterone level.
Women who are on birth control pills, and thereby are not
ovulating and have no progesterone, are certainly settingthemselves up for bone problems. On the other hand, womenwho are estrogen dominant (who have or did have PMS,cramps, breast tenderness, and so on) often have great bonedensities; however, they also have a high incidence of breastcancer. Balance seems to be the key when it comes to estrogen.70 THE MIRACLE OF BIO-IDENTICAL HORMONES  T estosterone is also intricately involved with bone
metabolism. Women who have had hysterectomies, whethertotal (with the ovaries removed) or partial (with the ovaries leftin) will have low testosterone levels. In men, the level of testos-terone starts dropping when they are in their 20s and continuessteadily downward. A man who has lost his libido, often dueto low testosterone, is a person obviously at risk for osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis in men, the incidence of which is almost on
a par with women, can have deadly consequences. A fracturedhip in a male over the age of 65 is associated with a 25 percentmortality rate during the following year. In addition, men verycommonly have low progesterone levels. This situationbecomes moot around the age of 50 when virtually all menstop producing progesterone.
Needless to say, I feel that both testosterone and proges-
terone are extremely important for preventing osteoporosis.DHEA is another hormone that gradually but consistentlydeclines as we age; it is a balancing hormone, in that it helpsproduce both estrogen and testosterone—both being importantfor bone health.
ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
Another hormone that certainly bears mentioning is melatonin,
which is put out by the pineal gland. It is generally known asthe hormone that puts us to sleep at night. However, it hasother functions as well. It is extremely important in bonemetabolism. It also plays a significant role with regard to ourimmune system. It helps to produce natural killer cells andinterleukin-2, both of which the body uses to fight cancer on adaily basis (cells are constantly mutating and have to be dealtwith regularly). The problem is that we stop producing thishormone around the age of 60. So one should consider71 OSTEOPOR OSIS—MYTH VERSUS REALITY melatonin for both prevention and treatment of osteoporosis,
especially as one gets older.
The bottom line concerning osteoporosis is that it can often
be prevented—though unfortunately, we live in a world wherepreventive medicine is not practiced. The preventive approachfor osteoporosis is not only a matter of achieving hormonalbalance, but includes other factors of extreme importance, suchas exercise, proper nutrition, and lack of stress.
I certainly appreciate and admire people who are able to
avail themselves of the benefits of a disciplined lifestyle. I amtalking about people who eat right, exercise three to four timesa week, do breathing exercises to reduce stress, avoid takingmedications with toxic side effects, and so on. I know there aremillions of people in this category. Not surprisingly, they rarelycome to see


 are certain deep down
inside that you will never be attractive enough. This certainty leads women
to obsessively improve their inevitable weak points through cosmetics and
clothing. Although men may trivialize the beauty issue as female vanity,
their own huge expenditures on sports cars, designer golf clubs, and power
suits is a produc t of the same insecurity. There is only one way to break out
of the self-defeating syndrome of “I’ll never look good enough.”
What will r eally make you attractive is not working on your weak points but embracing them.
Embracing your weaknesses is the same as accepting yourself, and
nothing is more attractive than people who are comfortable with
themselves. Weak points do not have to be physical—any trait that you
think makes you unattractive falls into this category, including
psychological foibles, lack of money or success, low social standing, and
past actions you feel must be covered up.
A person who exhibits both positive and negative qualities, strengths and
weaknesses, is not flawed but complete. At any given moment our behavior
has shadings; it is never a simple matter of black or white. These shadings
are what I call the appeal of ambiguity, which the following exercise helps
to develop. Approach it as a free-form activity, in keeping with the spirit of
ambiguity.
FILLING IN THE  SHADOWSThe purpose of the following exercise is to take any quality you think you
possess and demonstrate that you also possess its opposite—and many
variations in between. You can perform this exercise in your head, but I
recommend pencil and paper.
Write down or think about one particular thing that makes you
unattractive to others. It can be physical or psychological, whatever comes
first to mind. Let’ s say it’ s “I’m too selfish.”
Ask yourself if you also have the opposite trait, which is “I’m considerate
of other  people’ s needs.” Or, if this sounds too altruistic, try “I am not
selfish all the time.” (This has to be true, since no one can be selfish 100
percent of the time.) Having set this down, notice that being considerate
doesn’ t cancel out being selfish —it adds another shade to the picture. All
traits, good and bad, are relative. They can never completely describe who
you really are.
Who you r eally ar e is not a collection of parts but a whole. Seeing yourself as whole is the first
step towar d seeing yourself as truly attractive.
We are all temp ted to pick ourselves apart; it is this act of self-criticism,
not the pieces themselves, that makes you feel unattractive.
Now move on to another undesirable quality; this time choose one that is
trivial enough that you are ashamed of admitting you even care about it—
for example, “My hips are too big.”
Now find the opposite of feeling ashamed of this trait, which can be
phrased in several ways, such as “Marilyn Monroe had big hips, and she
looked beautiful,” or “The last time I felt good about myself, I wasn’ t
thinking about my hips,” or “Someone who really loves me has assured me
that hips are not what matters to him.”
These responses  work on different levels. If your friends say they don’t
notice your hips, the issue may become not whether they are right but
whether you trust them. By seeing more ambiguity in the situation, you start
to grasp how complex and interconnected everything about you is. As you
break the grip of your conditioning, challenging your notion of a bad or
weak quality by considering its opposite, you free your mind  to see the
larger picture about yourself.You can turn this into a very creative exercise. Suppose you write down
“I bad-mouth my best friends,” a characteristic most of us would find
extremely unattractive. The offsetting quality might be “I really  do love my
best friends.” What is the relationship between these opposing traits?
Perhaps you aren’ t comfortable telling your best friend when you are angry
or disappointed;  perhaps you lash out indiscriminately when you feel bad
about yourself; perhaps you want to be liked so much that you criticize your
friends to reinforce someone else’ s opinion.
All these alternatives undersco re a single truth: you are only human.
When you realiz e that the same is true of every person you’ve ever met (as
well as every media darling celebrated in our society), you will gain a sense
of comfort with both the most attractive people  and the least attractive. The
closer you come to seeing the appeal in all people, the closer you come to
God’ s perspective.
Equality is the first step towar d acceptance, and acceptance is love.
Try articulating a few more of your worst qualities, then move on to your
good ones. What is most attractive about you? “I have lovel y eyes.” “I
adore my children.” “I contribute time to helping cancer patients.”
Whatever you write down, see if the opposite isn’t also present. “My eyes
aren’ t very lovely when I’m jealous or mean.” “My children can make me
feel like running away.” “Sick people depress me so much, I don’t care if I
ever see another one.” Whatever you find in yourself that is nice or good, it
is inevitable that the contrary impulse also exists in you. No saint has ever
lived who did not blame and hate God in her darkest hour; no lover is so
smitten that he has not noticed the allure of another woman.
The final stage of this exercise involves reading the following list:
It is all right to be good and bad.
I like feeling more than one way about the people who are closest to me.
Niceness can have an edge; snideness can be amusing.
My best friend wouldn’ t be shocked to see me at my worst. My worst enemy would be pleasantly
surprised to see me at my best.
Living up to my self-image is more exhausting than I let on.
I’ll never be perfect. I can live with that.
An angel is assigned to people who can laugh in the face of misery.
It’s all right to find the villain sexy and the hero boring.
I will trust the next person who tells me I look good.
Letting the demons run can be very educational sometimes.The worst thing anyone says about me contains some truth—about them.
You are likely to agree with some of these statements, and a few may seem
preposterous or beside the point. Be that as it may, the next time you sit
down to do this exercise, look over the list again. You may be surprised at
how much more acceptable it seems. Accepting your own ambiguity opens
you to the truth that life itself cannot help but be ambiguous, which is what
makes it so fascinating.
OceanofPDF.comIN OUR LIVES
What’ s a Little Gray?
WHEN SHE FOUND  a bottle of black hair dye in Alan’ s drawer, Jeanne passed
it off as a touch of middle-aged male vanity. She had always thought of her
husband as intensely attractive; in fact, given how much younger he was
than she—seven and a half years—Jeanne had been secretly flattered to
catch him. Looking in the mirror, she noticed more gray in her hair than he
ever had.
Jeanne had found the bottle of dye late at night while looking for aspirin;
it was in a draw er she usually didn’ t open. The next morning  she asked
Alan about it as he was rushing  out the door. He looked surprised and said
the dye wasn’ t his.
Jeanne didn’ t know whether to believe him or not. This feeling surprised
her, since she had always assumed that Alan could be trusted. Jeanne had
some time to kill before she went off to her own job—there was no baby to
attend to, since the couple, marr ied just three years, had decided not to have
children. She found herself cleaning out the clutter in the bathroom
cabinets. No more bottles.
Jeanne brought up the incident over lunch with her best friend Cecille,
making light of it. Cecille looked worried. “I don’t know how to put this,
but if I were you, I’d be careful.”
“Of what?” Jeanne asked.
“Hasn’ t it occurred to you that your husband might be having an af fair?”
Of course it hadn’t. Jeanne flushed scarlet; she didn’ t like having
suspicions plant ed in her head, but instead of saying so she asked Cecille to
elaborate. You can’t let yourse lf go, her best friend warned, not for a
minute. From the age of three little boys are taught that when they grow up
they will have power; they expe ct to run things from the time they are in the
sandbox. Little girls, by contra st, are trained to be worthy of men withpower, which means being beautiful enough to attract them. If she isn’t able
to hold a man, what power does a woman have? With considerable
earnestness Cecille advised Jeanne to buy a hundred-dollar facial and some
skimpy lingerie.
Jeanne didn’ t know what to make of her friend’ s little speech— a mixture
of fascination, doubt, and dread warred inside her. But why would Alan lie
about something as trivial as a bottle of hair dye if he wasn’ t hiding
something else?  Jeanne decided that buying a sheer nightgown wasn’ t the
worst idea in


 the powers of your mind
1. Decide to be wealthy the easy way, with the infallible aid of your
subconscious mind.
2. Trying to accumulate wealth by the sweat of your brow and hard
labor is one way to become the richest man in the graveyar d. You do
not have to strive or slave hard.
3. Wealth is a subconscious conviction. Build into your men-tality
the idea of wealth.
4. The trouble with most people is that they have no invisible means
of support.
5. Repeat the word, “Wealth,” to yourself slowly and quietly for
about five minutes prior to sleep and your subconscious will br ing
wealth to pass in your experience.
6. The feeling of wealth produces wealth. Keep this in mind at all
times.
7. Your conscious and subconscious mind must agree. Your
subconscious accepts what you really feel to be true. The dom inant
idea is always accepted by your subconscious mind. The dominant
idea should be wealth, not poverty.
 107  8. You can overcome any mental conflict regarding wealth by
affirming frequently, “By day and by night I am being pros-pe red in
all of my interests.”
9. Increase your sales by repeating this statement over and ov er
again, “My sales are improving every day; I am ad-vancing,
progressing, and getting wealthier every day.”
10. Stop writing blank checks, such as, “There is not enough to go
around,” or “There is a shortage,” etc. Such state-ments magnify  and
multiply your loss.
11. Deposit thoughts of prosperity, wealth, and success in your
subconscious mind, and the latter will give you compound interest.
12. What you consciously affirm, you must not mentally deny a few
moments later. This will neutralize the good you have affirmed.
13. Your true source of wealth consists of the ideas in your mind.
You can have an idea worth millions of dollars. Your subconscious
will give you the idea you seek.
14. Envy and jealousy are stumbling blocks to the flow of wealth.
Rejoice in the prosperity of others.
15. The block to wealth is in your own mind. Destroy that block
now by getting on good mental terms with everyone.

 108  10
Your Right to Be Rich
It is your right to be rich. You are here to lead the abun-dant l ife and
be happy, radiant, and free. You should, therefore, have all the money
you need to lead a full, happy, and pros-perous life.
You are here to grow, expand, and unfold spiritually, men-tally, a nd
materially. You have the inalienable right to fully develop and express
yourself along all lines. You should sur-round yourself with beauty
and luxury.
Why be satisfied with just enough to go around when you can enjoy
the riches of your subconscious mind? In this chapter you can le arn to
make friends with money, and you should al-ways have a surplus.
Your desire to be rich is a desire for a fuller, happier, mor e wonderful
life. It is a cosmic urge. It is not only good, but also very good.
• Money is a symbol
Money is a symbol of exchange. It means to you not only freedom
from want, but beauty, luxury, abundance, and refine-ment. It is
merely a symbol of the economic health of the nation. When your
blood is circulating freely in your body, you are healthy. When money
is circulating freely in your life, you are economically heal thy. When
people begin to hoard money, to put it away in tin boxes, and become
charged with fear, there is economic illness.
Money has taken many forms as a medium of exchange down
through the centuries, such as, salt, beads, and trinkets of vari ous
kinds. In early times a man’s wealth was determined by the num ber of
sheep and oxen he had. Now we use currency, and other negotiable
instruments, as it is much more convenient to write a check than c arry
some sheep around with you to pay bills.

 109  • How to walk the royal road to riches
Knowledge of the powers of your subconscious mind is the means
to  the royal road to riches of all kinds—spiritual, men-tal, o r
financial. The student of the laws of mind believes and knows
definitely that regardless of economic situations, stock marke t
fluctuation, depression, strikes, war, other conditions or
circumstances, he will always be amply supplied, regardles s of what
form money takes. The reason for this is that he has con-veyed the
idea of wealth to his subconscious mind, and it keeps him supplied
wherever he may be. He has convinced himself in his mind that
money is forever flowing freely in his life and that there  is always a
wonderful surplus. Should there be a fi-nancial collapse of
government tomorrow and all the man’s  present holdings become
valueless, as the German marks did after the First World War, he
would still attract wealth and be cared for, regardless of th e form the
new currency took.
• Why you do not have more money
As you read this chapter, you are probably saying, “I am worthy of a
higher salary than I am receiving.” I believe most people are
inadequately compensated. One of the causes many people does not
have more money is that they are silently or openly condemning i t.
They refer to money as “filthy lucre” or “the love of money is  the root
of all evil.” Another reason they do not prosper is that they ha ve a
sneaky subconscious feeling there is some virtue in poverty. T his
subconscious pattern may be due to early childhood training,
superstition, or it could be based on a false interpretation of scri ptures.
• Money and a balanced life
One time a man said to me, “I am broke. I do not like money. It is
the
root of all evil.” These statements represent a confused ne urotic
mind. Love of money to the exclusion of everything else will c ause
you to become lopsided and unbal-anced. You are here to use your
 110  power or authority wisely. Some men crave power others cra ve
money.
If you set your heart on money exclusively and say, “Money is al l I
want; I am going to give all my attention to amassing money; nothi ng
else matters,” you can get money and attain a fortune, but you have
forgotten that you are here to lead a balanced life. You must also
satisfy the hunger for peace of mind, harmony, love, joy, and perfect
health.
By making money your sole aim, you simply made a wrong choice.
You thought that was all you wanted, but you found after all your
efforts that it was not only the money you needed. You also desired
true expression of your hidden talents, true place in life, beaut y, and
the joy of contributing to the welfare and success of others. B y
learning the laws of your subconscious mind, you could have a million
dollars or many millions, if you wanted them, and still have peac e of
mind, harmony, per-fect health, and perfect expression.
• Poverty is a mental disease
There is no virtue in poverty; it is a disease like any ot her mental
disease. If you were physically ill, you would think there was
something wrong with you. You would seek help and do something
about the condition at once. Likewise, if you do not have money
constantly circulating in your life, there is some-thing radic ally wrong
with you.
The urge of the life principle in you is toward growth, ex-pansi on,
and the life more abundant. You are not here to live in a hovel, dress
in rags, and go hungry. You should be happy, prosperous, and
successful.
• Why you must never criticize money
Cleanse your mind of all weird and supe rstitious beliefs about
money. Do not ever regard money as evil or filthy. If you do, you
cause it to take wings and fly away from you. Remember that you lo se
what you condemn. You cannot attract what you criticize.
 111  • Getting the right attitude toward money
Here is a simple technique you may use to multiply money in your
experience. Use the following statements several times a  day, “I like
money, I love it, I use it wisely, constructively, and judiciousl y.
Money is constantly circulating in my life. I release it wi th joy, and it
returns to me multiplied in a wonderful way. It is good and very g ood.
Money flows to me in avalanches of abundance. I use it for good only,
and I am grateful for my good and for the riches of my mind.”
• How the scientific thinker looks at money
Suppose, for example, you found gold, silver, lead, copper, or iron
in the ground. Would you pronounce these things evil? All evil comes
from man’s darkened understanding, from his ignorance, from his
false interpretation of life, and from his misuse of his  subconscious
mind. Uranium, lead, or some other metal could