exaggerate it with ceremonies', with dolorous behavior and with
sorrowful thoughts. Epicurus observed that we have no relation to
death. When we are alive, death is not with us, while when we
are dead, we are no longer alive to be grieved about it.
The second phase in the avoidance of fear is voluntary. It is
not sufficient simply to understand the fear with the intelligence
and realise that it is not too good to have it. The realisation must
also become a strong sentiment within us. It cannot be overcome
intellectually; the force of an awakened sentiment is necessary as
well. The technique for awaking the sentiments is discussed
below. It is part of the education of the will.

EDMOND BORDEAUX SZEKELY SCIENTIST
AND PHILOSOPHER

A Review by D ION BYNGHAM
(Health and Life, July 1936)

If the contents of a book could save our contemporary world,
which is eddying and crashing to ruin, that book, I believe, has been
written. If the contents of a book could redeem us as individuals from a
common destiny of disease and death, that same book has appeared. If
between the covers of a book might be found the sure path to creative
peace, to superb health and beauty, to an optimal abundance of Joy in
Life, let us open and read. For if, while reading, we should perchance
resolve to try and live what "we read, all these seeming miracles might
assuredly happen.
How and where shall one begin? As a reader, certainly, at the
beginning, meditating and mastering every word to the end. But as a
reviewer, the significance of some 800-odd pages to compress within
four or five...! For nothing less than Cosmos, Man and Society is the
theme. And the author, Professor Edmond Szekely, is a philosopher, a
sage and   a  scientist   of   immense   erudition  who—albeit with
perfect lucidity and simplicity—has well-nigh taken the reins of infinity
within his grasp. Primarily a research-ethnologist, he has been directed
in all his researches by the light of one dominant motive: to discover
and formulate for himself and his fellowmen the laws of an optimal life,
to focus the entire forces of Eternal Life for the ultimate conquest of
death.
As a pre-eminently and practical outcome, Professor Szekely has
arrived at a comprehensive restatement of Natural Therapy which excels
in completeness, applicability and precision anything so far achieved. And so, as promised in his preface, his book becomes virtually "the
encyclopedia of a new science—Paneubiotics or Omnilaterial
Aristology—whose purpose is to realize the best and optimal forms of
omnilateral life based on the totality of the natural and cosmic laws and
their manifestations in the individual and society (cosmic, solar,
terrestrial and human radiations)."

COSMIC RADIATIONS
In that word "radiations" is really the core and gist of the matter.
We live as witnesses to the dawn of the radioactive era. It is therefore
essentially in tune with the times that natural therapy itself should be
synthesized around the conception of radiations, cosmic, solar,
terrestrial and human. This, in the first place, is what Professor Szekely
has accomplished—not, however, as a merely metaphysical theorist
discoursing vaguely on "vibrations," but with all the authority of a
realistic research-scientist whose findings have been tested and
confirmed in every detail by his therapeutic practice and experience in
many parts of the world.
It will unquestionably be of supreme interest to the practical
reader, whether lay or professional, to find in this book the whole
rationale of sun, air, water and earth therapies and hygiene, as well as
the properties of properly grown li ving foods like uncooked fruits and
vegetables, re-interpreted and. applied in a new light as accumulators
and transmitters of cosmic radiations for the healing, health and optimal
vitality of man. The entire technique of hydropathy (baths, packs,
compresses, the internal douche and so forth) is incidentally restated
and brought up to date. This makes a valuable section for all who wish
for a working knowledge of water; treatment, which, in many respects,
was the original basis of nature cure.
Dietetic science is likewise fully re-formulated with special
reference to the organic salts, vitamins and aromatics as basic
constituents and stimulants of the life-processes, as transmitters of vital
vibrations to glands and organs and to all the living cells of the body
and brain. Fifty foods, "accumulators of cosmic energies," are detailed,
together with. specimen daily menus for each season of the year. Of
several particulars that impress me about these menus I must mention
three. First, their extreme simplicity and frugality—yet it is obviously
the frugality of a man who enjoys every mouthful he masticates with
unperverted taste and unspoiled piquancy of appetite. Secondly, the
frequent combination of proteins and vegetables. Thirdly, the stress
laid   on   aromatics:   onions,   garlic,   chervil. chives, shallot, mint,
parsley, thyme, celery and the rest.
These aromatics are undoubtedly nature's own aperitifs. Through
both taste and smell and by virtue of their volatile essences they
stimulate digestion and vitalise our internal functions and secretions, in
addition to their valuable, antiseptic and blood-cleansing properties.
Professor Szekely, who is everywhere insistent upon the importance of
teen healthy senses, practically identifies such imponderable neural
excitations from our food—transm itted through sight or through taste
and smell— with the vitalising vibrations which are the vitamins
themselves. Many a person, probably, remains obsessed by the
blandishments of cunning cookery and dependent upon the eondimental
savour of flesh foods, solely through ignorance of these superlatively
natural flavourings which would minister to his instinctive craving for
appetising aromas and palatable meals. The raw diet regimen would
never be dull were this understood, and no one can be a true initiate of
Professor Szekely's "natural optimal dietetics" by whom it is not
understood.
To trophotherapy and dietetics is added a section. describing fifty
medicinal plants and herbs with their properties and remedial uses, so that the gist of botanical therapy is also included. The regenerative role
of fasting fills a fundamental place, as also does deep rhythmic
breathing, since Professor Szekely regards sun-irradiated air as the
medium for direct transmission of solar and cosmic vital forces through
the lungs to the body and mind. From this point of view the yoga
doctrine of pranayama receives corroborative evidence. A practical
chapter on the Art of Breathing, included in the section on "Individual
Harmony," is a revelation in itself. Air, as well as water, must, for
instance, have been recently sun-irradiated to be of any living value at
all. 'Man's roots are his lungs."

CELL-REGENERATION IN SEVEN MONTHS
All of these practical measures and many others are combined in a
complete system of what Professor Szekely calls "omnilateral
cosmotherapy." This term "omnilateral," connoting as it does extension
along, and convergence from, all sides and all fronts as correlated to the
central objective of optimal healing, health and life, is what
distinguishes Professor Szekely's truly "cosmic" conception from all
limited, "unilateral" or one-sided methods hitherto applied. As a
therapeutic system, competently administered and with the faithful
collaboration of the patient, he has proved that it will not only cure
specific and chronic diseases but will actually regenerate the individual
entirely, through intensive cell-renewal, in from three to seven months.
Adopted thereafter as a way of life, anthropocentric "cosmovitalism"
becomes the basis of Paneubiotics, the art and science of optimal vitality
and integral well-being which, Professor Szekely believes, will lead to
maximal longevity and even to the ultimate conquest of physical death.
Having said so much I am barely at the beginning of any adequate
disclosure of the wealth that this book contains, in fact I have left out
the beginning, plunged into the middle, and thereby postponed all
reference to what for me personally, along with the end, form the most
fascinating features. To those who, like myself, arrived at "naturism"
and natural therapy not primarily through concern with illness but as the
practical outcome of a sifting of cultural values and intuitive philosophy
of life, by far the most interesting aspects will relate to how Professor
Szekely reaches his conclusions and the logical consequences  to which
he  carries  them.

ATOMS AND STARS
To the whole vast sidereal, astrophysical and astrochemical
purview, the correlative etheric and ultra-etheric, ultra-atomic and intra-
atomic vibratory milieu through which Professor Szekely traces


person. Many healing medicine s in the ancient wisdoms cam e from the
kitchen. There is no replacemen t for the love and care that goes into that
type of medicine  and that’ s a big part of why it heals. Food is o ur ultimate
medicine!
Food is a metaphor for life. How we view food is how we view life. If we
view life as a blessing and celebrate being alive and our experiences, food
will tak e us in that direction. If we view life as a curse or dif ficult, no
amount of food will sweeten our experiences of life. Food is n ot separate
from life and lif e is not separat e from food. If we believe we are here to
heal, we will naturally consume the food that will heal us.
Food has been u sed to correct im balances, treat illnesses, and reverse aging
and it is at the core of vitality and longevity. It connects us to the very
essence of life, and using its wisdom is the key to our health and happiness.
W e are living in blessed times  indeed where our kitchen app liances and
gadgets make much of our food  preparation work easy. What’ s more, food
is availa ble all the time. There  has never been a time when the ancient
healing wisdom of food can serv e us so powerfully and in ways that are far
beyond our imagination.
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”
Hippocrates
Food is the mos t natural state of medicine, providing healing ener gy with
every bite. It repairs our interna l or gans, nourishes our body, a nd comforts
our soul. Our body’ s own innat e intelligence guides us as to what to eat if
we don’ t get in the way. It is more common-sensical than we think. Paying
attention to the ef fects of food on your mind, body and soul can create a
solid frame of reference that will point the way to which foods are good foryou and which are not. Food is a tasty way of restoring balance to your
body. Be lieve in the healing power of food and you will natural ly be drawn
to use food in this way.
The most reliable source of strength in challenging times is our health, and
self-care is an im portant part of this. Think about cooking and e ating as part
of your self-care. Check your grocery cart, your pantry, your refrigerator
and your dinner plate.
Does th e food you have in yo ur gr ocery cart, in your kitchen, or on
your plate fulfill the pr omise of health and healing?C H A P T E R  1 6S t o c k i n g  Y o u r  A y u r v e d i c  P a n t r y
A little planning  goes a long way in creating mindful and healthy meals and
having the ingredients you nee d available right in your pantry can make
meal pre paration easy and joyful. Y ou may have your own way of stocking
your pantry and your own shopping rhythm and ritual. I normally buy fresh
vegetables and fruits perhaps tw ice a week and I stock many other items
well in advance, as they can keep longer. Here is a list that I have
categorized under dif ferent headings to help me remember what I have and
what I need. Y ou don’ t need to have all the items all at once, you can start
with few items and can build from that.
S P I C E S
Not only  do spices make food m ore interesting and enjoyable but they turn
food int o medic ine and bring th e healing intelligence of food t o our table.Spices a waken o ur senses and a dd many dimensions to our mea ls. Y ou will
want to have on hand the following:
Asafetida, black pepper (whole and ground), cumin seeds, cardamom
powder, cinnam on powder and sticks, bay leaves, cloves, coconut (flakes
and piec es), coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel, fenugreek (seeds and dry
leaves), ginger powder, mineral salt, mustard seeds, pomegranate seeds,
saf fron threads, tamarind, turbinado sugar, turmeric powder, whole green
and black cardamom.
O I L S  A N D  G H E E
Coconut oil and saf flower oil f or high heat, olive oil for low heat; ghee
(clarified butter) can be used for both low and high heat; use avocado oil for
high hea t and it’ s also great fo r salad dressing. Y ou’ll find the recipe for
ghee below.
G R A I N S
Amaranth, barle y, basmati Rice, brown rice, buckwheat, oats, pasta, quinoa,
tapiocaL E N T I L S / L E G U M E S
Brown, green, orange and yellow lentils
Black-eyed peas, black beans, black chick peas, garbanzo beans, kidney
beans, split peas
F L O U R S
All-purpose flour, almond flou r, chapati flour, chick pea flour (besan),
semolina (sooji)
N U T S / S E E D S
Almonds, Brazilian nuts, cashews, pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts
Chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp hearts, sesame seeds, sunflower seedsF R E S H  F R U I T S  A N D  V E G E T A B L E S
Buying fresh vegetables and fr uits once or twice a week is b est. Always
have ginger, lemons and leafy greens, and a few fresh pieces of fruit, to
enjoy throughout the week. Buy foods with vibrant colors.
G H E E  A N D  S P I C E  M I X
These t wo items can be mad e beforehand so you always have them
available. Here are recipes for both:
G H E E
Ghee is clarifie d butter and it is most nourishing to the nervous system.
Enjoy a little tea spoon with the f irst bite of any meal to stoke your digestive
fire.
1. Place 4 sticks of  butter (16 ounc es or 2 cups) of unsalted or ganic butter
in a medium pot on less-than-medium heat, uncovered.
2. Once th e butter  melts, the wate r contained in the butter will start to
boil and make a distinctive sound.3. Continue boiling for about 12-15 minutes. The milk solids will settle
to th e bo ttom of  the pot, and the ghee will start to crackle with a high-
pitched sound.
4. T urn the heat to low and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Y ou
will see the golden yellow liquid in the middle and foam arou nd the
sides of the pot.
5. Don’ t overcook, as the liquid can easily burn and turn dark.
6. T urn the heat of f and let cool for 10 minutes.
7. W ith a spoon, skim the foam cr ust of f or push it to the side and pour
ghee into a glass jar. Or you m ay use cheesecloth to strain the ghee
into a glass jar.
8. Ghee does not need to be re frigerated. It will keep fresh on the
countertop. Use as needed.
S P I C E  M I X
Make a small batch as fresh spices are more potent.1. Grind half a cup of fennel seeds, ¼ cup cumin seeds, and ¼ cup
coriander seeds together in a spice grinder.
2. Pour the mixture into a bowl.
3. Add ⅛ cup turm eric powder, 1 teaspoon ginger powder, ½ teaspoon
black pepper powder, ½ teaspoon of asafetida (hing), and dash of salt.
4. Mix ingredients together and store in a glass jar in your cupboard.
5. Always start with a small amou nt to test; you can always add m ore to
the dish you are preparing.
C H A I  S P I C E S
Cinnamon, cloves, cardamon, black cardamon, fennel, fresh ginger root
Recipe on page 189.
C H A P T E R  1 7B e  Y o u r  O w n  M a s t e r  C h e f
When hunger strikes, we are all suf ficiently equipped to figure out a way to
eat. That need serves as the basis for all of us to become cre ative in the
kitchen and make our own recip es based on what we have and w hat we feel
like eating. Now, with your new -found knowledge of food as presented in
this boo k, and a mindfully-stocked pantry, you can create healt hy dishes in
no time.  Naviga ting your own kitchen and taking care of your basic need
for food, ener gy and nourishment is a great skill and will give you a feeling
of accomplishm ent and joy. Self-reliance is a much bigger confidence
booster than chasing another recipe or a food fad.
W e can  always  get our meal from a box, the freezer, or a fast-food
restaurant, but something greate r than just the nourishment is amiss when
we do that


  through the r educing valve of the brain
and ner vous system. What comes out at the other end is
a m easly trickle of the kind o f consciousness which will
help us to sta y alive on the surface of this particular
planet.
Using other words, Huxley is contrasting the unbounded field
of consciousness with the tightly bound perspective the everyday
mind ta kes. His central point, that the “reducing valve” of the
brain was necessary for our survival, has gained modern support
from va rious proponents of evolutionary psychology. They, too,
view th e narrowing of mind as a necessity for survival. But I’ve
been arguing that consciousness never loses its infinite potential,
no m atter what is happening  to us inside virtual reality.  Placing
the blame for our flawed e xistence on the brain points in the
wrong direction. The brain is another mode of consciousness. Its
potential isn’t inherently limited. Let’s go deeper into why this is
so, because, for practical purposes, accessing metareality won’t be
possible unless the brain can break free from its narrowness and
take us there.
M i n d  a t  L a r g e  a n d  P s y c h e d e l i c s
The firs t requirement is to op en up the brain’s reducing valve,
which h as been happening through a surprising avenue. A new
wave of medical interest surrounds the potential value of
psychedelic dr ugs, spurred by a thorough, sensible review of a
once-taboo subject by Michael Pollan in his first-person account,
How to Change Your Mind. Fo r ha llucinogens to resurfa ce was a
“Come out, come out, wherever you are” proposition. LSD, magic
mushrooms, a nd mescaline had their day in the sixties and
emerged from that time badly tarnished. Leaving aside various
antidrug laws largely prompt ed by fear, a medical researcher who
looked into psychedelics typically faced the risk of censure,perhaps career-ending censure. At the very least, such research
wasn’t taken very seriously and was quickly brushed aside.
The general view of psychedelics has been, up until recently,
that they are p otentially unsafe and medically useless. Th at is all
changing. What has changed this conventional wisdom is deeper
knowledge and better understanding of the brain. In particular,
the area of the  brain that seems to cause the mind-alterin g effect
of L SD and c ompany is the so-called default mode network
(DMN), a collection of regions in the higher brain that organizes
and regulates a wide range of cerebral activity. The DMN filters
out the flood o f information that bombards us every day, s electing
and controlling  our response to the world. It is the physiological
location for the editing of r eality we’ve been discussing  in this
book. A  troubling implicati on of the DMN is that our brains
evolved physically to become Huxley’s reducing valve. LSD jolts
the DMN temporarily, but on ce the trip is over, we go bac k to the
brain’s status quo.
Undoubtedly, the DMN ser ves a totally necessary function.
Instead of feeling overwhelmed by a barrage of chaotic stimuli, a
stable b rain helps us approach life with a balance of judgment,
experience, an d self-interest. The DMN has been called the “me”
network, because it functions in the brain the way the ego
functions in psychology, tam ping down irrational impu lses and
keeping them in check while organizing a balanced adult self.
The DMN doesn’t develop until around age five, coinciding
with the time w hen children become proud of “not being a baby.”
This entails many things—not throwing tantrums and crying over
each lit tle disc omfort; showing more courage, independence, and
self-possession; wanting to be useful by helping out; and
defending their own tastes and inclinations. A great deal of inner
self-regulation is required for such a complex shift in behavior,
and the DMN handles the majority of that.
But this  shift isn’t altogether good and positive. From Hu xley’s
perspective, M ind at Large is  being reduced for the sake of crude
animal survival. From a medical standpoint it is conjectured that
the DM N, although totally necessary so that we aren’t tripping all
the tim e in a w hirling blur of sights and sounds, has a downside.
Over time its automatic (i.e., default) responses become ingrainedand rigid. On the one hand,  this may account for the stubborn
narrow-mindedness associated with growing old, while  on the
other there may be a tie-in t o disorders like anxiety, depression,
and addiction. These become ingrained responses that won’t be
dislodged until the DMN stops controlling them so tightly.
One of the most searching accounts of personal transformation
on psychedelics is Trip, the 2018 memoir of the American writer
Tao Lin, born of Taiwanese parents in Florida in 1983. Lin had
long been afflicted with despondency. As he puts it:
Life stil l seeme d bleak to me, as it had in evolving ways
since I was thirteen or fourt een. I was chronically not
fascinated by existence, which…did not feel wonderful
or profound but tedious and uncomfortable and
troubling.
Isolated, leading a hermit-like life whose solitude was
aggravated by what Lin calls  his addiction to the internet and his
smartphone, h e came to psyc hedelics by bingeing for thirty hours
on the YouTube soliloquies of Terence McKenna, a passionate
advocate of tripping who died in 2000. Lin was attracted by the
message that psychedelics c ould increase his imaginat ion and
bring him closer to Nature.
Lin has a comp lex story to tell—during one trip he sees hi mself
being fired out of a cannon i nto the Milky Way—and he ponders
“all kind s of issues about what is reality, what is language, what is
the self, what is three-dimen sional space and time.” This echoes
what people report from nea r-death and out-of-body experiences.
In a ll these cas es, the self-model stops being the default vi ewpoint
on reality, or, in neurological terms, the DMN.
By releasing the hold of t he DMN, psychedelics allow an
opening for altering brain function among people with mood
disorders and the like. The D MN was only discovered in 2001 by
researcher Michael Richie using advanced fMRI scans. For the
first time, researchers could  see the interconnected parts of the
DMN light up when a perso n was asked, for example, to choose
adjectives tha t described himself. To a neuroscientist, theincreased blood flow to the DMN that accompanies this task
shows, in effect, that the self is a brain function—your DMN knows
who you are b ecause it created your default responses when you
think about yourself.
The increase and decrease of blood flow is a useful indicator in
brain research, as are patterns of electrical activity, but these are
still no t a measure of th e mind, only its physical mirror.
Psychedelics c hange the pattern of blood flow in unusual ways.
Pollan cites a study in which nineteen subjects suffering from
depression imp roved after taking psilocybin, the active in gredient
in “magic mushrooms,” after being resistant to conventional drug
therapy. The researchers fou nd that blood flow to the amygdala
(the brain’s emotional center) decreased, but this doesn’t explain
why the subjects also reported profound mystical experiences.
Many are skeptical about such findings. One problem is that
there’s no way to give a pla cebo to a control group tha t would
simulate the real drug’s hallucinogenic effects. (No one actually
knows w hy our  bodies evolved to have receptors for psych edelics,
given how rarely they must h ave been encountered by our remote
ancestors.) But the main research on psychedelics seems to
indicate that these substances reduce DMN activity, shutting it
down temporarily. In tandem with this shutting down, the person
taking the drug feels his ego dissolve, together with the normal
experience of mind, body, an d world. This underscores the point
that mi nd, body, brain, and w orld are highly malleable in human
perception. We  are entangled in the process of holding the m intact
every w aking moment, and psychedelics abruptly and r adically
loosen our grip.
For Pollan, the experience was a revelation. He cam e to
recognize “the tenuousness and relativity of my own default
consciousness.” His thorough, objective investigation, which
involved taking a gamut of mind-altering drugs but also delving
into eve ry nook and cranny of medical research, led him  to hope
that their use w ould extend to normal healthy people (although he
retained a sensible fear of bad trips). He wanted the psychedelic
journey to be considered more than a “drug experience.” In his
view, th e first step should be  obtaining the guidance of someonewho could explain the meaning of a trip after it was over, if it had
a meaning (not everyone agrees that it does).

Where does that leave us? N o


shifts	every	season	with	the	influence	and	timing	of	the
sun	and	the	larger	bodies	of	energy	beyond	our	planet.	The	sun	coordinates	the
movement	of	the	Earth	around	its	axis,	which	influences	the	larger	seasonal
shifts	as	well	as	the	daily	shifts	that	create	longer	and	shorter	days.	Even	though
these	planetary	bodies	may	seem	unfathomably	far	away	from	the	average
person,	they	actually	exert	their	influence	on	our	bodies.	Since	we	possess	all	of
the	main	elements	found	in	nature,	Ayurveda	believes	we	are	miniature
representations	of	the	whole	universe,	the	entire	cosmos.
Circadian	rhythms	are	physical,	mental,	and	behavioral	changes	in	living
beings	(including	not	only	animals	but	also	plants	and	microbes)	that	follow	a
roughly	24-hour	cycle.	These	are	produced	by	natural	factors	in	the	body	and
respond	to	signals	from	the	environment.	The	main	external	signal	affecting
circadian	rhythms	is	light,	which	influences	the	turning	on	and	off	of	an
organism’s	internal	clock.	Circadian	rhythms	influence	sleep	patterns,	hormone
release,	body	temperature,	and	other	important	bodily	functions,	while
abnormal
circadian	rhythms	have	been	associated	with	sleep	disorders,	obesity,
diabetes,	depression,	bipolar	disorder,	and	seasonal	affective	disorder.
1Circadian	rhythms	are	important	for	us	to	consider	in	promoting	Peak
Beauty	Sleep.	If	we	live	in	tune	with	our	natural	body	clocks	and	circadian
rhythms,	we	will	naturally	be	more	active	in	the	morning	and	wind	down	in	the
evening.	An	ideal	time	to	work	out,	for	instance,	is	in	the	morning,	around	the
rising	light	and	rising	energy,	or	in	the	middle	of	the	day,	in	the	peak	of
sunlight,	as	opposed	to	late	in	the	evening,	when	the	sun	is	naturally
descending,	indicating	a	return	inward	toward	relaxation.	Late	workouts	can	be
overly	stimulating	and	wake	you	up	rather	than	bring	you	closer	to	sleep.
The	brain’s	electrical	response	to	rhythmic	sensory	stimulation,	such	as
pulses	of	sound	or	light,
2
	synchronizes	with	the	natural,	rhythmic	changes	in
our	environment.	Our	health,	down	to	the	minute	cellular	level,	depends	on
the	degree	to	which	we	are	in	harmony	with	the	natural	cycles	of	daytime	and
nighttime.	Even	basic	functions	in	our	body	that	we	often	take	for	granted,
such	as	our	blood	pressure,
immune	system	functions,	and	cellular	growth,	all
depend	on	our	rhythmic	melatonin	cycle.	This	in	turn	depends	on	syncing	up
properly	with	nature’s	rhythms.	We	are,	after	all,	inseparably	one	with	nature.
Artificial	Light:	Friend	or	Foe?
When	you	consider	the	fact	that
Thomas	Edison	successfully	tested	the	first
electric	lamp	in	1879,
3
	you	might	be	a	little	jolted	(pun	intended)	to	realize	that
artificial	lights	haven’t	been	around	very	long	in	the	broad	scope	of	human
evolution.	While	the	benefits	of	electricity	are	enormous	and	obvious,	it	has
also	introduced	a	set	of	health	and	beauty	issues.	This	is	due	to	the	fact	that
artificial	lighting	allows	us	to	experience	daytime	around	the	clock	if	we	wish,
making	us	completely	out	of	tune	with	the	natural	rhythms	of	the	planet.
The	body’s	master	clock	is	made	up	of	about	20,000	neurons,	with	sleep
signals	traveling	from	the	pons,	an	area	at	the	base	of	the	brain,	to	the	thalamus
and	then	on	to	the	thinking	part	of	the	brain,	the	cortex.
4
	The	pineal	gland
produces	melatonin,	a	hormone	that	communicates	to	the	body	information
about	light	levels	in	the	outside	world.	The	light	seen	by	your	eyes	influences
how	your	brain
interprets	this	information.	When	your	body	clock	senses	a
decrease	in	light,	ideally	in	the	evenings,	it	signals	your	brain	to	produce	more
melatonin	to	induce	drowsiness	and	sleep.
But	now	we	are	in	an	age	where	we	are	exposed	to	numerous	new	assailants
on	our	inner	sleep	mechanism,	including	illuminated	smartphones,	tablets,	e-
readers,	and	laptops.	We	use	these	devices	often	right	in	our	beds	and	directly
before	bedtime	with	increasing	frequency.	The	eye	is	registering	daytime	levels
of	light	later	and	later	at	night.	A
National	Sleep	Foundation	survey	found	thatnine	out	of	ten	Americans	reported	using	a	technological	device	in	the	hours
before	bed.
5
	With	the	increased	light	stimulation	to	our	brains,	hormones,	and
entire	being,	how	can	we	expect	the	body	to	maintain	normal	sleep	patterns?
The	result	is	that	we’ve	lost	the	connection	to	our
natural	rhythms	and	the
cycles	of	the	environment	around	us.	It’s	important	to	refoster	that	connection.
While	your	life	might	be	extremely	busy	and	hectic,	shifting	your	schedule	as
much	as	possible	toward	going	to	bed	closer	to	sunset	and	waking	up	closer	to
sunrise	will	help	you	align	and	synergize	with	the	higher	power	of	universal
nature.
Closer
	is	the	key	word	here,	as	it	might	seem	impossible	in	modern	life
to	go	to	bed	at	sunset	and	rise	right	at	sunrise.	But	start	with	the	baby	step	of
going	to	bed	half	an	hour	earlier	and	waking	up	half	an	hour	earlier.	Also	try	at
least	eating	dinner	earlier,	closer	to	sunset,	which	is	also	helpful	for	syncing
closer	to	natural	rhythms.
Yin	and	Yang:	How	the	Day	Affects	the	Night
Exposure	to	natural	light	during	the	day	is	important	as	a	contrast	to	the	dark
cycles	of	the	night.	This	helps	promote	overall	healthy	sleep	and	waking	cycles.
If	you	want	to	have	a	peaceful	nightly	rhythm	of	sleeping,	you	have	to	also
balance	the	opposite,	the	daylight.	It’s	important	to	have	exposure	to	natural
light	on	a	regular	basis.	Just	as	our	sleep	rhythms	have	become	corrupted	by
artificial	light	exposure	long	after	daylight	has	naturally	reduced,	so	our	daily
rhythms	have	been	worn	away	by	minimized	exposure	to	natural	light.	Most	of
us	spend	the	vast	majority	of	our	days	indoors	under	artificial	lights.
The	neurotransmitter	in	our	brain	called	serotonin	increases	with	the	light	of
each	day.	Serotonin	influences	daily	and	nightly	rhythms,	memory,	appetite,
and	so	on—in	essence,	all	the	factors	that	play	a	part	in	our	internal	rhythms.
The	amount	of	melatonin	made	available	to	the	body	in	response	to	the
darkness	of	the	night	actually	depends	on	the	concentration	of	serotonin
secreted	in	response	to	the	natural	light	we	are	exposed	to	during	the	day.
Serotonin	is	broken	down	into	melatonin,	so	there	is	a	beautifully	coordinated,
natural	rhythm	present	between	the	cycles	of	serotonin	and	melatonin,	which
depend	on	each	other	and	are	controlled	by	a	changing	environment.
The	Importance	of
Color
Clearly,	avoiding	artificial	light	around	bedtime	is	important	for	Peak	Beauty
Sleep,	but	interestingly,	it	turns	out	that	not	all	light	is	created	equal.	In	fact,
using	light	color	strategically	might	be	helpful	in	smoothing	out	nervous-system


.
We have the power to use our minds to make the present joyful, with our
ability to use thought. Loss of a particular relationship is unbearable when
there is no relationship to Self. This is the magic of synchronicity. The
traumas and obstacles are truly  the events to enable us to understand, to
know the Self.Thoughts meet thoughts, and you decide whether to transfer them into
form or not. As you more and more tune in to the exquisite force that is
your mind, trusting in yoursel f as the source of thoughts, the mystery
slowly but surel y begins to fade and it makes more and more sense to you.
Events that seem ed so impossible to figure out now become nothing more
than thoughts meeting thoughts  in a universe that is all vibrating thought.
Where you once  said, “Wow, I simply can’t believe the remarka ble string of
coincidences that led up to this,” you start saying, “I trust it all.”
Let me share with you more of how this has worked for me.

MIRACLES?

I have experienc ed many synchronistic events that seem to be miracles to
those who cann ot comprehend how it all fits together. For me, they are
simply the result of believing in the universal intelligence that supports all
form and allowing it to work in perfect harmony. So when someone says to
me, “Come on, Wayne, be more realistic,” my instant respons e is: “I am
realistic—I expect miracles.” I genuinely do.
When I began to see thought and form as one, and to see that I am
somehow divinely connected to all thought, I saw that thought was
something I could use. This became increasingly clear as I began to
meditate and seemingly leave my body for extended periods  of time. I
experienced the world of thought unencumbered by form. At this point, I
started to experience the tremendous power inherent in our thinking
capacity. Soon I knew that thoughts were something more than mysterious
amorphous items in our heads. I realized that thought is the very stuff of the
universe. It is energy, as is everything else in our universe. It has unique
vibrating characteristics, as does other energy, but is unavailable to me
through my five senses. That sixth sense became a new awareness for me.
Let me give you an example. Several months ago I received a letter from
a church in Monterey, California, asking me to speak to its congregation. I
photocopied the letter and gave it to my secretary, telling her to call for the
details. The following day she told me, “I called them and there was no
answer. In fact, I called several times.” I was surprised that a church would
not answer, and so I uncharacteristically decided to call.
A pleasant-soun ding female voice said, “Hello, Wayne. Why are you
calling me personally? I talked with your secretary only yesterd ay.” Now Iwas more than confused. In the course of our conversation she related that
she worked in the church bookstore. She said they would love to have me
speak at a future seminar. I told her that “coincidentally” I was going to be
in Monte rey on Monday (two days later) and that I would be speaking at the
Hyatt Regency, and then spending five days in isolation, writin g an article
that was overdue. I informed her that no one knew that I would be staying
in Mont erey, but that I would contact her during the week. I emphasized
that I did not want any media coverage, since I would be there  strictly for
writing and researching.
I immed iately called my secretary and asked her why she had told me
that no one had answered at this church, when in fact she had talked to
someone there just yesterday. She then realized that she had mistaken that
church for one she had called in Southern California.
I arrived in Monterey on Monday, gave my speech, and was settling into
my writing on Tuesday afternoo n when I received a telephone  call from a
woman who had a radio show that aired from 3:00 to 4:00 in the afternoon
on weekdays before the baseball broadcasts. It was now 2:15 P.M. and she
wanted me to be her guest in less than one hour.
I asked her how she could possibly have known that I was in Monterey.
She told me that I had sent her, as part of a large mailing, some nine months
earlier, a complimentary copy of Gifts from Eykis, and she had been
carrying it when she visited the church bookstore earlier in the day. She
said, “While I was having my purchases rung up, the cashier noticed my
book and menti oned that you were here in town at the Hyatt Regency for
the week to complete some writing and research. My heart started racing at
the idea of having you as a surprise guest on my radio show. Would you
consider letting me pick you up to do the show at three o’clock?”
I debated with myself for several minutes, trying to come up with some
excuse to avoid this interruption. I knew that if I agreed to her request, my
afternoon of writing would be over. First I said, “I can’t believe how short
notice this is.” Then, “I deliberately told no one other than one lady at a
church bookstore, and here you are calling me.” Finally I just gave in and
said, “Okay, pick me up in front of the hotel in twenty minutes.”
I did the show on this very small radio station. On the way back to the
hotel, I suddenly blurted out, “Where is that church bookstore? I would
really love to stop in and say hello to that cashier.” We were within a few
blocks of the store. As I walked in, the cashier said, “I knew  you wouldcome into the store. The show went beautifully. Would you please
autograph the few copies of Gifts from Eykis  that we have in stock? We
have had several phone calls.”
While I stood in a corner of the bookstore autographing their stock, a
huge man, at least six feet ten, entered the store with tears streaming down
his face and asked the cashier, “Where can I get a copy of Gifts from Eykis?
I must read it.”
She replied, “The author is right over there. Why don’t you go over and
say hello?”
He came over to me and hugged me intensely. He was crying almost
uncontrollably, and related this story to me.
“I’ve been deeply depressed for months, and this morning I had decided
that I was going to end my life today. I made all the necessary
arrangements, and then I took my radio to the park to listen  to my last
baseball game.
“As I tuned in to the station I heard you beginning to talk, and I listened
as I’ve never listened before. I heard you talking about living life to the
fullest and always choosing life. I heard you mention Eykis and the
miracles that she brings to us all, and I decided that I would read this book
that you seemed so in love with, and that I was going to begin to choose to
think about all that I have to be grateful for. I want to thank you for saving
my life.”
I walked out to the car, filled with the awe that I always feel in such
moments. So many events had to have taken place in order to set in motion
what had just happened. My secretary had to have made a mistake. I had to
make a phone call myself. I had to reach the one person who would inform
a stranger whom I’d sent a book to, some nine months previously, that I was
in Monterey. I had to do a show I did not want to do. I had to decide to go
to a bookstore on the spur of the moment. Another stranger had to decide to
listen to his last ballgame and tune me in on that radio station at precisely
that moment.
What is this all about? A huge series of coincidences? Or a universe that
is working perfectly and giving us the opportunity to make choices within a
perfectly formed, already completed universe? It brought home Jung’ s
paradoxical comment that we are at once the protagonists in our own lives
and the extras in a lar ger drama.I choose to believe that series of events like these are part of this
universal princip le called synchronicity. A collaboration with fate, in which
each of us makes choices withi n a larger context in which it is all perfect.
No principle of science curre ntly available to man can explain such
happenings. Yet there is not a person reading this right now who cannot
relate a similar “mysterious” story. It happens all the time. This is truly
thought meeting  thought and being played out in form. All of my hemming
and hawing about whether to do the radio show can be seen from hindsight
as mean ingless. It was already done, and the evidence is that it occurred. A
free will within a completed universe. Of course it is a huge paradox, but
what isn’ t when you start considering such things?

Several years ago I was driving home when suddenly the skies opened and
it was raining harder than I had ever seen in my entire life. I could barely
see out of the car windows. As I drove, I saw a woman standing next to her
stalled car, hitch hiking in the


 urine treatment unnecessarily for his own failure!
It is necessary to point out that a patinet should gradually
increase his food before resuming usual diet. On breaking the fast on
the first day,. the patient should take a mixture prepared from one
spoonful of lemon juice, two spoonfuls of honey and three ounces of
lukewarm water. After four hours he should take 2 oz. of lentil soup
mixed with 2 spoonful of ginger juice and a little salt. After four
hours, 2 oz. of sweet orange juice should be taken. In this way, the
diet should be increased gradually and should be taken only when
the patient develops good hunger. In additon, he should continue
to drink 2 oz. of auto-urine early in the morning. By doing this the
appetite would be increased and there would be no irritation at all. ASTHMA: 103
5. The Cure of 15 Years Old Asthma.: Dr. Natvarlal B. Shah,
M.B.B.s., of Thasara, Kaira District, had been suffering from asthma
for the last 15 years. He tried urine treatment and was cured. Here is
his report:
"At prestent 1 am 47. for the last 15 years, I had been suffering
from asthma which normally attacked me in monsoon. It began
when there was humidity in the air and continued for a period of
four months in simple or acute form. Sometimes I had to confine
myself to bed for a number of days and it had become impossible to
go out in rains, 1 took Ayurvedic as well as allopathic treatment
with may medicines and injections without any permanent result.
During last November, though monsoon was over, the effect of
asthma did not abate and mild attacks were felt during nights.
"In December 1960, 1 studied your book carefully and discussed
it with some friends and with their encouragement, I began urine
tratment on 31-12-60 :
"1. For the first 10 days 1 drank 4 oz. of my own fresh urine
every morning, noon and evening. Thereafter, for a month, I
continued to take it twice.
"2. Massage: 1 had massage of old urine on the whole body for 2
hours and this continued for one month.
"3. Diet : For the first 9 days, I lived exclusively on water and
urine. After that for two days, I took juice of dates and raisins in
the morning; cow's milk and papaw at noon and the same in the
evening. Therefter 1 resorted to light food. In the beginning I took
lentil soup and gradually I resumed usual diet. I take now
hand-pounded rice and milk of cow only. Chillies and other
condiments are absolutely avoided.
"4. The treatment restored me to perfect health within a month
and 1 am without any trouble till now. The effect of asthma is totally
gone. 1 do not take any medicine or tablets now, nor do I feel its
necessity. Previously I felt attackes in monsoon and had to take
tablets as a percaution. 104 : AUTO-URINE THERAPY
115. The physical troubles experienced during the treatment:
11A. On the third day of the experiment, boils were seen on the
whole body, specially below the waist and they continued for about
1 month. I used to compress the boild with cotton soaked in my own
urine which gave me some relief.
11B. During the fast slight discomfort was felt for a day, otherwise
there was nothing unusual.
11C. After the fast papaw was taken for two days. The second
evening some irritation in the throat was felt which resulted in my
cough during the night. I thought over the probable cause and
stopped papaw. The cough and asthma did not recur. After that I
began solid food. For the first two days only a soup-like khichadi
was taken.
11The third day, a piece of bread of millet was taken along with
milk. A mild attack of cough was felt the same night and effect of
asthma was also felt at above 3 a.m. With a change of diet, caught
was controlled the same night and attack of asthma did not recur in
the morning.
11Now I take everything without any restriction excluding chillies
and fried stuff.
11This is my experience and I hold that the above treatment is
extremely useful in asthma.11
AFTERMATH OF CASES
1. Shir Sheshrao Ganeshpant Pande (Antergoan, P.O.Zadeshi,
Dist. Wardha, Maharashtra) was suffering.from asthma for the last so
many years. His age was 58. In 1928 he got malaria and regularly
got it for about five or six years in each monsoon. In 1935 he felt a
sensation of suffocation for the first time. He thought it was due to
over exercise. He got rid of it by three dyas' fast. After two years,
there was a severe attack of suffocation. There was weakness in the
body and though there was no sign of any cough, some mucus ASTHMA : 105
came out after much coughing. Different doctors diagnosed his
disease as asthma, bronchitis, bronchial asthma, eosinophilia,
allergic condition, coronary thrombosis, etc.! He had gulped
down lost of medicine during the last 15 years but to no avail. He
took to Ayurvedic medicine, milk-food, and lived only on fruits for
months together. In 1963, he came to Mukhad (Dist. Thana) where
his son lived. He gave him the Hindi book on urine therapy. So he
started with urine experiment on 4-3-63. There were reactions in the
beginnig. Heart throbbings increased. He took some honey with
water during urine fast and that brought down the throbbings of the
heart. There was reaction on the gums and there was swelling there.
But he continued his urine fastand in the end not only could cure
his asthma but could get rid of his ailmet of tonsils too. He could
feel his belly light and the colour of his skin changed for the better.
2. Shrimati Asha Mehta, Secretary, Punjab Red Cross Society,
lived in Chandigadh. In 1963 her health began to break down. Her
stomach swelled and there was pain even when lightly touched.
There was swelling in the liver and she suffered from asthma too.
She.was taken to a naturopath named Dr. Rudolf Stone at Amritsar.
He gave her dietetic treatment along with naturopathic methods of
enema and bath. But his perculiar advice was for rubbing her own
urine ·an her chest! This cured her completely and her asthma and
other ailments vanished only in three months.
3. Shri Arit N. Wadia, B.A., aged fifty-two (Teacher, Station Road,
Bulsar), was suffering from asthma for the last 20 years. He started
the treatment of auto-urine in 1964. He used to take half a pound of
auto-urine four times a day and used to rub old urine for 30 days.
He fasted on urine for 15 days. He got himself cured only in two
months.
4. Shri Radhasharan Sharma of Bhagalpur got asthma in his
young age of 12 years. He began to lose sight also and had to resort
to spectacles. He took to urine therapy and began to drink 106 : AUTO-URINE THERAPY
auto-urine four times a day. He used to wash his eyes with urine. He
was strict in his diet. He could cure himself completely and got
rid of asthma, regained his sight and cure his cold and cough.
CHAPTER VIII
CASES OF CANCER,
Cancer of the Tongue: 1. Hashmukh G. Panwala (1676, Sevkani
wadi, Khadia, Ahmedabad-1} provides an excellent case of
cancer-cure by urine therapy:
"About a couple of months ago, I had to consult eminent doctors
and specialists for the treatment of my father. He was said so suffer
from malignant tongue cancer.
"Being in the employment in air-lines, I had a mind to take him to
Switzerland, but it was considered to be of no avail.
"However in my over-enthusiasm, I did manage to give my father
some deep X-rays, numbering about four courses, but despite this
the shooting pain did not subside even for a while.
"As I had an occ<tsion to try urine therapy for my own chronic
cold trouble in 1957, I suggested to my proposal. He started the
treatment, commencing with ten days' fast. Soon after, amazing
relief was noticeable, even though the pace of progress was very
slow. I thought it was advisable to consult Shri Raojikaka.
"He suggested to begin the treatment again commencing with
four days' fast and atter the fast, to continue the treatment of urine
therapy while taking sp~·cial care about food. Salt, sugar,


The	Vedic	rishis	followed	the	mind	into	the	gap	and	declared	that	three	primal
qualities	were	the	foundation	of	existence:
Sat	Chit	Ananda
.	These	are	usually
translated	as	a	single	phrase,	“eternal	bliss	consciousness,”	or	individually	as
Sat	(existence,	truth,	reality)	Chit	(mind,	awareness)	Ananda	(bliss).	But	these
definitions	don’t	help	us	much,	since	they	assume	an	understanding	of	what
we	mean	in	English	by	reality,	truth,	bliss,	and	existence.	These	are	far	from
settled.	If	you	say,	“It	was	blissful	going	to	Aruba	for	Christmas.	It	changed
my	whole	reality,”	your	words	have	meaning	in	everyday	life,	but	they
haven’t	described	Sat	Chit	Ananda.
If	we	unfold	what	the	rishis	meant,	they	were	referring	to	an	experience,
which	can	be	summarized	as	follows:	Every	thought	you	have,	as	well	as
every	object	you	see	in	the	world,	is	a	vibration	of	the	universe—the	Sanskrit
term	is
shubda
.	Shubda	creates	light,	sound,	touch,	taste,	and	every	other
quality.	In	dreams	you	can	also	see,	hear,	touch,	taste,	and	smell,	but	those
vibrations	are	subtler.	They	don’t	have	the	same	feeling	as	concrete	reality.
When	you	go	beyond	the	subtle	qualities	of	the	mind,	shubda	becomes	so
faint	that	the	mind	loses	all	experience	of	an	outside	reality,	even	shadowy
wisps	of	memory.	Eventually	it	experiences	only	itself,	and	there	aren’t	anyvibrations	at	all.	You	are	at	the	source.
The	threshold	of	the	source	is	silence.	But	you	must	step	over	the
threshold	into	the	room	where	reality	is	born.	There	you	find	that	the	raw
materials	are	threefold.	Creation	springs	from	existence	(Sat),	consciousness
(Chit),	and	the	potential	for	vibrations	to	arise	(Ananda).	These	three	are	the
most	real	things	in	the	universe	because	everything	else	that	we	call	real
comes	from	them.
It’s	this	experience	of	the	source,	a	state	beginning	beyond	silence,	that
the	Vedic	rishis	considered	the	field	of	all	fields—what	physicists	call	the
ground	state	or	vacuum	state.	Being	pregnant	with	every	possible	flicker	of
energy	in	the	universe,	the	vacuum	state	still	isn’t	Sat	Chit	Ananda.	It	has	no
mind,	no	bliss.	It	cannot	be	experienced	subjectively.	By	leaving	these	factors
out,	physics	leaves	out	the	physicist,	who	pretends	that	he	isn’t	part	of	the
field.	John	Wheeler,	an	eminent	Princeton	physicist,	decades	ago	pointed	out
this	flaw:	as	we	make	models	of	the	universe,	he	said,	we	act	like	someone
with	his	nose	pressed	against	the	window	of	a	bakery,	looking	at	everything
on	display	from	the	outside.	But	there	is	no	window	separating	the	observer
from	the	universe;	we	are	not	outside	what	we	see.
Wheeler’s	suggestion	that	we	must	find	a	science	that	combines
subjectivity	and	objectivity	has	been	meagerly	pursued,	because	science
remains	stubbornly	objective,	and	it	can	afford	to	be	when	conducting
isolated	experiments.	Ultimately,	however,	there	is	a	limit	that	cannot	be
crossed,	and	we	are	quite	close	to	it.	We	can	face	the	limit	of	knowledge	in	a
simple	problem	like	prayer.
By	now	the	public	is	well	aware	that	research	on	prayer	has	validated	that
it	works.	In	a	typical	experiment	volunteers,	usually	from	church	groups,	are
asked	to	pray	for	sick	people	in	the	hospital.	They	do	not	visit	the	person	and
often	have	only	a	number	rather	than	a	name	to	go	by.	The	prayer	isn’t
specific;	they	are	asked	simply	to	pray	for	God’s	help.	The	results	of	such
experiments	have
been
	startlingly	positive.	In	the	best-known	one,	conducted
at	Duke	University	in	North	Carolina,	patients	who	were	prayed	for	recovered
faster	and	with	fewer	side	effects	than	those	not	prayed	for.	Here	we	have	one
more	demonstration	that	we	are	all	connected	by	the	same	field	of
consciousness.	The	properties	of	the	field	operate	here	and	now:
The	field	works	as	a	whole.
It	correlates	distant	events	instantly.
It	remembers	all	events.
It	exists	beyond	time	and	space.
It	creates	entirely	within	itself.
Its	creation	grows	and	expands	in	an	evolutionary	direction.
It	is	conscious.The	Vedic	rishis	began	with	these	qualities	as	their	first	principles;	in	that
regard	they	were	wiser	than	we	are,	with	our	reluctance	to	admit
consciousness	unless	we	are	forced	to	at	the	far	limits	of	a	difficult	scientific
issue.	The	field	of	consciousness	is	primary	to	every	phenomenon	in	Nature
because	of	the	gap	that	exists	between	every	electron,	every	thought,	every
instant	in	time.	The	gap	is	the	reference	point,	the	stillness	at	the	heart	of
creation,	where	the	universe	correlates	all	events.
Has	science	proved	that	the	rishis	were	right?	I	think	the	most	we	can	say
—and	it	is	a	lot—is	that	science	and	the	rishis	are	consistent	with	each	other.
They	come	from	different	worlds	but	see	with	the	same	vision—almost.
Science	is	still	burdened	by	spiritual	materialism,	the	belief	that	any
explanation	of	God,	the	soul,	or	the	afterlife	is	valid	only	if	matter	contains
the	secret.	This	is	like	saying	we	can’t	understand	jazz	until	we	diagram	the
atoms	in	Louis	Armstrong’s	trumpet.
In	the	end,	a	book	on	the	afterlife	cannot	fully	reconcile	us	with	the
inevitability	of	death.	It	can	only	lead	the	way	to	finding	personal	comfort	on
your	own.	You	and	I	are	unique	people	and	therefore	very	different.	I	may	be
consoled	by	a	vision	of	eternity	that	is	foreign	or	even	frightening	to	you.	I
may	mourn	my	aging	body	more	than	you,	or	less.	We	each	have	our	own
personal	view	of	God.	Yet	we	are	bound	together	in	the	field	of
consciousness,	and	we	do	the	same	work	there.
We	need	to	see	that	we	are	all	entangled	in	the	same	reality.	Isolation	has
been	outmoded	on	every	front,	from	ecology	to	the	Internet.	We	need	to
remember	our	common	source.	The	human	spirit	is	degraded	when	we
confine	ourselves	to	the	span	of	a	lifetime	and	the	enclosure	of	a	physical
body.	We	are	mind	and	spirit	first,	and	that	places	our	home	beyond	the	stars.
Knowing	that	I	will	return	to	the	field	one	day	to	find	my	source	provides
me	with	immeasurable	confidence	in	the	purpose	of	life.	As	fervently	as	any
devout	believer,	I	have	faith	in	this	vision.	My	faith	is	renewed	every	time	I
have	a	moment	of	witnessing,	in	which	I	can	touch	the	silence	of	my	own
being.	Then	I	lose	all	fear	of	death—indeed,	I	touch	death	right	now,	and
gladly.	Tagore	said	it	so	movingly:
When


 BP, pregnant and lactating mothers should seek
medical advice before trying this home remedy.•
•
•71. How to Use Ghee for
Skin Care? A Simple
Ayurveda Method
Y
It is a common notion that ghee is used only orally. But in Ayurveda, it is
extensively used for skin care. A special but very simple ghee preparation is
used in many skin conditions like burns, wound scars, skin marks, burning
sensation etc.
How to Use Ghee for Skin?
is ghee remedy is called as Shata dhauta ghrita in Ayurveda.
Shata = 100
Dhauta = washed with water
Ghrita = ghee or claried butter.
What You Need?
Ghee – 10 ounce
Water – suﬃcient quantity.
In this home remedy for skin care, we are taking ghee, adding with equal
quantity of water, mixing it thoroughly with hand or a machine for 3–5
minutes, letting out the water. en again we are adding fresh water and
continuing mixing. Like this, we are repeating it for as many times as possible.In Ayurveda, it is advised to repeat the procedure for 100 times. But in
practice, it is  usually done for 20–30 times.
Changes –
e ghee turns to white colour. It will be smoother to touch and will have
butter like consistency.
When you touch it, you can appreciate that it is lot cooler.
Benets of Ghee for Skin –
is Shata dhauta ghrita is used to relieve burning sensation, to relieve burn
wounds, wound scar, herpes wounds, chicken pox scars, etc.
It acts as natural skin moisturizer, if used daily. It can be applied over face,
left for 10 minutes, washed with warm water.
In pregnant woman, with unexplained bleeding or spotting, traditionally, it
is advised to apply this Shata dhauta ghrita around umbilicus.
In Ayurvedic leech therapy, after the treatment, to reduce the burning
sensation and to check further bleeding, this ghee is applied of the aﬀected
area.
Shelf Life: 4–6 months.
Because this ghee eventually contains some remnant moisture inside, it is not
ideal to store it for more than six months.
It should be stored in a clean, dry air tight container.
Over exposure to air will cause foul smell.
Usage of Shata Dhauta Ghrita Herpes
While treating herpes and erysipelas skin disorders, if the symptoms are
associated with Vata and Pitta aggravation, then bitter herbs such as neem,
curry leaves, turmeric are mixed with Shatadhauta ghrita and applied externallyover the skin lesions. (Charaka Chikitsa Sthana 21st chapter). is is useful to
reduce the burning sensation related with herpes (Post herpetic neuralgia).
Can Shata Dhauta Ghrita Be Consumed Orally?
No.
Shat Dhaut Ghrit is processed with cold water for numerous times.
e nal product, how so carefully you may lter it, it will contain some
amount (5%) of moisture in it. is moisture plus ghee is a disastrous
combination for oral intake. e nal product will be extremely cold and oral
intake may cause severe indigestion and Ama.
e nal product does not contain entire properties of ghee.
e nal product stands between the qualities of butter and ghee.
Should We Chant Any Mantra, While Making is Product?
As per my knowledge, no specic Mantra is mentioned. You can recite your
own favourite Mantra/Shloka, praying for the welfare of the people who would
use the Shata Dhauta Ghrita that you are preparing. is rule applies to all the
medicine preparations.72. Ayurvedic Herbal Oil
Making: Principles, Method,
Examples
Y
Ayurvedic herbal oils are used since more than 5,000 years both in culinary
and treatment elds. By learning the ancient method of oil preparation, you
can prepare any traditional oil by yourself.
Traditional Oil Bases Used
Sesame oil, Coconut oil, Mustard oil and Castor oils are mainly used in herbal
oil preparations.
Various Uses of Ayurvedic Herbal Oils
Gandusha – Oil pulling
Kavala – gargling
Usually Irimedadi taila is used for the above two purposes
Karnapoorana – ear drops
Oil massage – Abhyanga Eg: Mahanarayana taila, Balaswagandhadi taila
Local application – such as Karanja taila or Nalpamaradi taila for the treatment
of allergic dermatitis
Shirodhara, Sarvanga Dhara – oil poured in a thin stream over forehead or all
over the body
Hair oil: Eg: Kuntalakanti taila, Neelibhringadi taila, Amla hair oilEnema
Poultice application
Oral intake –
Example: Mahanarayana taila, Ksheerabala taila, Dhanwantaram tailam,
Maharaja Prasarini Taila
3 Basic components of an Ayurvedic Oil
Kalka – Paste of herbs
Taila – Oil – Sesame oil /Mustard oil/Coconut oil
Drava – Liquids – water/milk/Kashaya/juice extracts etc
Proportions of 3 components
Kalka – Paste – 1 part/1 ounce/100 grams
Taila – Oil – 4 parts/4 ounce/400 ml
Drava – Liquids – 16 parts/16 ounce/1600 ml
eoretical Proportions – for a very strong oil 1:4:16
Practical Proportions – for regular usage oil 1:10:20
Kalka – Paste
Fresh herb – crush it in a mortar and pestle, and use it afresh
If the herbs are dry, then they are made into ne powder, added with a little
water, made into paste and used.
Dravadravya – Liquids
Liquids can be kashaya (herbal decoctions), hot infusions, cold infusions, milk,
buttermilk etc. e choice of liquid depends on the formula of the oil as
mentioned in the text book.Kashaya – Decoction/Herbal Tea as Liquid
1 part of herb + 16 parts of water boiled and reduced to ¼ parts
1+16 S1/4
100 grams + 1600 ml S 400 ml
Rules for Kashaya Making
Take a wide mouthed vessel
Fill the vessel with only 2/3rd with content.
Boil in mild re.
Do not close the lid
Constantly stir the contents.
Once Kashaya is prepared, use clean cloth to lter it.
Once Kashaya is prepared, you have 6–8 h ours to start making the oil.
Principle Behind Making of Ayurvedic Oil
Herb + Oil + Liquid
Herb + Oil – fat soluble principles of herbs transfer into oil
Kashaya = water soluble extract of the herb.
It contains water soluble principles of herb.
is also gets transferred into oil.
Ayurvedic Oil Is – Oil soluble herb principles + Water soluble active
principles
Steps Involved in Oil Making
Get the oil. Keep it ready.Get the kashaya ingredients – Make Kashaya
Get the kalka herb – make paste.
Start cooking the oil
Till When to Heat the Oil?
e oil is heated till the total moisture quantity evaporates from the mix.
e nal product should be devoid of any moisture content.
How to Know at Oil Is Finally Made?
First take the oil in the vessel. Add Kalka (herbal paste) to it.
Mark the level of the oil in the vessel.
Approximately the nal liquid level should be the marked level.
It may be slightly higher as herb paste swells while making the oil.
Signs to Watch at the End
Fragrance of the herbs become apparent
e herb paste can be rolled into the form of wick
e herb paste when put on re does not make sound.
Oil starts yielding froth.
In the mid, the total paste + liquid becomes one dirty looking mix. Nearing to
the end, oil gets clearly separated from the paste.
Precautions
Do not start heating oil rst and then add kashaya. If oil starts boiling and
then you add Kashaya, it m ay explode.
Use moderate heatConstant stirring – both while making kashaya and the oil
Use wide mouthed vessel for quicker evaporation
Be alert at the end stage
After oil is ready, lter the oil soon after it is made.
Number of Days for Oil Preparation
Making Kashaya and then making oil may not get completed in one day time.
Ayurveda also recommends making the oil in 2 o r more days.
So, rst day make kashayam. en get the oil + paste into vessel. Add
Kashayam to it.
Heat it till it starts boiling. Stop heating. Close the vessel with a lid.
Next day continue


 skim milk;
buttermilk; or sheep or goat milk. See the nearby sidebar
for more on choosing milk for dairy smoothies.
How to choose milk for dairy smoothies
Milk is milk, right? Sort of. There are several different forms of milk, and
they all can be used as the liquid ingredient in smoothies, but each has
different properties and, of course, nutrients, not to mention fat, and each
produces a slightly different texture and thickness in the drink. Here are
the most popular forms of milk and what you can expect  from them  in
smoothies:
 Liquid cow’s milk: At supermarkets, you buy milk that has been
pasteurized (heated for safety) and homogenized (the butterfat broken
down into small particles so it doesn’t ﬂoat  to the top), and it com es in 4
basic forms. Whole milk has 3.25 percent  butterfat, which gives body  to
smoothies and slows down digestion so that you feel full longer. Reduced-
fat milk is available in 2 percent, 1 percent, and nonf at (skim). As the
butterfat is removed, the milk gets thinner, which makes smoothies made
with reduced-fat milk thinner than those made with whole milk.
 Buttermilk: Although it’s a by-product of making butter, buttermilk
does not actually contain butter. It has a rich and cream y texture, so
smoothies made with buttermilk are thick, but it cont ains less fat than
whole milk (about 1 percent).
 Powdered milk: Any liquid milk, including buttermilk, can be
evaporated to a dry powder and sold as pow dered milk. You can add 1 to
3 tablespoons of powdered milk for a thicker smoothie, or whisk 3
tablespoons with 1 cup of water and use it as the liquid. Evaporated milk: Evaporated milk is made by evaporating about  half
the water in whole or reduced-fat milk and proces sing it. Smoothies made
with evaporated milk are thicker and slightly sweeter than those made
with liquid milk.
 Sweetened condensed milk: In sweetened condensed milk, whole
milk and sugar are heated until about  60 percent  of the water evapor ates,
creating a syrupy thick mixture. Becaus e 1/2 cup contains a whopping 532
calories, it’s only added to dessert smoothies by the tablespoon per
serving.
C a s h e w  B u t t e r  a n d  S t r a w b e r r i e s
Prep time: About 3 min • Blending time: 1 min • Yield: 2 servings
Ingr edients
1 cup 1 percent or 2 percent milk
1 cup fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt
4 chunks frozen banana or 1 fresh banana
1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
3 tablespoons cashew or peanut butter
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Dir ections
1 Combine the milk, yogurt, banana, strawberries, cashew or
peanut butter, and sesame seeds in the blender container.
2 Secure the lid on the container.
3 Starting on a low speed and gradually easing toward high, blend
the ingredients for 45 seconds or until smooth and there are no
visible pieces of fruit or nuts in the mixture.4 Pour the smoothie into 2 glasses, and enjoy!
Per serving: Calories 421 (From Fat 175); Fat 19g (Saturated 6g); Cholesterol 22mg; Sodium 280mg;
Carbohydrate 53g (Dietary Fiber 5g); Protein 15g.
Tip: Use one 6-ounce or two 4-ounce containers of raspberry or
strawberry or other ﬂavor fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt.
O r a n g e  C o w
Prep time: About 3 min • Blending time: 1 min • Yield: 2 servings
Ingr edients
2 oranges
1 mango
1 cup fresh carrot juice
3 tablespoons powdered buttermilk
Dir ections
1 Peel the oranges and break into sections. Remove the seeds.
2 Peel the mango, remove the stone, and cut into chunks.
3 Combine the carrot juice, oranges, mango, and buttermilk
powder in the blender container.
4 Secure the lid on the container.
5 Starting on a low speed and gradually easing toward high, blend
the ingredients for 45 seconds or until smooth and there are no
visible pieces of fruit in the mixture.
6 Pour the smoothie into 2 glasses, and enjoy!
Per serving: Calories 200 (From Fat 11); Fat 1g (Saturated 1g); Cholesterol 8mg; Sodium 123mg;
Carbohydrate 45g (Dietary Fiber 5g); Protein 7g.Vary It! If you’re juicing the carrots for this smoothie, try adding a
parsnip or half a beet to vary the juice.
Tip: Taste the smoothie and add honey, maple syrup, or brown
rice syrup if you want.
B e r r y  C h e e s y
Prep time: About 4 min • Blending time: 1 min • Yield: 2 servings
Ingr edients
1 cup 1 percent or 2 percent milk
1/4 cup cottage cheese
1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
1/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/4 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
Dir ections
1 Combine the milk and cottage cheese in the blender container.
2 Secure the lid on the container. Start blending on a low speed
and gradually ease toward high, blending for 30 seconds.
3 Add strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. If the berries
are fresh, start blending on a low speed and gradually ease
toward high, blending the ingredients for 45 seconds or until
smooth and there are no visible pieces of fruit in the mixture.
If the berries are frozen, start blending on a low speed and pulse
for 30 seconds. Ease the speed toward high and blend the
ingredients for 30 seconds or until smooth and there are no
visible pieces of fruit in the mixture.
4 Pour the smoothie into 2 glasses, and enjoy!Per serving: Calories 114 (From Fat 21); Fat 2g (Saturated 1g); Cholesterol 9mg; Sodium 162mg;
Carbohydrate 17g (Dietary Fiber 3g); Protein 8g.
B r e a k f a s t  M u e s l i
Prep time: About 4 min • Blending time: 1 min • Yield: 2 servings
Ingr edients
1 cup 1 percent or 2 percent milk
1/4 cup plain 1 percent or 2 percent yogurt
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
2 tablespoons rolled oats (large-ﬂake or old-fashioned oatmeal)
2 tablespoons wheat germ
1 tablespoon ﬂaxseeds
1 tablespoon sunﬂower seeds
Dir ections
1 Combine the milk, yogurt, blueberries, oats, wheat germ,
ﬂaxseeds, sunﬂower seeds, and raisins in the blender container.
2 Secure the lid on the container.
3 Starting on a low speed and gradually easing toward high, blend
the ingredients for 45 seconds or until smooth and there are no
visible pieces of fruit or nuts in the mixture.
4 Pour the smoothie into 2 glasses, and enjoy!
Per serving: Calories 203 (From Fat 61); Fat 7g (Saturated 2g); Cholesterol 7mg; Sodium 89mg;
Carbohydrate 27g (Dietary Fiber 4g); Protein 11g.
Lunch SmoothiesUsing a dairy ingredient in smoothies for quick and nutritious
lunchtime meals is an easy way to ensure that you’re getting
protein and calcium along with the vitamins and minerals from
the milk products.
In addition to the liquid cow (or sheep or goat) milk, buttermilk,
powdered milk, or evaporated milk listed earlier in this chapter,
here are some other dairy products that work very well in lunch
smoothies:
 Yogurt: When milk is heated and beneﬁcial bacteria are
added, it ferments and becomes thickened and tart or
lemony tasting. One cup of yogurt is higher in protein and
calcium than an 8-ounce glass of liquid milk and it’s easier
to digest, so some lactose-intolerant people can eat it
without problems.
 Cheese: Soft cheeses such as cottage, ricotta, mascarpone,
creamy goat cheese, feta, and blue cheese may be spooned
or crumbled into smoothies. Medium-hard cheese like
cheddar, Swiss, and Gouda may be shredded for use in
smoothies. Use 2 tablespoons of cheese for each smoothie
serving.
 Whey powder: To make cheese, milk is heated and curdled
so that solids form. The liquid left over from the curdled
cheese solids is called whey, and it’s dried and sold as a
protein supplement. Adding 1 tablespoon of whey powder
delivers about 15 grams of protein to a smoothie drink.
 Cream: Fresh, raw milk contains butterfat, which is light
yellow and ﬂoats to the top. Supermarkets have various
types of cream available and they differ only in the amount
of butterfat they contain. Double cream has 48 percent
butterfat; half-and-half cream has about 12 percent


 is worth noting that cancer tissue, for instance, is extremely acidic,36
and it would be easy to investigate how various basic or acidic diets affect the course
of the cancer-but unfortunately this doesn't happen.J7 The influence that nutrition
has on the skeletal system, on the other hand, has been well investigat ed;38 39 even
osteoporosis tablet manufacturers expressly indicate that one should try to avoid
"phosphate and foods containing oxalic acids, in other words [calcium robbers like]
meat, sausages, soft drinks, cocoa or chocolate."40
"The intestinal flora is among the numerous factors that could take part in the
onset and triggering of an illness," states Wolfgang Kruis, intestinal expert and
professor of medicine in Cologne. 41 And his colleague, researcher Francisco Guamer,
adds that "the intestinal flora is very significant to an individual's health, something
that has been well document ed."42 Among other things, it is essential in providing
nutrients for the development of epithelial cells.43 And if the intestine is disturbed,
this can affect the absorption and processing of important nutrients and vital
substances, which in tum can trigger a chain reaction of problems, such as the
contamination of body tissue, which then helps certain fungi and bacteria to move
in.
34 Medicine Presents a Distorted Picture of Microbes
An article in the German Arzte Zeitung (Doctor's Newspaper) described how a
healthy intestinal flora improves overall health by reporting "four out of five patients
had normal and pain free bowel movements again." According to the article, this
resounding success could be traced back to a preparation containing Escherichia coli
or E. coli bacteria. In contrast to classic laxatives, bothersome flatulence and
intestinal rumbling, abdominal cramps and nausea seldom appeared after the 8-
week-long bacterial cure.44 Admitted ly, there are still very few solid studies to
indicate that probiotics (tablets containing live bacterial cultures) and prebiotics
(nutrients which are supposed to stimulate certain "good" bacteria already found in
the intestines) are of some use to health.45
The primary objective should be to study exactly how certain foodstuffs, specific
diets, drug consumption, toxins (pesticides, automobile exhaust, etc.), and stress
effect the composition of the intestinal flora-and how this in turn influences human
health (researchers are practically unanimous in that the intestinal flora influences
health, but they continue to puzzle over how this happen s).46 But, evidently, this
research work is neglected. Neither the EU47 (which financially facilitates studies of
intestinal flora), 48 nor the German Institute of Human Nutrition49 (Institut fiir
Ernahrung sforschung) in Potsdam were willing to indicate to what extent they are
active in this area. Instead the impression is given that here as well, the development
of marketable products like "functional food ingredients," "specifically designed
bacterial strains," or "probiotics and prebiotics" are the primary research targets. 50
This shows, once again, that the medical industry has little interest in real
preventive research. 51 The sale and application of antifungal preparations (just like
antibiotics, antiviral medicines, vaccines, probiotics, etc.) makes a lot of money; the
advice to eliminate, avoid, or reduce coffee, refined sugar or drugs, on the other
hand, does not make any at all. 52 And who really wants (or is able) to give up beloved
habits? Many people would rather hope for a magic potion that makes all the aches
and pains go away fast. ·Regretful ly, this has led to the formation of a medical
structure which ultimately only supports concepts that pass through the market's
needle eye, and lets company profits and experts' salaries swell. 53 The various
hazards of this paradigm are shut out of the public conversation, and, so, we drift
further and further from the possibilities of truly effective preventive health. ·
We must not ignore the fact that people are experiencing higher rates of fungal
infections. It's certainly not because f ungi have become more aggressive, since they
have hardly changed in the past millions of years. But what has changed is our
behavior and with it our physical environment as well. We only have to glance at
other areas of nature, where fungi can't tell the difference between a human body
and, for example, a forest. Everywhere, balance is at play: Excess substances are
continuously generate d, and must somehow be diminished again. If this were not
35 Chapter 1
the case, the earth would suffocate in the chaos of these excessi vely produced
substances.54 This is where over 100,000 species of fungi come in and form their
own kingdom next to animals and plants, 55 acting like garbage collectors, eating up
leaves, dead twigs, branches, tree stumps or pinecones in the forest, and bringing
the nutrients back into the life cycle of the plants as re-utilizable humus.
Everything in nature-cells, our bodies, the land-occurs in a balance, 56 which is
why "fungal illnesses in compact, healthy plants do not have a chance," as stated in
a botany textbook. Yet if "a plant is infested by a fungus, then something must be
wrong with the plant's living conditions."57 This would be the case, for instance, if
the plant's soil were overly acidic, something which causes fungi to thrive.
Bacteria: At the Beginning of All Life
For billions of years, nature has functioned as a whole with unsurpassed precision.
Microbes, just like humans, are a part of this cosmological and ecological system. If
humanity wants to live in harmony with technology and nature, we are bound to
understand the supporting evolutionary principles ever better and to apply them
properly to our own lives. Whenever we don't do this, we create many ostensibly
insolvable environmental and health problems of our time. These are thoughts
which Rudolf Virchow (1821-1902), a well-known doctor from Berlin, had when he
required in 1875 that "the doctor should never forget to interpret the patient as a
whole being."58 The doctor will hardly understand the patient, then, if he or she
does not see that person in the context of a larger environment.
Without the appearance of bacteria, human life would be inconceivable, as
bacteria were right at the beginning of the development towards human life:59
Progenotes (precur sors to bacteri a; ca. 3.5 billion years ago) -
Prokaryotes -
Anaerobic bacteria (anaerobe) -
Anaerobic photosynthetic bacteria -
Photosynthetic cyano-bacteria -
Oxygen-rich atmosphere -
Aerobic breathing -
Aerobic prokaryotes -
Eukaryotes (1.6-2.1 billion years ago)
Many-celled plants and animals -
Mammals -
Humans
36 Medicine Presents a Distorted Picture of Microbes
With the term progenotes, bacteriologists denote a "pre-preliminary stage," a life
form from which prokaryotes (cells without nuclei) arise. Bacteria are known not to
have cell nuclei, but they do have deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid
(RNA), the carriers of genetic material. Anaerobic bacteria, as the word "anaerobic"
indicates, can get by without oxygen. Only after the earth was supplied with oxygen
could aerobic bacteria live; bacteria that formed the foundation for the lives of
plants, animals, and humans.60
Through this it becomes obvious that bacteria could very well exist without
humans; humans, however, could not Jive without bacteria! It also becomes
unimaginable that these mini-creatures, whose life-purpose and task for almost
infinite time has been to build up life, are supposed to be the great primary or
singular causes of disease and death. Yet, the prevailing allopathic medical philosophy
has convinced us of this since the late 19'h century, when Louis Pasteur and Robert
Koch became heroes. Just a few hours after birth, all of a newborn baby's mucous
membrane has already been colonized by bacteria, which perform important
protective functions. 61 Without these colonies of billions of germs, the infant, just
like the adult, could not survive. And, only an estimated one percent of our bacteria
have even been discovered. 62
"The majority of cells in the human body are anything but human: foreign bacteria
have long had the upper hand," reported a research team from Imperial College in
London under the leadership of Jeremy Nicholson in the journal Nature Biotechno logy
in 2004. In the human digestive tract alone, researchers came upon around 100
trillion microorganisms, which together have a weight of up to one kilogram. "This
means that the 1,000-plus known species of symbionts probably contain more than
100 times as many genes as exist in the host," as Nicholson states. It makes you
wonder how much of the human body is "human" and how much is "foreign"?
Nicholson calls us "human super-organisms"-as our own ecosystems are reigned
by microorga nisms. "It is widely accepted," writes the Professor of Biochemis try,
"that most major disease classes have significant environmental and genetic
components and that


 diseases taking us down like rows of dominoes: heart disease, cancer,
stroke, diabetes, obesity, and Alzheimer ’s disease.Yet there is hope—in the form of a great deal of scientific evidence
showing that a plant-healthy diet can prevent, and even reverse, most of
these diseases.
You now know how to respond to those who can’ t tell a myth from
reality. Read on if you really want to show people that you know the hard
science behind why you’re eating so healthily and happily.
HEAR T DISEASE
Four years ago, at 10:06 p.m., a call came in from the White Swan
Lounge and Bar on Austin’ s east side. LD Davis, the owner and proprietor,
had suf fered a heart attack.
When we arrived, LD wasn’ t breathing and had no pulse. One of the
patrons had already started doing chest compressions; we thanked her, dove
in, and started doing them ourselves.
Next, we took out a BVM (or bag valve mask, which allows firefighters
to breathe for patients without putting our mouths over theirs), and placed it
over LD’ s mouth and nose. The task can be tricky, because the patient’ s
tongue frequently falls back into his or her throat, blocking the airway. To
prevent that, we often have to use an oropharyngeal airway, a curved, straw-
like device that keeps the tongue in place.
We worked on LD as a team. One of us performed chest compressions
and another held down the mouthpiece to ensure that no air could escape,
and I squeezed the bag part of the BVM with both hands at a slow and
steady rate of roughly ten squeezes per minute. A fourth firefighter made
sure oxygen was hooked up to the BVM, took out the AED (a machine
called an automatic external defibrillator), checked for vital signs (heart rate
and breathing), and alternated doing chest compressions with us.
While all this was going on, the bar ’s patrons formed a semicircle
around us, chanting, “Come on, LD, you can make it!” I got goose bumps
all over my body, and was chanting as well: “Come on, LD!”
We placed the pads from the AED on LD’ s chest, powered it up, and
waited a few seconds while it analyzed his heart, looking for a shockable
rhythm. The machine works when the heart is in a state of what’ s called
ventricular fibrillation. At that point, we can shock the patient in the hope of
rebooting the heart’ s proper rhythm.We did find a shockable rhythm, so we shocked LD—with no results. So
we continued CPR.
By this time, EMS had arrived and set up an IV  (intravenous line). They
also gave LD some drugs to assist in restarting his heart. Again we tried
shocking him, again with no luck. However, on the third attempt we were
successful. The crowd cheered and celebrated. Two of us then rode in the
back of the ambulance and continued breathing for LD until we arrived at
the hospital and handed him of f to the emer gency room doctors.
I later heard from the EMS crew that LD was up and about again; he
managed to live for another year and a half before dying—from another
heart attack.
Whenever we firefighters are able to bring people back to life from what
looks like certain death, the department presents us with a Phoenix Award,
named for the mythological bird that rose from the ashes after dying in
flames. Over the course of my career I’ve received three Phoenixes, all for
helping patients who had suf fered heart attacks. I’m proud of them, but
wish my skills hadn’ t been needed.
LD ’S ST ORY IS FAR FROM UNIQUE. Heart disease kills more Americans than
the next four fatal diseases combined. Close to one million of us die of
cardiac complications annually, and one in every two Americans will die
from heart disease or stroke.
This illness has gained traction over the last century—in 1900,
cardiovascular disease wasn’ t even in the top ten causes of death. By 2007,
though, more than three thousand people were dying from heart disease
every day, which translates into one death every twenty-six seconds.
Dr. Lewis Kuller of the University of Pittsbur gh recently reported the
ten-year findings of the Cardiovascular Health Study, a project of the
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Its conclusion: All males older
than sixty-five and females older than seventy who have been exposed to
the traditional Western diet are already suf fering from cardiovascular
disease and should be treated as such.
Even more frightening: In more than half of all heart disease cases, the
first symptom is instant death.
What is at the core of this terrible disease? Plaque. Plaque is a waxy,
fatty deposit that can build up in various places in the body, including theinside of the arteries.
There are two types of plaque formations: lar ge, hardened, stable ones;
and small, soft, unstable ones.
Extensive buildup of the lar ger plaques within the arteries limits the
amount of oxygen-rich blood the heart receives. This process can cause
angina, or severe discomfort and pain in the chest region. Patients with
angina are often prescribed nitroglycerin pills, which dilate (open up and
relax) the arteries, allowing the heart to receive more blood. At other times
the narrowing of the arteries due to plaque can completely shut of f the
blood supply and cause a heart attack.
Most people believe that the lar ger blockages are the primary cause of
heart attacks; actually, they represent only 10 percent of all cases. Why?
Because over the course of many years, the miraculous human body
compensates for plaque blockages by creating new channels that reroute
blood around them, similar to the way a river might redirect itself around a
large boulder. Eventually, the plaques form scar tissue and calcify, making
them stable. The other 90 percent of heart attacks are caused by the small,
soft plaques, which are less than 50 percent of the width of the artery. These
obnoxious rascals appear when your blood and the endothelium, or the silky
smooth lining of your arteries, become sticky. This tackiness permits lethal
LDL  cholesterol to attach and burrow into the artery wall.
To heal this injury, the body forms the equivalent of a pimple, inside of
which certain enzymes act to weaken its cover, making it delicate as a
cobweb. The blood flowing past eventually causes the pimple to burst.
Next, the natural blood-clotting platelets in your blood rush to heal the
injury, a clot rapidly develops and enlar ges, preventing any blood from
flowing downstream to the heart. Bam! You have a heart attack.
SO HOW  DO YOU PREVENT  the formation of these terrible plaques? Stop eating
animal-based products!
Animal-based products contain all the building blocks for heart disease:
artery-clogging saturated fat, plaque-promoting dietary cholesterol,
cholesterol-raising and inflammation-causing animal protein, and free-
radical-promoting oxidants. All these components encourage the buildup of
plaque and damage the silky lining of the sixty-thousand-plus miles of
arteries, veins, and capillaries through which your blood flows.Plant-based products discourage plaque buildup and promote the health
of your artery lining because they contain healthy unsaturated fats, zero
cholesterol, friendly protein, and free radical–zapping antioxidants. And
unlike animal-based products, plants are nutritional powerhouses, with the
ability to prevent and even reverse existing heart disease. Plants are loaded
with vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and bioflavonoids.
Why am I so confident of the connection between diet and heart disease?
Because so many studies have proven that heart disease need never exist,
and that existing heart disease can be halted in its tracks, or even reversed.
As mentioned, my father, Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, conducted the most
profound evidence-based research on the arrest and reversal of heart disease
on the planet; his patients demonstrated striking reversal of the plaque in
their diseased arteries.
Remember his prescription? Eat a completely low-fat, plant-based diet.
My father was not the only person to show a reversal of heart disease.
For example, just as my father was embarking on his arrest and reversal
study, Dr. Dean Ornish was also conducting his second Lifestyle Heart Trial
Study at the University of California at San Francisco, whose results were
published in the medical journal The Lancet.
Ornish worked with two groups of patients stricken with heart disease.
For one year, a group of twenty-eight individuals ate a pure plant-based diet
supplemented with minimal exercise and a stress-management program. At
the same time, a control group of twenty patients consumed the typical
American diet.
The outcome: The patients on the low-fat, plant-based diet saw a reverse
in, or an end to, their preexisting coronary blockages, as well as a reduction
in or elimination of their angina. However, the members of the standard
American diet control group saw an increase in their coronary blockages, as
well as in the frequency and intensity of their angina.
What caused these results? First, by avoiding all animal-based products,
the plant-eating patients eliminated all the major building blocks that
contribute to plaque formation: fat, cholesterol, and animal protein. They
were able to lower their total cholesterol to a level


 Less will be absorbed if you powder the skin with corn-
starch  first. Use them minimally and line them with tissue or
paper towel. Chair and bed pads, too, are chemicalized. Don't sit
on them with bare skin. To facilitate getting to the commode
quickly in the night, dress the elderly in a short night shirt, no
pajamas or long gown. Bed socks on the feet help with warmth.
Wash the body parts daily, around the urinary and rectal
outlet, using borax water. Follow with 5% grain alcohol. Put
washcloth in laundry after a single use. Nothing, not even brain
improvement, impresses and encourages an elderly person as
much as seeing the incontinence  lessen. This bit of progress will
put him or her solidly on your side. When they believe in you, it
makes your task more rewarding. Remember to enjoy and cele-
brate your achievements together; don't make a grim business out
of it.PUSHING BACK AGE
295Bad Digestion
with its excessive gas and burping  is another plague of the
elderly. They would rather not go to church nor visit a friend than
embarrass themselves in that way.
Chewing
It all begins with the stomach although chewing food well is
essential for really good digestion. Dentures should fit perfectly
so the mouth does not develop sores. Using denture  cream  is not
a good substitute for correct fit and is toxic. Denture plastic is
often toxic, even containing mercury in its composition! Toxins in
plastic can seep! Such toxins lower the immunity of the mouth
and throat  and stomach since it all flows down into the stomach.
Low immunity in the mouth permits throat infections to be
chronic. If your elderly loved one has a red-looking mouth or
throat, instead of pink, an infection is going on in spite of no
coughs and no complaints.
It will do no good to keep zapping bacteria when reinfection
is so easy. First kill the bacteria in the dentures by soaking in
70% grain alcohol. Then test the dentures for toxins. Soak the
dentures in water for several hours. Rinse and soak again in fresh
water. Repeat a third time to insure that any toxin found came
from the dentures, not the saliva. Save this water for test ing.
Search for heavy metals in the denture  water. If you find any, you
know the dentures are toxic! Get new ones, made of uncolored
methacrylate (see Dental Cleanup, page 409).
The denture -soak should kill bacteria each night. Plastic has
tiny pores where bacteria can hide. Use 70% grain alcohol which
you make yourself or plain vodka which is about 50% alcohol.
Since alcohol evaporates and is expensive, use a wide mouth jar
with close fitting non-metal lid for all this. Fish them out with
your toothbrush  so it gets sterilized too. It only takesTHE CURE FOR ALL DISEASES
296minutes to kill everything. Commercial denture cleaners are much
more toxic than grain alcohol; don't use them.
Use food grade hydrogen peroxide  or salt water to brush
teeth in your mouth, never toothpaste. Toothpaste has toxic
metals (tin, fluoride, strontium ) besides benzene pollution. See
the section on brushing teeth (page 532) for details and sources.
If you are responsible for this daily chore, use homemade floss
(2 pound to 4 pound nylon fish line ) first; then brush. If your
loved one is seated they may be able to handle the brush by
themselves, giving them pride in the achievement.
If an elderly person refuses or can't wear dentures, provide
food that is soft and without chunks since this decides whether
the stomach can digest it. The stomach is the weak point of the
digestive process for the elderly because nearly all don't pro duce
enough acid to get the job done.
Stomach Acid
The body produces hydrochloric acid  (HCL) which gets
pushed into the stomach from the blood! The enzyme, carbonic
anhydrase, a zinc  enzyme, is involved. Not many ways are
known to stimulate this whole process. Drinking water before
meals stimulates it in unknown ways but is hard to do for the
elderly. Next best is to provide acid.
Because strong HCL would dissolve teeth it is not available
as a solution to aid digestion. Ask a pharmacist to make a 1%
HCL solution and use 10 drops of it in a beverage at mealtime
once a day. HCL as a tablet (“Betaine HCL”) is available but
doesn't have enough HCL in it.
Using a lemon or vinegar  and honey beverage helps with di-
gestion although this provides citric or acetic acid, not hydro-
chloric. These acids are completely metabolized so they don't
add to the body acid level. But the fact that it is not hydrochlo ric
means that it can't kill bacteria and parasites in the stomachPUSHING BACK AGE
297like regular hydrochloric acid  could. The stomach becomes a
haven for Salmonellas  and other bacteria and this is the biggest
digestive plague of the elderly. Salmonellas  dig deep into the
stomach wall, safe from antibiotics and stomach acid and aren't
washed away with the food. When they take over the region near
the top of the stomach, it weakens the esophageal sphincter  and
food keeps coming back up a bit—a most uncomfortable
development, especially after supper or when lying down.
When the Salmonellas spread out further to invade the dia-
phragm around the sphincter, the diaphragm  weakens, and lets a
bit of the stomach up through the hole.
This causes hiatal hernia  distress. Don't settle your loved
one in an easy chair after supper. This presses the stomach up-
ward and the food up, too. Leave them sitting at the table a while,
then walk a bit, to get the food down lower. The food will sink
lower if some of it can leave the stomach at the lower pyloric
end. But if Salmonellas  are entrenched here, too, the lower end
does not have enough action to push the food through the valve.
Drugs like ReglanTM are given to speed this up.
What helps most is getting digestion  completed. This sets up
the natural cues for emptying. Digestive enzyme tablets have been
in popular use to help digestion. But they may not be safe since
they have not been sterilized. Always try the vinegar  and honey
method first. Coughing during eating is a sign that the diaphragm
is irritated (by a hiatal hernia ). If drinking water starts the
coughing, omit it at the beginning of meals. Work in sips during
the meal.
Salmonella and Shigella
Some Salmonella  infections can bring dizziness  to your eld-
erly person. Dizziness is another plague  of the elderly, keeping
them from going shopping, getting to church and even from getting
around their own homes. Drugs such as AntivertTM areTHE CURE FOR ALL DISEASES
298given but only take the edge off the problem. Feeling dizzy can
make your loved one home bound and stuck to a walker for every
move.
Salmonellas, along with Shigellas, produce very toxic sub-
stances that cause dizziness. There are three common Salmo nella
varieties: Salmonella enteriditis, Salmonella paratyphi, and
Salmonella typhimurium  (386, 380, 354 KHz). Kill Salmo nellas
daily for a month by taking Lugol’s  iodine  (6 drops in a half cup
water, after meals and bedtime, see Recipes ). Unfortu nately, this
will not kill Shigellas ; follow the Bowel Program  (page 546) to
get them.
During this time set up a system of sterilizing all dairy
products (see Milk, page 425) since this is the source of rein-
fection. Set up a system of rinsing fingers (and fingernails) in
10% grain alcohol in the bathroom. Deli food and restaurant
salads carry Salmonellas  and Shigellas, too. Kill them, rou-
tinely, after eating such food due to necessity. A warm stomach
full of food at a neutral pH is just the right culture condition for
these bacteria. It's like putting yeast  into a bowl of warm water,
flour  and sugar. In half an hour it is overflowing with growth.
Once Salmonella  is entrenched in an organ it is difficult to
eliminate. Only an electric zapper can kill them all (in an organ,
not the bowel ). If your body has the right conditions (like a low
acid stomach) to let them grow you dare not swallow another
one! Shigellas  arrive with dairy foods, too, but prefer the lower
intestine as their headquarters. Indigestion that starts right after
eating is probably due to Salmonellas. If your indigestion  comes
in the night, this suggests Shigellas, since they've had time to
reach their favorite place further down.
Campylobacter  and E. coli, other digestive bacteria, are
sometimes the culprits. The Bowel Program  is effective against
these also. Besides getting digestive improvement you get mental
impro