The mitotic activity in the crypts get significantly suppressed, which
means that much less cells will be born there and much less of them will be
born healthy and able to do their job properly. The state of the cells them-
selves becomes abnormal. All because their housekeepers, the healthy gut
bacteria, are not there to take care of them (FIG. 2).
That is what happens in a laboratory animal with a sterilised gut. In a
human body the absence of good bacteria always coincides with bad
bacteria getting out of control, which makes the whole situation much
worse. Without the care of beneficial bacteria while under attack from
pathogenic flora, the whole structure of gut epithelium changes, starting a
process of pathology or disease developing. The villi degenerate and
become unable to digest and absorb food properly, leading to malabsorp
tion, nutritional deficiencies and food intolerances.
Gut flora is the housekeeper of the digestive system. The state of the
house and its ability to fulfil its purposes directly depends on how good the
housekeeper is. Anatomical integrity of our digestive tract, its functionality
ability to adapt and regenerate, ability to defend itself and many other
functions are directly dependent on the state of its microscopic house-
keepers - our gut flora. As we will see later, GAPS children and adults have
a very abnormal gut flora, which results in digestive abnormalities.
Nourishment of the body
Everybody knows that the main purpose of having a digestive system is to
be able to digest and absorb food. Scientific and clinical experience shows
that without healthy gut flora the digestive system cannot fulfil these func-
tions efficiently. A good example is the digestion of milk and wheat V>e<*\1rhu eoteroctjte SteK trfteroc^fe in
^ <ylt <^$\>ioSt$
FIG. 2 The hair on the enterocytes represent microvilli. As the enterocytes cover
the surface of the villi their hair (microvilli) make a so-called brush-border, where
the last steps in digestion of food happen. proteins which happens in two stages. The first stage occurs in the
stomach where, under the influence of digestive juices produced by the
stomach walls, milk and wheat proteins get split into peptides, some of
which have morphine-like structure called casomorphines and gluteo-morphines (or gliadinomorphines). It is a normal process and happens in
all of us. Then these peptides move to the small intestine where the next
stage of their digestion happens. They get subjected to pancreatic juices
and then reach the intestinal wall where they are broken down by enzymes,
called peptidases, on the microvilli of enterocytes. This is the stage which is
missing in people with abnormal gut flora because of the poor state of their
enterocytes. As a result casomorphines and gluteomorphines get absorbed
into the bloodstream unchanged and cause problems in the body, in particular  interference with brain function and immune system function.
There has been a considerable amount of research in this area in patients
with autism, schizophrenia, ADHD, psychosis, depression and autoimmu-
nity, who show high levels of casomorphines and gluteomorphines in their
bodies, which means that their gut wall is in no fit state to complete appro
priate digestion of these substances. Clinical experience shows that when
the gut flora is restored, many GAPS patients can digest casein and gluten
in moderate amounts without their symptoms returning.
Apart from keeping the gut wall in good shape, the healthy gut flora pop
ulating this wall has been designed to take an active part in the very
process of digestion and absorption. So much so, that the normal digestion
and absorption of food is probably impossible without well-balanced gut
flora, It has an ability to digest proteins, ferment carbohydrates, break
down lipids and fibre. By-products of bacterial activity in the gut are very
important in transporting minerals, vitamins, water, gases and many other
nutrients through the gut wall into the bloodstream. If the gut flora is damaged, the best foods and supplements in the world may not have a good
chance of being broken down and absorbed.
Certain ingredients in our foods cannot be digested by a human gut at all
without the help of beneficial bacteria. A good example is dietary fibre. In a
gut with healthy gut flora the fibre gets partially broken down to oligo
saccharides, amino-acids, minerals, organic acids and other useful nutri
ents to feed the gut wall and the rest of the body. Most of us are aware that
dietary fibre is good for us. Fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, nuts
and seeds, beans and pulses are all good sources of fibre. Supplemental
fibre in the form of sachets, capsules or drinks is often prescribed to people
by doctors to lower their blood cholesterol levels, to remedy constipation and many other digestive problems, to help bile metabolism, to prevent
bowel cancer, to improve glucose tolerance in diabetics, etc., etc. There is a
long list of benefits from regular consumption of dietary fibre. Well, fibre is
one of the natural habitats for beneficial bacteria in the gut. They feed on
it, producing a whole host of good nutrition for the gut wall and the whole
body, they engage it in absorbing toxins, they activate it to take part in
water and electrolytes metabolism, to recycle bile acids and cholesterol,
etc., etc. It is the bacterial action on dietary fibre that allows it to fulfil all
those good functions in the body. And when these good bacteria are dam
aged and are not able to "work" the fibre, dietary fibre itself can become
dangerous for the digestive system, providing a good habitat for the bad
pathogenic bacteria and aggravating the inflammation in the gut wall. This
is when gastroenterologists have to recommend their patients have a low-
fibre diet. Consequently, dietary fibre alone without the beneficial bacteria
present in the gut can end up not being all that good for us. And indeed
GAPS children and adults who are prone to diarrhoea or loose stools have
to have low fibre in their diet until the diarrhoea clears.
Apart from fibre there is another substance which most of us would not
be able to digest without our good bacteria in the gut. This substance is
milk sugar, called Lactose. It is a well-known fact that a lot of people are
Lactose intolerant, which means that they can't digest milk. Most GAPS
children and adults are among these people. The explanation offered by
science so far is that many of us lack an enzyme called Lactase to digest
Lactose. If we are not meant to digest Lactose, then why do some people
seem to manage it perfectly well? The answer is that these people have the
right bacteria in their gut. One of the major Lactose digesting bacteria in
the human gut is E.coli. It comes as a surprise to many people that physio
logical strains of E.coli are essential inhabitants of a healthy digestive tract.
They appear in the gut of a healthy baby from the first days after birth in
huge numbers: io 7 - io 9 CFU/g and stay in these same numbers throughout
life, providing that they do not get destroyed by antibiotics and other envi
ronmental influences. Apart from digesting Lactose, physiological strains
of E.coli produce vitamin K and vitamins Bi, B2, B6, Bi2, produce anti
biotic-like substances, called colicins, and control other members of their
own family which can cause disease. In fact having your gut populated by
the physiological strains of E.coli is the best way to protect yourself from
pathogenic species of E.coli. They also take a huge and complex part in
appropriate functioning of the immune system, which we will talk about
later. Apart from E.coli, other beneficial bacteria in the healthy gut flora will
not only ensure appropriate absorption of nutrients from food but also
actively synthesise various nutrients: vitamin K, pantothenic acid, folic
acid, thiamin (vitamin Bi), riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin (vitamin B3),
pyridoxine (vitamin B6), cyanocobalamin (vitamin Bi2), various amino
acids and other active substances. In the process of evolution Nature made
sure that when the food supply is sparse, we humans don't die from vita
min and amino acids deficiencies. Nature provided us with our own fac
tory for making these substances - our healthy gut flora. And when this gut
flora is damaged despite adequate nutrition we develop vitamin deficien
cies. Why? Because most water-soluble vitamins have a fairly short life in
the body. So, unless one is taking these vitamins every hour (providing that
they can get absorbed at all withouthealthy gut flora), there will be periods
during the day when the body would be deficient in these vitamins. That is
what happens to people with damaged gut flora which is unable to provide
a constant steady stream of water-soluble vitamins for the body to use.
Every tested GAPS child or adult shows deficiencies in those very vitamins,
which their gut flora is supposed to produce. Restoring the beneficial bac
teria in their gut is the best way to deal with those deficiencies.
Most people with abnormal gut flora have various


 benefits of enemas early on in developing his treatment, and
they have remained a cornerstone of his therapy to this day. It is important to realize that while
the patient is holding the coffee enema in his or her colon for the suggested 12-15 minutes, the
body’s entire blood supply passes through the liver every three minutes, i.e., 4-5 times in all,
carrying poisons picked up from the tissues. These are then released through the bile ducts, due
to the stimulation of the caffeine. However, in order to leave the body, these toxins still have to
travel through the small intestine (25-27 feet), through the colon (4-5 feet), and out via the rectum
and the anus. Naturally on this long trip a small amount of the released toxins is re-absorbed into
the system and can cause the patient discomfort, especially in the early phase of the therapy, when
detoxification had only just started. This is the reason why, in the beginning, five or even more
enemas are taken daily, to keep up the elimination process, and why the more rapid Castor Oil
Treatment (see below) is also part of the program, for the average patient.
Important warning : although high colonics have become fashionable among some
celebrities, they must not be used by Gerson patients. Already Dr. Gerson had stated this very
clearly, and we can only reiterate his conclusion. These are the reasons behind the ban:
In high colonics up to 5 quarts of water is forced into the whole length of the large intestine,
under pressure that can easily distend it. When the water is released, it washes out the fluids,
enzymes, minerals and other nutrients from the colon, together with the friendly bacteria which
are vital for good digestion. This can increase the risk of a mineral imbalance.
On the other hand, high colonics don’t serve the all-important reason for the use of coffee
enemas, namely the opening of the bile ducts, which helps the liver to release toxins and
cleanse itself. On no account should anyone make the mistake of thinking that high colonics are
interchangeable with coffee enemas.
So much for the history and the theoretical background. Now let us see the practicalities.
Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007.  All rights reserved.
This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author.Page 111Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comBasics, and How to Use Them
The basic components of the coffee enema are these:
1) Organic, medium or light roast drip ground coffee,
2) Filtered, or if from a fluoridated source, distilled water,
3) Enema equipment.
The equipment must be carefully chosen, as not all products on the market are suitable. The
earliest type, the combination syringe, is a rubber hot water bottle, complete with appropriate
tubing and rectal or vaginal tip. This works well for occasional use or travel, but it is difficult to
clean. Other rubber bags, not “combination syringes,” have a much wider opening, which makes
them easier to clean. However, they don’t stand up well to constant use.
 Most popular among Gerson patients is the plastic bucket, which has an easy to read register
of ounces, viz. of a quart. This shows how much of the coffee the patient has introduced into
the rectum. The bucket is easy to clean and has only one drawback: if dropped or cleaned too
vigorously, it can break and must be replaced.
 That risk is avoided by choosing a stainless steel bucket, now available at the relatively
cheap price of about $30, including the needed attachments. It is unbreakable, easy to clean, even
with very hot water, which shouldn’t be used with the plastic bucket. The rubber tubing needs to
be replaced occasionally. The only disadvantage of this type is that, not being transparent, one
cannot check how far the enema process has progressed.
The standard mixture for one enema consists of 3 rounded tablespoons of organic, medium or
light roast drip grind coffee, and 32 ounces of filtered or distilled water. The procedure is to bring
the water to a boil, add the coffee, let it boil for three minutes, then turn down the heat and let it
simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Let it cool, then strain through a cloth-lined strainer. (A piece
of clean white linen or nylon can be used.) Check the amount left after straining and replace the
water that has boiled away to restore it to one quart.
For patients on the therapy it is best to prepare the whole day’s requirement at once, rather
than cooking each portion separately every four hours. In other words, a coffee concentrate is
produced, saving much time and effort. This is how it is done: take a pot which holds at least 3
quarts, put in about two quarts of filtered or distilled water, bring to a boil and add 15 rounded
tablespoons of coffee, which will be enough for 5 enemas; then proceed as above. After straining
the liquid, take 5 one-quart jars or juice bottles, and pour the same amount of the concentrate into
each, then add enough water to make up the volume to 8 ounces.
The standard mixture for one enema, i.e., 8 ounces of coffee concentrate and 24 ounces of
water, making a total of 32 ounces, has to be warmed to body temperature and poured into the
Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007.  All rights reserved.
This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author.Page 112Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comenema bucket, having first clamped the tube shut, to stop the liquid from running out. Before
starting the enema, a small amount of the solution should be released, to clear the tube of air. It is
a good idea to eat a small piece of fruit, to get the digestive system going, especially before the
first morning enema. This will provide a little glucose, to raise the low blood sugar after a night’s
sleep.
The more relaxed the patient is, the easier the enema experience will be. That requires
comfort. Unless a couch or folding camp bed is available, an enema “nest” is made on the
bathroom floor, with a large soft towel or blanket as its base, covered with an enema mat or a soft
polyester shower curtain against accidental leaks or spillage, and a pillow or cushion for the head.
The bucket is placed at approximately 18 inches above the body, hanging from a hook or standing
on a stool. The coffee should not flow in too fast or with too much pressure. About 2 inches of the
tube’s tip is lubricated with Vaseline and gently inserted some 8-10 inches into the anus, and the
clamp on the tube is released, to let the coffee flow in. The patient lies on his or her right side, legs
pulled up in the “fetal position,” relaxed and breathing deeply. When all the coffee is absorbed, it
should be held in for 12-15 minutes, before evacuating.)
Many patients enjoy the relaxed comfort of enema time—“Upside Down Coffee,” as some
call it—and use it to listen to soothing music, meditate or read. One young lady, recovering from
a brain tumor on the Gerson program over some two years, first read all the main classics, then
switched to philosophy, followed by mathematics, and subsequently became so well read that she
won a top scholarship! She also made a full recovery.
How Many, How Often?
Most ‘regular’ patients, i.e., those not pre-treated with chemotherapy, nor very debilitated,
are on a four-hourly enema schedule (6 am, 10 am, 2 pm, 6 pm and 10 pm), concurrently drinking
the prescribed 12-13 glasses of juice. This is absolutely essential. Although the enema reaches
only part of the colon, it inevitably removes some of the minerals from it, so that without the
mineral-rich juices an electrolyte imbalance could result. In general, three juices per enema is a
good guideline.
There are times when the four-hourly schedule needs breaking, adding extra enemas to the
daily routine. Temporarily doing so does not necessitate extra juices. Enemas are excellent pain
relievers: if a patient is in severe pain, there is nothing wrong with taking one before the four
hours are up. Also, Dr. Gerson suggested that in some cases, when very large tumors are broken
down and being absorbed, the patient should take an additional enema during the night, around
2 or 3 am, to avoid waking up in pain, with a headache, or even in a semi-comatose state in the
morning. Some patients even take enemas every two hours to control pain, gas, or other kinds of
discomfort.
Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007.  All rights reserved.
This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author.Page 113Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comIt is important to remember that coffee enemas do not interfere with the normal activity of the
colon, producing daily bowel movements. Occasionally patients worry about that, yet their


 The elevated metabolic rate naturally increases the body’s need for iodine. Therefore, if iodine is deficient,
supplementing with thyroid hormone will exacerbate the iodine-deficient problem.
Researchers have looked at the link between hypothyroidism and breast cancer for over 40 years. There are researchers
who feel that thyroid illnesses, including hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s disease are associated with the development of breast
cancer. On the other hand, researchers have reported that women who take thyroid hormone for at least 15 years have an
increased risk for developing breast cancer.
One study compared women taking thyroid hormone versus women not taking thyroid hormone.
14
 As compared to women
who never took thyroid hormone, the women taking thyroid hormone had a 50% increased incidence of breast cancer. This same
study found that breast cancer incidence was linearly increased the longer the time period that the women took thyroid hormone.
This is illustrated in
Figure 7
.
 Figure 7: Length of time taking thyroid hormone and incidence of breast cancer.

What is the link between an increased breast cancer risk in both women who took thyroid hormone for a long time period
and women who had hypothyroidism? I think the common link is iodine deficiency. In an iodine-deficient state, taking thyroid
hormone elevates the metabolic rate of the body which also increases the body’s need for iodine. When iodine deficiency is
present, the longer that thyroid hormone is taken, the worse the iodine-deficiency problem will be. In women, this worsening
problem is reflected in an increased breast cancer rate. Presently, we are facing an epidemic of breast cancer where one in seven
U.S. women are suffering from it. It is my hypothesis that this epidemic will not be solved until the iodine connection is identified
and treated. More information about iodine and breast cancer can be found in
Chapter 8
.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The thyroid gland will not function optimally when iodine deficiency is present. Thyroid hormone production, like all the other
hormones of the body, requires iodine. Sadly, iodine deficiency is occurring at epidemic rates, whether by my own research or the
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Hypothyroidism is occurring at epidemic rates. However, thyroid hormone supplementation should not be instituted without
measuring iodine status. Taking thyroid hormone when
iodine deficiency is present can worsen the iodine deficiency problem by
increasing the body’s metabolic rate.
The research is clear; taking thyroid hormone when iodine deficiency is present increases the risk for breast cancer and, I
believe, other glandular cancers including breast, ovary, uterine, and prostate. This increased risk could be predicted as the
glandular tissue requires iodine to maintain their normal architecture. Anything that lowers the body’s iodine stores or increases
the body’s need for it could be predicted to cause an increase in breast cancer—as well as cancer of the other glands.
All individuals with a thyroid problem should have their iodine levels checked. If iodine levels are suboptimal, iodine
replacement with the correct form of iodine should be instituted. My experience has clearly shown that the appropriate use of
iodine in treating thyroid disorders, from hypothyroidism to Graves’ and Hashimoto’s disease, is not only safe, but effective and
inexpensive. What I have outlined for you is a holistic approach to search for and treat an underlying cause of thyroid problems.
Iodine replacement is not the only therapy for thyroid illness. Nutritional supplementation, detoxification, drinking adequate
amounts of water, and dietary changes can also improve these conditions. For more information on a
comprehensive holistic plan
to treat thyroid disorders, I refer the reader to my book,
Overcoming Thyroid Disorders, 3rd Edition
.
Keep in mind that an elevated TSH when starting iodine therapy does not necessarily mean that iodine is causing an adverse
effect. On the contrary, for most patients, this is a normal and expected response if the other thyroid hormone levels are normal
and there are no clinical signs of hypothyroidism.
The next three chapters will expand on the concept that deficiency of iodine is one of the major causes of autoimmune thyroid
disorders. Remember, once you understand the cause of an illness you can formulate an effective treatment plan. These chapters
will identify the cause(s) of autoimmune thyroid illness and present a treatment plan designed to stop the progression as well as
reverse autoimmune thyroid disorders.
1
 Fenzi, F. Role of autoimmune and familial factors in goiter prevalence. Studies performed in moderately endemic area. J.
Endocrin. Invest. 9:131-164. 1986
2
 Eur. J. Endocr. 2000 Oct; 143(4):485-991
3
 Delange, F. Werner and Ingbar’s The Thyroid. Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. 2000.
4
 Herzel, B. Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease. 1998
5
 Endocrine Reviews February 1, 2003 vol. 24 no. 1 48-77
6
 J. Nutr. 127:574-8. 1997
7
 WHO.
http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/idd/en/
. Accessed 7.3.13
8
 Thilly, C.G. Bull. Acad. Med. Belg. 1981; 136:3899
 Lancet. 2003; 362:1859-60
10
 Lancet. Vol. 350. 9.13.97. p. 771-773
11
 Herzel, B. Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease. 1998
12
 Canaris, Gay, et al. The Colorado Thyroid Disease Prevalence Study. Arch. Intern. Med. Vol 160, Feb 28, 2000
13
 Brownstein, D. Overcoming Thyroid Disorders. Medical Alt. Press. 2002
14
 JAMA. Vol. 236. No. 10. 09.1976Chapter 5
The Oxidation and Organification of Iodine
CHAPTER 5: THE OXIDATION AND ORGANIFICATION OF IODINE
Approximately seven years ago, after I gave a lecture about iodine to a group of doctors in Houston, TX, a physician from
Australia, Dr. John Lee, asked me a question. His question sounded simple enough: “David, what does iodine do in the cell?” At
that time, I answered the question to the best of my
knowledge, but I knew the answer did not satisfy him or me. That started me
on a quest to better answer this question. Although we still don’t know everything that iodine does in the cell, there are many
more answers now.

This chapter will discuss the oxidation and organification of iodine. I know this is a difficult concept to master. I feel it is
important to appreciate what happens to iodine inside the cell and what iodine does inside the cell in order to understand why it is
so important to ensure adequate iodine levels.
WHAT HAPPENS TO IODINE AFTER IT IS INGESTED?
After iodine and iodide are ingested, they are absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract by the halide channel. Iodine is
transferred inside the cell by facilitated diffusion. Iodide is transported into the cells via a transport molecule called the sodium-
iodide symporter (NIS). After iodide is transported into the cell, it undergoes two important processes: oxidation and
organification, which will be explained in this chapter.

John, age 58, was diagnosed with fibromyalgia two years ago. “I don’t know what happened. One day I was okay
and the next day I ached all over and I was tired. John saw numerous doctors who prescribed various medications. “The
drugs did not
help. I kept telling my doctors I wasn’t depressed but they kept prescribing antidepressants. I finally got
sick and tired of taking the drugs,” he said. When John saw me, I found his thyroid gland to be enlarged. I ordered an
ultrasound of his thyroid gland and blood work and diagnosed him with Hashimoto’s disease. “When I found out I had
Hashimoto’s disease, I couldn’t believe it. I had been seeing many different doctors and they couldn’t tell me what was
wrong. They kept telling me I needed to be on an antidepressant medication,” he said. As part of the initial exam, I
tested John’s iodine level. John’s iodine loading test was found to be low at 45% (normal >90%). John was placed on
75mg of iodine/day along with a complete nutritional program. After twelve weeks of taking iodine, a follow-up 24-hour
iodine loading test was now normal at 95% excretion. However, he did not feel better. John was still complaining of
fatigue and body aches. Furthermore, John’s TSH increased from a baseline of 4mIU/L to 12 mIU/L after taking 75mg of
Iodoral
®

for 30 days. At this time, John had normal T3 and T4 levels. John’s endocrinologist placed him on thyroid
hormone (Synthroid
®
) for the elevated TSH level. The Synthroid
®

had no effect on his symptoms. When I saw John, I
explained to him that the elevated TSH was a normal result of the body producing more iodine transport molecules
(NIS). Because he was not feeling better, I felt that


chance	for	redemption	after	this	lifetime.	Reincarnation	is
more
	forgiving.
Mistakes	can	be	corrected;	whole	lifetimes	can	be	redeemed,	not	in	heaven
but	by	trying	on	a	new	body	and	repeating	the	same	events	that	produced
failure,	sin,	or	lack	of	fulfillment	the	first	time	around.
Without	reincarnation	we	might	have	the	mistaken	idea	that	the	universe
is	ruled	by	death.	Within	a	few	milliseconds	of	the	Big	Bang	96%	of	the
matter	and	energy	that	emerged	from	the	void	collapsed	back	into	it.	The
remaining	fraction	still	winks	in	and	out	of	existence,	but	so	rapidly	that
matter	looks	solid	and	permanent.	In	fact	everything	solid	is	transitory;	every
particle	in	existence	is	oscillating	in	and	out	of	the	void,	giving	the	illusion	of
solidity	because	our	senses	aren’t	quick	enough	to	catch	the	vibration.	The
new	particle	that	emerges	is	never	exactly	the	same	as	the	one	that	vanished,
which	is	how	nature	manages	time,	location,	electrical	charge,	spin,	and	other
basic	properties	that	require	stability	and	change	simultaneously.
The	same	is	true	for	you	and	me.	We	exist	as	a	fluid	product	of	change
and	stability.	Our	brains	look	the	same	from	moment	to	moment,	but	the
activity	of	neurons	is	never	exactly	the	same—a	brain	is	like	a	river	where
one	cannot	step	into	the	same	place	twice.	DNA	reincarnates	when	the	genes
of	one	parent	split	in	half	in	an	act	of	creative	suicide	to	join	with	the	genes	of
the	other	parent.	The	very	fact	that	DNA	can	replicate	itself	doesn’t	involve
the	death	of	the	mother	cell,	but	produces	new	genetic	material	that	leads	to
new	flesh,	and	the	root	word	of	incarnation	means	flesh,	from	the	Latin
carneus
.
Humans	have	ambiguous	feelings	about	the	fact	that	we	are	made	of	flesh.
It	befits	us	as	mammals	but	becomes	more	complicated	when	we	consider	the
dimension	of	spirit.	Seeing	how	the	flesh	ages	and	decays,	how	it	betrays	us
with	illness,	one	may	not	be	happy	to	get	a	new	body	after	death—for	some
of	us	one	body	may	have	been	enough.	Certainly	Christianity	takes	that
position,	its	rationale	being
that
	the	flesh	is	innately	corrupted	by	sin,	and
therefore	it	is	far	better	to	be	clothed	in	the	soul	after	death	than	to	go	through
recycling.
The	East	has	managed	to	live	comfortably	with	reincarnation	for	several
reasons.	If	the	universe	is	constantly	re-creating	itself,	we	would	be	the	only
aspect	that	isn’t	involved,	which	doesn’t	make	sense.	And	psychologically,	if
I	can	come	back	again	into	a	new	body,	I	may	be	able	to	fulfill	desires	and
ambitions	that	were	thwarted	in	this	lifetime,	which	is	consoling.	Even	more
consoling	is	the	possibility	of	meeting	loved	ones	I’ve	lost	(or	never	gained,	if
my	love	wasn’t	returned).	Reincarnation	offers	hope	for	social	advancement:
a	slave	in	this	lifetime	might	come	back	as	a	noble	in	the	next.	Finally,	the
cosmic	system	of	birth	and	rebirth	has	an	evolutionary	impulse	behind	it:step-by-step,	each	soul	rises	higher	in	the	soul’s	progress	to	God.
Perhaps	it	is	not	a	question	of	belief,	East	versus	West.	Reincarnation	may
be	a	question	of	choice.	Consciousness	is	useful.	We	shape	it	according	to	our
desires.	Rather	than	being	the	final	word,	the	denial	of	reincarnation	by
Christianity	could	be	simply	a	collective	choice.	Having	considered	all	the
relevant	factors,	a	large	sector	of	humanity	says,	“I	don’t	want	to	come	back
to	this	place,”	while	another	says,	“I	do.”	All	we	can	say	for	certain	is	that
Nature	depends	on	the	mechanism	of	rebirth.
Choosing	to	Come	Back
The	rishis	made	every	aspect	of	the	afterlife	a	choice.	What	you	choose
becomes	real,	what	you	don’t	choose	becomes	unreal.	But	this	sounds
baffling.	Does	reincarnation	take	place,	or	doesn’t	it?	Child	psychologists	are
aware	that	there’s	a	critical	period,	usually	between	infancy	and	eight	to	ten
years	old,	when	some	children	seem	to	remember	prior	lives.
In	a	recent,
highly	publicized	example,	a	boy	became	obsessed	with	fighter	planes	from
World	War	II.	He	wanted
to
	visit	airfields	to	see	them,	he	cut	out	pictures	of
them,	and	when	he	ran	across	a	book	about	the	fierce	air	battle	off	Iwo	Jima
in	the	waning	days	of	the	war	in	the	Pacific,	he	announced	to	his	parents	that
he	had	died	then.
Startled	as	his	parents	were	by	the	boy’s	absolute	conviction,	they
assumed	that	he	was	exercising	his	imagination,	until	their	son	crossed	a
shadowy	line	and	began	to	name	people	and	dates.	He	remembered	his	former
name	and	the	moment	when	a	Japanese	machine	gun	shot	his	plane	down.
The	parents	tracked	down	the	incident	and	discovered	that	indeed	an
American	pilot	by	that	name	had	been	shot	down	in	the	manner	described;
survivors	in	the	Air	Force	attested	to	the	details	recalled	by	their	son.
Such	recollections	are	more	common	in	India,	where	a	general	belief	in
reincarnation	removes	the	initial	shock	and	disbelief	that	might	lead	people	to
keep	such	stories	to	themselves.	One	reads	in	the	news	of	children	who
demand	to	be	taken	to	a	nearby	village,	which	they	recall	vividly	as	their	last
home.	Once	they	return,	it’s	not	unknown	for	the	child	to	be	reunited	with
relatives	or	even	former	parents.	Psychologists	inform	us	that	this	intense
interest	in	former	incarnations	is	temporary;	beyond	age	ten	the	old	memories
fade	and	lose	their	obsessive	quality.	It’s	as	if	some	souls	take	a	while	to	get
adjusted	to	their	new	place	in	time	and	space.
The	most	detailed	study	of	such	children	comes	from	the	psychiatrist	Ian
Stevenson	at	the	University	of	Virginia.	Working	from	more	than	220	case
studies	of	children	who	vividly	remember	past	lives—the	number	is
increasing	all	the	time—Stevenson	discovered	that	the	most	startling	are	those
who	carry	physical	characteristics	from	one	lifetime	to	another.	There	are	14examples	of	children	who	remember	being	shot	to	death	in	a	previous	life	and
whose	bodies	show	a	scar	as	if	a	bullet	had	entered	the	body,	with	an
opposing	exit	scar.	One	child	born	in	Turkey	had	vivid	recollections,	almost
from	the	moment	of	being	able	to	speak,	of	a	notorious	criminal	who	had
been
	cornered	by	the	police	and	committed	suicide	rather	than	be	captured.
The	criminal	had	shot	himself	under	the	chin,	and	this	child	had	a	round	red
scar	in	exactly	the	same	place.	Stevenson	was	curious	about	an	exit	scar,	and
when	he	parted	the	child’s	hair	he	found	a	round,	hairless	scar	on	the	scalp	at
the	top	of	the


 That is what’ s going to happen. You may not be able to sit there
for fifteen minutes and watch your breath. Good, that shows you how strong
your addiction is to the mind.
The reason you lose focus on your breath is that consciousness gets
distracted by what your mind is saying. In other words, you stopped
watching your breath, and you started watching your mind. The moment
you catch on that you’ve done that, don’t get down on yourse lf. Just start
watching your breath again. The entire purpose is to practice gaining control
of your attention  so that it becomes yours again. What you pay attention to
determines your experiences in life. You should have the right to
consciously decide what to pay attention to. Until you learn to back away
from the mind, you have no choice; you pay attention to whatever your
mind says.
There is one more element you can add to this simple meditation
technique we’ve been discussing. You’re not going to know right away that
you stopped watching your breath. You’re going to get lost in your mind,
and maybe fifteen minutes will go by. To help notice sooner, instead of just
watching your breath, count your breaths. Simply count a round of
inhale/exhale as one, then two, and so on. But don’t count to one hundred.
Count to twenty-five and start over. That way you will see sooner that you
drifted off the breath. In/out…one, in/out…two, in/out…three. Watch your
breath go in and out of your abdomen. Just sit there and watch  your breathwhile you count to twenty-five, and then go back to one. If you find that
you’re at forty-three, just start over at one. Not a thought about it, just
immediately start counting at one. You now have a job to do that requires
you to be present. You must be conscious enough while watching your
breath to know to go back to one after you reach twenty-five. This doesn’ t
require thought—it just requires awareness.
Some people turn mala beads during meditation, others do mantra.
These are just ways to help keep your consciousness on something other
than your wandering thoughts. So, meditation is easy—if you understand
that it’s not about having spiritual experiences. Please don’t worry about
that. Just practice being presen t. If you do this on a regular basis, you’re
going to find that you are consciously aware during the day when your
samskaras get hit. Now it’s just a question of your level of commitment.
Every single time you start to get disturbed, are you willing to relax and
release? Or do you still need to go through another round of expressing and
defending your blockages?Chapter 34.
Handling the Bigger Stuff
Real spiritual practice  entails devoting  every moment of your life to your
liberation. Life is your real guru. It’s challenging you to either move further
away from Self or come back to Self. Life is your friend. Everything that
happens in life is an opportunity to get better at freeing yourself from
yourself—dying to be reborn. If you sincerely work on releasing the low-
hanging fruit, and if you remain centered in the seat of Self as your past
samskaras are released, you will become a more conscious being. You will
no longer have to come back to center after a dif ficult conversation, you will
remain centered during the entire experience. At first, this is difficult. Just
keep working on it. Make this the most important thing in your life—
because it is. It really is the only rational way to live your life. It’s not a
religious techniq ue; it’s simply deciding to wake up and make something
great of yourself.
If you constantly let go, you will eventually achieve a state of perpetual
presence. You will be established in the seat of Self, and you will never
leave that seat again for the rest of your life. No matter what happens, no
matter who dies, no matter who leaves you, no matter what. All that stuff
can still come up, but you will have the power to decide what to do about it.
There will be time you never had before, between the event and your
reaction to it. Things start to unfold as if in slow motion—even reactive
thoughts and emotions. This gives you time to relax and let go.
We are now ready to address the bigger stuff. As you let go, and there
is less small stuff, the bigger things will come up all by them selves. You
may start having very intense dreams. You may be driving in the car and
begin feeling powerful emotion s for no apparent reason. Good, you don’t
need a reason. It is simply energy, the shakti, trying to push up because you
have given her the room to do so. She is your best friend. This energy flowinside is helping you, and it’ s always trying to push up. Y ou don’ t need to do
anything except  keep letting go. What if something happens that’s a really
bad situation? The house catches fire. Y ou lose your job. That’ s certainly not
low-hanging fruit. If you are sincere on this path, what do you do? First let
go. Always let go of your huma n reaction first. If you are upset and cannot
deal with the situation, what good are you? If you can’t handle the sight of
blood, you are of no use at the scene of an accident. First let go of your
personal reactio n so that you can serve the situation to the best of your
ability.
Let’s take a real-life example. You get a phone call informing you that
your sixteen-yea r-old son had drugs in his school locker. Difficult things
like this happen in the world. You may not like it, but you are going to have
to deal with it. Perhaps your mind starts up, “How could he do this to me?
Oh, my god, what did I do wrong? My husband’ s going to be so mad at me.
We’re having enough trouble in our relationship. This could be the end of
my marriage. Why do I deserve  this?” What on Earth has all that personal
melodrama got to do with your son’s problem? Those are your problems,
and you need to let them go. You’re not supposed to be interact ing with the
world outside based on your blockages inside. All that personal talk has
nothing to do with the problem at hand. It has to do with the fact that this
situation hit your blockages, and now you’re reacting to your issues instead
of your child’ s issue. If you allow that to happen, you’re going to make
every decision based on what makes you feel better, which is likely not what
is best for the situation at hand.
If you take things personally, you will try to protect yourself by
avoiding disturbing experiences. But difficult situations present an
opportunity to change that dynamic. The way to do that is to let go of your
entire personal reaction to the situation. You just let it go. You don’t let go
of the situation—you let go of your reaction to the situation. Go to the
principal’ s office, but not to protect yourself. Go because your son needs
help. Go because the principal needs help with the situation. Go because
you’re the parent, and your son is your responsibility. Do your best to raise
the energy in a constructive manner. You can’t do this if you’re focusing on
your embarrassment, fears, and other personal reactions.
Bottom line, you let go of the personal so you can interact properly
with what’ s in front of you. It’s the same thing in business. You’re in a
meeting, and they’re discussing a project. You have a bright idea that youwant to contribute. So you put it out there, but it gets shot down. That hurts.
Of course it does. You have an ego in there, and it’s going to get bothered.
Now for the rest of the meeting, either you don’t contribu te anything
because you’re sulking, or you keep bringing up proof that what you said
wasn’ t so dumb. You no longer  belong in that meeting. Your presence has
become about you, not about the project. You can’t work like that. Your
underlying motive can’t ever be about you. It has to be about serving what’ s
happening in front of you. To the absolute best of your ability, you always
serve life as it unfolds before you.
The process of letting go becomes how you work on yourself. Your
only decision is: Are you going to let go or not? It’s your choice. Either
you’re working on yourself on a regular basis or you’re not. The blockages
inside you that generate personal thoughts and emotions are nothing but
leftover samskar as. They are based on past issues you couldn’ t handle, and
they will tend to lead you in the wrong direction. Learn to express your
higher Self. Express the deeper part of your being that’s in harmony with
life.
Keep letting go. The entire spiritual path is letting go of yourself. What
will happen if you do this? That’ s what we’ll explore next. We’re going to
deal with what life is meant to be like for every single person. Regardless of
what has ever happened to you or what you’ve ever done—it really doesn’ t
matter. If you


 soon you have rebooted your persona l story—
your mind is tr ained to run automatically, like a computer whosesoftware is ready for instructions the minute the machine is
turned on.
Yet ther e is a s mall interval before your story reboots. For a few
seconds you are awake but not yet engaged with the world. At this
moment there is no interven ing thought to block pure aw areness.
You can expand these few s econds into a conscious experience.
Here’s how.
Go to bed wit h the intention that you are going to tak e the
following steps the instant you wake up the next morning:
Step 1:  When you first are aware of waking up, open your
eyes.
Step 2:  Stare at the ceiling without focusing on anything in
particular.
Step 3:  Try to keep your eyes open. Focus on this and
nothing else.
What t his exercise does is to set a trap for undisturbed
awareness. Each step is important in the sequence. As yo u go to
bed the night before, you set an intention; this puts the exercise at
the top of your  mental agenda in the morning. Opening y our eyes
and staring at the ceiling d istracts you from starting to think.
Focusing your attention on keeping your eyes open is the real
secret, howeve r. Your brain wakes up in the morning in  waves,
alternating sleep and wakefulness. As these waves increase, there
is st eadily more wakefulness  than sleepiness, and thus you wake
up, still feeling a bit sleepy.
By focusing your attention on keeping your eyes open, your
brain h as no choice but to blo ck thinking. The effort to sta y awake
occupies it entirely. (You can accomplish the same thing by
visually seeing a blue dot in your mind’s eye and keeping your
attention on it.)
Once th e steps  of this exerci se are mastered, you will be  in a
state of “eyes o pen, no thoughts.” As you lie there, simply notice
what this state feels like. Very few people have actually been
awake without thinking for more than a few seconds. With
practice, you can sustain thi s exercise for up to a minute. It’s asignificant thin g to be still, quiet, calm, and alert with no ego to
defend or story to construc t. The more you are aware of how
significant the  experience actually is, the more insight you will
have into your true self. The exercise isn’t an end unt o itself,
merely a starting point.
There a re varia nts of getting t o the same state of “eyes open, no
thoughts.” In meditation, for example, the mind settles down into
a r ested quiet s tate, and when you open your eyes at the end of the
meditation, this mental relaxation persists. Here the mind is
coordinating a  brain response, the natural tendency to return to
pure consciousness if given a chance. The purpose of a mantra, if
you pra ctice mantra medita tion, is to give the mind a sound
without meani ng to occupy it, which helps you stop focu sing on
what your thoughts are trying to tell you. As the mantra returns to
the min d, it becomes subtler and fainter, allowing an easy slide
into qu iet min d. At first, whe n you are coming out of meditation,
“eyes open, no thoughts” is  brief, because we are so used to
jumping back into our story. But over time there is an expansion,
and “eyes open, no thoughts”  turns into a steady state around the
clock.
At that point, a person is considered fully awake. In the
morning exercise just presented, “eyes open, no thoughts” is
blank. But the experience of being fully awake isn’t. Mental
activity arises—pebbles pop out of the lake—while the undisturbed
state remains. Silence and a ctivity are experienced as one thing:
awareness moving within itself. The experience of “eyes open, no
thoughts” is modest at first, yet it opens the way to transfo rm how
we use our minds.
I’ve made the point that m ost people don’t abandon their
stories, no matter how much pain and suffering those stories are
causing, because their natural instinct is to cling to those stories. If
you aren’t a b attered wife who refuses to leave her hus band, a
closeted gay man afraid to come out, an opioid addict unable to
end her  habit—or any other person stuck in deep pain—you can’t
grasp how horrible the consequences of clinging can be. Stories
can turn into a hopeless stat e, and that state challenges the best
that medicine and psychotherapy can do to help.Since w e all cling to our stori es, can the direct path really  offer
a wa y o ut? Let’s agree that you and I and everyone else are stuck
in our story. Stuck  is  convenient shorthand for  old conditioning
that kee ps us from creating the changes we want in our l ives. It’s
possible to learn a lot from the various ways to get unst uck that
have fai led. Consider the New Testament, where Jesus of N azareth
appears as one of the most compelling spiritual figures in recorded
history. The story of the Son of God who preaches peace to the
world and is crucified for it constitutes a drama that has transfixed
the West for two millennia.
It is striking, however, that what the New Testament teaches is
often impossib le to achieve. “Love thy neighbor as thyself” clearly
runs counter to how human n ature operates (and would have been
a fatal teaching to follow in the face of Nazism, at a tim e when
many J ews had neighbors who joined the Nazi Party, or in Bosnia
where mixed Muslim and Christian neighborhoods became
battlegrounds based on religion). “Turn the other cheek” seems
masochistic, except to a deeply confirmed Christian, asking for
bullies to victimize the helpless even more than they already do.
But this isn’t a criticism aimed at one faith—all spiritual traditions
have fo undered on the same obstacle. Human nature is in love
with its  own self-created drama, and the more stark the contrast
between good and evil, the more we cling to our story. If the
human race is waiting for the day when either good or evil is
triumphant, the only predictable outcome is that the drama is
designed to last an eternity.
Most people are clinging to  drama at a much milder level,
naturally. Except for those times when unconscious forces erupt
and a whole nation, or the world at large, is dragged to the edge of
catastrophe—sometimes plunging over into the abyss—da ily life is
stuck in  mund ane wants and desires, duties and demands. Like
being drowned in the bathtub or being drowned at sea, the result
is the same.
Yet, someone doesn’t have to experience misery to experience
being in  separa tion. Your quality of life may be good or ba d—a life
generally brings both—the situation comes down to the same
nitty-gritty: stuck is stuck. The drama is self-perpetuating. Even
our desire to escape the spell /dream/illusion becomes part of thestory. A passing experience like “eyes open, no thoughts ” or the
peaceful relaxa tion of meditation is like a peashooter a gainst a
tank. The momentum of our collective drama has proved
unstoppable.
If whol e mind didn’t exist, nobody could have invented it.
We’re a ll too stuck to see beyo nd the story we’re tangled up in. But
whole m ind do es exist; therefore, it must have a way of revealing
itself. It is said of Lord Shiva in the Vedas that he has as many
ways to  show himself as to disguise himself. This is worth
knowing. For every impulse of love, there is an impulse of fear. For
every moment of clarity, there is a moment of confusion. The trick
is not to favor the love and clarity over the fear and confusion,
because the pendulum will inevitably swing back again.
The tric k is to c all upon the so urce of love and clarity, grad ually
come closer to it, and finally make it your own. (T he New
Testament had  a better chance of being practical if Je sus had
taught “Try to love your neig hbor as yourself” and “See if  turning
the oth er cheek helps break the cycle of retaliation.”) The only
hope fo r escap ing the traps o f the conditioned mind is to  use its
better nature as a thread, following it day by day until your story
fades away. Then, living in wholeness becomes natural.
A  D e s i r e  t o  R e m o v e  D e s i r e
The endless cycle of good  and evil, pleasure and pain,
happiness and  misery is like a bonfire that fuels itself. Yet just as
the min d is riotously active on the surface and quiet in its  depths,
so is life. The d rama is everything, but only at its own leve l. When
you have a mo dest experience like “eyes open, no thoughts,” the
interference of mental activit y ceases temporarily. What replaces


foods	that	are	reheated	(perhaps	in	a
microwave,	so	be	sure	to	ask).
Very	few	restaurants	use	high-quality	organic	meats.	Bear	this	in	mind	the
next	time	you	ponder	a	menu.	Deep-water	ocean	fish	is	probably	your	best
choice,	but	only	if	it	is	fresh.	Fresh-water	fish	is	likely	to	be	contaminated	withtoxins,	and	farmed	fish	are	neither	nutritious	nor	free	of	toxins.	When	ordering
out,	I	often	select	large	salads	or	freshly	harvested	fish,	with	vegetables.	Many
restaurants	are	willing	to	make	up	a	vegetarian	entrée	on	request.	Avoid
anything	that	is	“blackened,”	as	well	as	selections	containing	meat	and,
particularly,	dairy	products.	Make	simple	selections,	and	be	able	to	identify	all
the	ingredients.
Caution:	This	Water	Is
Hazardous	to	Your	Health
In	addition	to	food,	water	is	an	essential	ingredient	for	life	and	good	health.
Adequate	water	intake	helps	rid	your	body	of	toxins,	both	through	the	kidneys
and	through	sweat.	Shockingly,	however,	in	a	highly	developed	nation	such	as
the	United	States,	almost	all	of	the	water	is	toxic;	it	adds	poisons	to	your	body
and	is	unfit	to	drink.
Toxins	from	landfill	runoff,	sewage	pollutants,	industrial	chemicals	such	as
PCBs	and	vinyl	chloride,	agricultural	runoff	(particularly	pesticides),	leakage
from	gasoline	storage	tanks,	and	other	pollutants	contaminate	our	water.	Some
researchers	believe	chronic	low-level	exposure	to	these	chemicals	contributes	to
our	cancer	epidemic.	Even	those	of	us	fortunate	enough	to	live	near	a	high-
quality	water	source	would	probably	be	disappointed	to	learn	that	our	local	water
supplier	takes	perfectly	good	water	and	contaminates	it	with	toxins	such	as
chlorine,	fluoride,	arsenic	and	aluminum.	Water	then	travels	through	municipal
and	household	pipelines,	which	can	add	contaminants	such	as	lead,	cadmium,
copper,	asbestos,	iron	and	nickel.
Although	these	toxins	exist	in	minute	amounts,	we	drink	water	(or	beverages
made	with	water)	daily,	so	we	are	exposed	chronically.	This	exposure	leads	to
toxic	bioaccumulation,	cellular	malfunction	and	disease.	Minimize	tap-water
consumption;	drink	high-quality	distilled	or	spring	water	(preferably	in	glass
containers	to	avoid	toxins	from	plastics).	Purchase	from	companies	willing	to
provide	you	with	a	chemical	analysis	of	their	water.	Another	alternative	is	to
drink	tap	water	purified	by	a	filter	that	uses	reverse	osmosis.	Remember	that
commercial	fruit	juices	and	other	beverage	products	are	usually	made	with	tap
water.	Pure	water	is	what	your	body	needs;	when	you	can	get	it,	choose	it.
What	Is	in	Your	Drinking	Water?
How	do	some	of	the	toxins	commonly	added	to	municipal	water	suppliesharm	your	health?	About	80	percent	of	the	drinking	water	in	the	United	States	is
chlorinated.	Chlorine	is	an	extremely	toxic	and	volatile	chemical	that	reacts	with
organic	matter	in	tap	water	to	form	carcinogenic	compounds	called
trihalomethanes.	These	compounds	bioaccumulate	in	fatty	tissues	and	are
capable	of	causing	genetic	mutations,	suppressing	immune	function,	and
interfering	with	the	natural	controls	of	cell	growth.	Long-term	consumers	of
chlorinated	water	have	been	shown	to	have	higher	risks	of	rectal,	bladder,
kidney,	intestinal,	liver,	pancreatic	and	urinary	tract	cancers,	as	well	as
spontaneous	abortions.	The	Department	of	Health	Services	in	California	reports
that	women	who	drink	bottled	or	filtered	water	have	substantially	lower	rates	of
birth	defects	and	miscarriages	compared	to	women	who	drink	tap	water.	Just
opening	the	tap	to	wash	your	hands	releases	toxic	chlorine	fumes	that,	when
breathed,	damage	your	health;	taking	a	shower	is	many	times	worse.	I	use	a
charcoal	filter	in	my	shower	to	filter	out	the	chlorine	and	organic	pollutants.
Fluoride	is	more	toxic	than	lead	and	only	slightly	less	toxic	than	arsenic,	yet
we	have	been	conditioned	to	believe	that	fluoride	is	good	for	us.	Presumably,	we
put	fluoride	in	our	water	to	prevent	tooth	decay.	Although	tooth	decay	has
indeed	declined	worldwide	since	the	1970s—an	event	for	which	fluoride	is	often
wrongly	credited—the	real	reason	for	the	decline	remains	unknown,	because
tooth	decay	has	declined	at	the	same	rate	in	countries	that	do	not	use	fluoride.
Most	people	are	unaware	that	in	more	than	fifty	years	of	testing	and	widespread
use,	no	one	has	ever	been	able	to	prove	that	fluoride	is	either	safe	or	effective,
which	is	why	fluoride	has	never	been	approved	by	the	FDA.	After	half	a	century
of	use,	the	FDA	still	classifies	fluoride	as	an	“unapproved	new	drug.”	Once
again,	we	are	guinea	pigs	in	a	vast	medical	experiment	gone	awry.	The	truth	is,
fluoridation	of	drinking	water	is	making	us	sick,	but	no	one	is	ready	to	admit	it
because	of	the	almost	unthinkable	legal	liability.	Do	you	think	it	is	a	coincidence
that	toothpastes	now	have	toxicity	warnings	about	their	fluoride	content?	Many
young	children	swallow	toothpaste,	unless	supervised	by	adults.
The	truth	about	fluoride	is	gradually	being	revealed;	a	number	of	large-scale
studies	suggest	that	fluoride	does	not	prevent	and	may	even	cause	dental
problems.	Fluoride	bioaccumulates	in	the	body	and	has	been	shown	to	damage
teeth,	bones,	kidneys,	muscles,	nerves,	genes	and	immune	function.	In	fact,
fluoride	toxicity	is	causing	diseases	such	as	dental	and	skeletal	fluorosis.	Dental
fluorosis	is	a	malformation	of	tooth	enamel	characterized	by	brittleness	and
discoloration,	ultimately	damaging	the	health	of	the	teeth.	Dentists	tell	people
that	fluorosis	is	“merely”	a	cosmetic	problem.	In	reality,	fluorosis	is	a	sign	of
systemic	fluoride	poisoning.	More	than	one	out	of	five	U.S.	schoolchildren	nowhave	some	degree	of	dental	fluorosis,	and	X	rays	of	children	with	dental
fluorosis	often	show	bone	abnormalities	(skeletal	fluorosis)	elsewhere	in	the
body.	Skeletal	fluorosis	weakens	bones	in	a	manner	similar	to	osteoporosis.
Early	stages	usually	are	misdiagnosed	as	arthritis,	and	advanced	stages	usually
are	misdiagnosed	as	osteoporosis.	The	minimum	crippling	fluoride	dosage	(the
dosage	that	can	cause	skeletal	fluorosis)	is	5	milligrams	per	day	for	twenty	to
forty	years,	according	to	the	National	Academies	for	the	Advancement	of
Science,	yet	Americans	living	in	fluoridated	areas	average	up	to	6.6	milligrams
per	day!
Fluoride	is	a	powerful	enzyme


.html#toc 228/250of brain atrophy.
    The contribution of Dr. Schreiber also emphasizes strongly the susceptibility of the brain tissue
to injuries which may handicap the individual throughout life.
REFERENCES
1. LAIRD, D. The tail that wags the nation. Rev, of Revs., 92:44, 1935.
2. TREDGOLD, A. F. Mental Deficiency (Amentia). Ed. 5. New York, William Wood,
1929.
3. BARRIE, M. M. O. Nutritional anterior pituitary deficiency. Biochem. J. In press.
4. PAPEZ, J. A proposed mechanism of emotion. Arch. Neur. and Psychiat., 38:713, 1937.
5. PENROSE, L. S. Maternal age in Mongolism. Proc. Roy. Soc. Lond., 115: 431, 1934.
6. ORDAHL, G. Birth rank of Mongolians: Mongolism, definite form of mental deficiency,
found more frequently in the later birth ranks. J. Hered., 18:429, 1927.
7. MACKLIN, M. T. Primogeniture and developmental anomalies. Human Biol., 1:382,
1929.
8. BENDA, A. E. Studies in the endocrine pathology of mongoloid deficiency. Proc. Am. A.
Ment. Deficiency, 43:15 1, 1938.
9. BLEYER, A. Idiocy--the role of advancing maternal age. Proc. Am. Assn. Ment. Defic.,
61:10
10. GREULICH, W. W. The birth of six pairs of fraternal twins to the same parents. J.A.M.A.,
110:559, 1938.
11. BURT, C. L. The Young Delinquent. London, University of London Press, 1925.
12. LICHTENSTEIN, M. and BROWN, A. W. Intelligence and achievement of children in a
delinquency area. J. Juvenile Research, 22:1, 1938.
13. BLACKER, C. P. Chances of Morbid Inheritance. Baltimore, Wood, 1934, chapter 18.
14. MALL, F. P. On the frequency of localized anomalies in the human embryos and infants at
birth. Am. J. Anat., 22:49, 1917.
15. BLOOM, D. D. Abnormalities encountered in dissection of the head and neck of an
anencephalic monster. 16:226, 1937.
15a HOOTON, E. A. Crime and the Man. Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 1939.
16. VAUGHAN, K. Safe Childbirth. Baltimore, Win. Wood, 1937.
17. SCHREIBER, F. Brain Damage at Childbirth. Cleveland Press, June 23, 1938.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 20
SOIL DEPLETION AND PLANT AND ANIMAL
DETERIORATION
THE data available on the subject of soil depletion and animal deterioration are so voluminous
that it would require a volume to present them adequately. When we realize the quantities of many
of the minerals which must enter into the composition of the bodies of human beings and other
animals, we appreciate the difficulty of providing in pasture and agricultural soils a concentration of
these minerals sufficient to supply the needs for plant growth and food production. If we think of
growing plants and grasses in terms of average soil tilled to a depth of seven inches, we are dealing
with a total of approximately two million pounds of soil per acre, of which two thousand pounds7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 229/250will be phosphorus in its various chemical forms, some of which will not be readily available for
plants. If one-half of this phosphorus were present in an available form, there would be enough for
only one hundred poor crops, utilizing ten pounds to the acre for the seed alone; or for forty good
crops, taking twenty-five pounds per acre, assuming that the seed were to be removed from that
land and not replaced. A sixty-bushel crop of wheat or corn per acre takes twenty-five to twenty-
eight pounds of phosphorus in the seed. The soil is depleted of calcium similarly, though that
mineral is not usually present in such limited amounts nor so rapidly taken away as is phosphorus.
The leaves and stems of rapidly growing young plants and grasses are rich in calcium and
phosphorus. As the plants ripen the phosphorus is transported in large amounts to the seed while
most of the calcium remains in the leaves. A large part of the commerce of the world is concerned
with the transportation of chemical elements as foods, chief of which are calcium and phosphorus.
Whether the product of the soil is ultimately used as wheat for bread, milk and meat for foods, or
wool and hides for clothing, every pound of these products that is shipped represents a depletion
of soil for pasturage or for grain production.
    If we think of one hundred good crops constituting the limit of capacity of the best soils, and
one-fourth of that for a great deal of the acreage of the tillable soil, we are probably over-
generous. This problem of depletion may seem to many people unimportant, either because there
has been no consciousness that depletion has been taking place, or because they believe that
replenishment is a simple matter.
    In correspondence with government officials in practically every state of the United States I find
that during the last fifty years there has been a reduction in capacity of the soil for productivity in
many districts, amounting to from 25 to 50 per cent. I am informed also that it would cost
approximately fifty dollars per acre to replenish the supply of phosphorus.
    Many people realize that farms they knew in their childhood have ceased to be productive
because they have "run out." The movement of population to cities and towns is, in part, the result
of the call of the social center and in part a consequence of the need of forsaking depleted soil.
While there are many things that influence the movement from the farms, there is much to be
learned from the government census reports which deal directly with farm acreage and values.
    If we relate the levels of life of human and domestic animals to the problem of soil depletion, we
find two important groups of data. First, there are those which relate to specific land areas, some
small and some very large; and second, those which relate to civilizations and groups, both large
and small that have passed out of existence or are rapidly deteriorating. A study of the skeletons of
the past and present often discloses a progressive breakdown. For example, we may mention the
important anthropological findings of Professor Hooton of Harvard, who, in his examinations of
various pueblos of the Western Plains, especially at the Pecos Pueblo where the progressive
burials have been uncovered, has brought to light the calendar of a civilization extending over a
thousand years. These findings show that there has been over the period of years a progressive
increase in skeletal deformities, including arthritis and dental caries, together with a reduction in
stature, suggesting a direct relationship to progressive depletion of the soil.
    In a recent magazine article, I have presented data (1)  comparing the mineral content of different
pasture grasses, and relating these to deficiencies in cattle. Unfortunately, space does not permit
reviewing these data here in detail. They show that calcium varied from 0.17 per cent for a dry
pasture grass in Arizona to 1.9 per cent in a Pennsylvania pasturage plant, to 2 per cent in a British
Columbia pasturage plant, a range of over ten fold. Similarly, phosphorus was shown to vary from
0.03 per cent to 1.8 per cent, a range of sixty fold. Neither pasture animals nor human beings can
eat a sufficient amount of low mineral plant food to provide the total mineral requirements of
ordinary metabolism. In cases of overload, such as pregnancy and lactation in adults, and rapid
growth in children, the demand is increased greatly. For example, a high-milk-production cow
from southern Texas on a certain low mineral pasture will run behind her normal requirements
about 60 grams of phosphorus and 160 grams of potassium per day. In that district large numbers
of cattle were unable at the time to maintain their own bodies, let alone reproduce or provide milk.
Many cattle in the district developed loin disease. It was found that moving them to another plot of7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 230/250ground where the soil was not depleted provided recovery.
    About thirty-seven billion dollars, or approximately 40 per cent of the cash income of salaries
and wages of the people in the United States, is used for the purchase of foods. When we add to
this the expenditure of energy by the people living on the land, it represents a total, probably
exceeding fifty billion dollars a year that is spent for the chemicals that are provided in the foods, a
large amount of which, perhaps 50 per cent, will have been expended for calcium and phosphorus,
perhaps 25 per cent for other chemicals, and 25 per cent for special vitamin or activator carrying
foods. Of this enormous


 (page 339)
Balanced breathing (Pranayama, page 360)
Meditate
Eat breakfast
Take a mid-morning walk (for one-half hour)
Lunch: Noon–1 P.M.
Eat lunch early (it should be lar gest meal of the day)
Sit quietly for five minutes after eating
Walk to aid your digestion (5 to 15 minutes)
Meditate in the late afternoon
Dinner: 6–7 P.M.
Eat a moderate dinnerSit quietly for five minutes after eating
Walk to aid your digestion (5 to 15 minutes)
Bedtime: 9:30–10:30 P.M.
Engage in light activity in the evening
Get to bed early, but at least three hours after dinner
Do not read, eat, or watch TV in bed
Naturally this is a very full schedule, but I hasten to say that hundreds of
our patie nts (and their families) observe the dinacharya and have abundant
time left over to pursue active lives. If you hesitate to modify your
schedule, rest assured that you can be as busy as a doctor if you know how
to ride nature’ s waves. The whole point of making the day orderly is that all
your activity becomes healthier, more enjoyable, and more efficient. You
gain more time than you lose, and it is quality time.
You will note that the main exercises are walking, plus gentle yoga poses
coupled with meditation. Most of the other points are self-explanatory. I
would just like to make a few additional points about each period of the
day.
RISING: 6–8 a.m.
Morning is a special time in Ayurveda, when nature sends out its most
delicate message s and you are most sensitive to them. Your nervous system
has been built so that the sight of dawn, the still air on your skin, the faint
sounds of birds and animals awakening, all set the stage for renewal. Alert
to the slightest influence, the whole body is silent and poised in a delicate
balance.When you wake up, you shou ld feel alert and clearheaded with no
worries lingering from the day before, indicating that your nervous system
is ready  to be renewed. It is harmful to disturb or ignore this one
opportunity to be naturally re-created. Writer Joan Mills has beautifully
expressed the specialness of early rising: “From dawn’ s simplicities arise
moments that are profound past explaining and powerful beyond sentiment.
There are mornings when some small, isolated joy carries more conviction
than a month of woe.”
Medically speaking, the body precisely calibrates the correct biochemical
balance for a full day’s activities. It also empties the system of wastes from
the previous day, which is why morning elimination is valuable before
starting the new day’s cycle. Having a bowel movement at this time is
something you can gently encourage by drinking a glass of warm water and
then allowing five minutes or so in the bathroom to see if your body wants
to have a bowel movement. If not, don’t worry about it. In time, if they
keep this practice up regularly, most people find that an instinct for morning
elimination will emer ge.
When you brush your teeth, Ayurveda says that you should clean the
white coating from the tongue if one has appeared overnight.  This is the
residue of ama, either from last night’ s meal or from a deeper  imbalance.
Not everyone wakes up with a coated tongue, so this step is optional. As
your diet impro ves and you get into better balance, the coati ng tends to
disappear.
The dinacharya asks you to do many different things in the early
morning. It takes discipline to do all of them. You will be extending your
routine by about an hour, which  is a big change. But the rewa rds are big,
too. When our patients stick to their morning routine in full, they report
exhilarating health, unmatched by those who are careless or haphazard
about it.
Try adding a few new elements to your present schedule and see how
comfortable you feel with them. In order, the most important things to add
are:Early rising (at dawn)
Meditation
Ayurvedic exercises: Sun Salutes, Yoga positions
Oil massage
Meditation has already been discussed, and Ayurvedic exercise s will be
covered later, in a separate section. That leaves the oil massage (abhyanga),
which is one of the most enjoy able parts of the dinacharya as well as a
prime way to balance Vata dosha.
Lightly massaging the entire body with a thin film of oil before you bathe
makes your skin feel warm and supple, a perfect balance for the cold
dryness of Vata. Our Vata-type patients report that they are less prone to feel
anxious or scattered during the day if they do their morning massage
regularly. In fact, everyone would benefit enormously from balancing their
Vata right at the start of the day. The skin contains thousands of cutaneous
nerves that are connected to every part of the body. Science also recognizes
that the skin is a major producer of endocrine hormones.
In scientific terms, your morning massage works by soothing the two
master systems of the body, the nervous system and the endoc rine system.
No wonder that in ancient times Charaka lavished praise on the practice of
abhyanga, holding that it rejuvenates the skin, tones the muscles, eliminates
impurities, and promotes youth fulness. Massaging yourself is also a good
way simply to start off the day relaxed, which Ayurved a considers
extremely important. People who approach the day as a race against time do
not have the best chance at perfect balance.
Here is how abhyanga is done.
HOW  TO DO AN OIL  MASSAGE
(ABHY ANGA)
 Since this is a very light massage, it requires no more than a scant quarter
cup of warm oil. Use a refined  nut or seed oil sold in health-food stores.
You can also order herbalized oils (page 378). Vata types do best with
sesame or almon d oil; Pittas respond to olive or coconut and Kaphas benefit
from light or warm oils such as sunflower or sesame.
To heat the oil: Put three to four tablespoons of oil in a clear plastic cup
or a squeeze bottle and set it in a bowl of very hot water. Wait a minute or
two until the oil reaches skin temperature. Or, you can put the oil in a glass
cup and heat it for ten to fifteen seconds in the microwave, being very
careful not to over heat it.
Technically, it is best to use cured oil that has been subjected to high heat
for only a brief period. You can carefully heat your oil to 212 degrees F,
making sure that you watch it the whole time to prevent a possible fire.
The best place to perform your massage is in the bathroom. As good as it
is for your body, there is no doubt that abhyanga is messy. No matter how
careful you are, some oil will get splashed around. To minimize this, use a
sheet of plastic (from a disposa ble trash bag) to cover the floor while you
do your massage. Or put a small plastic stool in your tub and do your
massage there. The mini-massag e given at the end of this section  is also less
messy.
FULL  BODY  MASSAGE (5–10 MINUTES)
Start with your head: Pour a tablespoon of warm oil on your scalp. Using
the flat of your hand and fingers, massage the oil in vigorously. Cover your
entire scalp with small circular strokes, as if you were shampooing. Move
to your face and ears, massag ing more gently. Gentle massage of the
temples and backs of the ears is especially good for settling Vata dosha.
Apply a little oil to your hands and massage your neck, front and back,
then your shoulders. Use the flat of your palm and fingers.
Vigorously mass age your arms, using a circular motion at the shoulders
and elbows and long, back-and-forth motions on the long parts.It is important not to be too vigorous when you get to your trunk. Using
large, gentle circular motions,  massage the chest, stomach, and lower
abdomen. (Ayurveda traditionally advises moving in a clockwise direction.)
A straight up-and-down motion is used over the breastbone.
Apply a bit of oil to your hand s and reach around without straining to
massage your back and spine—use up-and-down motions, or whatever you
can do.
Vigorously massage your legs as you did your arms— circular at the
ankles and knees, straight back-and-forth on the long parts.
Begin abhyanga with vigor ous scalp massage.With the remaining bit of oil, vigorously massage your feet and toes.
Washing off the oil: Keeping a thin, almost undetecta ble film of oil on the
body is consider ed very beneficial for toning the skin, balancin g Vata, and
keeping the muscles warm during the day. Therefore, you should wash
yourself with warm, not hot, water and mild soap. If you look good with
glossy hair, leave a bit of oil on your scalp, too, but most people will need
to use shampoo.
MINI-MASSAGE (1–2 MINUTES)
Doing a full-body abhyanga sometimes takes too long for everyone’ s
morning schedu le, but it is so beneficial that we


.	Best	medical	advice	also	holds	that	you	use	a	higher	sunblock
number.	Simple	measures	like	wearing	a	sun	hat	with	a	wide	brim	help	remove
the	burden	from	sunblocks,	along	with	sitting	in	the	shade	and	wearing
sunglasses	that	are	UV	resistant.
Also	be	aware	that	there	are	a	multitude	of	toxic	ingredients	in	most
sunscreens.	When	choosing	a	sunscreen,	look	for	products	with	the	active
ingredient
zinc	oxide	or	titanium	dioxide.	These	are	physical	protectants,	which
reflect	UV	rays	off	your	skin,	rather	than	chemical	products.
Here	are	some	toxic	skin-care	ingredients	to	look	out	for	and	avoid.
OXYBENZONE	(AKA	BENZOPHENONE-3)
While	the
American	Academy	of	Dermatology	says	oxybenzone	is	safe,	the
Environmental	Working	Group	(EWG)	and	other	toxicology	experts	believe
that	oxybenzone	is	linked	to	hormone	disruption	and	potentially	to	cell
damage	that	may	lead	to	skin
cancer.
23
	Some	studies	have	linked	oxybenzone
use	in	pregnant	women	to	low	birth	weight,
24
	which	can	lead	to	serious	health
problems	later	in	life;	it	also	may	impact	the	adrenal	system
25
	and	may	alsoreduce	testosterone	levels	in	men.
26
NANOPARTICLES
These	are	extremely	tiny	particles	added	to	sunscreen	that	are	easily	absorbed	by
the	skin.	About	100,000	times	smaller	than	the	width	of	a	human	hair,	these
tiny	particles	can	penetrate	the	blood-brain	barrier,	leading	to	damage	or
genetic	changes	in	the	brain	cells.
27
	Be	sure	that	the	ingredients	on	your
sunscreen	are	in	a	non-nano	form.	This	even	goes	for	safer	sunscreen
ingredients	such	as	zinc	oxide	and	titanium	dioxide,	as	micronized	titanium
dioxide	has	been	associated	with	cellular	damage.
28
RETINYL	PALMITATE
In	a
National	Toxicology	Program	study	on	lab	animals,	it	was	found	that	when
skin	is	treated	with	a	mix	of	retinyl	palmitate	(RP),	a	vitamin	A	derivative,	and
skin	cream	and	exposed	to	ultraviolet	light,	the	cream	with	retinyl	palmitate
stimulated	lesion	and	tumor	growth.
29
	As	discussed	earlier,	while	vitamin	A
may	be	considered	a	wonderful	skin-care	ingredient	in	its	natural	state,	it
should	be	restricted	to	night	creams	for	those	that	choose	to	use	it—and	never
used	in	sunscreen.
OCTYL	METHOXYCINNAMATE	(AKA
OCTINOXATE,
EUSOLEX	2292,
AND
UVINUL	MC80)
This	is	an	ingredient	that	is	believed	to	create	free	radicals	inside	the	skin,
which	can	create	cellular	and	DNA	damage.	Similar	to
oxybenzone,	it	works
with	other	penetration	enhancers	to	enter	through	the	skin	and	accumulate	in
the	body.	It	has	the	potential	to	possibly	create	phototoxic	effects,	meaning	that
toxic	reactions	are	provoked	by	light.
30
PADIMATE	O	(AKA	PARA-AMINOBENZOIC	ACID,	OR
PABA)
Because	this	can	be	very	irritating	to	the	skin,	it	has	largely	been	phased	out	of
most	sunscreens.	But	it’s	worth	looking	out	for,	just	in	case	it’s	still	lurking
around	in	some	brands.	According	to	the	EWG,	PABA	can	release	free	radicals,
create	allergic	reactions,	damage	DNA,	and	induce	estrogenic	activity;	and	they
implicated	padimate	O	as	a	nitrosamine,	a	class	of	compounds	that	may	be
carcinogenic.
31
SOLAR	BEAUTY	SMOOTHER	TREATMENTAlmond,	argan,	and	olive	oils	are	particularly	good	for	replenishing	the	moisture	in	dry	skin	and
contain	vitamin	E	and	nourishing	minerals.	Sweet	orange	oil	is	believed	to	be	particularly	effective	in
helping	rejuvenate	and	revitalize	the	skin	against	sun	damage.
2	teaspoons	almond	oil
1	teaspoon	argan	or	avocado	oil
8	drops	sweet	orange	essential	oil
Combine	all	ingredients	until	mixed	well.	Rub	onto	sun-exposed	areas,	reapplying	two	or	three	times
per	day.	For	a	firmer,	more	cream-like	consistency,	store	in	a	glass	or	BPA-free	container	in	the
refrigerator.
Beautiful	Underarms:	Toxic	Versus	Safe
Deodorants	and	Antiperspirants
One	beautiful	way	your	body	was	designed	for	detoxification	is	to	allow	wastes
to	evaporate	through	the	pores	of	your	skin.	A	key	area	where	your	body
detoxes	itself	is	under	your	arms,	where	sweat	glands	and	lymph	nodes	are
located.	The	modern	concept	of	using	antiperspirants	to	stop	your	underarms
from	sweating	can	hold	toxicity	in.	This	is	not	natural	or	recommended.
Clogging	your	body’s	normal	channels	for	waste	removal	is	not	a	good	idea.
You	can	wipe	or	cleanse	your	underarms	during	the	day	if	you	are	concerned
about	excessive	moisture,	and	there	are	natural	solutions	to	prevent	underarm
odor.	Keep	in	mind	that	as	you	clean	up	your	diet	and	improve	your	digestion
and	the	elimination	of	wastes	in	your	system,	your	level	of	offensive	bodily
odors	may	naturally	decrease.	But	you	will	probably	still	want	to	use	something
to	ensure	that	you	always	smell	fresh	and	clean.	When	you	do,	it’s	important	to
choose	your	deodorant	wisely.	Commercial	deodorants	contain	some
potentially	toxic	materials	that	you	should	try	to	avoid.	Some	of	these
ingredients	include	aluminum,	parabens,	propylene	glycol,	triclosan,	TEA,
DEA,	FD&C,	phthalates,	and	talc.
Aluminum	has	been	linked	to	Alzheimer’s,
cancer,	and	allergic	reactions.
Some	people	dispute	the	link	between	the	type	of	aluminum	used	in
deodorants	and	these	diseases,
32
	but	others	believe	it	is	worth	avoiding.	Some
have	suggested	that	aluminum-based	compounds	in	antiperspirants	may	be
absorbed	through	the	skin	and	can	be	a	health	risk	factor,	though	much	more
research	is	needed	to	show	a	definite	link.	With	all	the	alternatives	out	there
nowadays	in	various	deodorants,	you	can	certainly	avoid	aluminum	if	you
choose.
Parabens	mimic	the	activity	of	estrogen	in	the	body.	Since	estrogen	promotesthe	growth	of	breast	cancer	cells,	and	a	woman	is	eight	times	more	likely	to
develop	breast	cancer	in	the	part	of	the	breast	closest	to	the	underarm,	scientists
are	studying	the	connection,	though	further	studies	and	research	are	needed.
RADICALLY	SAFE	DEODORANT
It	is	easy	to	make	your	own	deodorant	that	is	safe	and	effective	in	eliminating	unpleasant	underarm
odor!	The	coconut	oil	and	baking	soda	in	this	DIY	version	both	have	antibacterial	properties	and	help
prevent	odor,	while	the	grapefruit	extract	smells	bright	and	fresh	and	has	antibacterial	and	antiseptic
qualities	as	well.	The	arrowroot	starch	helps	thicken	your	deodorant	into	a	somewhat	solid	form	that
is	easy	to	apply.
3	tablespoons	coconut	oil
3	tablespoons	baking	soda
40	(or	so)	drops	grapefruit	ex


 portion were intussuscepted so that two yards of their length were telescoped into but five inches, and here the diameter
of lumen was only one -quarter of an inch; all of the small intestines were below normal in size; the transverse colon lay in front of
the descending part of the bowel, an abnormality which largely increased the labor of disposing of body waste ; the ascending and
descending portions of the colon were lacking in development and were cirrhosed or hardened in structure; the sigmoid bend an d
the rectum were of diameter not to exceed that of an adult thumb, and were in an advanced state of cirrhosis;  the liver, the
pancreas, and the spleen all exhibited partial atrophy; brain and nerve centers showed no signs of deterioration.

    As has been stated, surgical intervention is at times essential in order to correct accidental or congenital structural defect in
tissue, and here was a case in which such intervention might have been successfully invoked at the time of the accident noted  in its
history. Neglected then, life was nevertheless prolonged despite the handicap of the abnormalities described, but  at cost constant
suffering.

    Case 7, that of a man fifty -six years of age, presents a history of continuous disease in youth, but includes at least twenty years
of adult life devoted to corrective dieting, judicious fasting, and to constant hygienic care of the body. At the time that the case was
brought to the attention and placed under the direction of the writer, the patient was aware that his condition was such that  recourse
must be had to every agency promising relief or he must succumb. After ex amination, the symptoms showing marked organic
irregularities, it was agreed that but one hope of prolonging life remained, and that this lay in an absolute fast. By it wou ld be
determined either the ability of the organism to continue functioning, or assu rance that the human machine had reached the point
where life could be no longer maintained.

    The fast began, and there was no marked disturbance until the twenty -first day, while relief was such that the patient and all
about him hoped and believed t hat the improvement noted was permanent in character; but on this day and thereafter unfavorable
symptoms progressively developed, and on the thirty -second day of the fast, the case lapsed into coma, which continued until an
abscess which had formed in the  nasal cavity was with difficulty discharged. Great ease in all respects resulted, and the patient
became conscious, assisting with interest in the efforts being made to promote his recovery. Death, however, occurred on the
thirty -eighth day of fasting.

    At all times during this fast large amounts of mucus were discharged in the enemas, and at intervals pain, sometimes
excruciating in kind, was felt in the bladder. In the latter stages pus in abundance appeared in the urine, and during the la st few
days of life the bladder ceased functioning, its contents being removed by catheterization. In this case muscular strength was
shown in remarkable degree, during the fast and until the day of death. The patient was able at all times during conciousness  to
move himself in bed, to rise at intervals, and to assist himself in ways that seemed marvelous when his condition is considered.

    The following are the results of the autopsy. The brain, weighing forty -eight and one -half ounces, was perfect in structure. Here
again is corroborative evidence of the truth advanced by Dr. E. H. Dewey, and developed by all who have scientifically
investigated and practically applied the fast as a therapeutic measure, viz., that nerve tissue is never depleted during abstine nce,
since its supply of sustenance is gained directly from body reserve, not from material freshly assimilated and appropriated b y cells
other than those of nerve substance. The lungs of this man were in excellent condition; the heart, organically considered, wa s
perfect, but was filled with a gelatinous mass of serum affected by post mortem change; from the cardiac opening of the st omach
to within two inches of the pylorus there was not a particle of healthy membrane, and the appearance of the walls of this org an was
Page 66 of  72 that of smooth, wet chamois skin; the duodenum was below normal in size, the upper portion of the jejunum being, howev er,
somewhat dilated; about midway in the tube of the small intestine a downward intussusception had taken place, in length about
two and one -half inches; this was of long -standing, since the walls of the bowel had become hardened and thickened, and thus t he
opening through the gut had been considerably reduced; the only section of the colon that was in normal state was the cecum, and
thence to the rectum the organ was infantile in size; in fact, there was not an inch of this part of the intestinal tract in to which the
tip of the index finger could have been introduced; the sigmoid flexure was less developed than any other portion of the gut;  in
reality it was not a flexure or bend, being merely a straight vertical canal continuing the descending colon to th e rectum and anus;
the liver was much congested, its left lobe, however, being partly cirrhosed; the gall bladder was distended with bilious flu id; the
pancreas was much undersize, and the spleen was that of an infant; the kidneys were in a state of degene ration and were pocketed
with pus, which discharged through the ureters into an inflamed bladder, which was itself undersize and capable of containing
within its thickened walls barely three ounces of urine.

    In connection with this undeveloped and fu nctionally inadequate digestive tract, it is interesting to record that the sex organs of
this man were those of a boy of twelve or thirteen. He was underweight and boyish in appearance as well. The condition met wa s
of course the result of disease in earl y life with consequent arrest of organic development.

    Case 9, a civil engineer, twenty -seven years of age, had suffered since childhood with intermittent acute digestive disease, which
was treated as is usual in orthodox practice. Malnutrition finall y became so pronounced that the subject decided that medicine
could no longer suggest anything to alleviate his condition, and he entered a fast of his own volition, coming for consultati on some
days after its beginning. Examination at this time showed the  uselessness of attempting to cope with the organic symptoms that
were most plainly apparent, and it was deemed best to inform the patient that recovery was out of the question. To allay as m uch as
was possible the fears of his family, food was given, but the stomach persistently rejected it, and the fast was perforce continued.
The patient died at the end of twenty -one days of abstinence.

    Post mortem examination revealed an organism with heart, lungs, and digestive organs so extremely arrested in dev elopment
that, had it not been for the adult body in which they had been functioning, they would have been considered as the organs of  a
child four years of age.

    Case 10, a man of thirty -four, whose physical history had been one of constant illness a fter his twentieth year, is next presented.
The patient had been treated medically for indigestion, constipation, and for various fevers. All his life he had been a heav y meat
eater and an inveterate user of strong tea. In later years fermentation, difficu lty in breathing, and abdominal pain invariably
succeeded the ingestion of a meal. For the relief of these symptoms medical correctives and tonics were taken, but the condit ion
gradually grew worse. The patient finally decided to try a fast, but, because o f interference by his family, a liquid diet was
substituted and continued for thirty -five days when death occurred. In this case pulse and temperature before the dietetic regimen
began had been constantly below normal, and during the period given they show ed but little change, the pulse standing at fifty -four
or thereabouts, with temperature as low at times as ninety -three.

    The autopsy disclosed the lungs completely filled with an exudation of serous fluid, a condition that was the immediate cause  of
death. The surface of the body for several weeks had been discolored in spots, these blotches, or cyanosed areas, indicating an
obstructed circulation. This symptom is sometimes present in cases of cirrhosis of the liver, and the latter organ was found in an
advanced stage of atrophic hardening. The stomach held but eight fluid ounces, and it could hold no more, for its outside mus cular
coat was in a permanent state of contraction, while its mucus membrane was very much thickened, making the walls of the or gan
at least one inch in depth or thickness. As a result of the contraction of the outside coating of the stomach, it had become elongated
into a tube, and its normal capacity was much diminished. The duodenum and the upper three feet of the small intestin e were
dilated so that their lumen was three inches in diameter, a structural change which suggests the thought that nature had atte mpted
to remedy in this portion of the alimentary canal the deficiency in size and function existing in the stomach. It is s aid that cirrhosis
of the stomach is a symptom very rarely observed


 Plus in California. I
don’t recall how I selected that particular software, but as
I look back now, it must have been an inspired decision—
I ended up having some serious destiny with that
company.
By late 1979, I was doing more and more work selling
the accounting  package and the related hardware and
support. I took such good care of my clients that even
Systems Plus began referring  customers to me. Just as I
had learned all my programming skills through the jobs
that came to m e, so these new jobs were teaching me
how to analyze, implement, and support the
computerization of various-sized businesses.
Word spread like wildfire, and the demand for my
products and  services kept increasing. Between
references from Systems Plus, Radio Shack, and my
existing clients, I started  getting requests from
businesses sca ttered across the state. But I was only one
person, and I was very committed to attending morning
and evening services at the Temple. To avoid overnight
business trips,  I just let those opportunities go and fully
surrendered to putting my spiritual practices first. I
would have gone on like that, but then James showed up.
James Pierson was a very sin cere seeker who had just
moved into one of the houses on Temple property. Asperfection wou ld have it, James had a pilot’s license. One
day he overhea rd me discussing my inability to take on
out-of-town cli ents, and he o ffered to fly me around. If
we rented a small, single-engine plane for the trips,
James’s rates were more than reasonable. We began to
do day trips to the out-of-town clients who were willing
to p ay a prem ium for my services. These tended to be
upscale businesses, like a client in West Palm who
brokered private jets. With life as my teacher, little by
little th is non-suit-wearing hippie from the woods of
Alachua was learning to deal professionally with
successful businesspeople. My formula for success was
very sim ple: Do whatever is put in front of you with all
your heart and soul without regard for personal results.
Do the  work as though it were given to you by the
universe itself—because it was.
Personalized Programming was always an exciting
business. Now I got to fly abo ve the clouds in a tiny two-
seater p lane. I would often look out over the expansive
sky and  wonde r, How did I get here?  I ha d m oved out to
the woo ds to drop out and devote my life to my spiritual
practices. I never left the woods, and I never for a
moment took my life back. N ow a boutique business in
West Pa lm, one of the most affluent cities in the United
States, had hired me to fly down and computerize the
business. It was all beyond my comprehension. I was
never even trained in any of this. I was just living in a
fairy tale.3 3.
T h e  B i r t h  o f  T h e  M e d i c a l  M a n a g e r
P ersonalized Pro gramming ha d grown into a successful,
one-man company. In 1980, my brother-in-law, Harvey,
suggested that I incorporate the business for liability
purposes. I remember how unnecessary it seemed to
incorporate yet another bus iness. Still, I accepted his
advice and registered Perso nalized Programming with
the State of Florida. The State sent me a stock certificate
for the business, which I stuck in my safety deposit box
at the bank. The certificate had a beautiful official-
looking seal on it, but it had no real value to anyone but
me. Nonetheless, Personalized Programming, Inc. was
now a legal corporation in the State of Florida.
I r eally loved t he work I was doing with Personalized
Programming. If anything, my passion for computers
had grown stronger since that first day in Radio Shack.
Each co mputer I installed was like a dear friend I left
behind to serve my clients. I may have looked like a one-
man co mpany, but in reality I had left my workers at
every one of my clients’ sites. They worked for free day
and night, and they never complained.
Once I  starte d selling and supporting full system
solutions for my clients, P ersonalized Programming
began generating more than a hundred thousand dollars
a year. That was a far cry from the five thousand I was
earning at Santa Fe just a few years earlier. In addition,
Built wi th Love  was still earn ing a decent living. Through
all t his, I had hardly changed my lifestyle. The money the
businesses were earning got donated to the Temple to
support land purchases and the expenses incurredserving the community. The perfection of how everything
was unfolding was enough to silence the personal mind.
It was around that time when I noticed that my mental
concepts separating worldly  and spiritual  had finally
dissolved. Ever ything began to appear as the miraculous
perfection of the flow of life.
If I’ d had my way, I would h ave continued my life in
that direction. But somehow it seems that in my
experiment with surrender—I never have my way. So it
was in early 1980 when I received two phone calls on the
same d ay that would end up  initiating the next stage of
my phenomen al journey. The calls seemed innocent
enough; they were from people looking for a medical
billing system.  What they w anted was the ability to do
patient and insurance billing using a personal computer.
I didn’t have a system that could do that, but I told them
I would look around and get back to them.
After some searching, I found a system through a
contact I had in Miami. I t was supposed to be a
nationally distributed software package with successful
installations. I  should have checked references. I got
literature and pricing on the system and got back to my
prospective cli ents with a bid. I had no idea what I was
getting into. Once I started testing the software, it didn’t
take long to realize that the package was absolute
garbage. There was no way I was going to represent that
software.
When I called my clients to give them the bad news,
they each had the same res ponse. They said they had
heard t hat I was a very reliable programmer who had
written custom  software for numerous businesses. Why
couldn’t I write software for their medical practice
business?
I re member I was sitting o n the floor of my small
office. The little voice in my  head was going on about
how it took s o long to write software versus selling
someone else’s. Writing a patient and insurance billingsystem would be a much larger project than anything I
had eve r done. I told my clients that it could take as
much as two years to finish such a system.
Unfortunately, they both said they were willing to wait if
they could give input along the way. I definitely didn’t
want to get int o a programming project of that size. But
though there was no definitive agreement with these
clients, there was my agreement to honor life’s flow. My
mind be came s till as I realize d that I really had no choice
but to surrend er to the situa tion life had put me in. It
was jus t like all the other ti mes I let go when I didn’t
want to. I took a deep breath  and told both clients that I
would try my best to write a billing system for their
medical practices.
The moment I hung up from these phone calls, I
reached over and picked up the standard insurance claim
form th at was lying on the  floor next to me. I had
obtained it earlier to see what an insurance bill looked
like. I began th inking about how I was going to structure
a program that would collect  and store the diverse data
necessary to fill out this fo rm. Little did I know that
those first thoughts were the start of a journey into the
computerization of the medic al industry that would span
almost three decades. People have often asked me how
back in  1980 I had the fore sight to focus Personalized
Programming on the medical industry. Now you see that
the answer is simple: I didn’t do a thing except serve with
all m y heart a nd soul what life brought before me. But
the scope of the task I had been given this time was way
beyond anything I had ever faced.
There were no meetings, or budgets, or project plans.
There w as just me. I immediately started to code the
software that would come to be called The Medical
Manager—a product that would end up revolutionizing
the U.S. medic al practice management industry. I know
it is difficult fo r people to un derstand, but to me writing
code was the sa me as having a conversation with anotherhuman being. I didn’t have to  think about what I wanted
to s ay or how  to say it. There was just a natural flow
directly from the stream of my thoughts into the
machine. When I was writing a program, the voice in my
head wo uld speak in the computer language I was using.
I didn’ t think  in English and then convert to the
language; my primary thoughts were in