. Thus
in 8 days my urine was clear and its flow was regular. There was no
burning any more and I was saved from a great danger. 1 am writing
this accol!nt after one month of the cure and I am now completely
free from the trouble.
5 A. Diabetes : An account of Shri Chaturbhai of Mogari village
(Kaira) has been given before. The wife of his brother suffered from
diabetes since long. She agreed to urine treatment and it was started
with rubbing. Within a week of rubbing she had some relief and
brightness appeared on her face. Fast was then undertaken for a few
days along with drinkingof urine. After a month's treatment, she got
rid of her diabetes. Her health improved, irritation in the limbs
disappeared, lethargy diminished and she became active and
energetic.
5 B. Diabetes : Jyotirvid Shri Jayakisandas Dayaram Panchal of
Bombay (28, Suraj Building, Elphinstone Road, Bombay 13) had
written to me an account of his cure of diabetes on 6-6-60. A
medical report was attached to it: · DISEASES OF THE KIDNEY : 1_35
. 'Five years ago, 1. suffered from diabetes. The skin on th~ tip of
·'Y penis had disintergrated and was torn. I felt severe b~rnmg and
itching sensation while passing urine. I used to apply an omtment of
Kemp & Co. Gradually all the joints from back to the feet began to
ache. Later the ache and burning increased. I was compelled to pass
urine repeatedly and had to get up three or four times during the
night. 1 suffered for four years in this way and then ~ent to see a
doctor. An examination revealed that I suffered from dtabetes. I am
41. By allopathic treatment the quantity of sugar in urine diminished
and my weight also increased but when I took some
rice-preparation, urine indicated sugar contents. ·
"I had stopped all medication three months before starting urine
thereapy. 1 collected auto-urine and began with rubbi~g.on 7-~-60.
On 14-3-60 1 began drinking it. On the first day of dnnkmg ~nne, I
observed complete fast and took, the entire urine passed dunng the
day. But the same day, there was acute pain in the head and I had to
eat Kondo (a small grain). From the next day, I took 4 glassful of
auto-urine daily. On the 8th day, sugar content was lowered below
normal and 1 had to take some extra sugar. I reduced the number of
glasses of urine to three only. Then it so happened that daily there
was deficiency in the sugar content in urine and I had to take exttra
sugar. Consequently, 1 postponed the treatment for eight days. and
wrote a letter to you for your advice. I cut down the ~uant1ty. of
urine to 4 ounces a day and also made certain changes 1n my dtet.
Along with this I got my urine examined frorn time to tim: but no
sugar was indicated. During the day, I take 3-4 ounces of unne three
times. 1 have decided to take regular and restricted diet as I want
to decrease my weight.
"I did not have any vomit or loose motions during the
experiment. But whenever sugar contents fell down in the urine, I
felt greatly irritated and felt whirling sensation in my head. A~ soon
as 1 took sugar both the complaints would disappear automatically. 1
have, however, decided to contiune drinking and rubbing urine".
It is important for the foJiower of this treatment to regularly 136 : AUTO-URINE THERAPY
observe its effects on his body and to make necessary changes in
the system with his common sense whenever some bad effect
appears. The apparent safety in doing so is the fact that no harm is
done in such changes and he comes to know of the real method for
treatment applicable to him. The natural treatments affect different
persons in different degrees according to their pyhsical dispositoon.
It is also quite possible that the same method for treatment may not
suit the physical constitution of all persons. It is truly said that one
should be a doctor of a Vaidya of oneself and adjust different natural
methods of treatment to his own requirement and thus bring his
health within his control.
C. Diabetes: Jyotirvid Shri jaikisands Panchal who cured himself
of diabetes has become a faithful protagonist of this treatment and
helps in its publicity. Shri Balaram Sakharam, his neighbour, is 50
and lives at Khar, Bombay. For past many years he is a victim of
diabetes. He met Shri Panchal and started urine experiment under
his guidance. Within a few weeks, he got rid of his diabetes. Here is
his account in short:
"I used to have tooth-ache and so I got the affected tooth
removed by a dentist. He advised pencillin injections in order to
reduce the pain. I had the injections administered by my ·
Life-Insurance doctor. After some time, inflammation appeared on
my whole body. I had another injection of penicillin which removed
the inflammation but produced a bad reaction. After three months,
urine increased in quantity. I had to pass urine seven times during
the day and seven times during the night. I felt very weak and I was
reduced in weight. A feeling of thirst was always there. There was
aching in my mouth and throat. I visited the doctor again and was
informed that I suffered from diabetes. On 12-5-59, doctor P. M.
Oza examined my urine in the clinical laboratory and reported
4.20% sugar content in it. I gave up the use of rice, sugar, tea and
sweets. For same days I took homoeopathic medicines also but
there was no improvement. The disease showed an upward trend
from 1-4-60. Boils appeared on the body and there was intense DISEASES OF THE KIDNEY : 137
burning around the urinarly aperture. The skin on penis was broken
and had lost its flexibility. Consequently, I had injections of insulin
and the sugar content in the blood decreased to 3.50 %.
"I met Shri Panchal and learnt about urine therapy from him. On
11-7-1960, a recorded examination indicated 3% sugar in my urine.
The same day I started drinking urine. I used to drink it four times a
day and twice in the night. Besides I also started urine massage
every day. In diet I took millet-bread and leafy vegetable curry.
Every week I met Shri Panchal and made changes in my diet
according to his advice. Sugar content gradually decreased and on
4-9-60 it was nil.
"The boils on the body were healed by this treatment and the skin
was cleared. On 25-9-60, I started taking rice. On 15-1 0-60, I took
rice, potatoes and sweet dishes and got my urine checked up. But
sugar was not indicated at all. Now I am quite well."
6. Diabetes and Paralysis: Urine treatment is now in use at many
places in Gujarat. To some extet1t, it has become popular in other
States also, Shri Saubhgyachandra Girdharla resides at Palitana in
Jain Society, Girivihar. On his advice his companion, Shri
Gulal;>chand K. Shah, who suffered from diabetes and paralysis,
benefited by urine treatment. Here is the account of his cure :
"I suffered from diabetes and had an attack of paralysis also on
the right half of my body. Fortunately I had gone through your book
Manav Mutra and am experimenting with it for the past one year. I
am glad to report that I have derived great benefit out of it. Had I
undertaken a fast on urine also, I would have had an early cure.
Unfortunately I find myself unable to fast. Nevertheless, though
gradually there has been considerabel improvement. Everyday after
brushing my teeth, I drink urine. In the afternoon I rub my entire
body with old urine. The pain in the knee-joints has already
disappeared, and even a trace of the back-ache is no more. I have
given up insulin injections also for the last one year. Now whenever
there is an ill-effect on my body, I use this marvellous liquid, and 138 : AUTO-URINE THERAPY
am definitely benefited. I am sixty-five now but can walk a distance
of three to four miles without any difficlty. My eye-sight improved
by urine-drops in my eyes."
The above account lacks some necessary details and is too brief.
It appears that Shri Gulabchand has not followed the treatment
systematically. The patients of diabetes and paralysis should take
into consideration all the factors about diet and seasonal changes
and should carry on the treatment patiently and systematically.
7. Mare cured of Diabetes : Dr. G. H. Velinkar veterinary
physician in Bombay w


  bad one, which  came under  my care in 1918.
In that year, I was  introduced  to a man  in the early  forties who at the
time was attending  the local Infirmary as an out‐patient  every week for
a bullet‐ wound in the fore‐ arm. Although the patient had  received the
wound a year previously,  it had  shown no signs  of healing, was about
10 inches in length, about three‐ eights  of an inch  in width, and at times
ulcerous and  suppurating.  His medical advisers were afraid it might
ultimately  turn gangrenous,  to avoid which, poisonous  ointments  and
dressings  were applied, with many changes in the  ingredients  and
proportions  in the mixings. Having got sick of orthodox methods,  the
patient had also resorted to Fletcherism  and the Salisbury Treatment,
from which, admittedly  he had  derived some benefit;  but even so that
wound refused to heal.  In spite of objections  from  his wife, he
eventually  became my patient.
My assistants  first set about ripping off all the dressings.  Then we
washed the wounded  arm three  times a day with old urine, giving the
rest of the body lengthy periods of massage with the bare  hands  and
the same species of urine. The patient  was fasted for three  days on his
own urine plus cold water,  short spells  of sunbathing  were advocated ‐
and at the end of seven more  days nothing remained  of the fissure but
a very slight scar as thin as a gold thread. In short, after a whole year's
"interference  treatment"  the patient  was cured by Nature  in ten days!
Since the date of this  cure  I have observed  scores of cases of
"miraculous"  healing by identically  the same method; these include the
healing of painful and  disabling wounds, cuts, sores, ill‐effects from
rusty nails, fishbones,  etc., also poisonous  wounds and blood‐ poisoning  79
 generally.  As a rule a long penance was not required. Cases taken early
have responded  to three  or four days'  treatment,  whilst  those which
have been medically  interfered  with and  almost rendered  gangrenous
have taken  from ten to eighteen days.
With regard to burns, one reads that in a given year 7,900 Americans ‐
almost half the Lumber of which  were children under  five, died of burns.
(Or did they  die of the treatment  or of both combined?)  As to
thousands  of Americans  who survived the effects of burns  they were
destined  to suffer from unsightly scars, tight puckered  skin, stiffened
limbs  or useless limbs  and fingers.
For years the standby among remedies  for burns  was the application  of
wet tea‐leaves. Then in 1925, Dr. Davidson  of Detroit placed the old
wives' remedy  on a quasi scientific basis. Instead of the boiled tea‐
leaves, he applied the element derived therefrom  which as we all know
is called  tannic acid.  This poisonous  substance  literally tans  the tissues,
and  a thick, hard  crust then  forms over the exposed nerve ends. But
although it relieves the pains it checks the activity and flow of the body
fluids to the parts, the while it acts as a covering under  which  it is
hoped  that new  skin  may  form. Unfortunately,  however,  the tannic acid
not only "tans" the burned  tissues,  but also  the surrounding  healthy
tissues, with the result that it destroys cells  which  ought to be providing
new  cells  for the knitting together of the skin  elements ‐if I may  thus
express ‐ it  for the  benefit of the lay mind. The final  outcome is a
disfiguring  scar, which is preventable  by natural  methods  as opposed to
"scientific"  ones. Tannic acid  is not even bacterial,  for if foreign matter
lurks  on the burned  surface,  the function  of the microscopic  scavengers,
which  science  calls  germs, is impeded,  and  infection is more likely to 80
 persist under  the supposedly  protective  crust.  In the attempt to kill
germs, we merely  manacle the policeman!
The tannic acid  treatment  of burns  was superceded  by the picric acid
treatment,  and  also  the acriflavine  treatment.  Then the surgeons  tried
their methods;  they took skin from another  part of the body‐usually the
buttocks ‐and  grafted it onto the burnt  portions. But unfortunately,  it
sometimes  occurred that the wou.id left by the removal of the healthy
tissue turned septic.  As to the suffering for the patient which  this
method entails, it can be better imagined  than described.  Not that I
wish to decry  surgery where in the case  of acciients  and mutilation
from war it is necessary.  But I am constrained  to say that surgery has
greatly been abused, and  continues  to be abused, and  thousands  of
unneeded  operations  are performed  on organs which  could be treated
by natural  methods.
Nevertheless,  some doctors have been broad‐minded and  enterprising
enough to try urine‐therapy,  as witness  the following  extract from a
letter to me in 1935 by Dr. Geo. S. Cotton  of Temple, Texas, U.S.A.
   Since receiving your literature  some months ago,  I have put it
(urine‐therapy) to the test and the results have been astonishing.  U


. This makes a
person lose much less weight than during a
normal fast. As a result of the afor emen-
tioned processes, that occur during fasting,
the problems of radioactive exposure are
completely solved. And indeed, after
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frChernobyl, academician A. I. Vorobyov21 de-
cided to employ fasting in treating people
stricken by acute radiation sickness (when u l-
cers appear in the gastrointestinal tract).
Bone marrow transplantation and use of
powerful antibiotic therapy are nearly hope-
less in such cases, but thanks to fasting, the
affected people restored their health. For the
first time in the world practice, t he fasting
method helped in the case where other, most

21 Andrei Ivanovich Vorobyov (born November 1, 1928, Moscow)
is a Soviet and Russian hematologist, academician of the USSR
Academy of Medical Sciences (1986) and RAS (2000), professor,
doctor of medical sciences, director of the Research Institute of He-
matology and Intensive Care,  head of the department hematology
and intensive care of the Russian Medical Academy of Postgraduate
Education (RMAPO). He has been the First Minister of Health of
the Russian Federation.
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frinnovative (American, Japanese) treatment
options proved to be powerless! And it’s no
wonder, since these treatment options are the
fruit of artificial conclusions, while fasting is
a natural process t hat has nothing in com-
mon with them.
After this introduction, let’s pass on to the
main question — why are fasts conducted at spe-
cific times of the year? If we combine the dates
when fasts are conducted and astrological signs,
then we’ll see that three out  of the four fasts fall
on ‘Fire Signs’. The Nativity Fast (40 days) falls
on Sagittarius. Great Lent (48 days) falls on Ar-
ies. The Uspensky Fast (14 days) fall on Leo. The
length of the Apostles’ Fast is not constant and
varies between 8 and 42 days. This  variation is
caused by adjustment to natural rhythms. In
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.fryears of the active sun, when there’s a lot of en-
ergy, its duration increases. In cold years, on the
contrary, the length of this fast shortens. There’s
no ad -libbing — everything happens according
to nature’s laws. In the above -mentioned peri-
ods, an increased amount of energy reaches the
Earth from space. This energy, which works like
radioactive energy, can disrupt the organism’s
function. Remember A. L. Chizhevsky’s22 work
The Earthly Echo of the Solar Storms,  and a lot
will be clarified immediately.

22 Alexander Leonidovich Chizhevsky  (1897 – 1964) was a  So-
viet-era interdisciplinary  scientist, a  biophysicist  who founded " he-
liobiology " (study of the sun's effect on biology) and "aero -ioniza-
tion" (study of effect of ionization of air on biological en tities). He
also was noted for his work in  "cosmo- biology", biological
rhythms  and hematology.

Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frIf you fast during this time, then cosmic energy
and an increased amount of solar energy will go
towards creation, intensifying biosynthesis. If
you still continue eating, then the energy won’t
assimil ate and will cause damage to your cells,
and free radicals will inhibit the cell’s function,
undermining the living potential of the whole
organism. But at the same time, bacteria and vi-
ruses convert to active state and successfully at-
tack the weakened org anism due to the abun-
dance of energy. It is exactly at this time that flu
(spring and the beginning of winter) and cholera
(summer) epidemics may be observed all over
the world. In years of active sun, these processes
are of such a pronounced nature, that in the
Middle Ages the majority of the European pop-
ulation died out because of it! You can fast
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frduring another time of the year, but the combi-
nation of increased natural energy and fasting
produces the best effect, activating the ‘fire prin-
ciple’, which is  suppressed during fasting. An-
cient sages took absolutely everything into ac-
count and gave the best recommendations, we
only have to follow them.

Protection against adverse environmental
factors
Along with our own toxins, which are pro-
duced inside the organism, the toxic substances
from the chemicals that have infested our daily
lives, from our poisoned atmosphere, from our
water and our food, are removed from the body
during fasting. However, this was to be expected.
In our environmental conditions, it’s impossible
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frto not consider these facts. But fasting also pro-
duces an excellent preventive effect. For a long
time after the end of a dry fast, the highest pro-
tective potential is maintained, durin g periodic
fasting a person becomes almost invulnerable to
nitrates, phenols, sulphur dioxide and nuclear
power stations.

Prevention of oncological diseases
When I was studying calorie restriction therapy
with Professor Y. S. Nikolayev, he told me about
a curious experiment. Students of Stavropol
Medical Institute divided 120 white rats into 4
groups.
The first group was the control group, and the
remaining three were subjected to a 3 -day-long
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frfast. The first of these three were inoculated with
sarcoma before the fast, the second — during the
fast, and the third — after it. All the control
group members who hadn’t fasted, died. Half of
the 30 animals that had been inoculated with
sarcoma before the experiment a half died, out
of the 30 ones that had been injected during the
fasting a third did. All those who have been in-
jected after the fasting survived. As I’ve already
written, during dry fasting the strongest, most
viable cells survive, that’s why even short -term
dry fasts are a serious preventive t reatment
against malignant tumors. Another marvelous
impact of fasting was recorded by American sci-
entists. They studied the impact of fasting on the
development of severe forms of cancer. The ani-
mals were divided into two groups — the
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frexperimental group and the control group. The
rats in the control group were subjected to radi-
ation. The dose was chosen so that it wouldn’t
cause a quick death, but 2 -3 weeks after the irra-
diation every member of the group had blood
cancer. The experimental group was luckier.
Prior to irradiation, the animals underwent a full
fast. You may think that the organism weakened
by fasting should react even more acutely to this
negative influence, and the sickness should be
more severe. But the results were exactly the op-
posite! Com pared to the control group, the ex-
perimental group had 70 % fewer sick rats.

8.8. Renewal of the organism’s energy
As I’ve already written, water is one of the best
carrier of energy information. This is achieved
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frthrough water’s unique molecular compositi on
and variability of its cluster structure. It was also
proven by scientists that, long before any symp-
toms of illness appear, local areas of ‘heavy’ wa-
ter, water with irregular structure, or  pathologi-
cal zones, are formed in the human organism.
Any kind of evil eye, hex or just people’s envy,
in short, all the negative energy is located in
these pathological zones. During dry fasting the
old ‘dead’ water is replaced with high -quality,
energetically renewed, ‘live’ water, synthesized
by the body itself.
 Dry fasting is, first and foremost,


 a slightly sweet taste—like some lettuces, gar den-fresh baby peas and corn, and young roots—also contain simple
carbohydrates, but they are so low in calories that chewing them may ut ilize more fuel than they provide.)

Think Fruit Meals for Health
Fruit is considered “health food” by almost everyone in the health fi eld. A director of nutrition for the U.S. Olympic teams
once called fruit “magic food.” All the major organizations of health a nd disease, from the government to private businesses, from the
National Heart Foundation to the American Cancer Society, agree th at we should increase our consumption of fruit.
As a category, fruits are our least toxic food choice. They digest cleanl y, leaving only water as residue, which is easily expelled
from the body. I see no healthful reason to look anywhere else for the vast ma jority of our calories. The health, nutrition, energy, and
human performance results available on a high-fruit, low-fat, raw v egan program eclipse even the proven, consistent benefits of low-
fat, starch-based diets.

Fruit As a Staple: An Idea Whose Time Has Come
The practice of eating enough fruit to make complete meals of it is alie n to most of us. Yet it is an idea whose time has come.
Fruits are designed to be our staple; they contain everything require d to be the source and mainstay of our nutritional sustenance.
We have been trained to think of fruit as a treat, something to eat at the  end of a meal, or perhaps as a snack between meals
when nothing else looks good. But I invite you to begin thinking of fruit as re al food, and even as a meal unto itself.
If fruit is to become a primary food source for us, we must be willing to explore  new avenues, think new thoughts, and ask
new questions like the ones below. The consumer has a lot to learn—as we  literally have no frame of reference for such a concept
—and now is the time to get started. In this book, I answer some of these ques tions and many others:

How do we know when fruit is fresh?
How many blueberries (or oranges, or mangos, or bananas) does it take to make a me al?
How can I tell if I ate enough fruit?
Is there such a thing as eating too much fruit?
Which fruits provide us with the most carbohydrates per bite?
Which fruits provide the least?
Which fruits are best at the different seasons of the year?
Where does each fruit come from?

Eating 80% of our calories in the form of uncooked simple carbohydrates can becom e easy and natural once we learn to eat a
moderate amount of nuts and seeds, all the green leafy vegetables we ca re for, and great quantities of whole, fresh, ripe, in-season
fruit.

We Are Designed for Tropical Fruit
As a species, humans originated in a warm climate and eventually s pread throughout the “tropical belt,” the warm zone that
extends through most of the thousand-mile range above and below the equator. This is the environment where tropical fruits
abound.
Some folks suggest that wherever they live, they should eat food that is  locally grown, as “logically” that must be the best for
them, at least, that is what they have heard. In the U.S. and Europe, people oft en argue that since they live in a northern climate, it is
only appropriate that they should eat foods of northern origin.
Think about this: If you have a goldfish, cat, or dog, do you change the very natu re of their diet every time you move? Do zoo
animals get entirely different classes of food, depending on the latitu de of the zoo that houses them? Viewed in this way, it becomes
obvious that we must honor the unique dietary requirements of each speci es, based on its particular digestive physiology.
Further, many people live in climates that only produce food for a few months  of the year. What should they eat the rest of the
year? Humans are anatomically and physiologically adapted to the food of th e tropics, predominantly fruit, as are almost all of the
tropical creatures. In Central America, for example, all mammals w ith the exception of the river otter and the jaguar are known to
eat fruit, as are most of the birds, many of the amphibians, and quite a few of t he reptiles.
No logical or scientific reason exists to conclude that simply because  we have moved away from the tropics, we should therefore change what has been our natural food for the great majority  of our time on Earth. Regardless of where we go on this
planet (or even whether we ever venture off of the planet to other worlds ), tropical fruits remain our natural foods, the only cuisine
for which we are perfectly designed.

Our Own Private Tropics
Historically, it was only the population explosion caused by the advent of tool s and hunting, and exacerbated by the introduction of
farming, that resulted in humans being forced to move into what would othe rwise have been considered inhospitable and even
uninhabitable areas. We effectively took the tropics with us, though, as  we had no other choice.
Every one of us lives almost every minute of our lives in a miniature  tropical environment, keeping ourselves in the tropics by
the judicious use of clothing, bedding, and heat. Even the Eskimos surround th emselves with enough clothing and keep their homes
warm enough so that they can spend almost all of their time “in the tr opics.”
We have been trained from early childhood, and have learned through repeat ed experience, that it is extremely uncomfortable
and can be potentially dangerous, even lethal, for us to leave the safety  of our own private tropics, and early in life accepted the
wisdom and seriousness of this warning. We go through the rest of our live s without ever questioning that we must maintain
ourselves in the warmth of a tropical environment.

Fruit Is a Natural
Fortunately, most people love fruit. Children are naturally inclined t o eat it. Our ever-present sweet tooth is a signal from nature that
drives us to eat enough fruit to provide the simple carbohydrates that fue l every cell of our bodies. Whenever I introduce someone
to a delicious tropical fruit that they have never tried, it is met w ith delight. It doesn’t seem to make any difference what the fruit is,
people almost always “connect” with it immediately. Almost inva riably, I hear something like:

“W ow, this is the best thing I have ever tasted!”
“I just found my new favorite food!”
“I could live on this!”
“Where can I get this at home?”
“Do you know of any mail-order catalogs that can ship some to me?”
“Is this expensive? I want to buy lots of it!”
“How do I learn more about other fruits like this?”

The entire conversation points to the fact that people not only love fruit, they are designed for fruit. Wherever humans have
chosen to venture on planet Earth, they have carried this physiologica l predilection for tropical fruit with them. People who live in
temperate areas still require the foods for which they were designed, j ust as zoo animals that are geographically relocated still retain
their physical requirements.
In fact, it may be even more important for people who live in a cool climate to obt ain tropical fruits, as these people often must
do without other essential healthful-living conditions that are com mon to the tropics (warm temperatures, clean air, rural living, year-
round sunshine, sounds of nature, pure water, etc.). If you live in an area w here tropical fruits are scarce, it may be well worth your
while to consider which other environmentally essential factors y ou are also doing without, and to supply them to the best of your
ability.
Training ourselves to once again eat fruit, a practice that held us i n good stead for thousands of generations, is as rewarding for
our health as it is delicious.

Chapter 6. Protein: 10% Maximum

Of the three caloronutrients, protein is certainly the most discuss ed, and the most misunderstood. I begin with a discussion of
protein in order to clear the air about this vital nutrient, with the in tention of not discussing it again in the remainder of this book.
The need for protein has been greatly exaggerated by market forc es, and protein’s functions have been misrepresented. This
chapter discusses why we need protein and where we obtain protein on a low-f at 80/10/10  diet. We put the protein issues to rest
and then get to the heart of the 80/10/10  diet, carbohydrates and fats.

How Much Protein Do We Need?
I often respond to the question, “where do you get your protein?” with seve ral questions of my own: “How much protein do
you think we need?” “How much protein do you think you currently eat?” “W hat exactly is the function of protein?” “Have you ever
met anyone with a protein deficiency?”
Although I have met many people who have begun to or are considering vector ing their diets away from animal foods, I rarely
meet anyone who has a reasonable response to these queries. Usually the y tell me that we need large quantities of protein for
energy, or to stay strong, or to keep us from getting sick. Nothing could be f urther from the truth. Protein’s primary function is
growth, which is negligible in adults,


 that millions of people wouldwant to become addicted to them. Because I make such a point of getting in my
workout every day, my husband has accused me of being an endorphin junkie,
and he is right! I admit it, I’m really hooked on the feeling of well being Iconsistently get from any sustained exercise. I defend my addiction staunchlybecause it is the healthiest addiction I know of.
I have also been accused of carrying exercise to extremes, and I admit to that
also. For a few years I trained for Ironman triathlons. I now think doing ironmandistances is immoderate and except for a few remarkable individuals with “iron”constitutions, training that hard can only lead to a form of exhaustion that is nothealth promoting. I have become much more sensible in my “old” age, and inrecent years have limited my participation to the Olympic distance triathlons. Iwas on the Canadian team at the World Championship in 1992, and intend to doit again in 1995. I do not find the Olympic distance exhausting, in fact I think it isgreat fun and truly exhilarating. I get to see all these wonderful age groupcompetitors from all over the world who look and feel fantastic. It does my soulgood to see a group of people aging so gracefully, not buying into the popularnotion that old age is inevitably disabling, depressing, and ugly. Sport brings adegree of balance to my life after spending so much time in the presence of thesick. I plan to maintain my athletic activities into old age, barring accident or otherunforeseen obstacles to fitness.
To maintain basic fitness it does not matter so much what form of exercise is
chosen, as long as it is not damaging to the skeletal system or connective tissues.Many people are unable to run due to foot, knee, hip, or back problems, butalmost everyone can walk. Walking outside is better than inside on a treadmill,and walking hills is better than walking on flat ground. Exercise machines such asstationary bikes, cross country ski machines, and stair steppers work well for alot of people who live in the city, especially in the winter, or for those who hateexercise. Whatever you choose to do, it is important to at least double the restingpulse for 30 minutes no less than four days a week. This is the absolute minimumrequired to maintain the health and function of the cardiovascular-pulmonary
system. If your resting pulse is 70, you must walk, jog, ski, bike, swim or what
have you, fast enough to keep the pulse at 140 beats per minute for at least 30minutes.
I have a strong preference to exercising outside in isolated places where there
is only me and the forest, or only me and the river. Running along logging roads inthe hilly back country, or swimming in the green unpolluted water of a forest riveris a spiritual experience for me. It is a time to meditate, to commune with nature,and to clear my mind and create new solutions. The repetitive action of running orwalking or swimming, along with the regular deep breathing in clean air, with nodistractions except what nature provides is truly health promoting. Sharing theseactivities with friends or family can also be great fun and some of the best in socialinteractions. It is one of my favorite ways of visiting with people. I don’t expectother people to be as enthusiastic about exercise as I am, but I do hope thateveryone will make an effort to be minimally fit as an ongoing part of their healthprogram into old age.
Diet For A Long, Long Life
Some people not only want to be healthy, but they want to live in good health
long past the normal life span projected by statistical tables for Homo Sapiens.
Dr. Roy Walford, a well-respected medical research gerontologist who has beenactively studying longevity for many years, is one of those. He has scientificallydemonstrated with accepted studies that a qualitative life span up to at least 115years of age is reasonably attainable by the average person if they start workingon it no later than about 50 years of age, though earlier is much better.
Walford’s principles of extending life are very simple. All you have to do is
restrict your caloric intake to about 1,500 per day, and water fast two days aweek. Or alternatively, reduce your caloric intake to 1,200 per day and fast onlyone day a week on water. And make sure that every single bit of food you do eatis packed with nutrition, every single calorie, without exception. You continue this
program for the rest of your life along with moderate daily exercise and high but
reasonable dosages of vitamins, minerals, and also take a few exotic foodsupplements. The supplement program is not particularly expensive nor extreme,Walford’s supplement program is more moderate than the life extension program Irecommend for all middle-aged and older people. The best foods for this type ofprogram is a largely raw food diet (80%) with a predominance of sprouts andbaby greens, some cooked vegetables, and raw nuts and seeds. And make sureyou get 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise every other day.
While Dr. Walford’s focus is on caloric reduction while maintaining sufficient
nutrition, most other life extensionists focus on increasing the nutrition side of theequation for health without bothering to reduce caloric intake. This approach ismuch easier because essentially, it involves gobbling nutritional supplements by thehandfuls without requiring self-discipline, though it can get quite expensive. I’llhave more to say about this approach in the next chapter, which is about vitamins.
In this book I can’t explain all the aspects of prolongation of life through
conscious life-style choice. Those who are interested are referred to theBibliography.
Chapter Six
Vitamins and
Other Food Supplements
From The Hygienic Dictionary
Vitamins. [1] The staple foods may not contain the same nutritive substances as in former times....
Chemical fertilizers, by increasing the abundance of the crops without replacing all the exhaustedelements of the soil, may have indirectly contributed to change the nutritive value of cereal grains andof vegetables.... Hygienists have not paid sufficient attention to the genesis of diseases. Theirstudies of conditions of life and diet, and of their effects on the physiological and mental state ofmodern man are superficial, incomplete, and of too short duration. They have, thus, contributed to theweakening of our body and our soul. Alexis Carrel, Man the Unknown.
I have already explained the hygienist’s view of why people get sick. The
sequence of causation goes: enervation, toxemia, alternative elimination, disease.However, there is one more link in this chain, a precursor to enervation that, forgood and understandable reasons, seemed unknown to the earlier hygienists. Thatprecursor is long term subclinical malnutrition. Lack of nutrition effects virtuallyeverybody today. Almost all of us are overfed but undernourished.
I have already explained that one particular head of broccoli does not
necessarily equal another head of broccoli; the nutritional composition ofapparently identical foods can be highly variable. Not only do different samples ofthe same type of food differ wildly in protein content, amino acid ratios andmineral content, their vitamin and vitamin-like substances also vary according tosoil fertility and the variety grown.
These days, food crop varieties are bred for yield and other commercial
considerations, such as shipability, storage life, and ease of processing. In pre-industrial times when each family propagated its own unique open-pollinatedvarieties, a natural selection process for healthy outcomes prevailed. If the family’sparticular, unique varieties carried genes for high nutrition levels, and if the family’sland was fertile enough to allow those genes to manifest, and if the family kept upits land’s fertility by wise management, their children tended to survive the gauntletof childhood illness and lived to propagate the family’s varieties and continue thefamily name. Thus, over time, human food cultivars were selected for theirnutritional content.
But not any longer! These days, farming technology with its focus on bulk yield
and profit, degrades the nutritional content of our entire food supply. Evencommercial organically grown food is no better in this respect.
Subclinical, life-long, vitamin and mineral deficiencies contribute to the onset of
disease; the malnourished body becomes increasingly enervated, beginning theprocess of disease. Vitamin supplements can increase the body’s vital force,reversing to a degree the natural tendency towards degeneration. In fact, somemedical gerontologists theorize that by using vitamins it might be possible torestore human life span to its genetically programmed 115 years without doinganything else about increasing nutrition from our degraded foods or paying muchattention to dietary indiscretions. Knowing what I do about toxemia’s effects Idoubt vitamins can allow us to totally ignore what we eat, though supplements cancertainly help.
More than degraded nutritional content of food prompts a thinking person to
use food supplements. Our bodies and spirits are constantly assaulted andinsulted by modern life in ways our genetics never intended us to deal with. Todaythe entire environment is mildly toxic. Air is polluted; water is polluted; our foodsupply contains traces of highly poisonous artificial molecules that our bodies haveno natural ability to process and eliminate. Our cities and work places are full of
loud, shocking noises that trigger frequent adrenaline rushes and other stress
adaptations. Our work places are full of psychological stresses that humans neverhad to deal with before.
Historically, humans who were not enslaved have been in control of
determining their own hour to hour, day to day activities, living on their ownlargely self-sufficient farms


 up. I have these athletes to tell me, "Mr. Reams, if lever get over this, I'm going to whip you, soon as I get well. I've never been this sick in my life." They feel so good when they get over the body chemistry change they forget to whip me. The body chemistry chang-es really happen and no drug can cause the body to change from one range to another, only minerals can do this.
Let us take the case of a female, age 50, weight 130, height 5'5",
with the following numbers:

ͨ.ͨͰ					ͭ.ͪͨ
ͭ.ͬͨ
ͬ
ͮ

Here we have a person with low urinary blood sugar. If she were
to go to a doctor he would run a blood test and find the blood sugar
normal because the glucose would be up, but there is a time each day that this person would just feel they are going to die, being anemic, almost blacking out, irritable, fighting for life and wondering why everything is upsetting.
This person's calciums are so deficient that she is a nervous wreck,
and except for the grace of God, very hard to live with. Also, there is a potassium deficiency causing her to be extremely absent-minded.
We would find a very high count of delta cells in the vagina, ovary
area, and also in the bladder and both kidneys; a very high emphyse-124 ma count in both lungs, and a case of diarrhea. The food is going
through too fast and the person is feeling very weak.
She may have been married many years and become so irritable
until the husband can't stand her, and if he has low calciums too, di-vorce will probably result. He doesn't understand her condition and she doesn't either.
There is a difference between weakness and tiredness and most
people do not distinguish the two. The athletic young' man would be unduly tired. Tired in the morning, tired at night, tired all the time, but this woman is weak all the time. This type of person must be in a re-treat because unless something is done quickly she is going to be faced with a total hysterectomy because the ovaries are affected. Also, there are delta cells in both breasts.  (lf the middle finger were placed
on the breast it would feel like cord s, it wouldn't be like a lump.) Un-
less something is done this person would have less than two years to live because the energy rating is down to 30. About all a doctor can find wrong here at this stage would be low in potassium, and a very slight calciums deficiency. If he took a pap smear there would be no blood or indication of anything wrong in the uterus area.
The person is probably already over her menstrual period, but the
calciums are still too low, giving her the effects of menopause: nerv-ousness, cold hands, cold feet, and in general needing a good tune-up.
The liver is not manufacturing vitamin D, and without the liver manu-facturing an enzyme of vitamin D the body cannot assimilate calci-ums. This person must be in a retreat, or place where tests can be done every day. The numbers indicate that there is a tumorous area in the brain. The nerves in the brain are not carrying the messages through, not because they are tired, but because there is not enough electrolyte in the system for the messages to go from the brain to the vital organs. The high count of delta cells in the brain would be in the top of the head, toward the front of the brain, in the medula oblongata. This is the part of the brain with which we think and act, where we store in-formation with which we study and memorize.
There are 4 percent of the people that do not go through a rough
withdrawal, and there's no biological reason. The only reason we 125 know is that our instruments do not measure the grace of God, and,
therefore, there is no biological reason why they should not go
through just as rough a time as ev erybody else, but they don't and their
numbers change and within four to seven days we can tell whether or not the body responds.
It is impossible for anyone who has not been trained in the Reams
Biological Theory of Ionization to understand these numbers.
There are seven different stages that we go through from baby-
hood to senior citizen, and in each stage these numbers indicate some-thing different.
ANY CHANGE IN ONE NUMBER CHANGES THE MEAN-
ING OF ALL NUMBERS, THEREFORE, ANY ONE NUMBER BE-ING PERFECT DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING, UNLESS ALL NUMBERS ARE PERFECT THEN NO NUMBERS ARE PERFECT.
In this equation stated above there are two ranges that we have not
discussed, the B and D range.
You can be just as near perfect health or death in the B range and
the D range as in the A range. If anyone's body chemistry was in any range except A, and after a week's dieting their body chemistry moves into range A, this indicates that nature would be restoring you to per-fect health at the most rapid rate possible. However, if you started too late and your reserve energy level was too low the disease may be overtaking you faster than you can supply the minerals to repair the damage, this can be determined within a 30-day period.
Range B is the range that indicates that the person really needs a
tune-up. The longer this condition exis ts, the more critical it will be-
come. The reserve energy is the criteria of the exact state of resistance of the body.
Reserve energy between 18 and 60 years of age should be about
100 if one is in perfect health. Many people do not reach reserve ener-gy level 100 in their whole lifetime and may live to be in the seven-ties, eighties, or even nineties. There are people who break every rule of health and live to a ripe old age. Again, there is no biological rea-son to explain this, but there is a theological reason. One of the Ten Commandments tells us: HONOR THY FATHER AND MOTHER: 126 THAT THY DAYS MAY BE LONG UPON THE LAND WHICH
THE LORD THY GOD GIVETH THEE. No one knows except the
person himself whether or not he or she truly honors (honored) his or her father and mother.
This calculation of energy is very difficult, and only those who
master the subject through the ninth seminar will be able to calculate the energy level. There are people now  that say they have cracked the
code and that they can calculate the energy level. Believe them not. There is no way to crack a code because there is no code. It's simply mathematics used according to the age, height, weight, sex, race, as well as the specimen readings.
In Chapter 7 we said it takes X amount of reserve energy divided
by time to make a cell in the body if there is reserve energy behind it. You might ask, "What is the value of X?"
The value of X is determined on the reserve energy by how strong
the gastric juices are of one's liver. I have said many times to the RBTI students, "If you thoroughly understand seminar one, then you can go on to all eight seminars by yourself without help, but unless you do understand seminar one thoroughly and memorize the rules, then you will not understand seminar two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight or nine." I had some of the st udents in seminar five to say, "Now
I know what you meant when you said if we thoroughly understood the math in the body chemistry which was taught in seminar one that we could carry on through all nine seminars by ourselves, but I did not understand it."
We do not mind you seeing your numbers, keeping your numbers,
or trying to compare your numbers, but unless you have had the semi-nars you will not understand them.
It is possible to work so hard until you will still burn up more re-
serve energy each day than you took in and become more ill with your numbers in range A, and eventually  it will be moving into other rang-
es if you keep this up.
Symptoms of a potassium deficiency in the brain show up long be-
fore it shows in the blood, and indicates that the person works like a machine. They never seem to tire. They work long, long hours and 127 very, very hard. Nature seems to tell them that their time is short and
they've got to get all their work done and prepare them for death.
A potassium deficiency in the br ain means that the brain cannot
accept enough oxygen, and if you have this condition and a low sugar condition, you really have a problem  because the low sugar lets you
know that there is something seriously wrong, but with the potassium deficiency there can be something seriously wrong and you may not be aware of it. Potassium deficiency shows up in range B, C, D, and E. It can show up in any range, but it is most prevalent in range Band
D.
Let us take an example in range B: Female, age 44, weight 120, height 5'5"
ͭ.ͭ					ͮ.Ͱͨ
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ͯ
ͩͨ

This reading would not indicate a potassium deficiency but would
indicate the person being a borderline diabetic, that the pancreas was not producing enough insulin. She would be slightly


1
In the 1800s dentists originally used gold in a careful way to fill painful teeth with cavities. But gold
was too expensive for most people to afford; imagine, for example, paying the equivalent of $10,000
for one filling today. Since dentistry was unaffordable for many people in the 1830s the Crawcour
brothers made their way from France to the United States to popularize a low cost gold alternative –
Bells putty. With Bells putty, which consisted of a melted silver coin mixed with mercury, they could
fill teeth in two minutes, and no drilling was required.
2
 While effective in the short term, the mercury
was very toxic and many teeth discolored or died
3
 not to mention the other side effects that were
caused by mercury exposure. Dentists who placed mercury fillings were called quaks (or quacks)
after the old Dutch word for a noisy peddler selling mercury-containing “health” potions and salves:
Quacksalber
.
Dental Fact
In 1845 the American Society of Dental Surgeons banned the use of mercury fillings because of health
concerns.
4
The economics of mercury fillings instead of gold triumphed and the American Society of Dental
Surgeons fell apart by 1856. In 1899 the American Dental Association came into existence to promote
the use of mercury-laden fillings.
5
 In 1896 the fate of our teeth changed forever with the work of
dentist G.V. Black. He reformulated mercury fillings making them less toxic and longer lasting. He
also developed new drilling protocols which are summarized by the principle of “extension for
prevention.” In other words, drill a bigger hole (extension) to give more time before the tooth needs
to be retreated. This technique, although changed to some degree in modern times, is the foundation of
modern dentistry. G.V. Black’s “innovations”

included drilling away all the discolored toothstructure, and then creating a wedge shape within the tooth in order to place a mercury filling that
would remain secure. In plain words, dentists are taught to drill big holes in teeth, because that is
what works best with mercury fillings. This procedure became enshrined in the curriculum taught in
dental schools, and dentists have been enthusiastically drilling parts of our teeth that are not decayed,
or that can remineralize, for the last hundred years. The problem with “extension for prevention” is
that we lose healthy tooth structure. A dental student from India wrote to me explaining this dilemma:
As a dental student I drill teeth every week. I'd rather say that I have to do this to pass
my exams. When I see my patients sitting on the dental chair with their eyes closed, I feel
for them as they are losing their tooth structure forever.
Tooth Filling
Once there is a large hole in your tooth something needs to be put in its place. Alzheimer’s disease
6
,
Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS), Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, lupus, and some forms of
arthritis all have one thing in common – mercury.
7
 Mercury is considered hazardous waste in
fluorescent bulbs at the amount of 22 milligrams. A normal mercury filling has approximately 1000
milligrams of mercury. In watching a video teaching mercury filling placement, I saw myself the
messy process of installing mercury fillings as hundreds of shreds of hazardous mercury are spread
all over the mouth.

When a foreign substance, particularly a metal, is implanted in the body, the body
can mount an immune system reaction. This toxic substance can cause or contribute to diseases such
as those just mentioned. The book
Whole-Body Dentistry
by dentist Mark Breiner describes dental
immune reactions in children. For example: one child became sick and unable to walk from mercury
fillings and stainless steel (nickel) crowns, and another child developed leukemia from these same
dental materials.
8
It isn’t just mercury amalgams that are toxic. While less toxic, white composite fillings made up of
ground glass and plastic still cause immune reactions on average in 50% of patients. One of the most
popular composite fillings caused negative immune reactions in 90% of those who received them.
9
Conventional dentists do not check filling compatibility with your body. Composites of plastic and
glue can contain toxic chemicals like bisphenol A. Modern fillings last on average 5-12 years
depending on the material. In the case of amalgam fillings even with all the extra drilling, only 25%
will last 8 years or longer.
10
 While there are some good composites on the market, with such a short
life span, the typical filling is not a long lasting solution for tooth decay.
After the drilling and filling comes our least favorite part – billing.
Drilling, filling, and billing
 is the
model of conventional dentistry and it is also a business model. The dentist with lots of medical
school debt, a family to support, staff to pay and so forth, needs to make a lot of money to stay in
business and enjoy a comfortable lifestyle. The more teeth that are drilled and filled, the more money
is made. There isn’t much incentive in this system for curing and preventing cavities because without
the drilling and filling business model it becomes more of a challenge to turn dentistry into a
profitable career. Because many alternative dentists are afraid of being sued or losing their license,
they don’t want to practice dentistry that is beyond the accepted drilling and filling protocol. The
incredibly strong profit motive has many dentists blinded by dollar signs. People know most dentists
are in business for the money because they can see it and feel it. It is easy for a conventional dentist toget greedy and recommend the least conservative (as in most profitable) approach to treating cavities.
As a result, many people have lost faith in dentistry; with each new dentist they try, the profit-
motivated dentist continues to fail to put the patient’s needs first. Even dentists have lost faith in their
profession. Dentist Marvin Schissel wrote a chilling commentary on the shoddy dental work
performed by dentists trying to maximize profits called
Dentistry and Its Victims
, and dentist Robert
Nara wrote
Money by the Mouthful
, exposing how easy and common it is for dentists to make money
by pushing unnecessary dental treatments.
With all the toxic materials put into people’s mouths causing immune system responses, the short life
span of fillings, the damage caused by high speed drilling, and unnecessarily prescribed filling
treatments, the conventional dentist doesn’t really offer his patients true health care, or a permanent
solution to tooth decay.Micro-organisms
In ancient times, when people were afflicted with various types of ailments and diseases, they
commonly blamed evil spirits. The belief was that the evil spirit had invaded the person’s body and
then caused disease. If one could placate these spirits or induce them to leave then the disease would
be cured.
Many people around the world still maintain this same belief today, except that these evil spirits now
have been identified. Dentists, scientists, doctors, and government officials have decided that
disease-causing “evil spirits” are now real, in the form of micro-organisms (viruses, bacteria, etc.).
The prevalent and accepted theory is that these viruses and bacteria are the basic or primary cause of
disease – including tooth decay. This theory of disease, labeled the germ theory, became cemented in
our minds thanks to the work of Louis Pasteur (1822–1895) who is famous for the invention of
pasteurization. Mr. Pasteur proposed a theory of disease that is now the basis of most forms of
modern medicine. This theory projects the idea that pathogenic bacteria exist outside the body and
that when our body’s defenses are lowered bacteria can invade the body and cause disease. Pasteur’s
“science” has remained the status quo despite a large body of evidence showing that bacteria don’t
invade people, but rather that they evolve and change based upon their environment. The effect of Mr.
Pasteur’s contribution to medical thought has led us to our modern system of dental care in which we
attempt to cure cavities by killing the evil invading force - bacteria.
Conventional Dentistry’s Losing Battle Against Bacteria
When disease like tooth decay is our enemy then we must fight it. We create war and thus inner and
outer conflicts. Conventional dentistry is engaged in fighting this war. Bacteria are the enemy and
your mouth is the battleground. Yet no matter how much money you spend on dentistry, the war
against bacteria never seems to be won.
The modern system of dentistry has evolved from the combination of beliefs that tooth decay is
caused by bacteria (identified as
Streptococcus mutans
) and the belief that bacteria eat foods in the
mouth and produce acid that causes teeth to decay. Dentistry then aims to control bacterial growth in
the mouth for treatment and prevention of tooth cavities. Dentistry’s war against bacteria can be
summarized as follows:

1
.
You must brush your teeth all the time to eliminate these “disease causing” bacteria.
2
.
You must rinse your mouth with chemicals to eliminate more “dangerous” bacteria.
3
.
You must floss to eliminate the remaining bacteria and food particles.
4
.
When those three tactics do not work, you must pay a dentist to remove the bacterial infestations
with drilling.
5
.
When a dental


, glioblastomas, melanomas, and prostate and colon cancer when combined with conventional cancer therapeutic agents, these reports remain unconfirmed by strategic clinical trials.
These controversial findings suggest that DMSO may have an important role in
anticancer chemotherapy. However, further research is needed, particularly on a larger population that can be studied long term in randomized clinical trials.
CANCER AND RADIATION
Radiation is a well-established carcinogen for humans, and 10% of invasive can -
cers are related to radiation.38 A study was conducted that used high linear energy
transfer (LET) particles, which are used in radiotherapy, to irradiate a human bron-chial epithelial cell line, a stepwise neoplastic transformation of these cells occurred together with a consistent downregulation of the tumor suppressor TGFBI  gene.
39
The irradiated cells showed fragmentation and shrinking of mitochondria, which was 128 Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) in Trauma and Disease
accompanied by a reduction in mitochondrial functions. The reduced mitochondrial
functions were seen as lowering of cytochrome C oxidase, superoxide production, as well as succinate dehydrogenase activities when compared with nonirradiated con-trols.
39 Cytochrome C oxidase is the last enzyme in the respiratory electron transport
chain of mitochondria and is important in the synthesis of ATP, the energy fuel of all cells. DMSO exposure of the irradiated epithelial cells was able to control the super -
oxide production and the damage caused by this free radical on the mitochondria.
39
A combination therapy using DMSO and sodium bicarbonate infusion was
recently reported by Hoang et al.40 DMSO and sodium bicarbonate were mixed into
a solution and infused daily for 6 months to nine patients suffering from advanced nonresectable biliary tract carcinoma, a highly fatal malignancy that has a poor response to chemotherapy. The treatment was well tolerated by all nine patients, and no adverse effects were recorded. The combined DMSO–sodium bicarbonate infu -
sion was seen to improve pain control, blood biochemical parameters, and quality of life for the patients. Notably, this treatment led to a 6-month period of progression-free survival for all nine patients in the trial, a finding the authors consider signifi -
cant of further research and application for the palliative care and extended survival of patients with this condition.
40
These findings add fuel to the conclusion that more research is needed using anti -
cancer agents mixed in DMSO solutions, a procedure that may provide more effec -
tive penetration and effectiveness in cancer suppression.
Onyx EMBOLIZATION
Onyx is composed of ethylene–vinyl alcohol copolymer dissolved in DMSO and sus -
pended with micronized tantalum powder to provide contrast for visualization under fluoroscopy. Onyx liquid is used as an embolic agent of the vascular endothelium for a number of conditions including carotid-cavernous fistulas and cerebral arteriove -
nous malformations (A VMs).
41,42 Embolization of these vessels may prevent lethal
hemorrhage if they burst or leak.
Onyx has been used with radiosurgery where it was successful in 80% of patients
treated for A VMs, showing safety and efficacy with a low rate (5%) of clinical com -
plications.43 Radiosurgery involves a single high-dose fraction of radiation directed
stereotactically at an intracranial region of interest.44,45
The flow-directed catheters used to deliver the liquid Onyx for embolization can
be coated with DMSO to prevent early polymerization within the catheter.46 It has
not been investigated whether DMSO may serve a secondary role during emboliza -
tion in stabilizing A VMs besides being a vehicle for the copolymer.
Transvenous occlusion of the cavernous sinus in dural arteriovenous fistula
using Onyx embolization has been tried on patients with some success.47 Onyx with
DMSO was injected through the superior pharyngeal branch of the ascending pha -
ryngeal artery where small transosseous feeders to the fistula arising from the supe -
rior pharyngeal branch of the ascending pharyngeal artery could be occluded by this approach especially when more conventional approaches cannot be achieved.
47
Arteriovenous fistula of the spinal dura is also amenable to Onyx endovas -
cular embolization. Although vascular malformation of the spinal cord is a rare 129 DMSO in Malignancy
clinical condition, it occurs when congestion of the spinal cord medullary venous
plexus results in edema and neuronal ischemia.48 If not repaired, axial or radicular
back pain, gait imbalance, weakness of the lower limbs, numbness, and bladder or bowel disturbances can result.
49
Onyx has been tried in order to embolize the abnormal communicating vessels to the
dura and relieve the spinal cord edema that develops with a relatively high rate of suc -
cess.49 However, the neuronal ischemia is not always improved in arteriovenous fistula
of the spinal dura using Onyx, and it is only speculative whether a high dose of intrave -
nous DMSO separate from the Onyx embolization could aid control of this condition.50
REFERENCES
 1.  Almeida CA, Barry SA. Cancer: Basic Sciences and Clinical Aspects. Wiley-Blackwell,
Hoboken, NJ, 2010.
 2.  Hanahan D, Weinberg RA. The hallmarks of cancer. Cell. 2000;100(1):57–70.
 3.  Hanahan D, Coussens LM. Accessories to the crime: Functions of cells recruited to the
tumor microenvironment. Cancer Cell. March 20, 2012;21(3):309–322.
 4.  L yman GH, Papahadjopoulos D, Preisler HD. Phospholipid membrane stabilization by
dimethylsulfoxide and other inducers of Friend leukemic cell differentiation. Biochim
Biophys Acta. October 19, 1976;448(3):460–473.
 5.  Lehman JM, Speers WC, Swartzendruber DE, Pierce GB. Neoplastic differentiation:
Characteristics of cell lines derived from a murine teratocarcinoma. J Cell Physiol.
August 1974;84(1):13–27.
 6.  Friend C, P atuleia MC, De Harven E. Erythrocytic maturation in vitro of murine (Friend)
virus-induced leukemic cells. Natl Cancer Inst Monogr. September 1966;22:505–522.
 7.  Pierce GB, Wallace C. Differentiation of malignant to benign cells. Cancer Res.
1971;31:127–136.
 8.  Af fabris E, Jemma C, Federico M, Rossi GB. Modulation of erythroid differentiation
induced by DMSO in Friend cells treated with interferon: A clonal analysis. Ann Ist
Super Sanita. 1982;18(3):425–427.
 9.  Preisler HD, L yman G. Differentiation of erythroleukemia cells in vitro: Properties of
chemical inducers. Cell Differ. 1975;4:179–187.
 10.  Friend C, Scher W, Holland JG, Sato T. Hemoglobin synthesis in murine virus-induced
leukemic cells in vitro: Stimulation of erythroid differentiation by dimethylsulfoxide.
Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1971;68:378–382.
 11.  Basile D V, Wood HN, Braun AC. Programming of cells for death under experimen -
tal conditions: Relevance to the tumor problem. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. November
1973;70(11):3055–3059.
 12.  P aran M, Sachs L, Barak Y, Resnitzky P. In vitro induction of granulocyte differentiation
in hematopoietic cells from leukemic and non-leukemic patients. Proc Natl Acad Sci
USA. 1970;67:1542–1549.
 13.  Goldstein MN, Plurad S. Drug-induced dif ferentiation of human neuroblastoma:
Transformation into ganglion cells with mitomycin-C. Results Probl Cell Differ.
1980;11:259–264.
 14.  Fioritoni G, Bertolini L, Torlontano G, Revoltella R. Cytochemical characteristics of
leukopoietic differentiation in murine erythroleukemic (Friend) cells. Cancer Res.
March 1980;40(3):866–872.
 15.  Collins SJ, Ruscetti FW, Gallagher RE, Gallo RC. Terminal differentiation of human
promyelocytic leukemia cells induced by dimethyl sulfoxide and other polar com-pounds. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. May 1978;75(5):2458–2462.130 Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) in Trauma and Disease
 16.  Tsiftsoglou AS, Wong W. Molecular and cellular mechanisms of leukemic hemopoietic
cell differentiation: An analysis of the Friend system. Anticancer Res. January–February
1985;5(1):81–


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_The_19_Century.indd   20 26/02/16   4:42 pm21 Early Origins t O th E 19th C EnturyWe tend to underestimate the medical skills of apparently
undeveloped communities—particularly during the so-called
Dark Ages in medieval Europe—but it is evident that many
people had a surprisingly sophisticated understanding of plant
medicine. For example, recent excavations at an 11th-century
monastic hospital in Scotland revealed that the monks were
using exotic herbs such as opium poppy ( Papaver somniferum,
p. 244) and marijuana ( Cannabis sativa, p. 182) as painkillers and
anesthetics. Likewise, the herbalists in Myddfai, a village in
South Wales, obviously knew of Hippocrates’ writings in the
6th century ce and used a wide variety of medicinal plants.
The texts that have been handed down from that herbal
tradition are filled with an engaging blend of superstition and
wisdom. Two prescriptions from a 13th-century manuscript
illustrate the point. The first recipe could have been written by
a modern, scientifically trained herbalist; the second, one must
presume, is pure fancy, and would not choose to try it out!
To Strengthen the Sight
Take Eyebright and Red Fennel, a handful of each, and half a handful
of Rue, distil, and wash your eye daily therewith.
To Destroy a Worm in the Tooth
Take the root of a cat’s ear, bruise, and apply to the patient’s tooth
for three nights, and it will kill the worm.
Islamic & Indian Medicine 500–1500 ce
Folk medicine was largely unaffected by sweeping forces of
history, but Western scholastic medicine suffered greatly with
the decline of the Roman Empire.
 It was thanks to the flowering of Arabic culture in
500–1300 ce  that the gains of the classical Greek and Roman period were preserved and elaborated. The spread
of Islamic culture along North Africa and into present-day
Italy, Spain, and Portugal led to the founding of renowned
medical schools, notably at Cordoba in Spain. The Arabs
were expert pharmacists, blending and mixing herbs to
improve their medicinal effect and their taste. Their
contacts with both Indian and Chinese medical traditions
meant that they had a remarkable range of medical and
herbal knowledge to draw on and develop. Avicenna
(980–1037 ce ), author of Canon of Medicine, was the
most famous physician of the day, but perhaps the most
unusual herbal connection was made a century before
his time by Ibn Cordoba, an intrepid Arab seafarer, who
brought ginseng root ( Panax ginseng, p. 118) from China
to Europe. This valuable tonic herb was to be regularly
imported into Europe from the 16th century onward.
 Further east, in India, the 7th century saw a golden age
of medicine. Thousands of students studied Ayurveda at
university, especially at Nalanda. There, scholars recorded
the medical achievements of the time, with advances such
as the development of hospitals, maternity homes, and the
planting of medicinal herb gardens.
Central & South American Cures
On the other side of the world, the ancient civilizations
of Central and South America—Maya, Aztec, and Inca—
all had herbal traditions with a profound understanding
of local medicinal plants. One account tells of Incas taking
local herbalists from what is now Bolivia back to their
capital Cuzco in Peru because of the herbalists’ great
capabilities, which reputedly included growing penicillin
on green banana skins.
 At the same time, medicine and religion were still closely
interwoven in these cultures, possibly even more so than
in Europe. One gruesome account tells of Aztec sufferers
of skin diseases who sought to appease the god Xipe
Totec by wearing the flayed skins of sacrificial victims.
Fortunately, a supernatural appeal to the gods
was not the sole means to relieve this and
other afflictions. Many herbs were available
as alternative treatments, including
sarsaparilla ( Smilax  spp., p. 270), a tonic
and cleansing herb that was used
in treatments for a variety of skin
complaints including eczema
and psoriasis.
Galen and Hippocrates, two of the
preeminent physicians of the classical
era, debate in this imaginary scene
depicted in a fresco.
US_018-027_Early_Origins_To_The_19_Century.indd   21 26/02/16   4:42 pm
22
The developmen T of herbal medicine
Rebirth of European Scholarship 1000–1400 ce
As European scholars slowly started to absorb the lessons
of Arabic medical learning in the early Middle Ages, classical
Greek, Roman, and Egyptian texts preserved in the libraries of Constantinople (later Istanbul) filtered back to Europe, and hospitals, medical schools, and universities were founded. Perhaps the most interesting among them was the medical school at Salerno on the west coast of Italy. It not only allowed students from all faiths—Christian, Muslim, and Jewish—to study medicine, but it also allowed women to train as physicians. Trotula, a woman who wrote a book on obstetrics, practiced and taught there in the 12th century ce. Herbs were, of course, central to the healing process. An adage from the Salerno school on sage (Salvia officinalis,  p. 131) went as follows: Salvia salvatrix, natura conciliatrix
(sage, the savior; nature, the conciliator). By the 12th century, trade with Asia and Africa was
expanding and new herbs and spices were being regularly imported into Europe. Hildegard of Bingen (1098–1179),
the famous German mystic and herbal authority, considered galangal (Alpinia officinarum, p. 61)—used in Asia as a warming and nourishing spice for the digestive system—to be the “spice of life,” given by God to provide health and to protect against illness.
Asian Unification
Marco Polo’s travels to China in the 14th century coincided with the unification of the whole of Asia from the Y ellow
Sea in China to the Black Sea in southeastern Europe by Genghis Khan and his grandson Kublai Khan, whose capital
was in China, not far from Beijing. Neither the Chinese nor Ayurvedic medical traditions were directly threatened by this conquest. The Mongol rulers were strict in banning the use of certain toxic plants such as aconite (Aconitum napellus,  p. 160), but their decree may have held an element of self-Marco Polo’s voyage to China in the 14th century opened the door for a flourishing
reciprocal trade in goods, including medicinal herbs, between East and West. Eventually,  exotic herbs like ginger, cinnamon, and cloves became widely used in European medicine  and cooking.
Manuscript page from an Anglo-Saxon herbal of about 1050 ce, illustrating the aerial parts and root system of a medicinal plant.preservation, given aconite’s alternative use as an arrow
poison—one that could have been used against the ruling powers. Moreover, the Mongol unification may have encouraged greater communication between the two medical disciplines. In other parts of Asia, such as Vietnam and Japan, Chinese culture and medicine exerted the primary influence.  While kampoh—the traditional herbal medicine of Japan— is distinctive to that country, its roots stem from
Chinese practices.
Trade between Continents 1400–1700
Trade routes had slowly expanded during the Middle Ages, bringing exotic new herbs in their wake. From the 15th century onward, an explosion in trade led to a cornucopia  of new herbs becoming readily available in Europe. They included plants such as ginger (Zingiber officinale, p. 155), cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum, p. 93), nutmeg (Myristica fragrans, p. 115), turmeric (Curcuma longa, p. 90), cinnamon (Cinnamomum spp., p. 81), and senna (Cassia senna, p. 75).
US_018-027_Early_Origins_To_The_19_Century.indd   22 26/02/16   4:42 pm23 Early Origins t O th E 19th C EnturyThe trade in herbs was not entirely
one way. The European herb sage,
for example, came into use in China,
where it was considered to be a
valuable yin tonic.
 The arrival of Columbus’ ships in
the Caribbean in 1492 was followed
by the rapid conquest and
colonization of central and
south America by the Spanish
and Portuguese. Along with
their booty of plundered
gold, the conquistadores
returned to the Old World
with previously unheard-of
medicinal plants. Many
of these herbs from the
Americas had highly potent
medicinal actions, and they
soon became available in the apothecaries of the major
European cities. Plants such as lignum vitae ( Guaiacum
officinale, p. 218) and cinchona ( Cinchona  spp., p. 80) with
strong medicinal actions were used with greater and lesser
degrees of success as treatments for fever, malaria, syphil


 is also a mild urinary antiseptic and demulcent and may be taken for infections such as cystitis.
Cautions Do not take during pregnancy. This herb
is subject to legal restrictions in some countries.Phaseolus vulgaris (Fabaceae)
French Bean,
Haricot Bean
Description Slender-stemmed, annual climber
growing to 13 ft (4 m). Has pointed oval leaflets, curly tendrils, clusters of white or lilac flowers,  and a beanpod containing kidney-shaped seeds.
Habitat & Cultivation French beans are
thought to have originated from South America. Today, varieties are cultivated all over the world. The ripe beans are gathered in summer.
Parts Used Beanpods, beans.
Constituents French beans contain lectins,
saponins, flavonoids, allantoin, amino acids,
and sugars.
History & Folklore French beans have been
used since antiquity to treat diabetes. In A Modern Herbal (1931), Mrs. Grieve records that “because Petroselinum crispum (Apiaceae)
Parsley
Description Annual herb growing to 1 ft
(30 cm). Has an erect stem, bright green compound smooth or crinkled leaves, small white flowers growing in clusters, and small ribbed seeds.
Habitat & Cultivation Parsley is native to
Europe and the eastern Mediterranean. Today
it is rarely found in the wild, but is cultivated throughout the world as a nutritious salad herb. The leaves may be picked from spring to autumn, and the seeds are gathered when just ripe.
Parts Used Leaves, root, seeds.
Constituents Parsley contains a volatile oil
(including about 20% myristicin, about 18% apiole, and many other terpenes), flavonoids, phthalides, coumarins (including bergapten), vitamins A, C, and E, and high levels of iron. The flavonoids are
anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. Myristicin and apiole have diuretic properties. The volatile oil relieves cramping pain and flatulence, and is a strong uterine stimulant.
History & Folklore Parsley was known in
ancient Greece and Rome—but more as a diuretic, digestive tonic, and menstrual stimulant than as a salad herb. In Rome, parsley was associated with the goddess Persephone, queen of the underworld, and was used in funeral ceremonies. Parsley was introduced to Britain in 1548.
Medicinal Actions & Uses The fresh
leaves are highly nutritious and can be considered  a natural vitamin and mineral supplement in their own right. The seeds have a much stronger diuretic action than the leaves, and may be substituted for celery seeds (Apium graveolens, p. 64) in the Dried leaves
Pfaffia paniculata (Amaranthaceae)
Suma,
Brazilian Ginseng
Description Climbing perennial with a thick
rootstock, growing up through rainforest trees into the forest canopy.
US_246-265_Pergularia_Extensa_Salvia_Sclarea.indd   246 17/03/16   4:01 pm247 other medicinal plants
Phytolacca americana
syn. P. decandra (Phytolaccaceae)
Pokeweed
Description Herbaceous perennial
growing to 10 ft (3 m). Has alternate
lance-shaped leaves, spikes of greenish-
white flowers, and clusters of fleshy,
purple berries.
Habitat &
Cultivation
Native to North
America, pokeweed is
now naturalized in the
Mediterranean region. It
thrives in damp woodland
and in open areas. The root
is unearthed in late autumn.
Part Used Root.
Constituents Pokeweed
contains triterpenoid saponins,
lectins, lignans, resin,
and mucilage. The
triterpenoid saponins are
strongly anti-inflammatory,
the lignans are antiviral, and
the lectins are mitogenic
(break up chromosomes).
History & Folklore Pokeweed
was widely used by Native
Americans and European settlers  Phytolacca americana
such as acute diarrhea, jaundice, vaginal infection
(including trichomonas), and certain skin conditions.
It is also given for urinary system disorders such as
frequent urination, pain, and infection.
Research Clinical trials in China indicate that
the bark is useful in the treatment of meningitis
and conjunctivitis.
 QCautions T ake huang bai  only under
professional supervision. Do not take huang bai
during pregnancy.cultivated in warm temperate and
subtropical regions, including North and South
America and South Africa. The fruit is gathered
once it has ripened in summer.
Parts Used Fruit.
Constituents Winter cherry contains
flavonoids, plant sterols, and vitamins A (carotene)
and C. The roots contain tropane-type alkaloids,
physalin A and B. Water extracts of the plant may
have an anti-estrogenic effect.
History & Folklore The Greek physician
Dioscorides (1st century ce) considered winter
cherry to be medicinally beneficial as a diuretic and
a treatment for jaundice. In Spain, a therapeutic
wine made with the fruit was taken to treat excess
fluid retention and problems of the urinary tract.
Medicinal Actions & Uses Though commonly
eaten as a fruit, winter cherry is also a useful diuretic.
The fruit is traditionally used within European herbal
medicine to treat kidney and bladder stones, fluid
retention, and gout. It has also been taken to
reduce fever.
Caution The foliage and unripe fruit are
harmful if eaten.of the seed’s close resemblance to a male
testicle… [ancient Egyptians] made it an object
of sacred worship and forbade its use as a food.”
Medicinal Actions & Uses In addition to
being an important food in many parts of the
world, French beans, and beans in general, offer
several health benefits. As part of a balanced
nutritious diet, they help to lower high blood
pressure and raised cholesterol levels. They are
hypoglycemic and promote more stable blood-
sugar levels. Like soy ( Glycine max, p. 217), they
are estrogenic and will help reduce menopausal
symptoms. The pods act as a medium-strength
diuretic, stimulating urine flow and the clearance of
toxins from the body. Powdered beans may be
dusted onto eczema to ease itching and dry skin.
Phellodendron amurense
(Rutaceae)
Huang Bai
Description Deciduous tree growing to 39 ft
(12 m). Has compound leaves with 7 lance-shaped
leaflets, clusters of green flowers, and round berries.
Habitat & Cultivation Huang bai is native
to China, Japan, and Korea, and is cultivated in
northeastern China. The bark of 10-year-old
trees is collected in spring.
Part Used Bark.
Constituents Huang bai contains isoquinoline
alkaloids (including berberine), sesquiterpene
lactones, and plant sterols. Due to its alkaloid
content, huang bai  is antimicrobial and antibiotic.
History & Folklore Listed in the Divine
Husbandman’s Classic  (Shen’nong Bencaojing ),
of the 1st century ce, huang bai  was regarded
as an herb to be used with care.
Medicinal Actions & Uses Strongly bitter,
huang bai  is used within Chinese herbal medicine
to “drain damp heat.” It is prescribed for conditions French beans  are intensively cultivated all over the world.
Physalis alkekengi syn. P. franchetti
(Solanaceae)
Winter Cherry,
Cape Gooseberry
Description Perennial herb growing to
32 in (80 cm). Has oval- to diamond-shaped leaves,
long-stemmed white flowers, and a translucent
papery sheath surrounding an orange-red fruit.
Habitat & Cultivation Winter cherry is
native to central and southern Europe and China. It
grows wild along damp roadsides. It is widely Pokeweed contains proteins
that act against viral infection.Phyllanthus amarus
(Euphorbiaceae)
Phyllanthus
Description Slender annual herb, to 2 ft
(60 cm) in height, with oval leaves and small
yellowish-green flowers.
Habitat & Cultivation Phyllanthus is native
to the Indian subcontinent and found commonly in
central and southern India. The plant is harvested
when required.
Parts Used Leaves, aerial parts.
Constituents Phyllanthus leaves contain lignans
(including phyllanthin and hypophyllanthin),
flavonoids, and alkaloids.
Medicinal Actions & Uses Phyllanthus is
a traditional Ayurvedic remedy used to treat liver
and cardiovascular problems. It combines well
with picrorrhiza ( Picrorrhiza kurroa, p. 248) in
treating hepatitis B and other liver disorders.
Research A growing body of research shows
that phyllanthus has antiviral activity, specifically
against the hepatitis B virus. Research also indicates
that the leaves are diuretic, and lower blood
pressure and blood-sugar levels. Not all the studies


	crab	knows	that	it’s	time	to	march	hundreds	of	miles	to
shore,	and	on	one	single	moonlit	night	millions	of	horseshoe	crabs	appear	at
once.	Amazing.
“Sending	that	impulse	is	what
something
	is	doing.	It
	holds	life	together.
That’s	its	job.	But	now	we	can	stop	calling	it
something,
”	said	Baba.	“Once
you	know	what	the	invisible	force	does,	you	can	call	it	by	its	rightful	name.”
“Which	is	what?”	I	asked.
“The	soul.”
W
HAT
	I	L
EARNED
People	have	millions	of	things	to	say	about	the	soul,	but	Baba	focused	on	just
one:	The	soul	is	the	glue	of	the	universe.	It’s	not	just	sticky	glue;	it’s
intelligent.	The	universe	is	held	together	in	three	invisible	ways:
Everything	is	connected.
Everything	looks	out	for	everything	else.
Everything	is	in	harmony	with	the	whole.
Your	body	is	a	living	example	of	how	these	three	things	work.	A	single	cell
that	isn’t	connected,	that	selfishly	looks	out	only	for	itself,	and	that	refuses	to
be	in	harmony	with	the	whole	turns	into	a	cancer.	One	rogue	cell	among
billions	is	enough	to	destroy	the	entire	scheme	of	life.	The	body’s	intelligence
breaks	down,	and	that	is	far	more	devastating	than	physical	harm.	Fortunately,
such	runaway	cells	are	very	uncommon,	less	than	one	in	a	million,	and	the
huge	majority	of	these	rogues	do	not	survive.	The	body’s	inner	intelligence
knows	exactly	how	life	should	be	regulated	for	maximum	survival.
Baba	didn’t	say	that	the	invisible	glue	must	be	called	the	soul.	Other	terms
have	come	down	through	the	ages:	spirit,	God,	the	divine	spark,	the	breath	of
life.	Often	I	use	the	word
essence
.	When	you	reduce	anything	to	its	purest
form,	you	have	its	essence.	An	armful	of	roses	can	be	reduced	to	half	an
ounce	of	pure	rose	essence.	There	are	billions	of	people	living	totally	different
lives.	Yet	soul	or	spirit	is	the	purest	part	of	being	alive,	no	matter	who	youare.	It’s	your	essence.
It’s	strange	that	this	essence	is	so	hard	to	find.	When	we	go	around	looking
for	it,	we’re	like	fish	looking	everywhere	for	water	but	never	seeming	to	find
it.	I	imagine	the	first	fish	to	discover	water	happened	to	jump	out	of	the
ocean.	Maybe	a	shark	was	chasing	it,	and	the	fish	got	desperate.	When	it
splashed	back	into	the	sea,	the	fish	had	a	thrilling	moment	of
Aha!
	So	that’s
where	the	water	is.	I’ve	been	swimming	in	it	all	my	life	and	never	knew
.
That’s	what	Baba	did	for	me.	Like	a	fish	splashing	back	into	the	sea,	I
discovered	that	I’d	been	living	with	spirit,	inside	and	out,	all	my	life.	It’s
everywhere,	making	sure	that	everything	is	connected.	The	light	from	a	star
billions	of	light-years	away	is	the	same	light	that	makes	plants	grow	here	on
Earth.	The	plants	give	food;	the	food	allowed	you	to	develop	in	your	mother’s
womb;	and	today	you	look	at	those	stars	with	the	eyes	that	the	stars	gave	you.
There’s	the	cosmic	connection.
Did	you	know	that	with	every	breath	you	breathe,	you
	take	in	millions	of
atoms	breathed	out	yesterday	by	someone	in	China?	Those	atoms	were	in
another	body	circulating	in	the	blood	or	building	a	cell	or	perhaps	making	a
baby	Without	knowing	it,	you	are	connected	to	a	baby	who	hasn’t	even	been
born	yet.	The	water	in	your	body	has	the	same	salt	and	mineral	content	as	the
ocean,	which	means	you	are	carrying	the	ocean	around	inside	you.	The	skin
cells	that	you	rubbed	off	with	a	towel	this	morning	when	you	stepped	out	of
the	shower	contain	molecules	that	were	once	in	the	body	of	Jesus	and	Buddha
and	every	other	holy	figure	from	the	past.
So	rejoice	in	the	cosmic	connection.	See	yourself	on	a	beautiful	spring	day
You	are	full	of	new	life	and	energy	The	day	feels	perfect.	Inside	you	a	spark	is
gleaming,	and	you	suddenly	know	for	sure	that	you	are	alive	in	a	world	that	is
your	home.	At	that	moment	you	are	truly	tuned	in.	Baba	taught	me	never	to
forget	that	feeling	of	being	connected	to	everything.
And	he	was	just	getting	started.Soul	Training
L
et’s	move!”	Baba	said,	jumping	to	his	feet.	The	old	man	had	been	sitting	so
still	in	his	cross-legged	pose	that	he	seemed	to	be	planted	in	the	earth	like	the
twisted	tree	itself.	Now	I	had	to	run	to	catch	up	with	him.
“You’re	going	into	training,”	he	called	over	his	shoulder.
“What	kind	of	training?”	I	asked.	He	was	taking	me	to	a	green	meadow	that
fringed	the	woods.
“The	best	kind,”	he	said.	“Soul	training.	Not	many	can	teach	it,	so	you	must
be	very,	very	lucky.	Did	you	know	you	were	that	lucky?”
“Not	really.”	I	wasn’t	sure	if	he	was	teasing	me.
Baba	found	a	spot	in	the	middle	of	the	meadow	and	looked	around.	“This	is
good,”	he	said.	“Lie	down	right	there.”
I	got	flat	on	my	back	in	the	tall	grass,	wondering	what	would	come	next.
“Now	gaze	at	the	sky,”	said	Baba.	“Do	you	see	the	sun?”
“Sure.”	With	the	morning	mist	burned	away,	the	sun	was	right	above	me.
Baba	took	his	hands	and	placed	them	over	my	eyes.	“Now	can	you	see	the
sun?”	he	asked.
“No,	of	course	not.”
“Session	over,”	he	said,	looking	pleased,	as	if	I	had	done	something
extremely	promising.
I	protested.	“What	kind	of	training	was	that?	Nothing	happened.”
Baba	was	always	happiest	when	he	had	me	a	little	off	balance—I	was
learning	that	quick	enough.	He	said,	“When	you	cover	your	eyes,	you	can’t
see	the	sun,	but	you	still	know	it’s	there.	Nothing	has	happened	to	it,	right?”“So	far,”	I	said.
“If	the	sun	went	behind	a	cloud	for	weeks	or	months,	you’d	still	know	that
you	were	connected	to	it,”	he	said.	I	agreed.	“The	same	is	true	for	the	soul.
Just	because	you	hide	it	doesn’t	mean	it	stops	existing.	Be	prepared,”	he	said.
“Let’s	see	if	we	can	move	some	clouds.”
Baba	reached	down	and	made	the	same	motion	of	putting	his	hands	over	my
eyes,	only	this	time	he	put	them	over	my	heart.
Hold	on,
	I	thought.
With	a	bold	flourish	he	took	his	hands	away.	Before	I	could	think	anything,	I
felt	a	coolness	blow	over	me.	I
	looked	around.	The	meadow	was	rippling	with
soft	waves	of	light.	They	se