top of your head, for traces of tension or stiffness, and release them. Make sure your jaw is relaxed
and your tongue lies easy against your upper palate. And now just stay with this feeling of peace,
release and relaxation for a little while.
This basic letting go is the key to all kinds of inner work, including meditation, prayer,
visualization and affirmations. Practised at least twice a day, free from disturbance, noise and
interruptions, it will make a great difference to your mental state, which in turn will affect your
body.
Meditation is a simple way to still the ever-busy brain and enter a place of profound stillness
and peace, which for a short while lets us escape from everyday reality. It needs practice—the
brain is hard to discipline and keeps bringing in thoughts, fragments of ideas and all kinds of
mental rubbish. At first you may find that even thirty seconds of stillness is quite an achievement,
but don’t give up: there are ways to improve the situation.
One is to get hold of intruding thoughts, identify them, then imagine tying a big balloon to
each one and watch them float away. Another one is to improve concentration by counting from
one to four, seeing in your mind’s eye the numbers, shining bright and beautiful against a dark
curtain, and repeat the counting ten times. You can also place a clock at eye level and fix your
entire attention to the second hand going round and round and round, so that nothing else matters.
Gradually—but it needs perseverance—you’ll find it easier to achieve spells of thought-free
awareness, leading to an extraordinary sense of restfulness and peace.
Also, switching off the brain for a little while enables us to hear our so-called inner voice, the
voice of intuition and wisdom. Whatever our belief system, whether or not we are religious, we
all have an inner life and a set of values by which we live. Often it is at a time of crisis, caused
by a serious health breakdown, that we turn inward and review our position in life. Naturally,
Gerson patients are totally free to choose their own way in this field: we are all different and must
respect our differences. But it is the experience of many doctors, counsellors and other health
professionals that patients who believe in a Higher Reality, who are able to pray and put their faith
in God, fare better than those who don’t. Prayer, coming from the heart, with trust in the ultimate
rightness of things, can be a great support on the rocky path of recovery.
Visualization uses the imagination to re-program not only the mind but to a certain extent the
body as well. It works through images, by-passing the thinking-talking brain, and those images
come from the same deep area of the psyche as the ones we meet in our dreams. The purpose of
visualization is to prescribe, so to speak, what we want to achieve: defeating disease, rebuilding
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 176Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comhealth, recovering and living a full life. Using visualisation in the context of cancer was first
developed by the American radiation oncologist Dr. O. Carl Simonton in the 1970’s; “Getting
Well Again,” the book he wrote with his then wife psychologist Stephanie Matthews-Simonton,
has appeared in many editions and several languages.
The essence of the Simonton technique is to find an image for the disease, another one for the
treatment, and see how the latter attacks and gradually demolishes the former. For instance, in the
state of deep relaxation described above, the Gerson patient may visualize his or her tumor as a
big blob of black mud, and the juices as powerful bursts of golden liquid that attack and gradually
clear away the mud. Read cold from the page this may sound odd; practiced as it is meant can be
a powerful experience.
Here is a simple visualization exercise for daily use: see yourself in a perfectly beautiful
place, real or imaginary, where you feel safe, secure and happy. Make yourself comfortable in
imagination, in whatever way feels right for you: gently swaying in a soft hammock, walking in
a perfect garden, sitting happily with a loved person. Choose your own setting outside time and
space and be refreshed by its peace and beauty.
Then see yourself as you wish to be: healthy, fit, strong and active, doing the things you most
enjoy, able to give and receive love, feeling at home in the world. Surrender to this image, become
it, anchor it in your mind and heart. And then slowly return to mundane reality, but bring with
you the memory of the experience. It does make a difference. Actually a similar technique is used
by successful sportsmen and women, who before an important event visualize themselves doing
extremely well in their chosen area.
Imagination is powerful. Used well, it stimulates and tunes the body. It is free, non-toxic and
has no harmful side effects, which makes it the ideal supplementary tool for Gerson patients.
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 177Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comCHAPTER 26
Gerson Lab Tests Explained
Gerson patients are able to monitor their own healing process by having regular laboratory
tests of their blood and urine. Patients on the intensive Therapy and chemo-pretreated
persons on the adjusted version should have these tests every six to 8 weeks; those on the modified
protocol for non-malignant diseases may only need them every three months.
Ideally, laboratory tests should be arranged and analyzed by a Gerson-trained health
professional, but if no such practitioner is available, it is still possible to access these important
tools of follow-up. Patients need to find a conventionally trained allopathic physician, who is
willing to order laboratory tests for them (against the payment of a fee). Without the prescription
of a licensed health professional no tests can be carried out.
Once the test results are available, you should be able to interpret them, following the
detailed guidance contained in this chapter. As a rule, combining a doctor’s interpretation with
the information contained below will allow you to understand the physiological processes going
on in your organism. But let us reiterate the warning already given earlier (see Chapter 21, pg.
150): a well-meaning  allopathic doctor not trained in the Gerson protocol may suggest that you
take certain drugs or change your diet. Please listen to his or her suggestions, but realize that to
follow them would clash with the rules of the Gerson program and slow down or even stop your
progress.
When you read this chapter for the first time as a lay person, you may feel somewhat
overwhelmed by the unfamiliar technical terms. However, everything is made as clear as possible,
and you will soon find your way easily among the results. If you don’t have the services of a
health professional and have questions to which you find no answers in the information below,
put them to the experts at the laboratory where your tests are carried out.
The Serum Calcium Laboratory Test
The laboratory test for serum calcium is a measurement of the levels of calcium in the blood.
Knowing such levels helps a health professional to interpret the patient’s physiological status
regarding neuromuscular activity, enzyme activity, skeletal development, and blood coagulation.
Calcium (Ca+) is a predominantly extracellular ion (a cation) derived from the calcium
absorbed in food through the gastrointestinal tract, provided sufficient vitamin D is present in
the food eaten. Excess quantities of calcium ions in the blood are excreted in the urine and feces,
while insufficient calcium concentrations can move out of the storage areas of bones and teeth to
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 178Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comrestore low blood levels. Daily ingestion of 1 gram of calcium is necessary for normal calcium
balance. For Gerson patients, this should not be given in the form of supplements. Juices and
foods contain more than adequate amounts of calcium.
Serum calcium testing aids in diagnosing arrhythmias, blood-clotting deficiencies, acid-base
imbalance, and disorders of the neuromuscular, skeletal, and endocrine systems. Normal adult
serum calcium levels range from 8.9 to 10.1 mg/dL (atomic absorption is 2.25 to 2.75 mmol/L).
Serum calcium levels for children are higher than for adults.
When the level of Ca+ is too high, a condition of hypercalcemia prevails indicating the
possibility of one or more of the following pathologies: hyperparathyroidism, Paget’s disease
of the bone, multiple myeloma, metastatic carcinoma, multiple fractures, and prolonged
immobilization. From inadequate excretion of calcium, also shown by elevated serum calcium,
kidney disease and adrenal insufficiency may result.
In contrast, low calcium levels (known as hypocalcemia) may come from hypoparathyroidism,


 been useful in some of my patients to help them overcome an allergy to iodine. More information on NAET can be found in
the Appendix.
Joan, age 62, suffered from hypothyroidism for 20 years. Although Joan’s symptoms improved on a holistic treatment
plan (detoxification, vitamins and minerals, and dietary changes), she still was not feeling like she wanted to feel. When
she was diagnosed with an iodine deficiency, I recommended that she supplement with iodine. Joan was given an
iodide/iodine supplement (Iodoral
®
) and immediately felt better. “It was like waking up from a nap. Within one week, my
head felt clearer and my energy level improved. I have a busy job and I was having trouble keeping up with it,” she said.
Approximately two weeks after starting Iodoral
®
, Joan called me complaining of a rash on her body. I told her to stop
the iodine immediately. Joan told me, “I don’t want to stop it. This is the first time in years that I have
felt wonderful.” I
had Joan come into the office and treated her with NAET. Joan’s allergy symptoms abated within 24 hours and she is
currently taking iodine without any problems. She continues to feel well today.
AUTOIMMUNE THYROID DISEASE
Some researchers and endocrinologists believe that autoimmune thyroid problems are caused by iodine intake in excess of
the RDA. However, before the adoption of radioactive iodine to treat the side effects of autoimmune thyroid illnesses, the use of
higher doses of iodine was the treatment of choice for these illnesses. There are numerous reports in the literature, some dating
back well over 100 years, showing the benefits of using iodine in excess of the RDA to treat autoimmune thyroid illnesses.
2

3

4

5
Chapters 4
-
6
 point out that autoimmune thyroid disorders are associated with low iodine levels, not high levels.
As previously stated, in the United States, iodine levels have fallen more than 50% over the last 40 years while, at the same
time, autoimmune thyroid disorders have been rapidly increasing.
6
 If iodine was the cause of autoimmune thyroid illnesses, these
illnesses should have been decreasing over the last 40 years. The opposite has occurred.My clinical experience has shown that in an iodine deficient state, higher doses of iodine are an effective and safe way to treat
autoimmune thyroid illness without appreciable side
effects. Remember, the best results are achieved as part of a comprehensive
holistic treatment plan.
It is important to restate this: My partners and I have not seen AIT disease caused by iodine supplementation. On the
contrary, it is iodine deficiency that causes AIT disease.

DETOXIFICATION REACTIONS
In
Chapter 11
, it was established that iodine could compete with the toxic halides, bromide and fluoride. The study I
undertook showed that the use of iodine resulted in the release of the toxic halides from the body. If the body’s detoxification
pathways are overloaded when the toxic halides are being released, a detoxification reaction can be triggered. A detoxification
reaction can take the form of fatigue, muscle aches, fever, diarrhea, and brain fog, among others.
A detoxification reaction to iodine usage does happen--about 5% of the time. A detoxification reaction can be minimized by
using a comprehensive holistic treatment program including: nutritional support (vitamins and minerals), balancing the hormonal
system, getting the body’s pH balanced, eating healthy foods, and other holistic treatments. One of the best ways to minimize a
detoxification reaction is to ensure adequate use of unrefined salt as well as supplementation with magnesium and vitamin C.
IODINE-INDUCED HYPOTHYROIDISM AND GOITER
When animals or humans that are iodine deficient are given large doses of iodine, there is a transient decrease in thyroid
hormone production (approximately 26-40 hours) until the body reestablishes its equilibrium with iodine.
7

8
 After that time,
thyroid levels adjust to normal and signs of hypothyroidism do not develop.
Many researchers point out the dangers of iodine by describing the goiter problems of the residents of Hokkaido, Japan. A
report in 1960 described how a significant portion of the population of Hokkaido, Japan had developed goiter. Goiters were
more common in seaweed fishermen and in villages where seaweed was eaten in large quantities. The residents of Hokkaido, as
well as other areas of Japan, were found to be ingesting large amounts of iodine. The Japanese authors did not think that iodine
was the causative factor of the goiters since residents of inland areas had the same iodine intake as the residents in Hokkaido, and
they had no signs of increased goiter. Clearly, some other factor must have been involved. However, many Western physicians
seized on the Hokkaido data and erroneously claimed that excess iodine ingestion was the cause of the rise in the goiter rate.
Some still make this ridiculous assertion today. Although no testing was done, goitrogens (such
as bromide) could have caused
the elevated goiter picture. A follow-up study 27 years later found a similar iodine intake in Hokkaido residents but no signs of
excess goiter, therefore ruling out iodine as the cause.
I have spoken with other doctors who have used higher doses of iodine in the treatment of their patients; they also report no
increase in hypothyroid or goiter problems.
9
 More about this concept will be discussed in
Chapter 16
.

IODINE-INDUCED HYPERTHYROIDISM
The use of iodine in a previously iodine-deficient population may result in a transient increase in thyroid hormones. Studies
have shown that the increase in thyroid hormones, which could lead to hyperthyroid symptoms (e.g., palpitations, nervousness),
will gradually decrease.
10
 These side effects can easily be monitored by routine lab tests and adjustments in dosages. Also,
ensuring adequate amounts of unrefined salt minimizes any side effects from iodine supplementation.
Researchers from Switzerland found that the correction of iodine deficiency not only decreased the incidence of
thyrotoxicosis, it also lowered the incidence of goiter, cretinism, and minor deficiencies of intellect.
11
 My experience has shown
that iodine-induced hyperthyroidism is not a common occurrence.
IODISM
Iodism occurs when the dose of iodine is too high and results in a metallic taste in the mouth, increased salivation, sneezing,
headache, and acne. Also, sinus headache, especially headache in the frontal area, and a sense of fever may be present. Iodism
occurs in a small minority of patients and is easily rectified by adjusting the dosage of iodine used.
Dr. Sherry Tenpenny claims that chlorophyll tablets will eliminate the metallic taste of iodine. Dr. Flechas has reported similar
results with chlorophyll. I have found that unrefined salt and vitamin C powder also minimizes iodism.
THYROID CANCER
Thyroid cancers are a small minority of cancers in the United States representing 1% of all cancers.
12
 Women are affected in
larger numbers than men, approximately 3:1.
There have been some reports in the literature that iodine supplementation can be associated with an increased incidence of
thyroid papillary cancer.
13
 If iodine usage were the cause of thyroid cancer, then the falling iodine levels would be expected to
lead to lowered thyroid cancer levels. However, this has not been the case. During the past several decades, when iodine levels
have declined, the incidence of thyroid cancer has markedly
increased.
14
 Perhaps iodine deficiency is the cause of the elevation in
thyroid cancers.
Iodine supplementation has been shown to significantly improve the prognosis of thyroid cancer by shifting the type of cancerto a more easily treatable (i.e., differentiated) form.
15
Radiation exposure has been positively correlated with thyroid cancer for more than 50 years. Over the years, numerous
studies have confirmed this link, including the problems at Chernobyl. One of the treatments for exposure to radiation is iodine.
Potassium iodide was given to residents of Poland and Russia after the Chernobyl accident and has been hailed as a success in
preventing more cases of thyroid cancer.
In an iodine-deficient state, when exposed to radioactive iodine (such as in Chernobyl), the thyroid gland will absorb large
amounts of the radioactive iodine. This will lead to thyroid cancer. However, if the thyroid gland is saturated with iodine,
radioactive iodine will be absorbed in much smaller amounts and the problems with thyroid cancer will be lessened.
As compared to the people surrounding Chernobyl, I predict the Japanese will have less adverse effects from the Fukushima
disaster because the Japanese, as a population, have a higher iodine intake.
It makes perfect sense to have the body sufficient with iodine before being subjected to a toxic exposure of radioactive
iodine.
HOW MUCH IODINE SHOULD YOU TAKE?
Now we are back to the question above. There is no perfect dose for everyone. The best way to properly dose iodine is to
test the body for its iodine status. This can easily be accomplished with an iodine-loading test. The instructions for the loading test
are detailed below.
Iodine-Loading Test
1
.
First morning urine is discarded


its	genes,	not	in
the	atoms	themselves.	The	fact	that	empty	spaces,	or	gaps,	between	genetic
material	are	so	important	brings	us	back	to	the	void,	where
something
	is
arranging	random	events	so	that	they	are	meaningful.
Once	a	form	has	been	created,	it	has	to	be	remembered	in	order	to	stay
together.	The	universe	remembers	what	it	has	created	and	meshes	it	with	older
systems.	The	Earth’s	ecosystem	is	a	good	example.	Life-forms	constantly
relate	to	each	other	in	exquisite	balance.	The	oxygen	given	off	by	plants
during	photosynthesis,	for	example,	would	eventually	poison	the	entire
atmosphere,	killing	off	all	vegetation	that	needs	carbon	dioxide,	were	it	not
for	the	evolution	of	animals,	which	consume	the	oxygen	and	return	carbon
dioxide	back	to	plants.	This	extremely	complex	balance	can	be	traced	back	to
the	void,	where	every	single	fluctuation	of	virtual	energy	is	passed	along	and
absorbed	by	a	virtual	particle	in	need	of	energy.	(As	one	popular	writer	has
put	it,	it’s	as	if	the	cosmos	were	passing	along	a	penny,	so	that	every	time	one
particle	is	a	penny	poorer,	another	gets	a	penny	richer.)	The	basic	pattern	is
very	simple,	but	when	trillions	of	energy	exchanges	are	involved	every
second,	as	they	are	with	life	on
Earth
,	the	ecosystem’s	ability	to	keep	one
form	separate	from	another,	yet	in	dynamic	relationship,	is	mind-boggling.
There	are	other	things	the	mind	can	do	that	are	paralleled	in	the	universe.
The	mind	can	keep	track	of	two	events	separated	in	time—this	is	how	we
recognize	a	face	today	that	we	saw	years	ago,	for	example.	Similarly,	the
universe	keeps	track	of	any	two	paired	electrons.	They	will	be	paired	for	all
time	even	if	they	travel	millions	of	light-years	apart.	Uncannily,	if	one	of	the
paired	electrons	should	change	in	position	or	spin,	its	twin	will	change
simultaneously	without	sending	a	signal	that	needs	to	travel	through	space.
The	Zero	Point	Field	communicates	without	regard	for	time,	distance,	or	the
speed	of	light.
The	very	fact	that	we	use	a	word	like	“communicate”	indicates	how	hard
it	is	not	to	see	parallels	between	our	minds	and	Nature	“out	there.”	Whichbrings	us	to	a	dangerous	trap.	Mind	and	matter	offer	two	ways	of	describing
the	same	thing,	but	they	are	not,	in	themselves,	exactly	the	same.	If	one	could
show	that	the	universe	has	a	memory,	for	example,	that	wouldn’t	prove	it	had
a	mind.	Remembering	a	face	is	a	mental	act.	The	ability	of	two	electrons	to
match	each	other’s	spin	across	a	vast	distance	is	a	material	feat.	The	same	trap
works	in	reverse.	If	one	could	calculate	every	vibration	of	a	violinist’s	bow
while	playing	a	Beethoven	sonata,	that	wouldn’t	explain	music	or	its	beauty.
Those	are	mental	phenomena,	not	material	ones.	All	we	can	do	is	draw
parallels	between	two	models	in	an	effort	to	place	them	in	one	reality.
I’ve	been	speaking	as	if	the	universe	consciously	knows	what	it	is	doing
when	DNA	creates	an	amoeba,	for	example,	instead	of	a	chimpanzee	or	a
human	being.	This	implies	self-awareness	on	the	part	of	molecules,	and	that
in	turn	requires	the	Zero	Point	Field	to	act	like	a	mind	as	it	organizes	every
possible	fluctuation	in	the	cosmos.	No	matter	how	closely	one	draws	the
parallels,	this	premise	can’t	be
proven
—or	disproven—because	the	Zero
Point	Field,	by	containing	everything,	contains	us.	We	cannot	step	outside	it,
and	so	we	are	in	the	same	position	as	a	fish	trying	to	prove	that	the	ocean	is
wet.	Unless	the	fish	jumps	out	of	the	ocean,	water	is	everywhere;	there	is	no
contrast,	and	therefore	no	dryness	that	makes	wetness	possible.
We	cannot	prove	that	the	universe	has	a	mind,	because	we	aren’t
mindless.	Nobody	has	ever	experienced	mindlessness;	therefore,	we	have
nothing	to	base	it	on.	The	Vedic	rishis	were	fortunate	that	they	started	out
believing	that	consciousness	was	real	and	needed	no	proof.	Physics	doesn’t
hold	that	consciousness	is	a	given.	To	speak	of	a	self-aware	universe	puts	one
at	the	fringes	of	speculative	thinking	in	physics.	But	for	our	purposes	in
looking	for	evidence	of	the	afterlife,	it	is	vital	to	show	that	consciousness	is
everywhere,	because	then	there	would	be	nowhere	to	go	after	we	die	that
isn’t
conscious.
Mind	over	Matter
What	if	our	minds	could	alter	the	quantum	field?	Then	we	would	have	a	link
between	the	two	models,	mind	and	matter.
Such	a	link	was	actually	provided
by	Helmut	Schmidt,	a	researcher	working	for	the	Boeing	aerospace	laboratory
in	Seattle.	Beginning	in	the	mid-Sixties,	Schmidt	set	up	machines	that	could
emit	random	signals,	with	the	aim	of	seeing	if	ordinary	people	could	alter
those	signals	using	nothing	more	than	their	minds.	The	first	machine	detected
radioactive	decay	from	strontium	90;	each	electron	that	was	given	off	lit	up
either	a	red,	blue,	yellow,	or	green	light.	Schmidt	asked	ordinary	people	to
predict,	with	the	press	of	a	button,	which	light	would	be	illuminated	next.
At	first	no	one	performed	better	than	random,	or	25%,	in	picking	one	of
the	four	lights.	Then	Schmidt	hit	on	the	idea	of	using	expert	psychics	as	hissubjects,	and	his	first	results	were	encouraging:	psychics	guessed	the	correct
light	27%	of	the	time.	But	he	didn’t
know
	if	this	was	a	matter	of	clairvoyance
—seeing	the	result	before	it	happened—or	something	more	active,	actually
changing	the	random	pattern	of	electrons	being	emitted.
So	Schmidt	built	a	second	machine	that	generated	only	two	signals,	call
them	plus	and	minus.	A	circle	of	lights	was	set	up,	and	each	time	a	plus	or	a
minus	was	generated,	a	bulb	would	light	up.	If	two	pluses	were	generated
consecutively,	the	lights	would	go	on	in	a	clockwise	direction.	Two	minuses
would	light	up	in	a	counterclockwise	direction.	Left	to	itself,	the	machine
would	light	up	an	equal	number	of	pluses	and	minuses;	what	Schmidt	wanted
his	subjects	to	do	was	to	will	the	lights	to	move	clockwise	only.	He	eventually
found	two	subjects	who	had	remarkable	success.	One	could	get	the	lights	to
move	clockwise	52.5%	of	the	time.	An	increase	of	2.5%	over	randomness
doesn’t	sound	dramatic,	but	Schmidt	calculated	that	the	odds	were	10	million
to	1	against	this	occurring	by	chance.	The	other	subject	was	just	as	successful,
but	oddly	enough,	his	efforts	to	make	the	lights	move	clockwise	had	the
opposite	result:	they	moved	only	counterclockwise.	Later	experiments	with
new	subjects	raised	the	success	rate	to	54%,	although	the	strange	anomaly


 will now see nothing but the flow of shakti. Surrender to the
flow. Give your life to it. Merge into it, and it will take you the rest of the
way. That is the final surrender.
It has been such an honor to share these teachings with you. Please,
don’t let this be just another book you read and then go back to your normal
way of life. Do this work. This work is not about renunciation of life—it’ s
about truly experiencing life at the deepest level. If you let go of yourself on
a daily basis, under all circumstances, you will find what is greater than
yourself. That’ s just the way it works: Where you’re not, God is. Where
God is, you’re not.
Now do you understand why Christ said the Kingdom is within you? It
is the very essence of your being. Your heights are incompreh ensible, and
you are perfectly capable of doing this work. Your inner states will just keep
getting higher and higher as you keep letting go. The fact that you are even
interested in these teachings means you’ve changed the world. You who do
the work of liberating yourself are to be deeply respected.
With great love and respect,
Michael A. SingerAcknowledgments
Life is a great teacher. If you are open, every single situation has something
to teach you about yourself and the moment unfolding in front of you. I
begin by acknowledging how much this flow of life has taught me and has
led to the writing of Living Untether ed. I also acknowledge all those wise
beings who have walked this path before me and managed to guide me on
my exploration within.
It is with deep humility and appreciation that I recognize the
tremendous work that my friend and product manager, Karen Entner, did on
this book. Her tireless and selfless service has instilled this work with a
sense of commitment and perfection rarely found in this world.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my publishers, New
Harbinger Publications and Soun ds True, for their heartfelt work in bringing
Living Untether ed to fruition. They worked together seamlessly to meld
their great talents into one unifie d force behind the development, marketing,
and distribution of this very special book.
There were many early readers, all of whom deserve thanks. I would
like to single out James O’Dea, Bob Merrill, and Stephanie Davis, who
contributed detailed suggestions during the early writing of the book.
Lastly, I would like to acknowledge you, the reader, for being
interested in deepening your relationship with yourself and the world around
you. Your willingness to take a second look at what is really going on,
outside and in, has the power to change the world.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>OceanofPDF.comPlease consult your doctor befor e practicing the yoga poses in this book,
especially if you ar e pregnant, have cervical spine issues, or have high or
low blood pr essur e.
Copyright © 2023 by Deepak Chopra
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Harmony Books, an imprint of Random
House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New Y ork.
HarmonyBooks.com
RandomHouseBooks.com
Harmony Books is a registered trademark, and the Circle colophon is a
trademark of Penguin Random House LLC.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon
request.
ISBN 9780593235423
Ebook ISBN 9780593235430
Book design, adapted for ebook: Andr ea Lau
Illustrations: Stephanie Singleton
This page  photograph: Makenna Colón
Cover design: Kathleen L ynch/Black Kat Design
Cover art: Benjavisa/iStock/Getty Images
ep_prh_6.0_142201960_c0_r0
OceanofPDF.comContents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Part I by Deepak Chopra, MD
Overview: Royal Y oga and the Light of Life
Week 1: Social Intelligence
Week 2: Emotional Intelligence
Week 3: Bringing the Light to Y our Body
Week 4: V ital Ener gy
Week 5: Staying in the Light
Week 6: The Power of Attention
Part II by Sarah Platt-Finger
The Asanas
Afterword: Where Do Y ou Go from Here?
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Index
About the Authors
OceanofPDF.comPART I
By Deepak Chopra, MD
OceanofPDF.comOceanofPDF.comOVERVIEW
ROYAL YOGA AND THE LIGHT OF LIFE
Whatever you are doing to make your life better, Royal Yoga can bring
you more of everything you want.
In that opening sentence lies the essence of this book, an immense
promise that isn’t just a matter of belief. For centuries in India, a path to
fulfillment has been proven to work. In Sanskrit it is called Raja Yoga, Raja
meaning “kingly,” “royal,” or simply “the highest.” Royal Yoga is a
splendid way to put it. My aim is to show you why and how the path of
Royal Yoga is the highest and most important of all Yoga traditions,
explaining every thing in terms that apply to modern people and everyday
life. As far as I know, this goal is unique; I’ve never found another book
that accomplished it.
We are talking about personal transformation that reaches beyond any
lifestyle you might choose to follow, beyond any approach to wellness and
healing, beyond  any faith or religion. Royal Yoga is univer sal and all-
embracing.
The Yoga part of Royal Y oga needs a little clarification at the outset. The
basic Sanskrit word Yoga simply means to yoke, join, or unite (the English
word yoke can be directly traced back to its ancient roots). In my part of the
book (Part I), when I talk about Yoga, I mean the complete system  of Yoga,
namely, the union of all aspects  of life—physical, emotional, and spiritual.
Only one part of the whole Yoga system contains the exercises that people
learn in yoga class (I will put the exercise part in lowercase and refer to the
system of Yoga with a capital Y). The system is often called “Yoga
philosophy,” but that phrase sells the whole vision short. In Royal Yoga, no
aspect of existence is left out. Everyone is used to dividing life into distinctparts: mind, body, emotions, work, family, relationships, and so on. Those
are hand y divisi ons, of course. The experience of going to the doctor, the
gym, or yoga class can all be put in the compartment labeled “body.”
Raising a child, going on a family vacation, and planning for retirement can
all be placed in the compartment labeled “family.” As natural as it feels to
divide life in this way, this kind of compartmentalization creates a problem
that cuts to the very heart of existence.
Royal Yoga holds that these compartments are false to the whol eness of
life. There are hidden possibilities that you will never reach, an intensity of
fulfillment you will never experience, when your life is chopped into
separate pieces like a loaf of bread cut into neat slices. Imag ine yourself
going through certain rituals and habits of your day—you get up, eat
breakfast, go to work, call frien ds, do things with your family, and so on.
Take a moment to visualize some specific ways that might make your day
more satisfying. Perhaps a friend tells you a piece of good news, you
complete a project at work, or you watch your child or spouse smile at you
and you feel a rush of love.
If you rewind these experiences and evaluate them through the prism of
Yoga, each event might look the same on the surface. But if you practice
Royal Yoga, what happens inside is transformed: You find that you are
living in the light. The effect is all-embracing, because if there is life, there
should be light.
What is the light? For some this is a vague spiritual term that connotes
religion. A Christian might think  of the phrase, “Don’ t hide your light under
a bushel basket” or Jesus’ s declaration to his disciples, “You are the light of
the world.” In the rabbinical tradition of Judaism, the divine presence is
Shechinah, whic h brings the light of God into the world when it permeates
a devout or holy person. In many traditions, angelic beings are creatures of
light, and saintly people emanate (physically or symbolically) a pure white
light.
Royal Yoga transcends these religious connotations while embracing
their deeper meaning. “Light ” is pure awareness; it is the cosmic
consciousness that creates and maintains the universe and everything in it.In practical terms, living in the light is about living consciously, and the
ultimate goal in life is to live only in the light, having cast off every form of
ignorance, pain, and suf fering.
WHERE IS YOUR LIGHT?
Having read this far, you might be either skeptical or inspired.
Something as all-embracing as Royal Yoga feels strange, at the very least.
I’m not offering these concep ts from the viewpoint of a true believer,
because the vision of the Yoga tradition isn’t a set of beliefs. It is based on
experiences that everyone is already having. You already live in the light;
you just don’t live there all the time. Many people have experienced
happiness, joy, and sometimes even pure bliss. But


it is more than quietude. By itself, a silent mind is no better, as far
as nego tiating the demands of daily life, than a car would be if the
engine dies. There has to be something attractive within the
experience of silence.This so mething exists in the form of a faint presence, which
we’ve already encountered as the sense of self. We are most
natural, relaxed, free, and present when the sense of self  is upon
us. Sustaining this feeling of presence eludes us, however. I think
it’s fair to say  that the glim pses of the true self that generate
experiences of love, joy, peac e, safety, and self-worth are the only
thing that has brought light into the condition of being human.
There i s a natural desire to  expand upon such experiences. In
return, the true self has the p ower of attraction (known in Sanskrit
as Swarupa, the pull of the Self).
Being silent and largely unnoticed, the sense of self cannot get
us unstuck by itself. If you  have practiced mantra meditation,
mindfulness practices, or one-pointed awareness, which  are all
valuable techniques for bringing the sense of self to the fore, you
know how stubbornly your m ind returns to business as us ual. You
can tra in your self with effort to display any spiritual att ribute—
loving-kindness, forgiveness, steady attention to God—but the
sense of self cannot be trained. It simply is. Effort is not only
useless but damaging. This concept was voiced by the ve nerable
spiritual teacher J. Krishnamurti, when he said, “Can you
discipline your  mind to be free?” There’s the rub. No matter how
well we train o ur minds, including all kinds of spiritual t raining,
freedom is a state where discipline is totally foreign.
I h ad that in the back of my  mind when I said that the direct
path must be easy, efficient, and spontaneous. If you wa nt to be
here now, which is the state of metahuman, you first have to stop
trying. Meditation gives the experience of not trying, which
surprises almost everyone when they first begin to meditate. The
sense o f self is brought into our awareness, and its presence can,
in fact, be quite strong. It ca n turn into a state of ecstasy, a love
affair with the Divine, as in this passionate outcry from Rumi:
Oh God, I have discovered love!
How marvelous, how good, how beautiful it is!…
I offer my salutation
To the spirit of passion that aroused and excited this
whole universeAnd all it contains.
The usual experience of pres ence is pleasant and far sho rt of
passionate. We  get a clue from Rumi, however, when he points to
the pow er of desire. In his case, desire is an intoxicati on with
divine love. Everyone has d esires, and it is due to the force of
desire t hat we wake up every morning with a will to see what the
day is going to bring. If the day brings moments of aw akening,
then desire has served us in getting unstuck.
Since the sense of self simply is, you can’t desire it directly.
That would be like saying, “I wish I existed.” What happens
instead is that you trick desire into going where you want to go.
(You spirituall y hack into materialism, as a friend put it.) In
Buddhism this comes under the heading of “Use a thorn to remove
a th orn, then throw both tho rns away.” That teaching is famous
and has aroused much commentary. It sounds simple enough to
remove a splinter from your finger by pricking it out with a  needle.
The mental equivalent runs into difficulties. Since we are going to
use desire to go beyond desire, these difficulties need a little
explaining.
Originally, the Buddha seem s to refer to thorns as deep pain
that can not be healed. One of the deepest sources of pain i s fear of
violence, which Buddha spea ks of with personal candor. “Fear is
born fro m arm ing oneself. Just see how many people fight! I’ll tell
you about the dreadful fear  that caused me to shake all over.
Seeing creatures thrashing lik e fish in shallow water, so hostile to
one another! Seeing this, I became afraid” (Sutta Nipata).
We lean forward to hear wha t Buddha’s escape from fear was,
which conjure s up the imag e of the thorn. He goes on, “Seeing
people locked in conflict, I became completely distraught. But
then I discerne d a thorn, diff icult to see, lodged deep in the heart.
It is only when pierced by th is thorn that one runs wild ly in all
directions. So if the thorn is taken out, one no longer r uns but
settles down.”
In pure form, experiencing the thorn of pain in the heart spurs
a person to find inner peace. The teaching is beautiful, but, like the
New Testamen t teachings, it contradicts human nature. Whenpeople are locked in conflict, they are motivated to ramp  up the
conflict, ignori ng the pain in their hearts, or, more likely, taking it
to b e a messag e that they mu st fight on. (To the credit of Buddhist
cultures in Asia, the teaching of peace has brought fewer bloody
conflicts over time, a record o ther faiths might envy. The Buddhist
violence against Muslims in Burma proves that no religion is
immune to violence, however.)
“A thor n to remove a thorn” can be used more psycholog ically
as a tactic for  healing. The goal is to substitute negative, self-
defeating thou ghts with positive, self-enhancing ones. Un der the
name o f cognitive therapy, this approach relies on rationality to
overcome emotion. For example, a patient might complain that
nothing ever works out, th at no matter how hard sh e tries,
everything ends in defeat and disappointment. There’s obviously a
strong emotional charge be hind defeatist thinking. Wh en this
becomes a habit, the first thought that comes to mi nd in a
challenging situation is automatically “Nothing is going to work
out. I know it.”
The usual result is that, inde ed, nothing good happens. There
could hardly be a more p erfect example of a self-fulfilling
prophecy. A cognitive therapist would use a new tho ught to
remove the old one (the thorn that removes the thorn) by pointing
out that good things have h appened to the patient. Life hasn’t
been a string o f endless defeats. Therefore, the rational course is
to think, “This situation may turn out well or badly. No one knows,
so I have a chance to do my best to get a good outcome.”  It’s not
easy to replace pessimism with optimism, since emotions lie
deeper than reason, and telling yourself that something good
might  h appen gives pessimism a ll the opening it needs. With
practice and guidance, habitual negativity can be softened, but
human nature hasn’t been m ade peaceful and fulfilled by the use
of reason.
Finally, there is the second part of the teaching to contend with.
“Use a thorn to  remove a thor n, then throw both thorns away.” In
the pro cess of getting over an illness, you take medicine as long as
it’s needed, then you throw the pills away. But the same thing is
more mysterio us when it com es to the mind. If you use positive
thoughts, for example, to rep lace negative thoughts, you still windup as a posit ive thinker, just as embedded in your story as
someone who is gloomy. It’s better to live in sunshine than in
shade, no doubt. Escaping the illusion is another matter.
Throwing both  thorns away means that the whole scena rio of
pain and pleasure, good and evil, light and darkness, is di scarded.
This is taken t o be Buddha’s essential message. The diagnosis is
accurate, and the picture of being healed—living beyond the grip
of th e drama—is inspiring. The challenge presented to the direct
path is how to make inspiration a living reality.
C l e a r i n g  t h e  W a y  f o r  t h e  S e l f
The answer, as I conceive it, is to use desire as the thorn,
because we all have experienced its double nature. Desire
demands to be fulfilled. If the desire is strong enough, as in
passionate sexual attraction, it is enough to drive people mad. The
thorn causes pain, because it is never enough to have one moment
of f ulfillment— the next desire arrives with a new demand to be
fulfilled. What ’s the other thorn, the one that will end the pain?
Fulfillment itse lf. Moralists who preach against desire, who call it
the work of the Devil or, in Freudian terms, the work of the id, see
with on ly one eye. Desire is as  beautiful as it is treacherous. Sexual
attraction leads to lasting, loving relationships and not just sexual
assault.
I do n’t think anyone would d eny this truism, and


(these	substances	may	cause	the	body
to	lose	water).	Water	is	a	simple	choice,	often	overlooked.	Dehydration	is	a
common	problem,	especially	among	our	elderly	population.
A	toxic	lifestyle	is	often	created	unwittingly.	We	fail	to	appreciate	that	many
small	toxic	exposures	over	time,	to	a	wide	variety	of	toxins,	lead	to	an
accumulation,	causing	our	cells	to	malfunction.	Even	small	amounts	of	toxins
can	perform	amazing	feats	of	chemistry	by	inhibiting	hormones,	deactivating
enzymes,	compromising	our	detoxification	systems	and	using	up	precious
nutrients.	Toxicity	is	seldom	recognized	as	a	primary	cause	of	our	healthproblems.	The	toxic	invaders	in	our	lives—whether	they	are	brought	into	our
homes	or	they	are	created	in	our	own	bodies—are	also	not	easily	detected	by
typical	“radar.”	The	toxins	that	harm	us	seldom	are	labeled	hazardous,	and	they
are	difficult	to	identify.
Once	we	understand	the	role	toxins	play	in	cellular	malfunction,	we	can
understand	the	importance	of	minimizing	toxic	exposure	and	maximizing	the
body’s	ability	to	detoxify.	In	order	to	protect	yourself	and	your	family,	you	must
learn	how	to	spot	these	silent	and	hidden	dangers,	and	how	to	keep	your
defenses	strong	in	order	to	avoid	toxic	overload.	Never	before	has	the	human
body	been	faced	with	such	challenges	of	personal	and	global	pollution.	To
respond	to	these	challenges	and	to	move	yourself	in	the	right	direction	on	the
toxin	pathway,	learn	to	make	the	daily	choices	that	will	reduce	your	toxic
exposure	and	support	your	detoxification	systems.7
T
HE
	P
SYCHOLOGIAC
P
ATHWAY
“The	simple	truth	is,	happy	people	generally	don’t	get
sick.	One’s	attitude	toward	oneself	is	the	single	most
important	factor	in	healing	or	staying	well.	Those	who	are	at
peace	with	themselves	and	their	immediate	surroundings
have	far	fewer	serious	illnesses	than	those	who	are	not.”
Bernie	Siegel,	M.D.
Love,	Medicine	&	Miracles
E
ven	when	nutrients	are	scarce	and	toxins	abundant,	one’s	potential	for	health
is	nearly	limitless,	and	it	relies	almost	entirely	on	ourselves	and	the	power	of	the
mind.	Thoughts	and	emotions	have	a	tremendous	effect	on	our	cells	and
therefore	our	health.	What	we	put	into	our	minds	may	be	more	important	than
what	we	put	into	our	bodies.	The	power	of	the	mind	is	your	best	ally	in	choosing
to	get	well	and	stay	well.
You	are	what	you	think.
“How	can	it	be,”	you	might	ask,	“that	the	mind	has	so	much	control	over	the
body?”	This	question	assumes	that	one	is	separate	from	the	other;	in	fact,	they
are	inseparable.	All	the	cells	in	our	body	contribute	to	what	we	call	the	mind,
and	what	goes	on	in	our	mind	affects	what	happens	in	all	our	cells.
Chemical	reactions	are	produced	throughout	the	body	by	our	thoughts,
emotions	and	interactions	with	others.	Fear	makes	us	turn	pale;	embarrassment
makes	us	blush.	Modern	science	has	proven	that	these	“thought	chemicals”
either	can	be	beneficial	or	detrimental	to	health.
We	can	choose	what	we	put	into
our	minds,	and	in	doing	so,	we	can	choose	between	health	and	disease.
This	concept	is	sometimes	difficult	for	people	to	embrace	because	thought
chemicals	are	abstract.	Their	effect,	though,	is	reflected	in	Dr.	Bernie	Siegel’s
1986	book,
Love,	Medicine	&	Miracles
:	“If	I	told	patients	to	raise	their	blood
levels	of	immune	globulins	or	killer	T-cells,	no	one	would	know	how.	But	if	I
can	teach	them	to	love	themselves	and	others	fully,	the	same	change	happens
automatically.”
Consider	how	thought	chemicals	can	improve	or	damage	health:
•	A	1991	study	in	the
New	England	Journal	of	Medicine
found	that	stressful
life	situations	(such	as	losing	a	job,	breaking	off	an	engagement	or	simply
feeling	overwhelmed	by	life’s	problems)	nearly	doubles	the	risk	of	catching
a	cold.•	A	thirty-five-year	study	(1946–1981)	of	Harvard	graduates	showed	that
people	who	had	a	pessimistic	outlook	on	life	suffered	significantly	more
disease	after	age	forty-five	than	people	with	a	positive	outlook.
•	A	2001	study	in
Psychosomatic	Medicine
found	that	optimism	protects
against	heart	disease.	People	who	are	pessimistic	and	blame	themselves	for
everything	were	much	more	likely	to	die	of	a	heart	attack	than	their
optimistic	counterparts.
•	Dr.	O.	Carl	Simonton,	in	his	1978	book,
Getting	Well	Again,
talks	about
how	visual	imagery	with	positive	mental	images	had	a	beneficial	effect	on
patients	with	advanced	cancer.	Simonton	found	that	people	who	used	their
minds	to	heal	had	double	the	survival	rate	of	those	who	did	not.
•	A	study	in	a	2000	issue	of
Lancet
concluded	that	women	who	experience
severe	emotional	stress	during	the	first	trimester	of	pregnancy	are	80
percent	more	likely	to	have	a	child	with	birth	defects.
Body,	Heal	Thyself
You	must	believe	in	your	health	if	you	are	to	maintain	or	regain	health.	You
must	actively	care	for	your	health	when	you	are	well,	and	actively	pursue
wellness	when	you	are	ill.
When	my	own	body	was	in	progressive	deterioration	during	the	depths	of	my
illness,	I	began	to	realize	that,	for	survival,	I	needed	to	employ	my	mind	as	well
as	my	body.	I	began	to	repeat	a	version	of	an	old	affirmation	to	myself,	again
and	again,	a	mantra	of	sorts:
Every	day,	in	every	way,	I	get	stronger	and	stronger
and	better	and	better.
At	first,	when	I	would	say	this	to	myself,	my	mind	would	fight	back,	saying
something	like,
Wow,	are	you	a	liar!	You	feel	worse	today	than	you	did
yesterday.
I	realized	that	my	positive	mental	affirmations	were	being	negated	by
my	own	thinking	about	my	situation.	I	began	to	reply	to	my	mind’s	objections
by	saying,
I	know	I	am	worse	today,	but	I	am	giving	you	an	instruction.
Once	I	became	comfortable	giving	my	body	instructions,	my	own	objections
began	to	disappear	and	my	body	began	to	respond.	I	would	say	my	affirmation,
sometimes	out	loud,	with	passion	and	expectancy,	many	times	daily,	repeatedly,
until	I	could	feel	strength	coming	into	my	body	as	I	said	the	words.	After	a	few
weeks,	my	subconscious	mind	began	to	implement	the	instructions	and	intent	of
my	conscious	mind.	One	day,	after	saying	these	affirmations,	I	felt	the	best	that	I
had	felt	since	the	onset	of	my	illness.	The


 different from those he had observed outside the institution in
his private practice. He stated that he had noted continually that there was a tendency for the
tongue to be too large for the mouth. This is a constant characteristic of another group of mentally
injured, namely, the Mongoloid. This institution has a population of approximately four thousand
individuals. A high percentage of them gave marked evidence of injury in the prenatal period as
expressed in disturbances of facial form and the shape of the dental arches. In observing over half
the population at work or exercise, I did not see one with a typically normal facial development. In
Fig. 122 will be seen typical examples of this group. These show front and side views (see
Hooton's recent book. 15a ).7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 215/250FIG. 122. Criminals. Were their unsocial traits related directly
to incomplete brain organization associated with prenatal
injury?
    Newspaper daily illustrated reports of crimes committed by young criminals show almost
continually these evidences of prenatal injury. Note the two characters Bird and Nixon, Fig. 123.7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 216/250FIG. 123. Note the marked lack of normal facial development
of these notorious young criminals. Nixon is only 18. These
are typical samples seen frequently in the daily press.
    It is important to emphasize the fact that the disturbances in the development of the head, face
and brain may have a variety of expressions. In the more severe form characteristic of the
Mongoloid group, as seen in Fig. 124 the facial injury is typical and is associated with a mental
disturbance which, in turn, has been shown to be associated with typical brain lesions. The
individuals of that group, however, do not tend to be criminals. Indeed, their injury is too severe.
As a group they are apt to be docile, tractable and happy. Indeed, in the mentally backward and
criminal groups in their various stages, we find facial patterns typical of large numbers of individuals
we see on the streets, who are in school or in business, and entirely capable of maintaining a
respected and honorable position in society. Accordingly, it is not justified, and indeed would be
entirely unfair, to associate their disturbed facial and dental arch development with traits that would
be normally found in the grossly unsocial groups. We cannot by viewing the face evaluate the kind
or extent of brain injury that is associated with prenatal malnutrition of that individual. Indeed, these
various divergent facial patterns are accepted by our modern civilization as representative of the
many varieties or patterns constituting a normal population. It is not until we see primitive groups
living under a controlled natural environment that we see Nature's model and design of the human
physiognomy.
FIG. 124. This is a typical mongoloid defective. Note the
marked lack of development of the middle third of the face
7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 217/250and nose with the upper arch too small for the lower.
Individuals of this type look alike and act alike and all have
typical speech and behavior defects. These are now
associated with definite defects in the brain. Nearly all are
either a first or last child. A large percentage are born to
mothers over forty years of age.
    We are concerned to know the percentage in any typical colony of our modern civilization that
may be placed in the various classifications of normal, mildly backward mentally, severely
backward mentally, unsocial, delinquent, criminal, idiots, epileptic and insane. Tredgold (2) reports
two surveys in England and Wales which give figures on the proportion of the population that
could be identified with definite lesions. It would be fortunate if a survey could be made in the
United States that would indicate the extent of the increase in delinquents of various types,
including racketeers and criminals. It would be very helpful if these data could be related to the
degrees of prenatal injury. There are many phases of modern degeneration which lend themselves
to study from the standpoint of the probable role of progressive decline in the efficiency of nutrition
to the progressive increase in morbidity, mortality, mental deficiency and delinquency. This is
discussed in the next chapter on Soil Depletion, Plant and Animal Deterioration.
    From the point of view of this problem the differences between the modern white civilizations
and many of the primitive groups is interesting. Criminal tendencies in isolated primitives are so
slight that no prisons are required. I have referred to the Loetschental Valley in Switzerland, which,
until recently, has been physically isolated from the process of modernization. For the two
thousand inhabitants in that valley, there is no prison. In Uganda, Africa, the Ruanda tribes
estimated to number two and a half millions, had no prisons.
    Observation of Nature's normal facial patterns in the primitive racial stocks, establishes types
within the limits of normality. The readers of this text by observing the individuals in any given
families may see in how large a percentage of white families the progressive narrowing and
lengthening of the face in the younger members of the family as compared with the older occurs.
Further observations will enable one to recognize rapidly, even without experience and special
training in anatomy, these evidences of prenatal injury.
    I made a survey in the New England States, Quebec and Eastern Ontario, because the United
States death rate from heart disease as reported by the American Heart Association was shown to
be highest in Vermont and New Hampshire, followed closely by Massachusetts and New York. I
first visited the New York State Hospital for tuberculosis patients at Raybrook, near Saranac.
With the assistance of a member of the staff, I examined fifty young men and women in the wards.
In that group, only three were found with normal facial and dental arch development. These three
individuals were marble cutters who were suffering from silicosis. The forty-seven other individuals
examined (94 per cent) were found to have marked evidence of injury in the developmental
period. At the state fair at Rutland, Vermont, to which residents came from various communities
throughout the state, I was able to count, by observing and recording the individuals who passed,
that in each 100 people, three out of four gave evidence of injury in the developmental period.
Similar studies were made at the State Farm for delinquent boys and girls, almost all of whom had
been before the courts. 1 found that a very high percentage, approximating 100 per cent of those
observed, had received injuries in the prenatal period. I then went to Quebec and studied groups
of school children in the early teens. I observed groups in which a very high percentage gave
marked evidence of prenatal injury. This seemed aggravated in districts where the farms had been
abandoned, because the land was not producing as well as in the past. I studied Indians in two
Indian Reservations, also, and there again found marked evidence of injury typical of our
modernized communities. Similarly, a limestone district in Ontario was visited and critical
observations were made of the facial form of the new generation, in regions in which the fertility of
the soil had been definitely depleted through exhaustion. These again showed evidence of prenatal
injury through faulty nutrition. The prisoners in a jail were examined, and all of them except two
habitual drunkards showed marked evidence of prenatal injury.7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 218/250    If space permitted, it would be interesting to include here a discussion and illustrations of the
physical characteristics of the racketeers and criminals whose pictures are shown in our
newspapers almost daily. It is rare that a normal face is depicted in this group.
    As an approach to more detailed study of the available information regarding the processes that
are involved in the production of facial deformities, it will be helpful to think of the face as
constituting the floor of the anterior part of the brain. The pituitary body is situated on the
underside of the brain just back of the eyes. It is the governing body for the activity of growth, and
largely controls the functioning of several of the other glands of internal secretion. It is, as it were,
the master of the ship. We are, accordingly, primarily concerned with the role that it plays, and the
forces which control its own development and function. Its dependence upon vitamin E has been
demonstrated by many workers. For example, Dr. M. M. O. Barrie (3) has reported that an
inadequate amount of vitamin E produces marked disturbance in the growth of the offspring of
rats. He states:
    The changes observed are similar in several ways to those produced by hypophysectomy
(removal of pituitary gland). Marked degranulation of the anterior pituitary is found in both the
abnormal young and the adult sterile animals. Lack of vitamin E therefore produces a virtual
nutritional hypophysectomy in the young rat.
    The work recently done in this field by Dr. Hector Mortimer and his associates in McGill
University, Montreal, has included studies of skull development of rats. He has shown that the
surgical removal of the pituitary body at the base of the brain in very young rats produces regularly
a certain type of defect in skull development


 Kapha digestion is always
good for balance. Dry cooking methods (baking, broiling, grilling,
sautéing) are better for Kaphas than moist ones (steaming, boiling,
poaching).
Before you eat, stimulate your appetite with bitter or pungent tastes
instead of salty or sour. The bitterness of romaine lettuce, endive, or
tonic water will wake up your taste buds without encouraging you to
overeat. Ginger tea or even a pinch of fresh gingerroot is also highly
recommended. In general, you want to be sure that bitter and astringent
tastes are present in every meal. To get them, it is not necessary to seek
out bitter food in quantity. A little bitterness in a salad or the
astringency of herbs supplies enough. Among the household spices,
cumin, fenugreek, sesame seed, and turmeric are both bitter and
astringent.
Adding pungent tastes to your diet with spices is one of the best ways to
balance Kapha. Anything spicy is good, including very hot Mexican or
Indian food that makes your eyes water. This action flushes out all the
mucous membranes. Contrary to what we tend to think, hot, spicy food
is best not in the summer but in the winter; it of fsets the cold, damp
quality that Kapha resents.
Kaphas need to eat breakfast mainly to get them started in the morning,
not for solid nourishment. Rather than relying on a jolt of caf feine from
coffee, wake your body up with light, Kapha-reducing foods, such as
hot spiced cider, buckwheat pancakes with apple butter, corn muf fins,
and bitter cocoa made with skim milk and a touch of honey. In general,
anything hot and light is good, while anything cold, heavy, or sweet is
not so good. Cold cereals, cold juice or milk, and sugary pastries tend to
create congestion, particularly in damp winter weather. Bacon and
sausage are Kapha-aggravating because of their salt and oil. If you
don’t feel hungry in the morning, it is all right to skip breakfast, which
Ayurveda considers optional, especially for Kapha types.
If you wake up feeling congested in the morning, a sign of excess
Kapha, the best things to take are honey, hot water, lemon juice, andginger. Hot ginger tea (page 301) is excellent for Kapha types in
general, since it stimulates the system and flushes out excess Kapha. If
you occasionally skip a meal—a good idea for many Kaphas—a
spoonful of honey in hot water will tide you over.
Cutting back on sweets is dif ficult for many Kaphas, but a trial week on
a low-sugar diet generally does result in feeling lighter and more
energetic. Honey is extensively recommended for Kapha types, but you
should not take more than a tablespoon or so per day; honey is not
suitable to cook with, either, since heating honey makes it
unwholesome, according to Ayurveda.
Out-of-balance Kapha types overindulge in dairy products, but butter,
ice cream, and cheese are among the worst for you, since they make
your system colder and more congested. Low-fat milk is best,
preferably pre-boiled to aid digestion, with only a minimum of other
dairy products. Sesame seeds on rolls and bread help to counteract the
sweet, heavy quality of the wheat, which is not the best for Kapha,
either. Because they combine too much heavy sweetness, a hambur ger
and milkshake, or even a sandwich with milk, should be eaten only
infrequently.
Raw fruits, vegetables, and salads are extremely good, since their fiber
tones the intestinal tract, in addition to the benefits of their astringent
tastes. Generally speaking, Ayurveda prefers all food cooked, but we
find that this is an exception that helps most Kapha types.
Deep-fried foods of any kind will aggravate Kapha; they are among the
few things you should try to eliminate from your diet. There is no need
to banish all fats, but make an ef fort to use less butter and oil in your
cooking. Corn oil is heating to the body; it is a good choice for you in
small quantities, along with almond and sunflower oils. Crisp-steamed
vegetables with a little ghee (clarified butter) drizzled over them is
good for a light supper; anything crisp, fresh, and stimulating balances
Kapha.Restaurant food has to be carefully chosen by Kapha people. Fast food
is far too oily, salty, and sweet—head for the salad bar and use a
minimum of salad dressing. If you are eating out in better restaurants,
Oriental cooking is the lightest, particularly if you concentrate on more
vegetables than meat. Wherever you go, order a glass of hot water
instead of iced, take salad instead of hot soup (except in cold weather),
avoid the rolls and butter, and make dessert small and not too rich—hot
fruit pies are probably the best choice.
One ef ficient and instant way to settle Kapha is to sprinkle a special
spice powder, called a Kapha churna, over your plate at the table. An
Internet source for churnas is on page 378.
Kapha-Pacifying Foods
THE SIX TASTES
Each of the six tastes speaks directly to the quantum mechanical body, and
each carries a different message. Our tongues know this instinctively. The
voluptuous sweetness of vanilla custard is diametrically opposed to the bitterbite of lemon peel; one is soothing, the other is a shock. Your whole body
reacts to the difference, which begins on your tongue but continues
throughout your body. Taste leaves a trail of reactions from your mouth to
the food’ s final destination, your cells.
Without knowing about nutritional balance in terms of fats, carbohydrates,
and proteins, native cultures around the world have realized that their diets
had to be dynamic. They had to have tastes that wake up the body, like bitter
and astringent, and others that soothe it, primarily sweet. Digestion
sometimes need ed to be increa sed with “hot” tastes—pungen t, sour, and
salty—and at other times decreased with “cold” tastes—bitter, astringent,
and sweet.
All of this was understood instinctively. In Mexico, the limited fare of
corn and beans could not by itself have supported a healt hy, balanced
existence, but with the addition of red chilies, it has served the native people
for many centu ries. Red chili adds vitamin C to a diet, but the more
important additi on it brings are the sweet and pungent tastes that round out
the six rasas. Curry spices serve the same purpose in India, where the staples
of rice, lentils, and wheat bread would be dramatically limited without them.
MESSAGES FROM NA TURE
Every food has its own profile of tastes. Simple foods, such as white sugar
or vineg ar, have  only one taste, but most others have at least two: lemon is
sour, but also sweet and bitter; carrots are sweet, bitter, and astringent;
cheese is sweet  and sour. Milk  is considered a complete food, having the
subtle presence of all six rasas besides its obvious sweetness; for this reason,
Ayurveda recommends drinking milk alone rather than combin ing it with a
meal. (Having milk with other sweet foods—fruit, grains, and sugar—is
good, however; in fact, milk is the best buffer for refined white sugar, which
enters the system in a rush if digested alone.)
The major food groups all revolve around the rasa of sweet, but with the
five other tastes carefully blended in:Fruits—primarily sweet and astringent, with citrus fruits adding sour
Vegetables—primarily sweet and astringent, with leafy gr eens adding bitter
Dairy—primarily sweet, with yogurt and cheese adding sour and astringent
Meat—primarily sweet and astringent
Oils—primarily sweet
Grains and Nuts—primarily sweet
Legumes—primarily sweet and astringent
Herbs and Spices—primarily pungent, with all other flavors added
secondarily
Just as most foods are sweet, so is Kapha dosha, the builder of tissues; the
human body as a whole is therefore sweet, too. Herbs and spices fill in the
spectrum of tastes, but, more important, they evoke a complete range of
bodily responses. Black pepper makes your mouth water, fenugreek dries it
up; mustard heats the body, mint cools it off. The only blank space is salt,
which is provided by salt itself.
Using its taste profile, every food can be described as either increasing or
decreasing one or more dosha s, as we saw. Since the three doshas are
connected, an increase of one is so crucial that Ayurveda has described every
food according to whether it will increase or decrease a particular dosha.
Cabbage, for instance, is known  to increase Vata, onions to increase Pitta, all
oils to increase Kapha.
Considering that half a dozen messages are being relayed to the body
simultaneously by any one food


	to	start	befriending	it.	Pick	up	some
organic,	powdered	turmeric	and	add	a	bit	to	your	evening	tea,	hot	soups,	veggie
dishes,
or	blended	into	salad	dressings	(see	the
Creamy	Masala	Vegetable	Stew
recipe	on
this	page
).
Break	Before	Meals
Take	time	before	lunch	and	dinner	and	pause	to	ask	yourself	what	your	body
truly	needs	at	that	meal.	At	first	it	might	be	hard	to	listen	to	yourself.	You	may
feel	like	you	should	just	go	for	what	you’ve	normally	eaten	in	the	past,	but	as
you	stay	receptive	and	practice	asking	and	listening	to	your	body,	you	will	be
able	to	“hear”	more	intuitively	from	your	body	what	you	need,	and	you	will	feel
more	satisfied	after	eating.
Eat	More	Slowly
Take	time	just	to	eat.	Don’t	eat	while	reading	or	writing	e-mails	or	during	a
conference	call.	Treat	eating	as	sacred	for	better	beauty	digestion.	Even	if	it’s
just	a	few	minutes,	take	the	time	for	yourself.
Practice
Gratitude
Take	a	moment	for	gratitude	before	each	meal	and	even	snack.	Creating	that
feeling	of	gratitude	puts	your	body	and	mind	in	a	calmer,	happier	state,	which
paves	the	path	for	optimal	digestion.
Sip	Hot
Herbal	Tea	in	the	Evenings
This	is	soothing,	good	for	digestion,	and	signals	to	your	mind	that	it’s	time	to
start	preparing	for	sleep	and	rejuvenation.	Tulsi	(also	known	as	holy	basil)	tea	is
a	particularly	excellent	choice.	It’s	an	important	herb	in
Ayurveda,	which	has
been	used	in
India	for	over	5,000	years,	and	is	said	to	help	reduce	stress	and
anxiety.	It’s	also	an	adaptogen,	helping	to	balance	the	body	and	protect	it	from
the	effects	of	different	kinds	of	stressors.Try	a	Daily
Fast:	Alkalizing	Foods	Until	Lunch
Some	research	on	intermittent	fasting,	which	means	going	for	prolonged
periods	of	time	without
eating,	shows	that	it	may	help	extend	life	span	and
ameliorate	aging-related	diseases
1
	by	allowing	more	time	for	your	body	to	repair
and	rejuvenate	itself.	This	backs	up	the	plan	proposed	in
The
Beauty	Detox
Solution
,	which	encourages	consuming	the
Glowing	Green	Smoothie	(
this	page
)
and	hot	water	with	lemon	in	the	mornings.	This	is	essentially	a	type	of	“fast,”
consisting	of	only	alkalizing	foods	that	are	very	easy	to	digest,	until	noon.	By
restricting	heavier	foods	for	a	few	hours	in	the	morning	you’re	adding	to	the
hours	since	dinner	the	night	before,	giving	your	body	longer	periods	of
digestive	rest.	This	is	easier	on	your	body	than	some	types	of	traditional
intermittent	fasting	that	prescribe	alternating	normal	eating	days	with	whole
fasting	days	on	a	weekly	basis.
Although	some	schools	of	thought	favor	frequent	eating,	the	problem	with
that	approach	is	that	your	stomach	doesn’t	have	time	to	properly	empty	and
break	down	a	given	food	or	meal	before	you	give	it	something	else	to	digest.
This	can	contribute	to	digestive	overload.	Give	your	body	more	of	a	rest,	and
keep	your	mornings	full	of	alkalizing	smoothies,	juices,	fruit,	and	maybe	some
oatmeal,	without	the	digestive	burden	of	very	heavy	or
acidic	foods	right	at	the
start	of	your	day.
While	a	late	morning	or	late	afternoon	snack	might	be	warranted,	depending
on	your	constitution,	try	not	to	eat	constantly	all	day	long	(unless	you	have	a
specific	medical	condition	like	hypoglycemia).	Be	sure	to	eat	dinner	at	least	3
hours	(ideally)	before	bed.	You	want	to	be	sure	to	digest	your	food	thoroughly
before	hitting	the	sack.
Eat	in	Order
If	you	have	a	liquid	soup,	it’s	best	to	have	it	at	the	beginning	of	the	meal.	The
stomach	will	first	process	and	remove	liquids	before	it	can	really	work	to	break
down	the	solid	food	items.	Drinking	a	lot	of	liquids	with	solid	foods	is	not
good	for
digestion	and	can	cause
bloating,	as	liquids	can	dilute	digestive
enzymes	and	slow	digestion.	Come	into	meals	hydrated	and	sip	on	liquids	as
needed	while
eating.	Start	your	meals	with	fiber-filled,	enzyme-rich	raw	foods
such	as	salads	and	then	move	into	other	items.	Avoid	eating	fast-digesting	fruit
at	the	end	of	your	meals	or	for	dessert.	For	more	on	this,	check	out
The
Beauty
Detox	Solution
.Keep	Meals
Simple
Instead	of	having	a	lot	of	different	elements	on	your	plate,	try	using	fewer	types
of	foods	and	larger	portions	of	each.	It’s	easier	for	your	body	to	digest	simpler
meals,	and	more	efficient	digestion	promotes	your	beauty.
How	the	Temperature
of	Foods	and	Beverages
Affects	Your	Beauty
The	temperature	of	what	you	eat	and	drink,	not	just
what
	you	eat	and	drink,	has
an	impact	on	your	beauty.	Let’s	talk	about	beverages	first.	In	Western	culture,
ice	has	become	ubiquitous.	Go	to	a	restaurant	and	tap	water	loaded	with	ice	will
automatically	be	plunked	down	in	front	of	you.	We’ve	become	so	used	to
drinking	only	extremely	cold	beverages	that	most	of	us	keep	or	purchase
bottled	water	and	other	beverages	in	icy	cold	refrigerators.	Some	people	even
add	ice	to	white	wine!
Historically,	ice	was	never	as	readily	available	as	it	is	today.	This	hyper
infusion	of	very	cold	temperatures	into	our	beverages—and	bodies—is	a	modern
phenomenon.	If	you	stick	your	feet	in	cold	ocean	water	or	your	hand	into	the
freezer,	it	doesn’t	take	long	to	feel	a	numbing	effect.	Think	about	that
happening	inside	your	body.	The	excessive	cold	can	contract	your	stomach,
impairing	it	from	properly	secreting	proper	enzymes	and	inducing	a
contracting	or	almost	“shrinking”	effect	throughout	your	digestive	system.
The	ancient	medicinal	systems	of	both
Traditional	Chinese	Medicine	(TCM)
and
Ayurveda	both	heavily	frown	on	ice-cold	water	and	beverages.	TCM	holds
that	cold	beverages	have	a	negative	effect	on
metabolism	and	digestion	and	that
consumption	of	them	over	many	years	can	exert	a	negative	effect	on	the	health
of	other	organ	systems	as	well,	creating	an	environment	where	pain	and	chronic
diseases	can	develop.
According	to	the	TCM	belief	system,	drinking	cold	beverages	blocks
meridian
channels	(or	pathways	through	which	energy	flows),	slows	and	even
congests	blood	circulation,	and	diminishes	organ	functioning.
2
	From	a	beauty
standpoint,	this	ancient	Asian	medical	system	also	believes	that	chronic	cold-
water	drinking	can	lead	to	bloating,	weight	gain,	fatigue,	chronic	pain,	varicose
veins,	poor	digestion,	and	even	painful	PMS.
3
From	the
Ay


 Food in its preparation has long been made subservient to the sense of taste; taste engenders appetite; and appetite in turn
engenders excess. Attention is again called to the distinction to be made between appetite an d hunger. Most human beings never
know the sensation of true hunger, but feed their bodies at the habit -call of abnorma1 desire. And because of almost universal
violation of the natural law of nutrition through overeating, the latter vice, apparent though it be, and distressing in its effects as it
is, calls for correction as does no other in the long list of offenses against nature.

    From time to time many earnest seekers have advanced beliefs and theories tending to develop a panacea for disease, but  thus
far without success. It is conceivable that disease may be eradicated from the world, for nature deals but in cause and effec t, and
the tendency in all life is towards perfect bodily balance, without which health is not. One truth, however, may here be succinctly
stated: disease in all of its forms may be prevented, and in many instances, once developed, it may be cured. And the first a nd
paramount law of its prevention is discovered in the rule that governs the quantity as well as the quality of the food supply of the
human body.

Page 49 of  72     In the life of man tradition, inheritance, and education combine to foster and preserve doctrines that are misleading. And in  no
manner is this so well illustrated as in the application of orthodox methods for the relie f of bodily ills. To accept human testimony,
even conscientious human testimony, as easily as men usually do is to be gullible. And this is true of the testimony of scien ce as
well as of that of the general observer. The worth of what we put into our minds  or into our stomachs is of consequence to us all,
and nothing can be more of a satire than the fact that, during an age when science and invention have done so much for the
material world, our bodies included, the processes of the human mind, the nature o f our ideas and beliefs, are so neglected that few
of us ever think of our own capability of giving testimony that is true; and still fewer of us pay any attention to the daily  intake of
the testimony of others, which is sometimes consciously false, but wh ich many times is more or less unconsciously inaccurate.

    One reason for this lowering of mental guard is that most men possess gregarious intellects. If what is advanced seems to con cur
with whatever the mass mind believes, the common way is to accep t it. No effort is required. Or, perhaps, there is the desire to
believe --that dangerous and almost universal quality of the intellect. Because of this, one often accepts a fallacy and rejects a trut h.
Because of this, one reaches out for fads --mental, med ical, mysterious --which give hope that the blame for weaknesses may be
passed to some agency other than our own. And because of the gregarious mind and of the desire to believe, the power of mere
assertion acquires its potency.

    By what has been said, it must not be imagined that the incontestible learning and probity of able and reputable investigator s is
at all questioned. But we are privileged to doubt, and, if investigation warrants, to deny the doctrines which are general ly regarded
as authoritative, even though these doctrines are advanced by eminent scientists.

    In the popular mind disease inculcates fear, and, when certain symptoms are in evidence, it is fled from in terror. This atti tude is
to be supposed so long as present general conceptions and teachings prevail, but the day is at hand when human ailments will be
regarded in their true light as the means by which nature works to restore health, as the only rational processes of cure. To
emphasize --disease is not  a foe to life, but is the plan of nature instituted to restore a system in unbalance to equilibrium or health.
That the general conception of disease and its treatment through attack upon symptoms, are wrong, and that health lies within
reach of all ailin g bodies that are not suffering from structural organic defect, are truths which, it is hoped, the text will fully
demonstrate.

    Despite prevalent belief, disease never strikes suddenly, but is the consequence of long -continued violation of natural la w. It is
the result of a gradual clogging of the avenues through which vitality functions, a long -drawn process of stifling the forces of life.
"Every disease," says Dr. Edward Hooker Dewey, "is an inherited possibility, which every violation of the laws o f life tends to
develop. It is never simply an attack on a well person, but is rather a summing -up of the more or less life -long violations of health
laws." Because of these transgressions, loss of digestive power occurs; lowered vitality succeeds; and dis ease symptoms become
apparent along lines of least physical resistance.

    Symptoms of disease, the tangible evidences of its presence, vary with temperament, hereditary tendencies, surroundings, and
the organic state, congenital or otherwise, of the in dividual. No two human beings ever express in disease identical morbid signs,
even under like environment; and the reason underlying the development of symptoms differing in character in persons
presumably of like constitution and with the same environment  is to be sought most probably in the domain of the phenomena of
heredity.

    Exercising the privilege of the investigator, the author not only questions the doctrine embodied in what is known as the "ge rm
theory" of the causation of disease, but she de nies its validity. And, using in her turn the power of assertion, she condemns the
remedies advanced by therapists for the cure of so -called microbically caused illnesses as being radically erroneous, leading not to
health and long life, but to further dis ease and ultimate death.

    The germ, we know, is omnipresent; it is the scavenger of animate existence; and life could not exist in its absence. In heal th,
when physical balance is the rule, various kinds of micro -organisms live and propagate within th e human body, but only to the
degree necessary for the consumption of noxious products of systemic refuse, which otherwise would cause toxication. To this
extent the germ is an ally of the eliminative organs, working to render harmless body waste during th e time it is retained within the
organism. Given for attention waste in excess of normal, germ life increases, the products of germ life add to the putrefying  mass,
and the task of consumption proving too great for even myriad bacilli to accomplish, physic al balance is disturbed, and disease
appears.

    Infection is one of the methods of nature for relieving the living organism of any non -usable organic matter that may find its
way into the blood, and the category of what is non -usable includes all coagu lable material from serum albumen to what are
known as the white corpuscles. There is doubt that virtually amounts to certainty in the mind of the author concerning the ac cepted
theory of the life and office of the much vaunted leucocyte or white corpuscle  of the blood. This body, which by scientists is given
the high position of being the primordial animal cell, is in reality here placed upon the defensive, and its proponents must give
proof that it is either what they claim, a vigilant policeman, a phagoc yte or germ -destroyer, a tissue -builder; or that it is a
surpassingly harmful foreign body that paves the way for all disease.
Page 50 of  72     What we know about this inhabitant of the blood current is that in good health, when by microscopic examination we discover
one thousand or thereabouts of red corpuscles in the blood, relatively we find only one or at most several white corpuscles; and,
when disease appears, at first these leucocytes are unusually numerous, increasing in number with the gravity of the symptoms. If
the case progresses to the point of death or its immanency, the increase of white corpuscles becomes so great as to form a co mplete
reversal of the proportion between the red and the white which is the rule in health. And the fact is that the greater t he number of
these so -called phagocytes or germ -destroyers that a sick man carries in his circulation, the less probable is his chance of recovery.

    If white blood corpuscles were both phagocytes and tissue builders, why do they not succeed more often  in their offices, and
why should they be more numerous in disease than in health, Scientists claim motion and even independent life for this whitis h
body in the blood; may we not suppose that its motility is due to the forces of death --to the processes of  chemical disintegration?

    If it be true that current teaching is open to doubt, and if, as we think it is, the criticism of the leukocyte presented is well
founded, what must be the conclusion reached when we analyze the results of the past seventy -five years of study of the white
blood corpuscle, It cannot be other than that nature, the greatest of all magicians, has been deceiving the elect of the scie ntific
world by performing in their presence the feat of causing a particle of decaying organic mat ter to simulate life with marvelous
accuracy. And


 I moved into my
new house. Now that I had moved into the house and
started my intense meditative lifestyle, it was time to
read this mysterious book.
Chapter after chapter transported me into a world that
should have been very foreign to me. But because of the
transformative events that had been happening to me, I
could at least relate to the Indian saint’s life story. It
became very clear to me—I h ad merely stuck my toe into
the ocea n Yoga nanda was swimming in. He was a master
of t he entire f ield of knowledge and experience I wasseeking. I could feel it to  the core of my being.
Yogananda had gone far beyond my beyond and had
never fully come back. He h ad learned to exist in that
state, yet still b e present interacting with the world. I had
found my teacher.
Even though I felt an immed iate sense of relief that I
was no longer alone on my inner journey, some areas of
tension had to be worked ou t. To begin with, the word
God  was not part of my everyday vocabulary. Yogananda
not only  used the word as fre ely as his breath flowed, but
he used  it with a sense of intense devotion that took your
breath away. Yogananda’s passion showed most in the
songs that he wrote:
My hea rt’s afla me and my soul’s afire—Just for
You, You, You, Just You.
Interestingly, I could relate to that. Since I had
touched that beauteous place deep inside of me, my
heart w as aflame too. In f act, I had lost interest in
everything else. I only wanted to meditate my way back
beyond myself. I could relate to God as associated with
that place hidden deep inside of me. My study of Zen
taught me that Buddha passe d through absolute stillness
and peace on his way into nirvana.  I had heard that
Christ said that the Kingdom is within you,  a nd I was
aware that the Bible talked about a p eace beyond all
understanding.  I knew  about such a place i nside of me
where the peace was so de ep that it had completely
transformed my entire life.
Another word that I couldn’t relate to at first was
Spirit.  I thought this was a Christian word, yet
Yogananda use d it all the time. He spoke of invoking the
Spirit and feeling it pulsate through him. He related
times w hen he  held up his hands and felt the Spirit move
into and out of them. Cou ld he be referring to that
powerful flow of energy I had been experiencing since
my very deep m editation? I often felt that field of energyflow from the point between my eyebrows, down my
arms, and out the center of my palms. Could Spirit be
another word for this inner energy flow, and could that
focal po int between my eyebrows be the location of what
Yogananda kept calling the Third Eye  or Spiritual Eye?
More and more I began to re alize that I could personally
relate to Yogananda’s teachings.
Autobiography of a Yogi  changed my view about
everything that had been happening to me. Once I
finished reading that book, God was no longer just a
word to me. It  represented where I wanted to go. I had
begun t his journey by wanting to know who I was who
was wa tching the mental voice. I now realized that the
great saints and masters of all the religious traditions
had gone beyond their person al self to find their spiritual
self. Yogananda called it self-realization.  Wh at a  perfec t
term for all I was about at that point of my life. I wanted
to realize the nature of the one who watches—my true,
innermost self.
Bob Merrill had told me that  he received lessons from
Self-Realization Fellowship,  t he  org anization Yogananda
had fou nded in America. Yogananda had left the body in
1952, but he had been kind enough to leave his teachings
behind in the form of weekly lessons. I had heard of a
mail-order bride but never a mail-order guru. I signed up
for the lessons immediately and integrated them into my
regular practices. I remember that around that time I
decided to read the Bible. I had never read the New
Testament before. I found it very inspiring, and so much
of th e teachings were completely aligned with what I had
been experienc ing in meditation. For example, there was
the notion that you have to die to be reborn. That is
exactly what I had been tryin g to do, die of the personal
to be reborn in  the spiritual. I put pictures of Christ and
Yogananda on the altar where I meditated. Some very
great beings had walked this path before me. I wanted tolearn from them. I was just starting to realize that I
couldn’t walk the path alone—I needed some help.S e c t i o n  I I
The Great Experiment
Begins1 3.
T h e  E x p e r i m e n t  o f  a  L i f e t i m e
T hus far my entire path to inner freedom was focused
around my meditations. That was where I went to
become filled with a deep se nse of peace and serenity.
And it was working, to a degr ee. I could sit for hours with
a b eautiful flow of energy lifting me upward, but I
couldn’t break through to where I longed to go.
Furthermore, the personal mind always returned once I
got up and bec ame active. I n eeded help, and it came one
day in a flash  of realization. It dawned on me that
perhaps I’d been going about this in the wrong way.
Instead of trying to free myself by constantly quieting the
mind, p erhaps I should be asking why the mind is so
active. What is the motivation behind all the mental
chatter? If that motivation were to be removed, the
struggle would be over.
This realization opened the door for an entirely new
and exciting dimension to m y practices. As I explored it
inwardly, the first thing I no ticed was that most of the
mental activity revolved around my likes and dislikes. If
my mind had a preference toward or against something,
it actively talked about it. I could see that it was these
mental prefer ences that were creating much of the
ongoing dialogue about how to control everything in my
life. In a bold  attempt to free myself from all that, I
decided to just stop listening to all the chatter about my
personal preferences, and instead, start the willful
practice of accepting what th e flow of life was presenting
me. Perhaps this change in focus would quiet things
down inside.I started this new practice with something very simple,
the wea ther. C ould it really b e so hard to just let it rain
when it rains and be sunn y when it’s sunny without
complaining about it? Apparently the mind can’t do it:
Why did it have to rain today? It always rains
when I don’t want it to. It ha d all week to rain;
it’s just not fair.
I simply replaced all that meaningless noise with:
Look how beautiful; it’s raining.
I found these practices of acceptance very powerful,
and the y definitely served to q uiet the mind. So I decided
to push  the envelope and bro aden the range of events I
would learn to accept. I clearly remember deciding that
from no w on if life was unfolding in a certain way, and
the only reason I was resisting it was because of a
personal preference, I would let go of my preference and
let life be in charge.
Clearly, these were uncharted waters for me. Where
would I end up? If my preferences were not leading me,
what would happen to me? Th ese questions did not scare
me; the y fascinated me. I didn’t want to be in charge of
my life; I wanted to be free to soar far beyond myself. I
began to see this as a grea t experiment. What would
happen to me if I just inwardly surrendered my
resistance and let the flow of life be in charge? The rules
of the experiment were very simple: If life brought events
in front  of me, I would treat t hem as if they came to take
me beyond myself. If my personal self complained, I
would use each opportunity  to simply let him go and
surrender to what life was presenting me. This was the
birth of what I  came to call “the surrender experiment,”
and I was totally prepared to see where it would take me.
You may think that only a ma dman would make such a
decision. But, in truth, I had already experienced someamazing things that the flow of life had done. I had
witnessed firsthand what happened when I let go and
followed the subtle events that led me to the hills of
Mexico and then to those wonderful experiences with the
Mexican villagers. When I got back to the States, I had
been le d to my beautiful new property, and look what
happened with  the house. I just wanted to build a simple
hut, and that


intenseworkorexcitement. Ifyoufeelasifyour
nervesarewornoutandhavenoothersymptomsthat
wouldguideyoutoanotherremedythentakeKali
plwsphoricum atbedtime,every5-10minutesuntil
sleepfalls.ThisremedyisverysimilartoPulsatillainthatits
symptomsareclearlyaggravatedbywarmthingen-
eral(warmthofbed,stuffyrooms,andsoon),andare
greatlyrelievedbyfreshair,especiallyawalkoutside.
Bothremedieshavethickyellowdischargesand
wanderingpains,andmostcomplaintsareaccompa-
niedbyayellow,oftenslimv,coatedtongue.The
differencesbetweenthetworemedieslieintheemo-
tional/mentalsymptoms.Achangeoftemperature
fromcoldtowarminthespring/summercansetoffa
coldorcoughwhichwillbehelpedbyKalisulphuricum
ifthesymptoms fit.
EMOTIONAL/MENTALSYMPTOMS
Angry.Anxiouswhenindoors;whenoverheated.
Irritable.
Thereareveryfewemotional/mentalsymptoms
withthisremedy.Thesetypesfeelrattyandanxious,
especiallywhenstuckinsidethehouse;theyare
alwaysimprovedbyawalkinthefreshair.
KALISULPHURICUM (Kali-s.)
Othernames:potassiumsulphate;sulphateofpotash;
Vesuviansalt;glaserite
Thissaltoccursnaturallyindelicateneedle-shaped
crystalsorcrustinginmanyoftheVesuvianlavas.
Variousmethodsareusedtoseparatethepotassium
sulphatefromtheore.
Potassiumsulphateisusedcommerciallyasaferti-
liserfortobacco,citrusfruitsandothercropsthat
cannottoleratemuchchloride; itisalsousedasan
antiflashagentinsmokelesspowdersandinthe
manufactureofpotassiumcarbonateandglass.
ChristopherGlaser,asixteenth-century pharmacist
andapothecarytoLouisXIVofFrance,wasoneofthe
firstindependentdiscoverersandusersofpotassium
sulphateasamedicine.Nowadays itisusedinthe
manufactureofpotassiumalumwhichisused,be-
causeofitsastringentproperties,totreatcertainskin
conditions,toreduceexcessiveperspiration,andto
stopbleedingfromsmallcuts.
Thehomeopathicremedyismadefrompotassium
sulphatebytrituration.
GENERALSYMPTOMS
Complaintsfromchangeofweatherfromcoldto
warm.Discharges:thick;yellow.Painswandering.
Yellow-coatedtongue.
Betterforfreshair.
Worseforheat;forchangeoftemperature.PHYSICALCOMPLAINTS
Commoncold
SymptomsNasaicatarrh:profuse;thick;yellow.
Betterforfreshair.
Worseinastuffyroom.
IfPulsatillaiswellindicatedforacoldbutdoesnotcure
oronlypartlvhelpsthenKalisulphuricumwillfinish
thecure,asthesymptomsareverysimilar.These
casesareworseinawarmroom,likePulsatilla,and
desirefreshair.
Cough
SymptomsCough:rattling;whooping.Mucus:
difficulttocoughup;hastoswallowwhatcomesup.
Worseatnight;inawarmroom.
Thepersoncoughsupyellowphlegmintothethroat
butoftenhasdifficultyspittingitoutsowillswallow it.
Earache
SymptomsDischarge:thin;yellow.Withcrackling
inearswhenchewing.
Thisearacheusuallyoccursinchildren.Thechildwill
betemporarilydeafbecausetheEustachiantubesare
blockedwithmucus,andtherewillberingingnoises
intheearswhenchewing.AcourseofKalisulphuricum
canhelpthemucustodisperse.
Headache
SymptomsPains:inforehead;insidesofhead;
stitching.
INTERNALMATERIAMEDICA Lachesis(Lach.)•105
Betterforfreshair.
Worseduringtheevening;inawarmroom.
Jointpain
SymptomsFeetcold.Pains:inhips;inlegs;
wandering.
Betterforfreshair;formovement;forwalking.
Worseforheat;insummer.
Thefeetwillfeelcoldbutthepersonandher
symptomsareworseforheat.
LACHESIS(Lach.)
Familyname:Ophidia
Othernames:Surukukusnake;Churukukusnake;
bushmastersnake
ThisremedyisderivedfromthevenomofaSouth
AmericansnakesupposedtobetheTrigonocephalies
lachesis,commonlyknownasthebushmasteror
Surukuku.Thesnakeissevenfeetlongandhasone-
inchfangs;itkillsitspreybothbyconstrictionandby
injectingitsvenom,andwillhuntdownahuman
beingforprey.
Thepoisonouseffectofsnakevenomonthener-
vousmechanismsoftheheartcausesdeath.Ifthedose
issmallandthereforenotfatal,orifdeathisdelayed,
ensuingsymptomsincludeadecreasedabilityofthe
bloodtocoagulateandthedestructionofredbloodcorpuscles. Lachesishasboththesesymptoms
strongly.
ConstantineHeringwasthefirstandprincipal
proverofLachesisduringhiszoologicaltriptoDutch
Guyanain1828.Heofferedarewardforalivespeci-
menoftheSurukukusnake;whenthiswasfound
(afterwhichthe'natives'accompanyinghimpromptly
fled)hestunnedthesnakewithablowandwhile
expressingthepoisoninordertoproveitaccidentally
handledsomeofit.Hiswifekeptarecordofevery-
thinghesaidanddidduringthisaccidentalproving
andthesesymptomsformedthebasisforitsuseasa
homeopathicremedy.
Thehomeopathicremedyispreparedfromthe
venombytrituration.
GENERALSYMPTOMS
Breathsmells.Lipsblue.Palpitations.Sweat:from
mentalexertion;frompain.Symptomsleft-sidedor
startontheleftandmovetotheright.
Betterforfreshair;whileeating.
Worseforalcohol;forhumidity;beforemenstrual
period;forheat;duringthemorning;forpressure;
aftersleep;fortightclothes;onwaking.
Lachesisisaremedythatisoftenneededatthetimeof
themenopauseinwomen.Theysufferfromhot
flushesandfeelingsofconstriction,andheadaches
thatthroborburst.Generally,Lachesispatientsare
worseforheatandfeelbetterforcoldcompressesand
freshair.Theirtiredness,whichisoftenaccompanied
bytremblingandafaintfeeling,isnothelpedby
sleeping.Theyandtheirsymptomsareworseon
wakingandtheymayevenbegintodreadfalling
asleepbecauseofthis.Althoughthesepeopleenjoya
drink(toomanyattimes),alcoholwillaggravatetheir
symptoms.Theysufferfromleft-sidedcomplaints,
whichmaythenmoveacrosstotherightsideofthe
body.
TheLachesischaracterisalwaysworseforsuppress-
inganything,beitemotionsornaturalbodilydis-
chargessothat,forexample,thesuppressionof
periods(bytakingthepillorthecessationatthe
menopause)cancreateproblemswithheadaches,
sleeplessness,andsoon.Similarly,theywilloftenfeel
worsebeforeaperiodandmuchbetterassoonasthe
periodstarts.
EMOTIONAL/MENTALSYMPTOMS
Anxiousonwaking.Cheerful.Complaintsfrom:
grief;mentalstrain.Confused.Depressed:generally;
onwaking.Excitable.Exhilarated.Expressionsickly.
Jealous.Lively.Sluggishonwaking.Sensitiveto
pain;totouch.Shockfrominjury.Talkative.
NBSEEALSOPAGES203-26FORGENERALADVICE,DOSANDDONTS.
106•Lachesis(Lach.) INTERNALMATERIAMEDICA
Thesearelively,excitablecharacterswhoenterfully
intolife'srichtapestry.Theyareterribletalkers,jump-
ingfromonesubjecttoanothersothatitishardtogeta
wordinedgeways.Thesementalsymptomsarenot
oftenseeninaminoracutecomplaintlikeasore
throat,butifyouknowyourpatientfitstheLachesis
pictureonaday-to-day,healthybasis,whenshefalls
illthisremedywillbetheonetohelp.Illhealthoften
followsaperiodofoverworkorapersonallossand
thiswillcausedepression,anxiety(whichisworseon
waking)andmentalexhaustion.Theydonotwantto
workinthisstateandtheirtalkativeness willdegener-
ateintomuttering.Theyareac