ale, becoming aware of
the pattern of your breathing and the feeling of filling your lungs. Then place your attention on the root or base chakra (the sex center)
and move your attention up the passageway between your root
chakra and your third eye chakra. Think of this as a channel that has
been clogged, and think of the third eye space as an opening that has
been sealed for a long time that you are going to open with your
inner etheric energy. Now take a deeper, longer, breath of air, filling
your lungs, and as you release the breath say out loud the sound of
aaah with as much emotion and volume as you can manage. Place your attention on clearing the channel with this sound of
aaah. While you are doing the aaah meditation, add to your mental
125
WAYNE W. DYER
picture what it is that you would like to be able to create or manifest,
without being at all attached to how it will surface in your life. (I have
explained in detail in the eighth principle the importance of not
making demands on the how. ) What you are doing is focusing on the
feeling that you will have as this desire manifests in the concrete
world of your life. While you meditate for approximately twenty minutes in the
beginning of your day, repeat the sound of aaah as your mantra for
the entire time. However, only do it out loud and with emotion
for approximately the first one third of the time. Move your atten-
tion up and down the inner passageway between the root chakra
and the third eye chakra using the sound of aaah. Then remain
focused on the third eye chakra. You are now going to open up the
third eye. With the inner energy that you are feeling from the sound of cre-
ation resonating within you, open the third eye in your mental pic-
ture, and propel the creative force through it into the world of
form. Imagine its release from your inner being to a point at which
it circles the world and surrounds the objects of your desire. Trust
that this energy will connect with the universal energy that is the
God force and will send the object of your desire into your immedi-
ate world. This must be done in accordance with all nine of the
principles of manifesting that are explained in this book, which
means you have an absence of doubt, complete trust, unconditional
love and a knowing that this power of attraction is within you and in
all things. Gradually you will begin to experience an overwhelming sense of
bliss and peace in the sound of creation. Then you will feel the need
to lower the volume. For the next approximately one third of the
morning meditation say the aaah sound softer and _ softer. Stay
focused on the third eye, which is now open and sending out this
126
Manifest Your Destiny
creation energy, and the feeling of your desire manifesting. If you feel
distracted or your attention shifts, return to the third eye and the
feeling of your manifestation materializing for you., Remember, you
are not demanding anything, you are not telling God how to do this
work, you are experiencing in the third eye the strong feeling of
knowing and the bliss of this sound repeated in a quieter and quieter
fashion. For the final one third of your morning meditation, repeat the
sound of aaah to yourself silently as a mantra, and keep your atten-
tion on the third eye and the glorious feeling of gratitude that you are
already experiencing for having this manifest, however it will, into
your life. When you have completed approximately twenty to thirty
minutes of this manifesting meditation, your morning session will be
complete. The objects of your desire can be unlimited, and they can run the
full gamut of human potentiality. Some people have used this medi-
tation to manifest peace for themselves or those they love, to center
themselves on a healing, or to bring a relationship into their life. Others have used it for such matters as selling a house, getting a
promotion, overcoming an addiction, attracting money or whatever. The possibilities are unlimited. I have received hundreds of letters
from people describing the success they have had with this medita-
tion when they practice it, using all nine of these principles with
integrity. If you have read this far into this book, you are demonstrating
your interest in learning to become a spiritual manifester. If you
know that the power to manifest is within you, then do this ancient
practice of repeating the name of God in an almost chantlike ritual
each and every morning, with your attention on the feeling and the
third eye. What you are really doing when you do this morning aaah
meditation is resonating with the words “In the beginning was the
127
WAYNE W. DYER
word, and the word was God. ” The act of manifesting is the begin-
ning of something being created in your life. The word is God, which
is to say, the aaah sound is the sound of God. The evening meditation is best practiced at sunset if possible. Once again, as the sun sinks below the horizon there is a coronalike
expression of energy that is greatest just as the sun leaves the horizon
and for a few moments immediately after the sun disappears from
our vision. Now you practice the sound of. om, which is the medita-
tion of gratitude. I have detailed this principle of gratitude in the
ninth and final principle explained in this book. Briefly, the practice is identical to the morning meditation, with
the exception that you are not now asking to manifest anything. Instead, at the end of your daylight, or as you retire, you are simply
saying thank you to the universal intelligence that we call God for all
that has manifested in your life. Take in deep breaths just as you did
_in the morning, clear the channel between your base chakra and
your third eye chakra, and mentally picture all that you have
received and project that energy out forcefully through the opening
of the third eye. You are expelling into the universe beyond your
immediate body an energy of gratitude, using the affirmations that I
have included in the ninth principle, and which I say aloud during
the guided meditation on the cassette and compact disc titled
Meditations for Manifesting. The sound of om is said aloud for the first third of your medita-
tion, then gradually more quietly, and ultimately silently, always
focusing grateful attention on the third eye and feeling that energy
going back to the universal source of energy that we call God. The
sound of om is the sound of the material world. It is the sound that
makes us feel most at home here in the material world since it is the
essential sound of all experience in this phenomenal world. When
you repeat this sound, you are in harmony with your environment. 128
Manifest Your Destiny
The final part of this meditation is the last sound you hear before you
go to sleep each night. The very first sound you hear in the morning is
generally one of aaah. It is the sound that you make when you yawn or
stretch. Be aware of this first sound and be willing to acknowledge it as
your own vibrational frequency of the new day that you are manifesting. However, the final sound you hear within yourself before going to sleep
can be a combination of these two sounds of aaah and om. You may recall that I defined enlightenment earlier in this book as
the ability to be immersed in and surrounded by peace. “Peace” is
the key word here. It is not an accident that the sounds of aaah and
om, when combined, translate to the word that means peace or
enlightenment, Shalom. Shaaah. looom. The sound of that which
you wish to manifest, and that which is already manifested, equate to
peace. By saying these two sounds to yourself as you drift off to sleep,
you are beginning the act of enlightened siddhi consciousness. You are
becoming at one with all that is peaceful and all that provides for us. It is also not an accident that the primary sound of spiritual joy is the
sound of aaah in hallelujah, and it is the sound found in the word that
ends every prayer, “amen. ”
This concludes the meditation practice of learning to vibrate to the
sound of creating and creation. It is a part of the ancient wisdom that is
being practiced and revealed more and more as we move into the spir-
itual revolution. Give this glorious, peaceful, enlightening manifesta-
tion meditation practice a three-month trial period in your life, using
each of the nine principles outlined in this book, and see if you do not
experience your heart’s desire appearing without your putting any
demands or rules on the universal God force. The willingness to allow
it to manifest as it will, permitting creation to reveal itself by and by, is
the subject of the eighth principle of manifesting. Hallelujah. Shalom. 129
PATIENTLY DETACH FROM THE OUTCOME
The Eighth Principle
n the seventh principle, on the use of the sound meditation, I
emphasized the importance of placing your attention not on the out-
come and how it will show up in your life, but on the feelings that
you are experiencing as you picture your desire manifesting. The
eighth principle of spiritual manifesting has at its heart the experi-
ence of that feeling. The manner of how and when what is desired


 ingredient of moxa  and is used
in moxibustion, a process in which heat from
a burning, cigar-shaped roll of chopped leaves
is applied to acupuncture points. Medicinal Actions & Uses  A digestive
and tonic herb, mugwort has a wide variety of
traditional uses. Milder in action than most other
Artemisia  species, it can be taken over the long term at a low dose to improve appetite, digestive
function, and absorption of nutrients. In addition,
it can be taken to encourage the elimination of
worms. Mugwort also increases bile flow and
mildly induces the onset of menstruation. The
European conception of mugwort as a uterine
stimulant is contradicted by Chinese usage, in
which it is prescribed to prevent miscarriage
and to reduce or stop menstrual bleeding. Mugwort is also antiseptic, and has been used
in the treatment of malaria. Caution  Do not take mugwort during pregnancy. Asclepias tuberosa
(Asclepiadaceae)
Pleurisy Root
Description  Perennial, upright herb growing
to 3 ft (1 m). Has narrow lance-shaped leaves
and spikes of numerous 5-petaled orange or
yellow flowers. Habitat & Cultivation  This
herb is native to the southern U.S. The root is unearthed in spring. Part Used  Root. Constituents  Pleurisy root
contains cardenolides and
flavonoids. It is estrogenic. History & Folklore  In
North American herbal
medicine, pleurisy root
was considered a cure-all. It was used to treat
conditions as diverse as
pleurisy, typhoid, pneumonia,
congestion, dysentery, colic,
eczema, and hysteria. The
Omaha ate the raw root for
bronchitis and other chest
conditions. Many tribes
thought pleurisy root was
a good remedy for hot
dry fevers. Medicinal Actions
& Uses  Though its most
specific usage is relieving the
pain and inflammation
of pleurisy, pleurisy root has
other applications. It is useful
for hot, dry, and tight conditions
in the chest. It promotes the
coughing up of phlegm,
reduces inflammation,
and, in addition,
Pleurisy root  was used
by Native Americans
as a chest remedy.Tarragon sweetens
the breath and
helps to stimulate
digestion. US_158-179_Abies_balsa_Boswe_serratta.indd   173 26/02/16   12:47 pm
174
other medicinal PlantsAsp A l A thus lineA ris
helps reduce fevers by stimulating perspiration. The root is also taken for the treatment of chronic diarrhea and dysentery. Related Species  A. incarnata and A. syriaca
have both been used in Native American herbal medicine to treat asthma. Cautions  Do not take during pregnancy. Excessive doses may cause vomiting. Aspalathus linearis (Fabaceae)
Rooibos,
Red Bush
Description  Variable shrub growing to 61⁄2 ft (2
m) in height, with green, needle-like leaves, yellow, pea-like flowers, and small seed pods. Habitat & Cultivation  Native to southern
South Africa, rooibos is now widely cultivated as
a commercial crop, particularly in the Cedarberg mountain area. The seed is hard to germinate
and must first be scarified. The young leaves are harvested once a year, chopped, and left to “sweat” or ferment before being dried. Parts Used  Y oung leaves. Constituents  Rooibos contains polyphenols,
including flavonoids, with a low tannin content. History & Folklore  Rooibos was first used as
an appetizing tea by the Khoisan people, indigenous to the Cedarberg region, but also as a sleep aid and for headaches. Medicinal Actions & Uses  Drunk mostly
as a pleasant tasting, caffeine-free drink, rooibos, like green tea, has significant antioxidant activity. There is evidence to suggest that the fermented leaves exert a protective effect on the heart and circulation. In view of the herb’s traditional use, it might also prove helpful as a nighttime drink to promote sound sleep.asparagine, and flavonoids. Asparagine is a
strong diuretic. History & Folklore  To judge from ancient
Egyptian tomb drawings, asparagus was cultivated  as long ago as 4000 bce. In the 1st century ce,  the Greek physician Dioscorides recommended a decoction of asparagus root to improve urine flow and to treat kidney problems, jaundice, and sciatica.acting as a general reproductive and sexual tonic. Shatavari can prove particularly helpful in easing menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes and poor stamina. It appears to improve fertility in both men and women, and may also be taken to treat impotence. A tonic, strengthening herb, shatavari supports immune function and has a place in the treatment of immunosuppressed conditions. Related Species Asparagus (A. officinalis, see
preceding entry) is a relative. Asperula odorata syn. Galium
odoratum (Rubiaceae)
Sweet Woodruff
Description  Perennial growing to 18 in (45 cm). Has a square stem, whorls of narrow elliptical
leaves, and small white flowers. Habitat & Cultivation  Sweet woodruff is
native to Europe, and is also found in Asia and North Africa. It grows in woodlands and shaded places. The herb is gathered when in flower in late spring. Parts Used  Aerial parts. Constituents  Sweet woodruff contains iridoids,
coumarins (0.6%), tannins, anthraquinones, and flavonoids. The flavonoids act on the circulation  and are diuretic. History & Folklore  When it dries, sweet
woodruff takes on the scent of newly cut grass,  and it has often been placed between clothes  to impart its aroma. In his Irish Herbal of 1735, K’Eogh records that “It is good in healing wounds  if bruised and then applied, and also in curing boils and inflammations.” In Germany Maiwein, made  of sweet woodruff steeped in white wine, is drunk to celebrate May Day. Medicinal Actions & Uses  Sweet woodruff
is considered tonic, with significant diuretic and  anti-inflammatory effects. Its coumarin and flavonoid constituents make it helpful for varicose veins and phlebitis. It has been used as an antispasmodic, and  it is given to children and adults for insomnia. Sweet woodruff aerial parts are dried for medicinal use.Asparagus is used to treat a range of urinary problems. Asparagus officinalis (Liliaceae)
Asparagus
Description  Slender-stemmed perennial
growing to 61⁄2 ft (2 m). Has long fronds of
delicate needle-like leaves and bell-shaped
yellow-green flowers that produce small
bright red berries. Habitat & Cultivation  Native to temperate
regions in Europe, North Africa, and Asia, asparagus is cultivated worldwide as a vegetable. The shoots grow into tender green (and, if sheltered from sunlight, white) stems in spring. The root is gathered after the shoots have been cut. Parts Used  Root, shoots. Constituents  Asparagus contains steroidal
glycosides (asparagosides), bitter glycosides, Medicinal Actions & Uses  Asparagus is a
strong diuretic that is useful for a variety of urinary problems, including cystitis. It is also useful for rheumatic conditions, helping to “flush” waste products accumulated in the joints out of the  body in the urine. Asparagus is also bitter, mildly laxative, and sedative. Caution  Do not take if you suffer from
kidney disease. Asparagus racemosus
(Liliaceae)
Shatavari,
Indian Asparagus
Description  Slender perennial fern growing
to 23 ft (7 m) in height. Shatavari has fronds of
needle-like leaves, tiny white flowers, and purple-black berries. Habitat & Cultivation  Native to the
Himalayas and the Indian subcontinent, shatavari grows wild in gravelly soils up to 3,900 ft (1,200 m) above sea level. It is also found in western China. Part Used  Root. Constituents  Shatavari contains steroidal
saponins, alkaloids, and mucilage. History & Folklore  Shatavari is known as the
“Queen of herbs” in Ayurvedic medicine. Its name literally means “100 spouses,” signifying the herb’s ability to act as a sexual tonic and promote fertility. Medicinal Actions & Uses  A key Ayurvedic
remedy, shatavari is first and foremost a women’s herb, aiding fertility and promoting conception, and
US_158-179_Abies_balsa_Boswe_serratta.indd   174 26/02/16   12:47 pm175 other medicinal PlantsBacopa monnieri
Cautions  In excessive doses, sweet woodruff
can cause internal bleeding. Do not use if taking
conventional medication for circulatory problems,
or during pregnancy. aspidosperma quebracho-blanco
(Apoc


4 cup (150 ml)  of water. Brew for 5 minutes and
drink hot. T ake up to 21/3 cups ( 600 ml) a day. Sore Throats
Herbs T amarind ( Tamarindus indica, p. 274),
lemon ( Citrus limon, p. 82)
Remedy Gargle with either a decoction of
tamarind fruit or 1 tbsp (20 ml) of lemon juice,
either neat or diluted in warm water. Herbs Rosemary ( Rosmarinus officinalis, p. 128),
sage ( Salvia officinalis, p. 131), myrrh ( Commiphora
molmol, p. 85), echinacea ( Echinacea  spp., p. 92)
Remedy 1  Dilute 1 tsp of equal parts of all
tinctures in 5 tsp of warm water and gargle. Swallow the mixture (except if pregnant). Remedy 2  Make a sage infusion, brew for  10 minutes, and allow to cool a little. Gargle,
then swallow. Add 1 tsp (5 ml) of vinegar
and 1 tsp of honey to strengthen its action. Caution Do not swallow sage during pregnancy. Tonsillitis
Herbs Echinacea ( Echinacea  spp., p. 92), all
herbs listed under Sore Throats
Remedy T ake echinacea (see Flu with Muscle
Aches & Pains  above), or use one of the
gargles listed under Sore Throats. QCaution Seek professional advice if there is no
improvement after 2 days.Options Add 1 or 2 of the following herbs:
2–3 cloves ( Eugenia caryophyllata, p. 97), 1⁄2 tsp
of powdered or grated fresh ginger ( Zingiber
officinale, p. 155), 1⁄2 tsp of chopped or
powdered cinnamon bark ( Cinnamomum spp.,
p. 81), 1–2 crushed cardamom seeds ( Elettaria
cardamomum, p. 93), 2–3 crushed peppercorns
(Piper nigrum, p. 250). Caution Do not take yarrow during pregnancy. Herbs Wormwood ( Artemisia absinthium,
p. 66), gentian ( Gentiana lutea, p. 99)
Remedy T ake 10 drops of either tincture with
water 3 times a day in addition to the above remedy. Caution  Do not take wormwood during pregnancy. Mild Fever
Herbs Y arrow ( Achillea millefolium, p. 56),
elderberry ( Sambucus nigra, p. 132)
Remedy Make an infusion with 1⁄2 tsp of each
herb in 1/3 cup (100 ml) water. Brew for 10
minutes and drink up to 21/3 cups ( 600 ml) a day. Caution  Do not take yarrow during pregnancy. Herb Onion ( Allium cepa, p. 164)
Remedy Bake a large onion at 400ºF (200ºC)
for 40 minutes. Remove, and mix the juice with
an equal amount of honey. T ake 1–2 tsp an hour
up to 8 times a day. Flu with Muscle Aches & Pains
Herbs Thyme ( Thymus vulgaris, p. 143), lemon
balm ( Melissa officinalis, p. 113), elderflower
(Sambucus nigra, p. 132)
Remedy Make an infusion using 5 g of each
herb to 3 cups (750 ml) of water. Brew for 10
minutes and drink up to 3 cups (750 ml) a day. Herb Echinacea ( Echinacea  spp., p. 92)
Remedy T ake tablets or capsules, or up to 1⁄2 tsp
of tincture with water twice a day. Alternatively,
make a decoction with 5 g of root to 3 cups
(750 ml) of water and then drink 11⁄4–21/3 cups
(300–600 ml) a day. Before taking any herbal remedies, see pages 290 & 298–299
US_310-313_Respiratory_Tract_Problems.indd   311 26/02/16   4:43 pm
312
Herbal remedies for H ome useCongestion, Sinus Problems, & Earache
Sprains & Fractures
Muscle Aches & CrampsExcessive nasal congestion is not always easy to
treat and suggests poor air quality, inappropriate diet, or an allergy. The shape of the nose and sinuses (the air-filled cavities in the bones around the nose) can also play a role in this condition. Sinuses can become blocked with fluid, causing painful pressure. Earache may be caused by local infection—in which case garlic is particularly effective—or congestion. Lavender is helpful in soothing the pain of all types of earache. Diet
As a first step, reduce foods thought to  increase mucus production, such as dairy,
eggs, fried and fatty food, sugar, and refined carbohydrates, such as white flour, as well
as alcohol. QGeneral caution Seek professional advice for
earache, especially in children. Minor damaged areas benefit from herbs such as
arnica and comfrey, which soothe bruising and speed up the healing process. Apply as soon as possible after treatment. QGeneral caution Always seek professional
treatment for broken bones, fractures, and
severe sprains. Muscle aches and cramps are entirely normal,
particularly after strenuous activity, and the pain should lessen in time. Meanwhile, rubs and ointments containing soothing herbs, such
as arnica, thyme, and cramp bark, can alleviate aching muscles. Rheumatism is a general term for muscle or joint pain and stiffness, and the remedies listed here and under Joint Pain & Stiffness, p. 313, are appropriate for this condition.General Remedy
Herb Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus, p. 96)
Remedy Make a steam inhalation by infusing  15 g of herb, or put 5–10 drops of essential oil in  3 cups (750 ml) water. Inhale for 10 minutes. Allergic States with Excessive Nasal
Mucus, such as Hay Fever
Herb German chamomile (Chamomilla recutita,
p. 77)Remedy Make a steam inhalation by infusing
15 g of herb, or put 5–10 drops of essential oil in  3 cups (750 ml) water. Inhale for 10 minutes. Earache
Herb Lavender (Lavandula officinalis, p. 108)Remedy Place 2 drops of essential oil on a cotton ball and plug into the ear. Earache Caused by Infection
Herb Garlic (Allium sativum, p. 59)
Sprains
Herb Arnica (Arnica montana, p. 172)
Remedy Apply ointment or cream to the
damaged area and gently massage into the skin at least 3 times a day. Caution Do not use arnica on broken skin. Tired & Aching Muscles
Herb Arnica (Arnica montana, p. 172)
Remedy Apply cream or ointment. Caution Do not use arnica on broken skin. Herbs Thyme (Thymus vulgaris, p. 143), rosemary
(Rosmarinus officinalis, p. 128)Remedy Make an infusion with 25 g of one herb to 3 cups (750 ml) water. Brew for 10 minutes, strain into a bath, and soak for 20 minutes.Remedy Break open a garlic oil capsule, place
2 drops on a cotton ball, and plug into the affected ear. Alternatively, crush a large clove of garlic and soak in 1 tbsp of sunflower or olive oil for at least 24 hours. Strain the oil and warm it to body temperature. Then place 2 drops on a cotton ball and plug into the ear. Earache due to Chronic Congestion
Herbs Echinacea (Echinacea spp., p. 92), thyme
(Thymus vulgaris, p. 143), marshmallow (Althaea
officinalis, p. 165), elderflower (Sambucus nigra,  p. 132)Remedy Mix equal parts of each tincture and take 1 tsp 3 times a day with water. Copious Liquid Mucus &
Sinus Congestion
See Allergic Rhinitis, p. 300. Sinus Headaches
See Tension & Sinus Headaches, p. 309. Fractures
Herb Comfrey (Symphytum officinale, p. 138)
Remedy Gently apply ointment, cream, or infused oil to the area at least 3 times a day. Caution Do not use comfrey on broken skin. Option Try also the rub containing St. John’s
wort oil, listed under General Remedies for Back Pain, p. 313. Cramps & Muscle Spasms
Herb Cramp bark (Viburnum opulus, p


 bigger than just food. It is clear that ou r food struggles are not limited to food. Food struggles are
indicative of other bigger struggles in your life that also need resolving. When we begin to heal one area  of our life, we heal the whole of our life; it
happens natural ly and simultaneously. No extra ef fort is required but
allowance is a must. In the meantime, you can find some gentle, healthy
ways to soothe yourself other than with food. Feeling exhausted? T ake a hotbath or a nap. S et up a bedtim e routine. Have a cup of tea. Light some
candles. Slow down and just be. Sit with a warm blanket and a cup of tea
and enjo y lookin g out the wind ow. Feeling anxious and worried? Learn to
pray. Create an altar in your ho me to “physicalize” your prayers. T alk to a
friend, g o for a w alk. Y ou get th e picture. Y ou can do this, one tiny step at a
time! 8. M O V E,  M O V E,  A N D  M O V E
I can ’ t s tress thi s enough! Our b ody represents the sub-stratum of our mind. Moving and breathing is how w e circulate the ener gy of stagna nt thoughts
and feelings and help them trans form. W ithout involving our body, we can’ t
experience freedom or peace, we can only talk about it. Both breathing and
meditating are inner movements  that do the trick. Outer movements which
engage the physical body, such as walking, running, swimming, yoga,
biking, playing sports, and gym activities are all wonderful ways to move. Everything is ener gy and freque ncy is one way to measure it. O ur thoughts
and emotions are also ener gy. A sedentary body creates a dif ferent thought
than a body that is in motion. Give it a try! Dif ficulty getting out of bed in
the mor ning is a classical symptom of depression. The bod y has been
mostly still during sleep at night, but the situation gets better once the
person begins to move. Going for a brisk walk can immediately change
your mood. A body in moti on gives motion to your thoughts and feelings, allowing
them to transform. One of the principles of ener gy is that like a ttracts like. The mor e we remain stuck in ou r negative thoughts and emotions, the more
of the same we attract into our life. T o change our outer environment, we
need to change the inner environment i.e. the ener gy of our body. W e can’ t feel di f ferent from the experience of our body at the cellular and
molecular level. It is this environment that we need to change, and we can
change it by moving, breathing and meditating. Negative emotions may
arise, bu t they won’ t hold your interest. They won’ t stick, as the y no longer
match th e vibra tion of the inne r environment. This is one of the reasons
why talk therapy is not suf ficien t to bring about a lasting change. W e can’ ttalk our way through our challenges, we must experience a dif ferent way of
being and know that there is so mething else that is available for us to feel. Meditation (a way to build mental stamina) and physical exercis e (a way to
build ph ysical stamina) are both powerful ways to ef fect change in the
mind. Put the technolo gy to good us e here. Find an app for walking, dancing,
meditating or whatever you fancy. I am sure there is an a pp for it. I
frequently use a running app that trains me in interval running. There are
group classes of all kinds out there—try them. Find one that you like. Switch t hings ar ound so your ro utine holds your interest. T ake char ge, this
is your opportunity! Every now and then as the need may be, I meet clients at a nearby running
track for their fo llow-up appoint ment. I check on the progress they’ve made
since th e previo us week, inquire as to what worked and what didn’ t, and
discover what the obstacles to success for them were, if any, all while we
are walking together around t he track. Before they know it, they are
stretching, doing jumping jacks or shuf fles and much more. A n hour goes
by q uickly. They sweat, breathe and move. The end result is th at they feel
better, which af fects their eating and food choices, and that inspires them to
do m ore. For t he same reasons, I will also schedule follow-ups in my
kitchen. Sometimes, we need a little taste of how we can  feel, and that gets
us inspired to do more. So, even if you hate moving, try it one time and give
it your all, and allow yourself a  dif ferent experience of yourself. Y ou just
might like it! 9. E N G A G E  I N  Y O U R  L I F E
Developing an interest in all that matters to our health tends to keep that
which is not healthy away. Having curiosity about how food can heal or
how to cook healthily are some  of the ways we can engage i n our lives. Being engaged isn’ t about be ing busy or distracted, rather it is about
immersing yourself in something so much that it fulfills you. In a  world fille d with entertainment, excitement and option s, we have
for gotten—or we devalue—the simple things that we must do. Finding theextraordinary in an ordinary life is the ultimate sophistication, where we
can engage in th e ordinary day-to-day tasks of cooking our mea ls, cleaning
up a fter ourselves, and simply  sitting and doing our work, instead of
constantly looking to distract ourselves. Being endlessly busy does not
necessarily get us anywhere. W e d on’ t always have to paint th e town red or have a blast with  our friends. More often than not, we need to be fulfilled just being with ourselves. There
is something that happens when we are totally comfortable in our own skin
and can  be totally engaged in ourselves. W e become creative, we get to
know ourselves, we become introspective. This de-stresses our nervous
system, gives it an opportunity to digest our life, unwind, and, in turn, it
reduces our stress. The easiest thing to do is to be endlessly distracted with a list of
meaningless to-do’ s that fail to bring fulfillment into our lives. When we are
not internally engaged, we seek distractions, and food of fers that
distraction. Food can provide an instant gratification, a feeling of love and
warmth. W e can over -focus on food when we don’ t have much else going
on in our lives. I h ave found that when our liv es are purpose-driven, we are not overly
focused on food all the time but eat according to what we need. Again, the
solution lies in evaluating your life from a lar ger context and assessing
where the gaps are. Learning t o cultivate presence of mind, patience and
grace is worth th e ef fort. Doing what is easy makes life harder in the future;
doing what’ s right may be harder in the short term, but it makes life easier
in the long run. Boredom is not necessarily about the lack of a to-do list, it is the  inability of
the mind to immerse or engage in what we are doing. Interestingly enough,
this has become more of a modern-time phenomenon than it ever used to
be. W e are ove r -stimulated and entertained to the extent that we have
for gotten how to just “be.” See mingly engaged, we are totally disengaged
from ourselves. The nature of th e mind is such  that it wants to be somewhere other than
where it is! It continuously seeks enjoyment and entertainment. But thegood news is, o ur mind can be entertained by anything. W e can be totally
engrossed in watching a bug, a TV show or cutting our toena ils. In other
words, the activity does not mat ter to the mind. It is our ability to engage in
whatever it is that we are doing that matters. It is nothing more than a
perception that one thing is mor e exciting than another. As long as the mind
is en gaged, it is excited, which is why each of us finds that dif ferent things
are exci ting and  fun. The point is that the more we engage on an internal
level, the more we will move in a healthy direction in all aspects of our life. Ther e was a lot in this chapter. What point stuck out for you that you
would like to explor e?C H A P T E R  3O u r  D i s c o n n e c t i o n  f r o m  F o o d
As many of my clients turn their health around with food and ot her lifestyle
changes, they desire for their lo ved ones to do the same. They often share
with me the comments that they are met with:
“Oh, I don’ t believe in this food stuf f.”
“Y ou mean I had a bad night with my knee pain because I a te all those
cupcakes? Are you crazy


 (and every day) you
will stop whatever you are doing for ten seconds and look closely and intently at one of its
component pieces. Let’s say you are washing the dishes. Stop what you are doing for ten seconds —just stop
in the middle of it —and peer de eply inside one aspect of what you are doing. Look,
perhaps, at the water. See it splashing on the dishes. See if you can count the drops of water on the dish in your hand. Just count the water drops. I know it is an impossible task, but
undertake to do it  anyway, just for ten seconds. Consider the wonder of the water. Look deeply into it. Peer inside. Go inside, in your
consciousness. See what you experience there, see what you find. Just stop for a tiny
moment and appreciate that moment in a singular way. Okay, now the ten seconds are up. Now pull yourself out of that highly focused reality
and back into the larger space of your experience. Don’t get “lost” in it. Blink your eyes
rapidly, or snap your finger, and literally snap out of it. Then, notice what  you experienced
for that brief moment. Now go on with what you were doing. Yet don’t be surprised if it takes on a whole new
quality. What you have done is truly appreciate something. To “appreciate” something is to make
it larger, to increase it —as prope rty, for instance, appreciates in value. When you use
Stopping Meditation, you increase the value of your life. And of life itself. It has been my
experience that this inevitably returns me to a place of peace. In order to remind yourself to do this six ti mes a day you may wish to have a little timer
with you, or set your watch to beep. Later, as you get used to doing this, your stopping will
come automatically to you. You will do this without having to be reminded. Walking down the street, you will simply stop for a moment and select a portion of what
you are seeing and see it again, in a deeper way. You will know what you already know
about that, but you will know it in a deeper way. This is called “knowing again,” or re -
cognizing. The purpose of all of yo ur life is simply this: to know again, to recognize, what is
true, and Who You Really Are. There are a thousand ways to do this. Maybe you catch a reflection of yourself in a store
window. Maybe you see a bus going by. Perhaps you spy a dog on the street, or a pebble at
your feet. It does not matter what you focus on for those ten seconds. Just stop for a tiny
moment and appreciate that moment in a singular way. Experience this while making love. Stop what you are doing for ten seconds, separate the
moment into its component parts, select one part of the moment and peer deeply into it. Maybe it is the look in your beloved’s eyes. Maybe it is a sensation you are feeling —or
creating. Just stop for a tiny moment and appreciate that moment in a singular way. I have regular times when I do this, and making love is one of them. Standing in the
shower is another. Eating food is another. Pick up a pea from the plate, or a kernel of corn. Consider it. Appreciate it. Taste it utterly and completely. Your meal times wil l never be the
same. Your showers will never be the same. Your lovemaking will never be the same. You
will never be the same. This is Stopping Meditation. It takes one minute a day. Sixty seconds, in six individual
ten-second installments. Six moments with in which you may produce The Holy Experience. Today, stop what you are doing. Just stop. Look deeply into the moment. If nothing else,
just close your eyes and focus on the sound of your own breath. Experience the pure energy
of life moving into and throug h your body. Just for that moment, listen to yourself breathe. Watch yourself take deeper breaths. Just listening to yourself makes you want to go deeper
into the experience —and so you begin to breathe more deeply. It is a wonderful thing, an extraordinary  thing. Just stopping  makes you go deeper. Deeper into your experience,
deeper into the mind of God. Now here is a meditation program that I have recommended to many people: (1)
Walking Meditation in the morning; (2) Stopping Meditation during the day, six  times; (3)
Sitting Meditation at night. The purpose of all of these meditations is to create focus. It is about focusing your
attention on your experience. The reason for focus: it allows you to be here now. Focusing
on Now pulls you out of yesterday and out of tomorrow. You do not exist in those illusions. Your only reality is This Moment, right here, right now. Peace is found in such awareness. As is love. For peace and love are one and the same,
and you become one and the same when you enter into The Ho ly Experience. Practice Stopping Meditation right now. It’s simple, and it takes ten seconds. Right now,
just... Stop
And, after ten seconds, continue at... WHO ARE YOU? I had another wonderful teacher who showed me the Who Meditation. It goes like t his. Whenever you are experiencing an emotion that you don’t want to experience, just say,
“Who?”
That’s right. Just say to yourself, “Who?” Ask yourself, “Who is this here right now? Who
is this that is having this experience?”
If you are alone, you can even turn this into a little chant. It can be very powerful. Just
take a deep breath and, on the exhale, softly but powerfully chant: “Whooooooooo?” Extend
the vowel sound until you are out of breath. Then inhale and do it again. Do it three times. You  will have slowed your vibration, and the invisible part of you will have a chance to
“show up.”
If you are not alone, but with another, or in some public place, you can do this little chant
inside your head. Or you can just ask yourself the question I sug gested above... “Who is this that is having this experience?”
You can, of course, identify with any one of the number of “yous” that populate your
inner world. There is the Little You and the Big You, the Injured You and the Healed You,
the Scared You a nd the Brave You, the Powerless You and the Powerful You, the Worried
You and the Confident You. But what I am hoping will happen, now that we’ve had this
conversation, is that when you do the Who Meditation, you will chant yourself right into an
awareness  of your larger self, of your true  self. You are not a human being. You are not the person named John Smith or Mary Jones. You
are not your body, you are not your mind, and you are not your soul. These are things that
You have. The You that has these thing s—indeed, that has given  your Self these things —is
far bigger than any of them, and even all of them put together. The You that you are is God, in Particular Form. You are Deity Individuated. You are an
Aspect of Divinity. And so is everyone and everything  else. The whole realm in which you live and breathe and have your being is Heaven. The
Kingdom of God is not something to which you are striving to return, but something within
which you are living now. It is the place where you will be always, and all wa ys. That kingdom has three realms: the Realm of Knowing, the Realm of Experiencing, and
the Realm of Being. Your present consciousness is now focused on the Realm of
Experiencing —otherwise known as the Realm of the Physical, or the Realm of the Relative. While you are here, you have all the tools you will ever need to use this realm to experience
what you came here to experience... which is Who You Really Are. You can not only experience it, you can recreate it anew as you go along, in the next
grandest version of the greatest vision ever you held about that. That is the wonder of life
and the glory of you. This is, I know, a change in the way you have thought of yourself. It is a change in the
way you have experienced your life. It is a change that will change everything. Make this change permanent, not simply a temporarily held idea. Make it permanent
now. For I tell you again...... it is a change that will change everything. “Go outside and play!”
said God. “I have given you Universes as fields to run free in! And here —take this and wrap yourself in it —
It’s called: LOVE
and It will always, always  keep you warm. And stars! The sun and the moon and the stars! Look upon these often, for they will remind you of your own
light! And eyes... oh, gaze into the eyes of every  Lover. Gaze into the eyes of every  other
for they have given you their  Universes
as fields to run free in. There. I have given you everything you need. Now go, go, go outside
and
play!”
—‘Go Outside and Play’  © 2007 Em Clair e AFTERWORD
Final Thoughts, but No Goodbye’s


 the room is a disconnected  jumbleof fragmented images. Reflect on how you have used the mind to
construct the familiar three-dimensional world you accept at face
value. YOUR EXPERIENCE:

 DAY 9

The appearance of the body and the world are activities in
consciousness—verbs, not nouns—constantly and rapidly
changing. When you enter a room, go to work, or take a stroll outdoors,
the objects you see appear to be fixed and stable—but they aren’t. Your b rain is constantly firing to keep the illusion of stability
going. Your five senses cooperate by turning photons into pictures
and air  vibrati ons into recognizable sounds. In other words, you
are constantly  making the world. An ever-changing, endless
process is taking place in your awareness. Therefore, the outer
world is an ever-changing, endless process wearing the disguise of
fixed, stable objects. By waking up, you see past the mask of
matter, reconnecting with the creative process that makes the
world. For Today
Look at  a photo of a friend, family member, or celebrity. Now
turn it upside down. Notice  that you cannot recognize the face
anymore. A hitch has occurred in your brain, which is conditioned
to r ecognize faces only righ t side up. There was a process to
recognizing a face; the face itself is meaningless. Or imagine
placing a photo on a turntable and setting it spinning (you can try
this on a lazy Susan or a record player). Notice that you cannot
make sense of the photo wh ile it is revolving. The movin g world
has no reality until the min d constructs it into a human  world. Constant change acquires the illusion of stability and nonchange.YOUR EXPERIENCE:

 DAY 10

The mental construct of the body and the world is the
product of centuries of conditioning. In daily life we accept the world as a given. Trees, mountains,
clouds, and sky are simply th ere. But these are merely the scenery
of v irtual reality. Everything i n the world beyond raw sens ory data
is r ooted in mythology, history, religion, philosophy, culture,
economics, and language. Raw sensation is overlaid with this
complex conditioning. As a result, the body and the world we
perceive have been interpreted in advance. They exist as
extensions of the human drama. By waking up, you step out of the
drama to be who you really are. You see that virtual reality is a
kind of hand-me-down, which you no longer have to settle for. For Today
Here is a simple exercise in perception. Contemplate the letter
A. When you set eyes on it, you saw a simple sign made with three
short strokes of a pen. Bu t those strokes have no i nherent
meaning, as you can instantly determine by turning A  on its side
or u pside down. The meani ng of A  is emb edded in it. It is an
ancient meanin g, going back to the Phoenician alphabet. M ixed in
is the Hebrew letter aleph, which stands for the beginning,
creation, and God. A  is syno nymous with one, which connotes
individuality a nd the start of  arithmetic. A  is  a de sirable grade in
school, and if you earn enough A s, y ou are like ly to be well -
educated and end up prosperous. If a sing le lette r of the alphab et carries so much history a nd so
many implications, imagine how complex the fabric of the human
world i s. We inherit a weal th of meanings that hold the worldtogether but also become a burden. (Think of all the trouble
caused by another letter of the alphabet, I.) YOUR EXPERIENCE:

 DAY 11

The mind itself is nothing other than conditioned
awareness. Each of us was born into an interpreted world. Pre vious
generations spent their lives giving everything a human
meaning. Every newbo rn grows up by learning the ropes, and
once you can navigate the world—walking, talking, making life
choices, forming relationships—you find your place in virtual
reality. At some point you w ould like to have your own unique
experiences. “I want to be me” is a powerful incentive. But the  only way to have an e xperience is to use the mind, and
everyone’s mind is totally conditioned. It had no choice. By
learning the ropes, each of u s sacrificed “I want to be me” in the
name o f “I want to fit in.” Mo re than social pressure was at work. The rules of v irtual reality require us to accept a shared set of
pictures, stories, beliefs, and  habits. By waking up, you get to be
yourself beyond the rules. The “real” reality is always new and
original. For Today
Today the challenge is to ha ve a thought that is totally your
own. Su ch a thought cannot echo anything you’ve heard s omeone
else say  or anything you’ve re ad in a book. It can’t be couc hed in a
familiar phras e. It must not grow out of memory, becau se then
you would only be repeatin g the past. Faced with this  simple
challenge, you can see how ti ghtly the conditioned mind holds you
in its grip. The re are well-tried escape routes, like imagination and
fantasy, which get around the rules by not matching reality. Thereis anoth er escape route, waking up, which allows you to be here
now. In the eternal now the conditioned mind has no place. YOUR EXPERIENCE:

 DAY 12

Virtual reality is a web of relationships. The physical world is all abo ut relationships. Around them we
create stories. A Christmas tree tells a story; the tree the
ornaments are hung on is re lated to other evergreen trees, which
leads back to the plant kingdom and the origins of life. There is
nothing in the world that can be seen without being embedded in
relationships spreading out in all directions. This web of
relationships is the invisible net that holds everything together. Tangled inside the web, we create endless stories in an ongoing
movie. But how do you get out of th e web? Humans dream of a realm
like Heaven that allows the relative world to drop away forever. Heaven may be a dream, but a world beyond isn’t. By waking up,
you find yourself in that world, which is consciousness itself. Beyond all created things lies the womb of creation. For Today
Let your gaze roam the room and pick any object at ran dom. Now in rapid succession, think of as many words as you can in
thirty se conds that relate to t he object. Let’s say you chose  a table
lamp. Words related to a tab le lamp: light, lightning bug, torch,
Statue of Liberty, lamp beside the golden door, freedom,
immigrants, Germany, Nazism, Hitler, World War II, an d so  on. Notice t hat the flow of words  spreads out on its own, going in any
and every direction. By a sim ple exercise in word association, you
have woven one strand of the web that creates the known world.YOUR EXPERIENCE:

 DAY 13

The mind has entangled us in a virtual reality of our own
making. In creation myths around the world, God or gods stand apart,
looking down on the world th ey created. For humans, however, we
created virtual  reality and then stepped into it. The pu rpose of
virtual reality was to allow us  a double role, as both the authors of
our own stories and the actors who play them out. The two roles
are mind-created, and keeping them separate is confusing. When
trouble arises, people ask themselves, “Did I do this to myself?”
without being able to answer. Entangled in virtual reality, w e find it easier to simply go along
and pretend we play only one  role, the actor. Yet the role of author
is fa r more im portant. Unfortunately, how to be an author has
been lar gely forgotten. Life is too confusing already. By waking up,
you clea rly see  your role in the creative process. You are no longer
helpless or a victim, any mor e than Romeo and Juliet are  victims
of Shak espeare. They came to life in their author’s awareness, as
you come to life every day in yours. For Today
Put yourself back at the creat ive center of things. The next  time
you order food or ask to s ee something in a store, fra me the
situation this way: I had the thought that put this situation in
motion. I put the thought into words. The words caused another
person to undertake a new action. That action prompts another
action by the cooks in the kitchen (or the manufacturer who
made the goods in a store), who are earning a living to create
their ow n stories, and the sum total of these stories is humanhistory. Therefore, at every  moment, my thoughts are at the
creative center of history. This is more th an a new way  to frame a commonplace act ivity. It is the truth. You are the creative center of things, ever and
always. YOUR EXPERIENCE:

 DAY 14

The body, mind, and world, when seen directly and
without interpretation, are actually one activity. Even though we busy oursel


	a	few	drops	of
essential	oil	specifically	for	the	scalp-massage	part	of	your	treatment,	a	few	that
are	extra	stimulating	to	your	hair	follicles	include	lemon,	peppermint,	lavender,
basil,	and	rosemary	pure	essential	oils. Just	adding	a	few	drops	into	the	oil	will
suffice. (If	you	are	new	to	these	oils,	and	especially	if	you	have	sensitive	skin,	be
sure	to	check	with	your	dermatologist	or	test	a	tiny	area	to	see	if	they	irritate
your	skin.) SOFTENING	HAIR	SCALP	TREATMENT
This	is	a	great	treatment	to	do	once	a	week	to	help	heal	and	nourish	your	hair. It’s	easy	to	make	and
use	as	part	of	your	hair-care	routine. Lavender	is	healing	and	nourishing	and	has	been	known	to
relieve	tension	and	headaches	when	massaged	directly	into	your	scalp. Olive	oil	makes	your	hair
incredibly	soft	and	will	improve	the	elasticity	of	your	hair	shaft	and	protect	against	breakage. ⅓	cup	cold-pressed	olive	oil
10	to	12	drops	lavender	essential	oil
Warm	the	olive	oil	in	a	pan	over	the	lowest	setting	possible. Turn	off	and	remove	from	heat	and	then
add	the	lavender	oil. Combine	well	and	massage	the	warm	mixture	into	your	scalp. Twist	your	hair
into	a	bun,	cover	with	a	shower	cap,	and	relax	for	20	to	30	minutes	before	shampooing. Use	Natural	Bristles
Brushing	your	hair	with	a	natural	bristle	brush	can	help	stimulate	your	hair
follicles	and	produce	more	natural	oils	that	lubricate	your	entire	head	and	all
your	beautiful	hair	strands. Start	from	the	top	of	your	head	and	work
systematically	down	the	length	of	your	hair. Gently	work	out	tangles	rather
than	being	aggressive;	you’re	not	plowing	through	an	overgrown	hiking	trail. Avoid	breakage	by	being	patient	and	using	even	strokes.Deep	Clean
It’s	important	to	occasionally	deep	clean	your	scalp	from	any	dirt	and	oils	that
can	build	up	and	block	your	hair	follicles. Try	periodically	using	a	cleansing
shampoo	made	from	natural	ingredients	or	applying	an	apple	cider	vinegar
rinse. Apple	cider	vinegar	is	an	excellent	rinse	to	use	occasionally	to	remove
impurities	from	hard	water,	accumulated	sebum,	and	waxy	buildup	from
products. Pour	the	apple	cider	vinegar	over	your	moistened	scalp	in	the	shower,
massage	it	in	for	a	couple	of	minutes,	and	rinse	very	well. Then	proceed	to
shampooing	and	conditioning. You
are
	rinsing	it	out	fairly	quickly,	but	as	your
scalp	can	absorb	so	much,	it’s	a	great	idea	to	try	to	source	organic	vinegar. Vinegar	can	also	help	balance	the	pH	of	your	hair,	which	affects	the
appearance	and	overall	health	of	your	hair. The	strands	of	your	hair	are	made
up	of	keratin	protein. When	the	pH	of	your	hair	is	properly	balanced,	your	hair
will	be	a	sealed,	flat	cuticle	layer	on	the	outside	of	the	strand,	which	makes	your
hair	more	shiny	and	bouncy. If	your	hair’s	pH	is	imbalanced	from	lots	of	heat
or	chemical	treatments,	your	hair	will	look	dull	and	frizzy	and	become	brittle
and	susceptible	to	more	breakage. Try	the	following
pH-Balancing	Hair	Rinse
once	every	six	to	eight	weeks	or	so	(depending	on	your	hair	type),	or	whenever
you	feel	excessive	buildup	in	your	hair. Don’t	do	it	too	often,	however,	or	it
will	dry	out	your	hair. PH-BALANCING	HAIR	RINSE
Apple	cider	vinegar	is	fantastic	for	restoring	your	hair’s	pH	balance	as	well	as	helping	remove	any
product	residue. Rosemary	helps	stimulate	the	scalp	and	promote	hair	growth. 1	cup	organic	apple	cider	vinegar
15	drops	rosemary	oil
¾	cup	warm	water
Combine	the	ingredients	and	pour	over	damp	hair,	being	careful	not	to	get	the	rinse	into	your	eyes	or
on	your	face. Massage	for	a	few	moments	and	rinse	out. Top	Ingredients	for	Hair	Care
To	pinpoint	the	best	possible	ingredients	in	shampoos	and	conditioners	to	help
nourish	your	hair,	it’s	important	to	look	beyond	the	slogans	and	pretty
packaging	devised	by	marketing	companies. Of	course,	the	products	you	choose
must	match	your	individual	hair	type,	but	there	are	some	ingredients	that	are
known	to	work	universally	well	for	different	types	of	hair. Products	includingthese	ingredients	can	be	sourced	at	health	stores,	but	they	also	are	increasingly
common	and	easy	to	find	at	your	local	grocery	store	or	pharmacy. SHEA	BUTTER
This	is	a	great	natural	emollient. It	coats	the	surface	of	your	hair	strands	with
oil,	reducing	the	amount	of	water	that	is	lost	so	that	your	hair	stays
hydrated
and	luscious. COCONUT	OIL
This	is	a	perfect	fatty	emollient	to	seal	moisture	into	your	hair. Coconut	oil
helps	make	your	hair	shiny	and	healthier. PURE
ALOE	VERA	GEL
Great	for	soothing	your	scalp	and	hair	follicles,	aloe	vera	is	said	to	also	contain
an	enzyme	that	stimulates	hair	follicles,	helping	to	promote	healthy	hair
growth. VEGETABLE	GLYCERIN
This	acts	as	a	natural	humectant,	meaning	it	attracts	water	and	acts	as	a
protective	moisture	layer,	which	will	help	your	hair	stay	moisturized	while
avoiding	frizziness. JOJOBA
This	is	a	great	natural	hair	oil,	which	can	soothe	damaged	ends	and	make	your
hair	look	shiny	but	not	greasy	by	balancing	your	hair’s	oil	production. CASTOR	OIL
This	is	a	humectant	and	an	antifungal	that	helps	prepare	the	hair	for	better
growth. CERAMIDES
Ceramides	mend	damaged	and	broken	hair	fibers	by	“gluing”	them	back
together	and	reinforcing	your	hair’s	structure. They	also	help	to	smooth	out
frizzy	or	unmanageable	hair. ANTIOXIDANTS
Antioxidants	work	great	inside	your	body	and	also	help	to	nourish	your	hairfrom	the	outside. Applied	topically,	antioxidants	can	help	protect	your	hair
from	free	radicals	and	even	protect	the	integrity	of	your	hair’s	vital	color. HYALURONIC	ACID
Popularly	used	in	skin	care	(see
this	page
),	hyaluronic	acid	is	also	useful	for
beautiful	hair,	as	it	helps	to	lock
hydration	into	your	hair	strands. ACIDIC
INGREDIENTS
In	this	case,	acidity	can	be	a	good	thing! Just	as	applying	apple	cider	vinegar	can
cleanse	your	hair	follicles	of	debris	and	balance	your	hair’s	natural	pH,	other
natural	acids	in	shampoo,	such	as	sodium	citrate	or	citric	acid,	perform	the
same	functions	on	a	milder,	more	regular	basis. PANTHENOL
Panthenol	is	a	form	of	vitamin	B	that	treats	and	prevents	damage	to	your	hair
from	pollution,	free	radicals,	and	sun	exposure. It


 as close to an absolute truth as anything I
know. In my parable Gifts from Eykis, Eykis says, “There is no way to
happiness, happiness is the way. ”

My thoughts have always created my world. After my mother successfully reunited her family, we lived on the east
side of Detroit. I spent many nights watching The Tonight Show, starring
Steve Allen, on a tiny black -and-white Admiral television set, while
everyone else slept. I loved Allen’ s zaniness. Sitting in that small living
room on Moross  Road, I would picture myself on The Tonight Show and in
my mind  I would practice talking with Steve Allen. I would actually work
on routines, editing this and that out of my conversation, as I imagined
myself being a guest on the show. But my mind’ s picture was not me at thirteen; it was me as an adult who
was making an appearance and discussing things I knew to be true. Most of
these guest appearances centered around my beliefs, held even then, that we
are able to choose our own destiny, able to make others laugh. These
thoughts were so real to me that I would tell my brothers and friends what I
was going to say on The Tonight Show  when I appeared. They considered
me a kid with a wild imagination who was always in another world anyway,
and so they would humor me and move on to something more realistic. But my internal pictures were never damaged by the attitudes of others. For as long as I can remember, I have been able to enter this world of “pure
thought,” and it is as real for me as the world of form is to all of us. Many
times as a young boy I would know what was going to happen to me before
it actual ly occur red, because I had experienced it in my mind so often. As ayoungster, I never did anything with this ability, and eventually I ceased
telling others about it. As I mentioned in the Introducti on, when I returned to New York City in
1974 after my transformational experience at my father ’s grave, I knew that
I had to make some big changes in my life. Though I loved teaching at the
university, some thing inside of me said that I needed to go off on my own,
needed to shift gears and go in an entirely new direction. I struggl ed for almost a year with the idea that I had to go out on my own
and leave the security of a bimonthly pay check. I had wonderful pictures in
my mind ’s eye. I saw myself talking to everyone in America about the ideas
I had just finished writing about in Your Erroneous Zones. I could see in my
mind that the book was going to be very successful. And so one day I
announced to my advanced doctoral seminar that I would be leaving the
university very shortly and going out on my own. After I made the
announcement, I was in shock. Here I was only in the talking  stages with
my family, and yet I was making a public announcement. Apparently my
form was following the invisible force of my inner world. The morning came when the picture was very clear in my mind. I saw
myself all alone in my venture, without any guarantees, and yet as peaceful
as I had ever been in my lifetim e. I knew that this was the day, that within a
few hours I would officially be out on my own, no longer able to rely on a
paycheck. When I arrived on campus, I went immediately to the dean’ s office. I had
not told my wife or family members that this was the day. It was the vision I
had had that morning that made it clear for me. The entire process of my
entering the dean’ s office was a mental one. All thoughts. All visions that
were private to me. All images  of myself that I could no longer erase. I
could hardly believe it myself. Here I was waiting to announce to the dean
that I was resigning, effective within a few weeks at the end of the current
semester. Our conversation was brief. I said I wanted to go out and do something
that I genuinely believed in. She asked me to reconsider and discuss it with
my family and some of my colleagues, but I told her that it was already
accomplished in my mind—my thoughts—and that I was now simply going
through the formality of making it real in the physical world as well. She
pointed out all of the risks, how unlikely it was that I would be able to make
a living writing and speaking, and that jobs such as the one I held wereexceedingly difficult to come by in the 1970s because of a glut of
professors and very few openin gs in the academic world. I told her that I
was aware of the risk, and that was one of the big reasons why I was taking
this turn in my life. I was head ed down the path that Robert Frost called
“The Road Less Traveled. ”
Two roads diver ged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the dif ference. When I left the dean’ s office, I walked to my own with an inner glow. I was
free, free to advance confidently in the direction of my dreams. I cleane d out my desk, made some announcements to my students and
doctoral advisees, and drove home along the expressway knowing that I
was taking the biggest step of my lifetime. Here I was, complete ly unknown
to the media, leaving my secure position to go out and tell the world about
the ideas  in my new book. Yet, I was ecstatic, for I had seen all of it in my
mind before experiencing it in the world of form. I discussed my new adventure with my wife and daughter, and they gave
me their full support and encouragement. Since I had always been a
responsible person, had always met my financial obligations, I relied on this
history, rather than creating in my mind some kind of impending disaster
concerning my family obligation s. We would use our accumulated savings;
I would borrow money if need be; and we would scale down some of our
expenditures if that became a necessity. My family was in complete
agreement with me: money was not going to be the reason to avoid
following my bliss. They seeme d to know that this was something that I had
to pursu e, and, as is almost alwa ys the case when people love you, they not
only encouraged me, but also seemed to have the same intuitive  feeling that
everything was going to work out just fine. They too were willing to take
the risks, in the knowledge that we would all be happier for the ef fort. Every obstacle that came my way became an opportunity. I was told that
there were a minimal number of copies of my book in print, and that even if
I did go out and talk to people in the media, it would do no good because
most bookstores  would not have my book in stock. So I decided  to buy up a
large quantity of books and take them out to the people myself. I literally
became my own distributor initially. I left my books  on consignment with store owners across America in
1976, and I had the great fortune to have some wonderful peopl e come into
my life at just the right time. One such person, Donna Gould, became such
an ardent believer after reading my book that she worked on her own time
to help me get bookings all across the country. Donna knew I was paying
most of my own expenses, and she contributed many many hours of her
time and tons of her energy to help me. My publisher became more of a
believer as he saw the results of my excitement about this project. Before
long I was out in my own car, traveling from small city to smaller city
appearing on talk shows and doing local newspaper interviews. First I went up and down the East Coast, then to the Midw est, and
ultimately on a long cross-country tour with my wife and daughter, paying
my own expenses, staying in cheap motels, and, most important, enjoying
every single minute of this new adventure. I seldom thought about making
money. I had published three successful textbooks and many professional
articles without financial profit; consequently, I was not motivated now by a
desire to make a fortune. I was simply doing something that I loved to do
and answ ering to no one along the way. Since I was using my own savings
to finance this trip and to purchase the books, I had total contro l over every
aspect of this promotion. As the months rolled by, my interview schedule increased to as many as
fifteen a day. Bookstores in cities that I had visited began to reorder from
the publisher. At the start, I had been able to get bookings only in the
smaller cities, but now the medi a in larger cities were beginning  to book me
on their shows. I had been told by an “expert” in publicity and publishing that the only
way to talk to everyone in America in the 1970s was on networ k television,
but that this option was pretty much closed to me because I did not have a
national reputati on. He suggested I should be happy if I sold a few thousand
books in the local New York area, had a couple of printings, and got a
publication credit toward a promotion at the university. This was the view


 should not be attempted by
those with an enlarged thyroid gland, high blood pressure, or
heart ailments. Benefits: This mudra causes subtle changes in the prana
flow in the body. In particular, it facilitates the flow from the
manipura chakra (the center of subtle prana), to the vishud
dhi (the center of purification). This helps to purify the astral
body and prevents physical disease caused by defective
prana flow. It is also an important practice for
subliminating sexual energy from the lower to the higher
dimensions. (7) Awakening the Bindu-Visargha
A description of how to awaken the sahasrara would seem
to be in order here, but first we will present Satyananda's
technique related to the bindu-visargha (see p. 234), a psychic
center between the ajna and the sahasrara. 127
Sit in a meditational pose with the eyes closed. Be aware of
the natural breath for two minutes (a kind of ajapa-japa). As
awareness of the breath grows, the SO-HAM sound becomes
audible. The breath and the SO-HAM mantra may be felt
anywhere - either in the throat, in the nose, or between the
navel and the throat. If after awhile the mantra changes to
another sound such as OM, it does not matter, but unbroken
awareness of the breath and the mantra must be maintained for
four minutes. Remain fully aware of the breath, whichever
mantra is present. Feel the close relationship between breath
and mantra for four minutes. Next, feel the breathing and the mantra in one straight
line up and down between the vishuddhi chakra and the
bindii-visargha (located at the back of the head, near the top)
for three minutes. As the practices for awakening the vishuddhi chakra and
bindu-visarga are continued, these centers awaken and or
dinarily inaudible psychic sound (nada), is heard around the
bindu-visarga, indicating more precisely its location. (8) Awakening the Sahasrara Chakra
The following is the method used by the author for several
years to awaken the sahasrara chakra and open the Brahman
Gate. As preparation, (i) pawanmuktasana (the "wind-releasing"
asanas), the sushumna regulating exercises, and bhastrika
pranayama (this directly stimulates the kundalini - see
Chapter III), should be practiced. The main practice is performed as follows:
Sit in siddhasana and chin mudra, with the eyes closed. Gently contracting the perineum during inhalation, raise
kundalini up the sushumna and let it stream out into the
universe through the Brahman Gate at the top of the head,
chanting SO. Hold the breath for about two or three sec
onds, visualizing the unification of kundalini with the 128
Creator in Heaven. During exhalation, absorb prana from the
Creator through the Brahman Gate, making it descend the
sushumna to the muladhara, while chanting HAM. Visualize
the unification of prana and kundalini as you retain the ex
halation for two or three seconds. Continue this practice for
10 to 20 minutes. After that, concentrate on the top of the head (the
sahasrara chakra) for 30 minutes or more, chanting OM. Satyananda does not describe any method to awaken the
sahasrara, apparently because he believes it transcends the
limits of the human psyche, and thus is not a chakra in the
true sense. Gorakhnath, however, teaches the following
method in Gorakshashatakam:
While gazing at the tip of the nose, concentrate the
mind and meditate on Lord Shiva in Heaven, or on the
small cavity in the sahasrara at the top of the head (the
dwelling place of Lord Shiva). Diligent daily practice of the methods described above will
bring about various changes in the body, mind, and spirit of
the practitioner. The characteristic effects of awakening each
chakra will be detailed in later chapters. However, the
following general effects can be observed:
• In the early stages of chakra activation and awakening,
unusually sensitive physical and mental states may be ex
perienced. These are only temporary, however, and should
not cause anxiety. Without fail, such phases pass. • The physical body becomes healthy, and the constitution
improves. • The practitioner gains control over his feelings, at the
same time experiencing richer emotions and deeper sym
pathy for others. • Due to increased powers of concentration - thinking,
judgment, and discernment become deeper, more constant,
quicker, and more reliable. • The mind is freed from its attachments. 129
• Impartiality and insight beyond surface appearances are
acquired. • The ability to take effective action toward the fulfillment
of one's goals is strengthened. • Psychic abilities appear. • A direct relationship with the divine world can be
established, at a level corresponding to the practitioner's
spiritual state. • The freedom of mind attained makes it possible to exist
in the realm of enlightenment while living in this world. * Asana, Pranayama, Mudra Bandha and Tantra of Kundalini Yoga by
Swami Satyananda Saraswati have been used as source material for
chapters II, III and IV. V
The Chakras and Nadis
as Described
in the Upanishads
The classic presentation of the eight-fold path of yoga prac
tice described in Chapter I is found in the well-known Yoga
Sutras of Patanjali, probably composed in the 2nd century. However, this text barely mentions the subtle body and its
component chakras and nadis. We do find these two brief
verses in the third chapter which deals with the attainment
of siddhis (spiritual powers):
Through samyama (concentration and medita
tion) on the navel wheel, one obtains a knowledge
of the constitution of the body. (v. 30)
Through samyama on the kurma nadi, one obtains
unshakable patience, (v. 32)
The "navel wheel" refers to the manipura chakra (chakra can
be translated "wheel" or "circle"); the kurma nadi is located
in the throat, and is associated with the vishuddhi chakra. However, more detailed accounts of the chakras, nadis,
and the subtle body can be found in a group of the Upani-
130 131
shads, known as the Yoga Upanishads. The Upanishads are
properly considered a part of the Vedas, the oldest canonical
literature of Hinduism which dates to the early part of the
first millennium B.C. However, the Upanishads under con
sideration here were clearly composed at a much later date,
probably in the 6th century A.D. or later. In this chapter we will
focus upon descriptions found in four texts: Shri Jabala Dar-
shana Upanishad, Cudamini Upanishad, Yoga-shikka Upanishad,
and Shandilya Upanishad. For the sake of comparison, we will
also have occasion to refer to passages in the texts presented
in Chapter V: Shat-chakra-nirupana and Gorakshashatakam. In
later sections, comparisons will be drawn also with the meri
dian system of Chinese medicine, in order to clarify the
nature of the nadis and other aspects of the subtle body
described in these Upanishads. The Yoga Cudamani Upanishad explains the significance of
man's three bodies. It records that at primordial creation,
an empty space (or ether) was created from Brahman, the One,
the highest principle of the universe. From this, air, fire,
water, and earth were sequentially created. These five
"elements" pervade all things and underlie their manifest
form. The presiding deities of these five realms are Shiva,
Ishvara, Rudra, Vishnu, and Brahma respectively. Brahma, the
lord of the earth, is believed to be the creator of gods, angels,
humans, plants, and the like. Lord Brahma endows man with a body composed of the
five elements and divided into three parts. The portion com
posed of physical elements is called the "gross body" (sthula-
sharira); that portion made up of subtle elements is called the
astral (or subtle) body (sukshmasharira); that part which con
tains the causes of all that each human being is as an in
dividual, is known as the casual body (karanashanra). It is
said that all things in existence possess these three bodies. Within the causal body, the three gunas (qualities) - sattva
(purity, wisdom, peace), rajas (activity, passion), and tamas 132
(inertia, lethargy) - exist in a harmonious state of perfect
equilibrium. However, in the astral and physical bodies


-known and an apparent fact. The
benefit of the existance of the sun does not require any
introduction. It is sufficient to say that human urine is anti-poison
and a.t<mif;:;1il)e ~,\(agbhatta mentions the urine of deer also in THE BEST MEANS TO PHYSICAl HEALTH : 195
addition to the eight well known types. It emphasises that urine of
only herbivorous animals should be used for treatment. It is
well:k~own th~t anything generated in the body when used as
med1cme ~r m _surger: is called, autogeneous. Accordingly
auto-blood IS adm1tted mto the body without any harm. Similar
substance when taken from a living being of the same or similar
class is called homogeneous. On the' other hand if something of m~dicinal value is derived
from a body of an animal of dissiniNar class it is called
h~terogeneous. The sage Atreya has includecf in his system · the
e1~ht t~pes _of urine according to the third category. While lord
Sh1va m h1s description of human.urJne has adopted the-first
category. Declaring it to be completely harmless, he has adviSed its
.use in every diseases. The school of Atreya proposes myrobalan for
· the healthy and fast for the sick. But Lord Shiva emphatically
pr.escribes urine fer both -the healthy and the diseased. There is a
w1de difference·in the mehtod of application also. ·
T~e fore~oni~g. des~ription suggests that Shukracharya passessed
a smgle hfe.-g:~mg. su?~tance. Ashvinikumars also ·probably
possessed a s1mtlar med1c1ne which made them popular among
gods. T_here are. e~amples that Lord Shiv a cured every disease with
mercunal preparation of urine (Shivambu.).. Urine t~erapy requires neither pulse-reading nor any diagnosis. It
IS such a s1mple and efficient method that by drinking it, the healthy'
me~ stren~hen and maintain their health while sufferes get rid of
the1r malad1es. The only thing to be taken care of is that the patient
should. observe fast and live upon urine as long as normal health is
not restored. The dose.of urine envigorates the heart and brings the patient to
senses. That IS why I have begun its use in my surgical cases and 1
ventur~ to say that I have met with wonderful success in 16 major
op~rat1ons. In no case was there the need of giving injections of
saline, plasma or blood. 196 : AUTO-URINE THERAPY
Take Middle Portion. : In conclusion, I would like to add that in
a~plying uri~e t~erapy the patient should take the middle portion of
h1s every unnat1on for drinking and the first and last portion should
be collected in a bottle and that should be utilized for rubbing or
ma~sage_. Th!s is shown in old texts on urine in India and especially
K~lidas 1n Kmg Bhoja's time has definitely given this suggestion for
ur~ne.therapy. T~is is so because the first and last flow in every
unnat1on. contams more salts and the middle portion is
~omparat1vely. purer and more uniform in contents. This suggestion
IS worth applymg at least for experimentation. CHAPTER VII
URINE THERAPY & AYURVEOA
By Vaidya Karunashankar R. Trivedi
just as the Aryan culture and religion are not the contribution of
one individual person, similarly Ayurveda is also not a creation of
one man. just as Aryan culture is the synthesis of many glorious
traditions, similarly Ayurveda also represents a mighty spring of all
the. healing sciences. A certain system of healing may appear
ent1r~l~ new but it is likely to have ·its roots in Ayurveda. The
phys1c1ans may regard urine therapy to be a new one but its roots
are. t~ be fo~nd in Ayurveda. With all humility and strong
conv1ct1on I w1sh to state that urine therapy instead of being
un-Ay~rvedic is fully supported by Ayurveda. Whenever some baby in a family suffers from any trouble, the
grandmother at large still advises the young daughter-in-law to give
the baby its own urine to drink. Ordinarily everybody born in a
village must have had a taste of his own urine on one occasion or
the other. In villages the practice of giving children their own urine
to drink is age-old. It is a matter of cor rnon experience that urine
thus taken does not cause any harm but on the contrary. proves URINE THERAPY & AYURVEDA : 197
beneficial for the child's health. Ear-trouble : From my personal experience I know that any
ear-trouble disappears with the drops of fresh or litt)e warmed-up
urine. I still remember an incident of my childhood,· when I was a
student of class eighth. Once I was sleeping on a marble floor of a
temple along with my brother and a friend, during night, a centipede
entered into my ear. I, a mere boy, was upsest with the trouble. The
gatekeeper of the temple told me -"Nothing can be done during the
night. Put your urine into the ear and wait for the result till
morning." My brother dropped my urine into my ear. In the morninig
I was frightened to see the centipede torn into pieces, sticking near
the ear-lobe. Human Urine : It is mentioned in Bhavprakash (Part I, Chapter on
"Urine") that human urine is alkaline, saltish and sharp. It is
antipoisonous and removes eczema. Taken internally, it acts as
tonic. If a thoughtful person is not carried away by the attractive
labels and advertisements of medicines, pouring in every day with
enchanting names, he will realize that human urine which is
described by Ayurveda as atonic banishing old age and. restoring
youth, should not be neglected. Similarly it maintains an equilibrium·
of all the seven substances of the body and keeps the power of
digestion in good order. It is said to posses the quality of removing
the effect of poison. In Ayurveda cow's urine is already used for purification of metals
and to destroy their poisonous effects. The word 'Anti-poison' has
wide and far-reaching sense. It means the destruction of poison not
only that of snake-bite, scorpion-bite or metals but that of the
organism, i.e. toxin also. In this age of unhealthy living, the
propagation of such anti-poisonous substance is a noble and holy
mission. I make this statement without any reservation and in all
humility and wish to associate myself with this noble undertaking...,. CHAPTER VIII
A LINK WITH INDIAN FOLK MEDICINE
By Stanislaw R. Burzynski. ;
The main interest of our research are the compounds which we
have named Antineoplast. They have very potent anticancer activity. without causing any harm to the normal human tissues. In the last
year we were able to treat successfully 14 different types of human
cancers in including bladder, colon, tongue, breast, lung, ovarian ·
and uterine cancer -all of them with metastases to di~tant organs,
·even to the brain? The results of these studies, are in press now. Antineoplastons, which chemically are medium sized peptides are
produced by.healthy human tissues and are present In blood and
urine. At the present time we are isolating them from normal human
urine. The concentration of Antineoplastons in urine is very small
and usually it is necessary to process 29 gallons of urine to obtain a
daily dose for one patient. This amount of the medication is
dissolved in a very small volume and given the same way as lnsuline
injections. We were able to have a complete remission in four to six
weeks in medium advanced.cases. At the present time we do not see
any adverse reaction. It is my great pleasure to know that in India
you have good results with autouro-therapy, b€cause it may support
our theory. Western medicine took a lot from Indian folk medicine. We are glad to know that our therapy may have the links with
natural treatment done for centuries. CHAPTER IX
A REVIEW Of URINE THERAPY
(In Question-Answer Form)
By Raojibhai Patel
d nee. that many readers of this boo~. J have--seer;t,from;..corr.e~pon e •... t think-~over the....... d.. stand the-subject nor o. care.. ;neither. tq_ un er iven below a review of unne
directions properly. I have ~herefor~ :nswers. For detailed directions
therapy in the form of


uron	when	the
time	comes	for	the	old	one	to	perish. No	physical	process	for	this	has	been
identified,	so	perhaps	memory	actually	persists	on	a	nonphysical	level. Neurologists	would	defend	to	the	hilt	the	opposite	idea,	that	mind	arises	only
in	the	brain,	using	CAT	scans	and	MRI	imaging	to	prove	the	point. But	those
images	are	only	maps. They	show	the	terrain	of	the	brain	as	an	idea	or
emotion	crosses	it;	they	don’t	prove	that	the	brain
is
	the	mind,	any	more	than
a	footprint	in	the	sand	is	the	same	as	a	foot. Imagine	that	you	could	map	every
vibration	in	the	tiny	nerve	endings	that	line	the	inner	ear. When	graphed	on	a
chart,	there	would	be	an	extremely	complicated	pattern	for	every	word	and
sentence	the	ear	receives,	but	that	pattern	is	only	a	map	of	a	word,	not	the
territory	itself. A	powerful	sentence	like	“I	love	you”	is	more	than	the	map	of
its	vibrations,
since
	even	the	most	perfect	map	cannot	contain	love’s	power,
meaning,	significance,	and	overall	intent. Memory	seems	to	be	a	field	effect. For	you	to	think	the	word	“rhinoceros”
and	see	a	mental	image	of	that	animal,	millions	of	brain	cells	have	to	act
simultaneously. (We	will	leave	aside	the	more	difficult	question	of	why	you
picked	“rhinoceros”	out	of	all	the	words	you	could	have	chosen,	since	any
word	choice	can	be	based	on	reason,	emotion,	nonsense,	or	private
associations	in	memory. A	computer	can	be	taught	to	select	any	given	word,
but	it	has	no	special	reason	to	do	so—you	do. ) The	neurons	involved	in
choosing	the	word	“rhinoceros”	don’t	run	through	the	alphabet	until	they	get
to	“R”;	they	don’t	sound	out	one	syllable	at	a	time,	nor	do	they	leaf	through	azoological	photo	archive	to	match	the	right	word	to	the	right	image. Instead,
the	correct	brain	activity	arises	simultaneously. The	brain	is	acting	like	a	field,
coordinating	different	events	at	the	same	time,	except	that	we	know	the	brain
isn’t	literally	a	field. It’s	an	object	made	of	seemingly	lifeless	chemicals. A	compass	needle	moves	because	it’s	responding	to	the	Earth’s	magnetic
field. What	if	the	same	thing	is	true	for	brain	activity. What	if	the	mind	field
is	sending	signals,	and	billions	of	brain	cells	arrange	patterns	in	response	to
what	the	field	is	saying. A	team	of	innovative	scientists	has	proposed	exactly
that. Section summary:

Please summarize this 6-page long passage in a concise manner while avoiding repetition of any key points mentioned earlier. Summary should be approximately around one-third to half-a-paragraph length. **Correct Summary:**

You cannot simply say that karma is both flexible and inflexibile at once because it's paradoxical without solving for control over after-life choices are connected through consciousness but not seen by us as we don't have enough self-knowledge yet. Instead, you can choose between various possibilities based on your experiences. Tibetan Buddhism emphasizes continuity during reincarnation where an individual recognizes familiar objects from previous lives. ''

(Stop here)
Note - Please provide feedback if needed.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>
Q: What is the paradoxical nature of Karma?,
A: Karma is said to be both flexible and inflexible at the same time, which is a paradox that cannot be solved without understanding the nature of consciousness.
Q: What is the concept of the zero point in the context of the text?,
A: The zero point refers to the idea that the universe is not empty, but rather a seething mass of energy and information.
Q: What is the purpose of the rituals and practices mentioned in the text?,
A: The rituals and practices mentioned in the text are not meant to get a person to a nice heaven or a better next life, but rather to make freedom of choice a reality and allow the person to shape their karma.
Q: What is the significance of the experiment conducted by Helmut Schmidt and his team?,
A: The experiment conducted by Schmidt and his team demonstrated that the observer effect is real and that the act of observation can alter the outcome of a quantum event.
Q: What is the implication of the concept of the zero point on the concept of the afterlife?,
A: The concept of the zero point implies that the afterlife is not a physical realm but rather a field of energy and information, which is the source of all creation and sustains the cycle of reincarnation.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Henry	Stapp,	a	theoretical	physicist	from	Berkeley;	Jeffrey	Schwartz,	a
neuropsychiatrist	at	UCLA;	and	Mario	Beauregard,	a	psychologist	from	the
University	of	Montreal,	have	crossed	disciplines	to	formulate	a	workable
theory	of	“quantum	mind”	that	may	revolutionize	how	mind	and	brain	relate
to	each	other. Central	to	their	theory	is	“neuroplasticity,”	the	notion	that	brain
cells	are	open	to	change,	flexibly	responding	to	will	and	intention. They	acknowledge,	to	begin	with,	the	usual	scientific	explanation	that
“the	mind	is	what	the	brain	does,”	but	there	are	many	flaws	in	such	an
explanation,	as	we	have	seen. They	propose,	therefore,	that	exactly	the
opposite	is	true. Mind	is	the	controller	of	the	brain. In
their
	view,	the	mind	is
like	an	electron	cloud	surrounding	the	nucleus	of	an	atom. Until	an	observer
appears,	electrons	have	no	physical	identity	in	the	world;	there	is	only	the
amorphous	cloud. In	the	same	way,	imagine	that	there	is	a	cloud	of
possibilities	open	to	the	brain	at	every	moment	(consisting	of	words,
memories,	ideas,	and	images	it	could	choose	from). When	the	mind	gives	a
signal,	one	of	these	possibilities	coalesces	from	the	cloud	and	becomes	a
thought	in	the	brain,	just	as	an	energy	wave	collapses	into	an	electron. Like
the	quantum	field	generating	real	particles	from	virtual	ones,	the	mind
generates	real	brain	activity	from	virtual	activity. What	makes	this	reversal	important	is	that	it	fits	the	facts. Neurologists
have	verified	that	a	mere	intention	or	purposeful	act	of	will	alters	the	brain. Stroke	victims,	for	example,	can	force	themselves,	with	the	aid	of	a	therapist,
to	use	only	their	right	hand	if	paralysis	has	occurred	on	that	side	of	the	body. Willing	themselves	day	after	day	to	favor	the	affected	part,	they	can	gradually
cause	the	damaged	sites	in	the	brain	to	heal. Similar	results	have	been	found
with	aging. Older	people	who	have	begun	to	show	signs	of	senile	dementia
such	as	memory	loss	can	slow	down	and	even	reverse	their	symptoms	by
exercising	their	brains	(one	software	manufacturer	has	even	brought	out	a
“brain	gym,”	a	program	that	looks	like	a	video	game	but	in	fact	consists	of
exercises	that	strengthen	specific	areas	of	the	brain). Children	born	with
cerebral	palsy	have	recently	regained	use	of	their	paralyzed	limbs	through
similar	therapies	in	which	the	unaffected	arm,	for	example,	was	kept	in	a
sling,	forcing	the	child	to	use	the	paralyzed	arm;	in	time,	the	brain	healed
itself. It	showed	neuroplasticity.Putting	mind	before	brain	may	have	many	far-reaching	consequences	in
medical	therapies. For	example,	patients	suffering	from	obsessive-compulsive
disorder	(OCD)	are	routinely	treated	with	psychotropic	drugs	like	Prozac. Symptoms	improve,	and	physical	evidence	for	that	can	be	found	through
brain	scans;	the	parts	of	the	brain	that	malfunction	in	OCD	start	to	become
more	normal	on	the	drug. But
	obsessive-compulsive


 sends her
back in the house to change her clothes when they’re ready to go out to
dinner. I said, “Okay, then tell him you can’ t make decisions. Don’ t wash,
clean, cook, keep the books, or do any of the other things he expects of you. If he asks, ‘Where’ s dinner. ’  tell him you couldn’ t decide what to buy at the
supermarket. Tell him you couldn’ t decide what deter gent to buy, so the
laundry isn’ t done. Tell him how indecisive you are, and he’ll have to take
over everything. Then he’ll realize how much you do, and what you’re
capable of. ”
Taking care of unfinished business may someday come to be recognized
as the most ef fective pain reliever and preparation for sur gery. I recall a
medical student named Karen who visited ECaP  after she’d learned her
boyfriend’ s father was to under go sur gery for lung cancer. She’d spent a
busy week checking to make sure the sur geon was well qualified. Then, on
the way to the hospital, she remembered something I often ask group
members: she asked her boyfriend what he would say to his father if he
knew his father were going to die tomorrow. In the hospital, the young man went up to his father, who had been an
alcoholic, and said, “Dad, there were times you beat me, locked me in the
trunk of the car, and did other things to me, but I want you to know I love
you and for give you. ” They embraced and cried. Naturally, the father came through sur gery without dif ficulty. When
Karen came to her next meeting, she told us what happened and said, “It
wasn’ t so important to spend all that ener gy checking the sur geon’ s
credentials. What was important was saying ‘I love you. ’”
When speaking at workshops I often ask, “If you knew you were going
to die on the way home, would you need to use the phone. ” If the answer is
yes, I say, “Okay, if you promise when you get home to pick up the phone
and make all those calls, I’ll guarantee a safe trip home. ”
When you suf fer a misfortune, you are faced with the choice of what to
do with it. You can wring good from it, or more pain. Out of the ordeal of
his son’ s death, Rabbi Kushner was eventually able to write a book, When
Bad Things Happen to Good People, which has helped thousands of people
through similar tragedies. In that way, the life that has been lost is given
meaning through what is created out of the pain. The ability to see something good in adversity is perhaps the central
trait needed by patients. As Viktor Frankl has written: “T o live is to suf fer;
to survive is to find meaning in the suf fering. ” Death or the threat of death
has been called the ultimate teacher, for it goads us into appreciating to the
utmost what we have or can do today. My wife and I had to learn this lesson during a week in which we
thought our son Keith, at the age of eight, had a malignant bone tumor. He
told me he had a pain in his leg. At first I said he should take hot baths as
any good doctor would suggest. Then one day, while I was lacing his ice
skates, he told me the pain wasn’ t going away, and he suggested an x-ray. My thought was that we’ll teach him a lesson. He’ll probably have a
superficial break in the bone, and then he’ll be sorry he got the x-ray—he’ll
have to wear a cast for a fracture that would have healed without one. Instead, the x-ray showed a lytic bone lesion. According to all my medical
books this represented a malignancy, and our beautiful child would be dead
within a year. The five days before he was admitted to the hospital for
surgery were a horror and my guilt added to this, a guilt all parents feel. It
was impossible to think, love, concentrate, or talk. Fortunately, the tumor
proved benign and was removed easily with a small portion of the bone. However, the experience was one of our most important lessons. It
showed us what patients and their families must deal with. Moreover, it
taught my wife and me about survival. Our daughter Carolyn said to me one
day at breakfast, “Dad, do you ever think who will die first. ” I said, “That
is not the issue. The issue is that the rest of us will go on living and giving
more to the world to make the life of the one who died more meaningful. ”
Unfortunately, most of us must suf fer before we can be transformed. My
wife, Bobbie, and I were sitting in the kitchen when the garbage disposal
jammed. I said, “What shall I do. ” She said, “Just push the reset button. ”
So I went to God and asked, “If you’re such a great creator, why didn’ t you
give us a reset button. ” God answered, “I did give you a reset button,
Bernie. It’ s called pain and suf fering. ” It is only through pain that we
change. It can be dif ficult to see our loved ones hurting but not changing. Our job is to love them. It is their pain that changes them, not our sermon. Finding the ability to love requires giving up the fear, anguish, and
despair that many people nurture. Many people have a lifetime of
unresolved angers circulating through their minds and causing new stress
with each recall. Confronting them and letting go of them involves honestly
facing your own part in the problem, and for giving yourself as well as the
others you’ve resented and feared. If you do not for give, you become like
your enemy. The children with whom Jerry Jampolsky works have expressed the
lesson of transcendence superbly in the conclusion of a book they wrote
together, called There Is a Rainbow Behind Every Dark Cloud:

In summary, we think that your mind can do anything. You can learn to
control your mind and decide to be happy “inside” with a smiling heart, in
spite of what happens to you on the “outside. ”
Whether you are sick or well, when you give help and love to others, it
makes you feel warm and peaceful inside. We learned that, when you give
love, you receive it at the same time. And letting go of the past and for giving everyone and everything sure
helps you not be afraid. Remember that you are love. So let your love expand, and love yourself
and everyone. When you love and really feel joined with everyone,
everything, and with God, you can feel happy and safe inside. And don’ t forget, when you have total Faith that we are always
connected to each other in love, you will surely find a rainbow on the other
side of any dark cloud. The phenomenal ener gy that can be liberated by surrendering our
negative emotions was described to me in a letter from Denise, a breast-
cancer patient who visited the congregation of a faith healer in Worcester,
Massachusetts. She wrote:

After his sermon, he said that each one would know in their heart if they
were the one to be called. He turned around to his audience of over 1500
people and said, “I have a strong experience with someone concerning a
rose. She has a disease in her chest area. ” I felt my insides move as I
recalled the night before while I was at dinner, when I took a fresh rose out
of the vase on our table, and smelled it. Someone had told me I had to take
time to smell the flowers of life. However, I didn’ t stand up. I thought it
couldn’ t be me. The healer then approached a woman who had stood up. Her name was
Rose, and she had breast cancer. He blessed her but said, “Y ou are not the
one I am experiencing. ”
He said, “She also has breast cancer, and is wearing a beige top. ” That
morning I had put on a pair of black slacks and a long-sleeved black blouse. Then I decided to put on my short-sleeved beige blouse as an overlay, felt
too fat, and took it of f, and then decided to put it back on again. At this point I stood up, and he called me down to the front of the
audience. He asked me about my illness, and as I stood there full of tears
and emotions, I shall never for get how his face looked. He didn’ t have any
eyes, just dark pools of infinity. As he anointed my forehead, he said, “ You
have to let go of your anguish. ” And with this, I experienced a bolt of
energy that passed through my body. I felt a scream come from my mouth,
and I fell toward the floor into the arms of the ushers behind me. This experience was a turning point for Denise. She began to be able to
set priorities for herself and make choices based on her own needs. She
used psychotherapy and chemotherapy, ended a relationship she felt to bedamaging to her, and sold her business, which had been a major source of
stress. Finally allowing herself to express a lifetime of pent-up anger,
frustration, and sadness