 in conflict with others and with ourselves, becoming self-centered and egoistic. To find our basic trust is to reconnect with our natural state that we have become separated
from. “I like the sound of basic trust,” says Louise as she listens to me talk
about it. “Me, too,” I tell her. “Do you think this basic trust exists in all of us?” she asks. “Yes.”
“Where does this trust come from?”
“From the Oneness, which is our home,” I reply. “What happens to the basic trust?”
“Nothing, really,” I say. “It’s never really broken. It’s always with us, but
our perception obscures it.”
“Like clouds covering up the sun,” says Louise. “Practicing gratitude is one way to make the sun come out again,” I
suggest. “Gratitude helped me to say ‘yes’ again to my life,” Louise says. “Gratitude helps us to trust again,” I add. “From the One Infinite Intelligence comes everything we need,”
continues Louis e. “All the guidance, all the healing, and all the help. And
for that I am most grateful.”
“Amen,” I say. Gift of Everything
My start date for writing this book was January 21. I had put this date in
my calendar back in October. That gave me the necessary time to create a
space in my schedule so I could  write without distraction. Just a few days
before I was due to start, something unexpected happened. I woke up with a
pain in my butt. My left buttock felt sore. The nerve down my left leg was
stiff. I tried to carry on as normal, but I couldn’ t. I had a consultation with a
physiotherapist and also two sessions with a chiropractor. I tried to make
the pain go away, but it got worse. By the time I sat down to write, I was in a lot of physical pain. The
muscles in my left buttock were  knotted and bruised. A line of fire ran upand down the sciatic nerve in my left leg. My body was in a constant light
sweat. I carried my body around like it was a wounded animal. I was afraid
I wouldn’ t be able to write. My deadline didn’ t allow for any delay. Fortunately, the pain eased as I wrote. Sitting on a pile of soft cushions
helped. I booked a few more sessions with my physiotherapist and with a
craniosacral chiropractor. I really needed the pain to go way, but it kept
getting worse. Why now? I wondered. I was in good physical health. I hadn’ t fallen out
of bed. I hadn’ t gotten stuck in a yoga pose. I absolutely had to write the
book now, so the timing of my injury was inconvenient and significant. I
tried to ignore it, but it wanted my attention. I prayed for it to go away, but
it was still there. Eventually, it occurred to me that this injur y wasn’ t an
interruption in my schedule; it was my schedule. I needed to treat it with a
more healing attitude. Who better to talk to then than Louise Hay? Two days later, Louise and I talked on Skype. I told her about the
sciatica. She agreed that the timing was significant. “Every book I write is a
healing journey,” she told me. That’ s true for me, too. All my books have
taken me on journeys that never went according to plan. Not according to
my conscious plan, anyway. Often I had to get lost in order to find my way. On every journey I found unexpected treasures and happiness. “Well, how do you feel about having sciatica?” Louise asked me. “I don’ t want it, and I don’ t like it,” I told her. “So, you want it to go away,” she said. “Yes.”
“Are you afraid?” she asked. “Yes.”
“What are you afraid of?”
“I’m afraid I’ll put on weight because I can’t exercise,” I said. “Not very
deep, I know, but it’ s the first thing that comes to mind!”
“Don’ t judge the fear,” she told me. “Thank you,” I said, grateful for the coaching. “What else are you afraid of?” Louise asked. “I’m afraid that it will last forever.”
“You’re afraid of feeling trapped,” she said. “Yes.”
“Okay. The first thing you need to do is to dissolve this fear,” she said. “How do I do that?” I asked.“With love,” she said. My attitude had been full of judgment. I treated the sciatica like it was a
problem. I felt as if something was wrong with me. The timing was bad. I
was rejecting the experience. I wasn’ t open. I was busy. And I was afraid. And I collected a few more fears along the way. When I told a friend about
my sciatica, he told me that his dad had had to stop working because of
sciatica. Another friend told me that his girlfriend had had sciatica ever
since she was a teenager and that nothing could heal it. Louise encouraged me to change my attitude toward the sciatica. “Let’ s
not make this into a problem,” she said. “Let’ s affirm that out of this
situation only good will come.”  With the help of Louise’ s wise counsel, I
suspended judgm ent. I started to treat the sciatica as an experience, not a
problem. I decided not to resist the sciatica but to work in coop eration with
it, and very quickly, I noticed I was less afraid. The pain began to ease, too. Over the next couple of weeks, I went from 100 percent pain, to 90 percent
pain, to 75 percent pain. Louise also encouraged me to choose my words carefully when speaking
about sciatica. “Every cell of your body responds to what you think and
what you say,” she told me. Negative affirmations can spread like a virus
when you are ill or unhappy. “How are you?” your friends ask. “I’m not
well,” you affirm. “I’m in pain,” you tell them. Soon, all your friends know
what’ s wrong, and then they make regular calls for updates. “I’m still ill,”
you affirm. “The pain is wors e today,” you tell them. Sudd enly you’re
sending out hundreds of these mental tweets a day, and your body is reading
them all. In her book Heart Thoughts, Louise writes, “The body, like everything
else in life, is a mirror of your inner thoughts and beliefs.” She teaches us
that a healing attitude is about being receptive to the messages of the body. “Pain is often a sign that you are not listening to a message,” Louise told
me. “Therefore, start by affirming, I am willing to get the messag e. Pay
attention and let your body speak to you. Apologize for ignoring your body
and tell it you are all ears now. Be grateful that your body is trying to tell
you something. Your body isn’t trying to make things difficult for you; it’s
trying to help you. Your body isn’t against you; it’s showing you how to
love yourself and how to let life love you.”A few weeks ago, while aboard a flight to San Diego to see Louise, I read
When Things Fall Apart  by Pema Chödrön, a Tibetan Buddhist teacher. She
quotes one of her students, who said, “‘Buddha nature, cleverly disguised as
fear, kicks our ass into being receptive.’” This message seeme d somewhat
apt for my poste rior (notice how I didn’ t use the word pain) and me. During
that visit with Louise, she encouraged me to listen for the messa ge from the
sciatica. We had some big conve rsations about releasing old pain, forgiving
old wounds, living in the present, being more receptive, and, of course,
letting life love me. Slowly but surely, I have been  befriending my sciatica. One morning,
during a meditation, a question popped into my mind: How would I behave
if I was not afraid of this sciatica? Contem plating this question eased the
inflammation in my nervous system. My body felt more comfo rtable. The
sensation levels  dropped again to 60 percent, and then to 50 percent, and
then to 45 perce nt. I was less afraid now and more open to guidance and
inspiration. “The first thing I want you to do every morning is to thank your body for
all that it is doing to heal itself,” Louise told me. “Sorry, I can’ t do that,” I said. “Why not?” she asked. “Well, the first thing I do every morning is thank my bed for a good
night’ s sleep,” I told her. “Who taught you that?” she asked, laughing. “Someone I love and respect very much.”
“Well, she sounds very wise to me,” said Louise with a smile. “She is,” I said. “Always remem ber that your body wants to heal. And when you thank
your body for all that it’ s doing, it really helps your body to heal,” she said. Louise prescribe d one of her favorite affirmations for me. It is I listen
with love to my body’ s messages


 rode of f to the villages—
but no one openly spoke about this breach of caste rules.“That’ s enough.” Siddhartha took the razor from Channa’ s hands.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        They fired, and Siddhartha was fortunate. The arrows
flew over his body with a swish of air, missing him. He wheeled around, and regaining his self-possession, he fired rapidly,
first at the back of one horseman, then at the other. His timing was perfect. They were still struggling to turn their mounts around when his arrows hit
them, and both men fell. Siddhartha had fired so rapidly that they seemed to
go down simultaneously. The crowd roared. For the first time in his life
Siddhartha felt exulted by battle; he rose in his stirrups and acknowledged
the accolades. This was something, the first thing, he had earned for
himself. But despite his triumph, Mara’ s laughter rang in his ears. Siddhartha
was disoriented, and he scanned the tournament field. Only one of the
archers had gotten to his feet. The other lay on the ground writhing in
agony. Siddhartha jumped down and ran over to him. He saw with horror
that the man had been hit in the throat, the arrow’ s point coming out the
back of his neck. Arms lifted the wounded man to a sitting position, hands tried to
dislodge the arrow. He groaned and almost passed out. Siddhartha’ s head
swam in the confusion. He was dimly aware that someone broke of f the
arrow’ s tip so that the shaft could be pulled through the man’ s neck, but thiscaused a tremendous gush of blood, which shot so far that it hit Siddhartha
in the chest. “Do something,” he pleaded, aware in the midst of everything that his
voice sounded high and panicky, more a boy’ s voice than a man’ s. He
looked up to see that the king had arrived. The soldiers parted for him. His
father barked for someone to fetch a physician, but by that time the
wounded man had lost consciousness, his head limply tilted to one side like
a broken doll’ s. From the fountain of blood still erupting, but with weaker
and weaker force, it was obvious he was lost. Suddhodana pulled out a silk
kerchief and pressed it to the man’ s wound. “Did you know him. ” asked Siddhartha, although he had no idea why
that would matter. His father grimly shook his head. The presence of death
quieted the bystanders, until a new voice broke the silence. “Amazing. Someone was actually hurt. Fire the stagemaster. ”
Devadatta pushed his way through the packed bodies sur rounding the
corpse. He stared at it coldly. “It’s his own fault for missing his cue, isn’ t
it. ” He turned to Siddhartha, whose whole body was shaking. “Y ou
couldn’ t have fought for real, I can see that. ”
The bystanders were shocked, waiting for the king to explode with rage,
but Suddhodana kept silent. His guilt told him that Devadatta was right—
nobody was meant to get hurt when the prince was involved. He gazed at
his son, and Siddhartha instantly read the truth. Siddhartha willed himself to stop shaking and got to his feet. He drew
his sword, glaring at Devadatta. “Y ou said you wanted to fight me today. I
accept your challenge. ”
“No. ”
For a moment it sounded as if his father had shouted, but Channa
stepped through the crowd. “No, I’ll fight the bastard. It’ s about time. ”
Channa took two strides, raising his fist to take a swing at Devadatta. But inhis wildness he lost his balance, and the blow only grazed Devadatta’ s
cheek. Devadatta spit on his palm and wiped his cheek with a look of disgust,
as if it were covered with excrement. “I beg my rights, Y our Highness. ” Devadatta dropped to one knee in
front of Suddhodana. “This low-caste scum touched me. Y ou all saw it. I
beg my rights. ” The crowd stirred and became uneasy as the king remained
immobile and silent for several seconds. “The king acknowledges Devadatta’ s rights. ” Suddhodana finally spoke
but not with his usual force. “He can decide the fate of any low-caste who
has defiled him. ”
Devadatta smiled. “Death,” he said. Suddhodana scowled. “Think carefully. It was just a touch, young
prince. Let me remind you, this is a cause for justice. ”
“I’m only looking for justice. This scum intended to catch me of f guard,
knock me over, and then stab me. See, his weapon. ”
By now two guards had grabbed Channa and wrestled the dagger from
him. Pushed to his knees, Channa shouted, “If that’ s what I was going to do,
let me finish it. ”
Devadatta shrugged and held his open hands out to the king. “My case
is proved. Let me have my rights, as you promised. ”
“No, let me have mine. ”
Without warning Siddhartha was kneeling at the king’ s feet beside his
cousin, his voice on the edge of rage. “I have the right to fight in place of
my brother, and Channa is my brother in everything but name. Everyone
knows it, so why pretend. If any man of caste dares to defame Channa, I
will fight that man, whoever he is. ”This was the moment that Canki shouldn’ t have missed by leaving
early. As high Brahmin, he had full authority, over even a king, to decide
disputes of caste. These were many and complicated. Scriptures held, for
example, that if the shadow of an untouchable fell across the path of a
Brahmin, unclean contact had taken place and the Brahmin must return
home to bathe. Food touched by someone of low caste could not be eaten
by someone of high caste. This was clear enough, but what if the high-caste
person was dying and the food was needed to save his life. Canki held
court over these bewildering issues. But he had left the scene. “Get up, both of you,” Suddhodana ordered. W ith disgust he knew that
Devadatta had more right on his side than the prince. Often in the heat of
battle a low-caste’ s weapon had accidentally nicked a high-caste comrade’ s,
drawing barely a few drops of blood. But this was enough to condemn the
offender to death if the high-caste soldier demanded it. Channa clearly
intended to draw blood; the waters weren’ t muddied until Siddhartha
foolishly intruded. Suddhodana now had no choice. “The two princes both have right on their side,” he announced. “I will
betray justice if I decide against either of them, so let Nature be the judge. The two princes will fight. ”
No one expected this judgment, but the first to recover from the general
consternation was Devadatta, who gave a wolfish grin. Between arrogance
and despair at his situation, he knew he had no future, not one befitting his
worth. His fatalistic streak would be satisfied if he managed to kill this
despised cousin who had led to his own imprisonment, or else got killed
trying. “Sword and dagger,” he said. Siddhartha nodded grimly. Already free of helmet and chest plate, he
began to strip of f the rest of his armor for better mobility. But more than
that, he wanted the fight to be decisive. The truth was that each of them—
Siddhartha, his father, and Devadatta—was trapped by the others. Astonishingly, all three had come to this realization at the same exact
moment, a moment from which there was no turning back. OceanofPDF. com9
The sky was divided between sun and clouds as the fighters circled each
other. They had stripped down to cotton pants, their chest and feet bare. Siddhartha kept his eyes fixed on Devadatta’ s, because as tempting as it was
to watch his opponent’ s hands, he knew that Devadatta’ s glance would give
away his intentions. Siddhartha felt he was moving in a dream. A part of his mind floated
high above, looking down in wonder that a fight to the death ensued. But
Siddhartha’ s instincts for survival were strong. He shook himself and made
the opening lunge, his sword hand ahead of his dagger so that by warding
off the first blade, Devadatta might open himself to the second one. Devadatta was agile and ready—he jumped to the side with a shouted “Ha. ”
and slashed with his own sword. Siddhartha went by too fast and wasn’ t hit. Devadatta began a relentless round of parry and thrust, making
Siddhartha counter blow after blow with his sword. Each time metal
clanged


 all there is in our lives. We can use EFT to address loss whether of a loved one or a dream or a
way of life or even a favorite bracelet. Tapping will not erase your memory
of the loved one, the dream, or the object in question. It addresses the
excessive grief, the grief of the unresolved earlier losses in life. Past losses
seem to light up each time we experience a new one, and it can result in an
energy disruption. For a child, it can seem quite typical; perhaps it is as
mundane as losing a special toy, a friend moving away, going from being
the one who got all the caregiv ers’ attention to now having to share the
spotlight with a new sibling. To activate your body’ s energy system, go ahead and tap on the tap-down
points, the collar bone point, or the gamut or fingertip points while you read. Life Is Change
We human beings are continually changing and evolving, despite our best
efforts to make things stay the same. We like knowing what to expect
because we have a mistaken understanding that the status quo will keep us
safe. W e don’ t like losing stuf f, but life is about change and letting go. We leave the sanctity of the wom b and are born. We leave our caregiver ’s
arms and begin crawling, walking, and playing independently. We leave the
sweet simplicity of childhood and enter into awkward, ungainly,tumultuous, independent adolescence. We leave home, go to college, have
careers, marry, and have lives of our own. We watch our childr en grow …
and leave. Our bodies change. Finally, we reach the end of life—another
change. Truly, from the moment we are born, “letting go,” “leaving
behind,” and “change” are the operative words. And yet we are often caught
off-guard and unprepared with regard to our losses. When we meet the changes, life works. But when we’re burdened by
grief, our ability  to experience life’s wonder and joy is affected. When the
feelings get stuck inside, we ourselves get stuck. We displace. We project. We ignore. W e do all kinds of creative things to avoid feeling the grief. Exercise: Releasing Intensity
Charge Around the Loss
Here we will gently work with grief you are ready to release. Step 1. In your EFT journal, create the heading: “Grief and Loss
Release. ” Identify a loss you’d like to work with. It could be anything from
loss of a loved one to an experience you believe you have an unreasonable
attachment to or would like to experience peace rather than pain. Step 2. List your thoug hts, feelings, sensations, self talk, the details you
recall when you think of that loss, or of letting go of grief. Here are
examples from my practice from clients who have lost loved  ones in all
manner of circumstances: “It’s not fair. ” “It’s wrong. ” “There was no
closure. ” “It’s unacceptable. ” “I can’t go on now. ” “Someone needs to pay
for this. I’m so angry. ” “I am guilty. ”“I didn’ t do enough. I should have
been there. ” “It’s my fault. ” “No one understands what it’s like. ”  “My life is
over. ” “I feel the loss of what I never had. ” “The heavy pressure in my
chest. ” “I am suddenly exhausted in my body. ” “How do I go on after
having cared for him/her (who was sick) all these years. ” “I just miss her so
much. ” “I feel so alone and unlovable. ”Now choose just one aspect from your list—this will be the start of your
manageable tapping. Simultane ously, note how you feel this aspect inside
your body in your journal. Step 3. Now what’ s the intensity, 0 to 10, about that aspect you chose. Write it down. You’re already aware of your body sensation, as you noted it
in step 2. Step 4. Apply the EFT basic recipe to your tapping target. In this case, we
will simply tap on the “top level” of the grief, with this example: “I don’t
think I can ever get over this. ” As alwa ys, tap on your Karate Chop point
one to three times while repeating this setup statem ent:
Even though I’ll never get over this, I deeply and completely accept
myself. Tap through at least one or more  EFT sequences, starting at the top of the
head through under the arm, with: “I’ll never get over this,”until  you sense
a shift in intensity. Step 5. Now take a deep breath, allowing the breath to flow up from the
earth, into the soles of your feet, up through your legs, through your torso,
and through the crown of your head. Exhale, letting go, with the exhale
longer than your inhale. Repeat several times. Step 6. Check your intensity now on “I’ll never get over this. ” If it is
higher, go to step 9. If lower, go to step 8. If it’s the same, go to step 7. If
your aspect (for example, “I’ll never get over this”) has subsid ed and now
other aspects of the loss are popping their heads up at sixes and sevens or
higher, just allow for their passing, one at a time, EFT round by EFT round. When you get to this step again, keep following through  until you
experience relief, meaning that you are able to think of the tapping target
with neutrality. Or, you are able to think of the person or the event and have
more perspective than at the time of loss, for example. Step 7. If intensity is the same. Do you believe  logically that you can
never get over this. Do you believe emotionally that you can never get over
this. Get more specific. Is it too big. Is it that you don’t know how (yet) to
navigate this unknown territory. Is it because you never expected it to be
this way. Choo se one reason you can never get over this. We’re getting
more specific to get results. Tap with a more specific “I can’t get over this
because  … ” in mind, and see if it doesn’ t loosen “I can’t get over this. ” Or
focus on your body sensations about never getting over this and tap around
following a body sensation relating to “never get over this”usin g Chase the
Pain. Or go to an earlier loss, and tap on one event related to that. Then
move on to step 10. Step 8. If intensity is lower. Choose a thought, phrase, feeling, or body
sensation that happens when you think of the loss you have identified from
step 1, such as: “I am so angry about what happened. It’s not fair. It’s …. ”
Skip to step 10 when you are neutral or close to it here. As well, uncover
specific events by asking: What about it isn’t fair. You may have a laundry
list of tapping targets by asking this question. Write them down to tap on
now, one at a time before moving on. Step 9. If intens ity is higher. Keep on tappin g on the same target you had
in step 2. Allow yourself to take a few deep breaths, inhaling all the way
from the soles of your feet up through the top of your head, and then out. Again, inhale deeply now through the top of your head, down and out
through the soles of your feet. Repeat the process a few more times. Now
tune into both your tapping target and your body sensation. Start another
round. Here are possible setup statements to inspire you:
Even though I can’ t get over this, I love, honor, and accept myself. Even though a part of me belie ves I can’t get over this, I deeply and
completely accept all parts of me. Even though I can’t see how I’ll get over this, I accept myself and how
I feel right now. Focus in on your body sensations, and follow them. Allow yourself to
cry, or feel the feelings, and keep on tapping through the flood of emotions. Step 10. Retest your intensity. How much can’t you “get over this” now. Or how much is it not fair. Using the tapping example of “can’t get over
this,” ask yourself these questions:
How come I can’ t get over this. Answer: It’ s my fault. How is it my fault. Answer: I wasn’ t there for him at a critical moment. How so. Answer: When he was in the hospital that one time, I needed to
go home and rest, but he was in pain. Aha. A specific event underneath one of the many reasons why you
“can’ t get over this. ” Tap on this with Tell the Story until intensity around
this particular event subsides. Step 11: Now, return to your original tapping target from step 2, here it’s
“I can’t get over this. ” Now how much do you still believe, or what’ s left
relating to “can’ t get over this” or whatever tapping target you chose.


 d. T h e r e  c a n  b e  n o  d o u b t  t h a t  y o u  w i l l  r e a c h  y o u r  f i n a l
g o a l. *

I f  Y o u  D o  I t,  I t  W o r k s

I n t e l l e c t u a l l y  u n d e r s t a n d i n g  s p i r i t u a l  p r i n c i p l e s  d o e s n ’ t
g u a r a n t e e  e n l i g h t e n m e n t,  a n d  t h e  e g o  l o v e s  t o  u s e  r e l i g i o n
a n d  s p i r i t u a l i t y  a s  a  c o v e r. O n e  m o m e n t  o f  e n l i g h t e n e d  a w a r e n e s s  d o e s n ’ t
c o m p l e t e l y  t r a n s f o r m  y o u r  l i f e. T h e  s p i r i t u a l  p a t h  i s  s l o w
a n d  a r d u o u s  a t  t i m e s,  a s  e v e r y  s i n g l e  c i r c u m s t a n c e  b e c o m e s
t h e  g r o u n d  o n  w h i c h  b o t h  e g o  a n d  s p i r i t  s e e k  t o  m a k e  t h e i r
s t a n d. S p i r i t u a l  p r a c t i c e  i s  l i k e  p h y s i c a l  e x e r c i s e :  i t  h a s  a
c u m u l a t i v e  e f f e c t,  a n d  i f  w e  w a n t  t o  e n j o y  i t s  b e n e f i t s,  w e
c a n  n e v e r  s t o p  d o i n g  i t. Y o u  c a n ’ t  j u s t  g o  t o  t h e  g y m  o n c ea n d  w a l k  o u t  w i t h  a  n e w  b o d y,  a n d  n e i t h e r  c a n  y o u  a t t e n d
o n e  s e m i n a r,  s a y  o n e  p r a y e r,  o r  s i n g  o n e  h a l l e l u j a h  a n d
e x p e c t  y o u r  l i f e  t o  b e  p e r f e c t  f r o m  n o w  o n. T h e  m i n d  a s  w e l l  a s  t h e  b o d y  d e m a n d s  t r a i n i n g  i f  i t ’ s  t o
p e r f o r m  a t  f u l l  c a p a c i t y. T h a t ’ s  w h y  s o m e  o f  u s  g o  t o  t h e
g y m  o r  d o  y o g a  r e g u l a r l y  a n d  a l s o  w h y  w e  p a r t i c i p a t e  i n
r e l i g i o u s  s e r v i c e s  o r  s p i r i t u a l  p r a c t i c e  r e g u l a r l y. I n  a  w o r l d
w h e r e  t h o u g h t s  b a s e d  o n  f e a r  p r e v a i l,  y o u ’ r e  g o i n g  a g a i n s t
t h e  f l o w  t o  m a k e  a  t r u e  a n d  g e n u i n e  s t a n d  f o r  l o v e. I t ’ s  n o t
e a s y  t o  w a l k  u p  t w o  f l i g h t s  o f  s t a i r s  w h e n  y o u ’ r e  n o t  i n
p h y s i c a l  s h a p e,  a n d  i t ’ s  n o t  e a s y  t o  m a k e  a n  u n p o p u l a r  s t a n d
f o r  f a i t h  a n d  f o r g i v e n e s s  w h e n  y o u ’ r e  n o t  i n  s p i r i t u a l  s h a p e. Y e t  i f  w e ’ r e  g o i n g  t o  m a k e  t h e  c h a n g e  f r o m  t h e  w o r l d
t h a t  i s  t o  t h e  w o r l d  t h a t  c o u l d  b e,  i t ’ s  e x a c t l y  t h a t  s t a n d  t h a t
i s  n e c e s s a r y. T h e r e ’ s  n o t h i n g  s p i r i t u a l  a b o u t  a v o i d i n g  t h e
p r o b l e m s  o f  t h e  w o r l d. O u r  g o a l  i s  n o t  t o  a v o i d  t h e  w o r l d,
b u t  t o  h e a l  i t. Y e t  w e  c a n ’ t  g i v e  t o  t h e  w o r l d  w h a t  w e
o u r s e l v e s  d o n ’ t  a l r e a d y  h a v e ;  t h e  g i f t s  o f  t h e  s p i r i t  c a n  o n l y
b e  g i v e n  b y  t h o s e  w h o  a r e  t r y i n g  t o  e m b o d y  t h e m. T h a t ’ s
w h y,  a s  G a n d h i  s a i d,  w e  m u s t  b e  t h e  c h a n g e  w e  w a n t  t o  s e e
h a p p e n  i n  t h e  w o r l d. P e a c e  h a s  t o  b e g i n  i n  o u r  o w n  l i v e s
a n d  s p r e a d  o u t w a r d  t o  h e a l  o t h e r s  a s  w e  i n t e r a c t  w i t h  t h e m
i n  a  l o v i n g  w a y. T h e  A t o n e m e n t
T h e  A t o n e m e n t  i s  t h e  c r u x  o f  s p i r i t u a l  p r a c t i c e ;  i t  i s  t h e
c o r r e c t i v e  p r o c e s s  b y  w h i c h  o u r  t h o u g h t s  a r e  m o v e d  b y  t h e
H o l y  S p i r i


 e
e i t h e r  s t r e s s  o u r  u p s e t  w i t h  s o m e o n e  w i t h o u t  e m p h a s i z i n g
t h e  l a r g e r  l o v e  s u r r o u n d i n g  t h e  r e l a t i o n s h i p,  o r  w e  s t r e s s  t h e
l o v e  w i t h o u t  h o n o r i n g  o u r  n e e d  t o  t a l k  a b o u t  t h e  p r o b l e m. E i t h e r  w a y  i s  a  n o n m i r a c u l o u s,  u n c r e a t i v e  u s e  o f  t h e  m i n d,
a n d  i t  w i l l  l e a v e  t h e  h e a r t  u n h e a l e d. G o d  c a l l s  u s  t o  b e  b o t h  h o n e s t  a n d  c o m p a s s i o n a t e. A s
H e  i s. I n v o k i n g  t h e  G o o d

B e i n g  c a u g h t  i n  a n g e r,  j u d g m e n t,  a n d  b l a m e  i s
d i s e m p o w e r i n g ;  i t  t h r o w s  u s  o u t  o f  o u r  c e n t e r ;  i t  p u t s  u s  a t
t h e  e f f e c t  o f  t h e  l o v e - l e s s n e s s  o f  s o m e o n e  e l s e. T o  b e  t h e r e
f o r  a  w h i l e  i s  o n e  t h i n g ;  t o  s t a y  t h e r e  a n d  t r y  t o  j u s t i f y  i t  i s
w r o n g - m i n d e d  a n d  w i l l  n o t  l e a d  t o  p e a c e. S p i r i t u a l i t y
c h a l l e n g e s  u s  t o  d e t a c h  f r o m  t h e  p u r e l y  p e r s o n a l,  e m o t i o n a l
a s p e c t s  o f  a  s i t u a t i o n — t h e  e g o ’ s  n e e d  t o  b e  r i g h t — i n  o r d e r
t o  u p l i f t  o u r s e l v e s  t o  h i g h e r  g r o u n d. T h a t  d o e s n ’ t  m e a n  w e
d o n ’ t  f e e l  o u r  p a i n,  o u r  a n g e r,  o u r  d e s p a i r. B u t  t h e r e  i s  aw a y  t o  h o l d  s u c h  f e e l i n g s  i n  a  s a c r e d  r a t h e r  t h a n  c h a o t i c
w a y,  s o  t h e y  h e a l  u s  r a t h e r  t h a n  p o i s o n  u s. W h e n e v e r  o u r  l i v e s  a r e n ’ t  w o r k i n g  t h e  w a y  w e  w i s h  t h e y
w o u l d,  o u r  i n s t i n c t i v e  t e n d e n c y  i s  t o  b l a m e  s o m e o n e  e l s e. F r o m  d y s f u n c t i o n a l  p a r e n t s  t o  c o r r u p t  s o c i e t y,  b i t t e r  f o r m e r
s p o u s e s  t o  d i s l o y a l  c o l l e a g u e s,  w e  c a r r y  w i t h  u s  a  c a t a l o g  o f
g r i e v a n c e s :  i f  o n l y  t h i s  o r  t h a t  w e r e  d i f f e r e n t,  m y  l i f e  w o u l d
b e  g o o d. “ I ’ v e  b e e n  s c r e w e d,  y o u  s e e,  a n d  t h a t ’ s  w h y  I ’ m
n o t  h a p p y. ”
Y e t  s o m e w h e r e  d e e p  i n s i d e  a  l i t t l e  v o i c e  b r e a k s  t h r o u g h :
“ M a y b e  y e s,  m a y b e  n o … ” T h e  o n l y  w a y  w e  c a n  b e  h a p p y  i s
i f  w e  a r e  w i l l i n g  t o  t a k e  r e s p o n s i b i l i t y  f o r  o u r  o w n
e x p e r i e n c e. E v e n  w h e n  s o m e o n e  h a s  t r u l y  w r o n g e d  u s,  i t  i s
i m p o r t a n t  t o  a s k  o u r s e l v e s  w h a t  p a r t,  h o w e v e r  s m a l l,  w e
m i g h t  h a v e  u n w i t t i n g l y  p l a y e d  i n  e i t h e r  c r e a t i n g  t h e
s i t u a t i o n  o r  a t  l e a s t  a l l o w i n g  i t  t o  o c c u r. O u r  f i r s t  w o r k  i s  t o  a s k  o u r s e l v e s,  “ W h a t  d i d  I  d o,  o r  n o t
d o,  t o  c o n t r i b u t e  t o  t h i s  d i s a s t e r. ”  W h i l e  o t h e r s  m i g h t  h a v e
t h e i r  o w n  k a r m a  t o  c l e a n  u p,  w e  c a n  a t  l e a s t  t r y  t o  c l e a n  u p
o u r  o w n. I  h a d  a n  e x p e r i e n c e  t h a t  h u r t  m e  d e e p l y,  i n  w h i c h  I  f o u n d
m y s e l f  a b u s e d — n o t  j u s t  b y  a n  i n d i v i d u a l,  b u t  b y  a  g r o u p  o f
p e o p l e  a c t i n g  i n  a  s o r t  o f  p s y c h o l o


 n  i s  a  w o r l d  i n  w h i c h  s u c h  t h i n g s  h a v e  b e c o m e  l i t e r a l l y
u n t h i n k a b l e. T h a t  i s  t h e  r o l e  o f  t h e  m i r a c l e  w o r k e r :  t o  t h i n k
w i t h  s o  m u c h  l o v e  t h a t  f e a r  b e g i n s  t o  l o s e  t h e  f a l s e  a u t h o r i t y
b y  w h i c h  i t  r u l e s  t h e  w o r l d. T h i n k  o f  a  w o r l d  i n  w h i c h  t h e r e
i s  o n l y  l o v e,  a n d  h o l d  t h a t  t h o u g h t  f o r  s e v e r a l  m i n u t e s  e a c h
d a y. T h e  d a y  w i l l  c o m e  w h e n  o u r  t h i n k i n g  w i l l  l e a d  t o  o u r
b e l i e v i n g,  w h i c h  w i l l  l e a d  t o  o u r  a c t i n g  t o  m a k e  i t  s o. A r e  W e  R e a l l y  T r y i n g. E v e r y o n e  I  k n o w  w a n t s  t h e  w o r l d  t o  c h a n g e. A l l  o f  u s  w a n t
t o  b e  p a r t  o f  t h e  s o l u t i o n. W e  f i n d  t h e  t h o u g h t  o f  t h e
c o m p l e t e  r e v o l u t i o n  o f  h u m a n  v a l u e s  a  v e r y  a t t r a c t i v e  i d e a. E v e r y o n e ’ s  a l l  r e a d y  t o  s i g n  u p. L e t ’ s  g o. B u t  w a i t. Y o u  s t a r t  t o  h e a r  a  f e w  l i t t l e  c o m p l a i n t s. “ C a n
w e  d o  t h i s  w h e n  T h e  W e s t  W i n g  i s n ’ t  o n. ”  “ C o u l d  I  s i g n  u p
f o r  a  s l o t  b e t w e e n  t w o  a n d  f o u r  o n  S a t u r d a y,  w h e n  t h e  k i d s
a r e  a t  s o c c e r. ”  “ C o u l d n ’ t  w e  m e e t  i n  a  n i c e r  p l a c e. ” W e ’ r e
t h e  o n l y  g e n e r a t i o n  i n  t h e  h i s t o r y  o f  t h e  w o r l d  t h a t  w a n t s  t o
r e i n v e n t  s o c i e t y  o v e r  w h i t e  w i n e  a n d  b r i e. O n l y  i n  A m e r i c a  w o u l d  s o m e o n e  e x p e c t  c h a n g i n g  t h e
w o r l d  t o  b e  c o n v e n i e n t. H e l l o. R e a l i t y  c h e c k :  T h e
s u f f r a g e t t e s  h a d  n o  c e l l  p h o n e s. T h e  a b o l i t i o n i s t s  h a d  n o
f a x e s. T h e y  d i d  h a v e  l o v e  i n  t h e i r  h e a r t s,  h o w e v e r. A n d  s o  d o
y o u  a n d  I. I  a s k e d  a  f r i e n d  w h a t  I  s h o u l d  s p e a k  a b o u t  a t  a  t a l k  I  w a s
t o  g i v e  i n  h i s  b o o k s h o p,  a n d  h e  s a i d,  “ S p e a k  a b o u t  t h e
c h a l l e n g e s  o f  l i v i n g  a  s p i r i t u a l  l i f e  t o d a y — I  m e a n,  w e  a l l
t r y  s o  h a r d. ”
A n d  I  t h o u g h t  t o  m y s e l f,  “ N o,  w e  d o n ’ t. ”
F o r  w h a t e v e r  r e a s o n,  h o w e v e r,  w e  k e e p  t e l l i n g  o u r s e l v e s
w e  d o. W e ’ r e  a l l  r e v i s i o n i s t s  t h e s e  d a y s,  a n d  w e ’ r e  n o t
c o n t e n t  t o  j u s t  r e v i s e  o u r  p a s t — w e  e v e n  r e v i s e  t h e  p r e s e n t. W e  s e e m  t o  h a v e  a  m a g i c a l  b e l i e f  t h a t  i f  w e  d e s c r i b e
o u r s e l v e s  a  c e r t a i n  w a y,  t h e n  i t  m u s t  b e  t r u e. W e  t a l k  a b o u t  h o w  h a r d  i t  i s  t o  l i v e  a  s p i r i t u a l  l i f e  w h e n
w e ’ r e  n o t  e v e n  m e d i t a t i n g  r e g u l a r l y  o r  m a k i n g  t h e  d e e p e s t
e f f o r t  t o  f o r g i v e  t h o s e  w h o  h a v e  h u r t  u s. P e r h a p s  w e  h a v e
s p e n t  s o  m a n y  y e a r s  i n  t h e  c l a s s r o o m  t h a t  “ s t u d e n t  m o d e ”
h a s  b e c o m e  a  h a b i t. I t ’ s  t i m e  t o  g r a d u a t e. E n o u g h  o f  u s  k n o w  s p i r i t u a l
p r i n c i p l e s  n o w ;  w e ’ v e  r e a d  t h e  s a m e  b o o k s  a n d  l i s t


W inston Churchill never needed to use
these truths to be self-evident, that all
are essentially concerned with freedom,
police force does not even exist in many
force with the British people; Gorbachev
men are created equal, that they are
liberty and the equality of all men by
foreign countries. brought about total revolution in the
endowed by their Creator with certainvirtue of endowment by a divine higher
It is most important to remember that to
lar gest political monolith in the world
unalienable Rights, that among these are
power. )12
violate principle for practical expediency
without firing a shot; Gandhi defeated the
Life, Liberty and the pursuit of
Interestingly, if we calibrate the power of
is to relinquish enormous power. The
British Empire without raising a hand in
Happiness." (calibrated at 700). These
the attractor field of theocracy, we find it
rationalization that the execution of
anger. And we might note that the
sentiments are echoed in the Gettysbur g
consistently lower than that of any
criminals deters crime, for instance, does
seemingly endless Middle Eastern Address where Lincoln reminds us
that democracy which also recognizes the
not hold up under study; and the end does
conflict finally appears to be approachingthis nation was conceived in Liberty and
Creator as the ultimate authority. The
not justify the means. The consequence
resolution, not through violence, but
"...dedicated to the proposition that all
makers of the Declaration of of this violation of principle is reflected
communication, at long last, between the
men are created equal" and that "this
Independence were astute in drawing a
in the crime statistics of the United
adversaries. nation, under God, shall have a new birth
very clear distinction between that which
States, where murder is so common it
of freedom-and that government of the
is spiritual and that which is religious. does not even make the front pages. Democracy and the United States of
people, by the people, for the people,
And they must have intuitively, if not
America
Because we fail to dif ferentiate principleshall not perish from the earth." (also
rationally, known the marked dif ference
from expediency, the average person
Democracy is eventually being 700). between the power of the two. Religion is
lacks the discernment to understand the
acknowledged universally as the superior
If we examine the actions and statements
often associated with force, sometimes
dif ference between patriotism and
form of government. Around the globe
of Lincoln himself during the trying
disastrously so, historically and today;
Patriotism, between americanism and
there is a rising call for freedom; many
years of the Civil W ar, we will find with
whereas spiritual concepts such as Americanism, between god and God,
nations with a heritage of (130) repression
absolute certainty that he was devoid of
loyalty, freedom and peace do not create
between freedom and Freedom, between
are learning the lessons necessary for theall hatred. He had compassion rather than
strife or conflict, much less war. liberty and Liberty. Thus,
"Americanism"
establishment of liberty. Following malice for the South, for he
understood Spirituality is always associated with
is used as a justification by white
conventional science, historians usually
better than anyone else that the battle was
non-violence. supremacy groups (calibrated at 150) and
try to explain such sequences of political
really between man's higher and lower
If we examine the application of the Bill
lynch mobs, just as war mongering
events through an A>B>C causality; this,
natures. He therefore represented the
of Rights today, however, we find that its
throughout history has been conducted in
however, is merely the apparent "self-evident truths" he referred to, and
power in several areas has dwindled. The
the name of "God." The misinterpretation
sequential unfolding of something with a
personally mourned the price that heright to freedom from unreasonable
of liberty as license tells us that many
much greater power, the ABC attractor
knew had to be paid." search and seizure, as well as freedom
people do not know the dif ference
pattern out of which a society evolves. (131) The Declaration of Independence
from cruel and unusual punishment, have
between freedom and Freedom. The power of the United States, or any
states, "W e hold these truths to be self-
both been eroded over the years by
Learning the dif ference between
other democracy, arises from the evident"-that human rights are endowed
expediency. The spirit of the United
principles and their imitators requires
principles upon which it is founded. Thus
by nature of man's creation and are
States Constitution has become experience and educated judgment. The
we can find the basis of power by
inalienable; they do not derive as a fiatsuf ficiently dimmed that laws which are
exercise of such discretion is necessary
examining such documents as the from force, nor are they granted by
any blatantly unconstitutional are frequently
for moral survival in the modern world in
Constitution of the United States, the Bill
temporal ruler. Democracy recognizes
proposed and often passed without a
general, but is imperative in those grayest
of Rights, the Declaration of the divine right of the ruled, rather than
murmur of protest. Pockets of of areas, where ethical ambiguity has
Independence and such acknowledged
the ruler. It is not a right by virtue of title,
totalitarianism exist within government
been elevated from convention to art
expressions of the spirit of democracy as
wealth or military superiority, but instead
itself; our society routinely tolerates
form: the political arena and the
the Gettysbur g Address. is a profound statement of the essence of
totalitarian tactics by both (132) federal and
marketplace of daily commerce.If we calibrate the relative power of each
man's nature, defining principles intrinsic
local agencies, manifested in the
line of these documents, we find the
to human life itself: liberty and the
conspicuous use of intimidation. highest attractor pattern of all, out of
pursuit of happiness. (Mahatma Gandhi's
Unfortunately, we have gotten so used to
63
64
1 1. POWER IN THE
the dif ference between the operation of
low employee turnover, whereas cold and
the success of the Rolls Royce or the
MARKETPLACE
force and power in commerce. impersonal companies have very rapid
V olkswagen Beetle that espousing a
employee turnover. Employee shortage is
philosophy of planned obsolescence
MAN HAS FREEDOM OF CHOICE,Sam W alton, the founder of W al-Mart,
always an expression of a low attractor
rather than enduring quality demonstrates
without which there would be no provides a model of how power comes
ener gy pattern. Critical factor analysis of
a gross miscalculation. Our research
accountability or responsibility. The from aligning with high ener gy
attractor a lar ge cut-rate drug chain that had just
indicated years ago that by following the
ultimate choice, really, is whether to
patterns. The ABC which he conceived
gone Chapter Eleven revealed that the
high ener gy attractor patterns we have
align with a high ener gy attractor field or
has resulted in the A>B>C that is the
few dollars saved by not having extra
already identified Detroit could reclaim
a low ener gy attractor field. The same
rapidly growing W al-Mart colossus. The
employees at the checkout counter the auto market. T ruly creative
weak attractor patterns that have brought
basic principles involved are spelled outregularly cost thousands of dollars in
innovation is required in order to
down governments, social movements
in the book Sam W alton by V ance
sales; such shortsightedness is common
recapture the imagination of the public,
and entire civilizations routinely destroy
T rimble.1
in businesses dominated by low ener gy
and enduring quality must supplant
or ganizations and careers. One makes
In the aisles of many of today's giant
fields. planned obsolescence, as the price of a
one's choice and then takes the stores there seem to be no employees
new car approaches twenty thousand
consequences. whatsoever; the gross indif ference to
T o be a success it is necessary to
embrace and operate from the principles
dollars. Nowhere are these consequences morecustomer goodwill is shocking. W al-
that produce success, not just imitate the
Sensibly enough, not many Americans
dramatically visible than in the realm of
Mart's employees, in contrast, are trained
actions of successful people. T o really do
are happy to lay out such sums in full
business. Nowhere else, however, could
to be accommodating, warm and
what they do, it is necessary to be like
knowledge that that investment will
failure be more easily avoided if a few
ener getic, to reflect a humane ener gy
they are. Companies that have imitated
shortly be lost to obsolescence. basic concepts were clearly understood. field in their workplace. Their jobs have
some of W al-Mart's features in hopes of
Obviously, what the depreciating car
Attractor fields can be quickly calibrated


 about salt in chapter 12. Please bear in mind, these letters are real-life stories. They are not "anecdotes." We  do not need statistics to
convince people of the efficacy of water, when the body is demonstrating an urgent need for it. Whos e fault  is it that
the human  body's regional calls for water, and its programs of adaptation to dehydration, have been labeled as
disease conditions? Is there any plausible reason w hy, for eva luation of n atural treatment procedures, we should
adhere to the self-serving methodology and the yardstick of the pharmaceutical industry? Their inaccurate
assertions have until now cau sed so much pain and agony for people who se bodies were only crying out for water!ASTHMA AND AL LERGIES
It is estimated that 12 million children suffer from asthma, and several thousand die every year. Let us declare an
end to asthma in less than five years. Let us save children from th e constant fear of suffocation because they do not
recognize they are thirsty for water! Asthma and allergies are indicators that the body has resorted to an increase in production of the neurotransmitter
histamine, the sensor regulator of water metabolism and its distribution in the body. It is recognized that asthmatics h ave an increase in histamine content of their lung tissue and that it is the histamine
that regulates the bronchial muscle contraction. Since one of the sites for water loss through evaporation is in the
lungs, bronchial constriction produced by histamine means less w ater evaporation during the act of breathing—a
simple natural maneuver to preserve the body water. Histamine is an agent that, apart from its wat er regulatory role, has responsibilities for antibacterial, antiviral, and
anti-foreign agents (chemicals and proteins) defense systems in the body. At a normal level of water content of the
body, these actions are held at an imperceptive or unexaggerated level. At a dehydrated state of the body, to the
point that the histamine activity becomes exaggerated for wat er regulation, an immune system activation of
histamine-producing cells will  release an exaggerated amount of the transmitter that is held in storage for its other
functions. It has been shown in animal models that histamine production in histamine-generating cells will decrease with an
increase in the daily water intake. Both of these conditions should be regulated with an alert and determined
increase in water intake. On average, these conditions respond after one to four weeks of water regulation of the
body. Mr. Peck, an asthmatic sin ce childhood, who also became sensitive to all sorts of "allergens," is no longer in fear of
these health problems. Mr. Paturis also testifies to the fact that his wif e's allergic condition became less problematic. Jose Rivera, M.D., had for years su ffered from allergies and asthma. He was severely allergic to cats. In fact, he
would never go to a house where a cat was also kept. It seems he at one time got very sick after being exposed to a
cat. As a  result of using the new information about the relationship of dehydration to excess histamine production in
the body, he has totally recovered from both of these conditions. To  top it all, he now treats asthmatics with water
and salt. His letter is on the next page. Priscilla Preston's letter you have already seen. Joanie Winfield's letter is also printed below. I  only discuss these
persons because their letters testify to the fact that increased daily water intake has provided total relief from
asthma and allergies in grown persons, even after many years of suffering from the problem. Jose A. Ri vera M.D. Lecturer/Member Ad visory Bo ard International Federation of Holistic Medicine
Liberty Square Medial Center
501 North 17th Street • Suite US)
Allemom, PA 18104
(610)776-7639
1/6/95
Dr. F. Batmanghelidj Global Health Solutions
Falls Church, VA. 22043
Dear Dr. Batmanghelidj
This letter is in appreciation for the information that you have presented concerning water dehydration and asthma. As you  recall I have had adult onset asthma since I was In college and have had many bouts of anaphylaxis whi ch
were life threatening. Due to the information that you have provided I have been able to ameliorate and cure my own asthma with water
and salt intake. I have been asthma free for approximately 1.5 years and have not had any re actions to the
allergens of the past. The information has been most helpful in making me aware of when and how to drink wat er and take salt in order to
hydrate myself and prevent any recurrence of asthma. Also, I have been able to advise other patients with  respiratory and allergen problems In how to  Increase their wat er
and salt intake safely, and to my amazement the amelioration has been dramatic. Thank you sir for giving me and others the breath of life thru something so simple as water and sail
Sincerely,
Jose A. Ri vera M.D. Joanie Winfield
206 West Prospect Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 1 5205 (412) 922-1625
July 18,   1994
Fereydoon Batmanghelidj, M.D. 2146 Kings Ga rden Way
Falls Church VA 2 2043
Dear Dr. Batmanghelidj:
I am writing this letter to thank you  for sharing your discovery about the need for water with your readers. I have
benefited greatly from following your advice on water intake. The changes in my health have been very noticeable. Asth ma used to be a major health concern of mine. Since I
have been drinking enough water, however, I have been able to breath fine without the use of any medicine. What a
difference this has made in my life. There have been other benefits as well, such as softer skin and increased
mental awareness. I am so happy to have read your Book, and I share your advice with as many people as I can. Once  again, thank
you for you r help. Sincerely,
Joanie WinfieldDo not forget, if concentrated blood reaches the lungs, local histamine production is a natural and automat ic
process. Its exaggerated release will promote bronchial constriction. If you suffer from asthma or allergies, increase
your daily water intake. Do not over drink thinking you can undo the damage of many months or years of
dehydration by excessive intake of water in a few days. You need to drink a normal amount every day—eight to ten
8-ounce glasses—until full hydration of the body is a chieved over a longer period of time. Reduce orange juice intake to one, or at most two, glasses a day. The potassium content of orange juice is high. High loads of potassium in the body can promote more than usual histamine production. In asthmatics, this point
should be kept in mind. Mary B. is one of the administrators in a government department that is responsible for the health care system of a
major city. She suffered from asthma for many years. She no longer enjoyed her wal ks in the parks. Shortness of
breath deprived her of the joys of walking. It just so happened that one of my colleagues at the Foundation for the
Simple in Medicine became aware of her problem. Resp onding to the recommendation to drink water, she indicated
she was taking ample water. When she was asked to define her daily water intake, it came to light she was drinking
many glasses o f orange juice and was counting her juice  intake as water intake. It was explained to her that
although orange juice contains water, i t cannot be assum ed it replac es the needs of the body for pure and simple
water. She accepted the advice to cut the juice intake and increase her water intake. Within days her shortness of
breath improved. The last time we heard from her, she was apparently clear of her asthma. Let me explain another very important issue in asthma—the role of sal t. When there is water shortage, the body
begins to retain salt. In some people, the salt regulatory mechanisms a re inefficient. Add to this physiological
problem bad education about dieting and salt-free diets that have become established trends in our society. In
certain people, salt shortage in the body can occur and become symptom-producing in exactly the same way as
water shortage, such as some arthritis pains. It is my understanding that in severe asthma attacks, salt shortage is a
major contributing factor. I would like to share an important secret with you. Salt is a natur al anti histamine. People
with allergies should begin to increase their salt intake to prevent excess h istamine production. Water is needed in the lungs to keep the air passages m oist and prevent them from drying up when air goes in and
comes out. In dehydration, mucus secretion protects air passag es from drying, m the first stages of asthma, mucus
is secreted to protect the tissues. There comes a time that much mucus is se creted and it stays put, preventing
normal passag e of air through the airways. Sodium is a natural mucus break er, and it is normally secre ted to make
mucus "di sposable." That is why phlegm is salty whe n it comes in contact with the tongue. Salt is needed to break up the mucus in the lungs and render it watery for its expulsion from the airways. In
dehydration, and in conjunction


. Then suddenly, there’s
a major earthquake, a terrible sickness, or a chance
encounter that totally sweep s you off your feet. If the
event is powerful enough to  change the focus of your
heart and mind, the rest of your life will change in due
course. You are literally not the same person on both
sides o f a truly life-chang ing event. Your interests
change, your goals change, in fact, the underlying
purpose of your life change s. It usually takes a very
powerful event to turn your head around so far that you
never look back. But not always. In the winter o f 1970, no suc h event happened to me. What happene d was so sub tle, so faint, that it could
easily have passed by without being noticed. It was not
with a shout but with a whisp er that my life was thrown
into utter turmoil and transformation. It has been more
than forty years now since that life-changing moment,
but I remember it as if it were yesterday.I was sitting on the living room couch in my home in
Gainesville, Florida. I was twenty-two years old and
married at the time to a beautiful soul named Shelly. We
were both students at the Un iversity of Florida where I
was doi ng my graduate work in economics. I was a very
astute student, and I was being groomed by the
chairman of the economics department to become a
college professor. Shelly had a brother, Ronnie, who was
a very successful attorney in Chicago. Ronnie and I
became close friends even though we were from totally
different world s. He was a powerful, wealth-driven, big-
city at torney, and I was a ’60s-groomed, college-
intellectual hi ppie. It is worth mentioning just how
analytically oriented I was at the time. I had never even
taken a philosophy, psychology, or religion course while
in college. My electives at school were symbolic logic,
advanced calculus, and theoretical statistics. This makes
what happened to me all the more amazing. Ronnie would come down once in a while to visit, and
we would often just hang out together. As it turns out,
Ronnie was sitting on that co uch with me on that fateful
day in 1970. I  don’t remember exactly what we were
talking about, but there had been a lull in our leisurely
conversation. I noticed I was uncomfortable with the
silence and found myself thin king of what to say next. I
had been in similar situations many times before, but
something wa s quite different about this experience. Instead of simply being uncomfortable and trying to find
something to say, I noticed  t ha t I was uncomfortable and
trying to find s omething to say. For the first time in my
life, my mind and emotions were something I was
watching instead of being. I know that it is difficult to put into words, but there
was a complete sense of separation between my anxious
mind, which was spewing out possible topics to talk
about, a nd me, the one who  was simply aware that my
mind was doing this. It was like I was suddenly able toremain above my mind and quietly watch the thoughts
being c reated. Believe it or n ot, that subtle shift in my
seat of awareness became a tornado that rearranged my
entire life. For a few mom ents, I just sat there inwardly watching
myself t ry to “fix” the awkward silence. But I was not the
one trying to f ix it; I was the one quietly watching the
activity of my mind trying t o fix it. At first there were
only a few deg rees of separation between me and what I
was watching. But every second the separation seemed to
become greate r and greater. I was not doing anything to
cause this shift. I was just the re noticing that my sense of
me  no longer included the neurotic thought patterns that
were passing in front of me. This e ntire process of “becoming aware” was
practically instantaneous. It was like when you stare at
one of those posters that has a hidden picture inside. At
first it appears to be just a cir cle with line patterns. Then,
suddenly, you see an entire 3-D image emerge from what
originally looked like chaos. Once you see it, you can’t
imagine how you hadn’t seen it before. It was right there! Such was the s hift that happened inside of me. It was so
obvious—I wa s in there w atching my thoughts and
emotions. I had always been in there watching, but I had
been too unaware to notice. It was as though I had been
so invo lved in their details that I never saw them as just
thoughts and emotions. Within seconds, what previously seemed like
important solu tions for how to break the uncomfortable
silence was now sounding like a neurotic voice talking
inside my head. I watched as that voice tried out things
to say:
The weather’s been awesome, hasn’t it? Did you hear what Nixon did the other day? Do you want to get something to eat?When I finally did open my mouth to say something,
what I said was:
“Have y ou ever noticed that there’s this voice
talking inside your head?”
Ronnie looked  at me a little w eird, and then a spark lit
in his eyes. He said, “Yes, I see what you’re talking about
—mine never shuts up!” I distinctly remember making a
joke ou t of it b y asking him what it would be like if he
heard someone else’s voice talking in there. We laughed,
and life went on. But not my  life. My life didn’t just “go on.” In my life,
nothing would ever be the s ame again. I didn’t have to
try to maintain this awareness. It was who I was now. I
was the being who was watc hing the incessant flow of
thoughts pass through the mind. From the same seat of
awareness, I watched the  ever-shifting current of
emotions pass through the heart. When I showered, I
saw what that voice had to s ay while I was supposed to
be washing my body. If I was talking to someone, I
watched as that voice figured out what to say next—
instead of listening to what t he other person was saying. If I went to class, I watched my mind play the game of
trying to think ahead of the professor to see if it could
figure o ut where he was going with the lecture. Needless
to say, it did n ot take long be fore this newly found voice
inside m y head really started to annoy me. It was like
sitting next to someone in a movie theater who never,
ever stops talking. As I observed that voice, something deep inside my
being ju st wanted it to shut up. What would it be like if it
stopped? I began to long for silence inside. Within days
of that first experience, my life’s patterns began to
change. When friends came over to socialize, I no longer
enjoyed the scene. I wanted t o quiet my mind, and social
activities didn’t help. I began to excuse myself and go out
to t he woods near our hous e. I would sit down on theground amid the trees and tell that voice to shut up. Of
course, it didn’t work. Nothin g seemed to work. I found
that I could change the topic  it talked about, but I could
not get it to just stop talking for any length of time. My
yearning for inner silence bec ame a passion. I knew what
it w as li ke to watch the voice. What I didn’t know is what
it would  be like if the voice totally stopped. And what I
never co uld have imagined was the life-changing journey
on which I was about to embark.2. G e t t i n g  t o  K n o w  M e
E ven in my yo uth, I loved t o figure out how things
worked. So it was inevitable that my analytical mind
would become fascinated by  trying to understand my
relationship to  the voice inside my head. Before I could
enjoy this intellectual fascination, however, I had to get
over the fact that the personal mind was driving me
crazy. E very tim e I saw somet hing, that voice made some
comment about it: I like it… ; I do n’t like it… ; I’m not
comfortable with this… ; This reminds me of …As I
became more and more accustomed to watching all this,
a few question s naturally arose. First, why is this voice
talking all the time? If I see something, I’m instantly
aware of seeing it. Why doe s the voice have to tell me
that I see it and how I feel about it? Here comes Mary. I don’t feel like seeing her
today. I hope she doesn’t see me. I know what I see and I know what I feel. After all, I’m
the one in here seeing and feeling. Why does it have to
get vocalized in my mind? Another questi on that arose was who am I who keeps
noticing all this mental activity? Who am I who can just
watch thoughts come up with a complete sense of
detachment?


ouch.”	He	reduced	his	life	to	a	story. Now,	circumstances	have	changed	and	he	can	no	longer	live	the	story	that	he
built	up	over	the	years. His	lifestyle	no	longer	coincides	with	his	story. This	is
a	rude	awakening	but	it	is	not	his	life. The	story	is	nothing	more	than	a
figment	of	his	imagination. Of	course,	build	up	your	business,	make	money,	have	a	nice	lifestyle. But
don’t	get	lost	in	it. Don’t	lose	sight	of	the	real	you. Things	come. Things	go. Everything	in	life	is	a	series	of	cycles. Life	is	not	about	more	money,	more	cars,	more	houses	and	more	business. This	is	the	human	mind	and	not	the	real	you. The	human	mind,	especially	the
mind	of	the	Western	male,	always	wants	more. More,	more,	more. Western
society	is	not	intelligent. It	is	stupid	and	reflects	the	collective	mind	of	an
idiot. What	is	your	story? O
ur	story	is	a	fairytale	of	how	we	perceive	ourselves. We	think	about	our
positive	qualities	and	we	think	about	our	negative	qualities. If	thoughts	about
our	positive	qualities	outweigh	thoughts	about	our	negative	qualities,	we	are
confident	about	ourselves. If	thoughts	about	our	negative	qualities	outweigh	our	positive	qualities,	we
lack	confidence. A	negative	story	can	be	made	up	of	constant	thoughts	about	being	fat	or	ugly
or	stupid,	or	not	attractive	to	the	opposite	sex. Someone	with	an	inferiority
complex	might	have	been	told	at	one	point	how	useless	he	is. He	continues	to
run	this	thought	over	and	over	through	his	head. After	a	certain	time,	he	acts
according	to	this	belief	system	that	has	been	established. Over	time,	these
thoughts	become	fixed	and	form	his	personality. A	positive	story	might	be	made	up	of	how	educated	I	am,	how	smart	I	am,
how	attractive	I	am,	how	large	my	muscles	are,	what	a	well	paid	person	I	am,
how	intelligent	I	am. Both	are	stories	and	both	are	thoughts	and	figments	of	your	mind. These
stories	are	created	through	the	repetition	and	reinforcement	of	thousands	of
the	same	thoughts. Your	story	is	not	real. Do	you	think	it	is	the	truth? What
happens	when	your	story	changes? What	happens	when	the	attractive	person	gets	old	and	wrinkled? What
happens	when	the	wealthy	person	goes	bankrupt? Why	waste	so	much	energy
creating	a	story	that	is	nothing	more	than	a	figment	of	the	imagination? When	you	create	a	story,	you	tend	to	act	from	that	story	instead	of	acting	from
free	will. Therefore,	your	story	restricts	your	freedom	to	act	spontaneously.Animals	and	nature	do	not	create	stories	about	themselves. A	dog	with	three
legs	gets	on	with	life. A	fat	horse	is	not	too	bothered	either. An	ugly	crow	has
no	problem	waking	up	on	a	Monday	morning. They	live	according	to	their
true	nature,	which	is	absent	of	thought. Living	your	life	according	to	the	story	that	you	have	created	about	yourself	is
not	living. Most	people	do	this	and	effectively	die	at	18	years	of	age	even
though	they	are	buried	at	age	80.Stop	complaining
W
atch	how	often	you	are	unhappy	with	what	is	going	on	in	your	life. Become	aware	of	how	little	things	upset	you. The	more	thoughts	that	you
have	running	through	your	head,	the	more	you	get	upset	and	frustrated	by
little	things. In	every	situation,	you	can	always	find	something	that	is	not	how	it	should	be. Children	might	be	running	around	while	you	eat	at	a	local	café. Your	partner
might	snore	at	night. The	toilet	seat	might	have	been	left	up	every	time	you
use	the	bathroom. The	coffee	pot	might	be	left	on	the	counter	every	morning
and	might	have	left	a	stain. The	weather	is	bad. The	economy	is	in	recession. You	are	stuck	in	traffic. Finances	might	be	a	little	low. The	shower	leaks. The
neighbor	is	an	ass. Are	you	constantly	complaining	about	one	thing	or	another? Complaining
keeps	you	in	a	constant	state	of	turmoil,	as	you	don’t	want	to	accept	the
reality	of	this	moment. You	wish	it	to	be	different. Complaining	is	when	you
are	not	prepared	to	accept	the	current	situation	and	you	want	something	else. You	are	rejecting	what	is. You	have	four	options. 1
. Accept	the	situation. 2
. Remove	yourself	from	the	situation. 3
. Change	the	situation. 4
. If	the	time	is	not	right	to	change	the	situation,	drop	the	story	and	wait	for
the	time	to	be	right. Everything	changes	and	this	will	change	too. It	is	as
it	is.Chapter	9
	Society	madnessProzac	me
A
	patient	visits	his	doctor. He	is	complaining	of	constant	noise	in	his	head. He	feels	very	down	in	the	dumps,	frequently	cries	and	has	constant	chatter
going	on	in	his	mind. He	thinks	that	he	is	going	mad. His	constant	thought
and	mind	activity	is	making	him	crazy. The	doctor	listens	for	ten	to	fifteen
minutes. Towards	the	end	of	the	consultation,	he	takes	out	his	prescription
pad	and	writes	a	prescription	for	Prozac	or	some	other	legal	drug	to	numb	the
person’s	mind. The	reality	is	that	doctors	don’t	know	what	causes	depression. The	medical
model	identifies	depression	as	caused	by	a	biochemical	brain	imbalance	from
a	genetic	defect. This	is	debateable. In	the	words	of	Dr	Terry	Lynch	in	his	superb	book	Beyond	Prozac	“Is	the
brain	chemical	imbalance	the	cause	of	the	depression	or	the	suicide,	or	is	the
imbalance	produced	by	the	long-standing	emotional	and	psychological
distress	that	person	has	endured	often	for	many	years?”

The	amount	of	prescribed	medication	for	depression,	stress	and	anxiety	has
now	reached	epidemic	proportions. Medication	has	one	purpose	and	that	is
only	to	treat	symptoms. Medication	has	a	purpose	only	if	the	person	is	in
danger	of	harming	himself. In	simple	terms,	the	mind	is	depressed	with	thought. Therefore,	instead	of
numbing	the	mind	with	toxic	medications,	should	we	not	attempt	to	give	this
person	control	over	his	thought	processes? Allow	the	person	to	develop
stillness	of	the	mind. Stillness	of	the	mind	is	achieved	by	watching	and
reducing	the	breath,	feeling	the	inner	body	and	keeping	the	attention	in	the
present	moment. If	drugs	are	not	an	option	and	stillness	of	the	mind	is	taught	in	every	school,
we	would	have	far	less	of	a	problem	with	mental	health. Millions	of	children	and	adults	would	be	spared	from	suffering	and	would
then	be	allowed	to	lead	normal	lives	without	been	numbed	by	powerful
medications	that	are	very	difficult	to	come	off	the	longer	one	takes	them. The
Western	health	model	is	to	create	consumers. Profit,	not	health,	is	the	first
priority	of	drug	companies. Watching	the	body	and	mind	is	a	challenge. Doing	this	takes	time	but	gets	to
the	root	of


wenty	pounds. In	addition,	average	blood	cholesterol	levels
decreased	slightly,
47
	which	was	perhaps	even	more	important. Because	of
these	two	results,	this	study	was	presented	in	the	media	as	real,	scientific
proof	that	the	Atkins	diet	works	and	is	safe. Unfortunately,	the	media	didn’t
go	much	deeper	than	that. The	first	sign	that	all	is	not	rosy	is	that	these	obese	subjects	were	severelyrestricting	their	calorie	intake	during	the	study. The	average	American
consumes	about	2,250	calories	per	day. 49
	When	the	study	participants	were	on
the	diet,	they	consumed	an	average	of	1,450	calories	per	day. That’s	35%
fewer	calories! I	don’t	care	if	you	eat	worms	and	cardboard;	if	you	eat	35%
fewer	calories,	you	will	lose	weight	and	your	cholesterol	levels	will
improve
50
	in	the	short	run,	but	that	is	not	to	say	that	worms	and	cardboard
form	a	healthy	diet. One	may	argue	that	those	1,450	calories	are	so	satisfying
that	people	feel	full	on	this	diet,	but	if	you	compare	calorie	input	and	calorie
expenditure,	it’s	a	matter	of	simple	math	that	a	person	cannot	sustain	this
amount	of	calorie	restriction	over	a	period	of	years	or	decades	without	either
becoming	an	invalid	or	melting	away	into	nothing. People	are	notoriously
unsuccessful	at	significantly	restricting	their	energy	intake	over	any	long
period	of	time,	and	that	is	why	there	has	yet	to	be	a	long-term	study	that
shows	success	with	the	“low-carb”	diets. This,	however,	is	only	the	beginning
of	the	problems. In	this	same	study,	funded	by	the	Atkins	group,	researchers	report,	“At
some	point	during	the	twenty-four	weeks,	twenty-eight	subjects	(68%)
reported	constipation,	twenty-six	(63%)	reported	bad	breath,	twenty-one
(51%)	reported	headache,	four	(10%)	noted	hair	loss,	and	one	woman	(1%)
reported	increased	menstrual	bleeding.”
47
	They	also	refer	to	other	research,
saying,	“Adverse	effects	of	this	diet	in	children	have	included	calcium	oxalate
and	urate	kidney	stones	…	vomiting,	amenorrhea	[when	a	girl	misses	her
period],	hypercholesterolemia	[high	cholesterol]	and	…	vitamin	deficiencies
(ref. cited).”
47
	Additionally,	they	found	that	the	dieters	had	a	stunning	53%
increase	in	the	amount	of	calcium	they	excreted	in	their	urine,
47
	which	may
spell	disaster	for	their	bone	health. The	weight	loss,	some	of	which	is	simply
initial	fluid	loss,
51
	may	come	with	a	very	high	price. A	different	review	of	low-carbohydrate	diets	published	by
researchers	in
Australia	concludes,	“Complications	such	as	heart	arrhythmias,	cardiac
contractile	function	impairment,	sudden	death,	osteoporosis,	kidney	damage,
increased	cancer	risk,	impairment	of	physical	activity	and	lipid	abnormalities
can	all	be	linked	to	long-term	restriction	of	carbohydrates	in	the	diet.”
51
	One
teenage	girl	recently	died	suddenly	after	being	on	a	high-protein	diet. 52,	53
	In
short,	most	people	will	be	unable	to	maintain	this	diet	for	the	rest	of	their
lives,	and	even	if	anybody	manages	to	do	so,	they	may	be	asking	for	serious
health	problems	down	the	road. I	have	heard	one	doctor	call	high-protein,
high-fat,	low-carbohydrate	diets	“make-yourself-sick”	diets,	and	I	think	that’s
an	appropriate	moniker. You	can	also	lose	weight	by	undergoing
chemotherapy	or	starting	a	heroin	addiction,	but	I	wouldn’t	recommend	those,either. One	final	thought:	the	diet	is	not	all	that	Atkins	recommends. Indeed,	most
diet	books	are	merely	one	part	of	huge	food	and	health	empires. In	the	case	of
the	Atkins	diet,	Dr.	Atkins	states	that	many	of	his	patients	require	nutrient
supplements,	some	of	which	are	used	to	combat	“common	dieters’
problems.”
54
	In	one	passage,	after	making	unsubstantiated	claims	about	the
efficacy	of	antioxidant	supplements	that	contradict	recent	studies,
55
	he	writes,
“Add	to	the	[antioxidants]	the	vita-nutrients	known	to	be	useful	for	each	of
the	myriad	medical	problems	my	patients	face,	and	you’ll	see	why	many	of
them	take	over	thirty	vitamin	pills	a	day.”
56

Thirty	pills	a	day? There	are	snake	oil	salesmen,	who	have	no	professional	research,
professional	training	or	professional	publications	in	the	held	of	nutrition,	and
there	are	scientists,	who	have	formal	training,	have	conducted	research	and
have	reported	on	their	findings	in	professional	forums. Perhaps	it	is	a
testament	to	the	power	of	modern	marketing	savvy	that	an	obese	man	with
heart	disease	and	high	blood	pressure
57
	became	one	of	the	richest	snake	oil
salesmen	ever	to	live,	selling	a	diet	that	promises	to	help	you	lose	weight,	to
keep	your	heart	healthy	and	to	normalize	your	blood	pressure.THE	TRUTH	ABOUT	CARBOHYDRATES
An	unfortunate	outcome	of	the	recent	popularity	of	diet	books	is	that	people
are	more	confused	than	ever	about	the	health	value	of	carbohydrates. As	you
will	see	in	this	book,	there	is	a	mountain	of	scientific	evidence	to	show	that
the	healthiest	diet	you	can	possibly	consume	is	a
high-carbohydrate
	diet. It
has	been	shown	to	reverse	heart	disease,	reverse	diabetes,	prevent	a	plethora
of	chronic	diseases,	and	yes,	it	has
been	shown	many	times	to	cause
significant	weight	loss. But	it’s	not	quite	as	simple	as	that. At	least	99%	of	the	carbohydrates	that	we	consume	are	derived	from
fruits,	vegetables	and	grains. When	these	foods	are	consumed	in	the
unprocessed,	unrefined	and	natural	state,	a	large	proportion	of	the
carbohydrates	are	in	the	so-called	“complex”	form. This	means	that	they	are
broken	down	in	a	controlled,	regulated	manner	during	digestion. This
category	of	carbohydrates	includes	the	many	forms	of	dietary	fiber,	almost	all
of	which	remain	undigested—but	still	provide	substantial	health	benefits. In
addition,	these	complex	carbohydrates	from	whole	foods	are	packaged	with
generous	amounts	of	vitamins,	minerals	and	accessible	energy. Fruits,
vegetables	and	whole	grains	are	the	healthiest	foods	you	can	consume,	and
they	are	primarily	made	of	carbohydrates. On	the	opposite	side	of	the	spectrum,	there	are	highly	processed,	highly
refined	carbohydrates	that	have	been	stripped	of	their	fiber,	vitamins	and
minerals. Typical	simple	carbohydrates	are	found	in	foods	like	white	bread,
processed	snack	items	including	crackers	and	chips	made	with	white	flour,
sweets	including	pastries	and	candy	bars	and	sugar-laden	soft	drinks. These
highly	refined	carbohydrates	originate


styn	retired	from	active	surgery	in	June	of	2000	and
assumed	the	position	of	preventive	cardiology	consultant	in	the	department	of
general	surgery	at	the	Cleveland	Clinic. He	has	continued
to	do	research	and
to	visit	with	patients. He	holds	three-hour	counseling	sessions	in	his	home
with	new	heart	disease	patients,	gives	them	research	evidence	and	provides	a
delicious	“heart-safe”	meal. In	addition,	he	gives	talks	around	the	country	and
abroad. In	March	of	2002,	Ess	and	his	wife	Ann,	whose	grandfather	founded	the
Cleveland	Clinic,	drafted	a	letter	to	the	head	of	the	cardiology	department	and
the	head	of	the	hospital	at	the	Cleveland	Clinic. The	letter	started	off	by
saying	how	proud	they	were	of	the	reputation	and	excellence	of	the	Clinic	and
the	innovation	of	the	surgical	procedures,	but	that	everyone	recognized	that
surgery	was	never	going	to	be	the	answer	to	this	epidemic	of	heart	disease. Ess	formally	proposed	the	idea	that	he	could	help	set	up	an	arrest	and	reversal
dietary	program	in	the	department	of	preventive	cardiology	at	the	Cleveland
Clinic. The	program	would	mirror	his	own	and	could	be	administered	by
nurse	clinicians	and	physician	assistants. Ideally,	a	young	physician	with
passion	for	the	idea	would	head	the	program. Ultimately,	every	patient	with
heart	disease	at	the	Clinic	would	be	offered	the	option	of	arrest	and	reversal
therapy	using	dietary	means,	which	costs	very	little,	harbors	no	risks	and	puts
the	control	back	into	the	patients’	hands. You’d	think	that	if	an	opportunity	arose	to	profoundly	heal	sick	people,
and	one	of	the	most	reputable	people	in	the	country	was	going	to	help	you,	a
hospital	would	jump	at	the	opportunity. But	after	being	one	of	the	star
surgeons	at	the	Cleveland	Clinic	for	decades,	after	initiating	a	heart	reversal
study	that	had	greater	success	than	anything	ever	done	at	the	Clinic,	and	after
graciously	offering	a	plan	to	help	heal	even	more	people,	neither	the	head	of
the	hospital	nor	the	department	head	had	the	respect	to	even	acknowledge	that
Ess	had	written	to	them. They	didn’t	call. They	didn’t	write. They	completely
ignored	him. Seven	weeks	passed,	and	finally	Ess	called	the	department	head	and	the
hospital	head,	and	neither	of	them	would	take	his	call. Finally,	after	seven
calls,	the	head	of	the	hospital	got	on	the	phone. This	man	had	praised	Ess	for
years	for	his	research	and	seemed	excited	by	his	results,	but	now	he	was
singing	a	different	tune. He	obviously	knew	exactly	what	Ess	was	calling
about,	and	told	Ess	that	the	head	of	the	cardiology	department	didn’t	want	to
do	it. In	other	words,	he	just	passed	the	buck. If	the	head	of	the	hospital
wanted	it	to	be	done,	it	would	be	done,	regardless	of	what	the	head	ofcardiology	wanted. So	Ess	called	the	head	of	cardiology,	who	finally	took	his
call. The	man	was	abrasive	and	rude. He	made	it	clear	he	had	no	interest	in
what	Ess	was	trying	to	do. Ess	hasn’t	talked	to	either	of	these	doctors	since,	but	he	still	has	hope	that
he	can	change	their	minds	as	more	and	more	research	supports	what	he	has
been	saying. Meanwhile,	many	people	at	the	Clinic	are	still	excited	about
Ess’s	work. Many	of	them	want	to	see	a	wider	application	of	his	program,	but
the	powers	that	be	will	not	let	it	happen. They	get	frustrated,	and	Ess	is
frustrated	because	the	current	program	in	preventive	cardiology	is	a	disaster:
They	still	eat	meat,	they	still	eat	dairy,	and	they	don’t	have	any
cholesterol	goal. It’s	all	just	so	vague. Preventive	cardiology	takes
great	pride	when	they	are	able	to	slow	the	rate	of	progression	of	this
disease. This	isn’t	cancer	for	God’s	sake! An	interesting	situation	is	now	developing:	just	as	with	Dr.	McDougall,
many	of	the	Clinic	“bigwigs”	with	heart	disease	have	themselves	gone	to
Esselstyn	for	treatment	and	lifestyle	counseling. They	know	it	works,	and
they	seek	out	the	program	on	their	own. As	Ess	says,	this	could	be	developing
into	a	very	interesting	crisis:
I	have	now	treated	a	number	of	senior	staff	with	coronary	disease	at	the
Clinic—senior	staff	physicians. I	have	also	treated	a	number	of	senior
staff	trustees. One	of	the	trustees	knows	about	the	frustrations	that
we’ve	had	trying	to	get	this	into	the	Clinic,	and	he	says,	“I	think,	if	the
word	gets	out	that	Esselstyn	has	this	treatment	that	arrests	and	reverses
this	disease	at	the	Cleveland	Clinic,	and	it’s	been	used	by	senior	staff
and	he’s	treated	senior	trustees,	but	he’s	not	permitted	to	treat	the
common	herd,	we	could	be	open	for	a	lawsuit.”
For	the	time	being,	Ess,	with	his	wife’s	help,	will	continue	to	run
counseling	sessions	out	of	his	own	home	because	the	institution	to	which	he
gave	the	greater	part	of	his	life	does	not	want	to	endorse	a	dietary	approach
that	competes	with	its	standard	menu	of	pills	and	procedures. This	past
summer	Ess	spent	much	more	time	than	usual	at	his	upstate	New	York	farm,
making	hay. As	much	as	Ess	likes	a	more	relaxed	life,	he	would	also	love	to
continue	to	help	diseased	people	get	better	with	the	aid	of	the	Cleveland
Clinic. But	they	won’t	allow	him	to
. As	far	as	I	am	concerned,	this	is	nothing
short	of	criminal. We,	the	public,	turn	to	doctors	and	hospitals	in	times	of
great	need. For	them	to	provide	care	that	is	knowingly	less	than	optimal,	that
doesn’t	protect	our	health,	doesn’t	heal	our	disease	and	costs	us	tens	ofthousands	of	dollars	is	morally	inexcusable. Ess	sums	up	the	situation:
The	Clinic	is	now	injecting	stem	cells	to	try	to	make	new	heart	vessels
grow. Wouldn’t	it	be	easier	to	stop	the	disease? It’s	appalling,	isn’t	it? It’s	just	so	grippingly	unbelievable	to	think	that	we’re	being	led	around
by	people	who	refuse	to	believe	the	obvious! Both	Esselstyn	and	McDougall	have	now	been	denied	reentry	into	the
establishment,	after	headline-making	success	at	healing	people	with	a
nutritional	approach. You	can	focus	on	the	money—according	to	John	and
Ess,	80%	of	St.	Helena’s	and	65%	of	the	Cleveland	Clinic’s	respective
incomes	were	generated	by	traditional	heart	disease	treatments,	surgical
interventions—but	it’s	something	more	than	just	money. It	may	also	be	the
intellectual	threat	that	the	patient	should	be	in	control,	and	not	the	doctor;	that
something	as	simple	as	food	could	be	more	powerful	than	all	the	knowledge
of	pills	and	high-tech	procedures;	it	may	be	the	l


 discerned from falsehood,
nor the truly go od from that w hich is perceived as desirable (wealth,
success, possession, power over others, etc.). Guilt is the consequence of the memory of regretted past actions as they
are recalled. These can be transcended only by recontextualization. Mistakes are the natural, impersonal consequence of learning and
development and therefore unavoidable. As evolution progressed, the capacity of learning, called ‘intelligence’,
arose as a consequence of trial and error, which is a proces s that is
operationally required for survival. The process of trial and error then
accumulates as data and memory. This accrues as the long and
experiential time  continuum that sorts events into ‘then’ and ‘n ow’. The
present self ‘is’, and the former self ‘was’, and, in truth, that wh ich ‘was’
is no t id entical w ith that which ‘ is’. Regret and guilt result from  equatingthe present self that ‘is’ with the  former self that ‘was’ but actually is no
more; they are not the same. Guilt can be an educative emoti on that arises as a warning not to repeat
the sam e mistake. The past cannot be rewritten, but it can be
recontextualized so as to be a source of constructive learning. Regret
over past events or decisions c an be ameliorated by realizing that they
‘seemed like a good idea at the time’. Inasmuch as the human mind is defective and not omniscient, guilt and
regret are sourced by ignorance and limitation and represent evolutionary
stages. P ast erro rs are due to limitation and belong to a certain point in
the time line of evolution, not on ly personally but also collectively. What
was acc eptable in the past is no longer acceptable. Ignorance is due to
fallacy of perception or interpretation. Therefore, whatever the content of
regret may be, it is actually the same identical defect bu t merely
appearing under dif ferent circumstances. The literal, absolute definition
of the word ‘s in’ is ‘error ’. This later becomes compounded with
religious dictum s, elaborations, and rankings according to alleged
degrees of seriousness and culpability. Operationally, there is just one single recurrent ‘sin’, which is that of
error, ignorance, misperception, mistake, or miscalculation. It is a
consequence of a limitation of human consciousness. Self-for giveness is
facilitated by humility and acceptance of this limitation. Realistically,
what is usually appropriate is a ‘decent regret’, as was cited by Bill W.,
the famous founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. Excessive guilt and
remorse are a d isguised form of egotism in which the self becomes
blown up, exaggerated, and the  hero of the tragedy, the negativity of
which feeds the ego. Therefore,  release from guilt requires sur render of
this bas ic egot ism because the ego reener gizes itself through the
negativity. Another egoist position is ‘I should have known better ’, which brings in
the hypothetical, which is always fallacious. (All hypothetical positions
calibrate as false.) W allowing in guilt is feeding the ego a nd is an
indulgence. Therefore, there has to be the willingness to surrender it. In psych ological terms, the source of guilt, as termed by psychoanalysis,
is th e so -called superego, so nam ed by Freud. This is the part of the mind
comprised of introjected judgments, points of view, and learned content.A hype rtrophied superego can  be the source of excessive guilt or
scrupulosity, or it can be projected onto others, which justifies
vindictiveness in extreme form s as revenge against the ‘evil’ enemy. This rationalizes  killing others as their being ‘deserving’ of dea th, which
is further supported by culturally distributed propaganda and cult-style
brainwashing by  authority figures (e.g., religious terrorists). Severely
low levels of co nsciousness are reached by those persons who fall victim
to a combination of the Luciferic error (pride, distortion of truth) and the
Satanic error (cruelty, savagery ). Thus, the worst ravages of humanity
have oft en been done in the nam e of God (the classic Luciferic inversion
of g ood and ev il). From a developmental viewpoint that reveals the
limitations of the ego, it can be seen that the perpetrators of sav agery are
themselves the victims of rudimentary levels of consciousness. From an  analysi s of its origins and dynamics, it can be summarized that
guilt is but another form of egotism in which error is inflated i nstead of
being relinquish ed to a higher  power. God is not a sadist, so self-
degradation or self-punishment serves neither God nor one’ s fellowman. The ‘Gothic’ side of historic Christianity tended to glorify sackcloth,
ashes, a nd suf fering as penance. W ith greater understanding of the ego
and its mechanism, it can be seen that this mechanism is subtly self-
serving and may lead to extremes of asceticism or persecution (e.g., the
Inquisition). In psych ology, one process of r elieving guilt is called ‘undoing’, which
has to do with bringing up the  punitive superego (conscienc e) into a
more re alistic view of life and compensating for error so it becomes
more benign and less judgmental and punitive. In an ideal childhood development, the introjected (identified with)
parental figures are not harsh but supportive and loving as teachers. The
punitive superego may also be projected outward as an aggressive,
judgmental, extreme political positionality that propagates by the ‘juice’
of political hatred. Another expression of this error is the socially
pervasive model  of perpetrator/victim that can be superimposed onto any
social situation. In psychoanalysis, such a device is called ‘projection’ in
order to keep th e conflict repressed instead of becoming conscious and
responsible for it.In classical Freudian terminology, the ‘ego’ is understood and
contextualized q uite dif ferently than it is in spiritual terminology. The
Freudian ego is that aspect of the mind that has to deal with  external
reality, a s well as balance and re solve the inner conflicts between the ‘Id’
(primitive drives) and conscience. Thus, psychological health is equated
with having a healthy, realistic, and balanced personality. When the malignant superego is  ameliorated and becomes benign, it then
sees auth ority as protective and its role as that of teaching. Thu s, it does
not nee d to be projected onto the external world or turned against
oneself. Guilt and Memory. As has been d escribed, the dualistic structure of the ego r esults in
perception (edited linear program) being mistaken for reality. (For
example, the reported percentage of error in eyewitness testi mony in
courts is fifty pe rcent.) Memory and recall are not of reality but of one’ s
perceptions at the time. (See Section I, T ruth vs. Falsehood, for more
information.) Although literal historical facts may be recalled correctly,
their meaning is not understood because, if guilt remains, then the events
were not truly understood from the context of a greater Reality. T ransformation. While the psychological/sociological explanations are helpful, they do
not explain the true healing that occurs when these lower levels of
consciousness are transcended. By spiritual alignment, the past
circumstances u nderlying the guilt are recontextualized u nder the
influence of spiritual ener gy. Th is process is occasioned by an  exercise
of the spiritual will, which, by its intention, invocation, prayer, and
declaration, initi ates a process that is not of the ego but of the n onlinear
Self. This process is extensively described in A Course in Miracles (cal. 600), and the e xperience is subjectively miraculous, transformational,
and results in a feeling of pe ace and healing. This phenomenon is
facilitated by participation in spiritual groups where the personal
spiritual ener gy  is augmented by the group’ s intention, support, and
spiritual field (e.g., AA calibrates at 540, the level of Unconditional
Love).As attested to by many thousands of people, negative perceptions and
guilt can  thereb y be replaced by  a positive understanding and a shift in
comprehension and memory. This is the basis for the statement
commonly used in such groups, “I see things dif ferently now. ”V ia this
transformation, formerly hated persons can be for given, the formerly
frightening can be seen as peaceful, and hatred is replaced by
compassion for human frailty. A lthough the transformation is invited by
the personal self, it is occasione d by the invocation of the power of the
spiritual will by which the se emingly impossible becomes not only
possible but an experiential actuality. Understanding the Ego’ s Mechanisms of Dominance. Illusion is the secondary, automatic consequence of positionality. What
happens in a miraculous transformation is that the positionality dissolves,
allowing for a g reater contextualization, outside of time


poses.) 3. 10 ounces of intestinal bulk; or like amount of ground psyllium see ds. Also needed: 8 herbal laxative tablets or equivalent. 4. Two bottle Bentonite clay water, Veico 77, VIT -RA-TOX 16, Sonne7, Nature’s Sunshine. (More needed if used in enema.) 5. Two bottles Spring Green or Green Life tablets preferred or liquid chloroph yll or eight alfalfa tablets. 6. One bottle wheat germ oil capsules. 7. One bottle vitamin C, 100 mg tablets. 8. One bottle beet juice tablets. 9. Colema board or enema bag with a long colonic tip (size 24 to 30, which is available at your drugstore). Howe ver, for the best
results, a colema board is imperative. 10. One infant rectal syringe. 11. Calphonite or a calcium supplement like bone meal, etc. 12. Garlic capsules (used for certain conditions). 13. One quart apple cider vinegar (natural). 14. One pint  honey. 15. Niacin (50 -mg tablets). 16. Pancreatin tablets, quadruple strength, KAL brand or others. 17. Dulse tablets. 18. Cod liver oil, 1 pint —non-synthetic, Norwegian cod is best. 19. Flaxseed, 8 ounces. 20. Coffee, ground (1 pound) —not instant coffee. 21. Rectal ointment: K -Y Jelly. The illustration indicates 3 inches only on the tip which is to be inserted into the rectum

7-DAY CLEANSING PROGRAM SCHEDULE
Eat NOTHING for the full 7 days, other than specified, during the program. If you experience a feeling of extreme hunger, you
may drink herbal teas, clear vegetable or potato peeling broths or diluted fresh vegetable juices. Plenty of liquid is essent ial to the
success of the cleansing program. The evening before starting the program, take 2 herbal  laxative tablets. To ensure a more thorough elimination, use a baby enema
syringe to inject 1 cup olive oil into rectum and hold until morning. If necessary in the morning, use an enema to make sure the
lower colon is clean. SKIN BRUSH
(Instructions on 9 0.) Your daily regimen should begin with skin brushing, 3 to 5 minutes. CLEANSING DRINK
The cleansing drink consists of two parts to be mixed separately and drunk in succession. The two -part drink will be taken five times daily. RECIPE
Part One:
2 oz App le Juice
8 oz. water
1 tablespoon clay water
1 slightly rounded teaspoon intestinal cleanser
SHAKE WELL AND DRINK QUICKLY (mixture thickens). Part Two:
10 oz. water
1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
1 teaspoon honey

SUPPLEMENTS
It is easiest to prepare the whole day’s supplements at the beginning of each day. The supplements are to be taken 4 times each
day. Separate them into 4 containers, one for each interval. See schedule for appropriate times. There will be different prop ortions
on days One, Two and  Three. Day Three through Seven will be the same. The following supplements are taken in one interval. The daily intake will be 4 times this amount. DAY ONE:
Green Life - 12 each time
Niacin - 50 mg each time
Wheat Germ Oil - 1 capsule each time
Vitamin C  - 100 mg, 2 tablets each time
Pancreatin tablets - 6 each time
Beet tablets - 2 each time
Dulse tablets - 1 each time

DAY TWO:
Green Life - 18 each time
Niacin - 100 mg each time
Wheat Germ Oil - 1 capsule each time
Vitamin C - 100 mg, 2 tablets each tim e
Pancreatin tablets - 6 each time
Beet tablets - 2 each time
Dulse tablets - 1 each time

DAY THREE -SEVEN:
Green Life - 24 each time
Niacin - 150 mg up to 200 mg each time
Wheat Germ Oil - 1 capsule each time
Vitamin C - 100 mg, 3 tablets each time
Pancre atin tablets - 6 each time
Beet tablets - 2 each time
Dulse tablets - 1 each time

Along with the pill supplements, you will be taking cod liver oil, Calphonite and a flaxseed drink, which appear in the follo wing
daily time schedule. To prepare flaxseed drink, soak 1 tablespoon of flaxseeds in 1/4 cup hot water for 8 hours (soak your first drink the night before
you begin the program). Strain and discard seeds; drink only the liquid. TIME SCHEDULE
SKIN BRUSH
7:00 am: cleansing drink (see preceding page)
8:30 am: supplements and flaxseed drink, 2 tablespoons Calphonite
10:00 am: cleansing drink
11:30 am: supplements with tea or diluted juice
1:00 pm: cleansing drink
2:30 pm: supplements with tea
4:00 pm: cleansing drink
5:30 pm: supplements, flaxseed drink
7:00 pm: cleansing drink
Bedtime: immediately before retiring - 2 tablespoons Calphonite, 1 tablespoon Cod Liver Oil. (Bedtime should be no later than
9:30 pm.) As you can see, your supplements are taken 1 -1/2 hours after the cleansing drinks. The evening  of your first day on the program, you will have the first colema at 7:30 pm. Thereafter, you are to have two per day - one at 7:30 am and the other at 7:30 pm. REST ½ hour after each colema

THE COLEMA
The secret of this cleansing program is to take a spe cial kind of enema called a “colema” twice a day, and perhaps even three
times. An inexpensive piece of equipment called a colema board is used which permits the user to comfortably lie down during the
treatments. It has a hole in one end that is placed ov er the toilet. There is either a 4 or 5 -gallon bucket hanging above, over a
shower rod, and inside the bucket is a tube that allows water to pass down the rubber tubing through a small plastic tube, wh ich is
inserted in the rectum. The plastic tube is smal ler than your little finger, and we find that toxic material goes right by it and
elimination can take place without having to remove the tube. So the water goes in and the toxic waste material comes out and  into
the toilet. This program involves taking t wo colemas a day. I first thought this would perhaps weaken the bowel; but I found that as the water
went into the bowel, elimination was easier and a better tone developed in the bowel. It’s not a matter of how harshly you le t water
into the bowel, how ba llooned you make the bowel or even how much you can hold. You eliminate as you need to, and that is what
develops a bowel wall. The colema board and associated parts represent a major advance for those interested in getting involv ed in
their own healing pr ocess. Not only does it make a colon treatment possible at home, but it also makes for easier planning of one’s
routine, time savings and puts you in control of the process. This equipment is light weight and inexpensive, easily stored a nd can
travel with you. Cutting the board in half and hinging it will allow you to pack it into a handy travel bag acceptable to most
transportation systems. INSTRUCTIONS FOR TAKING A COLEMA
The colema board has been designed to provide a safe and easy way to take a high en ema. Once you are in the correct position, it
is possible to relax and virtually enjoy the rest of the procedure. Both hands are free so you may massage the abdomen and co lon. For best results, massaging is most important. Place body -temperature water in a  four or five gallon plastic bucket; do not fill completely. The pail of water may hang on a hook, shower rod or be placed on a sink top or box. Make sure that your bucket is sturdy enou gh
to hold 5 gallons of water and that your hanging point is strong enough to hold the full bucket. There should be approximately four
feet between the colema board and the bottom of the pail. Add the mixture you are using (coffee and vinegar, clay water or ga rlic)
into the water. Place the working end of the colema board over the toilet. The top of the board, where the head rests, may be placed on a chair or
the side of the tub for convenience. To prevent splashing of expelled fecal matter, place the lid for the splash board over t he end
area of the colema board. Check to make sure the water can run freely through the tube that goes to the rectum. Place a folded towel or foam pad on the board so that it will be comfortable to lie on. Before inserting the colema tip into the tube
on the board, rinse well. Apply a small amoun t of lubricant on the rectal tube so colema tip will be easily inserted, being careful
not to clog the holes. Position your body on colema board in