ates a predisposition for a Vata-deranged psychology. Pitta (Fire) Type
Psychological disturbances are moderate in Pitta types. They usually have strong self-control but can be self-cen-
tered and antisocial. The fire and heat of Pitta cause the
mind to be narrow and contentious, fighting either with 156 Ayurveda and the Mind
others or with themselves. Pitta psychological disorders
are typically due to too much aggression or hostility. Typ-
ical Pitta is the overly critical type who finds fault with
everyone, blames other people for everything, sees enemies
everywhere, is always on guard and ready for a fight. High Pitta in the mind causes agitation, irritation,
anger, and possible violence. The overheated body and
mind seek release in venting the built-up tension. Pitta
types can become domineering, authoritarian or fanatic. When disturbed they may have paranoid delusions, delu-
sions of grandeur, or can become psychotic. Pitta in the mind becomes too high by various factors
that increase heat. Strong and bright colors and sensations
quickly irritate them. Exposure to violence and aggression
increases the same attitudes within them. Dietary factors
like overly hot or spicy food disturb their minds. Sexual
frustration, excessive anger and ambition, and related emo-
tional factors take their toll. Too competitive an education
or too much conflict in childhood are additional factors. Kapha (Water) Type
Kapha people have the least amount of psychological
problems and are the least likely to express them or to
resort to antisocial behavior. Kapha disturbs the mind by
blocking the channels and clouding the senses. High
Kapha (mucus and water) generally causes mental dull-
ness, congestion and poor perception. Kapha psychological unrest involves attachment and
lack of motivation leading to depression, sorrow, and
clinging. The mind may be incapable of abstract, objective
or impersonal thinking. There is a lack of drive and moti-
vation along with passivity and dependency. We want to
remain a child and be taken care of. We become preoccu- Ayurvedic Counseling and Behavioral Modification 157
pied with what others think about us. We lack the proper
self-image and passively reflect our immediate environ-
ment. Such people often end up being taken care of by oth-
ers and are unable to function on their own. However, stronger Kapha types can suffer from greed
and possessiveness, which renders the mind heavy, dull and
depressed. They want to own and control everything and
look upon people as their property as well. Once they lose
control or ownership, they become psychologically unstable. Kapha emotional disturbances result from excess plea-
sure, enjoyment, or attachment in life. Lifestyle factors like
too much sleep, sleep during the day, or lack of exercise
contribute to these. Kapha-aggravating diet, like too
much sugar or oily food, is another factor. Emotional prob-
lems combine with Kapha physical conditions like over-
weight and congestion. Educational factors include being
overly indulged as a child or emotionally smothered by
parents. Ayurvedic Counseling Profiles
The constitutional types of Ayurveda are the basis of all
Ayurvedic counseling. They are useful for understanding
the different types of people and their interactions that can
occur. They are an extension of the psychological profiles
of the biological humors and their characteristic psycho-
logical disorders. Again, these are general profiles and
should not be taken rigidly. Vata
Vata types are nervous, anxious or afraid. 1 hey are often
worried, upset or distracted, even if there is no real prob-
lem in their lives. They may be hesitant and insecure,
which they may exhibit by moving around or fidgeting. Ayurveda and the Mind
Under the influence of air or wind they find it difficult to
settle down or be at ease. They have many doubts about
themselves and their ability to get well or about any treat-
ment and its ability to help them. Sometimes they are over-enthusiastic and excited when
starting a therapy, but this seldom lasts and may be fol-
lowed by quickly quitting or getting frustrated. They
expect too much and want immediate results. They may
look to the therapist to heal them magically and when this
does not occur they get disappointed or seek to change
therapists. They are often ungrounded and hard to pin
down. They have to become realistic about their condition
and the effort required to correct it. They must come back
to earth about themselves and their behavior. Vata types often have a negative attitude about them-
selves. They will have more worries and negative imagina-
tions about their disease condition than it merits. They are
commonly hypochondriacs. They need to calm their minds
and hearts as part of any treatment. They are often looking
for attention and sympathy more than developing their
own understanding. They are happy to receive advice but
not consistent in following it. They require much time and
patience to really change. Their condition will fluctuate,
sometimes dramatically, along with their thoughts. Slow
steady development with peace of mind is what they
should aim for. They seek comfort and require a lot of assurance, but
this does not always make them feel secure. They like to
talk at length about their problems but this may not be of
great help. They do best if they try a few practical things
to improve their condition and implement these in a con-
sistent manner. This fosters a realistic attitude about deal-
ing with their condition and does not feed their excessive
mental activity. Ayurvedic Counseling and Behavioral Modification
Vata types can be so caught up in their problems that
they do not take the time to do something about them. They can be looking so hard for external support that they
do not do the things that allow them to take control of
their own lives. They need to emphasize action rather than
thought, steady application rather than looking for results. They need to follow a clear and comprehensive life-reg-
imen to bring stability to their minds, calm their agitated
life-force, and cushion their sensitive hearts. The rule is to
treat them like a flower. They easily feel frightened and are
prone to withdraw if approached forcefully. They must be
approached with warmth, calm and determination and
made to feel the support of others, yet without making
them dependent. Pitta
Pitta types think that they already know who they are
and what they are doing. If they have problems, they usu-
ally have someone or something to blame, or attribute
their problems to not being able to achieve their goals. They are most disturbed by conflict with other people,
which they often exaggerate or exacerbate. The drama of
interpersonal struggle colors their minds and emotions. These conflicts can be internalized and result in self-con-
flict. Pitta types are prone to be at war with themselves
and easily internalize external conflicts. Having a fiery nature, they tend to be aggressive, crit-
ical, sometimes contentious, and can be destructive. They
may question the qualifications of their therapists. They
are the most likely of the different types to tell the thera-
pist what he or she should do for them. They are the most
likely to respond with anger or criticism if the treatment
does not go as well as they expect. 160 Ayurveda and the Mind
Pitta types, being natural leaders, like authority and are
impressed with important credentials. Yet the people who
can really help us inwardly are not always those who are
most prominent in social status. To find real help, Pitta
types need to be more receptive or they can get trapped in
their own judgments, which have caused their problems in
the first place. They should not look to those who can
impress or dominate them, but to those who can help
them in a kind but firm manner, and who do not get
drawn into their competitive dramas. Pittas are highly intelligent and expect to be convinced
of the validity of the treatments they are taking. They need
to use their critical insight to understand the cause of their
problems, which reside in their own behavior, not to
struggle with others or with themselves. They must awak-
en their discrimination in order to take control of their
own lives. To do this they have to learn the right use of
intelligence and self-examination. Fire-types must be approached with tact and diploma-
cy. They do not like to be given directions or told what to
do. One must appeal to their native intelligence and logic,
letting them see for themselves the truth of things. Oppos-
ing them encourages their basic aggression and will not
help them learn. They like to work in friendship or in
common alliance toward a particular goal. Cool, calm and
pleasant circumstances mitigate their fiery nature. They
need helpful friends and work well with a person or prin-
ciples they respect. Once Pitta types know what they need to do and under-
stand the efforts they must make, they are usually the best
of the three types in implementing behavioral changes. However, they can be excessive or fanatic and must be
moderate in their actions so that they do not bum them- Ayurvedic Counseling and Behavioral Modification 161
selves out by attempting too much. They tend to be either
for or against something and see things in black-and-
white.


piece of God, flawless, since God is good and all that is created of and by
God is also God, no mistakes, no flaws, no one any better than anyone else. Apply Emerson’ s observation as your antidote to self-perceived flaws:
Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful; for
beauty is God’ s handwriting—a wayside sacrament. W elcome it in
every fair face, in every fair sky, in every fair flower, and thank God
for it as a cup of blessing. That includes your fair face as well. Look upon yourself as an ingredient in
that cup of blessing and let love be there, within you, for yourself. This is
truly one of those opportunities of seeing something that is beautiful. SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR SOWING LOVE WHERE THERE IS
HATRED
I recommend that you practice what I do each and every time I find myself
in a situation wher e hatr ed is pr esent. I repeat the line from the Saint
Francis prayer, “Where there is hatred, let me sow love.” Believe it or not,
the ef fortless act of repeating the line to myself, allows me to shift my inner
dialogue away from the hatred and onto thoughts of love. This prayerful
reminder also empowers me to take actions based upon love, rather than my
ego’s inclination to fight hatred with my own hatred.Last week on a tennis court in the midst of a doubles match, one of the
players began hurling hateful epithets at another player, accusing him of
cheating. The angrier he got with his verbal insults the more the
environment of the court was being poisoned. I had been writing about the
prayer of Saint Francis, and the reminder to sow love where there is hatred
came immediately to mind. I told my partner, who was the intended
recipient of the hatred, to simply say nothing in response, rather than return
the insults. I suddenly said out loud for all to hear, and directly to the man
who was filled with hatred, “Y ou know, we all love you, win or lose.” I was
surprised that I did that, but even more surprised at his response. He looked
at me, smiled, and said, “I’m sorry, I just lost it.” It was an amazing
example of sowing love in the face of hatred and seeing it disappear almost
instantaneously. When you ar e in the pr esence of someone who is obviously dir ecting hate
towar d you, think of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples on the night
befor e his crucifixion. My wife told me that she was taught to think this
way when she was a young girl and has practiced it silently throughout her
life. In your mind imagine what it is like to walk in the shoes of the hater. Then mentally remove those shoes from that person’ s feet and create a
picture of yourself washing his or her feet as Jesus did. This mental image
not only allows you to project love to the hate you are witnessing, but it
distracts you from your conditioned habit of just being hurt and angry. After any episode wher e hatr ed has been dir ected at you, or when you have
been a silent witness to hatr ed, don’ t allow the incident to linger in your
mind. Furthermore, resist the temptation to discuss the episode or make it
the focus of your conversation. Many people, who do not themselves send
out hatred, seem to enjoy discussing the hateful ways of others, and tend to
make that the focal point of almost all their discussions. On and on they go
relating what someone else said, how terrible it was, and how it af fected
everyone around them. Meanwhile, the present moment environment is
reduced to one of hatred by proxy. When you talk about another person, make a serious ef fort to send or direct
loving support to their ener gy field and encourage others to think about and
send loving ener gy to those who seem lost in their hatred. Be the personwho promotes the idea that people can change. Ask everyone in your family
and circle of friends to direct loving, prayerful guidance toward those who
are stuck in the torment of their hatred. When you have private conversations, make the focus of your conversation
love rather than hatred for the hater. In the moments when you are not
witnessing hatred, you can also sow love. Deciding to pray for a person
who is filled with hatred makes just as much sense as praying for someone
who is ill, or impoverished, or injured in some way. Unobtrusively enter hatr ed ener gy fields with love. Without ever having to
identify yourself, you have opportunities to use your love ener gy to halt the
passions of hatred. When you live with love in your heart you radiate
outward a faster, more spiritual ener gy. You can direct this higher ener gy of
love toward situations of hate. I recall being in a park one afternoon with two of my children when a
father ’s anger toward his small son erupted. He shouted and threatened this
little boy with violence. I moved immediately into action, not to confront
the irate father, but to move closer and send him loving ener gy. I enveloped
him in an imaginary cloud of kindness. As I surreptitiously moved into his
energy field I saw him begin to soften, partly because he noticed me and
was embarrassed by his conduct, but mostly because I was bringing the
higher/faster ener gy of love into a space where the lower/slower ener gy of
hate was present. This higher ener gy was impacting his conduct even before
he noticed my presence. You’ve heard the expression, “Let’ s send him some positive ener gy.” This is
not fiction; it is just another way of sowing love where there is hatred. Y ou
have the power to use your loving ener gy this way at any time. Whenever you encounter hate r emind yourself that the person dir ecting that
hate outwar d is feeling hated. This will ignite within you the desire to ease
the torment of feeling hated with the warmth of your love. Whenever any of
our children say or do things that indicate feeling hate, both my wife and I
attempt to reassure them that they are loved, and that they are deserving of
love. Little reminders, after the air has cleared, such as a hug or a pat on theshoulder, or a statement like, “Y ou know, Mom loves you and so does God;
always, even when you are angry.” No long lecture, just a gentle reminder
that they are loved. In the midst of a serious ar gument when hatred is being projected, remind
yourself that God loves everyone involved. If you can somehow convey
this, to all the combatants including yourself, that alone is enough to defuse
hate and simultaneously bring a spiritual solution to the situation. Make a deliberate commitment to spend an unselfish hour with someone
less fortunate. Within three blocks of your home there is someone who feels
desperate and helpless. Most often they do not know that the source of their
anguish is in an absence of feeling loved. Most often they feel unloved by
the world at lar ge and by the individuals in their lives. Y ou can be the
instrument of peace, sowing love for both the person and yourself. Y ou
don’t have to give them money, or food, or anything material. Just the
wonderful act of sowing love creates a spiritual solution to this problem as
well as nourishing your own soul. Never take hatr ed personally. Sowing love where there is hatred means
reminding yourself that you are love, and that is all you have to give away. Consequently, anyone who visits his or her hatred upon you is unable to
reach your soul, because hate cannot live where love is present. Your best method for deflecting hatred is to be conscious of how you react
to hatred. If you immediately find yourself of fended by the conduct of the
hater you have taken it personally and allowed your ego into the fray. When
you respond to the hater with the words, “Y ou feel,” then you have put the
emphasis where it belongs and not taken it personally. Because personally
speaking, you know that you are sowing love here and the hate has nothing
to do with you. Imagine someone says to you, “I hate you; you are so
wishy-washy and you never give me any credit for anything. All you ever
do is criticize me.” Y ou might respond with something like, “Y ou feel that I
don’t give you enough credit, and it really makes you angry. I want you to
know that I think you are able and talented and I’ll work at telling you so
more frequently.” You have not taken anything personally and you have
responded to hate with love. A spiritual solution! And even if the hatredcontinues, you keep your resolve to never, ever take anyone’ s hatred
personally. Make time to join into the lives of those who send out hate. When you get to
know the people who seem to be filled with hate, you’ll discover that they
want the same things you do. They want to feel loved, and their external
manifestations of hatred are nothing but a cry for love. Years ago one of my teenage daughters was rebelling in anger and often
with hatred toward any and all authority figures and particularly toward me. I asked her if we could set aside one evening to spend together at dinner to
which she grudgingly consented. Those


 her
daughter. Quite commonly for her generation she opted not to breast feed
her daughter, because it was not fashionable at the time. This deepened
the damage to the gut flora of the daughter, who developed asthma and
eczema and/or a digestive disorder as a result. In her generation most girls
were put on a contraceptive pill from late teens for quite a few years before
they had children. The pill would alter her gut flora even further. Then she
has a child, to whom she passes her deeply abnormal gut flora to. This
child develops autism. In the previous chapters we have looked in detail at how abnormal gut
flora would cause autoimmune disorders. Whether genetics may play a
role in passing these immune abnormalities to the next generation, the
science has yet to demonstrate. But, rather than assuming that it is genet
ics, let's not loose sight of a proven and significant factor, passed through
generations, the gut flora. Another familial factor, which is often overlooked, is learned behaviour. What is a learned behaviour? These are all the things that children learn
from their parents, daughters from their mothers: what to eat, how to cook,
what foods to choose from, personal values and priorities. These learned
behaviours can vary quite dramatically from family to family. This is some
thing being passed through generations without any genetic involvement. But it is as important as genetics if not more so, because it will alter the gut
flora, the pH, the metabolism and the biochemistry of the body. And if the
grandmother, daughter and granddaughter follow the same family
behaviour then they will predispose themselves to similar health prob
lems. For example, imagine a family where rich sugary deserts were always
a tradition, a lot of bread, pies, biscuits and cakes. This diet will alter the gut
flora and promote an overgrowth of pathogenic microbes in the gut, which
always has an unbalancing effect on the immune system. At the same time
it is a very house-proud family, a lot of cleaning and polishing with domes
tic chemicals, air fresheners, deodorants, a lot of personal care products
and perfumes - all highly allergenic and toxic substances - another
onslaught on already compromised immune systems. We did not come
even close to genetics here, but already you can see how the family can
make you immune-compromised simply through learned behaviours. In conclusion: it is possible that there are some non-specific genetic pre
dispositions to autism, schizophrenia and other GAPS conditions, which
quite likely overlap with a predisposition for autoimmune and digestive
disorders and some weakness in the blood-brain barrier. It is very likely
that this predisposition is very widespread and modern environmental
factors make it materialise into disease much more often than 100 years
ago, when the environment was different. A century ago people may have
had this predisposition just as much, but it did not show itself because the
environment for it was not right - the diet was more natural, less pollution,
less stress, no vaccinations, no antibiotics, contraceptive pills or other
drugs, no nuclear contamination and many other factors. One hundred
years ago the majority of doctors would never see autism in their practice,
for example. Today we have a growing epidemic of autism. Genetics just
don't work this way. This epidemic can only be due to environmental
factors: modern diet, life-styles, vaccination, drugs and pollution. Rather than dwelling on genetics, which we can do nothing about, I see
this conclusion as positive, because there is a lot we can do  to change the
environment to help our children. And those who have done so know that
it works! •1 6. A FEW WORDS
ABOUT EDUCATION
I have probably learned more in the first five
years of my life than during the rest of it
Leo Tolstoy
Education of GAPS children is a huge subject. It is beyond the scope of this
book to cover it in detail. However, it is important to make one point clear. I have seen many parents in my clinic who have put a lot of effort into the
physical side of their child's disorder but did not do much in terms of
organising their child's education. These children usually do not do as well
as the children who had both issues addressed at the same time. From the moment children are born, what do they do most of the time? They learn! Every moment, they are awake, they learn from the environment, from
the people around them how to communicate, how to behave appropri
ately, how to play with toys appropriately, how to play with their peers and
later on, as they go to school, they learn how to acquire academic skills. This is one of the most important abilities we human beings are born with
- to be able to learn in order to survive and to fit in the world. A normal child learns from the moment it is born. Have you ever
observed babies and toddlers? They are like little sponges, listening to
everything, watching everybody around them, absorbing everylittle bit of
information from their environment and learning, learning, learning. Their brain cells develop very vital connections and circuits, which would
serve these children for the rest of their lives. GAPS children miss a lot of this learning. Due to their toxicity their
brains are not able to process information properly, so these children are
not sponges in those very important first formative years. They have
normal ears, eyes, taste buds and sensors in their skin. But all the informa
tion these organs receive is then passed to the brain to be processed. A
brain clogged with toxicity cannot process this sensory input appropri
ately, so GAPS children may not hear, see, taste or feel the same way a
normal child would do. Highly functioning autistic individuals, who lecture about their disorder,
tell us that they cannot hear certain frequencies, that certain sounds hurt their ears, that they may not hear parts of words said to them or hear them
in a distorted way. They say that they cannot see certain parts of the light
spectrum, some parts of written words, they get lost or disoriented in frac
tionated light, for example the shadow of a tree or flickering electric lights,
some parts of light spectrum hurt them. They describe touch from certain
fabrics and people's hands as unpleasant as the "pins and needles" feeling
we can get after sittinguncomfortably. A lot of these autistic individuals say
that many foods taste bland for them and the texture of the food can be
offensive. All the sensory input from eyes, ears, skin and mouth turns into a
jumble in their heads, disorienting, sometimes pleasant, sometimes
unpleasant and sometimes frightening. That is why these children develop
all sorts of behaviours which look bizarre to us, but would probably make
perfect sense if we took into account what happens to the sensory input in
their brains. Their brain cells do not develop normal connections and cir
cuits. Instead they develop abnormal brain cell connections and circuits. Some of these circuits show themselves as self-stimulatory behaviour or
self-destructive behaviour. Depending on the severity of the GAPS condition this abnormality in
processing sensory input may range from an absence of speech develop
ment in an autistic child, for example, to very slight abnormalities in
semantics and pragmatics of the language, commonly seen in ADHD/ADD
and dyslexia. Many dyslexic children may not show any obvious problems
with processing sensory input until they need to learn reading and writing. However, looking back parents of these children would describe other sen
sory issues, like unusual fears of certain sounds and objects, strange taste
preferences and fussiness with food, unexplained tantrums and unusual
play routines. Children with ADHD/ADD, apart from their behavioural
problems, almost without exception have deficits in pragmatics of the lan
guage, which may not be obvious to parents, but can be identified on test
ing. These are the finer points of the language development concerning
conversational skills, answering/responding, greeting, informing, naming,
labelling, negotiating, reasoning, etc. This language deficiency leads to
problems in social skills and learning. In the case of severe GAPS like autism the longer this situation goes on
for the more normal learning these children miss and the more they fall
behind their normal peers. Normal children never stop learning, so for an
autistic child to have any chance of catching up with them he or she has to
learn at double speed. The earlier this intensive learning starts the more
chance there is for an autistic child to catch up simply because he or she misses less. The older the child is the more he or she has missed out and
the more he/she has got to catch up on. Apart from learning all the normal
things the teaching has to undo all the abnormal patterns and behaviours
the child has developed. Again, the older the child the more difficult it
becomes to break abnormal brain cell circuits and build normal ones. So
there is a definite sense of urgency for parents of newly diagnosed children
in starting appropriate education as soon as possible. The question is - what education? Let us start from autism, as these children are at the most severe end of
the GAP Syndrome. Helping an autistic child
I would not attempt to describe here all the existing methods of educating
autistic children. There are many of them and you can find many sources
of information on this subject. Some methods aim to create an artificial
environment to suit the child's needs. Other methods try to change


enopausal women should experience a marked
reduction in PMS, cramps, breast tenderness, and so on. Migraine headaches and asthma should be gone.|   123 MANA gINg Ex CESS  ADRENALINE

The best way to determine if the dose is correct is to
assess how the person is feeling. If the person is still getting sleepy in the afternoon, he
or she may not be applying the cream at the right times. For
controlling insulin, timing can be critical. The body releases
insulin as soon as food hits the tongue, so the progesterone
must be in the bloodstream before eating. Since progesterone
is short-lived in the blood stream, I recommend applying
the progesterone cream one to three minutes before a meal. The body puts out the most insulin in the afternoon, so the
progesterone cream application just before lunch is possibly
the most important of the day. For people who have creative type ADHD  and have
trouble staying asleep through the night, eating a snack of low-glycemic carbohydrates just before going to bed is
important. Progesterone cream should be applied one to three
minutes before this bedtime snack. Perhaps the easiest site for applying the cream is the inner
forearm. After the cream is applied, the two forearms should be rubbed together so the cream can be absorbed over a wide surface area. For people who suffer from tinnitus (ringing in
the ear) or who get traction (tension) headaches, I recommend
placing the cream on the back of the neck. Someone with a migraine headache may find that the headache is gone three to four minutes after applying the cream to the forearms and forehead. Avoid placing the cream over fatty areas, such as the
abdomen or inner thighs. The forearms, the back of the neck,
the cheeks, and the upper chest are better because in those
areas the skin is thin and there is a good blood supply. 124  |
ADRENALINE DOMINANCE
Eventually, some time after applying the cream, the level
of progesterone in the brain will be 20 times higher than
anywhere else. This affinity for brain tissue explains why
progesterone has such a marked effect on neurotransmitters
in the brain, and why it is so effective at reducing swelling
in traumatic brain injuries. Perhaps football players, who are subject to head injuries, should be using it routinely. Notably, the incredibly high levels of progesterone that
occur in the second and third trimesters during pregnancy
help the fetal brain to develop. I am hoping that some day
it will occur to neonatologists that they should be providing bio-identical progesterone to premature infants. Special Considerations When Using Progesterone
For the most part, progesterone cream is extremely well
tolerated. However, progesterone can significantly affect how
the body functions, and people tend to react to hormones
differently, so some people may experience side effects from
progesterone. In my experience, if side effects occur, they are usually temporary. A major benefit of bio-identical creams is
that it is easy to titrate the dose or change the area of application
and thus reduce or avoid side effects. Side effects may include:
• Headaches and/or dizziness (extremely rare)
• Acne (uncommon)
• Sleepiness (only when used orally)
• Menstrual spotting or heavier periods
• Nipple tenderness in women
In most cases, progesterone cream actually eliminates the
first three side effects listed. Women with migraine headaches
secondary to estrogen may find that their headache disappears |   125 MANA gINg Ex CESS  ADRENALINE
within minutes after using progesterone. In the rare cases
where headaches do occur as a side effect of progesterone, I
recommend either temporarily reducing the dose or applying
the cream on the inner ankle, which allows the progesterone
to attach to many receptor sites as it moves through the
bloodstream before reaching the head. Acne, which can be triggered by elevated testosterone,
often improves with progesterone because the progesterone
can lead to a decrease in testosterone production in women
who overproduce it. This is often seen in cases of polycystic
ovarian syndrome (PCOS). However, progesterone can also
downregulate into other hormones including testosterone, and
thus can cause acne. If this is the case, I would decrease the
dose or ask the patient to apply it at her ankle. This side effect
should eventually disappear. If the problem persists, obtaining
a prescription for spironolactone, 25–50 mg/day, may be
helpful. This drug can block the production of testosterone. Sleepiness or fatigue is rare as a side effect of progesterone
cream, but it is common with any type of oral progesterone,
including Prometrium, progesterone troches, and drops
placed under the tongue. This is because any form of oral
progesterone goes directly to the liver, where it converts into
allopregnanolone, which does cause fatigue. This is why
Prometrium is always prescribed at bedtime. With progesterone
in cream form, on the other hand, fatigue from hypoglycemia
is usually eliminated, since progesterone controls insulin. Because progesterone can block adrenaline, a person
starting on progesterone cream may experience a noticeable
loss of energy, especially if he or she has been “living on
adrenaline” (for example, those with a type A personality). If
thyroid levels are on the lower side of normal, excess adrenaline  126  |
ADRENALINE DOMINANCE
can sometimes mask the fatigue typically associated with
subclinical hypothyroidism. In this case, the person, when first
starting progesterone cream, can experience significant fatigue,
which can be eliminated by adding thyroid medication. In some people, the sudden drop in adrenaline has
a dramatic effect on the body comparable to the sudden
withdrawal from a psychoactive medication, and can cause
unpleasant side effects, such as uncontrollable crying. I have
seen this most often in people whose level of adrenaline—the
rage and anger hormone—was very high. The crying jag is most
likely an expression of relief and is a temporary phenomenon. Rarely, some people show an increase in adrenaline-like
symptoms such as palpitations, nervousness, and trouble
sleeping. The cause for this is unclear. It could be the body
responding to the sudden drop in adrenaline by increasing
the production of this hormone. Or it could be related to
progesterone blocking the insulin receptor sites of brain cells,
which in effect lowers the sugar level inside the brain cells,
causing the release of adrenaline to raise the sugar level. In
these cases, I recommend reducing the dose of progesterone
temporarily, allowing the body to acclimate to it more slowly,
and then gradually increasing the dose to an effective level. If menstrual spotting occurs when a woman starts using
progesterone cream, or if the menstrual flow is heavier, it is often
because the progesterone is bringing about healing of the uterus. These effects usually go away after several months. In some cases,
progesterone can initially downregulate into estradiol (one of
the three forms of estrogen), in which case the progesterone
dose may actually need to be increased to balance the increase
in estrogen. This side effect is more commonly seen when using
a low dose (2%) over-the-counter  progesterone cream.|   127 MANA gINg Ex CESS  ADRENALINE
Women trying to conceive may want to replicate the
hormonal pattern of the normal menstrual cycle, which means
not using the progesterone cream from day one to day ten of
their cycle. Because there are many progesterone receptor sites around
the nipples, some women may experience tenderness in this
area when first starting on progesterone cream. In these cases,
the dose can be cut in half until the discomfort disappears
and then returned to full dose. Progesterone causes apoptosis (death) of breast cancer
cells. For this reason, I consider progesterone beneficial for
women who have or have had breast cancer that is progesterone
receptor site positive. Most oncologists would probably disagree. However, their knowledge of progesterone is usually limited to
synthetic progestins, such as Provera (medroxyprogesterone),
which can cause the same side effects as estrogen: breast cancer,
blood clots, and weight gain. Bio-identical progesterone, which
behaves in the body quite differently from synthetic progestins,
has none of these side effects. Remarkably, the State of California has, for some reason,
decided that bio-identical progesterone causes cancer. This is in spite of the fact that in the 70 years of its existence it has
never been demonstrated to cause cancer. Ironically, estrogen
is a known cancer-causing chemical, yet it is injected into
animals to fatten them (even though injecting a carcinogenic substance into an animal for this purpose is illegal). SUPPLEMENTS FOR BRAIN HEALTH
All the hormones discussed in this book—adrenaline,
progesterone, cortisol, and insulin—significantly influence brain
activity. They have a strong effect on neurotransmitters in the  128  |
ADRENALINE DOMINANCE
brain, such as serotonin, GABA,


 is cycling up, it
eventually disappears. Y ou disappear it by choosing to be one withit and refusing to want to change it as it arises. Do this
continuously, no matter what, nonstop. This means that you cannot make an exception here, or an
exception there. It means continuously, and with everyone and
everything. The one or two things you hide behind probably
represent a stack. That’ s why you’re hanging on to them. It’ s not
just this annoying person you hate; they represent a whole stack of
that ener gy to you. Y ou can’ t just skip over your mother -in-law! Eventually, everything is surrendered that stands in the way of
the Presence. The Presence is so obvious, so startling, so
overwhelming, that there’ s no question about it. It is profound,
total, all-encompassing, absolutely overwhelming, totally
transforming, and completely unmistakable. When everything is
surrendered that stands in the way, It is there, shining brilliantly
forth. Instead of viewing this as something in the future, own it now. Enlightenment is not something that occurs in the future, after 50
years of sitting cross-legged and saying “OM.” It is right here, in
this instant. The reason you’re not experiencing this state of total
peace and timelessness is because it is being resisted. It is being
resisted because you are trying to control the moment. If you let go
of trying to control your experience of the moment, and if you
constantly surrender it like a tone of music, then you live on the
crest of this exact alwaysness. Experience arises like a note of
music. The minute you hear a note, it’ s already passing away. The
instant you’ve heard it, it’ s already dissolving. So every single
moment is dissolving as it arises. Let go of anticipating the next
moment, trying to control it, trying to hang on to the moment that
has just passed. Let go clinging to what has just occurred. Let go
trying to control what you think is about to occur. Then you live in
an infinite space of non-time and non-event. There is an infinite
peace beyond description. And you are home.A P P E N D I X  A :
T H E  M A P  O F  C O N S C I O U S N E S S ®
God-view Life-view Level Log Emotion Pr ocess
Self Is Enlightenment
 700-
1000Inef fable Pure
Consciousness
All-Being Perfect Peace
 600 Bliss Illumination
One Complete Joy
 540 Serenity T ransfiguration
Loving Benign Love
 500 Reverence Revelation
W ise Meaningful Reason
 400 Understanding Abstraction
Merciful Harmonious Acceptance
 350 For giveness T ranscendence
Inspiring Hopeful W illingness
 310 Optimism Intention
Enabling Satisfactory Neutrality
 250 T rust Release
Permitting Feasible Courage
 200 Af firmation Empowerment
Indif ferent Demanding Pride
 175 Scorn Inflation
V engeful Antagonistic Anger
 150 Hate Aggression
Denying Disappointing Desire
 125 Craving Enslavement
Punitive Frightening Fear
 100 Anxiety W ithdrawal
Disdainful T ragic Grief
 75 Regret Despondency
Condemning Hopeless Apathy
 50 Despair Abdication
V indictive Evil Guilt
 30 Blame Destruction
Despising Miserable Shame
 20 Humiliation Elimination
A P P E N D I X  B :
M U S C L E  T E S T I N G  P R O C E D U R E
General Information
The ener gy field of consciousness is infinite in dimension. Specific levels
correlate with human consciousness and have been calibrated from 1 to
1,000. (see Appendix A: Map of Consciousness.) These ener gy fields
reflect and dominate human consciousness. Everything in the universe radiates a specific frequency or minute
ener gy field that remains in the field of consciousness permanently. Thus,
every person or being that ever lived and anything about them, including
any event, thought, deed, feeling, or attitude, is recorded forever and can be
retrieved at any time in the present or the future. T echnique
The muscle-testing response is a simple “yes” or “not yes” (no) response to
a specific stimulus. It is usually done by the subject holding out an extended
arm and the tester pressing down on the wrist of the extended arm, using
two fingers and light pressure. Usually the subject holds a substance to be
tested over their solar plexus with the other hand. The tester says to the test
subject, “Resist,” and if the substance being tested is beneficial to the
subject, the arm will be strong. If it is not beneficial or it has an adverse
ef fect, the arm will go weak. The response is very quick and brief. It is important to note that the intention, as well as both the tester
and the one being tested, must calibrate over 200 in order to
obtain accurate responses. Experience from online discussion groups has shown that many
students obtain inaccurate results. Further research shows that at calibration
200, there is still a 30 percent chance of error. The higher the levels of
consciousness of the test team, the more accurate are the results. The best
attitude is one of clinical detachment, posing a statement with the prefixstatement, “In the name of the highest good, _____ calibrates as true. Over
100, Over 200,” etc. The contextualization “in the highest good” increases
accuracy because it transcends self-serving personal interest and motives. For many years, the test was thought to be a local response of the
body’ s acupuncture or immune system. Later research, however, has
revealed that the response is not a local response to the body at all, but
instead is a general response of consciousness itself to the ener gy of a
substance or a statement. That which is true, beneficial, or pro-life gives a
positive response that stems from the impersonal field of consciousness,
which is present in everyone living. This positive response is indicated by
the body’ s musculature going strong. There is also an associated pupillary
response (the eyes dilate with falsity and constrict to truth) as well as
alterations in brain function as revealed by magnetic imaging. (For
convenience, the deltoid muscle is usually the one best used as an indicator
muscle; however, any of the muscles of the body can be used.) Before a question (in the form of a statement) is presented, it is
necessary to qualify permission;  that is, state, “I have permission to ask
about what I am holding in mind” (Y es/No). Or, “This calibration serves the
highest good.”
If a statement is false or a substance is injurious, the muscles go weak
quickly in response to the command, “Resist.” This indicates the stimulus is
negative, untrue, anti-life, or the answer is “no.” The response is fast and
brief in duration. The body will then rapidly recover and return to normal
muscle tension. There are three ways of doing the testing. The one that is used in
research and also most generally used requires two people: the tester and
the test subject. A quiet setting is preferred, with no background music. The
test subject closes their eyes. The tester must phrase the question to be
asked in the form of a  statement. The statement can then be answered as
“yes” or “no” by the muscle response. For instance, the incorr ect  form
would be to ask, “Is this a healthy horse?” The correct form is to make the
statement, “This horse is healthy,” or its corollary, “This horse is sick.”
After making the statement, the tester says “Resist” to the test subject
who is holding the extended arm parallel to the ground. The tester presses
down sharply with two fingers on the wrist of the extended arm with mild
force. The test subject’ s arm will either stay strong, indicating a “yes,” or go
weak, indicating a “not yes” (no). The response is short and immediate.A second method is the O-ring method, which can be done alone. The
thumb and middle finger of the same hand are held tightly in an O
configuration, and the hooked forefinger of the opposite hand is used to try
to pull them apart. There is a noticeable dif ference in the strength between a
“yes” and a “no” response. The third method is the simplest, yet, like the others, requires some
practice. Simply lift a heavy object, such as a lar ge dictionary or merely a
couple of bricks, from a table about waist high. Hold in mind an image or
true statement to be calibrated and then lift. Then, for contrast, hold in mind
that which is known to be false. Note the ease of lifting when truth is held
in mind and the greater ef fort necessary to lift the load when the issue is
false (not true). The results can be verified using the other two methods. Calibration of Specific Levels
The critical point between positive and negative, between true and false, or
between that which is constructive or destructive, is at the calibrated level
of 200 (see


 Aren't
you excited for the adventures ahead? Don't you want to stand on a mountain top and cry out with joy Y es' to a
never -ending life? The Purpose of Y our Life

"Y ou ha ve no cause for anything but gratitude and joy." (Buddha 563-483
BC)

T he purpose of your life is joy, and so w hat do you think , is the greatest
joy in li fe? Giv ing! If a person had told me s ix y ears ago  that the greate st
joy in life is giving, I would h ave said, "That's fine for you to say. I am
struggling to survive and can ba rely make ends meet, and so I have nothing
to give." T he greatest joy in life is giving because unless you give, you will always
be struggling to survive. Life will be full of one problem after another, and
just when you think everything is going along fine, so mething else will
happen to throw you back into struggle and dif ficulty. The greatest joy in
life is giving, and there is only one thing you can give - your love! Y our
love, your joy, your positivity, your excitement, your gratitud e, and your
passion are the true and everlas ting things in life. All the riches in the world cann ot even come close to th e most priceless gift in all of creation - the
love in side you! Give the best of you. Give your love because it is the magnet to all the
riches of life. And your life will become richer than you thought was
possible, becaus e when you giv e love, you are fulfilling the entire purpose
of your life. When you give love, you will receive back so much love and
joy that you will feel it is almost more than you can take. But you can take
unlimited love and joy, because it's who you are. "Someday when  men have conquer ed the winds, the waves, the tides and
gravity, we will harness for God the ener gies of love, and then, for a second
time in the history of the worl d, man will have discover ed fi r e." (Pierr e
T eilhar d de Char din, 1881-1955)

Y ou came in to this world with your love, and it is the only thing you take
with you. While you are here, ev ery time  you choose the positive, every
time you choose to feel good, you are giving your love, and with it you light
up th e world. And everything you can wish for, everything you can dream
of, everything you love will follow you wherever you go. Y ou have the greatest force in the universe w ithin you. And with it, you will
have an amazing life! The Power is within you. The Beginning
Points of Power

• Y ou hav e alway s existed and you will always exist because you are a part
of creation. • Y ou, every person you know, an d every person who has ever lived has no
end! • T o find heaven on Earth is to live your life at the same frequency as your
being - pure love and joy. • The greatest joy in life is giving, because unless you give, you will always
be struggling to survive. • Y o ur love, your joy, your positivity, your excitement, your gr atitude, and
your pas sion are the true and everlasting things in life. All the r iches in the
world cannot even come close to the most priceless gift in all of creation -
the love inside you! • Give your love because it is the magnet to all the ricbes of life. • While you are here, every time you choose the positive, every time you
choose to feel g ood, you are giving your love, and with it you light up the
world. May The Power bring you love and
joy
for your entir e existence. That is my intention for you,
and for the world.A b o u t  t h e  A u t h o r
Rhonda Byrne's intention is: joy to billions. She began her journey with The Secr et film, viewed by millions acr oss the planet. She followed with The Secr et book, a worldwide bestseller now available in 46 languages. Now with The Power, Rhonda Byrne continues her gr oundbr eaking work, as she r eveals the
single gr eatest for ce in our universe.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        The more you give love and feel good, the more magnetic your field
becomes and the more it expands, drawing, everything and everyone you
love to you. Imagine that. Love is the Power That Connects
Everything
"When a ll the people in the wor ld love one another, then the str ong will not
overpower the weak, the many will not oppr ess the few, the wealthy will not
mock th e poor, the honor ed will not disdain the humble, and the cunning
will not deceive the simple. " (M ozi Chinese Philosopher Cir c a 470- 391
BC)
Y ou hav e opportunities every day to give love to other peo ple through your
good feelings. When you feel happy, it is your guaran tee that you w ill be
giving p ositivity and love to wh omever you come into contact with. When
you give  love to anyone, the lov e will return to you, but in a far  gre ater way
than you may have realized. When yo u give love to another p erson, if your l ove af fects the other person
so p ositively that they then give love to someone else, then no matter how
many people are positively af fected, no matter how far your love travels, all
that love comes back to you. N ot only do you receive back the love you
gave to the original person, you receive all the love back from everyone
who was af fectedl And the love returns to you dressed as positive
circumstances, positive people, and positive events in your life. On t he other han d, if you negitively af fect another person,so much that the
person goes on to negatively af fect someone else, then the negativity will
return to you in full. Y ou will receive it ba ck in the form of negative
circumstances af fecting money, your career, your health, or your
relationships. Whatever you give to another, you give to yourself. "If you ar e distr essed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing
itself but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to r evoke at any
moment. ” (Mar cus Aur elius 121- 180)

When yo u are feeling enthusias tic, happy, and cheerful, those good feelings
af fect everyone you come into contact with. Even if you connect with a
person just briefly in a store, on a bus, or in an elevator, when your good
feelings make a dif ference to an y person you connect with, the af fect of that
one instance on your life is almost incomprehensible. "Remember ther e's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act
cr eates a ripple with no logical end. " (Scott Adams B. 1957)
Love is the solu tion and the an swer to every relationship. Y ou can never
improve a relationship with neg ativity. Use the Creation Process for your
relationships, an d give love to receive. Use the Keys to Power for yourrelationships. Notice the things you love, make lists of the things you love,
talk about the things you love,  and turn away from the things you don't
love. Imagine having the perfect relationship, imagine it at the highest level
you can,  and feel having it with  all your heart. If you find it dif ficult to feel
good ab out a relationship, then love everything else around you, and just
stop noticing the negative things in the relationship. Love can do anything for you. All you have to do is give love by feeling
good, and any n egativity in your relationships will fade away. Whenever
you are faced with a negative situation in a relationship, the solution is
always love. Y o u won' t know how it will be solved, and you can never
know how, but if you maintain feeling good and give love, it will happen. The message from Lao Tzu, B uddha, Jesus, Muhammad, and every great
being is loud and clear - love. Points of Power

• W ith eve ry singl e person you co me into contact, you are either giving love
or you're not. And based on what you give, that is what you receive. • Give lov e to others through kindness, encouragement, support, gratitude,
or any good feeling, and it comes back to you multiplied in every area of
your life. • Look for the th ings you love in a relationship more than y ou notice
negative things and it will appear as if something incredible has happened
to the other person. • T rying  to change another person, thinking you know w hat is best for
another person, thinking you ar e right and another person is wrong is not
giving love
• Criticizing, blaming, complaining, nagging


 1½ cups almond flour
2 tablespoons coconut flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
Mix wet ingredients in one bowl, dry ingredients in another, then mix
together. Spoon dough out onto a baking tray in small scoops. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for nine to twelve minutes. My little love,
Every moment with you is so, so precious.I am seeing how time moves so quickly
as I watch you shift and change and grow each day. Your smile lights up my life. The new little sounds you make;
your wiggles and squirms;
your beautiful blue eyes;
the way you look at the world
gives me a clearer perspective
of the newness,
the presence,
the gifts
of each moment. You are this precious little soul
that has somehow been entrusted in our care,
and it is the greatest privilege I’ve ever had:
to get to love you. You are the smallest you will ever be, in this moment. The joy and the heartache that comes with loving you so much. It is the sweetest experience: getting to be your mama. Thank you,
for being the easiest thing to love. OceanofPDF.comBenecial Herbs and Essential Oils 9
The medical model of care has given us ways to treat acute conditions, but
allopathic medicine often leaves us with a trail of side ef fects that may
complicate our situation even more. Pharmaceuticals treat symptoms but
often don’ t address the root cause of an imbalance, meaning that we
become dependent on using these medicines in order to feel okay. Natural
plant-based medicine helps to ease the discomfort of symptoms while
simultaneously treating the root cause of the imbalance, leading to
sustainable health and healing in the body and mind. Using herbs and oils as part of your daily routine, as outlined in this
chapter, will bring astounding abundance into your life, as that is the ener gy
of Mama Nature. She helps you to heal in a holistic way, nourishing your
mind, body, and emotions. Not only will the plants discussed in the next
pages deliver their medicine into the tissues of your body, but their
energetic blueprint also leaves a mark on your ener gy field. Think of each
plant as a personality; as you spend time with them each day you will begin
to develop a relationship and understand the ener getic qualities of each. Ayurvedic plant-based remedies can support you in the journey of
motherhood, whether you are using these botanicals to prepare your womb
for conception, to address occasional or acute imbalances during pregnancy,
or for supporting healthy lactation, balanced mood, and restful sleep
postpartum. The chapter also discusses oil remedies for labor and birth, and
then for supporting your little one as you welcome them into the world. In addition to the herbs cited in this chapter, you can refer back to Krsna
Jivani’ s “Light on the Sacred Window” in chapter 6 (see the sidebar on this
page ), along with “Postpartum Spices and Herbs” in chapter 8 (see this
page ), for other staple herbs that are highly recommended postpartum.HERBAL ALLIES FOR PREGNANCY
AND THE POSTPARTUM
WINDOW
The herbs described below are safe during pregnancy and breastfeeding and
can be made into teas to be consumed daily or as needed. Drinking herbal
teas during pregnancy is an easy way to boost nutrients so that you can
grow a healthy babe. During the postpartum period, herbal support can
provide nourishment for your body to heal; teas should be made with a ratio
of 1 teaspoon of herbs to 8 cups of water to keep their hydrating properties. If you are using the powdered form of the herbs, especially for the roots,
you can make a decoction by boiling 1 teaspoon of the powder in 2 cups of
water and boiling until you have just one cup of water left. ASHWAGANDHA ROOT
Ashwagandha root is a rejuvenative and an adaptogen—it helps the body
adapt to stress and intense changes. The word ashwagandha  translates as
“strength of a horse”—ashwaganda is renowned for its ability to enhance
strength and vitality. It also supports healthy sleeping patterns, reduces
stress, and supports the immune system and the health of the reproductive
systems for both men and women. FENNEL SEED
Fennel is medicine for the gastrointestinal tract, easing cramping, gas, and
bloating. In addition to its many digestive benefits, fennel seed has been
used for boosting fertility, alleviating water retention, and facilitating a
healthy supply of breast milk in nursing mamas.GINGER
Ginger ’s warm, soothing qualities make it one of the most well-known
medicinal plants. Celebrated not only for its spicy flavor that stimulates the
palate and supports digestion, ginger also of fers relief for expectant mamas
by easing morning sickness and nausea. NETTLES
Nettle contains a rich supply of vitamins and minerals and is a powerful
support for the nervous system. From an Ayurvedic perspective, nettle
serves as a nourishing and rejuvenative tonic—particularly for the kidneys
and adrenals. The herb increases ojas (vitality), making it useful for mamas
who need extra nourishment during pregnancy and breastfeeding—but
nettles have astringent properties, so new mamas should wait at least six
weeks postpartum to resume nettles in their diet. OATSTRAW
Oatstraw is an incredible herb for soothing the nervous system (similar to
oats) and is thus a perfect tonic for pacifying vata. Rich in calcium,
magnesium, and B vitamins, it is a nutritive tonic for the whole body. Make
oatstraw into a tea whenever you feel fatigue, nervous exhaustion, anxiety,
stress, low ener gy, unsettled sleep, or insomnia. Oatstraw is the perfect
herbal ally during pregnancy and in your first forty-two days after giving
birth. RED RASPBERRY LEAVES
Throughout history, herbalists and midwives have turned to red raspberry
leaf tea to ease discomfort during menstruation, pregnancy, and labor. As a
mineral-rich remedy, red raspberry leaf is especially valuable in the last two
or three months of pregnancy, because of its ability to strengthen the uterusprior to giving birth. Many mamas continue to drink red raspberry leaf tea
after childbirth because of the way it helps restore the reproductive system
and continues to nourish. ROSE
Rose—whether it be petals used in teas or rosewater for drinks and
flavoring—is medicine for the heart and mind. Rose will support mama in
processing her emotions so that they are well digested and integrated into
her being. Rose also brings the ener getic experience of feeling God’ s grace
in our lives, and thus a feeling that life is happening for you, not to you. SHATAVARI
The literal translation of shatavari  is “she who possesses one hundred
husbands.” Shatavari is an adaptogen—it helps the body adapt to its
circumstance, bringing the body back into a state of balance, whether that
means resisting stress when needed, giving ener gy when depleted, or
increasing milk supply based on the baby’ s need. It has been used in
Ayurveda for thousands of years to support female reproductive and
maternal health. Shatavari is helpful in regulating menstrual cycles because it supports
estrogen and the luteinizing hormone—the hormone responsible for
triggering ovulation, crucial for conceiving. Postpartum (after 10 days or so
to assure the digestive fire is strong), shatavari can help to increase milk
supply, reduce stress, balance hormones, rebuild strength and vitality, and
boost immunity. Note:  Shatavari is contraindicated if the mother has any history of high
estrogen conditions such as fibroid tumors, cysts, polyps, or reproductive
cancers. In this case, guduchi is a recommended replacement for shatavari,
as an herb that will strengthen the uterus during pregnancy without
affecting estrogen levels.Blue Lotus for New Mothers
Blue lotus ( Nymphaea caerulea ) has been known since
ancient Egyptian times as the “flower of intuition.” It was
traditionally used for its meditative qualities that aid in Third
Eye intuition and lucid dreaming. Although there is no
reference to blue lotus that I am aware of in Ayurveda, it has
become one of my main herbal allies as a new mother. Blue lotus has the power to cool the nervous system and
relax the entire body. As a sedative and a nervine, it
provides a calming, euphoric feeling. It can be a wonderful
aid for sleep and stress (hello, motherhood!). Some people
may experience it as deeply relaxing, while others
experience it as a mild stimulant. Blue lotus has the intelligence to provide what is needed
for a new mother. How we experience the ef fects of plants
often reflects the profile of the plant itself. In this case, the
plant that is used to enhance intuition in the recipient itself in
turn uses intuition to serve the one who takes it. Blue lotus is believed to bring insight, release of fear, and
connection with the cosmos. I love this herb for new mothers
because it provides a feeling of calm, centered, meditative
relaxation that is greatly needed throughout motherhood. It
can help to promote


 of affirmations. An affirmation is
a positive statement. Its power is limited by the fact that, either consciously
or uncon sciously, we have multiple negative programs that are saying the
very opposite thing to the affirmation. You can discover this for yourself by
noticing that, as you write the affirmations, your mind comes up with,
“Yeah, but...” It is these “Yeah, buts...” that limit the power of the
affirmation and reduce its effectiveness. If you surrender the obstacles to
the affirmation, you will notice a rapid increase in their ef fectiveness. In actuality, the ego-self doesn’ t have to die at all: life doesn’ t come to an
end; existence doesn’ t cease; and no horrible, tragic fate is waiting to end
life at all. Like the ego itself, the whole story is imaginary. One doesn’ t
have to destroy the ego or even work on it. The only simple task to be
accomplished is to let go of the identification with the ego as one’ s real self! With this relinquishment of identification, the self actually goes right on
walking and talking, eating and laughing—the only difference is that, like
the body, it becomes “that” instead of “me” or “this.”All that is neces sary, then, is to let go of ownership, authorship, and the
delusion that one invented or created this self and see that it was merely a
mistake. That this is a very natural and inevitable mistake is obvious. Everyone makes  it, and only a few discover the error and are willing or able
to correct it. As Buddha said, “Put no head above your own,” meaning that one’s only
true guru is the Self (the Buddha nature). The Self of the teacher and one’s own Self are one and the same. The
teacher becomes a source of inspiration and information. It is the inspiration
that supports the quest. The human mind  is like a ship at sea that is unable to correct its direction
without a compass or an externa l source of reference, such as the stars. It is
important to realize that a syste m is only correctible when it has access to
an exter nal point of reference (like a global positioning system)  that serves
as the Absolute by which all other data are compared. Through observ ation, it can be seen that beneath the images and words
themselves, there is a driving energy—a desire to think, to stay mentally
active, to keep busy with any input the mind can find to fill in the gaps. One
can detect a drive to “thinkingness,” which is impersonal. With observation,
one can detect that there is no “I” thinking the thoughts at all. In fact, the
“I” rarely intervenes. The mind will get critical and try to save face by ridiculing a higher state. This is a golden  opportunity because this is the very attitude that prevents a
person from reaching that higher state of life. The very process of reading
this material is invaluable, for it will reveal precisely what the blocks are
and exactly why these goals are impossible at the present time. As
resistances, criticisms, and disparagements come up, we can begin
surrendering them and letting them go right now in the process of reading
about them. It is a great opportunity to identify the inner blocks to
fulfillment. As Pogo said, “W e have identified the enemy, and it is us.”
Integrous moral ity and ethics, like genuine reason and faith, are firmly
grounded in realistic humility by which essence supersedes appearance and
socialized perce ption. Morality as a virtue is represented by the ethics of
character traits, such as consideration for others, honesty, integrity,
accountability, and responsibility, as well as allegiance to basic spiritual
concepts. To be benign, affectionate, supportive, polite, kind, considerate,
and helpful does not raise the flag of a cause or of being superi or. Morality
is thus a humble way of being in the world for its own sake rather than for
gain or ego inflation. The conse quences are internal but also evidenced by
degrees of happiness and realistically based self-esteem. At all times, remain aware that the real you is not the ego. Refuse to
identify with it. The first tools we need are willingness and an open mind—the
willingness to say that the mind is looking at something which it is being
asked to view so it can be healed. The healing of the body comes about with
the healing of the mind. All the physical illnesses, which I even tually let goof, finally healed of their own nature as a result of healing the thought
forms in mind. All the healings resulted from the willingness to let go of the
condemnation of self and others, to let go of criticalnes s, self-pity,
resentment, and all the negative energies at the levels below 200, including
regret, worry, anxiety, grievance s, self-contempt, and self-hatred. It was the
letting go of those things that shifted the energy field to one that brought
about the healing. The ego is not overcome by condemnation, hatred, and guilt. Rather, one
de-ener gizes it by viewing it objectively for what it truly is—that is, a
vestigial remnant of man’ s evolutionary origins. The key to success is to study and imitate a truthful authority rather than
resist or attack it through competitive envy, jealousy, or hostility. Reality becomes self-evident when the obstruction of perception and
mentation are removed, including all belief systems. It is not necessary to know about the Self but simply to beco me it by
letting go of the non-Self. The realization comes about as a subjective
transformation. Blind faith, the truth of a teaching, and the integrity of the teacher, plus
dedication and adherence to a simple practice, are all that are required.... With the realiza tion that the intellect is no longer a useful tool but now the
barrier, the seeker arrives at the ripeness which is necessary for the more
focused paths to God by transc ending the mind, either via the heart or via
the pathway of consciousness. The key to transcending the inherent limitations of the ego/mind is
humility, withou t which the mind is hopelessly trapped in its illusory house
of mirrors. Like the sun, the inner Self is always shining, but because of negative
clouds, we do not experience it. It is not necessary to program oneself with
the truth; it is only necessary to remove that which is false. The removal of
the clouds from the sky to illum inate the negative allows one to experience
the energy fields of that which  is positive. It is only the removal of the
negative that is necessary—th e willingness to let go of the habits of
negative thinking. The removal of the obstacles to the experien cing of this
will result in an increasing sense of aliveness and a joy of one’s own
existence. The first illusion to surrender is the belief that there is such a thing as
“mind.” Experie ntially, one can only state that thoughts, feelings, images,
and memories come into one’s awareness in an endless progr ession. The
word “mind” is therefore only a concept, as is the word “ego.”
Letting go of the ego is based on the willingness to surrender attachment
to it as a substitute for God and just another illusion. How can meditation persist in one’s daily existence? By merely
constantly posing the question to oneself of “what” is doing the acting,
talking, feeling, thinking, or observing. This is a focus of attention, with no
languaging.... Continuous meditation could be likened to a mudra, or
posture and attitude, in which every act is sanctified by its surrender as an
act of service or worship. When one’s attitude towards everything becomes
a devotion, Divinity reveals itself. One sacrifices material or egoce ntric gain for spiritual progress, and in so
doing, the transi ent is subordinated to the permanent, and that which is of
true value is chosen over that which is only an illusion. A yardstick that is
helpful in making decisions is to project oneself ahead to one’s deathbed
and ask, Which decisions do I want to be accountable for at that time? The love of God by worship, devotion, commitment, declaration, or
selfless service is the catalyst and the formal invitation for the intercession
of Divin ity via the power of the nonlinear field of consciousness itself,
which is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. By surre nder of all
resistances, this powerful nonli near field becomes progressivel y dominant
and eventually an all-encompassing Presence. With the style of detached obser vation, the unfolding of life reveals itself
to be the conse quence of the spontaneous emer gence of actuality as a
manifestation of potentiality when conditions are favorable. All true religions reaffirm that salvation is a consequence of surrendering
to and acknowle dging God through faith, worship, good deeds, prayers, and
declaration. If, in the exact passing moment of each instant, there is a complete
willingness to totally surrender to it, one can suddenly transcend the ego in
a flash. And then the way opens  for Realization, wherein the Light of God
as Self reveals the Source of all Existence and Reality. Consciousness advances


 deciency  tonie d, and external  ailments
are treated with remedies that act on the surface.THE ACUPUNCTURIST AND THE  HERBALIST
Just like an irrigation engineer needs dierent data than a soil
analyst, the acupuncturist needs dierent information, or the same
information organized dierently, than the herbalist. Herbs are
classied by categories descr ibing the disruption of Qi, Moisture, and
Blood  corresponding to the Eight Principles  and Adverse Climates. For
example, the herb poria dispels Dampness ; angelica nourishes
decient Blood ; astragalus generates Qi; forsythia and
chrysanthemum clear Heat
Five-Phase Theory  is more critica l for acupuncture. It is not enough
to know that Dampness  or Heat need to be dispersed, or that
deciencies of Qi and Blood  need to be tonied. The acupuncturist
also needs to know which Organ Network  assumes primary
responsibility for the disru ption of Qi in order to treat the
appropriate channel. The methods of the acupuncturist emphasize
the direct manipulation of Qi within the Organ Networks. The properties of herbs are assimilated metabolically by the
internal organ s and then dispersed throughout the body as Qi,
Moisture, and Blood. There are particular herbs that clear Damp Heat
from the body. With acupuncture there is a dierent process—the
elimination of Damp Heat is accomplished by adjusting the
circulation of Qi of the Organ Networks  respon sible for distributing
and transforming Moisture  and generating heat. The Damp Heat is
not treated directly, but rather through the functional relationship
within and among Organ Networks. If the relatio nships among the
Organs  are harmonic, the pathologic condition resolves itself. Five-
Phase Theory  puts the relationship among Organ Networks  into
perspective. The doctor who practices both herbal medicine and
acupuncture gathers all the evidence and synthesizes and interprets
it, using both the Eight Principles  and Five-Phase  approaches. SAME SYMPTOM, DIFFERENT  DISORDERS
To use Five-Phase Theory  it is necessary to identify which Organ
Network  is disturbed. The evaluation identies where the symptomis located, when it occurs, whether anything makes it better or
worse, and what other events may have occurred just prior to or at
the same time as the sympto m. This information is interpreted via
lines of correspondence that link symptoms, timing, and
circumstances with Organ Networks. In the West, a symptom like a headache may be treated
universally with aspirin or Tylenol. This same headache needs
dierentiating in Chinese medicine. It’s like the many words in the
Eskimo language that describe varieties of “snow.” In Chinese
medicine a multiplicity of disease patterns produce what in Western
medicine is one named symptom or disease. For example, disturbance of the Liver Network  can produce
migraine or bilious headaches associated with nausea, vomiting, and
sensitivity to light and noise. These headaches may be provoked by
anger and occur more frequently in the spring. Disturbance of the
Stomach  and Intestines  may cause headaches associated with nasal
and sinus congestion, acidity, atulence, and constipation. This type
of headache may appear in the morning and improve in the evening. Especially in hot, humid weather, disturbances of the Spleen  and
Heart  may cause headaches associated with fatigue, dizziness,
perspiration, and anxiety. In winter, headaches associated with
backache, chilliness, and profuse urination may suggest a
disturbance of the Kidney. The headache could be a simple matter of
acute indigesti on or related to a complex and chronic problem such
as hypertension, asthma, allergies, or premenstrual syndrome. Treatment for someone’s headache will dier according to which
Organ Network  is disturbed. The same holds true for a “cough.” In Chinese medicine,  a cough
may be a deciency, excess, Cold, Heat, Damp, or Dry phenomenon,
characterized by the amount and type of phlegm. One type can
produce blood-tinged, clear, yellow, or green phlegm, another a
very small amount of clear, white phlegm or no phlegm  at all. A
productive cough can be further dierentiated by whether the
phlegm is thick, sticky, and dicult to expectorate or loose, clear,
and easy to expectorate. A nonproductive cough may beaccompanied by a feeling of dryness and thirst or a sense of
weakness and malaise. What dierentiates one cough from another is signicant,
alongside the idiosyncratic patterns that distinguish one person from
another. One diagnostic assessment evaluates the symp toms, the
other evaluates the general condition of the person who has them. The total relationship of person to symptoms forms the diagnostic
pattern. Each of the children described below complains of a
dierent type of cough:
Becca is hot and feverish, has diculty sleeping at night, and
craves lots of cold liquids. At night her head becomes damp with
perspiration and she throws o her covers. Her cough is
characterized by thick, dry, tenacious green phlegm. She has to
cough a lot to bring it up. David appears pale and listless. His hands and feet are cold and
clammy, and his arms and legs are sore. He craves warmth, wants to
be covered by lots of blankets, and desires warm drinks. He sleeps a
lot during the day and at night. His cough is characterized by easy
expectoration with large amounts of clear, colorless phlegm. Jenny no longer has a fever, but for several weeks she’s had a
hacking cough at night and seems tired and restless during the day. She complains that her throat is dry and scratchy, and her lips are
red and parched. Oered drinks, she shows no interest. When she
does cough, there is little phlegm and it is sometimes tinged with
blood. Alex had a cold several weeks earlier without a fever. He
recovered from the cold, but in the last few days he has a morning
cough with a rattle in his chest and loose bowel movements. He
seems sensitive to the cold, getting goose bumps easily, and he
requests an extra sweater. He has also lost his appetite. He easily
expectorates a lot of frothy gelatinous mucus, especially in the
morning. Here’s how a doctor of Chinese medicine would interpret the
condition and treat each of the four “coughs”:
Becca’s condition is generally characterized by Heat (fever, night
sweats, restles sness, and green phlegm) and excess  (thick phlegm,high fever, restlessness). Her diagnosis is an acute cough of the Heat
type. This requires a therapy that clears Heat, relieves thirst, calms
coughing, and loosens, phlegm. Since Becca has an excess  condition,
she can tolerate a strong treatment, and it’s unnecessary to attend to
strengthening the body (tonication). The primary goal for Becca is
to treat the symptoms. Along with David’s acute illness, his general condition is one of
weakness and fatigue. His cough is diagnosed as a Cold type
(chilliness, clear phlegm, craves warmth) accompanie d by the
underlying condition of deciency. In general, Cold types of cough
are treated by methods that stimulate circulation, perspiration, and
expectoration. Because of the signs of weakness, however, the
treatment should avoid overstimulation and be comple mented by
strengthening or tonifying therapy to replenish the Qi. Jenny’s cough is the kind that develops from a prolonged recovery
from an acute illness. Her lips are red and her throat is dry,
suggesting that her fever consumed essential body uids. Yet she is
not thirsty. This lack of thirst, combined with the presence of
fatigue, indicates that her body has been weakened and that she
does not have the energy to recover. Her cough is the decient-Heat
type. The Heat is no longer due to fever, but rather to dehydration,
deciency of Moisture, and the dissipation of Qi. Therapy for Jenny
will be directed primarily at restoring Moisture  and increasing Qi. Alex’s cough appeared after apparent recovery from a cold. This
suggests that in fact the cold was not completely cured, but rather
that the illness had penetrated to a deeper level in the body. The
combined symptoms of chilliness, loose stool, and loss of appetite
indicate weakened metabolism and resistance. When the metabolic
Fire is decient, the interior becomes Cold and Moisture  tends to
congeal. Alex’s  phlegm appears in the morning upon awakening, the
time of day the body’s metabolism is at its lowest ebb and the
external environment is the coolest. Treatment for Alex emphasizes
warming the body and stimu lating metabolism in order to eliminate
the Cold and dissipate the phlegm. Whereas for Becca and David the
treatment is directed primarily


aves through the nose. When  performing several breaths in a row, the
stomach performs wave-like movements, massaging the stomach,intestines, and liver, Fig. 35. The exercise is repeated 4-6 times  3-4 times a
day. Massaging the heart, liver, spleen, kidneys

Middle, or chest, br eathing
Starting position : lying, sitting or standing. Attention is directed to the ribs. After exhalation, slowly inhale through the nose, expanding the ribs on both
sides of the chest. The middle part of the lungs is filled with the air. Exhale
through the nose, gradually relaxing the ribs. The abdominal wall and
shoulders are not involved in the act of breathing. The hand that controls
the respiratory movements, located on the chest, rises with the chest. The
hand, located on the stomach, remains motionless. When performing this
exercise, the heart, liver, spleen, and kidneys are massaged. The exercise is
repeated, like the first, 4-6 times 3-4 times a day. Massaging the lungs and lymph nodes of the chest

Upper br eath
Starting position: lying, sitting  or standing. Attention is directed to the
upper part of the lungs. After exhaling, slowly inhale throug h the nose,
lifting the clavic les and shoulders, while air will fill the upper part of the
lungs. Exhale through the nose, gradually relaxing the ribs of the upper
chest and lowering the shoulders. The abdomen and the middle part of the
chest remain motionless. The exercise is repeated 4-6 times 3-4 times a day. With this exercise, massage of the lungs and lymph nodes of the chest
occurs. More intensive massage of your lungs

Fig. 36

Fig. 37

For a more intensive massage of the lungs and increased circulation, a sharp
exhalation is used. Take a full breath, at the same time raise your hands up
and touch the ears, hold your breath for 2-3 seconds. Then bend sharply,
lower your hands freely, relax, and exhale vigorously through your mouth,
as if pronouncing the syllable “ha”. Repeat the exercise 3-5 times. Exer cises to impr ove body function

Everyone knows that it is advisa ble to take air in and out throu gh the nose. But there are times when this "rule" has to be violated. For example, when
swimming, singing and ordinary talking. The structure of respiration
changes during physical exertion. It's offered a set of special exercises that
have a strengthening, training,  regulatory effect on the body. Breathing
rhythm: exhale twice as long as inhalation. • Rhythmic breathing with extended expiration. Take the main stand. Breathe in at the expense of 2-3, exhale at 4-6. Gradually extend the inhale
to the count of 4–5, and exhale  to 7–10. Watch the clarity of the rhythm. Repeat exercise 4–5 times. • Uniform breathing with exhal ation activation. Standing or sitting, take a
full deep breath through the nose and an elongated, extremely complete
exhale through the mouth, as when blowing out a candle. Repeat 4-6 times. • Cleansing breath. Take a deep breath through the nose, and exhale through
half-compressed lips with three to four short jerks. These exercises are
especially useful after a long stay in a stuffy room with stale air. Repeat 3-4
times. • Soothi ng breath. This exercise is usually performed after physical exertion
or during stops during dosed walking or jogging. Slowly, with a full deep
breath, raise your arms in arches forward and spread them apart with the
arms turned upward. Raise your head slightly at the same time. On a slow
full exhalation,  return to the starting position by doing the reverse
movement of the arms and head. Chapter 16. Cleansing reaction

In the process of carrying out exercises, there is a high probab ility of the
occurrence of cleansing reactio ns against the background of cleansing all
organs, tissues and body systems of the causes of diseases. These reactions
resemble the disease, because they occur in the form of persisting, and
sometimes even intensifying symptoms. For example, asthmatic attacks
may intensify, weakness will appear, palpitations will become more
frequent, etc. These symptoms are not observed constantly, but usually in
cycles. Moreover, those that appeared last are the first to disappear, and the
earliest symptoms disappear last. You can also find out that the cleansing reaction has come abou t by CP. On
the eve of the manifestation of cleansing reactions, there is a sharp increase
in CP, sometim es by 3-5 seconds, and immediately during cleaning it
decreases. This is due to the fact that the body spends all its efforts on the
restructuring of its systems: respiratory, digestive, cleansing, cardiovascular,
nervous, and musculoskeletal. On average, the CP does not fall below the
initial level. Only a third of those using the VEDB method under go a period of a
purification reaction, almost without noticing it; in other cases, purification
reactions are pronounced. During the cleansing reaction, do not stop or, on the contrary, complicate
the training. If symptoms recur, take half-dose medications that relieve
symptoms of the disease. In addition, you should limit physical activity,
more likely to be in the fresh air, eat right and drink a lot, especi ally mineral
water. Upon completion of the cleansing reaction, there is a significantimprovement in health status or complete recovery. Breathing is
normalized, as evidenced by the indicators of CP. You can use the VEDB method not only for the purpose of healing, but also
for the prevention of diseases. Continue to monitor your breathing, track a
control pause and keep a diary even when breathing has already  returned to
normal. This will help to avoid a return to deep breathing, and therefore to
illness. If the CP is below normal, you need to resume exercises or activate them. Conclusion

Now you know about the Buteyko method as a complementary and
successful non- medicinal way of treating asthma, stress, allergies and other
diseases using special breathing exercises. It was introduced in 1950 of the
last century and has millions followers across the world. The Buteyko
method helped millions of Asth ma sufferers to get rid of Asthma and over
100 other diseas es and health conditions or reduce the usage of prescribed
medications. This method also helped people cleanse their body of toxins,
boost immune system, reduce weight and restore health and well-being. About Author
Samuel Greenber g, writer, teacher, educator, researcher and practitioner
with interests in astrology, NLP, psychology, human health by natural
methods and other fields. For questions and contacts, please use e-mail: samlost100@gmail. com
I will glad to answer your questions and use them in my upcoming books. OceanofPDF. com

        Section summary:

The provided article discusses various techniques related to alternative medicine practices. Specifically mentioned were certain principles concerning how one must approach these methods:
specific steps included avoiding anxiety, maintaining awareness throughout each step. This passage emphasizes the importance of proper posture in relation to achieving effective results;
it stresses keeping fingers close together and palms facing downwards

Please summarize sections A-B within two sentences. **Section Summary:** [Your response]

(Note) I'll provide guidance based upon whether your summarized version meets expectations. ).<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>
Q: What is the recommended duration for the first 2-3 weeks of performing the exercises?,
A: 2-3 times
Q: What is the recommended breathing rhythm for the "Rhythmic breathing with extended expiration" exercise?,
A: Exhale twice as long as inhale
Q: What is the recommended frequency of performing the "Soothing breath" exercise?,
A: after physical exertion or during stops during dosed walking or jogging
Q: What is the purpose of the Buteyko method, according to the text?,
A: to treat asthma, stress, allergies, and other diseases using special breathing exercises
Q: What is the recommended action to take if the control pause is below normal?,
A: resume exercises or activate them<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Uncooked Foods &
How to Use Them

A    TREATISE    ON    HOW    TO
GET   THE   HIGHEST   FORM  OF
ANIMAL  ENERGY  FROM  FOOD

With    Recipes    for    Preparation,
Healthful Combinations and Menus

By

Eugene Christian

As the building is, so the structure must be. THE HEALTH. CULTURE COMPANY
1133 BROADWAY                             NEW   YORK

1924

COPYRIGHT. 1924

BY

EUGENE   CHRISTIAN
Dedication
To the Women of America
on whom depend the future greatness
of our glorious country,
we most affectionately dedicate
this work. We may live without poetry, music and art,
We may live without conscience, and live without heart;
We may live without friends, we may live without books,
And civilized man can live without cooks. (Apologies to Owen Meredith.} CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION
THE PROBLEM OF PROBLEMS
THE FUNCTION OF FOODS
FO


;	its	purpose	is	gain. In	wholeness,	nothing
is	lacking. All	is	complete,	total,	and	whole. There	is	nothing	to	think
about	nor	any	motive	to	think. No	questions	arise	and	no	answers	are
sought	or	needed. Totality	is	complete,	totally	fulfilling,	with	no
incompleteness	to	process. Q:	If	thoughts	are	fragmentations	and	artifacts	of	duality,	how	can
spiritual	teachings	be	conveyed	in	language	without	being	misleading? A:	Concepts	have	levels	of	power	that	can	be	calibrated. The	higher	the	level
of	truth,	the	greater	its	power. The	energy	of	the	concept	results	from	the
truth	of	the	statement	plus	the	level	of	consciousness	of	the	speaker. Unaided	by	a	higher	energy	(as	from	a	great	teacher),	the	ego/mind	cannot
transcend	itself. Q:	Many	teachings	seem	ambiguous	and	confusing. A:	Ambiguity	itself	is	illusory. All	seeming	ambiguities	dissolve	in	the
presence	of	understanding. Within	truth,	no	arguments	are	possible. Q:	How	can	this	be? A:	Because	only	that	which	actually	exists	has	Reality. There	is	no	‘trueversus	false’. That	which	is	called	‘false’	has	neither	existence	nor	reality,
and	only	that	which	is	true	has	existence;	anything	thought	to	be	otherwise
is	illusion	and	falls	away. Q:	Can	you	give	another	example	or	further	explanation? A:	Opposites	do	not	exist	in	Reality. They	are	only	concepts	of	speech	and
mentation. Let	us	take	the	seeming	opposites	of	light	and	dark. Actually,
there	is	no	such	thing	as	darkness;	there	is	only	light. The	conditions	then
can	be	accurately	described	as	light	is	either	present	or	not,	or	light	is
present	at	various	degrees;	therefore,	all	light	or	the	lack	of	it	of	can	be
defined	only	in	terms	of	light	by	its	presence	or	degree,	or	not. Thus,	there
is	only
one	variable
:	the	presence	or	absence	of	light. You	cannot	shine	darkness	into	an	area. One	can,	by	languaging,	call
the	absence	of	light	darkness,	but	it	will	have	no	existence	in	Reality. Let’s	use	another	example—the	possession	or	nonpossession	of	money. In	this,	the	only	variable	is	the	presence	of	money. The	term	‘poverty’	then
implies	the	absence	of	having	money,	but	it	is	not	a	thing	in	itself. One
cannot	have	poverty. There	is	no	up	or	down	in	Reality. These	are	denotations	arising	from
an	arbitrary	positionality. Neither	‘up-ness’	nor	‘down-ness’	exists	as	a
reality. This	is	how	the	whole	illusory	world	of	the	ego	is	formed	as
positionality,	with	an	accompanying	naïveté	that	presumes	that	opposites
have	an	independent	existence. Therefore,	the	world	as	seen	exists	only	in
the	mind	of	the	observer. It	has	no	independent	existence. In	Reality,	one
does	not	have	to	distinguish	between	‘what	is’	and	‘what	is	not’	but	only	to
affirm	that	that	which	is,	is. Therefore,	the	false	need	not	be	denied	but
only	the	true	affirmed. Q:	It	would	seem	that	going	beyond	perception	and	duality	to	Reality	is
difficult	and	would	require	reprogramming	of	the	whole	mind	to
accomplish	it. Is	this	possible? A:	A	major	move	in	the	evolution	of	consciousness	is	classically	referred	to	as
‘transcending	the	opposites’,	and	it	brings	about	a	rapid	leap	in	awareness. Let	us	look	at	more	examples	that	are	easy	to	see. The	supposed	opposites
of	heat	and	cold	dissolve	in	the	easy	recognition	that	heat	is	either	present
or	not. We	do	not	say	that	more	‘coldness’	takes	over,	but	only	that	heat
disappears. If	it	is	present,	we	call	the	condition	warm	or	hot. Coldness
merely	means	the	absence	of	heat;	it	does	not	exist	on	its	own. We	cannot
say	that	‘non-heat’	exists	in	the	room. We	cannot	say	that	‘absence’	is
present	or	that	‘nothingness’	exists. Let	us	use	another	obvious	example:	the	seeming	opposites	of	visible
versus	invisible. It	is	obvious	that	invisibility	is	not	a	thing	that	exists
independently,	so	the	question	arises,	visible	by	what	means? Another	example	would	be	the	seeming	opposites	of	present	versus
absent. Present	is	a	reality	that	can	be	confirmed;	absent	is	not	a	condition
or	a	state	in	and	of	itself. We	cannot	say	that	absence	exists. Q:	These	still	seem	abstract. Can	you	give	a	more	concrete	example? A:	Electricity	is	either	on	or	not	on. There	is	no	such	thing	as	‘off-ness’. Off-
ness	cannot	be	sent	down	a	wire. It	is	merely	a	linguistic	convenience. The
telegraph	can	only	send	‘on’	signals;	it	cannot	transmit	off-ness. Likewise,
life	is	either	present	or	not;	dead	or	deadness	has	no	independent
existence. Q:	Can	you	give	a	nonverbal	experiential	example? A:	There	is	a	very	simple	and	interesting	demonstration	of	this	principle. Most	people	are	familiar	to	some	degree	with	basic	muscle	testing. A
simple	demonstration	shows	that	that	which	is	positive	or	true	makes	the
body’s	muscles	go	strong,	and	that	which	is	not	true,	negative,	false,	or
injurious	allows	them	to	go	weak. To	the	naïve	mind,	it	would	seem	that
the	muscle	response	is	either	positive	or	negative,	or	true	or	false. In
reality,	like	the	electricity,	that	which	exists	or	is	true	has	strength,	and	the
muscle	response	is	positive. That	which	has	no	existence	or	is	false	has	no
energy	or	power,	and	the	arm	merely	goes	weak	because	there	is	no	power
or	electricity	on	to	make	it	go	strong. In	other	words,	there	is	no	such	thing
as	falsehood	that	makes	it	go	weak;	those	are	only	styles	of	expression. Similarly,	electricity	makes	a	motor	run;	when	it	is	disconnected,	the
motor	stops. There	is	no	such	thing	as	‘non-electricity’	that	makes	the
motor	stop. That	which	has	no	existence	in	Reality	is	an	illusory	product
of	mentation. It	has	no	actual	independent	existence. It	is	therefore	useless
to	seek	an	objective,	independent	universe	because	none	is	possible. All
that	exists	does	so	only	as	a	subjective	experience. An	independent,
objective	reality	can	neither	be	confirmed	nor	denied. Either	statement	is
merely	a	positionality. No	one	can	escape	from	the	pure	subjectivity	of
their	own	experience. Q:	What	is	the	purpose	of	the	ego? A:	We	cannot	say	what	its	purpose	is;	that	would	be	teleological	reasoning. However,	its	main	function	is	organized	toward	self-perpetuation	to
maintain	the	illusion	of	a	separate	‘I’,	with	independent	survival	of	itsuniqueness	and	existence. As	a	consequence,	it	is	subject	to	pain,
suffering,	and	fear	of	death. Thus,	the	ego	channels	its	survival	strategies
in	all	its	multiple	expressions,	such	as	gain,	fear	of	loss,	and	anxiety	about
its	ultimate	fate. Q:	What	is	the	central,	most	important	consequence	of	the	function	of	the
ego? A:	The	belief	that	there	is	a	‘doer’	behind	actions,	a