 the symptoms  of despair or hopelessness, such as poor
appetite, sleeplessness, a lack of self-esteem, and a general feeling of ennui. Some professionals say depression is psychological, others insist that it is a
chemical imbalance. But one thing is sure, in our industrialized western
world, we believe depression is a very real problem. In a classic book, From Medication to Meditation, Osho writes, “the
problem of depression is not in underdeveloped countries—in the poor
countries, people are still hopeful—it is only in the developed countries,
where they have everything that they had always longed for. They have
achieved the goal—and this achievement of the goal is the cause of
depression. Now there is no hope: tomorrow is dark, and the day after
tomorrow will be even darker. ”
If you have been trained to believe that your worth is in all this external
stuff, then when you begin to feel that you have nothing more to gain, that
the challenges of life are all met, and see that you can have any material
thing you want, then you lose your inner spark of life. Y ou may or may not
already have all the stuf f. The point is that you are in a time and a culture
that stimulates your desire to compete for more of it even when it is
meaningless. In a society that is taught to run after dollars, and everywhere
there is this frantic push for money and all that it can buy, you begin to
postpone even glancing at the beauty and grandeur of nature, other human
beings and all of life. A contemplative spiritual life of communing with
God and knowing your higher self is set aside in favor of attracting more
money, yet the money does not give the satisfaction. When your emphasis is the inner spiritual ener gy of love, peace, rejoicing,
cheerfulness, celebration, and kindness, you cannot know debilitating
depression. Putting spirit aside and pursuing dollars in the mistaken belief
that money can purchase anything and everything, leads you to the
discovery that you cannot purchase what you really crave the most. If your
entire life is devoted to that which you know in your heart is meaningless,then you give birth to the mental process we label depression. An illusion to
be sure, but something you will believe, nevertheless. Gradually, this mental condition will infect everyone close to you, including
your children. They will believe the illusion. All will react to the low
energy thoughts of depression and despair, tension, worry, and fear and the
health of their bodies begins to suf fer. In the low ener gy of depression, we identify or diagnose the chemical
imbalances that result and conclude that we need to restore that chemistry
to its natural harmonious level. W e pour chemicals into our bodies and we
see some changes. Less despair, more harmony, less tension, more
cheerfulness. W e conclude that depression is cured with drugs and
chemicals. Why the body-mind is out of balance should have been the first
question. Depression, like stress, is internally generated by one’ s attitudes. Could it be that the one crucial ingredient that represents a spiritual solution
to this massive problem of depression is hope. A WORD ABOUT HOPE
At the core of our being, rooted deep within our soul there is the knowing
that we are indestructible. W e have the hope of immortality, of life after
death, which is an incentive for moral perfection. This inner knowing is
hope and it is a stepping stone to the awakening of the soul. It is that still,
but restless, voice inside you that beckons you to a higher/faster ener gy. In a
sense, hope is the restoration of the appetite for life itself, and all the bliss
that accompanies a renunciation of the search for meaning and power in the
material world. The story of Buddha is well known. A prince who had everything and
realized it did not give him enlightenment. He renounced the pursuit of the
material in search of a dif ferent path, which led to a place where spirit
presided over the illusory world of the material. I do not suggest that it is
necessary for you to renounce all of your physical and material possessions
in order to find bliss, although I’m not discounting it either. I merely ask
you to consider the importance that losing one’ s appetite for life plays in
manifesting despair and depression in your life. And I encourage you toreplace the unrelenting pursuit of dollars, which can never purchase
happiness, with an intention of creating a deeper and a richer experience of
life. Hope then will literally be replacing despair. Depression, clinical or
otherwise, will be impossible. I view the presence of so much enculturated belief in depression in
contemporary western society as a moral crisis because it represents a
maladaptive search for the sacred within all of us. I also know that when we
give up our reliance on external indices of success and realize that they strip
us of our ability to live at a spiritual ener gy level, then we replace despair
with a renewed sense of hope, and depression is impossible. What follows are some suggestions for bringing this sense of hope and
spiritual consciousness to anything that smacks of despair, gloom, or
depression. SUGGESTIONS FOR TURNING DESP AIR T O HOPE
Begin to take delight in nonattachment. Through raising your own
awareness you can love without being attached. An attached love creates
despair because you are placing the source of your fulfillment and
happiness on someone else. If they refuse to cooperate in the way that you
feel they must, then you move into despair. Instead, have hope for yourself. Y ou can love anyone and appreciate him or
her for who they are, without telling yourself that you will be devastated if
they let you down. Anthony DeMello has two extremely powerful
affirmations in The W ay To Love  that will help you to experience love in a
nonattached way. 1. “I am not really attached to you at all. I am merely deluding myself
into the belief that without you I will not be happy. ”
2. “I leave you free to be yourself: to think your thoughts, indulge your
tastes, follow your inclinations, behave in ways that you decide are to
your liking. ”When you observe these two recommendations for detached love you will
notice that the person becomes important to you in the same way that a
rainbow or a concert are lovely in themselves. Y ou set yourself free in a
compelling way. The love actually intensifies, all despair is dissolved and
you have hope in your heart rather than the pain that attachments bring. Practice r einfor cing hope rather than despair. Don’ t be an enabler of
despair by commiserating with those who are feeling low. I once took a
vow as a counselor/therapist that I would always seek to have my clients
put the emphasis on their successes rather than the things that brought about
feelings of despair. For instance, I encouraged a client who was unable to get along with his
parents to examine the brief times when he felt he had successful
interactions with them. I pushed him to recount any moments of success. How he felt, what he thought, what were the results, how his day went at
the times of success, and so on. By looking for any signs of success, I
would make the counseling sessions experiences of hope rather than
reinforcers of despair. Similarly, clients with addictions and even chronic pain all had some
moments in their lives when they felt successful at handling their
“problems. ” One week of not overeating, three days of not drinking, one
whole pain-free day. All these kinds of experiences provide an opportunity
to remember that the power to replace despair with hope, if only for a day
or so, is available. If it can be done for one day, then two days is not so
outrageous, and you have a hopeful idea. I found that reinforcing negatives, talking about causes, rehashing hurt
feelings and reliving painful emotions often served to reinforce a feeling of
hopelessness in the present moment. As a counselor/therapist I wanted to
bring hope to despair, and in the process help to nullify despair for good. This logic applies to despair in your life. Recall past moments when you
felt a degree of hope and success handling a problem and try to re-create the
thoughts and feelings that you were experiencing. By doing so, you giveyourself a road map out of your despair. By reinforcing hope, you will act
on those new thoughts and feelings. Remember to call in God and literally turn the despair over to God. You
can end an experience of despair by making a present moment decision to
let it go in a moment of silent prayer. “I cannot handle this situation alone, I
know that you are here with me as my silent senior partner. I am entrusting
this to you. ” This quiet simple little prayer will give you immediate relief
from the feelings of despair. This is a way of letting go of the idea that all is
hopeless. In essence, what you are doing with the prayer is asking that love
guide your life. It is a way of emptying your agenda and utilizing the power
that revolves the planets around the sun, keeps that same sun in place, and
turns a seed into a flower or a baby. It is far superior to saying, “I’ll do this
all by myself. ” By asking for divine intervention you can step back and
allow yourself


 today's consumers have been exposed to the most intensive media
advertising barrage in the history of medicine, and are now  conditioned to expect
medicines and health therapies to deliver an instantaneous "punch" - irregardless of
the cost, side effects or ultímate consequences of such methods. If  we  get  headaches,  rather  than  getting  more  rest  or  eliminating  the  three
chocolate  bars  and  Coke  we  had  for  lunch,  we  'whomp'  our  bodies  with  the
strongest headache medicine we can buy - never mind that the infinitesimally small
type on the label lists twenty different serious side effects of the drug. Many people have complained to me over the years that they've tried homeopathy
or herbs or other types of natural healing instead of drugs with no success. But
when we examine their situation in depth, I invariably find that they were Wring to
use natural therapies in the same way that they use drugs - popping a pill from a
bottle they picked up on a health food store shelf and waiting for a quick fix, or
drinking a cup or two of herbal tea and then deciding, "Nope, don't feel better -
didn't work for me." 61But the problem is not the natural medicines, the problem is the approach. The simple fact is that no matter what medicines we take or health therapies we
try,  natural  or  synthetic  if  we  don't  change  our  overall  bad  health  habits and
lifestyles we aren't going to be healthy and we aren't going to feel good. In order for natural therapies to work, you really have to begin to get in touch with
what the requirements of good health really are. Real and lasting physical health is
based on much more than continually knocking out unpleasant symptoms with
medicines or surgery. A nutritious diet, rest, relaxation, exercise, a healthy living environment and a
balanced,  positive,  peaceful  and  happy  frame  of  mind  are  the  indispensable
foundationss of good and lasting health. When you improve your basic health
habits by incorporating these elements into your daily lifestyle, you enhance your
natural immune defenses and improve your health and ability to fight disease. Natural medicines can be used, when necessary, in order to augment your healing
if  and  when  you  do  happen  to  get  sick;  this combination  of  a  strong  natural
immunity and gentle, immune-strengthening natural medicinals is the best possible
solution to our health problems. Trying to achieve good health by routinely using drugs and surgery to suppress
disease symptoms produced by unhealthy lifestyles is a dead end - literally. Just because the generally accepted modern lifestyle has conditioned us to believe
and accept  that McDonald's  is really a place to eat  and that white sugar is a
nutritive food, isn't going to change the fact that neither of those things is true. As
doctors tell us:
"Today's chronic diseases - both social and medical - are really  symptoms of a
much  more  vast  underlying  problem. They  are  the  culmination  of  years  of
inadequate nutrition, a toxic environment, sedentary lifestyles, familial and social
disruptions, and dependence on artificial agents (from cigarettes to cocaine) for
happiness. Every cell in our bodies - from the brain to the immune system - is
affected by these abuses." — Betrayal of Health
62You can't halfheartedly lay a veneer of natural medicines over your  inherently
unhealthy and destructive lifestyle and then announce to yourself and the world
that you tried natural medicine and "it didn't work." Everyday as a nation we consumers drink millions of gallons of those toxic brews
called Pepsi and Coke; we ingest millions of dollars worth of junk food, food
additives  and  sugar,  stuffing  it  all  down  at  warp  speed  as  we  madly  propel
ourselves through overcrowded streets in cars belching carbon monoxide fumes, all
the while breathing in the toxic aroma of the grossly polluted air. Arriving at our synthetically constructed domiciles, we subject our bodies and
minds to relentless TV radiation and the dismal harangue of the nightly news, all
the while "banging" our stress and sugar induced headaches, aches and pains with
Bayer, or Excedrin, Anacin or Dristan, or whatever other 'wonder drug'  flashes
seductively across the screen. And then we ask ourselves "Why don't I feel good - why can't my doctor fix me
once and for all? Because of our modem lifestyle, too few of us pause to rest and treat ourbodies
When  we  go  to  the  drugstore,  our  only  thought  is  to  find  the  fastest-acting,
strongest drug available to relieve our discomfort and in essence, to'shut the body
up'. And drug companies and doctors know this - so they give us what we think we
want, and what we erroneously assume is safe. So how do we start looking out for our own health concerns? We can start by not
rushing to the drugstore or doctor for a quick-fix every time we don't feel well. We
can change our lifestyles and we can learn how to gently stimulate our immune
defenses, treat illness and relieve pain with simple natural medicines like urine
therapy. And we can change our diets. It's not that hard to get back to simple basics - get rid
of the frozen and boxed dinners, the instant breakfast shakes, the sodas, the sugary,
preservative, chemical-filled desserts and start eating real foods like whole grains
and fresh green vegetables and salads and fruit. Our environment is so filled with
63chemical pollutants today that deliberately ingesting them in our food is an unwise
practice and an added burden on our already overburdened immune systems. The use of basic natural foods and natural medicines, unlike synthetic drugs or
surgery, requires a degree of self-love, self-discipline, and patience - listening to
the body, observing the causes behind the symptoms of our illnesses, and changing
unhealthy habits and attitudes, rather than relying on strong medical interventions
to mask underlying disease factors by relieving symptoms. No matter how inconvenient these changes might seem now, just wait until you see
how inconvenient cancer, heart disease  and serious chronic illness can be if you
don't make these changes. So as you can see, there is a chain of command within our present medical system
that has made it difficult, or nearly impossible for the research information and
findings on simple, inexpensive urine therapy to receive recognition:
1)Getting FDA approval for medical therapies is astronomically expensive;
2)Drug companies want high-profit, patentable therapies to pay for research
and to boost company profits;
3)Hospitals and doctors are indoctrinated and influenced by heavy promotion
and  pressure from the pharmaceutical industry, and so prescribe and use
only drug company endorsed medical therapies. A New Era in Medicine
Fortunately, attitudes in medicine are changing in response to the many  problems
that  have  surfaced  with  drug  and  surgical  therapies. Recent  articles  show  the
general trend by both consumers and the medical community towards traditional,
more  natural  health  approaches. A  study  cited  recently  in  the  New  England
Journal of Medicine  stated that:
In  1990,  Americans  made  425  million  visits  to  alternative  health  care
practitioners,  while  388  million  visits  were  made  to  conventional  health  care
providers. 64— Focus on Behavioral Health Magazine
July 9, 1993
Another article in Forbes Magazine, reports on the new trend in medicine back to
traditional, natural forms of healing:
"New Support for Old Therapies"
"Does the doctor really know best? Not always, it would seem, if you  take into
account  the  increasing  respectability  being  won  by  such  non-  conventional
therapies as acupuncture, biofeedback, chiropractic and herbal medicine. In other cultures these therapies have been standard practice for ages,  but most
physicians educated in schools approved by the American Medical Association
and  affiliated  with  AMA  hospitals  have  long  dismissed  these  techniques  as
quackery. Today,  however,  signs  of  a  new  approbation  for  alternative  medicine  are
everywhere. Even  The  National  Institutes  of  Health  now  has  an  Office  of
Alternative Medicine." — Forbes, Dec. 20, 1993
It's interesting to realize how much power we consumers have over our  own lives. As this article demonstrates, individual consumers are the ones who can ultimately
determine the course of medicine over the next century by the choices they make
for  medical  treatments. And  the  medical  establishment  knows  this,  as  another
recent article reveals:
The National Institutes of Health Begins a New Era...
For the first time, it will systematically explore unconventional medical  practices,
decide  which  are  effective  and  begin  putting  some  of  them  into  mainstream
medicine. 65Stephen Groft, who heads the new effort, said a panel of experts will study many
methods  long  scoffed  at


, we have already moved up to the ener gy of
pride in that we have finally taken the bull by the horns and are doing
something about it. On the way to the speaking course, again more fear will
arise. As this is constantly acknowledged and surrendered, we become
aware that we have courage in our capacity at least to face our fears and
take action to overcome them. The level of courage has a lot of ener gy. That ener gy takes the form of
letting go of residual fear, anger, and desire, so that in the middle of the
speaking class, we suddenly experience acceptance. W ith acceptance there
is the freedom from resistance, which had taken the form previously of fear,
apathy, and anger. Now, we begin to experience pleasure. There is the self-
confidence of acceptance, “I can do it. ” On the level of acceptance, there is
greater awareness of others, so that in the speaking class, we become aware
of the pain, suf fering, and embarrassment of others in the class and begin to
be concerned about them. W ith the emer gence of this compassion towards others, there is a loss
of self-consciousness. W ith the emer gence of selflessness come moments of
peace. On the way home from the class, we experience an inner
contentment, a feeling that we have grown, that we have shared with others. In the experience of sharing, we have for gotten ourselves for a few
moments and have been more concerned with the happiness of someone
else. W e take pleasure in the accomplishments of others. In this state, there
is a transforming grace, the discovery of our inner compassion, a feeling of
connectedness with others, and a compassion for their suf fering. W ith the
full development of this progression, we might then share with others how
we had a fear of public speaking, the steps we took to overcome it, thesuccess we experienced, the increase of our self-esteem, and the positive
changes in our relationships. This entire progression is the basis of a great deal of the power of self-
help groups: the sharing of inner experiences from the lowest to the highest
levels on the scale of emotions. That which in the beginning seemed
formidable and overwhelming has now been surmounted and handled, with
the resultant increase of aliveness and well-being. This increase in self-
esteem then spills over into other areas of life, and the increase in
confidence results in greater material abundance and capability in
vocational functioning. On this level, love takes the form of sharing and
encouraging others, and our activities are constructive instead of
destructive. The ener gy radiated out is then positive and attractive to others,
resulting in a constant positive feedback. Once we have experienced this progression up the scale of emotions in
any one particular area, we now begin to realize that it can be done in other
areas of limitation in our lives. Behind all of the “I can’ ts” are merely “I
won’ ts. ” The “I won’ ts” mean “I am afraid to” or “I am ashamed to” or “I
have too much pride to try, for fear I might fail. ” Behind that is anger at
ourselves and circumstances engendered by pride. Acknowledging and
letting go of these feelings brings us up to courage and, with that, finally
acceptance and an inner peacefulness, at least as it regards the area which
has been surmounted. Apathy and depression are the prices we pay for having settled for and
bought into our smallness. It’ s what we get for having played the victim and
allowed ourselves to be programmed. It’ s the price we pay for having
bought into negativity. It’ s what results from resisting the part of ourselves
that is loving, courageous, and great. It results from allowing ourselves to
be invalidated by ourselves or others; it is the consequence of holding
ourselves in a negative context. In reality, it is only a definition of ourselves
that we have unwittingly allowed to happen. The way out is to become
more conscious. What does it mean, “to become more conscious”. T o begin with,
becoming more conscious means to start looking for the truth for ourselves,
instead of blindly allowing ourselves to be programmed, whether from
without or by an inner voice within the mind, which seeks to diminish and
invalidate, focusing on all that is weak and helpless. T o get out of it, we
have to accept the responsibility that we have bought into the negativity andhave been willing to believe it. The way out of this, then, is to start
questioning everything. There are many models of the mind. One of the most recent has been
that of the computer. W e can look at the mind’ s concepts, thoughts, and
belief systems as programs. Because they are programs, they can be
questioned, cancelled, and reversed; positive programs can replace negative
ones if we so choose. The smaller aspect of ourselves is very willing to
accept negative programming. If we look at the source of our thoughts, begin to identify their origins,
and stop the vanity of labeling them as “mine” (and therefore sacrosanct),
we notice that thoughts can be looked at objectively. W e see that their
origins were often the early childhood training from parents, family, and
teachers, as well as dribbles and drabbles of information we picked up from
playmates, newspapers, movies, television, radio, church, novels, and the
automatic input from our senses. All of this went on unwittingly without
our having exercised any conscious choice. Not only that, but out of our
unconsciousness, ignorance, innocence, and naïveté, plus the nature of the
mind itself, we ended up as the composite of all the negative garbage
prevalent in the world. Furthermore, we concluded that it applied to us
personally. As we become more aware, we begin to realize that we have a
choice. W e can stop giving authority to all the mind’ s thoughts, begin to
question them, and find out if there is really any truth in them for ourselves. The feeling state of apathy is associated with the belief, “I can’ t. ” The
mind doesn’ t like to hear it, but in reality most “I can’ ts” are “I won’ ts. ”
The reason the mind doesn’ t want to hear this is because “I can’ t” is a
cover -up for other feelings. These feelings can be brought to awareness by
posing the hypothetical question to oneself, “Is it true that I won’ t  rather
than that I can’ t. If I accept that ‘I won’ t,’ what situations will be brought
up and how do I feel about them. ”
As an example, let’ s say we have a belief system that we can’ t dance. W e say to ourselves: “Perhaps that’ s a cover -up. Maybe the truth is that I
don’ t want to and I won’ t. ” The way we can find out what the feelings are is
to envision ourselves as going through the process of learning to dance. As
we do that, all of the associated feelings now start to come up:
embarrassment, pride, awkwardness, the sheer ef fort of learning a new skill,
and the reluctance about the time and ener gy involved. As we replace “I
can’ t” with “I won’ t,” we uncover all of these feelings, which can then besurrendered. W e see that learning to dance means we have to be willing to
let go of pride. W e look at the cost and ask ourselves, “Am I willing to
continue to pay this price. W ould I be willing to let go of the fear of not
succeeding. W ould I be willing to let go of resisting the ef fort required. W ould I be willing to let go of the vanity so that I could allow myself to be
awkward as a learner. Could I let go of my stinginess and smallness and be
willing to pay for the lessons and give the time. ” As all of the associated
feelings are surrendered, it becomes very clear that the real reason is
unwillingness—not incapacity. It must be remembered that we are free to acknowledge and surrender
our feelings, and we are free not to surrender. As we examine our “I can’ ts”
and find out that they are really “I won’ ts,” it doesn’ t mean that we have to
let go of the negative feelings that result in the “I won’ ts. ” W e are perfectly
free to refuse to let go. W e are free to hang on to negativity as long as we
want. There is no law that says we have to give it up. W e are free agents. But it makes a big dif ference in our self-concept to realize that “I won’ t do
something” is quite a dif ferent feeling than to think that “I’m a victim and I
can’ t. ” For instance, we can choose to hate somebody if we want. W e can
choose to blame them. W e can choose to blame circumstances. But being
more conscious and realizing that we are freely choosing this attitude puts
us in a higher state of consciousness and, therefore, closer to greater power
and mastery than being the helpless victim of a feeling. Blame
One of the biggest blocks to overcome in getting out of depression and
apathy is that of blame. Blame is a whole subject in itself. Looking into it


Indication: As a general hair care; as a substitute for
shampoo; dandruff; hair loss and baldness. This is an excellent remedy for dandruff, lifeless hair
and even baldness and hair loss. Massage urine
briskly into the scalp, allow it to be absorbed for
thirty minutes to an hour, and then wash it out
with lukewarm water (do not use soap or sham
poo). Hair becomes clean and lustrous. If you de
not rinse out the urine, the effect is even more pow
erful. However, circumstances do not always allov. this. You can use both fresh and old urine for this
The latter shows stronger results. This method caused my hair to start growin~
again on a practically bald spot on top of my head
Naturally, this method does not guarantee a ne~
head of hair. Baldness is connected with man) factors, which are not always related to the scalp
area. Your hair will, however, become more beauti
ful and vital. Those who apply urine therapy often
do not turn grey but retain their original hair col
our at a later age. If intensively applied, hair might
begin to grow again on bald spots.. i
Urine revitalises and cleanses your hair. 4. 5 Warning and Guidelines
WARNING
It is generally not recommended to combine urine therapy
with the use of (prescribed) chemical, allopathic medi
cines or recreational drugs. The combination may be dan
gerous to your health. If you are taking any form of allopathic medicine, be
gin with the external application (urine massage) until
you are free of all medication, if possible. I am often asked what to do when someone is us
ing chemical medicines and also wants to start urine
therapy. It is then good first to consider if stopping
the medicines would create a life-threatening, dan
gerous or unbearable situation, or if it would make
feel someone very unsafe. If so, start only with ex
ternal applications and watch very carefully what
the reactions are. Then proceed with caution and
start internal urine therapy by taking only a few
drops urine pure or as a homoeopathic tincture. Then gradually build up the amount and keep moni
toring the situation. When the situation improves, you could, after
some time, once again, consider if the medicines
taken are still necessary. It is advisable, though, to (gradually) stop using
chemical, allopathic drugs that are not strictly
necessary. Try to substitute them with natural
medicines whenever possible. Natural medicines
and ur!ne therapy generally combine very well and
often support each other. The Application of Urine Therapy 55 such as is the case with fever, jaundice and a number
of other diseases. In some cases drinking urine can
be extremely unpleasant. However, if you drink as
much urine as possible, the urine will quickly be
come thinner and taste more pleasant. Vomiting is
good in so far as it cleans the stomach, so there is
no cause for worry. After vomiting, you will be less
tense and feel better. If vomiting continues even
after the stomach is empty, call in professional help. After vomiting out urine, rest and consume only
some light liquids, such as water with lemon juice. Once well-rested, continue with urine therapy. d) Mild fever: A seemingly inexplicable, light fe
ver may occur. Here, the body attempts to burn
the poisonous substances released. Fever is actually
the most thorough way for the body to discard
unwanted substances. Reduce the amount of urine
to be ingested, depending on how high the fever is,
and get a lot of rest. If necessary, temporarily cease
urine th~rapy until the fever has tome down. e) Coughing and the common cold: During a cleans
ing process the body sometimes removes excess
mucus from the lungs and bronchial tubes. If a great
deal of mucus is released, reduce the amount of urine
to be ingested or stop temporarily. Start inhaling
urine through the nose, as this clears the upper part
of the bronchial tubes. Avoid milk and dairy prod
ucts, as well as all mucus-producing.nutrients such
as fat and carbohydrates. f) Overall feeling of weakness: This can occur as a
result of the extra energy the body must exert in
order to excrete the surplus of poisonous substances. 7) Complete fasting might be too intense, especially
if you have been suffering from a chronic illness for
58 Going With the Flow a long period of time. In this case, begin urine
therapy slowly and step by step. After some time,
you might consider a fast consisting of one meal
per day. It is always wise to begin slowly rather
than diving immediately into deep water only to
discover that you cannot swim. 8) During certain illnesses, urine thickens and tastes
terribly unpleasant. Drink it anyway, even though
this might not be easy. Thick and sharp urine may
contain important mineral salts and other valuable
substances. Dilute the urine and wash it away with
water. 9) Pregnant women can practise urine therapy with
the following restrictions. The first morning urine
should NOT be ingested. After drinking water, tea
or milk, you may drink the second or third flow. The urine should be light in colour, not too sharp
or bitter and not too concentrated. 10) Women can drink their urine during their men
struation period. Many women experience this as
unpleasant, in which case it is better to stop for a
few days. It is always best to consider what feels
good for yourself. 11) It is advisable to monitor and balance your pH,
i.e. the acid/alkaline condition of your body, espe
cially with intensive application of urine therapy
and fasting. Your urine pH should ideally vary from
approximately 5 (more acid) to 8 (more alkaline)
during the course of a day. When there is a ten
dency to either overacidity (acidosis) or
overalkalinity (alkalosis), your body is not function
ing correctly or your diet is consistently too acid or too alkaline. It is advisable to first try to balance
your pH by increasing relaxation, rest, fresh air,
exercises and by making dietary adjustments. There
are good books available on this subject. You can
order pH measuring strips at the pharmacist or drug
store. 12) Each person is different, and someone else's
experiences do not necessarily apply to you. Age,
constitution, physical condition, dietary habits and
illness are all contributory factors. Also in your own
:body the situation constantly changes. Always ad
just the application of urine therapy according to
iwhat you need and can tolerate at that moment. 13) Trust the process: There are many paths which
lead to the same goal of good health. 4.6 The Influence of Food
:Everything you eat and drink has an effect on your
. body and consequently on your urine. The healthier
·your dietary habits are, the better your urine will
taste. Urine therapy in itself does not perform mira
·cles. Unless you provide your body with the essen
tial nutrients, it will not possess the raw materials
needed to maintain good health. ~ If you eat healthily and consciously, your urine
will contain many essential nutrients which can
be re-used. Even so, the body may have a deficiency
of certain nutrients if they are not supplemented
by a complete range of foods. In the long run, this
may result in illnesses and ailments. How can we prevent this? Where can we get these
essential nutrients? As already discussed, everything we put in or on
our body affects the way it functions and performs. The human body is not made to digest and absorb
the many harmful additives to which we are nowa
days exposed. Chemical products and radiation
added to food products have been proven to be
harmful. The recommended range of foods consists of fresh
vegetables and fruit, wholemeal grains, seeds, nuts,
beans, natural sweeteners such as honey, and a lim
ited use of dairy products. Alkaline-promoting foods, which deacidify, are
particularly recommended. I myself have noted that
after an evening meal which consists mainly of raw
vegetables, the following morning my urine tastes
practically neutral. It is advisable to follow a vegetarian diet during
intensive application of uri-~ therapy. This means
that it is best for you to refrain from eating all meat
and dairy products, or at least reduce this to a mini
mum, especially if you practise the therapy for an
extended period of time. This also applies if you
are fasting or if you drink several glasses of urine
per day. If you continue to eat (large quantities of) meat,
you probably have a high concentration of nitro
gen wastes, uric acids and other (acidic) substances
in your urine, which are not helpful when re-in
gested in these large amounts. A surplus of these
substances in the blood can lead to an abnormally
high degree of acidity. The body consequently' acidi
fies', creating a breeding ground for illnesses. The
The Application of Urine Therapy 5.} above mentioned substances in high


 dawn or dusk, during an
eclipse, full moon, or new moon; when hungry or thirsty; or within
two hours after eating. At the moment of orgasm, let your attention go toward the Divine—
really feeling the sacredness and profundity of the moment. Partners
can repeat a mantra together or recite the name(s) of God. After lovemaking, the woman’ s belly can be sprayed with cooling
rosewater and covered with a cool damp cloth. Bathe, and then both partners can drink a glass of warm milk boiled
with a pinch each of cardamom, saf fron, ginger, and ground almond
powder. (As noted earlier, saffron is especially nourishing for the
reproductive organs and ojas.) SKIP N OTES*1 https://courses.lumenlearning.com/atd-fscj-childpsychology/chapter/unit-4-
foundations-of-child-and-adolescent-psychology. *2 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/4075604/. OceanofPDF.comCultivating the Seed
HOLISTIC HEALTH DURING
PREGNANCY 3
Action that is virtuous, thought thr ough, fr ee from attachment, and
without craving for r esults is consider ed Sattvic; Action that is driven
purely by craving for pleasur e, selfishness and much effort is Rajasic;
Action that is undertaken because of delusion, disr egarding
consequences, without considering loss or injury to others or self, is
called T amasic. —Bhagavad Gita, chapter 18, verses 23–25
The science of Ayurveda takes a holistic approach to caring for this little
soul as its body is growing inside of you. Whereas Western medicine places
emphasis more narrowly on a mother ’s diet, Ayurveda acknowledges that
you receive nourishment not only from the food that you eat but also from
everything coming in through all your senses. The sounds you hear, the
scents you smell, everything you see, touch, and taste all shape this little
being’ s body, mind, and consciousness. According to Ayurvedic thought, the constitution of your baby, as well
as any imbalances that they are born with, are formed by several factors,
including the genetic makeup of both parents, the parents’  balances and
imbalances, their psychology and consciousness at the moment of
conception, the mama’ s diet and emotions during pregnancy, environmental
influences during pregnancy, and the samskaras (subtle impressions from
past actions) from previous lives. In Ayurvedic teaching, however, the most
important thing in pregnancy is that mama is happy and feels positive
emotions. A mama’ s emotions af fect a baby more than any other factor, so
it’s crucial to focus on sattva (uplifting sensory impression) during
pregnancy. This chapter will explore how sensory impressions either serve to
support the health and happiness of your babe or bring more discomfort,
discontent, and dis-ease to the little one developing in your womb. Thischapter also explores the growth of your baby, month by month, according
to the teachings of Ayurveda on a physical and ener getic level, and it will
talk about how to support the health of your little one throughout each
phase. MAHA GUNAS
We are what we associate with. Every person has an ener gy that vibrates in and around them. Your
energy is a combination of all the ener gy you pick up from the people you
spend time with, the places you go, the foods you eat, and everything that
comes in through your senses. Wherever you go you carry this vibration, as
you simultaneously pick up the ener gies of the people, places, and things
that you interact with. When you spend time with another person, you pick
up not only their ener gy but also the ener gy they have picked up from their
other associations. When you go to certain places, you pick up the ener gies
of the people that have been there. The great teacher A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada used to give
the following example about the power of association: If you place an iron
rod in fire, in a bit of time it begins to take on all the qualities of fire; if you
touch it, it will have the same ef fect as fire does! That same iron rod, if you
place it in ice, after some time it begins to take on the qualities of ice. Every
interaction that takes place changes you. The teachings of yoga and
Ayurveda ur ge you to become conscious of the ways that you are af fected
by what you associate with, and to choose associations that uplift you. During pregnancy your senses are the gateways between your own inner
and outer world, and they also are serving as a filter for your growing baby
—so everything a pregnant mama tastes, sees, touches, hears, and smells
should be nourishing to both the mother and the child. Whatever comes in
through your senses shapes not only the body but also the mind of your
little one.In Ayurvedic teaching, the sensory impressions you bring in through
your eyes, ears, mouth, nose, and skin are described in terms of three
primordial qualities called the maha gunas, which weave through the subtle
nature of all matter. If your sensory impressions are proper and balanced,
you feel happy, clear, and uplifted; this quality of experience is described as
sattvic, as it stems from the association with sattva  guna. If your sensory
impressions are in excess, deficient, or imbalanced, you feel disturbed and
agitated; these experiences are rajasic or tamasic in nature, and they arise
from exposure to raja or tama gunas. These three gunas are like the three
threads that make up the fabric of the material world or like the three
primary colors that mix to create every other color that exists. Qualities and Characteristics of the Three
Gunas
Sattva. balancing, pure, luminous, serene, good, light, ease,
harmony, order; signifies knowledge
Rajas. stimulation, movement, passion, restlessness;
responsible for motion and activity
Tamas. inert, impure, dull, dark, degenerating, ignorant or
sloth and torpor (lethargy)
You are constantly engaged in ener gy transfers. You pick up dif ferent
energies simply by walking into another house or environment. Upon
entering some places—perhaps a temple, your yoga studio, a clean and
orderly house, or even a library!—you might suddenly feel uplifted, clearer,
and more connected to your Self. Certain people that you spend time with
might also bring you that feeling of connection and clarity, as might some
of the foods that you eat, music that you listen to, and scents that you smell.These grounding ener getic sensations that bring ease, harmony, and clarity
to your mind are sattvic  impressions, coming from people, places, and
things that carry a vibration of goodness. In the same way, certain places—the New York City stock exchange, a
disco club, or any place during rush hour—might make you suddenly feel
intensely ener gized! In the company of certain people, you might find
yourself planning for the future, setting goals, perhaps feeling anxious,
competitive, critical, or a bit angry. Some of the foods you eat, music or
sounds you hear, or scents you smell might make your mind more active—
make you feel more unsettled, future-oriented, and overstimulated. These
rajasic impressions come from association with people, places, or things in
the mode of passion. Then there are places you might find yourself in that have a dulling
effect on the mind: places that are dark and dirty; someone’ s home where
the shades are closed, the sink is full of dirty dishes, and you cannot even
see the countertop because of the mess; a night club at 2 a.m. when
everyone is intoxicated. In the company of some people you might
suddenly feel your consciousness being pulled down: you find yourself
resenting past experiences, feeling hopeless and depressed. Certain foods
you eat, music or sounds you hear, and things you smell might color your
mind with more inertia, stagnation, and heaviness. These are all tamasic
impressions, or ener gy that is imprinted upon the mind from the lower
vibrations of ignorance or inertia. The natural state of the mind is sattvic, though depending on what
comes in through your senses, the mind may be colored by rajas or tamas. Ayurvedic tradition views rajasic and tamasic impressions as the cause of
all dis-ease because they distort your perception and hence your ability to
make decisions from a clear and centered place. You begin to choose what
you want now rather than what you want most—a choice often based on
short-term sensory stimulation that fails to lead you toward the real joy and
satisfaction that you ultimately seek. When the mind is distorted by rajas and tamas (by associating with
rajasic and tamasic sensory impressions), you fail to see things as they areand instead see things through the lens of your conditioning. It is as if you
are looking through red-tinted glasses, so you are always seeing red! You
live from a dulled or more reactive state, triggered by life’ s past
experiences, responding to this moment in a distorted way. Influenced by


 accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        Page 1 of  72 Metabolic Solutions Report
Terry Chamberlin, B. Sc., C. N. C., Bioanalyst                Nova Scotia, Canada                  msibio@yahoo. com               902-584-3810

SCIENTIFIC FASTING
The Ancient and Modern Key to Health

BY
LINDA BURFIELD HAZZARD, D. O. (Fifth, revised and amplified edition of Fasting for the Cure of Disease)
GRANT PUBLICATIONS, INC. 33 WEST 60TH STREET, NEW YORK, N. Y. 1927
Copyright, under the title of "Fasting For the Cure of Disease,"
by Linda Burfield Hazzard, 1908, 1910, 1915
COPYRIGHT, 1927
BY LINDA BURFIELD HAZZARD
All Rights Reserved,
Including all rights of Translation
into Foreign Languages

PREFACE

NINETEEN years have elapsed since the author issued her first volume dealin g with the prevention and relief of disease through
fasting and its accessories. In each of the three succeeding editions details were added, new discoveries recorded, and all f acts
tending to throw clearer light upon the practical application of what Dr. Edward Hooker Dewey termed the "New Gospel of
Health" were fully exploited. In this, the fifth revised and amplified edition of the work, it is hoped that, with greater de tail and
greater knowledge, still greater lucidity has been given in exposition of th e truths that underlie the therapeutic worth and
possibilities of the fast. The book is written primarily for the lay reader. Hence, whenever a surmise is made or an unproved theory advanced, the attit ude
of the mind of the author regarding it is plainly  displayed. Likewise, whenever absolute harmony has been accomplished between
theory and fact, no doubt is permitted the reader in statements of truth discovered. If science is to be defined as knowledge gained and verified by exact observation and corre ct thinking, the work in hand is purely a
scientific record. The human subjects presented to the author for guidance and care have in all instances been those for whom
medicine had done its best, or, if you will, its worst. Each case has been carefully obs erved; its organic condition and capabilities
determined as best they might, the patient was fasted, if this procedure were indicated; or his diet was suited to his needs and the
limitations of his organs. Therefore the results obtained are offered no misg ivings or apologies. In accomplishing her work the
author has been handicapped almost at every step by opposition that at times developed into persecution, and this by those wh o
should have been first to welcome the physiological truths which the text prom ulgates. The research made, especially that which
involved post mortem examination, was achieved only through sheer personal determination, assisted by a few broad minds in
authority And it is believed that these autopsies are unique in the history of the healing art, for the author knows of no other
investigator who has had opportunity thus to connect the organic consequence of disease directly with its origin. Moreover, e ach
body examined was, for more or less lengthy periods before death, free from drug dosage, offering for examination tissues
unaffected by recent artificial chemical stimulus or destructive change from similar cause. Human progress has ever been associated with constant discovery, and it would show not only deficiency in judgment but ac tual
mental incapacity to decry the achievements of earnest and conscientious seekers after truth among men of medicine. The autho r,
however, differs from these scientists in a number of respects, principally because she has always been of the opinion that  the
outstanding need of humanity is public health education; and, while she has indicated that medicine is finally awake to this need,
too many of its practitioners still are devoted to pathological rather than to physiological investigation. Heretofore t he day book of
the family physician consisted of a record of visits to households for the treatment of measles, scarlet fever, diphtheria, t yphoid
fever, or malaria. The man was educated to treat disease and knew little of preventive measures, sanitation, hygiene, or diet, nor
did his medical curriculum provide such knowledge. Too long has the medical doctor studied disease and death to the exclusion  of
health and life. Hence again it is stated that, while the facts presented in the text are intended primar ily for lay intelligence, yet,
since they are in all instances corroborated, earnest investigation should follow on the part of those men of science who are  not
bound by prejudice to reject every cult not sanctioned by the traditions and doctrines of their  own system of practice. Page 2 of  72 The aim of medical investigation for many years has been largely towards the classification of the symptoms of disease and th e
segregation of the micro -organisms discovered in its presence. Because of this the medical physician m ay and often does delay
specific treatment until symptoms develop to a point where what he considers an accurate diagnosis may be made. It is not tho ught
that any intelligent mind will differ with the author when she says that the first things to be consid ered in the sick -room, the first
things that the practitioner of natural therapy considers, are the possibility of recovery and the necessity for prompt and e fficient
action along lines that tend to the eradication of the cause of disease. The gospel of good health is based upon the principles of prevention of disease, and there will be found in the introduction to the
second edition of this work, published in 1908, these words: "No one knows better than the thinking member of the medical
profession that the time is at hand when prevention rather than cure will be the keynote of therapeutics. " That this prophecy, for
such it has proved, is in part realized, is shown in the trend of thought in every recent article on the subject of medical p rogress in
autho ritative professional publications. The family physician now is urged to educate his patients and his community in preventive
measures, and so to place himself towards his clientele that his chief service will be one of keeping them well rather than o ne of
curing them when ill. This means that medicine, while still recognizing the specialist, also recognizes that the family physi cian as a
class must form the foundation of all true health service, and that he must maintain most intimate relations with those for whom his
guidance is required. This is exactly what the practitioners of natural therapy have been doing for the past half century and more. For they have e ver
contended that true perception of cause and effect is the mother of the physician, and tha t in this understanding there can exist no
doubt as to remedy. In other words, not man but nature is the doctor, and nature indicates her curative processes in the exis ting
state of disease. And they who follow nature in her physical law further contend th at whatever information they acquire of the
procedure through which natural curative processes are carried on shall freely be given to their patients, so that in the fut ure the
latter may in great measure be relieved of dependency upon professional guidanc e. The upbuilding and the maintenance of the human body lie wholly with its individual possessor, and he should be cognizant of its
parts and of the conserving tasks which they perform to the uttermost degree of knowledge. Ignorance in these respects is a
universal fault resulting from the custom of depending upon others for specialized information. The message contained in the
pages that follow, if rightly perceived and executed, in large degree substitutes for a state of blind dependence upon unharm onized
fact and theory one of reliance upon self and natural law. LINDA BURFIELD HAZZARD
Wilderness Heights,
Olalla, Wash. PART ONE : HISTORICAL

CHAPTER I
THE PIONEERS OF THERAPEUTIC FASTING IN AMERICA

DR. TANNER'S FORTY DAY FASTS:
FASTING EXPERIEN CES OF DR. E. H. DEWEY:
BRIEF ACCOUNT OF DR. HAZZARD'S WORK FOR THIRTY YEARS

IN THIS chapter the author proposes to speak of her personal acquaintance and friendship with those two pioneers in the cause  of
natural therapy whose names and deeds stand for th as do none other by reason of their intellectuality, their courage, and their
ability to grasp the fundamental truths which more or less accidentally were revealed to each of them approximately at the sa me
time. The chapter also purposes a short resume of the contribution of the author to therapeutic fasting and of the difficulties and
persecution to which she has been subjected. It is now about half a century since the newspapers of this country were filled with articles dealing with Dr. Henry S. Tann er and
his claim that he had gone without food for forty -two days. One of my purposes in writing this chapter is to dissipate the fiction
that the fasts that Dr. Tanner undertook were made in order to attract notorietyófor the mere sake of advertisement Th ey were not. Naturally these fasts attracted attention, and such periods of abstention from food still would attract attention were they b rought to
public notice. But Dr. Tanner had another object in view, and it is best expressed in his own words as conta ined in a personal letter
dated December 28, 1911. He says: "I really believe that I am entitled to be called the father of therapeutic fasting in this country,


contaminants they remove, and you can look for one that removes any
contaminants of special concern such as cryptosporidium. Such
certification is not necessarily a safety guarantee, but it is better than no
certification at all. It is critically important that all filters be maintained and
replaced at least as often as recommended by the manufacturer, or they
might make the problem worse. See our guide to water filters for more
information. Also, see chapter on Carbon Filters. 9. How can I obtain test results on my tap water? Under new
“
right-to-know
”
 provisions in the drinking water law, all tap
water suppliers must provide annual water quality reports to their
customers. To obtain a copy, call your water provider (the one that sends
your water bills).You also can test your water yourself, though this can be
expensive. There are state-certified drinking water laboratories in virtually
every state that can test your water. Call your state drinking water
program or the EPA S
afe Drinking Water Hotline (800-
426-4791) for a list
of contacts. Standard consumer test packages are available through large
commercial labs at a relatively reasonable price. 2011 Bottled Water Scorecard

What’s In Your Bottled Water – Besides Water? Twenty-nine brands have ignored California’s new disclosure law. More
than a quarter of the water bottles purchased in California did not list
certain consumer information on the label or failed to provide a water
quality report when contacted by EWG, as is required under state law. These brands include Fiji Natural Artesian Water and Green Planet Pure
Handcrafted Water. When someb
ody drinks a Coke, what happens? 

In the first 10 minutes:
10 teaspoons of sugar hit your
system. (This is 100% of your recommended daily intake.) You
don’t immediately vomit from the overwhelming sweetness
because phosphoric acid cuts the flavor, allowing you to keep it
down. 

20 minutes:
 Your blood sugar spikes, causing
insulin
 burst. Your liver responds to this by turning any sugar it can get hold ofinto fat. (There’s plenty of that at this particular moment.) 

40 minutes:
 Caffeine absorption is complete. Your pupils
dilate,
your blood pressure rises, and as a response your liver dumps
more sugar into your bloodstream. The adenosine receptors in
your brain are now blocked, preventing drowsiness. 

45 minutes:
 Your body ups your dopamine production,
stimulating the pleasure centers of your brain. This is physically
the same way heroin works, by the way. Within 60 minutes:
 The phosphoric acid binds calcium, magnesium and
zinc in your lower intestine, providing a further boost in metabolism. This is
compounded by high doses of sugar and artificial sweeteners, also
increasing the urinary excretion of calcium. Within 60 Minutes:
 The caffeine’s diuretic properties come into play. (Itmakes you have to urinate.) It is now assured that you’ll evacuate the
bonded calcium, magnesium and zinc that
were
 headed to your bones as
well as sodium, electrolytes and water. Within 60 minutes:
 As the rave inside of you dies down, you’ll start to
have a sugar crash. You may become irritable and/or sluggish. You’ve
also now literally urinated all the water that was in the Coke, leaving behind
the garbage. But not before infusing it with valuable nutrients your body
could have used for things like the ability to hydrate your system or build
strong bones and teeth
. Sports Drinks

Bottled waters and sports drinks are a multibillion-dollar industry, but ABC
News
’
 medical contributor Dr. David Katz says these drinks offer little
more than extra calories, sugar and sodium to our diets. Katz reviews the
winners and losers of sports drinks and fortified waters. The Losers

Gatorade
–

8 ounces has 50 calories and 110 milligrams of sodium. Dr.
Katz says that Gatorade might be appropriate for elite athletes like Michael
Phelps. But it is marketed to everyone, and provides un-necessary
calories, sugar and salt to the average person. Gatorade says the drink
’
s
“
ingredients serve to help rehydrate, replenish and
refuel for optimal
performance.”

Powerade
–

32 ounces contains 280 calories, 220 milligrams of sodium
and 76 grams of sugar. Like Gatorade, Powerade, made by Coca-Cola, is
a
“
sports drink
”
 marketed to appeal to Olympic couch potatoes, says
Katz. Glaceau Vitamin Water
–

8 ounces has 50 calories from sugar. Katz
says,
“
If we had a problem with epidemic malnutrition in this country, a
drink such as Vitamin Water might make sense. But since we have,instead, epidemic obesity and diabetes, how about we just leave water
alone, instead of using it as a delivery system for sugar no one needs? ”
Vitamins are
 better obtained from food or even a calorie-free supplement,
he says. Glaceau responded by saying,
“
Artificial sweeteners don
’
t work,
and may in fact increase the incidence of obesity. What does work is an
all-natural, low-calorie approach, like Vitamin Water. ”

 The Winners

Plain Old Water – Zero calories. Katz says there
’
s no contest: Unless you
’
re a true high-performance
athlete who is losing electrolytes that can
’
t be replaced with food, pure,
clean water is the way to hydrate. Polar Fruit Flavored Mineral Water – Zero calories. Contains carbonated water and natural fruit flavorings. Katz
’
s
recommendation for people who want something more interesting than
water, without the superfluous calories, sugar and electrolytes. Natural Fruit Juices
Calories, sugar, sodium and vitamin content will vary. Katz says when you
do want a drink that provides calories, energy, nutrients and something to
satisfy your sweet tooth, choose an all-natural juice like orange or apple. Is Flavored Water Really Healthy? Plain water is
“
still the best. ”
 As a result of America
’
s love affair with sugar
and their habit of having their taste buds constantly titillated
, flavored
 water
has become very popular. We all know that drinking plenty of water is
healthy. But because water is not tasty for most people, it can be difficult to
drink the recommended seven to eight glasses per day. As a
consequence, water not only comes in flavors,
it offers vitamins or herbs,
and even ingredients that may improve
athletic performance. Are these
ersatz waters just as good as plain water? How about better, in some
cases? Although flavored waters may taste better than plain water, you
may not want to put the contents into your body. Artificial Sweeteners vs. Sugar
Plain water has no calories and no
artificial sweeteners. Unfortun
ately, that
is not the case with many flavored waters, since they do contain artificial
sweeteners or sugar. Artificial sweeteners have been connected with
memory loss as well as other possible unhealthy side effects. Some
flavored waters even contain sugar. So much for flavored water being a
healthy substitute for just plain old, pure water. Many flavored waters that
contain fruit also contain preservatives. If you
’
re looking for a chemical-
free drink with zero (or very little calories), most flavored waters do not fit
the bill. Vitamins and Minerals? Although some flavored waters do contain vitamins and/or minerals, many
of these waters also contain ingredients that you do not need. For
example, Glaceau Vitamin Water
’
s
 Energy
 formula
contains vitamins
;
however, it also contains crystalline fructose, caffeine, gum ester, artificial
flavoring and caramel coloring (chemicals). It also sports 125 calories per
serving. Other products have similar ingredients. Snapple
’
s
Antioxidant
water contains electrolytes and vitamins, but it also contains modified corn
starch, sugar, disodium
EDTA
, and epigallocatechin gallate. “
Give me
distilled water, please!<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        Distilled Water
and
 Its
    Relationship to Health. Change Your Water

- Change Your Life

      Distillation Station- Aquamedia Group Companies- Copyright 2013- All
Rights Reserved

Douglas Clayton Hoover
Author

 Douglas is a retired contractor, author, freelance writer, inventor, designer,
architect and lives in San Diego, CA with his wife Alice. He is the founder and developer of
the “
Distillation Station,” the
very “first bottled water vending machines in the United States. ”

The original station was placed in Bill's IGA Store, Brooklyn, Michigan, in
1976. Douglas Hoover has been studying water and its relationship to
health for over 40 years. He rarely debates with the distilled water naysayers, because, “A man with
an experience is not at the mercy of a man with an argument. ”
Douglas is a living example of the miraculous health benefits of a “
fasting
lifestyle
” and drinking plenty of distilled water. In the year 1976, just a
stone's throw from the
Michigan International
 Speedway, in Bill's IGA
(Independent Gro


 Kidney  cannot store the Qi that the
Lung receives. THE LUNG-HEART CONNECTION
Since the Lung commands the Qi and the Heart  rules the Blood, the
Lung and Heart  depend upon each other. The axiom “Where Qi goes,
Blood  ows” means that the movement of Qi governs the ow of
Blood. The beat of the heart keeps pace with the breath, and the
Blood  follows the Qi on its return to the Heart. A congestion of Lung
Qi impedes the circulation of Blood, causing palpitations and fullness
in the chest. A deciency  of Heart  function impairs respiration,
causing shortness of breath and easy sweating. Other disturbances of
the Lung manife st as disorders of the skin, mucous membrane, and
venous circulation. Manifestations of this include dry and wrinkled
skin, allergic dermatitis, loss of body hair, varicose veins, sensitivity
to drafts and changes in temperature, and diminished immunity to
colds, us, and other infectious microbes. MATE OF THE  LUNG: THE  LARGE INTESTINE
The Large Intestine  is the Yang partner of the Lung Network  It amasses
and discharges the refuse of digestion and metabolism, continuing
the process of rening that begins in the Lung. By dispelling stale air
and excreting turbid matter, the Lung and Large Intestine  separate
out that which we no longer desire or need. Generally, the Large Intestine  delineates and shapes that which we
no longer want and that which is not us—creating the space for
recognition of what we do want and who we are. It helps us to
concretely distinguish between what is useful and useless, benecial
and harmful, right and wrong, self and nonself.When the Large Intestine  is not functio ning properly,  distinctions
become vague  and ambiguous, and the mind becomes unclear and
cluttered. Failu re to eliminate the old leaves no room to take in
what is fresh and new, leaving an unpleasant feeling of stuness,
staleness, and lifelessness. Conversely, being unable to extract and
retain the good leaves a person weak, empty, and withered. The
Large Intestine, together with the Lung, promotes the processes of
separation, distillation, individuation, and elimination, engendering
a distinct sense of form and value. The ease with which we are able to let go of unnecessary
thoughts, feelings, and attachments is facilitated by the function of
this Network. Letting go can be experienced in the extreme as a loss
of control, provoking an urgent desire to exercise stricter self-
regulation. For the sake of security, relaxation and exibility may be
sacriced. This reluctance to easily release impulses and express
feelings develops into a posture of rigidity and withholding. Suppressing physical and emotional responsiveness is a way of
armoring oneself, stiening and hardening the protectiv e envelope
of the psyche  and soma. The skin and supercial musculature
become rigid, the deeper muscles of the diaphragm and intestines
become spastic and tense. Asthma, constipation, stiness of the
spine and neck, and spastic colon are the consequences of this
overrestraint of Lung and Large Intestine. Ment al xation and
emotional inhibition limit the range of response, restricting
creativity and the adaptability of the organism. INSPIRATION, FORM
With inspiration and expiration the body inates and shrinks,
dening the margins of contraction and expansion, the fundamental
polarities of Yin and Yang. Breath ing is separated into inhalation
and exhalation—between the two there is a brief interval,  a moment
of stillness that partitions events, marking beginnings and endings. The Lung is sensitive, tender, yielding,  open, and rened as it directs
the Qi, providing form, structure, and denition. When the Lung is
vigorous and strong, the skin is smooth, supple, and vibrant, thebody has abundant physical power, an even tempo, and superior
immunity. The Lung is the source of inspiration—it creates the open
space, the emptiness within  which new ideas and emotions take
shape. WATER: THE KIDNEY
The Kidney  consol idates and stores the Qi that initiates and keeps
life growing. Like a minister of interior who conserves natural
resources, stockpiling essential raw materials for use in times of
growth, crisis, or transition, the Kidney preserves  what is essential,
the Essence, of human life. As the well of vitality and endurance, the
Kidney  is the germ of intellect, creativity, and houses our instinct to
procreate and survive. Kidney-Bladder
HARBORS THE  GERM
Before we are born our parents endow us with Essence Qi, which
following birth is fortied by Air Qi  from the Lungs  and Food Qi  from
the Spleen. Both inherited and acquire d Qi is collected within the
reservoir of the Kidney  to be dispensed as needed. To say the Kidney
holds the Essence  means it generates and warehouses the original
material substance that forms  the basis of all other tissues—it grasps
the kernel from which all life springs. Kidney Essence  can be likened
to the geneti c information encoded in DNA, the template of
biological destiny, which along with basic structural proteins formshormones and enzymes that direct cellular metabolism. The Kidney
is the fundament that uphold s our continuous regeneration, the link
in our chain of being. Responsible for procreation, the Kidney
transmits our physical and cultural inheritance as a species from
millions of years of evolution. It is the source of our imagination,
enabling us to look backward at our ancestral origins, our heritage,
and look forward to envision our future and create our progeny. Kidney NetworkAs the deep-reaching roots of a sapling suck the juices of the earth
while its leafy branches imbibe sunlight and air, so the Kidney
secures essent ial sap (Yin) while imparting essential heat (Yang). Kidney Yin, like the root system, nourishes and moisturizes, whereas
Kidney Yang warms  and activates. Even though the Kidney  is the
most Yin organ, it contains within it the Yang seed of its opposite,
Fire. The rudime ntary vegetative mechanisms that sustain the
organism—analogous to the integrated function of the
hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenal glands in Western terms—are
governed by the Kidney. The primary catalytic substance, Kidney
Essence  (Jing), enables the Spirit  (Shen) to express itself. Jing and
Shen interac t to create the soma and the psyche, the Water  and Fire,
the Yin and Yang. The presence  (Shen) that animates the being is
required to humanize its vessel, the body. The vessel (Jing) is
necessary to give mindful existence its form. REGENERATION
The Kidney  supports the reproductive organs (ovaries, uterus,
testicles, prost ate), the reproductive material (sperm and ovum),
and reproduct ive activity (sexual impulse, ovulation, ejaculation,fertilization, gestation). When the Kidney Qi  is abundant, sexual and
reproductive life is vigorous  and lasting. The supply of inherited
Essence  is nite—our lifespan is demarcated by its ultimate
diminution. GROWTH
The Kidney  engenders the structural elements of the body and
regulates growth. The proper unfolding of mental and physical
maturation depends upon the adequate supply of Essence, which
gives rise to the marrow, which in turn produces the brain and
spinal cord, bones, teeth, blood, and hair. The brain is called the
“sea of marrow,” meaning that the cleverness and acuity of the
mind and senses are subsid ized by the Kidney, as is the timely
appearance of teeth, secondary sexual characteristics, the ability to
store calcium in the bones, inscribe experience in the memory, and
accelerate the manufacture of red blood cells. When Essence  is plentiful, the life force and the ability to resist
disease and adapt to change are strong. Poor health, developmental
deformities, mental retardat ion, fragility of bone, and premature
aging signify insuciency of Essence. Withering of the skin,
deterioration of the joints, fading of mental faculties, stiness of the
spine, loss or graying of hair, dimness of vision and hearing, loss of
teeth, impotence, and infertility betray its decline. Ample stamina,
luxuriant hair, perennial vigor, sound teeth, and agility of thinking
evidence ourishing Essence. FLUID METABOLISM
Kidney Yin is the basis of all liquid substances in the body, and
Kidney Yang regulates the balance and circulation of these
constituents. All internal secretions and interstitial uids are derived
from the synthesis of inherited and acquired Yin Essence, including
tears, saliva, mucus, urine, sweat, cerebrospinal uid, synovial uid,
plasma, and semen. The Yin aspect of the Kidney  accepts and


 be mentioned in this work, except to say that they
are harmful and undoubtedly responsible for much mischief
in the civilized stomach; but in all reform work, we have
found it best to pursue lines of least opposition—to stay
within sight of those we are endeavoring to lead. We do not interdict soups because they are not good
food, but because they are swallowed without mastication. The objection to soup can be largely overcome by retaining it
in the mouth long enough for it to become thoroughly or
partially insalivated. This can be accomplished either by
sipping it very slowly, or mixing with it very dry, hard
foods—something that requires mastication. It is a very foolish custom to make soup in a pot or kettle,
when we remember that the only work that saliva and teeth
were created to perform was that of making soup. Every
particle of food taken into th e mouth should be made into
soup before it is swallowed. If this was done, indigestion, that
great American disease, would disappear from the catalogue
of human ills. We give here a few recipes for soups only because the
soup habit is so firmly fixed in the mind of the housewife and
the epicure that they can hard ly conceive of a decent dinner
without them. All soups may be warmed sufficiently to serve
hot without cooking. SWEET POTATO SOUP. Sweet Potato,       Milk,
Cream,               Butter. Grind a sweet potato on a vegetable mill, add just enough
milk to cover. Allow this to  stand seven or eight hours. Slightly heat (not enough to cook), stir in a small piece of
butter and enough milk and cream mixed to bring to the
consistency desired. Serve in hot plates. FRESH GREEN PEA SOUP. Green Peas,                      Onion or Celery,
Milk. Hull quantity desired. Grind very fine in vegetable mill,
grind with this just a trace of celery or onion for flavor, add
enough rich milk to bring to the consistency of soup and
warm to about 145° to 150° Fahrenheit. Salt to taste and
serve. VEGETABLE SOUP (NO. 1). 1 Tomato,  1 small Apple,
 1 Carrot,   1 oz. Nuts,
 1 Small Pepper,   ½  cup Wheat Flakes,
 1 Stalk Celery,  Milk. Put all through fine vegetable grinder, add sufficient milk
to make quantity desired, allow to stand an hour or two, heat,
stirring in ½  cup of thick cream, and serve. VEGETABLE SOUP (NO. 2). 1 White Turnip,   A little Cabbage,
 1 Carrot,   Few pieces Celery,
 1 very small Onion,   Salt,
Milk. Chop fine or grind all vege tables. Hardly cover with
warm water, and let stand thr ee or four hours until soft. Add
1½ pints of rich warm milk, thicken with a little flaked wheat,
add butter and serve. This will ser ve five or six people. To
this can be added stiffly beaten whites of two eggs just before
serving. It will be an improvement. PEA OR BEAN SOUP. There is a pea and bean flour in the market from which
soup is easily made by adding to it warm milk or cream. It
should be made and allowed to stand an hour or two before
serving. CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP. Oat Flakes,   Milk or Cream,
 Fresh Tomatoes,   Salt. Take one pound of oat flakes, cover well with warm milk
and let stand three or four hours, or until very soft. Then
mash through a coarse strainer, which will produce a very
thick cream, which forms the body of the soup. Add to this
sufficient milk or cream (cream preferred) to make quantity
desired, and the juice of half a dozen ripe tomatoes. Any
cream soup can be made in the same way, using different
articles. Much care should be exercised in adding the milk, so as
not to destroy the thick, creamy consistency of the soup. CREAM OF CEREAL SOUP. Take any uncooked flaked or mascerated cereal, soak
over night in just enough milk to cover. Add to this enough
milk or cream to bring to the consistency desired, to which
can be added as a flavoring any ground vegetable or fruit
juice. CREAM OF CELERY. Oat Flakes,   Cream,
 Celery,   Celery Salt,
Flaked Wheat. Make same as tomato, onl y add tender celery chopped
fine, instead of tomato, and a dash of celery salt. CREAM OF CORN. Green Corn,   Salt,
 Oat Flakes,   Cream. To be made the same as cream of tomato, only use green
corn in place of tomato. Cut tips of the grain with a sharp
knife, and scrape cob well with a dull one. Mix as above
recipe. Note:—To all soups can be added the stiffly beaten white
of eggs just before serving, which gives it a delicious creamy
taste. VEGETABLES. VEGETABLES  occupy a very important place In the
elementary food menu.<|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 telephone and telegr aph were the outgrowth of man's protest against the courier system. The inventions of all
the marvelous machines to which we point as evidences and
marks of our great civilization, originated in the one thought,
the saving of human labor. But the stomach is a veritable
gehenna, and the appetite its grizzly gorgon that holds
millions of women in a worse bondage than the negro
suffered in the South before the war. EFFECTS OF COOKING FOOD. IN all nature there are two great forces working, as it were,
against each other; namely, construction and destruction. That
is to say, nature is, on the one hand, assembling together
certain elements and building them into forms we call life,
and on the other it is breaking down, changing and dissipating
these elements, which process we call death or destruction. In the process of construction, the vegetable or plant
takes up from the mineral kingdom inorganic matter, and
converts it into organic or living matter, such as is found in
fruits, nuts, cereals,—the natural foods of man. It is only
through this process that mineral elements can build or
become a part of animal life. One of the most potent and effective agencies known to
change and demolish materials is fire. When we apply it to
our food in the process of cooking, it results in such a change
as destroys the elementary plant form, and the mineral
elements return to their inorganic condition. It cannot be
otherwise, insomuch as it possess es absolutely no element of
construction. At about 145° F. certain properties in plant life are
destroyed. For instance, a leaf of cabbage, if emersed in water
that can easily be endured by the bare hand, will wilt,
showing that part of its cellular life is destroyed at that
temperature. The heat can be increased until all plant life is destroyed. This becomes important when we remember that animal life
is supported and entirely constructed from plant life. The
living plant possesses all the elements from which animal life
is made. Therefore, the question would naturally arise in the
mind of any thinking person, "Why destroy in part the plant
life before feeding it to the an imal. In what possible way can
the application of heat improve it. " Our education, our
science and learning, are of small value, if they do not teach
us how to build the highest form of animal life from the
material used. Many articles of our food are subjected to an intense dry
heat, ranging from 300° to 400° F., in the vain hope that in
some way they may be improved. Bread browned in an oven
is partly changed to ashes. It is half destroyed. Were it kept
there twice as long it would be wholly destroyed. Yet millions of people insist on eating those supercooked
foods. They insist on wheat being made into Zwieback, which
might be described as a bit of ashes held together by a little
gluten, without ever spending one moment in thinking of the
real difference in food value, between this stuff and the grain
in its original state. Of all the curious customs into which people have
evolved, cooking seems to be the strangest and to possess the
least excuse for existence. It has made of woman a slave. It
has made of the stomach a potpourri for everything living or
dead. It so changes the proper ties of foods that no chemist living can analyze them. It is the chief cause of mixing food
products, which is the principal cause of overeating, which, in
its turn, is the genesis of nearly all stomach and intestinal
disorders. It has changed man into an omnivorous, and in
some cases into a carnivorous animal. COOKING MILK. THE custom of cooking or sterilizing milk, due to ignorance,
is little less than criminal. Cooking milk is recommended by certain alleged dietetic
authorities on the ground that it kills bacteria. They probably
forget, maybe do not know, that all the five digestive fluids
are strongly germ


leged	to	have	said,	“Rare	it	is	in	the	universe	to	be
born	into	a	human	lifetime;	rarer	still	is	it	to	hear	of	the	dharma;	rarer	still
is	it	to	accept	the	teachings;	rarer	still	is	it	to	act	on	the	teachings;	and	even
rarer	still	is	it	to	realize	the	truth	of	the	teachings.”	To	even	hear	of
enlightenment	is	already	the	rarest	of	gifts. Anyone	who	has	ever	heard	of
enlightenment	will	never	be	satisfied	with	anything	else. Information	itself	thus	becomes	the	teacher	but	requires	assent	by	the
individual’s	spiritual	will	to	become	activated. The	spiritual	teacher	who
has	reached	spiritual	maturity	remembers	that	the	devotee	is	frequently
enthusiastic	but	naïve. The	naïve	devotee	is	easily	deceived	by	false
teachers	or	teachings	that	are	attractively	packaged. Guidance	is	therefore
another	value	of	the	guru	who	steers	the	student	away	from	enticing
pitfalls	of	spiritual	seduction	and	glamour. The	teacher’s	function	is	to
inspire,	to	instruct,	and	to	confirm	by	personal	testimony	the	truth	of
teachings	and	to	encourage	students	who	are	struggling	with	the	path. Another	great	service	the	teacher	provides	is	explanation	and
clarification. Many	ancient	teachings	are	correct	and	valid	but	are	merely
‘bare	bones’	and	insufficient,	which	leads	to	misinterpretation. The	teacher
is	needed	not	only	to	speak	the	truth	and	light	the	way	for	the	student’s
footsteps	but	also	to	give	explanations. The	true	teacher,	through
enlightenment,	is	already	total	and	complete	and	has	no	needs	to	be	met	by
students,	nor	anything	to	be	gained	by	having	followers. The	true	teacher
has	no	desire	for	control	over	others	or	any	type	of	powers	or	symbols
thereof. All	pomp,	wealth,	and	adornment	are	meaningless,	and	the	sage	is
not	attracted	by	the	trinkets	of	the	world	or	anything	that	is	illusory	and
transient. To	the	teacher,	the	body	is	relevant	only	to	the	degree	that	it	is	the
means	of	communicating	with	others	in	the	ordinary	world. It	is	therefore
a	communication	medium. The	teacher	is	at	all	times	the	invisible	Self. There	is	no	‘person’	present	and,	therefore,	the	Self	is	devoid	of
anthropomorphic	traits. There	remain	about	the	teacher	the	vestiges	of	the
persona,	which	is	the	collection	of	social	learnings	that	facilitates
interaction	and	verbalization	with	the	ordinary	world. There	is	neither
attraction	nor	aversion	to	the	world	and	its	contents	or	values. The	mature	teacher	has	passed	beyond	the	incapacitating	phase	of
initial	bliss	and	exists	in	a	domain	of	infinite	peace. This	is	a	nonemotional
state	of	joy	that	consists	of	an	all-knowingness	and	a	certainty	of	the
completeness	of	the	absolute. The	work	of	the	teacher	is	to	translate	the
ineffable	into	the	comprehensible,	the	formless	into	form,	and	to	try	to
anticipate	misunderstandings	that	could	arise. Although	the	teacher	no
longer	‘thinks’	in	worldly	terms,	the	knowledge	of	how	to	translate	the
infinitely	subjective	into	meaningful	terminology	is	his	gift	and	is	actually
a	function	of	the	Holy	Spirit. The	sage	serves	the	followers	in	another	nonverbal	way	in	that	the
enlightened	consciousness	transmits	that	vibrational	frequency	to	the
human	thought	field	of	consciousness	and	awareness. This	is	an	effect	andconsequence	of	that	awareness. To	teach	it	is	a	choice	and	the	result	of	an
agreement. Q:	You	emphasize	to	always	calibrate	the	level	of	truth	of	a	teacher	or	a
teaching. Can’t	teachers	just	be	accepted	on	faith	or	reputation? A:	Absolutely	not. The	mind	is	very	naïve	and	extremely	gullible. It	is	easily
impressed	and	vulnerable	to	persuasion	and	manipulation. Remember	that
the	majority	of	people	on	the	planet	calibrate	way	below	400,	the	level	of
Reason	and	Intellect. They	are	easily	swayed	by	logical	sentimentality	and
absurd	emotionalism	and	slogans. Juries	convict	the	innocent,	and	voters
pass	absurd	laws	that	are	blatantly	unconstitutional. These	serious	errors
are	occurring	in	an	area	of	only	ordinary	matters. When	it	pertains	to	the
spiritual,	the	mind	is	even	less	reliable. It	has	no	experiential	evidence	to
follow	at	all,	and,	therefore,	it	usually	blindly	follows	social,	ethnic,	or
family	precedent. Most	people’s	spiritual	and	religious	beliefs	are
therefore	determined	by	‘accident’	of	birth	and	cultural	identification. The
ego	adopts	the	belief	systems	as	‘mine’	and	then	proceeds	to	defend	them. Whether	the	beliefs	have	any	validity	cannot	be	ascertained	by	the	mind
and	therefore	have	to	be	overly	defended,	and	often	to	a	fanatical	degree,
primarily	because	they	are	vulnerable	to	attack. Truth	that	is	experiential	does	not	have	to	be	defended. It	is	merely	a
matter	of	fact. Therefore,	‘believers’	are	the	most	vociferous	and	militant
in	expressing	their	views. The	true	seeker	of	truth	is	therefore	well
forewarned	to	avoid	the	influence	of	believers,	aggressive	proselytizers,
and	religious	fanatics	of	all	persuasions. Knowledge	based	on	faith	and	true	experience	is	calm. It	invites	rather
than	tries	to	convince. It	attracts	by	virtue	of	its	intrinsic	merit	and	the
innate	power	of	the	truth	itself. Truth	does	not	rely	on	force	by	persuasion
or	argument;	it	explains	but	does	not	try	to	convince. Because	of	the	mind’s	naïveté	and	vulnerability	to	error,	plus	a	society
that	is	dominated	by	‘nontruth’,	the	discovery	of	a	verifiable	means	of
determining	not	only	truth	from	falsehood,	but	also	the	actual	degree	of
truth,	is	an	amazing	breakthrough	and	a	practical	boon	to	the	spiritual
seeker. We	are	now	at	a	period	in	history	comparable	to	the	discovery	of
the	compass	or	the	telescope. The	evaluation	of	spiritual	teachings	basically	requires	only	two
calibrations,	one	of	the	teacher	and	one	of	the	truth	of	the	teachings
themselves. These	two	figures	then	provide	an	extremely	valuable	guide	to
an	understanding	that	previously	has	not	been	available	to	either	teachers
or	students. In	the	past,	even	the	best	sages	were	unaware	of	what	level	of	truth	they
were	experiencing	or	teaching. Each	was	really	an	explorer	and	discoverer
of	higher	realms	of	awareness. Their	memoirs	and	teachings	are	reports	of
rarely	experienced	and	unfamiliar	realms	of	possible	awareness	of	Reality. To	reach	such	levels	also	required	greater-than-average	courage	and
conviction	to	explore	the	stratospheres	of	consciousness	without	an
altimeter	or	map. Each	explorer	had	both	an	inner	and	outer	sage	but	no
‘global	direction	finder’,	such	as	the	map	of	consciousness	or	muscle
testing,	to	refer	to	for	certainty. In	the	world	there	are	spiritual	teachers	whose	knowledge	comes	from
actual	personal	‘spiritual	experience’,	and	then	there	are	the	‘teachers
about’,	whose	information	is	via	academic	or	intellectual	means. A


 What is the author's suggestion for overcoming the Shadow Effect?,
A: The author recommends radical honesty, forgiveness, and compassion to overcome the Shadow Effect, and to integrate our repressed aspects to become a whole and authentic person.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>As my dear friend Br ent BecV ar
shares, refusing to for give those who have hurt us “is lik e
being a dr owning person whose head is being held under
water by someone else. A t some point you r ealize that you
have to be the one who ﬁghts your way back to the
surface.” The only way to battle heartache and the
oppressive natur e of our shadow is with for giveness and
compassion. F orgiveness doesn’t happen in our heads, but
in our hearts. It unfolds when we e xtract the wisdom and
the gif ts from even our dark est e xperiences and emotions. Forgiveness is the hallway between the past and an
unimaginable futur e.
Stories lik e these demonstrate that we ar e all living in
accor dance with a gr eater plan and that, indeed, everything
happens for a r eason. Nothing occurs by accident, and ther e
are no coincidences. W e are always evolving, whether we
are awar e of it or not. Of tentimes this evolution is painful,
but the pain serves an important purpose. It is a necessary
ingredient in our divine r ecipe. By feeling the ache of
loneliness, our hearts open to r eceive mor e love; by
overcoming the people and situations that have oppr essed
us, we r ealize the depth of our str ength. When we ar e
willing to acknowledge that our pain, traumas, and
heartaches have in fact equipped us with wisdom essential
for our gr owth, we naturally for give and even bless those
who came into our life to teach us those diﬃcult lessons. Our lives ar e divinely designed for each one of us to get
exactly what we need to deliver our own unique e xpression
to the world.Our mind may tell us that bad is bad, good is good, and
that we can never r eally be all that we dr eam of being, but if
our shadow could talk, it would tell us otherwise. It would
tell us that our brightest light can shine only when we’ve
accepted our darkness. It would r eassur e us that ther e is
wisdom in every wound. It would show us that life is a
magical jour ney of making peace with both our humanity
and divinity. Our shadow would tell us that we deserve
better, that we matter, that we ar e mor e than we ever
dreamed possible, and that ther e’s light at the end of the
tunnel. As we embrace our shadow, we ﬁnd out that we ar e living
a divine plan, a plan so important, so vital for our own
evolution as well as for the evolution of humankind. Lik e the
lotus ﬂower that is bor n out of mud, we must honor the
darkest parts of ourselves and the most painful of our life’s
experiences, because they ar e what allow us to birth our
most beautiful self. We need the messy, muddy past, the
muck of our human life—the combination of every hurt,
wound, loss, and unfulﬁlled desir e blended with every joy,
success, and blessing to give us the wisdom, the
perspective, and the drive to step into the most magniﬁcent
expression of ourselves. This is the gif t of the shadow. OceanofPDF.comPART III
OceanofPDF.comOnly Light Can Cast Out Darkness
MARIANNE WILLIAMSON
In a world so ﬁlled with tender magic—fr om sleeping infants
to childr en playing, to lovers smiling, to friendships that last,
to ﬂowers blooming, to the violet hope of sunrise, to the
ﬁery magniﬁcence of sunset, to the brilliance of the body, to
the fragile glories of natur e, to the wonder of animals, to our
capacity to for give, to the mer cy of God, to the kindness of
strangers, and a list that could go on and on until it’s clear
that ther e really is no end to the manifold e xpressions of
love on earth—ther e is, as well, something else. And what is that? Why—in a world wher e we can be moved to tears by a
work of art—does ther e also e xist molestation, rape,
innocents with slit thr oats, unjustly held prisoners, starving
childr en, tortur e, genocide, war, slavery, and all manner of
horriﬁc and unnecessary suﬀering that e xists for no other
reason than that someone is cruel enough to inﬂict it or
someone else doesn’t car e enough to stop it? What for ce
exists, in our minds and in our world, that pr oactively and
seemingly ine xorably moves to cause the suﬀering and
destruction of living things? Why, if God is love, does evil e xist? We live in a world of constant juxtaposition between joy
that’s possible and pain that’s all too common. W e hope for
love and success and abundance, but we never quite for get
that ther e is always lurking the possibility of disaster. We
know ther e is good in the world, but we know that ther e is
something else as well. And we ar e living at a time when acontest between the two is both intense and intensif ying. Whatever it is that leads human beings to hate, to destr oy,
and to kill has tak en on a collective for ce lik e never befor e,
as technology and globalization now give it the capacity to
not just strik e, but to strik e us all, together, as one. Never
has ther e been such an ur gent need to dismantle this for ce,
whatever it is, that is so contemptuous of love and intent on
destr oying us all. This is not just a for ce that seeks to
inconvenience us. It is a for ce that wishes to see us dead. Yet this for ce is in fact an antifor ce. It does not so much do
anything, as it gets us to do its bidding. It is a place wher e
we have for gotten who we ar e, and thus act as we ar e not. It
is a darkness that, lik e all darkness, is not an actual
presence, but is rather the absence of light. It is a black hole
in psychic space that e xists when light is unseen for even a
moment. And the only true light is love. The pr oblem of what to do with this darkness—called by
many names but her e termed the “shadow”—is a question
that has plagued humanity since its earliest beginnings. There has never been, that we know of, a community or
civilization on earth in which love pr evailed at all times. Y et
we continue to dr eam of it. Such a state, accor ding to
certain r eligions of the world, is called paradise. Certain
religious and spiritual te xts suggest we have an ancient
memory of such a state, though this state was not of the
earth at all. It was our spiritual beginnings, a dimension of
pure love whence we come and to which we passionately
long to r eturn. The fact that we live at times, even most of
the time, so separated fr om this state of pur e love is a
psychic ruptur e of such intense pr oportions as to traumatize
us every moment of our lives. Just as the planet moves so
fast that we can’t even feel we’r e moving, we’r e
traumatized at such a deep level that we don’t even know
we’re in trauma. Separated fr om love, we ar e separated fr om God. Separated fr om God, we ar e separated fr om ourselves. Andseparated fr om ourselves, we ar e insane. In the wor ds of Mahatma Gandhi, “The pr oblem with the
world is that humanity is not in its right mind.” That is the
problem with the world, indeed. Ther e is a place we go into,
both individually and collectively, that is the absence of who
and what we ar e and what we ar e her e to do. It is an
inversion of our power, a perversion of our identity, and a
subversion of our mission on earth. The pr oblem is this is not so obvious when we ar e actually
there, for it is a place of gr oss, cosmic confusion. W e are
prone to feel, when we ar e separated fr om love, that our
anger is justiﬁed, our blaming another is only r easonable,
and our attacking someone is in righteous self -defense even
when it is not. Either that, or worse. A t times, a person—
sometimes even whole nations—can become so suck ed into
the black hole of lovelessness as to be at the eﬀect of its
most e xtreme, even heinous intentions, for this thing, which
is actually a no -thing, is not inert. Human consciousness is
like a pilot light that never goes o