 There is no richness in revealing oneself to many. In
such cases, one either reveals the same wares all over again to new
partners, or, as I said before, one displays dierent facets of one’s
personality. The more partn ers you try to share yourself with, the
less you give to each. That is inevitably so. It cannot be dierent.
QUESTION : Certain people believe that they can cut out sex and eros
and the desire for a partner and live completely for love of humanity. Do
you think it is possible that a man or woman can swear o this part of
life?
ANSWER : It is possible, but it is certainly not healthy or honest. I
might say that there is perha ps one person in ten million  who may
have such a task. That may be possible. It may be in the karma for a
particular soul who is already developed this far, has gone through
the true partnership experie nce, and comes for a specic mission.
There may also be certain karmic debts that have to be paid o. In
most cases—and here I can safely generalize—avoidance of
partnership is unhealthy. It is an escape. The real reason  is fear of
love, fear of the life-experience, but the fearful renunciation is
rationalized as a sacrice. To anyone who would come to me with
such a proble m, I would say, “Examine yourself. Go below the
surface layers of your conscio us reasoning and explanatio ns for your
attitude in this respect. Try to nd out whether you fear love and
disappointment. Isn’t it more comfortable to just live for yourself
and have no diculties? Isn’t really this what you feel deep inside
and what you want to cover up with other reasons? The great
humanitarian work you want to do may be for a worthy cause
indeed, but do you really think one excludes the other? Wouldn’t it
be much more likely that the great task you have taken upon
yourself would be better fullled if you learned personal love too?”If all these questions were truthfully answered, the person would
be bound to see that he or she is escaping. Personal love and
fulllment is man’s and woman’s destiny in most cases, for so much
can be learned  in personal love that cannot be attained in any other
way. And to form a durable and solid relationship in a marriage is
the greatest victory a human being can achieve, for it is one of the
most dicult things there is, as you can well see in your world. This
life experience will bring the soul closer to God than lukewarm good
deeds.
QUESTION : I was going to ask a question in connection with my
previous one: Celibacy is supposed to be a highly spiritualiz ed form of
development in certain religious sects. On the other hand, polygamy is
also recognized in some religions—the Mormons, for instance. I
understand what you said, but how do you justify these attitudes on the
part of people who are supposed to look for unity with God?
ANSWER : There is human error in every religion. In one religion it
may be one kind of error, in other religions another.  Here you
simply have two extremes. When such dogmas or rules come into
existence in the various religions, whether at one extreme or
another, it is always a rationalization and subterfuge to which the
individual soul constantly resorts. This is an attempt to explain
away the countercurrents of the fearful or greedy soul with good
motives.
There is a common belief that anything pertaining to sexuality is
sinful. The sex instinct arises already in the infant. The more
immature the creature, the more sexuality is separated from love,
and therefore the more selsh it is. Anything without love is
“sinful,” if you want to use this word. Nothing that is coupled with
love is wrong—or sinful.
In the growing  child who is naturally immature, the sex drive will
rst manifest selshly. Only if and when the whole personality
grows and matures harmoniously will sex become integrated with
love. Out of ignorance, humanity has long believed that sex as suchis sinful. Therefore it was kept hidden and this part of the
personality could not grow up. Nothing that remains in hiding can
grow; you know that. Therefore, even in many grownups, sex
remains childish and separate from love. And this, in turn, has led
humanity to believe that sexuality is a sin and that the truly
spiritual person must absta in from it. Thus one of those oft-
mentioned vicious circles came into existence.
Because of the belief that sex was sinful, the instinct could not
grow and meld with the love force. Consequently, sex in fact often is
selsh and loveless, raw and animalistic. If people would realize—
and they are beginning to do so increasingly—that the sex instinct is
as natural and God-given as any other universal force and in itself
not more sinful than any other existing force, they would break this
vicious circle, and more human beings would let their sex drives
mature and mingle with love—and with eros, for that matter.
How many people exist for whom sex is completely separate from
love! They not only suer from bad conscience when the sex urge
manifests, but they also nd themselves in the position of being
unable to handle sexual feelings with the person they really love.
Because of the distorted conditions and the vicious circle just
described, humanity came to believe that you cannot nd God when
you respond to your sex urges. This is all wrong; you cannot kill o
something that is alive. You can only hide it so that it will come out
in other ways which may be much more harmful. Only in the very
rarest cases does the sex force really become constructively
sublimated and make this creative force manifest in other realms.
Real sublimati on can never occur when it is motivated by fear and
used as an escape. Does that answer your question?
QUESTION : Perfectly, thank you. How does friendship between two
people t into this picture?
ANSWER : Friendship is brotherly love. Such friendship can also
exist between man and woman. Eros may want to sneak in, but
reason and will can still direct the way in which the feelings taketheir course. Discretion and a healthy balance between reason,
emotion, and will are necessary to prevent the feelings from going
into an improper channel.
QUESTION : Is divorce against spiritual law?
ANSWER : Not necessarily. We do not have xed rules like that.
There are cases when divorce is an easy way out, a mere escape.
There are other cases when divorce is reasonable because the choice
to marry was made in immaturity and both partners lack the desire
to fulll the responsibility of marriage in its true sense. If only one
—or neither—is willing, divorce is better than staying together and
making a farce out of marriage. Unless both are willing to take this
journey together, it is better to break clean than to let one prevent
the growth of the other. That, of course, happens. It is better to
terminate a mistake than to remain indenitely in it without nding
an eective remedy.
To generalize that divorce is always wrong is just as incorrect as
to say that it is always right. One should not, however, leave a
marriage lightl y. Even though it was a mistake and does not work,
one should try to nd the reasons and do one’s very best to search
out and perhaps get over the hurdles that are in the way, if both are
in any way willing. One should certainly do one’s best, even if the
marriage is not the ideal experience that I discussed tonight. Few
people are ready and mature  enough for it. You can make yourself
ready by trying to make the best of your past mistakes  and learn
from them.
My dearest friends, think carefully about what I have said. There
is much food for thought in what I told you for each of you here,
and for all those who will read my words. There is not a single
person who cannot learn something from them.
I want to close this lecture with the assurance to all of you that
we in the spirit world are deeply grateful to God for your good
eorts, for your growth. It is our greatest joy and our greatesthappiness. And so, my dear ones, receive the blessings of the Lord
again; may your hearts be lled by this wonderful strength coming
to you from the world of light and truth. Go in peace and in
happiness, my dear ones, each one of you. Be in God!
OceanofPDF.com7
The Spiritual Signicance of Relationship
“Life is relations hip,” says the Guide. Of all relationships, that
between man and woman is the greatest challenge and oppor tunity
for spiritual growth and mutuality. “But how can I relate
harmoniously with another person when I am still split within
myself?” This is the question the Guide wants us to ask of ourselves.
He teaches us to establish intimate relationship with our own true
inner being and, through this newly acquired inner honesty, to
handle the various problems that arise in our relationships in a
truthful and constructive way.
Greetings, my dearest, dearest friends. Blessings for every


Mirror, March 2, 1940.)
There  is no doubt that as regards dietetics, whether the doctors admit
it or not, we owe a great deal to the naturopaths  who first  drew
attention  to the necessity of eating vital  foods, hence the subsequently
coined  word vitamins. But unfortunately  these have  been exploited
commercially,  and  artificial vitamins  are now on the market. Against
these Prof. A. J. Clark, of the University  of Edinburgh,  warned the public.
In Fact, No. 14, he wrote  in effect that the chief education  the public is
receiving is "in the  form of advertisements  of proprietary  vitamin
preparations,  tonic foods, etc., which  distort the facts in any manner
that the advertisers  fancy will sell their preparations."  We should
obtain our vitamins, he declared,  from a properly regulated  diet and
not from so‐called tonic food  preparations.  Needless to say,  I heartily
agree with this dictum.  I also agree  with much that the naturopaths
have put  forward, though on one or two points I differ from  them
materially.  There have been a few extremists  who have wished to 115
 eliminate  starch and  sugar  from the dietary altogether.  This is a
dangerous  fallacy.  No one can subsist for long without  some sugar and
starch in the organism;  it is an excess of starch which  is evil, as I pointed
out in my chapter  on the  common  cold. And now, if the cause of
disease has become obvious, so also  must be its prevention,  viz., a well‐
regulated  diet ‐which  of course means neither too little nor too much‐‐
to which  dictum  I would add, plus an occasional  fast  according  to my
particular  method.  Furthermore,  I would advocate the habitual intake
of one's own fresh  urine. On rising, a glassful should be taken, and
again a glassful during the day. For my own part, I drink  all that I pass,
and  apart from fresh  milk, drink  no other  beverage.  But then I am an
enthusiast.  Were I to "lay  down the law"  too forcibly for all and sundry,
I should also be termed a dogmatist.  It might likewise savour of the
dogmatic  if I were to say that one meal a day,  or two at most, are
sufficient  for the maintenance  of health and  strength.  Yet in my own
case,  I have found in the end that one meal suffices me. This is to say,
however,  whether it sounds  dogmatic  or not, namely that all violent
and  sudden alterations  in diet are only wise if undertaken  after a fast.
People who for humanitarian  reasons have suddenly taken to
vegetarianism  have frequently  had  to suffer for their high‐ mindedness.
Nature  objects to sudden changes of this kind.  Conversely,  people who
have found that vegetarianism  disagrees  with them and  then have
suddenly taken to flesh‐foods, have also had to pay for their policy. But‐
not so if they  have  made tie change after a urine‐fast, the length of
which  has been regulated  according  to their condition  and  the nature
(though not the name) of their malady.  116
 And here  let me add  a word to‐this  chapter regarding  the enforced
fasts of survivors in open boats, who when faced with a deficiency  of
water,  eventually  resort to drinking their own urine. A correspondent
has objectingly  written to me saying that there are a number  of cases
or record of sailors who have drunk  their own urine when adrift at sea,
and  have died  in consequence.  But  surely the writer is confounding
effect and cause, nor  does his deduction  tally with the Admiralty's
admission  that “the practice is harmless.”  The truth  is that these
unfortunate  men had  in all likelihood  only started to drink  their own
urine when in extremis. Had  they  started to take it from the first, they
would have modified  their actual  sufferings  from food and  water
starvation.  But of course in such cases one has to take into account  the
bad  effects of exposure and  the constant anxiety that attends  such
horrible experiences.  Unfortunates  who are cast drift  in a boat are,
needless  to say,  continually  harassed by the idea that they  are going to
perish from  hunger and thirst. Could  they  be freed from this idea  and at
the same time assured  that urine drinking is not only harmless  but
actually beneficial,  the experience  would hold for them less terrors. If it
was generally known that a man can subsist  for what may  seem to the
uninitiated  an extraordinary  long time on urine only, the knowledge
would prove  of enormous  value against  the debilitating  effect of fear‐
thoughts.  I may  mention that the longest fast I can record was that of a
man  who fasted 101 days for blindness  brought about by a sting in one
eye and  the l ong continued  use of atropin in both. But such a lengthy
fast  would not have been feasible without  the  urinerubbings  (in
addition to the urine intake)  which  play so i mportant  a part in urine‐
therapy.
 117
 CHAPTER  XIX.
SOME  PRACTICAL  SUGGESTIONS

In one of the American  States a law still exists making it illegal for a
husband to kiss his wife


 of experiencing three distinct things: the outside
world, the mind, and the emotio ns. Now that we have deeply examined the
nature of the outside world, let’s start our journey into understanding the
second object of consciousness:  the mind. What is mind? We all know what
mind is. We’re in here, and we experience it every day of our lives. In the
simplest sense, mind is a place in which thoughts exist. We have thoughts
all the time: “Why is he driving so slow? I’m going to be late. Now what am
I going to do?” Undoubtedly these are thoughts, but where do they exist?
They certainly don’t exist in the outside world. Scientists are not able to
read your thoughts, as hard as they have tried. But you can. There’ s not a
machine they’ve  ever made, even for billions of dollars, that can read your
thoughts. Y et you can, ef fortlessly. That’ s a pretty amazing power you have.
Take a moment to digest that fact. Your consciousness has the ability to
be aware  of things that machines can’t detect: thoughts and emotions. These
objects of consciousness surely exist, but not in what we define as the
“physical” world. Our scientists have shown us that the whole universe
comes down to energy. Thought s and emotions are simply energy vibrating
at such high rates that machines can’t detect them. Someday they might be
able to. Machines couldn’ t detec t gamma rays, X-rays, or even infrared light
until we made machines that could pick up those subtler vibrations. Scientistdidn’ t then classify these higher -vibration objects as something alien to our
world. They simply expanded the definition of the electromagnetic spectrum
to include them. It’s not that the higher vibrations hadn’ t always been there,
we simply hadn’ t been able to detect them.
Likewise, your thoughts are there and have always been there. What if
a scientist told you, “No, your thoughts are not there. I can’t detect them, so
they don’t exist. ” You’d walk away and laugh. You know your thoughts are
there. You, the same conscious awareness we’ve been discussing, have the
ability to pay attention to, or not pay attention to, the thoughts being created
at this higher vibration of energy. Through the years, people have called this
higher range of vibrations the mental plane.
Many questions come up regarding the topic of mind. For example,
what are thoughts and where do they come from? Since scientists don’ t have
direct access to your thoughts, only you can answer these questions. You’re
in there, and you have the ability to look at your mind. You even use the
terms “my mind” and “my thoughts.” You say, “I had a terrible thought the
other day. My thoughts are really bothering me lately.” How do you know
you had a terrible thought? How do you know that your thoughts are
bothering you? You are in there, so you know what it’s like to be in there
experiencing thoughts. You can think of mind as a very high-vibration field
of energy in which thoughts can be created. Mind is not the thoughts. Mind
is the field of energy in which  thoughts are capable of exist ing. Just as
clouds are not the sky, but they exist in the sky and are formed out of the
substance of the sky, so thoughts are not the mind, but they exist in the mind
and are formed out of the substance of mind.
Buddhists talk about empty mind. In the purest sense, that is what we
are refer ring to when we use the term “mind.” It is a field of energy with
nothing in it. There are no thoug hts. There’ s just an absolutely still, formless
field of energy we call “mind.” This not conceptual; you can go there.
Meditators who have gone deep understand this. You just rest in void, in
empty mind. You’re there, but there are no thoughts. It’s just completely
quiet, completel y empty. It’s like a powerful computer that has no software
on it. The comp uter has great potential, but it doesn’ t do anything. That is
what empty mind is. It’s not stupid; in fact, its latent capabilities are
enormous. It is simply still, not creating thoughts. Basically, that is what
Buddhists mean by empty mind, and it is our starting point for
understanding mind.The outside world exists independent of this field of mind. Whether the
mind is still or the mind is noisy, the planet continues to spin on its axis and
all the galaxies continue to float through space. The energy that makes up
the phys ical plane is at a grosser vibration rate than the energy that makes
up the mental plane. From your own personal experience, you know that
consciousness is capable of being aware of both the physical plane and the
mental plane at the same time.
Now that we’ve examined the concept of empty mind, let’s begin the
process of forming objects in the field of mind. In order for you in there,
consciousness, to be aware of the physical plane, you were given a physical
body to house the five senses that pick up sight, sound, smell, taste, and
touch. This body is a gift that the stars gave you and that evolution
perfected. Because of the senses, the vibrations from the outside world come
in. They pass through the sensory receptors, up the sensory nerves, into the
brain, and then manifest in the mind where you experience them. This
rendering of the outside world is one of the most basic functions of mind.
It’s very much like watching a ball game being played in California while
you’re in Florida. The actual physical light and sound vibrations are picked
up by the cameras at the game. They are then digitized and transmitted to a
receiver at your home. The received signals are then rendered onto your flat-
screen TV. It seems like you are looking at the game, but you are not. You
are looking at the rendering of the transmitted signals that the cameras
picked up.
It’s amazing how much this parallels what is happening when you
“see” the world around you. Your senses pick up the different vibrations
from the outside  world, just like a camera’ s sensors do. In the case of your
senses, however, you can pick up five different vibration rates, not just sight
and sound. Your senses convert the different vibrations into electrical nerve
impulses and transmit them to the brain. The signals are then rendered in the
mind’ s energy field to as closel y as possible replicate the original physical
source. You become aware of what is going on in front of you by being
aware of its mental image rendered in your mind. Just like you become
aware of the ball game in California by being aware of what is rendered on
your TV screen in Florida.
You’re not out there in the world. You’re inside. You’re way back
inside. Though the world is happening everywhere, you only experience the
part that is picke d up by your senses and rendered in your mind. Mind is nolonger empty—it has formed its energy into the exact image of what is
within the scope of your senses. As we discussed, you are not looking out
into the world. The outside is being reproduced in your mind, and you are
looking at that mental image. It’s really not that different from when you are
dreaming. In the dream state, images are being created in the mind, and you
are looking at them. The waking state is the same, except that the mental
images are being generated by the senses instead of by the mind itself.
These mental images that form in the mind are like the images that form on
your flat-screen TV. The screen was blank, but now it has taken  the form of
the ball game in California. Your mind was empty, but now it has taken the
form of the outside world around you.
Your mind is so brilliant. Your flat-screen TV has a digital signal
processor that takes the receive d digital signal, decodes it, and renders it
onto the screen and through the speakers. Your mind takes the encoded
nerve impulses and reproduces the entire scene in front of you, including
depth perception, as well as adding touch, smell, and taste. It renders all this
detail made out of the higher energy vibration of the mind. This exact
rendering of the outside world is one of the primary functions of your mind.
It allows  you in there to experie nce the outside world. The mind is such an
amazing gift. It is naturally form less, yet it can create forms that are more
brilliant than those made by the most powerful computer. Mind  is really the
first personal computer. In fact, it is so personal that it doesn’ t need any
external form. Its display screen is inside, its computing and graphics
capability are inside, and you don’t need a keyboard, mouse, or voice
recognition to communicate with it. It is so close to you that it responds to
your will and the slightest impulse from your heart.
We have now gone from empty mind to a mind that renders the outside
world so you can experience your surroundings. Experience is the nectar of
life. You’re in there, and you’re capable of experiencing because of the
rendering capability of your mind. Of what meaning is life if you don’t
experience it? We spent a lot of time discussing how the outside


32,
33, 38, 40, 41, 192, 194, 195
Tamoxifen, 19, 112
T estosterone, 25, 37, 62,
70–71, 76, 86, 87, 88, 89,
91, 96, 97, 98–100, 102,
103–107, 111–112, 117, 120–121, 144, 155
Thyroid, 14, 16, 18, 23, 26–27,
29–33, 37–38, 39, 41–42,
43–44, 49, 51, 54, 56, 62, 64–65, 118, 135, 144, 146,
149, 155, 162, 164, 174, 175, 187, 192, 193, 194, 195–196Premarin, 12, 14–16, 17, 23,
24–25, 68, 81–83, 86, 97,
182, 187–189, 193, 205
Prevacid, 40, 42Progesterone, 16, 18–20, 21,
22–23, 25, 26, 33, 39, 40–41, 42–44, 50–51, 54, 55, 57, 62, 65, 70, 71, 77, 80, 85, 87–88, 91, 92–93,
94–95, 96–97, 107–110,
111, 113, 117–118, 120, 128–129, 132, 133–134, 135, 138, 142–143, 144, 145, 146, 155, 157, 170, 174, 183, 185–186, 188, 189, 190, 195
Progestin, 19, 163, 188Prostate, 106–107Prostate cancer, 6, 23, 69, 72,
75, 77, 103, 105, 108, 110, 111–112, 179, 201
Provera, 81–82, 85, 163,
187–189, 205
Prozac, 161, 162Pygeum, 106
Receptor sites, 9, 21, 22, 50,
76, 88, 93, 98, 104, 110, 121, 189
Restless leg syndrome (RLS),
110, 136, 138
Rudman, Daniel, M.D., 177 219 INDEX
Ziac, 31, 162
Zinc, 106, 112Zocor, 30, 150, 152, 164, 194,
201
Zoloft, 162Thyroid stimulating hormone
(TSH), 31–32, 42
Thyrolar, 33T emporamandibular joint pain
(TMJ), 24, 63
Urinary incontinence, 88,
99–100
Uterine cancer, 19, 77, 81, 84,
85, 112, 163, 188, 189
Vaginal cancer, 19, 84
Vaginal dryness, 21, 87, 97
Vioxx, 151–152
Vitamin B, 202Vitamin D, 72–73, 112, 113Vitamin E, 112Vitamin K, 73Vytorin, 151, 164
Weight loss, 10–11, 18, 42, 44,
48, 49, 51, 54–55, 56, 64, 98, 101, 115, 116, 117, 123,
127, 128, 153–159, 161–164, 165–175, 181–184, 186–187, 191–197
Wellbutrin, 162
Wilson, Robert, M.D., 80Women’s Health Initiative, 5,
82–83, 187, 205<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Bringers
of the
Light
By Neale Donald Walsch
Author of Conversations with God
Copyright  1995 by Neale Donald Walsch
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this
work in any form whatsoever, without permission
in writing from the author, except for brief passages
in connection with a review.
Published by
Millennium Legacies Inc.
PMB #1144
1257 Siskiyou Blvd.
Ashland, OR 97520
Distributed by
Hampton Roads Publishing Company
1125 Stoney Ridge Road
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call: 1-800-766-8009
email: hrpc@hrpub.com
web site: http://www.hrpub.com
If you are unable to order this book from your local
bookseller, you may order directly from the distributor
above. Quantity discounts for organizations are available.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number:  00 091352
ISBN 0-9678755-0-1
10  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1In memory of
Francis H. Treon
a Futzu (Master) in Gohn Dagow
(a classical, southern Chinese, soft,
monk form of self development),
who devoted his life to being a
Bringer of the Light.The world needs your
Light now.
Not tomorrow.  Now.
Of course, you know this.  That’s why you’ve found
your way to this book.
This book will tell you how to shine your Light.
It’s a very simple book, about a very simple process.Yet the process, though simple, may not seem easy.
So listen.  Watch.  Pay attention.
Listen to what this book has to say.  Watch the
results in your life.  And pay attention to how it’s all
falling together.
It is falling together, you know.  It may not look
like it, but it is.  Usually when your life looks like it’s
falling apart, it’s really falling together.  Often, for
the first time.
There’s a reason for that.  It has to do with a very
sound metaphysical principle.  Briefly stated:As soon as you decide Who and What You Are,
everything unlike it will come into the space.
Life has no choice but to show up this way, and so
you can expect it as sure as you’re reading this.
It is important to understand this principle if you
are going to be a Bringer of the Light.   It is a principle
you must understand, or you cannot hope to under-
take this work.
However, before exploring this principle, you
should be thanked.  You should be thanked for be-ing the kind of person who would want to read this
book.  You don’t know how much that means to the
world right now.
Unless you do.
There’s a lot of pain out there.  There’s a lot of
darkness.  The world needs your Light right now.
It really does.
So...glad you could show up.  Now the fun starts.
Now the challenge gets underway in earnest.  Now2Bringers of the LightNeale Donald Walsch 3
the healing begins.
With you as the Healer.That’s what you’re here for, as if you didn’t know.
That’s why you came to the Earth, in this body, in
this time and in this place.
A Course in Miracles  puts it very directly:
You are in the room to heal the room.
You are in the space to heal the space.
There is no other reason for you to be here.All the information in this book falls into one of
two categories: Principles and Steps.  There are five
of each.  That is, Five Steps  toward becoming a
Bringer of the Light,  and Five Principles  which may
be used to better guide those steps.
One of these Principles has just been stated.  It
will be necessary to understand each of the Five Prin-
ciples in order to take the Steps necessary to be what
you now declare that you wish to be.
This book will be woven like a tapestry, with the
Principles intertwined into a text describing the
Steps, so that you will clearly see the relationship
between the two.4Bringers of the LightLet us look, then, at the first Step in your
process of becoming a Bringer of the Light
If you’re like most people, you may not have given
Life Purpose much thought in your earlier years.  As
a result, you may have spent a great deal of time do-
ing things which at the end of your life will not mat-ter; will mean nothing.  Not to you, not to anyone.
What you really have to do if you want to get on the
fast track of evolution is to put each golden momentof Life to its highest and best use.  You cannot know
what that is unless and until you decide on a


 activity as well as
nerve and brain functions, especially in regard to memory, arousal and reward. Organic mercury compounds, such as methylmercury,
inhibit the formation of acetyl-CoA. All this lets us understand why stress, especially in the presence of low vitamin B5 levels, leads
not only to liver dysfunction but also to general lack of energy, muscle weakness, and disturbances of nerve and brain functions.
More stress means less available vitamin B5 and acetyl-CoA, and greater disruption of haem production.
This outline also shows the importan ce of acetyl groups or acetate for producing energy. "Acetyl" refers to a two-carbon group as in
acetic acid or vinegar. Acetate is said to be the most common building block for biosynthesis and for producing energy. In a well
functioning metabolism acetate is mainly formed from the metabolic breakdown of carbohydrates and fats. However, if oxidative
energy production is weak, then the breakdown of carbohydrates produces too much lactic acid and too little acetate, while a weak
liver has difﬁculties metabolising fats. With this a deﬁciency of acetate and acetyl-CoA  may develop, leading to chronic lack of energy
or fatigue.
What to do about it
On the Internet it is often recommended to have an HPL urine test done to ﬁnd out if one really has pyroluria and how severe it is. I
do not regard this test as being very helpful because results can ﬂuctuate greatly depending on the stress level at the time of urine
collection. Such stress may be from emotional causes or nutritional deﬁciencies, allergies, acidity level, electromagnetic and chemical
pollution, so that a positive or negative test result may not apply to normal or long-term conditions.
 Therefore, if some key conditions are present, such as problems with blood circulation, skin or connective tissue, arthritis, muscle
and joint diseases, enzyme deﬁciencies, or mental-emotional issues, I would just suspect that pyroluria and dysbiosis/Candida may
be present and treat accordingly, always starting with a very low dose and increasing gradually but steadily to an optimal level. After
some time it will become apparent, especially in periods of stress, whether this approach is helpful.
To show the difference of reactions:  one young woman with anxiety problems had a frightening panic attack after taking only a very
low dose of P5P and zinc, while someone with Asperger syndrome (an autism spectrum disorder) wrote that he felt completely
normal after rapidly increasing P5P up to 500mg daily. However, after several months he did develop some gastro-intestinal problems
(cleansing or detoxiﬁcation?) and had to reduce the dose. If there is a reaction, the ﬁrst one is usually the strongest.
P5P is a brain stimulant, and initially it can make problems worse, such as hyperactivity in children or causing sleeplessness when
taken in the evening. It is common for the body to overreact initially, that is why one should always start with low levels, and if a
reaction happens, further reduce or stop until the reaction is gone, and then start again at a much lower level. However, also the
chemicals produced by Candida tend to produce anxiety attacks, and there may be an interaction between Candida and P5P in
causing an attack. Controlling Candida may reduce or avoid such problems.
Niacinamide (B3) and pantothenate (B5) can usually be taken in reasonably high amounts for improving energy and stress response
without causing any reactions. Also other secondary nutrients such as biotin, vitamin B12, magnesium, manganese, and gamma
linolenic acid or GLA do not seem to cause problems. With low energy try using more acetic acid or vinegar in a drink during or
before meals or as salad dressing. This may require occasionally check ing the pH of the urine to see if more bicarbonate is needed
to keep it generally neutral or slightly alkaline. Some bicarb may also be mixed with diluted vinegar and ingested while it still bubbles.
Vitamin C in any form stimulates the immune system which may produce  strong inﬂammatory cleansing reactions. This is the normal
way the body heals itself - by causing an inﬂammation in a diseased part of the body to kill microbes and remove toxins.
Unfortunately this is a problem with psoriasis and sometimes also with other autoimmune diseases. In this case increase vitamin C
only very slowly, pull back during reactions and keep alkaline with sodium bicarbonate. Also detoxify with increasing doses of
serrapeptase and nattokinase, focus on intestinal sanitation and antimicrobial therapy, increase the amount of energised water, herb
teas, diluted lemon juice or vinegar, fresh salads, juiced and blended fresh green leaves and other raw vegetables. Drink liquids
mainly before rather than with or after meals, except if using lemon juice or vinegar to improve stomach acidity.
Most books and Internet articles also mention that copper must be avoided as blood levels are too high as a side effect of pyroluria,
but I believe  this is not quite correct. High copper blood levels are present with all conditions of inﬂammation, including cancer and
infections, and are not speciﬁc for pyroluria.  When the inﬂammation decreases then blood copper levels drop as copper returns to its
usual storage place in the liver. However there may be a problem with high levels of inorganic copper or an inability of a defective
liver to produce enough organic carrier and storage molecules for copper, but this should improve with additional P5P  and zinc.
A problem area for skin-sensitive  pyrolurics  is the use of sunscreen. Commercial sunscreens may not be safe to use. Gradually
expose the skin to more sunshine. With sufﬁcient P5P, zinc, sodium ascorbate, serrapeptase, and sodium bicarbonate there should
be much less of a tendency to get a sunburn. As sunscreen dissolve  1 level tsp each of PABA, sodium bicarbonate and possibly
sodium ascorbate in several tablespoons of water (it ﬁzzes when PABA and bicarbonate react). Rub on the skin exposed to the sun.
It needs to be reapplied after getting wet as it washes of f.
How much to take
P5P is normally sold as enteric coated tablets, apparently to protect it from stomach acid, but I am not aware of evidence that this is
needed, and coating may actually hinder absorption for individuals with poor digestive ability. Therefore I prefer to cut such tablets to
make them easier to absorb. It is also possible to buy P5P cheaper in powder form (www.strideintohealth.com ), and take it dissolved
in an alkaline drink (by adding some sodium bicarbonate) before meals or mixed with food at the beginning of meals.
Zinc, on the other hand, like magnesium and other 2-valence minerals, is best absorbed from acidic stomach content, preferably
containing protein, vegetables or fruit but not grains or other seeds. With indications of low gastric acid such as soft ﬁngernails and10/30/24, 4:15 PM Health-Science-Spirit- Pyroluria & Candida
https://health-science-spirit.com/Diseases/Pyroluria-and-Candida.html 8/10other signs of mineral deﬁciencies, add a hydrochloric acid supple ment, lemon juice or vinegar. Do not use the sulphate
or sulfate form of zinc as in higher doses it may cause gastric or abdominal discomfort.
A normal starting dose may be half of a 50mg tablet of P5P and about 20mg of zinc with breakfast; if there is no unfavourable
reaction then after a few days double these doses by taking them at the start of breakfast and lunch, and later also at dinner.
Gradually, over several weeks or months, increase both P5P and zinc to an optimal dose at which symptoms start improving or
disappearing. In mild conditions this may be almost immediately, even with a relatively low dose, in severe cases much higher doses
may be needed for several months before good progress is made.
Finding the optimal dose of P5P and zinc is not easy as this depends strongly on stress levels which may change daily. Therefore try
to ﬁnd a dose that feels right for your normal daily activities, but when stressed or expecting stress temporarily double the amounts,
or during peaceful and relaxed periods reduce the normal amounts.
Mild conditions can be managed with 50mg of P5P/day while more severe conditions may require 3 x 50 to 100mg of P5P and 3 x
20mg of zinc, although much higher doses have sometimes been taken.  Experiment occasionally to ﬁnd any variations in the optimal
dose for your condition.  Initially too much P5P may cause overstimula tion or bouts of overactivity in children, and difﬁculty falling
asleep, especially if taken in the evening.
Highly sensitive individuals may start with a quarter tablet of P5P in the morning and remain on this for a week or two until gradually
increasing to a quarter tablet with 2 and then with 3 meals. If a strong reaction develops stop intake until the reaction is over and then
start slowly increasing again. Finally gradually increase further to half or even full tablets. A reaction conﬁrms that you are on the right
track, and that this remedy is the key to your recovery.
Recommended as supportive nutrient is a B-complex with most meals,


limitsa
person'semotionalfreedombymakingitdifficultto
interactwithothers.Mentalexhaustionaffectsa
person'sabilitytoconcentrateandmakedecisions,
thereforelimitingaperson'smentalfreedom.Ifyou
fallill,askyourselfhowthatillnessislimitingyou.
Theorthodoxmedicalview,orgermtheoryof
disease,isthatillnessisa'bad'thing.Analter-
nativemedicalviewisthatdiseaseisa'good'thing,
alertinganindividualtoallowtimeoffforrecuper-
ation.
Diseaseisneithergoodnorbad.Thatwehave
fallenillsimplyprovidesuswithinformationabout
howwearelivingandcopingwithstress.Italertsusto
adeficiencyorweaknessthatneedsattention.An
individual'ssusceptibility todiseasedetermines
whetherornottheywillfallill(seepage13).A
weakenedimmunesystemismorelikelytosuccumb
thanastrongone.
Weallvaryenormouslyinourabilitytoadaptto
andcopewithstress.Understandingourownstress
limitsistremendouslyimportant. Idividestressinto
twomaincategories-healthystressandunhealthy
stress.Healthystressmightbedefinedasthespurthat
pushesyoutoperformbetterandachievemorethan
usualincertaincircumstances: forexample,toworkall
hoursinyourjobduringacrisis.Athletesusetheir
naturallyacquiredadrenalin(stressresponse)togain
thatlittleextrafromtheirbodiesinarace.
Unhealthystressiswhenthestressinyourlife
beginstolimityou,bringingyoutooneartothat'last
straw'statewhereyourown'copingmechanism' is
overstretched,whenyourperformance levelstartstc
dropandyoumakemistakes,whenyoufallill.
Understressourbodieswillletusknowwhenthe
pressureistoogreatbyproducingthesymptom(s)of
illness.Andwhensymptomssurfaceononelevelthen
otherlevelswillalsobeaffected.Forexample,ahead
injury(physical)caninitiallycauseshock(emotional)
andamnesia(mental)aswellaspain(physical).A
difficultbossatworkwhoisaggressivetostaffcan
createanemotionallystressfulenvironment forem-
ployeeswhomayproduceconnectedphysicalail-
mentssuchasheadaches,indigestion,painsinthe
neck,etc.
Atdifferenttimesinourliveswemayrespond
differentlytosimilarstresses.Divorceofparents
usuallybecomeslessdamaginglystressfulaswegrow
olderandlessdependent,althoughadependentolder
childwillbeasbadlyaffectedbydivorceasaninde-
pendentyoungerchild.Givingbirthatfortyisabigger
physicalstressthandoingsoattwentywhena
woman'sbodyismoresuppleandshehasgreater
energyresources.However,anolder,moremature
womanmayfindherselflessemotionallystressedby
motherhood.
Thebodyoperateswiththephysical,emotional,
mentalandspiritualworkingtogethertomaintaina
balance.Eachaspectneedsnourishment,butmental
andemotionalnourishment isoftenlackinginour
society.Becauseofthewidespreadrejectionofre-
202•StressasaCauseofDisease
ligionmanypeopledonothaveatimeofpeaceor
quietintheirlivestoreflectorjustbe.Tostillthe
mindandletthecaresoflifedriftawayisadeeply
healingprocess.Youcandothisbymeditating,day-
dreaming,paintingandwriting,walkinganden-
joyingnatureorthroughprayer.
Youalsonourishyourselfwithfood,sleep,mass-
age,spendingtimewithfriendsorfamilymembers
whoacceptyouasyouare,whowilllistenwhen
needed,andprovideyouwithlovingsupportand
advice.Laughterisoneofnature'sgreathealers.Let-
tinggooftheseriousbusinessoflivingandhavingfun
isessentialtomaintaininghealth.
Learntorecognisethefirstsymptomsofbeing
over-stressed,whenthebodyshowsearlywarning
signsbutbeforeillnessdevelops.Beingillcanactually
beafruitfulwayofcopingwithstress,althoughof
course,diseaseinitselfcanbestressful.Onceyou
arestressedandweakenedtothepointwhereyou
become ill,theillnessfurtherstressesyourbody,
especially ifyoutakeantibioticsorhomeopathic
remediesandcarryonworkingasifnothinghad
happened.Youneedtostop,restandallowtime
forself-healing.
Themoreweunderstandaboutstressthebetter
ablewearetodealwithitandhavesomechoiceinhow
werespondtoit.Observingandquestioninghow
someoneclosetoyouhasfallenillwilltellyoualot
aboutwhatstressesareoperatingintheirlife,andin
talkingaboutthemitissometimespossibleforthat
persontounderstandwhatchangesarenecessaryto
preventasimilarsituationrecurring.
Gettoknowyourownstressresponse.Whatcanyoucopewith?Whatareyourlimits?Howdoyou
recognisethem?Howcanyoustretchyourlimits
whenyouhaveto?Whatnourishesyou?Howdoyou
balancethestressinyourlife?Settinglimitsisan
essentialpartofthestress-balancingmechanism.
Beginbyrecognisingandacknowledging the
formsstresstakesinyourlifeandupdateyourstress
listfromtimetotime.Assessyourreservesand
strengthsfordealingwithstress;lookatwaysinwhich
youcanbalancethestress(es)inyourlife.Avoid
unnecessary stress.Learntooffload,todelegate,to
sayno.
Rememberthatyouareanimportantpersonin
yourownlife.Youneedtolookafteryourselftobe
ahealthymother/father/friend/employee/homeopath,
etc!
Asahomeprescriberunderstanding thatdiseaseis
aresponsetostressisimportantsothatyoucanhelp
yourpatienttalkthroughthevariousmeasuresthey
cantaketomaketheirlifeeasier.Evenchildrenbenefit
fromthisapproach.Astrictteachercanaffectasensi-
tivechildwhomaystarttohaveheadaches.Finding
outthatthisisthestressthatiscausingtheheadaches
isthefirststep.Talkingtoyourchildabouthowto
handlehisorherfeelingscomesnext.Atalkwiththe
teacherisessentialsothatheorsheunderstandsthe
effecttheyarehavingonyourchild.Youcanthen
prescribe iftheheadachescarryonoriftheyare
speciallysevere.
Ihaveonlytouchedonstressinthischapteras
therearenowmanygoodbooksonthesubjectcover-
ingeveryangle.Themoreweunderstandaboutstress
thebetterablewearetodealwithitandhavesome
choiceinhowwerespondtoit.
DISEASESYOUCANTREAT
USINGTHISBOOK
Itisimportanttounderstandfullythedifferencebe-
tweenacuteandchronicdiseasesothatyouknow
whichillnessesyoumaysafelyandappropriately treat
andwhichyouneedtotaketoaprofessional
homeopath.Foranexplanationofthedifferencebe-
tweenthetwo,seepage14.
Thissectiontellsyouwhethertheparticularcom-
plaintyouwishtotreatiswithinyourscopeasahome
prescribesbeforeyouattempttotakethecaseand
workoutaremedy.Agoodgeneralfirst-aidbookor
familymedicalencyclopaedia willgiveyoumorede-
tailedinformationaboutthecomplaintsthemselves. If
yourcomplainthasanobviouscauseitisimportantto
removethestress(forexample,don'tdrinkforafew
daysifyourheadachewascausedbyanexcess
ofalcohol).Usecommonsensemeasuresandtake
sensiblecareofyourselfwhenyouareill.
Havingestablishedthatyourcomplaint iswithin
thescopeofthisbook,turntoChapters4and5to
workouttheremedyyouneed.
Yourcomplaintmaybetreatableeitherbyinternal
orexternalremedies,orboth.Youcanestablishthis
ineachcasebylookingupyoursymptomsinthe
Repertories(pages37and165-98).
Ialsostronglyadviseyoutotakeafirst-aidcourse
withtheStJohnAmbulanceortheRedCrosstolearn
themechanicsoffirst-aid.
Acriticismlevelledathomeopathy isthatiten-
couragespeopletotaketheirlivesintheirhandsby
treatingseriousillnessesathome.Nevertreatserious
injuriesorcomplaintsyourself.Ifinanydoubtseek
expertadvice.Causeforconcernbelowlistsgeneral
alarmsymptoms,andspecificalarmsymptomsto
watchoutforareindicatedintheindividualcom-
plaintsthatfollow.CauseforConcern
Thefollowingsymptomsmayindicateserious
problemsandsosignaltheneedforimmediate


thritic conditions, aiding the removal of waste products and increasing the flow of nutrients to the tissues. Cayenne may also be applied to unbroken chilblains.
■ Internal uses Cayenne is taken
to relieve gas and colic and to Parts Used
Fruit improves digestion
and circulation.
stimulate the secretion of digestive
juices. It may be taken in frequent, small doses for a weak or failing heart. A pinch of cayenne is excellent when used in gargles for sore throats. Cayenne is also helpful in relieving acute diarrhea.
Self-help Uses
■ High fever, p. 311.
■ Poor circulation, p. 302. Originally from the tropical regions of the Americas,
cayenne was first introduced to Europe in the 16th century. In cooking, it is renowned for its hot, burning taste, and it is not surprising to learn that, medicinally, it is a powerful warming stimulant. It acts on the circulation and digestion and is used to treat a wide range of complaints from arthritis and chilblains to colic  and diarrhea.
Key Preparations & Their Uses
 QCautions Non-toxic at normal doses, although caution is required when
eating or handling cayenne. Can cause intense pain and burning,
and contact dermatitis. Fresh fruitFruit pods grow
to 4 in (10 cm) Dried fruit
Tincture (to make, p. 292). For arthritis,
combine 20 drops with 1/2 cup (100 ml) willow
bark tincture. T ake 1 tsp with water twice a day.Infused oil Add 100 g chopped
cayenne to 2 cups (500 ml) oil and
simmer (see p. 294). Gently massage
into rheumatic limbs. Powder For sore throats, add a pinch to
5 tsp lemon juice. Dilute with hot water,
add honey, and use as a gargle.
Tablets are convenient for long-term use. T ake for poor circulation.
Ointment (to make, p. 295). Apply to chilblains (only if the skin is unbroken).
US_074-075_Capsicum_Cassia.indd   74 17/03/16   4:00 pm75 key medicinal plantsCassia senna
Cassia senna syn. senna alexandrina (Fabaceae)
Senna, Alexandrian Senna
Almost everyone will have taken a preparation containing
senna at some time in their lives. Senna is probably one
of the best known herbal medicines, not least because it
is still widely used in conventional medicine. It is a very
efficient laxative and is a particularly useful remedy for
the occasional bout of constipation. It has a slightly bitter,
nauseating taste, and is therefore generally mixed with
other herbs.
Habitat & Cultivation
Senna is native to tropical Africa and
is now cultivated throughout that
continent. It is grown from seed in
spring or from cuttings in early summer
and requires plenty of sun. The leaves
may be picked before or while the plant
is in flower, and the pods are collected
when they are ripe in autumn.
Related Species
There are over 400 species of Cassia.
Tinnevelly senna ( C. angustifolia ) is
grown in the Indian subcontinent and
has the same therapeutic properties
as C. senna. In Ayurvedic medicine,
it is used for skin problems, jaundice,
bronchitis, and anemia, as well as for
constipation. Jue ming zi  (C. obtusifolia )
is used in traditional Chinese medicine
for “liver fire” patterns, constipation,
and atherosclerosis.
Key Constituents
■ Anthraquinone glycosides
 (sennosides)
■ Naphthalene glycosides
■ Mucilage■ Flavonoids
■ Volatile oil
Key Actions
■ Stimulant
■ Laxative
■ Cathartic
Research
■ Sennosides  Extensive research
during the last 50 years has led to
a clear understanding of senna’s
action. The sennosides irritate the
lining of the large intestine, causing
the muscles to contract strongly,
resulting in a bowel movement about
10 hours after the dose is taken.
The sennosides also stop fluid being
absorbed from the large intestine,
helping to keep the stool soft.
Traditional &
Current Uses
■ Early records  The herb was
first used medicinally by Arabian
physicians in the 9th century ce.
■ Constipation  Senna has always
been specifically used for constipation.
It is particularly appropriate when a
soft stool is required, for example in
cases of anal fissure. Senna is a good
short-term laxative but should not
be taken for more than 10 days as
this leads to weakening of the large
intestine muscles.
■ Cathartic  As a cathartic (very
strong laxative), senna can cause
cramping and colic, and is therefore
normally taken with aromatic,
carminative herbs that relax the
intestinal muscles.
Self-help Use
■ Constipation, p. 307. Senna
A small perennial
shrub growing to
3 ft (1 m), with a
straight, woody stem
and yellow flowers.
Senna  shrubs have pairs of lance-
shaped leaflets arranged on either side
of a central stem.Parts Used
Key Preparations & Their UsesDried leaves
Fresh leaves
Pods  are milder in effect than
the leaves. They are made into
tablets and other preparations.Leaves are stronger
in action than the
pods and are not
as commonly used.
Dried pods Fresh pods
GingerClovesDecoction  For constipation,
steep 3 –6 senna pods and 1 g
fresh ginger in 3⁄4 cup (150 ml)
freshly boiled water for
6 –12 hours. Strain and drink.Tablets  are the standard senna
preparation and are convenient.
T ake for occasional constipation.
Infusion  For mild constipation,
infuse 1–2 senna pods, 1 g fresh
ginger, and 1–2 cloves in 3⁄4 cup
(150 ml) freshly boiled water for
15 minutes. Strain and drink. QCautions Do not give to children under 12. Do not take for more than 10 days
at a time. Do not take if suffering from colitis. During pregnancy, take on advice
of your health care practitioner.
Tincture is prescribed by herbalists to treat short-term constipation.
US_074-075_Capsicum_Cassia.indd   75 26/02/16   3:58 pm
76
key medicinal plantsCentella asiatiC a
Paste made from powder.
Mix 2 tsp powder with 5 tsp
(25 ml) water and apply to
patches of eczema. Powder  is an important Ayurvedic
remedy. T ake 1–2 g a day with
water as a general tonic.In India, fresh leaves are
eaten as a tonic herb in saladsCentella asiatica syn. Hydrocotyle asiatica (Apiaceae)
Gotu Kola (Hindi), Indian PennywortGotu kola
A perennial, herbaceous creeper, growing to 20 in (50 cm), with fan-shaped leaves.
Gotu kola is found growing wild
throughout India.
Habitat & Cultivation
Gotu kola is native to India and the
southern U.S. It also grows in tropical and subtropical parts of Australia, southern Africa, and South America. It prefers marshy areas and riverbanks. Though usually gathered wild, gotu kola can be cultivated from
Parts Used Key Preparations & Their Uses
Aerial parts have
valuable tonic and cleansing properties.Research
■ Wound healing Gotu kola has
an established ability to promote
wound healing and tissue repair, making it useful as a cosmetic agent, in skin disorders such as psoriasis,  and in arthritis. Asiaticoside, in particular, has been shown to speed up collagen formation and the laying down of new blood vessels. This healing effect extends to the blood vessels, so that gotu kola extracts aid venous repair, notably in chronic venous insufficiency, a condition that includes symptoms such as leg swelling and varicose veins. Recent U.S. research has investigated the effectiveness of high-strength extracts to help in diabetic neuropathy (nerve pain due to poor circulation) with signs of positive benefit.
■ Brain function In the last 10
years, research has focused on gotu kola’s ability to relieve anxiety and support healthy brain function.  A Thai clinical trial in 2008 found that gotu kola extract improved attention, working memory, alertness, and mood in 28 healthy volunteers with an average age of 65. Another small study found that gotu kola eased
the symptoms of anxiety.Traditional &
Current Uses
■ Wound healing Gotu kola’s main
traditional use lies in treating wounds
and skin problems. In Ayurveda, it is used specifically to promote healing in skin ulcers and serious skin problems, as well as to prevent scarring. The herb may be applied directly to the skin, or taken internally, where it appears to promote tissue repair throughout the body. It supports peripheral circulation and can


 leathery leaves,
clusters of reddish flowers, and round scarlet fruit
that ripens to black.
Habitat & Cultivation Mastic tree is native
to the Mediterranean region. It grows wild in scrub
and on wasteground and is cultivated for its resin,
which is collected from incisions made in the bark
in summer and autumn.
Part Used Resin.
Constituents The resin contains alpha- and
beta-masticoresins, a volatile oil (comprising
mainly alpha-pinene), tannins, masticin, and mastic
acid. Pinenes are strongly antiseptic.
History & Folklore Mastic resin was used
by the ancient Egyptians for embalming the dead.
Medicinal Actions & Uses In the recent
past, mastic resin was little used, but contemporary
research indicates that this should be reconsidered.
Traditionally mastic extracts have been taken for
coughs and bronchitis, and applied to the skin
for boils, sores, and ulcers. Recent studies point to Plantago major (Plantaginaceae)
Common Plantain
Description Perennial plant growing to 10 in
(25 cm). Has a basal rosette of broad, deeply
veined leaves and dense clusters of tiny green
flowers on spikes.
Habitat & Cultivation Common plantain
is native to Europe and temperate regions of Asia.
Rarely cultivated, it is normally picked from the
wild. The leaves are gathered throughout
the summer.
Parts Used Leaves.
Constituents Common plantain contains
iridoids (such as aucubin), flavonoids (including
apigenin), tannins, plant acids, and mucilage.
Aucubin increases uric acid excretion by the
kidneys; apigenin is anti-inflammatory.
History & Folklore In Gaelic, this herb
is known as “the healing plant” because it
was used in Ireland to treat wounds and
bruises. It is a plant that has accompanied
European colonization around the
US_246-265_Pergularia_Extensa_Salvia_Sclarea.indd   251 17/03/16   4:01 pm
252
other medicinal plantsPodoP hyllum Peltatum
Podophyllum peltatum
(Berberidaceae)
American Mandrake
Description Perennial plant growing to
16 in (40 cm). Has a forked stem, two deeply
lobed umbrella-like leaves, white flowers, and  small yellow fruit.
Habitat & Cultivation American mandrake
is native to northeastern North America. It is commonly found in damp woodland and pastureland. The rhizome is unearthed in autumn.
Part Used Rhizome.
Constituents The rhizome
of American mandrake contains lignans (especially podophyllotoxin), flavonoids, resin, and gums.  The lignans are responsible for  the rhizome’s purgative action.
History & Folklore
American mandrake was much  used as a purgative, emetic, and worm-expelling herb by Native Americans. In the U.S. in the  19th century, both herbal and conventional medical practitioners regarded the plant as  the safest and most readily available purge.
Medicinal Actions & Uses Despite
19th-century beliefs in its safety, American mandrake is no longer taken internally on account of its cytotoxic (cell-killing) action. However, applied externally as a poultice, lotion, or ointment, the root can be an effective treatment for all kinds of warts.
Research The lignans in American mandrake—
podophyllotoxin in particular—act against tumors and have been extensively researched for their anticancer potential. Semisynthetic derivatives of podophyllotoxin appear to be the most promising, having minimal toxicity.
Related Species The Himalayan P. hexandrum
may have similar actions.
 RCautions Do not take internally. The plant
is subject to legal restrictions in most countries.Seneka is the most powerful and efficacious antiphlogistic [fever- and inflammation-reducing substance] attenuant among the Galenical medicines.”
Medicinal Actions & Uses In North
American and European herbal medicine,  Seneca snakeroot is used as an expectorant to treat bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis, and whooping cough. The root has a stimulant action on the bronchial mucous membranes, promoting the coughing up of phlegm from the chest. Seneca snakeroot is also thought to encourage sweating and to stimulate the secretion of saliva.
Related Species Yuan zhi (P. tenuifolia), native
to China and Japan, has similar constituents. Yuan zhi is taken to treat congestion in the chest and to “calm the spirit and quieten the heart.” See also milkwort ( P. vulgaris, following entry).
Cautions Do not take if pregnant. Causes
diarrhea and vomiting in excessive doses.
Polygala vulgaris (Polygalaceae)
Milkwort
Description Short perennial with pointed
lance-shaped leaves and spikes of small blue, mauve, or white flowers.
Habitat & Cultivation Milkwort is common
in grassy and moorland areas in much of western and northern Europe. It is gathered from the wild when the plant is in flower in summer.
Parts Used Aerial parts, root.
Constituents Milkwort contains triterpenoid
saponins, a volatile oil, gaultherin, and mucilage.
History & Folklore Milkwort has been most
often used to treat chest problems such as pleurisy and dry coughs. In larger doses, the plant acts as an emetic. In his Irish Herbal (1735), K’Eogh states that “it has a hot dry nature, and it encourages the production of milk in nursing mothers.”
Medicinal Actions & Uses While milkwort
is infrequently used in European herbal medicine today, it—like Seneca snakeroot (P. senega,  see preceding entry)—is a valuable herb for the treatment of respiratory troubles such as chronic bronchitis, bronchial asthma, and convulsive coughs, including whooping cough. Milkwort is also thought to have sweat-inducing and diuretic properties.Constituents Patchouli contains a volatile oil
comprising mainly the sesquiterpenes patchoulol (35%) and bulnesene.
History & Folklore Patchouli has been used
extensively in Asian medicine, featuring in the Chinese, Indian, and Arabic traditions. Its most common use has been as an aphrodisiac. The essential oil is widely employed in India as a fragrance and as an insect repellent.
Medicinal Actions & Uses Patchouli is
used in herbal medicine in Asia as an aphrodisiac, antidepressant, and antiseptic. It is also employed for headaches and fever. Patchouli essential oil is used in aromatherapy to treat skin complaints. It  is thought to have a regenerative effect on skin tone and to help clear conditions such as eczema and acne. The oil may also be used for varicose veins and hemorroids.
Caution Do not take essential oil internally.
American
mandrake
Pogostemon cablin syn. P. patchouli
(Lamiaceae)
Patchouli
Description Hairy, aromatic perennial growing
to 3 ft (1 m). Has square stems, oval leaves, and
spikes bearing whorls of white to light-purple flowers.
Habitat & Cultivation Native to Malaysia and
the Philippines, patchouli is now cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. The shoots and leaves are picked 2 or 3 times a year.
Parts Used Y oung leaves and shoots, essential oil.Patchouli is the source of an essential oil.
Polygala senega (Polygalaceae)
Seneca Snakeroot
Description Perennial growing to about 16 in
(40 cm). Has narrow lance-shaped leaves with toothed edges, and spikes of whitish-pink flowers.
Habitat & Cultivation Seneca snakeroot is
native to North America, and found in dry stony open ground and woodland. It is cultivated in western Canada. The root is unearthed in autumn.
Part Used Root.
Constituents Seneca snakeroot contains
phenolic acids, methyl salicylate, triterpenoid saponins (including sengins), polygalitol, and plant sterols. The triterpenoid saponins promote the clearing of phlegm from the bronchial tubes.
History & Folklore This plant’s name refers
to the Seneca tribe of North America, who employed the root as a remedy for snake bite. Seneca snakeroot was highly valued as a medicine by both Native Americans and European settlers. In 1768, Dr. Alexander Garden of Charleston wrote that “The Polygonatum multiflorum
(Liliaceae)
Solomon’s Seal
Description Perennial growing to about 20 in
(50 cm). Has arching stems, alternate elliptical
leaves, delicate greenish-white, bell-shaped flowers, and blue-black fruit.
US_246-265_Pergularia_Extensa_Salvia_Sclarea.indd   252 26/02/16   12:47 pm253 other medicinal plants
Habitat & Cultivation
Native to Europe and to
temperate regions of Asia and
North America, Solomon’s seal is
quite rare in the wild. However, it is a
common ornamental garden plant. The
rh


 or neutral positi ons.
How do the joints get out of adjustment in the firs t place? It might be from a blow on the chin, a
muscle spasm, or opening the jaw too wide (as when biting or yawning). But the most common
is chewing with teeth that come together in a wrong  way.
Dentists refer to this condition as "malocclusion."  We close our jaws in chewing food, of course — and most persons also press their teeth together
one or two thousand times a day between meals in sw allowing. If the teeth do not meet properly,
the pressures on them during chewing and swallowing  may force the lower jaw into a strained
position that pinches the joints in front of the ea rs.
If you could see through the skin and get a side vi ew of the TMJ, you would see how the
mandible, or lower jaw, hinges to the skull. The jo int consists of a ball-and-socket arrangement,
with the ball being a rounded mass of bone in the b ack part of the lower jaw that fits into a
socket at the base of the skull. When you open and close your jaw, this "ball" rotates in its
socket, and — if the teeth push the jaw too far in any direction — the soft tissues between the
bones are pinched.
One trouble that sometimes follows this pinching is  a slow loss of hearing, says one authority on
TMJ disorders. He cites the case of a man who was l osing his hearing and had been wearing a
hearing aid for two years before he learned of equi libration. He had not noticed any discomfort at
the joints in front of his ears, nor that his teeth  were not meeting properly, but suspected that his
teeth might somehow be causing stress. Se he went t o his dentist, who made the necessary
changes on the chewing surfaces of his teeth. Three  days later, the patient’s hearing had
improved to such an extent that he discarded his he aring aid. He has not needed it since. That
was nine years ago, and his hearing is still good.
Not all patients respond so quickly nor so complete ly as that, of course, and there are many other
causes of deafness, the authority points out — but pressure at the TMJ should not be overlooked.
Besides hearing trouble, this authority says, stres s in the TMJ can cause neuralgia, stiff neck,
running ears and itching ears. He tells of a woman who suffered from itching ears so much that
in company she often had to excuse herself from the  room to scratch her ears. X-ray pictures
showed both temporomandibular joints to be out of n ormal adjustment. After her dentist
corrected the chewing surfaces of her teeth, the it ching gradually left. (X-ray pictures showed
that the joints are now in proper adjustment.)
It is not uncommon for stress in the TMJ to bring o n head noises. A patient who wore artificial
dentures in which the teeth were out of adjustment,  forcing the left side of his jaw backward until
the joint on that side was under considerable stres s, experienced almost immediate relief from
roaring sounds in his ears after being treated by h is dentist. This was several years ago, and the
roaring sound has not returned.
Although the connection between stress in the TMJ a nd the troubles cited is not fully understood,
it is known that there is a connection, because whe n the condition in the joint is corrected the
troubles often disappear.
How does the dentist restore the joints to a normal  condition of equilibrium? As part of the
treatment he may change the slopes of the natural o r artificial teeth, or make the teeth higher or
lower to bring the chewing muscles into proper work ing relationship. Sometimes he reduces
pressure on the front teeth so that the chewing for ces fall more on the back teeth. (If the ball parts  of the lower jaw have been pushed too far up into t heir sockets, this "pivoting" allows them to
settle down again into their normal relaxed positio ns.)
As the TMJ authority notes, one advantage of equili bration treatment is that it can be done in the
dental office and, in many instances, saves the pat ient from the more radical treatments of
surgery or the injection of chemicals into the join ts. Quite often, in fact, equilibration is the only
treatment needed.
As with other treatment, preventing trouble  is an important aim of TMJ diagnosis. Because TMJ
stress sometimes builds up gradually, with the pati ent suffering no inconvenience at first, the
lower jaw and its joints are often checked for equi librium to prevent  trouble.
Dentists, Physicians Team Up To Treat TMJ Disorders
Dentists and physicians all over the world are team ing up for diagnosis and treatment of TMJ
disorders. (One physician-dentist reported improvem ent in over 85% of more than 1,000 patients
treated with pivoting; another physician-dentist te am reported that 52 of 54 patients obtained
relief from dizziness after equilibration.)
In 1955 many dentists and physicians from the U.S. and abroad organized as the American
Equilibration Society to further more intensive stu dy of the TMJ and related structures.
CranioSacral Therapy
This is a very gentle, non-invasive hands-on approa ch that focuses on the craniosacral system of
the body. This system consists of the membranes and  cerebrospinal fluid that surround and
protect the brain and spinal cord. It extends from the bones of the skull, face and mouth — which
make up the cranium — down to the sacrum, or tailbo ne.
This system has been effective in evaluating and tr eating problems associated with pain and
dysfunction, lowered vitality, and recurring infect ions. The light touch employed in this
approach encourages your own natural mechanisms to improve the functioning of your brain and
spinal cord, to dissipate the negative effects of s tress and to enhance your general health and
resistance to disease.
Craniosacral therapy has proven to help people who complain of ringing in the ears (tinnitus) and
some forms of hearing loss.
*Chapter VII*
Spiritual Attitude
If your cancer has caused you to stop, think, pray,  and know God better, it has been a blessing to
you. If your cancer has caused you to realize the import ance and magnificence of this temple wherein
your soul dwells, you have been doubly blessed.
If your cancer has caused you to look within and as k the Christ to dwell within you, you have
been thrice blessed.
Often physical infirmities come to us for such a pu rpose. This was true in my own case. The still,
small voice within spoke out to guide and teach thi s Child of God.
Not all who have cancer will overcome the condition. Many will not believe that such a simple
treatment will work. Many will not have the opportu nity to hear about and try the procedure.
Many will come too late with a temple (body) too we ak to respond. But, I pray with all of you
my friends, that you will learn a beautiful lesson and learn it well. I did.
Each of God’s children is in an experience in their  school (earth) each doing the very best he or
she can. Jesus said, "Judge not, that ye be not jud ged" (7 Matthew 1); "This is my
commandment, that ye love one another, as I have lo ved you." (15 John 12).
If your cancer has taught you spiritual truth, you have gained much. I pray with you and for you
that at this point you have come to the realization  that your spiritual decision to get well or not to
get well is your own responsibility. If you decide to go home early, rejoice, for the Father
prepares a place for you. Those of you who have lov ed ones, who have made this decision,
rejoice with them and send them on their way into G od’s care.
If you decide to stay in school a little longer, th is is also good and it should now be easier. If you
are to operate as a perfect being, in perfect healt h, then you must have a perfect attitude. You
must become aware of the spiritual power within tha t is greater than you, the still, small voice
within.
If you are of the many millions of people who have been told that you have cancer and that your
days are numbered, then it is you who must be inter ested enough to seek out the truth of your
condition. You have read many things in this treati se, which bring new thinking to a very old
disease.
Since we are dealing with the metabolic approach to  cancer, we must consider not only the
physical, but also the mental and spiritual laws of  God. We need help from those around us as
well as the God power within to reverse our thinkin g, and attain that balance which creates a
healthy physical being.
As stated in previous chapters, half measures will avail you nothing. You are at the point where
you must ask God for guidance. These are the steps,  which are suggested as a method of spiritual
recovery:
1.  Accept the fact that you are afflicted with a sympt om (malignant cancer) and that
recovery is possible.  2.  Establish


 you do. Then
gently insist that you are going to give it a second thought, you are going to take another
look at it, before you carve your experience in stone.
Your mind will eventually coo perate. You can actually train  your mind to cooperate. In
this, you have to be like a master teaching an old dog new tricks. You have to be a master
mind.
Now, if you have any questions on how this Life Altering Question process can work, you
can check in with any of a number of people who are familiar with this material by jumping
on the Internet at www.ChangingChange.net. I hope you’ll give yourself permission to do that, and to connect often at this intera ctive
site, if it feels that this might be a good resource for you. And for now, how about if we take
a little
Breathing Space
Breathe into what you’ve just read, then decide now if you want to go on right now, or
rest with it for a while and meet with me here later.
If you’re ready to go on, drop down to...
WHAT’S BEING WITNESSED?
Now let’s run a dialogue here, shall we?
Let’s look at what is right in front of you on this day of your life. (We’re using, of course,
our “pretend” example, since I can’t  talk directly with you right now... but I could  if you
and I were on one of our regularly scheduled group conference calls....)
So let’s look at this “pretend” example... but in our new way: let’s limit the encounter
with this moment to simply wh at is witnessed, rather than what is being felt about it. If you
were in a workshop with me I would say, “Tell me, what happened here?”
And you might respond: “My partner just left me. I have been abandoned. I’m all alone
again.”
And I might say, “I unders tand that your partner just left you. This is something you have
witnessed. This is Observed Reality. But have you been ‘abandoned’? Are you ‘all alone’? Is
this what you have witnessed, or is this what you have overlaid  on what you have
witnessed...?”
And you might respond, “I don’t know what you mean. I’m not ‘overlaying’ anything. I
have been abandoned. That is factual. I am all alone again. That’s what’s so!”
And here is how the dialogue might go from there...
“Really? What does ‘abandoned’ mean to you?”
“It means to be rejected, deserted, left. What the hell do you think it means?”
“By whom?”
“What?”
“Rejected, deserted, left... by whom?”
“By the one you love! By your partner! By the person you thought would be with you the
rest of your life.”
“Well, you’ve created a new meaning for that word in your imagination.”
“What’re you talking about?”
“Objectively, to be ‘abandoned’ means literally that: to be rejected, deserted, left... by
everyone. To be literally  ‘all alone again.’ Is that your Ob served Reality? Is that what you
observe about your situation right now?”
“You’re playing with words here. You’re just playing with words to make a point.”  “No, you are. It is you who are playing with words, so that you can make a point with you.
You are t elling yourself something using words that you have loaded with emotion rather
than witnessing.”
“Man, you’re losing me.”
“No, you’re  losing you. You’re losing you to your imagined self. You’ve embraced an
Imagined Truth. But don’t feel bad here. This is all quite normal. Just remain willing to
change this experience if you can. Are you willing to change this experience?”
“I guess so.”
“You guess so?”
“Okay, okay, I know so. I’m willing to change my experience.”
“Good. Now tell me what you are able to witness today about your life. Are you
abandoned?”
“My partner abandoned me, yes.”
“Good. Who else abandoned you?”
Pause
“I’m sorry. Did you not hear my question?”
“I heard your question.”
“Good. So who else abandoned you?”
“Nobody else.”
“Nobody else?”
“No.”
“So you have not actually been ‘abandoned’ —that is, left absolutely, completely, utterly
alone. You have merely been left by one person.”
“Yes. But that’s enough.”
“It’s enough to feel sad, for sure. But is it enough to feel totally abandoned?”
“That’s how I feel. I can’t change how I feel.”
“Sure you can. If you want to. You don’t have  to, but you can if you want to. Does having
this experience make you feel good? Are you happy?”
“Of course not! You can see that I’m not happy.”
“Well, if you’re not happy, why do you keep giving yourself this experience?”
“I am not giving myself anything. This is what’s happening.”
“All right, let me  ask you this. Are you all alone?”
Pause
“Not in the sense that you mean.”
“Well, what other sense is there? What do the words ‘all alone’ mean?”
“I meant that I no longer have my life partner.”  “I know that. But are you all alone? What is your witnessing?  What do you see? Do you
see any people in your life?”
“Of course.”
“People who care?”
“Some of them do, I suppose.”
“You suppose?”
“Okay, okay, some of them care. Geez...”
“So then you’re not ‘abandoned.’ You’re not ‘all alone.’ Right?”
“You’re just tr ying to make me wrong about this. You’re just trying to make me feel
better about what’s going on. You’re not solving anything, you’re just trying to make me
look at every tiny detail so that you can prove your point, rather than listen to how I feel.”
“Actually, I am listening to how you feel. And you’re right, I am hoping to make you feel
better. But I’m not doing it by lying  to you. I’m not doing it by telling you something that
isn’t so. In fact, I’m trying to do it by telling you something that is so. I’m trying to get you to
change the Point of Origin of your thought about all this. I’m inviting you to elevate from
your Imagined Truth to your Apparent Truth, so that you can move from a Distorted
Reality to the Observed Reality. I’m offering you an oppo rtunity to see things from a
different perspective. It is readily apparent to you that you are not abandoned and you are
not ‘alone again.’ It is also apparent to you that your partner is no longer with you. You’ve
mixed these two pieces of data and made t hem one. Can you see that?”
(Reluctantly) “Yes.”
“Okay. Good. Let’s start there, then. Now we’re on our way....”
(And the dialogue would go on, but we will not continue it here.)
That’s a powerful dialogue even though I made it up, because, in a sense, I did not make
it up. You see, I’ve gone through the “make believe” experience I used here. I’m not just
remembering conversations that I’ve had with others in retreats and workshops. I’m
remembering my own inner dialogues.
When I had the experience of being abandoned by a spouse (I came home in the middle
of the day and found everything gone... a house empty of furniture and all of my wife’s
personal possessions), I had all of the se same thoughts myself. I thought...
I’ve been abandoned... I’m all alone again... This is really bad... I’ve been unjusted... I
can’t live without her... I’ll never be happy again... It was unfair the way it ended... I’m
hurt and I’ll never forgive her....
All of these ideas have since been put to the test of time. They all seemed very real when
I had them, reflecting my innermost truth. Yet I saw before too long that I was living my
Imagined Truth, not the Apparent Truth. It be came apparent to me over time that every
one of these statements was false.
Every one.
So what does that tell you about the thoughts that you’re having right now about your
situation?  I am simply dreaming a way
to love Everyone within arm’s reach.
I have h elp:
you, come toward me
with an aching in your eyes,
and a sadness leftover in your smiles.
In this new dream I am dreaming for me
I include all of you.
Do you want to know what my love is?
It is your  love.
And all of us
Puppies
curling into
one
warm
heap.
—‘Puppies’  © 2006 Em Claire  15.
THE END OF PART ONE
SO NOW WE’RE


 da ily newspaper had been available in ancient Rome,
medieval Fran ce, or Shakespeare’s London, the same  drama
would be seen. The best asp ects of human nature always seem
precariously balanced against the worst. We are the only c reatures
capable of self-pity, and the only creatures who feel they deserve
it.
Instead of focusing on how h umans behave or animals behave
or even  how quarks and b osons behave, we should ask how
consciousness behaves. Consciousness unites everything. All
objects, whethe r a brain cell, a limestone cliff, or a prehistoric flint
knife, represent mind in motion. The play of consciousness is
infinite, but there is unity holding the play together.
If the dense and challengin g ideas in this book leave you
baffled, I sympathize. The las t thing I want to do—or could do—is
to force anyone to accept any thing I say. But it is critical to wake
up t o the one  life we share.  If you consider yourself a modern
person, you live and behave the way the modern world does. As a
point o f pride, the modern world has been wildly successful at
amassing knowledge, one fact at a time. It hasn’t been two decades
since th e number of human genes was counted and the entire
human genome mapped. In the coming decade, the brain’strillions of connections will be mapped through a huge, concerted,
scientific effort.
So it must be  shocking to hear me say in this book  that
anything you can count, measure, calculate, and reduce to data is
part of an all-encompassing illusion. Perhaps even more shocking
is my argument that whatever you can perceive, imagine, or think
about in words inhabits the same illusion. I am not an enemy of
the illusion. I believe that peo ple have a right to upgrade it all they
like, and I feel sorrow for people whose portion of the illusion is so
degraded that they suffer.
But only waking up allows  for the unity of one life t o be
experienced di rectly. Otherwise, the world will always be a clash of
opposites, founded on the certainty that humans are capable of the
best and the w orst. What makes us capable of listening to our
demons one day and blessing the angels the next day isn’t really
human nature, though. It is the state of separation we keep
reinforcing, generation after generation.
I don’t foresee Homo sapiens  taking a collective leap in its
evolution, but  I know it can. Our evolution shifted fr om the
physical to the mental domain tens of thousands of years ago,
even when early humans we re naked and vulnerable, leading an
existence as fraught with threats as any animal caught u p in the
contest of predator and prey. It’s a total mystery how we acquired
self-awareness. Once we did, or our hominid ancestors did, the
mind was poised to triumph in every aspect of life. But the active
mind i sn’t the same as consciousness. A thought, feeling, or
sensation is like a wave that  rises and falls; consciousness is the
ocean.
This an alogy goes back thousands of years in India, and I can’t
remember as a child when I  first heard it. The words felt like a
cliché, however, the way that “Love thy neighbor” or “To be, or not
to be, / That is the question” feels like a cliché. Repetition leaches
meaning away, even from the most profound sayings.
I po ndered this obstacle and decided that the direct path has to
bring a small awakening every day; waking up shouldn’t be held
out as the ultim ate reward at the end of the spiritual path. In my
own life I aim at three kinds of experiences. If one of themhappens today, I’ve achieved a small awakening. If two or all three
happen, the small awakening becomes magnified. Here are the
three experiences:
I see reality more clearly.
I feel less entangled in habit, memory, outworn beliefs, and
old conditioning.
I stop clinging to expectations and external rewards.
How would these experiences apply in your life?
YOU SEE REALITY MORE CLEARL Y
This is the expe rience of perceiving with fresh eyes. You give up
old ways of int erpreting the world around you and your o wn life.
Interpretation is built into perception. It is unavoidable that you
give names to everything, have opinions, draw on past
experiences, an d render judgments about whatever is hap pening.
The world has been interpret ed for you since you were an infant,
and yet you have control ove r this now that you are an adult. The
world doesn’t have to chan ge. If you perceive freshness and
renewal, if you wake up with a sense of optimism and feel open to
the unknown, then every day is a world. You don’t have to try to
live in the pr esent moment—you won’t be able to escape the
present mome nt. It will draw  you in without resistance, because
there is everything to gain and nothing to lose when a person lives
here an d now, rather than re peating the past and anticipating the
future.
YOU FEEL LESS ENT ANGLED IN HABIT, MEMOR Y,
OUTWORN BELIEFS, AND OLD CONDITIONING
This is the feeling of getting unstuck. Virtual reality would be
perfectly accep table if people felt free to alter it according to their
own desires. But a great deal of life is beyond our control, whichleads to a feeling of being trapped, confined, limited, and even
suffocated. I lump these feel ings into the phrase “getting stuck.”
By getting unstuck you disentangle yourself from the complicated
web woven by the ego-personality. This web has become sticky
through the process of identification. Anytime you say “I am X,”
you are further away from being able to say “I am.” As we saw, X
can be anything: your name, job, marital status, race, religion,
nationality. Th ese and much more become your personal story. “I
am” is beyond all stories.
YOU ST OP CLINGING T O EXPECT ATIONS AND
EXTERNAL REW ARDS
This is the ex perience of becoming your true self. The ego-
personality is constantly on the lookout for external rew ards to
validate its worth. If you ask people, “Which would you rather be—
happy simply to exist or rich?” their answer is obvious. The need
for ext ernal rewards, not just money but status, the right
neighborhood, a new car, social approval, and more, fuels our
dependence on them. Over time the ego-personality has become a
dominant force, even when someone considers himself
unambitious or spiritual—the front pew in church feels better than
the last row. But the ego is a false guide, because t he total
fulfillment it promises is a lways over the horizon. Living on
expectation goes hand in hand with needing external rewards—
there is always a mythical jo lt of pleasure or triumph or wealth,
the big score th at will make life worthwhile once and for all. To cut
the strings, you need to feel that the absence of external rewards
isn’t painful, because it is off set by inner rewards. The gre atest of
these is the freedom to be yourself.
As a result of t hese three experiences, waking up becomes  your
life, litt le by little, and then, almost without knowing it, you are
participating in the one life, which is real, radiant, and whole.
Because everyo ne can have small awakenings, the future of our
species doesn’ t have to be a grand project marked by the great
upheavals of war and peace, revolution and backsliding, achieving
greatness and losing it again,  or playing the roles of oppressor andoppressed. On e person at a time can awaken to reality. It will be
enough. The mystery of being human has been hidden from each
of u s, w hich m ay be why it remains so tantalizing. We have never
stopped being a self-created species. If we can create a world of
glorious highs without being  fully awake, imagine what we could
do with our eyes wide open.A C K N O W L E D G M E N T S
I fe el gratitude every time a new book is finished for the
generous and productive relationship I have with my publisher.
Beginning with Gina Centrello, president and publisher of
Penguin Random House, who has shown unwavering loyalty to
me. Thank you.
At Harmony Books, I enjoy a trusting relationship with my
perceptive editor, Gary Jansen, who is untiring in offering
suggestions to improve the manuscript. I can’t count how often
Gary ha s guided my writing in the right direction—an author can
hardly ask for more. In ad dition, I’d like to acknowledge the
support of everyone at Harm ony Books who dedicated their time,
creativity, and passion to this book, including Aaron Wehner,
Diana Baroni, Tammy Blake, Christina Foxley, Molly Breitbart,
Marysarah Quinn, Patricia S haw, Jessie Bright, Sarah Horgan,
Heather Williamson, Kellyann Cronin, and Ashley Hong. And a
special word


deadlines.Worker	loyalty	isn’t	valued.
The	threat	of	losing	your	job	is	present.
A	worker’s	experience	and	knowledge	are	undervalued.
Work	rules	are	rigid,	leaving	little	room	for	creativity	and	personal
suggestions.
Reading	over	the	list,	consider	the	three	options	that	face	you	every	day.
Are	you	creating	the	stress?
Are	you	reacting	to	stress	from	the	outside?
Are	you	helping	to	reduce	and	heal	the	stress?
Some	of	the	stressful	behaviors	on	the	list	may	seem	very	ordinary	to	you.
But	that’s	generally	a	sign	of	denial.	Each	of	these	behaviors	puts	pressure	on
you	or	someone	else,	and	with	pressure	the	mind-body	system	reacts	stressfully.
Stress	experts	often	refer	to	how	ancient	the	stress	response	is,	because	the
chemical	triggers
for	it	are	located	at	the	base	of	the	skull	in	the	oldest	section
of	the	brain,	known	as	the	reptilian	brain.	The	reptilian	brain	doesn’t	think
about	what	is	causing	a	sense	of	threat.	The	example	is	often	given	of	someone
stuck	in	a	traffic	jam	on	the	way	home	from	work.	The	frustration	of	the
situation	causes	the	secretion	of	the	same	fight-or-flight	hormones	as	our
ancestors	experienced	at	the	approach	of	a	saber-toothed	tiger.	The	lower	brain
doesn’t	register	the	difference,	which	means	that	our	response	is	primitive	and
chemical,	not	intelligent	and	rational.
Therefore,	even	when	you	think	you	are	doing	something	quite	harmless	and
necessary,	such	as	criticizing	another	person	for	poor	performance,	the	lower
brain	doesn’t	register	anything	reasonable—it	just	feels	threatened.	The	same
holds	true	outside	the	workplace	in	how	we	behave	with	our
family	and	friends.
It’s	often	said	that	modern	life	is	stressful	because	we’re	exposed	to	so	much
noise,	speed,	and	complex	tasks	compared	with	our	grandparents’	generation.
Those	are	stressful	factors,	no	doubt,	but	the	worst	stress	is	psychological.	We
fall	into	the	careless	habit	of	putting	pressure	on	others	without	realizing	it.
Psychological	Stress—It’s	All	in	the	Family
The	stressful	habits	of	everyday	life	include	the	following:
Constant	teasing,	putting	others	down,	picking	on	the	weak
Blaming	someone	else
Harping	on	someone	else’s	faults	and	mistakesNot	listening
Not	letting	everyone	have	their	say
Being	disrespectful
Using	verbal	or	emotional	abuse
Resorting	to	physical	violence
Refusing	to	take	responsibility	for	your	own	actions
Putting	pressure	on	children	to	perform
Making	seniors	feel	old,	useless,	and	unwanted
Creating	an	atmosphere	of	resentment	and	complaint
Filling	the	air	with	constant	arguments
Repeatedly	rehashing	old	grievances
Imposing	rigid	rules
Making	someone	feel	inferior	or	unwanted
Being	a	harsh	authority	figure,	or	living	under	one
Creating	an	atmosphere	of	emotional	repression,	where	genuine
feelings	cannot	be	expressed
Unloving	behavior	in	general
As	before,	when	you	read	over	this	list,	you	need	to	ask	the	following
questions:
Are	you	creating	the	stress?
Are	you	reacting	to	stress	from	the	outside?
Are	you	helping	to	reduce	and	heal	the	stress?
Millions	of	people	would	say	that	they	have	a	loving	family	while	the	reality
is	that	stressful	behavior	is	going	on	under	their	roof.	It’s	easy	to	forget	that	the
family	is	a	place	that	should	be	as	stress-free	as	possible.	It’s	not	the	place	where
you	go	to	dump	your	“stuff”—the	complaints,	negativity,	anger,	and	frustration
accumulated	during	the	day.
We	hate	to	say	it,	but	many	people	who	sincerely	believe	that	they	are	on	a
spiritual	path	remain	oblivious	to	the	stressful	behavior	they	exhibit	or
encourage	in	others.	They	lack	self-awareness,	which	is	what	the	spiritual	path	is
really	all	about.
Once	you	understand	how	low-level	stress	is	affecting	you	and	those	around
you,	you’ll	want	to	break	the	cycle.	You	don’t	have	to	adopt	the	role	of	victim.
At	the	same	time,	you	don’t	have	to	adopt	the	opposite	role	of	abuser	oraggressor.	The	cycle	of	stressful	behavior	affects	everyone	equally.	Ultimately,
your	goal	is	to	find	your	inner	love,	truth,	and	beauty,	letting	them	shine	all
around	you.	Stress	is	incompatible	with	this	goal,	leaving	aside	all	the	other
damage	it	creates.
How	to	Be	a
Healer	of	Stress
If	stress	can	go	viral,	so	can	beauty.	Radical	Beauty	is	about	radiating	your
beauty	so	that	it	uplifts	those	around	you.	This	is	a	form	of	spiritual	healing.
Stress
	and
spiritual
	aren’t	two	words	you	see	together	very	often—one	seems	very
worldly	while	the	other	is	very	unworldly.	But
healing,	whole
,	and
holiness
	come
from	the
same	root	word.	When	you	are	healed	of	the	damage	created	by	stress,
you	find	your	wholeness	and	your	holiness.
To	become	a	healer	of	stress,	you	stop	pressuring	others—and	yourself—at	the
psychological	level.	Thinking	psychologically	doesn’t	come	easily	for	most	of
us.	Let’s	return	to	the	workplace	again.	If	you’ve	been	taught	that	a	hard-boiled
attitude,	confrontational	tactics,	and	constant	pressure	are	good	for
productivity,	studies	in	the	workplace	do	not	bear	this	out.	The	best	workplaces
give	workers	their	personal	space,	encourage	creativity,	allow	flexible	work
hours,	assign	tasks	according	to	everyone’s	unique	strengths,	and	create	an
atmosphere	of	general	respect.	This	is	basic	psychology	turned	into	practice.
If	you	don’t	put	much	stock	in	psychology,	look	around	you.	If	you	are	the
focus	or	cause	of	stress	in	other	people,	the	following	things,	either	a	few	or	a
lot,	will	be	evident:	People	don’t	look	happy	around	you	or	working	for	you.
They	avoid	direct	eye	contact.	They	seem	nervous	in	your	presence.	The
atmosphere	grows	quiet	and	tense	when	you	enter	a	room	or	give	orders.	There
is	silent	resistance	to	giving	you	what	you	ask	for—you	have	to	ask	a	second
time,	and	even	then	there	are	delays.	People	under	you	make	excuses,	or	else
they	have	lost	their	motivation	to	perform.
The	real	eye-opener,	however,	is	to	take	the	same	look	around	the	family
setting.	Instead	of	workplace,	substitute	the	home.	In	place	of	workers,
substitute	children	or	spouse.	You	may	be	shocked	at	how	viral	the	stress
around	you	actually	is.	Society	sends	us	messages	about	rebellious	teenagers
who	won’t	do	what	they’re	told,	who	act	uncomfortable	around	adults,	slack	off
at	school,	and	exhibit	a	sullen,	resentful	attitude.	These	behaviors	fit	a
stereotype,	but	that	doesn’t	make	them	normal.	They	are	signs	of	stress.	We
aren’t	saying	that	adolescence	doesn’t