The inner terrain includes our immune system, organ tissues, and blood cells. Those who stepped out of line from Pasteur`s dogma
asserted that the inner terrain was more vital for remaining disease free than searching for new antibiotics and vaccines to kill
bacteria and viruses. As an analogy, flies don`t create garbage. Bu t garbage attracts flies that breed maggots to create even more flies. Removing
garbage is more effective than spraying toxic chemicals, which endanger human and animal life, around the house. Similarly,
adding toxins to humans is not as effective as clean ing out the inner terrain. Conventional medicine`s toxic efforts at killing microbes instead of creating better inner terrains result in creating even m ore
disease. The human inner terrain supports health by maintaining a balanced, slightly alkaline pH. The opposite leads to acidosis, a breading
ground for disease. Diet, digestion, exercise, detox, and stress reduction should support the inner terrain`s pH. All the alt ernative
healing arts, current and ancient, are aware of this as they focus on bringing the body into balance. The Medical Mafia and Big Pharma have ignored this in favor of continuing their profitable disease care racket with its domin o
effect of cures that cause more disease. Pleomorphism

The inner terrain argument against Pasteur`s germ  theory gained more ground with pleomorphism. Independent research
determined that microbes morph according to their cellular environment. At first benign, they become pathogenic as they`re fo rced
to survive in a damaged cellular environment. The waste pr oducts of these microbes create even more damage. Further research determined that these microbes often already exist in human cells in benign states. They don`t all come from  out
there, and they`re not pathogenic in healthy environments. They become so i n diseased environments. What does come from out there are environmental toxins and toxic foods that make it difficult for benign microbes to survive. Then they morph into those nasty little critters. Royal Raymond Rife developed his regular light Univer sal Microscope in order to observe living microbes as they were destroyed
by different frequencies from his radio frequency generator. Before that, electronic magnification killed microbes. Only one form
of microbe could be observed for each disease. Rife supported pleomorphism by allowing micro -biologists to see microbes change from benign to harmful and back to benign
according to the host cell`s condition. Rife had observed up to 16 different shape changes with one microbe. More recently, micro -biolo gists have made further discoveries observing live blood using dark field microscopy, confirming Rife`s
research and validating pleomorphism. On his deathbed, Pasteur reportedly endorsed Bernard`s claim that the "germ was nothing ;
the inner terrain was all ". This was not recorded for orthodox medical education. The proven fact that microbes exist in all living things and become pathogenic by adapting to toxic environments demonstrates  the
folly of focusing on microbes as the only source of disease. For fu rther information, check out these sources

The Mystery of Pleomorphic Microbial Organisms by Christopher Bird
http://www. herbdatanz. com/pasteur_or_bechamp -pleomorphic_o rganisms -1. htm

Amazing Inner Terrain Article -
http://www. mnwelldir. org/docs/terrain/lost_history_of_medicine. htm

Pasteur Fraud
http://thebovine. wordpress. com/pasteur

More on Pasteur
http://www.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>
Q: Who developed a regular light Universal Microscope to observe the changes in microbes, supporting the concept of pleomorphism?,
A: Royal Raymond Rife
Q: What is the main argument of the inner terrain theory, according to the passage?,
A: The inner terrain, including the immune system, organ tissues, and blood cells, plays a more significant role in remaining disease-free than searching for new antibiotics and vaccines to kill bacteria and viruses.
Q: According to the passage, what is the result of adding toxins to humans instead of focusing on cleaning the inner terrain?,
A: It leads to creating even more disease.
Q: What is the key point made by the author regarding the origin of microbes that cause disease?,
A: Microbes that are benign in healthy environments can become pathogenic when forced to survive in a damaged cellular environment.
Q: Who reportedly endorsed Claude Bernard's claim that the "germ was nothing; the inner terrain was all" on his deathbed?,
A: Louis Pasteur<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>1

 2 The POWER of Your Subconscious
Mind
Joseph Murphy
D.R.S., D.D., Ph.D., LL.D. Fellow of the Andhra Research University of India

How This Book Can Work Miracles in Your Life
I have seen miracles happen to men and women in all walks
of life all over the world. Miracles will happen to you, t oo—
when you begin using the magic power of your subconscious
mind. This book is designed to teach you that your habitual
thinking and imagery mold, fashion, and create your destiny;
for as a man thinketh in his sub-conscious mind, so is he. • Do you know the answers? Why is one man sad and another man happy? Why is one man
joyous and prosperous and another man poor and miserable? Why is
one man fearful and anxious and another full of faith and confide nce? Why does one man have a beautiful, lux-urious home while another
man lives out a meager existence in a slum? Why is one ma n a great
success and another an ab-ject failure? Why is one speaker
outstanding and immensely popular and another mediocre and
unpopular? Why is one man a genius in his work or profession whi le
the other man toils and moils all his life without doing or
accomplishing anything worthwhile? Why is one man healed of a s o-
called incurable disease and another isn’t? Why is it so many good,
kind religious people suffer the tortures of the damned in th eir mind
and body? Why is it many immoral and irreligious people succeed and
prosper and enjoy radiant health? Why is one woman happily ma rried
and her sister very unhappy and frustrated? Is there an answer to these
questions in the workings of your conscious and subconscious minds? There most certainly is. 3 • Reason for writing this book
It is for the express purpose of answering and clarifying the above
questions and many others of a similar nature that mo-tivated m e to
write this book. I have endeavored to explain the great fundame ntal
truths of your mind in the simplest language possible. I belie ve that it
is perfectly possible to explain the basic, foundational, and
fundamental laws of life and of your mind in ordinary everyday
language. You will find that the language of this book is that us ed in
your daily papers, current periodicals, in your business offic es, in your
home, and in the daily work-shop. I urge you to study this book and
apply the techniques outlined therein; and as you do, I feel a bsolutely
convinced that you will lay hold of a miracle-working power that  will
lift you up from confusion, misery, melancholy, and failure, and gui de
you to your true place, solve your difficulties, sever you from
emotional and physical bondage, and place you on the royal road to
freedom, happiness, and peace of mind. This miracle-working power
of your subconscious mind can heal you of your sickness; make you
vital and strong again. In learning how to use your inner powers, you
will open the prison door of fear and enter into a life described by Pau l
as the glorious liberty of the sons of God. • Releasing the miracle-working power
A personal healing will ever be the most convincing evi-dence of
our subconscious powers. Over forty-two years ago I resolved a
malignancy—in medical terminology it was called a sarcoma—by
using the healing power of my subconscious mind, which created me
and still maintains and governs all my vital functions. The techn ique I
applied is elaborated on in this book, and I feel sure that  it will help
others to trust the same Infinite Healing Presence lodged in the
subconscious depths of all men. Through the kindly offices of my
doctor friend, I suddenly real-ized that it was natural to assum e that
the Creative Intelligence which made all my organs, fashion ed my
body, and started my heart, could heal its own handiwork. The ancient
proverb says, “The doctor dresses the wound and God heals it.”
 4 • Wonders happen when you pray effectively
Scientific prayer is the harmonious interaction of the con-sc ious and
subconscious levels of mind scientifically directed for a s pecific
purpose. This book will teach you the scientific way to tap the real m of
infinite power within you enabling you to get what you really wan t in
life. You desire a happier, fuller, and richer life. Begin to use  this
miracle-working power and smooth your way in daily affairs, sol ve
business problems, and bring harmony in family relationships. Be  sure
that you read this book several times. The many chapters wil l show
you how this won-derful power works, and how you can draw out the
hidden in-spiration and wisdom that is within you. Learn the simpl e
tech-niques of impressing the subconscious mind. Follow the new scientific way in tapping the infinite storehous e.
Read this book carefully, earnestly, and lovingly. Prove to


 r emain. Amen.DA Y 237
A g i n g  d o e s  n o t  d i m i n i s h  m y  b e a u t y. N ever at any point does the univ erse give up on me, consider me not
good enough, or consider me a has-been. Only if I think of myself in such
ways do I block the flow of miracles into and through me. My valu e does not decline wit h my physical beauty. As my outer
beauty b egins to  fade, my inner beauty shines forth most brightl y. T o the
universe, I am never invisible. I r e alize the li ght in each of  us is the gor geousness of the
universe, no matter our age o r physical condition. I live wi th
humble gratitud e for the light that shines within me. I will not be
tempted by worldly thoughts that would hide fr om me my value.DA Y 238
I  a m  i n  t o u c h  w i t h  m y  a n g e r,  a n d  I  r e l e a s e  m y
a n g e r. I  want both to be in touch with my anger and to release my ange r. What
I do  not want is to project my anger onto someone else in the fa lse belief
that I will then feel better. Such behavior of fers temporary relief, yet a
more enduring suf fering. Anger, if I feel  it, should be acknowledged. But I need not, and
should not, act on it in dysfunctional ways. I feel my anger, ac cept it is
there, an d surrender it to God for transformation. May spirit a lchemize
my broiling emotions, that I might rise above them. I a sk that my anger be transmuted by love, so I might be show n
another way to h andle my despair. May my anger be r eplaced b y
a higher  way of seeing. T oday I  make a stand for my capacity to
move be yond my anger, as I place any temptation towar d attac k
thoughts into the hands of God. Amen.DA Y 239
G o d  f o r g i v e s  m e,  f o r  H e  n e v e r  j u d g e d  m e. G od l oves me when I act wisely, and He loves me when I am fo olish. His love is based not on how I’ve acted but on who I am. He knows who
I am, for He created me. God’ s love is unconditional. My erro rs do not call for God’ s punishment, but for His corre ction. As I  aton e for my errors—willin g to make amends with a repentant heart
—then His merciful hand sh all reorder events to allow me new
beginnings. Such is the miracle of a non-judgmental God, the source of
all good and the reason for unending praise. How aw esome is God that—even when I have fallen fr om grace,
fr om the  truth within me, fr om the love that is the meaning of my
life—He loves me still. How mer ciful is God that—even when I
have br oken the bond that ties m e to His righteousness—He has
cr eated the Atonement to allow m e new life. My gratitude is deep,
and shall for ever be. Amen.DA Y 240
FOR REFLECTION
O n  M e d i t a t i n g  i n  t h e  M o r n i n g
M any do yoga or work out in the morning. Many eat breakfast, read the
newspaper, and shower in the morning. But those who empower
themselves most in life are those who meditate in the morning. Through meditation, we cultivate our inner strength and release our
inner po wer. W e  align our spiri ts with God and place our minds under
the direc tion of  divine guidance. W e open our hearts to the h oly, and
greet th e day lovingly before sauntering out to meet it. W e prepare
ourselves as miracle-workers so we can then go out and work miracles.DA Y 241
M a y  m y  w a y  b e  u n b l o c k e d  t o d a y,  a s  I  u n b l o c k  m y
h e a r t. T he path before me isn’ t set in stone, but in my consciousness. All
fearful thoughts result in fear; all loving thoughts result in  love. I
unblock my heart today, that I might walk a path of love. No matt er what  path I have taken to this moment in my life, I can
change it as I change my thoughts. I for give myself and others; I let go
the past and release the future; I remember that there is no lim it to the
miracles that come from God. T hus am I released from fear, and set upon
a path of love. Dear God,
May my mind not stray fr om love. May my heart not stray fr om love. May my feet not stray fr om love. Not today or ever. Amen.DA Y 242
M a y  m y  e y e s  b e  o p e n e d  t o  t h e  m i r a c l e s  a r o u n d  m e. E very instant, the universe begins again. Miracles happen not in the
past or future, but now. Every moment, God is pouring forth His love,
with endless opportunities for renewal and rebirth. His voice proclaims
eternally, “Here is the glory of the universe. Embrace it, for it is yours.”
May I not resist the beauty of life, the colors of nature, or the nuances
of light. May I not be hardened to the fragility of the heart. M ay I not
abandon the field of miracles that is laid before me every mome nt of my
day. Dear God,
Open my eyes that I might see
And open my ears that I might hear
The magnificence of everything. Open my mind that I might know
And open my heart that I might feel
The radiance of everything. Open my soul that I might r ealize
The miracle of Y ou. Amen.DA Y 243
I  a m  w h o  G o d  c r e a t e d  m e  t o  b e. I am a child of God. I was crea ted in a blinding flash of creativity, a
primal thought when God ext ended Himself in love. Everything He
touches is infused with His wonder, and He has touched me. The perfect me isn’ t something  I need to create, because God has
already c reated it. The perfect m e is the love within me. I allow His spirit
to remove the fearful thinking that surrounds my perfect self, so I might
extend to all the world the light He placed in me. May every thought I think and every feeling I feel be an extension
of God’ s love. May fear and illusion fall to the wayside as I
embrace the knowledge of who I r eally am. I am who He cr eated
me to be, and nothing else is r eal.DA Y 244
G o d  a n d  I  a r e  o n e. G od is my source, who continues to fill me with His nurturance and
love. I am never without His sustenance, for in every moment He pours
into me His divine elixir. Every  cell within me opens up to receive His
light. I d o not look to outer things to  complete me, for I am complete in
God. I do not look to outer things to sustain me, for I am sustained by
God. I need only  to realize who  I really am, and my relationship to Him. I live in Him as He lives in me; my God and I are one. God is closer to me than my br e ath. He is the light of compassion
and the power of for giveness. H e is the truth of my being and the
sour ce of my str ength. As long as I r emember this, I will know
who I am.DA Y 245
FOR REFLECTION
O n  L e t t i n g  G o  o f  W h o  W e  A r e n ’ t  S o  W e  C a n  B e
W h o  W e  A r e
W hen Mic helangelo was asked how he created a piece of sculpture, he
answered that the statue already existed within the marble. God Himself
had created the Pietà, David, M oses. Michelangelo’ s job, as he saw it,
was to get rid of the excess marble that surrounded God’ s creation. So i t is with you. The perfect you isn’ t something you need to c reate,
because God already created it. The perfect you is the love wi thin you. Y our job  is to a llow God to rem ove the fearful thinking


 livingsubstances, both animal and vegetable, and theprocesses of their formation. But usage has giventhe word somewhat different signification, andthe following is a more accurate definition: That
branch of science which treats the composition of thebodies of animals and vegetables, the processes bywhich the various fluids and tissues are formed, thenature and causes of the abnormal condition calleddisease, and the restoration of health by supplying tothe body the deficient cell salts. The chemical composition of nearly every
fluid and tissue in the human body has long beenknown, but until biochemistry was introduced,no practical use had been made of this knowledgein the treatment of the sick. Biochemistry is theonly system of medicine which answers satisfac-torily and fully the question: “What is disease?” Itnot only does this, but it gives a logical reason forevery dose of cell salt prescribed and describes itsaction in the system. Biochemistry is science, not experimental-
ism. There is no more mystery and miracle aboutit than about all natural laws. The food and drinktaken into the stomach and the air breathed intothe lungs furnish all the materials of which thebody is composed. By the juices of the stomach,pancreas, and liver, the food is digested and theuseful particles are taken by the villi of the smallintestines. These are carried by the blood to thevarious parts of the body where they are neededand where they are absorbed. The blood thussupplies the materials necessary for formingevery tissue and fluid in the body and for carry-ing forward every process. An analysis of the blood shows it to contain
organic and inorganic matter. The organic con-stituents are sugar, fat, and albuminous (egg-white-like protein) substances. The inorganicconstituents are water and certain minerals,commonly called cell salts. Of a living human
being, water constitutes over seven-tenths; thecell salts, about one-twentieth; organic matter,the remainder. Not until recently were the inorganic cell
salts understood and appreciated. Being little inquantity, they were thought to be lesser in impor-tance. But now it is known that the cell salts arethe vital portion of the body, the workers, thebuilders; that the water and organic substancesare simply inert matter used by these salts inbuilding the cells of the body. Should a deficiency occur in one or more of
these workers, of whom there are twelve, someabnormal condition arises. These abnormal con-ditions are known by the general term “disease,”and as they manifest themselves in different waysand in different parts of the body, they have beendesignated by various names. But these namestotally fail to express the real trouble. Every dis-ease which afflicts the human race is due to alack of one or more of these inorganic workers.Every pain or unpleasant sensation indicates alack of some inorganic constituent of the blood.Health and strength can be maintained only solong as the system is properly supplied withthese cell salts. Man, through the medium of plant life, is a
product of the soil. All the main elements enterinto his composition. Were the soil barren of itsconstituent matters, plant life would beunknown and man would cease to exist. Anequilibrium of the inorganic constituents is asnecessary in fertile soil and plant life as in thehuman organism. It is a law immutable and hasexisted since the world’s creation. Having learned that disease is not a thing,
animate or inanimate, but a condition due to alack of some inorganic constituent of the system,it follows naturally that the proper method ofcure is to supply to the system that which is lack-ing. While in the treatment of disease, the use ofproducts not constituents of the system may be12 FACIAL DIAGNOSIS OF CELLSALTDEFICIENCIESvery necessary and useful, a complete return to
health cannot be expected until the missing cellsalts are supplied. Biochemistry would seek to ascertain what is
lacking and supply it in just the form needed.Any disturbance in the molecular motion ofthese cell salts in living tissues constituting dis-ease can be rectified and the requisite equilibri-um reestablished by administering the samemineral salts in small quantities. This is broughtabout by virtue of the operation of chemicalaffinity in the domain of histology, and hencethis therapeutic procedure is styled by Schuessleras “the Biochemic Method,” and stress is laid onthe fact that it is in harmony with well-knownfacts and laws in physiological chemistry andallied sciences. It is the blood that contains the material for
every tissue of the body, that supplies nutrimentto every organ, enabling it to perform its indi-vidual function; it is, indeed, a microcosm, ableto supply every possible want to the animaleconomy. T wo kinds of substances are needed in the
process of tissue building, and both are found inthe blood, namely the organic and inorganic con-stituents. DISEASE – NATURE ’SEFFORTS TO
RESTORE EQUILIBRIUM
Adapted from: Chemistry of the Cosmos, by Dr.
George Carey
Disease is an alarm signal, a friend that calls
to inform us of danger. Disease is an effort to pre-vent death. Therefore, pain and so-called “dis-ease” is more than a warning; it is an effort thatopposes death. The symptoms that indicate dis-ease are calls, or dispatches, asking for the mate-rial with which repair of bodily tissue may bemade. Pains or discomforts of various functionsor structures of the body are words asking for theconstituent parts of blood, nerve fluids, tissue,bone, etc.If acids cause pain, the pain is a call for a suf-
ficient amount of alkaline salts to balance an acideffect and change fluids to a bland and naturalstate. Healthy synovial fluid (fluid of the joints –the lubricator) is neither acid nor alkali but yetcontains both in combination. Should the alka-line salts become deficient in amount for anycause, the acid at once becomes a disturbing ele-ment and hurts the nerves that pervade themembranes of periosteum (bone covering) ofthe internal structure of knee, elbow, or otherjoints of the human anatomy. This pain, or word,cannot be considered bad or malignant in anysense. So then it matters not what name may be
given to nature’s demand for reinforcementsthrough the medium of pain or any symptom thatindicates a deviation from the plane of health;one thing and one thing alone is needed, i.e., tosupply the blood with the dynamic molecules,the twelve cell salts, that set up vibration oraction in the human machine. Poisons, of whatever name or nature, do not
and cannot supply deficiencies and cure diseasefor the simple reason that poisons are not con-stituent parts of the human organism. Poisons oppose calls for help and tend to still
the voice of nature; therefore, the effect of poisonis towards death. Many have survived the effectsof poisons, but equally many have been hurriedto their graves. A proper use of mineral or cell salts of the
blood in the potency and proportion found in theashes of a cremated body will do all that can bedone medicinally to supply deficiencies andrestore normal conditions. The cell salts form the chemical base of the
blood, and blood builds all tissue and fluids of thebody. Anarchy is increasing. A lot of people even
refuse to be poisoned by vaccine pus, and somehave declared their intention to select their ownmode of treatment when sick. Now it is up to CHAPTER 2: INTRODUCTION AND HISTORY 13the lawmakers to “stamp out such anarchistic
doctrine.”
All phenomena is a result of Divine, benefi-
cent law, hence disease so-called is the result ofthe orderly procedures of that law. In all ages allmen and women have been sick more or less. Inall ages there have been storms, cataclysm, earth-quakes, and extremes of heat and cold; no onequestions the wisdom that causes, guides, anddirects these events, then why should we ques-tion the wisdom of disease? Disease is one phaseof the transmutation of matter in the procedure ofregeneration. All methods of healing are phases of the
transmutation processORGANS AND TISSUES AFFECTED BY
CELLSALTDEFICIENCIES
(compilation by David R. Card)
CALC FLUOR – Connective tissue, bones, vein
walls, tendons, sinews, tooth enamel, throat,larynx, thyroid. CALC PHOS – Bones, muscles, teeth, spine, blood,
periosteum (bone covering), cartilage, glands. CALC SULPH – Liver, gallbladder, heart muscle,
connective tissue, glands, mucus membranes,bones, skin. FERRUM PHOS – Blood, arterial system, colon,
lungs, Eustachian tubes, heart, mucus mem-branes, bones. KALI MUR – Glands, bronchials, throat, Eustachian
tubes, ears, muscles, joints. KALI PHOS – Spleen, nerves, muscles, mucus mem-
branes, skin. KALI SULPH – Pancreas, liver, skin, mucus mem-
branes, glands, respiratory organs. MAG PHOS – Heart, colon, nerves, muscles. NAT MUR – Kidneys, blood, mucus membranes,
cartilage, brain, heart, spleen, liver. NAT PHOS – Stomach, tissues, lymphatics, genitals,
intestines. NAT SULPH – Liver, gallbladder, pancreas, colon. SILICEA –


cedes the thought. Does this mean that your intestinalnervous system creates such reactions on its own. That’s
unclear, but it’s tempting to think so. Certainly many
people trust their gut reactions over the confused and
compromised responses that the brain is often  saddled
with. The muscles of your face are directly linked to your brain. While we assume that the brain is telling the mouth and
lips to smile when we’re  feeling happy, the reverse is also
true. Seeing a smile on someo ne else’s face can make you
happy, and children are taught to smile as a way to break
out of a sad mood. Whether this works or not varies from
person to person, but it could be argued that the face is
controlling the brain in those instances. Findings about brainlike processes outside the skull have
become common. The conduction system inside the heart,
including pacemaker cells, which organizes your heartbeat,
can be thoug ht of as the heart’s brain in the same  way the
ganglion cells in the gut are the brain of the intest ines. The
independence of the conduction system is shown when a
transplanted heart keeps beating even though the nerves
that connected it to the donor’s central and peripheral
nervous systems have been severed. The interaction
between the heart’s independent processing and the
brain’s is complex and not fully understood. Still more mysterious are the trillions of bacteria that
outnumber the body’s cells by ten to one, living mostly
inside the digestive tract but also on the skin and in the
brain and other organs. We think of these bacteria as
invaders, but over eons these microorganisms have actually
been incorporated into vast stretches along the double
helix of human DNA. The implications for what we call
“being huma n” are enormous and largely uncharted. Taken
as a whole, the bacterial component of the body is known
as the microbiome. It doesn’t sit passively on the skin or in
the gut, nor does it invade the body. Instead, themicrobiome is the border between “in here” and “out
there,” possessed of genes, receptors, and chemical
messaging that make the same things possible for the
brain. The function  of the microbial DNA that is woven into
our genes isn’t known, but at the very least this is ancestral
information we’ve assimilated as our own. More
suggestively, this once-foreign DNA may be the switching
agent for the genes in all higher life-forms. These discoveries prove that our intelligence extends to
the entire ecology. Mind has a physical basis everywhere. Any attempt  to isolate it in the skull runs into serious
objections. Instead of viewing unbou nded awareness with
skepticism, we need to see that every thought is
unbounded. You cannot see, hear, or touch anything in the
world without reaching beyond the illusory boundary of the
isolated body. To watch a sunset is literally like watching
yourself. * As an example of today’s sophisticated measurements, a November 2013
survey in Scientiﬁc American  of the eﬀects of meditation cited the following:
Meditation not only changes brain neuronal interconnections, but it also
increases brain tissue volume, decreases the volume of the amygdala,
increases telomerase activity, and diminishes inﬂammation and other
biological stresses that occur at the molecular level.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>
Q: What is the concept of "silent intelligence" and its significance in the body?,
A: Silent intelligence is the unseen, unnamable, and unseeable force that guides every action to its highest and best use, giving meaning and purpose to all experiences.
Q: What is the purpose of the second attention, and how does it differ from first attention?,
A: The second attention is a state of awareness that allows one to connect with the universe and harness the power of intention. It is distinct from the first attention, which focuses on the external world, as it allows one to tap into the inner self and communicate with the body.
Q: What is the significance of the diagram in the Vedic tradition, and how does it relate to the concept of a unified field?,
A: The diagram represents the idea that the universe is a unified, interconnected web, and it is not just a collection of separate components. This concept is not limited to Vedic tradition but is a fundamental aspect of the universe, as seen in the experiments with kittens and the study on the power of intention.
Q: What is the main difference between the rishis' approach and that of modern scientists?,
A: The rishis did not believe in separating the world into compartments, whereas modern scientists have been trained to approach reality in a compartmentalized manner, which limits their understanding of the interconnectedness of all things.
Q: What is the significance of the study on the effects of meditation on the body, and what are the implications of this study?,
A: The study shows that meditation can have a profound impact on the body, as it can induce profound changes in the brain, heart rate, and other physiological processes. The implications of this study suggest that the mind is not just in the brain, but is a fundamental aspect of the universe, and its influence on the body is crucial for our well-being.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>A neutrino zips through the
whole Earth with equal ease.) Using this insight, the rishis
went even further. They noticed that you do not have to
touch an object physically  to know how it feels. Answer this
question: Which is softer, a starched linen napkin or a rose
petal? You can easily compare the two in your mind, using
an image of touch, withou t having to go out and ﬁnd a real
napkin and a real rose. The reason why you can do this is that you have gone to a
subtler level of the sense of touch. Similarly, there are
subtle sound s, sights, smells, and tastes. However, this
level of the mind is not the end—in meditation, one can
reach even further back, beyond the ﬁve subtle senses
(called the Tanmatras  in Ayurveda), until one arrives at
consciousness in its uniﬁed state—the Vedic texts compare
this to following the hand’s ﬁve ﬁngers back to where they
join at the palm. Subjectively, the visual image of a rose
would grow fainter and fainter on the screen of the mind,
until nothing was left but the screen itself. Then one would
be at the true origin of the senses, the ﬁeld of intelligence
itself. In this way, the rishis reasoned, the whole world of
physical reality comes into being. We seem to be in deep philosophical waters here, but in
fact every layer of touch, sight, hearing, smell, and taste
inﬂuences our ordinary lives. If you like to eat oysters and I
detest them, the diﬀerence is not in the oyster or in our
taste buds. The contact between the molecules of the
oyster and the taste receptors in our mouths is the same
for both of us. Yet, in the process of tasting, your delight
insinuates itself, and so does my disgust. All the raw data of
experience must pass through the ﬁlter of intelligence, and
no two people appraise it in exactly the same way. When someth ing seems to change in the world, the rishis
said, it is really you that is changing. A friend of mine, also
Indian, is a surgeon who has gained a reputation for beingrather a gourmet. His specialty is omelets, the more exotic
the better. The last time we had Sunday brunch together,
however, he didn’t order an omelet. Curious, I asked him
about it, and he said, “I can’t stand the taste of an omelet
anymore.” It turned out that his liking for them had
changed instantly, earlier that week. He was stirring up an omelet at home while his 6-year-old
son, Arjun, looked on. As each egg was cracked, my friend
tossed the shell aside. By chance a few of them fell into a
small brown bag of birdseed that was going to be set out
for the sparrows. “Oh, don’t do that,” Arjun said seriously. “The birds will
think their babies have died, and they won’t want to eat.”
My friend is usually proud of his boy’s precocious remarks,
but all at once he couldn’t abide the taste of the omelet he
was making, or any other. Science would be at a loss to
measure the change that occurred in him, because it is too
ghostly and too individual. The idea that an omelet tastes
good has no more weight than that it tastes bad. The same
is true of every other sensation. Is a goose-down pillow
soft? Not to someone with a migraine, who groans with
pain when his head touches it. Does a jet move fast? Not if
you view it from the moon. In short, there is no end to the
way a sense impression can be interpreted, and no end to
the ways that the body can respond to it. —
The rishis said that life is built up by your participation in
it. Nothing is good or bad, hard or soft, painful or pleasant,
except as you live it. The same is true of


 can do that increase free radical
production and other things that can limit them. Things that increase free
radical formation include:
Smoking
Environmental pollution
Alcohol
Radiation, including excessive sunlight exposureBarbecued and smoked meats
Aged and fermented foods
Chemotherapy drugs
High intake of saturated and hydrogenated fats
Stress and stress hormones
W e have evolved a sophistica ted system to neutralize the d amaging
ef fects of free radicals on our bodies. This is called the antioxidant system
and it involves m any dif ferent enzymes, vitamins, and minerals. When your
antioxidant syst em is fully operational, you are able to deactivate the free
radical molecules before they do harm. Things you can do to enhance your antioxidant system include:
Eat more antioxidant-rich foods—fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts,
and beans. Use antioxidant-rich herbs and spices liberally—dill, coriander,
rosemary, sage, thyme, mint, fennel, ginger, and garlic. T ake antioxidant vitamins—A, C, and E.
Eliminate tobacco, excessive alcohol, and nonessential drugs. Reduce your stress—meditate. The accumulation of toxins in the body/mind
system accelerates aging. Relinquishing T oxic SubstancesHuman beings have this curious  propensity to be attracted to things that are
not good for them. Part of this af finity is chemical, for nicotine, illicit drugs,
and alco hol mimic natural biochemicals in doses that create cravings when
the substance is withdrawn. Part of this tendency may be our childlike
resistance to authority figures te lling us what is good and bad. W hatever the
explanation, once a toxic habit is established, the ritual itself provides
reinforcement fo r the behavior. For example, just the familiar act of pouring
a drink or lighting up a cigarette may soothe anxiety. The problem, of
course, is that the short-term relief provided by the behavior may
predispose us to long-term suf fering. Our experience at the Chopra Center has taught us that in order for
someone to release something  that is not serving them well, several
components must be in place. In order to unravel a toxic conditioned pattern
and rep lace it with a nourishing one, you will need to sy stematically
reinforce the transformation wit h your thoughts and choices. There are four
critical steps to relinquishing something toxic in your life. THE INTENTION T O DET OXIFY
The firs t import ant step is to form a clear and str ong intention. If you are
not convinced that your life will be better as a result of eliminating
something toxic, you will not have the motivation or will to make the
change. It is best to formulate your intention in a positive ra ther than a
negative way. If you want to sto p smoking, state your intention as “I want
to breathe more easily and feel comfortable in my body without the need for
tobacco,” rather  than “I need to get rid of these horrible cigarettes from my
life.” If your desire is to stop drinking alcohol, formulate the intention that
you wis h to feel safe and cente red without the need for self-m edication. If
you wan t to lose weight, formulate the intention that you want a  healthy, fit
body. Create a clear vision of how your life will be better as  a result of
letting g o of the toxin. If you are  struggling with an addiction th at you have
the c lear intention to release, tr y the “Envisioning Wholeness”  process on
the next page.If you are habitually consuming  a toxic substance that you know is not
serving you well, make the commitment now to release it. Form a clear
intention and reinforce your af firmations:
I commit to r eleasing ______ fr om my life, once and for ever. W ithout ______ in my life,
I look and feel a healthy _____ years old. Throughout the day, practice your af firmation and the envisioning of
your life free fr om the toxic ha bit until your body/mind is sp ontaneously
resonating with this vision for your life. Develop a clear vision of your new
reality and create it through all your daily choices. Envisioning Wholeness
Sit comfortably, close your eyes, and for several minutes quiet your
inner dialogue through meditation. If you have not been instructed in
Primordial Sound Meditation, practice the breathing awareness
meditation as described in Chapter 3. Now, begin to envision your life
free from the negative ef fects of the life-damaging habit. Imagine your
home and work environment, unencumbered by the addiction. Picture
how your body looks, smells, and feels free from the toxic ef fects of the
dependency. Imagine the nourishing relationships with your friends and
loved ones. Experience on the screen of your consciousness the vitality,
comfort, and sense of competence you have, liberated from the negative
pattern that is impacting your life. Allow this vision of wholeness to
permeate every cell in your body. PRACTICE MINDFULNESSThe second step is to turn the toxic behavior into a mindful meditation. This
means shifting into a mode of witnessing awareness while you are
performing the action. If you want to eliminate smoking, focus your full
attention on the action. Sit quietly and observe yourself as you s lowly reach
for y our pack, r emove a cigarette, light up, and inhale. Feel th e sensations
in your body and stop when your need has been fulfilled. V ery few  people actually enjoy their first smoke or taste of whiskey,
which re flects the inherent wisdom of the body. It is only afte r you have
overridden your  body’ s signals with false mental messages—“I look cool
when I smoke.” “Drinking alcohol makes me grown-up.” “Doing drugs is
hip.”—that your physiological impulses stop being sent. In its ef fort to
conserve ener gy, if we do not heed our internal signals, the body stops
sending them. Performing the habitual action with “beginner ’ s awareness”
will help you experience the honest ef fects of the substance. SYSTEMICALL Y DET OXIFY
The third step is  to start a general detoxification pr ogram. Set a stop date
and use  the opportunity to clear both your mind and body. F ocusing on
purification will help shorten the period of withdrawal discomfort and help
your min d and body shift into a healthier mode of functioning. D rink lots of
fresh fruit and vegetable juice s during this time. T ry fruit juices in the
morning, mixed  fruit and vegetable juices during the day, an d vegetable
juices and blended vegetable so ups in the evening. W e often recommend
gingerroot tea, prepared by adding one teaspoon of freshly grated root to a
pint of hot water. Simplify your diet for a few days, favoring whole grains,
steamed vegetables, and lentil soups. T ake hot baths or go to a sauna or
steam room to encourage the removal of toxins through your skin. Spend at
least some time every day walking in a park or along a stream, lake, or
ocean. Inhale fresh air, feel the sun on your face, and wiggle you r feet in the
sand or grass. Directly connect with nature’ s purifying influence.This is a good time to start a healthy daily routine. Commit to m editating
twice a day, getting to bed before 10:30 P.M. and rising at su nrise. Drink
plenty o f water. Begin a regular exercise program. Get some body work to
help mo bilize th e toxins from your body. Start a healthy diet. The more
positive things you introduce int o your life, the easier it will be to eliminate
whatever is toxic. Panchakarma
A yurveda reco mmends a total detoxification program known as
Panchakarma, which means th e purifying actions. The full program as
of fered at the C hopra Center prescribes a systematic process to identify,
mobilize, and eliminate stored toxins in the body. Luxurious oil massages
are followed by heat treatme nts and then some type of eliminative
procedure to dischar ge toxins through the digestive tract or nasal passages. Y ou can  perform a gentle detox ification program at home by following
these steps:
Follow a simplified diet for five days with plenty of steamed
vegetables, grains, and lentil soup. Eliminate fried foods, fermented
foods, dairy, animal products, and refined carbohydrates during this
time. For three days eat sesame seeds and golden raisins to lubricate your
digestive tract. Prepare a one-to-one mix of ⅛ cup of white sesame
seeds and ⅛ cup of golden raisins. Ingest a teaspoon of the mixture one
hour before or two hours after each meal. If you have any trouble
digesting seeds, take ½ teaspoon of sesame oil with three to four
raisins three times a day. Drink plenty of gingerroot tea by grating one teaspoon of fresh
gingerroot per pint of hot water and sipping it throughout the day. It is
easiest if you get a thermos bottle so you can keep the tea with you. T ry drinking at least one liter per day.On the evening of the fourth day, perform an oil massage (see pages
54–55) and soak in a hot bath. Around ten P.M., take a teaspoon of yogurt


 to the author, what is the primary cause of aging and disease?,
A: Environmental factors, such as a poor diet, lack of proper nutrients, and exposure to toxins and radiation, are the primary cause of aging and disease, not genetic predisposition.
Q: What is the author's stance on the use of genetically modified foods?,
A: The author recommends avoiding the consumption of genetically modified foods due to concerns over their potential long-term effects and lack of sufficient research.
Q: According to the author, what is the primary focus of modern medicine?,
A: The author states that modern medicine is focused on treating symptoms, rather than addressing the root causes of disease, and that it is not designed to promote health and wellness.
Q: What is the author's view on the role of doctors in the healthcare system?,
A: The author criticizes the medical establishment, stating that doctors often prioritize their own interests over the well-being of their patients, and that they are not incentivized to consider alternative approaches or unconventional treatments.
Q: What is the author's stance on the use of X-rays and other medical testing procedures?,
A: The author advises avoiding medical testing procedures like X-rays and ultrasound, as they can cause harm and are not always necessary, and instead recommends a holistic approach to health and wellness.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>In another case, a hospital oversight committee reviewed surgically removed
tissues. In the year prior to the formation of the committee, the hospital performed
262 appendectomies—after the committee was formed, the number dropped to 62. The committee found that most of the tissues being removed were healthy! In March
1997, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine published a statement
saying that only 10 percent of hysterectomies are justified. In addition to being
almost entirely unnecessary, surgery is risky; possibilities exist for surgical error,
complications from anesthesia and infection, not to mention the physical, mentaland emotional shock to the body. Should You Take Medicine? All drugs have potentially damaging “side effects.” Because a malfunctioning cell
is the definition of disease, and drugs deliberately cause cells to malfunction, drugs
cause disease. Drugs are foreign to the body; the mechanism by which drugs work is
to alter the body’s biochemistry in order to suppress symptoms. Side effects often
are worse than the diseases the drugs are used to treat. Perhaps these hazards would
be justified if drugs cured disease, but they do not, they control and suppress
symptoms. Even with symptoms suppressed, the true cause of the problem may be
growing worse while the body’s natural healing mechanisms are being compromised
by the drugs. Billions of dollars are spent in the war against street drugs, but the number of
people killed and injured by street drugs is minor compared to prescription drugs. Prescription drugs kill a couple of hundred thousand people every year and are a
leading cause of disease and death. If your doctor prescribes a drug, consider that it
may cause your cells to malfunction, and that alternatives exist that are both safe
and effective. Even aspirin and other common over-the-counter drugs are dangerous, so find
alternatives that work for you. Books such as
Alternative Medicine: The Definitive
Guide,
edited by the Burton Goldberg Group, and
Finding the Right Treatment,
by
Jacqueline Krohn, M.D., and Francis Taylor, M.A., are excellent resources for those
wishing to find natural alternatives to toxic prescription drugs. Unfortunately, when drugs cause disease, we have all been trained not to call it
disease. Instead, we use the deceptive term “side effects.” In 1984, the drug industry
attempted to obtain a legal exemption from the liability laws that apply to virtually
all manufacturers. Why? Because even the people who make the drugs know they are
not safe; “all prescription drugs are unavoidably unsafe” argued the Pharmaceutical
Manufacturers Association. Of course, this wording is not used in drug
advertisements aimed at the public. A hospital patient receives, on average, twelve different drugs. Yet, often when as
few as three are prescribed, absolutely no one understands all the dangerous
interactions between the drugs. Bad enough taken one at a time, combinations of
drugs can be particularly toxic. Prescription drugs are notorious for causing many
adverse effects in the elderly, including memory loss, depression, confusion,
constipation, Parkinson’s disease, falls and urinary incontinence. All too often, a
second drug is prescribed to suppress the symptoms caused by the first, then another
to suppress the symptoms of the first two, and so forth. Many illnesses of the elderly
really are manifestations of adverse drug reactions. A 1991 study in the
Journal ofthe American Medical Association
showed that 14 percent of in-hospital cardiac
arrests followed a complication, usually because of a medication. Well-known
combinations of commonly prescribed drugs can kill, and alert pharmacists have
saved many lives. Up to 29 percent of all hospital admissions are caused by adverse reactions to
drugs, according to a 1995 study in the
Archives of Internal Medicine. Many
reactions result in liver damage, long hospital stays, permanent disability and even
death. In 1990, an estimated 659,000 Americans aged sixty years and older were
hospitalized due to adverse drug reactions. In addition to toxicity, drugs also can
cause deficiency by depleting the body of essential nutrients. Diuretics cause
excessive loss of potassium and other essential minerals. Anticonvulsants cause loss
of vitamin D. Antibiotics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and steroid
hormones can indirectly cause numerous vitamin and mineral deficiencies by
causing digestive damage. Because of the complexity of the human organism,
predicting the effects of drugs in each individual, especially with combinations of
drugs, is impossible. Other facts:
• A January 1997 study in the
Journal of the American Medical Association
stated that drug-related morbidity and mortality costs more than $136 billion a
year—more than the cost of cardiovascular disease, our leading cause of death. • In 1995, Duke University researchers showed that drugs commonly prescribed
for stroke patients actually hampered their recovery. Even after a single dose,
the negative effects could be long-lasting. • A 1994 study in the
Journal of the American Medical Association
concluded
that inappropriate and potentially dangerous drugs are prescribed for one in
four older Americans every year. • A 1994 study published in the
Journal of the National Cancer Institute
and
The Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
warned that antihistamine and antidepressant drugs (including Prozac) contain
chemicals known to accelerate tumor growth. While these drugs do not cause
cancer directly, they can speed its growth. Three Classes of Common Drugs Are of Special Concern
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs):
NSAIDs include over-the-
counter drugs such as aspirin, ibuprofen and acetaminophen, and prescription drugs
such as Indocin, Feldene, Naprosyn and others. Use of NSAIDs is a significant
national health problem, causing long-term damage to large numbers of people,
particularly the elderly, who are the largest users of these drugs. According to data
published in
Hospital Practice
in December 1996, up to two hundred thousand
Americans are hospitalized every year for problems caused by NSAIDs, and as many
as twenty thousand people a year die from the damage.NSAIDs usually are prescribed for a noble purpose, to relieve pain, and they are
among the most commonly pres-cribed pharmaceuticals in the world. About 60
million NSAID prescriptions are written every year in America, and an estimated 14
million people take these drugs for symptomatic relief of arthritis alone. These
drugs relieve pain, but at a cost. About one third of chronic NSAID users experience
noticeable gastrointestinal discomfort, which is only the tip of the iceberg,
indicating that digestive damage is occurring. In most people, NSAID-inflicted
damage to the digestive system is asymptomatic (no obvious symptoms to warn of
the damage being done). By the time the stomach or gut is in pain from NSAIDs,
massive damage has already occurred. Most physicians think it is acceptable for people to take NSAIDs, believing that
they cause minimal and acceptable damage. Virtually everyone who takes these
dangerous drugs has their health damaged, and the longer they are taken, the worse it
becomes. People who take NSAIDs for arthritis for years suffer worse joint damage
than those who take nothing. NSAIDs have been linked to kidney failure, cognitive
dysfunction, hearing loss, ringing in the ears, macular degeneration and hormone
disruption. Examples include:
• In a 1992 study published in the
Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology,
long-
term NSAID users were hospitalized six times more often than nonusers. Deaths from gastrointestinal causes occurred twice as often, and half of all
patients who died of ulcer-related complications had reported recent use of
NSAIDs. • A 1996 study in the
Archives of Internal Medicine
found that patients taking
NSAIDs were four to seventeen times more likely to suffer acute kidney failure. • A 1996 study in
Physiological Behavior
showed NSAIDs interfere with
melatonin production, with a 75 percent nighttime reduction. Decreased
melatonin production has been associated with sleep disorders as well as
promotion of cancer. • A 1996 study in
Lancet
showed that aspirin, in any form, such as buffered or
coated, causes gastrointestinal bleeding. As few as one aspirin can cause
bleeding. NSAIDs cause


 combed or pulled. The therapist locates the  marma
points a long the head and spends time tugging and pres sing
earlobes, before  moving on to the face. Facial massage is usually a
mixture of acupressure and gentle manipulation, ending with soft
stroking. People who suf fer from vertigo, headaches, migraines,
insomnia, tinnitus and depression are all reported to find  champi
helpful. As the therapist works on the three higher  chakras, the
vissuddha  (the base of the throat),  ajna  (the forehead) and
sahasrara  (the crown), mental and emotion al stress is immediately
released. In addition, the localiz ed massage improves the supply of
glucose and blood to the brain, improves the circulation of
cerebrospinal flu id, dissipates accumulated toxins and opens pr anic
channels. Results include improved memory, clarity of mind, better
eyesight and concentration, and clearing of the sinuses. The thera pist at the Ayurvedic Penthouse at Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok, first
prepares for a 60-minute Indian head massage session by creating an
atmosphere of calm with candlelight and aromatic oil burners. Then, she starts the
therapy with pressure point massage to stimulate the vital energy points in the
skull, thereby increasing the flow of subtle energies in the body. The result  is a
client comforted, nurtured and relaxed.udwarthanam  Dry Massage with
Herbal Powder
A stimulating massage that uses dry powders not oil,
udwarthanam  is vigorous, ener gizing and not for the faint
hearted. Dry herbal powders, chosen according to on e’ s
dosha, are rubbed into the skin in the opposite direction to
hair growth with strong repeated movements. The friction of
the powder during the massage creates body heat that
increases circu lation, breaks  down cellulite, firms muscle
tone and reduces fat by im proving the metabolism of the
muscles. It is recommende d for those who want to lose
weight, as it reduces cholesterol levels and adipose tissue
and promotes better digestion and. It also removes toxins
and exfoliates the skin, leaving skin tingling, soothed and
soft. Most A y urvedic massages tend to use long, flowing strokes that go
away from the heart and from bottom to top, but  udwarthanam
employs short, sharp superfic ial rubs that go in the opposite
direction, away from the heart to wards the extremities and from the
top of the body downwards. This is the opposite of the  dosha  flow. According to A yurvedic physician, Dr Ajitha of Soukya, the pow der
helps to open up the micro-channels in the body, so reduces fat
accumulation, tautens up muscles, reduces bad body odor and
exfoliates dead surface skin cells. In a clinical setting,
udwarthanam  is usually prescribed for 10 to 14 days for those withama twan  or sl owness of f low in the channels, and as a means to
reduce fat. However, the massage type is increasingly finding its
way into spas a nd retreats, where its invigorating style is gain ing
popularity. At t he s pa at Udaivilas, a beautiful resort on the shore of Lake
Pichola in Udaipur, one of three A yurvedic powders or  choornam
are used : the popular  triphala choornam  or three fruit powder, a
powder composed from  Terminalia chebula  or  Terminalia
bellaruca, or  kola kula thadhi choornam, made from a variety of
pulses and herbs. The massage i s quite rough and the powder enters
the s uperficial bloodstream, but  also enters nasally as it flies ab out
in th e air. This cleanses the internal system too. Afterwards, the
client is encouraged to spend 1 0 minutes in the steam room and
further massage any residual powder into the skin. As sweating
occurs, t oxins ar e released through the skin’ s pores, and the skin is
left feeling soft, extremely smooth and rejuvenated. Another place that of fers  udwarthanam  is Soukya International
Holistic Health Center. Here it is prescribed for guests who are
obese and the powders are prepared on site. They dif fer from patient
to patient, but may contain  vacha  (Acorus calamus ) to alleviate
swelling, the A yurvedic all-rou nd wonder fruit  amalaki  or Indian
Gooseberry (Emblica officinalis ), green gram powder and/or basil. All the herbs are  washed, cut into small pieces, dried and pulver ized
on s ite t o make either a fine or coarse powder, which is then str ewn
on to the body and massaged in by two therapists simultaneously. Some of the powde rs used at Udaivilas; they contain what doctors call  madagna
properties that reduce fat and help clear blockages.Two therapists at Soukya massage a client with powder made on site. Udwarthanam  is also useful as a depilatory because the short, sharp rubs tend to
pluck hairs from the roots.sirodhara  Oiling the Third Eye
Surprisingly,  sirodhara  is the most widespread A yurvedic
therapy of fered  at spas outside India. Why this is the case is
unclear, as it is not prescribed for many ailments in a clinical
environment. It invariably comes top of the A yurve dic
menu, and even spas without an A yurvedic department of fer
bastardized ve rsions. Many people have tried it, and even if
they haven’ t, they will almost certainly have heard of it. Coming from  siro  (“head”) and  dhara  (“pouring of herbal liquids
on s pecific body parts”),  sirodhara  denotes the continuous pouring
of herbal oils, milk, buttermilk or ghee over the head and scalp. The
patient lies on his or her ba ck on a wooden treatment table,
cocooned in warm towels, while a therapist trains a steady rhythmic
stream o f warm liquid from a perforated vessel made of clay, w ood
or metal on to the forehead. The table is made from one of seven
therapeutic woods and is designed to catch the oil for recycling on
the same client. Oil strok ing the “third eye” has a balancing ef fect on the deepes t
recesses of the b rain and is profoundly relaxing. In A yurveda, it is
seen as a stimu lating procedu re for the nervous system and is
prescribed for bringing down aggravated  vata  conditions such as
insomnia, headache, insecurity, fear and nervous strain. Irritable
pitta  predominant people with overactive minds can experience a
cooling, calming benefit from a session or two and  kaphas  often
fall aslee p. Used in conjunction with other therapies,  sirodhara  has
been practiced for thousands of years to treat many and variedconditions such as ear, nose and throat disturbances, glandular
problems, psychiatric disorders, hypertension, skin diseases, facial
paralysis and more. During a session, the nervous system unwi nds,
busy brains become clear, and tired bodies are refreshed. In a clinical environment, the choice of liquid and duration of
treatment varies  according to the individual. Vata  patients are
generally prescribed medicated herbal oil,  pitta  types receive herbal
milk, gh ee or coconut oil, and buttermilk is often recommended  for
kapha  patients. Ancien t texts denote 53 minutes for  vatas, 43
minutes for  pitas  and 31 minutes for  kaphas! It is suggested the
best tim e to receive  sirodhara  is early in the morning for a pe riod
of 21 consecutive days, depending on the client. A variation of
sirodhara  is  deha-dhara, wh ere two to four therapists  pour a
continuous flow of oil over the entire body. Beautifully carved beds are usually made from one piece of wood, often neem,
and are designed so that oil flows through a drainage channel and is captured  in a
wooden bowl for re-use.The  Charaka Samhita  specifies seven types of wood for an Ayurvedic bed or  patti
with the emphasis being on the wood  having no joins. Because of the quality ofthe wood, beds are often works of art in themselves; often inlaid with copper or tin
inserts, the more elaborate ones have evocative carvings as well. At Quan spa in the JW Marriott Mumbai, oil at a  sirodhara  session is forced to flow
back over the forehead down to the bed with the fastening of a piece of cloth just
below the “third eye”.The palatial surrounds of Neemrana Fort Palace’ s courts and halls are highly
conducive to healing. Here, a therapist trains the flow of oil on to the forehead of a
client.vasthi  The Medicated Enema
T o most W esterners the su bject of enemas is one to  be
avoided,


) Guiding  Energ y to the  Sacru m.............................
   (2) Activating  the Sacral Pump..................................
   (3)Ope ning the Sacru m Hiatus.................................
   (4)Resting  to Feel the Energ y Move  Unassisted.......
   (5)An  Exercise  to Help  Open  the Sacru m.................
   (6)Sacrum Assists in Transforming  Raw
   Sexual  Energy  into Life-Force  Energ y....................... C. Third Station:  T-11,  a Sexual  Energy
Transfor mation  Point......................................................
   (1)Collectin g Energ y in the Ovarian  Palace..............
   (2)Dra wing Energ y to T-11........................................
   (3)Flexin g the T-11 Point Assists in Activating  the
   Sacral  and Cranial  Pum ps and  the
   Adrenal  Mini pump......................................................
D. Fourth  Station:  C-7, a Sexual Energy
Transfor mation  Point......................................................
   (1)Collectin g Energ y in the Ovarian  Palace..............
   (2)Dra wing Energ y to C-7.........................................
E. Fifth  Station:  the Jade  Pillow, a Mini- Storag e
and Transfor mation  Point for  Sexual Energ y.................
   (1)Collectin g Energ y in the Ovarian  Palace..............
   (2)Dra wing Energ y to the Jade  Pillow.......................
F. Sixth Station:  the Crown Point,  a Large r Storage
Point for  Sexual  Energy .................................................
   (1)Collectin g Energ y in the Ovarian  Palace..............
   (2)Dra wing Energ y to the Crow n Point .....................
   (3)Resting  and Using  your Mind  to Guide  the
   Energ y to the Brain....................................................
G. Circulating  the Energ y in the  Brain............................
   (1)Filling  the Brain Cavit y with Creative
   Sexual  Energy ...........................................................
   (2)Touchin g the Tongue  to the Palate  to Permit
   the  Energy  to Flow  Down to the  Navel
   for Storage.................................................................
H. Collecting  the Ovaries’  Sexual Energ y
   at the Navel................................................................
   (1)Spiralin g the Energ y Around  your70
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-9-Contents
          Navel Center..............................................................  87
       I. Collecting  Energy  in the  Heart................................... 88
          (1)Spiraling  the Energy  Around  your
          Heart  Center............................................................... 90
       J. Bringing  Energy  to the Brain  with One  Action............  91
       K. Effect  of Ovarian  Energy ........................................... 91
   IV. Steps  to Practice............................................................  93
   V. Su mmary  of Ovarian  Energy ........................................ 95
B. Ovarian  and Vaginal  Com pression.......................................  97
   1. Compressing  Air into  the Ovaries  Increases
   Sexual  Pow er...................................................................... 97
   2. Ovarian  and Vaginal  Com pression  Exercise
   Step- By-Step....................................................................... 97
   3. SUMMAR Y of Ovarian  and Vaginal  Com pression........... 101
C. Venting  Exercises  for High  Blood  Pressure........................ 101
6. Orgasmic Upward Draw.................................................... 105
A. Sexual Energ y and Women............................................ 105
B. Ovarian  Breathing  and the Orgas mic Dra w................... 107
   1. Single  and Dual  Cultivation........................................ 107
      a.  Solo Practice .........................................................  108
      b. Practicing  with a Partner ....................................... 109
C. Overvie w of the  Orgasmic Draw ................................... 109
   1. Four Levels  of the Orgasmic Upw ard Draw
   Practice .......................................................................... 110
      a. Beginning  Stage...................................................... 110
      b.  Inter mediate  Stage.................................................  110
      c. Advanced  Stage..................................................... 110
      d.  Most  Advanced  Stage............................................ 110
   2. Explanatio n of Procedure........................................... 111
D. Orgas mic Dra w, or How  to Transform Aroused
Sexual Energ y into Total Bod y Orgas m..............................  112
   1. Practice in  an Unaro used  State................................. 112
      a.  Pre- Exercise..........................................................  112
          (1) Low er Abdo minal  Breathing ............................  112
          (2) Diaphragm....................................................... 112
          (3) Energy  Ball...................................................... 112
      b. Relationship  of the  Palate  to the  Organs...............  114
          (1) Front  Palate..................................................... 114
- 10 -Contents
       (2)  Middle Palate...................................................  114
       (3)  Back  Palate.....................................................  114
       (4)  Front  of the Mo uth............................................ 114
       (5)  Jaw Line........................................................... 114
   c. Activating  the Pumps............................................. 114
       (1)  Activation  of the Cranial  Pump........................  115
           (a) Teeth.......................................................... 115
           (b) Tongue ....................................................... 116
           (c) Chin ..........................................................  116
           (d) Eyes...........................................................  116
       (2)  Activation  of the Musculat ory Pump................  117
           (a) Arms.......................................................... 118
           (b) Legs...........................................................  119
           (c) Buttocks..................................................... 119
       (3)  Com bining  the Steps ......................................  120
2. Practice  in an  Aroused  State..................................... 121
   a. An Overvie w........................................................... 121
   b. Importance  of Virtue Energy.................................. 121
   c. Mass aging the Breasts  will Raise the  Organs’
   and  Glands’  Chi......................................................... 122
       (1)  Gland  Chi Arousal............................................ 124
           (a) Pineal  Gland  Chi........................................ 125
           (b) Pituitar y Gland  Chi.....................................  125
           (c) Th yroid and Parath yroid Glands  Chi..........  125
           (d) Thymus Gland  Chi.....................................  125
           (e) Pancreas  Gland  Chi.................................. 127
           (f) Adrenal  Gland  Chi..................................... 127
           (g) Sex Gland  Chi...........................................  127
       (2)  Organ  Chi Arousal...........................................  128
           (a) Lung  and Large  Intestine  Chi.....................  128
           (b) Heart  and Small.........................................  128
           (c) Spleen,  Stomach and  Pancreas  Chi......... 132
           (d) Kidneys and Bladder  Chi...........................


 pushed it away in his
mind. He suppre ssed it. When he went to sleep and was not controlling his
thoughts as much, the mind was free to release what it had not been free to
express while the boy was awake. We all experience this type of dream
fairly regularly. A charged event from the waking world finds its way into
our dream world. You are not willfully doing this. It is the mind trying to
release built-up ener gy patterns. There are all kinds of dreams. Freud called the dream we’v e been
discussing basic wish fulfillment. It is a samskara formed in the waking
mind releasing energy by creating the thoughts you watch while you’re
asleep. These thoughts that make up your dreams are not that different from
the automatic thoughts going on in your waking mind. They are certainly
much more vivid, especially in their imagery. This is because when you’re
sleeping, the mind can focus completely on creating the thoug hts. It is not
busy being distracted by the senses or the many other layers of thoughts and
emotions going on. In addition, you’re not willfully pushing the thoughts
away. This is why the mind is much more creative when you fall asleep. It
can create an entire, complex world in full 3D and Technicolor. Most people
can’t do that when they’re awake, though obviously, their minds are
perfectly capable of doing so. Once you stop suppressing uncomfortable experiences, one thing
you’re going to realize is that there really is no subconscious mind, per se. The conscious mind and the subconscious mind are actually the same one
mind, and the only reason we see a difference is because we artificially
created a division. To understan d this, imagine looking around a room of
people and saying, “The people on the right side of the room I like; I’m
comfortable with those people. The people on the left side of the room,
however, I’m very uncomfortable with them. ” Having stated this, imagine
you never again look at the left side of the room because it makes you
uncomfortable. What you’ve just done is separated the room into the part
you’re comfortable with and the part you don’t want anything  to do with. The latter part exists, but no longer exists for you. That is exactly what
you’ve done to create the subconscious mind. The part of your mind you’re
not willing to look at is what we call the subconscious. Fortunately, these artificially divided parts of your mind will merge
once you stop suppressing. You will get the rest of your mind back, and you
will be able to use its full power. Imagine how much mental power you
waste by pushing all that mess into the subconscious. Then you have to keep
it down there for the rest of your life. It’s really amazing what a mess we
make because we can’ t handle the moments passing in front of us. The thoughts we push down into the subconscious play a role in both
our waking and dreaming states. The reason your mind is creating your
automatically generated dream thoughts is the same reason your mind
creates your automatically generated waking thoughts. In both cases, you
are not willfully creating this mental activity. It is happening on its own as
part of the mind’ s attempt to release blocked ener gies. The common thread between your waking and dreaming states is that
it’s the same consciousness that is aware of both. You who is watching the
dream is the same you who watches your waking thoughts and experiences
the outside world. This is why when you wake up, you can say, “What a
dream I had. ” How do you know. You know because you were there—the
same you who is aware while you’re awake. Interestingly, because it is the
same you, there can be a lot of spiritual growth in dreams. Meher Baba,
another great yoga master, said that you can work off karma in your dreams. He said that by going through an experience in your dreams, it is actually
beneficial to your spiritual evolution. You’re at least allowing some blocked
energy to release that you didn’t allow while you were awake, and that is
healthy. There is a great deal we can learn about ourselves from the dream state. If what you stored in the subcon scious was more traumatic than simply not
liking what happened or not getting what you wanted, what happens. Some
things are much harder to deal with than just preferences. There are
samskaras that are so deep they can’t even come up in a dream. If they tried
to release, you would wake from a nightmare in a very disturbed state. In
other words, your consciousne ss isn’t able to experience the event even
when it manife sts in a dream. You resist and become so uncomfortable
about it that you wake up. So how does this ener gy release. Unfinished energy stored in your mind is always trying to release at
one level or another. If the release would wake you from a dream, your
mind, all by itself, symbolizes what it’s trying to express. Instead of
dreaming about the car accident  that killed your younger brother, you dream
that there are birds flying high overhead and an eagle swoops down and
takes one of the small birds away. You’re willing to watch that, but you’re
not willing to watch a car accident with someone you love dying. This is all
very real. Your mind is doing you a favor. Your brilliant mind did that in an
attempt to stay healthy and release at least some of the pent-up energy. That’ s what the symbology of dreams is about. It’s truly amazing how
brilliant your mind is when left to its own resourcefulness. Just as your body
is always trying to heal itself, so your mind is always trying to release these
impurities that are stuck in there. Chapter 20. Waking Dreams
At this point  you can certainly appreciate the tremendous power of your
mind, especially in regard to creating dreams on its own. Creatin g dreams is
not a willful act; your mind has the power to do it by itself. But as you’ve
seen, your dream s are not the only mental objects that your mind creates
automatically. The voice inside your head that talks all day is the exact same
expressive power of mind that creates your dreams. It would not be
incorrect to call that dialog in your head your waking dreams. Every
personal thing that voice says is because of the samskaras you have stored
inside. Your mind is trying to release those blockages during the day while
you’re still awake. For example, you see somebody running and that voice
says inside, “I wonder what he did wrong. It’s like my brother when he ran
away. What is this guy running away from. ” The problem is that this
current situation has nothing to do with your brother, and this person could
be running for exercise. Your mind is using this opportunit y to release
energies that are pent up inside. That’ s why so much of the mind’ s dialog is
negative. The vast majority of energy you have stored inside is because of
things you didn’ t like. When subsequent events happen that stimulate these
negative samskaras, the new events are automatically experienced as
negative. In essence, the negativity keeps compounding. If you really want to see how your preferences manage to make life a
negative experience, go build a house and decide to paint the kitchen walls
white. Do you know there are more than fifty shades of white. Just wait
until you try to pick which white you want. In other words, there  is only one
tiny window of color choice that will align with your preferences and make
you happy. All the rest will get you upset. Just look at the odds you’re up
against. There are billions of things that can happen in life that don’t match
your preferences, and there are only a few that do. Under these  conditions,the probability that life is going to be a negative experience is extremely
high. This is not because life is negative. It is because the only thing that
isn’t negative to you is that which exactly matches your preferences. It is so importan t to understand this. You have set up a system in which
you can’t win. You have expanded what can bother you to include all
experiences that remind you of what bothered you before. What is more, life
almost never totally satisfies you because everything has to be exactly what
you want—to a T. This shows you the power of past and present preferences
—the more preferences you have, the less you will be okay. So far, we’ve learned a lot about mind. We began with an
understanding of empty mind. Then we discussed the here-and-now layer of
mind, which internally renders the images being received by the senses. On
top of that layer  of mind, the real trouble begins. You in there, the conscious
entity that knows you’re there, used the power of will to keep certain images
from passing right through. This resulted in the layer of mind called the
samskara layer. It holds the impressions you stored from your past that are
the basis for your personal preferences. As if it’s not enough that you built
this entire structure in your mind, you then committed your life to thinking
about how to serve it. Your consciousness is pretty lost, constantly focusing
on this false mental concept of self. Fortunately, there is a way out—it’ s called witness consciousness. If
you can learn to sit back and simply watch that voice inside your head, you
can free


 the Indio school board refused to
re-admit him into the system. I had written a two-page letterexplaining that he was better, but the educational system, notsurprisingly, proved to be blind to how simply ADHD can beaddressed. On the positive side, he is now attending a parochial
school. His sixth-month report card was all A’s—not surpris-ing since most ADHD children are extremely intelligent. When the boy went for his next therapy appointment, the
psychiatrist, who had been following him for his ADHD, sawright away that the signs of the disorder were gone. But whenhe asked the mother what her son was taking and she told himnatural progesterone cream, he told her to stop the cream133 ADD AND ADH D—THE SILENT EPIDEMIC  immediately, that it was a female hormone, and to put her son
back on the drugs that had been prescribed. She explained thatthe boy wouldn’t take them because they made him feel sick.He told her to do it anyway. Needless to say, the mothercontinued with the cream. I subsequently spoke with the psychiatrist, who refused to
accept anything I was saying because there were no drug-company studies to verify it. He refused to allow his ownpowers of observation to see that progesterone was beneficial.Psychiatry developed purely as an observational science; now itis almost purely about psychopharmacology. He would ratherplace this nine-year-old boy on potentially lethal drugs, withmultiple side effects, than use a natural bio-identical hormonewith no side effects. His statement that progesterone is afemale hormone is typical of the lack of education doctorsreceive about hormones. As stated previously, I do not treat young children that are
hyperactive in my practice—but I do treat their parents. If aparent has ADHD, there is a 50 percent chance that the childwill also be hyperactive. If the child is adopted, then he or shehas an even greater likelihood of having ADHD. This isbecause the majority of women who give up their children foradoption seem to be young mothers who have gotten intodrugs and alcohol and gotten pregnant, and, in my opinion,most young people who get involved with drugs and alcoholhave ADHD. ADHD IN ADULTS
There are many adults with undiagnosed ADD or ADHD. People who experience sleepiness between 3 and 4 in the after-noon or while driving—this is ADD. I use the word “ADD”interchangeably with “hypoglycemia,” because when the level134 THE MIRACLE OF BIO-IDENTICAL HORMONES  of sugar in the brain is low, the person can’t focus. People who
become workaholics may actually have ADHD and are livingon high levels of adrenaline caused by recurrent hypoglycemia. /Sswashimply put, I view ADD and ADHD as a matter of
too little progesterone, too much insulin, and,
in the case of ADHD, too much adrenaline. If you ask a specialist in ADD/ADHD what is causing the
problem, they generally say they don’t know. I am not aware ofany other doctor beside myself who approaches these condi-tions from a hormonal standpoint. Simply put, I view ADDand ADHD as a matter of too little progesterone, too muchinsulin, and, in the case of ADHD, too much adrenaline. Myphilosophy is so far removed from the standard of medicalpractice, which calls for the use of dangerous stimulants totreat the problem, that it can create concerns for traditionalpractitioners. Yet, as they say, the proof is in the pudding.When I treat the symptoms of ADD and ADHD with proges-terone and a diet that encourages the lowering of insulin, thereare positive results. The immediate response of one patient, a 53-year-old
male, after starting on progesterone was that it made himextremely tired. As soon as he said that, I realized he was anadult with ADHD. He was a trim male, working a 12-to-14-hour day. Placing him on progesterone prevented his insulinlevels from rising. It took away his hypoglycemia, so hisadrenaline levels went down. I adjusted his diet, providingmore carbohydrates to normalize the sugar, and also gave himthyroid. As a result, his fatigue disappeared. I think part of the reason why ADD/ADHD is under-
diagnosed is that doctors approach it as a “learning problem.”My feeling is that this is not true. People with ADHD have no135 ADD AND ADH D—THE SILENT EPIDEMIC  trouble focusing on things that interest them; however, they
will not focus on anything that they have no interest in. Inother words, ADHD is not a learning disorder; it is, morecorrectly, an interest disorder. Interestingly, most of the patients I see in my practice are
adults with unrecognized ADHD. CHARACTERISTICS OF ADHD
The typical adult with ADHD has a history of increased
physical activity as a teenager, being slim during his or heryouth, never opening a book in high school or college untilthe night before an exam, and possibly becoming a type-Apersonality or workaholic. They usually have a history ofbeing easily irritated and quick to anger, and they might havehigh expectations of other people. As they approach theirmiddle years they start putting on weight around the waist.They have symptoms of hypoglycemia: sleepiness in the lateafternoon or while driving or after eating. They commonlydisplay restlessness—tapping their hands or feet during theday, and manifesting restless leg syndrome or tossing andturning at night. All of these symptoms and behaviors canbe linked with the high adrenaline levels and high-insulin,low-blood-sugar syndrome of ADHD. There is often a strong family history of associated
hormonal problems—a mother with breast cancer, a sister withendometriosis, a brother with bi-polar disorder, children ornephews and nieces who are hyperactive (ADHD). Othercommonly associated conditions are type II diabetes andalso fibromyalgia. Please keep in mind that adrenaline is not only a hormone
but also acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain. Adults with136 THE MIRACLE OF BIO-IDENTICAL HORMONES  ADHD are often extremely intelligent as well as extremely
successful. I suspect that most of the CEOs of the largestcompanies in the world are diagnosable as having ADHD.They use their adrenaline to become workaholics—they put in14-hour days and rise to the top of their businesses. Likewise,I suspect that many Hollywood stars have ADHD—classicexamples might include T om Cruise, Mel Gibson, and thecomic actor Michael Richards, who played Kramer on
Seinfield. Again, most professional athletes probably have
ADHD—they use their adrenaline to excel in sports. On the other end of the spectrum, I would not be
surprised if most drug addicts and alcoholics would turn outto have ADHD. They turn to drugs and alcohol to deal withthe anger caused by an excess of adrenaline. Similarly, a highnumber of people in prison might be diagnosable as havingADHD, also people with road rage and people who abusespouses. Certainly, anger management classes would be largelyattended by ADHD sufferers. People are sometimes characterized as left- or right-brain
dominant. People who are right-brain dominant tend to becreative. I suspect that if you take right-brain dominance andadd adrenaline, you wind up with a creative genius. AlbertEinstein, for instance, is well-known as having a classic case ofADHD (he failed a number of subjects in school). It may havebeen high levels of adrenaline that made the brains of Einsteinand other creative geniuses such as Da Vinci and Beethovenfunction so brilliantly. I also wonder whether people withautism or with T ourette’s syndrome could also have anoverload of adrenaline in the brain. In autism, the excessadrenaline might be manifesting as sensory overload, and sothe person shrinks back from the world to decrease the amountof stimulus.137 ADD AND ADH D—THE SILENT EPIDEMIC  It should also not be surprising that many conditions
associated with adult ADHD are considered incurable by themedical community, since, in my view, the cause is hormonesout of balance—an unfamiliar concept for many physicians.These conditions include: restless leg syndrome, fibromyalgia,type II diabetes, endometriosis, menstrual migraines, andasthma, to mention a few. Yet utilizing natural bio-identicalhormones, altering the patient’s eating habits, and helpingthem gain insight into their condition often lead to a “mirac-ulous” resolution of these very problems. A WIDESPREAD PHENOMENON
My point is that the medical system has failed to appreciate the
influence of hormones on our behavior and how they affect usclinically. I suspect there are well over 200 million adultsnationwide with unrecognized ADHD. Obviously, this israther a bold statement. But consider the people you interactwith on a daily basis—those who are quick to anger, thepeople with nervous energy, those who are restless at night,who tap their hands or legs, who have cold hands when youshake hands with them (due to vasoconstriction of bloodvessels caused by high adrenaline levels), who drink too muchor use drugs. Look at the millions of women with estrogen-dominant conditions—menstrual cramps, migraines, fibroids,endometriosis—all related to low progesterone levels. Howmany of these women are hypoglycemic from increased insulinand put out adrenaline to bring their sugar levels up so thebrain can function? Since hormone patterns are genetically inherited


 them is acetylcholine, which is deficient
in Alzheimer ’s patients; another is dopamine, the lack of which leads to
Parkinson’ s disease. No one knows precisely why some neurons grow fifty
dendrites for sending message s while others grow ten thousand. One
encouraging finding, however, is that by remaining mentally active, older
people may actually be growing new dendrites all the time. This much-publicized news was founded on brain research by Marian
Diamond at Berkeley, who showed that the brains of rats grew or shrank
according to the kind of experiences they were exposed to. Rats confined to
small cages and deprived of social interaction with other rats began to
develop shrinkin g cortexes and a loss of dendrites. On the other hand, if an
old rat was put back into rat society and given lots of stimulati on, its brain
expanded and grew new dendrites. This helped to give a physiological
explanation for something we have all observed: Lonely, isolated old people
are much more likely to be confused, disoriented, dull, and vacant than are
their peers who remain actively involved with family and friends. Because of our materialistic bias, growing new dendrites sounds very
scientific and reassuring. In actuality, the situation turns out to be more
complex. To have more dendrites is not the same as having a more
developed brain. Babies are born with many more dendrites than adults
have; the proces s of maturation consists of pruning the excess, whittling thecortex down to its most useful connections. However, it is still encouraging
to find that old brains may be capable of replacing lost dendrites as they are
needed. It was long thought that we are born with a set number of brain cells that
never divide to form new ones, yet recently it has been found that the DNA
in neurons is active, which may lead to new conclusions. Some neurologists
also doubt that the brain is actually losing a million neurons a year. Robert
Terry, a neuroscientist at the University of California at San Diego,
determined that there is no significant decline in neuron density in three
important areas of the brain. The number of large neurons does decrease,
but is offset by an increase in smaller neurons. Also, large neurons appear
not to be dying but shrinking. Two other neuroscientists, Samuel Weiss and Brent Reynolds at the
University of Calgary in Alberta, found that they could stimulate dormant
brain cells to active life. They cultured mouse neurons in the laboratory and
gave them a chemical called epidermal growth factor, causing some
immature, inactive brain cells to divide and form mature ones. The human
brain is almost certainly storing such dormant cells perhaps as a
replacement reserve. It is also encour aging that the brain has its own natural mecha nisms for
activating itself  in old age. New dendrites grow longer and sprout new
branches past age 80. As neurons shrink, they create new synapses, which
in turn stimulate more electr ochemical activity in the brain. Natural
substances stimulate this growth and repair—in particular nerve growth
factor (NGF), one of a class of proteins known as trophic factors. NGF
seems to have important functions. At Johns Hopkins, NGF prevented the
degeneration of old neurons in rats and monkeys; when injected into the
brains of old rats, it significantly improved their spatial memory. One hope
is that Alzheimer ’s patients can regain function using chemicals that induce
neuron activity (nerve growth factors have already been tried in Sweden
with some success). All this good news about the aging brain lifts our expectations that to
keep one’s faculties intact is completely normal. “Older people may not be
as quick in timed tests,” neuroscientist Robert Terry remarked, “but they
don’t lose judgment, orientation, or vocabulary. There is no way that peoplelike Picasso, the cellist Pablo  Casals, or Martha Graham could have
continued to be so successful on half a brain. ”
Preserving intelligence in old age. To document whether declin e in
intelligence is a natural part of aging, researcher Lissy Jarvik at Columbia
conducted studies on twins beginning in 1947. The subjects showed no
significant drop in I. Q. from ages 65 to 75. Often there is a sharp drop in
intelligence in the year preceding one’s death, but there are many
inconsistencies from individual to individual, and also from one intelligence
test to another. Old people cannot simply be lumped togethe r; it is the
individual, not old age alone, that makes the dif ference. As corro borating evidence, we can turn to a long-term study at Duke
University that found no general decline in intelligence among older
subjects (ages 65 to 75) unless they were suffering from high blood
pressure. It is well known that small, often barely detectable strokes are
associated with hypertension, which may be at work here. Whatever the
specific cause, sickness, not the aging process itself, seems to create the
decline in mental functioning so long associated with senescence. Although
the neurological  picture is not yet clear, it is completely realistic to expect
to survive with your memory and intelligence intact. The topic of aging and I.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>
Q: What is the Hayflick limit, and how does it relate to real-life aging?,
A: The Hayflick limit is a concept that suggests that every generation of cells is the offspring of a limited number of mother cells. However, the author argues that this is not directly applicable to real-life aging, as humans produce new cells throughout their lives, and cells can adapt to their environment.
Q: What are some of the potential risks and limitations of hormone replacement therapy?,
A: The text does not explicitly discuss the risks and limitations of hormone replacement therapy, but it does mention the potential side effects of giving human growth hormone to elderly individuals, which led to a temporary rejuvenation, but the benefits were not sustained after the treatment was stopped.
Q: What is the significance of Abkhasia in the context of aging research?,
A: The region of Abkhasia is significant because it is a place where the traditional concept of aging is reversed, and people are expected to be active and engaged in their communities until the end of their lives. The author argues that this culture's emphasis on lifelong learning and mental and physical activity is the key to their remarkable longevity.
Q: What are some of the limitations of genetic engineering in the context of aging research?,
A: The text does not explicitly discuss the limitations of genetic engineering in aging research, but it does mention that the results of genetic engineering in fruit flies, yeast, and humans are not directly applicable to humans, and that individual experiences and choices play a significant role in the aging process.
Q: What are some of the potential limitations and challenges of relying solely on medical research to combat aging?,
A: The text highlights the limitations of medical research in combating aging, citing the example of the failed attempt to rejuvenate elderly individuals with human growth hormone. It also emphasizes the importance of personal initiative and lifestyle choices in determining one's health and longevity.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Longevity  is still an
individual achievement; it comes primarily to those whose expectations are
high enough to reach for it. America could become a land where no one
ever grows feeble and crippled by age, but for that to happen,  we need to
see the entire human life cycle as a rising curve. Today, fortunately, few
“normal” signs of aging have gone unchallenged, and major studies have
proved that we have expected far too little of the aging body, which holds
great potential for improvement at very advanced ages. Not Older, Better
In 1958, a uniqu e project began in Baltimore, where eight hundred men and
women between the ages of 20 and 103 volunteered to be examined as they
aged. Each returned every year or two to go through an extensive battery of
tests. The Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging, as it is officially known,
grew to be the most famous of its kind. Its basic purpose was to determine
how different bodily organs change over time. Hundreds of separate
findings have emer ged, and in general they fully support the optimism of
the new old age. Some key findings:
• As people age, their physical status varies widely from individual to
individual, and by the time they reach 80 and 90, the differences havegrown to be tremendous. • While physical performance always declines over time as measured
in a group, this does not alwa ys hold true for each person. Some
people manage to retain lung capacity while everyone around them is
losing it; others actually improve in kidney function or the amount of
blood their hearts pump with each stroke. In most of these cases, the
person kept up the use of the organ in question; “use it or lose it” was
the key. • Mental function is also mainta ined with use. For instance, someone
who earns his living solving problems tends to retain that ability as he
ages, even though that function declines for the group as a whole. • The most comp lex organs, such as muscles, are the first to diminish. Losing muscle tissue is the main reason why people are unable to
perform as much work as they age. • Being moderately overweight in middle age apparently doesn’ t
shorten one’s life span (this depends, however, on avoiding the
harmful side effects of being overweight, such as diabetes,
hypertension, and congestive heart failure). • Remaining sexually active throughout one’s early and middle years
gives one the best chance of remaining