 run
two major nadis, whose movements intertwine like a series
of figure eights put one on top of the other as in a
caduceus. These start at the base of the spine and move
from side to side, chakra to chakra. The left nadi ends at
the left nostril, the right nadi at the right nostril. These
two nadis govern all the other main nadis and are respon-
sible for the left brain/right brain predominance. The left
or lunar nadi dominates right brain activity that is feeling-
oriented. The right or solar nadi dominates left brain
activity that is rationally-oriented. The Ida is the left or lunar nadi that has the energy of
the Moon. It is white in color, feminine, has a watery
(Kapha) nature, is cool, wet and soothing. Ida literally
means food, refreshment, and inspiration. It operates more
during the night and promotes sleep and dreams. Physi-
cally, the Ida sustains the tissues of the body that are water
(Kapha) predominant. Psychologically, it promotes emo-
tion, sensation and imagination — the functions of the
outer mind. The Pingala, which means red, is the right or solar nadi
and has the energy of the Sun. It is masculine, has a fiery The Eightfold Method of Yoga I
(Pitta) nature, is hot, dry and stimulating. It operates more
during the day and promotes wakefulness and activity. Physically, the Pingala governs digestion and circulation. Psychologically, it promotes reason, perception, analysis
and discrimination — functions of intelligence (Buddhi). These two channels, in an opposite way, relate to the
right and left hemispheres of the brain. People who are
dominated by the right hemisphere have the feeling and
intuitive potential of the Ida, the left lunar nadi. People
who are dominated by the left hemisphere have the ratio-
nal and critical potential of the Pingala, the right lunar
nadi. The breath flows primarily in one of these two chan-
nels, alternating every few hours according to factors of
time, environment, age and constitution. We can deter-
mine the physical and psychological condition of a person
through observing the nostril in operation at any given
time. When the right breath prevails, the masculine, fiery,
aggressive or rational side of our nature predominates. When the left breath prevails, the feminine, watery, recep-
tive and feeling side of our nature has ascendancy. When
the Prana or life-force is balanced and the energy in the
solar and lunar nadis equalized, the mind is brought to a
peaceful state of heightened awareness. Just like the channels of circulation in the physical
body, the nadis can be disturbed by wrong flow of energy
through them. Excess flow through the solar nadi brings
about hyperactivity of mind and body. Psychologically it
causes excess clarity, anger, critical disposition, and manip-
ulativeness (Tejas derangement). Physically it causes
insomnia, dizziness, fever, and hot sensations in the head
(Pitta derangement). Excess flow through the lunar nadi brings about emo- Ayurveda and the Mind
tional vulnerability, disturbed imagination, and domina-
tion by astral forces. Physically it causes excessive sleep
and dreams, congestion and unusual weight gain (Kapha
derangement). The flow in the nadis is disturbed by negative emo-
tions, egoism, poor intake of impressions, and poor mental
digestion. Physical factors include wrong diet, particular-
ly too heavy or greasy foods like meat, cheese, sugar or oils,
lack of exercise, shallow breathing and excess sex. Sup-
pression of emotion is the main factor for blocking them. Drugs or forceful exercise, breathing or meditation prac-
tices are additional aggravating factors. Such things create
toxins that hinder or block the flow of energy in these sub-
tle channels. Alternative Nostril Breathing
An important key to mental and physical health is to
keep the nadis clear and maintain a balanced flow between
the Ida and Pingala. It also helps balance Prana, Tejas and
Ojas and treats the mind and emotions. Meditation,
mantra, the right intake of impressions, physical remedial
measures like Asana, bodywork, herbs and diet help clear
the nadis. Pranayama, however, is the main method, par-
ticularly alternate nostril breathing, which is called nadi
shodhana or "cleansing of the nadis." Since the left nostril is lunar or Kapha predominant,
promoting the breath through it increases our bodily tis-
sues, Ojas and gives nourishment to the outer mind
(Manas). Left nostril breathing counters fever, insomnia,
anxiety, anger, hyperactivity, and hypersensitivity. Cooling
or lunar Pranayama is best for Pitta constitutions and their
problems of excessive heat and agitation. Since the right nostril is solar or Pitta predominant, The Eightfold Method of Yoga I 277
promoting the breath through it increases Tejas, courage
and motivation, and Buddhi (intelligence). Right nostril
breathing counters poor digestion, poor circulation, lack of
motivation, depression, laziness, and paralysis. It is good
for Kapha problems of excessive weight and attachment. Increasing the breath equally through both nostrils
calms Vata, increases Prana and harmonizes our deeper
consciousness (Chitta). It counters Vata conditions of fear,
anxiety, indecisiveness, and confusion, but in order for it to
be effective we should practice it along with a rich, nutri-
tive diet and proper intake of oils and fluids. Pranayama
aids in the conversion of food and water, which helps Vata
constitution put on more weight and nourish the nervous
system, but it must be combined with proper food and
water to do this. 17. The Eightfold Method of Yoga II
Inner Practices:
Meditation, Samadhi and the
Transformation of Consciousness
e are all seeking unqualified happiness and
W enduring peace in life. Only this can bring
fulfillment to our minds and hearts. Yet
whatever we achieve in the outer world is never
however good our relationship, career success or intellec-
tual attainments may be. We are ever seeking something
greater, something pure, perfect or sacred, not touched by
the fluctuations and imperfections of time and circum-
stance. Yoga teaches us how to realize this. We will exam-
ine this inner secret of Yoga in this chapter. The inner practices of Yoga consist of the four higher
levels of yogic practice: Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and
Samadhi — withdrawal from the senses, concentration,
meditation and absorption. On this level we are working
directly with the mind itself, down to its deepest core level
in the heart. This is only possible from the foundation of
the earlier stages of Yoga, an ethical lifestyle (Yama and
Niyama), control of the body (Asana) and control of the
breath and vital force (Pranayama). Through this founda-
tion we can gain access to those mysterious comers of the
heart in which both our sorrow and joy are hidden and can
be understood. Ayurveda and the Mind
Pratyahara — the Fifth Limb of Yoga
Pratyahara is perhaps the least understood aspect of
Yoga and yet the most important for any psychological
treatment. It is often translated as "withdrawal from the
senses." More accurately it means "withdrawal from dis-
traction," which means detaching the mind from the
impulses deriving from the senses. Distraction is our vul-
nerability to external stimulation, our capacity to be con-
ditioned by environmental forces. Each sense organ has its own urges, its built-in pro-
gramming. Each is like an unruly child demanding our
attention and seeking gratification. Each sense organ col-
ors the mind and tries to impose its likes and dislikes. The
eye-consciousness urges us to seek pleasurable and avoid
painful visual sensations. The vital force or Prana in the
eye drives us to promote actions that provide visual sensa-
tions. The ego operating through the eye tries to keep our
attention in the eye and make visual sensations the most
important part of our self-identity. It is the same with
other sense and motor organs. The motor organs, particularly the speech and repro-
ductive organs, are harder to control than the sense organs. The motor organs have a greater vital force and more
urgency to their expression. They have a more active
nature that demands more attention. Yet the motor organs
only express what comes into them through the sense
organs. We can also control the motor organs through con-
trol of the sense organs. Without the proper control of the senses, the mind
becomes fragmented in five directions. Sensory fluctua-
tions, which can be very major, keep the mind off balance
and can lead to psychological problems and loss of self-
control. As long as we are dominated by the senses, our The Eightfold Method of Yoga II 281
sense of gravity lies outside ourselves and we have no inter-
nal stability or strength of character.


 than she had admitted to herself. Most of her “cheating” was done
when she was alone, out of sight of others, in the dark, so to speak. It was
the truth that ultimately set her free. As she brought a new light to her
condition she was able to see the problem dissolve. Most addictions are supported and maintained by denial, which is the
monster hiding in the darkness afraid to be seen in the light. Eating
disorders are almost always practiced in the safety of the darkness, behind
closed doors. Denial is a way of life, and the problem continues on its
downward slide until that person finally allows the truth, the light, to shine
in. Severe drug addicts and alcoholics often must face what is called an
intervention before they finally make the decision to become free. An
intervention is a direct confrontation by family and friends in which the
addict is forced to hear the truth. The light shines with no room for escape
into darkness, and ultimately the addicted person goes to a place where no
deception, duplicity or misrepresentation is allowed. The light shines
brightly. The darkness and the problem dissolve if the person decides to
stay in the light. As you seek a spiritual solution to problems, the essence of truth as a vital
component of light becomes obvious. Be a person who is willing to look
honestly at the low ener gies of the darkness in your own life, and make a
commitment to shine a truthful light in those places. Then, bring that
truthful light to any and all darkness that you experience. Y ou will radiate
outward an ener gy that will help to dissolve deception or subtle fraudulence
just by the presence of your light. 4. Clarity. When you live in the light and you bring this light to shine on
darkness, you are bringing an unambiguous knowing to the problem. I call
this aspect of light, clarity. It is a knowing within yourself that you are
connected to God free of any doubt. This kind of clarity is the exact
opposite of what occurs in the darkness. In darkness you grope around for
something to hang onto and will grab the first thing that you touch. There is
no clarity, and consequently there is no light. Imagine shining the brightest light you can on a diamond. What you will
see is a sparkling clear brightness. In contrast, look at the same diamond in
a low-lit, semidark place. The clarity is gone. This metaphor illustrates the
value of clarity in the face of problems; yours or those of others. If you are
not perfectly clear about your spiritual connection, you will bring this
muddled doubt to the problem, and the problem will continue and seem to
be an inexplicable riddle. Bringing light to darkness is bringing your own
clear vision of your capacity to nullify the problem with your light. No
fuzziness in the picture, no contaminants, only a bright light that is devoid
of any and all obstructions. While researching and writing about many of the great masters and their
teachings for Wisdom of the Ages; Sixty Days to Enlightenment, I noticed
the one thing that all these ancestral masters shared was a clarity of purpose
about their lives. Michelangelo and DaV inci were clear about their vision
and they brought that bright clear light to everything they created. Thoreau
knew with complete clarity what he had to do, and marched to that
drumbeat regardless of the outcome. Elizabeth Barrett Browning had a clear
vision of her need to leave behind the darkness of a father ’s fears and
intractable nature and flee to a foreign land to fulfill her mission. These and
the others I wrote about had a clarity of purpose that would not be clouded
by any doubt or darkness in their lives. You too have the option to bring this kind of clear vision to your life and the
lives of others. When you let yourself trust the clear light to shine on any
problem, you raise your ener gy level and access divine guidance. And make
no mistake about this; divine guidance is a clear, unambiguous, pollution-
free light. Here are some suggestions for bringing light to bear on the experiences of
darkness in your life. SUGGESTIONS FOR BRINGING LIGHT T O DARKNESS
Practice being an appr eciator of beauty. Make the choice to notice the
beauty which graces your day. Throughout the day stop to gaze and feel
gratitude for moments of beauty in your life. This may take ef fort when you
are experiencing dark times but it will help develop the habit of leaving the
darkness behind. Beauty appreciation is the result of a habitual way of
thinking light as often as possible. Find something for which you can feel
gratitude rather than resentment. When this becomes your habit, you will
automatically bring this sense of beauty appreciation to all life
circumstances. Harriet Beecher Stowe once observed, “In all ranks of life the human heart
yearns for the beautiful. ” Y es, in all ranks of life, which includes any
problems or dark situations as well. If only once in a day, stop in the midst
of a dark moment and look for the beauty nearby. Do this once a day and
gradually it will evolve to twice and before long, this will be your habitual
way of responding to darkness. Do not pretend or fake happiness when darkness is present. Instead,
cultivate an internal sense of awe about yourself and your place in the
world. Think of the magnificence of every breath you take. Be in awe of the
immensity of our universe. Know that behind all dark clouds the sun shines,
and behind all appearance of darkness there is an eternal light that you can
access which will defuse darkness. People who are described as self-
actualized are able to see beauty everywhere, and they source their life from
their awareness. It only takes a moment’ s pause to lighten darkness with a
thought of appreciating beauty. My favorite observation by Rumi is: “Sell
your cleverness and purchase bewilderment. ”
Become familiar with the literatur e of inspiration about those who have
overcome darkness in their lives. When I read about someone who has
transcended darkness, such as Helen Keller, I feel a strong sense of beingable to bring that kind of enthusiasm and light to any problem I might face. Stories about overcoming hardships always lift my spirits. Lance Armstrong overcame a diagnosis of terminal cancer, and survived
major sur gery to remove a cancerous testicle and tumors in his lungs,
stomach, and brain. Then he went on to eventually win the most grueling
test of physical endurance, the T our de France, racing his bicycle over
twenty-six hundred miles in the midst of summer, through the mountains. As if to punctuate his accomplishment he won the same race again the
following year. Lance was the two-time winner among the most elite
cyclists in the world. His story astounds me. It illustrates to me that we can
find light in the darkest of moments, and deliver that light to every obstacle
that crops up. Watching Lance ride, reading his story, It’s Not About the Bike,  and
listening to his interviews, gives me the courage to challenge myself to ride
to new heights. Those heights are not necessarily physical challenges. They
are the higher/faster frequencies of light and spirit that I can access and then
bring to those who live in the shadows where darkness looms. Send out white light and bathe others in it. Remember, everything is ener gy. Solid, sound, light, thoughts, spirit are movements, waves that vibrate to a
certain frequency. You can be an emissary of light and help others to
eradicate darkness in their lives. Think light and also practice meditating
and visualizing the white, clear, pure light enveloping anyone you choose. If you doubt your ability to accomplish this, or if you feel that sending light
through your thoughts and meditation is impossible then that will be your
experience. Shift your inner consciousness to the thought that no one knows
enough to be a pessimist. Then you will be able to transmit the light at the
highest/fastest vibrations where anything is possible. I practice sending white light, as does my wife, on a regular basis. If any of
our children are out late, we remind each other to bathe them in light and
send them the ener gy of spirit which is love, and to let that loving light
energy sweep over them. W e then have a picture in our mind of light rather
than darkness and danger. I have also studied auras, which are light ener gies that surround us much
like an electrical ener gy field. These auras can be read and altered by the
ways in which we practice spirituality. In fact, Kirlian photography shows
an aura of light surrounding living things, usually unseen by the naked eye. If this light is there, and we can alter it with our thoughts and emotions,
then why not realize that we can use our thoughts to send this pure light to
help protect anyone from the darkness. T ry it, with a mind that is open to
everything, and attached to nothing. Keep your thoughts center ed on light and what you want, rather than on
dark and what you don’ t want. Practice seeing the light within you. Bring
light thoughts to every circumstance of darkness. It is so common to do
precisely the opposite. When you do, you attract more of the illusions of the
dark. For example, if your thoughts are on how bad a situation is, how terrible
everything seems to be


and urine therapy is presented further on in this chapter. Again,
because urine therapy is easily accessed, inexpensive and proven to be
completely safe, there is absolutely no downside risk to using it in treating AIDS
and other viral iinfections. 90r
TITLE: TREATMENT OF INFECTED WOUNDS WITH UREA,  1938,
by Leon Muldavis (Senior Casualty Officer at the Royal Free Hospital,
London) and Jean M Holtzman (Demonstrator in Physiology, London
School of Medicine for Women). Published in the English medical journal, The
London Lancet. SUBJECT: HEALING INFECTED WOUNDS, SKIN ULCERS AND
BURNS WITH UREA
Report #9
Drawing on earlier research into the treatment of wounds with urea,
Muldavis and Holtzman began using urea crystals extensively in their
hospital treatments of serious wounds and bums:
"The protein solvent properties of urea were first investigated by Spiro
(1900) and independently by Ramsden (1902)... Symmers and Kirk
(1915) reported on its bactericidal properties together with its use in
the treatment of wounds. In spite of this article, the use of urea for
wound therapy has apparently enjoyed little popularity in this country
[England]. In  America,  however,  it  has  recently  been  used  for  the  treatment  of  various
infected wounds by Robinson (1936) and by Holder and McKay
(1937), who found it extremely efficient. Moreover, it is a substance
that is readily obtainable in quantity and is both cheap and stable. For
these reasons it was thought desirable to test its efficacy in the casualty
91department of the Royal Free Hospital (London)...
No toxic effects have been recorded even though the urea has been
applied in solid form. We therefore decided to use both the saturated
solution and crystals throughout. The procedure employed was as follows: The wounds were syringed
free from pus and necrotic (dead) material with a saturated solution of
urea, excessive moisture was removed and the urea crystals were then
liberally applied. Waxed paper was placed next to the crystals to keep
85Your Own Perfect Medicine
them in contact wit
h the wound and to prevent the dressing becoming
soaked. For a period of six months cases of the following types have been treated: (1)
Abscesses–superficial and deep lesions, (2) Infected traumatic
wounds of all descriptions, (3) infected hematomas (bruised areas), (4)
Cellulitis, (inflamed subcutaneous tissue), (5) Septic wounds due to
burns of 2nd, 3rd, and 4th degree, (6) varicose ulcers, (7) carbuncles
(external staph infections), (8) Infected tenosynovitis (inflamed tendons) of the
hand. In all, 170 cases have been treated. Notes were kept
on the progress of all of them...
With a view to comparing the efficiency of urea with that of other solutions, the
cases at first selected for treatment were those which had
either behaved sluggishly with other antiseptics  or had actually retrogressed. 'The
results obtained were so favorable that we began to use
92urea more generally. TYPICAL CASES
CASE 1. A man aged 27 presented a varicose ulcer...of the left
leg...He had it for nearly 18 months without its having
healed. During this time it had been treated with
Eastoplast and various other substances. At the time the
urea treatment was begun the ulcer was of oval irregular
outline with everted swollen edges and a floor covered
with a whitish, foul smelling slough. The ulcer received
the urea dressings daily for 14 days. After 2 days the foul
odor had disappeared and after 4 days the base of the
ulcer was covered by a mass of bright red granulations
(new tissue). By the 14th day the skin edges had grown in
and the size of the ulcer was 3/4 by 1/2 in. The floor was
dry. The patient had a dry dressing and was discharged. The ulcer was again examined 10 days after the patient's
discharge and was found to be completely healed. CASE 2. A male aged 47 had a septic area on the...third right finger. This was
drained but discharge of pus continued. The wound was opened again when it was found that the
infection had entered the tendon sheath. Adequate
drainage was provided and the finger X-rayed. The
wound was then treated with eusol baths. After several
93days there was no attempt at healing. Urea treatment
was started and after 3 days the,
 slough was removed
thus  exposing  the  underlying  tendon. Healthy  granulations  (new  tissue)  were
present at this time. The urea
86The Research Evidence and Case Studies
treatment was continued. The patient was discharged 22
days after the treatment was begun, the wound having
healed completely. There was no loss of function...
As will be seen from the above, we have used urea in a
variety of casualty department cases. Owing to the
extreme diffusibility of urea even the deepest wound can
be treated effectively. A very definite response to urea treatment is nearly
always obtained after two or three applications...septic
bums, even though they cover a very wide area, under
this treatment become clean and form granulations so
quickly that the surrounding epithelium is able to grow in
with but little delay. The same prompt response is often
obtained in varicose ulcers. Coupled with this is a considerable decrease of edema
as the local circulatory conditions improve. For the carbuncles (external staph
infections), treated, we found urea preferable to any other
dressing after initial incision... In none of the cases of our series did we observe any skin
94reaction which could be called a urea dermatitis (rash),
nor have we evidence of any toxic effects. We never saw
a spread of sepsis (infection) under urea treatment or any
undermining of the wound edges. The advantages of the urea treatment are as follows: (1) It
is cheap, the crystals costing one shilling per pound...(2) It
produces no dermatitis. (3) It deodorizes foul smelling
wounds. (4) By dissolving necrotic (dead) material, it
produces a clean wound, so allowing healing to proceed. (5) Local circulatory conditions are improved and healthy
granulations (new tissues) are produced. (6) It has no
toxic effect and causes no necrosis (death) of living material. For this reason,
unlike strong anti-septics it does not
destroy  the  "leucocytic  barrier"  essential  to  the  organism's  defense. (7)  Urea
treatment has been successful
where other treatments have failed. (8) We found no contra-indications to its use." It seems extremely unfortunate, after reading this study, that safe, effective'and
inexpensive urea was ignored as a general antiseptic and
wound treatment in favor of cortisone and antibiotic creams. Cortisone
has been proven to be dangerous and toxic and antibiotics destroy good
bacteria along with the bad. Also by using antibiotics routinely, we
p
p
p
95p
p
87Your Own Perfect Medicine
have  greatly  reduced  their  effectiveness  as  bacterial  strains  have  developed
increasing resistance to them. Report #10 TITLE: THE EFFECT OF URINE EXTRACTS ON PEPTIC ULCER,
1941, by David J. Sandweiss, M.D., M.H. Sugarman, M.D., M.H.F. Friedman, Ph.D., H.C. Saltzstein, M.D., (Research aided by grants from
the Mendelson Fund and Parke-Davis & Co.). SUBJECT: TREATMENT OF STOMACH ULCERS WITH URINE
EXTRACTS
This is a report on clinical and laboratory studies indicating that urine
extracts taken from pregnancy urine and normal urine, when given
intravenously or injected, have beneficial and therapeutic effects on
chronic duodenal ulcers and other types of stomach ulcers in humans
and on experimentally induced animal stomach ulcers. The researchers reported, among other things, that:
1) urine contains a type of gastric secretory suppressant (or antacid)
called urogastrone, that can protect against irritation of the stomach lining that may
lead to ulcers. 2)  certain  urine  extracts  also  encouraged  healing  of  ulcers  by  stimulating  the
growth of new cells, tissues and blood vessels in the damaged
area. 96The study also discusses a pregnancy urine extract called Antuitrin S
which  was  reported  to  have  a  beneficial  therapeutic  effect  on  experimentally
induced ulcers in animals.. In the report, urine extract therapy is compared to other ulcer drug
treatments and diet changes and it was found in human testing that:
"...a higher per cent of those [ulcer patients] treated with urine extract
became symptom free during treatment (thus


ness to
let go of the blame continues the emotional crippling, which can go on for
years, or even a lifetime. When we come upon bitterness, what we have really discovered is an
unhealed area in our own emotional makeup, and the ef fort that we put into
healing it will bring enormous rewards. In any situation which involves
suf fering, we have to ask ourselves: “How long am I willing to pay the
cost. What were the karmic propensities to begin with. How much blame is
enough. Is there a time to call an end to it. How long will I hang on to it. How much sacrifice am I willing to pay to the other person for their
wrongs, real or imaginary. How much guilt is enough. How much self-
punishment is enough. When will I give up the secret pleasure of the self-
punishment. When does the sentence come to an end. ” When we really
examine it, we will always find that we have been punishing ourselves for
ignorance, naïveté, innocence, and lack of inner education. W e can ask ourselves: “When was I ever trained in the techniques of
emotional self-healing. When I went to school, did they teach me courses
on consciousness. Did anybody ever tell me that I had the freedom to
choose what went into my mind. W as I ever taught that I could refuse all of
the negative programming. Did anybody ever tell me the laws of
consciousness. ” If not, why beat ourselves up about having innocently
believed certain things. Why not stop beating ourselves up right now. W e all did what we thought was best in the moment. “It seemed like a
good idea at the time” is what we can say about our past actions and those
of others. W e’ve all been unwittingly programmed without our conscious
assent. Out of our confusion, ignorance, and naïveté, we bought into the
negative programs. W e let them run us. But now we can choose to stop. W e
can choose a dif ferent direction. W e can choose to become more aware,
more conscious, more responsible, and more discerning. W e can refuse to
sit there like a blank tape recorder, taking in every program the world handsus. The world is only too willing to exploit our naiveté and play upon our
smallness, with all of its vanities and fears. When we become aware of how we were manipulated, exploited, and
taken in, anger is going to come up. Be ready to handle it. It’ s okay to be
angry. It’ s better to be angry than apathetic by a long shot. In anger, we
have a lot of ener gy. W e can do something about it. W e can take action. W e
can change our mind. W e can reverse direction. Then, it’ s easy to jump
from anger to courage. On the level of courage, we can see it, examine it,
and observe how it all happens. W e begin to see that our smallness was a bill of goods that we bought. In that investigation, we will stumble upon our own inner innocence. When
we rediscover it, we can let go of a lot of guilt. When the guilt goes,
necessity for self-punishment goes with it, and that lifts us right out of
apathy and depression. W e can choose to revalidate ourselves, our value,
and our worth. And we can see how others were programmed just as we
were. They, too, were doing what they thought was best at the time. W e
don’ t have to blame them or ourselves any more. W e can give up the whole
blame game as obsolete and inef fectual. The Company W e Keep
Another valuable technique for getting out of apathy, depression, and
situations which are predominantly being run by the thought, “I can’ t,” is to
choose to be with other persons who have resolved the problem with which
we struggle. This is one of the great powers of self-help groups. When we
are in a negative state, we have given a lot of ener gy to negative thought
forms, and the positive thought forms are weak. Those who are in a higher
vibration are free of the ener gy from their negative thoughts and have
ener gized positive thought forms. Merely to be in their presence is
beneficial. In some self-help groups, this is called “hanging out with the
winners. ” The benefit here is on the psychic level of consciousness, and
there is a transfer of positive ener gy and relighting of one’ s own latent
positive thought forms. In some self-help groups this is called “getting it by
osmosis. ” It is not necessary to know how  it happens, but merely that it
does  happen. It is common to witness this phenomenon. For instance, in our society
most people have been trained to be logical and left-brained in their
orientation. However, some people from birth are right-brain oriented. Suchright-brain persons are characterized by greater powers of intuition,
creativity, telepathic communication, and awareness of thought forms and
ener gy vibrations. Frequently included among these capabilities is the
capacity to see the bio-ener gy field around the human body called the aura. When in the presence of people with this capacity, it becomes possible to
share that capacity. This was true even as a skeptical, logical, left-brain male scientist who
was in the company of people with a capacity to see auras. Upon following
their instructions on how to see the aura, surprisingly, there was indeed a
visible field of light around people’ s heads. In particular, the aura around
one man seemed to be almost like “ectoplasm” hung predominantly over his
left ear. On the right side of the head, however, there was practically
nothing to be seen. T o know whether this phenomenon was real and not
coming from the imagination, it was confirmed by poking someone nearby
who was adept at seeing auras. She also saw an aura that was very wide on
one side and practically absent on the other. The capacity to see auras was available only when in the presence of
others with that capacity. Upon leaving the instructional situation where
there had been people who could see auras, the capacity was no longer
there. In the following years, when in the company of friends who could see
auras, the capacity returned. One time, in the presence of a woman
psychologist at a clinic—whose job was that of psychic diagnosis by means
of observing people’ s auras and their changing color patterns—there
suddenly was the capacity not only to see auras, but also to see them in their
scintillating colors and watch the aura change in response to fluctuating
emotions. Just by talking with her, that capacity was suddenly available. It is as though when we are in the proximity of the auras of people with
certain capacities, some transfer of ability can take place. Simply put, we
are either positively or negatively influenced by the company we keep. It is
unlikely that we will overcome an inhibition if we choose to be in the
company of others who have our same problem. This phenomenon was evident in the case of a divorced woman who
came for a consultation. She wanted to know whether or not she should
have psychotherapy. Her complaints were a recurrent ulcer and migraine
headaches. As the story unfolded, great bitterness over an unfortunately
traumatic divorce came forth. She had joined a consciousness-raising
feminist group, she said. She described this particular group as almostcompletely made up of divorced women who were bitter, angry, and hateful
of men. As a group, they were getting a lot of payof f from their negativity. In reality, their lives were forlorn and rather pathetic, as they struggled to
regain their self-esteem through extremes and marked emotional imbalance. After listening to her story and investigating her life circumstances, it
was suggested that instead of psychotherapy, she follow one simple
recommendation for a period of three months. If it didn’ t work, then, she
could reassess the need for psychotherapy. The recommendation was
merely to discontinue her association with the group and with her bitter,
divorced friends and, instead, seek the company of people who had
successfully re-established relationships despite former divorces. At first she resisted and claimed that she had nothing in common with
these group members. Then she acknowledged two basic facts. First, it was
far more ener gy-saving to foster relationships with positive people. Secondly, one of the laws of consciousness is that “like goes to like”;
bitterness attracts bitterness, whereas love attracts love. She asked herself,
“Where has my bitterness taken me. Have I gotten anything out of it that is
positive and helpful. ” As time progressed, she stopped spending time with
her group and began to pursue relationships with healthier, more balanced
people. In the company of happier people, she had an exhilarated awareness of
how much negativity she was holding inside of herself. She began to be
aware that she was consciously holding negativity and choosing to hold it,
and she began to look at the cost of such negativity. Her whole social life
changed. She became smiling and happier. Her migraine headaches
disappeared. Eventually, she fell in love again and joked that falling in love
was the best cure she had ever discovered for an ulcer. If we find ourselves in the state of apathy, we can discover the
underlying program by asking ourselves


niotic fluid
is converted into another substance when taken in
by the foetus. This is probably not the case, since bacteria are not yet active in the intestinal canal. Once we are born, the intestinal flora start to
wotk, which have a special role in the conversion
of urea. Scientists estimate that 25% of the urea in
an adult finds its way into the intestines, where it
is decomposed into ammonia by intestinal bacte
ria.18 Some of this ammonia ends up in the liver,
where part of it is converted into urea, and another
part is converted into glutamine, an extremely use
ful amino acid.19 The liver converts a great deal of
the ammonia, in theory poisonous, into other sub
stances. Although ammonia is highly poisonous
even in moderate amounts, this small amount is
extremely important: it regulates the pH-value of
the blood and has a powerful anti-viral ~ffect.20
If it were true that the urea concentration in
creases the more often a person drinks urine, we
would expect urine to become stronger or more bit
ter-tasting. However, the opposite is true: urine be
comes more watery and less bitter, which suggests
that urea is converted. It is quite possible that urea
is indeed converted into glutamine by ammonia. As described above, this process takes place in the
intestinal canal. Research demonstrates the vital importance of
glutamine in the maintenance and construction of
specialised tissue, such as in the brain, the small
intestine and in the growth and activity of the mu
cous membrane of the intestinal canal. Glutamine
has a healing effect on ulcers and wounds in the
intestinal canal.21 The most important function of
glutamine, however, is its ability to strengthen the
immune system,22 and could be an important key
in explaining why urine therapy is such a success-
Medical and Scientific Aspects of Urine Therapy 75 ful method of treatment. The body re-uses a cer
tain part of urea; the extra supply created by ap
plying urine therapy increases the glutamine level
·in the body. This consequently strengthens the
immune system and specialised organs, and at the
same time heals damages to the digestive tract. Urea, in so far as it is not decomposed, also af
fects the brain and central nervous system. High
doses of urea are sometimes administered during
brain surgery in order to temporarily shrink the
brain, which is necessary for opening the skull. 23
Less than one tenth of such a dose is ingested when
a person drinks urine. Nevertheless, this small
amount also brings about a slight reduction of pres-. sure in the brain and spinal cord. John Wynhausen,
a chiropractor, is well aware of the health problems
caused by too much pressure on the skull and ver
tebrae. Wynhausen sees this, at least on a physical
level, as one of the most important causes of hu
man illness at this time. Seen in this light, drinking
urine, and consequently a regular decrease in pres
sure, yields extremely positive results. Urea is also successfully administered in rather
high doses to patients with sickle cell anaemia, an
extremely painful and supposedly incurable illness.24
Research and experience have demonstrated that,
if administered daily in four doses of approximately
40 grams, urea has a healing and preventive effect. This also indicates that the body can endure high
doses of urea without displaying negative side ef
fects. A third noteworthy application of urea can be
found in the treatment of cancer by Professor Dr.
Danopoulos.25 He experimented with injecting urea
76 A Natural Pharmacy mixed with a saline solution in and around skin
cancer and as a treatment for breast cancer. He also
conducted research on drinking urea dissolved in
water in order to fight liver cancer, and reported
positive results. Danopoulos then began combin
ing urea with creatine hydrate, another component
of urine, and in this way successfully treated other
kinds of cancer. Urea also seems to be quite effec
tive in fighting bladder cancer. You might wonder
how bladder cancer can arise if urea, constantly
present in the bladder, is such an effective anti-can
cer remedy. However, bladder cancer is a relatively
rare form of cancer and generally only found in
those who work with certain poisonous chemicals. Perhaps the effect of urea is counteracted or can
celled out by these chemicals. Further research on
this topic is necessary. Urea also plays an extremely important role in
the external application of urine, as it helps trans
port hormones through the skin. Many hormones
are destroyed by the enzymatic system of the di
gestive system if urine is internally applied. Hor
mones can probably return to the body in their
original form if urine is administered 'through the
skin'. Moreover, a 'transdermal' administration
ensures that hormones are absorbed into the body
slowly and in specific portions, which significantly
increases the effectiveness of such a minimal
amount of urine. Urea has the capacity to moisten the skin and
regulate its condition, one of the reasons why it is
processed in many skin creams. Some pharmaceu
tical companies use horse urine for the production
of urea and they actually have lots of horses in their factory, just for this purpose, I have been told re
cently.26
Other researeh data concerning urea are:
Urea is an oxidizing substance which ensures that
the disintegrating proteins (proteins in the area of
a wound or inflammation) dissolve. If urea is
present, disintegrating tissue cannot feed itself with
other rotting material. It dissolves fats and other
natural bodily secretions. Urea is even more effec
tive when heatedY
Due to its strong anti-bacterial nature, urine has
.an inhibitive effect on the growth of tuberculosis
ibacilli. Bacteria-inhibiting or bacteria-killing effects
ff urine increase with a decreasing pH. Urea and
mmonia, closely related, play an important role
ere.28 When brought in contact with urea, com
, lex polymers are transformed or decomposed into
monomers, which can then be endured by the
)body.29
! For further information on the bactericidal effects
:of urea, see also section 6. Bactericidal and virucidal
effect and its notes. Urea has also been used in the
treatment of kidney failure and uremic conditions
with positive results.30
5. Immunological effect
Clearly urine is not toxic, although some toxic sub
stances might be present in urine in small amounts,
especially.if one is ill. This small amount of toxic
substances possibly contributes to the effectiveness
of urine therapy. If toxic substances enter the body,
the body's defence mechanisms are called into ac
tion (the defence or immune system). If substances which leave the body via the urine are the same as
those involved in the illness process, they can stimu
late the defence system to attack and in this way
fight the illness. This might explain why urine
therapy has proven so helpful in treating allergies.31
A similar Jllrocess takes place when a person is
vaccinated aga)nst certain diseases, in which case a
small am01.iftt of poisonous substances is injected
into a healfhy body. This stimulates the immune
system to manufacture antibodies (and thus defend
the body), and could be called a homoeopathic or
isopathic effect. We have already extensively dealt
with this subject in the section covering
Armstrong's ideas. The practise of drinking and
massaging with urine allows antibodies greater ac
cess to the body, which stimulates the immune sys
tem. I refer to Linscott's research, as mentioned in
section 5.1, on auto-therapy and an increase of T
cells (see note 6). The possible significance of urea and glutamine
for the immune system is discussed in section 4. Re-absorption of urea. Abele suggests that the presence of antigens and
antibodies in urine strengthens the immune sys
tem when urine is re-introduced into the body. The
re-introduction of small amounts of bacteria or para
sites found in urine may stimulate the production
·of IgE. IgA (a virus inhibiting substance that pre
vents micro-orga.nisms from becoming embedded
in the mucous) also plays a role here. IgA is found
in mucous and in excretion products, and therefore
also in urine. Urine therapy increases the produc
tion of IgA, which possibly explains why this
therapy has a positive effect on infections of the
Medical and Scientific Aspects of Urine Therapy 77 urinary passages and the kidneys while other treat-·
ments offer little relie£.32
Several studies demonstrate that antibodies
against for example salmonella, dip~theria, polio
myelitis and HIV can be found in urine.33
6. Bactericidal and virucidal effect
Although it is not yet entirely clear why urine has
a germicidal and antiseptic effect, it is known that
urea plays an important role here. Ammonia and
salt also have a similar purifying effect.


once or twice in a month. Those with a stronger, kapha constitution can
have sex more frequently without throwing their doshas out of balance. Because babies begin to know themselves as their environment, many
vaidyas  (Ayurvedic doctors) would suggest practicing celibacy to conserve
that vital ener gy for internal and spiritual connection. Although celibacy
might be a challenge, the benefits could be worthwhile for your little one’ s
development. Deliberately avoiding sex does not mean that something is
wrong in your relationship. If entered into consciously as a couple, celibacy
can be a great opportunity for you and your partner to explore dif ferent
ways to express af fection, intimacy, and love. Some ideas could be holding
hands, massaging each other, cooking and sharing meals together, or
sharing loving and af fectionate words. A recommendation to abstain from sex during pregnancy arises if your
experience includes any of the following:
You have unexplained vaginal bleeding. You’re leaking amniotic fluid. Your cervix begins to open prematurely (cervical incompetence). Your placenta partly or completely covers your cervical opening
(placenta previa). You have a history of preterm labor or premature birth. If you do choose to have sex during pregnancy, be sure to replenish your
vital ener gy by eating ojas-building foods such as soaked almonds, ghee,dates, and hot milk with digestive spices; be consistent with your abhyanga
(self-massage); and get plenty of nourishing sleep. SUPPRESSION OF NATURAL URGES
Ayurveda details fourteen natural ur ges that should never be suppressed, as
suppression of the ur ges will disrupt the proper movement of vata in the
body. Pregnant mamas should especially avoid the following three: resisting
flatulence, urination, and defecation. Holding the ur ge of flatulence might put pressure on the uterus, as well
as cause nausea, burping, and a burning sensation in the chest. Holding in
urine increases the chance of developing a urinary tract infection, and the
filled bladder may cramp and put pressure on the uterus. Resisting the ur ge
to defecate will create a more toxic environment in your body and may also
make you feel more “full” or bloated, and thus less hungry, so you are more
likely to miss meals. These three ur ges are also governed by apana vata (the
downward flow of vata), which is the direction of movement that we want
to assure is ef ficient as mama gets closer to birthing her babe. YOGA AND EXERCISE DURING
PREGNANCY
During pregnancy, the intensity and style of exercise that you choose
deserves extra consideration. You will want movement practices that
nourish rather than deplete your tissues; Ayurveda suggests yoga and light
cardio such as brisk walking, swimming, or the elliptical, which will tone
your muscles and circulate your blood without increasing vata dosha. Traditionally, asanas, or yoga poses, were meant to open the channels in
the body to allow for the free flow of ener gy to take place. Ayurveda talks
about many dif ferent channels in the body, from gross channels like the
gastrointestinal tract, where your food is digested and assimilated, tosmaller channels like the veins and arteries, where blood pulsates and
oxygenates the entire body. Then there are the more subtle channels, like
the channels of the mind and the heart, where thoughts and emotions move,
as well as prana—your life-force ener gy—bringing awareness and thus
vitality and vibrancy to the entire or ganism. The Ayurvedic approach
suggests all dis-ease starts with stuck or stagnated ener gy in one or more of
these channels and always originates in the more subtle channels before
manifesting in the gross. Rather than trying to “get a good workout,” the focus of exercising
during pregnancy is to move ener gy that has become stuck or stagnated in
these channels through deep stretches, joint rotations, and gentle
cardiovascular movement. These types of movement will distribute fresh
blood and oxygen, as well as awareness, throughout your entire body. When
these gross and subtle channels are unobstructed, your body naturally finds
its perfect state of balance, whether that means you need to gain weight or
lose it, gain muscle mass or soften a bit. Your breath and your awareness have an intimate connection. As you
breathe more deeply into your body, you invite your awareness inside—
often our awareness is everywhere but there! Dr. John Douillard, a globally
recognized leader in the fields of natural health, Ayurveda, and sports
medicine and founder of the Ayurvedic resource LifeSpa, writes that “only
when self-awareness is cultivated can the system fully recognize underlying
problems or imbalances and elicit appropriate responses to heal them.” [*2]
As you invite your attention to the space inside of you, you begin to heal. Your attention provides the space for your body, mind, and emotions to
rearrange themselves—moving from dis-order to order, disease to health. Your body knows how to heal and knows how it needs to be in order to be
balanced. Your breath and awareness begin to awaken the innate
intelligence that already exists within you by creating the proper
environment for healing to happen. Every emotion has a corresponding breath pattern, and your breath
pattern alone can stir up an emotion. When you are present, connected, and
relaxed, you may notice that your breath is deep and full. When you arefeeling anxious or scared, or simply lost in your thoughts, your breath is
short and shallow. Even by unconsciously taking short and shallow breaths,
you may begin to feel unsettled and anxious. By deepening your breath, you
will become more present, connected, and relaxed. While growing your little one, you want to focus on exercises that allow for
you to maintain a steady rhythm of breath. If you notice your breath
becoming strained, slow down or back out of the posture, find your steady
breath, and then enter back into your exercise from a more ease-filled place. Vata-stabilizing yoga poses that strengthen your legs and lower back—
such as chair pose, the warrior poses, and balancing postures—will be
supportive. You can also choose postures that bring circulation to your hips
and reproductive or gans, such as pigeon pose and bound-angle pose. Joint
rotations help to move stuck ener gy in the body as well as deliver
circulation and heat in a gentle way. Again, focus on nourishment and ease
in your movement practice and in your life. COMMON IMBALANCES DURING
PREGNANCY
As your body shifts and changes to accommodate your growing babe, many
challenges can arise, including certain health dif ficulties that Ayurveda lists
as common in pregnancy: weight loss, nausea, dryness of mouth, vomiting,
edema (swelling), fever, anemia, retention of urine, and diarrhea. These
things may be hard to avoid, though the wisdom of Ayurveda can support
you in your attempt to stay balanced throughout the journey. Any woman who has been challenged through her pregnancy will tell
you how defeating it may feel when health dif ficulties af fect daily life. Some women feel so nauseous during their first trimester that they can
barely eat; they become skinny and malnourished, and their digestion is
affected. Many women in their third trimester will have a list of complaints:
their feet are swollen, they feel heavy and tired, they get heartburn or acidreflux when they eat certain foods, they have to pee all the time, their
digestion is af fected, their pelvic bones may hurt when they walk or turn
over in bed, they may not be sleeping well; the list can go on. Other women
feel vibrant, vital, and healthy throughout their entire pregnancy, with no
digestive upsets, swelling, or any discomfort at all! Ayurveda approaches health with a perspective of prevention first. In
chapter 2, we discussed the importance of cleansing your body of any
imbalances prior to conceiving, and then nourishing and rebuilding with the
proper diet and nutrition before conception—this preparation is a means not
only to ready your body, mind, and consciousness for the time of
conception, but also to best prevent dif ficulties from arising during your
pregnancy. However, you may be living with chronic imbalances that have
accumulated over years and years because of environment, lifestyle, and
diet. Cleansing for a few weeks or even a few months may not be enough to
fully pur ge these deeper imbalances. Nonetheless, any level of cleansing
before conception will help improve your situation for a healthier
pregnancy. I wrote this chapter (and much of this book) with the intention of
honoring traditional Ayurvedic wisdom while also providing practical
solutions to things that may still arise because of life influences you face. Sometimes the challenges that come up are out of your control, or due to
factors that are not easily af fected by diet and lifestyle, and you need some
tools to move forward with practical and helpful solutions. ACID REFLUX/HEARTBURN
As the size of the baby increases, the space for mama’ s intestines and
internal or gans decreases. For this reason, it is common for a pregnant
mama to experience heartburn or acid reflux and digestive problems
(constipation, gas, and indigestion) toward


 described was excellent, strange to say. And to this a s trong
const itution and robust physique in large part contributed. Perhaps, as is at times assumed, the channel taken by nature to rid th e
body of toxic matter, if sufficiently extensive, precluded the development of other and differing symptoms of disease. This h as
been held to have been proved in instances of syphilitic infection, which in the majority of cases seems to grant immunity fro m
minor though equally infectious disease, the latter being subordinated to the dominant blood taint. When first under observatio n the patient weighed 172 pounds, and her habits were those of a woman in comfortable circumstances
with the idea ingrained that three and even four generous daily meals were necessary for the conservation of health and stren gth. She was, however, disheart ened and discouraged because of the almost unbearable distress occasioned by the state of her body,
and, as a last resort only, she consented to undergo a fast. After three weeks of preparation, abstinence from food succeeded and continued without interr uption for seventy -five days. At no
time during this period was anything excepting water ingested, and at no time was the patient unable to cover on foot the dis tance
from her home to the office of her physician. Once this subject had grasped the philosoph y of the method and had experienced the
progressive improvement that marked her case, an excellent physical organization and a determined will made her more than equ al
to the attainment of the object in view, and, as a consequence, she was easy to treat. The fast was typical and was remarkable in nothing save its length, a phenomenon due again to the extreme resistance which is
always discovered in the normally functioning body. Loss in weight not unusual, and at the end of the fast a diminution in th is
respect of but 32 pounds was noted, the patient then tipping the scales at 140. Until the twentieth day, there was in evidence
slightly lowered temperature and pulse, with some chilliness, but, while pulse and temperature remained below register in the  early
stages of abstinence, by the sixth week normal had been reached. The enemas contained solid feces until about one -third of the
fasting period had elapsed, and thereafter, until the last week without food, large amounts of yellowish -white mucus formed par t of
the discharge. This catarrhal refuse eliminated thus from the intestines indicated that the eliminative function had again be en
established through normal channels. In fact, a significant feature connected with any symptom of disease of the character
expressed in this subject is the failure of function through normal avenues other than the skin to perform, the surface of th e body
suffering from overwork and disease in consequence. It was not until the fourth week that visible improvement in exudation  from the open sores became noticeable in respect to
granulation, although the exudation had begun to diminish during the third week and at this time also the itching had greatly
subsided. As healing of the sores progressed, the unpleasant minor symptoms d isappeared, healthy skin soon forming in patches
that increased in size and gradually covered the denuded spaces. After breaking the fast, general health continued excellent, and the sole remaining signs of the psoriasis were the scarred e dges
surroundin g areas latest to heal. Even these in time vanished, and no trace, excepting slight discoloration, the result of previous
mercurial treatment, was left as a reminder of the hideous and distressful malady of previous years. Page 15 of  72
While the patient during the fi rst few days of the fast felt some trepidation as to its efficacy and its outcome, after improvement of
the condition appeared, its psychological effect was such that her determination to carry on to the return of hunger became f ixed. Again it is to be not ed that fear enters and disaster results while fasting a functional case only when the method is incorrectly
conducted. This case is a supreme example demonstrating the truth that, in the absence of organic disease, there is no danger
whatever in abstainin g from food until nature asserts by the return of hunger that systemic purification is completed. Another case presents itself --that of a woman thirty -four years old, partially paralyzed and suffering from general functional
disease. In this patient two of the dorsal vertebrae had been displaced in early life in such manner as to compress the spinal cord,
thus causing paralysis of the lower trunk and legs. In the absence of any history of accident the only tenable theory of caus ation of
this condition is that of lack of development of the muscles supporting the spine in the dorsal region, this in turn due to faulty
nutrition in youth. In all her life this woman had never known a moment of comparative health, and intermittently in earlier days
severe fevers  with inflammatory intestinal symptoms had occurred, eventually creating contractions in the colon, a condition that
caused constipation and consequent septicemia. When first examined, the case had been bedridden for one year, and it was evid ent
that by re ason of the very evident ankylosis existing in the displaced vertebrae referred to there was small hope of correcting the
paralysis noted. The symptom that impelled the employment of means other than medicine for relief in this case was an ominous
congesti ve chill from which the woman with difficulty rallied. The fast was entered and carried to what may be regarded as a
successful end after fifty -eight days of abstinence. The medical history of this case showed an inherited tendency towards scrofula or co nstitutional tuberculosis, and there had been
manifested at intervals offensive running sores, the thumb and index finger of the left hand having been amputated some years
previous because of a non -healing scrofulous abscess. All of the ulcers that had app eared had, without exception, been diagnosed
by attending physicians as tubercular in character and had been treated from the medical viewpoint accordingly. Two days after the beginning of the fast, an abscess broke through the surface of the skin at the  base of the spine immediately over
the sacrum. The discharge from this sore was most profuse and offensive, and the area affected spread until it was at least t hree
inches in diameter, with depth such that within ten days after the skin had broken the per iosteum of the sacrum was exposed. For a
week hot fomentation were continuously applied, and gangrenous tissue in process of formation was cauterized by carefully
focusing the rays of the sun upon the ulcer with a large reading glass. By the tenth day the discharge ceased being offensive, and
shortly thereafter healthy granulation or healing began. When the fast was at an end, the sole evidence of the existence of t his sore
was a circular spot of slightly reddish normal skin of which a subjacent cushion of soft and healthy tissue showed that natural work
of repair had proceeded despite total abstinence from food. This is undoubtedly the point of greatest interest and import to be noted
in the treatment and progress of the case, for it is to be remembered tha t the blood of this woman had in all probability been tainted
from birth, and that it had been poisoned and repoisoned for years by continuous addition to accumulated toxic substances. Elimination of body waste had never been successfully accomplished in t his patient, but once it could proceed undisturbed in
function, nature was able not only to cast out existing impurity, but also to repair diseased tissue by selecting healthy pab ulum
from the store of nutriment husbanded within. The discharges resulting  from copious daily enemas were noticeable for their exceeding foulness, and for excessive amounts of
dark bilious fluid evacuated until about the thirtieth day of the fast. Loss in weight was not exceptional, totaling, as it d id, but 20
pounds. When it is  considered that the patient weighed but 85 pounds at the beginning of the fast, it is seen that, proportionally
speaking, this loss conforms with results tabulated later in the text. Dates are also of interest in this case, which was under treatment dur ing the winter of 1907 -8. The woman died of pneumonia early
in 1923. In the interim of full fifteen years, she was able to get about in a wheeled chair, was in good general health, and conducted
a business of her own, the only inconvenience she suffered be ing that incident to her incurable paralysis. Another instance is that of a woman twenty -eight years old in whom poor nutrition and what is called a bilious temperament
occasioned a condition of disease that was expressed in periodical headaches and in m elancholia with a tendency toward mania. But for the care and devotion of an older sister, the patient, long before coming under observation, would have been placed i n an
institution for the insane. In fact, it was because the physician last consulted had recommended that she be restrained that her
relatives in despair resorted to the fast. Examination discovered a pulse continually at 128 or thereabouts with temperature varying from above to below normal by sever al
degrees. Diet had consisted largely of meat and its extracts, this being at once changed to vegetable broths. Daily enemas were
thoroughly administered and at first hot towel packs were used upon the spine in order to control circulation and to steady t he
fluctuating pulse, but these were disco ntinued shortly as heart action made constant improvement from the beginning of treatment. Dark, foul -smelling discharges that did not cease until the latter portion of the fast formed the


 drug masks one problem and causes several
more, requiring yet more drugs. Before my mother-in-law passed away,
the doctors had her on 10 to 15 prescription drugs. For each drug they
prescribed there seemed to be one or two more
ailments
 surfaced
requiring even more drugs. We just assume that medical science is going
to fix every little ailment that comes along, by giving us a pill, a treatment or
a surgery. We are so alienated from our bodies that we think that a doctor
knows more about
 us
 than we
do. The reality is that
doctors
 don’t have the cures that we need. What
traditional medicine offers is only the possibility to treat
our symptoms
, but
not actually curing us or even rooting out
the cause
. When we take these
kinds of treatments to suppress
our symptoms
 rather than cause, which is
the underlying reason
we are
 sick, then in fact the illness continues to
grow. We will
never be
 healthy until we take re
sponsibility for our own health
. We
need
 to stop blaming someone else for making us sick, whether
it is
 a
corporation, a person, our immediate environment or
a government
. We
must recognize instead that our sickness is
a symptom
 telling us
something in
side needs to be addressed. For
 sure there are outside
influences that we can’t control, but there  is much that we can control by
taking responsibility for ourselves  and working to change our habits. Drink
more water and fast. Benefits of Fasting



Mental clarity is improved and brain fog is lifted;


Rapid, safe weight loss is achieved without flabbiness;


The nervous system is balanced;


Energy level and s
ensory perception is increased;


The longer the  fast, the bigger increa
se in energy and vitality;


You normally need
less sleep;


Organs are revitalized;


Cellular biochemistry is harmonized;


The skin becomes silky, soft, and sensitive;


There is greater ease of movement;


Breathing becomes fuller, freer and deeper;


The digestive system is rejuvenated and becomes more
effective;


The peristaltic action of the intestines (the cause of a
natural
bowel
 movement) is stronger after fasting. Fasting retrains your tasting sense back to more healthy food
as
acute
sensitivity is restored. It can increase confidence in
our ability
 to have
control over our lives and our appetite, and
that our
 body is
 a
 self-
regulating and a self-healing organism capable
of
 establishing
 balance
when given the possibility to do so. Normal metabolic
 and cell oxygenation
are restored. Detoxification –
as soon
 as the body realizes that it's fasting,
it will begin to
eliminate those
 things that cause disease, such as fat cells,
arterial cholesterol
 plaques, mucus, tumors, stored up worries
and
emotions
. Maximize your health and increase your lifespan – hydrate daily with
plenty of distilled water, eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, fast
regularly and exercise daily. Share this newly found knowledge with others
and may God richly bless you and yours... Douglas C. Hoover<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        ”

CHAPTER 8
America: Overweight,
Sick & Dying Earlier. Simple Solution
…
H2O
Drinking 8 to 10 glasses of pure, clean distilled water daily is essential for
optimum health, reduces the likelihood of sickness, disease and cancer,
and
assures a longer, sprightly, healthy life. Why drink tasteless, sugar-free water when Americans can pick from
close to
24,000
 other tasty, tempting beverages. Lately the term obesity has
been touted all over the news
,
echoing
 the alarming statistics that more
than one out of
three Americans
 is obese or overweight. So, are you part
of that
35. 9 percent. Maybe you
’
re simply overweight; let
’
s do the math. Obesity is defined
as being
 20% or more above your ideal weight for your
height. In simpler terms, it is having an excessive amount of   body fat. Since 1961 the number of obese children has more than doubled, primarily
as a result
of high
 fat and sugar intake, along with lack of physical
activity. There
 are several factors and physical characteristics that need to beconsidered in determining obesity, such as the percentage of body fat or
the body mass index (BMI), along with the three body types: endomorph,
mesomorph and ectomorph. One way to determine obesity is to assess
 percentage of body fat;
however, it is very difficult to accurately measure body fat. Weighing a
person underwater is the most accepted method for obtaining
accurate
body fat measurements. A major drawback to this type of procedure is
that there are limited facilities with this specialized equipment. Another
method of measuring body fat is the skin-fold test. A special instrument is
used that can choose a fold of skin to precisely measure and determine
the thickness of the subcutaneous layer of fat, or bio-electrical impedance
analysis, which is also performed at a specialized clinic. Regardless of the fact that humans come in many sizes and various
shapes, most people fall into one of the three groups or body typesmentioned above. Following is a more in-depth description. ENDOMORPH

The endomorph
’
s hands and feet are relatively small, and the arms and
thighs are usually larger than the wrists and ankles. The waist is high. They have fine hair and smooth soft skin. The endomorph
’
s head is large
and round. Endomorph summary:



Soft, short body


Not very muscular


Round body shape


Hard to lose weight


Can build muscle easily

The endomorphs have the greatest propensity for becoming obese. MESOMORPH

The mesomorph
’
s muscles are well-defined and the bones are large. The
torso is shaped like an hour-glass with a low, narrow waist. The head
consists of prominent bones and muscles. They have clearly defined facial
features,  such as a square jaw and wide cheek bones with a long, wide
face. Arms and legs, including the hands, are muscular. The mesomorph
has thick skin that tans easily. Mesomorph summary:


Athletic
 “hard body”


Rectangular physique- male


Hourglass physi
que- female


Body is muscular
, good posture, skin is thick


Easily builds muscle, e
asily gains weight. ECTOMORPH

The ectomorph’s
 body is fragile and delicate with light bones
, small
 joints
and slight muscles. The arms and legs are
relatively long
 and the
shoulders slump. The physique is somewhat
linear causing
 them to
appear taller
than
 they really are. Arms and
legs also
 lack muscle mass so
the ectomorph needs to exert
more energy
 in order to get the same
amount of work done. Some ectomorphs
 will have long fingers, toes and
neck. The facial   features are sharp, with a receding, triangular lower jaw. Their skin
 easily sun burns. Ectomorphs
 have
 difficulty adjusting to extreme fluctuations of
temperature due to low body fat and low muscle mass. Their
hair grows
quickly and is fine and difficult to manage. Ectomorph summary:


Fragile body build


Flat chested


Thin and lean


Light muscular frame


Small shoulders


Slow to build muscle

Now you can start to see how weight gain can affect
various
people
differently with regard to body types and
varying metabolisms. HOW DOES OBESITY AFFECT HEALTH. High blood pressure is directly related to obesity or an
overweight
condition. In addition, it can adversely affect the balance
of cholesterol
 and
triglycerides, including resistance to insulin. Because of the vast number
of medical conditions
developed through
 obesity, the effects of obesity are
somewhat confusing. Infertility, skin problems, chronic musculoskeletal problems,
and
respiratory
 complications are some additional nonfatal
, debilitating
 health
issues. There are four major areas of
serious life
-threatening problems
resulting from obesity:

1. cardiovascular disease;
2. insulin resistance conditions that cause diabetes;
3. large-bowel and hormonally-related cancers plus additional types
of
cancers; and
4. serious gallbladder issues. Increasing body fat percentage also
increases the likelihood
of developing
 hypertension and Type 2
diabetes. Diabetes


 injuring herself or others
unintentionally. Feeling invincible and unassailable, she indulges
her impulses as if nothing can or should stop her. This insistence
upon following  her own lead contributes to her triumphs and her
defeats. When Sally is in the throes of struggle, the muscles of her neck
and shoulders compress into a vise at the base of her skull, while the
pulsing of blood in her head crests into a throbbing pain in her
temples. Feverish activity inames her eyes, tightens her chest,
strains her lower back, and turns her body odor into the smell of
sour milk. At these times she needs to open the valve on her
pressure cooker and discharge pent-up steam. Sympathetic attempts
to console her are spurned until after she nds release. A hard game
of racqu etball, a erce argument, a solitary workout, or prevailing
over a demand ing piece of music help her to dispel tension, relieve
bottled-up feelings, and soften her disposition. To regulate her internal state so that it doesn’t interfere with her
agenda, Sally nds it expedient to rely on coee to get her going
and alcohol to slow her down. Often in a hurry, she grabs quick
meals on the run, starving herself one day, overeating the next,
continually overcompensatin g for her extremism and appetite for
novelty. Intolerant of limitati on, Sally tends to believe that if a little
is good, more is better—her  impulse is always to go farther. She
dreads boredom and stays occupied with a vengeance. One month
she wakes early and jogs, the next she stays up late and sleeps in. Consistently inconsistent, she pays the price of a careless life-style in
the form of indigestion, pain in her joints and muscles, erratic
energy, and unpredictable moods. When Sally runs out of steam, she becomes indecisive, scattered,
and distracted. Rather than encouraging relaxation, fatigue makes
her feel nervous and uptight. The thought of resting when tiredcontradicts her propensity to push herself. Instead she tries to
reinvigorate herself through stimulation, by working harder,
exercising, or eating sugary, fatty, and spicy foods. This constant
prodding creates more agitation and tension, which makes her feel
hot, dry, and volatile. Too much heat and lack of moisture make
Sally brittle and inexible like an unwatered sapling. Losing softness
and resiliency, she snaps at the slightest provocation, her good
humor abandoned. Irritable and depressed, jittery and exhausted,
she is overtaken by a sullen pessimism. Easily frustrated, she begins
projects that she cannot nish, no longer having the zest for
sustained eort. When no longer buoyed by the feeling of pressure
and intensity that she identi es as the source of her strength and
drive, she feels frightened, humiliated, and disabled, as if her body
has betrayed her. Sally is at her best when the pace of her life keeps her engaged
but not exhaus ted, dened by a clear purpose but not conned to an
inexible program. Permittin g herself to moderate extremism and
accept structur e and discipline helps her to harness her drive. This
optimum functioning reect s the harmony between Wood  (Liver),
Earth  (Spleen ), and Metal  (Lung). Earth  modulates the variability of
Wood, while Metal  subdues and diuses its force. Wood  keeps Earth
from becoming stagnant and inert and Metal  from being vacuous
and stied. Just as the Liver governs movement and pressure by regulating the
ow of Qi, storing and releasing the Blood, Sally develops the power
in her body and psyche by “pumping up” her emotions and uids so
that she is always primed and ready. In generating power to run a
turbine or mill, a river is dammed so the momentum of falling water
channels into smaller and smaller conduits, which increase its
pressure and force. Self-generated pressure and tension supply Sally
with the steam necessary for her to put her projects into motion. Without adequate avenues for channeling this internal force, she can
develop high blood pressure, muscles locked in spasm, and
emotional lability. She needs adequate mechanisms for release as
well as buildup. When the Qi in the Liver is obstructed or depleted,
the Blood  cannot nourish the Heart, eyes, and muscles. This leads toproblems like insomnia or anxiety, photophobia or blurred vision,
cramps or tremors, hypersensitivity, and fatigue. When Sally is
thwarted, she becomes agitated and erratic, loses foresight, and
becomes awkward and uncoordinated. Sally may also experience trouble with her menstrual cycle,
another proce ss characteriz ed by rhythmic buildup and release. Before her period, uid and blood accumulate in Sally’s breasts and
abdomen, making her feel stretched and tender. This uncomfortable
strain against her tissue translates into mental and emotional
urgency in her psyche. Goaded by this oppressive fullness, Sally gets
cantankerous, overwrought, and eruptive, losing her judgment and
perspective. She feels assaulted by noise, yet she herself tends to be
loud and prone to sudden outbursts of tears, peevishness, and
temper. Knotted up and restless, she sleeps poorly, anxiously
anticipating the decompression and relief that accompanies the
onset of her period. Sally lives two personalities, one premenstrual
and the other post-. Her period behind her, she recovers her
composure, once again in charge of herself. Sally has the strength of a tiger. When she handles herself well
she is capable of tremendous work—provoked and unrestrained, she
can wreak havoc. Like the archetype whose nature she shares, she is
a productive dynamo when conditions are right. The urge to get
things moving, make things happen, and voyage onward typies the
Pioneer. HOW WE RECOGNIZE  SALLY AS A WOOD TYPE
At her best, Sally expresses her true nature: she is bold, decisive,
clear, relishing work and performing well under pressu re. On the
other hand, because she is driven by a tendency to overdo,
overperform, and overdirect, what was once a gratifying challenge
can turn the corner into an aggravating distress. It is then dicult
for her to retreat and recover a hedonic state. Boldness can become
aggressive and hostile, decisiveness can become impulsive and
unyielding, and clarity can escalate into fanatical adherence.Sally can become a tyrant. When Wood  is unbridled, it can run
wild, inicting emotional and physical trauma. When Sally’s desire
to remain even-tempered is confounded, her muscles swell and
tighten, and her focus of attention narrows. This restricts her
capacity for sustained arousal and appropriate release, making her
feel shackled and compressed. Exaggerated, inated, or “bound” Liver Qi expresses itself by a
propensity toward tension headaches; a drive to discharge pent-up
energy in noisy, emotional outbursts; nervous, erratic behavior like
eating on the run and inconsistent exercise; intolerance, indulgence,
obstinence, strong body odor, a compulsion to work, and the need
for sedatives to slow down. Collapsed, deated, or “exhausted” Liver Qi is characterized by
irritability, indecisiveness, a sensitivity to noise, a loss of judgment
and perspective, a need for stimulants, and feeling overwrought,
overwhelmed, uptight, and tired. These reactions are linked to the
deciency  and stagnation of Liver Qi and Blood. In periods of
deciency  or excess, the Liver is unable to maintain the equanimity of
the mind and emotions. In Sally, as in us all, her true nature coexists
with states of exaggeration  and collapse. THE EVOLUTION OF  DISTORTED  PATTERNS OF  WOOD
Understanding the interdependent dynamic between Wood-Earth
(Liver-Spleen ) and Wood-Metal  (Liver-Lung ) gives us insight into
people like Sally. When the relationship between these forces and
functions is disturbed, distortions evolve in predictable  patterns. Corresponding to the arousin g power of Wood  in nature, the Liver
awakens, mobilizes, and coordinates human process. Sally’s
diculties mirror aberrant activity of the Liver.The Liver activates the process of digestion and assimilation and
by regulating the ow (volume and pressure) of Blood, helps the
Spleen  disseminate nutrition. The Blood, enriched by the Nutritive
Essence  of the Spleen, is stored and released by the Liver. Together
the Spleen  and Liver distribute nutrients and Blood. Together, the Lung and Liver govern the circulation of Qi. The
Liver’s capac ity to elevate, accelerate, and expand is matched by the
Lung’s abilit y to descend, retard, and constrict. The even, rhythmic
pulsation of the diaphragm, digestive tube, heart, and blood vessels
is governed by this interaction. The Liver restrains


on lettuce leaf with oil or dressing. ANCHOVY SALAD. Anchovies,   Lettuce,
 Onions,   Cabbage,
 Tomatoes,   Parsley,
Hygia Salad Dressing. Soak for 20 or 30 minutes, wash and clean three or four
anchovies, remove bones, fins, heads and tails. Cover bottom
of platter with tender lettuce leaves. Cut in small bits two fresh tomatoes, three or four young
onions, a little cabbage and pars ley. Mound this on platter,
pouring over it some Hygia dressing. Cover mound with
anchovies. Then garnish with quartered lemon and serve. Herring can be used instead of anchovies. See recipe for
"Hygia Salad Dressing." This is intended to be served at the beginning of the meal
as the first course. SMOKED HERRING SALAD. Lettuce,   Tomatoes,
 Herring,   Dressing. Put the crisp leaves of a head of lettuce in a salad bowl. Soak two smoked herrings until tender. Remove skin and
bones, chop fine and mix with the lettuce. Pour over this a
salad dressing and garnish with quartered tomatoes. FRUIT AND FRUIT DISHES. FRUITS  are the bouquet of all edible things. They are to the
table what color is to the la ndscape. Aside from their nutritive
value, they satisfy the vision, they appeal to all who love the
beautiful, they seem to invite us to bite them. One of the most beautiful things in the world is a
pyramid of ripe and luscious fruits. SNOWFRUIT. Apples,  Sugar,
 Cocoanut,   Whipped Cream. Slice apples, peaches or pears, and scatter between the
layers fresh-grated cocoanut and sugar. Berries of any kind
may be used instead of larger fruit. Frost the top lightly with
cocoanut and sugar. Eat with or without whipped cream. CRUSHED STRAWBERRIES. Where strawberries are small or inferior in appearance
they may be crushed, sweetened and mixed with the beaten
whites of two or three eggs. Berries and eggs should first be
thoroughly chilled on ice, then served as soon as mixed. STRAWBERRIES AND ORANGES. Cover a quart of ripe strawb erries with powdered sugar. Pour over them half a teacupful of orange juice and serve at
once. This is very delicious. STRAWBERRIES AND WHIPPED CREAM. Select nice, ripe, sweet berries, wash thoroughly, then
cap and put first a layer of berries, then powdered sugar, until
the dish is filled, and cover with whipped cream; beaten
together with the whites of two eggs and a spoonful of
powdered sugar. PEARS AND CREAM. Take ripe, mellow pears. Peel and slice them, and
sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar. Just before serving add
a spoonful of whipped cream to each dish. PEACH AND APPLE MUXIT. (Mellow Apples, Ripe Peaches, Ground Nuts.) Slice very
thinly mellow apples. Put in a salad bowl. Crush half as many
very ripe peaches which mix with whipped cream. Cover
apples with this and serve. A few ground nuts can be added
with marked improvement in nutritive value. FRUIT MEDLEY. Cut a hole in the stem end of an orange large enough to
admit a spoon, and after the inside  is taken out fill the orange
with small bits of pineapple, ba nanas, oranges, apples, raisins,
but before serving, grape or fruit juice of any kind poured
over it will improve it. Sugar may be added if desired. FRUIT DESSERT. Oranges,   Cocoanut,
Whipped Cream. Cut sweet oranges in small pieces, grate the cocoanut;
put a layer of each until the dish is well filled, and cover with
whipped cream. AMBROSIA. Oranges,   Malaga Grapes,
 Bananas,   Cocoanut,
 Cocoanut,   Dates,
 Pineapple,   Nuts. Slice bananas and cut in small pieces the other fruits,
removing the seeds from grapes. Put a layer of each until the
dish is filled. Then cover the top well with grated cocoanut,
and a few nut meats. BANANAS AND CREAM. There is nothing more nutritious and delicious than a
very ripe banana sliced with dates and nuts and served with
thick cream. FIG BUTTER. Select nice fresh figs and grind them. This makes a
delicious butter. Served with unfired wafers and cream cheese
is very delicious. DATE AND NUT BUTTER. Dates and nuts ground together make a very delicious
butter or paste. SNOW PUDDING. Jelly Powder,   6 Eggs,
Cream. Prepare one package of jelly powder. Then take thev
whites of six eggs stiffly beaten, and thoroughly beat into the
jelly when partly cool. Set on ice until ready to serve. Serve
with thick cream. GRAPE TRIFLE. Grapes,   Vanilla,
 Sugar,   Cream. Put through a sieve two pounds ripe grapes; add sugar to
taste. Put into a glass dish and cover with whipped cream
flavored with vanilla. Serve very cold. ALMOND CUSTARD. ½ box Jelly Powder,  4 tablespoons Sugar,
 1 pint Rich Milk,   1 tablespoon Bitter Almond,
 2 Eggs,  1 cup  Whipped Cream. Prepare jelly powder. Then dissolve in one pint of warm,
rich milk. Add two well-beaten eggs, one tablespoon of sugar
and one tablespoon extract of bitter almond; to this add one
cup of whipped cream, and beat lightly. Pour into a deep
glass dish, and when set place a few blanched almonds or
pecans over the top and serve. FRUIT AND NUT  MEDLEY. Bananas,   Oranges,
 Pineapples,   Dates,
Pecans. Slice bananas, cut oranges and pineapple in small pieces. Take the stones out of dates and put a layer of each until the
dish is filled, and a few nut meats on top. This makes a very
pretty and delicious dish. LEMON TRIFLE. Lemons,   Grape Juice,
 Sugar,   Cream,
Nutmeg. Two lemons, juice of both and grated rind of one, a scant
cup of sugar, I cup grape juice, I pint of cream, whipped stiff
and sweetened, a little nutmeg. Strain the lemon before
adding the grape juice and nutmeg. Whip gradually into the
whipped cream. Serve in glasses. Soon after it is made it
should be eaten. A SIMPLE DESSERT. Eggs,   Peaches,
 Sugar,   Dates,
Cream. Beat the whites of six eggs in to a very stiff froth, then
add gradually 6 tablespoonfuls powdered sugar, beating at
least 15 minutes. Then beat in one heaping tablespoonful of
fresh peaches (mashed) and as ma ny seedless raisins or dates
cut fine. Serve with thick cream. FRUIT AND NUT CUSTARD
 1 pint Milk,   2 oz Sugar,
 2 oz. Grape Juice,  Protoid nuts and Raisins,
Dessertspoonful Liquid Rennet. Add grape juice, rennet and sugar to the milk, lukewarm. Put nuts and raisins in custard cups. Pour the milk and
combination over it. Allow to cool. Serve with whipped
cream. APPLE FROST. 1 Cup of Cream,   1 Lemon,
 5 Eggs,   4 Apples (grated),
Jelly Powder. Beat cream stiff, sweeten to taste. The whites of eggs
beaten lightly, to which add the juice of lemon, whip slowly
into this the cream. Have prepared three table-spoonfuls of
jelly powder and when nearly cooled mix all together, beating
thoroughly. APPLE SNOW. Peel and grate six nice apples, not too tart, and add the
well-whipped whites of three eggs; sweeten to taste. Beat
well until it is thoroughly mixed. Flavor with vanilla and
serve with sweet cream. Tahlman sweet apples preferred. APPLES WITH OLIVE OIL. Peel a ripe apple, cut in ei ghths or sixteenths, place in a
sauce dish and pour over it a few spoonfuls of olive oil. This,
eaten with nuts, makes a delicious breakfast. APPLES. The acid of apples is among the most healthful of
substances taken into the human stomach. It rouses the action
of the liver when torpid, and thus enables it to eliminate and
throw off the germs of bilious disorders and those of other
diseases arising from slow blood poison. They must also be
classed as among the most important and valuable of the
vegetable growths, especially for that class who work with
the brain. ORANGES ICED. These make a very ornamental dish, and can be used for
decorations. About eight fine sweet oranges should be peeled
and quartered, and a soft ic ing made of two pounds of
powdered sugar and the white of ten eggs. Each section
should be thoroughly dipped until  covered with icing, and
then strung on a thread and suspended in the oven or sunshine
to dry. Care should be take n not


occur	at	all. The	world	seems
preoccupied	with	details	and	that	which	is	irrelevant	instead	of	essence. To
focus	on	sequential	form	is	tiring. It	takes	time	and	energy	to	shift	one’s
focus	from	essence	to	form. Q:	What	guides	your	day-to-day	life	now	after	so	many	years? A:	It	goes	on	spontaneously. Its	locus	is	within	the	field	of	consciousness. There	was	a	necessity	to	leave	the	prior	lifestyle	and	move	to	a	quiet
location	in	a	simple	setting	with	no	worldly	role	for	some	ten	years. It
took,	and	still	takes,	effort	to	activate	the	intellect	and	mentation. It	tookmonths	to	retrain	the	mind	to	read	and	retain. The	faculty	that	is	called
ordinary	mind	operates	only	when	required	to	do	so. It	is	not	a	natural
state. The	natural	state	is	silence	and	repose. Even	when	the	mind	does
reactivate,	it	is	against	the	background	of	stillness	and	silence,	which	is	not
replaced. The	analogy	would	be	the	stillness	of	the	woods	is	not	actually
disturbed	by	a	noise,	which	really	has	no	effect	on	it,	or	just	as	a	boat
going	across	the	ocean	has	no	effect	on	the	ocean. Q:	There	still	seems	to	be	a	personality	present. A:	That	is	the	automatic	product	of	love,	which	interfaces	between	the	Self
and	the	people	in	the	world. Its	function	is	to	uplift,	communicate,	and
heal,	and	it	frequently	uses	humor	to	interact	with	the	world. It	uses
laughter	and	humor	to	recontextualize	people’s	distorted	viewpoints. Its
main	purpose	is	to	heal	by	recontextualization. The	Self	seeks	to	make	a
healing	contact	with	the	Self	of	the	person	in	the	world	who	is	suffering. This	same	love,	which	is	equality	of	the	Self,	seeks	to	contact	the	Self	in
everyone	by	its	writing,	speaking,	or	conveying	of	information	that	could
be	useful. Q:	Who	is	it	that	speaks	or	writes? A:	The	body	and	personality	are	like	residual	but	necessary	tools. The
capacity	to	communicate	is	really	the	function	of	the	Holy	Spirit,	which	is
the	translator	between	the	Oneness	and	Allness	of	the	Self	through
consciousness	to	the	many. Without	the	intervention	of	the	Holy	Spirit,	the
body	would	disintegrate	from	sheer	neglect. The	Self	is	not	subject	to
karma,	but	the	body	runs	on	its	own	like	a	karmic	windup	toy. Q:	Does	spiritual	progress	or	change	stop? It	is	complete	or	final? A:	Absolute	awareness	is	already	complete	and	total. Its	capacity	for
expression	increases	and	is	increasing	even	now. In	the	past,	with	major
increases	in	awareness,	the	nervous	system	would	feel	a	burning	or	a
buzzing. Teaching	reactivates	the	flow	of	spiritual	energy	into	the	body. Q:	Are	there	two	different	states	of	consciousness? A:	No. Only	the	Infinite	Self	is	actually	present. Its	all-present	reality
supersedes	all	appearances. It	translates	through	the	intervention	of	the
Holy	Spirit	to	the	capacity	for	communication	via	the	body,	which	is	its
servant. Whatever	the	body	does	is	not	really	of	great	interest,	nor	is	its
survival. Although	the	perceived	world	is	actually	not	real	in	the	absolute
sense,	people	think	it	is. It	is	therefore	a	means	of	reminding	people	of	the
availability	of	the	Self	and	Reality,	which	are	beyond	all	suffering	andsorrow. Q:	What	accounts	for	the	functioning	of	the	body? A:	It	is	consciousness	itself	that	activates	the	body	and	its	activities	and
responses. Its	persistence	is	spontaneous	and	unintentional. The	Self
requires	neither	speech	nor	company	nor	activities	and	yet	it	experiences
joy	in	all	things. It	delights	in	love	in	all	its	various	expressions	as
existence. Because	all	that	exists	is	aware,	love	is	recognized	by	all	of
Nature,	which	responds	in	like. The	essence	of	Reality	shines	forth	as	a
luminescence. The	Self	unconditionally	loves	all	that	exists. All	love
benefits	all	life	and	all	mankind. Even	to	love	one’s	pet	dog	actually
benefits	all	mankind	and	is	noticed	by	the	universe. Q:	Is	any	endeavor	that	is	not	‘spiritual’	a	waste	of	time? A:	It	is	not	the	action	itself	but	the	context	of	that	action	which	determines
whether	it	is	spiritual	or	not. Context	is	set	by	intention. Motive,	though,	is
what	makes	the	difference. One	can	earn	money	out	of	love	for	one’s
family,	company,	country,	or	all	mankind,	or	one	can	make	money	out	of
fear,	greed,	or	selfishness. If	we	view	our	work	as	a	contribution	to	society,
it	then	becomes	a	gift	no	matter	how	seemingly	simple	it	may	be. To	peel
potatoes	out	of	love	for	one’s	family	or	for	the	benefit	of	those	who	need
to	eat	is	spiritually	uplifting	to	the	Self	and	the	world. One	makes	a	gift	of	one’s	life	and	endeavors	by	sanctifying	it	with
love,	devotion,	and	selfless	service. That	is	the	way	of	the	heart	to	God. In
that	way,	domestic	life	becomes	a	form	of	worship	and	the	source	of	joy	to
all. When	we	seek	to	uplift	others,	we	are	uplifted	in	the	process. Giving	is
therefore	self-rewarding	for	there	is	actually	no	‘other’	that	is	being	given
to. Every	kind	thought	or	smile	is	therefore	spiritual	and	benefits	oneself
as	well	as	all	the	world. Q:	What	is	love? Often	it	seems	to	be	unreachable. A:	Love	is	misunderstood	to	be	an	emotion;	actually,	it	is	a	state	of
awareness,	a	way	of	being	in	the	world,	a	way	of	seeing	oneself	and
others. Love	for	God	or	nature	or	even	one’s	pets	opens	the	door	to
spiritual	inspiration. The	desire	to	make	others	happy	overrides
selfishness. The	more	we	give	love,	the	greater	our	capacity	to	do	so. It	is
a	good	beginning	practice	to	merely	mentally	wish	others	well	in	the
course	of	the	day. Love	blossoms	into	lovingness,	which	becomes
progressively	more	intense,	nonselective,	and	joyful. There	comes	a	time
when	one	‘falls	in	love’	with	everything	and	everyone	they	meet. Thistendency	to	be	intensely	loving	has	to	be	curtailed	because	love,	curiously
enough,	frightens	many	people. Many	people	cannot	look	fully	into
another	person’s	eyes	for	more	than	a	brief	second,	if	at	all. This	is
especially	so	if	the	one	looking	at	them	radiates	lovingness. Some	people
even	panic	when	exposed	to	love. Some	spiritual	treatises	teach	that	there	are	really	no	stages	of
enlightenment,	as	though	it	were	an	all-or-none	phenomenon. This
represents	the	unexamined	view	or	only	a	partial	report	that	was	conveyed
by	some	teacher	for	a	specific	purpose	to	a	specific	audience	at	a	specific
time. To	fully	understand	any	statement,	we	need	to	know	the	context
within	which	it	was	made. Study	reveals	that	saintliness	is	a	descriptive	term	applied	to	people
who	have	reached,	usually,	the	calibrated	level	of	the	high	500s. At	this
level,	joy	leads	many	to	become	spiritual	and	inspirational	teachers,
healers,	g