 affirm your own infinite standing in creation.
From the perspective of everyday life, this seems like too much to swallow.
But nothing about the ideal life is a belief akin to religious  beliefs.
What’ s at stake is reality. Beliefs  pertain to how you feel about reality. Yoga
declares as a fact that every human being is embedded in a field of infinite
potential. By squeezing our infinite potential down into small, manageable
compartments, we are guilty only of being part of the mainstream of human
beings. But Yoga doesn’ t care about the mainstream or about how you have
lived in the past. In the worldvie w of Yoga, the infinite is always with us; in
fact, it is our source. Nothing  we do to squeeze our lives down to a
manageable size has the slightes t effect on reality, and the highest reality is
what Royal Y oga is ultimately all about.
OceanofPDF.comWEEK 1
SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE
(Limb of Yoga: Yamas)THIS PART OF THE JOURNEY
Royal Yoga begins by impro ving the social life you lead. Your
interaction with other people reflects a lot about you. Inner forces are made
visible, and it is these inner forces that dictate what happens to your social
self, the self you show the world.
Very few peopl e look at the reflections life gives them and see what
they’d like to see. Even the people closest to us don’t respond to us without
adding their own slant—their own opinions, expectations, and beliefs—to
what we say or do. W e’ll begin the journey of Royal Y oga by untangling the
mixed reflections our social self is creating, because that’s the only way to
change how we relate to others and how they respond to us. We have a
choice: Our social self can be radiant with light and lightness, or it can
simply be an outer shell, created to serve our ego and burni sh our self-
image.
In short,  Week 1 is about the story we are living and how to create a
better story, one that reflects the levels of the self that are closer to our
source.
MONDAY
Upgrading Your Story
Begin by silently repeating today’ s theme:
I create the peace that surrounds me.
I create the peace that surrounds me.
If your life story has been perfect up to now, there is no need to turn to
Yoga to improve upon perfectio n. Everyone’ s personal story is created out
of light and shadow. We defen d ourselves against pain, which makes us
fearful of the future, and against the past, which brings back painful
moments. These self-imposed restraints are the focus of the first limb ofYoga, which Patanjali calls yamas, often translated to mean “guidelines” or
“rules of conduct.”
Note: I will make passing reference to Patanjali and his definitive work,
the Yoga Sutras, but keep in mind that the traditional terminology isn’t
critical—only results are critical.
When you are aware of the self-imposed constraints you have placed on
yourself, you can upgrade your story. As you progress limb to limb in Royal
Yoga, the time will come when all stories you have bought into will melt
away. But it is also true that you can’t find the light when you are the one
blocking it, and that’ s what unhappy stories do.
An upgraded story is easier to enjoy and therefore easier to escape from
when the time comes. That’ s not a mystical statement. If you have a happy
childhood, it is much easier to leave it behind than an unhappy  childhood,
which keeps returning to block future happiness.
Every spiritual tradition describ es “right living” as an importa nt goal,
and Yoga agrees. The yamas, however, are not a series of ethical teachings.
Right living  in Yoga means “bringing in the light of awareness to decrease
the thing s that block fulfillment. ” The five yamas, as interpreted for modern
life, are the major keys to right living:
1. Treating everyone with peace and nonviolence.
2. Acting and speaking your own truth.
3. Acting unselﬁshly, without envy, greed, or covetousness.
4. Radiating a presence of purity and innocence.
5. Acting with self-reliance, neither clinging nor creating dependence in others.
Today is about the first yama, which asks you to live in peace with
others. The goal is to relate peacefully with everyone. That is the first and
most basic upgrade to your story.
Yoga’s call for nonviolence is frequently misunderstood because people
think they aren’ t spiritual unless they experience serenity and the peace that
surpasses understanding. With that expectation in mind, they wind up
patiently holding back their anger, even when it is justified, pretending to bemore at peace than they really are, and feeling guilty about getting into
arguments and engaging in conflict.
Inner peace is a wonderful state, but let’s be clear: Our journe y hasn’ t
gotten there yet. The first limb of Yoga is about social tactics—using your
intelligence to bring more light and lightness into the story you are now
living.
The tactics for creating a peaceful life are available to everyone, as
follows:
THE PRACTICES OF PEACE
Don’t create stress for yourself and others.
Look for areas of agreement instead of areas of discord.
Take responsibility for your own anger and resentment. Don’t
unleash them on other people.
Get out of the habit of blaming others.
Be aware of your impulse to judge, criticize, and get offended.
Don’t indulge in the impulse whenever possible.
Distance yourself from hostile people and hostile situations.
If you adopt these practices, you won’ t be leading a saintly life. You
will have succeeded in right living, however, which, at this stage is a huge
step in your evolution.
Exercise
Take time to look over the pract ices of peace listed above, and honestly
ask yourself how well you are practicing them. Social intelligence is a skill,
and, like all skills, it can be learned. Learning doesn’ t come all at once but
in pieces, so take a single strate gy from the list, and set your own learning
curve. Anger is a good one to begin with, because, along with fear, it is one
of the two basic negative emotions.
Yama asks you to be responsible for your anger, not to pass it along,
unleash it on the unwary, or channel it as blame toward another. To makepractical use of this yama, start following right tactics.
When you feel yourself getting angry, pause and stop at the
ﬁrst sign that you are losing your temper.
Be with the impulse.
Sit in your awareness for just a moment.
Pausing to be aware is a powerful way to defuse any self-defeating
behavior. If after pausing your anger comes out anyway, you have still
made a start. When you are calmer, ask if your outburst made the situation
better. If you can see clearly that it didn’ t—it probably made the situation
worse—you have taken another step toward inner awareness.
Yoga teaches that all your beha viors are subject to your contro l. If you
want the practices of peace to bring peace under your control, follow the
two steps I mentioned for anger. Namely, pause when you find yourself not
acting peacefull y. Then, if you did not manage to control that behavior,
pause and ask yourself if you improved the situation or made it worse.
Even though I will be unfolding  Yoga one week at a time, its teachings
are meant for a lifetime. The practices of peace work. They will definitely
upgrade your story. Don’ t press ure yourself to adopt them. Just make them
part of your awareness as you grow in social intelligence.
TUESDAY
Living Your Truth
Begin by silently repeating today’ s theme:
I trust the truth to show me the way.
I trust the truth to show me the way.
The second yama  is about speakin g and acting from our own truth. The
social self is very good at bendi ng the truth. Many of us have practiced “goalong to get along,” which taught us not to say what’ s on our minds. We
fear retaliation if we tell certain people the painful truth about their
shortcomings. We cringe at the notion that someone else will embarrass or
humiliate us by exposing our own faults. The second yama  addresses the
messy relationship all of us have with the truth.
The problem begins with the difference between two kinds of truth—
relative truth and absolute truth. When you live in the light, absolute
truth upholds you. For example, it is an absolute truth that love is eternal,
that life is infinitely abundant, and that life is meant to be lived without
struggle. When you are merged with your true self, absolute truth is who
you are.
But your social self deals in relative truths. Relative truth causes more
trouble than it resolves; therefo re, you need to use the right tactics that
apply to this part of your story. Relative truth is defined by the situation you
find yourself in. A parent scoldi ng a child for misbehaving isn’t in the same
situation as an adult scolding another adult. In the first case, parental
guidance truthfully teaches right from wrong. In the second case, the
scolding is an affront, because one adult doesn’ t have the right to impose
his moral values on


The lessons in this section are set up to be as flexib le as
possible. First there’s an axiom or insight for the day. It is followed
by a brief expl anation, and then an exercise. Read the axiom and
explanation at least once, although several times throughout the
day is better, so that your att ention is drawn back to the theme of
the day. The exercise should be done as often as it takes fo r you to
feel tha t it really sank in—one  to three times separated throughout
your day should do it. Finally, space has been left for you to
journal about your experien ce. Even better would be to keep a
separate journal devoted to waking up.
Is a  month en ough time to completely wake up? I sinc erely
doubt it, but some people have been known to open their e yes one
morning, look around, and know with certainty that they haveawakened. Others gradually change inside and slip into higher
consciousness almost without noticing that the change has taken
place—it becam e second nature over the years. In all likelihood
you will get th e most out of repeating these lessons, goi ng back
when you feel the desire to reengage with the learning process.
There a re degr ees of being a wake, just as there are skill levels in
learning a new language, French cooking, or rock climbing.
Reinforcing your awakened state is part of the process.
The lessons get longer as the  month goes on, not because  they
are hard er but because there is more to see. Every lesson is  equally
easy.
Be open, fluid, and flexible a bout getting there. The beauty of
the direct path is that each lesson along the way has its own
achievements, its own “aha” moments, and its own pleasures. In
that spirit, let the waking up begin.To download, go to http://prhlink.com/9781524762988a001
DAY 1

The everyday experience of reality starts with perceptions
—sounds, colors, shapes, textures, tastes, and smells.
Waking up is supposed to b e effortless. But it’s important to
know w here to  start. There is  no better place to begin than where
you are  right this moment. In  fact, we will wind up in trou ble if we
pretend that there is any other starting point. You are
experiencing your life as it i s, a flow of experiences that begins
with the five senses.
For Today
Get in touch w ith the basics. Sit for a moment and be with your
simplest exper ience of light, w armth, the smells wafting your way,
the tast e of food. Relax into  the experience. Just observe. The
more yo u are able to relax, th e more effortless waking up will be.
Relaxing into the moment is the key. In a relaxed sta te your
mental activity calms down, and observing your direct experience
happens naturally.
YOUR EXPERIENCE:

 DAY 2

The range of human perception is a narrow bandwidth of
raw sensations.
The five senses are our window on reality, but the opening is a
slit, no t a picture window. “Seeing is believing” usually only
applies to a small fraction of the raw data bombarding the eye
every second. The same is t rue for the other four senses. They
conspire to deliver a narrow bandwidth of reality. To expand the
bandwidth to increase our perception, is one reason for waking
up.
For Today
Get in touch with how narrow your sense of reality actually is.
Cup your hands over your ea rs and notice how muffled th e world
is. Put on sung lasses and notice how dim the world becomes. Turn
off the lights at night and cautiously, with small steps, try to
navigate a room in your hou se you are very familiar with. When
you take your hands away from your ears, remove your sunglasses,
and tur n on the lights, your awareness of everything aro und you
expands. Waking up expands reality even more.
YOUR EXPERIENCE:

 DAY 3

All biological organisms have their own unique
bandwidth of sensory experience.
Experience defines us all, and since we are tuned in to only one
bandwidth of reality—call it the Me Channel—our identit y is also
narrow. Other living things are tuned in to different bandwidths,
giving them an existence we can barely imagine. But humans can
change the channel at will. Reality is only as narrow as our
awareness. Wh en you wake up, you are tuned in to the entire
bandwidth. Then reality is unlimited.
For Today
Take a mome nt to listen to  the birds singing. Each bird is
telling its story. Birdsong communicates information from parent
to c hick, announces the limit s of territory, attracts a mate, signals
danger, and identifies which  species the bird belongs to. Notice
that you do not understand a single thing on Bird Channel. If it is
winter o r you hear no birds, consider a dog sniffing the air. A dog’s
nose can tell i t who has wa lked by, what was on that person’s
shoes, and when the incident occurred. Notice that your nose
gathers none of the information that comes across Dog Channel.
YOUR EXPERIENCE:

 DAY 4

Our physical body is also a perceptual experience.
The Me  Chann el tells you th at you have a body. The body you
see and feel, th e sensations that come through the nervous system,
the locations of pleasure and pain—these signals are constantly
broadcast on the Me Chann el. The body is not a thing; it is a
confederation of perceptions. Your mind unites these frag mented
perceptions int o a coherent im age in time and space. If your mind
didn’t do that, the Me Channel would just be transmitting noise.
For Today
Take a momen t to perceive y our body directly. Close your eyes
and sit  quietly. Let your attention roam from sensation to
sensation. Lift your arm and feel its weight. Rub your fingers
together and feel their softne ss and the texture of the skin. Hear
your breath and your heartbeat. It doesn’t matter how many
signals you pick up, or wheth er your body feels nice to you or not
nice. You have contacted the real body you have. The experience of
the body is  the body. Everything else is mental interference. When
you wak e up, you will accept and enjoy the experience of t he body
for itself, which is blissful.
YOUR EXPERIENCE:

 DAY 5

By itself each perceptual experience is a unique,
evanescent, ungraspable, momentary sensation. Our
senses take snapshots of reality.
Life gives us a constant flow of perceptions that we live by. The
five sen ses are the pipeline through which everything flows. But
it’s not like a continuous flow of water from a faucet. Sensations
are muc h more like rain, whi ch falls one drop at a time. W e make
sense of life using fleeting t houghts and sensations. We ignore
how ev anescent every perception really is—each sensation starts
to fa de as soon  as it is noticed. Every thought has already v anished
by the time it registers. By w aking up, we stop ignoring what is
actually happe ning all the time. The need to turn fleeting
sensations into a running movie or story fades away.
For Today
Put a grain of s alt or sugar on  your tongue. Notice how the  taste
starts to diminish after the first strong taste sensation. Pay
attention to how your saliva ry glands quickly reacted and how
your throat wanted to swallow. This puts you in touch with how
brief and temporary experien ce is. But here’s the real point. Try to
taste what was on your tongue before  you  pla ced the  salt or sugar
on i t. You can’ t. That taste, which you probably didn’t ma ke note
of w hen it occu rred, has fled forever. Fleeting perceptions  are the
texture of life.
YOUR EXPERIENCE:

 DAY 6

The only constant in every snapshot of perception is the
presence of being and awareness.
Snapshots don’t take themselves—there has to be a
photographer behind the camera. No matter how many thousands
of photos a professional photographer takes, he is the constant
behind the lens. His job is to  look, arrange the setting, p lace the
lights, focus, and decide if the image satisfies him. You do the
same with reality. Your senses deliver snapshots of raw data,
which change in endless ways. The only constant is you, seeing,
arranging, turn ing random bursts of perception into so mething
you can relate to. Most of this happens automatically, but when
you wake up, you see what you’re doing. Then you hav e much
more freedom to create.
For Today
Get bac k in touch with the b asic units of experience. Sit for a
moment and be with your simplest experience of light, warmth,
the sme lls wafting your way, the taste in your mouth. Relax into
the experience. Notice each sensation spontaneously, w herever
your att ention wanders. The more you are able to relax, the more
effortless wakin g up will be. Waking


12
and	vitamin	K.	Friendly	bacteria
also	help	to	obtain	the	nutrients	we	need	from	the	food	we	eat.	Intestinal	toxemia
causes	deficiency	and	toxicity	in	most	of	us,	to	some	degree,	because	of	damagefrom	antibiotics.
Michael	had	acne	as	a	teenager.	His	dermatologist	had	prescribed	an	antibiotic
(tetracycline),	and	Michael	had	taken	this	drug	every	day	for	years.	Antibiotics
were	developed	to	kill	bacteria.	The	problem	is	that	helpful	bacteria	in	your
intestines	(normal	intestinal	flora)	are	needed	for	good	health.	Years	of	taking
antibiotics	destroyed	these	helpful	bacteria	in	Michael’s	digestive	system.	(Even
one	course	of	antibiotics	can	have	this	effect.)	This	situation	allowed	the
overgrowth	of	abnormal	intestinal	flora	and	a	yeast	called
Candida	albicans.
A	yeast	infection	can	produce	toxic	chemicals	that	absorb	into	the
bloodstream;	also,	yeast	can	physically	invade	and	damage	the	intestinal	tissue
in	a	way	that	allows	other	inappropriate	materials	(undigested	food	particles,
toxic	wastes	and	yeast	byproducts)	to	pass	directly	into	the	bloodstream.	This
condition	floods	the	body	with	dangerous	toxins	and	allergens,	causing	food
allergies	and	disrupting	the	immune	system.	Some	of	these	toxins	are	neurotoxic
(causing	damage	to	the	brain	and	the	nervous	system)	and	may	produce
symptoms	such	as	fatigue,	headaches,	apathy,	depression,	anxiety,	mood	swings
and	memory	lapses.	Intestinal	yeast	infections	also	impair	the	absorption	of
nutrients,	which	is	a	separate	but	equally	serious	problem.	Disrupting	the	normal
ecology	of	the	gut	also	invites	infection	by	parasites,	which	further	disrupt	gut
tissue.
In	Michael’s	case,	I	suspected	problems	with	internally	generated	digestive
toxins,	but	to	know	for	certain	one	must	measure.	I	suggested	to	Michael	that	he
ask	his	physician	to	be	tested	for	candida.	(Convincing	the	physician	to	do	the
candida	test	was	not	easy.	Physicians	do	not	generally	look	for	such	infections,
and	his	mother	had	to	put	considerable	pressure	on	the	doctor.)	The	test	did
show	that	Michael	had	a	candida	infection,	which	he	was	able	to	get	rid	of
through	natural	methods	such	as	taking	high-quality	probiotics	and	grapefruit
seed	extract	and	by	reducing	dietary	sugar	(which	was	“feeding”	the	yeast
problem).	Michael,	who	had	been	completely	disabled	by	his	disease	throughout
the	summer,	was	able	to	go	back	to	Harvard	in	the	fall,	complete	his	senior	year
and	graduate.
Problems	such	as	Michael’s	are	common	in	America	because	of	the	excessive
antibiotics	that	our	physicians	prescribe.	While	the	use	of	antibiotics	is	prudent
and	necessary	in	very	select	cases,	for	the	most	part	antibiotics	unnecessarily
damage	the	digestive	system	and	contribute	to	intestinal	toxemia.	This	toxemia
often	subjects	us	to	far	more	toxicity	than	the	original	“germ”	that	the	antibiotic
was	supposed	to	kill.	Unfortunately,	almost	everybody	in	America	has	taken
antibiotics	at	some	point;	these	drugs	are	a	major	cause	of	health	problems,including	fatigue	and	allergies.	Intestinal	toxemia	can	be	provoked	in	other
ways,	by	medical	drugs	such	as	non-steroidal	anti-inflammatory	drugs	(NSAIDs,
including	aspirin,	ibuprofen,	naproxen,	ketoprofin,	etc.)	and	oral	steroids
(cortisone	pills,	birth	control	pills,	etc.).
Maldigestion	of	food	(exacerbated	by	medical	drugs	or	not)	produces	toxins
inside	your	body.	A	mostly	cooked	and	processed	food	diet	lacking	critical
enzymes	is	a	common	contributor,	as	is	poor	chewing	of	food.	Low-fiber	diets
are	also	problematic.	Whatever	the	cause,	undigested	food	can	rot	and	poison
you	while	still	inside	you.	Carbohydrates	ferment,	fats	turn	rancid	and	proteins
putrefy.	The	most	common	symptoms	are	bloating,	constipation,	gas,	halitosis,
heartburn,	eye	problems,	neurological	problems	and	headaches.
Keep	protein	consumption	moderate;	diets	high	in	protein,	especially	cooked
meat	and	pasteurized	dairy,	overload	our	digestive	systems.	We	need	only	35	to
40	grams	of	protein	per	day	(more	for	athletes	or	those	with	large	body	frames),
but	Americans	eat	an	average	of	90	grams	of	gut-putrefying	protein	per	day.	A
one-pound	slab	of	roast	beef	contains	more	than	100	grams	of	protein.	Large
quantities	of	cooked	and	denatured	proteins,	which	are	harder	to	digest,	can
cause	an	overgrowth	of	a	type	of	putrefactive	bacteria	that	thrive	when	food	is
rotting	in	the	gut.	These	bacteria	produce	toxic	chemicals	such	as	indole,	skatole,
phenol	and	hydrogen	sulfide.	In	addition,	these	putrefactive	bacteria	displace
friendly	bacteria,	which	are	essential	to	good	digestion	and	health,	and	the	result
is	intestinal	toxemia.
To	prevent	or	eliminate	the	problems	associated	with	intestinal	toxemia:
•	Avoid	the	use	of	antibiotics,	anti-inflammatories	and	steroids	(including
birth	control	pills).
•	Avoid	excessive	amounts	of	protein.
•	Minimize	or	eliminate	processed	foods.	Eat	the	right	kinds	of	fats.
•	Avoid	sugar,	white	flour,	coffee,	excessive	alcohol	and	fried	foods.	These
substances	are	hard	on	the	digestive	system.
•	Adhere	to	proper	food	combining	and	chewing;	the	digestion	process	must
begin	in	the	mouth	and	in	the	stomach	for	the	intestines	to	function
properly.
Do	you	suffer	from	indigestion,	bloating,	gas,	cramping,	loose	stools,
constipation	or	gastrointestinal	reflux?	Any	of	these	can	indicate	intestinal
toxemia	and	should	be	addressed	before	they	lead	to	serious	disease.
You	can	also	consider	other	strategies	if	you	are	suffering	from	symptoms	of
poor	digestion:	fasting,	exercising,	drinking	large	amounts	of	water,	and	takinghigh-quality	supplements,	including	probiotics,	digestive	enzymes,	and	vitamins
and	minerals.	All	of	these	help	to	detoxify,	repair	and	rebuild	healthy	tissue—in
particular	by	helping	to	create	an	environment	in	the	digestive	system	conducive
to	the	growth	and	maintenance	of	friendly	bacteria.
Allergies	Should	Signal	Alarm
Allergies	are	a	common	source	of	internally	generated	toxins.	Every	allergic
reaction	produces	metabolic	debris	that	has	a	toxic	effect.	We	tend	to	think	of
allergies	as	“normal,”	a	benign	inconvenience,	because	so	many	people	have
them.	Not	so.	Healthy	people	do	not	have	allergies.	Allergies	are	an	abnormal
immune	response	to	foods	and	substances	in	your	environment.	Most	food
allergies	are	the	result	of	an	abnormally	functioning	digestive	system,	as	already
mentioned,	whereby	undigested


 the
capacity and therefore the ease with which the infant head may pass through the birth canal. In Dr.
Vaughan's wide experience she has observed two ways by which a rough estimate of the pelvic
shape and capacity may be anticipated: first, by the gait of the individual, because the angle of the
hips is determined by the shape of the pelvis; and second, by the teeth and jaws. She has
recognized an association between facial and dental arch deformities and deformed pelvis.
    During my investigations in eastern Australia I was informed that the birth rate among the whites
had declined over a large area and to such an extent that many families had no children and many
women could produce only one child. The diets used in that district were very largely refined
white-flour products, sugar, polished rice, vegetable fats, canned goods and a limited amount of
meat. The alarm regarding the declining birth rate in Australia has recently been a matter of
discussion by the New South Wales legislature as indicated by an Associated Press dispatch from
Sydney, Australia, dated August 1, 1938: "A'stork derby' with sweepstakes prizes was proposed
in the New South Wales Legislature today to boost Australia's falling birth rate."
  A report just received from the Bureau of Home Economics, Department of Agriculture,
Washington, presents figures for the average amount of the various foods used in different income
groups in different parts of the United States. These showed that in general about one-third of the
income up to $2500 was spent for food per family; further, that the total flour equivalent ranged
from 0.39 to 0.50 pound per capita per day. These quantities will furnish about 829 to 1063
calories per day, per capita. It will be seen at once that this provides a large number of the calories
required for growing children and sedentary adults per day. With this number of calories derived
from refined flour products there is no adequate provision for a normal amount of such body-
building materials as minerals and vitamins. These have been removed, largely, in the milling
process, and are largely denied to our modern civilization insofar as the cereal foods are
concerned. This includes vitamin E, so essential for the functioning of the pituitary gland, the master
governor of the body.
    One of the most important lessons we may learn from the primitive cultures is the detail of their
procedures for preventing dental caries. Since I have devoted an entire chapter (Chapter 16) to
this I will make only a brief comment here. Simply stated, the practical application of the primitive
wisdom for accomplishing this would involve returning to the use of natural foods which provide
the entire assortment of bodybuilding and repairing food factors. This means the recognition of the
fact that all forms of animal life are the product of the food environments that have produced them.
Therefore, we cannot distort and rob the foods without serious injury. Nature has put these foods
up in packages containing the combinations of minerals and other factors that are essential for
nourishing the various organs. Some of the simpler animal forms are able to synthesize in their
bodies some of the food elements which we humans also require, but cannot create ourselves. Our
modern process of robbing the natural foods for convenience or gain completely thwarts Nature's
inviolable program. I have shown how the robbing of the wheat in the making of white flour
reduced the minerals and other chemicals in the grains, so as to make them sources of energy
without normal body-building and repairing qualities. Our appetites have been distorted so that
hunger appeals only for energy with no conscious need for body-building and repairing chemicals.
    A first requisite for the control of tooth decay is to have provided an adequate intake of the
body-building and repairing factors by the time the hunger appeal for energy has been satisfied. A
sufficient variety of foods must be used to supply the body's demand for those elements which it
needs in large quantities, that is, calcium and phosphorus, and the other elements which it needs in
smaller quantities, though just as imperatively. One of the serious human deficiencies is the inability
to synthesize certain of the activators which include the known vitamins. This makes necessary the
reinforcement of the nutrition with definite amounts of special foods to supply these organic
catalysts, especially the fat-soluble activators, including the known vitamins, which are particularly7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 247/250difficult to provide in adequate quantities. I have shown that the primitive races studied were
dependent upon one of three sources for some of these fat-soluble factors, namely, sea foods,
organs of animals or dairy products. These are all of animal origin. I have indicated in Chapter 16
the nutritional programs that have proved in clinical testing adequate for providing the body with
nutrition that will not only prevent tooth decay, but check it when it is active. The stress periods of
life, namely, active growth in children and motherhood, do not constitute overloads among most of
the primitive races because the factor of safety provided by them in the selection of foods is
sufficiently high to protect them against all stresses. I have indicated the type of nutrition that is
especially needed for these stress periods in our modern civilization. Also, that it is not necessary
to adopt the foods of any particular racial stock, but only to make our nutrition adequate in all its
nutritive factors to the primitive nutritions. Tooth decay is not only unnecessary, but an indication of
our divergence from Nature's fundamental laws of life and health. (See Chapter 16 for primitive
menus.) The responsibility of our modern processed foods of commerce as contributing factors in
the cause of tooth decay is strikingly demonstrated by the rapid development of tooth decay
among the growing children on the Pacific Islands during the time trader ships made calls for dried
copra when its price was high for several months. This was paid for in 90 per cent white flour and
refined sugar and not over 10 per cent in cloth and clothing. When the price of copra reduced
from $400 a ton to $4 a ton, the trader ships stopped calling and tooth decay stopped when the
people went back to their native diet. I saw many such individuals with teeth with open cavities in
which the tooth decay had ceased to be active.
    In undertaking to make practical application of primitive wisdom to our modern problems, the
field is so broad that only a limited number of items may be included. It is important to emphasize
the difference between the procedures used in the preparation of boys and girls for life in many of
the primitive groups, and in our modern social organization. Few people will realize the remarkable
training given the primitive children, with the fathers and mothers as tutors. To illustrate, among the
Indians of the far North in Canada near the Arctic Circle, the girls rather than the boys select a
companion for life. This is done with the help of her parents. Before a boy is considered worthy of
consideration he must demonstrate that he can build the winter cabin, provide the firewood for
maintaining the home of the parents, and all of the provisions of wild game, during the trial period
of several weeks. After an adequate demonstration of bravery as well as of skill, in which the boy
must kill a grizzly bear, he is accepted into the home for a period of trial marriage. The girl has the
privilege of making her choice by trial, but when the choice is made there is complete faithfulness
on the part of both. Girls are prepared for life's duties by being taught to make clothing, prepare
food, care for children and assist in the maintenance of the home. I have seldom, if ever, seen such
happy people as these forest Indians of the far North.
    In Chapter 10, in discussing the Australian Aborigines, I have similarly described the
preparation of boys for the responsibility of manhood. No modern college graduate has to win his
spurs under more exacting examinations and tests than do those boys.
    In Africa several specialties call for special training. The medicine men spend several years
under the training of a tutor. Each boy must provide a specified number of cattle per year which
are eaten by the group.
    Probably the most indelible impression that is left by my investigations among primitive races, is
that which came from examining 1,276 skulls of the people who had been buried hundreds of
years ago along the Pacific Coast of Peru and in the high Andean Plateau, without finding a single
skull with the typical marked narrowing of the face and dental arches, that afflicts a considerable
proportion not only of the residents in modernized districts in Peru, but in most of the United States
and many communities of Europe today. I know of no problem so important to our modern
civilization as the finding of the reason for this, and the elimination of the cause of error. Perhaps
few will recognize the significance of this important point. This may be the reason why the prospect
is not encouraging.
    One of the important lessons we should learn from the primitive races is that of the need for
maintaining a balance beween soil productivity, plant growth and human babies. Even in a country7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 248/250with so low a fertility as obtains in the greater part of Australia, the Aborigines for a very long
period were able to maintain this balance. Their system of birth control was very efficient and
exacting.
    A survey made by a committee


 light activi ty. A short
walk in the morning and in the afternoon is a good idea. Do not travel any
distance or undertake heavy physical tasks. If you run or exercise heavily,
skip it for a day and relax.
If you feel faint with hunger, take one tables poon of honey with a glass of
warm water and lie down for five minutes.
It is normal to feel lightness in your limbs, but if you start to tremble or
feel dizzy, lie down and rest. If the feeling persists, eat a small meal. You
may be unsettled from unusually high stress that has thrown you of f balance.
SUNDA Y ROUTINE
Now you want to restart your agni and let it adjust itself to its normal
cycle. To do this, eat a light breakfast of hot cereal (oatmeal, cream of rice,
or cream  of wheat) with a little butter, milk, and sugar. Herb tea is also good
in the morning to soothe the stomach—licorice root for Vatas, peppermint
for Pittas and Kaphas. If you followed the program correctly on Saturday,
this will be all the breakfast you’ll want. If you still feel very hungry, have
more cereal or a glass of juice. Coffee, tea, and cigarettes will throw off your
agni rhythm and defeat your purpose. (Kapha types, who are slow starters in
the morning, can drink gotu kola tea as a stimulant—this herb is sold in
health-food stores.)
Do not eat again until noon.At exactly noon, have a good lunch, one that satisfies you without being
heavy or immoderate. It is best not to excite your digestion with salty or
spicy food or alcohol, but do not have just a salad and water, either. Ginger
tea is a good idea. If you are Vata and have no appetite, drink it before the
meal; otherwise, during or after the meal is fine. If you do not have ginger
tea, sip a glass of warm water with your meal.
Do not eat again until dinner.
Have an early dinner (at least three hours before you go to bed), eating a
nourishing meal that suits your body type. Make this meal smaller than
lunch. Rice, lentils, and steamed vegetables are good. Even a repeat of
breakfast would  be good for most Kaphas and Pittas, or for anyone who
tends to overeat.
Now that your agni is reset, your hunger cycle will naturally tend to make
you want
a light breakfast
a substantial lunch, eaten at the same time every day
a light supper, eaten early and at the same time every day
The following things will throw your agni off again and should be
avoided.
Eating between meals. The rule here is not to stimulate your appetite if
you are not going to eat. Agni likes to finish what it starts; therefore, it
is thrown of f by empty stimulation from chewing gum, hard candy, or
breath mints taken throughout the day. However, having tea and
cookies in the afternoon is a good idea for Vata types or for anyone who
gets fatigued at the end of the workday.
Strong stimulants. Caf feine, salt, and alcohol are strong stimulants and
should be taken moderately. The indigestion most people feel at a
cocktail party comes from the mixing of salty food, alcohol, and noise.If you like to drink cof fee, always have it with food, not alone. The
same applies to salt and alcohol. Being addicted to any of these
stimulants makes it impossible to balance the digestion.
Skipping meals. Agni wants something to do three times a day and
resents it if you do not eat. Kapha types can skip meals because their
agni moves slowly and burns low, but it is still a good rule to eat three
times a day.
AGNI AND AMA
The Ayurvedic ideal is that agni be kept operating efficiently under all
conditions; it must not be so cold that food is not complete ly digested.
Partially digeste d food turns into ama, a cold, foul-smelling residue whose
“stickiness” prevents the doshas from circulating freely as they should.
There is also the opposite dange r that agni will burn too high, in which case
the nutrients in food will not be extracted but burned away. Then digestion
becomes feverish, leading to weakness instead of strength.
Agni and ama form the most important pair of opposites in the body,
making the difference between a state of dynamic health and a state of slow
deterioration. The most obviou s difference between the two is that agni
makes you feel well, while ama makes you feel sick. There are some specific
signs as well. Agni gives one:
Glowing complexion and bright eyes
Strong digestion without constipation or diarrhea
Ability to eat all foods
Clear, straw-colored urine
Normal feces without strong smellIf there is ama in the body, it can vary from a minor to a major serious
condition. Among the earlier signs are:
Dull skin and eyes
Unpleasant taste in the mouth, with coated tongue in the morning
Strong bad breath
Urine that is cloudy, dark, or discolored
Weak digestion, chronic constipation and/or diarrhea
Loss of appetite (food tastes bad)
Aching joints
Once the digestive fire has returned to normal and the collected ama from
the past is flush ed out, agni by itself will continue to purify the body. Your
digestion is self-correcting, because nature has set things up so that agni
burns ama. This is another example of how you can trust your body to know
what to do.
IMPROVING YOUR AGNI
Certain foods, spices, and herbs  are effective in improving the quality of
agni in everyone, according to Ayurveda. They are used to stimulate appetite,
increase the power of digestion, and remove ama.
GINGER
Dried into a powder or used fresh, ginger is praised as the best spice for
helping the agni of all body types. Powdered ginger, sold in grocery-store
spice racks, is stronger, more drying, and more pungent than fresh
gingerroot, which is sold in the fresh produce department (or in health-foodstores if your supermarket does not carry it). Fresh ginger is considered the
better digestive aid.
Ginger can be used in various ways:
As a tea. Boil a large pinch of dry ginger in a cup of water over a low
flame until a quarter of the water boils away, then strain. This tea is drunk
before meals to whet the appetite. A small glass of it can be sipped during or
after meals to aid digestion.
Fresh ginger tea is made by first boiling your water and then, with the heat
off, dropping in a few thin slices of unpeeled gingerroot (about one
tablespoon per cup of water). Allow to steep for five minutes, then strain.
You can make a much stronger  tea by boiling the slices of gingerroot with
the water, but this would be considered a medicinal tea, not to be drunk
every day.
As a spice. Ayurveda recommends a variety of ways to use ginger in
cooking. Either the powder or the root can be added to recipes for steamed
vegetables, curri es, gingerbread, cakes, and cookies. You can lightly sprinkle
ginger on your food at the table or chew on a sliver of fresh ginger during
the meal. Although it may be too strong for everyone, scatter ing chopped
gingerroot over your food as a garnish (like parsley) is also considered
worthwhile. Try one approach at a time, however; it does not take much
ginger to kindle agni.Fresh ginger  tea aids digestion.
Different body types are advised to take ginger in slightly different ways:
Vata types can mix the choppe d fresh root with salt. Pitta types need less
pungency, so weak ginger tea is enough for them, sweetened with sugar to
make the ginger less spicy. Kapha types (and anyone who is overweight)
want it for eliminating excess Kapha from the system, so they can take a
good deal of ginger tea sweetened with honey.
If your appetite and/or digestion  become poor as the result of nervousness,
stress, or illness, an excellent way to restore it is with the following ginger
routine.
Ginger Routine
In a small glass, metal, or ceramic bowl, mash four tablesp oons each
powdered ginger, brown sugar, and ghee (melted, clarified butter, see page
304). Mix to a uniform consistency, cover, and store in a cool place.Take a little bit of this ginger mixture every day before breakfast, making
sure that you follow it with a good breakfast (hot cereal, grape juice,
muffins, and herb tea with cinnamon in it is a good menu). Consume the
ginger mixture according to the following schedule.
After finishing the ginger routin e, your digestion should be norm alized. If
you still experience digestive difficulty, see a doctor; at the first sign of
digestive cramps and pain, do not attempt this routine—consult a physician
instead.
Ginger Follow-up
If you are trying to cure a long-standing Vata imbalance or want to keep
your digestion at its peak, takin g a little fresh ginger every day is a good
idea. It is also considered the best preventive against build ing up ama
through improper digestion.
Cut a thin, nicke l


	legs—when	you	want	to	give	your	skin	a
revitalization	and	glow	boost.
¼	cup	mashed	ripe	banana
1	tablespoon	organic	chickpea	flour
2	teaspoons	sesame	oil	(or	a	little	more	or	less,
depending	on	the	size	of	the	banana)
Stir	the	banana	into	the	chickpea	flour	and	mix	in	the	sesame	oil.	Apply	an	even	layer	to	your	face
and	neck,	leaving	it	on	for	15	to	20	minutes	while	you	relax,	before	rinsing	off.SHIFT	9:
Nourish	Strong,	Healthy
Hair	and
Nails
All	of	the	changes	you’ve	made	so	far	to	your	diet	and	self-care	routine	will
result	in	stronger,	more	naturally	beautiful	hair	and	nails.	Like	your	skin,	the
strength	and	vitality	of	your	hair	and	nails	is	a	reflection	of	all	that	is
happening	inside	your	body,	and	there	are	many	ways	to	nourish	them	both
internally	and	externally.
How	to	Grow	Healthy	Hair	from	the	Outside	In
If	you	want	strong,	healthy	hair,	it’s	essential	to	nourish	the	hair	follicles	that
grow	your	actual	hair	strands.	Go	ahead	right	now	and	touch	your	scalp	with
your	fingers.	Give	yourself	a	little	head	massage.	It	feels	good,	right?	Your	scalp
is	rich	in	nerves	and	blood	vessels.	Get	familiar	with	touching	your	scalp	more
than	just	when	you	are	shampooing.	It	likes	it	and	will	respond!	Every	part	of
your	body	needs	love	and	attention	to	flourish,	and	that	includes	your	scalp.	If
you	want	lovely	hair,	you	have	to	give	some	love	to	your	hair.	This	includes
attention	from	your	hands,	not	just	from	products	you	buy.	In	all	areas	of	life,
love	can’t	just	be	bought.
Fluctuations	in	hormones	and	nutrition,	as	well	as	your	good	old	genes,	can
influence	the	quality	and	thickness	of	your	hair.	The	dietary	advice	in
Pillar	1
,
Internal	Nourishment,	will	help	you	grow	more	beautiful	hair	over	time.
However,	there	are	also	manual,	external	methods	that	you	can	combine	with
your	dietary	shifts	to	help	create	beautifully	healthy,	shiny	hair.	Incorporating
these	methods	from	the	outside	and	the	inside	will	help	you	grow	the	beautiful
hair	that	is	your	birthright.
Here	are	some	of	the	most	effective	ways	to	externally	nourish	your	hair.
WASH	LESS	OFTENUnless	your	hair	is	incredibly	oily,	it	doesn’t	need	to	be	washed	every	day.
Washing	a	few	times	a	week	will	keep	your	hair	clean	but	prevent	overdrying,
allowing	more	time	for	the	natural	oils	in	your	hair	to	moisturize	down	to	the
tips	of	your	strands.
SCALP	MASSAGE
This	is	a	fantastic	and	highly	effective	way	to	stimulate	your	hair	follicles	and
foster	healthy	new	growth.	This	can	be	incorporated	easily	into	your	daily
routine	as	part	of	your
abhyanga
	practice	(see
this	page
).	When	you	are	doing
your	daily	oil	massage,	be	sure	to	take	a	few	minutes	to	massage	the	coconut	oil,
sesame	oil,	or	specialized	herbal	formula	oil	into	all	areas	of	your	scalp	to	help
stimulate	circulation	to	your	hair	follicles.	If	you	want	to	add	a	few	drops	of
essential	oil	specifically	for	the	scalp-massage	part	of	your	treatment,	a	few	that
are	extra	stimulating	to	your	hair	follicles	include	lemon,	peppermint,	lavender,
basil,	and	rosemary	pure	essential	oils.	Just	adding	a	few	drops	into	the	oil	will
suffice.	(If	you	are	new	to	these	oils,	and	especially	if	you	have	sensitive	skin,	be
sure	to	check	with	your	dermatologist	or	test	a	tiny	area	to	see	if	they	irritate
your	skin.)
SOFTENING	HAIR	SCALP	TREATMENT
This	is	a	great	treatment	to	do	once	a	week	to	help	heal	and	nourish	your	hair.	It’s	easy	to	make	and
use	as	part	of	your	hair-care	routine.	Lavender	is	healing	and	nourishing	and	has	been	known	to
relieve	tension	and	headaches	when	massaged	directly	into	your	scalp.	Olive	oil	makes	your	hair
incredibly	soft	and	will	improve	the	elasticity	of	your	hair	shaft	and	protect	against	breakage.
⅓	cup	cold-pressed	olive	oil
10	to	12	drops	lavender	essential	oil
Warm	the	olive	oil	in	a	pan	over	the	lowest	setting	possible.	Turn	off	and	remove	from	heat	and	then
add	the	lavender	oil.	Combine	well	and	massage	the	warm	mixture	into	your	scalp.	Twist	your	hair
into	a	bun,	cover	with	a	shower	cap,	and	relax	for	20	to	30	minutes	before	shampooing.
Use	Natural	Bristles
Brushing	your	hair	with	a	natural	bristle	brush	can	help	stimulate	your	hair
follicles	and	produce	more	natural	oils	that	lubricate	your	entire	head	and	all
your	beautiful	hair	strands.	Start	from	the	top	of	your	head	and	work
systematically	down	the	length	of	your	hair.	Gently	work	out	tangles	rather
than	being	aggressive;	you’re	not	plowing	through	an	overgrown	hiking	trail.
Avoid	breakage	by	being	patient	and	using	even	strokes.Deep	Clean
It’s	important	to	occasionally	deep	clean	your	scalp	from	any	dirt	and	oils	that
can	build	up	and	block	your	hair	follicles.	Try	periodically	using	a	cleansing
shampoo	made	from	natural	ingredients	or	applying	an	apple	cider	vinegar
rinse.	Apple	cider	vinegar	is	an	excellent	rinse	to	use	occasionally	to	remove
impurities	from	hard	water,	accumulated	sebum,	and	waxy	buildup	from
products.	Pour	the	apple	cider	vinegar	over	your	moistened	scalp	in	the	shower,
massage	it	in	for	a	couple	of	minutes,	and	rinse	very	well.	Then	proceed	to
shampooing	and	conditioning.	You
are
	rinsing	it	out	fairly	quickly,	but	as	your
scalp	can	absorb	so	much,	it’s	a	great	idea	to	try	to	source	organic	vinegar.
Vinegar	can	also	help	balance	the	pH	of	your	hair,	which	affects	the
appearance	and	overall	health	of	your	hair.	The	strands	of	your	hair	are	made
up	of	keratin	protein.	When	the	pH	of	your	hair	is	properly	balanced,	your	hair
will	be	a	sealed,	flat	cuticle	layer	on	the	outside	of	the	strand,	which	makes	your
hair	more	shiny	and	bouncy.	If	your	hair’s	pH	is	imbalanced	from	lots	of	heat
or	chemical	treatments,	your	hair	will	look	dull	and	frizzy	and	become	brittle
and	susceptible	to	more	breakage.	Try	the	following
pH-Balancing	Hair	Rinse
once	every	six	to	eight	weeks	or	so	(depending	on	your	hair	type),	or	whenever
you	feel	excessive	buildup	in	your	hair.	Don’t	do	it	too	often,	however,	or	it
will	dry	out	your	hair.
PH-BALANCING	HAIR	RINSE
Apple	cider	vinegar	is	fantastic


 and causing the danger to arrive more quickly. Fear
attracts the danger of which one is afraid. We should bo afraid of
nothing except of being afraid.
The process of eliminating fear consists of two processes.
The first is an intellectual proce ss and consists of a close analysis
of the thing feared. The danger is not a real one; it is only real in
the imagination. In death, for instance, as Thomas d'Aquinas
pointed out, it is the pomp and circumstance of death that terrifies
us rather than death itself. Death is perfectly natural. But we
exaggerate it with ceremonies', with dolorous behavior and with
sorrowful thoughts. Epicurus observed that we have no relation to
death. When we are alive, death is not with us, while when we
are dead, we are no longer alive to be grieved about it.
The second phase in the avoidance of fear is voluntary. It is
not sufficient simply to understand the fear with the intelligence
and realise that it is not too good to have it. The realisation must
also become a strong sentiment within us. It cannot be overcome
intellectually; the force of an awakened sentiment is necessary as
well. The technique for awaking the sentiments is discussed
below. It is part of the education of the will.

EDMOND BORDEAUX SZEKELY SCIENTIST
AND PHILOSOPHER

A Review by D ION BYNGHAM
(Health and Life, July 1936)

If the contents of a book could save our contemporary world,
which is eddying and crashing to ruin, that book, I believe, has been
written. If the contents of a book could redeem us as individuals from a
common destiny of disease and death, that same book has appeared. If
between the covers of a book might be found the sure path to creative
peace, to superb health and beauty, to an optimal abundance of Joy in
Life, let us open and read. For if, while reading, we should perchance
resolve to try and live what "we read, all these seeming miracles might
assuredly happen.
How and where shall one begin? As a reader, certainly, at the
beginning, meditating and mastering every word to the end. But as a
reviewer, the significance of some 800-odd pages to compress within
four or five...! For nothing less than Cosmos, Man and Society is the
theme. And the author, Professor Edmond Szekely, is a philosopher, a
sage and   a  scientist   of   immense   erudition  who—albeit with
perfect lucidity and simplicity—has well-nigh taken the reins of infinity
within his grasp. Primarily a research-ethnologist, he has been directed
in all his researches by the light of one dominant motive: to discover
and formulate for himself and his fellowmen the laws of an optimal life,
to focus the entire forces of Eternal Life for the ultimate conquest of
death.
As a pre-eminently and practical outcome, Professor Szekely has
arrived at a comprehensive restatement of Natural Therapy which excels
in completeness, applicability and precision anything so far achieved. And so, as promised in his preface, his book becomes virtually "the
encyclopedia of a new science—Paneubiotics or Omnilaterial
Aristology—whose purpose is to realize the best and optimal forms of
omnilateral life based on the totality of the natural and cosmic laws and
their manifestations in the individual and society (cosmic, solar,
terrestrial and human radiations)."

COSMIC RADIATIONS
In that word "radiations" is really the core and gist of the matter.
We live as witnesses to the dawn of the radioactive era. It is therefore
essentially in tune with the times that natural therapy itself should be
synthesized around the conception of radiations, cosmic, solar,
terrestrial and human. This, in the first place, is what Professor Szekely
has accomplished—not, however, as a merely metaphysical theorist
discoursing vaguely on "vibrations," but with all the authority of a
realistic research-scientist whose findings have been tested and
confirmed in every detail by his therapeutic practice and experience in
many parts of the world.
It will unquestionably be of supreme interest to the practical
reader, whether lay or professional, to find in this book the whole
rationale of sun, air, water and earth therapies and hygiene, as well as
the properties of properly grown li ving foods like uncooked fruits and
vegetables, re-interpreted and. applied in a new light as accumulators
and transmitters of cosmic radiations for the healing, health and optimal
vitality of man. The entire technique of hydropathy (baths, packs,
compresses, the internal douche and so forth) is incidentally restated
and brought up to date. This makes a valuable section for all who wish
for a working knowledge of water; treatment, which, in many respects,
was the original basis of nature cure.
Dietetic science is likewise fully re-formulated with special
reference to the organic salts, vitamins and aromatics as basic
constituents and stimulants of the life-processes, as transmitters of vital
vibrations to glands and organs and to all the living cells of the body
and brain. Fifty foods, "accumulators of cosmic energies," are detailed,
together with. specimen daily menus for each season of the year. Of
several particulars that impress me about these menus I must mention
three. First, their extreme simplicity and frugality—yet it is obviously
the frugality of a man who enjoys every mouthful he masticates with
unperverted taste and unspoiled piquancy of appetite. Secondly, the
frequent combination of proteins and vegetables. Thirdly, the stress
laid   on   aromatics:   onions,   garlic,   chervil. chives, shallot, mint,
parsley, thyme, celery and the rest.
These aromatics are undoubtedly nature's own aperitifs. Through
both taste and smell and by virtue of their volatile essences they
stimulate digestion and vitalise our internal functions and secretions, in
addition to their valuable, antiseptic and blood-cleansing properties.
Professor Szekely, who is everywhere insistent upon the importance of
teen healthy senses, practically identifies such imponderable neural
excitations from our food—transm itted through sight or through taste
and smell— with the vitalising vibrations which are the vitamins
themselves. Many a person, probably, remains obsessed by the
blandishments of cunning cookery and dependent upon the eondimental
savour of flesh foods, solely through ignorance of these superlatively
natural flavourings which would minister to his instinctive craving for
appetising aromas and palatable meals. The raw diet regimen would
never be dull were this understood, and no one can be a true initiate of
Professor Szekely's "natural optimal dietetics" by whom it is not
understood.
To trophotherapy and dietetics is added a section. describing fifty
medicinal plants and herbs with their properties and remedial uses, so that the gist of botanical therapy is also included. The regenerative role
of fasting fills a fundamental place, as also does deep rhythmic
breathing, since Professor Szekely regards sun-irradiated air as the
medium for direct transmission of solar and cosmic vital forces through
the lungs to the body and mind. From this point of view the yoga
doctrine of pranayama receives corroborative evidence. A practical
chapter on the Art of Breathing, included in the section on "Individual
Harmony," is a revelation in itself. Air, as well as water, must, for
instance, have been recently sun-irradiated to be of any living value at
all. 'Man's roots are his lungs."

CELL-REGENERATION IN SEVEN MONTHS
All of these practical measures and many others are combined in a
complete system of what Professor Szekely calls "omnilateral
cosmotherapy." This term "omnilateral," connoting as it does extension
along, and convergence from, all sides and all fronts as correlated to the
central objective of optimal healing, health and life, is what
distinguishes Professor Szekely's truly "cosmic" conception from all
limited, "unilateral" or one-sided methods hitherto applied. As a
therapeutic system, competently administered and with the faithful
collaboration of the patient, he has proved that it will not only cure
specific and chronic diseases but will actually regenerate the individual
entirely, through intensive cell-renewal, in from three to seven months.
Adopted thereafter as a way of life, anthropocentric "cosmovitalism"
becomes the basis of Paneubiotics, the art and science of optimal vitality
and integral well-being which, Professor Szekely believes, will lead to
maximal longevity and even to the ultimate conquest of physical death.
Having said so much I am barely at the beginning of any adequate
disclosure of the wealth that this book contains, in fact I have left out
the beginning, plunged into the middle, and thereby postponed all
reference to what for me personally, along with the end, form the most
fascinating features. To those who,


 without leaving
Temple property. Amazingly, this one field now
seamlessly tie d together all the properties we had
purchased over the past twenty years into one
contiguous blo ck. No one planned it; it just unfolded that
way. To  say I was humbled by what life had done this
time would be an understatement.
I built a wooden boardwalk that connected my new
house to the Temple’s existing boardwalk, and this
became my new commute to work. Some time later
Mataji c ame to  visit, and I showed her the house. In her
quiet voice she said, “So God called you one day and said,
‘Mickey, your house is ready.’ ” I think that pretty much
sums it up.Life calls me on the phone one day and says, “Mickey, your house is
ready.”My commute to work—truly amazing.4 0.
T h e  S c a r y  M e s s e n g e r  o f  C h a n g e
I  sett led into m y new house in  the spring of 1991, and it
seemed like I was living a dream. I was completely
content with everything around me: family, business,
and the  Temple community. The perfection of what I was
surrounded by was enough to challenge the rational
mind. And I w as always aware that I had never asked for
any of it—I was living in a life made by the flow of life.
I c an look bac k now and see  the exact moment when
the winds ushering in the next period of change first
blew across my face. I didn’t understand what was
coming at the time, but at least I knew enough to
embrace what ever was taking place. I had already
learned time and again th at it didn’t matter if I
understood what was happ ening; it was sufficient to
devote myself to the present moment and trust that the
flow of life kn ew what it was doing. The flow of events
that happened  next was so miraculous that it had the
effect of permanently freeing  me from an entire layer of
my personal mind. If life cou ld pull off these events, how
could I not completely surrender to her perfection?
Before we begin, however, I have a confession to make:
I cannot foretell the future. There was no possible way I
could h ave known that in order to keep up with
Personalized Programming’s  destined growth, it would
not be sufficient to double or even triple my current
twenty-five employees; I would need to grow to more
than three hundred employees. What is more, I could
never h ave imagined that our building needs  would have
to grow from our current forty-three hundred square feetto over eighty-five thousand square feet to provide for
what was coming. If someon e had tried to tell me this
back in the ea rly ’90s, I would have considered them
crazy! Yet to g row like that, there had better be some
planning. Apparently there was, but it certainly wasn’t by
me.
This am azing story of how life’s perfection provided
for our future g rowth began one Friday afternoon when a
zoning inspector suddenly showed up at our office. He
seemed very surprised to see a business out here in the
woods, and he told me to call  his boss, the head of county
zoning, right away. That wa s how it all started, and it
seemed very ominous.
I knew the he ad of zoning f rom my work with Built
with Lo ve. I gave him a call, and after some pleasantries
he e xplained to me that even  though the public was not
frequenting my business location, I did not have the
required zoning for a business out here. I explored
possible solutio ns with him, including getting the zoning
changed or obtaining a special exception permit, all to no
avail. T o make his point ironclad, he told me that due to
the state land usage plan, even if my father were
president of the United States  and I had a million dollars
to spen d on the effort—I could not get legal business
zoning on any part of our property.
Realizing that I would be in big trouble if he shut me
down, I shifted to damage control. I told him that I
appreciated his position and asked him what I should do.
He told  me to start looking f or a piece of land down on
the main highway since that would be the closest
business zonin g to our property. My heart dropped as I
realized that this little piece of heaven that had come
together organically over the years was about to change.
The main highway was a min imum of three miles away,
and the distance to available property would likely be
much greater.I too k a deep breath, raised my chin up, and gave him
my wo rd that I would tak e care of the problem. I
requested a reasonable amount of ti me to find  the land
and make the move. He didn ’t promise me anything but
said he  would be checking back with me to be sure we
were coming into compliance with the requirements.
This is how life managed to not so subtly nudge me
into looking for a new busin ess location. The moment I
hung up, I we nt into Rick K arl’s office to get his legal
advice. Rick agreed that we had no real basis out here in
the middle of a gricultural zoning to get spot zoning for a
small business. So we called a Realtor to start looking for
the closest possible business property. I, of course, didn’t
want to move the business from the Temple, but my
experiment wit h surrender meant I had to stay open and
see where the f low of life’s events would lead me. Months
went by, one after another, but nothing suitable showed
up. Wit h each passage of time, the risk increased that the
county would shut us down. Nonetheless, I was patiently
waiting for life to make her move.
In S eptember of that year, l ife made her next move.
We received a phone call fro m the person who had sold
us the beautiful eighty-five-acre piece of property a year
earlier. He now wanted to sell the adjoining fifty acres
that ran up to  the paved cou nty road. It fit in perfectly
with the  Temple property, so we went ahead and bought
it. Ther e was no way at the time we could have ever
imagined that this purchase would end up related to
Personalized Programming’s  search for legal business
zoning. We were just dealing with what was put in front
of us.
A few months later another property event unfolded
that we had to deal with. It seemed that someone was
planning to build a 185-acre construction waste dump
directly across the street from the fifty acres the Temple
had just purchased. We looke d into the matter and were
shocked to find that it was true. The piece of land hadbeen an nexed into the City of  Alachua years ago and was
no l onger under county zonin g. The land was owned by a
prominent city commissioner, and he had recently sold it
to b e used as a construc tion waste dump. It was
projected that for the next twenty years, a hundred large
dump t rucks w ould be driving down our road seven days
a week and dumping on property directly adjoining ours
and our neighbors’. So mu ch for the flow of life—I
thought we were supposed to  be led into green pastures,
not garbage dumps!
The neighborhood was in an uproar. The Temple was
the largest landowner in the area, and people started
asking u s what  to do. We looked into it, and it appeared
that the City of Alachua had the authority to grant a
special use permit for a waste dump—if city
commissioners chose to do so. We really had no choice
but to focus our attention on this matter, to the
detriment of the search for our new office property.
We decided that our best course of action was to write
a let ter informing the citizens of Alachua that since there
was no  compr ehensive waste management plan for the
city, a dump co uld be placed anywhere, including on the
vacant lot next to their house. The goal was to push the
city into passing a compreh ensive waste management
plan instead of arbitrarily issuing special use permits, as
they were about to do for this dump.
Believe it or not, it actually worked. The night of the
city commissioners’ meeting on the topic, City Hall was
jam-packed w ith a standing-room-only crowd. Before
calling t he meeting to order, t he mayor stood up and told
everyone not to worry becaus e there was not going to be
a vo te on a special use permit tonight, or any other night,
until the city passed a comprehensive waste management
plan. The commission thanked the citizens for their
input a nd committed to working on a plan as soon as
possible.Little did we know that our victory regarding the
garbage dump  was really lif e’s miraculous hand taking
care of Personalized Programming’s zoning issue. A few
days later, we got a call informing us that because the
waste dump did not get its p ermit, the


ostimulatetheappetite.'Sul-
phuricacidlemonade'hasbeenusedbyleadworkers
asapreventiveofplumbism(leadpoisoning).Thehomeopathicpreparation ismadefromsul-
phuricaciddilutedwithwaterandthensuccussed.
GENERALSYMPTOMS
Anaemia.
Worseforalcohol;forheat;duringtheevening;mid
morning.
Sulphuricacidpeopleareanaemic,chillytypeswhofeel
hurriedandtremblyinside.Theyusuallyfeelworse
afterdrinkinganythingalcoholic,andtheirworst
timesaremorningsandevenings.
EMOTIONAL/MENTALSYMPTOMS
Irritable.Feelingofbeinghurried:whileeating;at
work;whilewriting;whilewalking.Moody.
Inspiteoffeelingabsolutelyexhausted,Sulphuricacid
typesfeelrushedandhurriedinsideanddoevery-
thing'atapace'.Theybolttheirfood,walkquickly,
andworkinafranticway,includingwritingquickly.
Theyfeeldriveninsideandcannotdothingsfast
enough.Theirmoodsmaybechangeable,swinging
frombeingreasonableandagreeabletobeingirritable.
PHYSICALCOMPLAINTS
Bruises
SymptomsBruises:bluish-black;slowtoheal.
Sulphuricacidwillfinishthehealingofbruisesthatturn
bluish-blackanddonotclearupinspiteofhaving
beengivenArnicaand/orLedum.
Diarrhoea
SymptomsBelchingsour.Stools:soft;stringy;
yellow.Vomitsour.
Stoolsarebrightyellowy-orange, likesaffron,and
therewillbeafeelingofemptinessandweaknessafter
passingastool.Ifthestomachisupset,therewillbe
sourburpsandvomiting.
Exhaustion
SymptomsWithtrembling.
Worseafterpassingastool.
PeopleneedingSulphuricacidsufferfromextreme
lassitudeand,althoughthismaynotbevisibleonthe
surface,theyfeeltremblyinside.
Hotflushes
CausesMenopause.
Thesehotflushesareaccompaniedbythetypical
Sulphuricacidemotionalandgeneralsymptoms.
INTERNALMATERIAMEDICA Tabacum(Tab.)•159
Thrush(oral)
SymptomsInchildren.Oftongue/gums.
Symphytum(Symph.)
Familyname:Boraginaceae
Commonnames:comfrey;knitbone;boneset;bruise-
wort;blackwort;gumplant;healingplant
Comfreyisahandsomeplantfoundindamp,wet
placesthroughoutEurope,WesternAsiaandthe
USA.ItstallfloweringstemsproutsinJuneandJuly
fromlow,largehairyleaves;theplantcangrowtoa
heightoffourfeet.
Comfreyhaslongbeengrowninthegardensof
countryfolkforitswell-knownhealingpowers.The
name'comfrey'comesfromtheLatinconfirma,'to
form'or'tounite',andSymphytum isfromtheGreek
Symplw,also'tounite'.Theplantinfactcontainsa
substancecalledallantoinwhichstimulatescellsto
healfaster.Culpeperquotesitasbeingso'powerfulto
consolidateandknittogether,thatifthey[theleaves]
beboiledwithdisseveredpiecesoffleshinapot,itwill
jointhemtogetheragain.'Ithasbeenusedexternally
tohealbrokenbones,wounds,burns,piles,scalds,
ulcers,sprainsandgoutyjoints.Theyoungleavescan
beeatenratherlikespinach,andnowadaysthedried
rootsareground,alongwithchicoryanddandelionto
makeacaffeine-free 'coffee'.Forthehomeopathicpreparationthefreshrootis
gatheredbeforetheplantblooms.Itischoppedand
poundedtoapulpthenlefttostandinalcoholbefore
beingstrainedandsuccussed.
GENERALANDEMOTIONAL/
MENTALSYMPTOMS
Thisisaverysmallremedvthathasnotbeenwell
provedbutisofsuchenormousvalueasafirst-aid
treatmentforinjuriestotheeyeandforbrokenbones
thatIhaveincluded ithere.
PHYSICALCOMPLAINTS
Brokenbones
SymptomsBonespainful;sticking.
Symphytumeasesthepainandspeedsupthehealing
ofbrokenandfracturedbones.
Eyeinjuries
SymptomsPains:ineyeball;sore,bruised.
Causesadirectblowtoeyeball.
Symphytum isaspecificforinjurytotheeyeballitselfor
tothebonessurroundingtheeye(resultingfrom,for
example,astrayfistortennisball)wherepainpersists
afterArnicahasbeengivenandhasdealtwiththe
swelling.
Tabacum(Tab.)
Familyname:Solanaceae
Commonnames:NicotianaTabacum;tobacco;tabacca
Tobaccoisanannualplantwithlarge,hairy,bitter-
tastingleaves.Itwasfirstknowntoandsmokedbythe
IndiansofSouthAmericaandtheMississippiValley.
In1559theSpaniardsbroughtittoEurope,andthe
plantwasintroducedintoEnglandbySirWalter
Raleighin1586,whenitmetwithviolentopposition.
Kingsprohibited it,Popespronouncedagainstit
inBulls,andintheEastSultanscondemned
tobaccosmokerstocrueldeaths.Threehundredyears
later,in1885,theleaveswereofficialintheBritish
Pharmacopoeia.
Tobaccocontainsavolatileoilcallednicotine,which
isavirulentpoison,producingnausea,vomiting,
sweating,palpitationsandweakness.
Medicinally ithasbeenusedasapowderintheform
ofsnufftocausesneezingandthereforeincreasethe
'healthy'secretionofmucus.Whenchewed, itin-
creasestheflowofsaliva,alsoconsideredbeneficialat
onetime,andCulpepercitessomeoftheusesof
160•Thujaoccidentals(Thu.) INTERNALMATERIAMEDICA
Travelsickness
SymptomsWithnausea(seeabove);vomiting(see
below).
Betterforfreshair.
Worseforastuffyroom;formovement;fortobacco.
Thenauseaismoreacutewhentravellingbyboatand
thevomitingwhentravellingbycarortrain(although
vomitingonaboatisalsoquitepossible!).
Vomiting
SymptomsVomiting:exhausting;sour;violent.
Worsebeforebreakfast;formovement.
Causestravelling;pregnancy.
Thefaceispaleanddrawn.
Thujaoccidentalis (Thu.)
Othernames:Arborvitae;treeoflife;whitecedar;
falsewhitecedar
tobaccoasaherbalremedy,forpiles,tokillliceand
worms,asalaxativeand'fortherecoveryofpersons
apparentlydrowned'.
Thehomeopathicpreparation ismadefromthe
driedleaveswhicharecutupandlefttpstandin
alcoholbeforebeingstrainedandsuccussed.
GENERALSYMPTOMS
Facepale.
Worsebeforebreakfast;forfasting.
EMOTIONAL/MENTALSYMPTOMS
Thisisasmallremedywithnostrongemotional
symptoms,althoughthesepeoplemaybesluggish
andconfusedandhavedifficultyinconcentrating.
Theymaybeanxiousandrestless,andmaystarton
fallingasleeporduringtheirsleep.
PHYSICALCOMPLAINTS
Nausea
SymptomsNausea:deathly,intermittent;violent.
Betterforfreshair.
Worseinastuffyroom.
Causespregnancy;travelling.
Thenauseaisbetterinthefreshair,althoughthe
feelingofdizzinessisworseforit.Thereisanempty,
sinkingfeelinginthestomach.Thewhitecedarisagraceful,thicklybranchedtree
whichgrowsinswampsandwetlandsofNorthAmer-
icaandCanada.Itgrowsveryslowly,takingover150
yearstoreachaheightoffiftyfeet.
Thename'Thuja'derivesfromtheGreekthero
whichmeans'fumigate'orsacrifice',forinancient
timesthisfragrantwoodwasburntatsacrifices. Itwas
usedbytheEgyptiansinembalmingandemployed
INTERNALMATERIAMEDICA Urticaurens(Urt-u.) •161
medicinallybytheAmericanIndiansforavarietyof
diseasesincludingmalaria,coughs,goutand
rheumatism.Theleavesandtwigs,boiledwithlard,
weremadeintoasalveformuscularachesandpains.
Thehomeopathicremedyispreparedfromthe
leavesandtwigs,whicharegatheredwhenthetreeis
flowering,choppedandp


Philodendron spp.)
Spider Plants (Chlorophytum comosum)
Bamboo plant (Rhapis excelsea)
Corn Plant (Dracaena fragrans)
English Ivy (Hederá helix)
Bromeliads (Cryp tan thus spp.)
Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum spp.)
House-type Palms
Ficus TreeGolden Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)
3
.
Always wash your fruits and vegetables before you eat them. Use a
vegetable wash or fresh lemon juice with hydrogen peroxide.
4
.
Eat an 80 to 100 percent raw food diet. Eat fruits even more so than
vegetables. Fruits are full of antioxidant and astringent properties. They
will keep your lymphatic (immune) system clean and moving. They also
enhance the strength of a cell, especially brain and nerve cells.
5
.
In traffic, keep your car’s outside air vent closed. Make sure your car’s
exhaust system is not leaking and in good order.
6
.
Use 100 percent natural hygiene products (soaps, shampoos, etc.). Read
the labels. If they have chemicals in them, don’t use them. (If you can’t
pronounce it—you probably don’t want it.) What you put on your skin
absorbs into your blood stream and circulates throughout your body.
This can damage your brain, heart, kidneys and especially your liver.
7
.
Avoid dry cleaning, as the chemicals used are extremely toxic.
8
.
Use common sense with everything you do and use. It’s your body and it
carries you around this world, as any vehicle would. If it fails—you’re
stuck. Chemicals can be extremely dangerous.
9
.
Avoid cooking. If you must cook, steam your food in stainless steel.
Always use stainless steel cookware.
10
.
Use and clean your air conditioners and air filters. Use the natural, high-
filtration-type that removes 1-micron to 3-micron size particles.
11
.
Use R/O (reverse-osmosis) or steam-distilled water. Note: Avoid storing
distilled water in plastic containers. Distilled water will leach some of the
chemicals from the plastic into itself.
12
.
Drink from and use glass as much as possible. Plastic can be toxic to
you.
13
.
Avoid walking for exercise near high traffic areas. Walk in a safe park or
wooded area instead.
14
.
Avoid florescent lighting as much as possible. Be aware of what you eat,
drink, breathe and what you put on your skin, as this is how you bring
the outside world in.
 MODULE 4.7
Poison Control Centers

Here are the telephone numbers for local Poison Control Centers in the
United States. You may want to program the numbers for your area into your
automatic dialing feature, if you have one. Please note that all phone numbers
are subject to change. Check your state’s Poison Control Center number for
accuracy.
UNITED STATES

ALABAMA
205-939-9201
205-933-4050
800-292-6678 (AL only)
ALASKA
907-261-3193
ARIZONA
Statewide
800-362-0101 (AZ only)
Phoenix Area
602-253-3334
Tucson Area
602-626-6016
ARKANSAS
501-686-6161
CALIFORNIA
Davis Area
916-734-3692800-342-9293 (Northern CA only)
Fresno Area
209-445-1222
800-346-5922 (CA only)
Orange County Area
714-634-5988
800-544-4404 (Southern CA only)
San Diego Area
619-543-6000
800-876-4766 (619 area code)
San Francisco/Bay Area
415-476-6600
San Jose/Santa Clara Valley
408-299-5112
800-662-9886 (CA only)
COLORADO
303-629-1123
CONNECTICUT
203-679-1000
800-343-277 (CT only)
DELAWARE
302-655-3389
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
202-625-3333
202-784-4660 (TTY)
*
FLORIDA
813-253-4444
800-282-3171 (FL only)
GEORGIA404-589-4400
800-282-5846 (GA only)
HAWAII
808-941-4411
IDAHO
208-378-2707
800-632-8000
ILLINOIS
217-753-3330
800-543-2022 (IL only)
800-942-5969
INDIANA
317-929-2323
800-382-9097(IN only)
IOWA
800-272-6477 (IA only)
800-362-2327 (IA only)
KANSAS
Topeka/Northern KS
913-354-6100
Wichita/Southern KS
316-263-9999
KENTUCKY
502-629-7275
800-722-5725 (KY only)
LOUISIANA
800-256-9822 (LA only)
MAINE
800-442-6305 (ME only)MARY LAND
Statewide
410-528-7701
800-492-2414 (MD only)
D.C.
Suburbs
202-625-3333
202-784-4660 (TTY)
*
MASSACHUSETTS
617-232-2120
800-682-9211
MICHIGAN
Statewide
800-632-2727 (MI only)
800-356-3232 (TTY)
*
Detroit Area
313-745-5711
MINNESOTA
Statewide
800-222-1222
Duluth/Northern MN
218-726-5466
Minneapolis/St. Paul Area
612-347-3141
612-337-7474 (TDD)
612-221-2113
MISSISSIPPI
601-354-7660
MISSOURI
314-772-5200800-366-8888
MONTANA
303-629-1123
NEBRASKA
Statewide
800-955-9119 (NE only)
Omaha Area
402-390-5555
NEVADA
702-732-4989
NEW HAMPSHIRE
603-650-5000
800-562-8236 (NH only)
NEW JERSEY
800-962-1253
MARY LAND
NEW MEXICO
505-843-2551
800-432-6866 (NM only)
NEW YORK
Albany Area
800-336-6997
Binghamton/Southern Tier
800-252-5655
Buffalo/Western
 NY
716-878-7654
800-888-7655
Long Island
516-542-2323516-542-2324
516-542-2325
Nyack/Hudson Valley
914-353-1000
New
York City
212-340-4494
212-POISONS
212-689-9014 (TDD)
**
Syracuse/Central
 NY
315-476-4766
NORTH CAROLINA
Statewide
800-672-1697
Charlotte Area
704-355-4000
NORTH DAKOTA
800-732-2200 (ND only)
OHIO
Statewide
800-682-7625
Columbus/Central OH
614-228-1323
614-461-2012
614-228-2272 (TTY)
*
Cincinnati Area
513-558-5111
800-872-5111 (OH only)
OKLAHOMA
800-522-4611 (OK only)OREGON
503-494-8968
800-452-7165 (OR only)
PENNSYLV ANIA
Philadelphia/Eastern PA
215-386-2100
Pittsburgh/Western PA
412-681-6669
Hershey/Central PA
800-521-6110
PUERTO RICO
809-754-8535
RHODE ISLAND
401-277-5727
SOUTH CAROLINA
800-777-1117
SOUTH DAKOTA
803-952-0123 (SD only)
TENNESSEE
Memphis/Western
 TN
901-528-6048
Nashville/Eastern
 TN
615-322-6435
TEXAS
214-590-5000
800-441-0040 (TX only)
UTAH
801-581-2151
800-456-7707 (UT only)VERMONT
800-562-8236 (VT only)
VIRGINIA
Statewide
800-451-1428
Charlottesville/Blue Ridge
804-925-5543
D.C. Suburbs
202-625-3333
202-784-4660 (TTY)
*
WASHINGTON
800-732-6985 (WA only)
WEST VIRGINIA
304-348-4211
800-642-3625 (WV only)
WISCONSIN
Madison/Southwestern and


 Wholly  Free  from  all earthly
entanglements,  speaks  of the loyalty  to your  country!  There
will be those  who  will  say,  when  this  goes  forth:  "No  Cos-
mic Being  could  have  spoken  Those  Words."  I say to those
critics:  "Be  silent!  I speak,  because  I am in the realm  of
your  world!  Because  I know  your  requirements!  and  be-
cause  I know,  that  if enough  of mankind  do not wake  up
and give  Assistance,  so shall  Earth  once  again  bury  you  and
take her Freedom.
That  is what  is before  mankind,  and  I say to all the Be-
loved  "I AM"  Students  thruout  America  and  the World:
"You  who  have  had  the Courage  to stand  fearless,  in the
Acknowledgment  of your  Presence;  issue  these  Decrees;
and give  forth  your  Life  to the Assistance  of America  and
the World,  will  one  day  reap  the Reward  which  will  be
Eternal.
The reason  I say this  to you,  is because  those  who  have
touched  This  Light  and  then  turned  to criticize  and  con-
demn  It, will  cry out for Mercy.  Oh,  what  an unfortunate
thing—and  how  they  will  cry for Mercy;  because  of their
unfortunate  human  creations.  It is not a matter  of human 103 THE  "I AM"  DISCOURSES
opinions  any  longer,  but it is a matter  of the need  of the
World  today.
That  Call  is coming  from  the  Hearts  of mankind,  as
never  before  in the  World.  Yet,  the  Assistance  has  been
Greater  than  ever  in the history  of the World;  for the peo-
ple have  the opportunity  before  them,  in the Understand-
ing of This  Knowledge,  which  will  enable  them  to send
forth  the Limitless  Power  of God's  Purifying,  Perfecting
Activity;  and  which  will  enable  them  to render  this  Neces-
sary Service.
I say to you,  Beloved  Ones,  your  Beloved  Saint  Germain
for more  than  two  hundred  years,  has labored  ceaselessly,
for the Freedom  and  Blessing  of mankind.  Why  was  This
Light  brought  forth  here?  Because  in a period  long  past,
the Glory  and  Perfection  which  was  known  then,  existed
here  in your  Beloved  Land.  Why  do I speak  of America ?
Because  I too know  here  must  come  that  Mighty  Perfection,
which  was  here  once  before;  and  It is the Final  Activity  for
the Earth—make  no mistake!  Will  you  feel  your  respon-
sibility,  every  one  of you  Beloved  "I AM"  Students;  and  let
nothing  make  you  waver  or turn  you  aside  from  the Mighty
Power  of your  Presence ?
Why  have  I asked  the students  everywhere,  to lay aside
everything  which  they  have  known  before;  and  enter  into
the Freedom  and  the Glory  of the Books  which  Beloved
Saint  Germain  has  brought  forth?  Because  They  are the
Greatest  Power,  the  Clearest  Understanding  which  has
ever come  forth  to mankind.  Those  Books  bring  the Pure DISCOURSE  VIII 81
Love,  Power  and  Mighty  Application  which  allow  the In-
dividual  to go forward;  and  give  This  Freedom  and  As-
sistance  to his fellow-man,  America  and  the World.  Unless
people  will  understand  The  Law,  take  It up and  live  It,
they will  but delay  the Incoming  Perfection  which  would
enter  in and  set all mankind  Free.  You  have  not so many
years,  to enter  into  the Final  Decision!
I am charging  your  city,  you,  and  the "I AM"  Students
of America  tonight,  while  I speak  to you,  with  Courage  and
Power.  IF YOU  WILL  ALLOW  IT TO  ACT,  IT WILL
MAKE  YOU  FEARLESS  AND  DAUNTLESS  IN
YOUR  STAND  WITH  THE  PRESENCE;  not  only  in
the Accomplishment  of your  Individual  activities;  but  in
calling  forth  This  Power  of the "Mighty  I AM  Presence,"
which  will  do the Work  that  is required  for the Freedom
and Blessing  of all mankind.
Why  do I wish  to establish  a Center  here  and  in New
York?  Why  do We  wish  to establish  a Certain  Definite
Center  of Activity  at certain  points  in the United  States ?
Because  a Great  Pillar  of Light  can  be drawn,  which  will
pour  out Its Radiance  and  will  one  day  become  the Unfed
Flame!  That  Flame  will  pour  forth  Its Radiance  for hun-
dreds  of miles;  and  enable  mankind  to enter  into  the Glory
and Freedom  which  is each  one's  Birthright;  altho  so many
have  wholly  forgotten  That  Birthright!
Tonight,  Beloved  Ones,  I speak  to you  as One  in your
midst;  One  who  loves  humanity;  One  who  is offering  every
Assistance  the Law  of the human  octave  will  permit;  and 82 THE  "I AM"  DISCOURSES
ever increases  That  Assistance,  as the Cosmic  Light  permits
It to act for your  Freedom  and  quickly.  We  are asking  the
Co-operation  of you  Beloved  Ones  in the human  octave,  to
make  This  Call,  so We may  amplify  It to do This  Work
required.  There  is no other  permanent  means  in the World.
All other  means  have  been  tried  and  everything  has failed;
because  mankind  did  not know  the  "Mighty  I AM  Pres-
ence"—which  is the ONLY  SUSTAINING  POWER  there
is. Once  the people  really  understand  That  Presence,  they
will know  Its Call  set into  action,  makes  a Permanently  Sus-
tained  Activity;  which  will  continue,  until  all required  is
accomplished  for  mankind.  We  see  and  feel  a Quality
among  you,  which  can become  a Wondrous  Power  for the
Light.  Will  you  all, every  one  of you,  remember  to keep
yourselves  harmonized;  so Great  Power  may  flow  thru,  to
do for you,  your  city  and  nation,  what  is required ? To the
degree  you  get out of harmony,  are you  responsible  for the
failure,  if it comes.  Remember,  it is Your  Responsibility.
This  is why  I speak  to you  with  such  Earnestness  tonight,
from  My very  Heart;  to endeavor  by This  Radiance  poured
forth,  to reach  mankind  in your  city  here.  I am trying  to
reach  those  who  have  not been  here;  and  awaken  their  con-
sciousness,  their  feeling  world,  to begin  to reach  out from
their  Hearts,  to touch  This  Great  Work  and  let Its Freedom
flow  into  their  worlds.
There  is no Greater  Privilege  of Service  before  mankind
today,  than  THE  ISSUING  OF  THESE  MIGHTY  DE-
CREES  FOR  THE  FREEDOM  OF  THEMSELVES DISCOURSE  VIII  83
AND  THE  WORLD;  THE  SEIZING  AND  BINDING
OF THE  ENTITIES;  THE  USE  OF  THE  VIOLET
CONSUMING  FLAME;  THE  CALL  OF


 balanced andwith an informed approach to his diet, Louis is able to managehis weight and avoid the pitfalls of diabetes.
We have a nationwide epidemic of obesity and type II
diabetes. Both of these conditions are strictly hormonalproblems. Understanding this connection, one can appreciateonce again the miraculous benefits of restoring hormonalbalance with bio-identical hormones.121 ADUL T-ONSET DIABETES AND LOUIS R.  PSYCHOGENIC MEDICATION
AND GREG C.
chapter FOURTEEN
When Greg C. walked into my office, I saw a handsome 32-
year-old whose body had become distorted by weight gain. Hetalked earnestly and honestly about a recent nervousbreakdown and the four powerful psychogenic drugs—almostall of them lipogenic (causing the body to store fat)—doctorssaid he needed for mental balance. I want him to tell his storyfor the benefit of the millions of people taking anti-depressantsand other psychogenic drugs who could live normal, happylives if their hormones were balanced.
I’ve always been a high achiever. I set goals for myself and
then I pursue them with everything I’ve got. For a long time thisworked well for me. My achievements were pleasing to myparents, who gave me a lot of approval and made me want toachieve even more. My father was very successful financially ata young age and placed a lot of value on worldly status andpossessions. So did my mother, and, of course, so did I.
By my mid-20s I was making a lot of money working in the
hospitality business in Las Vegas. I had a responsible job atCaesar’s Palace and I gave it everything I had, so much so thatI was losing my balance. I worked so much that I stopped doing
123very much of anything else. Las Vegas is a 24-hour-a-day, 365-
days-a-year place, a city that never sleeps, and demands aremade on you constantly to keep the machinery running. I wouldalways go the extra mile to troubleshoot an emergency, accommo-date unexpected guests … whatever came up.
Somehow, amidst all this work I did manage to meet a
woman I wanted to spend my life with. Stephanie and Imarried when I was 30 and she got pregnant soon afterwards.This added even more responsibility, and although I didn’tunderstand it then I began showing signs of nervous exhaustion.
I began to lose my appetite. I’m a wonderful cook—I went
to school to become a chef early in my life—and every day afterwork I’d come home and cook a healthy meal for my wife whileshe was pregnant, but I found I couldn’t eat. After the baby wasborn—he’s a boy—I cooked for each of them the kinds of nutri-tious meals I felt they should have, but again I couldn’t eat thefood I cooked. I’d have a piece of toast or something. Forsomeone going at breakneck speed the way I was, this wasn’tgood. I wasn’t taking care of myself.
You see, I had this Superman complex where I felt I had to
take care of everyone and everything. I never told my wife howscared I was of failing because that wouldn’t be taking care ofher. I hid my insecurities and just pushed myself.
Often I’d go back to work after dinner. If my wife protested,
I’d make up a story about some emergency that had come up. Thetruth was I felt I had to do more just to keep up. It’s a mindset. Ifelt things would fall apart if I didn’t hurry up and do more.
At a certain point this became an issue for me and
Stephanie, and we saw a counselor who suggested I work in a lessstressful environment. I found a job at the Las Vegas Conventionand Visitors’ Authority, thinking it would allow me more timefor a normal life. But just the opposite happened. I became evenmore stressed and worked even longer hours. Even with my son124 THE MIRACLE OF BIO-IDENTICAL HORMONES  at home I couldn’t tear myself away from work.
Stephanie insisted I see a psychiatrist about my workaholic
attitude. I began seeing a woman who diagnosed me as bi-polarand gave me three strong medications to even out my highs andlows. I began talk therapy as well.
Looking back, I probably should have gotten a second
opinion from another psychiatrist. The talk therapy only dealtwith my euphoria and my depression. We never talked about theunderlying problems that were driving me. I began getting worseand worse. I felt so much responsibility that I couldn’t handle it.There was nothing in my life that felt comfortable and grounded.I felt anxious all the time; I couldn’t sleep or eat.
At one point I threatened to drive to Hoover Dam and
jump. Stephanie got on her knees and cried and begged me to getsome real help. There is a psychiatric hospital in Connecticut myfamily knows about and they offered to send me there. By nowI’d lost my job. I knew that if I wanted to get my life on trackI’d have to get more help.
So I spent the summer in Connecticut getting a lot of
individual counseling, and group therapy, too. Stephanie wentto Chicago with our son to stay with her parents. We lost ourhouse. Stephanie is now in Chicago and we are both praying forreconciliation and a chance to start life over together.
In Connecticut they added lithium to the drugs I was taking,
bringing the number to four. These were all very strong drugs,including Effexor, Paxil, and Depakote. I didn ’t like the way Ifelt on the drugs. They made me drowsy and blurred my thinking.
Another side effect was weight gain. I went from my habit-
ual 165 pounds (I’m 6 feet tall) up to 215.
When I left the psychiatric hospital, I came to the desert to stay
with my mother. T oday I’m under the care of a psychiatrist, goingthrough a healing process. When I told a friend about how uncom-fortable I felt weighing 215, he recommended I see Dr. Platt.125 PSYCHOGENIC MEDICATION AND GREG C.  Initially I went just for the weight loss, but I have received
so much more from my treatment. The great miracle is that notonly have I gone back to my usual weight, I’ve been able to weanmyself off all the drugs I was on.
My intake interview with Dr. Platt made me feel very
comfortable. When I told him about all the drugs 1 was taking,he told me I was over-medicated, and that if I followed hishormone treatment and his diet I would be able to wean myselfoff the drugs. I told my psychiatrist about Dr. Platt and he wasopen to the idea of helping the weaning process along, as long asI continued in therapy with him and continued to examine theissues that got me into trouble in the first place.
I started Dr. Platt’s treatment in January and set myself the
goal of being drug-free and at the proper weight by the end ofMarch. I reached my goal by early March, and today feelabsolutely fantastic. I feel so lucid and my thought processes areso clear compared to how I felt on the drugs.
I’m continuing in therapy and applying for jobs in various
industries such as banking and insurance—more conventionalindustries where the hours are normal. I don’t want to be in thehospitality business any more.
While I’m waiting for a job to come through, I’m delivering
newspapers at night. It’s something I never could have imaginedmyself doing at the age of 32. But it gives me time to think aboutwhat I want for my future, and I see the moon and stars everynight and watch the sun rise every morning. It’s a humblingexperience, but it’s also a rebirth. I feel the foundation of myhouse has been properly poured this time. I’ve gotten so muchhelp with my worldview, both from my psychiatrist and from Dr.Platt, who encourages me to approach life as an enjoyable jour-ney. I’m thinking in a way I’ve never thought before. I used tohave so much fear that I was never going to amount to anythingin life. Now I know that if I stay balanced I will have an impact126 THE MIRACLE OF BIO-IDENTICAL HORMONES  on the lives of my loved ones and hopefully my community, and
that’s all I want.
THE DANGERS OF PSYCHOTROPIC
MEDICATION
Greg’s case is a classic example of how medications can
contribute to a person’s problems instead of helping them.
My approach with my patients is always to look for the
underlying causes of their problems. I can’t just look at theproblems without seeing the entire person. Greg came to mefor weight loss, but I did not want to treat him as a straight-forward weight management patient without addressing thosefour incredibly powerful drugs he was taking. I knew that evenif I were to get him down to his ideal weight, those drugswould eventually bring him right back to where he was. So itwould make sense to address the psychogenic drugs first.
Although I’m not a psychiatrist, I found the diagnosis of
bi-polar disorder suspicious. That’s a very specific disorder—one that tends to be over-diagnosed, by the way. I didn’tbelieve that Greg was really suffering from that malady. SinceI know that hormones have a tremendous impact on theneurotransmitters in the brain, I decided to go on the workingtheory that Greg, like many people, was being diagnosed withsomething very serious when in fact he was probably justsuffering from unbalanced hormones.
Whatever