 story. ”
—u—
Rite No. 3
    —n—RITE NUMBER THREE
“The third Rite should be practiced immediately after prac-
ticing Rite Number Two. It, too, is a very simple one. All one
needs to do is to kneel on his ‘prayer rug,’ place his hands on
his thighs, and lean forward as far as possible with the head
inclined so that the chin rests on the chest. Now lean back-
ward as far as possible; at the same time the head should be
lifted and thrown back as far as it will go. Then bring the
head up along with the body. Lean forward again and start
the rite all over. This Rite is very effective in speeding up
Vortexes ‘E,’ ‘D,’ and ‘C’; especially ‘E. ’
“I have seen more than 200 Lamas perform this Rite to-
gether. In order to turn their attention within, they closed
their eyes. In this way they would not become confused by
what others were doing and thus have their attention diverted. “The Lamas, more than two and a half millenniums ago, dis-
covered that all good things come from within. They discovered
that every worthwhile thing must have its origin within the
individual. This is something that the Occidental has never
been able to understand and comprehend. He thinks, as | did,
that all worthwhile things must come from the outside world. “The Lamas, especially those at this particular Lamasery,
are performing a great work for the world. It is performed,
however, on the astral plane. This plane, from which they
assist mankind in all quarters of the globe, is high enough
above the vibrations of the world to be a powerful focal point
where much can be accomplished with little loss of effort. “Some day the world will awaken in amazement to what the
unseen forces—the Forces of Good—have been doing for the
masses. We who take ourselves in hand and make new crea-
tures of ourselves in every imaginable way, each is doing a
marvelous work for mankind everywhere. Already the efforts
of these advanced individuals are being welded together into
One Irresistible Power. A new day is dawning for the world—
it is already here. But it is only through individuals like the
Lamas, and you and me that the world can possibly be helped. “Most of mankind, and that includes those in the most en-
lightened countries, like America and England, is still in the
darkest of the Dark Ages. However, they are being prepared
for better and more glorious things, and as fast as they can be
initiated into the higher life, just that fast will the world be
made a better place in which to live. ”
—B—

  Rite No. 4

—4—RITE NUMBER FOUR
“Now for Rite Number Four,” said the Colonel. ‘The first
time I tried this it seemed very difficult, but after a week it
was as simple to do as any of the others. “Sit on the ‘prayer rug’ with the feet stretched out in front. Then place the hands alongside the body. Now raise the body
and bend the knees so that the legs, from the knees down, are
practically straight up and down. The arms, too, will be
straight up and down while the body, from the shoulders to the
knees, will be horizontal. Before pushing the body to a hor-
izontal position the chin should be well down on the chest. Then, as the body is raised the head should be allowed to drop
gently backward as far as it will go. Next, return to a sitting
position and relax for a moment before repeating the proced-
ure. When the body is pressed up to the complete horizontal
position tense every muscle in the body. This will have a
tendency to stimulate Vortexes ‘F,’ ‘G,’ ‘E,’ ‘D’ and ‘C. ’
“After leaving the Lamasery,” continued Colonel Bradford,
“I went to a number of the larger cities in India, and as an
experiment conducted classes for both English people and
natives. I found that the older members of either felt that
unless they could perform a Rite perfectly, right from the
beginning, they believed no good could come from it. I had
considerable difficulty in convincing them that they were
wrong. Finally I persuaded them to do the best they could and
see just what happened in a month’s time. After a good deal
of persuasion I was able to get them to do their best, and the
results in a month’s time were more than gratifying. “T remember in one city I had quite a number of old people
in one of my classes. With this particular Rite—Number Four
—they could just barely get their bodies off the floor; they
couldn’t get it anywhere near a horizontal position. In the
same class were several much younger persons who had no
difficulty in performing the Rite perfectly from the very start. This so discouraged the older people that I had to ask the
younger ones to refrain from practicing it before their older
class-mates. I explained that I could not do it at first, either;
that I couldn’t do a bit better than any of them; but that I
could perform the Rite 50 times in succession now without
feeling the slightest strain on nerves or muscles; and in order
to convince them, I did it right before their eyes. From then
on the class broke all records for results accomplished. —15—

  Rite No. 5

—16—RITE NUMBER FIVE
“The best way to perform this Rite is to place the hands on
the floor about two feet apart. Then, with the legs stretched
out to the rear with the feet also about two feet apart, push
the body, and especially the hips, up as far as possible, rising
on the toes and hands. At the same time the head should be
brought so far down that the chin comes up against the chest. “Next, allow the body to come slowly down to a ‘sagging’
position. Bring the head up, causing it to be drawn as far
back as possible. “After a few weeks, that is after you become quite pro-
ficient in this movement, let the body drop from its highest
position to a point almost but not quite touching the floor. The
muscles should be tensed for a moment when the body is at
the highest point, and again at the lowest point. Before the
end of the first week this particular Rite will be one of the
easiest ones to perform for the average person. “Everywhere I go,” went on the Colonel, “ folks, at first, call
these Rites physical culture exercises. I would like to make it
clearly understood that these are not physical culture exer-
cises at all. They are only performed a few times a day; so
few times that they could not possibly be of any value as
physical culture movements. What the Rites actually do is
this: They start the seven Vortexes spinning at a normal rate
of speed; at the speed which is normal for, say, a young, strong,
robust, virile man of twenty-five years of age. “Now in such a person the Vortexes are all spinning nor-
mally at the same rate of speed. On the other hand, if you
could view the seven Vortexes of the average middle-aged man
—weak, unhealthy, and semi-virile, as he is—you would notice
at once that some of the Vortexes had greatly slowed down in
their spinning movement; and worse still, all were spinning at
a different rate of speed—none of them working together in
harmony. The slower ones allowed that part of the body which
they govern to degenerate, deteriorate, and become diseased. The faster ones, spinning at a much greater speed would have
caused nervousness and nerve exhaustion. All of them making
the individual anything but a real man. “The only difference between youth and virility, and old age
and senility, is simply the difference in the rate of speed at
which the Vortexes are spinning. Normalize the different
speeds, and the old man becomes a new man again. ”
—7—Further Information
When the Colonel had finished his description of the Five
Rites I said to him,
“Let me ask you some questions now. ”
“Very well,” he replied. “That is just what I want you to do. ”
“I feel that from your description I understand the Rites
quite well,” I began, “but when and how often are they to be
employed. ”
“They can be used either night and morning,” answered the
Colonel, “in the morning only, or just at night, if it is more
convenient. I use them both morning and night, but I would
not advise so much stimulation for the beginner until he has
practiced them for about four months. At the start he could
use them the full number of times in the morning, and then in
the evening he could gradually build up until finally he is doing
the same amount of practice as in the morning. ”
“Just how many times a day should a man use these Rites. " was my next question. “To start with,” said he, “I would suggest you practice each
R


 me someone else’s. So step back a bit and
allow yourself to be an observer of this world of form. Becoming a
detached witness will put you into a state of bliss, while loosening your
tight grip on all of your possessions. It is in this releasing process that you’ll
gain the freedom to live out what the T ao is always teaching by example. Do the T ao Now
Today, practice seeing oneness where you’ve previously seen “twoness”
(separation). Feel the invisible energy that beats your heart, and then notice
it beatin g the heart of every living creature all at once. Now feel the
invisible energy that allows you to think, and sense it doing the same for
every being currently alive. Contemplate these words from the Gospel of Thomas: “His disciples said
to him, ‘When will the Kingdo m come?’ Jesus said, ‘It will not come by
looking outward. It will not say “Behold, this side” or “Behold, that one.”
Rather, the Kingdom of the Father is spread out upon the earth, and men do
not see it.’” Today, know that practicing oneness thinking will help you see
that Kingdom. OceanofPDF.com11th Verse
Thirty spokes conver ge upon a single hub;
it is on the hole in the center that
the use of the cart hinges. Shape clay into a vessel;
it is the space within that makes it useful. Carve fine doors and windows,
but the r oom is useful in its emptiness. The usefulness of what is
depends on what is not. OceanofPDF.comLiving from the Void
In this thought-provoking 11th verse of the Tao Te Ching, Lao-tzu cites
the value of an emptiness that often goes unnoticed. He explains this idea
with images of the hole in the center of a hub, the space within a clay
vessel, and the interior area of a room, concluding that “the usefulness of
what is depends on what is not.” In other words, separated parts lack the
usefulness that the center contributes. This passage invites us to live from
the invisible void that’s at the core of our being; that is, to change how we
think about it. Consider the paradoxical term nonbeing as you ponder your own
beingness. You’re comprised of bones, organs, and rivers of fluids that are
encapsulated by a huge sheet of skin molded to hold you together. There’ s
definitely a distinctive quality of beingness that is “you” in this arrangement
of bodily parts—yet if it were possible to disassemble you and lay all of
your still-functioning physical components on a blanket, there would be no
you. Although all of the parts would be there, their usefulness depends on a
nonbeingness, or in Lao-tzu’ s words, “what is not.”
Imagine lining up the walls of the room you’re presently in, with all of the
elements present: Without the space of the center, it’s no longer a room,
even though everything else is the same. A clay pot is not a pot without the
emptiness that the clay encapsulates. A house is not a house if there is no
inner space for the exterior to enclose. A composer once told me that the silence from which each note emer ges
is more important than the note itself. He said that it’s the empty space
between the notes that literally allows the music to be music—if there’ s no
void, there’ s only continuous sound. You can apply this subtle  awareness to
everything that you experience in your daily life. Ask yourself what makes
a tree, a tree. The bark? The branches? The roots? The leaves? All of these
things are what is. And all of them  do not constitute a tree. What’ s needed
to have a tree is what is not— an impe rceptible, invisible life force that
eludes your five senses. You can cut and carve and search the cells of a tree
endlessly and you’ll never capture it.In the first line of this verse, that hole in the center that’s necessary for the
movement of the wheel can be likened to the void that’s vital for you to
move through in your life. You have an inner state of nonbeing at your
center, so take note of what is visible (your body) as well as the invisible
essence that your existence depends upon.. the T ao part of you. The following is what I hear Lao-tzu saying to you regarding this concept
of living in the void in today’ s world:
Your imper ceptible center is your vital essence. Take the time to shift your attention to the so-called nothingness that is
your essence. What does it beckon you toward? The space emanates from
the invisibleness that’s responsible for all of creation, and the thoughts that
emer ge from your inner self are pure love and kindness. Your inner nonbeingness isn’t a separate part of you, so seek that
mysterious center and explore it. Perhaps think of it as a space contained by
your physical self, from which all of your thoughts and perceptions flow
into the world. Rather than trying to have positive, loving notions, simply
be sensitive to the essence of your beingness. The way of the T ao is to allow
rather than to try. Thus, allow that essential cente r of pure love to activate
your unique usefulness. Allow thoughts that emer ge to enter your physical
self and then leave. Allow and let go, just like your breathing. And vow to
spend some time each day just being attentive to the awesome power of
your imperceptible vital essence. Practice the power of silence every day. There are many individual ways  of doing this. For example, meditation is
a wonderful tool to help you feel the bliss that accompanies your
connection to your inner void, that place where you experience  the way of
the Tao. Vow to be more aware of the “placeless place” within you, where
all of your thoughts flow outward. Find your way to enter the space within
you that is clean, pure, and in harmony with love. The difference between saints and the rest of us isn’t that they have
loving, pure beliefs and we don’t; rather, they function solely from their
essence, where the way of the Tao flows invisibly through their physical
being. This is the primary purpose of learning to meditate, or to be in thesilence, inviting  your essence to reveal itself and allowing you to live in the
void. Do the T ao Now
Spend at least 15 minutes today  living in the void that is you. Ignore your
body and your surroundings; let go of your material identifications such as
your name, age, ethnicity, job title, and so on; and just be in that space
between—that void which is absolutely crucial to your very existence. Look
out at your world from “what is not” and appreciate that your very
usefulness as a material being is comple tely dependent upon this void. Work today on befriending this “what is not” part of you. OceanofPDF.com12th Verse
The five colors blind the eye. The five tones deafen the ear. The five flavors dull the taste. The chase and the hunt craze people’ s minds. Wasting ener gy to obtain rar e objects
only impedes one’ s growth. The master observes the world
but trusts his inner vision. He allows things to come and go. He pr efers what is within to what is without. OceanofPDF.comLiving with
Inner Conviction
In this passage of the Tao Te Ching, Lao-tzu reminds us that far too much
attention is given to the pleasures and experiences of the senses at the
expense of our inner vision. Focusing exclusively on sensory data creates a
world of appearances, which are ultimately illusions. Since everything
comes and goes, the nature of the material world is obviously restricted to
transitory status. When our eyes see only the colors before them, they’r e
destined to become blind to what lies beyond the world of appe arances. We
cannot know the creator if we’re focused exclusively on what’ s been
created. In the same way, we lose our own creativity when we’re unaware
of what’ s behind all acts of creation. Sight, scent, sound, touch, and taste are the domains of the senses. If
you’re locked into a belief that the pursuit of sensory satisfaction is the
focus of life, you’ll be consumed by what Lao-tzu calls “the chase.” This
quest for adoration, money, and power is a waste of energy because there’ s
never enough, so striving for more defines your daily regimen. You can’t
arrive at a place of peace and inner satisfaction when your entire existence
is motivated by not having enough. In fact, Lao-tzu states that the relentless
chase is a formula for craziness. The person who lives according  to the way of the Tao is referred to as a
sage or a master, an enlightened being observing the world but not
identifying exclusively with what’ s visible; being in the world, while
simultaneously aware of not being of this world. The master goes within,
where inner convictions replace  the chase. In silence, sustenanc e is enjoyed
beyond the dictates of the palate. From an inner perspective, nothing more
is neede d. Aware of his or her infinite nature, the sage has the realization
that this is a temporary world of physical appearances,


	don’t. This	is	because	we	aren’t
really	empty. There’s	an	invisible
something
	to	be	discovered	inside	us. “A	mysterious	force	is	holding	things	together	and	making	patterns	out	of
clouds	of	energy,”	Baba	told	me. “You’d	better	find	out	what	that	force	is.”
“Why?”	I	asked. “Because	it’s	everywhere. It’s	finer	than	the	finest	atom. It’s	subtler	than	the
subtlest	energy	It’s	more	real	than	anything	you	have	ever	seen. Don’t	even
compare	it	to	physical	forces	like	gravity	and	electricity,”	he	said. “Unless	an
invisible
something
	existed,	there	would	be	no	universe. And	no	you.”
So	that’s	how	it	started:	A	boy	and	an	old	man	set	out	to	hunt	the	invisible
something
	that	is	real	even	when	everything	else	vanishes. Only	years	later,
after	I	was	grown	up,	did	I	come	across	some	lines	that	perfectly	state	what
we	were	after. They	come	from	the	poet	William	Blake,	and	you	could	call
them	the	motto	for	this	book. To	see	a	world	in	a	grain	of	sand
And	a	heaven	in	a	wild	flower,
Hold	infinity	in	the	palm	of	your	hand
And	eternity	in	an	hour.You	Won’t	Believe	Your	Eyes
W
e’ll	never	find	anything	invisible	if	you	believe	your	eyes,”	said	Baba. “Most	people	do	that	all	the	time. Its	a	bad	habit.”	He	pointed	to	a	rock	lying
beside	him	on	the	ground. “Even	though	this	is	really	an	energy	cloud,	a	rock
looks	very	solid	and	heavy,	doesn’t	it?”
“Yes,	because	it	is. A	cloud	wouldn’t	hurt	if	you	dropped	one	on	your	foot,”	I
said. “Ah,	you	do	trust	your	five	senses,”	said	Baba. “Why	shouldn’t	you? After
all,	the	world	is	flat,	just	the	way	your	eyes	see	it.”
“Well,	no,	that’s	something	I	couldn’t	trust,”	I	said. “Oh,	but	the	sun	moves	across	the	sky	and	sets	in	the	west	at	night,	doesn’t
it?”	said	Baba. “No,	it	only	looks	that	way,”	I	admitted. “So	you’re	already	in	the	habit	of	not	trusting	your	eyes,”	said	Baba,	smiling
a	certain	way. I	came	to	call	this	his
I	know	a	secret
	smile,	and	one	could
never	quite	tell	when	it	was	coming. “Maybe	I	can’t	trust	my	eyes	all	the	time,	but	how	can	I	rely	on	what	I	can’t
see	at	all?”	I	asked. “Here’s	a	clue	wrapped	in	a	story,”	said	Baba. “One	night	while	you	were
asleep,	your	body	started	talking	to	itself. The	heart	spoke	up	first. Tm	sick	of
pumping	blood	all	day	for	the	stomach. Why	should	I? I	should	be	working
just	for	myself.’
“When	it	heard	this,	the	stomach	replied,	‘You	should	talk. I	digest	food	all
day	for	the	brain. It	takes	whatever	I	give,	and	frankly,	I	should	be	working
just	for	myself	too.’
“When	the	brain	heard	this,	it	said,	‘I	think	all	the	time	about	what	to	put	in
the	stomach. Do	you	realize	how	easily	it	gets	upset? If	anybody	should	be
working	just	for	themselves,	it’s	me.’“You	can	see	why	this	argument	is	silly,”	said	Baba. “In	reality	every	part	of
the	body	works	for	every	other	part. How	do	you	see	that? In	your	mind. Knowledge	goes	beyond	the	senses. I	will	teach	you	to	see	with	your	mind’s
eye. Then	you’ll	have	no	trouble	seeing	invisible	things.”
W
HAT
	I	L
EARNED
To	be	spiritual	you	have	to	believe	in	something	invisible. Baba	taught	me
this	at	the	very	beginning. First	you	have	to	stop	trusting	that	only	your	five
senses	are	right. It’s	a	hard	habit	to	break,	because	common	sense	says,	“I
want	to	see	it,	touch	it,	taste	it—then	I’ll	know	it’s	real.”	But	I	can	make	you
taste	something	right	now	that	is	totally	invisible. Close	your	eyes	and	see	a	bright	yellow	lemon	in	your	mind’s	eye. Now	see	a
knife	cutting	the	lemon	into	slices,	and	then	see	yourself	biting	into	one	slice. Did	you	notice	that	your	mouth	started	watering? This	happened	exactly	as	if
you	were	biting	into	an	actual	lemon. All	it	took	was	a	mental	picture,	which
you	produced	out	of	nowhere,	and	suddenly	your	body	went	into	action. Millions	of	cells	in	your	brain	formed	the	image;	a	signal	was	sent	along	the
network	of	nerves	inside	your	head	to	your	mouth;	your	salivary	glands
received	the	message	and	began	to	flow. Here	are	some	amazing	facts	that	follow	from	this	simple	experiment:
There	was	no	picture	of	a	lemon	inside	your	head
. When	you	thought	of	a
lemon,	your	brain	cells	didn’t	paint	an	image	or	project	one	on	a	screen. Your
brain	is	as	dark	as	the	blackest	cave—there’s	no	light	or	color	inside	it. So
where	did	that	picture	come	from? There	was	no	taste	of	lemon	in	your	mouth
. You	didn’t	actually	experience
real	lemon	juice. Your	salivary	glands,	which	you	may	think	need	food	to
react	to,	here	needed	nothing	at	all. So	where	did	the	sourness	come	from? Someplace	mysterious. Some	place	Baba	was	leading	me	to,	step	by	step.Everything	Is	Connected
N
ow,	let’s	say	you	believe	there	really	is
something
	in	the	universe	that	you
can’t	see,”	said	Baba. “What	does	it	do? If	it	had	nothing	to	do,	even	if	you
called	it	God,	our	lives	would	stay	the	same	as	they	are. People	probably
wouldn’t	bother	looking	for	it	in	the	first	place.”
“Probably	not,”	I	said. The	sun	was	rising	higher	in	the	sky,	and	we	were	comfortable	sitting	in	the
cool	shade	of	the	tree. Every	once	in	a	while	I	felt	a	darting	worry	about
missing	school,	but	as	long	as	I	kept	listening	to	Baba,	even	this	worry	was
far	away. “So	it’s	a	fine	puzzle	to	figure	out	what	this	invisible
something
	could	be
doing.”	Baba	took	in	a	big	breath	of	air. “Go	ahead,	do	that,”	he	said. “The
answer	is	right	here,	waiting	to	be	noticed.”
I	took	a	deep	breath. “I	don’t	notice	anything,”	I	said. “Isn’t	there	something
in	the	air?”	asked	Baba. “Spring. You	can’t	miss	it. When	the	birds	start
singing	and	the	buds	come	out	on	the	trees,	when	hearts	flutter	and	you	see
lovers	holding	hands	in	the	park,	isn’t	spring	in	the	air?”
“Sure,	but—”
“Well,	why	is	it	spring? There’s	no	reason	for	it. The	earth	tilts	a	few	degrees
on	its	axis—so	what? Yet	in	the	arctic	snow	a	polar	bear	knows	that	it	is	time
to	come	out	of	hibernation. Flowers	know	that	it	is	time	to	sprout	without	fear


iotic drug action. The first of these is to increase their membrane permeability, thus preventing the antibiotic to accumulate to toxic levels within the cell. A second way is to make the drug less toxic using special enzymes to reduce drug potency, a third way is to inactivate the antibiotic, and a final way is to follow a metabolic pathway not targeted by the drug. 13
One strategy to get around these neutralizing techniques used by superbugs on
antibiotic monotherapy is to combine two to four different antibiotics in a shot-gun approach. However, the downside produced by multiple drug administration is seri -
ous side-effects and the real possibility of generating more multidrug-resistant bacte -
ria, a therapeutic nightmare. Adjuvants to antibiotics may be more useful if they can either target the bacterial membrane, be more toxic to pathogens, or follow bacte -
rial pathways that can be targeted by antibiotics. This is where DMSO, and similar agents, may become clinically useful, especially in drug-resistant TB. Globally, an estimated 8.7 million people fell ill due to TB and 1.4 million died
from this disease in 2011. TB is second only to HIV/AIDS as the greatest killer worldwide due to a single
infectious agent. Thus, with almost 9 million new cases each year, TB remains one of the most
feared diseases on the planet. Despite a reduction in incidence in several regions of the planet, TB remains a pandemic of worldwide significance. There is an urgent need to develop better regimens, to shorten treatment, and to effectively manage both drug-sensitive and drug-resistant disease. TB is spread from person to person through the air. When people with lung TB
cough, sneeze, or spit, they propel the TB germs into the air. A person needs to inhale only a few of these germs to become infected. When a person develops active TB, the symptoms they develop, cough, fever,
night sweats, weight loss, chest pains, and weakness, may be mild for many months. This mild beginning of TB can lead to delays in seeking care and may result in
 transmission of the Mycobacterium  to others. It is estimated that persons who develop TB can infect a dozen other people
through close contact over the course of a year. Without proper and immediate treat -
ment, up to two-thirds of people with TB will die. Multidrug-resistant TB is a type of TB caused by mycobacteria that do not
respond to isoniazid and rifampicin, the two most powerful, first-line, and standard anti-TB drugs. When bacteria fail to respond to first-line antibiotics, second-line antibiotics must be used.119 DMSO in Clinical Microbiology
As bad as drug-resistant TB can become, an even worse outcome is the develop -
ment of more severe drug resistance. This severe resistance to antibiotics can lead to
extensively drug-resistant TB, a form of multidrug-resistant TB that responds to even fewer available medicines, including the most effective second-line anti-TB drugs. Multidrug-resistant M. tuberculosis  and extensively drug-resistant TB are rec -
ognized as a one of the most serious challenges to global health with no solution in sight. 14
A strategy to alter cell membrane permeability to overcome multidrug-  r esistant
M.  tuberculosis  strains, using a combination of DMSO at varying doses and
ethambutol, was explored by Jagannath and colleagues.15 This group was aware of
DMSO’s ability to penetrate biological membranes16 and reasoned that combining it
with a membrane detergent such as ethambutol would enhance the delivery of anti-
tuberculous drugs at subminimum inhibitory concentrations.15
M. tuberculosis  bacilli contain an unusual lipid-rich outer layer, containing
mycolic acids, a unique characteristic among Gram-positive bacteria. This powerful lipid-rich layer in M. tuberculosis  represents a formidable barrier for antibiotics to
penetrate, although the synthesis of its cell wall has become a target of several effec -
tive antibiotics, such as isoniazid and ethambutol, which presumably interfere with cell wall mycolic acid production. In the study by Jagannath and colleagues,
15 three multiple-drug resistant strains
of M. tuberculosis  resistant to rifampicin and ethambutol were suspended in broth
and incubated for 3–5 days with ethambutol and 2%–5% DMSO. Bacilli were then washed to remove traces of ethambutol–DMSO and exposed to isoniazid, streptomy -
cin, and rifampicin. It was found that combining DMSO with ethambutol resulted in a 16–64-fold increase for rifampicin inhibition of M. tuberculosis  strains, a 16–33-fold
increase for streptomycin, and a 4–16-fold increase of sensitivity to isoniazid. 15
Moreover, DMSO or streptomycin by themselves showed no significant inhi -
bition of M. tuberculosis  when compared to untreated controls, but combining
DMSO–streptomycin completely eliminated the cultured bacilli after 7 days incu-bation. 15 This study indicated that the action of DMSO combined with the effect of
ethambutol had a significant effect on delaying or damaging cell wall biosynthesis in M.  tuberculosis multidrug-resistant strains and may have altered the bacilli’s
cell wall permeability to enhance antibiotic delivery of rifampicin, isoniazid, and streptomycin (Figure 6.1). 15
This experiment has not been replicated in vivo, despite its clinical implications
in drug-resistant TB. Another possibility that has not been explored as far as DMSO’s adjuvant action
to make multidrug-resistant M. tuberculosis  bacilli more sensitive to antibiotic treat -
ment is the effect of DMSO on inner membrane protein synthesis associated with energy metabolism in microorganisms such as E. coli. 17 All cells are bound by a cell
membrane, but although the membranes of all cells are quite similar, those of bacte -
ria differ from eukaryotic cells. Bacterial cell membrane differences allow for selective action of antimicrobial
agents. This little-studied action by DMSO on bacterial proteins responsible for energy metabolism would classify DMSO as a bacterial antimetabolite. Bacterial antimetabolites function in two ways: (1) by competitive inhibition of bacterial 120 Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) in Trauma and Disease
enzymes and (2) by erroneous incorporation into bacterial nucleic acids, where
proper base pairs cannot form during DNA replication and transcription (Figure 6.1). It is unlikely that DMSO would act on bacterial cell membrane disruption by the
second mechanism, since it lacks a structure and stereochemistry similar to purine and pyrimidine nucleotides found in microorganisms. This is not the case with some antibiotics, which have a similar chemical structure to purine and pyrimi -
dines in microorganisms and are able to disrupt these pathogens by damaging their DNA. 18
The mechanism involved in DMSO’s ability to alter bacterial cell membrane
remains unclear although it is known that DMSO affects the permeability of the cell membrane to facilitate the uptake of DNA,
19 and it is reported that DMSO destroys
or damages the integrity of various bacterial membranes by increasing their mem -
brane permeability.20
DMSO may act to facilitate transfection by opening transient pores or holes in the
bacterial cell membrane, a process that would allow increased uptake of antibiotics or nucleic acids isolated from bacteriophages, which are harmful to bacteria and are otherwise kept from entry into the inner bacterial membrane (Figure 6.1). 19
Recently, some support for this concept gained ground when it was reported that
DMSO can induce water pores in biological membranes, which in turn promotes the transport of active substances across cell membranes. Such membrane transport activity by DMSO could have significant clinical appli -
cation for multidrug-resistant microorganisms.Action by DMSO in bacterial resistance to antibiotics
Protein synthesis inhibition by DMSO
Transcription Translation
Protein
Inhibition of ener gy metab olite s
Mycobacte rium tu bercu losismRNACell wall synthesis inhibition by DMSO
FIGURE 6.1  Potential inhibition of multidrug-resistant M. tuberculosis  by DMSO when
used as an antibiotic adjuvant, based on in vitro  studies.15,17,19–21 DMSO may act to delay or
damage cell wall biosynthesis, thus allowing a greater concentration of first-line antibiotic penetration of the bacterial cell, a process that can alter transcription of mRNA and transla -
tion of protein synthesis impacting on the production of energy metabolites needed for bacte -
rial cell growth and function.121 DMSO in Clinical Microbiology
In summary, DMSO has two important qualities that can facilitate the treatment
of antibiotic-resistant organisms. The first is its potential as a powerful and safe sol -
vent of many water-insoluble compounds; this ability can diminish the final toxicity
of the antibiotic or antibacterial compound. The second quality shown by DMSO is its ability to potentiate the penetration of
antibacterial drugs by either punching a hole  in the invading organism’s cell wall,15,21
for example, that of M. tuberculosis, to enhance antibiotic drug penetration and
concentration inside the cell wall. Another mechanism by DMSO may involve its inhibition of the growth of pathogens through its blocking action on the pathogen’s protein synthesis, which can impact the reduced production of the organism’s energy metabolites


ly  aware, but of which the mind can
barely conceive. In rendering the universe as a divided
version of Itself, God produced, from pure
energy, all that now exists —both seen and unseen. In other words, not only was the
physical universe thus created, but the
metaphysical universe as well. The part of
God whi ch forms the second half of the
Am/Not Am equation also exploded into an
infinite number of units smaller than the
whole. These energy units you would call
spirits. In some of your religious
mythologies it is stated that “God the
Father” had  many spirit ch ildren. This
parallel to the human experiences of life
multiplying Itself  seems to be the only way
the masses could be made to hold in reality
the idea of  the sudden appearance —the
sudden existence —of countless spirits in
the “Kingdom of Heaven.”
In this i nstance, your mythical tales and
stories are not so far from ultimate reality —
for the endless spirits comprising the totality of Me are, in a cosmic sense, My
offspring. My divine purpose in dividing Me was to
create sufficient parts of Me so that I could
know Myself experientially. There is only
one way for the Creator to know Itself
experientially as the Creator, and that is to
create. And so I gave to each of the
countless parts of Me (to all of My spirit
children) the same power to create which I
have a s the whole. This is what your religions mean when they
say that you were created in the “image
and likeness of God.” This doesn’t mean,
as some have suggested, that our  physical
bodies look alike (although God can adopt
whatever physical form God  chooses for a
particular purpose). It does mean that our
essence is the same. We  are composed of the same stuff. We ARE the “same stuff”! With all the same  properties and abilities —
including the ability to create physical
reality out of thin air. My purpose in cre ating you, My spiritual
offspring, was for Me to know Myself as
God. I have no way to do that save through
you. Thus, it can be said (and has been,
many times) that My purpose for you is that
you should know yourself as Me. This seems so amazingly simple, yet it
becomes very complex —because there is
only one way for you to know yourself as
Me, and that is for you first to know  yourself
as not Me. Now try to follow this —fight to keep up —
because this gets very subtle here. Are you
ready? I think so. Good. Rem ember, you’ve asked for this
explanation. You’ve waited for it for years. You’ve asked for it in layman’s terms, not
theological doctrines or scientific theories. Yes—I know what I’ve asked. And having asked, so shall you receive. Now, to keep things simple, I’m going to
use your children of God mythological
model as a basis for discussion, because it
is a model with which you are familiar —and
in many ways it is not that far off. So let’s go back to how this process of self -
knowing must work. There is one way I could have caused all of
My spiritual children to know themselves  as
parts of Me —and that was simply to tell them. This I did. But you see, it was not
enough for Spirit to simply know Itself as
God, or part of God, or children of God, or
inherito rs of the kingdom (or whatever
mythology you want to use). As I’ve already explained, knowing
something, and experiencing it, are two
different  things. Spirit longed to know Itself
experientially (just as I did!). Conceptual
awareness was not enough for yo u. So I
devised a plan. It is the most extraordinary
idea in all the universe —and the most
spectacular collaboration. I say
collaboration  because all of you are in it
with Me. Under the plan, you as pure spirit would
enter the physical universe just create d.
This is because physicality is the only way
to know experientially what you know  conceptually. It is, in fact, the reason I
created the physical cosmos to begin
with—and the system of relativity which
governs it, and all creation. Once in the physical u niverse, you, My
spirit children, could experience what you
know of yourself —but first, you had to
come to know the opposite. To explain this
simplistically, you cannot know yourself as
tall unless and until you become aware of
short. You cannot experience  the part of
yourself that you call fat unless you also
come to know thin. Taken to ultimate logic, you cannot
experience yourself as what you are until
you’ve  encountered what you are not. This
is the purpose of the theory of relativity, and
all physical life. It is by that which you are
not that you yourself are defined. Now in the case of the ultimate knowing —
in the case of knowing yourself as the
Creator —you cannot experience your Self
as creator unless and until you create. And
you cannot create yourse lf until you
uncreate yourself. In a sense, you have to
first “not be” in order to be. Do you follow? I think...
Stay with it. Of course, there is no way for you to not be
who and what you are —you simply are  that
(pure, creative spirit), have been always,
and always will be. So, you did the  next
best thing. You caused yourself to forget
Who You Really Are. Upon entering the physical universe, you
relinquished your remembrance of
yourself. This allows you to choose to be Who You Are, rather than simp ly wake up
in the castle, so to speak. It is in the act of choosing to be, rather than
simply being told that you are, a part of  God
that you experience yourself as being at
total choice, which is what, by  definition,
God is. Yet how can you have a choice
about something over which there  is no
choice? You cannot not be My offspring no
matter how hard you try —but you  can
forget. You are, have always been, and will always
be, a divine part of the divine whole, a
member of the body. That is why the act of
rejoining the whole, of returning to God,  is
called remembrance. You actually choose
to remember Who You Really Are, or to  join
together with the various parts of you to experience the all of you —which is to  say,
the All of Me. Your job on Earth, therefore, is  not to learn
(because you already know), but to
remember Who You Are. And to re -member
who everyone else is. That is why a big  part
of your job is to remind others (that is, to re -
mind them), so that they can remember
also. All the wonderful spiritual tea chers ha ve
been doing just that. It is your sole purpose. That is to say, your soul purpose. My God, this is so simple —and
so...symmetrical. I mean, it all fits in! It all
suddenly fits! I  see, now, a picture I have
never quite put together before. Good. That is good. That is the purpose of
this dialogue. You have asked Me for  answers. I have promised I would give
them to you. You will make of this dialogue
a book, and you will render My words
accessible to many people. It is part of your
work. Now, you have many questions,
many inquiries to make about life. We have
here placed the foundation. We have laid
the groundwork for other understandings. Let us go to these other questions. And do
not worry. If there is something about  what
we’ve just gone thr ough you do not
thoroughly understand, it will all be clear to
you soon enough. There is so much I want to ask. There are
so many questions. I suppose I should start
with the big ones, the obvious ones. Like,
why is the world in the shape it’s in? Of all t he questions man has asked of God,
this is the one asked most often. From  the beginning of time man has asked it. From
the first moment to this you have  wanted to
know, why must it be like this? The classic posing of the question is
usually something like:  If God is all -perfect
and all-loving, why would God create
pestilence and famine, war and disease,
earthquakes and tornados and hurricanes
and all manner of natural disaster, deep
personal disappointment, and worldwide
calamity? The answer to this questio n lies in the
deeper mystery of the universe and the
highest meaning of life. I do not show My goodness by creating
only what you call perfection all around
you. I do not demonstrate My love by not
allowing you to demonstrate yours. As I have already expla ined, you cannot
demonstrate love until you can
demonstrate  not loving. A thing cannot
exist without


 and enlarged
bladder. Cats fed upon a combination of two-thirds pasteurized milk and one-third raw meat presented much of the same
deterioration as the other animals. Reproductive efficiency was lowered; skeletal structures were severely impaired; dental
irregularity and gingivitis were common, and all kittens showed some form of deficiency in development. Cats fed
evaporated milk were damaged even more, and sweetened condensed milk produced the most marked deficiencies of all. Even the raw metabolized vitamin D milk (from cattle fed irradiated yeast) proved harmful. The males showed osseous
disturbances following its use, and the adult males died within 10 months, with the young males failing to live beyond even
the second month. In some instances cats which had been fed either cooked meat or one of the forms of heated or vitamin D milk would be
placed upon a completely raw diet, which would be continued in subsequent generations. Improvement in resistance to
disease was noticed in the first and second generations in the "regenerating" animals, though there were still allergic
manifestations and reproduction was erratic. In the third generation there was considerable further improvement, and by the
fourth generation some of the animals returned to completely normal skeletal and tissue form. From these experiments as well as all others which have been reported, results of feeding raw and cooked foods under
laboratory conditions become readily apparent. It follows that, almost without exception, experimental animals thrive well
upon an exclusive diet of raw foods. With general uniformity they immediately suffer from various forms of deterioration —
physical, sexual, and mental — when given various forms of cooked foods. It has indeed been shown that members of
certain animal species fail to reach maturity and reproduce if sufficient cooked foods are included in their diet. The degree
of damage may vary to some degree with different animals, but in no instance have large quantities of heat-processed
foods been consumed over a long period of time without some harm being observed. The contrast is clearly observed in all
copyright © Dr. Stanley S. Bass   (718) 648-1500    www.drbass.com 9cases, and the many different animals used in the experiments show that the results do not apply to only certain kinds of
experimental animals, but may be accepted as a general principle in all such nutritional work. The following article which I wrote many years ago, and was published in “Dr. Shelton’s Hygienic Review”
entitled  “What to Expect When You Improve Your Diet” will give you a preview of what most probably will be in
store for you, and the reasons why, as you begin your journey to a new and more beautiful life. This is the slightly longer original version of the article available from my website www.drbass.com. WHAT SYMPTOMS TO EXPECT WHEN YOU IMPROVE YOUR DIET(original version)
by Stanley S. Bass
If I were asked “which is the area of greatest misunderstanding and confusion in the field of nutrition? ”, I would immediately
be forced to reply, “It is the failure to properly understand and interpret the symptoms and changes which follow the
beginning of a better nutritional program.”
What is meant by a better nutritional program? It is the introduction of foods of higher quality in place of lower quality ones. For example - if a person replaces a protein rich food such a pork with beef, the beef may be considered the superior of the
two - due to its easier digestibility, lower and less saturated fat content, etc. Similarly chicken is superior to beef, and fish is
superior to chicken because of its more rapid digestibility and lower saturated fat content. Lima beans, lentils or chick peas,
which are eaten at the same meal with vegetables, are superior in all the nutrients needed to rebuild health than those
already mentioned. As we go higher on the scale of quality, we begin to include protein rich food which may be eaten in the unfired (raw) state,
such as cheese which is made from raw milk and unsalted. Then we ascend to the nuts and seeds which are eaten in the natural state (raw and unsalted). To summarize - the closer the food comes to the natural state in which it occurs, or the closer we come to its raw, unfired
(raw) form, the higher the quality is. In this condition, all the enzymes are found intact. The amino acids are in their finest form. The minerals, vitamins, trace
elements, carbohydrates and life force are present. This life force, in turn, is capable of reproducing tissue which is full of
life and longer lasting in structure. This same classification of quality which we analyzed in relation to protein rich foods applies to the carbohydrates (the
starches and sugar-rich foods), the fats and the mineral-rich foods (vegetables), etc. The quality of a nutritional program is dramatically improved by OMITTING toxic substances such, as coffee, tea, chocolate,
tobacco, salt, pepper, etc. What is the relation of quality of foods to recovery from illness? It is this in a nutshell - the HIGHER the quality of food we eat, the QUICKER we recover from disease - provided we are
able to properly  digest and assimilate the quality-level
To this must be added the knowledge of
A) proper food-combining
B) proper order of eating the different kinds of food at a meal (e.g. the most easily digested food should be eaten first, the
more complex one second, and the most concentrated item last)
C) the correct quantity of food to be consumed (of each type) in the meal
D) the correct time for eating (when hungry, and not by the clock)
WHEN DIET IMPROVES THE BODY CASTS OUT ACCUMULATED TOXINS AND UNFIT TISSUES
Now - what happens when a person follows these rules and makes a decided improvement in the quality of food
consumed? Remarkable things begin to happen to the body (as well as the mind). The amazing intelligence present in every cell of the
body and the wisdom of the body in its operation, immediately becomes manifest. The rule may be stated thusly: When the quality of the food coming into the body is of higher quality than the tissues which
the body is made of, the body begins to discard the lower grade materials and tissues, to make room for the superior
materials which it uses to make new and healthier tissue. This is the plan of Nature - of evolution. The body is very selective and always  aims for improvement - for better health. The
body always  tries to produce health and always  will, unless our interference is too great. Only then do we fail to recover and
degenerate further into disease. copyright © Dr. Stanley S. Bass   (718) 648-1500    www.drbass.com 10The remedial nature of many conditions such as colds, fevers, cuts, swellings, injuries, etc., furnish endless examples of
how the body tends towards health - always  - unless we do something to stop the process. “WITHDRAWAL” SYMPTOMS FOLLOW USE OF IMPROVED DIET
What are the symptoms or signs which become evident when we first begin to omit the lower grade foods and instead
introduce superior foods - those which are most alive, more natural than we are accustomed to? When the use of toxic stimulant such as coffee, tea or cocoa is suddenly stopped, headaches are common and a let-down
occurs. This is due to the discard by the body of the toxins called caffeine and theobromine  which are removed from the
tissues and transported through the blood stream to the eliminating organs. When the blood circulates through the brain
during its many bodily rounds before the noxious agents reach their final destination for elimination, these irritants register
in our consciousness as pain - in other words, headache. The let-down is due to the slower action of the heart - the resting
phase which follows the stimulation or more rapid heart action forced upon the body by certain poisons called stimulants. The more rapid heart beat (or pulse) produces a feeling of exhilaration and the slower action produces a depressed state of
mind. Usually within three days, the symptoms vanish and we feel stronger due to the recuperation which follows. To a lesser extent the same process occurs when we abandon lower quality foods and replace them with better foods. Lower quality foods have undergone more preparation. Spices, salt and other ingredients have been added, as they tend to
be more "stimulating" than less prepared and more natural foods. Animal foods such as meat, fowl, fish etc. are more
stimulating than cheese, nuts and vegetable proteins. Consequently the withdrawal of stimulation which follows the abandonment of animal food produces a slower heart action -
a resting phase - which registers in the mind as relaxation or a decrease of energy. This initial letdown lasts about ten days
or slightly longer, and is followed by an increase of strength, a feeling of diminishing stress and greater well-being. DON’T JUDGE RESULTS PREMATURELY
Now let us return to the symptoms which occur in the process of regeneration. The person who starts a better diet, stays on it for three days to a week and then quits will say, "Oh, I felt better on the old
diet - the new one makes me feel weak." He failed because he didn't give his body a chance to adjust and complete its first
phase of action - recuperation. If he had waited a while longer, he would have begun to feel better than before he started. During the initial stage (lasting about ten days on the average to several weeks in others), the vital energies which are
usually in the periphery or external part of the body such as the muscles and skin, begin to move to the vital internal organs
and start reconstruction. This


 to recover on the therapy. Even that may not be enough for those who
have been pre-treated with chemotherapy prior to starting the Gerson protocol—it is difficult to
set a time limit for them. (see Chapter 18 )
Patients suffering from non-malignant diseases which respond well to the Gerson Therapy
(see Chapter 19 ) can be fully healed in a year or 18 months, on a less demanding protocol than
the one prescribed for cancer patients. While coming off the treatment too soon is dangerous, staying on it for too long doesn’t
seem to do any harm. Stopping the therapy has to be a gradual process. Provided all is going
well, juices, enemas and medication are slowly and gradually reduced, as set out in the Annual
Schedule, pg. 132. By the end of two years, patients may manage on 8 juices and one enema a
day; or, if the bowel function is regular on its own, one or two enemas a week. If this reduced
program feels comfortable, with no headaches, no constipation and no new symptoms, juices may
be cut down to 5 or 6 a day, and enemas dropped altogether. But as a ‘health insurance’, it is wise
to drink a few freshly made organic juices every day—indefinitely. Eating Wisely
Changing over from the strict dietary rules to a more permissive regime also needs care. During the treatment the body has got used to the best possible nutrition—fresh, pure, tasty
Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author.Page 163Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comorganic vegetarian food that is easily digested and provides all the necessary nutrients for health
and fitness. It would be a grave mistake to switch from such a wholesome diet to the so-called
normal variety, heavy with meat, poultry, cheese and chemical-rich convenience foods, and risk a
serious upset. Besides, in our experience, recovered patients with their “clean” systems don’t feel
tempted by such foods, even if during the long treatment they did fantasize about some “forbidden
fruit” or other. Above all, they find anything salty quite distasteful. On the saltless Gerson regime
their taste buds have recovered from the paralysis caused by the highly salty foods of the past;
now they find anything salty unpleasant and even offensive. (Just like former smokers, who find
it impossible to stay in a smoky room, let alone start smoking again.) Of course once a recovered patient is in a truly good condition, with all systems working
well, it is all right to attend a banquet, a wedding, or a birthday celebration and “binge” a little. But afterwards digestive enzymes should be taken for a few days, accompanied by a daily enema,
to get rid of the mess and feel good again. Please don’t discard your enema bucket. An “upside
down coffee”, in Gerson parlance, helps if you have a headache, a toothache, even an incipient
cold or a general malaise. Also, hang on to your Norwalk or other juicer, instead of switching over
to bottled juices; they won’t help to keep you well. Patients who had been very seriously ill must take extra precautions to preserve their new-
found health. We suggest that however long they have been off the therapy, they should go back
on the full intensive program for two weeks twice a year. (Spring and Fall, the times of seasonal
changes are best for the purpose.) During those two weeks they should drink10-13 juices a day,
eat only freshly prepared organic foods, avoid animal proteins and take 3 or more enemas daily. If this return to the strict Gerson protocol produces a healing reaction, which these patients would
recognize at once, the body is obviously clearing up some fresh damage, and the strict program
should be extended for another two weeks. If, however, no new symptoms pop up, the patient is
doing well and can stop the “refresher course” after two weeks. The Art of Maintenance
Originally Dr.Gerson suggested that recovered patients should maintain their good health
by ensuring that 75% of their diet consisted of “protective” foods, namely organic fruit and
vegetables high in nutrients, vitamins, minerals and enzymes, to keep the immune system in
prime condition. The remaining 25% of food was to be “at choice”. Unfortunately this division
is no longer applicable, since the freely chosen foods would be far too damaging. We therefore
have to urge former patients to stay with 90% of “protective” foods, and have at most 10% of their
intake consist of freely chosen items. Even so, they should NEVER return to fast foods, junk foods containing pesticides, food
additives and other toxic stuff, and most certainly not touch items such as hot dogs, spiced
Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author.Page 164Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.commeats and sausages laced with preservatives, or cheese—the very foods that contributed to the
breakdown of their health in the first place. However, if some serious dietary indiscretion occurs,
it is wise to go back on the full therapy for a few weeks and clear up the body, rather than risk
long-term damage. Needless to say, great care must be taken with alcohol; very occasionally a
little wine may be enjoyed, but only if it is organic. Commercially produced wines, made from
frequently sprayed grapes, are to be avoided. If you know what to avoid and what to hang on to, maintenance quickly becomes an easy
and pleasant routine. And the answer to the question, “Is there life after Gerson?” is a clear and
resounding YES! Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author.Page 165Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comCHAPTER 24
Psychological Support for
the Gerson Patient
By Beata Bishop
Gerson patients and others interested in the therapy often wonder why, apart from one or two
passing references, the psychological aspect of healing does not figure in Dr. Gerson’s
epoch-making book.1  The reasons for this apparent omission are simple. For one thing, Dr. Gerson
wrote his book solely from the point of view of the physician-scientist, excluding all other
considerations. For another, psycho-oncology, a branch of psychology specializing in the care of
cancer patients, did not come into being until the early 1960’s, after Dr. Gerson’s death. However,
by now it has become an important specialty in its own right that needs to be included in any
healing protocol claiming to be holistic. Holistic medicine is based on the insight that body and mind are two sides of one coin; they
sicken together and must be healed together. Whatever affects the one will affect the other. This
is particularly relevant to the Gerson Therapy, whose powerful effects extend beyond the body to
the patient’s non-physical self as well. While detoxifying the body, the combined impact of the
juices, the food and the coffee enemas reaches the brain and the central nervous system, causing
strong emotional reactions, mood swings and uncharacteristic behavior in the unsuspecting
patient. For that reason alone—and it is not the only one—the psychological side of the healing
journey must be properly understood and adequately handled. Neglecting it poses the risk of
some repressed psychological problem sabotaging the therapeutic process. Since body and mind interact and influence each other every moment of our lives, it makes
sense to try to ensure that both are in good condition. The therapy works on the body—but what
about the psyche, the inner world of emotions and drives, and is it really important that they, too,
should be in good health? The answer is yes—and here is why:
There is now solid scientific evidence to prove that our moods, emotions and general outlook
have a direct and measurable impact on our immune system. The proof comes from psycho-
neuro-immunology (PNI), a new medical specialty, which has been rapidly developing since
the late 1970s, thanks to a better understanding of brain chemistry and of the subtle connections
that exist on the cellular level of the organism. Put briefly, the limbic system of the brain and the
central nervous system releases certain hormones that fit into receptor sites located throughout the
body, causing them to release other hormones. The quality of these hormones determines whether
the immune system is boosted or weakened, switched on or off; and that quality, in turn, depends
on our emotions, prevailing mood, beliefs and self-image. Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author.Page 166Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comA positive, hopeful, determined attitude strengthens immune competence, while despair,
negativity and fear weaken it. A traumatic event or lasting depression can overwhelm our cells
and disturb their normal functioning. In that light our every thought and feeling can be seen
as a biochemical happening. According to neuro


 life any negative ener gy that
has accumulated, which will also help to open yourself up. Returning to
what we  learned earlier in the book, cultivating the witness doesn’ t only
mean that you watch yourself;  it’ s a process of detaching yourself from
your problems and understandin g that you are not whatever troubles you. Y ou get  to a po int where you can understand that nothing in your life is
going or  has ever gone wrong; everything is and always has be en the way
it’ s supposed to be. When yo u allow  the higher part of yourself to focus on what’ s right with
the world instead of what’ s wrong, you become more productive. Releasing
negativity from your life, and n ot allowing the ego or your sel f-absorption
to ge t in  the way, helps you fee l more powerful, in control, and  at peace. I
know re capitulation changed m y entire outlook, and I had much more
ener gy after experiencing that. — Y ou disc over what your deep, driving desir e is. Pers onally, it se ems
that the reason I showed up on this planet has something to do with
teaching self-reliance. I haven’ t been able to escape it at any time in my life. When I was a l ittle boy living in the orphanage and various f oster homes
and the  new children would come in, the folks in char ge would ask,
“Where’ s W ayne. ” Some littl e girl would be crying, and they’d say,
“W ayne, why don’ t you come t alk to her. ” I’d take my new fr iend by the
hand and say, “It’ s a great place, and you’re going to have such a good time. There ar e no parents here or anyone telling you what to do all t he time. It’ s
fantastic. ” This was when I was six or seven years of age, and I’ve been
doing it ever since. When I was in high school, I wrote essays and even novels ab out these
kinds of issues o f self-reliance. When I was in the military, I gave courses
on e pistemology and self-direc tedness on my own time. I’d get 30 guys
coming to my “classes,” and we’d discuss these kinds of things. I alsohelped people who were havin g to deal with the system there, all the
bureaucracy and  regimented rules. Then I got out and went to college, and
when I started teaching, I would have after -school seminars about the
subjects that we’ve talked about in this book. I’ve been living t his stuf f for
as long as I can remember. This deeper, more purposeful part  of my life
seems to be what I showed up on earth for. When you get tuned in to what your purpose is and that beco mes your
primary motivat or, you have an overriding spiritual objective. Y ou know
that all the petty things you en counter on a daily basis are simply minor
distractions from your deep desire. Y ou don’ t need anyone’ s approval, nor
will you feel the need to dominate others. As you tame your eg o and leave
behind y our self-importance, yo u become focused on what you’re here for. Y our en er gy is placed only o n that, nothing more, and anything that
anybody else says that’ s in opposition to that will be seen as just where they
are on the path. Y ou won’ t disagree or feel annoyed with them; as a matter
of fact, you won’ t even notice it because your ener gy will be concentrated
solely on what you’re here for. — Y ou won’t ever be lonely. The  ego  promo tes loneliness because the
more alo ne you feel, the more you try to fill the void with external pursuits. When you don’ t feel any void within you, it’ s easy to love whom you’re
alone with, which is your higher self. Loneliness is impossible for you. Y ou also  know that we’re all one and we’re all connected. There’ s a
Divine ener gy that flows throug h all of us, so there’ s no possib ility of ever
experiencing alienation. Y ou n ow have the ability to love much more
powerfully, wh ich reduces the possibility of your living with broken
relationships. Y o u live according to your higher self, which prom otes peace,
fulfillment, integrity, and joy. The very ener gy that you are, the force that
holds every cell together, the glue that holds the universe together, is
something that we call love. Th is glue is who you are. Once you discover
and experience that, then you see only through the eyes of love and
acceptance. The ego  wants you to live with fear, which is the opposite of love. It
ur ges yo u to feel that you’re incomplete or there’ s something wrong with
you, which comes from that fear. But you know that you don’ t have to make
anyone wrong, and you don’ t h ave to make yourself right, because you’renot s eparate from them. Y ou see  the fullness of God in them, an d you allow
and love that Divine part of them. I r emem ber my  friend Deepak Chopra once telling me a story about a
famous Indian saint who was being escorted into some very fancy place. Right as he was about to step on to the red carpet that had been prepared for
him, a beggar appeared. One of the people who was with the  saint said,
“Get out of the way. Can’ t you s ee that we have a master coming through. ”
The beggar looked up and asked, “Who is it that you’re asking to get out of
his way. Is it this body, or is it the god that is within me. ” And the saint
bent over, kissed the man, and s aid, “Y ou don’ t have to move aside; we are
both one. ”
That kind of awareness becomes something you consistently practice, for
it’ s a  wa y to take your relationships and imbue them with harm ony. Since
you know that we’re all connected, there is an absence of discord. — Y ou become a mor e powerful human being. Y ou are more powerful
than you’ve ever even considered before, but not in the sense that most
people t hink of  it. As Gandhi once said, “Strength does not come from
physical capacit y. It comes from  an indomitable will. ” Y ou will create that
strength of your indomitable will, which really means that you ’re going to
stop associating  who you are with your form. Many peop le identify
themselves with who they are based upon their bodies; they say that if their
bodies are not working the way they think they should, then that’ s an
excuse to become impatient, less loving and caring, and so on. If your power comes from your physical prowess, then when your
physical prowess leaves, that means you’re no longer a powerful human
being. Of course you know that your power doesn’ t come from that; it
won’ t dissipate when your form  dissipates. Y ou know not to  give in to
every sin gle plea sure or selfish desire that comes along; you only ever treat
your body in a healthy way. Y ou have changed the identification of yourself
away from your embodiment to your higher self, and you are free. — Y ou discover the ultimate security. It’ s as if someone once told you
that tree s were glued to the ground, and you believed it. Then an expert
came al ong and told you that was false; there are roots under trees. The
expert helped you dig a bit ben eath the soil, and sure enough you saw the
truth. This whole process of finding security is like discovering that you have
roots be neath th e surface too. Y o u have unearthed parts of yours elf that you
never kn ew wer e there, and you  enjoy a security that you never experienced
before when you identified so closely with your form. — Y ou kno w that any pr oblem y ou have is to be solved in the mind. That’ s a  very powerful insight, and it’ s a freeing one as well. When you
have a struggle or conflict, when you are provoked or contradicted and it
manifests itself physically, you know it’ s really a problem to b e solved in
thought. Y ou know that what your body is reacting to is nothing more than
how you  are choosing to process something. Recognizing that it’ s your own
reaction causing  you stress, anxiety, tension, fear, and pain is  liberating. Y ou understand: No one else ha s to change in or der for my pain or
struggles to go away. My ego te lls me that others have to change in or der
for m e to feel successful, happy, fulfilled, or whatever, but I know it comes
down to how I pr ocess everything. So d o yo u process it through the lower identity of your ego and your self-
absorption, which allows you to be of fended because other peop le aren’ t the
way you  are. Or do you do


nis-player, diet-reformer, and restauratorEustace Miles, for the name " Meaters " todesignate those who eat meat; and I have coinedthe term " Mealers " to stand for those who takeonly first-hand earth-fruit products for their
nutrition, disregarding the fact that all aremeal ers who take meals of victuals. To offset
this addition to the vocabulary, it would do noharm to drop off the use of " Meals " and " Victuals," leaving " Meal " to mean only onething; viz., ground cereals or vegetables. *
One of the details of carefulness in
Fletcherism is expressed in the statement thatwe should not proscribe as food anything thatNature permits to be utilized as food ; but thesame carefulness prescribes that we do notprescribe it as food for everybody all of the time. Everything in its proper time and place is one ofthe common-sense rules of the system. Captain Amundsen and his comrades, as I
have already observed, were quite justified in
* It is not outside the province of Fletcherism to Fletcherize
our vocabulary and make it as single-meaning as possible in the
interest of simplicity. The term " Fletcherize " is alreadycommonly used to suggest analysis and digestion of crude raw
material other than food, and has come into use in literary
circles with especial usefulness. Young reporters on newspapersare often told by editors to take their " copy " in hand and
 " Fletcherize " it before handing it in for printing. Even such a
judicial person as Mayor Gaynor, of New York, had recourserecently to such advice relative to evidence, but he called it by a
name of his own not yet in common use. devouring their faithful and friendly sledge dogs
when necessary to preserve their own lives. Ihave the acquaintance of a collie dog whom Ilove devotedly; and I say  "whom " appropriatelybecause he is as intelligent as I am, and farmore consistent in his habits of orderliness andnaturalness. He is a real gentleman at all timesand as good a Fletcherite when the foodsubstance and occasion demand as I am. He haslearned to eat and enjoy apples and no one couldgive more careful mouth-treatment to somesorts of food than Bruce. I am sure that hewould want me to eat him if I needed him topreserve my life, just as unselfishly as theJapanese soldiers, and more recently theBalkanese soldiers, gave their lives for theircauses. Whether I would eat him or not I cannotsay, and I do not know if he would have similarconsideration or otherwise for me. I merely use this illustration as an aside in
consideration of the question of flesh eating onemergency or sentimental grounds. Naturepermits Bruce and me to eat each other, and ifwe managed it skilfully we could attack eachother's extremities at the same time, as long aswe did not encroach on our vital machinery, and
really eat each other up, as young lovers wouldlike to do. Thus much for sentiment. We are subsisting
on ourselves all of the time; we can nourishourselves at the expense of each other if we will. We can eat human flesh as nourishingly as
we can a Spring chicken, and if we do not knowwhat we are eating, Nature will say us never "No," but there are other considerations morepractical for every-day consideration. Theseare : physiological and economic expediency. MEAT  AND URIC ACID. In the thorough investigation that Dr. Hindhede, of Copenhagen, has conducted for thepast few years, and in which I have assisted, Ihave followed the quest with eagerness becauseof the thoroughness of it. It has been proventhat very little protein or nitrogen is needed forthe human body even under strain of hardestphysical or mental activity. On the other hand,it has been found that any appreciable excess ofprotein or nitrogen results in both uric acidsecretion and increased blood-pressure,meaning, in all probability, finally fatal strain
on the organism. It has also been demonstratedthat it is almost impossible to take the leanermeats without getting more protein or nitrogenthan the body needs. It is quite easy to get excessive protein and
nitrogen from vegetable, farinaceous, and hen-fruit material, and cheeses are richer thananything in these " strong " food ingredients ;but these are not such subtle foolers of theappetite as meats done up in spicy gravies andaccompanied by appetising fats. I purposely avoid giving any figures relative
to the food values under mention because thefirst rule of Fletcherism in connection with theselection and intake of food is to leave thatentirely to appetite, working intelligently andnormally in relation to the food that is availableat the moment. To my thinking, the most important
consideration is economy, not alone of themoney cost of food, but economy of energy-consumption within the body. There may betimes when economy of money-cost means muchto persons struggling to lay aside anindependent competency for the purchase of
leisure in old age, or for insurance againstbecoming a burden upon others; and this is sureto happen to all who are not cursed by thehandicap of money inheritance. But it is theinternal economy of the body that counts lormost in estimating values. There is no doubtbut what flesh food is a stimulant of the same orsimilar character as alcohol. Both of thesesubtle agents of intemperance invite thestarting and accumulation of vicious cycles orcircles (swirls) of over-stimulation that have onebad effect, at least, on the comfort and efficiencyof the muscular tissues. They facilitate fatigueand " that tired feeling," and also may result incontingent " soreness " of muscle after unusualexercise. Faithful Fletcherizing has resulted in
regulating these matters in away that isnothing less than marvellous until the reasonsare revealed. Not only does observance of the habit and
practice which Mr. Rockefeller has condensedinto thirty-three words, including severalrepetitions for emphasis, result in settling thequestions of appropriateness, economy,
emergencies, and comfort in general betweenthe Meat ers and the Meal ers; between the
mixed Meat ers and Meal ers; and between the
Physiology and Psychology of normality ; andwhich Mr. Rockefeller calls " Fletcherizing," buta whole lot of beneficent cycles or circles(rhythms) of profitable felicities are set inmotion. TO SUM UP. The Meal ers have the advantage of the
argument in that they are always on the saferside of prudence, and there is no realdeprivation involved in the experiment. At the present moment I am, personally, still
in the experimental field as regards everythingthat Nature permits as food or drink. There isone point that vegetarianism has notsatisfactorily answered as yet. The greatmajority of conscientious vegetarians have notthe pink complexion that is usually reckoned asa sign of beauty or robustness, but I haveknown one, Frederick Madsen (Madsen theFaithful), an assistant of Dr. Hindhede inCopenhagen, to subsist on potatoes and butter,
or margarine, alone, for three hundred daysconsecutively, stopping only because thepotatoes to be had in the market were not asgood as desired, and he lost none of his pinky-pinkness of complexion of the richestScandinavian brilliancy. I have done the samefor four months with similar results of retentionof pinkness of complexion. Another question is :Does pinkness indicate health. It is not thenecessity of health among Latins and bronzedOrientals, but it underlies the bronze exterior ineven African Negroes, if they are healthy. Sallow is the reverse of healthy in proportion tothe sallowness, as a usual thing. Just here is where the efficacy of careful
eating, which has been formulated asFletcherism, comes into service most agreeablyto make life really worth living and actually onecontinuous festival of usefulness and pleasure. It is only once formed into a habit and set toworking automatically under the direction ofAppetite, Taste, Feeling, Instinct, and the otherattributes of sub-conscious Intelligence. It will be noted that Mr. Rockefeller, in his
recent pithy, gisty utterance relative to themerits of Fletcherizing, makes no mention ofthe kind of food to be recommended. Happily, asfar as I know, he is not in the food business, hasno connection with any special food supply, andcannot recommend any of the products ofpetroleum as food or drink. He should beabsolutely unprejudiced in his judgment, andseven or eight years of recuperative experience,similar to mine of a longer period, is materialfor judgment and recommendation. Some years ago there was born in me the
ambition to formulate the rules of economicprocedure in securing optimum nutrition in aspace of not more than ten pages of coarse printthat mothers, teachers, and children of primaryschool age could understand as easy as thenoses on their faces. Mr. Rockefeller has " beatme out " in brevity by several lengths. He hasmade the revelation with the lucky number ofthirty-three words, and left room for a finalremark full of scriptural tone, as is his wont. PROFITABLE  ECONOMY. There is one argument in favour of a
meatless diet that appeals to everybody, andthat is the economy and cleanliness of it. InProfessor Irving Fisher's classic investigation totest the merits of Fletcherism it was proventhat careful attention to the mastication,insalivation


my
friends'
stories,
I
started
drinking
a
glass
of
urine
once
a
day
in
the
morning
and
starved
myself
for
36
hours
a
week
on
nothing
but
water
and
urine. About
a
week
after
starting
urinotherapy,
severe
stomach
problems
started,
which
lasted
for
about
two
weeks. At
the
same
time,
a
large
amount
of
phlegm
and
slime
was
secreted. At
night,
another
liver
cleansing
occurred
spontaneously. The
stomach
problems
stopped
suddenly
along
with
the
recovery
of
the
menstrual
cycle. In
three
weeks
I
was
back
to
my
original
weight. I
gained
7
kg. After
another
two
weeks,
the
swelling
of
the
joints
on
the
hands
and
feet
disappeared. After
seven
weeks
of
urine
therapy,
my
periods
fully
resumed
and
the
pain
disappeared. After
two
months
of
using
urine,
the
stomach
and
liver
also
completely
calmed
down. I
even
ate
more
candy
during
the
holidays. Before,
my
liver
would
definitely
hurt
and
my
joints
would
become
inflamed.' Comment
on
recommendation:
To
normalize
the
metabolism,
it
was
necessary
to
clean
the
liver,
which
was
done. However,
a
lot
of
mucus
remained,
which
hindered
the
activity
of
the
entire
organism. Urine
was
required
to
remove
it,
which
brought
a
second
success. The
third
success
was
recorded
when
the
urine
normalized
the
activity
of
the
liver,
dissolved
salts
and
eliminated
the
infection
in
the
joints. The
writer
made
a
mistake
when
she
did
not
change
her
diet. Sweets,
pastries,
and
bread
contain
many
calcium
compounds
that
the
body
does
not
accept
and
stores
in
the
joints,
liver
and
other
organs. If
a
woman
does
not
switch
to
whole
grain
porridge
and
bread
from
sprouted
grain,
the
disease
will
return
despite
the
use
of
urine
therapy. Urinotherapy
and
female
diseases
"Women's
problems"
are
mostly
the
result
of
not
following
the
elementary
rules
of
timely
emptying. Constipation,
irregular
stools
are
the
scour ge
of
today's
women,
the
result
of
irregular
eating,
refined
foods,
failure
to
follow
the
principles
of
a
separate
diet,
etc. In
the
large
intestine,
there
is
an
accumulation
of
sludge,
which
accumulates
there,
rots
and
poisons
the
surrounding
organs
and
blood. In
particular,
the
organs
around
the
intestine
become
inflamed
and
various
female
diseases
arise. First
of
all,
it
is
necessary
to
clean
the
colon
and
then
the
liver. Then
start
drinking
50-100
grams
of
your
own
urine
once
a
day,
which
you
also
inject
into
the
diseased
areas
or
soak
tampons
in. At
first,
you
use
your
own
fresh
or
baby
urine,
later
evaporated
to
1/4. Hot
half-baths
with
the
addition
of
up
to
1
liter
of
quarter
urine
are
effective. At
night,
it
is
possible
to
apply
tampons
with
different
types
of
urine. If
there
is
a
violation
of
the
menstrual
cycle
and
other
hormonal
problems
(e.g. growth
of
facial
hair
as
in
men),
then
you
need
to
drink
100-150
grams
of
urine
3-4
times
a
day
and
lubricate
your
body
with
fresh
or
evaporated
urine. In
more
severe
cases,
you
can
drink
50
grams
of
quarter
urine
in
the
morning
on
anempty
stomach. All
these
measures
will
allow
you
to
balance
hormonal
fluctuations
and
get
rid
of
discomfort. Example:
"I
am
45
years
old,
I
underwent
surgery
for
an
ovarian
cyst. After
three
months
of
drinking
urine,
my
menstrual
cycle
adjusted
and
the
pain
disappeared." Example:
"Erosion
of
the
cervix. I
brought
the
baby's
urine
to
a
boil
and
then
cooled
it
sharply
to
body
temperature. I
then
injected
myself
into
the
affected
areas." Recommendation:
It
is
necessary
to
use
the
urine
of
a
child
under
10
years
of
age. The
younger
the
child,
the
better. Sharply
cooled
urine
is
saturated
with
strong
energy. Example:
Enlar ged
uterus
(fibromyoma),
pain. Unsuccessful
treatment
by
doctors
and
healers. She
started
drinking
urine
and
putting
tampons
with
urine
in
her
vagina. The
trouble
stopped. Example:
The
patient,
20
years
old,
married,
with
a
child,
had
inflammation
of
the
ovaries
and
untreated
erosion
of
the
cervix. Very
bad
analysis. The
patient
began
to
use
tampons
with
urine
and
injections
at
night. She
could
not
drink
urine. She
was
treated
for
14
days. The
tests
showed
that
the
inflammation
is
almost
cured,
the
erosion
significantly
less. Comment:
Own
urine
is
an
excellent
means
of
preventing
female
diseases. Firstly,
it
adjusts
the
acidic
environment
and
thereby
destroys
parasites,
secondly,
it
soothes
pain,
thirdly,
urine
protects
against
unwanted
pregnancy. Urine,
however,
must
be
injected
immediately
after
intercourse
and
must
therefore
be
kept
at
hand. An
acidic
environment
paralyzes
spermatozoa. Example:
Diagnosis:
uterine
fibromatous
nodes,
ovarian
cyst,
endocervicitis. Within
a
month,
the
patient
was
drinking
urine,
injecting
herself
and
putting
on
tampons
at
night. The
doctor
declared
complete
recovery. The
chapter
"Women's
Diseases"
from
A.
Maslenikov's
book
"The
Secret
of
the
Drink
of
the
Gods"
is
very
apt
in
this
regard. That's
why
I
choose
from
her
typical
examples
. Example:
"Several
women
have
told
me
about
the
successful
treatment
of
uterine
fibroids
(a
benign
tumor). The
method
of
treatment
seemed
very
simple
to
me:
every
morning
they
injected
their
own
still
warm
urine
into
the
uterus. It
is
also
possible
to
cure
bilateral
inflammation
of
the
ovaries. One
patient
used
her
young
son's
urine:
-
"How
long
were
you
treated?" -
“A


. Lehrer, “Emotionally T riggered Asthma: A Review of Research Literature and
Some Hypotheses for Self-Regulation Therapies,” Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback
22, no. 1 (Mar. 1998): 13–41. h o l d i n g  t h e i r  b r e a t h :  Panic suf ferers visit the doctor five times more often than other patients, and are six
times more likely to be hospitalized for psychiatric disorders. Thirty-seven percent of them will
seek some treatment, usually drugs, behavior therapy, or both. But none of these therapies
directly address what could be contributing to this condition: chronic poor breathing habits. That 60 percent of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease also have anxiety or
depressive disorders is not a coincidence. These patients are very often breathing too much, too
fast, panicking in anticipation of not being able to take another breath. “Proper Breathing
Brings Better Health,” Scientific American, Jan. 15, 2019,
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/proper -breathing-brings-better -health/. h y p e r s e n s i t i z e d  t o  c a r b o n  d i o x i d e :  Eva Henje Blom et al., “Adolescent Girls with Emotional Disorders
Have a Lower End-T idal CO2  and Increased Respiratory Rate Compared with Healthy
Controls,” Psychophysiology 51, no. 5 (May 2014): 412–18; Alicia E. Meuret et al.,
“Hypoventilation Therapy Alleviates Panic by Repeated Induction of Dyspnea,” Biological
Psychiatry CNNI (Cognitive Neur oscience and Neur oimaging)  3, no. 6 (June 2018): 539–45;
Daniel S. Pine et al., “Dif ferential Carbon Dioxide Sensitivity in Childhood Anxiety Disorders
and Nonill Comparison Group,” Ar chives of General Psychiatry 57, no. 10 (Oct. 2000): 960–
67. A l i c i a  M e u r e t :  “Out-of-the-Blue Panic Attacks Aren’ t without W arning: Data Show Subtle Changes
before Patients’ [ sic ] A ware of Attack,” Southern Methodist University Research,
https://blog.smu.edu/research/201 1/07/26/out-of-the-blue-panic-attacks-arent-without-
warning/ ; Stephanie Pappas, “T o Stave Of f Panic, Don’ t T ake a Deep Breath,” Live Science,
Dec. 26, 2017, https://www.livescience.com/9204-stave-panic-deep-breath.html. c a p n o m e t e r s,  w h i c h  r e c o r d e d :  “New Breathing Therapy Reduces Panic and Anxiety by Reversing
Hyperventilation,” ScienceDaily, Dec. 22, 2010,
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101220200010.htm ; Pappas, “T o Stave Of f
Panic.”
s o u n d l e s s  r o o m :  Floatation, as Feinstein has found through five years of clinical research, was
particularly ef fective in treating anxiety, anorexia, and other fear -based neuroses. “The
Feinstein Laboratory,” Laureate Institute for Brain Research,
http://www.laureateinstitute.or g/current-events/feinstein-laboratory-publishes-float-study-in-
plos-one. “ s u p e r  e n d u r a n c e ” :  See Buteyko’ s chart of optimum (and dangerously low) carbon dioxide levels at
https://images.app.goo.gl/DGjT3bL8PMDQYmqL7. r e p o r t s  f r o m  p u l m o n a u t s :  Recently, carbon dioxide therapy has made a bit of a comeback, not just with
Olsson and his crew of DIY pulmonauts. It’ s now being used, again, to treat hearing loss,
epilepsy, and various cancers. The U.S. health care provider Aetna of fers carbon dioxide
therapy as an experimental treatment for patients. “Carbogen Inhalation Therapy,” Aetna,
http://www.aetna.com/cpb/medical/data/400_499/0428.html. c h e m o r e c e p t o r s  a r e  n o r m a l l y :  Chemoreceptors designed to analyze the tiniest fluctuations in carbon
dioxide, a fraction of one percent. Chapter T en: Fast, Slow, and Not at Allh e a v y  d o s e  o f  s t r e s s  h o r m o n e s :  Even an hour after the T ummo practice ended. Think of the lungs as a solar
panel; the lar ger the panel, the more cells there are to soak up sunlight, the more available
ener gy. W im Hof ’ s heavy breathing can increase available space for gas exchange by about 40
percent—a tremendous amount. W ith this bonus space, Hof, for instance, was able to consume
double the normal amount of oxygen 40 minutes after he finished the exercises. Isabelle Hof,
The W im Hof Method Explained  (W im Hof Method, 2015, updated 2016), 8,
https://explore.wimhofmethod.com/wp-content/uploads/ebook-the-wim-hof-method-explained-
EN.pdf. s n o w  f o r  h o u r s  a n d  n o t :  Joshua Rapp Learn, “Science Explains How the Iceman Resists Extreme Cold,”
Smithsonian.com, May 22, 2018, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/science-
explains-how-iceman-resists-extreme-cold-180969134/#WUf1Swaj7zYCkVDv.99. b r e a t h e  s l o w  a n d  l e s s :  Herbert Benson et al., “Body T emperature Changes during the Practice of g T um-
mo Y oga,” Natur e 295 (1982): 234–36; W illiam J. Cromie, “Meditation Changes
T emperatures,” The Harvar d Gazette, Apr. 18, 2002.
t h e y  c e r t a i n l y  a r e  n o t :  I queried this conundrum to Dr. Paul Davenport, a renowned physiologist and
Distinguished Professor at the University of Florida. He replied within a few hours. “Interesting problem,” he wrote in an email. “My answer will be appropriately, academically
vague :) Bottom line, the ef fect of voluntary hyperventilation depends on multiple factors
including regional blood distribution, degree of blood gas changes, reduced buf fering capacity
of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), changes in cardiac output, pH balance compensation, time and
factors yet unknown. (Is that ambiguous enough?) Research on the physiological response of
blood and CSF to voluntary hyperventilation is relatively straight forward. However, the
cognitive responses to the physiological changes is much more ambiguous and complex.” At
the end of the email, he told me he was working on a detailed analysis of the problem, which
would take some time to put together. As of this writing, he was still writing it. I will post it on
my website: mrjamesnestor.com/breath. In the interim, you can peruse a few studies here: I. A.
Bubeev, “The Mechanism of Breathing under the Conditions of Prolonged V oluntary
Hyperventilation,” Aer ospace and Envir onmental Medicine  33, no. 2 (1999): 22–26; J. S.
Querido and A. W. Sheel, “Regulation of Cerebral Blood Flow during Exercise,” Sports
Medicine  37, no. 9 (Oct. 2007), 765–82. m e c h a n i s m  b e h i n d  t h e s e  t e c h n i q u e s :  Iuriy A. Bubeev and I. B. Ushakov, “The Mechanism of Breathing
under the Conditions of Prolonged V oluntary Hyperventilation,” Aer ospace and Envir onmental
Medicine 33, no. 2 (1999): 22–26; Seymour S. Kety and Carl F. Schmidt, “The Ef fects of
Altered Arterial T ensions of Carbon Dioxide and Oxygen on Cerebral Blood Flow and
Cerebral Oxygen Consumption of Normal Y oung Men,” Journal of Clinical Investigation 27,
no. 4 (1948): 484–92; Querido and Sheel, “Regulation of Cerebral Blood Flow during
Exercise”; Shinji Naganawa et al., “Regional Dif ferences of fMR Signal Changes Induced by


. Spoon 1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice into hot jars. Fill hot
jars, leaving a 1 /2-inch (1 cm) headspace. Run a thin non-met allic utensil
around t he inside of the jar to a llow air to escape. Add more hot salsa, if
necessary, to leave a 1/2-inch (1 cm) headspace. W ipe rims, top with flat
lids and screw o n metal rings. R eturn jars to the hot water bath, topping up
with hot water i f necessary. Bring to a full rolling boil and process jars for
15 minutes ( Boiling W ater Method, Step by Step ). 3. Remo ve cann er lid and wait 5 minutes before removing jars t o a towel or
rack to cool com pletely. Check seals, label and store in a cool place for up
to 1 year. Fr eezing Husk T omatoes
1. Select Equipment:  Se lect suitable-size freezer c ontainers, bags or
Mason jars ( Freezing ). 2. D ry P ack, un sweetened:  F ill pint (2-cup /500 mL) or quart (1 L) freezer
containers with whole husk tom atoes, leaving a 1/2-inch (1 cm)  headspace. Seal, label and freeze. ORChop or Crush:  C oarsel y chop husk tomatoes or, using a potato masher,
crush hu sk toma toes in a non-rea ctive bowl. Strain, if desired, an d pack into
freezer containers, leaving a 1-inch (2.5 cm) headspace. Seal, label and
freeze. T o m a t o e s
ONE OF THE SPECT ACULAR NEW WORLD PLANT
DISCOVERIES  (along with corn, potatoes, pe anuts, pumpkin, tobacco,
lima be ans and chocolate), tomatoes (L ycopersicon esculentum)  are,
botanically speaking, berries t hat grow on vines. Native to the South
American Ande s, where it still grows wild, the tiny fruit from which all of
our mod ern vari eties originate grows in clusters on a small, sparse vine. A
nightshade plant, the tomato comes in many sizes, shapes and colours. Good Pr eserving V arieties
Heritage, or heirloom, tomatoes are generally late-maturing. Above: Green Brandywine tomatoes in
mid-August, showing only very slight signs of ripening. Despite the proliferation of modern hybrids, most of which have been bred
for ease of harvest and transportation properties and not for their taste, the
heritage varieties have been making a strong comeback with small farmers
and gardeners. Heritage, or heirloom, cultivars have been kept alive by
individuals who save seeds and plant the old varieties every year. The best
way to save true tomato plants is to plant them, eat them and save some of
their seeds for next season. For heritage and heirloom vegetable seeds in
Canada, visit Salt Spring Seeds (http://www.saltspringseeds.com); in theUnited States, go to Bountiful Gardens (http://www.bountifulgardens.or g/)
or Fedco Co-op Garden Supplies (http://www.fedcoseeds.com), which lists
seven reasons to save seeds on this page
(http://www.fedcoseeds.com/seeds/why_save_seeds.htm). T omato varieties fall into several groups, including the following (*
indicates the very best canning varieties):
W ild T omatoes:  The South American plants from which all tomato
varieties have sprung; small fruit on rambling vines; W ild Cherry, Cuidad
V ictoria, Chiapas W ild. Currant T omatoes:  S mall (1/2-inc h/1 cm)
tomatoes, sometimes called “midget,” that grow in small bunches similar to
currants; Little Julia, Ildi, Cherry Roma*, Red Currant, Sugar
Lump  and T iny T im  are some currant tomato vari eties available from
heritage seed companies (see above). Cherry or Grape T omatoes:  C an be small o r medium in si ze relative to
“regular” tomat oes, and some grow in clusters like grapes. L ike currant
tomatoes, cherry  and grape toma toes are similar to the original Mayan wild
tomatl  or xtomatl. Golden Honey Bunch:  The  first golde n grape tomato,
this vigo rous pl ant produces vines with clusters of 10 to 20 f ruits. Other
examples of cherry or grape tomatoes: Br own Berry, Chiapis W ild, Black
Cherry,
Patio O range, Gardener ’ s Delight, Lollipop, T onadose des Conor es,
Red Cherry*. Plum or Paste T omatoes*:  These are the very best sauce
and canning tomatoes because their flesh is firm, they have fewer seeds,
they are  high-acid and they ho ld their shape during processing. Crimson
Giant, A ker ’ s Pink Plum, Amish Paste, Pink Plum Rosa, V eer oma, San
Marzano, Maria’ s, Mishca, R oyal Chico, Roma  and Heinz 1706  are
some plum tomato varieties to consider planting. W indow Box Roma  has
the c lassic plum or paste tomato shape and texture, and an exc ellent taste. This plant is a dwarf suitable for containers, planters and patio pots. Y ou
would need several in order to produce enough tomatoes for canning, but
they freeze well for adding to winter soups and sauces.Medium-Size T omatoes:  These are the standard tomatoes planted and used
by c ooks and ga rdeners alike. They are good in tomato sauce re cipes. Some
medium tomato varieties include Ailsa Craig, Elizabeth Clear Pink  (a
Russian heirloom), Manitoba Red T r ee*, Black Pear, Rutgers*. Beefsteak T omatoes:  T om atoes that g row lar ge and s tay succulent; the best
are fragrant and full of sweet tomato flavour. Brandywine*, V alencia,
Giant Belgian, Sicilian Saucer, T asmanian Y ellow, W onder Boy,
Ponder osa*, Colossal  and Crimson Giant*  are just a few of the “super”
tomatoes, which can grow to over 3 lb (1.5 kg). Big Beef*:  A good example
of a meaty red beefsteak tomato, it is small in this class (10 to 12 oz/300 to
375 g) but is a very good canning cultivar thanks to its outstanding flavour
and good sugar -to-acid ratio. Orange, Y ellow and T angerine T omatoes:
Often higher in vitamin C and lower in acid content (m aking them
unsuitable for the Boiling W ate r Method unless acid is added). Limmony
(very bright yellow), T iger Stripe  (reddish-orange with yellow streaks,
very sweet), Jubilee, Giant Oxheart, Golden Queen, Mandarin Cr oss,
Moon Glow, Sunray, T angella  (tangerine colour). Pink, Purple or Blue T omatoes:  Sim ilar to the orange/yellow ty pe, these
purplish-pink to matoes are second lowest in acid content (unsuitable for the
Boiling W ater Method). Dutchman, early Detr oit, Gulf State, Pink Lady,
Ponder osa Pink, W atermelon Beefsteak, W insall, Purple Prince. White T omatoes:  Lik e the yellow  and pink types, white tomatoes are low
in acid (unsuitab le for the Boili ng W ater Method); take longer to fruit, so
best grown in w armer climates. Snowball, White W onder, White Queen,
White Beauty. Gr een T omatoes:  Gr een when fully ripe. Gr een Zebra  (green with
gold/green stripes); Y ellow T iger Stripe  (green and yellow stripes); Bali
(ribbed, marbled pink, yellow and red); evergr een  ( low  in acid, good for
eating fresh); Maritimer  (early green, often used for canning). Pur chasing/Storing1 lb (500 g) yields 1-1/2 to 2 c ups (375 to 500 mL) peeled
tomatoes or 1 cup (250 mL) chopped tomato pulp. Y ou wil l need 2-1/2 to 3 lb (1.125 to 1.5 kg) for each quart
(1 L) jar. Heavy to matoes that are slightly firm yet yield to pressure and have bright,
shiny skins are ripe and delicious. Y ou can ripen hard tomatoes with green
spots, but the fl avour will not be as good as if vine-ripened. I reach for
bumpy tomatoes, with growth lines or lar ge eyes, because usua lly they are
the heritage types with the most complex and rich tomato flavours. Good W ith
Herbs such as oregano, basil, bay, thyme, winter and summer
savory, rosemary, parsley, chives. Savoury seasonings such as cumin, coriander. Sweet seasonings such as cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg. Other vegetable s, such