Feel that you hav e become that coolness; it is becoming a part  
of your body. Allow its ripples to spread, and you will feel a coolness all over your body. In this way your sensitivity can grow, and you can become more alive and more filled. We are feeling frustrated, vacan t - empty, and we go on talking that life is empty. But we are the reason. We are not  
filling it and we are not allowing anything to fill it. We have an armor around us - a defense armor, We are afraid to be vulnerable, so we go on defending against  
everyt hing. And then we become tombs - dead things.”  
"Tantra says be alive, more alive, because life is God. There is no other God than life. Be more alive, and you will be  
more Divine. Be totally alive, and there is no death for you (p. 392). " ALERTNESS  
While  eating, eat: chew with awareness. Whatsoever you are doing, don't do it mechanically. Walk with alertness, and you will walk differently: a different grace comes to your walking. You move more slowly,  
more beautifully.... When I say "feel", I mean observe . First do it mechanically and then with awareness, and you will be able to feel the  
difference. For example, if you eat with awareness, then you cannot eat more than is needed by the body. CONSCIOUSNESS  
People go on coming to me and they say, "Put us on a diet." I tell them: Don't think of diet. Think of consciousness. By dieting nothing will happen. You cannot do it. You will do it one day and the next day it will go. You cannot continue  
it. Rather eat with awareness. The quality changes. If you eat with  awareness, you will chew more. With unconscious  
mechanical habits, you simply go on pushing things into your stomach. You are not chewing at all: you are just  
stuffing. Then there is no pleasure, and because there is no pleasure, you need more food in order to get the pleasure. There  
is no taste, so you need more food. Just be alert and see what happens. If you are alert, you will chew more, you will feel the taste more, you will feel the  
pleasure of eating. And much more time will be taken. If you take  half an hour to eat your meal, then by taking the same quantity of a meal with full awareness you will need  
1 1/2 hours - thrice the time. In half an hour you will have eaten only one -third of the quantity, and you will feel more  
fulfilled: you will have enjoyed the meal more. THE BODY TELLS YOU TO STOP  
And when the body enjoys, it tells you when to stop. When the body has not enjoyed at all, it never says when to stop,  
so you go on. Then the body becomes dull. You never hear what the body is saying. You are eating without being there: that creates the problem. Be there, and every process will be slowed down. The body will itself say, "No more!" And when the body says it , that  
is the right moment. If you are aware, you cannot trespass the body's order. Yo u will stop. So allow your body to say something. The body is saying things every moment, but you are not there to hear it. Be  
alert and you will hear it. CHAOS BECOMING SYMPHONY  
The emphasis is on feeling because the emphasis is on a "lived" experience. When you start feeling things, you grow:  
your being grows. copyright © Dr. Stanley S. Bass   (718) 648 -1500    www.drbass.com  16 
 
 
Right now you are chaotic because there is no arrangement: the arrangement comes in when you start being aware. Just by being aware things start falling in line, and this chaos that you are becomes a symphony. MEDITATION OVER FOOD  
For those who practice meditation, the use of eating as a meditation is the easiest of all meditations to master. We,  
as all livi ng creatures, are thoroughly experienced in eating, a practice we have done all our lives, several times a day  
since birth. It does not involve difficult concentration as ordinary meditation techniques do. The pleasure involved in eating, automatically hol ds the interest of attention, almost effortlessly. This is the reason  
why this eating technique of meditation has been held in especially high regard by the most ancient practitioners of  
Tantra - since its practice leads to a profound transformation in a r elatively short period of time, with a minimum of  
effort. Every time you eat, several times a day, you'll be practicing meditation and this leads to rapid progress and  
attainment when done with your full attention. CONCLUSION  
The great pleasure resulting from satisfying such a most basic instinct as eating leads to a tremendous inner peace,  
joy and bliss which spreads over all the feelings and emotions, both conscious and subconscious. The resulting  
happiness leads to a persistent satisfaction with all of life, which keeps constantly growing and spreading in intensity. It may seem greatly exaggerated to most persons, but it must be actually experienced, not intellectually considered, to  
be believed. The idea that such a simple practice could lead to such pr ofound changes in feeling is difficult to  
conceive. Yet, these results are the legacy experienced by the unsophisticated and unintellectual creatures or all  
creation. Why not reach out and claim your birthright of sheer joy and bliss! www.drbass.com/diagno sis.html  
How Important is Diagnosis? "Even if a person has a baffling, rare disease and the diagnosis is unknown, if he or she eats  
properly, or fasts if necessary in addition, the body will surely heal itself, as long as sufficient  
vitality is present." CAUSE OF DISEASES  
Barring injury, emergencies, or complications resulting from injury, such as hemorrhaging, broken bones, etc.., let us  
begin with conditions that are classified as diseases. Generally speaking, diseases are caused by any or all of 3 fact ors - namely enervation, toxemia or deficiency. TOXEMIA - TOXIC SUBSTANCES IN THE BODY  
There are 2 sources of toxemia:  
(a) Toxemia which is caused by the ingestion and accumulation of substances which are foreign to the body and toxic  
in nature, such as c hemicals, drugs, etc. These produce irritation, inflammation and pathology in bodily organs and  
systems. (b) Toxemia which is due to the accumulation of toxic wastes resulting from the food and beverages we eat and drink;  
unnatural food or natural food in excess beyond what the body can use at the moment. Retention of this excess leads  
to decomposition of the food and the production of irritating and toxic chemical wastes, which provide a fertile field for  
the growth of microbes and various species of bacte ria, which further increase the toxic state. DEFICIENCIES  
Deficiencies: The insufficiency of necessary food substances, such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals,  
vitamins, enzymes etc., lead to breakdown of cells, tissues and organs which is given names of diseases, according  
to its location. ENERVATION AND TOXEMIA CYCLE  
John Henry Tilden, M.D., formulated a theory of the cause of disease as due to a recurring cycle of enervation and  
toxemia. Enervation is the reduction or loss of energy occasioned  by the lack of rest or sleep, or the excessive use of emotion,  
negative thoughts, worry, stress, or the overdoing of physical actions, overeating etc. Enervation leads to a reduction  
of the body's ability to digest, absorb, assimilate and excrete body was tes - thus leading to a retention of wastes in the  
cells and tissues and thereby causing disease. Disease, in turn, causes a depletion of the body's energies, requiring more energy to maintain the normal state of  
homeostasis than ordinarily needed. This ex cess expenditure of power leads to a slowdown in bodily function, which  
is followed by an increased retention of bodily toxins in a cycle as follows:  
 
 
 copyright © Dr. Stanley S. Bass   (718) 648 -1500    www.drbass.com                                               17 
 
 
This ingenious cycle of enervation and toxemia as being the cause of all diseases (barring accidents or trauma) may  
be regarded as absolutely true if you add the additional factor of defici encies (which is omitted in the theory). FUNCTION OF THE BLOOD AND LYMPH  
The next important thing to be understood is this - the function of the blood and its circulation. Related to this is the  
understanding of the lymph circulation, the collateral circu latory system. All food and beverages which are consumed finally enter the bloodstream and are circulated in an endless flow to all  
bodily parts. All the food nutrients are supplied to every cell and all cellular wastes are removed in this unceasing dual  
function. WEAKEST ORGAN BREAKS DOWN FIRST  
Now, if disease occurs in one bodily organ or part from the presence of toxins or food excesses or uneliminated  
cellular wastes and excretions, you may be certain that these same wastes are being carried to all bod ily organs and  
cells by this same bloodstream. The weakest organ breaks down first manifesting disease. In time, the next weakest or overworked organ indicates  
malfunction, and is given a name of disease. The important thing to remember is that all bodily parts and cells are  
affected at the same time, with the weakest part manifesting first, followed by the next weakest. DETOXIFICATION  
Likewise, in the reverse manner, when you detoxicate the body by reducing the amount of food ingested, either  
partially (by a restricted diet or juice program), or totally, (by fasting or abstaining from all food except for the use of  
water), the blood removes all excessive wastes from all bodily parts and cells at the same time, a certain amount  
each day. NAMES OF DISEASE S CREATE ILLUSION  
Diseases are named according to the organ or part that they manifest in, creating the illusion that one disease is  
different from an other. For example, if an inflammation, called "itis," affects the bronchial tubes, the disease is called  
"bronchitis". If a nerve is inflamed, it is called "neuritis" etc., yet the same cause, the irritating toxins manifesting in  
different parts are given different names. If you were to give the same putrified food to many different peopIe, some  
would vomit;  some would have diarrhea; others would get headaches or fever or rashes or colds, each symptom  
depending upon which parts of each person were most sensitive. The point here is that the same cause would  
produce different and individualized symptoms in each  person. REMOVING CAUSE OF DISEASE  
The important thing to understand here is that whenever you remove all causes of disease, beginning with what a  
person eats and drinks, which is usually the most important and basic cause of all diseases, the body begins  to heal  
itself, no matter where the disease is located. EXAMPLE OF PATIENT  
When I began a study of disease for about 20 years at the age of 16, after which I practiced for an additional 40 years  
as a chiropractor and nutritionist, when taking a case hist ory of all the problems a patient has ever had up to the  
present, I would write all this down at the first visit. For example, a patient would say, "I have arthritis in my fingers with deformity, and I also have hardening of the  
arteries, high blood pressure and frequent headaches." After evaluating the lifestyle and diet, I would remove the  
undesirable foods from the diet and give a much higher quality diet, with proper food -combining, sequence of feeding,  
and amounts. In periodic visits, I would con tinue upgrading the quality of the diet progressively. ARTHRITIS EXAMPLE  
In the case of a 55 -year-old woman who had arthritis with deformed and crooked fingers, after 8 months I noticed that  
the fingers were straight and all knots were gone. I was puzzled  and asked her, "Weren't your fingers crooked when I  
first saw you 8 months ago?" She replied, "Yes, and I just had an examination by our family doctor, and I forgot to tell  
you, my colitis and hemorrhoids a also cured along with the arthritis." She had fo rgotten to mention these to me any of  
the visits. While healing the arthritis and reversing the crooked fingers, the body equally healed all other problems  
present at the same time, using the same bloodstream and lymph circulation. This was called "The Uni ty of All Disease" by the early Hygienic medical practitioners of the 19th century, who  
formulated the basic principles of what is today called "Natural Hygiene." copyright © Dr. Stanley S. Bass   (718) 648 -1500    www.drbass.com  18 
 
 
RARE DISEASES HEAL AUTOMATICALLY  
Dr. Herbert M. Shelton, who gathered together the best teachings of the early practitioners of Natural Hygiene and  
brilliantly formulated it into a cohesive, practical system, once said that diagnosis is really the least im portant part of  
getting well. What is really important is to know the basic principles and laws of life, to know what the body needs to get well and  
stay well food -wise, and to provide these needs, and magically, the body takes care of all the rest. All yo u have to  
know is what foods and amounts are best for the body, and to provide the proper conditions of rest, and the body  
heals itself. Even if a person has a baffling, rare disease and the diagnosis is unknown, if he or she eats properly, or fasts if  
necessary in addition, the body will surely heal itself, as long as sufficient vitality is present. Diagnosis is a man -made art which the body intelligence is not concerned with. All the body needs is the right  
materials (foods) and conditions (rest, proper s tate of mind, such as absence of fear, etc.) and it knows what to do to  
get well, unfailingly. NATURE'S HEALING INTELLIGENCE  
Given that your father and mother contributed the sperm cell and ovum, or egg -cell, and they united together and in 9  
months produ ced the miracle which is you, all done by Nature without the conscious direction of your parents or  
yourself, you can trust absolutely that Nature has the amazing healing intelligence to make you well again. The Power  
that made you has the Power to heal yo u. The best doctor is the one who understands this and assists Nature in this miraculous process by recommending the  
best foods your body needs, as well as the proper conditions of rest and non -interference, and to get out of the way - 
to step aside and al low Nature to proceed with her work, undisturbed by pills or potions. Many times in my practice patients have forgotten to tell me about other health problems than the one they came in  
for, and with the elimination of that one, all the others improved or d isappeared too. ALL BODIES HAVE SAME REQUIREMENTS  
There is one bloodstream which both nourishes the body and removes all diseases. There is one Nature, one life - 
force and all bodies have the same requirements - good food, proper rest and sleep, some sunlight, a moderate  
amount of exercise, and proper thought. If you provide these requirements, Nature (which is God manifesting on the  
material plane) will unfailingly heal you. "All the rest is jazz," as the expression goes - all the rest is secondary in  
importance. All living creatures know this intuitively, and it's time that we, as intelligent humans, become aware of it consciously. INACCURACY OF DIAGNOSIS  
There are so many systems of diagnosis - medical, Oriental (ayurvedic), Chinese (meridians),zone  therapy,  
iridiagnosis, sclerotic diagnosis, reflexes, Naturopathy, x -ray, applied kinesiology, pulse and tongue diagnosis, germ  
theory, virus theory, genetics, etc., etc. The Mayo Clinic, one of the most prestigious in the world, admits that their diagnos is is 50% accurate at best, and  
50% inaccurate in the rest. This is followed by their prognosis or prediction of the possible outcome, which is equally  
inaccurate. They are completely unable to state the healing possibilities of non -medical or natural appr oaches to  
disease since they have never studied or used them and find them completely unknown. What is there to be said about lesser institutions than the Mayo Clinic, where the diagnosis is even less accurate,  
even with the most expensive machinery as the  MRI etc., which have their percentage of inaccuracies also? TREATING SYMPTOMS  
In all diagnostic systems there is never total accuracy, but a varying percentage at best. While there may be some  
value in each of the systems after the diagnosis is made, esp ecially by the leading medical institutions, after the  
pronouncements and names of disease are given, what will they tell you to do to get well? They haven't the slightest idea, and, according to the most authoritative medical textbooks on Symptomatology a nd 
Pathology, the majority of diseases listed are stated to have causes which are "unknown." So all they can do is what  
they have been trained to do - to treat symptoms, to use drugs, surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, etc. None of these  
are aimed at removing causes, but rather directed at removing bodily parts and consigning them to surgical garbage  
pails. EASY REVERSAL OF ILLNESS  
Once the truth of how to live is understood, the process of illness can be reversed more or less painlessly by  
intelligen t living, and good health can then be easily maintained by persistence in good habits. UNDERSTANDING BASIC PRINCIPLES OF DISEASE AND HEALTH  
As Dr. Shelton said, once the basic principles of disease and health are understood, diagnosis takes a position of  
secondary importance. Once we know what the body requires for good health, if symptoms of illness arise, you know  
where to begin and what to do, and the healing power of Nature takes over and does the rest. copyright © Dr. Stanley S. Bass   (718) 648 -1500     www.drbass.com                                               19 
 
 
Many times in my personal life symptoms appeared which were baffling, but I would always begin with physical and  
physiological rest (fasting or a juice program) and I always became well. In my many years of practice, there were times that the symptoms presented by patients were so contradictory and  
baffling, but trusting nature, I would advise bed rest and reduction or cessation of food during acute phases, and after  
a few days improvement would follow. And most of these patients had come from medical treatments which hadn't  
helped them. There are emergencies due to injuries which require medical and hospital care, also conditions  
requiring hormones, such as diabetes, etc., but, barring these emergencies, the great majority of symptoms will  
respond to a simple, natural approach, one known to primitive races and cultures. DIET ADVICE RESPONSE  
About 18 years ago, I wrote a booklet entitled, "Achieving Superior Nutrition through Progressive Weekly Diets." This  
was written for beginners in nutrition coming from a conventional diet. I designed 7 progressive weekly diets,  
beginning with moderate changes in diet for the first week. Each successive week was more advanced, and b y the 
7th week they were on a high -quality maintenance diet, laid out in proper food -combining and sequence. The book had a wide circulation, was translated into French by the Canadian Natural Hygiene Society, and into  
Hebrew and Greek by Natural Hygienist s. After several months, I began to receive letters stating how conditions of  
arthritis and high blood pressure cleared up and became normal, how acne and psoriasis improved, weight loss,  
energy increase, disappearance of infections, tumors decreasing in s ize, reversal of glaucoma and changes occurring  
in a wide variety of conditions and diseases. Now these were people I had never seen, diagnosed, or consulted with. All these changes had occurred just by  
upgrading their diets - by following a booklet I had written. To repeat, without any diagnosis available to me, from  
people unknown to me, all these remarkable changes occurred just by improving their diets. FASTER HEALING IF CHEERFUL  
What price diagnosis? How important is it if you know how to eat properly ? The true key to understanding health and  
disease is to know what food substances and amounts the body needs for optimal health, and once known, healing is  
only a matter of time and energy available. The greater the energy, the quicker the healing - the more cheerful the state of mind, the more energy is conserved  
and utilized for healing. In Chinese literature, there is a saying that, "The art of the Healer is to amuse the patient  
while Nature does the healing." BEST WAY TO TREAT PATIENTS  
So what is the  conclusion to all this? The best way to treat patients is to use whatever diagnostic knowledge is  
available, but not to be overly concerned with the accuracy of it. Next, to reduce drugs slowly by increments as the patient improves by the removal of poor quality food and replacing  
it with the best quality available. Organic food should be used if available, and the meals should contain all the  
important and necessary proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals, etc. The total daily amount of food consumed shou ld be the minimal amount the appetite can be happy with (to avoid toxic  
accumulation and energy loss) for maximum longevity. Luigi Cornaro, who lived in Padua, Italy in the 1400's, who was dying at 35 years of age, reduced his food to a total of  
12 ounces per day, divided into 2 meals of 6 oz each, and 7 ounces of grape juice. In one year's time, he was  
completely recovered from all illness and lived in vigorous health to 102. When he died, he fell asleep in his rocking  
chair and painlessly left his body, i n a state of total peace. MOST KNOWLEDGE IS STILL UNDISCOVERED  
The final factor to consider is this - all the knowledge we have of the human body from most ancient times to the  
present represents but a tiny amount compared to that which is unknown, myster ious and undiscovered. Most of what we know is based upon experiments conducted on cells and tissues studied in a laboratory, in a dying  
state, far removed from what happens in the living state in which the Life Force is active with thousands of enzymes  
constantly being manufactured, constantly affecting each cell. This is not seen in the laboratory. Finally, all our discoveries are theories which every few years become obsolete and have to become revised, showing  
how far we are from final truths. TRUST IN  NATURE  
Isn't it much wiser to trust in the best intelligence present in Nature, who has mastered and successfully used all the  
principles of Life and used them successfully to maintain all life forms from the beginning of time? An attitude of humility and  openness is clearly indicated if we are to learn how to live more intelligently, hopefully and  
joyfully, so that we may fulfill our destiny and evolution in accordance with Nature's grand plan for man's highest  
happiness. www.drbass.com/solveproblems.htm l 
 
 
 copyright © Dr. Stanley S. Bass   (718) 648 -1500    www.drbass.com  20 
 
 
How to Solve Problems Objectively  
from "Overcoming Compulsive Habits"  
"What you will see with this method will prove to be a literal revelation. Perplexing incidents  
which have occurred in the past will reveal their solutions with a clarity that will startle you as you  
become adept at this technique." HOW SEE OUR PROBLEM AS ANOTHER PERSON WOULD? How often do we find it necessary to seek out a good friend whose judgement we trust, who will listen to us as we  
discuss a problem which we are unable to solve? How easy it is for another person to see where we are in error and  
to give us sensible advice and guidance. Why do they see things that we cannot see? The  answer is because we are emotionally involved and the intellect has  
become obscured by our strong emotions which make objective analysis most difficult if not impossible. Since the  
emotions represent the chief barrier to logical and intelligent analysis w hich may lead to a successful solution of the  
problem, how is it possible to be able to see our problem as another person would? How are we to obtain an objective  
view? ANCIENT METHOD  
The following method, ancient in its origin, has been practiced by several civilizations dating back for thousands of  
years. It is a technique which should be practiced by every person who is desirous of putting order, meaningfulness  
and sanity in his everyday existence. With it he will learn to solve all problems ultimat ely which may arise, if he  
persists daily in this method. It is the method which I have used for over 25 years and it has never failed me, whenever I used it properly. COMPLETE MAKEOVER TECHNIQUE  
What is even more important, with this technique, one can m ake himself or herself completely over, changing  
personality and even character at will. You will be able to see your errors in thinking and behavior as clearly and objectively as if you were studying another  
person's behavior. As the truth about yourself unfolds, your thinking will become clear and your actions will be correct. DON'T WASTE TIME AND ENERGY  
When faced with a nagging problem, it is important to avoid trying to solve it during working hours, where your  
attention is required elsewhere. Do not allow your mind to flit back and forth, time and time again on the problem. It is  
wasteful of energy and if continued with deep emotional involvement, it leads to tension, irritability, worry and finally  
exhaustion. To try to solve a problem when other dut ies are pressing in, prohibits us from gathering our thoughts together logically  
and is an unprofitable waste of time and energy and can only lead to frustration. HOW TO BEGIN YOUR REVIEW OF THE PROBLEM  
It is best to refuse to consider all thoughts relati ng to the problem and wait until you are able to be alone and free from  
the responsibility and pressure of work. Then, when alone in a quiet place, sit in a comfortable chair or lie down and  
begin your review of the problem, step by step in the ensuing man ner. JUST BEFORE SLEEP  
To begin, this technique should be practiced at night, just before sleep. If this time is inconvenient, it may be done in  
the morning instead, immediately after awakening, but the power and the possibilities of this exercise will th en be  
lessened. After getting into bed and settling himself down with legs fully stretched out, he must set out to visit the man he used  
to be and events he has earlier experienced. REVERSE ORDER  
He begins to direct his consciousness to the past. The chie f events of the day should be reviewed in reverse order. Pick out a few major occurrences, activities or reflections which possess same importance both from a personal and  
from a philosophic viewpoint, starting from the present moment and slowly working on e's way backward from one  
experience, idea or feeling to another. EXAMPLE  
For example, take the last meaningful incident in the day which occurred. Review everything that happened from the beginning to the end of the incident. Examine what your initial thoughts  
were, what feelings and emotions you experienced, what words were said and what your replies were. Finally take a  
look at the actions you performed immediately afterward. copyright © Dr. Stanley S. Bass   (718) 648 -1500    www.drbass.com                                               21 
 
 
If you feel that your thoughts feelings, emotions, words or actions were unsatisfactory according to the highest  
standards which you wish to maintain, then try to determine the reasons for your behavior. This should be done in a  
critical but impartial, objective and fair manner. There should be no rationalizations permitted here for wrong behavior. PROJECT ON MOVIE SCREEN  
Emotional identification with your behavior as you are reviewing it s hould be totally prohibited. You are to take the  
viewpoint of an outsider who is analyzing the situation for a friend. Review the incident as if it were projected on a  
movie screen and observe the scenes with yourself performing in it just as if you were w atching actors in a moving  
picture. The purpose of this is sever any emotional involvement with the performer (yourself) on the screen. The truth will be  
revealed to you in ratio to the amount of objectivity present. If you could see yourself as if you were another person, completely free of any emotional or egoistic connection, then  
you will see the complete truth of the situation and all of its errors with total objectivity. SUBSTITUTE EACH ERROR FOR CORRECT BEHAVIOR  
Once again, in reviewing each inci dent, as you discover each error, substitute the correct behavior in its place and  
see it acted out in an ideal manner. Make each correction in the entire story or scene which unfolds until you are  
completely satisfied that the entire incident has been per formed correctly, ideally and in accordance with the highest  
standards which you aspire to. As you are calmly observing this person as you would a total stranger, you are critically judging its thoughts, feelings  
and deeds, impartially and quite sternly, t hus creating an effective method of self -improvement. This will purify your motivation, educate your emotions, strengthen your willpower and improve your mental capacity. You will be making the fullest use of memory to effectively improve your character. EVEN SIMPLER APPROACH  
When beginning this practice, if you find that after several tries you are still having difficulty in maintaining objectivity  
and that you are still emotionally involved with the person (yourself) that you are observing in the scene, there is even  
a simpler approach which you may use which will unfailingly produce total objectivity. You should change the face of the performer to that of another person, say a friend, a member of the family or even a  
complete stranger. This will insure c omplete objectivity without fail. See that person who has a different face and body  
projected outwardly on a movie screen and going through the experiences and thoughts that you have gone through  
the day before. Make a critical appraisal of the chief thoug hts, feelings and actions that transpired from the beginning  
to end of each incident. Analyze that person's thought and behavior as emotionally detached as if you were giving  
advice to a friend who requested it. DAILY PRACTICE  
What you will see with this method will prove to be a literal revelation. Perplexing incidents which have occurred in the  
past will reveal their solutions with a clarity that will startle you as you become adept at this technique. It takes about 2 weeks of daily practice before this exercise becomes easy and natural. From there on, the enjoyment  
of it will increase daily and progressively, and it will prove to be a indispensable tool for intelligent self -study. PEACE OF MIND  
It will lead to meaningful and purposeful living each day, and in time a great peace will settle upon your heart and  
mind, as your life becomes integrated in all departments -- physically, mentally and spiritually. www.drbass.com/cornaro.html  
Learn from Luigi Cornaro  
"How to Live One Hundred Years"  
From "In Searc h of the Ultimate Diet - Volume I" by Stanley Bass  
An example of how life may be prolonged to advanced years by abstemious living which allows  
the body to conserve its energy, is found in the following examples from "  The Art of Living Long  " 
by Luigi Cornaro, published in 1558 in Padua, Italy. - “Eat what you like, when you like and die  
young.”  
 
LUIGI CORNARO LIVED 102 YEARS  
If you follow a minimal diet you can achieve super nutrition. Let's look at Luigi Cornaro, a man who at age 35 was  
weak, sick, a nd dying. copyright © Dr. Stanley S. Bass   (718) 648 -1500    www.drbass.com  22 
 
 
At the time, he consulted the medical heads of Genoa, Italy. He asked the doctors, "What can I do?" Finally, one  
smart doctor said, "Look, Luigi," (Luigi was a nobleman) "cut down on your riotous living, stop the drinking, cut out the  
rich food, eat as little as you can, and don't abuse your body. You can get well." So Luigi started to live what he called the "temperate life," "La Vita Sobra", the name of the book which he wrote later,  
The Sober Life. He reduced his food, cutting down to twelve ounces a day of solid foods divided into two meals and  
pure grape juice, fourteen ounces, also divided into two servings. Immediately Luigi began to feel better, and  at the end of the year he was in perfect health, completely free of all  
problems, just on this small amount of food. He lived on this minimal diet from age 35 until 85. Then his relatives ganged up on him. They said, "Luigi, you're an old man, you have t o keep up  
your strength. You have to start eating more. Luigi, you gotta eat more!" They annoyed him so  
much with their advice that just to shut them up he agreed to increase his food. He increased it  
from twelve to fourteen ounces - that's only four tablespoons of food more. Immediately Luigi  
became violently ill; within three days he had a high fever. Within seven days he was near  
death. So he said, "I'm through with this. I'm going to go back to my old diet." Within a few days he  
became well again, and he lived in a state of unbroken health and happiness until the age of  
102. When he died, he died in an ideal way. He was in his rocking chair. He closed his eyes,  
took a nap, and didn't wake up. There was no pain or suffering, ever. His mind was clear as a 
bell until the very end, no senility, no memory loss. Indeed, one of the things he wrote about in  
his discourses was that his hearing and vision were perfect He retained all his senses. That's something you don't  
see today. Okay, this is the value of  a minimal diet. Now, Cornaro did not eat the quality of food that we recommend. They didn't  
know about the importance of fresh food in those days, the late 1400's, early 1500's. Luigi ate a little meat; he ate an  
egg yolk; he had panado, which was a veget able soup with a little tomato; he had grape juice; and he had bread. He  
used to dip the bread in the soup. That was his diet. That's all he ate. He didn't want to eat fish because it didn't agree  
with him, and he didn't eat chicken. He ate a little meat. On that diet, which we natural nutritionists would call low  
quality, he lived to 102. I've always wondered what would have happened had he lived on our quality of food. He might have gone on to 150. 1 ounce=28.5 grams       12 ounces=342 grams       14 ounces=399 grams  
 
From "How to Overcome Compulsive Habits" by Stanley Bass:  
 
LUIGI CORNARO ON "HOW TO LIVE ONE HUNDRED YEARS"  
This book (How to Overcome Compulsive Habits) would not be complete without telling the classical story of an  
Italian nobleman nam ed Luigi Cornaro who was born in 1467 in Padua, Italy. The remarkable story of his life has  
been an inspiration to countless numbers of people for almost 500 years, and it is wise that we take a close look at  
the lessons to be learned from a study of his e xperiences. The wisdom to be gleaned deals with the following subjects:  
1. The making of good and bad habits, and the art and state of mind one should cultivate which leads to their  
control. Since this is the chief subject of our study in this book, it b ehooves us to draw heavily upon the  
experience of an individual who solved his problems in a rather remarkable manner. The method he used may be  
applied by all individuals without exception and the same benefits may be expected by all who do so. 2. How an  individual who was dying at 40 years of age brought himself to a state of good health in less than one  
year, and through the careful exercise of self -control prolonged his life to 102 years of age with the full  
preservation of all his faculties to the ver y end. The living of each day was a joy in his life at all times. 3. The amount of food necessary to sustain life. Since the quantity of food needed to maintain excellent health and  
spirits is so small, it is rather shocking to realize that all of us, wit h very few exceptions, overeat and produce an  
endless array of miseries in our lives in both mental and physical afflictions. The KEY to health and happiness is inextricably associated with the QUANTITY of food we consume daily. Each morsel we consume beyond what is absolutely necessary to sustain life, wastes physical and mental energy at a  
fearful rate. If any single factor were to be considered as the most important for health and happiness, this would be  
it. Those who are compulsive overeaters shoul d study, restudy and ponder deeply upon this question, for herein is  
contained the key to the solution of most of their daily problems. ...... PSYCHOLOGY, ENERGY AND FOOD  
Our states of mind are dependent upon our health and closely related to the amount o f food we consume. Dejection  
and melancholy are a projection into our conscious minds from our inner environment. Exhaustion of our energies by  
 
 copyright © Dr. Stanley S. Bass   (718) 648 -1500    www.drbass.com                                               23 
 
 
the excessive labors involved in metabolizing excess food reflects in our minds as melancholy, depression and  
negativity. The psychological implications here are enormous. ......  
 
A LONG LIFE FREE FROM SENILITY DEPENDS ON DIET  
Proper  diet is the most important factor in achieving a long life, one which is free from illness, senility, and  
decrepitude. It allows old age to be an enjoyable period of life wherein vigorous physical and mental activity is  
possible up to almost the very end of advanced years, without becoming helplessly immobilized and incapacitated. It  
allows natural death, a very rare phenomenon today, when it occurs to be as painless and as pleasant as going to  
sleep when fatigued. ......  
 
HEALTH AND LONGEVITY  
Let Luigi Co rnaro, in his own words tell you about his most interesting findings in his chapter On Health and  
Longevity. ................  
"THE MAKING OF GOOD AND BAD HABITS"  
"It is a thing past all doubt that custom, by time, becomes a second nature, ..... This is so undeniably true that virtuous men, by conversing with the wicked, very often fall into the same vicious  
course of life. The contrary, likewise, we see sometimes happen: viz, that, as good morals easily change to bad, so  
bad morals change again to good. For  instance, let a wicked man, who was once virtuous, keep company with a  
virtuous man, and he will again become virtuous; and this alteration can be attributed to nothing but the force of habit,  
which is, indeed, very great." "NEVER SICK AGAIN"  
"..... to le ad a regular life. And it is not to be doubted that, were a patient so recovered to live in that manner, he could  
never be sick again, as it removes every cause of illness, and so for the future he would never want either physician  
or physic. Nay, by attending duly to what I have said, he would become his own physician, and indeed the best he  
could have, since, in fact, no man can be a perfect physician to any one but himself." LUIGI'S RULES FOR HEALTH AND LONGEVITY  
The Two Rules for Maintaining Healt h and Prolonging Life: These were reduced to two things, quality and quantity. The first, namely quality, consists in not eating foods or drinking liquids harmful to the stomach. "The second, which is quantity, consists in not eating or drinking more than the stomach can easily digest, which  
quantity and quality every man should be a perfect judge of by the time he is forty or fifty or sixty." .....  
"I felt like singing a song after my simple meals." Cornaro was of the conviction that no constitution could withstand excessive eating. To state it clearly, the inevitable  
conclusion was: "eat what you like, when you like and die young." At ninety -five years of age Luigi Cornaro had all his faculties, as good as ever; his judgement, memory and spirits  
were undi minished. To the very end of his days, his life was active. To the last moment, he continued his exhortations that all partake of the joys of small meals as a sure guarantee of  
physical, mental and emotional happiness. At the age of 102, while sitting in h is rocking chair, he closed his eyes in a peaceful sleep which was final. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
NOTE:  The books from where the above excerpts come, “In Search of the Ultimate Diet - Volume I” - and “How to Overcome Compulsive  
Habits”, can be purchased/downloaded at the BOOKS -page. Read Introduction by Herbert M. Shelton to Cornaro's “Discourses on a Sober and Temperate Life”  
Read the Introduction by Hereward Carrington. Read the complete Luigi Cornaro's “Discourses on the sober life/How to live 100 years” at the free Soil and Health Library - (choose Health  
Library/Alternative Medical Therapies) - http://www.soilandhealth.org  
www.drbass.com/addiction.html  
The Causes of Addiction to Habits  
The St imulation - Depression Mechanism  
from "Overcoming Compulsive Habits"  
 
The Secret of Habits  
Whenever we change a long -standing habit, a new pattern is at first unpleasant. - After short time it becomes  
tolerable. After we become accustomed to it, it become s enjoyable. - Finally, after a time, the new habit becomes  
dispensable and as strong and habitual as the placed previous undesirable habit was. THE STIMULATION AND DEPRESSION MECHANISM  
The key which unlocks the mystery of why most habits are difficult to break lies in the understanding of the stimulation  
and depression mechanism. Once this is thoroughly grasped, we are greatly strengthened to cope with the reactions  
and feelings which occur as soon as we begin to try to change a habit. copyright © Dr. Stanley S. Bass   (718) 648 -1500    www.drbass.com  24 
 
 
COFFEE ADDICT  
As an analogy, let us take a look at what happens when a coffee addict tries to give up this habit. He arises in the morning, feeling tired and sluggish. Without the cup or two of coffee, his "eye opener", nothing feels  
right. He just doesn't feel quite "himself". Why does he feel so letdown? If he doesn't have his "fix" within a couple of  
hours, he may feel a headache coming on. Why is this happening? CAFFEINE ELIMINATION BATTLE  
The explanation is as follows:  
Whenever any poison is ingested into the body - in this instance it is the caffeine in the coffee - the presence of this  
dangerous enemy in the vital domain is spotted by the autonomic nervous system . The nervous system sends a  
warning signal to the appropriate brain center, which tells the body that an enemy has invaded the household and to  
prepare for battle. Since the caffeine is a poison and can damage the body, the brain center which is concerned  with the survival of the  
body against internal enemies sends a signal to the heart, telling it to pick up speed so that the blood will circulate  
more rapidly to the organs of elimination and thus discard this caffeine as soon as possible to avoid internal  injury. When the heart beat (or pulse) accelerates in tempo, this increases the blood circulation and it registered in the mind  
as a feeling of exhilaration or wellbeing, such as the excitement we experience when we engage in sports or any  
vigorous exercise. This "high" feeling is enjoyable and exciting and quickly becomes addictive and we crave its  
repetition more and more often. INDEX  
(1) Stimulated, alert  
(2) Active, keyed up, nervous, irritable, clumsy, panicky  
(3) Overactive, intoxicated, negative  
(4) Uncontrolled, wildly excited  
 
(A) Tired, absentminded, sniffy, itchy, queasy  
(B) Mentally fatigued, achy, puffy, wheezy, may have rashes  
(C) Confused, dopey, morose, withdrawn or panicky  
(D) Depressed, disoriented, amnesic, or stuporous. THE TRAP - FATIGUE  
Now here is the catch or trap:  
In its struggle to cast out the enemy, the body (through its increased heart and circulatory effort) has expended an enormous  
amount of nervous energy which it subsequently attempts to recuperate in  order to preserve life. The heart which was  
overactivated now slows down, the blood circulation decreases and the nerves begin to rest. This registers in the brain as  
fatigue, weariness and mental depression. The more rapid the heart beat or pulse was, th e more accentuated these feelings of  
depression are which follow as an inevitable consequence. REST MUST FOLLOW OVERSTIMULATION  
Every stimulation or overactivation of the heart must be followed by a corresponding rest, if life is to continue - every high must 
be followed by a corresponding low. Just like the pendulum of a clock - the further it goes to the right, the further it must go to  
the left until the body is fully recharged and equilibrium or a state of normalcy is reached. AFTER STIMULATION - DEPR ESSION  
The physiological law which is involved is called the Law of Dual Effects, which states that "all agents which are taken into  the 
body or which come in contact with it from without occasion a twofold and contrary action the secondary action being th e 
opposite of the primary one". (If the primary action is stimulation, the secondary effect is depression). copyright © Dr. Stanley S. Bass   (718) 648 -1500    www.drbass.com                                               25 
 
 
HANGOVERS AND FATIGUE  
It is supposed by Hans Seyle and Randolph who wrote on stress, that the stimulated alert state results from the release of  
stimulating adaptive adrenal hormones. As fatigue or the wearing out of the adrenal responses makes the hormones less  
availab le, hangovers (letdowns and loss of energy) begin to predominate. CHILDREN GET OVERACTIVE - ADULTS GET DEPRESSIVE  
Children and adolescents when adapting show mainly the overactive, stimulated side of the reaction presumably because their  
hormonal adaptive  responses are more vigorous than those of older people, in whom the picture of failing adaptation is more  
depressive, dopey and withdrawn. "The more rapid the heart beat or pulse was, the more accentuated these feelings of depression are, which  
follow as an inevitable consequence." The "Power" of Habit Explained  
from "Overcoming Compulsive Habits"  
DR. HERBERT SHELTON QUOTES  
Relative to this subject and of great value to our understanding of how the stimulation and depression mechanism works, I  
quote the brilliant Dr. Herbert M. Shelton in his "  Human Life, Its Philosophy and Laws  " : 
"This Law (Law of Dual Effects) explains the power of habit. The temporary "relief" from symptoms and the short period of exa ltation are  
followed by worse symptoms and depres sion, so that the individual resorts to the drug for more relief and more exaltation. He cannot  
tolerate the depression of power that inevitably follows the added impulse of power induced by tea, coffee, tobacco, alcohol,  opium, or other  
drug. "The heighte ned sensibilities, pleasurable sensations, joyous emotions induced by opium soon pass, leaving the terrors of hell in their w ake. The "brilliancy" of thought and intellect and ecstacy of enjoyment give way to languor, stupidity and horror unutterable. The  user resorts  
again to his drug to revive the former state. "His body does not need and does not demand more opium. It needs and demands rest. But he craves more opium as a means of  
temporary "relief" from his intolerable suffering. The "relief" produces more suffering, which calls for more relief" which produces more  
suffering which calls for more relief and so on until death brings complete and lasting relief. As the drug habitue becomes w eaker and more  
nervous, he requires more frequent doses, or strong er doses of his poison. "A striking confirmation of this view is supplied by the recently discovered fact that when there is no awareness of pain, th ere is no "craving"  
for morphine. Vandalistic neurologists have recently devised an operation which they ca ll prefrontal lobotomy, which consists of removal of a  
portion of the nerve fibers of the forehead to "relieve" unbearable pain. They find that when awareness of pain ceases, the " craving" for  
morphine also ceases and there are no "withdrawal symptoms", ex cept a transient mild tremor. I interpret this to mean that when there is no  
consciousness of pain, there is no mental desire for the accustomed means of "relief". I would interpret the so -called "withdrawal symptoms"  
in the same way. They grow, not out of  lack of morphine, but out of fear of pain. "Relieving" morphine -induced pain with more morphine is the height of medical insanity. "What temporarily strengthens permanently weakens. Tobacco steadies the nerves only to produce unsteadiness of them; alcohol  weakens  
permanently because it temporarily strengthens; tonics produce temporary strength and permanent debility; a cup of coffee rel ieves a  
headache only to fasten the headache upon the user; it relieves depression of spirits only to double the depression when it "wears off". This  
is the reason cathartics, that seem to strengthen the bowels weakens them. "Let any habitual user of any drug discontinue his drug for a few days and he will experience in their fullness all the secon dary effects - only 
to find that these may all be made to disappear by a return to its use. Coffee "cures" the headache it has caused; whiskey re stores the  
feeling of strength it has wasted; tobacco the steadiness of nerves it has destroyed." STIMULANTS ACTIVATE AND DEPRESS  
To explain this in other words - All stimulants activate the body initially but depress it ultimately. All stimulants pick you up. Any  
ingested stimulant which causes the heart to beat faster is a physiological poison and should be shunned like a plague. In this case, when coffee is given up, the headache symptom which follows is due to the pain felt in the head from the  
congestion in the brain caused by the presence of the caffeine which is transported by the blood as it makes its circulating  
rounds throu gh the body to eventually reach the organs of elimination, whence it is discarded. Now, all addictive habits and compulsions are due to their stimulating character and the more stimulating they are, the more  
addictive they are and the more they draw us int o ever -increasing bondage. The cycle becomes more vicious as the habit is  
continued. As stimulation is repeated, in frequency, more recuperation is required than the body is able to receive in a night's sleep, so, in  
order to get the same feeling of exhila ration or "high" as he received before, the addict feels impelled to increase the frequency  
of his stimulant. Next, he feels that he needs to increase the amount of the dose. THE MORE STIMULANT - THE MORE REST NEEDED  
But each increase in dosage leads to a  further expenditure of energy, thus necessitating a greater need for recuperation or rest. As the deficit in rest accumulates mote rapidly, this inexorably leads to a greater let -down, thus forcing the addict to increase  
the amount of the dosage more and more until the whole body - mind system collapses from exhaustion. This is why it is so  
difficult to give up an addiction. No one likes to go through the feeling of "down" with its attendant depression. copyright © Dr. Stanley S. Bass   (718) 648 -1500    www.drbass.com  26 
 
 
Yet, it is during this recuperation or "down" phase that the body, nervous system and brain, recharges with energy. It is  
absolutely essential that we realize that thi s stage MUST be gone through if we are to restore structural, physiological and vital  
integrity to the body - if we are to restore our feelings, emotions and mind to a state of normal tone and wholeness. THE LAW OF VITAL ACCOMMODATION  
Continuing with Dr. Shelton, another closely related law follows which is called        the Law of Vital Accommodation - "Nature's  
Balance Wheel"   which states that:  
"The response of the vital organism to external stimuli is an instinctive one, based upon self -preservative in stinct which adapts itself to what  
ever influences it cannot destroy, or control, or avoid". "As we have shown, the violent actions following the first use of a poison are vital actions and represent an expenditure of vital power. If  
these actions were to go on forever to the end of individual life, with each repetition of the dose, speedy exhaustion would result and death  
ensue. Either these violent actions must continue so long as the incentive for continued pathological action persists, else s ome other  
principle of defense must be called into operation to conserve vital power and save life. "In a subsequent chapter I shall discuss more fully the means employed to conserve vital power. Here it must suffice to call attention to the  
fact that the accommodation does take place. All drugs, when long continued "fail to produce the same effect", hence, are said not "to act" . Ergot, for example, is said to have "lost its power", when by continued use, the same effects no longer follow. It should be rema rked, in  
passing, that this represents no loss in the drug, but a change in the body's mode of defense." "Toleration is a principle of self -preservation. We may say with Dunham that it is a reserve corps for self -preservation under certain  
persistent condi tions. It was Dunham's view that toleration does not apply to physiological processes, but applies only to pathological  
actions, in other words, we do not tolerate food, or air, or water, or warmth, or rest and sleep, but we do provide for toler ation of al cohol, or  
tobacco, or a bed of nails." "Because of his superior organization man's adaptive abilities are greater than those of any other animal and his resistance to the evil  
influences in his environment are greater. One may become "accustomed" to anythi ng short of hanging, no matter how repugnant or  
destructive it may be, providing time is given for the efficient operation of Nature's balance wheel, where a violent swaying  of vital activities  
from one extreme to the other is prevented. Only sudden and vi olent changes become immediately destructive of life. "Serious misinterpretation of the fact of toleration has led to grievous errors in practice. Because a habit does not seem im mediately  
destructive, we must not be deceived into believing it is non -injur ious, or even beneficial. The steady non -violent resistance to nicotine, for  
example, that the body must keep up, when tobacco is used, constitutes an equally steady drain upon the vital resources and k eeps the  
user always below par." To quote Dr. Shelton  further, on page 148 he states...  
"Depression"  
"It is now easy to understand the phenomenon of depression. It is merely the lessened activity or inactivity, the fatigue, of  an organ or an  
organism that is exhausted from previous activity, particularly fro m over -activity. The over -activity may be that of intensity or that of  
duration." www.drbass.com/temptation.html  
How to Overcome Temptation Instantaneously  
from "Overcoming Compulsive Habits"  
"Once the emotion creeps in, the struggle to gain control begins. It is this struggle with the emotions  
which produces the attendant suffering and misery. The very moment you realize that an undesirable  
craving has entered your consciousness, DON'T struggle with it. Absolutely REFUSE to consider its  
existence." INTRODUCTION  
-- The "doctrine of mentalism" demonstrates that our experience of the whole world is nothing but our thoughts of it. Nothing can come into human experience which does not come as thought. The truth of these statements, simple as they may  seem, has been known for thousands of years by Orientals and Asiatic  
philosophers and sages, and has likewise been acknowledged and accepted by the leading thinkers of all times up to the  
present day. In its last analysis, it may be simply expressed as fo llows:  
Every sensation, feeling, desire, and emotion - everything we experience, ultimately registers in our minds as thought. The only way we ever become aware of any feeling or idea is as a thought, and it is only then that we can recognize it. If we  do 
not experience it as a thought, we are unaware of its existence. The moment we experience it as thought, it becomes real to u s. 
 
THE LESS ATTENTION - THE LESS REAL  
"I think, therefore I am", Descartes stated as his conclusion after prolonged self -study. An  Asiatic sage once declared that "the  
world was just one's thought". Nothing exists but thinking makes it so, or simply stated - nothing can bother you unless you let  
it. copyright © Dr. Stanley S. Bass   (718) 648 -1500    www.drbass.com                                               27 
 
 
Any thought or idea becomes real in ratio to the amount of attention we give to it. The more we dwell on an idea, the stronge r 
and more real it becomes. Deeply concentrated attention on an object of thought may even make it objectively visible as  
hallucination, a common phenomenon in hypnosis or deep meditation. The less attention given to a thought, the less real it becomes. The world, all emotion, suffering, and problems cease to exi st for  
one who is unconscious, in a coma, or in a state of deep dreamless sleep. AVOID HURTFUL THOUGHTS  
We suffer in ratio to the degree of attention that we put on an undesirable thought. This thought produces an undesirable  
feeling at first, which is quickly followed by emotion. This merging with the emotion is called identification. This identification with unhealthy thoughts is the cause of all suffe ring. We should learn what is good for the body, the emotions and the mind and then identify with these though ts. Then let us learn  
to disidentify with those thoughts which are hurtful to us. THE KEY TO HAPPINESS  
The understanding of this profound principle and the use of its infallible technique is the key to happiness. With it you may  
shape your life in any manner that you wish. He who has the ability to choose his thoughts at will has the ability to control his destiny. He who accepts only the right t houghts  
- he who discriminatingly chooses the thoughts which are conducive to his highest physical, emotional  and mental wellbeing will  
perform the right actions at all times. THE NATURE OF THOUGHT  
All actions are always preceded by thoughts and follow thoughts. We are not ordinarily aware of this, due to the nature of  
thought. In one second, fifty or more thoug ht impressions may move through the mind with such incredible rapidity that we are  
for the most part unaware of what is taking place. A person who undertakes the practice of meditation is faced with the initial task of observing the behavior of thought whi le in a  
relaxed state. The endless series of thoughts following each other in amazingly rapid succession immediately becomes evident  
to the observer. The next stage of controlling or slowing down these thoughts or even of focussing them on a single subject  indicates how  
difficult a task it is. We are then made aware that we have been prisoners of the thought process all the time without knowin g it. PRACTICAL APPLICATION  
We may now ask, "How does knowing this help us? How can we use this knowledge in a prac tical way to improve our lives - to 
live the good life?" The answer may now be given. Once you have thought a thing out to the very end and have reached a decision that a thing is not good for you and you  
definitely want to give it up, then absolutely refu se to consider it even for a second from that moment on - forever - if need be. As soon as you determine  
(a)  what you must avoid and  
(b)  what you must do to improve your health  
- this should be followed by a watchful attention to the thoughts which pass through your mind. Just as soon as you become aware that you desire a food which you have resolved to avoid - at that very moment - without a  
second's delay, refuse to think about it. You must he very alert here. Just a few seconds of involvement or identification with the desire may suffice to arouse you emotionally, and if you are weak  
(unattentive - that is all that weakness is), you will find that you are becoming overshadowed and obsessed by the emotion of  
the desire. If you play with the desire you will soon be lost. The emotion will be in and you will be out. DO NOT STRUGGLE  
Once the emotion creeps in, the struggle to gain control begins. It is this struggle with the emotions which produces the  
attendant suffering and misery. The very moment yo u realize that an undesirable craving has entered your consciousness, don't  
grit your teeth or try to use willpower to force it out of the mind. Don't struggle with it. Any fighting with the thought wi ll only  
accentuate it and make it stronger and you will  end up becoming frustrated and upset. Don't risk losing the battle. Just simply  
drop the desire/thought from your field of attention. - 
Absolutely refuse to consider its existence. Instead, at this very moment immediately put your mind on another subject. Let it be any unrelated subject which will hold your  
interest and give it your full attention. Keep your attention fully immersed until you are completely calm. Then you may go a bout 
your business as usual. Emotions are much stronger than reason in most p eople. Emotions will always dictate to reason or intellect. Remember as we  
said before, thoughts move with the speed of lightning, but they can always be recognized by an alert attention. THE TRAP OF OVERCONFIDENCE  
A word of caution must be interjected an d emphasized here. copyright © Dr. Stanley S. Bass   (718) 648 -1500    www.drbass.com  28 
 
 
A beginner in this practice is apt to commit the error of being overconfident that he can cut off the desire/thoughts anytime  he 
wishes. He will thus allow himself the liberty of dwelling on the sensations of visualizing, eating and enjoying the food he wishes  
to avoid. He continues in this manner for just a few minutes and before he knows it the trap has been sprung. The next thing he is aware of is that he is saying to himself, "Oh I know that I can give it up. Today is not a good day for this. I'm  
a little nervous now. I will give it up tomorrow without fail." He has lost the battle already. If he has exceptional willpower, he will cut off all id entification with the desire here, and steel himself to the importance of the  
desired goal. And after a struggle against his emotions, he may succeed. EMOTIONS ARE STRONGER THAN REASON  
What has happened here? The explanation is this - once the strong sens es or emotions are aroused, the intellect or the  
reasoning faculty becomes overshadowed. The emotions are stronger than the reason and tend to have the final say. The logical sense becomes its slave and begins to justify the emotional behavior with false l ogic. It finds all kinds of  
rationalizations to justify the fulfillment of the desire at that moment, the chief one being procrastination (starting self -control  
later or tomorrow). The emotions have conquered! Hours later, after you have satisfied your desires, you reflect on what has happened. Once your  
emotions have subsided you realize very clearly that you have been tricked. This can happen over and over again daily even fo r 
years. I know one fellow who has been rationalizing for ten years and anothe r who has fallen into this trap for fifteen years - always  
starting tomorrow. Whatever you do; - don't play this game. Watch your thoughts at all times whenever you are in the presence of temptation and  
don't let yourself get aroused. After a few weeks or less these temptations will begin to subside and you'll be able to relax your alertness with increasing  
safety. However, it is wise to be alert to the mind's tricks until you are firmly anchored in the new desired habit. BE VERY ALERT TO NEGATIVE THOUGHTS  
With just a little practice you will develop the knack of immediately dispelling undesired thoughts just as quickly as they a rise; 
with almost no effort. It is simply a matter of learning how and where to place your attention. Through continued practice y ou will become very alert to all negative thoughts and you will be able to use this technique in ALL  
departments of life to achieve self -mastery with ease. The simplicity of this technique is amazing. You will instantly be able to  
succeed in overcoming emo tions which have victimized you for years. TECHNIQUE FOR RIGHT THOUGHT -HABITS  
I know of several other people who struggled for years trying to get up enough willpower to overcome bad habits. Some had  
very strong wills and would succeed for a period of tim e, but when they became careless and dwelled upon their previous bad  
habit -cravings, their emotions took over and they were pulled back into doing the wrong things. DON'T PLAY WITH UNDESIRABLE THOUGHTS... Shun them as you would the plague. Only when you h ave become well established in the right habit pattern is it safe to play  
with memories of food or habit addictions. To reach a safe plateau involves time - weeks for some and months for most people. Even then, don't do it. There's no point to  
it. Put your  mind on the habits you want to cultivate and keep it there - always - whenever you think of the subject. Just do the right things and keep doing them until they become a habit. Then you will become addicted to the right habits and  
reap the inevitable rewa rd; joyous health, happiness and peace of mind at all times.
Natural_Hygiene_Overview_by_Stanley_Bass.txt
Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        Feel that you hav e become that coolness; it is becoming a part  
of your body. Allow its ripples to spread, and you will feel a coolness all over your body. In this way your sensitivity can grow, and you can become more alive and more filled. We are feeling frustrated, vacan t - empty, and we go on talking that life is empty. But we are the reason. We are not  
filling it and we are not allowing anything to fill it. We have an armor around us - a defense armor, We are afraid to be vulnerable, so we go on defending against  
everyt hing. And then we become tombs - dead things. ”  
"Tantra says be alive, more alive, because life is God. There is no other God than life. Be more alive, and you will be  
more Divine. Be totally alive, and there is no death for you (p. 392). " ALERTNESS  
While  eating, eat: chew with awareness. Whatsoever you are doing, don't do it mechanically. Walk with alertness, and you will walk differently: a different grace comes to your walking. You move more slowly,  
more beautifully. When I say "feel", I mean observe. First do it mechanically and then with awareness, and you will be able to feel the  
difference. For example, if you eat with awareness, then you cannot eat more than is needed by the body. CONSCIOUSNESS  
People go on coming to me and they say, "Put us on a diet. " I tell them: Don't think of diet. Think of consciousness. By dieting nothing will happen. You cannot do it. You will do it one day and the next day it will go. You cannot continue  
it. Rather eat with awareness. The quality changes. If you eat with  awareness, you will chew more. With unconscious  
mechanical habits, you simply go on pushing things into your stomach. You are not chewing at all: you are just  
stuffing. Then there is no pleasure, and because there is no pleasure, you need more food in order to get the pleasure. There  
is no taste, so you need more food. Just be alert and see what happens. If you are alert, you will chew more, you will feel the taste more, you will feel the  
pleasure of eating. And much more time will be taken. If you take  half an hour to eat your meal, then by taking the same quantity of a meal with full awareness you will need  
1 1/2 hours - thrice the time. In half an hour you will have eaten only one -third of the quantity, and you will feel more  
fulfilled: you will have enjoyed the meal more. THE BODY TELLS YOU TO STOP  
And when the body enjoys, it tells you when to stop. When the body has not enjoyed at all, it never says when to stop,  
so you go on. Then the body becomes dull. You never hear what the body is saying. You are eating without being there: that creates the problem. Be there, and every process will be slowed down. The body will itself say, "No more. " And when the body says it, that  
is the right moment. If you are aware, you cannot trespass the body's order. Yo u will stop. So allow your body to say something. The body is saying things every moment, but you are not there to hear it. Be  
alert and you will hear it. CHAOS BECOMING SYMPHONY  
The emphasis is on feeling because the emphasis is on a "lived" experience. When you start feeling things, you grow:  
your being grows. copyright © Dr. Stanley S. Bass   (718) 648 -1500    www. drbass. com  16 
 
 
Right now you are chaotic because there is no arrangement: the arrangement comes in when you start being aware. Just by being aware things start falling in line, and this chaos that you are becomes a symphony. MEDITATION OVER FOOD  
For those who practice meditation, the use of eating as a meditation is the easiest of all meditations to master. We,  
as all livi ng creatures, are thoroughly experienced in eating, a practice we have done all our lives, several times a day  
since birth. It does not involve difficult concentration as ordinary meditation techniques do. The pleasure involved in eating, automatically hol ds the interest of attention, almost effortlessly. This is the reason  
why this eating technique of meditation has been held in especially high regard by the most ancient practitioners of  
Tantra - since its practice leads to a profound transformation in a r elatively short period of time, with a minimum of  
effort. Every time you eat, several times a day, you'll be practicing meditation and this leads to rapid progress and  
attainment when done with your full attention. CONCLUSION  
The great pleasure resulting from satisfying such a most basic instinct as eating leads to a tremendous inner peace,  
joy and bliss which spreads over all the feelings and emotions, both conscious and subconscious. The resulting  
happiness leads to a persistent satisfaction with all of life, which keeps constantly growing and spreading in intensity. It may seem greatly exaggerated to most persons, but it must be actually experienced, not intellectually considered, to  
be believed. The idea that such a simple practice could lead to such pr ofound changes in feeling is difficult to  
conceive. Yet, these results are the legacy experienced by the unsophisticated and unintellectual creatures or all  
creation. Why not reach out and claim your birthright of sheer joy and bliss. www.
The author suggests that most diseases are caused by any or all of the following factors: enervation, toxemia, or deficiency.
What does the author suggest is the cause of most diseases?
The author advises not to struggle with the emotions and instead to simply refuse to consider the thought or desire and immediately shift attention to a different subject.
What is the author's advice for overcoming addictive habits?
The author believes that diagnosis is not as important as understanding the basic principles of life and providing the body with the necessary conditions to heal itself.
What is the author's perspective on diagnosis and treatment of diseases?
The author states that the key to happiness and health is to understand the importance of the quantity of food consumed and to avoid overeating.
What is the key to happiness and health, according to the author?
The author advises being very alert to all negative thoughts and to immediately shift attention to a different subject, without dwelling on the thought or emotion.
What is the author's advice for overcoming negative thoughts?