to Restore Health and Reach Spirit IMAGING NOTEBOOK Producer: Theresa Puskar Workbook: Theresa Puskar, Camilla Rees THE NATURAL LAWS OF SELF-HEALING 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 I. Applications of Imagery in the Western Tradition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 II. Advantages of Imagery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 III. Listings of the Ten Laws of Balance, the Twelve False Beliefs, and the Twelve Natural Laws of Self-Healing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 IV. Creating Your Own Personally Tailored Imagery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 V. Your Imagery Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 VI. The Correlations between Physical Issues and Emotions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 VII. Illustration of Applied Imagery: Prostate Cancer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 VIII. Illustration of Applied Imagery: Depression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 IX. Illustration of Applied Imagery: Creative Expression/Writers Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 X. Illustration of Applied Imagery: Relationship with a Boss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 XI. Illustration of Applied Imagery: Leadership/Decision-Making . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 XII. 21-Day Imaging Checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 XIII. List of Participants/Dr. Epsteins Contact Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I want to give credit to those persons who have been inspirational in the development of my work teaching We s t e rn spiritual traditions and mental imagery to patients with physical, mental, and emotional challenges. Primary amongst them is Mme. Colette Aboulker-Muscat of Jeru s a l e m whom I have known for 29 years, and who has been the unquestionable foundation point of my work. A psychotherapist, mystic, and healer, she was known in WWII for using mental imagery to heal soldiers given up for lost, and later decorated by General Eisenhower as one of the 5 Mothers Who Saved the World for her role in organizing the underground resistance against the Nazis. During a nine-year apprenticeship Mme. Aboulker-Muscat taught me the futility of helping patients with their daily life on the horizontal plane without first fostering a connection with the vertical, unseen reality for deep healing. This formative, lifelong relationship led me to embark on a different path both personally and professionally almost three decades ago. In addition, Valentin Tomberg and Robert Rhondell Gibson have been two shining lights who have illuminated much for me. Tombergs Meditations on the Tarot has been a constant source of wisdom and inspiration, and Gibsons The Science of Man has long been a seminal source for key understanding of the natural laws of self-healing. I am also tremendously grateful to my studentsthe thousands of health professionals and others who have trained over the years at the American Institute for Mental Imagery and the Blue Gate School of Wisdom for the public. My lifes work in teaching this ancient understand- ing of the human mind in its historical and spiritual context would not have come to fruition without each of you. And I am grateful to my patients, in whom I have been honored to bear witness to extraordinary healing and transformation, reinforcing daily for me the importance of teaching this work to more people. Finally, I want to thank Nightingale-Conant, and in particular Dan Strutzel and Theresa Puskar, for seeing the potential and timeliness of The Natural Laws of Self-Healing, and Camilla Rees, my partner, agent, and gifted healer in her own right, for making The Natural Laws of Self- Healing happen. Since my work in mental imagery with patients began in 1974 there has been an ever- increasing interest in this process amongst the general population. And it has become popular- ized in the sports world with many reports coming to us of famous athletes using this process to create peak performance, such as Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Andre Agassi, and Ted Williams. For professionals wishing to pursue it further, a number of academic journals have sprung up, including Imagination, Personality and Cognition (Yale University), American Journal of Mental Imagery (Marquette University), and International Journal of Mental Imagery. Clients and students at the American Institute for Mental Imagery span all fields todayfrom patients with acute, chronic, and life-threatening illness; mental health professionals; actors; artists; lawyers and CEOs. Should you wish training in mental imagery, please contact me through the American Institute of Mental Imagery in New York. Enjoy The Natural Laws of Self-Healing: Harnessing Your Inner Imaging Power to Restore Health and Reach Spiritbut dont take my word for anything in it. Experiment and see if what you learn is true for you! With best wishes, 3 THE NATURAL LAWS OF SELF-HEALING Welcome to The Natural Laws of Self- Healing: Harnessing Your Inner Imaging Power to Restore Health and Reach Spirit. This notebook has been created to assist you in your healing. By using your own power of mind through mental imagery, the Laws of Balance and the natural Laws of Self-Healing, you are provided with all you will need for comprehensive, self-directed self-healing in the Western tradition from any physical, men- tal or emotional disturbance. With over 30 years of experience, Dr. Gerald Epstein has helped many people trans- form their lives with his unique gift as an expert on Western spiritual traditions and mental imagery. In practicing the techniques that Dr. Epstein outlines in this program, you can work with the stress in your life without becoming distressed over it. You will learn how to access images from your own internal wisdom, not from those dictated by external sources. You become your own authority as you learn to shed yourself of the shoulds in your life. Above all else, you will start to live in the present, no longer experiencing the dis- tresses and pain of a life dictated by the past and the future. Working with imagery teaches you experientially how to be present. Dr. Epstein provides you with several examples of powerful imaging processes throughout the program, but encourages you to find imaging techniques that come to you spontaneously from the invisible realm and are specifically tailored to your individual needs. This notebook has been created to assist you in creating and tracking your own imaging processes. As a reminder, the imaging process is most effective when done three times per day: in the morning when you awaken, at sunset, and just before you go to bed. It should be done in 7- or 21-day cycles, after which you should rest for seven days then, if necessary, repeat this practice again. Make sure that you do the practice sitting up, not lying down. And remember, do not discuss the exercise with others during the 7- or 21-day cycle ... make it sacred for yourself. It would be very beneficial to tape yourself so that you can guide yourself through the technique. You can use this notebook to write out the imaging process so that you can then record it for yourself and play it as required. Dr. Epstein also suggests that you focus on imaging one area of imbalance at a time. Practicing more than one technique in tan- dem will most likely confuse you and perhaps weaken the effects that the process can have. There is a list on page 10 to assist you in keeping track of imagery exercises you would like to do in the future. In order to gain the full benefits that this program has to offer you, we suggest that you take time out to act upon the invaluable insights and strategies that have been out- lined for you. Ideally, you should listen to each audio session at least twice, preferably three times. Listening to the audio session several times allows it to sink into your sub- conscious mind as you make more and more discoveries each time that you listen. Be sure to keep a notebook nearby as you are listen- ing to the program, and be prepared to stop the program when you hear an idea or tech- nique that you are particularly drawn to and would like to work with. Feel free to go to any specific areas of interest that you are particu- larly drawn to. You are encouraged to follow your heart and focus on the subjects that you resonate with the most. THE NATURAL LAWS OF SELF-HEALING 4 INTRODUCTION I. APPLICATIONS OF IMAGERY IN THE WESTERN TRADITION Restoration of health from physical, mental, or emotional disturbance (tumors, depression, infections, etc.). Rapid relief from pain. Uncovering hidden, sabotaging beliefs. De-creating any hidden or conscious beliefs. Reversing ingrained patterns of thought, mood, or behavior. Restoring balance from stressful shocks. Ending isolation through connecting to a supportive universe. Sourcing self-esteem internally, not externally. Ending false emergencies from man-made standards. Amplifying potential, learning from oneself. Learning to trust oneself. Aligning with ones life path. Ending the slave mentality. Removing the inner terrorist. Getting to the bottom of any issue. Feeling more alive. Accessing the passion to serve. Removing resistance to succeed. Living creatively. Manifesting what one intends. Clarity in decision-making. Expanding learning capacity. Birthing your future from the present. Bringing closure to the past. Experiencing relationships as open systems capable of unlimited growth. Resolving past or present relationship challenges. Ending the pain of interpersonal competition. Reflecting and facilitating freedom for others. Learning to lead. 5 THE NATURAL LAWS OF SELF-HEALING Effectiveness: Unlike self-help books, tapes, and workshops telling people they must change their beliefs to improve their lives, Western imagery tools actually teach them how to do that. The majority of beliefs operate at the background of our conscious- ness. Thus, attempts to override negative patterns of thought, mood, or behavior using affirmations, determination, or action ultimately fail because the perti- nent beliefs were never identified and dis- solved. Only through learning the language of imagery can one discover these beliefs in ones consciousness and then permanently remove them using imagery to restore wholeness and health. Imagery is the only effective means of working in the formless, invisible, unconditional realm to change direction and achievement in the visible world. As a revelatory process, imagery is also superior to conventional medicine in uncov- ering root issues related to physical health challengesas it can speak volumes quickly and it is a more desirable therapeutic option in simply, elegantly, and noninvasively triggering physiological changes through the action of an image occurring in the mind. Because the BodyMind is one and does not differentiate between the origins of an intervention, in almost every case it is preferable to rapidly address a health chal- lenge with imagery. Speed: Imagery practice takes only seconds to a few minutes to perform, providing a shock to the system like homeopathy. With some situations, the results can be immedi- ate or take only seven days. Others can take either one, two, or three 21-day cycles for the changes to take root, resting seven days between each cycle. The speed of imagery compares more favorably to most conven- tional approaches to physical, mental, or emotional health. Self-authority based: Learning imagery does not foster dependency on a health care practitioner. Once the basics are learned, imagery techniques can be applied in every area of ones life on ones own. Unlike g u i d- ed visualizations, classical We s t e rn imagery also relies on the person to internally gener- ate the solution or correction, instead of being guided to a preferred end-point by someone besides oneself. Finally, imagery can be done privately without the need to report the experience to anyone, fostering self-healing and self-responsibility at the same time. Protects freedom: Practicing Western imagery teaches how the mind can be used to protect us from a constant onslaught of external impressions, unsolicited advice, hypnotic suggestion, and mis-education. It teaches that there is no need to place blind trust in external authorities, and through it one comes to see that the pervasive mis- placement of trust in external authorities is the greatest threat to our freedom, both individually and collectively. MindBody connection: Using imagery, one actually experiences the MindBody connec- tion. Imagery restores us to integration, or the healthiest, most powerful, most life- giving place to be. Practicing imagery also restores the continuity between contempo- rary life and the ancient, medieval and early THE NATURAL LAWS OF SELF-HEALING 6 II. ADVANTAGES OF IMAGERY renaissance worlds, where there was no sep- aration between ones consciousness and the visible or invisible world around. Self-confidence: Through taking an active role in the creation of health, imagery accel- erates the development of self-confidence. One quickly comes to see how ones power and authority have been eroded by aspiring to meet man-made standards, which invari- ably lead to a process of decay, dependency, and disease. With practice and success using imagery, an interactive trust builds with the universe with an impact in all areas of life. No cost: Imagery is the most cost-effective, complete, whole-person diagnostic and ther- apeutic modality available. Harmless: It is noninvasive, non-toxic, and harmless. Effortless: Imagery practices are easy and can be done by anyone, anywhere. They are simple to learn, and simple to use. Nonsectarian: Imagery is relevant no mat- ter what ones religious tradition or ethnici- ty. It was espoused by all three Western tra- ditions in ancient Europe, Egypt, Israel, Iran, Turkey, and Greece. Many applications: Imagery skills have application in every area of lifephysical and mental health, career or life direction, financial health, relationships, leadership, etc. Virtually every area of life benefits through integrating the invisible with the visible. 7 THE NATURAL LAWS OF SELF-HEALING THE TEN LAWS OF BALANCE: 1. You and invisible reality are indivisible. Dont let anything come between you. 2. Dont make graven images with the mind, nor create idols; dont idolize others. 3. Dont disparage the voice of unconditional truth speaking to/through you. 4. Remember the Sabbath; take a day where you reverse habitual activity. 5. Honor your father and your mother. 6. Dont commit murder, this includes depression and all forms of self-murder. 7. Dont commit adultery, or mix two things that naturally dont go together. 8. Dont steal. 9. Dont lie, spread rumors, gossip. 10. Dont covet (act in greed, avarice, jealousy, envy, comparison, or competition). THE TWELVE FALSE BELIEFS: False Belief #1: There Is Such a Thing As Chance. False Belief #2: Experience Creates Belief. False Belief #3: Function Follows Form. False Belief #4: The Purpose of Living Is to Avoid Pain, While Seeking Pleasure. False Belief #5: Outside Authorities Know More About Us Than We Do. False Belief #6: Its Important to Avoid Inferiority by Becoming Important. False Belief #8: Its Important to Get Attention So As to Avoid Neglect. False Belief #9: Its Important to Gain Approval As to Avoid Disapproval. False Belief #10: Truth and Reality Are the Same. False Belief #11: Gravity Only Runs in a Downward Direction. False Belief #12: Death Is Inevitable. THE TWELVE NATURAL LAWS OF SELF-HEALING: 1. Awareness and Observation. Becoming vigilant about how you are thinking. 2. Suspending the Skeptic. Making adjust- ments to your past mis-education. 3. Choosing to Become Present. Removing the illusions of past and future. 4. Remembering and Responsibility. Taking your divided self and making it a unity. 5. Equilibrium. Practicing the Ten Laws of Balance. 6. Transformation. Changing your 12 false beliefs. 7. Incorporating the Four Core Attributes of Balance into Your Life: Proportion, Measure, Rhythm, and Pace. 8. Reversing. Stopping your habitual behav- iors and changing your beliefs. 9. Living the Three Ps: Purification, Perseverance, and Patience. 10. Invoking Your Self-Healer. Practicing your imaging techniques for 21 days. 11. Intention. Taking your focus off of goals and setting your will in a specific direction. 12. Commitment: Remaining steadfast to changing your life through inner practice. THE NATURAL LAWS OF SELF-HEALING 8 III LI S T I N G S O F T H E TE N LAW S O F BA L A N C E, T H E TW E LV E FA L S E BE L I E F S, A N D T H E TW E LV E NAT U R A L LAW S O F SE L F- HE A L I N G Dr. Epstein encourages you to create your own personally tailored imaging processes. To facilitate this process, we have included a list- ing of several body organs, glands, disease states, and their related emotions. Every part of the body has its correlated emotional rep- resentations. This occurs by the law of analo- gy. When you become aware of the emotional correspondent you can begin using imagery for that emotion, as well as imagery on the physical level. Do an inventory of the physical and emotional elements, and note those in which you experience imbalance. We have also included examples of cases that were based on physical, mental, creative expres- sion, relationship, and leadership issues. To recap on the process, you should: 1. Take three relaxing breaths, focusing on an elongated outbreath and normal inbreath, breathing out through the mouth and in through the nose. 2. State the name of the image exercise. 3. State the intention of your imaging process in the present tense. 4. State the intended duration of the process in the present tense. Do not worry about clocking it. Your biological clock will take care of that; it will stop your exercise at the correct time. For example: I am doing the Firemans Hose Exercise to remove inflammation and its tak- ing me 15 seconds. Please Note: Do not speak with others about your imagery process during the 7- or 21-day cycle. 9 THE NATURAL LAWS OF SELF-HEALING IV. CREATING YOUR OWN PERSONALLY TAILORED IMAGERY V. YOUR IMAGERY LOG: In the space provided below, list any areas in your life in which you would like to apply the imagery process. Remember that you should only focus on one issue at a time, so keep this log so that you can track those that you would like to heal. Physical Health: Past Relationships: _______________________________________ _________________________________________ _______________________________________ _________________________________________ _______________________________________ _________________________________________ _______________________________________ _________________________________________ _______________________________________ _________________________________________ _______________________________________ _________________________________________ _______________________________________ _________________________________________ _______________________________________ _________________________________________ Emotional Health: Current Relationships: _______________________________________ _________________________________________ _______________________________________ _________________________________________ _______________________________________ _________________________________________ _______________________________________ _________________________________________ _______________________________________ _________________________________________ _______________________________________ _________________________________________ _______________________________________ _________________________________________ _______________________________________ _________________________________________ Mental Health/ Intentions: Patterns of Thinking: _______________________________________ _________________________________________ _______________________________________ _________________________________________ _______________________________________ _________________________________________ _______________________________________ _________________________________________ _______________________________________ _________________________________________ _______________________________________ _________________________________________ _______________________________________ _________________________________________ _______________________________________ _________________________________________ THE NATURAL LAWS OF SELF-HEALING 10 VI. TH E CO R R E L AT I O N S B E T W E E N PH Y S I C A L IS S U E S A N D EM O T I O N S Physical Issues Related Emotion Adrenals Glands connected with stress response. Autoimmune Toxicity issues, pollutants (many of the external variety). Back Overburdened in relation to money and/or relationships . Bladder Fear, chronic anger. Bone disease Structural or foundational life issues at stake; feeling that something in life is crumbling. Brain Overloaded with a mixture of swirling, troubling thoughts and high anxiety. Broken bones Breaking from someone/something in your life. Cancer Choosing not to go on living, depression over a loss; often toxicity related. Diabetes Bitterness. Ears Not wanting to hear something, turning a deaf ear to something. Eyes Feelings of guilt, if afflicted; not wanting to see something; turning a blind eye. Gall Bladder Envy, jealousy. Heart Love, lust, heartache/heart break, loss of a loved one, heart-rendering, sexual desire, lusting after, eating ones heart out. Kidneys Indecision, lack of will. Knees Unwilling to stand up for self, bowing too much before someone, or refusing to become humble. Large intestine Hatred, rage, holding onto a long, lost love. Liver Anger to fury. Lungs Dependency, internal crying, call for freedom. Muscle spasms Constricted in life, contractions. Neurological Loss of nerve, shock to the roots of our very being (usually connected with Problems sudden relationship disruption). Ovaries Creativity or loss thereof. Prostate Afflicted: unhappiness in relationship, unexpressed guilt feelings connected with extramarital affairs. Shoulder Carrying too much responsibility. Sinuses Crying, sadness. Small intestine Feelings of neglect, anxiety. Spleen Humorlessness. Stomach Wants to control a situation. Thymus Gland of courage (shrinks as you grow older, apes pound on it to create strength). Thyroid One foot in and one foot out the door, transition situation. Tonsil/sore throat Feeling sore at someone or something. Uterus Producing or lack thereof. Vascular system Boiling over inside, hardening, drying up, and narrowing of ones life e x p e r i e n c e . 11 THE NATURAL LAWS OF SELF-HEALING Prostate Cancer A man was diagnosed with advanced metastatic prostate cancer and given three months to live. He had a PSA of 24 (05 nor- mal range), needed to urinate 810 times a night and was told there was nothing else that could be done for him. He came to Dr. Epstein in 1994 as a last resort. He was asked to close his eyes and imagine himself in the region of the cancer, seeing the disfigured cells in the prostate and in the surrounding lymph nodes. Then he was asked to bring in whatever tool might be required to restore the area to health. He imagined the arrival of a small army, ferreting out the unhealthy cells and destroying them one by one. When all the cells remaining were healthy he was told to open his eyes. He was instructed to repeat the exercise for 21 days, three times a day. Before the end of the 21-day cycle, the man no longer needed to urinate in the night. He was feeling very well. Dr. Epstein explained from what the man described that it was likely he was healed and no longer needed to come back. The man had a sonogram several weeks later that showed no cancer, and his PSA returned to normal (0.2). He remains alive and healthy nine years later. This is an example of changes or corrections made in the imaginal, invisible realm creating physiological impact. The body doesnt differen- tiate between the source of changephysical or mentaland will respond physiologically to changes initiated in either dimension. Because we are a BodyMind, including the visible and invisible, one can work in either dimension to create physical change. THE NATURAL LAWS OF SELF-HEALING 12 VII. ILLUSTRATION OF APPLIED IMAGERY Day 1: ____/____/_______ Date completed: ____/____/_______ I am doing the ____________________________________________________ exercise (Name of the Exercise) to ________________________________________________________________________ (Healing intention for doing the exercise) and it is taking me ________________________________________________________ (Intended duration of the exercise) Write out the exercise, step-by-step, in the space provided below. Tape yourself describing the exercise in your normal everyday voice, and play it back to yourself to guide you through the exercise three times a day (first thing in the morning, at sundown, and before bed). You may also wish to make note of your experiences and any transformations you undergo in relation to doing this exercise. 13 THE NATURAL LAWS OF SELF-HEALING Day 1: ____/____/_______ Date completed: ____/____/_______ I am doing the ____________________________________________________ exercise (Name of the Exercise) to ________________________________________________________________________ (Healing intention for doing the exercise) and it is taking me ________________________________________________________ (Intended duration of the exercise) Write out the exercise, step-by-step, in the space provided below. Tape yourself describing the exercise in your normal everyday voice, and play it back to yourself to guide you through the exercise three times a day (first thing in the morning, at sundown, and before bed). You may also wish to make note of your experiences and any transformations you undergo in relation to doing this exercise. THE NATURAL LAWS OF SELF-HEALING 14 Day 1: ____/____/_______ Date completed: ____/____/_______ I am doing the ____________________________________________________ exercise (Name of the Exercise) to ________________________________________________________________________ (Healing intention for doing the exercise) and it is taking me ________________________________________________________ (Intended duration of the exercise) Write out the exercise, step-by-step, in the space provided below. Tape yourself describing the exercise in your normal everyday voice, and play it back to yourself to guide you through the exercise three times a day (first thing in the morning, at sundown, and before bed). You may also wish to make note of your experiences and any transformations you undergo in relation to doing this exercise. 15 THE NATURAL LAWS OF SELF-HEALING Depression A woman presented with a 13-year history of chronic depression. She was asked to close her eyes and to describe what image would describe the feeling of depression. She said, The bottom of a pit. She was told to then see herself at the bottom of that pit. She was then asked to look around the pit and see if she could find something that would help her get out of the pit. She discovered a rope lad- der with hooks on the end. She threw the ladder up, the hooks engaging at the top. She then saw herself climbing the ladder to the top of the pit, noting how she felt lighter and f reer as she was climbing. At the top of the pit she saw a wide-open space with light, sun, trees, and cows. When she opened her eyes, she was depre s s i o n - f ree for the first time in 13 years. She repeated this exerc i s e once a day for one week to re i n f o rce her decision to climb out of the pit. She has been d e p re s s i o n - f ree ever since. This is an example of imagery being used as both a diagnostic and a therapeutic. The woman revealed the meaning of her depression imaginally and then changed the image to rap- idly change the experience of depression. Mere determination or affirmation to be depression-free would never be successful on its own if the root of the problem is not imme- diately available in the forefront of our con- sciousness. Using imagery, one can find the root of the problem and solve it with a self- generated, tailor-made corrective image. THE NATURAL LAWS OF SELF-HEALING 16 VIII. ILLUSTRATION OF APPLIED IMAGERY Day 1: ____/____/_______ Date completed: ____/____/_______ I am doing the ____________________________________________________ exercise (Name of the Exercise) to ________________________________________________________________________ (Healing intention for doing the exercise) and it is taking me ________________________________________________________ (Intended duration of the exercise) Write out the exercise, step-by-step, in the space provided below. Tape yourself describing the exercise in your normal everyday voice, and play it back to yourself to guide you through the exercise three times a day (first thing in the morning, at sundown, and before bed). You may also wish to make note of your experiences and any transformations you undergo in relation to doing this exercise. 17 THE NATURAL LAWS OF SELF-HEALING Day 1: ____/____/_______ Date completed: ____/____/_______ I am doing the ____________________________________________________ exercise (Name of the Exercise) to ________________________________________________________________________ (Healing intention for doing the exercise) and it is taking me ________________________________________________________ (Intended duration of the exercise) Write out the exercise, step-by-step, in the space provided below. Tape yourself describing the exercise in your normal everyday voice, and play it back to yourself to guide you through the exercise three times a day (first thing in the morning, at sundown, and before bed). You may also wish to make note of your experiences and any transformations you undergo in relation to doing this exercise. THE NATURAL LAWS OF SELF-HEALING 18 Day 1: ____/____/_______ Date completed: ____/____/_______ I am doing the ____________________________________________________ exercise (Name of the Exercise) to ________________________________________________________________________ (Healing intention for doing the exercise) and it is taking me ________________________________________________________ (Intended duration of the exercise) Write out the exercise, step-by-step, in the space provided below. Tape yourself describing the exercise in your normal everyday voice, and play it back to yourself to guide you through the exercise three times a day (first thing in the morning, at sundown, and before bed). You may also wish to make note of your experiences and any transformations you undergo in relation to doing this exercise. 19 THE NATURAL LAWS OF SELF-HEALING C reative Expre s s i o n / Wr i t e rs Block A writer is blocked, unable to tap into the creative flow. Dr. Epstein instructs him to see himself in an elevator and have the elevator go down five floors. When it stops, he is to see himself walking down a long lit hallway until he comes upon a door labeled with his name in gold letters, thus: (your name)s writ- ing room. He is to enter, close the door, and describe the room he sees in detail. He is to go over to the desk, see an empty pad there, and sit down. He is to see himself starting to write and to see sheets of paper flying off to the right, stacking up on the table with the title page on top, until he is satisfied he has written enough.* He then sees himself leaving the room, shutting the door, walking down the hallway and getting into the elevator. When the elevator reaches the fifth level he is told to open his eyes. After this exercise the creative juices are flowing and the writer is able to produce. This is an example of intentionally opening our senses to allow life force to flow through us in the imagination. The writer solves the prob- lem in the mind to open up places that were blocked preventing him from expression. * If a computer is used, type on it and see the sheets flying out of the printer. Stack them to the right with the title page on top. THE NATURAL LAWS OF SELF-HEALING 20 IX. ILLUSTRATION OF APPLIED IMAGERY Day 1: ____/____/_______ Date completed: ____/____/_______ I am doing the ____________________________________________________ exercise (Name of the Exercise) to ________________________________________________________________________ (Healing intention for doing the exercise) and it is taking me ________________________________________________________ (Intended duration of the exercise) Write out the exercise, step-by-step, in the space provided below. Tape yourself describing the exercise in your normal everyday voice, and play it back to yourself to guide you through the exercise three times a day (first thing in the morning, at sundown, and before bed). You may also wish to make note of your experiences and any transformations you undergo in relation to doing this exercise. 21 THE NATURAL LAWS OF SELF-HEALING Day 1: ____/____/_______ Date completed: ____/____/_______ I am doing the ____________________________________________________ exercise (Name of the Exercise) to ________________________________________________________________________ (Healing intention for doing the exercise) and it is taking me ________________________________________________________ (Intended duration of the exercise) Write out the exercise, step-by-step, in the space provided below. Tape yourself describing the exercise in your normal everyday voice, and play it back to yourself to guide you through the exercise three times a day (first thing in the morning, at sundown, and before bed). You may also wish to make note of your experiences and any transformations you undergo in relation to doing this exercise. THE NATURAL LAWS OF SELF-HEALING 22 Day 1: ____/____/_______ Date completed: ____/____/_______ I am doing the ____________________________________________________ exercise (Name of the Exercise) to ________________________________________________________________________ (Healing intention for doing the exercise) and it is taking me ________________________________________________________ (Intended duration of the exercise) Write out the exercise, step-by-step, in the space provided below. Tape yourself describing the exercise in your normal everyday voice, and play it back to yourself to guide you through the exercise three times a day (first thing in the morning, at sundown, and before bed). You may also wish to make note of your experiences and any transformations you undergo in relation to doing this exercise. 23 THE NATURAL LAWS OF SELF-HEALING Relationship with a Boss A man felt uncomfortable around his new boss. He was afraid of upsetting him, felt he had to do everything just right, and didnt feel he could have open and honest communica- tion with him. It turns out he once had a sim- ilar relationship with another boss. That boss had been volatile and domineering, and so he quit. He remained angry with the former boss and had lost contact. The man was asked to close his eyes and see himself sitting with his former boss. He was to silently say to the boss anything that had never been said that needed to be said, and to speak from the deepest level of truth. He could take as long as needed. Then he was asked to imagine the boss responding from the deepest place of truth and to hear every- thing the boss had to say. Imaginally, he first saw the deeper truth that the job was not allowing him to have a life beyond his work and that he brought that frustration with him into the job and saw no way out. He imagined himself saying to the former boss that he was actually distraught that his life was about meeting company needs, with no time for himself, and that this wasnt what he expected from life when he put himself through college by working three jobs. He saw himself saying to his boss that he was leaving the company because he want- ed a life, and this decision had nothing to do with his boss whom he greatly admired and would miss a great deal. He said he was grateful for the opportunity to work for some- one that talented, and he hoped they could stay in touch. When it was the bosss turn in this imag- inal exercise, he saw himself empathizing deeply, offering to hire as many assistants as the man needed. He told the man how much he was valued, something he had never said before, and thanked him profusely for his candor, saying he never would have suspected he was unhappy, as on the surface he seemed content and performed well. The boss even o ff e red the man a sabbatical and/or the oppor- tunity to transfer in the company. Finally, the boss acknowledged he was sometimes domi- neering and impatient and apologized if that added to the mans stress. He acknowledged how much he liked and enjoyed having the man in his group and how re f reshing it was to work with him. He said he would really miss him if he left, but would be fully supportive if that was his choice. After this imaginal exercise the man felt completion with the former boss and was no longer angry. Whereas initially he had thought the problem had been his boss, through the imagery exercise he now saw he created his outcome by not rising to his own communication potential. He returned to work at the new job and established an open, communicative relationship with his current boss and had no further problems. This is an example of how imagery can be used to complete the past in any relationship whether with a former employer, a former spouse, a parent, or a friend. Uncomfortable memories of the past that continue to generate stress or that perpetuate unproductive patterns of thought, mood, behavior can be changed by reinserting oneself in the past situation through the imagination and seeing both parties com- municate from their deepest truth. This is because memories are malleable and subjective, THE NATURAL LAWS OF SELF-HEALING 24 X. ILLUSTRATION OF APPLIED IMAGERY and by changing the memory in the imaginal realm through imaging reconciliation one can erase the lingering mental or physical impact of former experiences. This is true imagery, not fantasy, as there is a productive action and transformation that takes place. This case also highlights the distress we can bring upon our- selves by letting the work life filter into personal life, creating a disruption in the latter which then adversely affects the former. So work life and personal life need to be separated. This error in the mans perspective was at the root of his problem. 25 THE NATURAL LAWS OF SELF-HEALING Day 1: ____/____/_______ Date completed: ____/____/_______ I am doing the ____________________________________________________ exercise (Name of the Exercise) to ________________________________________________________________________ (Healing intention for doing the exercise) and it is taking me ________________________________________________________ (Intended duration of the exercise) Write out the exercise, step-by-step, in the space provided below. Tape yourself describing the exercise in your normal everyday voice, and play it back to yourself to guide you through the exercise three times a day (first thing in the morning, at sundown, and before bed). You may also wish to make note of your experiences and any transformations you undergo in relation to doing this exercise. THE NATURAL LAWS OF SELF-HEALING 26 Day 1: ____/____/_______ Date completed: ____/____/_______ I am doing the ____________________________________________________ exercise (Name of the Exercise) to ________________________________________________________________________ (Healing intention for doing the exercise) and it is taking me ________________________________________________________ (Intended duration of the exercise) Write out the exercise, step-by-step, in the space provided below. Tape yourself describing the exercise in your normal everyday voice, and play it back to yourself to guide you through the exercise three times a day (first thing in the morning, at sundown, and before bed). You may also wish to make note of your experiences and any transformations you undergo in relation to doing this exercise. 27 THE NATURAL LAWS OF SELF-HEALING Day 1: ____/____/_______ Date completed: ____/____/_______ I am doing the ____________________________________________________ exercise (Name of the Exercise) to ________________________________________________________________________ (Healing intention for doing the exercise) and it is taking me ________________________________________________________ (Intended duration of the exercise) Write out the exercise, step-by-step, in the space provided below. Tape yourself describing the exercise in your normal everyday voice, and play it back to yourself to guide you through the exercise three times a day (first thing in the morning, at sundown, and before bed). You may also wish to make note of your experiences and any transformations you undergo in relation to doing this exercise. THE NATURAL LAWS OF SELF-HEALING 28 Leadership/Decision-Making The CEO of an early-stage medical tech- nology company faced a dilemma. As a publically traded company, it was important to the investment community that it meet analysts projected earnings estimates or its stock would likely drop. The CEOs R&D department was behind schedule and new products in development were scheduled to come on stream much later than anticipated, thus lowering revenues and earnings. He held a meeting with the head of R&D, insisting that they do everything possible to speed up the new products launch to be on schedule, but he was told that in order to meet the launch deadlines that quality would have to suffer, making the products less reliable and possibly less safe for use with patients. The CEO deliberated. He felt paralyzed, contract- ed in fear. He knew his board expected better performance of him, and investors would be disappointed, which could impair the companys valuation and financing potential. He also knew there might be other ways of making earnings look better if he chose to play with the numbers. The CEO was asked to close his eyes and see himself standing behind a golden scale on each end of which was a golden balance pan. He was asked to make two lists describing the advantages of each of the two directions1) being completely honest regarding product development and accounting and facing any consequences and 2) forcing the numbers to be in line with the estimates through account- ing maneuvers or quality impairment. He was asked to place the lists in each of the balance pans and see how they weighed. The direction became clear to him as the list to be honest weighed much more and tipped the scale. The CEO was mobilized to action, energized and secure in his decision to present the business as it was knowing that the benefits of honesty in the short-term, the long-term, for him and for others, far outweighed what he would have to live with if he had chosen the other path. The company stock did drop, financing was impaired and cutbacks were required, a period of contraction that lasted two years before resumption of growth. During this time, at the height of the Internet boom in Silicon Valley, headhunters pursued his employees daily but this CEO was blessed as his entire team stuck by him to ride out the difficulties. This is an example of circumventing ones logical mindwhich in this situation could have come up with many good reasons to force the numbers to meet analysts estimates. Instead, the CEO received direction from an analogical source, in the form of the image exercise, allowing a true intuitive response. He was mobilized to action with certainty and faith. In each moment, we have the choice to move toward either life or death. To move toward life, one can use the unconditional language of images to tap into intuition (or unconditional thinking) and arrive at deci- sions based on the whole of life, thereby dis- solving perceptions one is enslaved in some way by ones circumstances or by time. In this way we are supported by our own self-love, and our integrity becomes a magnet and moti- vator for others. The CEO here might have tem- porarily pleased people had he forced the num- bers to look better to meet the man-made earn- ings expectations, but he and his employees would have been compromised and many rela- tionships ultimately impaired. 29 THE NATURAL LAWS OF SELF-HEALING XI. ILLUSTRATION OF APPLIED IMAGERY Day 1: ____/____/_______ Date completed: ____/____/_______ I am doing the ____________________________________________________ exercise (Name of the Exercise) to ________________________________________________________________________ (Healing intention for doing the exercise) and it is taking me ________________________________________________________ (Intended duration of the exercise) Write out the exercise, step-by-step, in the space provided below. Tape yourself describing the exercise in your normal everyday voice, and play it back to yourself to guide you through the exercise three times a day (first thing in the morning, at sundown, and before bed). You may also wish to make note of your experiences and any transformations you undergo in relation to doing this exercise. THE NATURAL LAWS OF SELF-HEALING 30 Day 1: ____/____/_______ Date completed: ____/____/_______ I am doing the ____________________________________________________ exercise (Name of the Exercise) to ________________________________________________________________________ (Healing intention for doing the exercise) and it is taking me ________________________________________________________ (Intended duration of the exercise) Write out the exercise, step-by-step, in the space provided below. Tape yourself describing the exercise in your normal everyday voice, and play it back to yourself to guide you through the exercise three times a day (first thing in the morning, at sundown, and before bed). You may also wish to make note of your experiences and any transformations you undergo in relation to doing this exercise. 31 THE NATURAL LAWS OF SELF-HEALING Day 1: ____/____/_______ Date completed: ____/____/_______ I am doing the ____________________________________________________ exercise (Name of the Exercise) to ________________________________________________________________________ (Healing intention for doing the exercise) and it is taking me ________________________________________________________ (Intended duration of the exercise) Write out the exercise, step-by-step, in the space provided below. Tape yourself describing the exercise in your normal everyday voice, and play it back to yourself to guide you through the exercise three times a day (first thing in the morning, at sundown, and before bed). You may also wish to make note of your experiences and any transformations you undergo in relation to doing this exercise. THE NATURAL LAWS OF SELF-HEALING 32 XII. 21-DAY IMAGING CHECKLIST You may wish to copy this checklist and use it to track your imaging practices as you go through each of them. The first set of boxes is for a 7-day cycle. If you wish to continue on a 21-day regimen, you can track it by continuing to the bottom of the chart. J Morning J Sundown J Bedtime J Morning J Sundown J Bedtime J Morning J Sundown J Bedtime J Morning J Sundown J Bedtime J Morning J Sundown J Bedtime J Morning J Sundown J Bedtime J Morning J Sundown J Bedtime (The end of a 7-day cycle) J Morning J Sundown J Bedtime J Morning J Sundown J Bedtime J Morning J Sundown J Bedtime J Morning J Sundown J Bedtime J Morning J Sundown J Bedtime J Morning J Sundown J Bedtime J Morning J Sundown J Bedtime J Morning J Sundown J Bedtime J Morning J Sundown J Bedtime J Morning J Sundown J Bedtime J Morning J Sundown J Bedtime J Morning J Sundown J Bedtime J Morning J Sundown J Bedtime J Morning J Sundown J Bedtime (The end of a 21-day cycle) 33 THE NATURAL LAWS OF SELF-HEALING XIII. LISTED BELOW ARE PARTICIPANTS OF THE LIVE NEW YORK DISCUSSION. WE GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGE THEM FOR THEIR VALUED INPUT IN THE PROGRAM: THE NATURAL LAWS OF SELF-HEALING 34 Dr. Celia Blumenthal, M.D. Psychiatrist 47 E. 87th Street, #6A New York, NY 10128 212-410-9505 Linda Caigan, ACSW Mental Imagery Therapist 914-698-4246 Anne Carbone, M.A. Mental Imagery Therapist, Addictions 212-717-7192 Lydia Craigmyle, Ph.D. Mental Imagery Psychologist 212-772-6827/212-254-5252 Chaya Deyo Retired Special Education School Teacher 212-534-4536 Colin Greer Director, New World Foundation 216 W. 89th Street, #12A New York, NY 10024 212-787-4739 Holly Jaffe Creative Director, Advertising New York, NY 212-614-9005 John Horton Commercial Pilot 631-423-8392 Joseph P. Kneafsey Retired Civil Service Manager 718-4899-3014 Jennifer Lamonica, DC, CCN, LAc Chiropractor, Acupuncturist, Nutritionist Utilizing Kinesiology, Imagery & Face Morphology 219 Beebe Road Mineola, NY 11501 516-746-2025 Katherine Lee, CSW, Psychotherapist 212-332-9163 Elizabeth Ann Manhart Barrett, RN; Ph.D.; FAAN Professor Emerita, Hunter College, City University of New York; Health Patterning Therapist using Imaging and Therapeutic Touch 212-861-8228 Camilla Rees, M.B.A. Leadership and Entrepreneur Consulting; Imagery and Health Counseling; Corporate Constellations New York, N.Y. 212-876-6659 imaginalmedicine@aol.com Rheba Rosenbluth, M.S. Counselor, School Psychologist, Imagery Work 914-725-5810 35 THE NATURAL LAWS OF SELF-HEALING Adele P. Rosenkranz Business Development Manager 212-223-1882 Daniel Singer Alexander Teacher & Imagery Therapist 212-932-1624 Susan Soph-Rivera, CSW Clinical Social Worker in Private Practice Schoolwide Counselor in Elementary School So. Bronx 212-674-8357 If you wish to learn more about the Mental Imagery Process, you can contact Dr. Epstein at: The American Institute for Mental Imagery 16 East 96 Street, Suite 1 A New York, NY 10128 Telephone: 212-369-4080 Fax: 212-369-5646 E Mail: jerry@drjerryepstein.org Website: www.drjerryepstein.org Please note that all that has been shared in this program are solely the expressed opinions and beliefs of Dr. Epstein and the participants of the seminar. THE NATURAL LAWS OF SELF-HEALING 36 ENHANCE YOUR AUDIO LIBRARY WITH THESE GREAT TITLES FROM NIGHTINGALE-CONANT! 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