FEATURES • March 2010

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• Dr. Burton Goldberg:
The Voice of Alternative Medicine

Gersten • The Power of Mental Imagery
David Gersten, M.D.

• Health Freedom Expo
Julie Kline and Roni Ambrister

• The Fifth Agreement
don Miguel Ruiz and don Jose Ruiz
with Janet Mills

• Wise Democracy
Jim Rough

Dr. Burton Goldberg:
The Voice of Alternative Medicine

Interviewed by Steve Hays;
edited by David S. Cohen

Publisher Burton Goldberg has spent over 30 years carefully researching every aspect of holistic medicine. His bestselling book Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide, with over 750,000 copies in print, is a 1250-page reference work on how to treat 200 health conditions with alternative medicine. The revised edition was published by Ten Speed Press of Berkeley, CA in June 2002.

Burton Goldberg is on a mission to reform American conventional medicine and to help people reclaim their health. He wants people to know that with alternative medicine, every disease is reversible. In trauma and emergency situations, mainstream medicine can work wonders. But in the vast majority of health conditions, alternative medicine has the treatments that can help. These effective alternative treatments are based on clinical studies with verifiable results. People want therapies that work, that give them healing, and that don’t bankrupt them. According to Goldberg, probably the most important factor in disease today is bodily toxicity. Since the 1950s, we have been exposed to thousands of synthetic chemicals in our foods, water, air, and bodies. Most of these are poisons once they enter the body and unless you remove them, they lodge in the tissues, organs and blood, where they poison us from within. This is why there is an epidemic of degenerative illnesses: heart disease, cancer, headaches, diabetes, and the list goes on and on. But alternative medicine has the answers to reverse and prevent chronic illness before it occurs.

by David Gersten, M.D. • March 2010

The Power of Mental Imagery

One of the most powerful mind-body tools is mental imagery. When used in clinical practice, it’s called “Interactive Guided Imagery.” Thirty years ago few people were paying attention to nutrition and exercise. Now they are part of our basic understanding of health and are vital to the prevention of illness and the treatment of existing illness. Imagery is equally important as a tool that everyone can use to hasten their own recovery — a tool patients can “take home with them” and practice — a tool that helps people assume more responsibility for every aspect of life.

Imagery is not simply visualizing success. It’s an entire field, with thousands of techniques. Psychosynthesis is an imagery-based psychotherapy modality created by Roberto Assagioli (1888–1974). To quote Assagioli, “Psychosynthesis is a method of psychological development and self realization for those who refuse to remain the slave of their own inner phantasms or of external influences, who refuse to submit passively to the play of psychological forces which is going on within them, and who are determined to become the master of their own lives.” Carl Jung, a friend and colleague of Assagioli, made imagery and symbolism the heart of his treatment approach.

Health Freedom Expo

Protect & Preserve Your
Health & Wellness Freedoms

by Julie Kline and Roni Ambrister

Over the past 25 years the exploding grassroots movement toward natural health care and the financial boom in consumer spending for vitamins and supplements has created a climate that challenges traditional medicine and the use of prescription drugs.

The Health Freedom Expo (www.healthfreedom expo.com) is a 501 C3 non-profit lobbying organization that works to protect the consumers’ rights and freedoms in making informed health and wellness choices.

The Health Freedom Movement has a 50-year history of fighting for leading edge health issues that include:

Opposition to HR3156, which will eliminate many of our herbs and vitamins now available for sale.
Opposition of FTC Rule R511993, which smothers millions of Americans with needless paperwork regarding the use and sale of supplements.
Taking an active stance in Defeating the Senator Durbin Bill (S.722) that would considerably restrict and unfairly regulate the vitamin industry.
Campaigning against fluoridation of drinking water, causing long-term dangerous effects to the body.
Promotion of the Dietary Supplement Health & Education Act S-784, which defends the rights of chiropractors, naturopaths, alternative doctors and health food store owners.
Educating the public on the dangers of vaccinations. Discussion of flu “pandemics.” Are they real and who stands to profit from them?

The Fifth Agreement

by don Miguel Ruiz and don Jose Ruiz
with Janet Mills

I invite you to participate in a new dream for humanity, one in which all of us can live in harmony, truth, and love. In this dream, people of all religions and all philosophies are not just welcome, but respected. It doesn’t matter whether you believe in Christ, Moses, Allah, Brahma, Buddha, or any other being or master; everybody is welcome to share this dream. Each one of us has our own beliefs, our own point of view. There are billions of different points of view, but it’s the same light, the same force of life behind each one of us.

If you feel the truth in these words, then I invite you to open your heart and help me to change the world. Of course, the very first question is: How are you going to change the world? The answer is easy. By changing your world. When I ask you to help me to change the world, I’m not talking about planet Earth. I’m referring to the world that exists in your head. You will not change the world if you don’t change your own world first. The change begins with you. You will change the world by loving yourself, by enjoying life, by making your personal world a dream of heaven. And I ask you for your help because you are the only one who can make this change.

Wise Democracy

A Strategy to Involve Citizens, Overcome Partisanship, and Solve Impossible Public Issues

by Jim Rough

Prior to his trip to Europe for a Five-Day Training in Dynamic Facilitation in Austria, Jim Rough offered The Life Connection this article on “Wise Democracy: A Strategy To Involve Citizens, Overcome Partisanship, and Solve Impossible Public Issues.” It is divided into two parts.

The first part consists of an Introduction, an example of “The Wisdom Council Process” at work, an explanation of the Wise Democracy Approach, and a description of the four social innovations which it involves. The second part begins with the three basic elements of a suggested Strategy of how Government might proceed; it will go on to answer frequently asked questions about this whole approach to governance; and a conclusion.