Alternative Books

A beautifully written and deeply profound book on healing. Even if you have explored alternative medicine and/or spiritual literature for years this book will likely trigger a very deep reflection on your core beliefs about healing. My highest recommendation!

This is truly a fascinating, life changing book. If you are willing to change your beliefs, this book will alter forever the way you view health and your innate capacity to heal yourself. Faith in the procedure,from shamanism to high-tech treatments, brings about healing. Bye bye dogmas and rivalries for the best methods of treating disease. Your health is in your mind.This is revolutionary.

Author Kuby does an incredible research job, and writes with such clarity--this book will revolutionize the way people look at the medical industry, and prompt them to take more responsibility for their own health. It is very good to see these ideas put into print in a way that anyone can understand and benefit from.

I was skeptical at first, but Lolette Kuby is a powerful writer, so once I started reading this book I had to continue to the end. I read it for the enjoyment of reading, but have to admit that Kuby's arguments are compelling enough to have significantly changed my views of health, healing, and life.

I'm not a total convert. For example, as a type-1 diabetic, I'll continue to take insulin. Perhaps if I had grown up with Kuby's insights I could have avoided this medical condition in the first place, but now I don't feel that I have the power to deal with it without the help of conventional doctors. Yet I have found that positive mental attitudes toward other conditions--arthritis, anemia, and minor issues such as athlete's foot--have helped far more than any expensive prescription medication.

I tell my friends to read this book for enjoyment. This author will keep you turning the pages. At the very least, you'll have a good read. But it's also possible that you'll have a major life-changing experience.

I read this book with a bit of skepticism about the topic but it didn't take me long to be convinced that you definitely have the power to heal yourself.

Dr. Kuby cured herself of breast cancer and lived with the lump for 8 years with absolutely no pain or problems.

Her book is an encouraging and well-written account of the power we all possess to heal ourselves.

It is one of the best books on the market for those interested in medicine and health.

I have yet to find a book to compare it to with regard to dispelling the myth of Doctor as G-D. The most enduring quote from the book, regarding the Hippocratic Oath, was "First, do no harm" which encapsulates the ideology behind this most wonderful book.

The lens through which we see the world is different for everybody and according to what appears to me, there are three kinds of books that exist. First category consists of books that once they are finished, end up gathering dust on the bookshelf. Only occasionally they will be remembered. Books such as these are usually heavily marketed, so everyone will buy it, and only stay afloat for a short period of time. Second, there are those books that should be read to gain a better understanding of yourself and this world. True gems of literature that shine brightly on the pages of history. These are the classics, which take concepts to higher levels. Finally, there are those books that seem to appear quietly, but steadily gain acclaim and credibility. These are the books that get tested and tried, making them prove their worth. With time, these books either gain a solid footing, or slowly fade into the background. I find myself paying close attention to such books, because these are the ones that have the potential to become timeless.

Richard Barone's "Frontman" falls into the last category. While going through its pages, I could not help but to gain a deeper understanding of what love for music is all about. Starting from Richard's early years as being "the littlest DJ" all the way to his latest accomplishments of producing countless projects that are all backed up by nothing more but his love for what he does. As I was reading about Richard's "frontman" experience, it helped me realize how much work it took to be him. The pressure that is placed upon the leader's shoulders and how tough it can get. For anyone wishing to see what the world of music producing is all about will not be disappointed either. One will find a lot of technical information about equipment, record deals, and advice to those who are just starting out in this field. I started appreciating music a lot more than before and learned the true meaning of self-expression. I mean, who can forget that SEX flag? It is cleverly written and will make you laugh more than once, at times even cry, as well as pass on countless advice from the wise to anyone who chooses to listen. I find myself going back to the book and rereading what I've highlighted once in a while to make sure I don't forget what it conveys.

It was once said that if you want to become better at one thing, study something else. The broader your viewpoint on the world, the better you can understand it. Regardless if you are a music fan, in a band, a finance major, or someone who is looking for answers about themselves and their existence, this book has what it takes to open your eyes at least a little bit wider.

Thank you Richard for how much of yourself you've invested into this book.

Frontman: Surviving the Rock Star Myth

"Frontman" is a uniquely honest and refreshing story that works on several levels at the same time. What makes a frontman? Why do they do it? Few books, if any, have explored the phenomenon from the point of view of the subject so brilliantly. B-52's Frontman Fred Schneider says it best on the back cover: "BUY THIS BOOK"!!!

Richard's book is an extremely enjoyable, involving look at a business that eats its own without blinking, but he's come out of everything he's encountered with an amazingly uncynical, positive view. I can't recommend Frontman highly enough... a wonderful way to spend your weekend!

With 'Frontman' Richard Barone adds another remarkable achievement to his already impressive portfolio. Most books I've read by or about musicians have disappointed and/or caused me to like a performer less. 'Frontman' only helps me further appreciate one of my favorite artists! Richard offers a fascinating "travelogue" of his career and music. As in his songs, his writing is eloquent but never pretentious or cloying, and honest but never self-indulgent or gossipy. And as intended, his stories of the music biz are enlightening, engaging and educational for any aspiring frontmen. Richard has truly experienced the wild rollercoaster ride of the entertainment industry and still remains modest, upbeat, and astonishingly un-jaded. Whether or not you're already a fan of Richard's work, this is a great read... and if you're not, you will be by the time you finish this book!

What a surprise to find that the frontman, Richard Barone, is a poet, a musician and singer, a philosopher and mystic. I was skeptical when a friend gave me the book exclaiming, "you'll love it." I love music, but wasn't interested in knowing the ins and outs of the music business (which is accomplished with humor, intelligence and punches). So, I read the first page and was convinced he could write, and then read the last two pages, which reeled me into the reality that this book was much more than black and white words. I've thanked my friend for turning me on to The Frontman. I've given copies to several of my friends, who have thanked me. And, so it goes, there are numerous ways to be inspired, appreciate creativity, notice serendipity, and be compelled to consider the grand unanswerable questions of life. Thank you Richard Barone!

This is the best humor comic I have ever read, laughing out loud through every issue. Milk and Cheese basically hate everything and everyone with the exception of booze drinks, sharp objects, TV, Don Knotts, violence and Threes Company. They do what every person has wanted to do at least once in their lives (or several times a day for some)...maul and eye gouge their way through most segements of the population. Nobody is safe from these dairy products gone bad, they taget everyone from fat people to stand up comedians (with satisfying results)! That being said, keep the kids and the easily offended Sallys away from this one. The book is summed up best in their own words: "We hate what you hate, and we hate you!"

If you have a sense of humor and a strong stomach, you need to buy this book. My friend and I both agree that "Armed and Hammered" should be read by everyone, so when you buy this sit it on your coffee table and make your guests read it.

MILK & CHEESE : Alcoholic dairy products filled w/ hate and aggression bent on correcting the status quo and the insipid (are they the same? They think so). It's downright hilarious and completely leftfield. An absolute *MUST* for anyone who sees a riotous playground in seeing an animated carton of milk and a wedge of cheese (my heroes) wreak havoc on everything and everyone.

This is the trade paperback that collects the first 4 volumes. Collect them all!

Abolutely the funniest comics in the world!!! Read all of their books now!!!

This is one of the funniest comics around today (another being DORK, also by M&C creator Evan Dorkin). Why is it funny? Because Milk and Cheese get away with something we all wish we could get away with: getting liquored up and beating the crap out of annoying people. That's all this comic is, but then that's all it needs to be. Well, maybe that, and a dash of talk-show viewing, but even to do that, they have to rend, pummel, lacerate, and bludgeon anyone who gets in their way. This is pure mayhem, a 2-man riot.

Hilarious dialogue only adds to the mayhem. It's apparent that M&C take their mission, to destroy all idiots, very seriously. The question is: how can Evan Dorkin take essentially the same storyline and make it entertaining over and over again? Believe me, he does it VERY well, and the little comments and asides add immeasurably to the fun. I would prefer to give this 9 of 10, so please forgive the 4.

Now if only he'd start collecting DORK in trade editions. I need more!

This book offers hope to the babyboomer generation who recognizes that we are slowly becoming our parents. By following the comments and advice offered in this helpful book, we know that we no longer have to follow in our families genetic past. The authors create the view of a cheery healthy future with sound nutritional advice. Highly recommended.

Deb Landry
Certified Parenting Coach & Children's Author

Bryson Taylor Publishing
Books with Character
199 New County Road Saco, Maine 04072
[...]

I have followed and learned from Dr. Giampapa's work for over 20 years. He has always been well ahead of contemporary medical practitioners in his understanding of the human aging process and possible therapeutic interventions to extend meaningful human lifespan. The Gene Makeover-The 21st Century Anti-Aging Breakthrough describes an exciting new approach to the field of Medical Age Management and lucidly translates a very complex subject into language that the average person can easily understand. This book provides an opportunity to understand therapies which you will read about in the medical journals of the future.

Brooke R. Seckel, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Asst. Professor of Surgery
Harvard Medical School
Chairman Emeritus
Plastic Surgery
Lahey Clinic Medical Center

I have followed and learned from Dr Giampappa's work for over 20 years. He has always been well ahead of contemporary medical practitioners in his understanding of the human aging process and possible therapeutic interventions to extend meaningful human lifespan. The Gene Makeover-The 21st Century Anti-aging Breakthrough describes an exciting new approach to the field of Medical Age Management and lucidly translates a very complex subject into language that the average person can easily understand. This book provides an opportunity to understand therapies which you will read about in the medical journals of the future.

Brooke R. Seckel, M.D., FACS
Asst. Professor of Surgery
Harvard Medical School
Chairman Emeritus
Plastic Surgery
Lahey Clinic Medical Center

A Bully Grows Up: Erik Meets the Wizard

As the baby boomer generation reaches the 'new middle age' we search for new information to assist in creating a more healthy and viable future for us, our parents and our children. The connection between our daily environmental and personal stressors and our overall health is important. Studies have proved that stress has a significant effect on our longevity. As an author of a children's book regarding bullying behavior and frequent speaker regarding the topic of bullying and stress, I am keenly aware of this connection. This book offers a vast understandable quantity of information regarding our predisposition to DNA damage and offers easy to follow steps on how to hold on to or improve our health. A great navigational aid for our journey into the future.

I have been an anti-aging patient of Dr. Giampapa's for over 5 years. My energy levels are high, my body is muscular and my skin is the best it has ever been. I look and feel fifteen years younger then my acutal age. Dr. Giampapa is well ahead of many medical practitioners in his understanding of the human aging process and therapeutic interventions to slow it. The Gene Makeover-The 21st Century Anti-Aging Breakthrough describes the newest findings in the field of Medical Age Management and explains very complex information in a plain simple language that everyone can easily understand. This book is a must read for all who want to remain healthy and active.

I just recieved my copy today. I was hooked as soon as I saw Dr. Christopher mentioned. My middle child has bad eczema and I hope the suggestions in here help her. It's very easy reading and very informative. If your child has a persistent problem this book should help.

I deffantley recommend this book to parents who do not want to treat their kids with perscibed and non-prescribed drugs. It's a must have for those with kids.

This book is wonderful! It provides useful alternatives to common everyday ailments that are gentle and effective, and it's easy and fun to read, too. Everything you need to know is clearly presented and referenced. The remedies are simple to prepare or obtain, and because they're made from nature's products, you don't have to worry about their effects being too strong for your child, or even yourself. Andrea Candee provides helpful information on how to decide upon which remedy is best as well as how to help "the medicine go down." This is a wonderful reference for every household. I love it!

As a fairly young herbalist myself, i am very pleased with all the informative and varied rememdies suggested in this book. It is very easy to reference and very user friendly; nothing complicated. Andrea Candee offers a gentle manner in her representation of suggested rememdies. I have bought three extra copies to give as baby shower gifts! It's really nice to see such a variation of alternative rememdies/treatment talked about in this book, such as homeopathic, chiropractic, essential oils, onion poultices, and of course herbal preparations. It's nice to be able to make your own decision on a few different suggestions in many cases. It has been a great reference book for myself and other friends with babies as well. I highly recommend this book!!

Written by a Master Herbalist who has worked with physicians and in her own private practice for the past 25 years, Gentle Healing for Baby and Child is the definitive guide for parents looking for an alternative to common treatments for everyday problems. In an accessible format, this guide includes solutions to ailments that occur both inside and outside the body. Got acne? Try an herbal detoxification, an herbal steam, or some Herbal Zinc Zapper. The Zapper recipe contains a mixture of zinc oxide, peppermint, and comfrey. Got a stressed out teen? Dose him with some Honegar - a mixture of honey and vinegar - to restore his chemical balance. In this book, the authors explain that the "floral nectars that comprise honey contain B vitamins and minerals which are calming to the nervous system." While you've got the honey jar out, don't forget to layer it over your little one's skinned knee before applying a bandage. Honey contains natural "anti-microbial properties."

Also included are sections that address subjects such as "Healing Imagery," as well as instructions for dosing herbs, where to find a local natural health practitioner, how to deal with toxicity, and even testing for food reactions. Herbalist Candee has created a helpful, easy to use guide to natural healing for parents. --Reviewed by Michelle Smith

I thought it was a little wordy before getting to the "meat of the subject"

This is the best empathic book for fellow empaths and pet lovers. As a empathy like my self,she is full of great wisdom,and made her book easy to understand for psychic and pet lovers. I rate #1 on the healing practice,and excellent for beginners of being healers.

I wish I could give this more then 5 stars. It is the most comprehensive book I've read for hands-on healing for animals. The author doesn't just offer hand placements but provides a wealth of information on other aspects that effect the pet's overall well being. The book covers scientific evidence of healing, explains auras and chakras, environmental impacts, animal communication - including a meditation for developing the ability, properties for working with crystal energy, and astrological signs that influence your pet. The last chapter discusses complementary therapies such as acupuncture, homeopathy, and chiropractic.

The only challenge I have is in the beginning of the book the author seems to oversimplify the ability for anyone to provide hands-on healing. I do believe we all have the innate ability to channel universal energy, but I believe a lot of us have "forgotten" who we are and our natural abilities. Later in the text the author does acknowledge it may take years for an individual to develop this inherent ability. Personally I recommend taking a class, whether it is Reiki, TT, HT, or any other energy healing modality if you're interested in hands on healing.

This is one of the BEST books I have encountered on healing energy work for animals.
I use it extensively and highly recommend it to all animal lovers.
My dogs give it a big "paws up"!

This was wonderful! This lady knows her stuff. I have her music cd's on healing for pets and animals-they are wonderful, too!

A loving true story of the bond between a human and a special friend.(her Dog named Buttons) I think of buttons everyday after reading this story.
What a special read. I would highly recommend this loving true story to anybody with a big heart.
Sha moran Tucson AZ
[...]

A warm and entertaining journey through the relationship of a woman and her dog. It is touching and moving, while keeping you engaged and laughing with Buttons' adventures and insight. Highly recommended for anyone who has lost a four-legged friend, or simply learned life lessons from their special canine. Keeps you laughing and teary-eyed at the same time, while exploring holistic health for animals...

Thoroughly Enjoyed this book! A must read for any pet parent!!
Buttons will be forever in My Heart!!!
A very insightful view of the Love and Grief that comes with having and eventually losing our "kids"
5 Paws Up!!!

Beautifully written, I truly connected with the journey of this "pet parent". Our dog Patch is referred to as our "first born", with his two human siblings following years later. Nadine Rosin understands this bond,has lived it, and now shares it.
This read is not to be missed!

Outstanding book! Not only was this a wonderful memoir to the author's pet, but the book inspired me to look into alternative healing methods for my German Shepherd who is plagued with IBD. And guess what? It has only been 30 days, and my German Shepherd has seen a dramatic improvement, something that conventional medicine has not been able to accomplish in 18 months. If it wasn't for this book, I would not have the special love of my canine friend today. Many thanks to the author for sharing her personal journey.

This book is truly an educational tool is written in such a practical and professional manner that you will know you will benefit from its knowledge even if you decide to keep one tiny bit of insight; be patient do as is so pack with info one may get overwhelmed this is grounbreaking info and in general most are new to it and it takes some time to digest. i had an emotional experience in one of the chapters i am sure it will be different for others since we all have different needs and healing want. i highly recommend this book.

Barbara Martin's other book, "Change Your Aura, Change Your Life" is a favorite of mine. In that book, Martin clearly explained the aura and gave a variety of meditations to help draw positive energy to cleanse your aura as well as help you to attract positive spiritual energy.

Here, she expands on her work with a followup book focused on health issues. Martin provides her theory on what causes illness and what we can do to attract healing energy. Pictures of 'sick' auras are featured in the book, giving the reader insight into what Martin is able to see. This is fascinating to me - although I have never been one who sees auras clearly, I certainly am sensitive to what people's energies feel like. Most of us have had an experience at one time or another where someone or something just didn't "feel right". It's the energy field or aura.

There are specific meditations for a variety of health conditions: diabetes, fibromyalgia, high blood pressure, cancer and more. The book lays out the routine for preparing for the meditation as well as closing the chakras afterwards. I especially like the exercises to "soothe and strengthen the body" - this is helpful to those of us who are relatively healthy and want to remain that way. None of this is difficult to do - it just requires a little discipline.

Whether you are a meditator or not, this is an easy to use book and I highly recommend it. No matter what your current health condition, this book may give you a tool to aid in healing or prevent future issues.

"The Healing Power of Your Aura: How to Use Spiritual Energy for Physical Health and Well-Being" is a masterful resource and tool to explain the art of self healing through auric visualization with specific meditation exercises. Theory and practice are outlined simply but completely, with over 16 pages of colored illustrations to aid the reader in visualizations and meditation. Perhaps one of the most significant factors evident in "The Healing Power of Your Aura" is the need for each individual's assumption of self responsibility for physical, emotional and astral health. The how to sets of meditations are specifically categorized by the area or disease of concern. Highly recommended as an addition to personal or community library Self-Help and Metaphysical Studies collections, "The Healing Power of Your Aura" is a most viable and valuable tool to assist all who seek to take full responsibility for their own lives and well-being.

Martin uses a healing technique that includes prayer, meditation, and envisioning certain healing colors such as the blue white fire of eternal life, the orange red flame of purification, and the pure white light with the spirit substance. She claims to have had some success with healing people this way as long as the illness is not due to a karmic debt that must be paid. She was raised as a Greek Orthodox, but was a clairvoyant from an early age with the ability to see people's auras. She didn't always like what she saw, such as the black of hatred, the dull green of envy, the dull red of anger, the grey of illness, the mustard yellow of lethargy, and the cocoa brown of stubbornness and cruelty. All these colors and emotions cause illness and must be released from the aura by envisioning the good colors such as the golden light of wisdom, the silver ray of intelligence, the red ray of vitality, the orange of motivation, the lemon yellow of concentration, purple of peace, the rose pink of love, and the emerald green of harmony. A meditator should imagine these rays of color coming down from the higher self point above the head down to the spiritual centers in the head, throat, heart, and belly, to the mental body that surrounds the body, to the astral body, down to the specific body parts that the meditator wants to focus on.

I never liked meditating that much, but my pain has inspired me to do it daily and at least I have a mental task to do while meditating so I won't get bored. I think that the meditation may have helped relieve my pain and has given me a boost of energy sometimes. Sometimes I do the meditation with the tumbled stones in the The Crystal Healing Kit by Judy Hall. The prayer is simply asking out loud for the rays to come down to each part so your mind won't wander. I have yet to memorize the prayers; I just simplify them into a single sentence.

The philosophy behind the healing technique is that disease starts in the spiritual parts of one's being before it reaches the physical part. It is important to get the spiritual parts cleared out before disease reaches the physical parts because it is harder to remove disease once it has reached the physical. The spiritual part protects the physical by taking on disease before it reaches the physical, although if nothing is done, it will eventually reach the physical. One must watch what thoughts and emotions you are having and make sure that they are not negative and destructive to your being. I suppose with the daily news coming out with the latest outrage against truth, peace, justice, common sense, and civilization and the continual bitter disagreements about what those terms mean, it is hard not to think and feel negatively, but this healing technique helps you deal with the feeling that the world is falling apart underneath your feet.

This book has some beautiful illustrations of what the author talks about, some of which are in color. It has quick start guide to help you start immediately using the meditation techniques to attempt to heal yourself. It lists certain conditions and what may be the spiritual root that is causing the disease such as STD's being caused by paying too much attention to the sexual part of yourself or fibromyalgia being linked to destructive thinking. It has other meditation techniques at the end of the book such as the one in which you meditate next to a tree, using the energies of the auras of the earth and the tree. I like to use that one when I go for a walk in nature. It is a good book for those interested in this form of alternative healing which examines the spiritual nature of disease first, rather than the usual way of looking at only the physical.

I highly recommend "The Healing Power of Your Aura" by Barbara Y.Martin, especially for people who are sincere on finding the path back to good health.
I was part of an epidemic in Incline Village in Lake Tahoe, NV. on a skiing trip in 1984 when I was 30. To go from a high energy surfer/ skiier/ female who did 2 hours of aerobics 5 x a week to spending most of 20 years in bed was well, very hard. A very good lesson though. Guess the lead in the Stained Glass windows I built for 15 years in business wasn't good for me? Duh? Well, did I listen? Obviously not. But I kept my head up and struggled horribly, found a great man who I married but was still ill with the forever over diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Immune Disorder.
As a child I was blessed with being able to see spirits. (until I asked not to see because it's hard when your sick) So I always understood that we are not just our body, that there's much more to our true reality. I started to meditate daily and somewhere during that the white light turned into beautiful rays of sparkling colors of light. Then I picked up Barbara's book and it rang so true to me. She explains what the colors mean, and now I know how to use them for healing my aura and body. I always thought I was a healer, but couldn't heal myself. Now I can. Best book ever. Take your time and don't be impatient or you'll lose the lesson. It's truely amazing. And for those who are really very sick, stop talking and thinking about it and ask your family/supporters to do the same. We don't realize how much power we give to our illness. My first time talking the illness in 2 years but worth it if it helps you. This book surely will!

This book is so easy to use and understand. It presents each item individually and also has a section that covers most problems that people face from upset stomachs to headaches to Cancer. Obviosly some remedies seem far fetched but the vitamin section makes good sense and gives you much more information then the vitamin bottles at the store!

This book incorporates everything from homeopathy, vitamins & minerals, food, acupuncture, dosage, everything. There is really no need for any other book. I refer to it regularly. The index makes it very easy to locate exactly what you're looking for quickly. Highly recommend if you are interested in natural remedies.

An excellent natural healing reference book. Tons of cross references. So easy to follow. Beautiful clear layout. Covers just about everything. Tells how to do it yourself in many cases. Includes Ayurveda, chinese medicine, flower remedies, herbs, home remedies, aromatherapy, vitamin therapy and homeopathy.

I thoroughly enjoy using this book. It is not only full of information, but visually appealing and easy to read--unlike many medical reference books. Full of color photos of the plants and herbs used so you can find what you need in your own backgarden or if you live in a foreign country and don't know the local name for the plant/herb in question (like me)... full of remedies from many different natural healing methods (ie, 10+ different remedies for diahrea depending on the very specific accompanying symptoms). Clear instructions with photos on how to make tinctures, infusions, etc. I cannot endorse this book enough.

Not only does this book cover a vast array of ailments and treatments, it also does this with chronology, great structure and an inviting style.
The photography is clear and the people don't all look like super models or over actors!
All the major alternate diciplines are here and the sections are inviting and easy to follow.
This would be a valuable student tool, a great book for the interested and should (in an ideal world) be in every Doctor's Surgery.

I'm having a problem. I'm in a dilemma and I'd like to know what you think. I hope you'll let me know. Here's the problem. I kinda take it for granted that we have free will. It seems like some kind of defining characteristic of the human soul. Although we may breathe the same air, and although the same Spirit runs through us, it's our free will that defines our individuality. The Biblical tradition seems to point to our free will. The concept of sin sure requires it. In the Edgar Cayce readings there is the idea there is nothing more powerful than our individual will. On TV it says, "The power of one!" There you have it.
On the other hand, I've been reading a book on prayer and healing. It's the almost classic and often referred to book by Larry Dossey, M.D., Healing Words: The Power of Prayer and the Practice of Medicine, (HarperCollins). He writes about how over one hundred experiments, exhibiting good scientific methodology, indicate that "prayer brings about significant changes in a variety of living beings." This includes fungus, bacteria, animals and humans. Moreover, the healing effects did not depend upon whether the person praying was in the presence of the organism being prayed for or at a great distance. Healing occurred whether the healing object was in a lead-lined room or a cage shielded from electromagnetic energy. It didn't seem to matter if the person (if it was a person and not a medical sample) knew about the prayer or believed in prayer.
"The fact that prayer works (at least some of the time) says something important about our nature, and how we may be connected to the Absolute," he says. It also shows that we are connected to each other. It shows that our thoughts matter. Dossey is smart and brave enough to discuss the flip side of this revelation. Call it "toxic prayer," where our negative thoughts have a negative effect on others. I'm not talking just about curses or swearing (as in asking the Absolute to squash you or condemn you to an eternity in the fires), but even those so-called "harmless" black thoughts we have about people from time to time. If we can be helped by prayers, we can be harmed by the mental negativity of others, even when we do not know they are being negative toward us, even when we are safely in our own homes, even when we are minding our own business. Sounds to me like an invasion of free will, a bruise to my autonomy, an assault on my integrity.
Now I have often heard that we are not supposed to pray for people without their permission. If Dossey is right, it is possible to pray for people without their knowledge and they still get well. We can hope that they wanted to heal! Seems like we shouldn't say to someone, "Good morning," but rather, "Good morning, by your leave, unless you have other plans!"
But I'm not joking, I'm serious and seriously confused here. I have read of experiments begun in Russia and duplicated here, where one person can mentally affect the physical functioning of another person, making that person tired, sleepy, even putting the person to sleep. It is possible to telepathically affect a person's heart rate. I guess that means that it is possible to stop a person's heart, especially if some writings on Voodoo are to be believed.
Now if it is true that we can mentally, telepathically, energetically--however you want to envision it--affect another person, even when they are in the privacy and safety of their lead lined home, then what does that mean about free will. Do we have free will if someone else can, from a distance, without our knowledge or consent, make us do their bidding, think the thoughts they want us to think, make the moves they want us to make? It is even possible to hypnotize a person at a distance, telepathically. The Russians called it "mental suggestion." Now we've all heard the soothing reminder, "you can't hypnotize a person to do something against their will." So does that mean you can't telepathically induce a person to think, feel, or do something against their will? If the telepathic influence was effective, then at some level the affected person was willing to allow it to happen? Is that how we get out of the quandry? Or is there really a hole in the protective shield of our free will?
I've met many people who complain that someone is sending them bad energy, invading their thoughts. Do we take the complaint seriously? Is the person "psychotic"? Since mental influence exists, maybe the person is right. If so, then is the real problem is that the person is willing to have it happen? The person objects to the invasion but feels helpless to stop it. Where's the free will, the willingness? Maybe not all of our free will is available for our freedom of choice. Maybe some of it is hidden in the dark depths of the soul. What do you think? Let me know. www.henryreed.com/publications/bookreviews

Dr. Dossey explains in HEALING WORDS how prayer-based healing works. It has been scientifically proven in hundreds of experiments to be a balanced part of health care that can significantly decrease health problems and significantly improve our quality and quantity of life. Dossey shares some of his own real-life stories of caring for patients... including an American Indian shaman, who requested Dr. Dossey's medical help for his aching neck! This book contains a wealth of information about prayer experiments written in Dossey's characteristically down-to-Earth style. I love the way Dossey raises questions about whether some prayer experiments are ethical, and why some scientists continue to resist the mounting body of evidence that so clearly shows how prayer has a powerful effect on healing.

This book reaffirmed my belief in prayer, and helped me to better understand its healing powers.

While conducting research on the power of prayer and healing, I was encouraged to get this book and I am so glad I did! I could not but this book down once I began to read it. This is a must read if you are interested in the subject. It is well written and it is based on true experiences in Dr. Dossey's practice.

It's probably tempting to dismiss this book as "New Age" claptrap. That would be a mistake.

In fact Dossey is highly critical of the "New Age" movement. And despite some overblown cover blurbs, he doesn't claim to have "proven" anything about the power of prayer in healing; he's making suggestions and exploring possibilities, not laying down law.

Nor, for the most part, is his speculation wild or unfounded. His suggestions are founded on two things: empirical research that seems to show prayer is effective in promoting the biological growth of certain forms of life under controlled laboratory conditions, and the theological/philosophical view that reality is ultimately a single, universal, "nonlocal" Absolute Mind.

However controversial these foundations might be, he presents his suggestions with proper caution. And he is especially careful to avoid falling into the New Age blame-the-patient trap; he is well aware that prayer doesn't always achieve the results we might like and that this isn't because somebody has done something to "choose" or "deserve" ill health.

On the contrary, he has a healthy sense that prayer is really (though this language isn't quite his) for the purpose of adjusting us to the Divine Will rather than vice-versa. (Anthony de Mello tells a story somewhere about a man who said, "In your country it is regarded as a miracle when God does the will of a human being. In my country it is regarded as a miracle when a human being does the will of God.") On his view, the "power" of prayer is shown as much in our acceptance of our health limitations as in their elimination.

There are a couple of places where Dossey threatens to wander off the deep end (e.g. his suggestion that prayer can change the past), and there's a little bit of language (e.g. "Era I, Era II, and Era III") that recalls bad 1970s self-help books. But I really have only one bone to pick with Dossey: he tends at times to overstate the difference between his views and those of traditional, "classical" theism.

There is a tendency among those (of whom I am one, which is in part how I know this) who left their childhood religions in their early teens to assume, more or less unconsciously, that our understanding of such religion was complete at that time and none of its adherents understood any of the cool things we went on to discover for ourselves. It's hard to shake one's implicit belief that those hidebound "fundamentalists" couldn't _possibly_ have known any of this nifty "spirituality" stuff; "dogmatic" religion is, of course, the arch-enemy of "true" spirituality -- isn't it?

Dossey has a very mild tendency in this direction. In consequence I suspect he will occasionally leave more traditional religious believers with the sense that they are being misunderstood, patronized, or both.

But it doesn't happen very often, and it hardly happens at all in this book. On the whole, Dossey's approach tends to confirm rather than undermine the great theistic religions' view of prayer.