Gerald Epstein - The Natural Laws of Self-Healing

THE NATURAL LAWS OF SELF-HEALING:
Harnessing Your Inner Imaging Power

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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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:
_______________________________________ _________________________________________
_______________________________________ _________________________________________
_______________________________________ _________________________________________
_______________________________________ _________________________________________
_______________________________________ _________________________________________
_______________________________________ _________________________________________
_______________________________________ _________________________________________
_______________________________________ _________________________________________
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 .
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.
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.
to ________________________________________________________________________
this exercise.
to ________________________________________________________________________
this exercise.
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.
VIII. ILLUSTRATION OF APPLIED IMAGERY
to ________________________________________________________________________
this exercise.
to ________________________________________________________________________
this exercise.
to ________________________________________________________________________
this exercise.
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.
IX. ILLUSTRATION OF APPLIED IMAGERY
to ________________________________________________________________________
this exercise.
to ________________________________________________________________________
this exercise.
to ________________________________________________________________________
this exercise.
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,
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.
to ________________________________________________________________________
this exercise.
to ________________________________________________________________________
this exercise.
to ________________________________________________________________________
this exercise.
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.
XI. ILLUSTRATION OF APPLIED IMAGERY
to ________________________________________________________________________
this exercise.
to ________________________________________________________________________
this exercise.
to ________________________________________________________________________
this exercise.
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
(The end of a 7-day cycle)
(The end of a 21-day cycle)
XIII. LISTED BELOW ARE PARTICIPANTS OF THE LIVE NEW YORK
DISCUSSION. WE GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGE THEM FOR
THEIR VALUED INPUT IN THE PROGRAM:
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
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.
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Gerald Epstein - The Natural Laws of Self-Healing

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THE NATURAL LAWS OF SELF-HEALING:

Harnessing Your Inner Imaging Power

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