As soon as man had begun to acquire the ability to mine and work with metals, he also began to use them as a medium of exchange. Because copper, silver and gold are metals that have relatively low melting points, and because they are malleable and resistant to corrosion, they were the first metals to be used as money. Disks, called coins, were cast or struck from each of these metals. Each coin had imprinted upon its face, words or characters which indicated its nature and value. Since the metals of which the coins were composed had many uses other than as money, each coin had an intrinsic value, determined by the amount and kind of metal it contained. The value imprinted upon the face of the coin was intended to be equal to the intrinsic value of the metal. Any coin made from metal whose intrinsic value was substantially less than its face value was declared to be "counterfeit" and the creation of such coins was not only unlawful, but was punishable by the severest penalties.

The metal coinage system proved to be so successful that, for several thousands of years, virtually every nation on earth minted or circulated coins of copper, silver and gold, and almost all of the business of buying and selling was conducted with them as the sole medium of exchange. With the constantly increasing wealth of the world, however, the principal drawback of the coinage system became more strongly felt. Metal is both bulky and heavy, and copper, silver and

2 UNDERSTANDING

gold are three of the heaviest of metals. Coins tend to wear holes in the owner's pockets and, if he has a great many of them, can create problems of storage and moving. For example-If one wished a home, or other property at a cost of $50,000, it would have required several tons of silver coins to pay for it! To ease this problem it was suggested that the mint, instead of circulating the coins as they were made, should store them and issue paper certificates of ownership of the coins instead. Paper is light, it can be folded neatly in the wallet, it does not wear holes in the pocket and, most efficient, a single certificate could show ownership of a number of coins. These certificates, known as Treasury notes or Bank notes, were not, nor were they intended to be money. They simply certified that the holder of the note was the true owner of the number of coins indicated, and could claim them at any time. This system worked well and was stable so long as the number of coins specified in each certificate are actually minted and, are available to the owner on demand. It inevitably began to break down, however, when ignorant or greedy men in government and finance observed that very few persons actually claimed the coins to which they were entitled, but were con-tent to circulate the paper certificates. It was decided that there was no need to waste all that expensive silver and gold by making it into coins when all they really needed to do was to continue to print the paper certificates that said they had. The public soon becomes aware of this form of deceit and not only does the purchasing power of the fraudulent bills diminish rapidly, but irreparable damage is done to public confidence both in government and in the money system.

Unfortunately, during the past few years, almost all of the governments and treasuries of the world appear to have lost sight of the fact that any medium of exchange, if it is to remain stable, must have some sort of intrinsic value as a standard of comparison with those things for which it is exchanged. Today, most governments simply issue pieces of paper which are not notes, since they promise nothing and will not be redeemed, by the maker for anything except another piece of paper when the first one wears out. Although governments declare these pieces of paper to be "Legal Tender" they have no intrinsic value and their purchasing power is determined only by the degree of public confidence in them. Since public confidence in fiat money always tends to diminish with time, its purchasing power will also continue to fall in spite of any amount of propaganda, exhortation or manipulation by government. Since paper money can, in small lots, be exchanged for coins, it would seem that the minimum value of paper money should be the value of the metal

NOVEMBER 1975 3

in the coins for which it can be exchanged. Unfortunately, even the coins of today are counterfeit, being made of base metal whose intrinsic value is only a small fraction of its face value, and if any significant number of persons should attempt to convert their paper money into coins, the supply would soon run out and there would then be nothing with which the government could, or would redeem the paper. As many remember, this situation came about in Germany after the first world war, when a one mark coin became equal in purchasing power, to several millions of marks in paper money.

No government has ever succeeded for long in maintaining the value of fiat or unbacked money, and almost all world currencies are now sliding with increasing speed into a vortex of inflation which none of the governments involved can halt. The next few years should provide a most interesting study in the performance of unbacked paper currency.

(To be continued.)

GETTING ALONG WITH OTHERS

Scientists tell us that a lump of coal and a precious diamond are made of the same thing-carbon. The only difference between them is the arrangement of their atoms. Living together in harmony is also a matter of our relationship. It is a physical impossibility to live completely apart from society and live a completely isolated life.

We must live with those whose manners annoy us, whose practices offend us, and whose ideas disturb us. This means that we must not only live with others but learn to get along with them. We must somehow learn to understand these people or be forever at odds with them, with ourselves, and with the world.

Our tendency is to build a wall that will shut out those who differ from us, but each time we erect a barrier to shut someone out, we shut ourselves in. Usually resentments grow out of misunderstandings or from an unwillingness to face honestly some disagreeableness with-in our own area. Therefore, it is well to remove the area of disagreement rather than to build a wall of prejudice.

We must remember that no matter what minority we may choose to safeguard, we are at the same time members of a larger society and these larger and more inclusive loyalties must be preserved. It is not wise to exalt our particular minority interest to the exclusion of the larger loyalty. The part is never greater than the whole. It is well to let the things for which we stand win their way into the hearts of others through their own merit. We should allow causes and issues to grow in strength within us through their own inherent goodness,

4 UNDERSTANDING

rather then trying to wall them out because of our own lack of under-standing, jealousy, pride or prejudice. To live in harmony with others we need to see the situation from the other person's point of view.

We, like two musicians playing different notes on different instruments, should be able to create harmony as the tones of one blend with the other.

To accept people as they are and for what they are, to place confidence in them and to encourage them, is to help them to become better than they are. To treat people as if they were what they could be is to help them to become what they are capable of becoming. Within every person is the capacity to become something greater than he now is. It is possible for each of us to become a better per-son, and to help others to become what they could be. But some body must be willing to pay the price for such improvement.

-ALMA FLOYD

EUTHANASIA

(Since the subject of Euthanasia is both current and controversial, we offer yet another perspective for a better understanding of the concept.)

The concept of helping a fatally ill person reach transition is one that causes great emotional responses. Those in favor believe it to be an act of compassion and those opposing it believe it to be an act of murder.

There seem to be two main groups in the opposition. One group protests on a moral and religious basis. They believe only God has a right to take life and if a person is suffering an agonizing death or life on the most primitive physical level, that is God's Will. The second group believes a law permitting euthanasia would usher in an era of wholesale slaughter of rich relatives and unwanted elderly people by indifferent relatives.

In considering euthanasia, it is important to have a definition of human life. Is it really enough to have a body that is breathing and that has blood circulating through it? Surely this is not what being human means. Regardless of individual philosophy or religious beliefs, there is almost universal agreement that being human entails certain privileges and responsibilities. This is only possible when the living tissue is endowed with a creative intelligence. It is this ability to think and reason, to not only feel but understand why we feel, that makes it possible for us to be human. Given such intelligence or consciousness the Soul can function, express itself, create, build, serve, and grow.

But what happens when these things are no longer possible? A person suffers a severe stroke and is no longer able to move, use his

NOVEMBER 1975 5

mind, speak, eat, or control his bodily functions. He knows no one and is incapable of controlling his life in any way. His Soul is now trapped within a crumbling shell. If euthanasia were used, would it destroy anything that had not already been destroyed? Would we be cutting life short or merely shortening the death process?

It is true euthanasia could be abused by those wanting to be rid of a sick person when the person really didn't ask to be released. We must remember, however, that all things good can be used for evil. Food can nourish the body but also poison it yet no one would seriously suggest we give up eating completely because the food might be poisoned.

The human body is prone to many types of disintegration. Many of them slow and painful. There is probably no one who has not watched a loved one die of some incurable disease. There is a time in such a disease when we all realize that the life of the person we loved is ended. The shell may go on, gradually and painfully breaking down for weeks in the Soul's struggle for release but the body is no longer its home. The Soul is already more in the Cosmic realm than on the earth plane, awaiting its final release from the body.

There are those who would argue that it is Karma that people should die painfully, I would ask those people, will the Soul learn a more beautiful lesson from being left to suffer hopelessly or by the charitable release from its suffering by fellow humans who care?

It is not suggested that euthanasia be used indiscriminately with-out the wish of the person involved. We are all aware that we shall pass through transition one day. It would be a simple matter to leave a written record with one's doctor, updated every few years, giving specific examples of physical conditions under which one would want euthanasia. If this were done when one was healthy and normal, it would be a guide for those responsible for one's medical care should devastating disease strike. A dignified death would be possible.

Today we grant a pregnant woman the right to an anesthetic during a difficult delivery. This was not true in the past when it was felt delivery of a child should cause pain. It was God's "Will." We give narcotics to ease the pain of those temporarily suffering some disabling disease. Perhaps the time has now come when we shall grant the same mercy to the dying as we do to the living.

-GEORGIA BALLUCK

(For literature on this vital subject write to Euthanasia Educational Council, 250 W. 57th St., New York, N. Y. 10019)

6 UNDERSTANDING

THE MIRACLE BEAN

We first read of this miracle bean-the jojoba-in the Time Magazine of May 26, 1975. Then its extraordinary properties were further elucidated by Mr. H. L. Elliott of the Grants Pass Daily Courier on August 7, 1975.

This miracle bean could be the panacea to save the endangered sperm whale, still hunted by both Japan and Russia for its special oil which provides a lubricant unexcelled for certain high temperature industrial applications.

It seems that for years the Indians and early settlers of the South-west treasured the jojoba bean oil for its many uses: to ease child-birth, as a remedy for cancer, as a moustache wax, and even as a laxative. Today one tribe is offering a jojoba shampoo. However, the recent discovery that this oil is a virtual duplicate of sperm oil-"a material so close in chemical structure that it probably can be used as a sperm oil substitute for the complete range of uses without re-formulation"-holds much promise for the world and the sperm whale!

Mr. Elliott notes that the bean's oil would provide a commodity not now available in the United States, since we have banned not only whale hunting but also the import of all whale based products. Further, besides lubricating machinery, the jojoba bean oil shows promise in transmission fluids, paper coatings and electrical insulation. "As such," says Mr. Elliott, "it could help take pressure off another trouble spot, the fossil oil supplies of the world that are being rapidly depleted to the point where they will eventually disappear."

"In hydrogenated solid form as a wax, the material may be used in floor finishes, carbon paper and polishes for furniture, shoes and automobiles. California Indians have found a ready market for candles fashioned from jojoba wax," so continues the Daily Courier report.

However, harvesting the beans from bushes in the wilds is costly, so plans are being considered for plantations on Indian Reservations, both in California and Arizona. There are 17 reservations in California, nine in Arizona which could grow the beans, and once started with Federal funding, could provide a measure of self-sufficiency for the Indians in growing and processing the beans.

The plant itself is interesting. Though it is usually low and bushy it can grow to a height of 10 feet and resemble a tree. It has a life span of 100 years or more. One Indian claims seeing plants 150-200 years old still producing good crops. The plant will grow and flourish

NOVEMBER 1975 7

in barren country with temperatures up to 115 in the shade and with rainfall of only 8-12 inches a year.

Studies indicate that under cultivation a mature jojoba bush will yield about five pounds of clean, dry seeds a year. A plantation could produce 1,000-2,000 pounds of oil annually.

"Just as the soybean holds the protein hope of the future for much of the world," says Mr. Elliott, "it may well be that the oil needs of the future-at least part of them-will be filled by this now obscure plant. Not only the whales may look to jojoba as a life-saver, but as time goes on, we all may find it so."

AN ATTITUDE OF THANKFULNESS

There is an attitude of thankfulness. It is the climate of some men's daily lives. It gives to all that they do a sense of worthfulness. It permeates their actions with enduring value, so that others feel they are in the presence of a quality of life that is eternal.

The attitude of thankfulness is akin to the mood of worship. He who recognizes the givingness of God is kept aware of the source whence all our blessings flow. The resources of earth are His, and He made them. The beauty of sky and the amazing wonders of the deep are the creations of God, and He sustains them. Man's powers of mind, his astonishingly complex body, his capacity for moral action, his keenness of insight, and his ability to create or appreciate beauty; these all are gifts of the Eternal Father. And there are some men whose stewardship and use of God's gifts remind us whence those gifts came.

The attitude of thankfulness is filled with firm, sure courage. He who recognizes the over-arching rulership of God, well knows that truth-telling will triumph, that freedom will win the loyalty of men, that righteousness will be victorious, and that God can be trusted to strengthen and to sustain the man who relies upon His way. And there are some men whose sure support of what's holy, right, good, and altogether noble makes the rest of us aware of God's gift of His spirit to those who are ready to receive Him.

The attitude of thankfulness is imbued with humble confidence. When a man knows that he owes to God all that he is and all that he possesses, he does not boast. He is glad for all his opportunities, and he rejoices in the use he had been able to make of them. He is happy in the satisfaction of being a co-worker with God. There are some men whose lives have an atmosphere of co-mingled humility and confidence which leads others to feel grateful to the One who loaned them to us for a lifetime.

8 UNDERSTANDING

Yes, there is an attitude of thankfulness. And it gives to the whole life of the one who is possessed by it, a radiance, freedom, vigor, and grace which is the spirit of God in the life of man.

-HENRY DAVID GRAY

youth page

Ufos international

UFO SIGHTINGS ABOUND IN OME

(Courtesy of CBA INTERNATIONAL, Yokohama, Japan) (The Daily Yomiuri, Monday, Feb. 17, 1975)

OME, TOKYO- People claiming to have sighted unidentified flying objects (UFO) have increased in Ome and Okutamamachi, western Tokyo, since the first sighting was reported on February 7 by Minoru Sawabatake, 25, a painting shop proprietor of Ome.

Sawabatake said that he sighted several orange-colored flying objects like miniature bulbs traverse the night sky and disappear in a mountain range on the western horizon when he casually looked up to the southern sky while parking his car at a car park in Ome at about 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

He said that he again saw similar objects fly at the speed of a helicopter and disappear in the mountains at about 8:40 p.m. on February 9 when he was with his wife Minako at the same car park.

He told his friends of what had happened and went to the car park every night thereafter to confirm what he had seen.

He saw the flying objects every night except on the night of February 14 when the sky was cloudy, he said.

He said that he had sighted the objects five times Saturday night. He said that the brightness was about that of a star of the first magnitude, the altitude was about 600 meters and the time which the UFOs took from appearing from the east horizon and disappearing in the west horizon was about one minute.

Similar reports came from shop hand Kazuo Tsushima, 20, carpenter Hiroo Kinoshita, 21, and bean curd maker Ryo Tsushima, 50, all of Ome.

Kazuo Tsushima observed the UFOs with binoculars of 30 times magnification.

Masao Shioda, 26, of Higashi Murayama, western Tokyo, a civil servant at the Tama automobile tax office of the metropolitan government, captured UFOs of the same description on film on the night of February 13.

The camera captured the UFOs twice-at about 8:30 p.m. and about 8:35 p.m.-for about 10 seconds each time, he said.

On enlarging the picture taken first, Shioda noted two bright streaks running parallel to each other.

The upper streak was slightly elliptical at the center.

The Ome agricultural cooperative Saturday asked the local resi-

10 UNDERSTANDING

dents by radio to furnish information about UFOs if they saw any. Officials of the Aeronautical Traffic Control Office, Higashi-Kurume, western Tokyo, said that upon placing an inquiry with the US Air Force Yokota Base they had learned that no aircraft had flown on that course during the hours in question.

Examine All Things

GREAT WESTERN UNIVERSITY

Great Western University (now sometimes called, Great Western Brotherhood) is a non-profit, tax-exempt teaching and research Federation of Educators dedicated to helping each person reach the highest goal possible in physical and mental skills, spiritual power and Enlightenment. Incorporated in California in 1957, its charter reads:

"To provide internationally studies which lead to universal peace and improve mental, physical and spiritual outlook. To make available low cost education in or near the home, especially for those interested in preparing themselves as ministers (teachers) in the Religious Brotherhood . . . established to serve at no salary. To found schools, clinics. To ordain and license ministers. To provide education at all levels with a minimum barrier to admissions."

Course material and teaching methods are unique in Great Western University. The Curriculum reaches from the physical to the mystical with balance between the two. The purpose is to produce a practical person who is also in tune with the Infinite, and uses the supramental powers simply in everyday affairs. Teaching the total person in all phases of physical and mental life is part of the ambition of the members of the teaching Federation called Great Western Brother-hood, who influence the educational course material.

The method of presentation of course material is also different. It is given in "bite-sized" written lessons, or in taped lectures with class-questions for round-table discussion. Great Western University offers written Home Study course material along with Educational Tapes, and lectures with motivating study guides.

The training covers many fields of learning. Special emphasis is placed on development of personal skills and the psychological mind-set for living effectively in this society at this time. Effective Reading, Memory Training, Dietary Skills, Sciences and Religions are interwoven with Human Relations, Psychology and Metaphysics to give each student a very broad base of Life-oriented learning.

The University training is especially designed for the physical,

NOVEMBER 1975 11

mental and spiritual development of any student who has the will and desire to serve others and help improve human society by helping to realize the fullest possible human potential. Ancient Wisdom Learnings are intertwined with Western Scientific Methods. It becomes Scientific Mysticism. It teaches time-tested step-by-step techniques for reaching the Unitive Life in a way that is safe for Western Minds.

Written material (for which there is a nominal charge) is gradually replaced by Library Tapes for which donations are accepted. Those who cannot afford donations are equally welcome to any study group. The Brotherhood tends to "take care of its members" and has financed scholarships at home and abroad for talented students.

No doctrine, dogma, or previous educational background is pre-requisite to enrolling in the University. Those who pass the first quarter final exam may enroll in the Brotherhood Sacred Studies where the student's behavior is guided by an Obligation. Any sincere person may join or start a group devoted to study, reflection, meditation and deep contemplation of life's goals and the inward journey to Masterhood.

If you are interested in further information, do write: Great Western University, P. 0. Box 3601, Rincon Annex, San Francisco, CA. 94119.

Poets corner

SOME COMMON GROUND

There's a strangeness in your voice

when you speak of a different land.

And the things you say that you believe,

I cannot understand.

Your color's not the same as mine,

12 UNDERSTANDING

And it's a different road you walk,

But let us find some common ground,

Come and let us talk.

Surely there must be some things

on which we can agree.

l know this change comes hard to you,

But it's the same for me.

I do not know what brought you here,

Or why it is you stay,

And if at times you're feeling lost,

I've often felt that way.

And when I find that I'm amused

by the different things you do,

I stop laughing and ask myself,

How must I look to you?

For even when a tiny stone

into a lake is dropped,

The ripples flow for miles and miles,

Who knows where they are stopped?

In this time we spend together,

Can't we try to think as one?

For it is by the little things

that greater deeds are done.

We may never be great friends,

But all will not be lost,

If we can build the smallest bridge

For someone else to cross.

Great leaders of peace, we are not,

But we surely must agree,

The peaceful leaders we pray to come,

Are following you and me.

-LINDA TYE RIOS

♦ ♦ ♦

Fear is the only emotion based entirely in imagination. It's the one that always begins with if and ends with might.

♦ ♦ ♦

We have not succeeded in reaching the hearts and minds of all peoples. . . . It would appear that, when diplomacy fails and wars are in progress, we can only seek divine guidance. We must mobilize the spiritual forces of mankind.

-David Lawrence

NOVEMBER 1975 13

UFO Over Gilroy

[San Francisco (CA) Chronicle, 8/13/751]

It was bigger than a car, faster than a jet, and it hummed as it soared north over Gilroy (Calif.).

"It was a spacecraft," said Frances Lugo, 45, of Gilroy, who didn't believe in flying saucers or unidentified objects until she saw the three-legged gray metal contraption with twinkling red lights hovering 150 feet over her house at 11:15 P.M. Sunday.

"It hovered there for a while, less than 30 seconds, then it picked up speed and headed for ban Jose," she said.

"I was very frightened," she added.

The UFO was also seen by her husband, Jose, their daughter, Imelda, 12, and a relative, Terri Smith, 19.

No one else reported seeing the strange craft, but Gilroy policeman Harold Jones, who investigated the incident, said he "could only conclude that they in fact saw something. The witnesses were very upset."

♦ ♦ ♦

Another Gilroy UFO

[San Jose (CA.) Mercury, 8/14/75]

By BILL GLINES, Staff Writer]

GILROY- There's been another unidentified flying object seen in Gilroy.

This time a Gilroy couple, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Bluemmer of 540 Fairview Drive, said they spotted a large bright light "with an eerie red center," skirting along the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountain range in the general area of Gavilan College southwest of the city at dusk Tuesday.

Bluemmer, who describes himself as a generally "cautious" man, said nothing about it at first.

Bluemmer said that at about 8:15 p.m. he was watching TV with his wife when he glanced up at a window over the television set which faces the mountains in the southwest.

"I thought at first that it might be a big setting star, and then I reasoned that it was too early in the evening for that," he said. "I've always in the past been able to explain away by rational reasoning

14 UNDERSTANDING

what others might call a UFO.

"The thing ballooned out into a very white light skirting the eastern side of the Santa Cruz range.

"It was about three miles away.

"It rose and ducked behind a background of trees. "The whole sky seemed to light up briefly."

He summoned his wife to the window and hurried himself to an-other window facing the same direction in an adjoining room.

"It lasted 15 or 20 minutes," he said. "I opened the window. I wanted to see if I could hear anything. But there was no noise.

"It was literally beaming into the valley.

"It was completely round. Staring into it, and its whiteness, made it difficult to determine size.

"It traversed the contour of the mountain and finally disappeared into the cleft of a mountain, seeming to settle there."

Bluemmer, who is an amateur radio hobbyist, said that he and his wife kept checking the area off and on for about three hours but did not again see the strange white light with the red center.

♦ ♦ ♦

Mysterious Disc-Shaped Object

(The Dallas Morning News, 8/17/75)

STOCKTON, Calif. (AP)- An air traffic controller at the Federal Aviation Administration tower here has reported seeing a mysterious disc-shaped flying object emitting a green smoke. It was the latest in a series of UFO sightings over Northern California.

Dan Long, a controller at the Stockton Metropolitan Airport, told authorities he saw the object about 2,000 feet in the air at 9:35 p.m. Thursday.

He said the disc shifted upward, emitting a glow of green tinted smoke and flashing red lights.

Another man walking near the airport at the same time also re-ported seeing the object. Gary Duran, 27, said he and two friends saw the disc give off a large puff of green smoke as it turned upward.

Meanwhile, residents of the San Jose-Gilroy Area reported seeing more UFO's in the wake of two reported sightings earlier this week. Rudy Cosio, a San Jose college student majoring in aeronautics, said he saw a "large white light" hovering over the foothills.

David Dover, of Gilroy, said he was hunting with friends earlier that evening when they saw "two bright lights in the sky," that later materialized into "a triangular-shaped object, with red and white lights on it."

NOVEMBER 1975 15

To Cut Crib Deaths

[Houston Post (Texas), April 24, 1975]

SAN DIEGO (UPI)-A tiny waterbed and a recorded heart beat are being used by University Hospital doctors to simulate a mother's womb in an experiment aimed at reducing the 8000 "crib deaths" reported annually in the nation.

The physicians believe many of the premature infants killed by the mysterious disorder die because they are born before their nervous systems are developed enough to keep them breathing. Hospital found the syndrome killing infants between the first and 18th month.

Said Dr. Louis Gluck, "What do we do with these kids right after they have come out of a nice warm environment? We put them on a hard slab with the light shining 24 hours a day and we don't comfort them."

The experiment aims to create a womblike atmosphere. Later soft, cooing voices, music and talking will be added.

♦ ♦ ♦

"Sees" Like A Bat

(Daily Courier, Grants Pass, Ore., June 24, 1975)

PALO ALTO, CA. (AP)-Eight-month-old, blind Dennis Daughters is beginning to crawl, exploring and "seeing" his world through echoes. He "sees" objects through a sonar device worn in a kind of a beanie cap.

The device broadcasts silent sound waves and picks up the returning echoes which then are translated into audible sounds carried by plastic tubes to his ears. Bats see in a similar echo-sounding way.

The baby can recognize his favorite toy or a bottle and reach out accurately to grasp it in both hands. He can tell distance by sound pitch-the lower the pitch, the closer the object. Objects to right or left produce a louder sound in that ear. Sound intensity gives clues about size, and head movements define edges of objects because of diminished echoes.

Dr. Tom Bower, a Scottish psychologist, who conceived the project says that if the experiment proves successful with Dennis it may be made available to other blind babies and children.

♦ ♦ ♦

Man-Made Person in Offing

[Medford (Ore.) Mail Tribune, 4/23/75]

DENVER (UPI)-Dr. John Newkirk, a professor of metallurgy, says someday soon scientists will be able to assemble a person who is as much man-made as natural.

16 UNDERSTANDING

"We're coming close to being able to make a man who is almost as artificial as he is natural," Newkirk said in a speech this week at the University of Denver.

Newkirk helped invent the Denver Hydrocephalus Shunt, which relieves the pressure of fluids in the brain. He said other creations in the near future could include a completely man-made heart, zippers to suture wounds, artificial lungs and magnets to open and close the eyes.

♦ ♦ ♦

Formaldehyde Cuts Cholesterol

(Daily Courier, Grants Pass, Ore., 5/3/75)

DAVIS (AP)- Millions of Americans may someday dig into the thick juicy steaks and rich ice cream they crave and actually reduce the chance of having heart attacks, says a researcher.

The key is feeding formaldehyde to cows and sheep-in very small amounts.

That allows them to maintain the polyunsaturated quality of the feed they eat and pass it on in tasty meat, mutton and dairy products, Dr. Robert E. Hodges said Monday.

The experiment was prompted by a group of Australian doctors' discovery that a coating of formaldehyde-treated protein in the first of a cow's or sheep's four stomachs protects polyunsaturated vegetation from fermenting into saturated fat.

Hodges, a professor of medicine at the University of California at Davis School of Medicine, had 50 persons eating such food in a six month study.

Asked precisely how much the cholesterol level diminished, he said it was "statistically significant" and added he plans another experiment limited to subjects with high levels.

♦ ♦ ♦

SPIRIT SPEAKS

(By special permission of Psychic Observer Chimes, Vol. 36, No. 1)

Count your many blessings. However small they may be, they are yours, you have earned them. There are countless more to come-open your arms and open your eyes and accept them, for what you receive belongs to you.

Who would understand your blessings as do you? This is why they come to you as they do. We see with our own individual personalities, we influence al/ that comes to us. And so, dear children of light, you make your own blessings, you break your own blessings.

Your fate is in your hands.

Count your blessings, for all things come of Him.

NOVEMBER 1975 17

(Consider the Concept)

FRIENDSHIP

Friendship is a privilege and delight, not dependent upon external factors such as time or distance, profession or background, height, complexion, or color of hair, but springing from the depths of our beings, to surface where it can be seen, expressed, enjoyed. There is, in true friendship, no seeking of fulfillment in one another; none is needed; each friend is filled first with life, with aliveness. Nor is friendship an arduous thing, to be diligently worked at or fastidiously built. It is a gift bestowed. It requires no plotting or planning, but is freely available always. Nor is it ever a static experience; rather an ever-changing, ever-present, ongoing adventure, underlying life's other events.

-MICHAEL HINES and SUZANNE CORE in

Ontological Thought, Vol. 6 No. 4

Book reviews

THE EDGE OF THE UNIVERSE

(THE EDGE OF THE UNIVERSE by Harold W. G. Allen, Allen Book Publishing Co., Box 330, Downsview, ONT., Canada, Hardbound, 1973, 268 pages, $6.95)

Several years ago the author's first book appeared, entitled Ye Shall Know the Truth. This contains a thesis to unite science and religion. It represented a collation of many years of study precipitated, at age fifteen, when a serious illness raised the question of a possible life after death.

Now in The Edge of the Universe, author Allen is presenting a serious philosophical work in the form of a novel; a science fiction mystery.

The setting is some three centuries into the future; the story is built around an enigma which is uncovered in the extreme depths of space. A secondary mystery, much closer to the Solar System, leads

18 UNDERSTANDING

to an epic space voyage of discovery to a planet of another solar sys-tem. Wracked by nuclear war, the planet is a 'scorched Earth'. How-ever, the people's philosophy on a variety of subjects is preserved and left as an heritage to the explorers.

The text of the last two chapters of Allen's book presents these topics. An unusual concept pertaining to the force of gravity is shown to be none other than an expression of the desire for spiritual advancement. Building upon this hypothesis, one is led to startling views on light propagation and its speed of travel throughout the Universe.

Exploring the probable method of creation of the Universe and the construction of matter, the author presents some unique proposals, not the least of which concerns the fact that the continuous creation of new matter must imply that the stability of our universe can only be achieved by a literal disintegration of an equivalence of matter. Indeed, is there a boundary to our Universe-is there an 'Edge to the Universe' over which our Solar System might someday plunge to disintegration?

Other topics include a scientific approach to evolution-can one draw a line as to when emerging man is capable of spiritual immortality, to the exclusion of other life forms-is there life after death-is there purpose and meaning in the Universe?

As an epilogue (1975) seemingly diverse phenomena such as evolution, our expanding universe, and the principle of reincarnation are linked by mathematical formulas.

It is the author's belief that this breakthrough is without parallel. "For the first time in the history of mankind, the concept of reincarnation is much more than mere conjecture. At long last this elusive principle has been placed upon a sound scientific basis! Possessing the virtue of permitting a number of revealing tests with observational evidence, in every instance this totally new concept is able to with-stand a most critical investigation."

"It has been said that science constitutes little more than successive approximations of reality and that, eventually, many of our cherished laws will be seen to be incomplete and in need of modification. Perhaps in some measure The Edge of the Universe will contribute ideas from whence new truths may emerge."

Truly here is stimulation to 'shake' some of our concepts and direct a personal search for insight into many of the wonders of the Universe.

-P.K.M. (Paul K. Miller)

NOVEMBER 1975 19

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BOOKS RECEIVED

Benjamin F. Taylor (126 Odette St., Flint, MI. 48503) has presented to our Understanding Library, now at Tonopah, AZ., copies of his hard cover book: Freedoms and Mental Fitness, and two pamphlets: "Bible Lectures" and "Twentieth Century Revelations."

We thank Mr. Taylor for his contributions for Understanding seeks "To Examine All Things" that each may find the truth for himself.

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GIFT SUBSCRIPTIONS

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A gift card will be sent with the first issue. Surely there are members of your family and friends as well with whom you would share the "understanding and enlightenment" offered by our Magazine-Understanding.

Thank you for your gift orders!

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UNIVERSAL WORLD HARMONY

From the Headquarters of Universal World Harmony in England has come notice of the WEEK OF HARMONY to be observed November 8th-14th at 11 A.M. daily.

This week of Harmony enables people all over the world to take their part in the two minutes of SILENCE on each of these days, and to incorporate this Silence within their own religious observances.

UWH seeks to bring together People of Goodwill everywhere that in their unity they will recognize their strength and together erase

20 UNDERSTANDING

the tragedies of our time.

Do participate in these moments of Silence-not only throughout this special week, but throughout the year as well.

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MEDITATION BOOKLET OFFER

From Daphne Maishman of England has come a small meditation booklet-Thoughts on the Way. Miss Maisham says, "I will be pleased to send a free copy of this booklet on application to any of your readers who may be interested. These are the teachings of the Way of Truth and have a message for the people."

Do write Daphne Maishman for her inspirational gift booklet: 39B Dorset Road, Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex TN40 1SG, England. (A postal donation might be welcome, though not requested.)

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Harmonic-33

A subscriber suggests that we offer our readers this information: HARMONIC-33 by Capt. Bruce, Cathie, $8.95, may be ordered from Reed Books Ltd./Bookseller§, 38-40 Ghuznee St., Wellington, New Zealand.

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BOOKS BOOKS

Once-in-a-Lifetime

by EUGENE E. WHITWORTH

NINE FACES OF CHRIST-Inspired book of a Messiah crucified 57 years B.C. Search for The Meaning of Life in ancient and Sacred Mysteries. Explains deeper meanings of the Bible, Yoga, Metaphysics and Mysticism.

(290 pp. $10.50)

SONG OF GOD-Poetic setting of 4,500 year-old Hindu Sacred Book Bhagavad Oita for Modern Americans. Mystic teachings of ancient Yogis. In free-verse, poetry and sonnets. For readers with Christian background.

(108 pp. $4.00)

DIARY INTO THE UNKNOWN-ESP experiments of Great Western University. Transmental adventure from tamper-proof diaries. Subjective conclusions.

(170 pp. $5.00)

PRICELESS INGREDIENT - Psychology of human control, man's relationship to man. Guide to leadership, personality and spiritual development.

(50 pp. $2.00)

TECHNIQUE OF EFFECTIVE PRAYER - Prayer technique and philosophy on which one dares risk life itself. Guide to man's relationship to God.

(50 pp. $2.00)

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SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. 94119

Enclosed is $20.00 for ALL FIVE BOOKS.

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"The REASON for LIFE

- now –

VISIT VENUS"

by John Langdon Watts. .

Learn why we are here! There is a purpose for Life. This book is for the curious mind, for the advanced student that wants facts not guesses. Next learn of our outer space friends with a trip to Venus. Send $3.75 + .25c Post & Hand.

Dixie Venus Books, Inc.

P. 0. Box 275

Port Orange, Florida 32019

A Book with Outstanding Reviews