| The body you live inside of is a temple. It's made | | | | stop. |
| up of forces that are well beyond human | | | | There is a difference that is very important |
| understanding. | | | | between something alive and something dead. It is |
| Though beyond our understanding, the forces we | | | | not something mechanical like the failure of a |
| are made of are not beyond our control. Once | | | | heart valve or the presence of a large tumor. If it |
| we learn to grow and shape our internal forces, | | | | was only this, we would never die. We have, for |
| they will lend us spectacular power. If we ignore | | | | generations, had the ability to restore or to |
| them, however, these exact same forces will | | | | remove these imperfections. |
| turn sour and rot inside of us. | | | | That difference between the dead and the living is |
| I believe the host of degenerative diseases, and | | | | the force that is life. There is no other name for |
| the diseases that weaken our systems and lead | | | | this force. It is not measurable or fathomable by |
| us through a slow, long death, are entirely the | | | | the way of controlled, empirical science. There is |
| result of neglect of our own incredible internal | | | | no precise physical formula to predict the actions |
| resources. And I believe that engaging our internal | | | | of this force. There can be no experiments |
| resources is the secret to a fulfilling life, a long life, | | | | compartmentalizing this force into a canny theory. |
| a healthy life, and a happy life. | | | | It is as powerful and as supernatural as any force |
| What exactly is it that differentiates a living cell | | | | that we've heard of in bedtime stories or read |
| from a dead cell? What differentiates a living | | | | about in books. |
| creature from a dead creature? You can take a | | | | It is what animates tissues that would otherwise |
| dead man, place him on a bike, move his legs | | | | be as dead as a lump of clay. It is what makes |
| around to pedal the bike, and he just doesn't | | | | our presence in this world possible. It is what |
| come back to life. Try making his heart beat | | | | makes this world itself the most remarkable of all |
| regularly just like it used to. Still not alive again? | | | | the worlds we know. |
| How about if we force some air into the lungs. | | | | The force of life, the force we are made of, is a |
| Hmmm. Still dead. Sit him in a chair and chomp his | | | | force that holds power over all of the inert |
| jaws over some cereal. Force the cereal down his | | | | forces. Everything that is not alive is something |
| esophagus. What? Still dead? | | | | which we hold power over. We of course may |
| We have put men on the moon. We have cloned | | | | have a problem calming the sea with a thought, |
| mammals. We have split the atom. But we have | | | | or forcing wheat out of sand. We do not have |
| not and will never return the dead to life. | | | | supernatural powers as overt as that. But we do |
| There are specific physiological dysfunctions that | | | | have control over the inert objects and the inert |
| define death. Our hearts quit beating and our lungs | | | | forces surrounding us because of the fact that |
| stop expanding and our kidneys cease filtering and | | | | we are alive and they are not. |
| our toes no longer wiggle. But once we restore | | | | Not only are we alive, we are the pinnacle of living |
| these functions in a dead creature, life doesn't | | | | creatures. The force of life, as it exists inside of |
| return. | | | | us, is this force in its most complex, most |
| It seems like once we are dead, it's very hard to | | | | intelligent form. |