IntroductionBy Mary KretzmannSeptember 2000

Please note: All articles in this book are from the original writings of Paramhansa Yogananda unless other wise noted. 

This booklet was created as a resource to accompany my Energy Healing seminar on the Divine Will Healing Techniques of Paramhansa Yogananda. However, it is also a useful resource for anyone who would apply these teachings with sincerity and devotion both for their own healing, and for the healing benefit of others.

I have served as the director of the Ananda Healing Prayer Ministry since 1989, and the information that I have compiled in this book has been of great help in assisting those who approach us for prayers for healing in body, mind and spirit.  Paramhansa Yogananda stated that "Healing depends on the power of the healer and the receptivity of the patient."

One can increase that receptivity through opening one's heart to God, and by taking simple, yet powerful steps toward improving one's condition, whether that suffering or lack is in the body, mind, relationships, material concerns or spiritual life.  I often open my healing classes by saying, "The most important question to ask in any healing matter is, 'How can I apply positive energy to this situation?'"  May you find practical answers within these pages.

Also, a very important tool of healing is the Energization Exercises which one can learn through the Ananda Course in Self Realization.  Paramhansa Yogananda developed these exercises and made very strong references to their healing benefit for body, mind and soul. In fact, we have heard of two stories in which people came back from full body paralysis by doing the exercises mentally.  So, there is much for us all to discover along the way!

The important thing is to begin by taking a positive step. Something simple yet extremely powerful and effective is to memorize a suitable affirmation from Paramhansa Yogananda's book, Scientific Healing Affirmations (available in most bookstores). Do it with the power and dynamism that you will learn about in this book. Your thoughts, as they become powerful and focused, can heal you. Read his words on healing as contained in Scientific Healing Affirmations and in this volume that you now hold. As you apply this knowledge you will find yourself on a lifelong journey of Divine Will Healing, both for yourself and for the benefit of others.

For further information please contact:The Ananda Healing Prayer Ministry 14618 Tyler Foote RoadNevada City, CA 95959530-478-7561, extension 7028  fax: 530-478-7562e-mail: prayers@ananda.org

Table of Contents

"Lord, give me Thyself, that I may give Thee to all"    - Paramhansa Yogananda

1. Dynamic Rules of HealthCompiled from the original writings of Paramhansa Yogananda

2. Spiritual Qualities of Foods

3. The Divine Magnetic DietPhysical and mental methods for rejuvenation

4. Important Energizing Exercises (Praecepta lesson #34)Magnetic Exercises for Healing Specific Body Parts

5. The Law of Divine Healing  - Part I How to pray dynamically

6. The Law of Divine Healing  - Part II The causes of disease and how to prevent illness

7. The Law of Divine Healing  - Part III The Heliotropic method of Self Healing (consciously drawing sunlight into the body)

8. Vibratory Healing How the power of sound, will and vibration can empower your prayers for healing

9. The Art of Spiritual Healing  Affirmations for subconscious, conscious, and super-conscious methods of healing

10. Techniques for Healing at a Distance  How the powers of sound, will and vibration can empower your prayers for healing

11. Will Draws Energy from the Cosmos into the BodyHow the will is crucial to healing; also how to send healing energy to others

12. General tools for developing health in body mind and spirit Summaries of Praecepta Lessons      

13. The Eight Aspects of God from The Essence of Self-Realization 

14. The Power of Thought, Will and Karma, from Essence of Self-Realization

15. The Second Coming of Christ: The Healing Power of Thought 

16. The Second Coming of Christ: How Christ Healed

17. The Second Coming of Christ: How Jesus Healed

18. The Second Coming of Christ: Jesus' Healing Power

19. Psalm 23   (with commentary by Mary Kretzmann)   The inner meaning of the psalm: the inner spine and journey of Self-Realization

20. The Seven  Chakras - diagram   

21. Chakra Chart      derived from teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda and Swami Kriyananda

22. Super-conscious Living Exercises - from Swami Kriyananda 

23. Quick Tips on Using Affirmation Dynamically  Mary Kretzmann

24. Using Sacred Photographs for Healing and Upliftment Mary Kretzmann

25. "How Can I be a Spiritual Healer?"     Mary Kretzmann A thoughtful answer to a frequently asked question

Chapter ThirteenThe Eight Aspects of Godfrom The Essence of Self-Realization, by Paramhansa Yogananda

"There are eight aspects in which God can be experienced: as Light, Sound, Peace, Calmness, Love, Joy, Wisdom, and Power.

"To experience Him as Light during meditation brings calmness to the mind, purifying it and giving it clarity. The more deeply one contemplates the inner light, the more one perceives all things as made of that light.

"To experience God as Sound is to commune with the Holy Ghost, or Aum, the Cosmic Vibration. When you are immersed in Aum, nothing can touch you. Aum raises the mind above the delusions of human existence, into the pure skies of divine consciousness.

"Peace is an early meditative experience. Peace, like a weightless waterfall, cleanses the mind of all anxiety and care, bestowing heavenly relief.

"Calmness is another divine experience. This aspect of God is more dynamic and more powerful than that of Peace. Calmness gives the devotee power to overcome all the obstacles in his life. Even in human affairs, the person who can remain calm under all circumstances is invincible.

"Love is another aspect of God–not personal love, but Love infinite. Those who live in ego-consciousness think of impersonal love as cold and abstract. But divine love is all-absorbing, and infinitely comforting. It is impersonal only in the sense that it is utterly untainted by selfish desire. The unity one finds in divine love is possible only to the soul. It cannot be experienced by the ego.

"Joy is another aspect of God. Divine joy is like millions of earthly joys crushed into one. The quest for human happiness is like looking around for a candle while sitting out of doors in the sun. Divine joy surrounds us eternally, yet people look to mere things for their happiness. Mostly, all they find is relief from emotional or physical pain. But divine joy is the blazing Reality. Before it, earthly joys are but shadows.

"Wisdom is intuitive insight, not intellectual understanding. The difference between human and divine wisdom is that the human mind comes at things indirectly, from without. The scientist, for example, investigates the atom objectively. But the yogi becomes the atom. Divine perception is always from within. From within alone can a thing be understood in its true essence.

"Power, finally, is that aspect of God which creates and runs the universe. Imagine what power it took to bring the galaxies into existence! Masters manifest some of that power in their lives. The expression, 'Gentle Jesus, meek and mild,' describes only one side of Jesus' nature. The other side was revealed in the power with which he drove the moneychangers from the temple. Just think what magnetism it took to combat single-handedly all those men, entrenched as they were in habits and desires that had been sanctioned by ancient custom!

"People are often appalled by the power they see expressed in the lives of saints. But remember, you will never find God until you are very strong in yourself. Power may exercise less appeal on your mind than other aspects of God, but it is important to realize that divine power, too, is a part of your divine nature.

"Whatever aspect of God you experience in meditation, never keep it contained in the little chalice of your consciousness, but try always to expand that experience to infinity."

Chapter FifteenThe Healing Power of Thought, by Paramhansa Yoganandafrom Inner Culture, July 1934

Nobleman of Capernaum: 46 So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death. 48 Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. 49 The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. 50 Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth. 52 Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house. 54 This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judaea into Galilee.

John 4:46-54

Jesus preferred those people who loved God as a result of their own innate reasoning and perfect accord, rather than those who were compelled to believe in God as a result of the awe and fear they felt at the display of miracles. In other words, Almighty God prefers to have His children use their own free will and reason to love Him rather than be led to love Him through the force of His miraculous powers. Jesus wanted the nobleman of Capernaum to believe in Him without the performance of the miraculous healing of his son.

However, when the father insisted, through true faith, Jesus at last said: "Go thy way; thy son liveth." After this, the nobleman believed, or rather, sensed the vibratory healing power of Jesus and went home. On his return home, the nobleman was greeted by his servant, who happily announced to him that his son had been living since the day before at the seventh hour. In absent healing the word of healing has to be spoken by the healer. If songs can float through the ether, ready to be caught out of the ether by a radio, so it is that broadcasted healing vibrations can be picked up by sensitive Soul radios.

How the Law of Healing Operates

In this healing it must be remembered that the nobleman's son became well immediately when Jesus spoke; that is, when Jesus set in motion His will-impregnated healing Soul Force in the ether. Jesus broadcasted the God-given healing vibrations and they were received by the nobleman, who relayed them to his son, just as songs, broadcasted at 7 A.M. from Los Angeles, reach New York at exactly the same time.

This happens because sound is carried by infinitely fast-moving omnipresent electrons in the ether. If sound waves can be carried through the ether, then sounds impregnated with healing Soul Force can also be transmitted through the ether. Ordinary songs and speeches, received through the radio, produce some mental effect upon the listener, but words impregnated with Soul Force remain in the ether, ever ready to work. Jesus impregnated His utterance with His Almighty healing power. Ordinary songs and thoughts transmitted over the radio give only momentary inspiration, but the words of Jesus, "Thy son liveth," contained in them the all-accomplishing, invisible healing power.

As the energy in the body can be directed by the will to move any part of the body, so also, by omnipresent Divine Will, any atomic changes can be initiated in any body, in any thing, and at any place, no matter how far distant. God had a reason for creating the Cosmos; then He willed it, and light or energy came. Then He willed that the light become flesh and earth. Hence, the Universe, being a product of Divine Mind, can be changed by Divine Mind at any time.

Matter, although it has dimensions, is not different from thought, for material objects are nothing but the frozen thought of God. Hence, the body and the life in it are dream products of God's will and thought. The dream Cosmos, with the earth and the living Beings on it, are sustained by God's concentrated thought. If He should dissolve His dream, the Universe, with all things in it, would melt away like a dream. If the Cosmos is made of the frozen thought of God, then the human body is also made and sustained by the same Divine Thought.

Hence, God's thought, being the Creator of the thought-body can create changes in it through the power of Divine Will. Jesus realized that, since God brought the body of the son of the nobleman into existence through His thought, so also His Almighty Power could produce the desired change in it. God's will and thought created all things and those people who are in tune with God's will and thought can produce any desired changes in matter or in human bodies instantaneously, merely by concentrated thought.

The nobleman thought that his son was sick, but Jesus thought differently, and so the son recovered. Jesus was able to displace the dream of sickness in the son by a dream of health, because He knew that the entire Cosmos was made of the tissue of dreams. Ultimately, all disease is found to be psychological, so a strong mind, fostering thoughts of health and perfection, can displace a stubborn thought of illness in another person.

Most people cannot heal themselves because their own thoughts are poisoned by the habit of thinking of chronic sickness. It is strange that the people who are always well never seem to believe that they can become sick. But if they happen to become sick after having enjoyed fifty years of good health, and are then unable to keep well for three months, they believe that they can never get well again. Right at this time, if a strong mind can revive the will of the patient who is paralyzed with sickness, then he himself can change his thought and energy, and thus heal himself.

No one can heal us except through the hidden power of our own thoughts. Thought is the brain of the cells and units of Life Force present in every particle of bodily tissue. Hence, a disease thought upsets the entire government of the Life Force in the cells, whereas the thought of health corrects any disorder in the cellular system. It must be remembered that I am speaking of the concentrated Divine Thought which can heal and not of the fanciful thought of imaginative people. In order to move Divine Thought, the ordinary man must know the relation of thought, Life Force, and body without denying the existence of the body thought.

The body is the frozen thought and frozen energy of God. Nevertheless, man cannot realize this until he knows that thought is frozen into energy and energy is frozen into the body of man. Many people try to explain away the body delusion. First, it must be realized that the body is made of invisible electrons, and that electrons are made of the invisible thought of God.

Instead of saying that the body does not exist, one should say: "The body is not what we think it is. It is not anything but the frozen thought and energy of God, and cannot be gained by fanatic fancy, or by strong Orthodox belief, but only by tuning in with God and by waking up His consciousness to find that the Cosmos is nothing but His frozen dream."

Chapter EighteenJesus' Healing PowerBy Paramhansa Yogananda, from Inner Culture, March 1935

"And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue, they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. And Simon's wife's mother was taken with a great fever; and anon they tell Him of her; and they besought Him for her. And He stood over her and rebuked the fever; and He came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she arose and ministered unto them." [Mark 1:29-31]

The rebuking of the fever signifies that diseases are due to the lack of proper operation of the conscious forces which govern the body, and are also due to the evil forces which consciously allow the evil of disease to spread in the body. Some diseases are brought about by physical transgressions against the laws of health, but disease germs are also created by an evil force that tries to destroy the beautiful creation of God–the human body. When the actions of an individual become very bad, evil vibrations are generated, attracting disease germs, which are the agencies of evil.

Jesus could see the evil force that was responsible for the introduction of fever into the body of Simon's wife's mother, and thus he rebuked it away and restored the harmony of health. Jesus commanded the predominating evil force to depart from the body of the stricken woman, thus reinstating the conscious astral forces which govern normal health.

"And at even, when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with diverse diseases brought them unto Him; and they that were possessed with devils; and He laid His hands on every one of them, and healed them. And all the city was gathered together at the door." [Mark 1:32-33]

Jesus exercised his supreme healing power to heal everyone who came to Him. He could heal all those who came unto Him at that time because all of them had the power of receptivity and faith. Faith is the soil, and the power of God flowing through the healer is the seed. True healing requires the true soil of faith in the patient and the powerful seed of healing in the healer or God.

Jesus could not heal everybody in the place where He was born because, even powerful as He was, He could not sprout the seed of his healing power on the rocky soil of disbelieving minds.

In healing, the power of the healer, great or small, is limited as compared to the unlimited healing power of God. Hence, all healers, instead of commanding their own powers in healing should invoke the unlimited Divine power of healing to flow through them and work certain healing. Man's power may fail but God's power can never fail. Even though God has unlimited healing power and though our Father does not want to see us suffer from disease, yet He cannot heal us until we open the gates of our own willingness to be healed. God has given us free choice, unlike the animals, and by misusing it we can keep God out of our lives. By using it properly, we can allow God to heal us.

In order to be sure of God's healing power, one must know and feel Him deeply in meditation daily. When sure of the Divine Communion, one should completely absorb oneself in God preceding every healing which one tries to perform. When administering Divine healing, the healer must act as a perfect medium in order to let God's unlimited power flow through without obstruction. Egotism and loud declaration, and self-laudation, such as, "I healed her," and so forth, should be strictly avoided both in speech and mind, in order to let the all-knowing God perform the healing.

Chapter 19 Psalm 23, with commentary by Mary Kretzmann

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Memorizing the 23rd Psalm and using it as both an affirmation and visualization offers great inspiration.  Years ago, I recall Swami Kriyananda explaining that this psalm is about the astral spine, and the process of the divine energy awakening within us.  He mentioned that the "rod and staff" symbolize the spine itself, and the "cup runneth over" is about the kundalini, once re-united with the crown chakra, spilling abundantly over one's whole being. When that union is permanently established, we are liberated and "dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

I have always found this psalm to be beautiful, and I sensed it held some hidden power.  Indeed, I have heard intriguing stories of divine protection it has given to people in times of intense danger.  I had a desire to understand it more deeply, for I sensed I would then be able to draw from its well of strength, and this would help me in my service through the Healing Prayer Ministry.

In March of 2000, Swami Kriyananda came back to Ananda Village for a visit, after having lived at Ananda Europa in Assisi, Italy for the two previous years. He has a very expansive aura and many of us felt immediate silent spiritual benefit upon his return. I wanted to ask Swamiji to explain the psalm more deeply, but I felt that I must first try to understand it as deeply as possible through meditation and intuition.  The first night that he was back at Ananda Village, I awoke in the middle of the night thinking of this psalm, and it struck me that the psalmist starts off by addressing the Shepherd as "he" and then, midway through the psalm, switches to the much more personal "thou".  I knew I had stumbled upon a major clue, yet I didn't know what to make of it.

I went to my altar and repeated the psalm with deep concentration for about 15 – 20 minutes. Suddenly the veil lifted and I understood the psalm clearly. I realized that it addresses each of the chakras. I found great inspiration silently repeating the psalm while thinking of each energy center in the spine.

Previously, I had to concentrate fully to remember the correct sequence when saying this psalm, because the pieces didn't seem to flow together in a sensible way.  However, once I had this insight into the inner meaning of the psalm, I found that suddenly it made perfect sense, and one line flowed into the next in a natural way.

I believe the 23rd Psalm has served as a source of strength for many people for thousands of years because it addresses the inner process of Self-realization.  Below is a visualization exercise using the psalm in a deep way, moving up the spine chakra by chakra. This 23rd Psalm visualization has been immensely powerful in some private healing sessions.  It helps the "patient" to sense the astral spine as a

tangible aspect of his or her personal soul journey.  Some may then choose to continue with this visualization at home.

The LORD is my shepherd;

See Him standing before you. Place your trust in Him. Feel His presence within you and around you.

This first line opens us to the foundation of devotion in this psalm. The operative word here is "Lord". This line becomes more deeply clarified when we consider that there are other "shepherds" one might be tempted to stray toward in moments of confusion. This line is about choosing God: to follow Him, and to unite with Him in your Soul. 

I shall not want.

Feel Him in your spine. Realize that you want nothing that is outside of His will for you.

The aspiring saint casts aside all lesser desires to focus full attention and willingness on finding God alone. We find this level of commitment expressed throughout this psalm.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:

Feel Him keeping watch over you as you rest on the green, abundant earth.  Absorb the radiant life force. Feel the support of the solid earth. All is well.

First chakra - at the tailbone; the earth element, and issues of survival; supplies energy to the legs and eliminative organs.

This passage creates such a wonderful image of being cared for and sustained by the Lord. The sheep is secure as the shepherd keeps watch over his needs, keeping him safe. "Except that ye become as little children, ye cannot enter the kingdom of heaven."

He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul:

See the clear water of a beautiful mountain lake, reflective, cool and still. Rest. Reflect.

Second chakra; at the sacrum; the water element; creative impulse, sexual energy; sexual organs.

This "still water" is fresh, clear water--not lifeless stagnation. This image is about transmuting the sexual energy into something exalted, rare and beautiful.

Remembering that this psalm is about the inner spine, it is helpful to ask, "How can I keep myself sensitively aware of this divine energy flowing in the center of my being?" and, "What would give beautiful, refreshing beauty to the sexual and creative impulse?"

Everything is relative. Varying degrees of stillness can be experienced in how one handles the sex force. When an individual becomes fixated on sensual desire there enters a great restlessness and loss of soul quality. For the person who has tended toward shallow and fleeting love affairs, it would be a huge step toward inner stillness to simply make a deep commitment to "love, honor and cherish" one beloved in the name of God.

The physical expression of love is an important, tender connection for many couples. It is often best, then, to focus on bringing in greater love, and lessening any sense of lust in the act, rather than to become radical and "renounce" it all prematurely, in the name of spiritual zeal.  As a married couple learn the balance between sexual expression and inner stillness, great love can deepen between them, if they are mindful also to find other ways to express their purified love for each other, lest they become too austere. Be deeply kind to one another, always. Seeing the Divine Beloved enshrined in one another's forms, the couple can both give and receive deeper love. In this way, love can, over time, be transmuted from the second chakra up to the heart center. This process must proceed with self-honesty and compassionate consideration toward the need of the beloved and of oneself.

The soul is felt in deep inner quiet. "Be still and know that I am God."  The most profound example of this "still water" is seen in the saint who has transmuted the physical longing altogether, inwardly merging his or her heart's love with the Divine. 

At whatever point a person finds himself on this continuum, he can move toward that center of stillness and divinity within, thus allowing the energy to rise to the higher centers and restoring the soul nature.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Feel divine strength at the navel area, radiating all through the abdomen. Feel that as you use your determination to follow divine will, it creates a pathway within you to reach the higher realities.

Third chakra; at the navel; fire element; "fiery self control" giving the ability to follow rules for spiritual living; self-discipline; feeds abdominal organs

The soul is "restored" as we live in alignment with spiritual truth. Spiritual guidelines help us to avoid major pitfalls that might take us away from our soul nature.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.

Visualize a glowing ball of Light in your heart; with each breath increase its radiance, and try to feel the warmth emanating from it. Invite the Divine Presence to dwell in your heart, always. Visualize Divine Mother, or one of the Masters living in your heart, radiating divine love, guidance and protection.

Fourth chakra; at the heart;  Air element; Human and Divine love; feeds the heart, lungs, arms and hands

Note that the psalmist has moved from addressing God in the third person to the more endearing, personal relationship of "I and Thou." It is a crucial part of spiritual evolution to move beyond merely following God's laws, to loving Him purely within one's heart.  ("Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy mind, with all thy soul, and with all thy strength and thy neighbor as thyself." )  When we feel the indwelling Lord in our hearts, it gives us true courage and we can face great difficulties with calmness. Indeed, there is nothing to fear, for even if death comes, the devotee knows that nothing is lost, for the soul is united with God through the heart's love. "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God."

One of the most important elements in spiritual healing is opening the heart to God.  First a person needs to feel he is a child of God and can receive His love, casting aside any issues of unworthiness or fear. ("Perfect love casteth out all fear".) From there he or she can begin to express gratitude to God for life's myriad blessings, and most profoundly, for the love of God felt in the heart.

Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Feel the breath moving in the throat; begin to feel that this current of breath is related to the current in the astral spine.

Fifth chakra; at the throat, ether element: Calmness; feeds the throat and voice

The neck is the narrowest part of the body, consisting only of the spine and the throat, making it is easier to tune into the spinal currents there. The breath and spine are pathways to feel God's presence and calmness.

When we are living in alignment with higher truth, the flow of energy in the spine reminds us of our divine nature and is a comfort to us, no matter if the outward drama is disturbing. 

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:

Focus deeply at the point between the eyebrows (even knit the eyebrows together if that helps you).  Feel your devotion rise to that point.

Sixth chakra, at the spiritual eye (the point between the eyebrows); divine will and intuition; pathway to enlightenment

In all of life, there exists a bountiful table set before us, the spiritual eye. If we focus there deeply, we are invited to dine with the Lord, in his Light. "If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of Light."  This light feeds the whole body, and it is there for us no matter if the "enemies" we face are our own lower tendencies, or outer difficulties.

This line can be paraphrased, "Though my enemies of doubt and desire and delusion still surround me, the light of the third eye instantly recharges my body when I offer myself there."

Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Visualize the Divine pouring grace upon you, and your being fills with light, spilling out over the crown chakra.

Seventh chakra; at the top of the head; the crown chakra; thousand petaled lotus; union with the Divine.

The Lord touches us with His grace ("Thou anointest my head with oil") bringing the state of samadhi ("my cup runneth over"). As the energy passes through the spiritual eye and unites with the crown chakra, the energy spills out over one's head and being. It may stop at this point (samadhi of the body) or it may expand into the full samadhi of cosmic consciousness.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Feel the grace of divine protection and goodness, and the willingness to cooperate with that grace.

On the deepest level this stanza represents the ultimate goal of the spiritual path. If this union is permanent, we are fully reunited with God and need "go no more out." We dwell in the house of the Lord forever, never leaving His presence again. (This is Nirbikalpa samadhi.) It is helpful to affirm and aspire toward this highest state, reminding us of our divine birthright; for as we think, so we become.

Chapter Thirty-FourUsing Sacred Photographs for Healing and UpliftmentBy Mary Kretzmann

The eyes are the windows of the soul, and a photograph captures some of that magnetism. Think for a moment of the times that you have seen a photograph of a criminal in the newspaper. Don't you instinctively turn your eyes away so as not to be drawn into the negative vortex of energy in his gaze? Then think of the eyes of a saint, or any noble person who has served humanity in a selfless manner. Do you want to gaze upon that face and momentarily bask in the love and wisdom in those eyes? Recently, I saw a magnificent poster of Albert Einstein; I could have gazed into those eyes for an hour, if time had allowed. Indeed, this would be a wonderful practice for anyone who would like to have more of that cosmic awareness that Einstein experienced.

In our Divine Will Healing workshops, we will often measure the effect of certain objects on the aura, through the assistance of an individual who is sensitive to subtle energies and is skilled at using dousing rods for this purpose. We have found repeatedly that if an individual looks into the eyes of a photograph of Paramhansa Yogananda, then the aura will expand greatly in size anywhere from 3 to 10 times its normal circumference, even if they know very little about Yogananda.

Sometimes we will also give the individual a copy of Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi, concealed in a brown paper bag, and still we see the aura expands to almost the same degree (about 3 to 10 times its normal size). Conversely, when we give the individual a book (also concealed in a bag) dealing with a very dark or depressing topic, the aura shrinks down to almost nothing. This also happens when we ask the individual to dwell momentarily, for the sake of the experiment, on a sad or depressing time period of his or her life. This is graphically demonstrates the weakening effect of holding negative thoughts and emotions!

A saint is an individual who has been able to stay focused on God and the attributes of God. This is captured in the eyes, and a photo of such divine eyes is a blessing indeed. It is helpful to gaze into the eyes of a photo of saint when you want to increase you spiritual energy and magnetism, or if you want to increase the light and strength in your aura. Often a devotee at Ananda will have a favorite photo of Paramhansa Yogananda that is especially comforting or inspiring to him or her as an individual. This is very good. But it is also helpful to gaze into the eyes of a photo of a saint that depicts a quality that one needs to strengthen in oneself.

For instance, at times when I have needed increased wisdom to make a clear decision, I have gazed long and deeply in to the eyes of Swami Sri Yukteswarji, a saint of wisdom. Normally his gaze feels too dry and austere to hold much appeal for me, but in those moments I want the cold, hard truth, and I know he will give it to me, and guide me clearly toward the right understanding and choice. However, in a recent instance, he answered my prayer in a very sweet way that was in accordance with my feminine heart and nature, confirming through a special grace that I had done the right thing in a challenging spiritual test. He was gentle with me and did not have to correct me with his austere ways.

It is also of great benefit to gaze into the eyes of a photograph of the mother of Paramhansa Yogananda, Gyanna Prabha Ghosh. Yogananda referred to her as a very great saint, indeed a vessel of the Divine Mother. In her eyes we behold the balance of Love and Wisdom, and this can be a great gift to those who need to increase that consciousness within their souls. Gaze into her eyes for 20-30 minutes, allowing holy vibrations to enter your bodily temple through your own eyes and then travel through the brain and nervous system. This is especially helpful to wives and mothers who wish to increase their ability to serve as instruments of Divine Mother in daily life.

These sacred photos can also be used to heal any emotional injuries left by abuse, neglect or other inadequacies of the earthly mother or father, who, ideally should reflect in some way the wisdom and love of the Heavenly Father and Divine Mother. However, life is not always ideal, and thus we have the need

for healing! Look into the eyes of Paramhansa Yogananda or his mother and receive the perfect Father/Mother God into your being, healing those psychological nooks and crannies that all too often leave an individual unable to embrace life with love and joy. Remember no injury is permanent, though some can be very convincing for a while! God is Infinite Love, and it is our birthright to realize that Love.