Setting Mind Parts

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Setting Mind Parts
Mind Preparations

Setting Mind Parts

The Said Influence of Alfafa

Very little in the bulk of homeopathic writings consists of scientifically accepted, confirmed findings so far. Yet, some books are held in higher esteem than others. William Boericke's Homeopathic Materia Media is called "the little Bible of homeopathy". It seeks to describe many hundreds of homeopathic preparations that are aligned with troubles and diseases. But there is a positive streak in the use of homeopathic remedies too. Some books aimed at parents, prescribe certain homeopathich remedies to "help you child" in their development. Apart from that harmonising effort, a few books suggest there are remedies that encourage good qualities too. Here is an example:

Alfalfa (Medicago Sativa) is thought to induce "mental exhilaration of buoyancy, ie., a general feeling of well being; clear and bright, so that all blues are dissipated." (Boericke)

Look to the bright side of things as you can

Looking to the bright side of things is probably good for one's health. Studies confirm that, too (Hi 522-23).
Now, for over 180 remedies Boericke tries to draw a picture of various mental states that may be helped or counteracted. A British doctor, Edward Bach, followed up such a strain and developed a set of flower essences, and focused on their positive aspects (below). Dr. Bach had been introduced to homeopathy first. Some of his chosen remedies also exist as regular homeopathic preparations, but with some significant differences: In Bach essences it is most often the flowers that are used, and the homeopathic way of preparing remedies is abandoned. But the point for now is that it is possible to focus on said, positive sides to remedies, and administer preparations more or less with such ends in view. If you want to "live the day", for example, there are seven Bach essences to choose among:

Honeysuckle if "your mind is on the past rather the present."
Clematis if "you are in a dream."
Chestnut Bud if "you find yourself making the same mistakes."
White Chestnut if "your mind is running over the same thing."
Wild Rose if "you can't really be bothered."
Mustard if "you feel down in the dumps and don't know why."
Olive, when "you feel tired after making an effort" - and so on. [Link]

Bearing these and more reservations in mind, let us look into the assertions of what different homeopathic preparations may do for you independently of placebo effects (good faith, coincidence, and so on).

Gleanings

Doctors of homeopathy do not necessarily agree about which symptoms go with a preparation, and which symptoms are the most important or carry the most weight when a preparation is to be selected. An example of the latter: Dr. William Boericke ranks the guiding symptoms in two groups (strong indications in italics, and the rest in normal writing), and Dr. John Henry Clarke does not grade the symptoms in his Dictionary. One stark goal of homeopathy is to select and rank the most outstanding guiding symptoms of the preparations in use, and rank the symptoms according to some system or plan. Such a general ranking system exists already - but there is more to it as well.

Dr. William Boericke uses selective guiding symptoms and grades them in two groups.
Dr. Clarke: Many symptoms are listed without grading them.
Dr. Kent uses three levels of guiding symtoms in a big book.
Dr. James Stephenson's Guide seeks to present only the most telling guiding symptoms by and large. (Dr. James Hawley Stephenson. A Doctor's Guide to Helping Yourself with Homeopathic Preparations. 6th impression. Thorson's. Wellingbourough, 1983.)

Mind Preparations

What They Are

The Essence Preparations talked about in this article, can be termed mind preparations. "Mind" in ancient Buddhist terminology signifies deep mind and "Essence" too. [LINK].
"In the mind. That's where it all starts," is a Mae West quotation for the occasion, one that apparently holds a similar view-point, and one of the main principles of complementary healing practices is that the cure (often) comes from within out. Yet, it would depend on the nature of the disease too.
The preparations in question consist of:

Homeopathic preparations. In potencies ("strengths" above D12 or c12 or so, all could be considered non-toxic, except for nosode preparations. A nosode is "a homeopathic preparation made from infective excretions, and secretions from an infected patient: feces, urine, pus, blood, hair, saliva, spinal fluid, necropsy tissue section of an organ or growth showing pathology". Nosode preparations require further dilutions up to potencies over D50 or 40C, perhaps, in order to be talked of as safe.
Flower essences; and they include Dr. Bach's famous essence preparations;
Gem preparations. There are different sorts of gem preparations and different sorts of gem therapy too, and some stem from ancient Indian treatment methods. Descriptions of what particular gems could do for you, vary widely, and there is little congruence between many of the descriptions. That is my warning.
Replica preparations: In addition to these three sources - and over and above some of them - there is yet another way of producing Mae Surprises: it is through methods and equipment launched by Malcolm Rae (1913-79). Others have devised other sorts of instruments and procedures, but let us talk of the contributions of Malcolm Rae here. According to his findings and testimonies of users, Malcolm Rae devised equipment for what I call replica preparations for all the three sorts of "Mae Surprises" above; homeopathic preparations, flower essences, and gem preparations, but that is not all he devised. Before he died the two of us cooperated in making certain "gates" of possible evolution.

Essence Preparations may be tried for other purposes than healing: Coping well and better, for example.

(a) Homeopathic Preparations

The production methods of homeopathic preparations consists of shaking and diluting substances many times according to fixed procedures (there are alternatives among them). One round of shaking and diluting is called a succusion round in a series; and such a round adds one more "potency level". A D12 "potency" of a substance signals that it has been subjected to 12 rounds of succusion (dilution-and-shaking), each dilution in the proportion of 1 : 10. How to make potencies is described in details elsewhere. You could even prepare your own preparations if you get specified the details. Otherwise it is best to aquire them from a pharmacy or similar.
Further, in homeopathic dilutions above ca. D30, none of the above preparations have any direct physiological effect: Avogadros Law explains why: there will be no molecules of the original substance after almost 30 rounds of dilutions of the D scale. However, in actual Danish pharmacy practice, nosodes have been found in D30 dilutions. Therefore it is best to have many further dilutions of them to be on the safe side.
With the necessary precautions, homeopathic preparations are safe in use and very peculiar, stemming over 200 years back to a German doctor called Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843). He experimented on himself, on friends and others, and in the end established a bit shaky therapeutic system that has managed to survive and that is becoming increasingly popular and accepted, also among medical doctors. The main reason is that homeopathy works, according to recent and fairly acceptable evidence. [Link]]

(b) Dr. Bach's Gentle Preparations

The British medical doctor Edward Bach (1886-1936) devised the Bach Flower Preparations in the 1930s. He had learnt the art of homeopathy before that, and even devised his own nosode. The differences between the Bach Essences and homeopathic preparations are mainly:
(1) The Bach preparations are not shaken and stirred; but extracted in one of two ways: by being exposed to sunlight for several hours; or being boiled for some time. Both methods are in use.
(2) The Bach preparations come in only one potency, and it is a low potency too. According to the British Malcolm Rae (1913-79), the inventor of the magneto-geometric (simulated) preparations and other equipment, Bach essences have a 9C potency (give and take), depending in part on production conditions.
The Bach's preparations are found to work by stimulating the body's own capacity to heal itself, and perhaps helping you to take control and feel good about yourself. Below are the preparations and some key words one may encounter concerning them - it is a much too short presentation, for apart for counteracting such states as specified, each preparation is also held to promote corresponding positive qualities and stamina:

Agrimony: Aimed at those who habitually hide their feelings. Mental torture, but putting on a brave face
Aspen: Fear of the unknown and of unknown things
Beech: The perfectionist may have to adjust and accept that others and even himself/herself may not fully make it. Against intolerance
Centaury: Aimed at mild ones that want to please, while lacking in gruff responses. Against inability to say 'no'
Cerato: One needs to adjust toward trusting one's own rather intuitive judgements. There is lack of trust in own decisions
Cherry Plum: Depression and anxiety. Fear of the mind giving way
Chestnut Bud: There is a need to learn (better) from previous experiences. Failure to learn from mistakes
Chicory: Over-possessiveness, including selfish, possessive love
Clematis: There is a need to attain more or better concentration. Against being over-dreamy and against over-dreaming of the future
Crab Apple: Tackle hygiene issues better. Helps against loathing an self-hatred. The preparation is used for cleansing
Elm: You need to say no to decor so as to attain better. Overwhelmed by the burdens of responsibility and other burdens.
Gentian: There is a need to attain more of a "do your best" attitude deep inside. Aimed at those who need to or desire to take courage and think they are in a rut too. Also: discouragement after setbacks
Gorse: Pessimists. Hopelessness and despair
Heather: Talkative and grossly self-centred; there is much self concern
Holly: Wants revenge. Can harbour hatred, envy and jealousy
Honeysuckle: Needs to attain more interest in one's future. Stuck in the past. Living in the past
Hornbeam: The mere idea of work exhausts them. Good for old people. Too eager to please. Procrastination, tiredness
Impatiens: One needs to get things done well and be resolute, although there is also a deeper need for some more compassion first. For resolute attainers. Some can be over-impatient, in a hurry. The preparation counteracts over-impatience.
Larch: Attain to dear self-preservation. There is a need to tackle inferiority feelings and grave lack of confidence. Vitality is lacking.
Mimulus: One is stiffening and hence finds oneself less charming to be with. Everyday fears, fear of known things, and a bit nervousness. There could be a need to surprise a bit better.
Mustard: Attain to the support of one's deep, inner being. There is a need to be capable of going on. A deep gloom for no apparent reason
Oak: These persons are brave. Attain to some strength, and tackle limits and limitations somewhat better, more cleverly. Attain to regulating things by setting wise boundaries firmly. There is a need of wise boundary-setting, therefore. Otherwise one may be in for being overwhelmed by responsibility. Oak is also a preparation against being exhausted while struggling on; there should be no need for that.
Olive: Exhaustion, either mental or physical
Pine: Guilt
Red Chestnut: Over concern for welfare of loved ones
Rock Rose: Terror, fright
Rock Water: Self denial, rigidity, self repression
Scleranthus: Inability to choose between alternatives
Star of Bethlehem: Shock
Sweet Chestnut: Extreme mental anguish
Vervain: Over enthusiasm
Vine: Dominance and inflexibility
Walnut: Protection from change
Water Violet: Pride and aloofness
White Chestnut: Unwanted thoughts, mental arguments
Wild Oat: Uncertainty over direction in life
Wild Rose: Drifting, resignation, apathy
Willow: Self pity, resentment
Rescue Preparation: A combination preparation for 'emergencies'

Red Elm flowers

In addition to the Bach preparations I have selected around 80 more flower essences. They could be helpful. And there were more to select among. As with some Bach essences, some of our added essences come in homeopathic variants too.
Explanation: There is a homeopathic preparation of Mustard (Sinapis arvensis) and a Bach flower preparation made of the Mustard flower. The two different preparations should share some healing properties, since what we deal with is the same plant, in essence. However, those who use the flower preparation variant, focus on the mind propensities of the preparation, whereas the homeopathic variant look to the specified physical troubles it could solve, mainly.
Thus:

Bach flower essence: Deep gloom and depresson and feelings of hopelessness for no apparent reason. [Dr. Bach's description]
Homeopathic variant: Marked throat symptoms. Obstruction in oesophagus, sensation of a lump in oesophagus. [Mab 595] [Link]

To the degree the effects of non-substantial homeopathic mustard and non-substantial flower essence mustard are simiar, the Bach preparation could be good for the throat too, although no one knows for sure: Testings seem to be lacking. We just point out what could be derived from a main connection between two different preparations from the same plant.
As for other couples - one may call them "cousin preparations" - a proposed difference is that the flower essence preparations often are milder, more sanft. For they are rooted in a very gentle plant part, and the majority of homeopathic preparations are not taken from the flowers of plants. This could be worth considering:

If there are two Mae Surprises to choose among, a flower preparation and a homeopathic variant, we would prefer to try the flower essence preparation first, according to the Greek rule of the thumb: "The gentle preparation first" so as to avoid unnecessary harm and problems, etc. There are exceptions to that rule, however, but one should consider that principle among the first ones before making a choice.
The flower preparation Red clover (Trifolium pratense) is listed among our Mae Surprises, but not the homeopathic variant, which exists, but is not included among the Mae Surprises for some reasons. In such a case the homeopathic variant could help - maybe, but we will not guarantee it. Among the guiding symptoms to the homeopathic preparation type are
Ptyalism. Feeling as if mumps were coming on. Cancerous diathesis. Confusion. Headache on awakening. Brain feels dull. Memory loss. Coryza. Horse and choking. Cough on coming into the open air. Hayfever. Whooping cough. Stiff neck. Tingling in palms. Ulcers.
Among the homeopathic guiding symptoms we do find two mental ones "a la Bach". They are confusion and memory loss. It could be worth a try. And these symptoms may also be much fit for the flower essence. To enlarge the picture you may also compare the herbal uses of the same flower. And, all in all, one may feel free to try according to good sense.

(3) Gem Essences

"- a girl's best friends" (diamonds)

Gem essences have a reputation for working deeply in the mind, and may be a trifle stronger than the Bach essences as far as potencies are concerned. As with homeopathic "cousins" there are lists of what the preparations are good for and what (discordant states etc.) they work against. But these descriptions differ from one source to another, and is linked to far-out suggestions about guardian angels, rays, and much else. Suffice to say that "semiprecious and precious stones are used for the purpose of enhancing mental, spiritual, and physical well-being". There is nothing wrong with that. The idea is that the main effects of different gems are different.

Melted gold

Crystal variants of metals are talked of as gems too, and can be made use of in regular homeopathic preparations. For example, the homeopathic preparation Aurum metallicum is pure gold, and a crystal form of gold exists too. If there is any difference between the common homeopathic Aurum metallicum (Gold) and its crystallised counterpart, the difference could be neglible. Thus, the gem (crystal) variant of gold may be suspected to share these properties with the homeopathic preparation, by way of example:

Aurum metallicum: The mental symptoms include such as: Despondency. Great depression, as in victims of syphilis. Confusion. Ennui. Self-abasement. Disgust of life, and thoughts or talks of committing suicide. Great fear of death. Vehement at least contradiction. Anthropophobia (afraid of people). Mental derangements. Constant rapid questioning without waiting for reply. Cannot do things fast enough. Oversensitiveness (etc.)

As mentioned above, there are many ways to use gold as a preparation, and who knows, one or some or all of them may work.
(a) One of the finest uses is to wear it next to your body as a bangle, or bracelet, or pendant and so on. According to Indian teachings, there is to be a minimum amount (weight) of gold, and a minimum of 40 g pure gold may be suggested. And as gold that is sold is mixed with silver, you can get almost 40 gram silver in the bargain too. Good for you!
"Insubstantial gold" counts too in these waters: (b) When you make a homeopathic preparation from gold, you suck sugar pills called Aurum metallicum with a potency to it, (c) and when you use gold as a gem (crystal) preparation, you drink water or some other fluid that has been "soaked" with lots of gold influence. (d) And then there is "replica gold" too, in two variants. Malcolm Rae's replica Aurum metallicum is one of them.
What could gold be good for? A try is: "Quite the opposite of depression, thoughts of suicide, disgust in life, mental derangements, confusion, and so on in the list of mental symptoms above", and it could be true. At least, that is the idea of it in the homeopathic choir. Another option: It could become true if you have that sort of gold optimistism; compare the placebo effect and "Make use of it," as Dr. Olof Lindahl suggests. [Lnp]

Placebo comes from Latin, and means "I shall please". When preparations are tested, a placebo is a pill without effect; it is used to compare the effect of the other substance to be tested. The placebo (preparation) may be a sugar pill and things like that. Mecical doctors may also prescribe placebos more "for the mental relief of the patient than for its actual effect on a disorder". Thus, placebos can soothe some, by "good optimism", or faith tied to pills. Quite large and coloured pills tend to evoke more faith than others, and so on.

As for the propensities (or properties) of various stones, here is an example that was gleaned from half a dozen pages.

Your Gem Help

The first rule is: "Don't believe everything you are told." Ask for good evidence. If that seems to be lacking, you may of course try out things with your "gem optimism", but be circumspect at the same time. That could pay.

Lapis Lazuli: Harmonizing heart and mind. Broadens one's vision.
Onyx: Becoming grounded.
Opal: Enabling one to see many possibilities in a situation.
Rose quartz: Gives emotional balance and enables one to express emotions better, as well as soothes them.
Ruby: Helps to overcome things, and radiate "inner sides of oneself", to expose the inner side too.
Sapphire: Yields mental clarity and clears mental garbage. Helps (fosters) focus on good goals.
Turquoise: For (more) growth of intuition and sane practicality.

The gem descriptions above are somewhat modified by me. Further, for most part the information on pages on gem effects is far too general; and it needs to be specific to be of much help. As an example, where some think that opal enables you to "see all the possibilites in a situation", that is quite a claim on behalf of the stone, and problably not true to fact either. There is a difference between influences that assist enlargening one's visions and that. Confer the above listing.
The second piece of advise is: "Add "more or less" or "somewhat" to the list too," and try out things on the safe side.
Speaking of the safe side, the next counsel is "Don't ruin yourself on gems, man." Some weeks ago I assisted a friend who tried to buy a two carat gem or two for a friend of his in his home country. His friend wanted to wear it on his body for "astrological protection", and that is very, very common in India. A page on gem therapy says,

"Gemstones should be very high quality and . . . natural [and not] heated, dyed, and chemically altered. Also, the stones should touch the skin, if at all possible . . . Most importantly, gems should be large, two carats or more if possible, and devoid of flaws and imperfections. If this is not possible, one should consider . . ." [More]

But as the prices are high in this country, each gem would cost over a hundred thousand dollars. My help was to help him ascertain just that, and I also suggested a few less expensive alternatives.

(4) Malcolm Rae's essences Made from "Simulator" Cards and Equipment

Diamond simulation pattern

Malcolm Rae first invented a "geomagnetic potentiser" and then developed it further into what is cursorily described as a "box of perspex containing one circular magnet, one potentiometer, brass cup, and wires". One wire goes from the magnet to a cylindrical brass "well" set in the apparatus. To make this equipment work as intended, a card with certain geometric patterns [the input, or software part] needs to be into the slot in front of the round magnet and the apparatus is turned on. The originator, Rae, holds that specific homeopathic remedies have specific geometrical interaction patterns, which can be generated through the equipment he gradually developed.
By putting a card with some partial radius design into a slot in his potentiser, what is termed a magneto-geometric influence is had, according to Rae. The said influence is transferred to the cylindrical well, where some receiving fluid in turn gets filled with it. In other words, the claim is that a fit carrier fluid - like tap water - in the apparatus "well" can be "soaked" with the magneto-geometric influence pattern that the devices generates, if all goes according to plan. Two questions arise: Does it? And is the result of such a process a homeopathic preparation?

Does it work? An investigation on bacteria

I have had it tested on bacteria by a town veterinary, who had the needed equipment and methods for counting bacteria growth. Three times he was given samples, and all the times there were more bacteria in the samples that had been exposed to the said influence, with a geometric average of 16 times more. The number is misleading, though, for in some samples there were so many bacteria that the veterinary gave up counting them (!).

Is the MGA devise producing homeopathic preparations?

Malcolm Rae says it does, in that a fit card generates the fixed wave patterns that yield a perfect homeopathic preparation each time, and in very standardised ways. However, where is the evidence? It is missing, regrettably. What is more, in the United States a pharmacy started to make "homeopathic preparations", using the Rae instruments, and was taken to court. It was decided by the judge that since a homeopathic preparation was to be understood by the long process of shaking and dilution, and not by its said effect. So whatever the MGA-instrument produced, was not homeopathic, was the verdict.
It is the preparation effects that count, and they may not be different (or significantly different). But who will prove these things? No matter how correct it might be to assert that a homeopathic preparation holds a hidden mind-influence which may be replicated through some pattern and magneto-geometry devises, there is no hard evidence that such influences exist, nor is there evidence that MGA replicas truly are replicas.
How do some people solve this dilemma? They learn to use a pendulum and hope that when it operates, fits answers are had. The quality of the answers depend on the quality of the pendulum user. The deeper, calmer, fairer and more unbiased he or she is, the better it should be. Also, some technical skills and tools may come in handy.

More on Rae-devised preparations

A Rae reference card contains ready-made concentric circles and a number of partial radii (five is the most common). When applied, such a card is thought to form a pattern of standing waves that matches the subtle (hidden) influence of a specific homeopathic preparation (or something else decided on). There is a very great array of possibilites of the designating design of partial radii.
The terse description above applies only to the very simplest model. There are other models that operate four cards too, and so on.
According to Rae, the instrument can be very handy for making homeopathic preparations. Among the rules for using a Rae potentizer are these:

The preparation card is a magneto-geometrically coded software card that is inserted in the slot at the top of the instrument.
Using the instrument's potensiometer, you dial the preparation potency you are after. It is very easily done.
If you are preparing the preparation in liquid, use a round bottle (made of clear glass or perspex), and go on in line with the general design and schemes involved.
Add a fit liquid (water works, and so does alcohol, it is told), and put it in the "well" of the apparatus (the well is a copper cylinder recessed into the instrument) for the regulated time.

That is it. Once prepared, the liquid preparation may be taken orally or otherwise. It is held to work on the biomagnetic field (aura) of living beings in certain ways. These magneto-geometrically patterns have to be handled with care, i.e., like traditional homeopathic preparations, hand-shaken or machine-shaken.

Storage, a few hints

The storage time of a preparation may depend on many things, including exposure to sunlight and warmth. Adjusting to that, keep the preparation in a cool enough place, preferably below 21 centigrades if kept for long, and away from direct sunlight. Also, use a suitable preservative if you don't use alcohol (15 - 25% is enough) in the bottle.

Difficulties

Although there is a growing body of evidence that homeopathic preparations have effects on ailments, the extremely needed work of comparing the proven effects of simulated homeopathic preparations and ordinary homeopathic preparations has not been seen through. Till that is done, a very sensible thing to do could be to use the term "simulated homeopathic preparations" for magneto-geometrically devised preparations, or far better, "MGA preparations". Just note:

There is still too little evidence that homeopathic preparations work per se.
MGA preparations are not produced in the same way as traditional preparations, and are told to have the same effects and inner make-up as them. They are produced to that end.

In speaking for magnetically produced preparations (we do), it is well to know that the burden of proof rests on the claimer. One may, for example, speak about (a) intentions and (b) how things actually work. It is fair to say things like, "I intend to produce a magneto-geometrically simulated homeopathic preparation". Whether that one preparation works, or how far, can and should be proved. In medicine the decisive design for proving such things is called the double-blind experiment. That is the way to be accepted in a large way, and slowly rise above such as a shackled court displeasure without significant evidence to judge from.
One may buy cards of any of the preparations known in homeopathy and many never proven or described. You can also have a card made up from a sample for some British pounds (you have to contact the supplier and inquire about prices).

What They Are Not

The proposed effects of the preparations we have collected and arranged alphabetically and started to describe graphically on the coming pages, have nothing to do with substances. That is the main point. That is, these preparations have no direct physiological effects; they are not physiological.
And since they are not physiological, they are not poisonous either. The possible exception is that of nosode preparations. But if you know how to handle them, and what homeopathic potencies to use, there would be no danger.
However, mangneto-geometric cards with nosode designs have no toxic effects whatever. They are perfectly safe in this respect.

What They Can Do for Some

What we call thought preparation (such essences) could help and/or heal, according to psychosomatic understanding of how many illnesses develop and recede (somewhat). Mae Surprises can assist or help in other ways too.
Some say any major change can be stressful [Hi 498]. And stress breeds nervous troubles, maladaptions unless you take good care, and further diseases too. Both faith and better coping help against stress, and it may be wise or even highly important that "Mae Surprises" - i.e., homeopathic preparations, Bach flower essences, and gem preparations - be accompanied by better coping strategies in not a few cases, accordingly. And tact is good for some too.
Some bad factors to one's health: Being hostile, too competitive, and very impatient can be hazardious to health in the long run. To be far too rushed and pushed can endanger health too, and being put under much pressure [cf. Hi 513]. Even bad timing in a Jungian sense can be quite enough, and being ridiculed, or getting a bad reputation that brings on too much pressure to handle with no way out.
Good coping and coping knowledge may help against that. According to what was earlier termed psychosomatics or psychosomatic medicine (now: behavioral medicine in some circles), there is much to gain from better coping and stress reduction or at least better stress management (of coping) - for "doctors estimate that emotional stress plays an important role in more than half of all medical problems," states a notable textbook in psychology [Hi 505; Ams 477, emphasis added].
Psychological stress reactions involve: Anxiety; anger and aggression; apathy and depression; and cognitive impairment [hi 498-502]
Common physical reactions to stress include:

Tensing, tenseness; nervousness;
Fight-or-fright reaction;
Higher blood pressure;
Extra sugar from the liver;
Hypertension;
Ulcers;
Colitis;
Rheumatoid arthritis;
Coronary heart disease;
An overtaxed immune system [cf. Hi 505-508].

The "doctors estimate" quotation deserved some exemplification. In addition, it helps to discern between (a) mental troubles; (b) bodily troubles and hazards; and (c) social problems. (d) Grave spiritual issues, problems or conflicts, including those of conscience, faith, existential meanings, moral standards, great indifference and so on, are not to be ignored either, as they may bring on nervousness or nasty degeneration at large.
Meaning finding is related to the course of physiological disease, and mental attitudes affect health [Hi 512-13, 509]. Speaking of faith, few stop to think that "unrealistic optimism . . . keeps people happier, healthier, and more likely to recover from illness," but that is what Shelley E. Taylor writes [Hi 523].
In the light of that, could there be anything hazardious with taking Mae Surprises with a royal optimism? Yes, that is possible. If naïve optimism does not work well, the gap between the expectations and the results may be too hard to bear to some, and hence endangering to health. It stands to reason. It is the dark side of faith healing tactics too: for each person who stands up and shouts that she is healed by faith at that moment, lots of others are disappointed, and some of them get serious doubts about their worth and so on in consequence.
And on the other hand, it is also possible that the faith generates psychosomatic cures or betterments too. That often happens: It is evidenced by placebo findings, among other things. And as a medical doctor writes, in that case one should learn to mobilize the astute placebo effect. Faith in preparations and optimism may both help some people. There is statistical evidence of it; see for example how helpful the "empty" sugar pill can be: [cf. Lnp] [Link].
Sincere optimism and faith can have both direct and indirect effects on health, but they may not be fully adequate in assisting us to manage or control stress better, or our reactions to stress. A little definition:

Stress refers to experiencing events that are perceived as endangering one's physical or psychological wellbeing. These events are usually referred to as stressors, and people's reactions to them are termed stress responses. [Hi 493]

In the Western world and industrialised world otherwise, many are subject to stress. Ordinary ways of behaving and coping tend to fail at large, and as a result large parts of the people are stressed. And stress paves the way for lots of diseases through "psychosomatic channels". They are little understood, but the effects of stress are measurable and have been measured repeatedly.
Stress affects health. Stress can have both direct and indirect effects on health. There is reason to assume that great dependence, isolation, competition, and internalised strict moral standards may in time ruin health. Conflict occurs when a person must choose between incompatible, or mutually exclusive, goals or courses of action [Hi 493, 497].
There are ways of managing stress. Engaging in a healthy lifestyle is wise, and meditation may help a lot as well, to name a few of the things that combat stress [cf. Hi 493, 505, 510, 520]. What faith could do is to take the top off experienced problems for some time at least, and thus assist in critical periods or phases. As a result, some problems that could have grown too severe, may be held in check or better controlled, and thus graver problems could be avoided. That would be good, at least for the time. On the other hand, mere rumination and avoidance may not work much good [Hi 518-19].
Still, it is stated that "unrealistic optimism can be good for your health" [Hi 523], and there is evidence for that too. If possible, it is necessary to strike a workable balance somehow. It may not be possible if you have two dates at the same time, but in many other cases it may be done.
Conflicts may arise when two inner needs or motives are in opposition. Humans generally choose predictable over unpredictable shocks [Hi 497, 496]. And great inner and outer conflicts need to be resolved in order to thrive better in the long run, according to psychoanalytic thinking. Sane behavior modifications (conduct patterns) may help too, they could be the solutions aimed at in psychoanalysis.
Mind-originated problems tend to give less consolidated troubles, and may be helped, eased or treated easier. And milder mental problems or tangles may be counteracted more easily than severe ones. The most severe ones have to be reserved for doctors.
But a firm conclusion is at hand already: Sugar pills and plain water could bring help to advance stress control provided there is belief in them, or that they have effects of their own, or both. To the degree that Mae Surprises have effects on their own - i.e., work independently of the faith or disbelief in them - how can it be explained? Could the term "supportive intervention" reveal deeper issues to take into account? Well, supportive intervention, as understood among psychologists, can slow even the progress of cancer [Hi 508-09].

A Look

To understand such findings better, or to enlarge our perspective, we could take a look at the "homeopathic enterprise". It has many supportive features, has been around for over 200 years, and millions have great faith in homeopathy, including myself. I got that firm faith after trying out Arsenicum album on my own body previously.

Arsenicum album: Restless. Greatly anguished with nightly aggravations. Exhausted. Fearful. Confused. Suicidal. Miserly and malicious. Sensitive. Chewing tobacco. Having degenerative changes, and so on. [Link]

In my particular case Arsenicum album was chosen to help against some allergy problems. I observed the changes they were accompanied by without exceptions, and the faith in the sugar pills grew correspondingly. And if the pills worked independent of what I knew about them at the time, then I would be markedly carmer, invigorated, not so anguished, not intent on killing myself, braver to look at, less confused, i.e., more clear-headed, less malicious, and not intent on chewing tobacco. At least I could unwittingly have been fortified against some of the problems listed above. But what if I harboured "exhaustion of being suicidal" in the first place, and then became less "exhausted of being suicidal" due to the preparation?
Ahh, joking aside, it is a matter of faith and a matter of accepted fact that a strong faith can assist recovery. This is not the creed of any Church of the Homeopathic Dose, but accepted psychology today [Hi 518]. A formal creed may not be set up, may not be greatly needed, but it could in fact help too [cf. Hi 518, 523.
Is, then, unrealistic optimism always benficial for your health? Far from it [cf. Hi 522-23]. Even though some maladaptive reactions to certain events and persons occur,

"most optimists are "constructive optimists" who take active efforts to protect their health and safety. But a few optimists are "naïve optimists" (avoidance copers) who believe that everything will turn out all right without any active efforts on their part [Hi 523].

Yet one is also to practice better health habits and take preventive action [Hi 523]
Apart from that, it might assist a budding faith to think that denser and more even coronas (i.e., corona improvements) have been observed in living tissues after exposures to homeopathic medicine and similar preparations. Corona improvements are found to go along with certain health improvements.

Non-energetic Preparations

Homeopathic preparations above the potency D6 have no extra energies in them. They consist - physically - of plain sugar and nothing (little) else. They do not have any immediate, direct chemical effects apart from those of sugar (sugar can be good), and, to repeat, they do not have any energy in addition. This needs to be established, and it would be drivel to talk otherwise. They are mind preparations. So are the Bach essenses and gem preparations that I include. It is implied that they affect the mind to make adjustments that tend to be expressed as improved health, if things go well, as they should. Feel welcome to try.

How to Use Them

First of all, no attempts at diagnosis and cure are to supercede the diagnosis and treatment of medical expertise, such as doctors. "Be on the safe side: Play it safe" is a fit motto.
The homeopathic dose is minute, may cost more, and a dose may have to be repeated over some time.
For acute problems Essence Preparations may be taken for a day or two, or a week or three. It depends on the severity of the problems and other things I will not go into for now.
For more long-lasting, chronic problems the attempt at cure may take many weeks and months, and in some cases a year or more. It depends on the type of troubles, the preparation "fit", and the regeneration power of the person involved. In order to get the indended benefits of Mae Surprises, try to get a good match between predominant symptoms and the symptoms of a preparation. In the Arsenicum album case above, the benefits might have been twofold:

Help against physical ailments.
Getting certain fortifications, being strengthened unknowingly;
Getting help to develop along with taking the preparation. Did my thinking become clearer than usual? If so, what could be in store? One thing was that I married and became amply benevolent (it goes against maliciousness): One may marry and yet be benevolent. That is part of my confession. Another is that my strong interests in physics steadily expanded at the time: I became interested in magneto-geometric research, and that was good for me.

Many occurrences in a life are more understandable in retrospect. The unresolved issue is: Who can prove the workings of "shaken and diluted" Arsenious Acid-Arsenic Trioxide (Arsenicum album) to whom by anecdotal (single) evidence? Normally, many testings on many persons may do so and be counted as valid, and perhaps repeated testings on the same person, as professor Olof Lindahl explains. See for yourself [Lnp].

How to Get (Some of) Them

Suppliers vary.

Pharmacies may sell common homeopathic preparations. For those in Great Britain: [Link]
Dr. Bach's preparations may be had through certain suppliers (a list is given). [Link]
Gem preparations and magneto-geometric card-generated "gem preparations" exist.
Magneto-geometric equipment (preparation cards and potentiser instruments) may be had by some. There is a wide range of cards to operate on top of.

Literature
Ad: Clarke, John Henry: A Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica. 3 vols. London: The Homeopathic Publishing Company, 1900 (vol 1) and 1902 (vols 2 and 3).
Ams: Atkinson, Richard et al: Introduction to Psychology. 9th ed. San Diego: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1987.
Hi: Smith, Carolyn D. (ed) et al.: Hilgard's Introduction to Psychology. 14th ed. Belmont: Thomson Wadsworth, 2003.
Arom: Holland, Earle. Aromatherapy may make you feel good, but it won't make you well. 2008. Research Communications. 3 March 2008. Columbus, OH: Ohio State University. http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/aromathe.htm
Lnp: Lindahl, Olof and Lindwall, Lars: Lægevidenskaben i nyt perspektiv. Reitzel. Copenhagen, 1979.
Lpv: Schelderup, Vilhelm. Legekunsten på nye veier: akupunktur - biofysikk - helhetsmedisin. Oslo: Cappelen, 1980.
Mab: Boericke, William and Oscar: Homeopathic Materia Medica. 9th ed. Philadelphia: Boericke and Runyon, 1927.
Nlm: Schelderup, Vilhelm. Nytt lys på medisinen. Oslo: Cappelen, 1989.

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