DEVELOPMENT SAVED MY LIFE

By S.S.

When I found the development program at age 52, I felt I was literally dying, with around 25 different debilitating symptoms every day including splitting headaches, nausea, dizziness, extreme exhaustion, urinary issues, dehydration, vision problems, hypoglycemia, heart palpitations, muscle weakness, body temperature issues, joint pain, numbness, skin growths, nail deformations....and more.

Many of these symptoms began when I was 6 or 7 and had been with me all my life on a low level. It was only when the symptoms became acute that I realized how sick I was. I was exposed as a young child to a release of cadmium sulfate near my home, and later swam for years in my Aunt's pond which became part of an EPA Superfund Clean-up site because of high levels of lead. I was unknowingly exposed to lead and aluminum at our family business. And my town was downwind from the industrial center of Granite City, IL, which has the 3rd highest cancer rate in the US. So I received many different toxins from many different sources, all as a very young child when the vulnerability to and impact from such substances is at its greatest.

As early as age 3, I had severe cravings and imbalances. That was the start of several decades of food and lifestyle choices that actually worsened my problems. Heavy metal toxicity has shown up on all my hair tests, and appears to be the root of the severe adrenal exhaustion I eventually experienced.

By the time I became deathly ill at age 52, I had tried many alternative treatments, and had long since given up on help from traditional medical sources. I was at my wit's end.

Development made an immediate and radical difference. Within 24 hours of my first supplement, I felt deep shifts within body and mind. My life began undergoing significant changes, and my pain became manageable.

What followed was months of intense work to bring my body out of what I believe was a near-catabolic state (pre-cancerous). My second hair test showed I was still at a very high risk for heart attack, diabetes, kidney disease or failure. I believe I narrowly missed a trip to the hospital with a critical medical event which I could never have undone.

As far as I'm concerned, Development saved my life. Because I had been so sick and had tried everything else possible, I gave myself very fully to the program. Every day for literally 4 1/2 years (that's over 1600 days in a row!) I performed a lengthy and thorough regimen that included Dr Wilson's basic prescriptions as well personal practices of alignment and healing.

Now after 5 years, I finally have the strength to alter that daily regimen somewhat according to need. However, I expect to be on some version of this concentrated daily program for the next several years, and though at some point I may no longer practice Development specifically, I have learned basic principles for health through this program which I will be following for the rest of my life. I can't overemphasize the benefit of a 'whole life approach' which includes pure diet, pure water, plentiful sleep, correct and adequate movement, mental and spiritual discipline, and rigorous choices about one's focus and how one uses one's time.

For the benefit of others, I'd like to share some details about the main steps that made a difference for me along the way.

Supplements – Within 24 hours of starting the supplements, I experienced a profound depression which was only endurable because I realized it must be a cleansing reaction to the supplements. It passed within a few hours.

Two days later, I experienced an overwhelming sense of something coming 'into alignment.' It felt as if I were comprised of 100 layers, and deep down around layer #3, something had clicked into place that had always been out of sync. It was an indescribable feeling of something being corrected which I had not known was wrong. This was the first of countless positive shifts, all showing me some missing link or problem I'd been unaware of until it was resolved.

Five days after starting the supplements, I had an interaction with someone with whom I had been in a 'toxic relationship.' Suddenly, I knew for the first time that I was ready to hold my own with this person, and the following day I initiated a conversation I'd been wanting to have for no less than 8 years. That conversation permanently ended the negative dynamic between us. I've never had any doubt that this change resulted from taking the supplements which had provided my body with something I'd always needed. That added element gave me a dose of 'backbone' that I'd been missing. This was the first of many resolutions over the years. Little by little, my recovery through Development has empowered me to clean up every relationship in my life.

I've learned to observe my body's response to the supplements very carefully and communicate these to my Helper. In general my body loves the supplements, and occasional problems with swallowing or digesting them has usually signaled a need for a retest or a change in oxidation.

Coffee Enemas – Within weeks of starting the program I embarked on coffee enemas. It took 3 weeks of trial and error before they worked, and I spent months doing 6 enemas a day before I was able to retain the coffee for more than a few minutes. (Please only do up to 4 coffee enemas daily – Dr. Wilson).

Despite my difficulties with enemas, there were immediate, fantastic results! My pain decreased substantially, making daily life MUCH more endurable. Because my colon and liver were both in a state of such toxicity and imbalance, I needed a lot of enemas to help my body relax and come into a state of healing. I still do 2 enemas most days, and still benefit greatly.

The Pulling Down Exercise – About 8 months into the development program, I began doing the pulling down exercise. I chose to use the time lying on the floor during my enemas to do the exercise, and I did it (at that time) 6X a day.

It impacted me the very first day! I felt more calm and could feel the attention moving from my head downward into my torso. At this point I discovered that having energy focused 'in my head' was what made it so hard to retain the enemas, and soon this grounding exercise increased my enema retention time to more normal amounts (5-15 minutes).

Within a week of beginning the pulling down exercise, I felt a difference in my whole personality. I felt more stable, secure and confident as I interacted with others. It was as if I had just taken a deep, calming breath and relaxed. I knew it was going to be very important for me to do this for a long time!

It took 6 months of practicing the pushing down exercise many times every day before I could feel my body's energy go all the way down to my feet! That was exhilarating. It also made me realize how literally un-grounded I had been for most of my life, and how normal that feeling had become. Now I was becoming accustomed to feeling my whole body, my legs, and my feet on the ground - much better!

I have continued to work with this exercise every day, adding components, such as choosing a positive word, image or concept and 'drawing it down' thru my body along with the energy. This makes my enema a very productive time of 'self-conditioning,' during which I often target anything that's bothering me, affirming it's positive resolution. This daily practice has had a huge impact on my personality, helping me become a far more confident, loving, and positive person.

The Vaginal Coffee Implant or VCI – Almost 2 years into the program, I learned about the Vaginal Coffee Implant. The first time I tried it, I was amazed at the results (see my Testimonial on the VCI page). I could feel energy activated in the lower half of my body which I had never perceived before. After my experience with the grounding meditation, I knew such a reaction was the tip of the iceberg and meant I probably would gain much from this practice.

This has indeed been the case. Doing the VCI has stimulated several retracings (one which continued for months), and I frequently receive a daily boost of energy and clarity by doing it.

After 2 years of doing the VCI twice/daily, I believed it was no longer needed, and quit. Several months later, the emergence of some physical problems caused my helper to urge me to return to the daily VCI. When I did, I was surprised to experience an intense rush of energy down the front of the body (where Dr. Wilson says the VCI helps to complete the micro-cosmic orbit within the body system), and then observed a clearing of certain physical issues.

As someone who's experienced significant sexual abuse and has had great trouble being grounded and comfortable in my physical body, I've decided I probably need to keep the VCI as part of my lifelong daily practice. In my opinion, it's simply an incredibly cheap and easy way to make a nourishing impact on a very subtle part of one's critical energy system.

The 100% Diet – After over 2 years on the development program, I woke up one day and realized I was finally ready to 'go all the way' with Dr. Wilson's dietary recommendations. I had been eating a high-quality diet for years, with lots of organic vegetables, whole grains, organic meat and dairy. Once I started the development program, I became even more strict, eliminating all white sugar and flour, any junk food, etc. But after a lifetime of food addiction and food issues, I had to proceed one piece at a time, letting go step by step.

For me, the “9c cooked vegetables daily” is “100%,” and I'm so thrilled that I finally got there! This diet requires enormous daily effort in the logistics of shopping, cooking and eating, plus the time and money required. So there's a steep learning curve to making it work, especially fitting it in to busy modern schedules. However, the results are amazing and worth the trouble!

The very first day I ate 9 cups of cooked veggies, I excreted something that smelled like burning tires or industrial solvent. At first I thought I'd gotten something on my clothes, until I realized the smell was in the toilet and had come out of my body! Wow. That smell was excreted for 3 days. My Helper said it was the colon lining being cleaned, that the 'vegetable broom' of the 9c veggie diet was doing it's work, and that once the colon's lining is cleared much progress is possible for the body.

This has proven true. The time I spent on the 100% diet preceded a phase of intense detoxing, and for several months I released so much aluminum that I was forced to re-evaluate the entire understanding of my toxic exposure and resulting illness. In spite of how brutal this detox process was, the 100% veggie diet ushered in a new phase of greater energy, capacity, and hope, and all these good things have only increased since then.

Doing 'the 100%' for several months permanently changed my relationship to food and vegetables, and I return to it frequently when I'm able. Three years after first trying the 100% veggie diet, I approach huge bowls of steaming vegetables with the greatest genuine enthusiasm - they taste delicious to me, and I frequently crave them. I keep the '70% cooked vegetables rule,' regardless of how much or what else I eat. Because of this foundation of high-quality nutrition, the rest of my diet (and every craving) continues to gradually up-level and smooth out.

Support – You can't do this program alone. My greatest blessing was to have had a spiritual teacher and community in my life BEFORE I undertook this program. Because of many years of training in spiritual practices (meditation, conscious service, discipline, etc), I was able to take on the development program and do it fully. In addition, I have been unbelievably fortunate to have friends and family who supported me with meals, money, and encouragement.

Even with all this, it was very hard work! Therefore, stretching in order to establish ANY relationship that will help you stay on the program is very important. Nobody knows better than I do how hard it is to extend yourself socially when you feel sick. However for me, the need to have positive camaraderie around my development work was essential, and expending the energy to make that happen simply had to be done.

To make it thru, you MUST reach out to others, even if that just means telling people (anybody who will listen!) a LITTLE bit about what you're going through. You never know where that conversation will lead. In my case, sharing my experience has led to no fewer than 8 of my friends starting the DEVELOPMENT program. Those people have now become a support network for me, and I'm learning things from them as they discover the program for the first time. In return, I'm able to coach them about difficulties through which I've already come. Finding a development program buddy is the best thing I can think of!

Helper - You should know that working with a Helper long-distance is a viable option. I initially thought I needed to work with someone in person, and consulted the list of Helpers according to geographical proximity. However, the Helper in my area was not someone I worked with well.

If you have this experience, find someone else! There are many Helpers listed on the website, and they span a huge range of interests, abilities, backgrounds, and aptitudes. From the research I did to find a Helper who was better for me, I feel confident there is a Helper out there who is perfect for every patient.

For 4 1/2 years I have spoken on the phone and e-mailed my current Helper, who lives several states away from me. She is fantastic and has literally made all the difference in my experience.

I decided early on that I needed to talk every month to someone who would 'hold my hand' through the ups and downs of this healing process. I added in the cost of that person's time to what I spend on supplements and food, and it has always been completely worth it. My Helper fields all my questions, takes issues to Dr. Wilson if necessary and communicates his comments back to me, and can make educated commentary on virtually any issue that arises regarding nutrition, symptoms, emotional reactions, and healing practices. I wouldn't be making the progress I am without my Helper's amazing and open-hearted help!

Big Picture -

Early on, I came to a certain understanding about the development healing process. For me, it's mostly about 'managing the detox.'

In an ideal world and with optimum resources, it could be possible to heal from almost anything quickly. But in the real world, there are families to be taken of, jobs to go to just so you can pay the power bill and put food on the table, and many other considerations which are truly as important as one's personal healing process.

This means that, like so many projects in life, success is about priorities and maintaining balance. I've found it useful to view the development program as a kind of vehicle I use to 'move' in different directions. Over time I've gained a better understanding of how the development diet, supplements and procedures:

- provide nourishment and increase the speed of one's progress;

- stimulate detoxing as well as new growth;

- create periods (of days, weeks or months) which can be either uniquely productive or very debilitating.

Thus, I've arrived at the concept of 'managing the detox,' within which difference choices become like different 'gears' you can put your 'development car' into, depending on how much time and energy you have available. For instance, managing the diet can mean anything from 100% compliance with the veggie diet to the choice to temporarily go off the diet, or many things in between. Consciously managing the detox procedures can mean energetically pursuing ALL the detox procedures, or skipping them while busy with other things, or doing just a few.

The amount of time and energy we have available is itself often dependent on variables outside our control, such as the lives and needs of loved ones or dire financial circumstances. The idea of consciously choosing how we'll combine the NB variables (supplements, diet, exercise) on any given day is necessary not only for the sake of keeping one's sanity when involved in a grueling process. It also helps to maintain one's progress at a certain plateau, and therefore honors the investment that's already been made toward health.

For instance, throwing oneself into the diet, exercises and supplements all at once or without a gradual build-up can thrust one's process into high gear, and you have to be ready for big changes and possible periods of illness and pain as your body spends enormous resources rebuilding, healing, adjusting. In order to fully utilize what this program can productively do for your body, you may have to arrange your life in order to accommodate sometimes intense and unpredictable processes.

In short, I think this is why most people avoid the development program and many other programs that promise to heal them! Going through it is simply not easy, and it invades our idea of 'a normal life.'

But 5 years ago my normal life had become a place of great pain, tension, and limitation. I now consider it a true blessing that I became almost sick enough to die. Without coming to this impasse, I doubt I would've been willing to change myself as much as I have had to do.

Now I can see that the life I am living is really the one I always wanted, because it's far more whole. To live in harmony with one's own body, heart, and mind is the best life anyone could have, regardless of what it takes or what must be given up to achieve that.

I'm not saying I'm completely there yet, but I am committed now to that process, even if I don't finish it in this lifetime. The development program has been the tool - the vehicle - that helped me begin to make that commitment a reality. I find it to be a system of unique integrity and breadth. Dr. Wilson himself has horizons big enough to include people from an unbelievably wide spectrum of life experience and cultural orientation. His spiritual understandings permeate many of the significant principles and lessons of the program. I'm eternally thankful.

Courses | The Free Basic Program