Chapter One excerpt:

Oppression, he explained, is when someone feels as though a force is weighing down upon him and the pressure is from the outside. Possession, on the other hand, is when a person feels the force or pressure coming from within himself.�

Chapter Two excerpt:

Man is more than mind and body; he does have a spirit. The world we inhabit is more than just earth and the living forms that reside here. Spiritual forces, both good and evil, dynamically and directly influence the mind of man, and this factor must be reckoned with rather than ignored. Is it possible that a person�s response to the spiritual influences in our world is the most significant factor in determining that individual�s state of mental health?�

Chapter Three excerpts:

Dr. Breggin and coauthor Dr. David Cohen made the following statements in their book, Your Drug May Be Your Problem: How and Why to Stop Taking Psychiatric Medications:�

. . . [N]o biochemical imbalances have ever been documented with certainty in association with any psychiatric diagnosis. The hunt goes on for these illusive imbalances; but their existence is pure speculation, inspired by those who advocate drugs.

Even if some emotional problems turned out to be caused by subtle, as-yet-undetected biochemical imbalances, this finding would not be a rational justification for using any of the psychiatric drugs that are currently available. Because they impair normal brain function, such drugs only add to any existing brain malfunction. (34-35)

My own evaluation of the causes and treatment of mental disorders began in the late 1970s while I was employed as a psychiatric nursing instructor. Teaching in a psychiatric hospital setting, I became acutely aware of the inadequacy of the treatments used for treating mental disorders. Treatments, which more often than not, failed to bring about positive changes in the patients� mental or emotional status. Throughout my career, I have worked in a variety of nursing roles and have provided care to patients who were diagnosed as having a mental disorder. In spite of the changes that have taken place in the field of psychiatry over the last two decades, I continue to be concerned and alarmed about the reliability and effectiveness of various psychiatric treatment protocols, which now consist mainly of psychotropic intervention (the use of mind/mood-altering medications).

Chapter Four excerpts:

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power and of love, and of a sound mind  (II Timothy 1:7).

God�s gift of the Holy Ghost empowers Christians to be able to overcome the spirit of fear, and to possess the attributes of power, love and a sound mind. The word sound� when used in reference to the mind in the preceding scripture is defined in Strong�s Concordance as discipline [or] self-control.� For a Christian, a sound mind involves having both a disciplined mind and having control over his impulses, emotions and desires.�

The act of oppression� is defined as the unjust or cruel exercise of authority or power� and the feeling associated with oppression as a sense of being weighed down in body or mind: DEPRESSION.� The concept of depression, which has become so commonplace in our world today, is not merely a product of negative life experiences, but is also a result of spiritual oppression.�

Chapter Eight excerpt:

The scriptures portray the power of the spoken word and its ability to bring destruction not only to others but also to ourselves. When an individual repeatedly thinks and speaks of painful or negative experiences and the trauma these experiences have caused him, he is developing habitual thought patterns of a negative or destructive nature that will become strongholds� in his mind.

The authors of Synopsis were correct in having referred to the repressed negative thoughts as noxious psychic material because by definition noxious means constituting a harmful influence on the mind or behavior.� Repeatedly discussing the negative experiences that occurred in our past will result in a harmful influence on our minds and our behavior. One of the examples that Webster�s Dictionary gives as a use of the word noxious is that noxious wastes turn our steams into sewers.�  The Holy Ghost is described as a river of living water (John 7:38-39). It would be tragic to contaminate this pure river with noxious wastes (memories) from our past or the present. Forgiveness keeps this river clean.�

Chapter Nine excerpts:

As a master of deceit, Satan has created the ever-present illusion that there is a quick-fix remedy for the problems and circumstances encountered in everyday life.  Our belief that man should have immediate gratification of his needs and that he should have to experience neither want nor suffering reinforces Satan�s illusion. The quick and easy remedies for life�s problems are immediate in nature, but the end result is usually not what was anticipated. Satan would like Christians to continually react to the circumstances of life through their carnal mind and emotions rather than their spiritual mind and faith.�

Pharmaceutical companies scramble to market their drugs, while anticipating neither healing nor cure for the individuals being treated with the drugs, expecting rather, a greater dependence on them. The consistent reinforcement through means of the media and advertisements to seek immediate relief from negative emotions often dictates our reactions to these emotions; a rejection of the alternative view that negative emotions can serve as an impetus for the positive changes needed in our lives.�

Chapter Ten excerpt:

Concern regarding long-term adverse effects associated with psychotropic drug use in the treatment of children and teens was also reported in the November 3, 2003 issue of TIME magazine in an article written by Jeffrey Kluger entitled Medicating Young Minds.� Kluger discussed concerns of both the medical community and the families of children who are being medicated with psychotropics for either mood or behavioral problems. Kluger stated that . . . concern is growing about just what psychotropic drugs can do to still developing brains� (51). Nevertheless, he also identified the nonchalant attitude that prevails in our American culture in spite of the possible long-term risks associated with psychotropic therapy.�

But few deny either that we�re a quick-fix culture, and if you give us a feel-good answer to a complicated problem, we�ll use it with little thought of long-term consequences. (51) (Italics mine)

Chapter Eleven excerpt:

God has created the brain, the seat of man�s mind and emotions, with such complexity as to be out of the reach of man�s complete comprehension. Why? Because the mind is the doorway to the soul. With the mind, we choose to repent and deny our own self-rule, and with the mind we choose to serve God.�

Chapter Sixteen excerpt:

Salvation alone is not the only thing that will be determined by whether a Christian forgives those who trespass against him; his emotional, physical and spiritual well-being are likewise at stake. A Christian�s peace of mind is closely linked to forgiving others.