incredibly powerful in many cases where other
types of therapy have failed. Past-life exploration
can assist the process of gradually realizing our full
potential as conscious, loving beings.” Linn claims
also that past-life therapy may result in positive
treatment for problems of health, relationships,
emotions, finances, talents and abilities, forgive-
ness, guilt, and fear of death, among others.
See also INTERIOR REALIGNMENT.
Peale, Norman Vincent The American author,
senior minister of the Collegiate Reformed Protes-
tant Dutch Church of the City of New York (Mar-
ble Collegiate Church), 1898–1993, who was one
of the earliest proponents of the mind-body con-
nection through his theories of positive thinking
and positive imaging. Born in a rural Ohio town,
Peale grew up helping to support his family by
delivering newspapers, working in a grocery store,
and selling pots and pans door to door. For half a
century, Dr. Peale was one of the most influential
Protestant clergymen in the United States. He
applied Christianity to everyday problems and had
a keen understanding of human psychology. He
was a reporter on the Findlay, Ohio, Morning Repub-
licbefore entering the ministry and went on to
write 40 books. With his wife, Ruth, Peale founded
the Foundation for Christian Living in 1945.
As a young boy, Peale battled strong inferiority
feelings. Over the years he developed and refined
the message that anyone could put the principles of
positive thinking and strong faith into practice and
improve his or her own life dramatically. At age 34
Peale accepted a call to Marble Collegiate Church
in Manhattan, where he remained for 52 years as
one of New York City’s most famous preachers.
Membership grew from 600 when he arrived to
well over 5000 today. In 1945 Dr. Peale, his wife,
Ruth Stafford Peale, and Raymond Thornburg, a
Pawling, New York, businessman founded Guide-
posts magazine. With little money and a strong
vision they managed to raise $1,200 from Frank
Gannett, founder of the Gannett newspaper chain,
J. Howard Pew, the Philadelphia industrialist, and
Branch Rickey, owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Guidepostswas designed to be a nondenominational
forum for people to relate their inspirational stories
to provide a spiritual lift to all readers. Today, the
48-page magazine, under the direction of Ruth
Peale, is the 13th largest paid-circulation magazine
in the United States with a circulation of more than
4 million.
Peale’s fourth book, The Power of Positive Thinking,
was published in 1952—when he was 54—and has
sold nearly 20 million copies and has been printed
in 41 different languages. He was the author of 46
inspirational books, including The Art of Living, A
Guide to Confident Living, The Tough-Minded Optimist,
and Inspiring Messages for Daily Living.
For 54 years, Peale’s weekly radio program, The
Art of Living, was on the air. His sermons were said
to be mailed to more than 750,000 people per
month, and in 1964 a movie was made of his life,
One Man’s Way.
With the educator Kenneth Beebe in 1947 Peale
cofounded the Horatio Alger Association, dedicated
to honoring contemporary Americans who have
achieved success and excellence in the face of
adversity. TheGuidepostsfamily of nonprofit orga-
nizations includes the Peale Center, the Positive
Thinking Foundation, and Guideposts Publications.
Their mission is to be the world leader in commu-
nicating positive, faith-filled principles that
empower people to reach their maximal personal
and spiritual potential. Peale died on December 24,
1993, at age 95.
See alsoFAITH HEALING; PRAYER, POWER OF.peculiars The homeopathic description of odd
and rare symptoms that correspond to the individ-
ual rather than to the typical symptoms of a disease.
See also HOMEOPATHY.pets, alternative healing methods for See NATUR-
OPATHY; PET THERAPY.pet therapy A combination of all the forms of
holistic medicine used in animal healing, which are
almost identical with the forms used for human
health. Professionals in both fields often study
together and learn from one another. Veterinary
practices differ only in that the humans responsible
for the animal must make all the choices for heal-
ing and provide the options for health to the pet.
Currently animals can have almost every type of
healing that is available to humans. The concept ofpet therapy 125