from people imprisoned who are happy people. I
learn from them.
Q:What about your detractors?
Siegel:Most of that is their projection of their prob-
lem with money, guilt, shame, or blame. At times
people will quote me on things I never wrote; they
created or saw their own perception, like an artist
doing a painting a certain unique way. It’s within
you to find inspiration. You learn not to be angry
with attackers.
Q:What happens when you feel critical of your-
self?
Siegel:I might criticize myself for having been
ignorant of the upbringing of many people, people
who said, “We didn’t have [Siegel’s] parents,” etc.
I had to learn to rewrite to the people in pain to
clarify. Also, I have to remember that change does-
n’t mean I’ve done something wrong.
Q:Which means simply that life is unfair?
Siegel:Most people say that because they don’t
separate natural disaster from a neighbor burning
your house down. They lump adverse effects
together. If they use all their resources, however,
themselves and spiritual resources, they can build
in happiness in the day. Those who are ill can build
in a better chance of recovery.
Q:You use the phrase “living in God’s country.”
What do you mean?
Siegel:I mean you can learn to be in God’s coun-
try where there are no schedules and no clocks. It’s
part of how to die laughing; people do die with a
smile. It’s not a fairy tale. They embrace a joy in
having lived and contributed. I like to think of the
most frequently asked question on earth—
”Where’s the bathroom?”—and the most fre-
quently asked question in heaven—”Why was I so
serious back there?”
See also MUSIC THERAPY.Simonton, O. Carl An American radiation oncol-
ogist and author of Getting Well Again (with
Stephanie Matthews-Simonton and James
Creighton, Jeremy P. Tarcher, Los Angeles, Calif.,
1978). He founded and directed the Simonton Can-
cer Center, P.O. Box 890, Pacific Palisades, CA
90272, or (800) 459-3424, (310) 459-4434, and
http://www.simontoncenter.com, and pioneered the use of
imagery by people with cancer. Simonton believed
that stress is the greatest single factor causing low-
ered immune function and the recurrence of cancer.
six stage patterns In traditional Chinese medi-
cine a system for diagnosing illness.solar plexus The region behind the stomach and
between the suprarenal glands (approximately the
midtorso from the diaphragm to the upper
abdomen), also called the celiac plexus. Two large
nerve bundles, the celiac and superior mesenteric
ganglia, are housed in the solar plexus and pass
sympathetic fibers to the abdominal organs. In
energy medicine disciplines such as Reiki, the solar
plexus is known as the third chakra (manipura),
associated with the color yellow, the element of
fire, the pancreas and adrenal glands, and the func-
tion of personal power and emotions. A Reiki prac-
titioner often places both palms on a client’s solar
plexus as a way to make an initial energy connec-
tion before the actual Reiki treatment begins.
See also CHAKRAS; REIKI.solar therapy Also known as heliotherapy, the
treatment of a disorder, such as seasonal affective
disorder (SAD), with sunlight. Lack of exposure to
sunlight has been shown to cause depression and
other illnesses, and in many cases, indoor lighting
fixtures with bulbs or light sources that simulate
actual sunlight offer relief from symptoms.sound therapy The use of music, the voice, and
other types of sound as a way to treat anxiety,
stress, physical symptoms, and pain; to induce
relaxation; and to increase the level of mental,
physical, and social functioning. For example,
music may help reduce stress and pain and
decrease anxiety before and after surgery, in the
intensive care unit, and during flexible sigmoi-
doscopy, cardiac catheterization, and other proce-
dures, and it has been shown to relax infants and
children, women in labor, and people with stroke
or Parkinson’s disease. Other sounds, including
rain forest, seashore, and babbling brook, available
on CDs and cassette tapes, have recently become
popular for creating a certain ambience in a room,
for relaxation, and for induction of sleep.
Using sound as a clinical application, the French
otolaryngologist Alfred A. Tomatis developed a
sound therapy to help repattern a child’s auditory
range and attention span. The French physician144 Simonton, O. Carl