Everywhere, today, are to be found groups whose main concern is to further the idea of healthy living and to foster the interest of the public in achieving greater vitality and freedom from disease. On all sides, books are appearing offering dietary and other regimes – some new and unproved, others based on ancient lore – which claim to cure all bodily ills from overweight to the deadliest scourges to which humanity is prone. A new impetus has been given to research into the causes and nature of disease and to its prevention and cure.

As yet, the true cause of disease is quite unknown. Buried deep in man's past, it is largely karmic, and is transmitted by heredity. In this karma, all of humanity shares. Ancient transgressions of the Laws of life have left this unwelcome heritage and only a profound reconstruction of our ways of thinking and living will transform this situation and, gradually, bring balance. That such balance will come is inevitable; but it will take time to eradicate certain age-old diseases and to cleanse the soil of the planet itself. In particular, the traditional forms of burial, widespread today, must give way to cremation, the only sanitary method of disposal of the body after death.

Everywhere, now, are to be found enclaves of research into the newer healing methods; much experimentation is proceeding along reasonably correct lines and the doors of knowledge are opening one by one. Soon, a flood of new insights will sweep the world, leading to an entirely new approach to disease and its cause and treatment. Behind all of this activity stands Hierarchy, watching and guiding from behind the scenes of life, seeking, wherever possible, to stimulate research and experiment. This stimulus flows along two main lines: to galvanize far-seeing men into exploration of man's constitution and structure, on the knowledge of which an understanding of the mechanism of disease depends; and to stimulate the various means, curative, ameliorative and preventative, old and new, orthodox and unorthodox, which seek to control disease today.

One of the outstanding happenings of the present time has been the rise into prominence of so-called spiritual or faith healers of various kinds. There has been a marked shift in public acceptance of their role and gifts and this on a world-wide scale. A new interest in the ancient healing methods of the East has widened the technical resources and understanding of Western practitioners, while prevention of disease – the creation of conditions of health and vitality – is gradually gaining a major role.

All of this portends well for the future, a future in which we shall see the gradual conquering of the ills which so beset mankind. The first step will be to eradicate the fear of disease and, from an understanding of its cause, inculcate a more correct approach to its control. The transformation of social structures will do much to improve the health of humanity, removing much of the chronic stress and anxiety which is the experience of millions today. Greater leisure and recreation will play their part while sounder agricultural methods will ensure the production of food whose vitality is adequate to man's needs.

When mankind realises the true nature of its constitution – as a soul reflecting itself through mental, emotional and two-fold physical (etheric and dense) bodies, the first step in the conquering of disease will be taken. Until now, man's attention has been focussed on the dense physical plane while the causes of disease are to be found in the misappropriation of the energies flowing through the subtler bodies. Man is on the verge of a great discovery: that disease is the result of imbalance; that correct balance is maintained by correct thought and action and that such correct thought and action involves his brothers and sisters everywhere. If man would end disease he must first end separation.