Life Essentials

Central to Herbert A. Parkyn’s system of suggestive therapeutics was his teaching that the body must be furnished with what he termed the “life essentials” to create and maintain health. Parkyn taught that although the mind possessed a powerful capacity to influence physiological processes, such as by increasing blood flow to diseased areas, this capacity could only manifest fully if the body had an adequate quantity and quality of the life essentials, stressing that two quartes of fresh water a day were essential. Parkyn’s five life essentials were fresh air, sunshine, water, food, and exercise. He stated: “Thought tends to take form in action, and, with the life essentials properly supplied, thought action becomes a power in stimulating the organs of nutrition and elimination.” He closely aligned these ideas with the ancient Hermetic doctrine of the five elements which taught that all matter and all processes in nature derive from a combination of five fundamental principles: Air, Fire, Water, Earth, and Aether/Spirit. These elements were understood not only as physical substances but as dynamic forces acting within the human being. When these forces fell into imbalance, disease and disorder followed. Parkyn emphasized that each life essential was a direct expression of one of these ancient elements. Air corresponded to fresh air and the deliberate practice of deep breathing. Fire was reflected in exposure to sunshine and the therapeutic influence of light and warmth. Water included the ingestion of sufficient quantities and the purifying benefits of distilled water. Earth related to nourishment, with Parkyn stressing that food should be consumed not with the temperance of a sick person but with the appetite of a healthy man. Spirit/Aether was present in the exercise of the body and mind, whether through movement in space or through meditation within inner space. This was similar to the eastern philosophy of Ayurveda with Yoga.

In the Hermetic and Platonic tradition, the five Platonic solids were seen as the pure geometric forms through which these elements were expressed and symbolized. Each shape was regarded as a manifestation of an elemental principle both in the structure of matter and in the ordering of thought and space itself. Parkyn regarded this ancient framework as supporting the idea that health arose when the visible and invisible elements of life were harmonized.

Parkyn further stated:

“The mind is an important factor in building up the health and maintaining good health. Thoughts of health and strength promote health and strength, if the life essentials are properly supplied to the body. Thoughts of sickness and fear thoughts will produce sickness, for they interfere with the normal appetite for the life essentials, and the life essentials being neglected in consequence, the body grows weaker, and in this condition it is open to the inroads of all kinds of physical complaints and contagious diseases. The greatest preventive against diseases of all kinds is good health, and, next to the life essentials, the greatest factor in maintaining good health is healthy thinking.”

Parkyn’s “Life Essentials” teachings were also closely related to Yogi philosophy

Parkyn’s teachings were also related to the teachings of the Pancha Bhuta, the five elements that make up all of creation in Hinduism.

• Earth (Prithvi): Represents the physical structure of all things.
• Water (Jal): Symbolizes the capacity to nourish and sustain.
• Fire (Agni): Represents the power of digestion and metabolism.
• Air (Vayu): Corresponds to movement, respiration, and the circulation of vital energy.
• Space (Akasha): Represents the mind and the medium through which things manifest.

In Ayurveda, the ancient Indian system of medicine, these elements are believed to be interconnected and are associated with overall health of human beings. Any disorder in the human body indicates imbalance of one or more of these elements.

Like in Parkyn’s teachings, this system was made up of three fundamental biological energies called the Dosha that must be in balance. These were made up of combinations of the five elements:

1. Breath – Vata (Space + Air): Governs movement, creativity, and the nervous system.
2. Bile – Pitta (Fire + Water): Regulates digestion, metabolism, and body temperature.
3. Phlegm – Kapha (Earth + Water): Provides structure, lubrication, and immunity.