Lehal Library

original or new material was possible in my case. The technique would have to be utilized with some other subject When my family returned, we all had brunch, which consisted of scrambled eggs, bacon, and coffee. Some unimportant controversy occurred at the table, which was not germane to the problem. A little over an hour later, I was seized with a severe, iron-hard cramp which extended across my diaphragm or solar plexus area just under my rib cage. It was a solid band of unyielding ache. At first, I thought it was some form of food poisoning from brunch. In desperation, I forced myself to regurgitate, but my stomach was empty. Other members of my family who had eaten the same food showed no signs of illness or discomfort. I tried exercising and walking, on the assumption that it was a cramped abdominal muscle. It was not appendicitis, as my appendix had been removed. I could breathe properly in spite of the pain, and my heart appeared normal in pulse rate. There was no perspiration or other symptoms whatsoever—just the hard, tense, locked-in-place rigidity of a band of muscles in the upper abdomen. It occurred to me that perhaps some factor in the recording had caused it In going over the tape and the written copy from which it had been made, I found nothing unusual. What suggestion there was, I complied with, seeking to relieve any unconscious suggestion that might have been applied. Still, no relief. Perhaps I should have phoned immediately for a doctor. However, it did not seem that serious, nor did it become any worse. But it did not get any better, either. Finally, we did phone for medical help. All of the local doctors were away or playing golf. From one-thirty in the afternoon until around midnight, the cramp and pain continued. No typical home medication seemed to alleviate it. Sometime after twelve I fell asleep from pure exhaustion. I woke up in the early morning, and the cramp and pain were gone. There was muscle soreness throughout the afflicted area, much as one gets from overcoughing, but no more. What caused the cramp in this area is still unknown. It is mentioned only because it was the first out-of-the-ordinary event, physical or otherwise, that took place. In retrospect, perhaps it was the touch of a magic wand, or a sledge hammer, although I did not know it at the time.