Auto-Urine-Therapy : History

Auto-Urine Therapy (AUT) is an ancient practice as it finds references in many olden traditions.  It is known as Shivambu Chikista in Tantra Shastra & Ayurveda and is also called as Amroli Kriya in ancient Yoga.  The word ‘Shiva’ in Sanskrit means holy or pure or auspicious and the word ‘Ambu’ means water; that means Shivambu is auspicious water or water of life.

Amaroli Kriya is very simple to practice that enhances the immune system, strengthens the Aura and improves skin health. Spiritual aspirants often find that the mind is less inclined to be scattered, spiritual energy is kept high, and progress towards samadhi is smoother. If the practitioner does regular Yoga practice along with natural satvik diet and lifestyle, Amaroli becomes more effective.

In alternative medicine, the term urine therapy (also urotherapy, urinotherapy or uropathy) refers to various applications of human urine for medicinal or cosmetic purposes, including drinking of one’s own urine and massaging one’s skin with one’s own urine. Auto-urine therapy (AUT) is gaining popularity to combat a host of illnesses and to maintain good health. It is considered effective in treating a wide array of diseases such as multiple sclerosis, colitis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, hepatitis, pancreatic insufficiency, psoriasis, eczema, diabetes and herpes. According to Xinhua news agency more than three million Chinese drink their own urine believing that it is good for their health.

Former Prime Minister of India Morarji Desai, who lived up to the age of 99, has been the most well known proponent of this therapy. He claimed that India would have been better off if more people used this extremely inexpensive and effective way of treatment. He also attributed to AUT the credit for his longevity. Urine therapy is one of the oldest forms of therapy, always available to everyone and what is also very important in our modern times, free of charge. Urine therapy is highly effective, most probably the most effective customized medicine available to man.

 The World’s Oldest Medicine – Self Urine

Urine therapy is the most primitive, original and simple form of medicine. Although this natural healing method is still widely used in India, urine therapy is not only an Eastern tradition. In fact the use of urine as medicine in one form or another can be found in many traditions of people or tribes which are still living in close vicinity of nature. Gypsies and Eskimos still use urine as medicine. Eskimo women often use urine as shampoo; it gives hair extra life and a beautiful shine.
            Doctors in ancient Greece reportedly used urine for healing wounds. In book 28 of his Naturalis Historia (Natural History), the Roman author C. Plinius Secundus discusses the medicinal use of urine in the treatment of wounds, dog and snake bites, skin diseases, eye infections, burns and scars.

In China, the urine of young boys has been regarded as a curative. In southern China, babies’ faces are washed with the urine of other young boys as a skin protector. The French customarily soaked stockings in urine and wrapped them around their necks in order to cure strep throat. Aristocratic French women in the 17th century reportedly bathed in urine to beautify their skin. In Sierra Madre, Mexico, farmers prepare poultices for broken bones by having a child urinate into a bowl of powdered charred corn. The mixture is made into a paste and applied to the skin. As in ancient Rome, urine was used for teeth-whitening during the Renaissance, though they did not necessarily consume their own urine.

Urine was used in ancient Rome for washing and dying textiles. Urine was centrally collected by so-called laundries, as it is an excellent detergent and cleanser. Urine has also been used in the textile industry in Northern Europe, particularly as detergent. It is actually quite logical that urine was used in the laundering industry. Chemical research has demonstrated that when urine (particularly the ammonia found in urine) is mixed with fat, a white soap is spontaneously created. This partly explains why urine is so effective in keeping skin and hair clean and healthy, without the use of soap or shampoo.

In this century it was the Englishman John Armstrong who was the urine therapy pioneer with his work and with his book -The Water of Life, famous both in West and East. Armstrong realized that the powerful medical world entertained other ideas about the usefulness of urine. Even so, he was exceptionally persistent in his conviction and enthusiasm concerning urine therapy, probably because through urine therapy, he cured himself of tuberculosis which had been declared ‘incurable’.

Armstrong began urine therapy after a long and agonizing journey in which doctor after doctor proved unable to cure him of his TB symptoms. On the contrary, his condition only worsened. He decided to try urine therapy for two reasons. First of all, a quotation from the Bible stimulated his curiosity: “Drink water from your own cistern, flowing water from your own well.” (The Book of Proverbs 5:15) Secondly, he had childhood memories of his mother smearing urine on his face which was swollen from a bee sting, and of his grandfather treating animals with urine.

20th Century Developments of Urine Therapy

Armstrong also quotes an article from a contemporary scholar, Professor Jean Rostand, which discusses the biological importance of hormones and the fact that these can be found in large quantities in human urine. A passage from this article reads as follows: “A recent discovery regarding the activity of hormones has completely revolutionized their study viz, that certain of them filter through the kidney to pass out in the urine. Multiple hypo-physical hormones, the hormones of the adrenal and hormones of the sexual glands have been found in normal urine. The discovery of hormone-urinology has had far-reaching consequences. Urine provides a practically unlimited quantity of basic matter. From the therapeutic point of view it is possible to envisage the use of these human hormones as apparently capable of exercising great power over the human organism”.
            Dr. T. Wilson Deachman, another scholar from the beginning of this century, recognized the enormous value of urine and the intelligence of the body as a self-healing organism. Apparently other doctors did not listen to him. This is what he wrote about urine: “As the urine content varies according to the pathological state of the patient, its use is indicated in all forms of disease except those caused by traumatism (broken limbs) or those that are of a mechanical nature. It saves the physician from the mistake that is made in selecting the indicated remedy from three thousand drugs or more. What cannot be cured by the forces of the body cannot be cured by the forces outside the body”
            Armstrong quotes another fragment, a report from Doctors, Disease and Health by Cyril Scott about a certain Mr. Baxter, who was Armstrong’s patient for a short period of time: “Mr. Baxter, who lived to a ripe old age, declaring that he had cured himself of a cancerous growth by applying his own urine in the form of compresses, and by drinking his own urine neat. He further declared that he had cured himself of other complaints by these simple means. Mr. Baxter contended that urine is the finest antiseptic that exists, and, having made this discovery, he formed the daily habit of drinking three tumblers full as a prophylatic against disease. He maintained that if autogenous urine is taken in this way, the more innocuous it becomes. He applied it to his eyes as a strengthening lotion, and used it, after shaving for his complexion. He also advocated its external use for wounds, swellings, boils, etc.

Although Armstrong must have been quite pleased with this handful of quotations from scholars, he realized that the powerful medical world entertained other ideas. Even so, he was exceptionally persistent in his conviction and enthusiasm concerning urine therapy, probably because through urine therapy, he cured himself of tuberculosis, which had been declared incurable.
            Armstrong began urine therapy after a long and agonizing journey in which doctor after doctor proved unable to cure him of his symptoms. On the contrary, his condition only worsened. He decided to try urine therapy for two reasons. First of all, a quotation from the Bible stimulated his curiosity. “Drink water from your own cistern; Flowing water from your own well” (The book of proverbs 5:15) secondly, he had childhood memories of his mother smearing urine on his face which was swollen from a bee sting and of his grandfather treating animals with urine.
            Armstrong is unclear as to whether this quotation from the Bible should be interpreted as he has. But he does claim it to be source of inspiration for his beginning a forty-five day fast based exclusively on urine and water. He combined this fast with massaging urine on to his skin, based upon what he found in another passage in the Bible, the Gospel of Matthew 6:17-18: H.  “But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,..” He found that fasting was much easier and more pleasant if he also massaged himself with (old) urine. After his own successful experience, Armstrong treated hundreds of people with urine therapy. Only after a number of years, and at the explicit request of those he had treated, did he write a book about his own experiences and knowledge. This is the previously mentioned and praised book “The Water of life”. This book was and continues to be a great source of inspiration for everyone who works with urine therapy, both in the West and in the East.

As mentioned above, Armstrong realized all too. Well that his message was not in keeping with the prevailing scientific dogma. Unfortunately, his worthwhile results did not stimulate other doctors in England to delve into this subject.
            Nonetheless, in other countries several attempts have been made by doctors to bring urine treatments to a scientific level. They worked with urine injections, which were first performed with the invention of the hypodermic needle and syringe. This method was applied in Europe as well as in the United states which is apparent from The physiological Memoirs of Surgeon-General Hammond, U.S. Army (1863) in which reference is made to this method. These days few doctors give urine injections. They specifically consider urine injections to be a worthwhile method of treating illnesses related to allergies. This application of urine therapy was recently highlighted on a German commercial television broadcasting station in which several people with allergies were shown injecting themselves with urine.

The medical interest in urine and its components increased around the beginning of this century, particularly in Germany. Experiments were conducted on injecting urine and the results were positive.

The German physician Dr. Herz was an enthusiastic proponent of this method and in 1930; he wrote a book reporting his experiences. Although scientists and clinics were initially interested in his work, his research came to a halt, since the German government at the time tightened the reins on scientific research. Even so a number of doctors kept practicing this therapy.

In the 1940’s, doctors in German gave urine-enemas to children exposed to measles or smallpox. Those treated with urine-enemas came down with a milder form of these illnesses. The German physician Dr. Martin Krebs wrote Der menschliche Harnals Heilmittel (Human Urine as Medicine) a book about the application and results of urine therapy with children. Martin Krebs was a fervent follower of Dr. Herz.

In 1965, Dr. Edam from Germany recommended urine therapy as the most effective treatment for morning sickness during pregnancy, and advised the larger university hospitals to try this method instead of the frequent use of medication. He maintained that no side effects had been diagnosed, and he hoped more doctors would take an interest in this therapy.

Scientists also began to research the effectiveness of the separate components of urine. Hundreds of research reports have been published on the component urea, apart from water the main component of urine. 

Research has been conducted into the possible medicinal effects of urine’s individual components, such as the hormone specimens obtained from pregnant women’s urine. Under the motto ‘mothers for mother’s, urine is collected from pregnant women and processed into a hormone product for those women who have difficulty getting pregnant. Another preparation is also made as a side product from this urine and is used for slimming cures.

Below are two examples of the results of scientific research on urine substances which have a proven curative effect in the case of cancer. 

The discovery of these kind of substances in urine helps to bring onto a more scientific level the understanding of the positive effects of urine therapy in treating cancer.

In the 1960s the (who also discovered vitamin C) isolated a substance in urine called 3-methyl glyoxal. It has subsequently been proven that this substance destroys cancer cells.

A certain Dr. S. Burzynski isolated a peptide component in human urine called Anti-neoplaston. It is now that this substance selectively combats the growth of cancer cells without fighting the growth of normal cells.

Many substances with anti-cancer effect have since been discovered in urine, a number of which are listed and briefly discussed in chapter 5. It has been discovered that the substance laetrile (also referred to as vitamin B17) is extremely effective in the treatment of cancer. Although it was initially not known how this substance could be produced it was subsequently discovered that when goats were fed almonds and apricot pips, they produced a usable does of laetrile in their urine. The following fragment states that human beings are also considered capable of producing such doses of laetrile: “Also we as human beings produce a small amount of laetrile when consuming apricots pips and (almond pits) For thousands of years, in very old traditions of medicine, cancer patients have been treated with urine. For use it might be interesting to see what happens when we would replace salted and roasted peanuts, not at all a healthy source of nutrition, with the pips from almonds and apricots”. 

A short time ago it was discovered that fetuses in the women use their amniotic fluid in order to develop their lungs. The fetus literally breathes this fluid into its lungs and without this fluid the lungs cannot develop properly. The fetus’s urine is the most important component of amniotic fluid. It has also been discovered that surgery carried out in the womb does not leave a scar. The amniotic fluid, and specifically the urea in it, in which the fetus floats ensures a perfect healing of every wound within the womb.

In the book The Heart of Healing, the author William Poole describes how remarkably well the scars of fetuses which are operated upon are healed: as if nothing had happened, whereas after birth, the same operations would have left big scars that would never completely disappear. Doctors were very surprised to discover this and, according to Poole, they are trying to find out the reason behind it as they are looking for a method to help heal post operative scars on adults. Hopefully, sometime in the future, they will discover the very simple method of using the patient’s urine for this purpose! People who are familiar with urine therapy know from their own experience how extremely effective just a cloth soaked in urine and placed on a wound can be in healing this wound.

In spite of all these data, the medical world has not as yet taken the step forward to research urine and its effects as a complete entity, even though the beneficial use of many of the components of urine is already acknowledged and exploited.

For example ‘Enzymes of America’, an American company, has developed a special filter which collects the proteins found in male urine in the 10,000 portable toilets owned by its subsidiary firm, Porta John. Urine contains small amounts of proteins produced by the body, a number of which are medically very important, such as growth hormones and insulin. There is an annual market of 500 million dollars for these types of substances, which are usually produced by extremely complicated and expensive methods, such as cell cloning. The company is working on bringing its first important product, Urokinase, on the market. Urokinase is an enzyme which dissolves blood clots and is used in treating heart attack victim. The company has contracts for supplying this enzyme to several prominent pharmaceutical companies.

This method was more or less copied from the Chinese. In the Shanghai, urine is collected in large basins in the public toilets. The city government then sells the urine to the pharmaceutical companies who extract Urokinase, among other thing from this urine. This is exported and sold as medicine all over the world.

Recent Research, Practice and Literature

In the past few years, some people from within the medical world have shown an increased interest in urine therapy, particularly doctors who specialize in natural medicine and its principles.

In 1991, Dr. Johann Abele wrote a revised version of the book previously written by Dr. Herz, published under the same title (Die Eigenharnbehandlung: nach Dr. med. Kurt Herz; Erfahurugen and Beobachtungen) Abele’s book however contains only part of the preface from the original book and discusses in a scientific manner the various applications of urine therapy particularly in the form of urine injections. Dr. Abele realizes that there is no scientific proof for the effects of urine therapy, but still seriously recommends this therapy to the medical world.

‘Although a lot of research in the field of Auto-Urine therapy was done before the Second World War and well known researchers were reported to have excellent results with it, it will surprise any unbiased observer that after 1945 this therapy like many other empirical systems of natural medicine- disappeared and was no longer openly subject to research and discussion. It has since only been preserved and developed by those who work outside the field of orthodox medicine.

During this modern era when pure physics and mathematics have entered into areas where science and religion -once strong enemies – can meet each other, it can no longer be tolerated that people dismiss such an interesting method of folk medicine but just saying that it must be a remain of the magical, dirt practice used by uncivilized tribes An ineffective therapy does not survive hundreds of years in the consciousness of people! The astounding results which therapists who work with this auto-urine-method have over and over again should bring them as well as others to use this therapy for otherwise incurable disease even though so far no explanation for its effectiveness has been given. For the most important task of a doctor should be, even when in opposition to public opinion and customs, to use any therapy which promises results in accordance with an old saying  WHO HEALS IS RIGHT .

Besides the previously mentioned book by Carmen Thomas, another book was published in 1993 in Germany on urine therapy entitled Die Heilkraft der Eigenharntherapie (The Healing power of urine Therapy) written by Ingeborg Allmann, a former pharmacist. As with many other people who started to work with urine therapy, it was a personal health crisis which brought her into contact with this method of healing. Ingeborg Allmann suffered from severe allergic asthma and allopathic medicine of feared little relief. After some time, she developed an aversion to all chemical products, the former source of her income. In a complete turnaround, she turned to natural medicine, including urine therapy. Ultimately, Allmann wrote a book about her experiences in which she discusses urine therapy as well as a number of general principles of holistic therapies. “More than any other method, urine therapy represents the principles of natural medicine, according to which one should not passively depend on being healed, but should instead heal oneself actively”.

One’s own urine is a specific medicine for anyone who is ill- it is made for him or her personally and is just right for what he or she needs at the present moment-because it changes its composition all the time. It is not only something that cures, but it also sustains health when taken as a preventative.

Taken energetically, one could consider urine to be an exact hologram of both healthy as well as diseased body fluids. All information from the body fluids is collected and stored in the urine.

Since everyone has to learn to take responsibility for their own health over and over again – do you normally give your highest good so easily in the hands of others? Anyway, urine therapy will help you in a very simple way to take that responsibility with your own hands.

Allmann emphasizes the importance of fasting particularly during chronic illnesses. She also explains how urine can be injected, and describes another method in which urine and blood are mixed. A few drops of this mixture should then be ingested orally on a regular basis. This shows the versatility of the different methods of application of urine therapy, although, according to Allmann drinking and specifically fasting is the most simple and effective way.

Allmann discusses the kidneys as a source of primal energy which is essential for the body. The kidneys are vital organs which play an extremely important role in the balance of the whole organism and the functioning of other organs. According to Allmann, urine therapy is an excellent way to restore and stimulate this primal energy.

“Since one’s own urine is the best medicine for the kidneys that we could imagine, all diseases which are caused by under -or non-functioning of this organ can be cured in this way, i.e. via the kidneys.

It is clear for any holistic health practitioner that all cycles within the body are interconnected, and this means that the healing of one of those cycles will have a positive effect on the others”.

 Allmann extensively describes the role of the pH- value and how important the acid-alkaline percentage is for our body and health. She also gives an overview of the diversity of illnesses on which urine therapy has had positive results. Both Allmann and Abele state that candidiasis (a frequently occurring stubborn fungal infection) can be completely cured by a three-week urine fast. Allmann (a pharmacist) also outlines the chemical composition of urine.

In his book Die Apotheke in uns; Behandlung mit Eigenharn -eine bewahrte Naturheilmethode (The pharmacy Within Ourselves; Treatment with Auto-Urine -A Proven Natural Healing Method) the Swiss physician, Dr. U.E. Hasler, discusses the substance found in urine even more extensively. Hasler tells how shortly after World War II, he first heard of urine therapy. Urine was often used at the front, for lack of other medication and as disinfectant for surgery instruments. His interest was rekindled much later when he heard the story of a doctor from Russia Apparently, this doctor treated many people from far and wide, and was able to alleviate or completely cure illnesses with nothing else than urine therapy, while other methods up until then had failed.

Hasler wanted to know more about urine therapy, and asked Mantak Chia, an Eastern teacher in the field of holistic health and spirituality who is also well-known in the West, for more information: “I went to the teacher of the course, Mantak Chia, and asked him if he had ever heard of this peculiar method. Immediately his face turned into a big smile, and he pointed at himself and said “I use it myself. You Western doctors make a big mistake in thinking that the kidneys only discard poisonous substance Just look at the dung of plants. A human being is also such a plant and can benefit enormously from it”

Hasler ascribes the effect of urine therapy in part to the many effective substances found in urine. He illustrates this with an overview of these substances (almost twenty pages!) and their possible effects but Hasler does not limit himself to the medical aspects of these substances; he also discusses the ‘life energy’ found in urine.

“Looking at the surprising diversity of substances found in urine makes us understand its positive effect. A.L. (auto-liquidum= urine, tr.) represents a living substance. This fluid is full of life and contains the life energy which is so important.

In complementary medicine we already deal with the principle of life energy. We have inside our human bodies an inner healing principle it is what I call “the Healer Within” This inner doctor is very intelligent and wants to keep the organism healthy whenever possible -whether it is a plant 0animal or human being. Independently and from within areas we are normally not aware of, he is always busy, never sleeps does not know Sundays nor holidays and is always there as long as the organism is alive”

A few brief examples of the use of urine therapy in a number of other countries follow below. Various schools and clinic in the United States which work with natural medicine also work with urine therapy. The Water of Life Institute in Florida (now Lifestyle Institute, Ruidoso NM, see address list in the back of this book) has contributed much to the promotion of the therapy. In New York City, a support group currently exists for those who use urine therapy, with some 700 members, many of whom are suffering from AIDS. Recently I heard about a similar support group existing in West Hollywood, California. Some people with AIDS have already benefited greatly from this therapy.

In 1994 the book Your , written by Martha Christy, was published in the United States. This gives a very complete and good overview of scientific material concerning the medical value of urine and its substances.

Urine therapy is also used extensively in an institute in England. This institute is directed by Arthur Lincoln Pauls, a specialist in bio-orthonomy and author of the book on urine therapy, Shivambu Kalpa.  A Juicier example of the use of urine therapy in Engalnd is the British actress Sarah Miles. She drinks a glass of her own life water daily and swears that this keeps her healthy and beautiful. Urine is terrific for skin care, a fact already well known by the ancient Egyptians. 

The present-day cosmetic industry is also aware of this fact: if you study the ingredients of a number of skin creams and various brands of toothpaste, you will regularly come across urea as a significant component.

Two books have recently been published in France on urine therapy. The book Amaroli suggests a list of names for urine therapy, including the playful name pipi-therapie. Besides an extensive summary of its practical application, Amaroli also places urine therapy within the broader perspective of modern holistic medicine and health concepts. One chapter discusses the transformative and (self) regenerative effect of drinking urine. From this perspective urine therapy is a modern way of sanctifying the body, as it revitalizes the genetic structure on the deepest level. We see here a link to the sacred character of urine therapy as described by ancient traditions. Recently, a lot of books have been published on urine therapy, especially in Germany, and some of those books have been written by regular doctors.

Drinking urine in emergency situations

Drinking urine is a good alternative wherever water is scarce. It not only satisfies the need for liquid, but also actually keeps the body healthy. Some time ago there was an earthquake in Egypt. A survivor was pulled out of the rubble in Cairo after being trapped for three days. The man had kept himself alive by, among other thing drinking his own urine and he was in excellent condition. I heard another story about a man who kept himself alive with his own urine for a week in a collapsed mine. At the time of his rescue, he looked fine and was in extraordinary health. I also recently read an article about an Italian athlete who was lost in the Sahara for ten days. Upon returning to the civilized world he told how he had drunk his own urine for lack of other liquids. He had kept himself alive by eating desert plants and insects and drinking his own urine.

Shipwrecked people can drink their urine, although one should not wait until the body is almost dehydrated before doing so. Drinking urine is also a smart way to survive in situations in which water is unsafe to drink. 
During earthquakes and floods, water is often infected with pathogens while urine is always sterile. Drinking polluted water can cause serious often fatal, illnesses. Urine is a perfect alternative if drunk fresh; it quenches thirst without presenting any danger and is always available – any time anywhere. Moreover it will help combat possible disease.

Soldiers have survived long periods in the wilderness by drinking their own urine and soldiers in the Foreign Legion are sometimes instructed to rub their own urine into their skin in order to build up resistance to illness. Soldiers sometimes also urinate into their shoes before starting on a march, as urine apparently helps prevent blisters. The method of using urine for (new) shoes was often applied in the past and even today I sometimes meet people from the older generation who still know how to get their shoes fitting by using this versatile fluid.