Happy Science and The Healing Power of the Mind

Online, June 6, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Ann Ritter was a happy, active, but often extremely stressed night college student as well as a single parent to her 15-year old son. Also busy with a full-time job, she suddenly found her world falling apart. First there was the death of her beloved uncle, following a sudden diagnosis of leukemia, to which he quickly succumbed. Then, unbelievably, the Tampa, Florida resident discovered that, at the young age of 36, she too had that same devastating illness.

Not one to give up easily, Ann was determined to fight her illness not just with the necessary rounds of chemotherapy but also with an upbeat, positive attitude. Rather than view herself as a victim, or adopt a "why me" attitude, Ann decided to look at the deeper lesson of the life-threatening illness and what it could be teaching her. Drawing on her deep faith, she told herself "God is trying to tell me to slow down and live in the moment." "I may have cancer," she told people, "but cancer does not have me!""

Through the grueling months of therapy, Ann remained steadfast in her view that the mind can control the body. Her spiritual focus brought forward greater strength than she had even known she possessed. It allowed her to battle the ordeal and keep moving forward in her work, her studies, her parenting and her life overall. But still, she waited for a sign. Incredibly, one night in the hospital, she looked up and saw beautiful glowing balls of light, gold and silver, floating around the room. Smiling to herself, she knew they were her guardian spirits, with a very special message...she was going to be cured.... Today, against all the odds, her leukemia is in remission.

Her story becomes even more remarkable. After a search to find like-minded people with whom she could be completely open and vulnerable about what she had seen and what she believed, she discovered a global spiritual movement called Happy Science. The movement was founded in 1986 by Master Ryuho Okawa and had attracted 12 million members in 75 countries but was still new to the United States. Enjoying the meditations, the fellowship and the deep discussions about life's challenges and opportunities, Ann became a regular member.

One day, while attending a guided meditation at Happy Science's Tampa center, Ann had what she describes as an out of body experience. She connected with a higher spirit who let her know she was being watched over. Confident that her new enlightenment about an unseen world she had connected to, thanks to her regular meditative practice and the fellowship she found in Happy Science, all of which had helped her recover, Ann was inspired to tell her story to the world.

According to Happy Science there is a "Fourfold Path to Enlightenment" which encompasses the principles of Love, Wisdom, Self Reflection and Progress. The nonprofit organization welcomes people from all religion and spiritual backgrounds, and, in the United States, in addition to Tampa, has already established centers in Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Hawaii, and most recently in TriBeCa in New York City. The teachings are also readily available in Master Okawa's best-selling books, The Challenge of Enlightenment: Realize Your Inner Potential; An Unshakable Mind: How to Overcome Life's Difficulties; Invincible Thinking: There is No Such Thing As Defeat and many others.

Those interested can learn more about this remarkable movement and the teachings of Master Okawa can visit www.happyscience-usa.org