More Dowsing

Today I used dowsing for a practical application and had some success. I won't go too heavily into why or how dowsing works, just that it worked for me today.

I used my L-shaped rods to pinpoint the location of a water pipe that was leaking, buried approximately three-and-a-half feet underground. We knew the general location of the pipe and the leak, but when digging a hole that deep with a shovel it's a good idea to be as sure as you can be. So, not thinking much of it, I went and got my rods and just walked perpendicular to where we had an idea the pipe was a few times. When I crossed the pipe the rods spread to line up with it, giving me a general idea of where the pipe was. Using this, I was able to determine that the hole we had started was maybe slightly to the side of the pipe, but still suitable.

Not terribly impressive, but it was enough to add a little strange to my day. Later on, after the leak was fixed, I was walking around with the rods and testing them out a little bit. A neighbor mentioned that if the water wasn't running then the rods wouldn't work. I didn't agree with this at the time and I still don't. I did mention to him that some people believe that dowsing can be used to find more than just water; things like minerals, oil, gold, and bodies. Out of curiosity, before going inside I checked the water meter after testing my rods. The meter at the time I checked it showed no water was moving through it, suggesting no moving water in the pipe. Because of this I don't think that water absolutely must be moving to find it through dowsing.

There are a lot of factors that could have played to my relative success with dowsing today, more mundane factors. I acknowledge this. However, the leak was found and repaired and that's all that really matters.

Here is more information on dowsing:

All About Dowsing
How To Practice Dowsing
Dowsing: Subconscious and the Paranormal

Dr. Rupert Sheldrake is a hero.

Dr. Rupert Sheldrake, a biologist and a well-known figure in the field of parapsychology, recently did an interview at Skeptiko.com.  The interview at first deals with the controversy surrounding Richard Wiseman's latest book and his attempts to misinform the public.  However, the truly interesting stuff is in the discussion that stems from talking about the controversy in which Dr. Sheldrake goes on to give a beautiful and poignant observation of a huge problem in modern science.  What is that problem?  Dogmatic materialism and how it has stifled progress.  Dr. Sheldrake says it so much better than I ever could so I'll just link you to the interview.

Dr. Rupert Sheldrake on the Persistence of Richard Wiseman’s Deception

You can read the transcript, you can listen to the interview, or you can even download the interview to listen to later.  Whichever way appeals to you, I highly recommend that you take a look at this if you love science as well as the paranormal.  It's like Dr. Sheldrake took everything I've had floating around in my head on the subject and laid it down neatly and plainly for all to see.  He is a hero for saying what few seem to be willing to say and he has my respect for that.  I only hope that by writing about this interview here that his views and work get the attention they deserve and we can all move on to finding real answers and truly exploring reality without the limits of a particular philosophical stance smothering us.

I think it's suiting that this will be my one hundredth blog post.  It's the fact that people from all over the world are reading what I write that has kept me going with this experiment for so long.  It's my love for all of the subject matter that I cover that inspired me to start this blog in the first place and I'm very happy that I've kept writing about it.  This blog is for everyone that wonders about the strange things out there and those that want to find answers for themselves instead of just buying a ready-made explanation.  Thanks to all of you that keep coming back to read my thoughts and opinions.

Scrying

The image of a mystic staring into a crystal ball and telling someone's fortune is something that has permeated our popular culture.  The practice of scrying, or gazing into a reflective surface for insight, has been around for a lot longer than the pop culture fortune teller complete with carnival tent and turban.  The individual methods for scrying are myriad, but the basic principle remains the same.  You find a reflective surface and you gaze softly at it until you see something.  Some have applied this technique to candle flames and embers as well.

I am increasingly of the opinion that the focus for scrying only helps awaken dormant abilities, similar to how a ganzfeld setup can allow for clairvoyance to manifest when it would normally be overpowered by excess sensory noise.  Unlike a ganzfeld setup, scrying is something that just about anyone should be able to try with just a little bit of preparation.  The main requirements are a reflective surface to gaze into and a relaxed state of mind.

Your reflective surface can be anything from a pool or bowl of water, a piece of glass with one side painted black, a crystal ball, or you can even use a candle flame as I mentioned earlier.  When you set up your device you ideally want no reflections in your scrying surface.  This will probably require a low-light setting and to get the proper softly glowing reflective effect you'll want to try placing your light source (a candle or similar soft lighting) behind you.  Make sure that you can't see your own reflection or the reflection of your light source.

Softly gaze at your scrying surface and don't strain.  Just relax and look at the reflective surface.  After a while you may begin to see clouds or mist, specks of light, or other strange effects.  After a while, your visual field will begin to fill with darkness, clouding out the surroundings of the scrying device.  Don't be alarmed when this happens; it means you are right on track.  After this occurs you may begin to see images, either in the reflective surface or in your mind's eye (most likely in your mind's eye).  This is the effect that you're going for.

If you don't experience anything after fifteen minutes or so then stop and try again later.  It's important not to strain or force anything.  Just let it come naturally.

I haven't really gone further than this with my own scrying practice at present, but it is a very interesting activity if you're looking for a simple occult technique to pick up.  It can also be a launch pad for other occult practices as it helps develop your subtle senses.  Good luck and have fun with it.

Wikipedia on scrying.

The ESP debate rages on.

ESP Report Sets Off Debate on Data Analysis

I think that this is just another example of finding any possible way to mitigate the impact of a study that suggests that ESP exists.  If the protocols can't be attacked then attack the data analysis.  When attacks on the data analysis fail, the critics will inevitably cry fraud.  This is not the first time this has happened and most likely won't be the last.  This said, it kind of makes you wonder about all the statistics thrown around in more accepted scientific fields.

In the constant effort to hunt down bias in results, critics might consider the obvious bias against ESP in the first place.  I don't think that ESP research has a fair shot under the best of circumstances, so it really won't surprise me when Daryl Bem's research is torn apart and kicked aside like so many papers before it.

Bem's results have allegedly failed replication so far which is, again, not surprising.  This happens whenever positive ESP results receive a lot of public attention.  There is usually very little discussion of these failed replications though.  One of the attempts to replicate this particular study wasn't even a true replication attempt as it did not follow Bem's protocol.  This, again, is common when it comes to ESP studies under scrutiny.

Keeping all of this in mind, if we ever hope to have any scientific recognition of psychic abilities then we need to stop relying on statistics that can be made to say whatever each particular side wants them to say.  All this gets us is endless battles over statistical analysis and proper interpretation of results.  If we really want recognition and acceptance then parapsychology needs to focus on more observable effects.  The best that I can think of would be macro-psychokinesis.  That is, the movement of objects by mental means.

Most, if not all, demonstrations of psychokinesis on a larger-than-statistical level have been decried as hoaxes with various conjurers stepping forward to demonstrate how they can do the same thing through parlor tricks.  Some performers, demonstrating what is ostensibly a psychokinetic effect, have been later exposed as frauds.  A small number, however, have not.  One such case would be that of D.D. Home, whom I have written about before.

The thing about psychokinesis is that most psychokinetic feats can indeed be duplicated by parlor tricks.  That is just the nature of the beast.  However, I think it would be foolish to proclaim that the PK feats are tricks when there's no evidence to support that claim in a particular case.  Just because something can be duplicated by trickery does not mean that it is impossible by less-deceptive means.  When one cries fraud the burden of proof is theirs.  All of this in mind, I still think that demonstrating psychokinesis will be the thing that silences the detractors.  It may take many years of laboratory study, but I think it's the best bet.

My message then is that anyone that wants psychic abilities to be taken seriously should set about developing their abilities to the highest level possible.  It is going to take direct observation of psychic functioning to get it viewed as a real phenomenon.  Even then you should expect fire from all sides.  There are people that won't be convinced no matter what.  Many psychics and researchers alike have been permanently disgraced because there was too much doubt cast on them, too much ambiguity in the results they produced.  Some just weren't vigilant enough in examining what they had to offer before offering it, or they tried to augment it with parlor tricks.  My advice, then, is try to prove it at your own risk.

Parapsychology going mainstream? - My previous post about this very topic.
Journal’s Paper on ESP Expected to Prompt Outrage - More on the debate and "outrage."

Project Phoenix - Psychotronic Weapons

Declassified STAR GATE/Phoenix Memos

These memos suggest that as part of the US government's psychic spying efforts under Project STAR GATE there was also a psychotronic weapons project going on.  Psychotronic devices, in a nutshell, work to amplify psychic abilities.  We can only wonder what devices these memos are referring to or what their specific functions may have been.  It would interest me to learn if these devices were any more advanced than the typical crystals-hooked-up-to-radio-parts you find when searching the Internet for psychotronic devices.

1982 Psychic Spying Research Program Proposal

Word that the US government has made attempts at developing Exceptional Human Functioning (EHF) such as psychic abilities is not really new.  What is new for me is getting to take a look at the declassified documents.  Reading through this stuff makes me wonder where it may have gone and where it could be at the present, as far as advancement of capabilities goes.  I've mentioned before that there's evidence that the NSA started its own psychic spying program after STAR GATE was shut down by the CIA.  This, along with other items of evidence, tells us that the government is still working with psychic abilities in some capacity.

Here is the research program proposal that I'm talking about.

Expect for me to link to and write about more documents like this in the future.

Human Invisibility

Most people have wished to become invisible at some point in their lives.  Whether in a particularly embarrassing situation or trying to do something they perhaps should not do, being invisible would be very useful in many circumstances.  What if you involuntarily and spontaneously became invisible though?

Spontaneous Human Invisibility

What if you could become invisible at will?  I happen to have some ideas about that.  I think that most esoteric or occult methods for invisibility won't make you physically invisible but something more like "psychically invisible."  By that I mean that you simply won't register in the minds of others.  Of course, if you touch someone or talk to them they will probably snap out of it, but that's just me musing on the subject.

I think that if one wanted to try to make themselves psychically invisible then they could try a variation of the shielding technique I give in this post.  That variation would be to imagine you and your aura as transparent, or that you are blending into your surroundings.  Visualize this as you form the shield.  Know that you will be unnoticed.  It's very hard to get any kind of concrete data on how effective this is from the personal perspective, but I've tried it before and it seemed to have the desired result most of the time.  You should probably experiment with the efficacy of this technique before relying on it too much.

Is there a specific center in the brain for telepathy?

Pinpointing the telepathy center in the brain

The study isn't really the best as it has a few problems, but it makes the suggestion that there is a part of the brain that allows for psychic functioning.  I'm unsure about such a specific brain center existing, myself.

Esoteric teaching tells us that the pineal gland (the "third eye" chakra) plays a large part in psychic functioning.  While it does rest near the center of the brain, the pineal gland is part of the endocrine system.  This makes me think that if the pineal gland has anything to do with psychic ability then it is a hormonal release that produces the effect rather than any specific structure.

I happen to think that psychic abilities have more to do with consciousness or the mind as a whole rather than a specific brain area.  We haven't been able to find a "consciousness center" in the brain yet, as far as I'm aware, mostly because we have almost no understanding of how consciousness arises in the first place.  I think that in order to get to the bottom of how psychic functioning works we will have to learn more about consciousness itself.

Stimulus Seekers Do Better on ESP Tests

I finally got around to reading Daryl Bem's paper that I mentioned in this post.  (You can find the whole paper in .pdf format here.)  I have to say that I'm impressed and I'm anxious to see if this paper will have a very large impact.  One thing that it does make more clear is that extroverts (specifically stimulus seekers) seem to do better on ESP tests.  This makes psychological sense based on what we know about cortical arousal and stimulus-seeking tendencies.

This is not the first study to discover this; it builds on earlier work that says essentially the same thing.  So, if you're the type of person that gets bored easily you may do better on ESP tests than an introvert.  I still think we're a while away from unlocking the secrets of psi, but at least this is a start.

How To View Your Aura

Following up on my last post, I'm going to give a very simple method for viewing your own aura (or part of it) with the naked eye.  This will also work for viewing the auras of others.

You will be viewing the aura around your hand and fingers.  In order to make this easier you should get a uniform background to hold your hand in front of.  This makes it easier to make out the aura as objects and textures in the background won't be distracting you.  For simplicity, you could just put a piece of white or black paper on the table and then hold your hand over it when viewing until you get the hang of it.

Now for the good stuff.  Hold your hand (either one works) out in front of the background (if you choose to use a background; it's not absolutely necessary).  Hold your hand there with open fingers (with either the palm facing you or the palm facing away).  Look between your fingers, like you're looking at their outline.  Don't focus your eyes on the background or your hand will go out of focus.  You want to look out from the edge without letting your eyes focus on the background.  It may sound kind of tricky but it's really not.  Moving your hand slowly while you look can make the aura even more obvious.

Your aura won't be as spectacular as fireworks or searchlights.  It can better be described as a haze or a smoke that clings to your skin.  You'll know it when you see it.  It should be noted that you need to make sure that you don't confuse an afterimage for your aura.  Afterimages can result from staring at something for too long and appear as the complimentary-colored outline of what you're looking at.  If the "aura" remains on the background even after you've taken your hand away then it is an afterimage.

You can use this same technique to look at the auras of other people, animals, and even inanimate objects.  Of course, you'll probably need to adjust the distance between you and the subject in order to view their whole aura.  Don't be afraid to experiment with this.  If you're having trouble, sometimes it helps to take a few deep breaths and make sure you're relaxed before you begin.  You may also need to adjust the lighting; very bright light may wash out the aura.  If your eyes are tired or strained then you should rest them and try again later.  Again, be careful not to confuse an afterimage for an aura.  Also, be aware that many people find it impolite to stare, so be careful with that.

A device for viewing the aura?

For those of you that aren't familiar with the concept, the aura is the proposed etheric energy field that surrounds the human body (as well as animals and inanimate objects).  While there are methods for training yourself to view the aura with the naked eye (or at least using the faculty of vision to interpret the sensing of the aura), there exist technological methods that claim to be able to show you your aura or the aura of others.

You may be familiar with aura photographs that are sometimes sold at psychic fairs.  My understanding is that these machines actually determine your skin's electrical conductivity through the apparatus you place your hand(s) on, and then this data is converted into colors which are them superimposed on your photograph.  While this may give some information about your energy field, I don't feel that it shows your true aura.  It is instead an interpretation of what your aura may look like based on a physical property that may or may not have anything to do with your etheric energy field.

The second, and perhaps the most popular, "aura-viewing" technology is Kirlian photography.  An object (usually living) is placed on an electrically charged plate in complete darkness and then a snapshot is taken.  What shows up on the photograph appears to be similar to the concept of the aura; it is light surrounding the physical form and even extending to complete an incomplete physical form.  However, what is captured in a Kirlian photograph is believed to be the coronal discharge of whatever is being photographed.  While interesting, I don't think that these can be said to be true aura images any more than "aura photographs" can.

The third technological method that I'm aware of (and apparently the oldest) is a Kilner Screen.  I had not heard of this device until a few days ago and I have to say that I'm rather excited about it as it seems to be the simplest and most low-tech of all the devices said to be capable of viewing the aura.  It also seems to be the only one capable of viewing what I consider to be the "true aura," (the etheric energy emanating from the body) rather than some spark brought about by electrical charge or some colored photo made by a computer from skin readings.

What is a Kilner Screen then?  It consists of two pieces of glass with a particular dye encapsulated in the middle.  One looks through this screen in order to train the eye to see the aura.  After training, the screen is no longer necessary.  The only drawbacks of this device seem to be the rarity and hazard of the dyes used in making the screens.

I have been able to see auras (when I want to) for a few years now and I don't find it to be particularly interesting.  Some people do though, so for those that are having trouble acquiring the skill with naked-eye methods there is the option of making or procuring a Kilner Screen (or a similar device that doesn't use the nasty chemicals).  To this end, I provide the links below.

The Wikipedia article on Walter Kilner, the inventor of the screens.
A much more in-depth look at Kilner's methods and the aura itself.  (I agree with most of the observations made about the aura as they largely coincide with my own observations.)

Spoon (and Fork) Bending

Anyone that's interested in psychokinesis is aware of the idea of bending a spoon with your mind.  This has become a stereotype of ESP and PK research/ability.  When I was starting out with psi I tried my hand at bending cutlery using the instructions at forkbend.com, back when it was called fork-you.com.  I'll let you peruse the site and decide whether you want to try it or not.  I just want to leave some pictures of my results; maybe you'll find them motivating.  The three pictures below are of my first successful fork-bending.

The following three pictures are of my first successful spoon-bending.

These two are by far my best attempts.  I've had limited success since but I don't really play with this anymore.  Once I accomplished it a couple of times, I got bored.  In case you want to skip right to the chase, here is the beginning of the how-to at forkbend.com.  Note that I did not do any of this in a group setting.  While it may be easier (as the site suggests), it is not necessary to be in a group the first time.  Good luck!

How To Make a Psi-Ball

A psi-ball is a concentrated ball of your own psychic energy/life force/qi/ki/prana.  It is widely considered as the basic starting point for the practice of psionics.  I'm going to give you a procedure for making a psi ball of your own and you can be the judge of whether there's anything to the idea.

Sit somewhere comfortable, close your eyes, and take a few deep breaths to relax.  Once you are completely relaxed and breathing normally (whatever that may be for you), with your eyes still closed, draw your attention to the top of your head.  Visualize and actually feel a large ball of glowing white energy above you.  This energy is infinite.  See (and feel) a beam of energy coming from this larger sphere and entering the top of your head.  As you breathe in draw the energy into yourself.  As you breathe out, feel the energy flowing down your arms to your hands.

Place your hands close together, like you are holding a small ball (five or six inches across) in your hands.  Breathe in the energy and feel it entering you; breathe out and feel it flowing down your arms to your palms.  As you force the energy down your arms and to your hands, force it out of your palms and form a ball with it.  Visualize the ball and feel it forming.  Inhale energy and then exhale it into the ball, making it more concentrated.  Keep pouring energy into the ball in this way; actually feel the energy as you do this.  After a short while you'll feel a very real presence in your palms.  Some people feel this as a tingle, some as a heat sensation, and for some it's like a magnetic repulsion.

I've found that tactile imaging (feeling the energy, not just seeing it in your mind) is more effective for me than simple visualization, but do what works best for you:  visualization, tactile imaging, or both.  It can take some time to get the hang of doing all of these things at once, but practice will make it easier.

And that's how you form a basic psi-ball.  When you get good at this there are lots of ways to expand the practice, such as adding colors or using different shapes.  Even programming the energy to act as a thoughtform is possible once you're proficient.

Levitation

Levitation is typically viewed as the fare of mystics and ascetics that have dedicated themselves solely to their practice and acquire this ability through experience.  Levitation may also be demonstrated by saints or other holy figures.  One has to ask themselves if levitation isn't perhaps an allegory for spiritual attainment.

Another possibility for explaining the phenomenon of levitation is that it is a feeling of levity, rather than actually rising into the air.  I have experienced a sensation of levitation while meditating before.  I felt as if I was floating in the air above where I had seated myself.  However, it was obvious that I had not left the ground when I came out of my meditation.  If I had more skill in this, would I be able to actually levitate?  I don't know.  I've only had this levitation sensation happen once before and I don't meditate as much as I should anymore.

What about true levitation then?  Does it exist or is it just an allegory or symbol for some psychological or spiritual process that is internal?  There are plenty of accounts throughout history from those that have witnessed levitation.  There were many mediums in the days of spiritualism that were said to be able to levitate objects or themselves.  Many of these were proven to be frauds, but there are a few cases that were not so easy to write off.  One such case is that of D.D. Home.  Home had many powers but his most impressive feats were those of levitation; both of objects and of himself.  Home, while accused of being a fraud, was never caught performing any kind of trickery despite being examined by scientists and performing his feats in normal lighting.

Knowing this, I have to say that I don't think that true levitation is impossible.

If you would like to learn more about the feats of D.D. Home then please see this page at paranormal.about.com.  You may also be interested in my post about the siddhis.

The Plethora of Kinetic Abilities

If you hang around in psionics-oriented forums and communities for very long you will eventually see such fancy terms as "pyrokinesis" or "electrokinesis" or even "geokinesis."  I can understand the desire to want to differentiate between things that you may be affecting with terms specific to the substance.  However, I think that there comes a certain point when it becomes cumbersome and unnecessary.  All of this is why I prefer the umbrella term of psychokinesis.

Thinking about it logically for a second, all of these abilities consist of you using your mind to control or move something.  This would qualify them all as psychokinesis.  I just don't see the reasoning behind giving a fancy name to every particular way you could possibly use psychokinesis.  In my opinion, if you can move one thing with psychokinesis you should have the same ability to move another substance unless there's some kind of psychological block in place.

Words like "pyrokinesis" are convenient for telling people that you're working on  manipulating fire through psychokinesis.  Terms like "atmokinesis" or "aerokinesis" seem to overlap, as I imagine there would be a lot of air manipulation going on if you were manipulating the atmosphere.  Because of this, I just think that sometimes it's superfluous to use these terms.  I have nothing against people that use these terms, but they probably shouldn't be surprised when others have to ask "What is that?" and the practitioner has to explain it anyway, perhaps defeating the purpose of the specialized term.

In summary, I don't really care much for it.  I prefer to just use the umbrella term of psychokinesis.  I recognize that these designations must be useful to someone though, so to each their own.  I sometimes substitute "telekinesis" for "psychokinesis" when around people that don't know what psychokinesis means.

How to Stop a Psychic Vampire Attack

The best way to stop an attack is to prevent one in the first place.  How do you do that?  Make yourself a hard target.  If you make yourself harder to attack then the vampire will most likely move on to easier prey.  The best way to do this, in my opinion, is to have a solid shield in place.

A shield is an energy construct or thoughtform used to keep your energy in and unwanted things out.  To make a shield around yourself, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths to relax.  Visualize a sphere of bright white light around yourself.  This light is impermeable and solid and nothing negative can enter your personal space.  Take a few moments to concentrate on this sphere and make it strong.  If it helps, you can visualize pulling bright white light from above and using it to form or charge the shield around you.  Actually feel the shield forming around you as you visualize it taking shape.  Feel the shield exerting a light pressure or static charge on your skin.  Know that it is there and feel the protection that it provides.

Once you have your shield formed and strengthened then you have basic protection in place.  Throughout the day take a moment to think about how strong your shield is, reinforcing it.  Feel it there and pump it full of intention and energy.  After you've had some practice at this you will have to stop to reinforce your shield less and less.  In the beginning it may be strenuous to maintain the shield, but this is like any other skill and it will become easier with practice.  This technique doesn't just work with psychic vampires but with most forms of psychic attack.

As you gain experience with shielding you may wish to add embellishments such as thorns (as a means to strike back), a mirrored finish (to reflect back negativity), or elemental effects (such as fire to burn away negative energy).  A little experimentation can go a long way and you will get back what you put into your shielding efforts.  Some people find visualization to be difficult, but if you combine this with the tactile approach of actually feeling the shield around you it will work wonders.

This will give you basic protection from psychic vampires and other forms of psychic attack.  It will provide a deterrent, much like a security system acts as a deterrent to thieves; it may not keep them out entirely (if they are really determined they will eventually find a way in) but it makes you a less desirable target and the thief (or vampire) is more likely to pass you over in favor of an easier score.  This technique is also a good place to start practicing visualization and energy work.

How to Identify a Psychic Vampire Attack

There are two kinds of psychic vampire attack:  one-time attack and repeated attack.  One-time attacks are most often targets of opportunity and will not recur (at least not from the same vampire).  Repeated attack is perpetrated by someone that comes in contact with the victim a lot, providing lots of opportunity for attack.

The symptoms of a one-time attack may not be apparent enough for you to notice as it's happening, or at all.  By the time the symptoms manifest the vampire may be long gone.  The exception to this lack of identification would be someone displaying very obvious behavior (not likely), or in the case of those that are paranormally sensitive, they might be able to feel the "breach" of their energy field by the outside influence of the vampire.  A repeated attack over a longer span of time is perhaps easier to detect as eventually the symptoms will catch up to the victim and compound until they are no longer something that can be easily ignored.

What are the symptoms then?  Most commonly the symptoms are fatigue and headache.  The kind of fatigue you get after a long day, and the headache you get from stress or working too hard.  By themselves these aren't that sinister and aren't that uncommon.  Most of the time there are mundane explanations and there's no need to jump to the conclusion that you are the victim of a psychic vampire.  Sometimes though, the symptoms will not be proportional to the amount of strain/stress you have experienced during the day.  You'll have to use your own judgment with these.  Some of the more severe symptoms are fever, dizziness, and nausea.  These are typically indicative of a severe attack, or prolonged depletion of your own energy due to being attacked on multiple occasions.

Of course, you should make sure that there is nothing medically wrong with you before jumping to the psychic vampire conclusion.  A lot of mundane things can cause these sorts of symptoms and most people won't even notice them, even if they are being attacked by a psychic vampire.  I provide this information as a way of showing the potential physical symptoms that can manifest from an attack on your vital energy.  There are more subtle symptoms that can manifest but these aren't always noticeable to everyone.  These might include strange dreams, holes in your energy field, or a sickly or damaged looking aura.  All of these things would be either imperceptible or mostly written off by those not involved in an occult lifestyle, I think.

In my next post I'll finally get to some techniques you can use to stop this kind of attack.

Psychic Vampires

It may come as a shock to many that vampires walk among us.  Not the caped and fanged creatures of popular fiction or the bloated corpses of legend but people that are, more or less, like everyone else.  Some of these individuals do partake of blood like their mythological counterparts but for this post I'm going to focus on the vampires that are perhaps less well known (and perhaps less swooned over):  psychic vampires.

The term "psychic vampire" has come to mean more than one thing.  There is the purely psychological definition of a psychic vampire as someone that is emotionally draining, constantly demanding your attention, and constantly fishing for gifts and compliments.  These vampires are perhaps as bad as the bloodsuckers of myth as they can end up taking everything from you if you let them.  These are not the vampires I'll be discussing and some prefer to use the term "psychological vampire" as they find it more accurate and it effectively differentiates these people from those that are commonly called "psychic vampires" in occult circles.  (That is largely a matter of preference though, as some view psychic and psychological vampires as the same vile creature, always to be avoided.)

The definition I will be using (and perhaps the one gaining popularity) is of a person that draws the life force energies from other people in order to increase their own energies.  This is done because, for some reason, the psychic vampire has a deficiency and they cannot produce enough vital energy for themselves, or it can be done by those that simply want to take from others to fuel their own endeavors with extra energy.  Outside of the vampire community this type of vampirism is usually seen as on par with psychological vampirism, but in a more esoteric or metaphysical sense.  These vampires will most likely not crave your attention or try to inject themselves into your life, at least not consciously.  At most they may try to get you upset and then retreat.  Their goal is to siphon off your vital energy rather than your money or attentions, although there is some overlap in behavior between unrestrained psychic vampires and psychological vampires.

Most psychic vampires that behave like psychological ones are not even aware of their deficiency.  It is possible to have this issue without even knowing and all that may be necessary is informing the person of what they are doing and teaching them how to reign themselves in.  This is where the vampire community can be helpful.  Other people may have no legitimate need (origin of the need aside) and may do this simply for the rush they get or for the power boost.  The ones without need are usually seen as addicts of a sort as they continue to perform vampirism even though they do not have a need for the energies they take.  Some of these vampires take energy from others to power magical operations or their own psychic abilities.

It is good to know that most of the psychic vampires that I've come across that are aware of what they are doing know how to control themselves.  Rather than taking from a single individual they choose to feed from crowds or from the energy given off by large groups of people in clubs or at concerts in order to mitigate the effects.  Their goal, typically, is to be as non-intrusive as possible when it comes to satisfying their need.  The vampires with the legitimate need are usually the nicest and most courteous about this process that many in the occult world see as nasty and invasive.  To the vampires it is unfortunate but necessary.  As usually seems to be the case, the selfish and the greedy give a bad name to those that don't necessarily deserve it.

In a future post I hope to give some tips and techniques that may help in identifying and stopping a psychic vampire.

The siddhis as psychic powers?

In Hindu and Tantric Buddhism the siddhis, or accomplishments, are seen as supernatural powers that one acquires through various means.  These means could be anything from being born with them to the use of herbs, or the use of trance and self-discipline.  Some of the amazing abilities granted by these accomplishments are being immune to heat and cold, transmutation of substances, levitation, and even teleportation (among many others).

I can't help but see a link between these accomplishments and some of the more extraordinary or fantastic psychic or magical abilities that are so popular in the West.  To me, personally, this gives inspiration as I have always leaned more toward the spiritual practices of the East.  However, I recognize that this is probably yet another interpretation of feats and abilities that have been described since ancient times and are available to all people when the right conditions are met.

The more I study this particular field the more I come to realize that whether you call it magic, psychic ability, siddhi, or whatever, you are essentially arriving at the same end:  Some miraculous or superhuman achievement.  Hopefully you can find the siddhis as inspiring as I do.

Wikipedia on the siddhis.
The Siddhis - A Brief Introduction

Read the above descriptions and see if you draw the same conclusions.

Is there a concerted effort to suppress evidence of the paranormal?

In my studies of the paranormal I have noticed what seems to be an effort by some to obscure, hide, or debunk the most convincing evidence.  I'm not talking about Men in Black silencing people that have UFO encounters; I'm talking about supposed "skeptics" making attempts to debunk evidence for things that they are ideologically opposed to, whether it be UFOs or ESP.

One example might be the controversies surrounding the Mars Effect.  Another example might be the extensive debate surrounding the results of the ganzfeld and auto-ganzfeld ESP experiments.  Perhaps the best examples of this kind of bias against evidence for the paranormal would be "rational skeptics" and the endless attempt to debunk anything and everything that may lend validity to the field of the paranormal.  The James Randi Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge is a component of this effort (but not the extent of it) and it should be noted that not just anyone can participate in the Challenge.

Of the rules listed in the application for the Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge I find number twelve to be particularly suspicious.  The "media presence" aspect is what I find suspicious and Randi has a history of going after prominent paranormal performers.  Going after public figures and exposing their fraud is commendable, but not when that is taken as some kind of strike against the paranormal as a whole.  I think that Randi wishes to draw out challengers and then publicly humiliate them in an effort to support his anti-paranormal agenda.

But is there a concerted effort to suppress evidence of the paranormal?  I don't think that it's a "concerted" effort.  I don't think there's a huge conspiracy to keep people from knowing the truth.  I think that the reason why most people aren't aware of the significant evidence for the paranormal is because most people don't like to read academic papers and to a lot of people the paranormal is seen as taboo.  When it comes to academics, it seems that any suggestion that there may be truth to paranormal claims is met with harsh criticism.  When no evidence of fraud or methodological error is found, those that cannot accept that precognition may be a reality, or find the idea of psychokinesis to be absurd, will often resort to simply ignoring it or attempting to discredit the researcher(s).  Worse still is the halfhearted attempt at replication that doesn't use the original protocol but claims negative results that bear on the validity of the original experiment.

My opinion is that these people are just trying to preserve their worldview.  It's really no different than creationists doing everything they can to cling to their belief.  If one has a totally materialistic and secular view of reality then something like ESP can really shake things up.  They really can't be blamed in this sense as everyone participates in this kind of behavior whether we admit it or not.  Does this mean that I like this kind of pseudo-skepticism?  Not at all.  I do, however, accept that the reasons for it don't seem to be any more sinister than simple fear of what we don't understand.