Protection from others' negative energy

[cosmic]

One reason I love driving is because it also brings out people's inner psychology and emotional stuff. Especially on the freeway in rush-hour traffic. People will express things they normally repress in a face-to-face situation. It's a great practice in letting go and loving others. It's also a great mirror, showing you where you are attached. Really wonderful learning experience.

My feeling is that as long as you are alive, there is hope. Liberation is our whole reason for being on this earth (IMHO), so I believe that even the most deranged psychopath or evil demon can achieve it. There was a time when I wasn't capable of empathy at all. Even for my closest loved ones. People around me suffered and I was so emotionally dead that I didn't care. Yoga has turned that completely around for me. Thank God!

quote:Originally posted by chas

Is actively loving not the highest purpose (relatively) of our experience now, in this realm and in others?

It's the highest one I can find at the moment.

Thank you for this discussion  

Love
cosmic

[machart]

quote:Originally posted by tonightsthenight

Machart,

I'll take you at your word that you don't believe that you've met a person such as this.  Please take me on mine that I have indeed met people such as this.

Hi Tonightsthenight!

I was not questioning your veracity...We all manifest life differently...I believe your experiences are just as real as mine.

I was just a little startled about your statistic of up to 20% of humans being psychopaths...if this is what you are experiencing in your environment...I would quickly change it.

Now there is a reasonable (to high) probability that of every 4 people I meet...I'm the psychopath...making your statistic and my statistic both perfectly correct mathematically...

[tonightsthenight]

quote:Originally posted by chas

quote:

However, there is a difference between someone who is "tortured", or has emotional issues, and a psychopath.

quote:

I respectfully disagree, based on my experience. I can only try to relate my experience. I can't relate absolute truth.

 I have spent very much time (now) with "psychopathic" people. I spend a lot of time outside when I am on the road. I spend a lot of time with mentally/physically/spiritually ill people, with homeless people. The difference between these and "normal" people is a difference of degree only. "Psychopathic" people are possessed by the possessing mind to an extreme degree.. Are these beings any less divine than anyone else? Do these beings need love less than anyone else? And, if YOU can't love these beings, WHO can? Are they just eternally condemned?

If you are in the astral or in a dream, and a "demonic" entity comes to you or you go to it, what happens if you label it as a demon (psychopath)? What happens when you love it as a manifestation of the divine?

 Is actively loving not the highest purpose (relatively) of our experience now, in this realm and in others?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXL08IoNKiE&feature=youtube_gdata_player

LOVE

Chas, I'm not quite sure how to respond to the red herring you presented.

I went out of my way earlier in the thread to make the point that everyone has the potential for union in this life.

[tonightsthenight]

quote:Originally posted by machart

quote:Originally posted by tonightsthenight

Machart,

I'll take you at your word that you don't believe that you've met a person such as this.  Please take me on mine that I have indeed met people such as this.

Hi Tonightsthenight!

I was not questioning your veracity...We all manifest life differently...I believe your experiences are just as real as mine.

I was just a little startled about your statistic of up to 20% of humans being psychopaths...if this is what you are experiencing in your environment...I would quickly change it.

Now there is a reasonable (to high) probability that of every 4 people I meet...I'm the psychopath...making your statistic and my statistic both perfectly correct mathematically...

No problems there Machart

If I remember correctly, this was in a prominent news article I read a year or two ago in the times... and I should have qualified it that way (and I believe this was only for the US).  And yes, the article's main point was the shockingly high rates of psychopathy in US cities.

Whether this is accurate or not, I have no idea.  I do know that I've met my fair share of people who would qualify as such, and sometimes even entire social/work groups.

I will say that I'm no stranger to world cities, but I am a stranger to the small towns.  I'm sure this makes a difference in both quality and quantity of experience.

[chas]

No worries.
I was just trying to say that considering certain people to be psychopaths -may- lead one to judgement and untruth. Perhaps I'm wrong. Psychopath is a useful term, depending on what you are trying to communicate. Anyhow, I've said all that I came to say.

Peace

Love to you

[Etherfish]

If you look at the wikipedia article on psychopathy, you will see a leading expert on it estimates about 1% of the population to be psychopaths:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychopathy

[chas]

Here is a song called "All you need is love", by "The Beatles", for anyone who wishes to enjoy it right now:: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXL08IoNKiE&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[tonightsthenight]

Ether, this is the "old" model of psychopathy.  And generally, this figure contains only those people who are violent.

I've seen compelling evidence that the real figure is much, much higher.  Hell, just live in New York, you'll see all the evidence you'll ever need

Like Chas, I don't care to argue the point further.

[manigma]

We all have a little evil/psychopath in us.

Reminds me of two movies:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

and

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

Its the Mind that becomes a psychopath/evil, not us.

[Etherfish]

quote:Originally posted by tonightsthenight

Ether, this is the "old" model of psychopathy.  And generally, this figure contains only those people who are violent.

I've seen compelling evidence that the real figure is much, much higher.  Hell, just live in New York, you'll see all the evidence you'll ever need

Like Chas, I don't care to argue the point further.

Yes, you are correct, the term is not generally used anymore, and has been changed to "Antisocial Personality Disorder", which encompasses amoral, antisocial, asocial, psychopathic, and sociopathic personalities, according to the article. Together they are estimated to include up to 3% of the population.


A lot of it is just the environment. If you grow up in a small town and visit new york you will comment that people don't look you in the eye, and don't speak to you and jump in ahead of you so they can be first. To the small town person this seems amoral. But to someone living there, it is just normal, and ways of protecting yourself from the crowds.
Old school japanese people consider it an attack if you look them in the eyes. Again, just a cultural norm. So the answer is to meditate and none of it will bother you, while at the same time you can spread a little love to help everyone around you.

[Adan]

Hi Jack,

I'm going to tell you my own experience:

Feeling other's energy happens to me usually. I realised that when I really am on my center, it's more difficult that this energies affect me. To be centered is just realising your personality structure and wondering how you feel. Sometimes we try to put some barriers to not feel affected by other's feelings because you can feel them as "overwhelming". It's like trying to close your heart because there is something in the other who reminds a part of you that you don't want to see. In closing to it, you create resistance and it stucks your energy field. Everybody you meet in your life, is a reflexion of a part of you (conscious or unconcious).

[HathaTeacher]

Hi Jack,
I have a post here on an energy protection exercise:
http://www.aypsite.com/plus-forum/index.php?topic=3913#33874

[Phaedris]

I have suggestions, specific to protecting from negative energy at the work place.  I work in a cubicle, on the computer most of the day.  Not in any particular order:

I visualize my work area surrounded by beautiful roses, with large protective thorns

I listen to meditative music at a very low level.  Others more than a few feet away can't hear the music, but it soothes me and helps increase my powers of perception, concentration, and meditative absorption at a subtle level.

I accept others negative energy as a personal challenge.  I do not (usually) feed into it or react strongly against it, I just observe it and my reaction, breathe peace into my body, relax.

Practice pranayama for a few seconds to change the focus of my energy.

I try to Reiki my work area every day.  When I get stressed out I go to the bathroom and perform Reiki healing on myself for a couple of minutes, usually just my hand and neck.  I can activate the energy quickly so it doesn't take long.

Surround myself with a few subtle spiritual objects - nothing too obvious: a crystal, some dried rose petals, a couple of pictures.

Namaste,
Phaedris

[JosephUK]

I must admit I have a similar difficutly with certain people, in terms of negative energies.

I've had to explore my mind on this matter (as someone with psychosis this is as divensis has said less than pleasant)

I've noticed after practicing DM SB Samyama for a few months that I could take more genuine offloading from people. Also my active silence allows people to understand when i've had enough.

other wise some people just get into the habit of offloading on you. It's far more sophisticated form of communication.

Learning your limits is key, if a relationship is to be of respect we must both respect boundaries.

I'm sure there are plenty of spiritual methods to protect our emotions but telling someone to stop is a grounded, here and now method.

be strong and know your limits
Joe

[delta33]

quote:Originally posted by Jack

Hello,

There is a certain individual in my life in whose presence anger, fear, and anxiety arise a lot. When my mood is neutral or poor, the anxiety and resentment grow very strong, and I feel out of whack in the sacral and solar plexus chakras. When my mood is positive, there is still a sense of discomfort and tension in the abdomen, and a usual lowering of mood/energy.

Beyond establishing myself in the witness, and using the Sedona method on resentment and fear, are there any practices I can use to protect myself from getting vamped by this individual?

Thanks.

my personal strategy is to remove myself from the presence of these sorts of people, even if they're family

i see no need to torment your emotional state -- this just detracts from the blessings you naturally give others when not weighed down by this negative person's abuse

one could argue that this could be used as a situation to "practice" being unaffected, but i can tell you from personal experience that it is much more beneficial choosing to spend your time around positive or at least neutral people

especially if the negative person "gets off" on dragging you down (and many of them do) -- just leave