Welcome to Gaia! ::

One more thing. If you aren't sure where to start. Learn to control your habits and change them as desired. Having the self control to do this means you can guide your growth and change the habits that get in the way of you progressing magically.

I teach crash course. So get out there, be careful, and do try to avoid shooting yourself in the foot. Nearly anything that can be used for light can be used for dark as well.

Von Dee Knight
Energy Work Nerve Burn

"Nerve burn" is a term I have coined to describe a condition I have often undergone and which I've heard described by many, many others. The sensation is like having pinched a nerve, but it comes only after working with energy. There is a painful tingling in the fingers and hand, and sometimes this extends all the way up to the elbow. A lack of coordination in the fingers can result, as can slight to severe trembling. Additionally, there can be streaks of pain which run down the wrist and arm, usually following the major energy channels. The muscles of that limb can also feel exhausted and trembling, and this will strongly resemble the kind of muscular exhaustion that results from an electrolyte imbalance after prolonged exercise. One becomes nerve burned after shunting too much energy through a particular part of the body, (generally the hands, as these are the most common focus for any kind of energy manipulation or healing work). Basically, it's like running too much current through a wire. The wire can be damaged, if it doesn't burn out entirely. Fortunately for us, our "wires" can burn out, but they usually naturally repair themselves over time.

Nerve burn seems to be an effect which prolonged and unusually intense exposure to energy has on the nerves and energy pathways. In most systems which acknowledge vital energy and which have devoted some study to its understanding, the nerves are thought to either run parallel to the natural internal channels along which the energy courses, or they are themselves concurrent with those channels. Over-using those channels is just like over-using any other part of the body. Too much energy over too prolonged a time will result in pain and tingling, until the channels are allowed to rest and recover.

We cannot deny that vital energy, which is subtle and almost physically intangible, has a decidedly tangible impact upon the physical body. If this were not the case, we would not be harnessing this energy in order to affect a healing on another person. When healing, or doing other energy work, we channel that energy through our own bodies into the body of another in order to affect a physical change through a subtle act. If we assume that our subtle manipulations can have a physical affect on another person's body, we absolutely have to accept the fact that this inevitably will have a physical impact upon our own bodies as well. And for this reason, we have to take care.

The energy channels have to be seen as equivalent to any other part of the body. Pushing them beyond the limits of what they can safely handle will result in fatigue and pain. Like muscles, it is very possible that they can be pushed to a point where actual damage can occur, and this may take weeks or even months to heal. It is entirely feasible that pushing them well beyond their limits, especially successively over a number of times, will result in permanent and irreparable damage.

Safe Handling As with any exercise that could potentially overtax a muscle, the best approach to handling energy is to know your limits. In order to build strength and endurance in the muscular system, one must engage in regular exercise. This holds true for the energetic system as well. You cannot run out to a gym and expect to bench press 200 pounds the very first time you're there. You also cannot start working with energy and expect to be able to affect a massive healing with no previous preparation. You have to work up to it, and to try to force yourself to such a level immediately is idiocy, plain and simple. You are asking for all the pain and suffering that you get.

There is a delicate balance that must be struck here. Working with energy for prolonged periods of time can cause nerve burn. But if you are going to build up your strength and endurance for it, if you are going to increase your capacity, you must work with energy regularly. This is not a once a month thing, but more like a twice or three-times a week thing. It's just like exercise. Set time aside in your schedule, start in ten minute increments maybe three times a week, and stick to that regimen. Even this might exhaust you, but as you keep at it, you'll build your endurance. And when working with it that long and that frequently is no longer an effort, lengthen your exercise sessions to fifteen minutes at a time. Work up to thirty minutes, at least three times a week. Over time, you'll probably be able to do more, but I don't recommend anything over an hour at a time, and at least space this out for every other day. You don't need to be an energy Hercules, after all.

At all times, pay attention to what it feels like to work with the energy. Try to get a sense of your energy channels, and try to get a sense of how much energy you shunt through your system at a time. Over time, learn how to gauge different levels of intensity, because there are radically different levels of intensity when it comes to energy. Quantity is not exactly the same as quality, and you may find that only a small amount, but a very intense amount, will exhaust you in a few minutes, even when you're used to working with a middling quality of energy for an hour at a time.

Just like with your physical body, pay attention when things start to hurt. Pain means there's something wrong. It's that simple. If you do something with the energy, and marked pain results, particularly if you get symptoms that compare with nerve burn, described above, STOP. Give yourself a rest. Try not to shunt energy through that part of your body at all. Give it a day or two, and then try just a little bit in order to see if the pain persists. If there is still a level of discomfort, or if you find that you have difficulty focusing energy through that part of your body at all, you've probably done more than just superficial damage.

You might want to go to another energy worker in order to see if they can do something about this. The trick here, however, is that an energy worker is going to heal the area in the best way that he knows how: by channeling energy in there. And this might just do as much harm as good, since moving energy through there is what caused the problem in the first place. As observed above, very few people really understand the finer points of our energetic physiology, and we are going to have to learn as we go.

Don't let any of this prevent you from working with energy. Just let it serve as a cautionary tale so that when you do work with energy, you do so carefully and with an attention to your own well-being. The main and best application of energy work is toward healing, but this does little good if we recklessly hurt ourselves in the process of healing another...V

Von Dee Knight
Chi: The Energy of Life

Life energy, also known as chi, ki, or prana is all around us. It is in the air we breathe. It fuels our bodies. It has a significant effect on our environments, our mental states, and our health. We in the West may have a hard time adjusting to this concept, because our culture is largely a material one. Our fundamentally material ideals tend to blind us to the spiritual aspects of the world. The average American finds it hard to believe that he is both a physical and a spiritual being, and that he moves through two worlds at once: the physical one that he can see with his bodily eyes and the spiritual one which he can only perceive with senses long dormant.

This may be changing, however. In recent years, a number of Oriental techniques have been imported to the West. These techniques, such as Qui Gong, Feng Shui, and Reiki, all rely upon the fundamental existence of energy. Qui Gong and Reiki are both techniques used to heal the body and the mind through a conscious manipulation of energy. Feng Shui goes a step farther, acknowledging the healing aspects of energy while proscribing techniques for adjusting your living space to allow for the optimal and most healthy flow of energy. The principles of Feng Shui presume that we are both physical and spiritual beings, and that the world we move in has dual aspects as well. These aspects are delicately intertwined with one another, and changes in one affect the other - even down to the placement of furniture.

What disciplines like Qui Gong, Reiki, and Feng Shui tell us is that energy affects us every moment of our lives. We move it and are moved by it everyday, waking or sleeping. Chi comes to us from many sources, including the sun, the stars, the earth, and every living thing. Every vital component of the universe produces some kind of chi. Humans, animals, and plants all produce their own unique kind of chi, and some of this is radiated out into the environment where it is swept away by the currents of the subtle reality, recycled and transformed. This is a very dynamic cycle, and it keeps everything in the universe interconnected - for just as everything in the cosmos produces chi, so too does everything require chi to continue its existence.

Most ordinary humans are sustained by the chi produced by their natural environment - usually from the earth or the heavens. Their connection to this chi is so fundamental that they can take it into themselves without really thinking about it. It's more natural and instinctual than breathing. Their bodies absorb the raw, universal chi and attune it to the human frequency so it can be adequately used by their bodies. Most people do not use a great deal of their chi. It could even be said that the ordinary person tends to waste their chi unmindfully, lacking any awareness of or appreciation for how this subtle aspect of their existence impacts their physical, spiritual, and emotional well-being.

Individuals who have cultivated an awareness of their energy bodies and their relation to the energy of the world around them, however, gain a heightened sensitivity to chi and its impact on the body. Such individuals, through meditation and various other exercises, can learn how to harness the chi in the bodies in order to improve their physical, spiritual, and mental well-being, as well as harnessing the chi in the world around them so as to create long-reaching affects - a technique considered by some to be magick.

Individuals who use a great deal of chi in transforming themselves or the world around them necessarily must replenish that chi in some manner. The natural solution is of course to consciously take in more chi from the environment, or whatever natural source resonates most completely with the individual in question. Some people, for one reason or another, are not as completely connected to the universal cycle, however. Earth chi does not sustain them as readily as it does everyone else, and solar chi is something they're almost completely unable to process. More often than not, the chi such individuals use to sustain themselves is taken directly from other people. It is the living chi of humanity and it is a very vital and potent source...V

Von Dee Knight
Refining Energy

Refining Energy In the seated position, first achieve a stillpoint within yourself (grounding and centering), turning your senses inward and concentrating on the rhythm of your body - particularly your breathing and your heart. If you deepen your breathing, slowing its rhythm, your heart will follow, and your body will begin to relax.

From this, focus on increasing your energy with each intake of breath. Draw in energy from every point of your being, using your breathing as a focus.

This is how you should be breathing: draw the breath lightly but steadily in through your nose. Breathe in for a count of seven. Hold the breath deep in your abdomen for a count of three. Exhale through your mouth for a count of seven, blowing lightly as if you were exhaling through a straw or playing a note on a flute. As your breathe, focus your senses inward and see the energy building at your center.

Allow this energy to build, continuing your measured breathing, until you start to feel very warm. You may also feel a tingling sensation throughout your entire body, as well as a blossoming sensation behind your eyes and behind your sternum.

Once the energy has built to a point where you feel bathed in it from within, turn your will inward and begin to concentrate the energy. Focus it into a smaller and smaller space so that instead of filling you and coursing through your torso, arms, and legs, it instead hangs suspended in a tight little ball at your center. Continue to build energy while focusing on that which you have already gathered. With each breath now, this ball should not enlarge but instead grow concentrated and more dense.

This is the refinement of energy. When you have done that successfully, the energy you have gathered will change states, attaining a higher quality which is deeper, more intense, and greatly sustaining...V

Von Dee Knight
Astral Vampirism

The Mysterious Universal Lifeforce; some view this as the invisible eternal fire, others electricity, others magnetism. Transcendentalists refer to this as Astral Light. The astral body, or ethereal body, is made up of the vital lifeforce. It coincides with the physical body during full, normal, waking consciousness. It withdraws or projects in states of sleep, unconsciousness, etc. Certain forms of dreams are astral learning and projection.

The most universal lifeforce is Ether, which modern science has accepted as a hypothetical substance, serving as a medium between the realm of vital energy and that of organic and inorganic substance. Certain plants, minerals and animals have been sacred among all nations of the earth because of their peculiar sensitiveness to the astral fire. It is a mysterious agency in nature which the scientific world has contacted through its manifestations as electricity and magnetism. Lodestone and Radium, in the mineral world and various parasitic growths in the plant kingdom are strangely susceptible to this cosmic, electric fire, or universal lifeforce.

The magi of the middle ages surrounded themselves with such creatures as bats, spiders, cats, snakes and monkeys because they were able to appropriate the life forces of these species and use them to the attainment of their own ends. Some ancient schools of wisdom thought that all poisonous insects and reptiles were germinated out of the evil nature of man. When intelligent human beings no longer bred hatred in their own souls, there would be no more ferocious animals, loathsome diseases, or poisonous plants and insects.

One of the most famous alchemical and hermetic philosophers, Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus Von Hohenheim, born Dec 17, 1493, also known as Paracelsus. (which I like better than his birth name) wrote:

The incubus and succubus, which are male and female respectively, are parasitical creatures subsisting upon evil thoughts and emotions of the astral body

Ironically enough, Paracelsus even has a definition of a vampire, which is very interesting and is as follows:

**The astral body of a person, either living or dead, usually in the latter state, the vampire seeks to prolong existence upon the physical plane by robbing the living of their vital energies and misappropriating such energies to its own ends**

When speaking of the astral plane, we must first look at the planes of existence. There are many varied teachings on this level. I am going to give one example in this brief summary in order to impart a certain relevance. I do not claim this to be the only or true example of the division of the planes, for that information would literally take up too much space. I merely wish to provide an overview. I present this as a key, if you will, to a much larger map.

Imagine, if you will, the archetypal kingdom, the realm of light, and the spheres of light, each being a higher evolution of the spiritual planes of existence. Below them, are the 7 realms of the astral. Since we are working in the astral, lets take a look at the hypothetical structure, centering in only on the astral levels.

7th-Sacred Level-the illuminatti. Greater abyss.

6th-Prophetic Level-The hall of learning. Greater abyss.

5th-Initiatory Level-A Threshold plane reflecting aspects of higher archetypes, a place of preparation for higher levels. Greater abyss.

4th-Active Memory-Embodiment records, given the power to research the akashic records, the beginning of the Greater abyss trials.

3rd-Overcoming Level-To Master Desire. The transitory dead are on this level. Phenomena, illusion, and predictive possibility. Lesser abyss trial.

2nd-Fantasy-Purgatory level. To master fantasy and purgatory, the unrisen dead are on this level, the organization of thought. Lesser abyss.

1st-Grotesque Level-Discarnate shells. Subtle entities, sub-elementals Mastery of the grotesque level and perfect faith. Lesser abyss.

Keep in mind the framework that I have established here is just a trite example of what is really out there. With that out of the way, consider the above framework as a reference guide. On some of these planes, there are harmful entities that are separate from our physical perceptions and are capable of astral attack. This is much like, if not the same as, the astral vampire.

The astral vampire that I will reference now is a person, just as you and I, yet they have the ability to not only perceive other planes, but to travel there as well. They are limited by their own perceptions Only, and can interact in realities that most of the world have never seen. If you look back to the framework you will find the evolutionary patterns of the astral participant. The more negative based individuals use the system to their own advantage by attacking those who are advancing below their own perception. The higher they advance, the more influence they can impart on their victims. There is a flaw to this method, for if there is no one to steal from, the attacker must feed themselves, which after relying on others for power for so long, they no longer retain the ability to rely on themselves, thus perpetuating their own cycle. On the positive end of the spectrum, advancement is much the same, yet the vital lifeforce is acquired through a form of exchange and a form of ambient flux. Working with those who have excelled past a certain perception is one means of growth. Yet, as in all things, the truth lies within.

A form of attack occurs by others subsisting on the vital energies of those to whom they attach themselves. In the hermetic theory, this is the first primary cause of disease. There are many forms of attack. I do not wish to focus on them, as it is not my goal. Rather, I wish to impart the information that such attacks are possible. Remember that all things contain the vital lifeforce.

Symptoms of an astral attack include, but are not limited to:

In the physical:

Noticeable energy drain

Mental fatigue

Nightmares and reoccurring nightmares

Unexplained pains in the body

A sudden illness of the body

Prolonged illness

Feeling that your mind is playing tricks on you

Seeing apparitions

Hallucinations

Unexplained fear or terror

Displaced objects

Moving objects

Perceiving Shape-shifting

In the plane:

Severed cord

Vital drain

Astral body damage

Yes, the more perceptive even have the ability to enter your own body in its waking state without your knowledge. Forms of protections are as varied as attacks. Here is a very brief list:

Creating a shield

Grounding

No fear

Higher form of perception (Some of these are outlined in detail in the section on Attack and protection)

I do not advocate, respect, or condone, anyone using any form of astral attack. The information that I have supplied you is meant for educational purposes only, and I take no responsibility for the actions of others...V
Von Dee Knight
Energy Feeding & Ambient Sources

An alternative that has been suggested to those who are innately vampiric, but have moralistic or ethical issues or problems with the idea of draining energies from other human beings or animals, is the use of ambient energy.

Despite what we are led to believe, there are a great many sources of energy than simply our fellow man, and for those with moralistic reasons, these other sources can provide a good substitute for the actual vampiric feedings. This is also a valuable concept to be considered for everyone in the areas of supplemental feedings, as well as energy-based defense techniques.

I have gone into greater detail in the section of defense, because the applications of the techniques are actually of the most benefit to most, under those circumstances, and for those purposes. I will give you a brief explanation of how to feed from ambient energies, here, and for more on the uses and applications of such, you should definitely read the Defense section.

Probably the most common means of obtaining ambient energy for a vampiric individual is that of drawing in excess energies from others. Many of the more conscientious energy vamps will make a point of only feeding from those who have an active surplus of vital energy, and will only skim that excess. That, of course, requires a tremendous amount of self-control, so the best option is to go where there are many people gathered, and feed from the environment, rather than the individuals.

Nightclubs, Discos, Shopping Malls, etc, are all very good sources of ambient or excess energy, as there are many people present and they are openly throwing around a lot of energy. In this manner, you avoid the need for strict one to one feeding, and are less likely to effect anyone directly. This is a good resource for those with guilty conscious, or those with excessively high energy requirements.

When one chooses to feed from the ambient sources, the methods are actually a bit simpler than those commonly needed to feed directly. There are many different means to do this, and I will offer just a few.

Probably the most common means by which ambient energy can be absorbed is through a light meditative state. If you can ease yourself into a quiet state of light trance, then focus on the energy patters around you, either, through visualization techniques or raw energy sensory, you can then consciously draw the energies into yourself, and your own aura.

It needs to be noted that visualization techniques are a very individual thing, and all practitioners of visualization have their own distinct methods that work. You should find a method you are comfortable with and use it to further your abilities for ambient feeding.

In the same frame of reference, energy perception and sensory is also a very individual thing, and you must first learn how to sense out the energies, and exactly how you, personally, perceive the energies, whether it be in visual form, or otherwise, before attempting to manipulate or draw them. I suggest meditation and centering excercises for anyone who is not completely familiar with their own perceptions of energy, and would have to strongly suggest that one not embark on ambient feeding or other methods until the individual understands their own methods. More on this subject can be found in the section on Dangers of Energy Feeding.

Another very useful ability one can develop for ambient feeding is to create some form of permanent absorption. This requires the individual to be very knowledgeable and familiar with their own energy patterns. This method is actually a very useful tool for anyone seeking to obtain higher energy levels, and not vampire-specific. I will note at this point that, technically, none of these exercises or feeding techniques are vampire specific, in that many are actually used in a variety of magickal and metaphysical manners, but, for the most part, these are very useful to the vampiric individuals who need to sustain their own energy fields. Methods for creating a form of permanent absorption are varied, but the simplest means to accomplish this, is to center ones own energy field in a direction towards the physical body, literally, pull it into yourself, and set up your natural defenses so that your own energy field remains very near to the physical body during states of consciousness.

This is theorized to automatically create a pull of outer, ambient energies to the outer layers of the aura, thus, automatically, feeding and replenishing the individual. Care must be taken to ensure that the energy patterns that are set up around the human fields are of the right nature, and only attract those energies that are benign, as the individual will not be consciously controlling the transmutation of the energies once they blend into the aura, as in conscious feeding. Some people say that this is a poor means of feeding, because it tends to be hard to control the effects on others around you, but it is my own experience that if the centering of the personal energies is done properly, then there is little harm or risk involved. I, of course, would not suggest this method to anyone who feels uncomfortable with their own needs, or their energy control.

Other methods have been suggested, involving the physical body as a medium for the energy drawing. The most common method is by the use of the hands. It is a commonly accepted theory that we can pull and project energies quite readily through the palms of the hands, and even theorized by some, that each of us has a Projective and a Receiving palm, likened to the differential of the right and left hemispheres of the physical brain. I find myself quite ambidextrous, and have found no personal truth to that, as I can pull with either hand quite easily. The actual action involves a brief meditative state, followed by an outstretching of the Receptive hand, palm, upward, and a call from the will to pull in the energies around you. Some are more versatile, and choose to extend both hands for this purpose, but in general, one will suffice. When you feel that you have obained the levels of ambient energy you desire, then the fist should be closed, and the meditation ended. Care must be taken not to focus or concentrate on any one thing in particular, or any individual during this method, as the focus on one specific person might begin the action of pulling directly from that person, if care is not exercised. Some claim that the eyes can be equally and similarly used, and that by blurrign the vision, entering trance, and willing the absorption of the energies, one can feed in that manner as well.

The last point I will mention is the aspect of using sources other than human sources. Any of these methods works equally well when centering on natural energy sources, such as storms and forests, etc. Some people, with strong faiths in certain deities and symbols of divinity like to draw in these manners from their divine sources. Most commonly, the visualization techniques are used for the latter, as it is important that the focus remain on the divine source. In contrast, many people find it beneficial to feed directly from an ethereal light. This can be done quite easily through visualization techniques and is often the simplest means by which one can feed. The methods involve visualizing a bright, white light, and having it surround you, refueling your own aura automatically, or by using any of the visualization techniques to link tot he light as it appears, and draw the energies from it that way.

In regards to the White Light methods, a very useful technique for everyone, in regards to, not only feeding, but also protection and cleansing, is the method of aligning to the light. This is done by first visualizing the white light, then allowing it to center over the uppermost chakra, located at the top of the head. (Of course, one needs to be familiar with the chakra theories and philosophies to make use of this) In matters of energy drawing, the light is to align itself with that chakra, and the energies are pulled down through the remaining chakra, then transmuted outward through the aura. If control can be exerted in the final stages, and the energies are not permitted to extend beyond the individuals energy field, then that individual has successfully recharged their own field. This excess energy is often kept in the aura, and used to provide protection in various different manners. It is a useful technique for any who would learn.

I do hope that this brief overview of Ambient feeding and energy use is of some help to those who are seeking to learn such methods. I will be more than happy to help you, personally, and any other questions and concerns should be brought to the message board, or to me, directly in e-mail. Also, if there are other methods you might have to share with everyone, I would be very happy to include them here. I feel that the more we have access to the knowledge, the more likely we are to use it, and gain greater understanding and control of our nature...V
Von Dee Knight
Feeding Techniques and Contact Points

The preferred and most effective method of feeding is direct personal contact. This of course presumes that you have someone who is willing to play the part of donor for you, and who has no issue with you coming into close physical contact with them. Not all of us are so lucky as to have an individual who is both aware of what we are and willing to serve in the capacity for us. In such cases, one must make do with long-distance feeding, surface feeding, and ambient feeds. For now, let me explain in detail how one can best approach the matter of contact feeding.

The best contact for feeding is made with your hands or with your mouth. as anyone who is familiar with techniques like Reiki or Healing Touch, the hands are a major center for energy work, and they can both give as well as take energy from others. The mouth most of us stumble upon as a focal point long before we are even conscious of what we are doing. there are two reasons the mouth is so effective for feeding. First, of course, the energy rides upon the breath. A good deal of breathing and breath control comes into play when feeding, even when the main medium of contact is the hands.

Secondly, of course, is the symbolism of the mouth. Not only is this where we take in life-sustaining breath, but it is also the part of our body that takes in more physical sustenance, such as food and drink. I could segue into the whole psychology of orality, but the basic thing to know is that on a deep psychological and physiological level, we associate the mouth with taking things in. Thus it serves as a perfect focus for the in-take of energy.

Now, knowing that you can take energy in with either your mouth or your hands will not help much if you don't know the best places on the other person's body with which to initiate an effective point of contact. A point of contact is a physical position where it is relatively easy to bridge the gap between the physical and subtle bodies of a person. The most obvious points of contact occur upon the chakras. These are the most significant and hardest to miss junctures between physical and subtle bodies. However, other points of contact exist along the various energy channels running along the arms and legs, various points along the torso, and of course the neck.

A number of Eastern texts can be consulted for more information about energy channels, also called meridians in Taoist literature. These can give you an idea of where to look for good points of contact, but since everyone's body is slightly different -- not only in subtle physiology but in basic physical size and shape -- the placement of the meridians and other energy channels will vary from person to person. And so any work you might consult can only serve as a guideline, and the best method of locating these points is simply with hands-on experience where you feel along the general areas on a person's body where such points should be and let your own subtle senses guide you to the proper point...V
Von Dee Knight
Controlling Subconscious Feeding

The most troublesome problem for most newly awakened energy vampires is the issue of unconscious feeding. This is when the energy field automatically absorbs the energies around the individual, whether it is ambient or personal energy. The trouble with this is that not only does this adversely effect those around the individual when their own energies are depleted, but it is unsafe for such uncontrolled energies to be entering the aura of the individual without conscious measures to transmute or exclude those type that might be harmful. More is provided on the dangers and harm of unconscious feeding in the section labeled accordingly.

As far as some real things that everyone must understand when faced with the problems of subconscious or unconscious feeding, is that it can be controlled, and it is important that one finds means by which to do so. Also very important to understand, is that the only way that one can effectively put an end to unconscious feeding without depleting themselves entirely, is to learn and practice other forms of energy feeding. If the energy level is maintained and balanced through the intended methods, then the energy field will not automatically need to draw from other sources. It is quite simple. I know of no other viable solutions to the problem, and some individuals even claim that the unconscious feeding continues after such other methods are instituted. We do the best we can.

I think the most important factor in this is that the methods of feeding that are chosen for conscious feeding are the right ones for the individual, and provide enough energy supply. Often the problem is simply that the methods that are attempted are not yielding adequate supplemental energy, and therefore, the energy field needs to revert at certain times, to keep itself replenished. If this is the case, or if it becomes troublesome to the individual, then the following suggestions are offered:

Try learning ways to contain your own energy. Very possibly, the problem is about your own energy being drained or depleted by preventable means, and some simple containment or defensive techniques can end the problem entirely.

Experiment with many forms and methods of consciously pulling energy. Try out and test all the different ways you can feed, and use those means that are most beneficial and comfortable for you.

Learn and use ambient energy techniques for feeding. Many of us experience trouble in the beginning getting enough energy from almost any methods we try to use, until our focus and ability has grown more. Often, if a viable means of ambient feeding can be found, then the harm can be lessened, if not eliminated, while we work towards better methods of direct feeding.

Often the single most useful advice, if one is lacking the conscious control of their energy absorption is to make a point of spending large stretches of time in places of nature, open field, forests, the beach, wherever you can go, and openly allow your energy to be replenished without effecting other people. Another suggested, if you are more partial to human energy, is to go to large public places, and high energy spots such as nightclubs and such. In such places, there is energy being projected so vastly that your own energy needs will not adversely effect anyone, and you can be well-fed...V

Von Dee Knight
Psychic and Emotional Vampirism

I am including both the actually Psychic Vampirism and Emotional Vampirism, here on one page. I realize that this might seem a bit wrong to some of you, but I am doing it to show the similarities of the two distinctions, as well as the differences, and interactive possibilities of different disciplines. By the end of the page, you will understand it a bit better, and possibly even see why I choose not to utilize the term Psychic Vampire for all varieties of energy vampirism. Heres hoping, anyway.

Psychic Vampirism, technically, can be termed the use of the psyche to draw energy, or it can also be considered as a drawing or focus upon the energy centers of the psyche, or mind by an energy vampire. The two are quite different, but I will attempt to explain them both here. In the first example, it is expressed as the use of the mind to draw energies into oneself, which is actually involved in most of the conscious feeding practices of the energy-inclined vampires. However, with the understanding that there is a large amount of unconscious energy drawing that occurs in most energy vampires, it can also be accepted that not all energy is obtained directly through the faculties of the mind, or psyche, and therefore, not all energy vampirism is, innately, psychic in nature.

Now, I realize that this opinion might not sit well with many of you, and am prepared for the backlash, if need be, but these are only my own tentative conclusions, based on my own experiences and conversations with practicing vampires, and should be viewed as such. To continue, the second way in which the term Psychic Vampirism can be viewed is in the case that the Energy vampire focuses upon the energy centers of the mind, or psyche, of their host, and draws the energy from there. OK, so I may have lost you at this point, but I am trying to clarify.

During any conscious act of energy drawing, the person who is feeding may or may not have control of the specific energies that they are taking in. The possibilities of varying types of energy that can be targeted by the focused energy vampire are endless, and when discussing the acts of feeding from human sources, there are several main energy centers that are most likely to be targeted, if, in some manner, the defenses of the source can be compromised or penetrated.

Some schools of thought label these energy centers as Chakras, and it is the term I will implement here for clarity. The upper centers, such as the third eye chakra, crown chakra, etc, are quite easy energy centers to link to in matters of feeding practice, when the defenses of the source are not well developed, or have been weakened. Sometimes, even by no direct effort on the part of the vampire, these psyche centers are used for direct feeding, either by preferences of the vampire, or by unconscious tendency. In cases where the energy is drawn directly, intentionally or not, from these energy centers, rather than from the outer aura, there is a greater chance of distinct manifestations of symptoms related to mental and thought process.

What I mean by this, is that when vital energy is drawn directly out of one energy center, often the victim of such will experience a weakening of that particular region, and, dependent upon how well the individuals ability to recover energy is, and the means by which each person naturally replenishes themselves, the effects can be quite harsh. These attacks can cause symptoms ranging from mild pressure of the head, to severe head ache, disorientation, vertigo, loss of consciousness, and even other physical ails in other parts of the body, based on the method used to recover energy and replenish the center.

For example, if the natural means by which your own energy field rebalances itself is of a distributive nature, when the loss of vital energy in the upper centers is counter balanced by the energies contained in the lower ones, depending upon the degree of the drain, any number of the other centers might be left in deficit. This could cause any number of ails and is difficult to determine, except during the actual drain, where it can be readily perceived in the upper sensories of the centers by those individuals who are sensitive to such. Cases have been reported in which actual thoughtforms or impressions are left in the wake of such encounters, but I tend to lean towards the belief that these instances are more a matter of actual Psychic activity, and not necessarily vampiric in nature.

Ok, on to the issue of Emotional Vampirism. This where (I hope) you begin to see why I placed the two together on one page. Emotional Vampirism, probably one of the most common varieties, is the feeding from the energies created during high emotional times in the source. In clarification, it is the taking of energies Produced by the emotional stimulation of the source, or victim. Whenever we become emotionally charged, or reach high levels of emotional stimulus, we produce certain energies that under normal circumstances, simply melt into the aura, or are used by the bodys energy field in some manner. A tentative theory in matters of targeting the emotional energies for vampiric feeding involves the understanding of how easily those particular energies can be absorbed, and also how common they are.

Let us look for a moment at the average person to see how common the emotional energy actually flows: They leave for work in the morning after fighting with two young children to get dressed, ready for school, etc, so their aura has already begun to be bombarded with negative emotional energies, just in the first few hours. On the way to work, traffic becomes deadlocked, and the energies mount even further. If, by the time they reach work, they arrive to find their boss sitting at their desk, waiting to pounce on them for something, at that point, even those who cannot normally sense energy patterns will be able to notice the demeanor and energy field of this poor person, as the aura absorbs and projects so much of it. This is an exaggerated account meant only for the purpose of illustrating the ease of which such energies can be perceived. Often, this type of energy is one of the only types that is readily felt, even by non-sensitive persons.

Now, if you also consider the benefits for the energy needer to find those types of energy that are readily available, you can see how this type might be very common, even preferred method of feeding. It is easy. And, for the most part, it has little negative effect on the source, because these energies are just so plentiful, and are usually maintained in the outer aura, which is the safest location from which one can draw energy. The problem arises when the Emotional Vampire becomes used to feeding on such energies to such an extent that other methods are abandoned, or worse, when one uses different means to cause emotional stimulus in others and it becomes a quick and easy meal ticket. What is meant by this, is that in some situations it has been reported that those inclined to feed in this manner are often guilty of invoking emotions in those around them, intentionally, so as to provide themselves with easily obtained energy. This is not only troublesome, but is quite unethical, and I do not condone it as a means of obtaining energy.

OK, where this starts to come together is in the theories of energy displacement and replenishment. In the instance of emotional draining, 9 times out of 10, the victim will be little effected or only experience a mild sense of general fatigue, dependant upon the degree of the attack. But the weakened state of one who has just undergone an emotional attack is directly due to the weakening of the entire aura field, from which the emotional energy was drawn, and makes the possibilities of psychic attack much more common. This is especially true when dealing with unscrupulous energy vampires or those with excessive energy hunger.

OK, let me explain a theory regarding energy patterns in the average human being. It has been theorized that the energies of the aura and those most accessible are of a lesser quality and concentration than those found in the energy centers, particularly in the upper centers. This might be due to any number of things, but it is most possible that this should be the case due to the fact that the aura readily interacts with the outside influences, is manipulated, dispersed, changed, etc. through natural means, while the energies of the chakras are not. The energies found in the chakras are of a purer quality than those that circulate about in the aura. Of course, only those with the ability to sense auras would be capable of proving such things, and I can only assume that it is quite distinctly individual a characteristic.

Back on the subject. If, indeed, emotionally derived energies are the easiest to perceive and target, and If the will exists to target other distinct energy centers, than the Emotional vampiric drain is a viable tool by which to weaken the natural defenses and target those centers, specifically.

Of course, there are a wide many differing opinions on the issues, and everyone has their own individual means of energy drawing. Some might be inclined to say that general aura draining is the easiest, while others feel that direct psychic linking is the most readily accessible. It depends, I suppose, largely on ones own beliefs on the matters and your level of ability and control techniques, in conjunction with the considerations for varying degrees of defenses that might be encountered. What I have heard from many of those inclined to emotional vampirism, is that it is almost always a certain means by which, regardless of the defenses, an outer protection might be penetrated. I welcome any insight into the further study of such theories, and would ask that anyone with insight into it please contact me.

On that note, I will end my long-winded dissertation into these matters, and truly hope that my points have not been misunderstood. If there are other issues you would like to see addressed in regards to these topics, or do not agree with me, please feel free to contact me regarding them...V
Von Dee Knight
Psychological Effects of Feeding

Is drinking blood "dark?" Does drinking blood make you a "dark" person? (What is "dark?") Are you corrupted forever?

Hmm.

I am an Episcopalian. (I’m also a witch, which is a little odd for a Christian Dark Pagan but I’ve always been odd.) I don’t see myself as being any more "dark" than I was before I had my first taste of blood. I’ve always been a little morbid and gothic, and I think it has less to do with my vampirism than with my intellectual curiosity about all aspects of human nature, including the unpleasant stuff.

I'm definitely moody. I've always been moody. Drinking blood actually helps this. It comforts me and gives me something to hold onto when the world seems to be falling apart around me. I do notice more easily when I’m slipping into a bad mood, because the contrast between my well-fed, healthy moods and my hungry, irritable moods is greater. That doesn’t make my hungry moods worse, but it does make them more noticeable and irritating.

The idea that drinking blood "kills all the light inside you" comes straight from White Wolf. There’s a description of the "Embrace" at the beginning of the book, which uses that very phrase. White Wolf is a gaming studio. Vampire: the Masquerade is a game. The characters you play are "Embraced" and become undead – and a different species from human. Most of the game is about trying to adjust to this los of humanity. Real vampirism entails no such transformation, and saying that the act of feeding kills a hopeful, loving part of you is just plain wrong. It implies that feeding is somehow evil.

I feed from Jesus every week at the communion rail, when my priest changes the wine into blood. (Some churches see this as a symbolic reenactment; my church sees the transformation as more of an alchemical magic, although they don’t use that term to describe it – except for maybe some priests, who read up on alchemy to keep up with my conversational tangents…) Is this evil? I certainly hope not. Because that would mean Jesus asked all of his followers to do something evil to remember him. Drinking blood does break kosher, but so do other things that aren’t evil, like eating bacon and having sex with someone of the same gender. Evil isn't about violating society's taboos, it's about willfully causing harm.

My primary donor is my fiance. When I feed from him, it is about love and closeness. I do not force myself on him; I ask, and he gives, and although I take blood, I give back intimacy. there’s nothing evil about that, either.

If you were to drink from an unconsenting donor, that would be rape. That’s definitely evil. I don’t think it would permanently kill the goodness within you, but it would certainly stain your soul and haunt you for the rest of your life and if it became a habit, would make you quite callous and unpleasant and almost sociopathic – which is one way to slowly strangle the goodness in you, I suppose. However, most vampires do not rape people for blood, either once every now and then or habitually. Rape is repugnant. It hurts. A normal person hurts inside at the mere possibility of causing another person that sort of harm. Most of us would rather starve and get unhealthy than cause that kind of damage...V

Von Dee Knight
Psi-Vampires - The Feeding Process

If feeding is pretty well known for sanguinarius vampires, the process for psychic vampires still stays a perfect mystery for most. What happens, what do they feed on, how do we know we are being fed on? How to defend ourselves against these attacks? So many questions because this is a subject not often explored. I researched the subject some and hope to have come with some answers at last. Psi-vamps can feed on you using 3 methods basically: feeding by proximity, feeding by touch or physical contact or feeding by touch in self-defense. What does each imply?

Feeding By Proximity

Feeding by proximity is simply to feed from sight and not touch. It is harder to master for the vampire but safer for the "donor" and has the merit of attracting a lot less attention on the vampire. It is safer to feed from large groups of people rather than one single individual. You see, taking too much energy from one person can be really hazardous to their health; so in a crowd, you can feed a little from many people, thus having your fill and still most people won't notice you just fed from them. The best way to do this is to walk through a busy shopping area and feel the energy swirl together in a funnel around you. All the vampire has to do is picture or feel this funnel being made of water and simply drink in some of this "water"... or just breathe in some of the energy if they can't picture the water.

There are 2 types of energy a vampire can feed from when using this method: your life energy or your emotional energy. The hardest to tap into is the first aforementioned. This is when you use the funnel technique. But emotional energy is much easier to perceive. When a person feels the stronger emotions like aggravation, anger, fear, hatred or if they are feeling rushed or panicked, they broadcast out energy to signal us to leave them alone. You have seen that happened so you know what I mean. This is much easier to tap into this energy because it is outside of their bodies and not inside of them. A vampire though will NEVER feed on fear though. It could cause permanent emotional and mental damage (in short, drive them insane).

Feeding By Touch or Physical Contact

Feeding by touch or physical contact may be done in many ways; however, this normally tend to draw attention. Any place on your body that forms a hollow (like the hollow in the base of your throat, or in your shoulder) can be used to feed from. Or if someone touches the vampire, they can actually deplete themselves of their own energy. Most vampires will feed using their right hand and drain with their palm (but NEVER over the heart because the shock could seriously hurt them or even kill them if they have a heart condition); this is why psi-vamps do not like to shake hands.

If a vamp is attracted to someone, they will feed with their mouth, either from their shoulder or from their neck. For the same reason, they will be easily aroused if someone nuzzles their neck. They don't drink their victim's blood, but their energy in a way similar to giving a hickey. This is the most intimate a psi-vampire will go without actually having sex. Feeding by touch in self-defense is when the vampire feeds on the aggressive emotions of their attackers as well as the energy they are using to attack them with. Draining the energy will throw the attacker off balance and weaken them to the point they will wonder what happened and why they even bothered to attack you in the first place either cause they are confused or because the vamp will suddenly seem too strong for them.

This method is in direct contradiction with martial arts training: there, they teach you to redirect the energy of your attacker. A vampire will rather feed on it which makes the attacker believe they are super strong when in fact they are not. The danger of this resides in the fact the vampire could get too engrossed in feeding from the aggressiveness and really hurt its attacker. Psi-vamps are no monsters and in this case they will often start to perceive themselves as such and will start to hate themselves. It appears that 75% of vampire deaths are due to suicide only...V

Von Dee Knight
Discipline, Meditation and Asceticism

When we speak of meditation, the image that arises immediately in most Westerners' minds is that of a monk, seated in the lotus position, looking for all the world as still as a statue. According to all of the Eastern techniques that we've imported into the West, the lotus position is the de facto position for meditation. For those unfamiliar with it, the lotus position requires us to sit cross-legged with both feet tucked up on top of our bent knees. For any Westerner who's tried sitting in that position for any length of time, they will know first-hand that it is by no means a comfortable position, and any time spent in it invariably results in a loss of circulation to the lower limbs and the terrible pins-and-needles affect that this inspires.

I find this position uncomfortable to the point where it often detracts from the actual exercise. The Eastern view on this, of course, is that learning to overcome that uncomfortability is part of the discipline required for following a spiritual path. Long before any actual internal work is done, years worth of exercises are often devoted to simply getting the body accustomed to sitting in the lotus position for periods of four hours or more without any kind of fidgeting or other extraneous movement.

In my opinion, this is needlessly extreme. Aside from the fact that in today's world, it is utterly impractical to spend four hours at a time meditating in *any* position, I think the rigorous demands of asceticism can even detract from the real point of following a spiritual path. That kind of extreme denial of the body actually works against the spiritual principle of balance, and I think we are better off without it. Certainly, there is something to be said about achieving discipline and learning how to bend the demands of the body with the will of the soul and the mind, but every virtue, carried too far, becomes a vice.

That being said, let me conclude by asserting that styles of meditation, like everything else in one's spirituality, are a matter of personal preference, necessity, and choice. The ascetic approach works for some people, and for these it is the best approach. For others, sitting for hours in the lotus position will do nothing but give them aching joints and a sense of overwhelming frustration. The bottom line is we each must find what works best for us and stick with it, and if we have to explore ten or even ten hundred different systems in our search for our best approach, then we must do so, as long as we have the insight and sense to realize when we have hit upon the path we're meant to walk...V

Von Dee Knight
Beginning Mediation

This is a quick and simple method of achieving a focused meditative state, and it will help you draw your attention inward so you may think with perfect clarity. Use this exercise whenever you need to clear your mind, or use it just before you do any kind of intuitive or subtle reality work in order to heighten and focus your perceptions.

The Thirty Count Sit down and get comfortable. Close your eyes. Take several deep, cleansing breaths. Begin counting from one to thirty. Count slowly, and quietly enunciate each number. As you count upward, imagine that everything is getting quieter and more internalized. Keep your breathing slow, steady and even, and try to let go of any stress or distractions each time you exhale.

1. At five, let go of any stress or other distractions that prevent you from giving the exercise your total focus.

2. At ten, focus completely on the sound and action of your breathing.

3. At fifteen, draw your awareness even further in, focusing on the sound and feel of your heart as it pumps your blood.

4. At twenty, focus on your pulse and feel it move faintly throughout your entire body.

5. At twenty-five, feel a stillness and clarity arise from deep within. Open yourself to this and welcome it. Let is wash over you.

6. At thirty, allow this focus to deepen so that all of your senses are turned toward your private, inner world. You will not be distracted by outside concerns, nor will you be distracted by any stray thoughts.

From this point, you can choose to use the meditative state simply to regain your inner balance or use it as a jumping-off point for other, more profound metaphysical workings such as energy work, internal alchemy, or creative visualization...V

Von Dee Knight
The Fundamentals of Meditation

For those who are following a spiritual or mystical path, meditation is one of the most fundamental skills to cultivate. Meditation allows the individual to intentionally enter an altered state of consciousness that is more focused and more profound than ordinary consciousness. Although most people in the modern era tend to associate meditation with Hinduism or Buddhism, numerous religious and mystical traditions the world over make meditation an integral part of their practices. Additionally, it is important to understand that meditation, although most often utilized in a religious or spiritual context, is simply a tool of the mind to help balance and focus consciousness.

As such, meditation is a-religious, and can be practiced by individuals of any belief system or can be used outside of the context of spirituality simply to focus and elevate personal consciousness. This presentation is intended to instruct you in the basics of meditation while also dispelling some common misconceptions about the practice.

The Benefits of Meditation:

Allows you to achieve clarity Helps to manage stress Strengthens concentration and focus Improves your ability to visualize.

The Basics of Meditation:

For Your Body: Breathing, Relaxation For Your Mind: Inward Focus, One-Pointed Concentration

Steps for Meditating: Slow Your Breathing, Relax Your Body, Let Go of Stress and Negativity, Focus Inward, Still Your Mind, Find a Focus, Return to Ordinary Consciousness

Breathing: One of the most basic aspects of meditation is breathing. Before you even try to enter a meditative state, you should regulate your breathing so you are taking very slow, very deep breaths in and letting them out just as carefully and slowly.

When someone says, "Take a deep breath" most people inhale sharply, filling the upper part of their lungs so their chests expand noticeably. This is not the kind of deep breath you want to take in meditation. Instead of inhaling sharply and all at once, you want to breathe in very slowly, as if you are taking air in through a straw. You must breathe with your diaphragm and imagine the breath being pulled down to the very bottom of your lungs.

When you exhale, it is not like letting all the air out of a balloon. You need to exhale just as slowly as you inhaled, letting go of the breath in a small but steady stream. In general, it is best to start off by breathing in through your nose and breathing out through your mouth. When you exhale, purse your lips together like you are going to blow into a bottle and let the breath out in a controlled and extended stream through the small aperture in your lips. Ideally, you should breathe in for at least 8 counts, hold it for at least 2 counts, then breathe out for another 8 counts.

Relaxation: If your are breathing correctly, to a certain extent you will naturally begin to relax. However, you really need to let go of all the stress and tension of your day before you enter into a proper meditative state. To achieve the proper relaxed state, I recommend the following exercise, to be used in conjunction with deep breathing, as described above:

Starting from your feet up, begin to tense the muscles in your feet and lower legs. Gradually increase that tension while you breathe inward for a count of 8. Hold the breath for a count of 2, then release the tension as you exhale, drawing out the exhalation for a count of 8.

Move up to your upper legs and hips. Tense the muscles while you breathe in, trying to feel all the different muscle groups being pulled taut. Hold the breath and the tension in your muscles for a count of two, then release the tension with your breath gradually over a count of 8.

Do the same thing with the muscles in your abdomen and lower back, then move on to your hands and forearms. From there go to your chest and upper back, then your upper arms and shoulders. Next, tense all the muscles in your face and neck, increasing the tension as you breathe in for 8, holding it for 2, then releasing it for 8. Finally, tense all the muscles in your entire body, increasing the tension while you breathe in for an 8 count, holding it for two, then releasing all of the tension from your entire body as you exhale for a final count of 8.

Clearing Your Mind: It is a common misconception that the whole point of meditation is to empty or clear your mind. That's a part of meditation, but it's only a step toward the real purpose. Meditation, as mentioned previously, is a tool of consciousness that allows you to achieve a uniquely focused state of mind. This focused state is known as"One pointed-concentration" and it allows you to focus intently and without distraction upon just one thing. Clearing your mind is more about overcoming any uncontrolled or random thoughts that might distract you from this purpose than it is about trying to exorcise any kind of thoughts at all from your consciousness.

Once you have gotten the breathing and relaxation part down, close your eyes and turn your attention inward. Focus your eyes as if you were looking into the middle of your own head. Now try to still your thoughts so all you can feel is the low hum of awareness that is you.

If you are having difficulty with stray thoughts, try imagining that you have a remote control in your hand, and whenever a distraction presents itself, you can just press your thumb down on the "off" button to make it go away. Do this until nothing you do not want to focus on is entering your mind. Once you have achieved this point, take a few moments to enjoy this stillness of mind, then turn your focus to the specific task that you wanted to accomplish through meditating, whether it is a visualization, some kind of internal energy working, a prayer, a mantra, or the actualization of some goal in your life.

Body-Mind Union Meditation is not just about the body, nor is it just about the mind. In order to get the full benefits of meditating, there must be total cooperation between the two. You can do breathing exercises and relax yourself from your toes to the top of your head, and this will relieve a lot of stress and make you feel great, but if you cannot still your mind, then you will not be able to properly meditate.

Stilling your mind, especially in today's busy world, is the hardest and most challenging part of meditation. Our minds are used to processing tons of information all at once, all day long, and so a state of stillness and one-pointed concentration is very alien to us. But with practice, it can be done, and the results are impressive. In time, you will learn to be able to enter a focused and meditative state in just a few moments, at any point during your day. It will help you to tune out distractions, and simply turn your attention inward, to what you want to think about...V

Von Dee Knight
Learning to Harness a Meditative State

Meditation allows you to intentionally enter an altered state of consciousness that is more focused and more profound than ordinary consciousness. While meditation is associated mainly with Eastern religions, it is important to understand that meditation is not necessarily a religious practice. Meditation is simply a tool that helps harness and balance spirit and mind. The heightened and focused state of meditation gives you a greater awareness of your energy. It also helps you balance that energy and achieve a greater sense of clarity. Finally, meditation helps you achieve the kind of internal concentration that is necessary for advanced energy work and visualization.

Most people equate meditating with the techniques practiced by Hindu Yogis or Buddhist monks. This traditional style of meditation typically involves sitting rigidly in a fixed position and turning the mind inward. The meditator clears his or her mind, discarding distracting thoughts or input from the body until a heightened state is achieved. In traditional meditation, the main tools used to reach this heightened state involve breathing and a mastery of the body-mind duad. However, this style of meditation does not work for everyone. There are numerous other methods, almost as varied as the people who practice them, that can help you achieve a similar kind of internal focus. Almost all of these involve some repetitive action that helps the mind transcend the limits of the body, including drumming, dance, chanting, singing, and even driving.

While you are encouraged to experiment with other methods and find what works for you, for right now we are going to focus on the most familiar, and arguably the easiest, style of meditation.

Traditional Meditation

For this exercise, you will want to sit or lie down. If you sit, make certain that you maintain good posture, keeping your spine erect. You don’t have to cross your legs in the Lotus position in order to properly meditate. Find a position that is most comfortable for you. If you are lying down, hold your arms close to your sides or cross them on your chest, and cross your ankles as well. This helps close the circuit of your body, and it keeps your energy focused inside you.

One of the most basic aspects of traditional meditation is breathing. By focusing on your breathing, you heighten your awareness of the movement of both breath and energy. Once you are aware of the flow of breath and energy, you can easily achieve a heightened state where your consciousness is balanced between spirit and body.

When meditating, you typically take deep, regular breaths. This is not the kind of breath where you inhale sharply all at once and your entire upper chest expands. Instead, you must breathe with your diaphragm and imagine the breath being pulled down to the very bottom of your lungs. It is helpful to imagine that you are breathing through a very small straw. You need to exhale just as slowly as you inhaled, letting go of the breath in a controlled and steady stream. Some systems suggest that you breathe in through your nose and breathe out through your mouth, though this is not strictly necessary.

If your are breathing correctly, you will naturally begin to relax. If you are having trouble relaxing, you may want to try a simple but effective muscular exercise. As you breathe in, tense the muscles throughout your body and hold this tension for a few moments. When you exhale, release the tension and imagine all of the tension leaving you with the breath you exhale. Do this several times, and you should begin to tingle all over, feeling very light and relaxed.

Once you have gotten the breathing and relaxation, close your eyes and turn your attention inward. Focus your eyes as if you were looking into the middle of your own head. Now still your thoughts so all you can feel is the low hum of awareness that is you. If random thoughts and images flit through your mind, do not allow them to break your concentration. Instead, simply do not focus on them and allow them to pass away. Do this until nothing you do not want to focus on is entering your mind.

Once you have achieved this point, take a few moments to enjoy this stillness of mind. Your whole body should be thrumming. You will also have a heightened sense of focus and mental clarity. This in and of itself can be a very enlightening and empowering experience. However, meditation is best used as a stepping stone to other more complicated metaphysical work. Despite the common misconception, the goal of meditation is not to clear the mind so you can focus entirely on nothing, but to clear the mind so you can turn that one-pointed focus toward potent and transformational metaphysical techniques. One of these techniques is visualization, a skill which serves as the foundation for nearly all energy work...V

Von Dee Knight
Seated Meditation
This technique is a good starting off point for a lot of other workings, but I find it very refreshing and energizing to just reach the point where it feels like the energy is moving all through me, stretching above and below, then return to the ordinary world. It's like hitting the re-set button during your daily routine. With a little practice you'll hit the intense state quickly enough that you can do this on your lunch break or during a few spare moments at work. Although this technique will leave you deeply relaxed, it should not make you sleepy. Generally, I experience greater clarity and intensity just after going through this meditation.

External Positioning: sit up, back straight, legs placed about a foot apart. Your feet should preferably be bear or just in socks, and they should be placed flat against the floor, toes pointing forward. Lay your hands palms-down on your thighs, shoulders loose and relaxed.

Internal Positioning: Press your tongue up against the roof of your mouth. The tip should be up against the backs of your front teeth and the mid-section should be against your hard palate. Lightly flex the Hu-Yin point at the center of the root chakra. This is a little tricky, as it's a muscle structure we are generally unaware of. In women, it corresponds to the Kegel muscle. In men, it will feel like you're trying not to go to the bathroom. What you are doing here is closing a circuit within your body. By pressing the tongue to the roof of your mouth and flexing the Hu-Yin point, you are forcing the energy to cycle within you as opposed to flowing out.

First Step: Close your eyes and relax. Try not to concentrate too much on the tongue or Hu-Yin point, but keep them in place all the same. Take slow, deep, measured breaths through your nose. Feel yourself breathing in vital energy and breathing out the stress and distractions of the day.

Second Step: Once you feel somewhat relaxed, tilt your head up a little and, with your eyes still closed, turn them as if you were looking at something in the middle of your forehead. This might feel a little strange at first, but basically, the idea is to turn your vision inward. Turn your hands over in your lap so they are cupped, palms-up, fingers slightly over-lapping. Continue to deep, measured breathing.

Third Step: By this point, you should feel a pleasant tingling in various portions of your body. Your hands should feel warm, and you should feel a kind of opening of expanding in the center of your head. Focus on the feelings. Turn all of your thoughts and perceptions inward, to your body. Feel the energy circulating through you, gathering in your hands, flowing from root to center to crown and back again. Feel your feet ground you to earth and feel the energy in your head carrying you upward, toward the universal flow.

Fourth Step: From this point, you can choose to either engage in some kind of visualization or internal energy work, or you can choose to relax out of the intense internal flow and end the meditation...V