Pure Energy Work

[jaden kendam]

Deoridhe

Fiddlers Green

As far as shielding...
I can see it's benefit in the same way I see the benefit to sensory deprivation tanks or breathing filter aparati... They limit what one percieves, experiences, respirates, but also offer protection from certain hazzards... and new insight to what was being screened.

I think those examples are a little extreme... to me, it's more like wearing clothing, albeit clothing which allows free exchange of gasses and is, for all intents and purposes, invisible.

Amusingly, the first year I went to a New Age conference I got one of those "aura" photographs taken; there were two white lines on either side of me. The interpreter said, "You're sheilding kind of heavily for such a small crowd." I considered it a huge crowd, given I couldn't make it down aisles without bumping into people. xd

I think that the more people are there, the more your shields should be up. More people, tends to mean more people trying to "tune" into you. At least, that has been my experience.  

[Deoridhe]

deadmanjake

I think that the more people are there, the more your shields should be up. More people, tends to mean more people trying to "tune" into you. At least, that has been my experience.

Not to mention the guy downstairs trying to "tune" our charkras to the same "level".

There's a reason I have a bumper sticker saying, "I'm already visualizing the duct tape over your mouth" on my car.  

[TheDisreputableDog]

Deoridhe

Grounded into what? I'm not a big fan of assuming the earth, for example, is our energetic trash can.

Well...You've said you "ground" into air or water instead. How is that different from "assuming the earth is our energetic trash can"? Is it just because everyone else is using the earth so you'll do less damage with air or water?

I'm not trying to snipe at you if it sounds like that, I'm just confused and wondering where the distinction is.  

[Deoridhe]

TheDisreputableDog

Deoridhe

Grounded into what? I'm not a big fan of assuming the earth, for example, is our energetic trash can.

Well...You've said you "ground" into air or water instead. How is that different from "assuming the earth is our energetic trash can"? Is it just because everyone else is using the earth so you'll do less damage with air or water?

I'm not trying to snipe at you if it sounds like that, I'm just confused and wondering where the distinction is.

She was talking about creating a sheild which took anything malicious aimed against you and stuffed it into the ground; I likened that to using it like a trash can. That's very different from releasing a bit of extra, neutral or positive energy into an object.  

[jaden kendam]

Deoridhe

deadmanjake

I think that the more people are there, the more your shields should be up. More people, tends to mean more people trying to "tune" into you. At least, that has been my experience.

Not to mention the guy downstairs trying to "tune" our charkras to the same "level".

There's a reason I have a bumper sticker saying, "I'm already visualizing the duct tape over your mouth" on my car.

I hear you. Whenever I am around people who think they know more than they do about Spiritualism, I am constantly blocking myself. I have had messages from why I am disabled, which is a no-no unless you are a doctor, to how many girls have crushes on me. And I know they are not getting anything, because my guides would not let people I do not trust be able to read me, let alone tell if I work with spirits.  

[TheDisreputableDog]

Deoridhe

She was talking about creating a sheild which took anything malicious aimed against you and stuffed it into the ground; I likened that to using it like a trash can. That's very different from releasing a bit of extra, neutral or positive energy into an object.

Oh, okay.

So, then what's another way to take care of it? Is it possible to have a shield that simply vaporizes malicious stuff? I actually know next to nothing about shielding so I'm sorry if these are stupid questions.

I mean...what else are you supposed to do with it? I would think that deflecting it might affect bystanders that weren't responsible...  

[Elf Lord Chiewn]

missmagpie

Elf Lord Chiewn, for the sake of clarity I will not refute your points one by one in a wall of text.

Fistly, your assertations against the examples I posted of what could go wrong with shielding yourself constantly are flawed.

I really don't see how.

missmagpie

You said that it would be a great idea; I posited examples of what could possibly go wrong. In this case, argument from potential is perfectly valid because all of these dangers do have the potential to happen.

Depending on what your shields are and how you manifest them and what you consider a danger.
You're making huge assumptions about what shields are and must be.
I might as well claim that automobile travel is a bad idea because disc brakes have problems, rain pools on windshields, SUVs can tip over, and we're running out of oil.
And yet all automobiles do not display these characteristics.

missmagpie

May I remind you that this is not M&R.

I'm well aware, and my argumentation is very different.
However, that does not mean that logic ceases to apply.

missmagpie

Also unadressed was the point that relying on something constant is dangerous. As Deo pointed out by her experience, when a constant shield cracks it can have devastating effects.

That is true.
It's the one big hole in my point that I find difficult to counter.
I tend to rely utterly on force of will, which has never failed me, and I have never had reason to doubt it.

missmagpie

A country does not rely on a single crop to produce income; if that crop fails it's disastrous. The dangers are similar in relying on a single technique to be constant.

By all means, use other techniques.
I find that what is, in my case, a sure thing allows me to play fast and loose with other techniques and guards.

missmagpie

Secondly, as for dealing with my example of 'objective' evidence, Deo specifically asked for ways in which to get outside feedback on this topic. I gave two. Now, I was not advocating continuous badgering of people for psychic reassurance. I said that outside feedback can help. Your assertation of relying entirely on UPG for this reassurance is unhelpful if one of Deo's chief worries is that it is entirely in her mind. So in a way, she was asking for non-UPG ways of testing this method.

So relying on others' UPG will bring comfort and stability?
I can understand this point, though I believe that a person should rely on him or herself for such support first and foremost.
Others may be unreliable, may change, may become malevolent.

missmagpie

I would guess it is similar to most testing of UPG. Being rational, thinking beings, we want to look at outside sources to test our UPG. In religion this entails looking at faith texts and correlating them with UPG. With this technique there are no faith texts. There are few ways of testing whether it's "all in your head." One of them is to ask for outside opinions on your workings, keeping in mind that humans can be flawed and make mistakes, but are also capable of rational, helpful insight. Another is to examine objective evidence exterior to the working that is, again, not in your head.

Both of these methods are falsifiable and must be used with discretion. However, they are capable of giving one's UPG a more stable grounding in reality if used correctly. That is all that I wished to demostrate with these examples.

I hope that cleared things up a bit.

It did, thanks.  

[Deoridhe]

TheDisreputableDog

Deoridhe

She was talking about creating a sheild which took anything malicious aimed against you and stuffed it into the ground; I likened that to using it like a trash can. That's very different from releasing a bit of extra, neutral or positive energy into an object.

Oh, okay.

So, then what's another way to take care of it? Is it possible to have a shield that simply vaporizes malicious stuff? I actually know next to nothing about shielding so I'm sorry if these are stupid questions.

I mean...what else are you supposed to do with it? I would think that deflecting it might affect bystanders that weren't responsible...

I don't know. So far as I know, no one has ever directed malice at me.

Personally, I'd be inclined to direct it back where it came with an edge.  

[Fiddlers Green]

reagun ban

Fiddlers Green

reagun ban

Does carrying a shield into a sword fight sensory deprive you?
I suppose you could get by in a metaphysical sense using only our offensive abilities to counter, I've done it once or twice with an, at the time, friend.
I have never found shielding to senory depriving though.

Yes.
Unless the shield is transparent. wink
It also weighs the arm down and tends to slow reactions, it vastly limits attack options and angles.
But is usually worth it.
wink

Ok, so when dueling and the other person is wearing armour, are you going to ignore the option?
It all boils down to what the circumstances are.

When I'm dueling and the other person is armoured... it depends what they are wearing, what weapon(s) they carry, and the other conditions of the duel.
If this is Wasserkampf, the shield is more of a liability.

Deo, the examples I gave are a little extreme, but they were given to illustrate a point...
Also, some people are quite clumsy with their shielding, whether thru lack of aptitude or experience, it can lead to issues...
But the same holds true for any attempt at current control.  

[VisasMarr]

Deoridhe

Darin Rosewood

Deoridhe

missmagpie

What I tend to use instead if there's lots of nastiness to get rid of is a grounding shield. Whatever's nasty that touches it gets grounded. End of story

Grounded into what? I'm not a big fan of assuming the earth, for example, is our energetic trash can.

It's not. Conventionally, any energy going into the ground is neutralized, which is why people ground to gain energy, since they don't have to worry about sucking up a ton of negative energy.

Ur, what are you basing this on? The only time I've heard of people grounding is to "balance" themselves, usuallyt o get rid of unwanted energy leading to lightheadedness or giddyness. Energy draw is something else. And I've yet to notice all energy going into the ground being "neutralized". Into salt, maybe; into water sometimes, but having run across unpleasant and most definitely not neutral patches of ground, I'm dubious about your understanding of it.

This may be a tad off topic, but this reminded me of Knights of the old republic II and the way Revan broke the jedi....before I lose myself in that. Can you, or anyone else here feel areas on the planet that are full of really malicious, awful energy? Or like in areas where something awful occured there is an "echo" of sorts there? I am just wondering. I find the energy of a place really affects me and how I feel, but I have wondered if it was all in my head. I haven't used any sheilding in a loonng time, nor have I grounded, or anything to that effect in a long time as well. now, I'm rambling...  

[Fiddlers Green]

In my society we call what you just described, Visas, as Geomantic Resonance. Any sort of impression that has had lasting and noticable effects on the geomany of an area, especially to the point of creating a repeated remnant of a strong emotion or such is considered a Twisted, Altered, or Maligned Geomancy. Tis why we are supposed to be so concious of the after affects of our actions, and just grounding into the local geomancy.
Now, this is not the same (altho the two can affect each other) as the Natural Resonance of an area (determined by the existant, unaltered Geomancy, and possible Genus Loci of the regio).
Of course, this is just my Society's public opinion of the matter.  

[Pelta]

Elf Lord Chiewn

And yet all automobiles do not display these characteristics.

However, the more you drive the more likely it is to happen. Look at it this way, you wouldn't want to be driving without understanding the dangers entailed so you can avoid them. Your initial statement implied that constant shielding was a good idea without outlining any of the dangers. That's like telling a driver to get out on the road and neglecting to tell them that hitting other cars is a bad idea.

Quote:

I tend to rely utterly on force of will, which has never failed me, and I have never had reason to doubt it.

I know where you're coming from on this, but everyone needs to make allowances for things outside their control. To quote a personal example, when I got mono last year I was incapable of any magical workings for over three months. Willpower or no, had I been relying on a constant shield at the time I would have had a lot more problems to deal with.

Quote:

So relying on others' UPG will bring comfort and stability?

No. It can help give outside feedback on what you're doing. By all means, trust yourself foremost. When you're worried that your UPG may be flawed, that's when you look for outside advice and help. Note in the first post I stated that you would ask people that you trust for this help. Not any ole random fluffy - you ask people you trust, and whose opinion on magic you would value highly. This isn't to say they will be flawless, but at least it gives you an experienced outside source to use in your evaluations.

People are flawed. They can leave you, be malicious and go back on their word. But that doesn't mean you should judge all on the examples of few. Just because one person is untrustworthy doesn't mean they all are. wink  

[Elf Lord Chiewn]

VisasMarr

Can you, or anyone else here feel areas on the planet that are full of really malicious, awful energy? Or like in areas where something awful occured there is an "echo" of sorts there? I am just wondering. I find the energy of a place really affects me and how I feel, but I have wondered if it was all in my head. I haven't used any sheilding in a loonng time, nor have I grounded, or anything to that effect in a long time as well. now, I'm rambling...

I strongly dislike being in a certain habitation where a murder took place.  

[Elf Lord Chiewn]

missmagpie

Elf Lord Chiewn

And yet all automobiles do not display these characteristics.

However, the more you drive the more likely it is to happen. Look at it this way, you wouldn't want to be driving without understanding the dangers entailed so you can avoid them. Your initial statement implied that constant shielding was a good idea without outlining any of the dangers. That's like telling a driver to get out on the road and neglecting to tell them that hitting other cars is a bad idea.

Given the audience, I haven't been especially worried about exploring every possible downside.
I also don't know every possible downside, and have had mostly good experiences on account of shielding.

missmagpie

Quote:

I tend to rely utterly on force of will, which has never failed me, and I have never had reason to doubt it.

I know where you're coming from on this, but everyone needs to make allowances for things outside their control. To quote a personal example, when I got mono last year I was incapable of any magical workings for over three months. Willpower or no, had I been relying on a constant shield at the time I would have had a lot more problems to deal with.

Perhaps and perhaps not.
Having a shield up constantly doesn't mean you're dealing with more outside pressures than usual.
The main downside I experienced that was in any way similar was when when I strongly overcompensated in order to drive a perceived group of threats away before actually having to encounter them and got myself sick for a month because I exceeded my healthy output at that time.
My shields, however, stayed up, and I haven't met anything thus far that could bring them down.

missmagpie

Quote:

So relying on others' UPG will bring comfort and stability?

No. It can help give outside feedback on what you're doing. By all means, trust yourself foremost. When you're worried that your UPG may be flawed, that's when you look for outside advice and help. Note in the first post I stated that you would ask people that you trust for this help. Not any ole random fluffy - you ask people you trust, and whose opinion on magic you would value highly. This isn't to say they will be flawless, but at least it gives you an experienced outside source to use in your evaluations.

Fair enough. I agree on this point.

missmagpie

People are flawed. They can leave you, be malicious and go back on their word. But that doesn't mean you should judge all on the examples of few. Just because one person is untrustworthy doesn't mean they all are. wink

Naturally.
But I still wouldn't want to give another the power to undo me.  

[Pelta]

Elf Lord Chiewn

Having a shield up constantly doesn't mean you're dealing with more outside pressures than usual.

I'm pretty sure I didn't say that. What I meant is that if/when a shield comes down you may be unequipped to deal with what you were keeping out. Doesn't mean it's any more or less than normal.

Quote:

The main downside I experienced that was in any way similar was when when I strongly overcompensated in order to drive a perceived group of threats away before actually having to encounter them and got myself sick for a month because I exceeded my healthy output at that time.

Oh I've been there. Burning yourself out is so not fun. That's partially why I'm very selective with when and how I use my shields. Exhausting yourself to keep out something small seems like such a waste.

Quote:

But I still wouldn't want to give another the power to undo me.

Oh goodness no! Neither would I.