From New Dawn Special Issue Vol 11 No 4 (Aug 2017)
They’re out there, moving stealthily in the darkness. The black magicians, the occult terrorists, Satanists, Mansonoids, Mindwarpers, Cattle Mutilators. “Nights black agents” as the Bard called them. They’re calling down curses on their enemies, sticking pins in Voodoo Dolls, summoning the mighty devil Choronzon to fall upon the earth and afflict it with madness, chanting to invoke the 777 servitors of Beelzebub. Well, yes. But let’s not lose our heads about it. The first and foremost thing to learn about evil is that it generally exists only in your own alarmed imagination.
– Robert Anton Wilson, ‘Don’t be afraid of Black Magick’, Gnostica, Feb-Mar 1977
The above quote is a great place to start when talking about psychic self defence. Too many people today are just plain paranoid and this is not, I repeat, not the state of mind to start contemplating psychic self defence. It is all too easy to stand in the position of being so self righteous that we attribute psychic attacks to all those who disagree with us. This in itself can be a form of psychic attack, known as a ‘Belief Attack’, and occurs when we project so much paranoia and fear that it returns to haunt us. The more we fight it, the stronger it gets.
It is important to be objective before you start attributing certain experiences to psychic attack. The first stage of critical examination should involve examining your own mental and emotional state, and of those around you. If, after some thought, you still feel something is wrong then, and only then, should you consider that you might be under psychic attack.
With these clarifications in mind, it is true that psychic attacks are more prevalent than we think. Traditional systems of magic believed all diseases were a form of psychic attack. While we may not accept this today, certainly diseases of sudden and unexpected manifestation, uncontrollable headaches, nightmares, loss of ‘luck’ and other maladies, may have a psychic origin. These things in themselves do not mean you are under attack, however, in combination, and in the right situation, they are perhaps indicative.
The Law of Association
The simplest explanation for how psychic attacks work is found in what is known as the Law of Association. The most erudite definition of this is found in Real Magic by Isaac Bonewits, where he states that “if any two or more patterns have elements in common, these patterns interact through these elements, and control of one pattern facilitates control over the other(s), depending, among other facts, on the number of common elements involved.”
In simple terms, if two or more people are in contact (or have been in contact) an ‘astral link’ exists between them. This link may be used by either party to influence the other. It is also possible to create an astral link through the use of objects that have, in the past, been in contact with the other party – common examples would include hair, nails and clothing. The Law of Association gives us a basic idea of how a psychic attack may be accomplished, but things are never as simple as they seem. There are four distinct forms of psychic attack.
Psychic Static
This form of attack could probably be best understood as unconscious thought projection. It usually originates from someone you have known for quite a while, and is more intense when this person is under stress. Many cases of poltergeist activity can be attributed to psychic static, and traced to a teenager with emotional problems. In cases of psychic static, the originator usually has no knowledge of what is happening, the force being projected unconsciously along the primary astral threads or links the unknowing perpetrator possesses. This form of attack commonly causes headaches and minor mental disturbances, while in extreme cases poltergeist activity and sympathetic emotional reactions (including pain) have been noted.
Psychic Draining
This sort of psychic attack happens when you open up to far too many people. The result of such unreserved openness is a feeling of exhaustion and loss of energy. This form of psychic attack occurs regularly, far more than we care to admit. There are more emotional and psychic ‘vampires’ than we realise. These are professional victims, those who demand our constant emotional attention and assistance. Certainly, there are also deliberate psychic vampires (gurus and cult leaders are good examples) but these are few and far between. Far more prevalent is the professional victim who whines for assistance, affection and help, draining you of every ounce of energy.
Psychic Attack
Full frontal psychic attack is very unusual, but does occur. It is usually committed by someone you know or have at least had some contact with. Psychic attack by someone unknown to you is unusual, but possible (as long as they have something which connects you to them). Full frontal psychic attack can range from the simple nuisance attack to curses that can bring about disease and death.
Psychic Atmospheres
Psychic atmospheres come in two forms. The first is the classic haunted house or location. When you enter these locations or environments you are linked to them. Usually this attack is impersonal, that is to say, you have no personal connection to the situation, but this is not always the case. While this category borders on haunting and is not always considered a psychic attack, if you are living in a haunted house and find it is becoming a nuisance then this may be the explanation.
The second is what can be best described as systematic attack. To fully appreciate this we need to consider it in some detail.
Living in a World Possessed!
I have deliberately chosen an exaggerated paragraph heading as it is important to consider how alien the Gnostic really is to the fallen world. Once you are on The Path of Transfiguration your very substance is in a state of transformation, a state which is opposed to everything the Demiurge, the World of the Archons and by extension, the physical world system (including governments, churches etc.), stand for. When Jesus said you should expect persecution, he was not joking! When you start to be reborn, your energy is like a beacon, a flashing light warning the fallen system, the Archons, Memes, demons and fallen angels to take a special interest. I am not suggesting you should always be looking over your shoulder – paranoia does not help in spiritual transformation – however you must be aware that you are now a stranger in a war torn land and the earth is no longer your home. There are many skills you need to develop to deal with this; some as outlined below are psychic and occult in nature, others are more psychological. Both have their place.
Since the physical world is a fallen kingdom, the Demiurge has dominion over it. In the New Testament when St. Paul says, “Satan is the God of this world,” he is speaking literally. It is therefore of no use to expect justice, equality and perfection in our daily lives. While we must fight against injustice and hatred there is a limit; the baseline must be – does it interfere with my spiritual life? It is of no value spending your whole life fighting ‘City Hall’, and losing your soul. Within the fallen world there are many ‘little tyrants’, meaningless individuals who believe that by climbing to the top of their little dunghill they have made it. They will fight to the death to get to the top, and then fight to the death to stay there. It is self defeating for the Gnostic to constantly do battle with these ‘Gods in their own mind’ type people. You could spend every day of your life fighting them and still there would be more.
It is important for the Gnostic to be brutally realistic with themselves. Too often we fight against some injustice not because it is really that unjust but because our ego hurts. The bottom line is that we do not wish to lose face. In many cases the actual loss incurred by simply ignoring a petty tyrant is far less than the time and effort lost in the battle that would result if you challenged them.
There is a difficulty here; we must control the ego, we must be prepared to backdown, to lose face in the eyes of the world. This is a most difficult thing. There is a time for battle and a time for retreat. There is a time to ‘go quietly on the earth’, and another to ‘rage against the night’. The Gnostic must be able to decide what strategy to use in which situation. There is no value spending your life fighting against the world – judgement has already been passed, the earth is dead. Your task is to transform, to be Transfigured – not to try and save everybody else.
As part of this strategy the Gnostic needs to learn to keep his own counsel, to keep separate from the world. Avoid meaningless acquaintances, cultivate only those who share (or at the very least) have a strong sympathy for your belief system. The less ‘psychic links’ you have, the less you are open for them to be abused. Be cunning – use your mind as well as your psychic skills.
Techniques of Psychic Self Defence – Cutting the Cord
There are many simple techniques for dealing with unwanted connections or links, both ritual and psychic. A very simple technique uses a chair (or a partner) and some string or cord. You enter a meditative state and visualise the person with whom you have an astral link sitting in the chair in front of you; a cord or piece of string can be run from yourself to the chair (or partner). Spend some time contemplating the nature of the link you have with this person, consider the emotions involved, go over times when you meet them, try and make the link as real as possible. If you are working with a ritual partner get them to ‘role play’ the other person – make the experiences as real as possible. If you wish to combine technology with the experience, use photographs, videos or tape recordings of the person. After a period of time you should begin to sense the link; as you sense the link becoming stronger, focus the link on the cord. (The cord should be tied firmly to the chair or held firm by your partner). Sense all your connection entering the cord.
After you feel your whole relationship in this cord, use a ritual dagger (or a pair of scissors if you prefer) to cut the cord. As the cord is cut, state firmly that the connection to this person is severed. Visualise the psychic connection, that glistening white line of light, being severed between you and them forever.
A variation of this technique is to visualise the cord and see it as representing all unwanted connections, name it ‘acquaintances and business partners’, ‘distant family members’ and disconnect accordingly.
The Dome
This is a simple visualisation technique that can be used to create a protective psychic environment. Imagine a Dome, a bit like an inverted test-tube. It should surround what you need to protect – yourself, your home, whatever. Try and experience what the Dome you have visualised is like, notice its colour, textures, smell – everything you can. Interact with the Dome; using your imagination tell it what you want it to be. It should be weightless and unobtrusive. It should repel forces that are not sympathetic to your environment, but otherwise not have any other task. If it is surrounding you, notice it moving when you move. Make sure you (and the Dome) are clear about what has to be accomplished. If you feel you are under regular psychic attack, then visualise the outside of the Dome as a reflective, shiny surface, bouncing back any destructive forces. Remember to check the Dome often and recharge it!
The Bell
Visualise a bell between your hands. See it clearly and make yourself aware of all the senses connected to it. Move the image to your Solar Plexus and sense it extending a field of energy to all parts of your Astral body. Programme it to ring if you are psychically attacked, and react with a shield of light. If a psychic attack occurs, you should hear the sound of the bell and a shield of light will surround you. Another variation to use is to visualise a laser that shoots down energies that are unsympathetic to your development. The adaptations are endless.
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