How should I interperate these experiences of altered perception and heightened imagery?

First through martial arts I learned of Chi and the pressure point and meridians of the human body. I further was exposed to the Chakras and energy paths ways of the body through Yoga. Meditation allowed me to empty my mind of the noise in my skull to more clearly see within myself this glorious symphony of energy in my body. Around the same time I discovered I could actually feel this energy around me and within and around other people. I am currently focusing on learning more and practicing interacting with these energy fields in and around our bodies. This has allowed for some mind blowing experiences to say the least.

I have practiced solitary witchcraft from the ages of 14–17 and 19–22. Generally, I experienced forces of energy that were neither good or bad – I have a lot of force within me and my words, I felt confident always in my abilities and in getting to be one with the universe…I have meditated way more often then than I do now…but these days I no longer practice witchcraft…I do not need it any longer…

@Cruiser I have been working on opening the Chakras, and can feel the energy flow from one to the next as they open (when they do, which isn’t every time), but these sensations have always been very subjective. I have never felt someone else effect my energy flow. Do you feel other’s energy in themselves, or as a reaction within yourself?

@stump. Interesting question but do you mean “interpret,” ‘incorporate” or “extrapolate”?

Have you been taking anything? Like Paoti.

@Simone_De_Beauvoir I have read about raising the cone of power, and drawing down the moon and have interperated these things as the opposite flow of energy up and down the body through the aura (like Chi or Kundalini?). Would you say that is accurate or analogous?

@stump I have done both as well – though I never connected it to what I experience as a yogi.

Im from New Orleans were the voodoo culture has a rather large following, i have friends that are apart of the practice and they can sense things normal people just can’t do. Ive also noticed that they look much older then they should like the practice sucks the youth out of them. becareful when with that stuff. They’ve have always said that sometimes they encounter demons and apparently demons kill people every chance they get. I love my Neworleanians, but some of the practicionors have some pretty bad intentions in mind when it comes to that voodoo religon. You can definatly feel a wicked energy sometimes around these folks and sometimes after hanging out my friends at their houses i would have nightmares later that night. I left the old neighborhood when i was 12 , at least every 2 years, and i can’t help but feel like its better that way.

@gailcalled I don’t know how to whisper, but interperate is what I mean. I don’t know how to associate my experiences with the various words used to discribe metaphysical experience from different traditions. I think if I did, I would have a much better understanding of what I am experiencing.

@ChazMaz I have never used Paoti. I have found that a little bit of marajuana heightens the experience of the flow of energy from Chakra to Chakra, but messes up concentration and makes it very hard to meditate without sliding into daydreams. It also inhibits my ability to dream, so I don’t use it for serious practice.

@life_after_2012 I think anyone who messes with demons probably gets what they deserve. I might consider it after getting a few angels on my speed dial (metaphorically) but that is still way beyond my experience.

@stump:Thank you for not using “interperate” again.

@gailcalled Okay, I looked it up. I meant ‘interpret’.

@stump Yes! Exactly that. I have from what I can tell is a Clairsentientient ability to feel others energy both by touch and without touching. I discovered this when I took that ability to feel that ball of Chi energy you can feel between your hands and tuned my mind to then feel others energy in the same way. It allows me to also find and locate energy blockages in another’s body and focus massage techniques to help open or relieve the energy blockage whether from a sore muscle, emotional or other physical limitation. Some in the know have wanted to label me a “healer” but I don’t know nearly enough about all that to even begin to embrace that concept.

May all sound woo woo foo fooey to some but it is very real to me and the ones I have been allowed to work on. Actually quite awesome once you experience it.

@Cruiser What exercises or activities helped you feel this? I don’t recognize your reference to ‘the ball of Chi energy you can feel between your hands’ but it reminds me of the sensation of the crown Chakra or Thousand-Petaled Lotus just above the top of the head. That is the most concentrated place I have felt this energy outside of my own body. I have also had a much lesser sensation of the energy in the circle of my aura. Are we talking about the same thing?

What do the books you read have say about it?

@nicobanks Generally, they say you will understand once you have some experience with the exercises and rituals. The mideval writers tend to interpret everything objectively, and the modern writers in terms of psychology. Alister Crowley, Dion Fortune, and Israel Regarde borrow a lot of terminology from yoga. I don’t have any experience in yoga. I guess I am looking for another practice or exercise to help clarify and augment what I am already doing.

@stump It was something my Karate Master taught me. There is an energy center or Dan Tien or the Root Chakra were all our energy flows through. After a good workout or yoga practice is when you can feel it at it’s most active. If you are sitting you can simply put your hands in front of you about 6–8” apart and pretend you are holding an invisible soft ball just below your belly button. Now move your hands slowly apart and together within this 6”- 12” range and you will at some point feel this ball of your energy. You can rotate your hands around this ball and feel your own energy. For me I was able to then take my perception of my own energy and then tune my senses to feel these same energies in, on and around other people.

@Cruiser Thanks, Cruiser. I will work with that.

These are temporal lobe phenomena, and it has been shown that they can be induced by various means, including meditation and psychoactive drugs. There is a school of thinking that regularly accessing these phenomena by endogenous means (e.g. not drugs) can help increase cognitive ability, and even possibly delay the onset of cognitive pathology, like Alzheimer’s disease.

By “paoti” do you mean peyote?

I have been a practitioner of the arcane arts for over thrity years. I have experienced what you describe and much, much more.

One word of advice: In an endeavor as fuzzy as the arcane arts, precision will increase the practitioner’s ability to reproduce successful results.

Precision in spelling is just one example of how you can improve your abilities in these arts.