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An "image" transmutation is happening in Western religion and spirituality, from dominance of traditional "personalistic" and "imperialistic" and "sacrificial" ... religious imagery - not, however, to their negation - to a model of "consciousness" and "energy." Indeed, the other "Western" images fit into the emerging paradigm-construct and are made more whole thereby. Truth is One in Spirit.
My own Christian experience has been heightened and made more substantial, even more loving, through integration of varied forms of joining with Spirit. This does not mean that any emerging image-systems are more true or less true than the previous image world-view, only that they are another image-way that can augment and enrich the "seeing" of Truth.
Everything, we are told, is energy - remember, however, the word "energy" is a socialized signifier-image, signifying a mystery scientist and spiritual teachers point to, or hint at. Science allows observance of frequencies-vibrations of energy-consciousness. We are looking at low-energy vibrations and high-energy ones. Energy takes on varied states, within us and outside us.
With this in mind, we realize the import of what we think and say. I, first, share a dream, as introduction to clarifying what I am saying.
The dream had my confrontation with the domain of demons. I was looking at one. It was an odd, circular form, with two dark eyes looking at me. I kept affirming, "You are empty!," over and over. I was fighting with the words; in "semicon-sciousness" I was aware my arms were swinging, fighting the demon. I saw the insubstantiality of the demon: its being was a "life hole" - empty of substance, meaning, life. After successful resistance, it began manifesting a whithering con-dition - like a prune it began developing large wrinkles - after my affirmations identifying its true nature.
The "demon" signifies illusion. The demon speaks of what lacks meaning, substance, and vitality: "godliness" is Fullness, "demonic" is insubstantial lack. The demon, in energy terms, fails you, taking your vitality to perpetuate its lie - for it is insubstantially "lie," while deceiving you into thinking that it offers you life, or a better one, at least.
What if I had given into the demon? The demon would not have fulfilled its promise, for the demon does not have the life to fulfill the promise. The demon takes to get, not to give. The demon is an energy living off you, you as energy; thus, leaving you less a self. Of course, a "demonic" energy, whether of the "spiritual" or "human" domain, can do this energy sapping, while all the while affirming "I love you."
Yet, be careful not to jump to concluding that everyone whom you struggled with or who has harmed you is essentially a "demonic" person - or an energy sapper. Sometimes relationships take energy away and can be debilitating for both persons from the mere interaction of two persons pulling in opposite ways, without either person being an energy sapper, or "demonic." We ourselves can emit negative energy by assigning such to others: this is, at core, a projective mechanism, mostly about self-justification or simply trying to make sense of a situation painful and confusing.
One would do well, generally, to love the person in prayer; that is a better means of disengaging than blame. Practice doing forgiveness meditation. Indeed, blame as an expression of attack and self-justification is always a negative energy. Blame entails spinning off negative energy and increasing it, bringing more harm.
I will, again, share an example, but this one is real-life, not in the dream-world:
I returned to a website I had used once to post writings. I found someone, once a person close to me, replying to another writer. While the person did not name me, the person gave enough details that some persons would be able to identify whom was referred to. The reply more than implied that I was a hyprocrite, an example of religious leaders who do not live what they say. It claimed the "wisdom" I taught was couched in fancy words, but was not from "above." Basically, it was claimed, I was a public, professional liar, lying in the name of God - the person had no idea I would ever read this, so, I assume, this was a means of self-ventilation, not direct attack.
This hurt some, especially for it being put in the public domain by a past confidant. I would have been okay with the person telling me directly. Ironically, later, I was able to be thankful this was put in the public domain. But, before that, I had to dis-cern how to respond, and prayerfully. - Of course, if I retaliated, it would appear to validate the claims, and I would be the less of a person for doing so, period.
I laid on my bed, and asked myself, in prayer, how I needed to respond. I could have replied on the site, or I could have written things about this person in another context. I could, also, have let myself take in and be "infected" by the accusation. I chose, instead, nonretaliation and detachment.
I wrote a few friends on what I had read. But, to no one did I defend myself. To no one did I speak harmfully of the other person.
Over the next many days, I was able to keep saying "no" to any blame of the other person. Eventually, during meditation one morning, I was taken into an altered-energy state and was able to connect with healing energy and prayer for the other person.
Negative energies can teach us to go inward to center, immediately, even in a crowd, and seek balance; we center prayerfully. The other person or persons, however, may seek to disrupt your going inward, for he or she, or they, may need you to externalize in retaliation or defense, to validate the energy-vortex of the other. Your withdrawal, even positively, will not guarantee such will be accepted kindly. The externalizing of negative energy is often an attempt to pull you into the vortex. Prayerful-Withdrawal, however, may be the only positive thing you can do, at times.
I, myself, have found myself in harmful energy situations and gotten pulled in - directly acting from an energy contrary to my typical energy-expression. Later, I have had to confess my own words of defense. This is not, however, a time to get into blaming yourself. So, you get into such a situation and yield to the energy. Learn from it. Learn about discernment and how to care for yourself, how not to get "eaten alive" or "sucked in." Blaming the other will not get you where you want to go.
Again, yes, negative energy can bring harm to you. However, your refusal to reply in like negativity will free you for the other person to be blessed by you, even if in absence, and for you to be blessed in Love.
Literally, some persons, groups, and contexts are deadly. They will, as we say, eat you alive. Yet, returning negativity for negativity opens you up to be consumed by the "demonic."
See, everything we think, say, and do is energy. Take words. Some are positive, some negative. Every word has a "charge." Some carry a plus-potential to support and increase energies of spirit-life, of positivity. Other words do the opposite.
If we are in a context that is "sapping" our energy, we need to discern how to proceed. One issue could be the loss of energy is the energy-complex of the environment, even a group. Also, loss of energy can be due to our own state of wellbeing. This can be influenced by what we eat and drink, or what we let into our minds.
There are other causes of this energy-loss; yet, I am convinced some contexts are so "deadly" a person needs to remove himself or herself. For example, some divorces are essential for one of the spouses: he or she will be "eaten alive," "consumed" by the other. Another example is cults, which represent a dark side to "demonic" energies. Cultists are predators; they live off lying, to absorb the energy of devotees. The cult leader has so little, or no, self-system, that he or she seeks such by "eating" the followers. Also, your spiritual sensitivity may lead you to find another job or work environment. Such may lead you to discontinue some past friendships and to discover new ones consonant with your spiritual growth.
Regarding religion, not all under the form of "established religion" is free of the cultic, and not all "acceptable" clergypersons are free of being cultish. As a person grows in Spirit, being more sensitive to energies, he or she will become more discerning of such.
I share a passage with you - remember, Scriptures can have more than one meaning-level. In this one, whether you see "the devil" as a personal being or a metaphor for energy ... the result is the same - all energy is personal, by the way, in its intimacy when touching upon us as embodied self-systems:
43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.
*John 8.43-45 (ESV)
Likewise, back to choosing our words wisely - and the words we will choose to live "inside" us - we can choose to release in love negative words about or directed to us:
35 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 36I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 37for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."
*Matthew 12.35-37 (ESV)
What if this is another way of referring to an innate process of our words bringing forth their natural fruition? What if Scripture is saying: Words are energy, and the words you use come back to you with a like energy. If we believed this to be true, we would be careful what words we speak and what words from others we hosts within our minds and hearts.
This writing is not aimed at teaching ways to work with energy in prayer and meditation. However, there are means consciously to seek inner transformation and outer, too; for example, in a relationship or work context, and to do so through energy work - which is a form of prayer.
No, we cannot control the energy of everything about us. We can, however, realize that we can make choices that will help us align with Life and protect from negative energies around us.
Living in vital connection with Spirit daily is of immense importance. There are many energies about us; and in our secularistic and ego-centric society, one must take seriously alignment with the Spirit to maintain and increase connection to Life, and protect against the life-sapping energies.
Does this not somehow pertain to Jesus teaching us about the Quality of Being he offers us, when we align with Him? Please reflect prayerfully on the following passage - and, recall, the context of the passage shows you need not burden the "saved" with the theological overtones assigned it in much religion - keep with the poetic imagination...:
9I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
*John 10.9-11 (ESV)
This has been a long, somewhat-meandering writing - much more than I intended to write. Thank you for wading through it, and may you be blessed.
An Exercise: The Hedging Prayer
One little practice is to pray each day for a hedge about you. Stand straight, preferably. Lift face and arms upward. Smile - show gladness to meet with God. Have fingers reaching into the Sky. Simply pray that Divine Love will surround and protect you as as hedge; feel your prayer and envision a hedge. Stand in this posture for a time. Why not do it now - of course, if you are in public, you may not want to do the standing... - but you can say this silently, even closing eyes and seeing yourself standing...?
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*Charitable contributions would be appreciated to assist Brian in continuing his ministry. For contributions, contact Brian at barukhattah@embarqmail.com .
*Brian's book of spiritual love poetry, An Ache for Union: Oneness with God through Love, can be ordered through major booksellers or the Cokesbury on-line store, cokesbury.com .
*Brian K. Wilcox, a United Methodist Pastor, lives in Southwest Florida. He is a vowed member of Greenbough House of Prayer, a contemplative Christian community in South Georgia. He lives a contemplative life and seeks to inspire others to enjoy a more intimate relationship with Christ. Brian advocates for a spiritually-focused, experiential Christianity and renewal of the Church through addressing the deeper spiritual needs and longings of persons.
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