If you have not yet seen The Sixth Sense episode of, "Through the Wormhole" on Science Channel - narrated by Morgan Freeman,  I recommend you immediately find it and watch it!  The episode explains some of the scientific proof for psychic abilities - and how scientists are continuing to research that area in different ways.  I do not want to ruin the experience of you watching it, but one part of it discusses the research of consciousness, and how this area of research is looking for the boundary between conscious awareness and subconscious experience.  It is an interesting idea to consider how consciousness can be explained in physical terms.  The spiritual exercises and practices we do to develop our natural psychic abilities, are all aimed at helping us discover where the boundaries are between our own conscious and subconscious experiences.   And maybe, therein we can form a "physical description" of consciousness.  In addition, the exercises  help us push that boundary further outward, so that we become aware of many experiences that we used to not notice.  By expanding our consciousness in this way, we are better able to live in the flow of life - to respond more effectively to our experience, not get swept away by the emotional states that effect us when we feel confused or fearful about what is going on in our lives, and to generally feel more peace and joy. 
This brings up another idea to consider: if we focus our conscious attention in one particular area, that area of our lives will carry more importance, and form our life experience.  So if we are concerned about what kind of house we live in, and all the details around that idea - then we will notice houses, we will think about all the ways we want to change or improve our house, we will talk to people about houses and when we meet someone we might consider the house they live in, etc.  It in effect, becomes our experience in at area of our lives.  Using spiritual practices to expand our consciousness, allows us to live life in a more balanced and complete manner - in our example, instead of thinking of what kind of house someone lives in when we meet them, we will be aware of the person as a whole - allowing us to experience the relationship in a broader way than has been our focus.  We might still have certain focuses that form our experiences, but they are broader, and not as "locked in" as when we live in a more narrow band of consciousness. 
Try this exercise:  Take your journal and, thinking back in your life, think of some times in your life when you had very predominant focus points - maybe it was getting into college and all the preparation for that - when I was looking at, and trying to decide what college to go to, I knew soooo much about colleges - it seemed so important then, and while it was, I know other experiences in my life did not matter as much - during that time, my identity became about being what college I got into; Perhaps it was getting ready for your wedding, everywhere you turned you saw wedding ads, or dresses, magazines, ideas.   Maybe it was your first big job - all the effort and desires that went into that formed your experiences - or having children - when I was having and raising young children, everywhere I went, that's what I saw, that's what I talked about - now where my children are somewhat older, my focus has shifted to their older ages, and I do not "see" that many babies or young children - even though I KNOW they are there!  It may be difficult, but think about what you are focused on right now?  Do you have some area of your life where it is a predominant focus?  Think about what else is going on in your life that is not getting as much attention - something you used to enjoy, or focus on?  How does it feel? 

As we recognize that we are all beings made of energy at the most basic level, we can recognize that like all energy, we can be affected by other energy sources.  Have you ever walked into a room and "felt" the predominant energy of the space or of a group of people?  Tension, fear, or anxiety are usually the strongest, and easiest to detect, because it heightens all our primal sensations to "be careful" or "watchful" because there is a perceived danger.  However, we can also detect positive energies in a space or among a group of people.  Have you walked into a space and feel the "peace and serenity" or the "joy" or "excitement" of it?   
Once we understand that we are comprised of energy, we can appreciate that the possibility of us being effected by the energy of others is not such a far-fetched idea.  Even the driver who we inadvertently cut off, who flings curses our way, can effect our energy - how we feel.  This can often result in our reacting negatively in an unconscious way toward others.  Maybe we purposely cut another person off after that - we are in a reactive state.  In previous blogs, I have referred to this negativity being sent out generally or specifically, as "psychic attacks" - and it is important to note here that, others may send out negative energy toward you without realizing it.  Meaning it's not always intentional.  But sometimes it is - and those sending it out may not think of it as psychic attacks - they may just be thinking of how they want to "get even with you" or how awful you are, and imagine bad things happening to you.  Those are all what I call psychic attacks. 
Brief exercise: Think about the last time you were around someone who was feeling really anxious, depressed or angry about something.  Think about how you reacted to them - did you avoid them, did you try to "fix it" for them, did you comfort them?  How were you effected by that experience - what were you feeling, and for how long?  Did you need to talk to someone about how it affected you?  How else did you react? 
So what is there to do?  Many spiritual teachers talk about learning how to experience "presence" or "beingness."  This idea is the same as learning how to "be in our own energy" or to "feel our own energy body."  When we are familiar with, or recognize, our own energy, we will be better able to realize when something external to us is trying to effect our energy.  Just by realizing this, we can focus our attention more deeply on our own energy, and it will push away that negative energy being sent our way. This will allow us to "respond" to the energy being flung at us from a non-reactive, and higher energy place.  Since our emotions will not be reacting, we can respond in a much more satisfactory way - with less regret or need to talk to others about it later - creating less drama in our lives.  This is the key:   The more we are able to stay in our energy bodies, the less we will be effected by the emotions of others in a reactive way.    
So, how do we learn to recognize and focus on our own energy body?  Here's an exercise that I like to use, adapted from Eckhart Tolle's book, The Power of Now.  Check out my free guided Energy Body Meditation located under the "Meditations" tab:  http://www.psychicperspectives.net

Sit quietly in a comfortable position.  Shut your eyes.  Breath deeply, but evenly.  Notice the rising and falling of your chest as you breathe.  Lift your right hand slightly in a comfortable way, so it is not resting on anything.  Keep your eyes shut.  Notice your hand.  Pay full attention to your fingers, your finger tips.  How do you know that your hand is attached to your body?  Do you feel warmth, coolness - maybe you feel the sensation of air on your hand.  Many people describe feeling a "tingling, and warm" sensation.  Whatever the "feeling" of your hand is, keeping your eyes shut, move that feeling up your arm, into your shoulders.  Then start to move the feeling down your spine, and torso.  Now move that feeling into your legs, go slowly, moving down each segment of your legs to your feet and toes.  Feel the feeling in your feet, and extend it into the ground like roots - imagine roots coming off of your feet and into the ground.  Now move the feeling back up your body, segment by segment.  Come to your head, and focus the feeling on your face - your nose, your hair.  Imagine a beautiful glowing golden light, extending from the top of your head, and into the heavens - allowing healing and loving energy to come back in and replenish your body.  Now, try to feel this feeling all over your body, at once!  After a few moments, notice the rising and falling of your chest as you breathe.  Open your eyes when you feel ready.

It may take some time, but with practice, you can learn to do this exercise - abreviated - in a matter of moments.  That "feeling" you felt in your hand, and extended through your body, is your energy body.  When you get very proficient at this, you can do this with your eyes open.  But it takes some commitment and practice.  Try doing this each night before you go to bed, and do it again, when you wake up.  Once you know what your energy feels like, try just feeling your energy without the exercise above.  Try noticing next time you notice yourself reacting to something in a negative way - feel your energy.  With the focus on your energy body, you will notice a calmness come over you, and surprise yourself with constructive solutions - nonreactive solutions.  Also, next time  you are in a situation where someone is reacting emotionally to you, try to go into your energy body - while interacting with the person who is reacting.  With some practice, you will actually feel their energy encroaching on yours, and when you stay in your energy, it will not cause you to react, but rather, you will find yourself responding to them from a much wiser place.  From a place without  emotional charge.  

If we rehabituate our behavior to stay centered in our own energy body, when negativity is sent our way by others, or when we enter a space or group of people where there is fear, anxiety or other negativity, we will not be as affected by it!  We will be able to observe it, and respond either by leaving, or by staying centered in our own energy more vigorously, so that we do not start reacting to it.  When we enter a place where we feel peace and joy, going into our own energy bodies, helps us resonate more strongly with that positive emotion.  It really neutralizes psychic attacks by others, and allows us to feel peace and joy more intensely each and every day.

It is my goal to be present - or in my own energy body - as much as possible.  At times when I am feeling overwhelmed or upset, I remember to go back to the basics of feeling my own energy.  When I do this, I can quickly accept whatever is happening, and solutions come more easily - solutions, that may not have come if I had been wrapped up in the feelings of "Oh why do I have to deal with this?" or "That's so unfair!", etc.  Like many other spiritual practices, I may aspire to be in my energy at all times, but I do catch myself slipping into that unconscious world of reactivity and drama.  However, I now notice sooner than I used to when I am in that unconscious state, and can respond by focusing my attention on my energy body.  It's kind of like a calculus problem, if the limit is living in your energy body all the time, the more I remember to practice that skill of being present, the closer I get to the limit.  This involves my accepting it, and even laughing at myself, if I catch myself in a reaction or drama creating scenario.  But I do not give up - I go right back to the process of feeling my energy, because I know that is where I experience peace and joy.

This exercise is also very "grounding" if you have heard that term before.  Really what being "grounded" means when most energy workers discuss it, is being centered in your own energy, and connected to the earth energy in a positive way.  There are many other ways to ground - so it may be a discussion for another blog - but all grounding exercises have the goal of placing you in a conscious way in your own energy.