Focal Meditation

The role of focal meditation in psi Meditation is central to the practice of psi. Gaining meaningful control over your psi abilities will only come through steady and regular meditation. There are two major classes of meditation, void meditation and focal meditation. Void meditation is an extended blanking of the mind, in which one attempts to have no thought and no awareness in order to clear one's mind and open oneself up to new understanding. Focal meditation is a deep concentration of the mind, in which one attempts to focus all thought and awareness on a single thing, either an object or a concept. For the purposes of psi, focal meditation is the form of meditation which is of primary interest. A psion uses focal meditation to gain the depth of inner self-control necessary to achieve clarity in the sensing abilities and control over the kinetic abilities. It's certainly possible to perform a psionic act without any meditation. It's even possible to perform a psionic act completely by accident. But any would-be psion who wishes to gain consistent and deep control of the psi abilities must use focal meditation to achieve this. The most basic focal meditation is simply to select an object and stare at that object, focusing all of your thoughts and awareness on that object. Any object will do for this; it can be as simple as a spot on the wall or a dot drawn on paper. The best objects to select are the ones which help to draw your attention. One example of an object which does this for many people would be a crystal. However, the best object for focal meditation in psi seems to be the candle flame.

Candle meditation The following exercise will be described in terms of a candle flame. If you at all can, you should seek out a candle and perform this with an actual candle flame, as the flame does an excellent job of drawing your attention and preparing you for later work in psi. If you are unable to do this, substitute the flame in the following description for the focal object of your choice. Take a candle into a dark quiet room, and place it somewhere free of clutter so you do not become easily distracted while meditating. Light the candle, and then sit comfortably one or two meters away from the candle. Relax your body and mind as much as you can, and watch the candle flame. Do not strain your eyes while focusing on the candle flame, as the focusing you will be doing is in your mind, not in your eyes. Clear all of your thoughts, and focus them only on the flame. When thoughts come to your mind, be passive toward your thoughts, allowing them to pass over you and through you, but do not acknowledge the thoughts. Keep the entirety of your awareness only on the candle flame. Continue to focus on the candle flame for around 45-60 minutes consecutively. If you find yourself distracted and losing focus, simply correct your focus and awareness back to the candle flame, and continue your practice. With practice, focal meditation will become easier, and you will be able to reach deep meditative states much more quickly.

Deep meditation

After meditating with complete focus on the candle flame for a while, you will begin to enter deeper meditative states. At first focal meditation will simply lead you toward a calm and quiet state, followed later by a deeper collected focus. When your focus becomes more complete and you enter deeper meditative states, you will begin to experience tingling, buzzing, or vibrating sensations, which will also be followed by feelings of detachment. When these sensations occur, do not be frightened by them, but instead accept these sensations and welcome them. Allow those sensation to grow stronger as you fall into deeper and deeper meditative states.

Relaxing after meditation When you have finished meditating, you should try to gradually return yourself to a normal state of mind. First begin by relaxing your mind, so that other thoughts can enter. Then you should calmly and slowly breathe in and out, and as you breathe in bring your awareness inward, and as you breathe out flush your awareness out, taking any excess energy with you down into the ground. When you have finished breathing in and out a few times like this, return your awareness to your normal surroundings and go about the rest of your day.

The added benefits of focal meditation Psions use focal meditation to learn mastery of psi, but the benefits of focal meditation can flow throughout much of the psion's life. Regular practice of focal meditation yields greater mental focus in other cognitive activities. It also teaches greater mental discipline and self-control when facing daily struggles. Focal meditation brings a depth of confidence and awareness about the self which enhances interaction with others. And finally, focal meditation is the beginning of the psi philosophy that changing something in the external world always begins by first changing something within oneself.

Introduction to Kinetics The following article assumes that you have read and understood the Focal Meditation article, and that you have successfully practiced Focal Meditation and achieved deep meditative states.

Kinetics Kinetics is the category of psi abilities that involve making a change to the physical world. This includes "direct" changes, such as making an object move, and it includes "indirect" effects, such as healing someone, where the effect is brought about without specifying the direct mechanism. "Kinesis" is the word used to describe the actual causing of such an effect, and to "kinet" something is to perform kinesis on it. There have been many words that have been created to try to describe kinesis. One such set is "macropsychokinesis", the causing of a direct change, and "micro-psychokinesis", the causing of an indirect change. Another, more unbounded set, attempts to categorize kinetics by the target upon which kinesis is being formed. This set includes terms such as "biokinesis", for performing kinesis upon living organisms, and "pyrokinesis", for performing kinesis upon fire. However, each of these sets of

classifications is completely unnecessary. The choice of target for kinesis has no effect on how it is actually kineted. The classification of kinesis by direct change and indirect change at a fundamental level to how kinesis is performed is also somewhat unnecessary, as at a fundamental level, all kinesis is performed in the same manner. But it can be conceptually easier to learn and talk about kinesis in terms of direct and indirect kinesis.

The role of the soul in kinetics There are many who are uncomfortable with the idea of the soul playing a role in psi. To these people, the soul is an unscientific idea, or an idea that is culturally associated with religious ideas that they would rather avoid. The ones concerned about the scientific implications of a soul often invoke physical descriptions of psi which are directly contradicted by the evidence and experience of psi. (See "The True Nature of Psi" for more information.) The ones concerned about its religious or spiritual associations often create more complicated terms to avoid naming it directly, such as "the nonphysical self" or "the expression of internal willpower". But despite those concerns and regardless of renaming, the soul is the central part of the self which is the only part of ourselves capable of psi and which performs all psi. The "soul" is the part of ourselves which performs psi, which separates from the body during out of body experiences, and which continues existing after the death of the physical body. The phrase "will" in the sense of performing psi is essentially the expression of the soul's action. The phrase "self-awareness" in the sense of psi refers to the awareness of the soul. Kinetics can be performed and can occur without any awareness of the soul. It can even occur without conscious awareness that anything is being performed. But under these conditions, reliability and accuracy will typically be very low, and the ability to develop to more complicated tasks will be restricted. So it is essential for progress in kinetics and in psi that an awareness of the soul be developed. Focal meditation is a valuable component of psi because the soul is the part of you which is left when there is no awareness of thought. The soul is the "you beneath the brain". The true awareness of the soul and understanding of the soul is best obtained by experiencing it, and this is best obtained through meditation and practice of psi. Practicing deep focal meditation will open the door which will allow you more direct contact with your soul. Then practicing kinesis by expression of the soul will allow you to gain an experiential awareness and understanding of where and what the soul really is.

Performing kinesis The procedure for performing controlled kinesis is essentially the same for any desired kinetic result. The first step should always be to perform focal meditation, as this puts you in the appropriate mental state to exert focused control. When you are in a state of deep meditation, shift your awareness to your soul. Intend for your soul to relocate to the object you will kinet, such that your self-awareness is centered in this target object. When you expect your soul to relocate to the target according to your intent, then it will do so. Next you should formulate the intent that you will kinet by forming your soul into the form of the desired

result. Then finally, you energize and actualize the result by deeply and completely expecting it to occur at that very instant. Every kinetic act is a reflection of the soul. It is an expression of the inner self being reflected upon the outside world. When you want something to occur, you must reach within yourself and change the nature of reality inside yourself, so that it in turn reflects upon reality. The act of deep and complete expectation which actualizes kinesis is performed by reaching within and changing your inner expectations so that they represent an expectation that the object's natural behavior will be to fulfill the result of your intent. Learning how to make these internal changes to your inner expectation is not at all an easy task, and to do it effectively and consistently it requires you to develop deep awareness and deep self-control, which can by developed with focal meditation and practice of kinesis. This level of awareness and self-control will reflect on many areas of your life, and it will also empower you with the ability to kinet with reasonable reliability and consistency. To begin on the path to developing this awareness and self-control, you can practice quite effectively by learning how to use kinesis to tilt a candle flame.

Controlling the flame Learning to control a candle flame is a convenient and insightful exercise for learning the principles of kinetics. The candle flame can provide you with direct and immediate feedback to show you when you are successfully accessing and utilizing your soul to control the flame. Begin as you did before by clearing your mind with focal meditation on a candle flame. Meditate on the candle flame until you have reached a state of deep meditation where you can begin to become aware of your soul. When you are focused on that part of you which is present in deep meditation, reach out to the candle flame with your soul such that you feel your center of perception and awareness being at the same location as the flame. Practice just this portion of the exercise until you are comfortable with it. Next visualize the candle flame stabilizing in a vertical position with no flickering, and expect it to take and maintain this form. Feel your soul at the location of the candle flame, forming the flame shape that you are visualizing, and expect the flame to take this shape as you are forming it. This act of "expectation" is critical. You must fully believe and expect it will work at the precise moment that you are trying to make it work. Keep the flame vertical and stable in this manner for a while. After you have succeeded in stabilizing the flame, you should visualize the candle flame tilting to the left. Form the shape with your soul, and expect it to work at that very moment just as you did before. Do not push the flame, but instead form the shape and realize deep down with full expectation that the candle flame is already forming the shape. It can be helpful to reach within yourself and change your inner expectation so that the new flame shape is the "natural" shape for the candle flame to take, while staying relaxed and confident that it has already happened. After a while make the candle flame tilt to the right in the same manner. At first simply tilt the flame a little in each direction, then as your confidence grows tilt it farther and farther to the side you have chosen. When you first attempt to tilt the flame it may flicker a bit, and you should then attempt to stabilize it to a smooth controlled stable flame tilting to the chosen side. Continue practicing this until you are able to tilt the flame far to either chosen side and keep it stable in that location. It may take some time to fully control this, because it can be difficult to reach within yourself, gain awareness of your soul, direct your soul by controlling your inner expectations, and reflect this upon reality. But if you practice with deep focus and gradual steps, you will master this, and it will open up a window of awareness to the rest of psi.

On Future Selection
Future selection is, in essence, the art of change in the world. It is a concept that appears to be, amongst all the psionic paradigms, unique to dynamic psi. Where kinesis is the specialized application of causing direct, often breathtaking transformations, future selection is also capable of effects far broader and more subtle. The possibilities that lie within it range from healing to manipulation of the outcomes of politics. A student diligent at their study of future selection has at their disposal to alter reality in nearly any way conceivable. Why is this technique called future selection? The future exists in an indef inite state, as it has not yet been observed. Through the technique, one is essentially defining the state of things that will actually be in at that point in time. This can range from a specific declaration that the book will simply move from one end of the table to the other in the space of a second, to a declaration that the person you have your eyes on will be at the coffee shop down the street this afternoon. In the latter case, the only thing that you have determined is the end result. This future will then be the one that occurs, and it seems that the powers that be will fill in the getting from point A to point B. Interestingly enough, future selection can operate on the past as well, albeit in a limited fashion. This topic may be covered later if there is an interest in it demonstrated. How is it done? The performance of future selection is no different than that of the kinesis you have performed on the candle flame. Through a clear and vivid expectation of the soul, the intent manifests. There are things that can be done to assist this process, such as through direct energetic manipulation, but these will be covered in later lessons. Clearly, it is essential that you make sure that you are able to capably manipulate the candle flame before proceeding! One thing to take note of is that the exact choice of intent to use is very important. Those who have done well at the candle manipulation exercise will understand that the most effective intent is a very natural expectation. However, when dealing with something like healing for example, it is easy to create a subtle expectation of the disease as a force that must be overpowered or overcome. Take care to avoid creating such subtle influences in your intent, focus only upon the objective that is desired to be achieved. Try to keep your intents as simple as possible. Dont try and micromanage the way an application will manifest if simply stating the goal will suffice. The primary limitations on the changes one can cause through future selection are self-imposed restraints on expectation. As almost anyone who has succeeded at the candle manipulation exercise can attest to, learning to set aside ones natural expectations about the world in order to truly create a clear intent to change it is no easy task! While future selection is a highly versatile technique, do not mistake its flexibility for ease. Remember, as you begin practice in this, start small and work your way upwards. It can also be easier for most people to start with selections that can appear coincidental, and move slowly into things that are more and more blatant. The following are some examples of areas to which you might apply future selection in order to practice and attain greater mastery. Pick one that is suited to you, or come up with your own ideas, and get going!: Continuing candle manipulation: The next objective on this route is to try and extinguish the candle flame. This is most easily accomplished by gradually making the flame shorter and smaller, until the point that it vanishes completely (note that some people have difficulty forming this expectation, hence its movement from Comprehensive Psi I to Psi II). Once this skill is mastered, it is possible to move on to relighting the candle. This can be done by performing a reversal of the above process after it has already been extinguished, allowing the flame to grow once again, until it returns to its normal state. With time and practice, you can increase the interval between extinguishing and relighting more and more. Kobok asserts that it is eventually possible to light the candle without having had it lit and extinguished in the first

place, though I do not know of any students that have remained interested in this area long enough to also reach this point. Perhaps you will be the first. Kineting other Objects: Performing kinesis on any other object is possible. One can start by attempting to move small, easily rollable objects such as pens and pencils, and proceed gradually to more advanced tricks such as opening doors. XIII is the king of this realm, if you have any questions or ideas youd like to try, be sure to look him up. Statistical Kinesis: This one is more subtle than the previous ones. Take a die of any size, and select a future where a specific value comes up. Repeat this process, and use the immediate feedback given by the result of a die throw to your advantage. Attempt to gain a persistent awareness of the soul that you recognize as being behind the successful throws, and attempt to duplicate it. With practice, your title as a Dice Saint will be guaranteed. When I studied this application, I got very remarkable results, and if youre clever this is one area with some very interesting real life applications. You are not limited to dice; cards or other systems with degrees of unpredictability can work as well. Healing: This can be a tricky area, but obviously one that can be very rewarding. To begin with, it is important that you practice in the right circumstances. Remember the discussion above about not accidentally forming an expectation of resistance? This becomes significantly harder when you are already sick and suffering. Instead, focus your attempts on healing others, or yourself at the very beginning stages of illness. Begin by trying to aid the natural healing process, using expectations of speedy recovery. With time, you can decrease the length of that healing process, until it can sometimes be managed nearly instantaneously. Ive had some measure of success even with more serious ailments, but there is a definite degree of natural expectation of difficulty in dealing with those. What is important to keep in mind, though, is that that expectation of difficulty is all in ones head with time and experience, this lesson can be brought to heart. The possibilities with future selection are nearly infinite. You are not limited to the above choices, you may instead pursue any possibilities that you like. Whatever you do, practice, and forge a bright future with your talents. Feel free to post any thoughts or questions you may have, and to share the results of your experience.