From: shava@hermes.oit.unc.edu (Shava Nerad Averett)
Newsgroups: alt.magick
Subject: Emotional Attacks (was: Re: Empathic question)
Date: 3 Sep 92 02:06:08 GMT
Organization: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

In article <1992Sep1.231506.1@ulkyvx.louisville.edu> rtsumn01@ulkyvx.louisville.edu writes:
>If two people--probably lovers--were to develop a loose, informal empathic
>link (assuming this is possible), and then get into a serious arguement, would
>one of the two--the more trained one--be able to attack the other psychically,
>unaware of it, and cause serious, if temporary, damage?
>
>Let's say this happens, and the injured party raises a complaint. The attacker
>then tries to withdraw--would it be possible for the attack to continue because
>of unconscious resentment or whatever, even though this person has some
>practice in conscious control of the mind (I guess it would not be enough to
>overcome the anger in this instance)?

I think that it is usual to develop such a link between lovers -- in fact,
I have this illusion that it is hard to have a sexual relationship without
something like this being germinated.

Let me tell you about a case, which involved (I believe) no conscious 
magick at all, but which was effectively very close to what you describe.

In a gathering of friends, a lady of my acquaintance was talking about her
belief that in a previous lifetime, she was a victim of the Spanish 
Inquisition, and that her lover (who was sitting next to her) of many 
years was, in *his* previous lifetime, the man who tortured her and eventually
killed her.

Her partner was appalled at this.  Apparently they had spoken about this
belief of hers, but she had never before related it in company.  "That's
not fair!" he declared.  "There's just no *way* I can say anything about
that?  How am I supposed to react to this?  Why are you bringing this up?"

"It's all right, dear," she said.  "I've forgiven you."  And the trap
snapped shut.

This woman was, I suspect, completely unaware of the havoc she was playing
with her partner or within the assembly of friends.

Thus it is shown that people with questionable empathic sensitivity can
launch amazingly effective emotional attacks.  QED.

I run into a lot of people who think that "empaths are bad" because they
are able to "use" their (and others) emotions consciously.  However, I 
would posit that you don't have to have anyone with any special skill at
all, in order to get hurt.  Most of the people I know who would qualify
as "empaths" (it's a sliding scale -- being empathic is like being 
smart, except with your emotional rather than intellectual dimensions)
find hurting people abhorrent, or at least highly unpleasant.

One of the best ways to hurt someone who is empathically sensitive is
to convince yourself that they have hurt you.  It is almost certain to
project enough unpleasantness in their general direction to drive them
off...

Practice safe empathy!  Use barrier methods!
-- 
Shava Nerad Averett				shava_averett@unc.edu
/*  all materials (c)1992, Shava Nerad Averett, and have nothing significant
    to do with the University of North Carolina, a mostly owned subsidiary 
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Newsgroups: alt.magick