I originally posted this months ago at http://www.occult.be but after some requests I recieved a while ago to post it here as well, I finally got my arse in gear and have done so.
I just wanted to start a thread like this, being as this seems to be something very common with beginners attempting to "open" the areas of the mind that allow for all the aspects of conciousness normally sealed off to a human, unless you are a natural. As an example, many will try several or maybe even hundreds of times to move a physical object with the mind (telekinesis), and after having no results, give up and think that this is impossible and thus bullshit or believe that they just can't do it but others may be able to. This was my problem for years, and why I was a hard nosed empirical skeptic for several years of my life and scoffed at anything occult. The key to overcoming this, is to practice, practice, practice. And after you finally have success, you still must practice. You must continually use your new ability over and over until it becomes as natural as riding a bike. Just like when learning how to ride a bike, just because you finally make it a few yards without crashing doesn't mean you know can ride a bike. You have tasted what it is like to ride a bike, but are going to need alot more practice until it becomes "natural" to you. But when it finally does become natural, the door is pretty much permanently open and you no longer need to keep rigorously using it. Although it can be closed again, by denial of it, or if it is closed with magick (for instance some naturals don't understand the power and don't want to, so they willingly allow an Occultist (or priest, or even deity), close it.
Anyway, just remember to practice for the sake of practicing alone. You don't need to believe in this ability, and can remain agnostic about it, as truthfully how do you really know yet? But eventually it will open itself to you and you will have success. Often unexpectedly. Also, some people open certain doors (psychic abilities) much quicker than others, and so one person may have success the first time attempted or the 1000th time attempted. Just like some people are naturally better at art, and others are better at math, while other suck at both, the same goes with psychic skills.
Depending on your belief system you could say this is because of different levels of experience from re-incarnation, different combonations of elements of the soul when it was created, or even because of environmental psychological factors and genetic composition of a human from birth till the present, or even something else entirely. Never the less, we are all unequal obviously, so don't compare your expectations to the timeframe it took a friend or even author to do what you are attempting to achieve. One thing great about humans is that we are all naturally good at something. But better yet we are (if physically and mentally ok of course), capable of doing anything, given enough will and practice. One thing I have learned on this path is that despite what others may think, anyone can do anything another can do, even though it may take you a millions times longer to do it, at first atleast. The soul is a dynamic, not static, entity.
So remember, before you throw in the towell, if you are having problems with a certain ability or even all parts of psychism, remember that we don't call it "practicing" magick, for nothing. Just like you can't be a master swordsman in a day, you can't be a master at psychism in a day either. Practice makes perfect. You can't usually learn how to swing a sword properly if you only try it a handful of times, so why do you think you can move something with your mind or some other psi technique, if you only try it a few times, or even a hundred times? Take joy in just the practicing though, and you will be suprised how quickly you will be able to do what you desire, or atleast it will seem this way. As times flys when your having fun.
*scrolls up* Geeze, I wish I had something like this when I first started.
I hope this helps anyone having problems.
Peace,
ChaosTech
