The first thing to realize is that it is possible to be affected both physically and emotionally by the thoughts of others. We learned this as children. If you believe that everyone is born with a certain natural amount of intuition, then consider the child that reacts to a parent's thoughts. We have all seen a rambunctious toddler slow down and be suddenly very loving and quiet around an adult that is too ill or too upset to deal with his or her usual behavior.

This is without any verbal instruction.

I had the opportunity to watch two very small children in the Marina area immediately following the October '89 earthquake in San Francisco . The toddler was very independent. She had shown little interest in me or any of the adults. After the quake, she suddenly wanted to be standing next to me, not to her very nervous mother. Her mother commented that this was unusual and asked if I would mind watching out for her. The baby sitter was having trouble getting the infant to eat. I suggested that the sitter surround them both in a little psychic bubble of calm. She said she was too nervous to do it effectively. I explained that ANY effort to shut out all the confusion would be enough of a change to do some good.

Sure enough, the baby started eating and the sitter felt better for her efforts too.

Paying attention to the baby's physical needs to block out all the psychic "noise" was a great idea. If you are being pestered on non-physical levels, focus your attention on the comfort of your physical body and surroundings. Eat 6 small meals a day. Take soothing baths. Get fresh air and exercise. Fill the room with pleasant smells, sounds, sights. We are all born with the ability to send and receive non-verbal communication from our surroundings. We just need to remember how to STOP sending and receiving the things that bother us. That way we give ourselves a choice. The most common time for someone to feel overloaded on a psychic level is when they have just started accepting their psychic abilities and started to nurture them. You have learned how to open up and sometimes are too wide open next to people that are emotionally upset. This will register on some level. If you are constantly opening up, you may even be allowing people passing you on the street or in movie theaters to affect your mood and wear you out.

If religion gives you strength, use the images and prayers learned in that religion to strengthen your belief that you deserve to feel safe. If you are not feeling religious, use any calming image. If you were once on a vacation and found the surroundings to be very soothing, remember that image and use it to calm you. If you are not very good at visualizing, just think about it and believe it is there. It is not necessary to see it in your mind for it to work. If your memory is usually of sounds, then play soothing music to fill the room with your own safe sounds. If you are at work, hum a tune to yourself that is calming. If your memory is usually of smells, wear a scent that is soothing to you, or fill your home with a scent that feels pleasant. (Example: the smell of burning sage "clears" a room for me.)

If mentally filling the room with a particular color makes you feel protected, then try wearing that color to help remind you that you are always able to protect yourself. Some images to choose from: Think of yourself as a tree connected to the deepest part of the earth. Let your branches fill the area and make it your own. Think of yourself as a beam of light. Let that light fill the room with your bright, safe energy. Stand in the middle of a large mirrored ball and have all the negative energy reflect off of the ball without harming you or anyone else. Try standing in the middle of a huge brightly colored rubber beach ball with all the negativity bouncing off of the ball. If you are not visual, hear the sound of things bouncing off the ball. If you feel things, feel the vibration of the ball as the negativity bounces off. If you have a religious figure that helps to protect you, imagine them putting their arm around you or talking to you. If you believe in spirit guides, conjure up your own sights, sounds, feelings, smells of a protective guide that is taking care of you every minute of the day.

The very act of mentally taking control of the situation will help to calm you. All of these protective thoughts are coming from you. Let them fill the area around you, forcing out any unsettling thoughts. Paying lots of attention to the physical world around you can also give you a feeling of accomplishment. Physically cleaning the house, doing chores around the home can help you to feel powerful and in control of your space. If all these psychic distractions have caused you to temporarily forget the physical side of your life, then these chores may be a bit overdue.

If you have tried these things and are still feeling vulnerable to the emotions and energy of others, consider a few sessions with a professional counselor. It is possible that you were feeling responsible for the happiness of others before you opened up psychically. Dealing with your own emotions through counseling can help you to recognize when you are asking others to depend on you without realizing it. This is like leaving the screen door open and wondering where all the flies came from.

If you believe that it is a spirit bothering you, talk to it like a live person. Realize that they are very limited. They may just be so happy that someone can see or hear them that they are stubborn about leaving. They may be able to scare you briefly. Keep in mind that you are able to move in the physical world all the time. They are not. All they can do is send images to your mind. If you block them or ignore them, they will get tired of you.

When you believe that someone is very powerful and therefore you cannot block them out, you are on one level giving them permission to bother you. You can always seek the help of a counselor, professional psychic, and clergyman. My point is, you are not alone. There are many services to help someone feeling alone and vulnerable.

Seeking help should not exceed your budget, whether it is a counselor or a psychic. If you have never been religious, it is not likely that you will suddenly have enough faith to protect you. Consider the other choices already mentioned. If you are religious, lean on your faith. If you do not feel close to the leaders of your church, seek another branch of the same faith.

The important thing is to find something that makes you feel safe. Take charge of protecting your life and your living space.
If you do not feel comfortable doing this alone, seek help. You have a right to mental, emotional, and psychic well-being.