I have a few questions about energy raising and chakra stimulation.

[CFTraveler]

I still don't really understand the elements.  I mean, what's the reasoning behind them? All things physical are supposed to be composed of the four elements right, but why four, and why those four?  Is that just the old classical understand and they're mostly thought of as symbolic categories now?

The elements are physical representations of metaphysical concepts- the idea behind them is that everything that exists has four main characteristics, and this is because everything physical is a representation of the divine, or unmanifest.
The four characteristics are:  Radiation (that is, the movement 'outward'), heat (which is radiant) and the element used to describe it is fire.
Then you have Inflow, also known as 'water'.  That is, the inflowing movement of matter.  It is cold (the opposite of radiant-heat) magnetic (that is, attractive).
I'll continue the elements in another post, I just wanted to clarify (due to Xanth's post) that these 'elements' are not physical elements that compose matter, like the chemical elements of science, rather they are metaphysical elements that are used for metaphysical pursuits, which I will clarify at the end of the post, since it may get more complicated.

[CFTraveler]

The second pair of elements are actually the result of what the previous elements do; fire radiates, water attracts (or rather, is the inward movement of attraction- a concept and a movement).  These are:
Air- which is what an element does when it radiates outward- it loses all cohesion, and becomes air, or almost nonmaterial energy, and
Earth- which is the result of what happens when matter has coalesced completely- earth is the solidity of matter, what happens when matter has inflowed as much as it can, it is solid, and solidity is earth. 

[CFTraveler]

Ok, I explained the four elements, I'll leave akasha or quintessence for last.
Why four?  Maybe because the ancients couldn't find another primordial type of force other than four- out to nonsolid, in to solid.  This pretty much describes nature in the way it's affected by energy, and the possible reason they picked four is because nature seems to divide things in four (or rather, humans seem to perceive the world in fours- four cardinal points, (N,S, E, W) four dimensions (height, width, depth, and time)- so they might have decided that matter was divided in four elemental ways of existing, according to their intellect.
Now, the most interesting element IMO is quintessence, which literally means 'fifth essence'- it is the unmanifest in manifestation, this (ethereal) quality that is present in all physical objects, because in ancient philosophy the spiritual becomes the physical- so it is possible for alchemists to extract this quintessence that is present in anything physical, by manipulating the characteristics of matter.

Now in western magic, the idea is that since matter 'contains' all four elements in some measure (a solid object is heavy with earth, but will have some of the other elements depending on what the object is) the value of elements is that if you can manipulate these elements with your mind, you can also manipulate them in matter, to achieve whatever the desired effect is.
In energy work for example, you are manipulating the desired elements in your body to create a desired effect in your body, if you so choose.

Some eastern medicine uses ideas very similar to these for healing, and it seems to work for them.

[Xanth]

The elements are physical representations of metaphysical concepts- the idea behind them is that everything that exists has four main characteristics, and this is because everything physical is a representation of the divine, or unmanifest.
The four characteristics are:  Radiation (that is, the movement 'outward'), heat (which is radiant) and the element used to describe it is fire.
Then you have Inflow, also known as 'water'.  That is, the inflowing movement of matter.  It is cold (the opposite of radiant-heat) magnetic (that is, attractive).
I'll continue the elements in another post, I just wanted to clarify (due to Xanth's post) that these 'elements' are not physical elements that compose matter, like the chemical elements of science, rather they are metaphysical elements that are used for metaphysical pursuits, which I will clarify at the end of the post, since it may get more complicated.

*phew* I was hoping he wasn't talking about physical things.
Thanks you CFT. 

[Jarrod]

So what's the purpose of retaining the elemental categories? nostalgia? haha.  I've been busy with mid-terms and haven't had a free moment to breathe, let alone practice feeling my feet, but now I'm free for the weekend   Awareness targeting practice time here I come.

[CFTraveler]

Not nostalgia, practicality- if something works it just works.   Elements (aka hermetic elements) are a way of focusing your ability to affect reality- in terms of magic.
For example, the whole idea of using them is to connect with these primordial forces and use them - in theory, if an object is connected to an element,  you can use it as a way to use the element in question to connect with the object and do something with it.
Metaphysically speaking, it goes something like this:
We're supposed to be able to affect reality, but we don't always know how to do it, because it takes having a belief (which is the same as attaching emotion to an intention in terms of manifestation)-to effect some sort of change.
But, if you can use elemental energy in your own practice, you can use the element as that connection to your creative ability and use it as a focus- sort of like when you use an object such as a talisman and program it with intention, or when you use the more mental form of manifestation, which involves changing your beliefs to match what you want, something which is much more difficult, especially if you have deeply ingrained beliefs against such things.
That's what ritual is for, also- another way to attach something external to your innate creative capability.

I can use this in a different, more 'mundane' way if you don't 'cotton' to the whole magic-manifestation mentality (which is a real basic metaphysical offshoot, IMO).
Suppose you have a pain in your leg, from too much exercise.  The doctor will give you a cold pack (water element-flowing, cool) to help soothe a tired muscle, and depending on the reason for the pain (inflammation- heat) it will alleviate the pain.
This is not magic, this is a simple application of the elemental characteristics to heal- inflammation is hot, and cooling alleviates it.  Water balances fire.
Now, when it comes to magic, the correspondence of these principles can be used then in  meditation or energy work for healing also, and it's been reported time and time again that it works.
So, whatever works, works.

[Stookie]

Very well explained. Thanks for that CF!

[Jarrod]

So what's the purpose of retaining the elemental categories? nostalgia? haha.  I've been busy with mid-terms and haven't had a free moment to breathe, let alone practice feeling my feet, but now I'm free for the weekend    Awareness targeting practice time here I come.

sorry CF.  I hadn't realized this thread had developed a second page when I posted that so I hadn't read your post before it, but they are very informative.  I think I need to read them a few more times before my brain fully comprehends all that though. haha.  So the elements are a model for understanding how things in nature work and can be used to understand and work with everything from sprained ankles to spiritual energy, just like our concept of the structure of the atom is a model of mater that we can use to understand and work with it in things like chemistry and physics.  Atoms aren't really exactly like they look in a textbook but thinking about them in that way allows us to work with matter, and the world isn't composed of the elements (metaphysical) literally but the concept allows us to work with it in useful ways.

and I'm not opposed to the idea of magical manifestation.  I've just never seen it work that way.  I've seen a guy levitate a chair, but he wouldn't have described it as magic.  He'd call it psychic ability.  But then I guess magic and psychic ability are kind of overlapping terms used to describe different ways of understanding and working with the same thing.  My experiences with people who do "magic" just haven't been all that thrilling.  Usually they seem to be more concerned with the ritual and or religious aspect than actual useful abilities or results.  No offense to people who practice magic, I'm sure there are plenty of amazing practitioners I've just never met.

Wow this thread has diverged all over the place.  Okay Jarrod, stop wasting time by contemplating things that don't matter yet because you haven't developed the ability to feel them yet and get to work on developing at your current level.

[Jarrod]

Okay this is annoying.  I did the awareness targeting exercises in my feet for a few days and it seemed like my feet remembered, or were more receptive the next day and on the third day I actually felt a physical sensation where my awareness was targeting in my big toes and I was able to move it around.  But then I had a few exam days at school and didn't practice for a few days and the last two days I've practiced I can't feel the physical sensation again.  I can tell where my awareness is and kind of feel something but it's annoyingly just below being an actual physical sensation.  My feet do feel slightly tingly for a few minutes after I practice though.  So my question is this; is awareness targeting exercise like physical exercise, can your energy body atrophy if you go a period of time without stimulating it, so the exercises won't do much good if I don't do them every day?

[CFTraveler]

Your nerves physically react to targeting- so everything will not be the same every time you do it.  So many variables- your attention, your getting used to the feeling, blocks unblocking, nerves being affected by circulation, position, etc.   There will be days where you feel nothing at all, and days where you will be buzzing with feeling.
So there's no 'one' answer- just know that even if you feel very little, something is happening.

[Jarrod]

Thanks for the encouragement CFTraveler.  I can't wait until I can feel my whole body with awareness targeting

[Jarrod]

Yay!  I had two more astral projection/lucid dreaming experiences over the past two days.  It happens almost every time a take a mid-day or afternoon nap now, actually ever since I had a little talk with my higher self like I saw somebody on one of the forums mention, can't remember where, a few weeks ago.  Maybe it also has something to do with the energy work I've been doing for about the same time period.  Whatever the case, I'm happy.  I'll probably start an online journal of my experiences and post a link on that thread I saw that's for that.