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The Practical Psychic Self-Defense Handbook: A Survival Guide

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Is everything that goes on in your mind really you? Perhaps not, says Australian psychic researcher Robert Bruce. Drawing on more than two decades of firsthand research and experience, Bruce reports that our minds are subject to influences from many unseen spiritual sources. Some of these can influence how we think, feel, act, and even how our bodies function. They can make us unhappy, irritable, confused, sick, unstable, even crazy. This is why we need practical tools and countermeasures for psychic self-defense, all of which Bruce provides. This is the ultimate guide to combating the influences of earthbound spirits, deranged ghosts, astral snakes and spiders, demonic spirits, and poltergeists. This is a highly anecdotal and comprehensive practical guide to the dark side of the psychic universe.

242 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2011

87 people are currently reading
320 people want to read

About the author

Robert Bruce

132 books116 followers
Robert Bruce is an English-born mystic author living in Perth, Australia. Bruce is best known for his studies of Out Of Body Experience, which first became public in the early 1990s through his activity in the alt.out-of-body Internet news group. Over time, he collected and peer-tested his findings in an evolving set of articles, A Treatise on Astral Projection, which he later expanded upon substantially to form his first book, Astral Dynamics, which has sold over 50,000 copies as of 2008.

In 2008, Robert Bruce was listed as one of the world’s foremost OBE experts by EnlightenmentNext magazine.

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5 stars
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11 (8%)
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
85 reviews
November 28, 2011
Best book on psychic self-defense, covering mostly a very specific aspect: acute attack, and not by witch or psychic, but caused by either astral wildlife or involuntary effect made by unsuspecting humans.

Sounds rather like exorcist's, ghost buster's and paranormal investigator handbook on how to stop negativity affecting your life than how to protect yourself from black magic curses, recent or generational, and/or psychical vampires.

It has materialistic and very realistic approach: crossing running water, salt bath, deep grounding, strong magnets, strong noise, light and smell (for now, and educate yourself later, when the bases are covered).

Some psychology on defusing situation if it was caused by interactions with others.

This book provides excellent techniques for removing repeated, circling, obsessive negative thoughts by stating your choice not to have them, replacing them with happy and positive images, again and again, until they left, and using uplifting music as a distracting background.

Occult things, like penetration of the aura by negatives, their attachment, treating points of attachments (very materialistic). Finding and replacing implanted negative massages (core images) that do not belong to you by choice. Revoking permissions, known or unknown, allowing negs to operate. Contacting the great positive force of universe (in prayers or mantras) or higher self (positive affirmations stated in real time), if some religion oriented books do not appeal to you. Making desired come true by imagining and stating it, as a mantra, for months (putting higher self to work) and by following hints given by it. By the way, this can be used for non-material wishes too, like achievement or healing. If you are looking for extension of David St. Clair's Lessons in Instant ESP, here it is.

Author is metaphysic(-ist?), not magickian, so there are affirmations instead of spells, more description how this from the other side mechanics works, who the attackers may be, their types, from where they come, at what conditions, what makes one more susceptible than the others, what to do to become less easy target for them.

The author's other books cover this the other side in depth, and interaction with it. Energy works is in separate book, but it should work as a part of protection program. And while you are here, change white light protection on electric violet flame now. And read the book and website why.

Some reviews expressed opinions that reader should skip the scary main part of the book and concentrate on a lesser banishing ritual, but I don't think so: main measures are threaded within the content, you should cover the basics first. And nothing particularly scary there: just negs taxonomy and another reality description, in its connection to our reality. Some cases from his practice, for illustration.

Book is very dense and detailed, still I would prefer even more in depth coverage. For example, gems and crystals protection - it has conditions for optimal use, this could be described; returning after crossing running water will result renewing of attack - this could be described further; as I read, doing lesser banishing ritual improperly will only make negs furious - what are that critical parts; hereditary and century old attachments are not covered fully, with no solution beyond the same basics and hiring the professional.

I find that this book would be better read after making yourself familiar with author's website, astraldynamics.com, there is a short, essential form of the measures you have to employ right now, and read the book in depth after it arrives. Then you in lesser rush, and already know what to pay attention to.

Don't be repelled away by core affirmation that starts the book: "...I'm safe and I'm free." Agree, some of us are conditioned not to lie. Why would a safe, free and protected person read books on psychic self-defense? Go to p122, Working with Higher Self for explanations why, and choosing another present time positive statement that will be acceptable for you.

Not helpful (this is beyond the scope of the book) for self-help in removing a curse, especially long standing or hereditary, or psychic vampirism. Diana Burney's Spiritual Clearings helps with the first, Utterly Wicked by Dorothy Morrison, same in another way, and hopefully Nita Hickok's Psychic Attack books for the both.

This is the best handbook on issue, with mostly down to the earth, affordable measures.

But unless you are under acute attack or have a pure OCD, they are not helping with the main problem.
Profile Image for Belladonna.
3 reviews1 follower
December 7, 2014
It is very rare that I dislike a book enough to give it a really bad review, but wow. Just no. The author and myself apparently operate on completely different frequencies or something. What a steaming pile of electric violet colored unicorn excrement.
Profile Image for Jason Baldauf.
239 reviews9 followers
June 1, 2023
I’m 50/50 on this one. While good portions of the information presented feels tuned in, some felt schizophrenic.

You be the judge.
Profile Image for Audrey Guinn.
Author 1 book
December 6, 2025
I subtracted one star because of the author victim blaming the women who were murdered in the witch burnings. He said something like: the witch hunters knew what they were doing. I implore the author to read In Defense of Witches to better familiarize himself with alternative theories. The author on two occasions gave deadly advice - to burn sulphur in your home and also to take apart electronics to get the magnets out to them use on yourself. He admits these recommendations are poisonous and can be deadly.

Otherwise, the book is geared towards understanding and fighting attachments from negative entities. As no one really talks about this or even considers it a real possibility, his work is groundbreaking and informative. Some of the information seems common sense especially if you read many esoteric books. However, the book is a first line of defense and hopefully all that is needed when dealing with negative entities.
75 reviews4 followers
February 12, 2019
If you want to read book on this subject then this is the one. Loved every page of this book and it helped me so much.
Profile Image for Linus.
295 reviews7 followers
December 3, 2020
Best book I ever came across on the subject, highly recommended to anyone interested in such things!
Profile Image for Andrew Wolf.
13 reviews2 followers
July 23, 2023
A truly fascinating read - whether it’s true or not. The perspectives are interesting and the author includes a lot of anecdotal evidence to support his claims.
Profile Image for tetsuoookkk.
3 reviews
December 14, 2024
Very Cristhian, while bad written and offering little no to actionable actions. Just overall a waste of time for anyone well-versed on the subject.
Profile Image for Spooky Birdy.
3 reviews
May 21, 2025
Direct and to the point, easy read and great for spiritual hygiene. 🧚‍♀️
Profile Image for Maddie (Linda) Maddocks .
38 reviews1 follower
Read
June 24, 2023
Seemed like a good idea to look into this, after - working on dream journaling and daily recollection practice, as per Mastering Astral Projection - a flying spell was immediately cut short via excitement and then a scary dream paralysis & getting rushed by, I thought, a malevolent entity along the top of the mattress. "Go back to whence you came!" which is what I shouted, didn't go over so well. In fact that's what provoked the outright attack.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews

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