[AndyMartin]

Jason,

You will get a lot of different ideas on this, so don't take mine as gospel, but I believe that we are subject only to our fears, and nothing else. Only that which we fear has any power over us. When we start out exploring altered states of reality, we typically have a lot of "belief baggage," fears that we were taught or picked up along the way. This can quickly manifest in our experiences. Without the consent of your belief, any entity -- positive or negative -- will have a hard time manifesting in your presence, much less have any power over you. But if a white light protection eliminates or reduces your fears, then by all means do it; that will help you overcome those hidden fears through positive experience. But it is my advice not to get attached to any observance because it's conditioning and it reinforces attachment to fear.

But also, interpretation of these experiences is a tricky thing. We're used to interpreting our experiences through the framework of the physical. Just because an energy is uncomfortable doesn't mean it's negative, or even sentient. For example, shaking and unintentional movements are very common in the course of meditation as your energy begins to flow and hits blockages in your unused energy channels. There is a lot of energy out there, and you're just beginning to explore it.

Good luck!
Andy