Thanks, montalk and GreyCat for your replies.
montalk, yes, if I ask myself what I actually felt when revolted by something's energy, what I said to myself (in effect) was: "Ugh, that's gross" not "Ugh, that's sure different." When I've been repulsed by a person's energy it's been because they emulated extremes of indifference, hate, contempt or cruelty. Not simply because I found it different.
And GreyCat, you remind that change in ourselves can be effected by awareness alone.
I have noticed, too, that I am more my natural self in a meditative state or dream state. Right after I began dreaming avidly again (at about 21) I had a dream in which a friend of mine was scoffing the idea of humans having souls. I looked right at him and said with clear, unruffled conviction "We have souls." It shocked me so much that I said this that I woke up. I was struck, because in real life I wasn't 100% convinced of it, but the dream caused me to realize that deep down that I believed it unwaveringly and without a doubt.
I've also purposely called negs to me to do battle in dream states.
And, montalk, your mention of the "stone men" reminded me of a conversation with a white friend of mine who grew up in New Mexico on the reservations. He's talked about "stone men" to me, too. I've have to ask him about it again because I can't remember him giving any details per se. But on a quick internet seach, I found this:
http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:y5t … &gl=us
About the "Stone Men" wrote:The foundation of the cacicazgos was associated with sacred
origins, with the four world directions, with cults, ceremonial
dates in nondurational time, and the mythical story of the war
with the Stone Men, depicted in the Codex Nuttall (pages 3-
4, 20). The Stone Men appeared as a primordial people, simi-
lar to those who, according to modern Mixtectales, withdrew
into caves and chasms or turned into stone when the sun rose
for the first time (Dyk 1959:17; Jansen 1982b). References to
such a primordial people are also given by Antonio de los Reyes
(1976) in his prologue, where he describes them as toy nuhu,
'men of the abysm', who had come forth from the center of the
earth and had lived in the region long before the Lords of
Apoala.
But, now, yes, I suspect that courage is the answer.
You can't change a tiger's stripes,
but you can avoid its teeth.