4 Ways To Deal With An ‘Energy Vampire’ Who’s Sucking The Life Out Of You
If you wouldn't let them steal your purse, don't let them steal your optimism.
Rhett Wesley, Thomas Kelley | Unsplash We've all heard about those people that drain us, bring us down, and spread negativity ... just by being in the room. And you want to know how to deal with negative people who take your energy.
Some people can engage in vampire-like energy behavior without even knowing it. Some people do it with conscious intent. Either way, energy vampires exist. I've had several direct experiences.
Here are 4 things to do when faced with an ‘energy vampire’ who’s sucking the life out of you:
1. Find some way to re-establish your boundaries.
Use conversation, space, or energy to make sure you are not feeling crowded or invaded. And saying something in your head will often work!
If you can leave, then do so. If that is not possible, find some way to break contact. Breaking eye contact will help.
2. Visualizing something sacred between you and the person concerned may break the contract also.
Odd as it sounds, it works. When I had a guy ogling me while waiting for fast food in a line, I imagined Archangel Michael between him and me.
He left almost as soon as I did that. I'm pretty proud of that one!
3. Figure out what the energy vampire is trying to get from you.
At the training retreat, the person wanted knowledge through osmosis rather than learning for himself.
Knowing what is being drained can often help you figure out how to stop the leakage. Knowledge through osmosis never works unless it's with full intensity, for example, a mentoring arrangement between two people.
4. When you remove yourself from the situation, check if you need to clear yourself.
This will give you space and time to figure out what is going on and get centered and grounded.
When you are conscious and aware of the energy dynamic between yourself and others, you realize energetic give and take goes on all the time.
The real growth comes when you can learn to sense what is going on in the present moment and then decide what you want to do about it. We can all be givers and takers sometimes.
Photo via Getty
My first experience with an energy vampire gave me a real-life physical sensation I wasn't expecting at all.
At a training retreat with a mentor several years ago, we were working hard on one aspect of hypnosis work. The mentor was working with a member of our group, and we were all observing.
Two or three times during the conversation between these two, the mentor mentioned "vampire-like behavior".
Finally, the exercise finished with the mentor yelling at the participant, "Dammit, stop that vampire-like behavior when I am trying to teach you something!"
Frankly, I had no idea what was happening, and the experience left me with my mouth agape. The group teacher had never yelled before.
Then, it was my turn.
After the other person had been yelled at, it was my turn to do the exercise. I went through the instructions with trepidation. For whatever reason, he didn't shout at me.
After completing my exercise, it was time for a break. We headed outside on a lovely sunny day for refreshments. We were in nature with many trees, so it was a great place to relax and refresh.
As I was chatting with another colleague, this person who had been shouted at came up and stood next to us.
I began to feel pressure on the left side of my body (he was standing to my left) and then a sense of two 'teeth', more like pipes, being inserted into my side. It was as physical as if he was touching me!
At the same time, this person asked me, "How did you manage to do that exercise correctly, Sarah?"
It was incredibly uncomfortable and somewhat frightening! At the time, I carried on my (interrupted) conversation with the other student, and then instinct kicked in because I began to feel a sucking sensation.
In my head, I said, "(expletive) off!"
Phew. It worked. The participant disengaged his energy vampire 'pipes' (or whatever they were) and walked off to another group.
It's an eye-opener when this happens for the first time.
I have to say, my approach to the above situation was effective, if not particularly elegant!
There's a lot of talk of 'shielding' negative energy in spiritual circles. In my case, I believe what happened is I re-established my boundaries in a hurry once I realized they were being breached.
Later, I talked to my mentor about it — I remember he chuckled because my eyes were like saucers — and he explained I had reached another level of awareness and sensitivity and it was time to find ways to honor those abilities.
I remember not being able to eat chicken for at least six months after that experience, either. Meeting an energy vampire through a direct energy exchange shifted my energy, too.
We can all be energy givers or takers at times.
Do your best to stay out of judgment about being an energy vampire. It's important to understand that when someone emits a lot of energy, we are attracted to that.
Just take a moment to think about your favorite music idol or television actor. What happens when you watch them on television or even meet them in person at a concert or publicity event?
If you've been in this position, have you felt your energy reaching out to have some of whatever they have?
Star quality is powerful and attractive, and many big stars have a huge stage presence. Due to their gifts, they can expand their energy and connect with their audience, making a big stadium event feel very personal.
We all reach out with our energy sometimes.
What do you do when your energy is being taken without your permission by negative people with vampire-like abilities?
After all, you didn't ask for this. Letting an energy vampire take from you (once you are aware of it) is the same energetically as someone stealing your purse. And nobody likes that!
Sarah Lawrence is an Intuitive Coach, Business Coach, and Akashic Records Reader. Since 2010, she has helped client connect with their inner guidance through her readings and blog.