Signs and Symptoms of Psychic Attack

Now that we’ve explored what psychic attack is (also known as a spiritual attack) and how it differs from psychic vampirism, it’s time to address the essential question: how do you know if you’re being psychically attacked? Unlike the gradual energy drain of psychic vampirism, psychic attacks tend to be more aggressive, targeted, and often carry a distinct feeling of malevolent intent behind them.

Based on extensive research and my own personal experiences with this phenomenon, I’ve compiled a comprehensive list of symptoms that may indicate that you’re under psychic attack. These symptoms can manifest across multiple dimensions of your being - mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual - and often appear with a sudden, intense quality that sets them apart from ordinary life challenges.

It’s crucial to understand that you won’t necessarily experience all of these symptoms, and the intensity can vary greatly depending on the source and nature of the attack, as well as whether you’re being attacked by more than one person. The most telling characteristic is often the sudden onset and the inexplicable nature of these symptoms. So, before considering metaphysical explanations, please consult with medical and mental health professionals to rule out any underlying conditions. This information is not intended to replace professional medical advice.

You will notice some overlap here with symptoms of psychic vampirism, another form of psychic interference. This is not surprising, because both throw our energy bodies and thus our brains and physical bodies out of whack - not to mention, you can often be psychically attacked and and psychically vampirized at the same time, even by a single person.

With that said, let’s explore the signs that may indicate you’re under psychic attack...

Mental and Emotional Symptoms of Psychic Attack

Sudden, intense paranoia

Do you find yourself overwhelmed by suspicious thoughts about people around you, especially when these feelings seem to come out of nowhere? Unlike general anxiety, this paranoia often feels targeted and specific, as if someone is actively working against you. You might feel like you’re being watched or followed, or that people are plotting behind your back, even when logic tells you otherwise.

Overwhelming negative thoughts

Are you suddenly bombarded with thoughts that feel foreign to your usual mental patterns? These aren’t just negative thoughts - they’re often violent, self-destructive, or completely contrary to your values and beliefs. You might find yourself thinking things like "I hate everyone" or having disturbing violent fantasies, even though these thoughts feel completely unlike your normal self.

Mood swings

Do you experience dramatic emotional shifts that seem to have no logical trigger? One moment, you’re fine, and the next, you’re consumed by intense agitation, despair, or terror. These mood swings often feel imposed rather than natural, as if an external force is manipulating your emotional state.

Depression and loss of interest

This has been a HUGE one for me in the course of being psychically attacked. Remember all those things you used to enjoy - hobbies, cooking, music, time in nature, socializing with friends, making love? Are you feeling like you have lost all interest in everything that once mattered to you? You may have a persistent feeling like, “What do I do with myself?” Take note if the things you have lost interest in - be it your job, your passions, your appearance, your sex life, your lifestyle, your partner - are things that make someone around you jealous or even angry; they may be unconsciously trying to sabotage that aspect of your life by showering you with negative energy and resentful thoughts.

Low self-worth

Are you feeling bad about yourself, like, ALL the time? Are you questioning yourself in ways you never have before? If somebody has it out for you, trust me, they are hammering you with unconscious messages about everything they hate about you or think is wrong with you (or that you have and they don't). I couldn't even tell you how many times I heard abusive messages from my attacker's unconscious mind, telling me I was the worst person in the world - and that was just them getting warmed up. You may not hear it like I do, but trust me, your mind is getting the message on some level.

Poor self-care

Do basic things like taking a shower or brushing your teeth now feel exhausting to you, or make you think, “Why bother?” This is a product of multiple psychic attack symptoms at work: fatigue, depression, and low self-worth. In the case of psychic attack, it may also be an attempt to sabotage your appearance, especially if there's jealousy involved.

Changes in appearance

It goes without saying that poor self-care means you won’t be looking your best, but this goes beyond that. When you look in the mirror, do you find yourself looking worn out, haggard, almost like you’ve aged overnight? When someone assaults our life force, our bodies take a hit, and it shows. The worst part was that I could hear my attacker's unconscious mind sneering at me every time I looked in the mirror, telling me I looked older every day - almost like they were putting a curse on me.

Persistent feelings of being watched

There’s a distinct sensation that someone is observing you, even when you’re alone. This goes beyond normal social awareness - it’s a persistent, uncomfortable feeling that someone’s attention is focused on you in a way that feels invasive and unwelcome. You might find yourself constantly checking over your shoulder or feeling exposed even in private spaces.

Unexplained fear or dread

A heavy, oppressive sense of impending doom settles over you without any identifiable cause. This isn’t ordinary worry about life circumstances - it’s a deep, primal fear that something terrible is about to happen. The feeling often intensifies at certain times of day or in specific locations.

Mental fog and confusion

Your thinking becomes clouded in a way that feels artificially imposed. You might struggle to make simple decisions, forget important information, or feel like your mind is wrapped in cotton. This mental confusion often comes on suddenly and can make it difficult to think clearly about your situation or focus on work.

Hearing your attacker's voice in your head

This is one of the more disturbing though thankfully less common symptoms, but it's very real for those who experience it. You might hear a specific person's voice speaking directly into your mind - not as a memory or imagination, but as if they're actually present and communicating with you telepathically. The voice might be threatening, mocking, or attempting to control your thoughts and actions. Unlike the general mental chatter we all experience, this voice feels distinctly foreign and often carries a malevolent tone. It might try to convince you to do things you wouldn't normally do, or fill your head with negative commentary about yourself. The key difference from normal intrusive thoughts is that this voice has a specific identity and personality that you can recognize. If you experience this, it's crucial not to engage or respond - acknowledging the voice often strengthens the connection and gives the attacker more access to your mental space. I learned this the hard way, when after a year of assuming the voice was not real (I hear many, and I’d never heard a living person before), I gave in and dialogued with it, thinking it might help – and the next day, the psychic attack symptoms blew up tenfold.

Physical Symptoms of Psychic Attack

Dizziness

This can range from a mild sense of disorientation to full-on vertigo, but if it comes on suddenly, with no explanation - especially if it’s accompanied by other symptoms, like confusion or fatigue - this is a common sign that someone is acutely attacking you.

Vision changes

This can often accompany dizziness or other symptoms of acute attack. You might notice a strange pressure or tension around your eyes, accompanied by difficulty focusing or even a subtle darkening of your vision.

Sudden, severe headaches

These headaches appear without warning and often resist normal pain relief methods. They typically feel different from your usual headaches - more intense, with a quality that seems to pierce through your skull, especially in the area of your crown or third eye chakra. The pain might be accompanied by a sensation of pressure building inside your head.

Unexplained body pains

Sharp, stabbing pains that move around your body without any physical cause. These pains often feel like they’re coming from outside your body rather than from within. You might experience sudden back pain (like I did, and always at times where the offending party was upset with me), joint aches, or muscle tension that appears and disappears without explanation.

Extreme fatigue that rest doesn’t help

Unlike the gradual energy drain of psychic vampirism, this fatigue hits like a wall. You might feel completely depleted after a full night’s sleep, or suddenly lose all energy in the middle of the day. This exhaustion feels heavier and more oppressive than normal tiredness.

Sleep disturbances

Your sleep patterns become chaotic and unsettling. You might experience insomnia, frequent nightmares, or wake up feeling like you haven’t slept at all. Some people report feeling like they’re being prevented from sleeping, as if an external force is keeping them awake. I once experienced this the night before I was set to leave on a fun vacation that was making my attacker jealous.

Sudden temperature changes

You might experience unexplained hot flashes or sudden chills that don’t correspond to your environment. These temperature changes often feel like they’re coming from within your energy field rather than your physical body, and they can be quite intense and discomforting.

Digestive issues

Nausea, stomach pain, or digestive upset that appears suddenly and without dietary cause. Your stomach might feel knotted or cramped, and you might experience a loss of appetite or sudden food aversions. These symptoms often coincide with other attack symptoms.

Sudden urge to vomit

This is when you know the person is turning up the juice – out of nowhere, you’re gagging, dry heaving, or even actually throwing up, without accompanying nausea, as if the feeling coming over you is so intense that your body just needs release. This usually passes just as suddenly.

Intense craving for substances

Finally, if you partake in any substances, legal or otherwise, such as alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, or even certain psych meds - typically those that work immediately as needed, like stimulants or benzodiazepines - do you ever suddenly feel an overwhelming craving to take something? This can be a common defense mechanism for dealing with psychic attack, and can quickly escalate into full-blown addiction as you struggle to cope. Different substances offer different benefits, whether calming the mind, giving you a boost, or helping you detach. But there is a major tradeoff - you may get temporary relief, but substances tend to weaken your energy field, ultimately making you even more susceptible to psychic attack.

Spiritual and Energetic Symptoms of Psychic Attack

Nightmares

Are dark, shadowy figures haunting your dreams? Do you have violent dreams about a specific person, or dreams where they are physically invading your space (like nothing keeps them out or away from you)? Do you have nightmares that seem evil and disturbing beyond anything your own mind could create? You may even see recurring symbols in psychic attack dreams – for example, I would frequently dream about being plagued by wasps.

Feeling energetically invaded

There’s a distinct sensation that something foreign has entered your energy field. This might feel like a heaviness, a dark presence, or simply a sense that your personal space has been violated on an energetic level. You might feel "dirty" or contaminated in a way that physical cleansing doesn’t resolve.

Sudden loss of spiritual connection

If you normally feel connected to your spiritual practice, higher power, or inner guidance, you might suddenly feel cut off from these sources of support. Prayers feel unanswered, meditation becomes difficult, and you might feel spiritually abandoned or blocked. I experienced an aversion to sitting at my altar for a couple of years when I was being attacked. Because I can hear my attacker, even things like shamanic journeying or working with my ancestors felt dangerous and fraught, as the person would directly interfere with anything that might empower me.

Sensing a malevolent presence

You might feel like there’s a hostile entity or energy around you, even when you’re alone. This presence often feels intelligent and purposeful, as if it’s actively trying to harm or disturb you. The sensation might be stronger in certain locations or at specific times.

Energy field disturbances

Your aura or energy field feels disrupted, torn, or unstable. You might feel like your personal boundaries have been violated, or that your energy is leaking out in some way. Some people describe feeling like their energy field is "dirty" or contaminated.

Environmental and Circumstantial Symptoms of Psychic Attack

Electromagnetic and technology disturbances

Electronics around you might malfunction more frequently than usual. Light bulbs burn out, phones act up, computers crash, phones drop calls, or important files disappear. I frequently had the internet go out when I was experiencing other symptoms. Another time, I lost hours of work on previously saved files, with no explanation. While all this could have mundane explanations, it’s worth noting if it coincides with other symptoms.

Recurring accidents or mishaps

A sudden string of accidents, injuries, or unfortunate events that seem beyond normal coincidence. You might find yourself tripping more often, breaking things, or experiencing a series of "unlucky" events that feel orchestrated rather than random.

Relationship conflicts

People around you might suddenly become hostile, argumentative, or distant without apparent cause. You might find yourself in conflicts with friends, family, or coworkers that seem to escalate beyond what the situation warrants. This may be especially true if your attacker is jealous of your relationship.

Financial or professional setbacks

In my experience, this can happen particularly if the other person is jealous that you make more money than them or have a higher standard of living. Yes, someone constantly directing negative energy at you can impact your finances, and it's not just because you're less focused at work. Unexpected problems can arise in your career or finances that feel disproportionate to normal life challenges. Projects fail, money problems appear, or professional relationships deteriorate in ways that seem targeted or orchestrated. As a freelancer, during a peak period of psychic attack activity, I found that all my work suddenly dried up, for MONTHS, completely out of alignment with my carefully tracked patterns of work availability from year to year. In addition, during a peak period when I was particularly vulnerable and my attacker was extra volatile, I suddenly got scammed out of thousands of dollars.

Feeling of being blocked

Every effort you make seems to hit unexpected obstacles. Doors that were previously open suddenly close, opportunities disappear, and you feel like you’re fighting against an invisible force that’s working against your progress.

Protective Instincts and Behavioral Changes

Sudden desire to cleanse or purify

You might feel an overwhelming urge to shower, sage your space, or engage in cleansing rituals. This desire often feels urgent and necessary, as if you’re trying to wash away something that can’t be seen, but can definitely be felt.

Increased sensitivity to negative people

You become acutely aware of the energy of others and find yourself wanting to avoid certain people or places. This sensitivity might feel heightened beyond your normal intuitive abilities, as if your psychic defenses are on high alert.

Compulsive protection behaviors

You might find yourself instinctively wearing protective jewelry, carrying crystals, or engaging in protective rituals without really knowing why. These behaviors often feel necessary and comforting, even if you’ve never been interested in such things before.

Desire to isolate or avoid

Unlike the gradual withdrawal that might occur with vampirism, this isolation feels more like going into hiding. You might feel like you need to disappear from public view or avoid social situations entirely until the attack passes. It can feel overwhelming to even leave your house - and even more so to spend time with the person who may be attacking you. If you feel a sudden impulse to end a connection with someone, ask yourself why.

Recognizing Psychic Attack

The key to identifying psychic attack lies in recognizing the pattern in the symptoms: sudden onset, inexplicable intensity, and a quality that feels imposed rather than naturally arising from your life circumstances. Unlike psychic vampirism, which tends to be a gradual drain, psychic attacks often feel like an assault on your entire being.

If you’re experiencing several of these symptoms simultaneously, especially if they’ve appeared suddenly and without clear cause, it may be worth considering that you’re under some form of psychic attack. The next step would be to explore protection against psychic attack and consider seeking guidance from experienced practitioners who can help you identify the source and nature of the attack – although, in my experience, you may be able to identify who is behind it with little prompting.

Remember, knowledge is power. By understanding these symptoms, you’re already taking the first step toward protecting yourself and reclaiming your energetic sovereignty. Trust your instincts - if something feels wrong or foreign, it probably is.

May you be surrounded by protective light and find the strength to defend your sacred space.