What Is a Psychic Vampire or Energy Vampire?

In this post, we focus on an examination of psychic vampires (also known as energy vampires) – what it means, how it works, and why people do it. I’m kicking off with psychic vampirism because I believe it is by far the most common form of psychic interference out there, and it is only exacerbated by many aspects of modern life.

Psychic vampirism can be difficult to define, because the phenomenon takes place purely in the nonphysical realm. It is not something you can physically perceive, except through its various symptoms, and it is not something any medical doctor can diagnose. Yet I and many others believe it is happening all around us.

Whenever we interact with someone, whether by phone, digitally, or especially face to face, no matter how far apart we may be in location, and no matter how brief or inconsequential the interaction may be, energy is exchanged as our energy fields interact. This is completely normal and in most cases is no cause for concern. But sometimes there is an unequal exchange of energy, where one party is left feeling drained by the interaction – a temporary loss of energy. We have all experienced this, whether it's a tense discussion with your boss, or even something as minor as someone being rude to you at the grocery store. Again, this is just a product of everyday interaction in human society, and while unpleasant, it doesn’t present a real problem.

But sometimes, one person forms a psychic attachment to the other person, and begins to feed on them, draining their energy, which can persist long after the interaction is over - and if the other person is particularly desperate or greedy, an attachment can form in the course of a single isolated interaction. A psychic attachment is often described as a kind of invisible umbilical cord, siphoning energy in one direction, typically attached to the energy centers of the body, the chakras. When someone opportunistically and repeatedly feeds off the life force of another person, draining them of their light in order to build up their own energy, that is psychic vampirism. According to my research, some people can do it consciously, and those are what I think of as the true psychic vampires. But by and large, the vast majority of psychic vampirism happens completely unconsciously. The people draining us are not even aware that they’re doing it. In fact, anyone can do it, and it is my belief that many or even most people do.

This raises an obvious question: why do people feed on each other in the first place? We all come into this world pure and whole, blessed with our own inner light, our vital essence, a natural energy source. But as we grow, a lot of things can throw us off balance. Sometimes, we’re taught that we’re not good enough in some way, and our light dims – we stop believing in it. Sometimes, we’re exposed to traumas that never fully heal, depleting our energy and weakening our energy field. Sometimes, we’re exposed to chronic stress from the responsibilities and demands of modern life, and we feel perpetually drained. Sometimes we feel like we can’t be the person other people want, need, or expect us to be. Or sometimes we feel a sense of lack because we feel like we’re not getting what we need from other people. And sometimes, we feel drained primarily because other people are psychically draining us – and may have been as far back as childhood. The bottom line is, whatever the reasons, we are left feeling depleted, like we don’t have enough energy, enough light, enough vitality, enough of what we need in order to do and be all the things we want to do and be in life. At that point, unless we have the wisdom and guidance to do some deep work to restore ourselves, we have to get that energy from somewhere – and that’s where psychic vampirism comes in.

So, given this broad-brush description of what we’re all struggling with in modern society, it should come as no surprise that almost anyone can be a psychic vampire. I say this because the term “psychic vampire” is commonly confused with the more everyday term “energy vampire.” We all know those people, and the internet is rife with articles about how to spot them – people who are long on problems, short on solutions, and leave you feeling drained – and we are advised to avoid them as much as possible. But are these people actually psychic vampires, attaching to and feeding on your energy? Possibly – but if so, they’re far from the only ones. Psychic vampires are just as likely to come across as charming, successful, friendly, energetic, and everything in between.

Think about that person who admires you so much that they just want to be more like you. Think about the loving friend or family member who secretly wishes you would call them more often. Think about the beloved partner who’s going through a crisis and just needs a boost. Think about the person who’s stuck in an unforgiving dead-end job all day with no end in sight. Or on the other end of the spectrum, think about the super-successful corporate employee who’s trying to meet all the demands of working overtime – and any of these people may also be juggling spouses and children. Think about the spiritual leader guru type who is getting high on the faithful admiration of their followers. I have personally experienced being fed upon by all these archetypes and more – and I can say with certainty that it’s sometimes the person you would least expect. One of the most voracious vampires I’ve personally dealt with, in fact, is a spiritual powerhouse who is an absolute delight to be around. Why would this person need to drain anyone? Come to find out, via dialoguing with their unconscious, I learned that they feel like they need to be perfect for everyone, and thus they are in a constant battle to suppress their darkness and shine only pure light – and all that energy has to come from somewhere.

Clearly, there are countless reasons why people would unconsciously steal energy, even from people they love. But in my personal experience in dialoguing with numerous psychic vampires’ unconscious minds, they will tell me in no uncertain terms why they are stealing from me – so I’ve come to group these reasons into a few basic categories, although there can certainly be overlap.

1. “Give me your light.” These people are what I often describe as “Grade-A Psychic Vampires.” They live to feed on other people’s energy, like a drug addict, and will do so opportunistically, even posing as a friend or romantic partner just to get more access to your light. You can spot these people because once they start feeding on you, as you are feeling more and more drained and depressed, they are suddenly doing better than ever. I have internally heard them say things like they never release a victim. In my experience, this type of vampirism can be exacerbated by certain meds or substances, as a vampire can get high on what you put in your body. (In fact, I sometimes internally hear them demand that I partake right away.)

   
   

2. “I need it.” This is by far the most common justification. These people's unconscious minds tell me that they don’t have enough light, and they NEED to steal mine, with a capital N. They will assure me, often in a panic, that they cannot function without it. Then they will justify it by telling me what they need it for – and surprise, surprise, nine times out of ten, it’s for some kind of work, whether it be a grueling dead-end job, a demanding corporate job, or fulfilling their creative vision. Regardless of the type of work, they are convinced that their continued performance depends on draining your energy. But in some cases, someone is just struggling so much in life that they're reaching for your light like a lifeline, desperate for help to get through a crisis period.

   
   

3. “You owe it to me.” Sometimes I encounter someone who unconsciously feels that I literally owe them my light – because of something they’re doing for me currently, or have done for me in the past, or because I hurt them in some way, or maybe just for putting up with my bullshit. Similar to the “I deserve it” folks, this is all about entitlement, only in this case it’s very personal and often demeaning.

   
   

4. “I deserve it.” I hear this one less often, but some people are so high on their ideal of themselves, their work, or their vision that they unconsciously believe they are entitled to light wherever they can find it. I have even heard repeatedly from one person in particular, in no uncertain terms, that they deserve my light more than I do. Yikes.

   
   

5. “I hate you.” This is something I have encountered far less often, but there are people out there who will feed on you out of pure spite. In this case, they may not even be using your energy for any particular personal gain – their primary objective is simply to make you suffer. This category veers into psychic attack, which we explore in other posts.

I hope this post has been enlightening for you and given you a better understanding of the phenomenon of psychic vampirism and how and why it happens. In this blog, we also explore signs and symptoms to help you recognize when psychic vampirism is occurring, as well as what you can do if you suspect that you may be vampirizing others.

Thank you so much for reading, and I would love to hear about your personal experiences or any questions you may have in the comments. May you be blessed with all the energy and light you need to shine your brightest!