Psychic vampires may sound like something out of a bad horror movie, but the truth is that they are very real and, what’s more, they don’t necessarily have sharp teeth, drink blood, and sleep in coffins.
Psychic vampires are all around us. But how do you spot one and how can you protect yourself from them once one has found you? The answer is a little more complicated than silver stakes and garlic garlands, but we’re here today to walk you through how to handle the psychic vampire in your life.
What is a Psychic Vampire?
A psychic vampire is someone who drains the energy of others in order to feed their own ‘life force’ which is more commonly known as the ‘ego’. The difference between the ego and soul should first be explained.
Ego vs. Soul:
The soul is our purest form, our highest self. It encompasses love, compassion, kindness, truth and wisdom in equal measure. Negativity does not exist within the soul.
But when souls come to Earth, they must deal with the harsh realities of life. In order to do so, they create an ‘ego.’ The ego’s original purpose is to protect the soul so that the human being can function in this world – but when the ego becomes unruly or out-of-control, this is when the problems begin.
The ego feeds off negative energy – when the human loses control of their ego, it becomes like a many-headed hydra, growing in strength but of course requiring a specific life force to sustain it. In the case of the psychic vampire, this life force is the compassion and love of others.
How to Spot a Psychic Vampire:
We are all capable of being psychic vampires. If there is some kind of psychological damage done to us in childhood – such as abuse or neglect – we may be susceptible to becoming psychic vampires as we seek love and attention from others as we grow older, but in unhealthy ways. If we have been hurt or traumatized by a lover, friend, or situation, again we may be prone to becoming a psychic vampire.
If a person who exhibits qualities of psychic vampirism does not take a long, honest look at themselves and work to combat it, they will go through life draining others of energy and creating other psychic vampires due to the damage they cause to others – hence the term ‘vampire’.
So, who are they? Often, the psychic vampire will play upon people’s compassion and empathy with a variety of sad stories and tragic tales. Being a psychic vampire is all about control – they control the other’s emotions, they control how much of that emotion they feed off and they control the dynamic between the two of them, using manipulation as a primary weapon. It sounds very twisted and evil, but the reality is that most psychic vampires don’t even realize what they are doing.
Psychic vampirism is a product of mistreatment in some form or another, which is indeed something that deserves sympathy – the problem is that the psychic vampire will use this sympathy against you. Hence, they are very attracted to empaths in particular who are almost like a fairground ride to them, providing oodles of empathy and compassion for them to feed on.
If you find yourself offering loads of kindness and compassion to someone, but feeling incredibly drained, used or taken advantage of, not to mention a feeling you can’t shake off that something just isn’t right, then chances are you are dealing with a psychic vampire.
How to Protect Yourself from Psychic Vampires:
You are not a bad or cruel person if you set firm boundaries. The only way to stop a psychic vampire is to cut off their food supply. This may seem harsh – one thing that empaths in particular have trouble doing is saying “no” to people or walking away. The thought of abandoning someone who is suffering is unthinkable to them.
But it is important to think of yourself, too. To show kindness and compassion to yourself, as well as others. Self-love is the only way to combat psychic vampirism. It is the only weapon that can annihilate this terrible, destructive form of ego. If the psychic vampire loved themselves, they would not feel a need to drain others and damage them in the process.
Similarly, if you love yourself then do not allow anyone to take advantage of you. Make your position firm and clear. It may be hard at first, but in the long-run, it is the kindest thing to do.
To have compassion or empathy manipulated or twisted in some way is the fastest way to damage a kind and pure heart. This cycle can only be broken with boundaries. Protect yourself. If you have done everything you can for the psychic vampire and they continue to feed off you, then it’s time to put yourself first. The psychic vampire must learn self-love; they cannot learn this if they have an unlimited supply of ‘love’ from others which serves only to feed the monstrous ego, not their struggling soul.
There comes a time in the lives of many when the soul and ego must do battle with each other; help the psychic vampire’s soul beat their destructive ego by learning when to walk away.
Related Article: An Empath’s Guide to Protecting Your Aura