Do you ever find yourself tearing up without any clear trigger or experiencing feelings you can't quite account for? If so, there are typically two explanations: either a cause exists and you're overlooking it, or you're picking up on the energetic atmosphere surrounding you.
To illustrate, I attended a funeral recently, and the moment I stepped through the doors, a thick, weighty atmosphere washed over me. For several days afterward, something felt off inside me. While many would simply attribute this to grief, I personally view death as a celebration of transition rather than a final farewell.
I came to realize that some of those emotions weren't truly mine at all; I had neglected to clear my energy field following the ceremony, leaving me wide open to absorbing the emotional states of those around me.
Embracing and Appreciating 'Negativity'
Before pointing to your sensitivity to 'negative' energy as the source of every mood swing, let's first untangle what this phrase actually means.
The New Age Spirituality community frequently gets tangled in misconceptions about negativity. In conversations, I often hear claims like 'negativity doesn't really exist' or 'only Light is real.' While it's undeniably true that we originate from and remain connected to Source (also referred to as Love or Light), that reality doesn't erase our capacity to perceive and believe in negativity, which then becomes a lived experience. Each of us is a soul, a distinct fragment of Source having a human journey. A core element of that journey involves navigating a dualistic existence, where opposites such as light and dark, love and fear, negative and positive coexist.
Therefore, when a seemingly negative feeling surfaces following a painful event, dismissing it with 'you don't exist' can lead to emotional suppression. The goal isn't to escape the darkness, but to confront it head-on and welcome it. Without hardship, how could we ever fully treasure the brighter moments?
I emphasize 'seemingly negative' because, fundamentally, perception shapes everything. What actually defines something as negative in the first place? Our minds, particularly the ego, run on programmed beliefs that help us separate right from wrong and positive from negative throughout our earthly experience. But without these mental scripts, would we still label anything as negative?
There's no easy answer to that question, but let me illustrate with a personal story. Just days ago, my door gave way as I was heading out to meet a friend. My mind instantly began spinning a stressful narrative, framing the moment as a problem or 'negative' event. Instead, I made a conscious choice to step back from the mental chaos, quiet it, and follow my intuition.
As it turned out, that broken door became a wonderful opportunity to repair it on my own! Being a young woman with limited experience using tools, I felt deeply empowered once I managed to fix it using whatever implements I had lying around. What most would consider a negative situation turned into an uplifting experience for me!
This reframing applies to any life scenario. Imagine being terribly late to a meeting, only to discover you narrowly missed a car accident. Or losing your job, only to realize you would have been miserable had you stayed. The instant you commit to shifting your perspective and viewing situations for what they truly are, you'll begin recognizing that everything unfolds exactly as it should, somehow working in your favor.
Understanding and Identifying Negativity
So what exactly counts as negativity? Crucially, what we categorize as negative vibrates at a lower frequency than what we label as positive. Put plainly, recall a moment when your gut told you something was 'right' or 'wrong.' I'm not referring to mental conditioning or cultural constructs, but to your innate intuitive sense. Perhaps you've experienced that sinking sensation in your stomach when something felt 'off.' That's your intuition tuning into vibrational frequencies! And science actually supports this kind of perception.
All things carry their own vibration and frequency. Logically, since everything consists of energy, this concept makes complete sense. Take emotions, for instance; they can elevate or diminish your personal vibration, prompting you to project a different energy field. The HearthMath Institute has empirically demonstrated this, revealing that uplifting emotions trigger beneficial physiological responses in the body, whereas negative ones produce the reverse effect.
HeartMath's research largely centers on the heart itself. Their findings confirm that the electromagnetic field radiating from the human heart is measurable, and that simply adjusting our emotional state can modify the data encoded within these cardiac magnetic fields. The heart houses a neural network capable of both short- and long-term memory, meaning that signals traveling to the brain shape our emotional experiences. HeartMath has even demonstrated that cultivating positive thoughts can strengthen immune function.
For those wanting to dive deeper into vibrations, frequencies, and the law of attraction, I recommend exploring Kevin Trudeau's audio CDs. His material tends to spark controversy, but personally, I find considerable wisdom within it.
Clearing Negative Energy From Your System
Should you recognize that you absorb negative energy easily or feel compelled to guard against it, consider trying the following techniques:
Creating an Energetic Shield
I adore this method, though your underlying motivation matters greatly. The practice involves visualizing a white glow (or any color that resonates with you) encasing your body, acting as a barrier against external energies. Personally, I've employed this technique at funerals, behind the wheel, and in other environments that others consider energetically heavy or unsafe.
That said, if you're building a shield against negativity you sense emanating from a specific person, it could be a valuable moment for self-reflection. What is it about this individual that strikes you as so negative? Given that we all mirror one another to some extent, any trait you find deeply negative in them might be one you carry within yourself.
Keep in mind that maintaining energetic shields demands considerable energy. If your mind is occupied with constructing and sustaining that barrier, full presence becomes difficult. This doesn't mean shielding is inherently flawed — it's a powerful practice with countless excellent applications — but reflecting on your purpose for erecting it and weighing your alternatives is wise.
Severing Energetic Cords
Emotional cords attach themselves to you, typically through particular experiences, traumas, or the transfer of energy from others, and they can be considered either positive or negative in nature. Love, for instance, generates positive cords, as your partner genuinely desires your wellbeing. Negative cords might form from your own self-judgment or from someone projecting their negativity onto you. Regardless of their valence, the healthiest state is to be free of emotional cords entirely.
Sound Reiki practitioner Catherine Varga passed along this straightforward technique for releasing energetic and emotional cords. Whenever you sense that a cord has formed, you can detach it by physically extracting it. Once you detect its attachment to one of your chakras, simply use your hands to pull the cord outward, much like tugging a rope, and visualize it departing your body.
Cleansing With Water
Just as your physical body requires regular cleansing, so does your energetic body. Water stands among our greatest assets, capable of purifying both the physical and energetic layers. One highly effective method for releasing absorbed energy is simply washing your hands or entire body. As water cascades over you, picture all the negative energy flowing away with it.
Burning Sage or 'Smudging'
Beyond its pleasant aroma, sage possesses the ability to purify both your living space and your personal energy field. The practice of smudging with sage spans generations, traditionally used to cleanse auras and clear spaces of stagnant or negative energy.
Closing Reflections
Remember that negativity always holds some value for your growth. Your soul deliberately chose to incarnate on this planet and engage with duality, so how can negativity truly be 'a bad thing?' Avoid fleeing from darkness; instead, embrace it as an opportunity to learn. By understanding and accepting the shadowy dimensions of ourselves and the cosmos, we open ourselves to fully cherishing the light.
