Can Someone Else's Energy Affect You?

Have you ever had one of those days where everything was going brilliantly...

...until you crossed paths with one angry person?

Perhaps it was someone at work.

A stranger in a supermarket.

A difficult family member.

Or someone who seemed determined to make their bad mood everyone else's problem.

You walked away feeling shaken.

Heavy.

Maybe even questioning yourself.

And afterwards you wondered:

"Have I taken on their energy?"

I think it's a really important question.

Because the answer isn't as simple as many people make it.

Yes, other people's energy can affect you

Let's get this out of the way first.

I don't believe we're sealed off from one another.

Human beings are constantly exchanging energy.

You don't need to believe in auras or chakras to recognise that.

Walk into a room where everyone's laughing and you'll probably find yourself smiling.

Walk into a room after a blazing argument and you'll feel the tension before anyone says a word.

We're wired to pick up on each other.

That's part of being human.

And if you're naturally sensitive, intuitive or developing your mediumship, you may notice those energetic shifts even more strongly.

That doesn't mean you've failed

This is where I think the spiritual world sometimes gets itself into a muddle.

There's an idea that if your vibration is high enough, nothing negative should touch you.

That if someone else's mood affects you, you must have forgotten to protect yourself.

Or your boundaries aren't good enough.

Or you've somehow dropped your vibration.

I don't believe that's true.

Life happens.

People happen.

Energy happens.

Being affected by another person's emotional state doesn't mean you've failed spiritually.

It means you're alive.

Sensitivity isn't weakness

I've spent years trying to become less affected by difficult situations.

Then one day I realised...

The very thing I was trying to get rid of is one of the reasons I can do this work.

Mediumship asks us to feel.

To notice.

To sense.

To be open.

If I shut all of that down completely, I'd probably stop noticing Spirit too.

So perhaps the goal isn't becoming emotionally bulletproof.

Perhaps it's learning how to return to yourself afterwards.

Sometimes people throw their emotions

I don't mean that literally.

But we've all experienced it.

Someone is stressed.

Embarrassed.

Overwhelmed.

Ashamed.

Instead of sitting with those feelings, they project them onto the nearest available person.

Suddenly you're carrying emotions that weren't yours to begin with.

That doesn't mean you've absorbed them forever.

It simply means you've been caught in someone else's emotional weather for a little while.

You're not responsible for everyone else's storm

This has become one of the biggest lessons Spirit have taught me.

You can have compassion for someone without carrying their emotions home with you.

You can understand why someone behaved the way they did without excusing it.

You can recognise that another person's anger came from their own discomfort without making it your responsibility to fix.

There's a huge difference between empathy and ownership.

Many sensitive people blur that line.

I know I have.

I think of it like a lasagne

Bear with me.

Spirit have shown me this image for years, and yes, I know it's gloriously random.

Imagine life as a giant lasagne.

Each layer represents a different energetic experience.

One layer is full of joy.

Another is full of stress.

Another is grief.

Another is hope.

Most of the time, we're moving within our own layer.

But every now and then, the layers touch.

Someone else's emotional world brushes against yours.

For a moment, you're standing in their reality instead of your own.

That doesn't mean you've moved house.

It doesn't mean you've become them.

It simply means the layers crossed for a while.

Your job isn't to panic.

Your job is simply to find your way back to your own layer.

Stop blaming yourself

One of the most damaging things we can do after a difficult interaction is immediately ask,

"What did I do wrong?"

Sometimes...

Nothing.

Sometimes another person is having a terrible day.

Sometimes they're overwhelmed.

Sometimes they're frightened.

Sometimes they're reacting to circumstances you know nothing about.

That doesn't make their behaviour acceptable.

But it also doesn't mean you caused it.

You don't need to absorb every emotion

When you're naturally empathic, it can feel almost automatic.

Someone else is upset.

Now you're upset.

Someone else is anxious.

Now your body feels anxious too.

The trick isn't pretending that doesn't happen.

The trick is noticing it sooner.

Asking yourself:

"Is this actually mine?"

Sometimes the answer will be yes.

Sometimes it won't.

That question alone can be incredibly freeing.

Returning to yourself

After a difficult interaction, I don't think the answer is fear.

I don't think we need endless rituals or complicated energetic protection techniques.

For me, it's much simpler.

Time.

Fresh air.

Walking the dogs.

Laughing with my family.

Sitting quietly with Spirit.

Reminding myself who I was before that interaction happened.

Little by little, my own energy returns.

Not because I forced it.

Because I stopped feeding the story that I'd somehow been permanently damaged by someone else's mood.

Being spiritually aware doesn't mean being untouchable

I think this is one of the biggest misconceptions about spiritual development.

People imagine that if you're connected with Spirit, nothing should upset you anymore.

You should always be calm.

Always peaceful.

Always high vibration.

I don't know anyone who lives like that.

Certainly not me.

Being spiritually aware doesn't stop you feeling.

It simply helps you understand what you're feeling.

It gives you the tools to recognise when you've wandered into someone else's emotional landscape and gently find your way home again.

Protect your peace... not your fear

I don't spend my life worrying about negative energy.

I don't believe the world is full of psychic attacks waiting to happen.

But I do believe it's healthy to notice when something doesn't belong to you.

To acknowledge it.

To feel it.

And then...

To let it pass.

Because the goal isn't to become someone who never feels the world.

The goal is to become someone who remembers that not every feeling is theirs to carry.

Listen to the full podcast episode

This article is based on an episode of the Mediumship Matters podcast, where I share a personal experience that left me questioning the impact of other people's energy and explore what Spirit have taught me about empathy, intuition and finding your way back to yourself.

If you'd rather listen than read, you'll find the full episode wherever you get your podcasts.

Developing your spiritual awareness?

One of the greatest gifts you can give yourself is learning the difference between feeling someone's energy and believing you're responsible for carrying it.

Those are two very different things.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can someone else's energy really affect you?

Yes, I believe it can. Human beings naturally influence one another emotionally and energetically. You don't have to believe in anything mystical to recognise that spending time with an angry, anxious or joyful person can affect how you feel. The important thing is recognising when you've picked up on someone else's emotional state and gently returning to your own.

How do I know if I'm feeling someone else's energy?

A good question to ask yourself is, "Was I feeling this before I met this person?" If your mood shifts suddenly after an interaction and it doesn't feel like your usual emotional state, you may simply be responding to someone else's energy rather than your own thoughts or circumstances.

Does being an empath mean I absorb everyone's emotions?

Not necessarily. Being empathic means you're naturally aware of other people's emotions, but awareness doesn't have to become ownership. One of the most important lessons for sensitive people is learning to recognise another person's feelings without believing it's their job to carry or fix them.

How can I stop taking on other people's energy?

Rather than trying to shut yourself off completely, focus on returning to yourself after difficult interactions. Spending time in nature, talking with trusted friends, sitting quietly with Spirit, journalling or simply asking, "Is this feeling actually mine?" can help you reconnect with your own emotional centre.

Do I need psychic protection before leaving the house?

I don't believe we need to live in fear of negative energy or constantly imagine we're under psychic attack. Most people move through life perfectly well without elaborate protection rituals. Healthy emotional boundaries, self-awareness and a strong connection with your own values are often far more helpful than living in fear of what might happen.

Why do some people seem to project their emotions onto others?

When people feel stressed, embarrassed, overwhelmed or frightened, they sometimes express those emotions through anger, blame or frustration. While that behaviour isn't always fair, recognising that their reaction belongs to them—not you—can make it easier to avoid carrying those emotions long after the interaction has ended.

Is it normal to need time to recover after difficult interactions?

Absolutely. Sensitive people often need a little time to process emotionally intense situations. That doesn't mean you're weak or spiritually failing. Giving yourself space to decompress, reset and reconnect with your own energy is a healthy response, not something to feel guilty about.

Can developing mediumship make you more sensitive?

It can. Mediumship encourages you to become more aware of subtle emotions, impressions and energy. While this heightened sensitivity can strengthen your connection with Spirit, it's equally important to develop emotional resilience so you can recognise what belongs to you and what doesn't.

How do I return to my own energy after feeling overwhelmed?

Start with kindness towards yourself. Slow down, breathe, spend time somewhere that feels peaceful and reconnect with the things that make you feel like you. You don't need to force yourself to "raise your vibration" instantly. Often, simply acknowledging that you've been affected and allowing yourself time to reset is enough for your own natural energy to return.