< continued from... 

Positive Energy…
THE MISSING LINK IN HEALTH AND HEALING

An Interview With Dr. Judith Orloff

SML: This brings us to the part of your book on energy vampires. What are they?

JO: These people can suck the life right out of us. Energy vampires roam our world. It’s an epidemic that medical texts don’t address. People are attacked all the time by energy vampires and mope around in an exhausted state not realizing what’s happening.

SML: You write about several kinds of energy vampires. Some are obvious, but others aren’t. Can you describe the types?

JO: One of the vampires is the sob sister. She makes herself a victim. She whines and complains, appears utterly helpless. When you present her with a solution, she says, “Yes, but …” These are big drainers. Another type is the blamer. This one has a sneaky way of making you feel guilty for not getting things right. This person doles out endless servings of guilt or resorts to verbal abuse. Then there’s the drama queen, the Sarah Bernhardt of vampires. She exaggerates small incidents into off-the-chart dramas. Another type is the constant talker, a chronic motor-mouth with no interest in what you’re saying or feeling. She doesn’t let you get a word in edgewise. Often these vampires stand right in your face and when you back off they take one step forward. The most malevolent of bloodsuckers is the go-for-the-jugular type who cuts you down with no consideration for your feelings. Often this one is driven by envy, competition, or insecurity. Her jabs just cut right in. Then there are the unintentional zappers—your children, your mate, friends. They don’t intend to deplete you but they do.

SML: How can we deal with family members who drain us?

JO: The key is to set clear boundaries and practice shielding yourself with white light as a protection. You’ll also need to plan regular mini-breaks from your children and mate. Experimenting with creative living conditions is another option. Many intuitive empaths can’t sustain a relationship because they don’t know how to design a living space with enough alone time. I can personally relate to this in terms of romantic relationships. I’ve learned I need separate bedrooms. I even believe in separate houses or separate wings for those of us empaths who require lots of solitude. Learning how to assert these needs makes a big difference. If you do this in a kind way so that others can hear it they won’t take it as a rejection.

SML: I love how you say in the book that the quality of the energy of all our connections matters. To me, that’s how we participate in changing the world.

JO: Absolutely. I’m a big believer in small interactions and the love you interchange with them. How you treat your FedEx person counts. If you hold an elevator for a little old lady instead of smashing it in her face. It all makes a difference. We can exchange positive energy in the grocery line, on the street, in the bank. It’s all about service. We live in a world of violence, selfishness, an erratic economy and scary diseases. We also live in a world of love, miracles and healing. My intention for writing this book is to help people transform the negative into the positive and work toward a better, more peaceful world.

SML: To conclude Positive Energy you say, We must wage a revolution of love and extend this globally. You speak of love as sustainable energy. I was very moved by that.

JO: Love is the ultimate sustainable energy. And it starts with being loving to the self, then being loving to others, to the Earth, and extending it out to the globe. When you tune into intuition it will teach you that there’s a oneness between everyone. We’re all brothers and sisters. It is not Us versus Them. Until we realize this we’ll never achieve peace. Love is the answer. It has to be experienced, not intellectualized. And once you get it you’ll see what needs to be done. We have to incorporate the sustainable energy of love into our lives to save the Earth and humankind.

SML: In the book you also talk about Technodespair, how technology such as computers and machines can drain our energy.