Psychic Numbing Might Explain Our Desensitization to Negative News
It’s fairly easy to become desensitized to the negative events going on in the world, and often it feels necessary to numb ourselves from the constant barrage of the 24-hour news cycle. We’re exposed to death and tragedy, to the point of exhaustion. And that’s exactly what happens, we become exhausted and tune out, in a process that has been referred to as psychic numbing or compassion fatigue.
Psychic numbing was coined by Robert Jay Lifton, a psychiatrist who developed the concept when speaking to victims of Hiroshima. Psychic numbing is often a product of post-traumatic stress disorder, but just about anyone can be susceptible to it. In fact, it is almost a natural human reaction out of an inability to comprehend large, abstract numbers or overwhelming data. So, what can we do to combat this apathy, or is it even possible to combat?
What is Psychic Numbing?
The seemingly interminable amount of death, starvation and suffering that is transmitted to us comes from many sources. Media is so pervasive and addictive that it is often difficult to censor all the negativity that comes with it. So instead, we have an innate tendency to block out our emotional response. When reality becomes intolerable, our minds need to escape and diminish that emotional reaction. This can also happen with positive things. Overconsumption of things like food, sex and any other enjoyable stimuli can lead to a diminished return, essentially diluting the satisfaction that you receive.
For humanitarian crises, war or terrorism, this dilution comes in the form of a lack of empathy. Our initial response to something like genocide might be to donate money, raise awareness or pressure a politician to act on our behalf. But once that number surpasses a certain threshold, whether it’s the frequency of crises or the amount of people affected, it becomes more and more difficult to comprehend and the amount of sympathy you can muster exponentially decreases.
Psychologists, like Paul Slavic, believe this to be related to our attachment to images. These images, whether physical or in our mind, become associated with emotions that we attach to them. Sounds, smells and memories are relevant to these images that become variables in developing our levels of empathy. But those images need to be accessed in order to tap into that emotional response. We need to devote attention in order to access those empathic feelings.
When it comes to large scale catastrophes, those images aren’t easily accessible, and the greater the number of victims, the less we feel like we can do to make an impact. It stems from how we conceptualize an event as a whole. Although we might see every life as being equal, the value of saving one life seems greater if there is only one life in danger, or one life within a small group. But when it’s a matter of saving 5,321 lives or 5,322 lives, the value of that one life is harder to conceive and becomes significantly diminished. Slavic calls this psychophysical numbing, our inability to appreciate losses of life as they increase.
But why do our minds think this way? It likely has to do with the feeling of inefficacy, that any contribution or effort to help, won’t have a significant effect – or at least one that is noticeable.
When we have an image to associate with suffering however, feelings of empathy tend to rise. This phenomenon has been seen in images that have gone viral that have represented the plight of refugees. Images of dead or shell-shocked children that have drawn attention in the media and come to symbolize the Syrian refugee crisis have been directly correlated with massive spikes in donations and humanitarian efforts. When we have a visual basis for somebody we can help, and the subsequent effect we have on them, our desire to help increases and feels more rewarding.
How to Avoid Desensitization to Bad News
So, what does one do to be more compassionate and generate more empathy? The first step is simply having awareness. Awareness of what is going on with the crisis at hand and awareness of our own tendencies to block out those emotions when they become overwhelming is key. If we become numb to atrocity, it perpetuates more atrocities. Another answer is to think small. It is possible to make the world better, by thinking small. Although it might seem insignificant, donating time, money and energy to a cause, with the potential to save or impact one life is meaningful and worthwhile.
Numbing oneself to negative news can even be seen as a privilege. Passivity to social and humanitarian injustices can be tantamount to compliance or acceptance. Being aware, outspoken or taking the smallest action is the least we can do to combat negative events. Collective, conscious action and the power of intention can have some profound effects on our society with the ability to enact change.
And it doesn’t have to be something like genocide or war; issues like climate change have become diluted by psychic numbing. The looming threat of climate change can be so daunting and feel like we are past the point of no return, but if we become completely numb to the subject, it will undoubtedly become worse. Identifying a lack of empathy or motivation due to psychic numbing is the first and most important step. We can’t let the powers that be inundate and overwhelm us to the point of becoming numb. Because when we become numb, we stop paying attention.
About the Author
What Is 'Vibrate High' and How to Raise Your Vibrational Frequency
Everything in the universe, including our thoughts and emotions, has a vibrational frequency that influences how we feel, act and relate to others. When our vibrational frequency is high, we experience greater well-being, clarity and spiritual connection. In this article we explore what it means to vibrate high, how to identify your current vibrational state and what practices can help you raise your vibration in a sustained way.
Table of Contents
- What Does It Mean to Vibrate High?
- Am I Vibrating High or Am I Vibrating Low?
- Raising Your Vibration: Essential Practices and Habits
- What Can You Achieve by Vibrating High?
- The Science Behind Vibrational Frequency
- Vibrational Frequency and Spiritual Development
- Strategies for Maintaining High Vibration Over the Long Term
What Does It Mean to Vibrate High?
Vibrating high refers to the level of vibrational frequency we emit through our thoughts, emotions and states of consciousness. Just as everything in the universe vibrates, we also project an energetic frequency that influences our perception, our decisions and the reality we co-create. A high vibration manifests through elevated emotions such as love, gratitude, joy, compassion and trust.
The importance of vibrating high lies in its direct impact on our daily experience. A high vibrational frequency favors well-being, enhances inner clarity and attracts people and situations in tune with that energy. On the other hand, a low vibration can generate emotional blockages, conflictive relationships or repetitive patterns that limit our growth. Learning how to vibrate high allows us to take responsibility for our energetic state and transform our lives from the inside out.
Am I Vibrating High or Am I Vibrating Low?
To know if you are vibrating high, observe how you feel physically, mentally and emotionally. People with a high vibrational frequency tend to feel at peace with themselves, face challenges with a positive attitude and cultivate healthy relationships. They also commonly experience synchronicities, creative inspiration and a sense of purpose.
Conversely, when someone vibrates low, emotions such as anxiety, frustration, fear or judgment predominate. The energy feels dense, it is difficult to maintain motivation and everything seems to go uphill. Recognizing if you are vibrating low is fundamental to initiate a change, since raising your vibration is possible with intention, awareness and small daily actions.
Raising Your Vibration: Essential Practices and Habits
Knowing how to raise your vibration does not require drastic changes, but rather incorporating daily habits that strengthen your energy, your presence and your inner connection. These practices help you sustain a high vibrational frequency, cultivate positive emotional states and live with greater coherence and vitality.
- Daily meditation: Dedicating a few minutes to inner silence regulates the nervous system and improves mental clarity. Constant practice allows you to tune in to a higher and more stable vibration.
- Conscious gratitude: Intentionally giving thanks shifts your mental focus and elevates your emotional state. It is one of the fastest ways to raise your vibrational frequency.
- Conscious eating: Eating fresh, natural, nutrient-rich foods sustains your vital energy. Avoiding processed and mindful eating also influences your vibration.
- Body movement (yoga, dance, walking): Moving the body unblocks stagnant energy and promotes inner balance. Activities such as yoga or dancing help to release tension and raise the frequency.
- Listen to high vibrational music: Music has a direct effect on your energy field. Choose sounds that inspire you and connect you to higher states of consciousness.
- Connection with nature: Being in contact with the natural environment harmonizes body and mind. Walking barefoot, breathing fresh air or simply observing the sky restores your energy.
- Creative visualization and affirmations: Using the mind in a positive way transforms your frequency. Visualizing what you desire and repeating affirmations raises your vibration and focuses your intention.
- Laugh, enjoy and surround yourself with positive people: High emotions are contagious. Sharing time with people who nurture you emotionally improves your vibrational state.
- Rest and restful sleep habits: Good sleep allows the body to regenerate and the mind to quiet down. Deep rest sustains a high vibrational frequency in the long term.
What Can You Achieve by Vibrating High?
Maintaining a high vibrational frequency not only improves your internal state, it also transforms the quality of your experiences. When you vibrate high, your energy becomes consistent with opportunities, connections and situations that reflect that same level of well-being. This internal change manifests in specific areas of life, generating a deep and lasting impact.
- Attract money and abundance: A high vibration connects you with the energy of trust and deservingness. This facilitates openness to new economic opportunities and a healthier relationship with giving and receiving.
- Improve relationships and bonds: When your frequency is high, you attract people who are in harmony with your energy. Relationships become more authentic, conscious and enriching.
- Elevate your emotional well-being: Feelings such as peace, joy and gratitude become more frequent and stable. This strengthens your ability to respond to stress and improves your quality of life.
- Connect with your purpose: Vibrating high helps you listen more clearly to your inner voice. This facilitates decisions aligned with what truly inspires you and gives meaning to your path.
- Expand your spiritual awareness: As you raise your frequency, you access states of greater connection with the subtle. This opens the door to experiences of unity, intuition and inner expansion.
The Science Behind Vibrational Frequency
The idea that everything vibrates at a certain frequency is consistent with the principles of modern physics. Matter, energy and even our thoughts and emotions are made up of vibratory fields that manifest at different levels of density and movement. The higher the frequency, the more subtle and expansive its manifestation.
Vibrational frequency is not just a theoretical notion: it has practical implications in everyday life. Studies in neuroscience, psychology and physiology show that positive emotions such as gratitude, joy or compassion generate beneficial effects on the nervous system, strengthen health and favor broader states of consciousness. These emotions, when sustained over time, raise the overall vibration of the body and mind.
In contrast, emotions such as fear, anger or sustained sadness are associated with lower frequencies. These can weaken the immune system, affect mental health and limit our perception of possibilities. Understanding how our vibrational frequency influences our physical, emotional and mental balance allows us to make more conscious choices to cultivate a more coherent and healthy energy.
Vibrational Frequency and Spiritual Development
Raising the vibrational frequency is an essential part of the spiritual growth process. As a higher vibration is sustained, inner perception is expanded and the connection to deeper aspects of the self is strengthened. This inner shift is reflected in greater clarity, a sense of purpose and a life guided by intuition.
A higher frequency acts as a catalyst for spiritual awakening. By letting go of limiting mental and emotional patterns, space opens up to experience a broader reality that transcends ego concerns. From this perspective, spiritual development is not an idealized state, but a gradual process of alignment with higher consciousness.
In addition, when the vibration is high, it is easier to access subtle experiences such as deep meditation, energetic perception or a sense of oneness with all that exists. These experiences are not exclusive to those who follow a formal spiritual practice, but are available to anyone who consciously cultivates their energy. Vibrational frequency, in this sense, is the bridge between the physical plane and the spiritual dimension.
Strategies for Maintaining High Vibration Over the Long Term
Raising your vibration is important, but sustaining it over time is what really transforms your life. This does not mean always being in elevated states, but learning to return to them more quickly and consciously. The key is to cultivate a routine that strengthens your physical, emotional and energetic well-being on a consistent basis.
Setting healthy boundaries, prioritizing self-care and surrounding yourself with uplifting stimuli are essential practices to prevent external factors from draining your energy. It is also essential to regularly review your thoughts, habits and relationships, and make adjustments when necessary. Vibration is not static: it changes depending on how you live, think and connect with yourself and the world.
