The theory of shifting energy, and our emotional state, and what it looks like in the real world, can really throw us for a loop once we immerse ourselves in this whole law of attraction thing.
The ‘void’ is one such aspect of the process that can leave us feeling a bit confused and quite anxious. But it’s actually very normal and once you have a better understanding of what is going on when you are in this state, you can relax and just surrender into whatever is going on in this moment in time.
What is The ‘Void’?
The void is a state of not really feeling much of anything. You’re not ‘trying’ to manifest through the use of the various tools we often bust out to make shit happen. You may have worked through a lot of resistance and reached a state of feeling pretty good about the prospects of your reality eventually mirroring back the energies you are cultivating.
Or you ended up in the void after feeling massive frustration with all your ‘trying’ and you just kind of ‘gave up.’
When we get into a teaching like the law of attraction, we start paying a whole lot of attention to our energy. We identify all the ‘ick’ and work on transforming it. Because we are now consciously trying to create our reality, rather than continuing to create by default and unconsciously, our resistance in all its forms may feel much stronger. We are much more aware of it. We feel a lot of resistance to the resistance and we start ‘trying’ very hard to get rid of it, which just intensifies it.
We worry we are messing things up and we won’t ever get what we want. We may lay quite a bit of suffering on ourselves as we work to manipulate reality just to our liking, as we constantly think about what we want and then feel badly because we don’t have it.
We are trying to manifest from a space of strongly resisting and disliking our current reality, and feeling better without a reason to is a tall order.
But because positive emotion seems to be the ticket to getting what we want, we are really ‘trying’ to get all happy, not because we actually care about feeling happy but because we see it as a means to an end, something we must do to get what our mind wants.
We are expending a lot of effort to feel better, and we may get a boost here and there but it really doesn’t stick.
All of this can feel really heavy and intense; we are fighting against all our negativity; we are trying so hard to get rid of it. We are trying so hard to be positive. We may be working through some really painful stuff and having lots of outbursts or really feeling our feelings more intensely.
If we reach a point where we release a lot of this resistance or we just get so sick of ‘trying’ to change our energy and ‘trying’ to get what we want and we just kind of ‘give up’ we may not feel much of anything after this happens.
We may not be feeling all happy and shiny but we’re not really feeling badly either. We may feel a bit empty. We may feel a bit numb as all that energy we were constantly contending with just isn’t there anymore.
So the ‘void’ is kind of this in-between period where you are switching directions energetically. You had a lot of momentum going in one direction and you are in the process of moving in another.
It’s not a bad place to be; it’s not something to worry about. It is just part of the process, and you will likely experience it many times as you continue on your journey of conscious creation. Sometimes it may last a few days or sometimes a few weeks.
The only problem with the ‘void’ is our response to it because it triggers all sorts of fears.
Lack of Positive Emotion is Different Than Negative Emotion
Because we are led to believe we must always be in some manically happy state to manifest, anytime we are not feeling all happy, we worry we are messing things up and we won’t be able to manifest.
Sure, it feels great to feel that way and that super-high energy can be quite a magnet for awesomeness. But let’s be real here–very few people, if any, would be able to feel such a high energy all the time.
And that’s fine–that really isn’t necessary to manifest or to be a generally happy person.
Sure, it is important we feel as good as we can, that we do our best to maintain perspectives that serve us, that we have a generally positive and optimistic outlook on life.
But when you really think about it, the key to manifesting is the lack of resistance. And lack of resistance is one of the key elements of the ‘void.’
You are no longer pushing against; you are no longer trying so hard to manifest. You may feel like you don’t even care if you get what you want. You will feel a great sense of relief if you were led to the void after getting so fed up with everything, you just said ‘fuck it, I’m done.’
Think back to before you knew about the law of attraction and you weren’t giving a second thought to your energy. You probably manifested all sorts of good things–clearly it didn’t come from consciously cultivating positive emotion or purposely working yourself up into some high energy state so you could enhance your capacity to receive.
You just didn’t have a lot of resistance for one reason or another.
There is no minimum level of ‘happy’ you must achieve to allow a different reality to show up for you. The only thing necessary is the energy of ‘allowing’ has to be stronger than the energy of ‘resistance.’
It’s okay if you are not super-high energy; it’s okay if you are not constantly in a state of excitedly awaiting the arrival of your manifestation or constantly engaging your energy in some way or performing some elaborate ritual to raise your vibration.
This sort of ‘blah’ energy won’t last and you’ll eventually perk up and feel more ‘normal.’
Just Go With It
Now that you have a better understanding of what is happening, just go with it. You may not feel like engaging in activities you normally engage in, so don’t force yourself to do them. You might find you have more time alone than usual–take advantage of that and use it however you feel inspired to use it.
Remember that manifesting is always about what you are ‘being’ not what you are ‘doing’; so don’t freak out if you aren’t feeling compelled to look at your vision board, say affirmations or do whatever else you would normally feel necessary to call forth your manifestation from the ethers. Those things are just ‘tools’ and nothing more–they have no power in and of themselves.
We inflict so much unnecessary suffering on ourselves by always feeling this pressure to be happy all the time, to make sure there is always some ‘positive’ thought floating through our mind.
We have so much resistance to our bad moods, blah moments, fears, and limiting beliefs, and this resistance is what really cements them. If we just let them run their course when they pop up, we don’t give them any more power than they currently have, which isn’t as much as we usually think.
We are so obsessed with doing manifesting ‘right’ and trying to understand exactly how it works. And this need to understand comes down to the need to control it. As a fellow human I get it, I really do.
We have so much fear we are going to mess it up somehow and then we won’t get what we want. And like I said before, it is all this muck that really gets in the way, not that we aren’t ‘high-energy’ or ‘happy’ enough.
But we can’t ‘mess it up’ because manifesting is not something that happens on the level of action. We can’t do it ‘wrong’.
The only way we can ‘mess it up’ is developing intense attachment to the specific things our mind wants, a stubborn unwillingness to look beyond our current reality, fighting for our limiting beliefs by pointing out all the ways they have been mirrored back to us, refusing to deal with our shit and giving into the fear over and over again.
All of these things are of the mind and the only thing required of us to transform them is consciously choosing to think and feel differently.
It can be challenging and it is a process for sure; and it is a choice we will have to consciously make over and over again. But that’s really it. A simple choice. That opens up so much.
Your Turn
What did you think of the post? Have you ever been in the void? Any tips for dealing with it? Looking forward to your comments as always.
I feel like I’ve been wavering between the void and tension lately. I had been feeling so tired today, and relaxing felt very good after a tense past few days. The void is definitely a recovery zone, that’s certain! For me the most difficult part of manifesting is letting go of the how’s. It drives my mind crazy to not know how something will happen. I often feel fearful that the things I want won’t happen at all. It’s scary to take a step back from pushing yourself to do things, because there’s a fear that you’ll never be motivated or inspired to do them again. It’s equally scary to follow inspiration when it’s leading you down a path that seems to have nothing to do with the things that you really want. My mind keeps telling me, “How is this going to help me to manifest ____?” Or, “This is too good to be true, I could never have that happen for me.” It definitely takes effort to look beyond those thoughts and ask, “What if? What if this could really happen? What if this could happen easily and without sacrifice? What if I really could trust that inner voice that is leading me to do something fun?” Trusting that unrealistic but lighthearted and happy voice can be frightening!
Hi Lilac
Thanks for your comment and sharing your experience. Your mind will always go into figure out mode because that is what it does and sometimes that is just what we need to do. But when it comes to stuff like this, it can’t figure out how because there is no way it can calculate the infinite combination of inspirations, ideas, opportunities and the like that would lead us where we want to be. If you can figure out the feelings that lie behind what you want, anytime you are presented with an opportunity to do something that would make you feel those feelings, do that thing. It might not be the last, final step but just the next step.
I have seen some major shifts in my life at the moment. That said, I am constantly tired and I couldn’t find an explanation. After reading I know I am in a void, it’s part of the process. I am trying to get in touch with what drives me at the moment. I am taking inspired action.
Thanks Kelli!
Hi Viv
Thanks for your comment and the physical tiredness is very common. All that mental energy can affect our physical energy. Just embrace whatever is happening and it will be a smoother ride.
I just realised, reading this, that I need to actually give myself permission to relax. To do things (or decide not to do them) from relaxed place, not from a tense, anxious place. Almost a physical thing. Do the same stuff, but feel more physical and emotional ease. Tension can build up, without you being aware of it, I find. Stuff can still get done, but your mood is just lighter. I have had those ‘meh’ days of being in the void, hopefully, I can accept them more and not get frustrated by them.
Thanks Kelli.
Hi Jon
Thanks for your comment and sharing your experience. Giving ourselves permission to act from this sort of space might seem like a small thing but energetically it is very significant. The more we realize how our state of mind affects what happens in our outside world, the easier it gets to pull away from force, manipulation and doing things that feel badly. We just start to see more clearly it doesn’t work as well.
Hey, Kelli!
I’ve been following you for a few months now (I think I’ve gone back and listened to every podcast to date), and this post is extremely relevant for me at the moment. I have most certainly been in the void in between periods of large releases of negative energy, and it’s certainly a weird feeling; this void is not something the “gurus” touch base on. It’s SO exhausting to try and be happy as can be 24/7. I’ve found that letting myself sulk is much easier than the “fake it till you make it” approach- it’s as if I’m opening myself up more so that the negative energy can make its way out.
Anyway, I just wanted to say keep up the good work! You have definitely been a source of wisdom for me lately.
Hi Emma
Thanks so much for your comment. You are right that trying to be happy like that is exhausting. It shouldn’t take so much effort to generate positive emotion so that right there clues us in we are trying to force it because we are feeling the exact opposite and all those feelings are okay too. It is easy to slip into denial when working consciously with our energy in hopes of influencing our external experience because we worry if we aren’t happy all the time, the things we want won’t be able to show up. I find just being with it and letting it out helps me get back to a better space feeling-wise much more quickly.
What a great post!! I love this – so many people put so much efforting into manifesting, when the allowing would bring the desire so much faster. Thank you for exploring this topic!!
Hi Kelly
Thanks for your comment and I am so glad you enjoyed the post. The effort equals results paradigm is very deeply ingrained and we usually carry it over into conscious creation; it can take a bit for us to realize creating from energy doesn’t work that way.
Hey Kelli thank you so much for writing whole post about ‘void’. I really wanted to understand what exactly it means. I am feeling lot better after knowing it’s not negative . Because i feel void so many times. I am doing great with my life. I do have some desires but well it doesn’t really matter if they don’t manifest. My focus is more upon the journey and how it’s shaping me. But void really helps me to relax and take a break before moving forward with fresh start. And you are right we can’t feel high energy at all the time. It’s very tiring so better is to go with the flow. Whatever it is. Thank you for wonderful insight.
Hi Rhea
Thanks for your comment and you shared some great insights. It definitely isn’t negative and like you have experienced, we can go into this state often–it just isn’t some one time thing on the way to some higher permanent vibration that never wavers no matter what. Anytime we are feeling ‘worn out’ by our efforts to feel happier, we know that is a sign that something is being buried or unacknowledged. It shouldn’t really feel like ‘work’ to feel better, it is something that just happens naturally as we process stuff and work on changing perspectives.
Void totally does feel like rest before a big exciting new chapter! That’s where I am now and reading this and all the comments, I can feel myself getting excited for what’s to come! Love this 🙂
I asked some friends to think about a person they havent been in touch with for a long time and they want to see again. 3 from 5 got a message from that person in the next 6 days. I dont need any prove. it works! 🙂
Hi Daniel
That is a cool experiment to show how we can connect energetically with people. Love the name of your website too!
Every time I’m thinking certain way, you write a blog post about it! Its happened so many times, where I think “what am I doing?”, “why am I doing this?” “why am i feeling this way?”or “Why hasn’t anything happened yet?” and every time I either come across one of your older blog posts or I get an email to say that a new one is up and… Boom! There is my answer! Thank you so much for all that you have done. I have gotten through some really tough months with your help! Thanks A Million!!!!
Hi Clara
Thanks so much for your comment and I am so glad my content has been helping you so much. Always so nice to hear. The Universe always provides doesn’t it?
Hi Kelli. This is such an amazing post. Thank you so much for keeping us inspired. We really appreciate it. I’m currently in the process of attracting my ex boyfriend back. He broke up with me about a year and two months ago. I still love him so much and I believe that he is my soul mate. We live in separate countries and he has me blocked on every social media platform. I have so much resistance when I try to manifest him due to how he blocked me multiple times and vowed that he and I are over for good. And I have so much fear, doubt and anger. I don’t fully believe that I can easily manifest him back and that upsets me a lot. I’m going through a lot right now and he is flourishing in his career and all and that makes me doubt cause I know that we’re not vibrating at the same frequency. I feel like I’m not good enough. How do I eliminate this and manifest him back from my hopeless current reality?
Hi Jeanie
I don’t think I am going to give you the answer you want to hear but here goes…First, we can’t use something like the LOA to control other people in any way. There is nothing you can do to guarantee a relationship with him or that he changes how he feels about you. Maybe he is the person for you or maybe not…I’m not an oracle so I can’t say for sure. Secondly, there is really no way to ever know with 100 percent certainty if a person, situation,etc…is THE thing for us. With relationships, our emotions are so clouded with fear of being alone, attachment to a particular person because this is something our mind already knows,etc…this is especially true and the only way to really move forward is being at least a LITTLE willing to concede that maybe this isn’t the person for you. When we are in flow and aligned with the things we want, they come easily to us, and relationships are no exception. If there is some sort of future for you, the only way you can allow it to take shape is to be open to the possibilities and being willing to accept that maybe there isn’t. The reason you feel upset isn’t because you don’t have this person, it is because your mind is assigning all sorts of meaning to the experience that make you feel badly, such as fear of being alone, thinking there must be something wrong with you,etc…Trying to attract your ex back is not where your attention should be, it should be on healing all of that. That will put you in a much better space energetically to manifest the love you want.
I always find something on here that says what I’m going through better than I could explain it. I’ve been tired and ’empty’ which caused me to worry and cling to what I wanted more. Reading this helped.
But now I’m confused and frustrated! If letting go where you don’t care what happens is good how is anything that happens related to you? If you shouldn’t want that job or that guy then you don’t want anything.
You get a job and don’t like it so it’s resistance – you should let go, you are labelling it ‘bad’. The ideal is get that same non-specific job and accept. Think something else non specific will happen but not expect it as you have to be open that it might not too?
You want that guy but shouldn’t. If it was going to happen you’d have him easily by now. So don’t focus on him or anything and ‘it’ will happen, but also maybe not so let go of the idea of anyone at all?
Overthinking much…
Hi Sara
I can feel the anxiety oozing from this comment 😉 First, that you ‘should’ not want anything is not true. It’s okay want stuff–we are here creating every moment so naturally there are going to be specific things we would like in our reality, experiences we would like to have. The key is remaining open to how these experiences manifest and what the manifestation will ultimately look like–the ideal type of job or relationship according to your mind, for example, may not be the best representation of these things, and getting too attached to any one opportunity, person,etc…will be painful. We will lament all sorts of things that probably wouldn’t have made us that happy anyway .We also want to want without needing, without feeling lack or incompleteness in our current experience because these things are not here. Wanting is not what causes manifestations, it is our energy, and wanting or not wanting, that never shuts down. There is no reason not to have money, relationships, a good job,etc…so giving up the desperate need for these things to happen, the attachment to them, does not mean they won’t come.
Hi Kelli,
I just stumbled across this post bc I am looking for answers as to why very little has been manifesting in my life for a very long time. Yes your post here about the void makes a lot of sense. After some difficult years, being in the void ceased to worry me so much. But the problem is nothing is changing for the better, and status quo has continued now for years. I have kept learning and practising to deal with, and control, my emotions, but despite huge changes within me, there have been no changes in my physical reality.
I first heard about LOA 7-8 yrs ago, so I am not a novice. From the very start I continued educating myself, learning as much as I could, and practicing. After lots of successful manifestations, especially the first few years, as well as uncovering, dealing with, and healing, multiple past traumas, I have ended up in a situation where I have lost even basic things in life such as an income, family and friends. I kept searching and learning how to remain positive and optimistic through all the hardship, but even though I have felt so much better and calmer overall, I have seen very few manifestations.
I feel there is a time limit to how long anybody can live in an impossible situation, while practising LOA without experiencing any changes. Even the void, is now starting to cause me great distress, bc it has been years in my current situation.
So my question is if you have heard of this before, no manifestations despite lots of growth, understanding, feeling better etc, and/or do you know where I could turn to for help?
Many thanks in advance
Hi Meghan
Without speaking with you personally it would be hard to give a more personalized ‘assessment’ of what is happening. But here are a few general things that often are happening. If you felt resonant with it, a coaching session would probably be very helpful.
1. Don’t think of the LOA as something you ‘do’ or ‘practice.’ What we manifest is determined by what we are ‘being’ not anything we ‘do.’ We have always been creating, we just weren’t doing it consciously or deliberately. All the tools and techniques can assist us in this more deliberate engagement. Setting intentions and focusing more positively can also help this. But none of those things guarantee any sort of change. Because of this approach, we often don’t notice what is happening inside and that we may not have changed very much internally in the ways we need to change. Our negative focus is so deeply ingrained we don’t even notice we still do it. The journey of inner transformation–which naturally lends itself to external transformation–is very different than simply trying to change the outside and attract what we don’t have, which is what most of us are doing.
2. You may have seen certain changes but because of impatience, resistance to current circumstances, a rush to get some sort of ‘final’ version of our manifestation, you were never able to really build any momentum behind the energies that would be more ‘beneficial’ You didn’t recognize these manifestations as ‘signs’ you were going in the right direction–they may have been dismissed as small, no big deal,etc. So we go back to negative focus,etc..and nothing changes
3. Things manifested that could have served as very helpful catalysts for positive internal change but since the mind didn’t like them, didn’t like how they felt, it just increased resistance and reinforced negative beliefs,etc…we didn’t look for the energetic feedback and ‘lessons’
4. YOu may have dealt with negative feelings to some degree but probably not deeply enough…there were many times I was convinced I dealt with something but then realized I still was in denial about the depth of the negativity
Kelli,
thank you so much for these words, it was exactly what I needed to read today. It’s bookmarked and I might keep coming back to it if I get stuck again, to remind myself that it’s okay and part of the process.
Much love,
Leif
Hi Leif
Thanks so much for your comment and I am so glad you found the post helpful. This can be an uncomfortable space but knowing it’s normal and the purpose it serves can take some of the edge off. Big hugs to you!
This is exactly what I needed. Right site, right time, thankyou so much.
Hi Petr
You are very welcome!