Can't Feel Energy: How to Develop Energy Sensitivity & Stop Being Numb

Don't Feel Anything During Energy Work: Understanding Energy Insensitivity

Everyone talks about feeling energy—tingling, warmth, vibrations, or sensing auras and chakras. But you don't feel anything. During Reiki, meditation, energy healing, or spiritual practices, you're completely numb. You don't feel energy moving, you can't sense chakras, you don't feel anything when working with crystals, and you're starting to wonder if you're broken or if energy work just isn't for you. You're left wondering: why can't I feel energy? Am I energetically numb? Is something wrong with me? Will I ever be able to feel it?

Not being able to feel energy is more common than you think and doesn't mean you're broken or that energy work isn't working. Some people are naturally less kinesthetically sensitive, others are blocked or disconnected from their bodies, and many simply haven't developed the skill yet. Understanding why you can't feel energy and learning how to develop sensitivity can help you connect with subtle energy in your own way and time.

Why You Can't Feel Energy

1. You're Not a Kinesthetic Perceiver

Not everyone perceives energy through physical sensation.

Different ways to perceive energy:

• Clairsentience (feeling): Physical sensations, emotions, gut feelings
• Clairvoyance (seeing): Visual images, colors, auras
• Clairaudience (hearing): Sounds, voices, messages
• Claircognizance (knowing): Just knowing without sensory input

What's happening: You might be perceiving energy in a different way than physical sensation. You might see, hear, or just know instead of feel.

Solution: Explore other ways you might be perceiving energy. Not everyone feels it physically.

2. You're Disconnected From Your Body

If you live in your head, you won't feel body sensations easily.

Signs of body disconnection:

• You're always thinking, rarely feeling
• You don't notice physical sensations generally
• You're not aware of your body most of the time
• You dissociate or space out
• You ignore or suppress physical signals

Why you can't feel energy: Energy sensations are subtle. If you're not connected to your body, you won't notice them.

Solution: Develop body awareness through practices like yoga, body scans, or somatic therapy.

3. You're Expecting Too Much

Energy sensations are often subtle, not dramatic.

Unrealistic expectations:

• Expecting lightning bolts or intense sensations
• Thinking you should feel something obvious immediately
• Comparing your experience to others' dramatic descriptions
• Looking for big signs instead of subtle ones

What's actually happening: You might be feeling energy but dismissing it as "not enough" or "just imagination."

Solution: Notice subtle sensations. Energy work is often gentle, not dramatic.

4. You're Trying Too Hard

Forcing or straining blocks natural sensitivity.

What happens:

• You're tense and trying to force feeling
• You're so focused on trying that you miss what's actually there
• Tension blocks subtle perception
• You're in your head analyzing instead of experiencing

Solution: Relax. Let go of trying. Allow sensations to come to you.

5. You Haven't Developed the Skill Yet

Energy sensitivity is a skill that develops with practice.

What's happening:

• You're a beginner
• Your sensitivity hasn't developed yet
• You need more practice and time
• This is completely normal

Why it takes time: Like learning to taste wine or hear musical notes, energy sensitivity develops gradually.

Solution: Practice regularly. Be patient. Sensitivity will develop.

6. You're Blocked or Shut Down

Energetic or emotional blockages can prevent feeling.

What blocks sensitivity:

• Trauma (especially if being in your body feels unsafe)
• Chronic stress or anxiety
• Emotional numbness or depression
• Energetic blockages in your system
• Over-protection or shielding

Solution: Address underlying blocks through healing, therapy, or energy work.

7. You're Overthinking It

Analyzing prevents experiencing.

What happens:

• You're thinking about whether you're feeling energy
• You're questioning every sensation
• You're in analytical mode, not receptive mode
• Your mind is too busy to notice subtle sensations

Solution: Get out of your head. Experience first, analyze later.

8. You're Naturally Less Sensitive

Some people are naturally more or less energetically sensitive.

What's happening:

• You're on the less sensitive end of the spectrum
• This is just how you're wired
• It doesn't mean energy work won't help you
• You just perceive it differently or less intensely

Solution: Accept your natural sensitivity level. Work with it, not against it.

How to Develop Energy Sensitivity

Step 1: Develop Body Awareness

Connect with your physical body first:

Body scan practice:

• Lie down comfortably
• Bring attention to each body part
• Notice any sensations—warmth, coolness, tingling, pressure, or nothing
• Don't judge, just notice
• Practice daily

Why it works: You can't feel subtle energy if you can't feel your body. Build basic body awareness first.

Step 2: Start With Obvious Sensations

Practice feeling energy in easy, obvious ways:

Hand energy exercise:

• Rub your hands together vigorously for 30 seconds
• Slowly pull them apart a few inches
• Notice the sensation between your hands (warmth, tingling, magnetic pull)
• Move hands closer and farther apart
• Feel the energy ball between your palms

Why it works: This creates obvious energy you can actually feel. Builds confidence and sensitivity.

Step 3: Practice With Crystals

Crystals have strong, tangible energy:

• Hold a clear quartz or other crystal
• Close your eyes and relax
• Notice any sensations in your hand (tingling, warmth, pulsing, pressure)
• Don't force—just notice what's there
• Try different crystals and compare

Why it works: Crystal energy is often easier to feel than subtle body energy.

Step 4: Notice Subtle Sensations

Energy sensations are often very subtle:

What to notice:

• Slight warmth or coolness
• Gentle tingling or buzzing
• Subtle pressure or heaviness
• Sense of movement or flow
• Magnetic pull or repulsion
• Just a "sense" of something without clear sensation

Practice: During energy work, notice the subtlest sensations. Don't dismiss them as "nothing."

Step 5: Explore Other Perception Modes

You might perceive energy differently:

Try noticing:

• Visual: Do you see colors, images, or light?
• Auditory: Do you hear sounds, tones, or words?
• Knowing: Do you just know things without sensory input?
• Emotional: Do you feel emotions or mood shifts?

Why it matters: You might be perceiving energy but not in the way you expect.

Step 6: Practice Regularly

Sensitivity develops with consistent practice:

• Do energy exercises daily
• Practice feeling your own energy field
• Work with crystals, Reiki, or other energy modalities
• Be patient—it takes time

Timeline: Some people feel energy immediately; others take weeks or months of practice. Both are normal.

Step 7: Relax and Allow

Stop trying so hard:

• Relax your body and mind
• Let go of expectations
• Allow sensations to come to you
• Don't force or strain
• Be receptive, not active

Why it works: Subtle perception requires relaxed receptivity, not forceful effort.

Step 8: Address Blocks

If you're blocked:

• Work with an energy healer to clear blockages
• Address trauma with a therapist
• Work on emotional healing
• Practice grounding and opening

Exercises to Develop Energy Sensitivity

Exercise 1: Temperature Sensing

• Hold hands over different objects
• Notice temperature differences
• Some objects feel warmer or cooler energetically
• Practice distinguishing subtle temperature shifts

Exercise 2: Aura Feeling

• Hold hand a few inches from your arm
• Slowly move hand closer and farther
• Notice where you feel your aura (subtle resistance or tingling)
• Practice finding the edge of your energy field

Exercise 3: Chakra Sensing

• Hold hand over each chakra location
• Notice any sensations (warmth, tingling, pressure)
• Some chakras may feel more active than others
• Practice regularly to develop sensitivity

Exercise 4: Partner Practice

• Have someone send you energy
• Notice when they start and stop
• Practice feeling the difference
• Get feedback on your accuracy

What If You Never Feel Energy?

Some people remain less sensitive, and that's okay:

You can still:

• Benefit from energy work (you don't have to feel it for it to work)
• Practice Reiki or energy healing (it works whether you feel it or not)
• Develop spiritually
• Perceive energy in other ways (seeing, knowing, etc.)

Remember: Feeling energy is not required for energy work to be effective. It's helpful but not necessary.

FAQs About Not Feeling Energy

Is it normal to not feel energy?

Yes, very common, especially for beginners. Some people develop sensitivity quickly; others take time. Some remain less sensitive.

Does energy work still work if I can't feel it?

Yes! Energy works whether you feel it or not. Feeling is perception, not the energy itself.

How long does it take to feel energy?

Varies widely. Some people feel it immediately; others take weeks, months, or longer. Practice and patience are key.

Can everyone learn to feel energy?

Most people can develop some level of sensitivity with practice, but natural sensitivity varies. Some will always be less sensitive than others.

What if I feel energy sometimes but not always?

Normal! Sensitivity fluctuates based on your state, stress level, health, and other factors. Consistency develops with practice.

The Bottom Line

Not being able to feel energy usually means you're not a kinesthetic perceiver, you're disconnected from your body, you're expecting too much, you haven't developed the skill yet, or you're blocked. Energy sensitivity is a skill that develops with practice, and not everyone perceives energy through physical sensation—you might see, hear, or just know instead.

Develop sensitivity through body awareness practices, starting with obvious sensations, practicing regularly, relaxing and allowing, and exploring other perception modes. Be patient—sensitivity develops over time.

And remember: you don't have to feel energy for it to work or for you to benefit from energy practices. Feeling is just one way to perceive energy. Find your own way of connecting with subtle energy, and trust that it's working even when you can't feel it.