Have you ever noticed that when you are with certain people, you feel so alive, so energetic, but when you are with other people, you feel so exhausted, so tired?

When I was teaching a metaphysics course, I came across an obscure term called a zapper. Today, we think of a zapper as an electronic device. The dictionary defines it as (a) an electronic device designed to attract and kill insects, (b) a person who habitually changes the channel (to avoid commercials), or (c) a remote control device used for channel surfing. But when I was teaching that course, the term, zapper, was used to define people who drained all your energy, sucking the life force out of you.

One of the things I liked to do with my students was to experiment with metaphysical concepts and discuss the various ways we can incorporate spiritual theories into our everyday lives. Having figured out the zapper concept, I had everyone experiment with it. I gave them the task of making a list of the people who made them feel energized and the people who made them feel tired, and of course I made my own lists.

The results were amazing. We all found that we were surrounded by people who could invigorate us and people who sucked our life force away.

If this was just a matter of staying away from zappers and just having friends to make us feel alive, it would be easy to do. Just start to yawn or feel your brain blur and make a strategic retreat. But, like most things in life, that’s not easy to do.

Your boss or teacher could be a zapper and your options for a strategic retreat are limited. It should also be noted that not everyone is affected by the same zappers that you are. One person can drain your energy but make another feel alive, and vice versa.

At the time I was doing these experiments with my students, I had just acquired a new customer. She was beautiful, smart, interesting, and had a good sense of humor, but every time I was with her, my energy level went down the drain. It didn’t matter if she called me on the phone or she came to my office, the results were the same. He was so exhausted that he could have slept for a century. Eventually, I referred her to someone else because she was always too tired to give her the kind of help she deserved.

Do your own experiment. Spend five minutes next to someone without either of you saying a word and seeing how they feel. By the end of those five minutes, a zapper will have a burst of energy and you’ll feel great and you’ll feel like you just ran a 25K marathon, ready to collapse from exhaustion.