How to clear energy imprints in second-hand things

You can save a lot of money buying things second hand, but the drawback is that they nearly always carry some level of energetic imprinting made by the previous owner.

New car

Most people prefer to buy new things to things that are second hand. Apart from the fact that new things are generally in better condition than second-hand things, a large part of the joy of new ownership lies in the fact that they arrive in your life like a blank slate, ready for you to use and imprint with your own energy to make them feel yours.

The difference between second hand and new

The more a second-hand item has been used and the longer it was owned by the previous owner, the more imprinting it will have.

Of course, if the previous owner is someone you love or respect, this can be a good thing. It’s also the reason why so many people seek to own an item that once belonged to a celebrity because some of that person’s energy will be imprinted into it.

But most objects you acquire second hand, including antiques, are unlikely to have such desirable histories. It’s pot luck. You have no idea what embedded imprints you’ll be taking home with you or how they will affect you. More often than not, they will have energies that hinder rather than help you in your life.

Most brand-new items, by comparison, have no discernible imprinting. This is certainly the case with factory-made items where there has been no human handling at all. Manufactured items may have slight imprinting, and hand-crafted items or pieces of art in which the creator had some emotional involvement will have considerably more imprinting. Just as much discernment is needed when acquiring these types of items as with second-hand objects.

So, can anything be done to clear out imprints?

Well, yes, space clearing is designed to do just this. Depending on the skill of the person doing it, it can be used to clear imprints from objects as well as from buildings.

Knowing how to do space clearing means second-hand things become much more appealing, especially in the case of items such as furniture. Second-hand furniture is generally a much healthier option than new because by the time you get it, it is likely to have finished outgassing. Modern furniture made of materials such as wood laminates, particleboard, plywood, upholstery fabrics and foam can take anything between two to ten years to finish outgassing toxins such as formaldehyde, during which time you will be breathing in the fumes to some degree or other, depending on how well ventilated your home is.

So while it’s lovely to buy things new, when it comes to furniture or anything that outgasses, it’s a curious fact that these days second hand is a much better option.

Copyright © Clear Space Living Ltd 2016, updated 2022


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Modern furniture out-gassing

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About Karen Kingston

Karen Kingston is the world's leading authority on space clearing and a leading expert in clutter clearing. Her first book, Creating Sacred Space with Feng Shui, has sold over one million copies in 16 languages, and her second book, Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui, has sold over two million copies in 26 languages.

21 Responses to How to clear energy imprints in second-hand things

  1. How about recycled things? “New” clothes made from recycled clothes?
    Golden jewellery melted down and re-created?
    And about the new clothes: Maybe made from machines but behind the machines people, sometimes children being abused from the clothing indistri doesn’t that make an inprint?
    And if I use a second hand cloth for a long time doesn’t my energi start to “take over the” clothing after a while?

    Thank you for an interesting post!
    Best regards,
    Johnna

    1. Depending on the skill of the person doing it, space clearing can clear imprints from any kind of object, and there will be a section about this in the new space clearing book I am writing. A much more advanced skill is to represence such a statue so that it can be used as part of a person’s spiritual practice. There will be information about presencing in the new book too.

  2. In a particular community in South India in olden days, newly born children would be housed in a separate room along with mother and only one designated person would be allowed to look after the baby’s needs other than the mother, i.e. bathing, washing clothes, etc. and that person would always be a close relative devoted to the welfare of the family. The intention was avoid exposure to energy transfer to the baby who is like a blotting paper and could catch any energy fast and become sick. Only on the 59th day the baby is brought out for the first time for a prayer and a function called “araketty” when protective amulets are adored. Such was the care taken as a blind practice, but which ensured following the deep underlying principle of keeping out negative energy.

  3. Hi, I’ve come across this post as I’m looking for information on the topic discussed. Recently I bought a set of twin Mahogany wardrobes from Gumtree. They appeared to come from a lovely home, however I found out they belonged to the mother and father of the seller. It was the first time they had been removed from their bedroom. I have one in my bedroom now and ever since it’s been in there I just get this really bad feeling inside, almost fear and sadness. I can’t explain it and I feel ridiculous that I’m even wondering if something bad happened to one of the owners. I am by no means a skilled space clearer and I don’t know what to do as I can’t get rid of them, nor do I want to. Please help! Any advice is welcome!

    1. I’ve heard similar stories to yours many times. Your three options are to space clear the wardrobes yourself, hire one of my professionally trained space clearers to do it for you, or put them back on Gumtree and find new ones that hopefully won’t be so heavily imprinted by the previous owners. To space clear yourself you would need to invest in space clearing equipment, read my space clearing book, and feel confident enough to do the ceremony yourself. Or you can check my International Directory of Practitioners to see if there is a space clearing practitioner available in your part of the world.

  4. What about materials that have been used in a particular situation with a negative effect that lasts until this day? What if these materials, in this case wood/timber, and perhaps other things keep me imprisoned in a way that I can’t get out of. Is it best to remove or clear them and/or remove?

    There is an energetic bond that ties me with other people since and I find it is time to break these bonds as it has been going for long enough. Every time I see things related to that event I have a feeling it keeps me connected somehow. Maybe it’s my own imprint that makes this connection I don’t know but it is time to break free before it breaks me.

    1. Hi Dan – In Chapter 15 of my book, Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui, I explain,’There are two ways that the symbology of the things in your home can affect you. The first stems from negative associations you have with something, and the second has to do with the frequency emitted by the object itself.’ You can find a deeper understanding of the problem you have described and a range of solutions there.

  5. What about second hand novels from Op-shops or online stores? Does it change anything if the book is still in shrink wrap? I know books are considered to be alive and imprinted upon by those who wrote them, but do their previous owners imprint a similar energy upon them?

    1. Hi Alice – Books become imprinted with their owner’s energy in the same way that any other objects do, depending on how much they are handled. Plastic wrapping acts as an insulator so can reduce this effect to some extent. Not sure where you got the idea that books are alive and are imprinted by their authors, but neither of these assumptions are correct. Some authors are able to convey astral spaces through their writing to their readers, in books and online, but the physical matter of books is not imprinted with these frequencies.

  6. After over 6 months or so of not using any type of pornography. Ive been having urges to watch it aftering buy a used phone. I know it has to be from the previous users energy. Im thinking about saging the phone so i can refresh the energy because i dont wnt to go back to my old nasty habit.

    1. Hi Jeremy – Energetic imprints are created by repetitive or traumatic events. Since pornography is highly addictive and therefore repetitive, it’s entirely possible that your second-hand phone has been imprinted in the way you describe. Using sage will not help at all, as this article – Why smudging is not a space clearing technique – explains. The three solutions I can suggest are to use the techniques described in this article, return the phone for a refund (if that’s possible), or sell it and buy a new phone.

  7. Hi, might I ask if such imprints linger in old photographs? I have an antique photograph whose sitter really fascinates me (it is a Victorian CDV, which I believe was given to others like a kind of calling card) — is it possible the sitter’s imprint is still on it?

    1. Hi Adele – A photograph can accumulate astral imprints of the person it belongs to or events that happen in the place where it is kept in the same way that any other object can, such as a book or a piece if furniture.

      What you are asking about is completely different. You are asking if a photograph of a person can be contain astral imprints of that person? The answer is no. It doesn’t work like that.

      However, a photo of a person’s physical body does provide a link to their subtle body structures and those frequencies can affect anyone who looks at the photo. I explain how this works in Chapter 15 of Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui in relation to artwork that people keep in their home and how it can affect them.

  8. Hi, after a nasty divorce I remained in our family apartment which is now owned by my daughter but the apartment is half empty, lacking some basic furniture, including a bed in the master bedroom. Still recovering from financial disaster caused by the divorce and 9-months unemployment after lockdowns, I am currently not able to buy most needed pieces of furniture new, have to look for second-hands.

    Few days ago I found on a local advertise portal a nice and sturdy, almost new double bed with a storage under, being sold by a lady living in a building next to mine, really cheap. Even more, in only few days she lowered the price from 65 do only 25 Euros. She bought herself a new one and this one needed to go ASAP. I bought it on a rush decision. In the meantime I learned from that lady that she just recently split up with her boyfriend and is actually selling the bed because she “wants a new one, her own”.

    I can’t describe exactly the feelings I have now about this bed, but I feel a strong unrest. I am very much split about what to do, should I bring it to my bedroom after all or not. There is a pretty strong voice inside me telling me not to do that, but on moments I think it would be OK as long as I thoroughly clean it (professionally) and put a cover on sleeping surface, under sheets. Since bed is a very personal piece of furniture, what would be your advice? Can I do something about it or should I just pass it to charity or so? Thank you in advance!

  9. Is there any kind of cleaning that can be done on dolls? I recently bought a Barbie that I had when I was little but it was donated. But I’m afraid this new one I bought might have some energy from the old owner. She also has a very strong smell of “old stuff” I’ll wash her all over but I don’t know if that’s enough. Hugs!

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