Does a Cord Cutting affect the other person?
Grace Hui for INCENTRE
A common question asked by clients who are considering getting a cord cutting from our practitioners is whether such cord cutting would affect another person?
No, a cord cutting does not negatively affect the other person. A properly performed cord cutting removes only unhealthy energetic attachments and does not control, harm or interfere with another person's free will. Its primary purpose is emotional and energetic release for the individual receiving the session.
Firstly, a cord cutting, when done by safely by a practitioner who has been handed down the correct protocol in a pure lineage based way, would only remove the negative cords that are present between the client and the other person. It would never harm anyone – not the client and certainly not the other person.
Secondly, cord cutting is generally about your own emotional attachment, not about altering or affecting the other person’s thoughts, feelings, or life.
Cord Cutting is not always about a person
Spiritual cord cutting is a healing practice designed to release emotional, energetic or spiritual attachments that no longer serve your well-being. These attachments can form through relationships, experiences or unresolved emotions and may leave you feeling drained, stuck or unable to move forward.
Depending on the nature of the relationship, the situation or events, there can be energy cords created. Strong connections—especially intense or painful ones can create energetic cords between people, experiences, or patterns. Over time, these cords can feel draining, keep you emotionally stuck, or interfere with personal growth. Cord cutting is meant to gently dissolve those ties, not in anger, but with intention and peace.
Here’s how it typically works
What it does affect
Your emotional attachment
Your rumination or obsession
Your energetic focus on them
Your healing process
It helps you detach, reclaim your energy, and stop feeding the connection mentally, energetically or emotionally.
What it does not do if your cord cutting is with a specific person
It will not control their feelings
It will not affect their free will
It will not force them to stop thinking about you
It doesn’t cause them harm
It doesn’t magically remove you from their awareness
It does not mean that you have to cut this person from your life, it just cuts the negative cords between you which could lead to a healthier relationship.
Any change you notice in them afterward is usually because:
You stopped reaching out, if you choose to
You changed your energy/behaviour
The dynamic shifted naturally as a result of the cord cutting
When you withdraw attention, sometimes the other person feels the absence — but that is a psychological shift, not a harmful consequence that affects their free will.
If you are asking because you are worried about harming someone - cord cutting is generally considered a self-healing practice, not an attack that will affect another person negatively.
If you are asking because you hope they will feel something — that usually isn’t how it works. In short, cord cutting is about you and not someone else.
When is a cord cutting recommended?
Cord cutting is a practice rooted in spiritual and energetic traditions. It is often used after a breakup, the end of a friendship, or the realisation of an unhealthy attachment. The goal is to symbolically “cut” a negative energetic cord believed to connect two people; or a negative energetic cord between you and a traumatic or toxic experience or situation.
Understanding Cord Cutting
Cord cutting rituals exist in various spiritual traditions. They are based on the idea that emotional bonds create energetic ties between people, situations or experiences. For example, when a relationship ends or becomes unhealthy, those ties may feel draining or heavy. A cord cutting ritual symbolically releases that connection and returns your energy back to yourself. It will not drain the person of their energy. It could maybe also help them because you are no longer also hooked negatively onto their energy structure. It will always serve you and may also have a positive effect on the other person, should it be a cord cutting with a person.
It is important to understand that cord cutting is primarily an individual process. It is about emotional closure, detachment, and reclaiming personal energy.
From a Psychological Perspective
Psychologically speaking, cord cutting does not directly affect the other person. It does not change their thoughts, emotions, or behaviours through any external force.
However, it can indirectly influence the dynamic in practical ways:
You may stop reaching out.
You may think about them less.
You may respond differently if they contact you.
You may no longer engage in old emotional patterns.
When one person changes their behaviour or emotional investment, the relationship dynamic will consequentially shift. The other person may or may not notice the difference, but this is due to behavioural changes — not the ritual itself.
From a Spiritual Perspective
In spiritual belief systems, some practitioners suggest that energetic shifts can be felt by both parties. The idea is that if one person withdraws emotional or energetic investment, the “cord” weakens or dissolves.
Even within spiritual communities, however, cord cutting is generally viewed as a tool for self-healing rather than a way to influence or harm someone else. It is not intended as an act of control, punishment, or revenge.
Most traditions emphasize intention. If the intention is release, healing, and peace, the focus remains on personal transformation.
Cord cutting does not:
Force someone to stop thinking about you
Cause emotional pain in the other person
Erase shared memories
Magically change someone’s feelings
Any perceived changes in the other person after a cord cutting ritual are more likely tied to real-world shifts in communication and behaviour.
Why It May Feel Like It Affects Them
Sometimes, after someone performs a cord cutting ritual, the other person suddenly reaches out. This can feel like proof that the ritual “worked.”
In reality, several factors may be at play:
You may have stopped initiating contact because you no longer feel like it serves you to do.
They may sense emotional distance which breaks unhealthy or toxic patterns.
The timing may even be coincidental.
You may simply be more aware of their actions and make a conscious choice not to have it in your life.
Humans are sensitive to shifts in patterns. When familiar attention disappears, it can trigger curiosity or reaction.
The Real Purpose of Cord Cutting
The true function of cord cutting is emotional, mental and energetic autonomy. It helps individuals:
Release attachment
Reduce obsessive thoughts
Heal from heartbreak
Reclaim emotional energy
Create space for new experiences
Whether approached spiritually or symbolically, it is fundamentally a self-focused practice.
Final Thoughts
Cord cutting does not directly affect the other person in a supernatural or controlling way. Its primary impact is on the individual performing it. Any changes observed in the other person are usually the result of natural shifts in behaviour, boundaries, and emotional availability.
Ultimately, cord cutting is less about severing someone else’s connection to you — and more about freeing yourself from the control that a particular person, situation or experience has on you, how you make decisions, how you show up and how you live.
Rooted in ancient Hermetic teachings — “As above, so below. As within, so without.” — this energy cleansing practice helps you reconnect with your light, your spirit, and your inner focus. It’s a sacred moment to create space for new beginnings and positive relationships.
Clearings differ from healing sessions, as their purpose is to clear the energy field of stagnant energy or negative emotional attachments to past experiences.
At INCENTRE, our practitioners are highly trained in lineage-based Mystery School teachings that prioritise safety, purity, consent and spiritual integrity. The session will be in person and private. It includes: cord cutting, energy clearing and a consultation.
If you are unsure whether a cord cutting session is right for your situation, our practitioners at INCENTRE, at the heart of London’s Marylebone offer private consultations to guide you safely through the process.
