I’ve heard people say that locs carry energy and allow you to have a sixth sense. These people usually say that they had to cut their locs off due to negative energy in their relationships, surroundings, etc.

I don’t believe that locs carry energy; I believe that our entire bodies produce positive or negative energy as a result of our emotional and mental state. If you’re angry, insecure, confident or calm, you will radiate that particular energy; it will appear in your body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice. You can also receive energy from others—if you’re around someone who’s laidback and calm, you might feel that way, too; if you’re around a person who complains and never has anything positive to say, you might end up feeling stressed out or drained after interacting with him/her. I wonder if we’re actually holding onto the negative experiences we’ve had with others and just referring to it as negative energy in our locs. If I sense that something isn’t right about a person (they’re not genuine, they lie, etc.), I don’t feel like their energy is “on” me or trapped on me; it can only affect me if I allow it.

So what about Bernadine (Angela Bassett’s character) from Waiting to Exhale? Did she chop her long, straight hair off because of “bad energy”? I believe she cut her hair because it was part of her identity and she wanted a fresh start after dealing with her horrible marriage. Bernadine must’ve felt free and not weighed down by other people’s expectations. Cutting her hair represented her ability to take control of her life. Is it possible that people who cut their locs because of “negative energy” actually wanted a change?

I don’t believe that my locs are “antennas” that give me a sixth sense. God is the one who reveals the truth to me about situations and people; my locs don’t do that. If I get a feeling about something, it’s not because I have locs; I’m sure God would still show me things if I had straight hair, a TWA, Afro, etc. I don’t believe that having locs makes me more sensitive to the spirit world or God’s voice.

Sometimes I feel like we give ourselves too much credit—“I’m so spiritual, knowledgeable, and on a higher level of consciousness”—and don’t give God enough credit or acknowledgment. Our knowledge, insight, and intuition comes from God; it doesn’t just fall out of the sky and into our locs. It simply isn’t possible for me to know the things I feel and sense from my own understanding.

If cutting your locs really removed negative energy, what happens when your hair is shorter or not locked anymore? What if the negative energy is actually coming from you? What if you’re still around the same negative people who may be your friends or family members?

I just think we need to examine things we hear instead of taking them at face value.