I am no more afraid of evil Fae than I am of malicious spirits.
Yes, I'm sure both exist. No, I don't worry about them.
In my experience, the "energy signatures" of these kinds of creatures is of a lower spiritual frequency.
They are attracted to those of higher frequencies, but they BOND (i.e. spend entirely too much time with, interact and hassle you) with those who are emitting similar frequencies.
I'll try to be a bit clearer about this, but the baby is grabbing at me ... let's see if I can focus this .....
Imagine that when you act from your Higher Self, in love and compassion, that you are now emitting a spiritual frequency that reaches the higher frequencies.
And, when you act in ways that are base, self-serving, or deceitful you are emitting lower spiritual frequencies.
These are due to your chakras (IMO) and where your particular chakra emphasis may be -- for good or worse -- concentrated. Chakras emit Divine energy, or prana. Each person's unique emissions can be likened to their energetic signatures.
So, if you have a person who is obsessed with power, career, and is willing to cut throats in order to succeed in work ... you may have a REALLY unbalanced by overemphasis in the 3rd (power) chakra.
If you balance your energies (mind you the objective isn't to shoot to the top, 7th chakra, as "best" ... that's Western thinking) but BALANCED, you are less likely to attract spirits that feed energetically off the lower frequencies.
Power, addictions, obsessions, sexual dysfunctions ... all lower chakras going hay wire, with not enough higher frequencies to balance them out.
Lower-frequency spirits seem quite attracted by those who emit the same problems and hence go pester them more. It reminds me of "misery loves company" on the astral level
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When one is encountered, there are a number of ways to combat negative energy sources. This forum is just chock FULL of others' tales on how they've dealt with such, so remember you're in good company in learning to deal with the meanies if you find you must (like I did in my post that sag shared above, thanks sag!).
(p.s. I'd like to say in my defense that chakras have been completely abused by the New Age bliss ninnies who bastardized the concept, mushed it up and force fed it to the masses).