Its official: Im an Empath......how about you?

As long as I can remember I've been very sensitive to others emotions and thoughts. I never really though much of it until the other day when I came across this tidbit of infomation on "empaths".


About.com: what is an empath?

Empaths Sense Deep Emotions
Empathy is a feeling of another's true emotions to a point where an empath can relate to that person by sensing true feelings that run deeper than those portrayed on the surface. People commonly put on a show of expression. This is a learned trait of hiding authentic expression in an increasingly demanding society.

An empath can sense the truth behind the cover and will act compassionately to help that person express him/herself, thus making them feel at ease and not so desperately alone.

Empaths experience empathy towards family, children, friends, close associates, complete strangers, pets, plants and inanimate objects. Empathy is not held by time or space. Thus, an empath can feel the emotions of people and things at a distance. Some are empathic towards animals (ie: The Horse Whisperer), to nature, to the planetary system, to mechanical devices or to buildings etc. Others will have a combination of the above.

Empaths Have Deep Sense of Knowing
Empaths are highly sensitive. This is the term commonly used in describing one's abilities (sensitivity) to another's emotions and feelings. Empaths have a deep sense of knowing that accompanies empathy and are often compassionate, considerate, and understanding of others.

There are also varying levels of strength in empaths which may be related to the individualís awareness of self, understanding of the powers of empathy, and/or the acceptance or non-acceptance of empathy by those associated with them, including family and peers. Generally, those who are empathic grow up with these tendencies and do not learn about them until later in life.

Empathy is Inherited
Empathy is genetic, inherent in our DNA, and passed from generation to generation. It is studied both by traditional science and alternative healing practitioners. Empathy has both biological/genetic and spiritual aspects. Empaths often possess the ability to sense others on many different levels. From their position in observing what another is saying, feeling and thinking, they come to understand another. They can become very proficient at reading another personís body language and/or study intently the eye movements. While this in itself is not empathy, it is a side-shoot that comes from being observant of others. In a sense, empaths have a complete communication package.

How Empathy Works
While there is much we don't yet understand about how empathy works, we do have some information. Everything has an energetic vibration or frequency and an empath is able to sense these vibrations and recognize even the subtlest changes undetectable to the naked eye or the five senses.

Words of expression hold an energetic pattern that originates from the speaker. They have a specific meaning particular to the speaker. Behind that expression is a power or force-field, better known as energy. For example, hate often brings about an intense feeling that immediately accompanies the word. The word hate becomes strengthened with the speaker's feeling. It is that person's feelings (energy) that are picked up by empaths, whether the words are spoken, thought or just felt without verbal or bodily expression.

And this information was helpful on the actual physical workings of tuned empathy

Everyone is born an Empath. We all have the physical equipment necessary to pick up on what other people are feeling. But, for most of us, this ability will slowly fade away from lack of use. To see how this works, let’s briefly look into the physiological processes involved.

When you think about something, it triggers electrical activity in your brain. Neurons (special cells that relay information in the body) get activated through a very mild electric current. These neurons then activate other neurons, creating a chain reaction.

Each thought follows a unique “pathway” in the brain, called a neuron pathway. Scientists already know that the neuron pathway varies, depending on the type of intellectual activity you’re doing. For example, when language is involved, Broca’s area (located behind your left temple) will get electrically stimulated.

All this electrical activity generates a magnetic field (which is true for all electrical currents). As Empaths, we are able to read and interpret this magnetic information. Our own brain translates these magnetic patterns into an emotion that we personally experience.

Think of it like having a portable MRI machine (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) in your brain. You can “take pictures” of magnetic waves and translate them into something meaningful. Doctors use MRI scans to differentiate between sick and healthy cells. We use it to differentiate between emotional states.

I read the first quoted text and chills went through me. It was almost as someone had written a bio on ME!!
I havent paid the 'ability' much thought until recently. It has become obvious and unignorable. I exibit every single one of the traits listed. Apparently there are different levels and types of empaths. Even though I havnt taken any type of test or read much info on the types, I feel within me that I'm a healer type empath. I could write out the several occasions that my 'healing' abilities have shined but that would take away from my question to you.

Do you feel as if you may be an Empath? If so, care to share any related stories?
If you feel that this resonates with you and would like more information visit the link below.
Empathguide.com

~peace~

It's really not hard to read anothers emotion if you are observant of their body language, facial expression, voice and general actions.

Most people don't care enough to be observant.

Make friends with whiskey if it becomes too much to handle.

Being empathic is very common, but when you add fluoride, GMOs, excitotoxins, Aspartame, cell phones & wifi frequencies, chemtrails, more fluoride, more Aspartame, MSG, engineered vaccines & viruses, television, big pharma medications, more Monsanto love, even more fluoride, dead foods with no nutrients, growth hormones in meat, psychological programing via media, aluminum toxicity, mercury tooth fillings....

I can go on, you get the point. What we are and could be naturally is being altered and deformed from almost all directions, so the average person has no idea where to begin to stop the negative outside influences. They end up giving up trying with the thought, "Everything causes cancer, I'm not going to live in fear of everything..." so they end up doing nothing to change their diet or habits.

Originally posted by TalltexxxanDo you feel as if you may be an Empath?

Yes. Honestly, it can be exhausting. It's why I prefer to be alone or with my partner. You can't really turn it off so it drains you. It also makes you a bit frustrated when people seem not to be as tuned in to your emotions as you are to theirs. Or when people seem callous in general to the emotional undercurrent of a situation.

Originally posted by RealSpoke
It's really not hard to read anothers emotion if you are observant of their body language, facial expression, voice and general actions.

Most people don't care enough to be observant.

Most others are to wrapped up in themselves and their own needs/wants that they barely even notice anyone else. Those kinds of people really erk me. I've always been extremly good at reading other peoples body language and word usege. Its funny how LITTLE most people pay attention to what they're saying when they're not speaking.

reply to post by KillerQueen


Yes, exactly! I cannot handle being in crowds of people unless I am medicated. It is like not having any skin and having all kinds of things assault you on many levels. You can pick up on so much in a crowd: Fear, hate, love, happiness, depression, sadness, anger, self-indulgence. I can be in a crowd and I swear I can look at somebody and practically hear what they are thinking. It may be the ability to see subtle body language, and of course the eyes are the mirror of the soul.

I have had pet dogs, and now cats, that can tell when I'm thinking about possibly giving them a bite of my dinner. They stand at attention and start to drool. There must be something subtle in my behavior which changes with my thought pattern. Perhaps being an empath is being ultra-aware of these subtleties.

My husband has the same issues, so we live in the middle of nowhere, and hardly go anywhere, and this makes us peaceful and happy. Too much social stimulation leaves us both irritable and exhausted.

I am, and now I am wondering about several of the posts here about rather being alone. I am the same way. Hubby is a social boy that loves being around people. I can handle a few close friends, but would rather be at home.

Originally posted by chiefsmom
I am, and now I am wondering about several of the posts here about rather being alone. I am the same way. Hubby is a social boy that loves being around people. I can handle a few close friends, but would rather be at home.

I hear you. My gf is super social, and honestly it's hard to deal with. I prefer a couple close friends that don't throw me out of whack. I'm ridiculously empathic / psy-sensitive. I can remote view, though I'm a bit rusty on this skill right now. Sometimes I can "know" what's going on around the other side of a building. Sometimes I walk by a car and get a flash of something that happened near it or in it. Was reluctant to post this because I'm well aware of the derision felt toward people who express this characteristic.

And I just thought it was called "being a people person"

Harder to be a male empath believe me.....
Its a drag.....one has to shut it off......or go mad half the time...
This world is murder of you cannot get away from it.
This is the quality which separatees the animals from the humans.....psychopaths have no utterly no, empathy.
This is the whole of the worlds problems right here....
Those who are empathetic are at risk from the psychos.....probably die younger too from stress....frustration, and dissapointment

Originally posted by stirling.probably die younger too from stress....frustration, and dissapointment

It is very stressful. To pick up on emotions and have no way of release them. If you try to talk about the vibe or whatever, people think you worry too much or are too sensitive.

Really though since about 2007 it's been off the charts for me, leading up to the economic crisis. I'm dreading 2012 in way, there is a crescendo building... but I'm hopeful it will all end in a whole bunch of nothing like Y2K.

reply to post by KillerQueen


You can visualize a mirror bubble around yourself; create a “reflective thought force field" so to speak to limit the information. I've found that with practice I can turn it off, but not if I am really tired/frazzled.

The worst thing that has happened for me, is in addition to experiencing their emotions (negative agitation is especially draining) is suddenly to find myself as them experiencing their visual /auditory and somatic perceptions of reality..it's like a timeless blink of an eye experience.

Far far too freaky.....I know walking in someone else’s shoes is a good way to get understanding and compassion, but that is far too intimate and personal for my liking, especially when you also get images of their traumatic experiences.

I have had the pleasure of feeling huge amounts of love and compassion, nothing like a massive endorphin release to make you feel at one with the cosmos. I’ve occasionally heard people’s thoughts, and verbally answered them because I didn’t realize they hadn’t physically spoken, there have been a few awkward moments from that.

I can sometimes tell when people have health issues (despite them looking normal).
I used to ask people about what I felt and saw, (mainly to check my own sanity...check) but I only do that now if I really feel compelled to help (because this energy interpretation “sense” appears to be providing me with reliable information) and I don't always want to get involved in their issues.

I feel a huge build up of energy in me, when people really have some life threatening condition (gets very physically uncomfortable for me), then the best way for me to get relief from that is to get them to accept the energy, for which I use the Reike technique. Which so far does appear to heal for these "involuntary demand" situations, i.e. Kidney transplant no longer required etc.

I'm pretty sure the vast majority will think I am totally deluded, but it doesn't appear to disrupt my life much, especially since I learn't to filter most of it out.

reply to post by FissionSurplus


Yes I've found that with animals too, they seem very quick to pick up thoughts affecting them, I think they are much more adept at this than most humans

Sometimes I wonder if they are also sending me messages, especially when I suddenly think where is X ? only to find them quietly standing by the door waiting for a walk ! .. like a psychic prod ...

Yes, I am, and it's not always a good thing. Also, for the record, being empathetic does not mean I'm the kind of person that "feels your pain" and wants to spread sweetness and light around. Far from it.

The problem is that when someone speaks about a subject, I know what they really mean and where they are really coming from. I react to THAT instead of their spoken words. But they have plausible deniability because they never actually said what they meant. They're trying to manipulate the situation. I'm not very good about being political, so this can cause some tense situations.

I feel the same as others here about crowds. If I am in one, I have to shut down and tune them out. Actually opening up senses to the crowd is overwhelming and negative.

I don't think any of you are deluded.

But then, I am very much in the same boat as you guys, so maybe we're ALL totally deluded.

But my intuition tells me that we aren't.

And I know the feeling of being completely drained after being around large crowds. I work in Washington, DC and spend the majority of my time there, and there are always lots of people around. Sometimes it can be too much, but I'm learning to deal with it a little bit better.

I, too, have also heard people's thoughts and responded aloud without realizing that they didn't actually say anything. I can look into someone's eyes and can literally feel what they feel - often times (meaning not ALL the time, but a lot). I can talk to a complete stranger for 15 minutes and then tell them all about themselves.

I have learned that my emotions affect others just as their emotions affect me. So I remain consiously aware of my energetic state at all times. Of course, I am human, so I am not perfect, but if I catch myself being cynical and expressing negativity I make it a point to relax a moment and tune back in to a "higher frequency" (if you will).

I sometimes seclude myself because it does drain you. But after a short rest period (maybe just go to work then straight home every day for a week or two) I go right back out there to face it all because I feel like it is my duty. My purpose in life is to do no harm, and to IMPROVE reality by my presence in it. So while sometimes I want to just crawl in a hole and be left alone - I know I cannot do that. It would be a waste of this precious gift that I have and I would not be serving creation by shying away from it.

This really has had profound effects on my life, and I have come to meet many other people who are a lot like me in this way, and OF COURSE there are varying levels of empaths. I've met several who are at several different levels.

I guess what I wanted to say to all you who have posted so far is that, for me, I KNOW this to be real. I KNOW this isn't just my "imagination". I have seen the effects of this manifest in our physical world and it is a beautiful thing. I know it can be hard, and I feel like we carry a heavy burden at times, but this is why we're here. We are the ones who are responsible for shaping the future of our world and the future of humanity. We are the ones responsible for showing others how to better tune in to their own senses and help to improve reality. I know that it seems like a lot of people don't care. But they could care, and would be happy to do so, if only someone could show them that it's not that hard, and it DOES make a difference.

I feel like we have an amazing gift, being able to sense others emotions in ways that are unexplainable with words... but we also have a responsibility to do the right thing with it. To help others. It does no good to isolate ourselves, we have to be out there right in the swing of things. It is our duty.

Much love to all of you, and thanks for posting TallTexxxan!

reply to post by Talltexxxan


Does this mean you will cry over spilled milk

reply to post by schuyler


I used to go to a great Tia Chi class, where it was safe to let the guard down, the energy in the room once we were all going was just totally amazing, like we were all resonating to the OM .The movements are controlled, slow and continuously flowing, I found it really brought a sense of well being, energy, stamina and a release from a noisy mind.

reply to post by Talltexxxan

We are all emathic to some degree. We live in an empathic civilization.
What is Empathy?

• The ability to imagine oneself in another's place and understand the other's feelings, desires, ideas, and actions.

ADD;
That 10 min RSA animate was derived from another recorded lecture Jeremy Rifkin gave linked below.

I guess thats where I differ from some of the other memebers here. I have no trouble in crowds. I did when I was younger (pre-teen) though. But now Im a social butterfly. I have tons of friends who constantly ask me when i'm going to be in town again. Maybe I learned how to shut it off without knowing how I did it.

I'll be watching somthing on TV or hear songs on the radio and I will immediatly mirror their emotional state, happy, sad, angery ect...

I cant stand all the cop dramas on TV now. I have never liked them and now after reading this info, it is much clearer to me as to why. I have always 'felt' as if I had the ability to heal through thought, even as a kid. About 5 years ago my mother became deathly ill with a kidney disease called TTP. I flew in on the redeye flight because the doctors said she wasnt going to make it through the night. She was unconcious when I arraived so I just sat beside her bed and held her hand all night. The next morning she made a complete 180. ALL the test numbers became even better than a healthy person. She was awake and completly co-hearent. She was fine for the next 5 years with small instances of kidney related illness. She had to be in the ICU back in June. The doctore said the only thing keeping her alive was the life support, so the descion was made to take her off. Miracuoslly she lasted 3 days without life support and on the third night I just held her hand through the night and mentally told her that it was okay to let go. At 5am that morning she passed. ....Love ya mom

reply to post by KillerQueen

I don't know if this will help but yes you can turn it off as well as turn it on for those who don't appear to be empathetic. This emapathic feeling or ability can also be turned up or down to adjust to your environment. This is what I have learned to do and I think you can train yourself to do this as well.

I feel that it is like a new sensory perception in a way. It might be like seeing for the first time. What you "see" is very cluttered and can be quite scary. There are alot of colors, bright lights and images which can be overwhelming and make it difficult to function socially out in public. You can always close your eyes but who would ever choose to close their eyes after they have discovered sight?